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Transcript of 16th August 2011 - Dubai
Published by: VAR MEA Magazine. For enquiries, contact Tel: +971-4-3326647 Fax: +971-4-3326621 [email protected] or [email protected] www.VARonline.com
...continued on pg 4
16th August 2011Issue 142
What’s New - AcerIn Focus - Al Hosani Computer
Golden Systems Middle East (GSME) have won the ‘Best Distributor’ award for the Middle
East region from ZOTAC International, close on the heels of the ‘Best Performance’ award
they had won from the vendor earlier this year.
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Powerful wirelessperformance in your home
GRAND PCD TRADING 04-43937661
Golden Systems wins Best
Distributor Award from ZOTAC
Printingon the goHP Middle East recently announced new imaging and printing solutions and devices designed to help small and midsize businesses (SMBs) and enterprise organizations enhance employee productivity, both in the office and on-the-go. Amin Mortazavi, General Manager, Imaging & Printing Group, HP Middle East says HP’s new technolo-gies and innovations are designed to transform paper-intense processes into simple digital workflows, allowing businesses to identify new opportunities for growth. He discusses further in the following interview with VAR magazine.
...continued on pg 4
cer
Aspire x755NotebookSeries
Building on
the lead
2 16th August 2011
Authorized Partner
Rising Technologies LLCP.O. Box 45766, Khalid Bin Waleed Road, Opp. Highland Hotel, Bur Dubai - UAETel: +971 4 3939201, 3939202 Fax: +971 4 3939203, E-mail: [email protected]
316th August 2011
4 16th August 2011
Discuss how e-print technology now
features more prominently across your
devices.
The recent launch was to introduce e-print
across the inkjet portfolio. The launch in
the region was first done in Cairo.
The recent product launches further
endorses our commitment to making
e-print capabilities available in more of our
devices and specifically addresses needs of
our customers in the region. We have
equipped our entry level printers with
e-print capability. This means each of the
printers has its own email id and can be
sent print orders through the cloud.
How has the adoption been across
segments?
e-print has revolutionized Technology.
There are two segments. The consumer
segment is picking up which is positively
surprising. We are in talks with corporate
side customers to deploy e-print solutions.
While these are initial stages in the
commercial segment, it is absolutely
known and accepted on the consumer
side.
We have also introduced a couple of colour
laser printers for the SMB segment and
they also incorporate e-print capabilities.
This is a helpful feature for an SMB which
may have workforce travelling and with a
need to print on the go. There are security
features. First of all it goes through the HP
cloud. Email address is randomly gener-
ated, quite secured and known to only
users.
How is Managed Print Services gaining
currency?
We are on the verge of closing a big MPS
deal with a large customer in the region.
The establishment of HP Financial Services
last November at DIFC has enabled us
further scope in working on large MPS
deals. We have already worked out some
MPS deals through our partners, which
further shows our commitment to the
partner model.
What other value propositions are
available for customers?
We are flexible in terms of customer
offerings. We have introduced a software
with our new printers that gives them
capability to upgrade the firmware. HP
FutureSmart Firmware and the latest
version of the HP Open Extensibility
Platform (OXP) help extend the life of an
imaging and printing fleet while helping to
increase office productivity and simplify
fleet management.
How successful have been your
initiatives to combat counterfeits trade?
We have increased our efforts in fighting
News
the business of counterfeits. We have been
quite successful in going after the
criminals, working with authorities across
the region.
We have done many seizures of fake
products across counties like Egypt, KSA,
UAE etc. This has brought down the
menace significantly. At the same time, we
are also ensuring that the awareness in the
industry and among consumers continues
to improve not just regarding counterfeits
but also regarding environment friendly
practices such as recycling of empty toners
through our Planet partner program.
Discuss initiatives on the eco-printing
front?
It is not new to us and we continue to
undertake several initiatives. We have
introduced features to reduce consump-
tion of electricity. we have included duplex
printing to print either side of a printer. The
planet partner program takes back empty
toners for recycling.
Is retail going strong or is there a dip?
We see retail growing. In some countries it
is growing while in some it remains a bit
flat. But this is kind off-season and post
Ramadan, there should be further increase.
How is the growth in the large format
printer business?
In the large format segment, there was a
dip after the construction slowdown in the
region. We have however sustained our
market share. In Q1, we had 78.5 % market
share in the region and we do not expect
any major change.
How vital is training for partners?
Discuss your engagement on the
channel front?
We will start a partners training program
right after Eid. It is necessary to ensure that
partners are well informed to satisfy
customer queries and make the best of
cross selling and up-selling opportunities.
We continuously look at the programs
catering to our partners. We make sure the
programs are up to date and meet their
requirements in the market. HP IPG has the
biggest coverage across the region in
terms of partner accounts Managers. The
priority is to increase the number of people
on ground in markets like Kuwait, Qatar,
Bahrain, Oman etc. We want to make it
easier for partners to access our services.
How has the year been so far and what
is the outlook?
This year, the industry has come into the
recovery phase. We look forward optimisti-
cally to September- October and the next
fiscal.
HP Middle EastIn Focus
Golden Systems was chosen for this accolade for their
outstanding sales performance in 2010, effective
regional distribution strategy, customer service, strong
marketing support and for increasing ZOTAC’s market
share and brand visibility in the region.
