The Integrator ME

July 2012A N E S S E N T I A L R E A D F O R T H E V A L U E A D D I T C H A N N E L

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Dell, the Dell logo, ExpressCharge, Latitude and Tri-Metal are registered or unregistered trade marks of Dell Inc. in the United States and other countries. Intel, the Intel Logo, Intel Inside, Intel Core, and Core Inside are trademarks of Intel Corporation in the U.S. and/or other countries. Windows and Windows Vista are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. WiMAX is a registered trademark of the WiMAX Forum. Bluetooth is a registered trademark of Bluetooth SIG, Inc. Dell disclaims proprietary interest in the marks and names of others. Copyright © 2011 Dell Inc. All rights reserved. Dell Corporation Limited, Reg. No. 02081369, Dell House, The Boulevard, Cain Road, Bracknell, Berkshire RG12 1LF.

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Cont

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In solution deployments, there are always those magic fix appliances that enable Technology crossovers when it comes to deployments of the next generation technology. They act as the bridge. In surveillance for instance, one of the challenges that comes up is the installed base of analog cameras and how to include them in the new scheme of things when IP surveillance solutions are deployed. A video encoder or also referred to as video server helps conversion of analog video signals into digital and routes digital images over an IP network. This allows the inclusion of analog cameras of a pre-existing deployment into the ecosystem of IP network cameras.

Appliances also play the role of all-in-one boxes that help speed deployments. When it comes to Big Data, some of the leading vendors are now beginning to offer turnkey appliances. The recently unveiled HP App System for Apache Hadoop is positioned as a turnkey appliance that simplifies and speeds deployment.

Goring further back, the UTMs themselves are those magic boxes that offer several pre-installed security functionalities in one appliance that provides the ease of plug and play. Symantec , a company with largely software credentials, has focused on an appliance strategy that began in 2010 with the release of the NetBackup 5000 series of deduplication appliances and it has continued to deliver new appliances across its data protection, storage management and security portfolio.

These appliances are typically meant for customer to deploy new Technologies quicker than they would and especially for SMB customers who would have less of IT support in-house. As the efficacy of the appliance strategy for fuelling faster acceptance and deployments in customer locations is a more or less proven strategy, more such magic fix appliances can be expected as new technologies continue to make their debut.

Editorial

The return of the appliance

Cover story

Pg 14 - IP surveillance on the upswingThe demand for IP surveillance solutions is set to show a steady rise vis-à-vis CCTV deployments

Pg 20 - cover interviewGeared up for growthAli Ahmar, Regional Director ME, Netgear discusses with the Integrator about the trends in the segment as well as the company’s focus in IP surveillance

Techknow

Pg 12 - Proactive security Ross Brewer, VP and MD, international markets at LogRhythm speaks about the company’s SIEM security intelligence platform that helps address the mutating cyber threat landscape.

Point2point

Pg 22 - On a steady courseJose Thomas, MD of Bulwark, a Value Added Distributor for IT Security products and solutions speaks to The Integrator about the company’s focus areas.

Pg 24 - A giant in servicesCesare Cardone, CEO, GBM, a leading systems integrator of the region speaks to The Integrator about the company’s domains of focus

Pg 26 - Case StudyQatar’s Nasser Bin Khaled deploys HP FlexNetwork architecture for high availability virtualisation

Insight

Pg 28 - Virtualization: An Illusion of SecurityThe advantages of Virtualisation always go hand in hand with the risks, writes Vladimir Udalov, Senior Corporate Product Marketing Manager at Kaspersky Lab

Pg 28 - Building an Effective, Economical Contact Centre in the Middle EastShaheen Haque, Territory Manager, Middle East & Turkey at Interactive Intelligence writes about customer satisfaction and cost reduction the main drivers of contact centre developments in 2012

Regulars

News BytesNews in DetailEyetechStats & trends

The Integrator | July 20126

News Bytes

Windows 8 marks the beginning of the new WinRT (Windows Runtime) computing era and the beginning of the end of the WinNT era, according to Gartner. The combination of the WinRT programming model, a new user interface (UI), and legacy WinNT support will allow users to continue running their Win32 programs alongside new WinRT apps.

Gartner analysts said WinRT is a new platform designed to keep Microsoft relevant in a future that will be dominated by mobile devices. Microsoft will position WinRT as its strategic platform for new development, but most users will continue to run Win32 applications for 10 or more years.

Gartner expects that the Windows Desktop and legacy Windows applications will decline in importance in future Windows client releases. Metro is a new interface model that will lock organizations into the next generation of Windows. Organizations planning to develop new Win32 applications should switch to Metro for all new user-facing applications beginning in 2013 and should focus on external apps first and internal apps later.

Red Hat announced the general availability of Red Hat JBoss Data Grid 6, an in-memory data grid solution. Red Hat JBoss Data Grid 6 provides several new features designed to help enterprises reduce the need for relational databases and scale application development for better big data management.

The challenge of managing massive amounts of data is one that enterprises are facing on a greater scale than ever before. While this traffic explosion is driving an increase in the number of data-driven applications, capturing,

retaining and using all of this data can be costly for organizations to scale and manage.

Craig Muzilla, vice president and general manager, Middleware, Red Hat said, “The massive proliferation of data places new demands upon enterprise applications. As such, traditional approaches to scaling the data tier can be very time and cost intensive and sometimes may not even work. Red Hat JBoss Data Grid 6 brings a new approach to solving this issue, enabling enterprises to move with agility and with more flexibility than other proprietary approaches.”