“We are happy and proud to win a second award from
ZOTAC this year. Being awarded the ‘Best Distributor’
award is another milestone for Golden Systems which
has motivated our team to work even harder towards
achieving further growth for this brand in the region. I
would like to dedicate these awards to the Golden
Kaspersky Lab announced the
availability of the 2012 versions of
its home user products KIS and KAV
for customers across the Middle
East region. The two products are
available in many of the specialized
and unspecialized stores across the
region, to make it available to the
widest range of users possible.
The new Kaspersky Internet
Security 2012 and Kaspersky
Anti-Virus 2012 incorporate
advanced protection technologies:
a sandbox for launching suspicious
applications, a program activity
monitoring module, a script
emulator, a cloud-based reputa-
tion database, a virtual keyboard
plus many other features.
In the 2012 versions of Kaspersky
Lab's home user products, cloud-
based technologies have been
improved. By regularly exchanging
information between products
installed on users’ machines and
the centralized databases in the cloud, the most up-to-date threat information is made
available for the protection of users. In addition to superior protection from the cloud, the
new product versions also demonstrate how they do it. The main program window
provides users with in-depth information about which cloud components are active and
how they are protecting users’ computers and personal data.
Kaspersky Lab believes that the combination of cloud protection and security software
running on users’ computers is an ideal way of ensuring multilayered protection. At
present, this hybrid approach is the best option in terms of combating the wide range of
threats out there in the wild. That is why both of the new product versions feature
improved cloud technologies and enhanced program capabilities.
Tarek Kuzbari, Managing Director, Kaspersky Lab Middle East and Turkey, said, “This launch
comes as an assurance on our commitment to our loyal customers in the Middle East
region, who are becoming more and more tech savvy and security aware, especially with
the increase use of social media and online services. The products are now available in all
authorized stores”.
“Being aware of the availability of pirated KL softwares in the region, our team have initiated
a number of measures aimed at providing Middle East consumers with the supported and
official products which are tailor made for the local needs,” continued Tarek Kuzbari, Manag-
ing Director, Kaspersky Lab Middle East and Turkey. “Our paramount priority is the protec-
tion of our customers from buying illegally imported products and indirectly lending their
support to pirates in this respect. And we want to ensure that channel partners stay well
away from grey imports and turn to legitimate business practices instead.”
Kaspersky Lab has put together an anti-grey market drive that comprises a range of
concrete steps designed to tackle the issue at its root. Kaspersky Lab will only activate
codes designed for use within the Middle East region. Localized versions of the products
ensure that buyers gain technical support and activation codes. Moreover, the vendor has
introduced boxes that include a territorial belonging identifier – a special line on the box in
Arabic and English that specifies the region that the product is sold in, in addition to a
stretch-card with ME barcode
2012 KIS and KAV editions
include new and improved features
Systems’ team who have put in tremendous efforts to
grow the ZOTAC brand and provide only the best
service, support and technical expertise to our custom-
ers,” says Iman Mozaffari, Senior Product Manager,
Golden Systems Middle East.
Golden Systems is a leading distributor in the region
representing some strong brands in the components
segment. It has recently won awards from its vendor-
partners such as Kingmax, Coolermaster apart from
ZOTAC.
Tarek Kuzbari
Managing Director, Kaspersky Lab ME, Turkey
“Golden Systems has shown tremendous commitment
in promoting ZOTAC in the Middle East in 2010 in such
a short span of time. We would like to thank them and
show them our appreciation by giving them the ‘Best
Distributor’ award for the Middle East for 2010. Golden
Systems has demonstrated exceptional ability in
promoting ZOTAC’s products in the region with the
highest levels of customer satisfaction. We are happy
with our decision of signing them as our distributor and
are confident they will continue to break barriers for
ZOTAC in the Middle East,” said Carsten Berger, market-
ing director, ZOTAC International.
516th August 2011
16th August 20116
Please discuss your recent recognition
from Kaspersky?
We got the best partner award from
Kaspersky at the partner conference
recently in Capetown in recognition of our
sales achievements, and creative marketing
of Kaspersky Lab products. We were also
credited for promoting of Kaspersky Lab
software to the key retailers in the GCC,
including Carrefour ME, Sharaf ME, Jarir
Bookstores, Plug-Ins, Geant ME, EMax ME,
Jacky's, Jumbo, Dubai Duty Free,
CompuMe and HyperPanda.
What are the other brands you
distribute?
We are working with several leading
software brands in the region. Our major
focus is IT software. Besides Kaspersky, we
have distribution rights for ABBYY, Sony,
Magix, Adobe, Roxio, Nero among other
software brands. We are a distributor for
Sage as well in the retail segment.
How has the year been so far in terms of
sales?
It has been challenging. We have
progressed through the year. We have
achieved good growth with Kaspersky
which is today the top choice among
buyers of AV security software and has
growing appeal with consumers. They like
the product as it is light and fast.
The business is improving in countries like
Iran, Pakistan, Afghanistan although maybe
not to the extent we desire.
Are you looking to expand in terms of
new offices at other locations?
We will be opening an office in DSO to be
closer to our customers. We want to make
it easier for them to interact with us. We
News
will retain our Sharjah office.
There was a delay in opening the Qatar
office because we were in the midst of a
busy period. We will open in 2012. We have
an office in Iran that serves Iran as well as
Pakistan and Afghanistan.
We continue to work in KSA through our
partner’s office. KSA remains a large focus
for us as it is the largest market in GCC
territory. But several brands have had to
deal with the issue of piracy there. In Egypt,
we have faced small issues with customs as
rules and regulations are not the same as in
GCC.
Would you be participating at GITEX
this year?
We are participating at the GITEX trade
exhibition as well as at the GITEX Shopper.
One of our activities last years was a
campaign for Kaspersky buyers. Through a
raffle draw, a UAE local won the prize
which was a Mini-Cooper. We will look at
some interesting activities this year as well.
Discuss how you see volume of business
changing across power retailer and the
reseller channel?
We do equal sales between the power
retailer and the regular channel segment.
The shift would depend on changes in the
market but there should be growth in both
segments.
What challenges do you continue to
see?
The challenge is to keep promoting our
brands and continue ensuring their
success. We have increased our sales team,
merchandising support, support team etc.
We are careful with products we carry.
There is a need to be more selective.
Al Hosani ComputerIn Focus
HP recently announced financial results for its third fiscal quarter ended July 31, 2011
and suggested the possible spin off of HP PSG. HP unveiled the details of a plan to
accelerate the strategy introduced in March. The plan introduced is expected to move
HP into higher value, higher margin growth categories, sharpen HP's focus on its
strategic priorities of cloud, solutions and software with an emphasis on enterprise,
commercial and government markets and increase investment in innovation to drive
differentiation
As part of the transformation, HP announced that its board of directors has authorized
the exploration of strategic alternatives for the company's Personal Systems Group. HP
will consider a broad range of options that may include, among others, a full or partial
separation of PSG from HP through a spin-off or other transaction. HP will discontinue
operations for webOS devices, specifically the TouchPad and webOS phones. The
devices have not met internal milestones and financial targets. HP will continue to
explore options to optimize the value of webOS software going forward.
"We're focused on improving performance across the business," said Léo Apotheker,
HP president and chief executive officer. "HP is taking bold, transformative steps to
position the company as a leader in the evolving information economy. The plan will
allow HP to drive creation of long-term shareholder value through a focus on fewer
fronts, thereby improving its ability to execute, invest in innovation and drive a higher-
margin business mix."
HP's Commercial
businesses remain
healthy with 5% revenue
growth year over year.
HP's Consumer
businesses, within PSG
and IPG, were collectively
down 15% year over year.
Personal Systems Group
(PSG) revenue declined
3% year over year but PSG
remains the PC market
leader in terms of units,
revenue and profit share.
Commercial Client
revenue grew 9% and
Consumer Client revenue
declined 17%.
So far, this year has brought little cheer to the market so far as far as growth goes across established
product segments in the PC industry. Tablets have robbed the sheen from notebooks and netbooks
with an impressive growth trajectory.
The slow industry pace and flat growth rates challenges the visions that companies have held on
to in the past few years. Companies are definitely looking at shifts in strategies as HP’s consideration
of spinning of HP PSG reveals. Google’s buyout of Motorola’s Mobile phones business is also a
dramatic shift for the software company to a hardware vendor, and ensuring that it would in due
course compete head on with some of its biggest OEM clients in the Android segment.
Potentially, the next few quarters could reveal some more dramatic plans of makeovers from manu-
facturers as boundaries between product categories continue to blur. This will be a response to
testing times as margins continue to drop. Hopefully, most of them would be well thought out long
terms visionary strategies and not reflect only the thinking of the current leadership to be later
debunked, when a new team takes over.
In the past few years ever since it heralded the iPhone and later the iPad, Apple has cornered an
overwhelming part of the growth for the IT and smartphones industry combine in the consumer
segment. In other words, while Apple extended its reach into the consumer segment, attracting
first time buyers of its products, this growth came at the expense of established players in the IT as
well as smartphones industry. The plight of Nokia which has seen its market share drop tells the
story in the smartphones segment. In the PC industry, the failure of most vendors barring Samsung
to bring out a competitive alternative to the Ipad is illustrative.
In addition to the economic slowdown, the innovative shift that Apple brought along seems to
have caught most traditional PC hardware manufacturers off
guard. They have been slow to respond and have seen the
opportunity slip by to make an impact in new categories. Inevita-
bly, the advantage in PC and Notebook markets would continue
to shift towards manufacturers that can combine low cost manu-
facturing along with innovative offerings, leading towards
realignment in the marketplace.
Editorial
A potential realignment Building on the lead
HP mulls PSG spin-off
Al Hosani computer is one of the leading distributers of Kaspersky as well as several other software brands. Ryad Santouh, Managing Partner at Al Hosani Computer LLC speaks in the following interview with VAR Magazine on how the distributor is consolidating despite market challenges
Ryad Santouh
Managing Partner, Al Hosani Computer
Leo Apotheker
President & CEO, HP
716th August 2011
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UAE
16th August 20118
Avira seems to have been a later entrant
into this market. How do you reckon the
company can make a significant impact in
the local market?
We are confident that Avira has the reputation
and experience to be quite successful in this
market and we have seen positive results.
Avira has been a worldwide leading provider of
professional and private antivirus software and
IT security solutions. The company has over 25
years of business experience and more than
100 million clients. Avira AntiVir's core product
distinguishes itself due to its outstanding
reliability and has been regularly honored with
the VB100 awards. Avira is the only provider of
antivirus software that offers IT security
products that also guarantee protection
against data espionage.
Discuss range of products being distributed
from Avira?
The range includes products for private users
and Business users as well as bundles. The
personal products include Avira AntiVir
Personal , Avira AntiVir Premium and Avira
AntiVir Security Suite.
For Companies , there is a comprehensive
range that include Avira AntiVir Professional ,
Avira AntiVir Server , Avira AntiVir SharePoint ,
Avira AntiVir MailGate , Avira MailGate Suite ,
Avira AntiSpam , Avira AntiVir Exchange , Avira
AntiVir MIMEsweeper , Avira AntiVir WebGate ,
Avira WebGate Suite and Avira Security
Management Center.
We also offer product bundles including Avira
Small Business Bundle , Avira Business Bundle ,
Avira AntiVir NetWork Bundle , Avira AntiVir
NetGate Bundle and, Avira AntiVir GateWay
Bundle.
How has demand been in the past few
months?
If we compare the demand for AVIRA in the last
Quarter of 2010 via-avis the first Quarter of
2011, we have seen an increase of upto 75%
across. We hope to continue the momentum
of growth.
With so many strong brands in the market,
do you see possibility of tough competi-
tion?
Users of Avira products will know there is a
huge difference between the high perfor-
mance levels of products from Avira- vis-avis
products from other competitors. Avira’s
products have the best malware detection
rates as well as fast scan speeds. The superior
performance and good
reputation will help us in
building market reach.
Do you think consum-
ers are spending more
on endpoint security
than before?
The need for informa-
tion security has
increased continuously.
Consumers are more
aware than before of the
need to secure their
computing devices. We
are seeing them spend
more actively on
endpoint security.
What are the standout
features of Avira’s
range of products?
It is not an easy decision to choose between all
these Antivirus products available in the
market, However if you know what are the
features and aspects you should look for in the
product you are evaluating, this shouldn’t be
an issue.
Avira combines all features and technologies
needed to provide highest security levels for all
needs from home user PC up to the enterprise
most mission critical servers.
The most critical job of the Antivirus is to
detect a virus and eliminate it, with the newly
emerging threats this function becomes the
most critical aspect of the Antivirus and
differentiates between products in this domain.
Avira is recognized for its exceptional detection
rates for both on demand and Pro-active. Avira
got the Advanced+ rank in last AV Compara-
tives On-Demand detection test (AV Compara-
tives, February 2011), and the first rank among
all cotntestees in the Pro-Active test (AV
Comparatives, May 2011) with lowest false
positive.
Avira is very well known for its light presence
and small foot print on the computer memory.
In last AV comparatives performance report,
Avira got the best result which is Advanced+.
Avira has a very fast engine with more than
10MB/S which combines best Pro-active and
on demand detection, best performance and a
very fast scanning speed.
What are the pricing and promotional
benefits available for buyers?
Avira has a very attractive pricing policy to
ensure that users will always get the best price
even if they are changing from other competi-
tors.
Avira has the Renewal discount wherein, loyal
users will get 30% less discount of the first
purchasing price. Governmental sectors get
30% discount on the official price list. Users
that wish to convert from a competitor to Avira
will get the price of renewal (which is 30% less)
at the first purchasing to allow them enjoy
renewal price from year one.
Avira has many promotions throughout the
year to support competing and demanding
market, last promotions from Avira include
bundled products (Tune-up utilities) and free
extra license and free extra years. Avira has
promotions for business products also like
giving extra 13 months on top of a purchased
license.
News
NETGEAR has revealed that net revenue for
the first two quarters of 2011, which ended
July 3, 2011, grew by 49 per cent, reaching a
total value of USD 291.2 million. The figure
shows a key increase from last year’s Q1-Q2
revenue of USD 195.0 million and Q1 2011
figure of USD 278.8 million. The company
has also reported that the net revenues from
the Middle East and North African (MENA)
region and the European region has totalled
to USD 110.331 million in the second
quarter of 2011.
The increase in revenue was bolstered by
the company’s launch of 17 products during
the first half of 2011, strongly highlighting
NETGEAR’s efforts to build product momentum. Notable new products include
the compact WiFi repeater/booster for home use, the stackable 48 port Gigabit
Smart Switch with 10Gig uplinks and the mini-travel router for the Asian market.
The launch of these new products has not only given the company its desired
product momentum but has also exceeded their expectations with the huge
response generated from consumers. In fact, the second quarter of 2011 drove in
triple digit revenue growth from service providers, which accounted for approxi-
mately 37 per cent of the NETGEAR’s total revenue for Q2 2011, as compared to
the 16 per cent figure of 2010 and the 29 per cent figure posted in Q1 2011. This
will also include revenue growth from the CNS division, which was acquired from
Westell earlier this year. Further, NETGEAR’s service provider revenue during the
second quarter also benefitted from a one-time USD 10 million order from a
major service provider customer.
"We believe the third quarter 2011 will present sequential increase in market
demand due to back to school for both our retail and commercial business units,"
said Richard Jonker, Managing Director for Emerging Markets, NETGEAR. “The
vibrancy of the global IT market continues to fuel our determination to create
more strategic and fully reliable networking and storage products for our diverse
customer base. Our vision is to drive in more profit growth and expansion in the
coming years, ably positioning ourselves as a major player in the networking and
storage industry segments.”
Quick Heal Technologies has launched
Mobile Security Suite for Android. With this
launch, the company will be addressing the
global market of Android Smartphone users.
"Smartphones are individual-centric
technologies that have gradually become
an indispensable and important part of
personal and professional lives. People have
gone beyond basic entertainment,
ringtones and have started using mobiles
for more advanced applications such as
wireless email, browsing, m-commerce and
banking. With this launch, we have used our
deep research and knowledge in antivirus
technology to address the security and
information safeguarding needs of such
users. Very soon we plan to launch security solutions for Blackberry platforms as
well", said Kailash Katkar, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Quick
Heal Technologies.
Quick Heal Mobile Security for Android is a complete security solution that offers
a host of features such virus protection, call blocking, SMS blocking, anti-theft
and data protection features. The automatic real-time virus and spyware scan
comes with optional manual scan for installed applications. Call filtering allows
users to block unwanted calls by configuring Black and White lists. The SMS
blocking feature enables silent blocking of, malicious SMSs, unwanted spam
SMSs and fraudulent SMSs. Data protection allows user to lock the lost or stolen
phone remotely and wipe the personal data remotely by sending a pre-defined
SMS. This powerful product also has anti-theft feature to trace/locate a lost or
stolen phone and has the capability to render the device unusable once stolen.
The company plans to offer a compelling introductory price to all the
early-adopters. To know more about the product and to avail exciting offer,
www.quickheal.com/android.
Al-Seera Group ( Distributor for Avira)In Focus
NETGEAR sees 49 per cent
revenue growth in Q2 2011
Quick Heal launches Mobile
Security Solutions for Android
The reliable sentinelAl Seera Group is the distributor for Avira’s security products in the region and is steadily helping strengthen the brand’s reach in the channel and market. Abdul Qader, GM at Al-Seera Group, distributor for Avira speaks about the confidence with which Avira is engaging with the market.
Richard JonkerManaging Director, Netgear
Kailash KatkarMD, CEO, Quick Heal
Abdul QaderGM, Al - Seera Group
916th August 2011
VAR MagazineEmpowering and educating the channel
VAR Magazine is the fastest growing channel magazine in the MEA region. VAR MEA Magazine, which has completed over 125 issues of print, is the leading channel magazin in the region. Over five years and more, the magazine has become the preferred mode of communication with the channel for many leading vendors, distributors and resellers. VAR Magazine is presented in an easy to read print format, one of the reasons for its endearing appeal. It has deep and wide channel
penetration in terms of its distribution, a feature well recognized by the industry.
VAR MEA magazine has introduced several expan-sion initiatives including the exciting bilingual VAR Arabia. www.varonline.com, an interactive portal for the channel, was launched towards end of 2009 and has a fast growing readership in the channel
VAR Arabia - A bilingual magazine for KSA IT channelWith the monthly VAR Arabia edition, the magazine extends its value proposition to benefit the Saudi Arabia ICT channel. The VAR Arabia print edition has a specific focus on the large strategicmarket of Saudi Arabia and is in line with the commitment of the VAR team to meet the expectations of a larger local IT channel readership across the Middle East. The intent is to deliver a product that builds on the strengths of VAR magazine with a strong editorial focus as well as providing unique value to advertisers.
Milestones of VAR Magazine
• VAR MEA Magazine was founded on Sept. 18th 2005 for providing better, in-depth & sustained communication across the MEA IT channel.
• Over the past 5 years and 125 plus issues, VAR has successfully informed and executed channel centric communication like product launches, call to action campaigns, special offers, etc.
• 1st to launch a channel magazine in eBook format
• With over 5000 resellers in OGCC having access to the magazine, the VAR Advantage delivers wide and deep penetration into the channel for advertisers.
• VAR Value fortnightly e-newsletters re-launched in January 2010
• First to launch channel awards in the region. The awards ceremony for the 4th edition of the VAR Choice of Channel Awards was held on the 21st of March at the landmark Meydan hotel in Dubai.
VAR Magazine’s vision of being a most reliable information media for the IT resellers in the region is backed by the executionfrom a team that has over a decade’s experience working closely with the channel. For VAR, the greatest success has been in
winning trust from the region’s channel and the magazine will look forward to emulating that with its KSA edition.
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16th August 201110
Discuss brands and product lines that you
oversee in Empa?
Notebook and Peripherals Unit which has brands
like Fujitsuand Toshiba Notebooks, Philips,
Samsung Pleomax
How have notebook shipments fared in this
year so far, compared to last year?
It is growing year on year and in Fujitsuthe growth
is almost double comparing last year. In the
markets like Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Jordan the
growth rate is high.
Among the Notebook product lines, discuss in
further detail, which are the faster moving in
terms of configurations- whether it is entry
level or mid level laptops?
The fast moving model is still the entry level
configuration featuring Core i3 shared graphics
with 2GB RAM and 320GB HDD. A growing
demand is visible in dedicated graphic models in
Corei5 and i7 CPU with 4GB/6GB RAM and
640/750 GB HDD with 1GB/2GB dedicated
graphics.
Are there any tablets being distributed by
Empa? Discuss which brands if so? How are
they faring in the market?
Yes, in Fujitsu we are
distributing Tablets
which are very well
accepted in the market
and gaining popularity
due to following
enhanced features like
bi-directional rotatable,
multiple finger-touches
or multifunctional pen,
modular bay for an
optional second hard
disk drive, DVD/Blu-Ray
drive, second battery or
weight Saver. There
are optional integrated
3G/UMTS (incl. GPS),
WLAN and Bluetooth. In
addition, there are
features like Fujitsu
Advanced Theft Protec-
tion, fingerprint sensor,
Smartcard Reader, etc.
which make the tablet
stand out from competi-
tion.
Discuss the retail distribution business model of
Empa?
We have contract with all major power retailers in
UAE, KSA and GCC and directly distributing all major
brands that we carry. Apart from the products
mentioned, I also handle the retail division of EMPA.
Do you see retail buying on the rise or remaining
steady?
It is growing and expected to increase further,
especially markets like KSA, Kuwait and Qatar
Discuss what are the challenges you see in
distribution into the power retail segment?
The major challenge in retail business is shrinking
margin. Since most of the retail business is vendor
driven offering very thin margins, hence it becomes
very diffcicult to manage the bottom line.
Do smaller retailers have a fair share of the
overall shipments in retails compared with power
retailers?
Not really, majority is with the large power retailers
who deliver better sell-out. Yes, there are some small
retailers who are catching up fast.
News
Al Hosani Computer LLC
has been awarded
Kasperky Lab's Best Partner
of the Year for the third year
running. The distributor
was recognized for its
exceptional sales achieve-
ments, and creative
marketing for Kaspersky
Lab products.
Al Hosani Computer LLC
was also credited for
promoting of Kaspersky
Lab software to the key
retailers in the GCC, includ-
ing Carrefour ME, Sharaf
ME, Jarir Bookstores, Plug-Ins, Geant ME, EMax ME, Jacky's, Jumbo,
Dubai Duty Free, CompuMe and HyperPanda.
Kaspersky Lab recently summed up the results of its collaboration
with partner companies from the emerging markets region in
2010. Representatives of companies from over 40 countries
participated in the partner conference in Cape Town, South Africa
on 8-12 May, where those partners demonstrating the best results
received special awards.
Get-togethers of this kind are traditionally held once a year,
offering emerging-market partners from non-CIS countries the
chance to share experiences and discuss challenges and potential
business opportunities. At the Cape Town conference the senior
management of Kaspersky Lab gave presentations on the current
IT security trends as well as their forecasts for the future.
Garry Kondakov, Managing Director, Emerging Markets at Kasper-
sky Lab, noted that 2010 had been a very successful year for the
fast developing regional partner network. “We are continually
moving forward. Last year we successfully launched a new
program that made collaboration with partners even more
effective and involved them more actively in marketing
campaigns and various promotions held in countries throughout
the region,” said Garry Kondakov. “The partner network itself is also
developing – there are currently 5,000 participating companies in
the Russian-speaking countries of the emerging markets region
and 4,500 in other countries.”
There was a new format to the conference with sessions in which
the heads of the regional offices reported on their operations.
Sales growth in Eastern Europe was 30%; in the Middle East – 73%;
Africa – 66%; and Russia – 40%. “Our task this year is to continue to
grow in all territories. To achieve this we intend to bring our
collaboration with partners to a new level and strengthen their
positions on the market by rendering comprehensive assistance,”
stated Garry Kondakov.
Tripp Lite reinforced its strategic
partnership with Redington Gulf, a
leading IT distributor in the Middle
East and Africa, with the signing of
both a comprehensive Authorized
Reseller Service Centre (ARSC) and
Critical Application Partner (CAP)
service contracts that will cover 20
countries in both the Middle Eastern
and African regions. The move comes
after the recent signing of a value-
added distribution agreement
between the two companies and is
part of Tripp Lite’s continuing efforts
to position itself across the rapidly
developing IT markets of the Middle
East and African regions while also
establishing itself as a leading brand
offering integrated solutions for data
centre and corporate IT environ-
ments.
EMPA Middle EastIn Focus
Al Hosani gets Kaspersky BestPartner of the Year award
Strong bets on mobilityEmpa as a distributor has consolidated its Mobility and Accessories portfolio with a few leading brands. Chandan. Kr. Das, Business Unit Manager, EMPA Middle East FZCO speaks to VAR Magazine.
Under the terms of the ARSC contract,
Redington Gulf will establish key
service centres where customers can
bring in Tripp Lite products that are
within or out of warranty, for repairs
and services. Meanwhile, the CAP
contract, will allow Redington Gulf to
offer services like installations, on-site
warranty service calls and preventive
maintenance services.
“The signing of these new service
contracts brings a fitting start to our
strategic partnership with Redington
Gulf,” said Vipin Sharma, Vice
President, Middle East, Africa and CIS
Sales, Tripp Lite. “The opening service
centres in strategic locations across
the Middle East and Africa as well as
having the ability to call and ask for
help in the event of a failure or
emergency situation reassures our
customers and instils a sense of
confidence in the Tripp Lite brand.
Our partnership with Redington Gulf
gives us the advantage of being able
to leverage our effective and reliable
power protection solutions across
new markets and emerging econo-
mies in the MEA region.”
“Our partnership with Tripp Lite has
taken a major step with the signing of
these new service contracts. The
setting up of key service centres
across the MEA region not only
demonstrate the strength of our
relationship with Tripp Lite but also
reflects our common commitment
towards providing customer and
technical support to our customers.
Rest assured, we will continue to work
closely with Tripp Lite and promote its
wide range of power protection
products to help meet the growing
Chandan Kr. Das
Business Unit Manager, EMPA Middle East
Sethuraman S.
Sr. VP, Services, Redington Gulf
demands and requirements of our
customers.” said Sethuraman. S, Vice
President, Services, Redington Gulf.
Earlier this year, Tripp Lite signed a
distribution partnership agreement
with Redington Gulf to distribute
Tripp Lite’s wide range of products
including UPS Systems, UPS Batteries,
PDUs, KVMs, Cables, Power Inverters,
Racks and Surge Suppressors. Tripp
Lite solutions cater to data centres
that are as small as a remote closet to
a full-fledged modern data centre
facility. Key benefits and advantages
gained from using Tripp Lite products
and solutions promote significant
savings from operational costs,
seamless connectivity and a marked
increase in productivity and
efficiency.
Tripp Lite and Redington Gulf sign strategic service contracts
Rafeek P. V.
(PCME Computers)Abdul Rasheed
(Computer Shack LLC)Akhtar
(Prince Computer Trading LLC) S. M. Jamshed
(Channel7 Trading L.L.C)Razik Parvez N. M.
(Color Works LLC)
Syyed
(hi com)Noufal
(Diazone Technologies LLC)Shamjid
(Variety Computer)
Anil Beriyaon the behalf of Vishal Beriya(Scantrans Computers LLC)
V. Manikkavel
(SHA Computer's)
Seagate’s Fill and Win campaign for Momentus XT drives was a huge success. The large number of correct
entries coming in from resellers and their sale staff through faxes as well as online revealed that the channel
is keeping itself well informed about Seagate’s products. Ten lucky winners were chosen through a raffle
which included all correct entries. Each of the ten winners won a Seagate hard drive.
&&& WINNERS!WINNERS!WINNERS!1116th August 2011
16th August 201112
What’s
Samsung ML-4510/501X series mono laser printers
Key features:
Avira Premium Security Suite
For more details, log on to www.avira.com
For more details, log on to www.acer.com
Key Features: Key Features:
Epson Stylus Photo R2000
Massive 23 GT Notebook Cooler
Aten VC 180
For more details, log on to www.thermaltake.com
For more details, log on to www.samsung.com
For more details, log on to www.aten.com
Key Features:
Key Features:
Key Features:
• Part of the X755 series, the Aspire 5755 and 4755 take advantage of the second generation Intel Core processor family, delivering smart performance that adapts to users’ needs and dynamic processing power for music, gaming, videos, movies, photos, social networking and other demanding mainstream applications. • Aspire 5755 and 4755 combine excellent performance with a classy and appealing look and feel. • The glossy cover features an attractive stripy pattern modulated in several colour options. • The Aspire 5755 comes in brown, black, red and blue, while the Aspire 4755 is available in brown, black, green and blue. • The multi-gesture touchpad puts swift, flawless navigation at your fingertips, for ultra- convenient zooming, rotating, navigating and browsing. • The new Aspire 5755 and 4755 come in two format sizes – 35.5 cm (14”), 39.5 cm (15.6”) – both with high-definition CineCrystal LED backlit displays presenting striking 720p visuals in 16:9 aspect ratio.
• The new A3+, 8-colour photo printer, which has been launched in the Middle East, delivers high-quality photographic prints using Epson UltraChrome Hi-Gloss2 pigment ink
• It comes with the advantage of 50 percent higher capacity cartridges compared to previous models in its class. This allows larger print jobs to be completed with fewer ink changes.
• Epson has also answered customer calls for wireless connectivity, making the R2000 one of the only printers in its category to feature Wi-Fi.
• Combined with USB and Ethernet connectivity, Wi-Fi enables the R2000 to fit easily into any studio or home environment.
• Users can print remotely from iPhones or iPads using the Epson iPrint app.
• The ML-4510/5010ND/5015ND is the latest addition to Samsung’s business to business (B2B) printing range.
• Designed for small-to-medium businesses, the ML-4510/5010ND/5015ND series provides a productive, high quality and trouble free mono laser printing solution that’s also budget and environmentally friendly.
• The range’s effective job processing means the ML-4510ND prints 43 A4 pages per minute, while the ML-5010ND/5015ND models print 48 A4 pages per minute.
• Converts VGA signals to HDMI output• Supports analog stereo audio input• Superior video quality – up to 1080p, WUXGA• Screen Position Button – screen position settings can be restored for each output resolution• Multiplatform support – Windows, and Mac• Supports dual power sources: VGA port or power adapter (in case the VGA port cannot provide sufficient power)• LED indicator• Automatically detects video input signals
• Avira Scanner detects all known viruses, worms and Trojans while AntiAd/Spyware protects you against spyware and adware • AntiSpam filters out unwanted and phishing emails and AntiPhishing protects you against identity theft attacks • AHeADTechnology halts unknown code that looks suspicious while WebGuard keeps you away from malicious websites • AntiDrive-by stops sneaky malware downloads while you surf , MailGuard scans all your incoming and outgoing emails and FireWall slams a door in the face of hacker• Parental control to help parents keep their childs from inappropriate websites• Backup feature, to keep your important files backed up in a safe and virus free place.• As long as you have a valid license, you have the right to use Avira latest version. Avira is using this approach for both business and consumer products
• In addition, jobs start within just 7.5 seconds when the printer is ready, and in 16 seconds from sleep mode.• With a powerful 600MHz Dual Core CPU, linked to a 1GB network connection, the Samsung ML-4510/501X series handles large volume print jobs with ease, printing documents quickly and efficiently and with much greater energy efficiency. So, for example, a 50 slide presentation can be printed in just 86 seconds. • The ML-4510/501X series has a large input capacity up to 620 sheets, so paper can be refilled less often.
and
s
l
otely fromng the
Acer Aspire x755 Notebook Series
For more details, log on to www.epson.com
• Supports laptop size from 10” ~ 17”• One mini-USB and dual USB ports• 200mm red LED fan• Fan speed control knob (500~800 RPM)• Five different angles adjustment• Anti-slip rubber design• Fan grill design for heat dissipation• Ergonomic angle design
scts
1316th August 2011
SSD shipments in notebooks will rise to 16.8 million units in
2015, up from 4.7 million in 2010. This will represent only a
single-digit percentage of the notebook storage market
compared to HDDs through the year 2015. However, this small
percentage is impacting the growth of the notebook HDD
market.
The notebook HDD market set to expand at a 9.7 percent
compound annual growth rate (CAGR) from 2010 to 2015. The
combined market for HDDs and SDDs will rise at a CAGR of
10.2 percent. This indicates the solid-state drives will shave off
half a percentage point of growth from the notebook HDD
market during the five year period.
The rising sales of media tablets could have an even bigger
impact on notebook HDD sales. Media tablets, which employ
flash memory for storage, are expected to have a negative
impact on sales of notebook PCs, and thus the HDDs used in
them.
Seagate’s Momentus Thin HDD could
find acceptance in netbook and
notebook computers, preventing SSDs
from making further inroads. However,
the near term opportunity for these
drives in tablets is limited. HDD-based
models are expected to account for 2
percent or less of the total tablet market
in 2012, IHS predicts.
A Momentus Event forStorageSeagate in June announced that its
Momentus Thin HDD - a 2.5-inch drive
Seagate Technology’s introduction of a super-slim hard disk
drive (HDD) could help the HDD industry stave off the
incursion of solid-state drives (SSDs) in the notebook personal
computers (PCs) and media tablet markets, according to data
from the IHS iSuppli Memory and Storage Service from
information and analysis provider IHS.
“Although shipments of SSDs for notebooks will be miniscule
compared to HDDs during the next few years, the solid state
drives are shaving off points of market share that are critical to
maintaining the growth of the hard drive business,” said Fang
Zhang, analyst, storage systems, for IHS. “Furthermore, SSDs
are universally employed in media tablets, which are eating
into the sales of notebook and netbook PCs. Seagate’s new
Momentus Thin HDD represents an attempt by the hard drive
industry to answer the challenge of SSDs in notebooks—and
even in media tablets—by undercutting the cost of solid-state
drives while providing higher densities.”
Can Seagate’s Thin Hard Drive Stave Off the Threat of SSDs?
that is only 7 millimeters thick - will be featured in tablets set to
ship in September. The HDD has capacities ranging from
160GB to 320GB, with speeds of 7,200RPM and 5,400RPM, and
16MB of cache.
The thin form factor makes the Momentus suitable for mobile
platforms.
However, the Momentus may really set itself apart from SSDs
in terms of cost and capacity.
Seagate said the Momentus Thin HDDs are being used in what
it called the world’s first handheld tablet computers with hard
drives: the G9 8- and 10-inch tablets from ARCHOS. The manu-
facturers’ suggested retail prices for the ARCHOS 80 G9 and
ARCHOS 101 GB tablets are $279 and $349. Seagate said that
was a significantly lower price than competitive flash-based
tablets, which cost between $349 to $829, with densities from
16GB to 64GB.
A tablet using the Momentus Thin HDD can have 10 times the
storage capacity of a flash-based tablet. Momentus Thin
HDD-based tablets also can be significantly lighter than
HDD-based netbooks due to the reduction of the 2.5-inch
drive size.
HDD DisadvantagesThe disadvantages of HDD-based tablets include a potentially
shorter battery life, a longer boost time and a relatively heavy
weight compared to flash-based tablets. These drawbacks
may serve as a disincentive to some tablet users who require
speed and mobility.
Notebook and Netbook PC HDD and SDD Unit ShipmentForecast (Thousands of Units)
450,000400,000350,000300,000250,000200,000150,000100,000
50,000-
5.0%
4.0%
3.0%
2.0%
1.0%
0.0%2010 2011
HDD SSD Percentage of SSD Relative to HDD
Source: IHS iSuppli August 2011
2012 2013 2014 2015
A one-stop dedicated, specialistfor genuine consumables
P.O. Box 103743, dubai - UAE.Tel: +971 4 3254446Fax: +971 4 3254447Email: [email protected]: www.buraidacomputers.com
Now relocated to a brand new store at a new address at Al Ghubaiba Rd.,Opp. to National Flour Mill & Carrefour, Bur Dubai
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16th August 201114
1516th August 2011
1703 BelResheed Tower, Buhaira Corniche, Sharjah, UAETel: +9716-575-444-3, Fax: +9716-575-444-9www.alhosanime.com, Email: [email protected]
Official Distributor in the Middle East and West AsiaAl Hosani Computer LLC
16th August 201116
YOUR DATA IS PRECIOUS. HANDLE ITWITH CAREYOUR DATA IS PRECIOUS. HANDLE IT WITH CARE