InfoWatch recently signed partnership agreements with SecureTech, MAP and Global Media Insight, giving these partners the rights to offer InfoWatch’s business solutions in the UAE. As a direct result of these new partnerships, customers in the UAE now have access to InfoWatch’s global solutions and expertise, combined with the local know-how and pre and post-sales support, from these established local partners. Alexander Zarovsky, International Business Chief, InfoWatch said, “We are committed to establishing a strong presence in this region, and the UAE is integral to InfoWatch’s regional plans and overall business strategy. We are pleased to bring new partners on board, especially as the market witnesses an increasing demand in the UAE for data leakage prevention solutions and social media monitoring tools. We believe that organisations will benefit from our unique offering, coupled with the local expertise of our partners”.

Gartner Says Windows 8 Marks the Beginning of the WinRT Era

Red Hat unveils Red Hat JBoss Data Grid 6

InfoWatch Increases Presence in the UAE

July 2012 | The Integrator 7

Westcon Group announced that its Critical Infrastructure business practice won the “Solution Partner of the Year” recognition by APC by Schneider Electric.

“At Westcon Middle East, we’ve steadily built a reputation as one of APC’s premier value-added distributors. Our dedicated teams are uniquely focused on helping partners accelerate their business leveraging APC by Schneider Electric’s award-winning power and data center technologies,” said Steve Lockie, Managing Director, Westcon ME

Group. “We value our long-standing relationship with APC by Schneider Electric and are honored to receive this recognition as one of their most valued partners”.

Olivier Delepine, Vice-President, UAE and Gulf Countries, APC by Schneider Electric said: “We continue to develop a strong relationship with Westcon. Having worked on various important projects over the past year, we look forward to building this relationship further. ”

SecureLink has partnered with Qualys, a pioneer and leading provider of cloud security and compliance solutions, to provide the QualysGuard Cloud Suite of IT security and compliance solutions in the region.

The QualysGuard suite of security and compliance solutions, which include vulnerability management, policy compliance, PCI compliance, web application scanning, malware detection and a secure seal program for security testing of web sites, provides organizations of all sizes with a global view of their security and compliance postures, while reducing their total cost of ownership. SecureLink will provide Qualys’ cloud solutions integrated with their GRC and SIEM services.

“We are extremely pleased to be working with Qualys to provide our customers in the Middle East region with leading Vulnerability Management services to help them protect against the latest cyber threats,” said Kuber Saraswat, Director, Strategic Security Consulting, SecureLink. “In addition to security Intelligence reported to our customers through our GRC and SIEM services, we will now have up-to-date vulnerability data to provide situational awareness and to validate the success of our clients’ data Protection capabilities using a more holistic approach.”

Symantec awards Tech Access as VAD of the Year

SecureLink partners with Qualys

Westcon Group Awarded ‘APC by Schneider Electric - Solution Partner of the Year’

TechAccess was recently awarded the most prestigious ‘Value Added Distributor’ award for the year 2012 by Symantec in the MEFA region.

Presented with the most coveted award, TechAccess was recognized for the extra-ordinary Value Added Services provided to Symantec in terms of marketing & sales throughout the year. The award was presented to TechAccess Symantec team at the ceremony.

Techaccess provides support to their channel partners by offering value-added services such as partner loyalty programmes, credit facilities, professional services, post-sales support, solution center etc. In FY13 TechAccess plans to add new products such as PGP, Backup Exec 2012 and NBU appliances range from Symantec.


Optimus Technology and Telecommunications recently held an Avaya training workshop for its partners in the Dubai. The training program organized by Optimus Academy was a success with twelve partners qualifying for the Avaya Professional Sales Specialist (APSS) certification.

The two-day training workshop provided participants in-depth insight into Avaya's product range and enhanced their abilities to create basic solution designs. Optimus provided an intensive training course to prepare candidates for their APSS certifications. The distributor also held the APSS examination at the end of the workshop.

Nehul Goradia, VP – Channel & Alliances, Optimus Technology and Telecommunications said, “ This program is very popular and we get great response whenever we announce the APSS certification event but are unable to accommodate all due to the limited seats available per workshop. We will be holding more such training programs across the region.”

Optimus Holds Avaya Certification Training

Cisco and Citrix Partner Accelerator Initiative announced

Gulf Business Machines (GBM), the region’s leading IT solutions provider, was announced as the Storage Integrator of the Year at the VAR COC Awards. The prestigious award recognizes GBM’s achievements in storage integration.

“We are very honoured to have been awarded Storage Integrators of the Year. Storage integration is one of one of our core competencies and we are very confident that we can add value in this space,” says Andreas Weiss, Director of IBM Systems and Technology. “At GBM, our aim is not only to provide our

customers with solutions that just fulfill their needs but become their long-term partners to ensure greater efficiency, increased productivity and streamlined workflow.”

The Awards nominees were shortlisted from leading systems and storage integrators of the region. GBM’s storage technology leadership as well as their strong commitment to the region helped the company emerge the winner.

Cisco and Citrix announced the launch of the Cisco and Citrix Partner Accelerator. This new global initiative aligns the channel sales and delivery models across the two companies through a single framework to build partner competencies, elevate partner differentiation and drive partner profitability. Joint Cisco and Citrix channel partners can use the Partner Accelerator to capitalize on the fast-growing customer demand for enterprise mobility, desktop virtualization and device choice by delivering the Cisco Virtualization Experience Infrastructure (VXI) with Citrix XenDesktop solution.

Brian Allison, director, data center go-to-market solutions, for Cisco said, “Customer trends like bring your own device, work-shifting, mobility, video, collaboration, desktop and application virtualization, and cloud are changing the workplace as customers look for solutions that enable them to access all applications, communications services and data securely, with a superior user experience, from any device, anywhere, anytime. The Cisco and Citrix Partner Accelerator draws from the two companies’ best practices to give channel partners the resources they need to deliver complete, multi-vendor solutions that meet the needs of the changing workplace, and build more strategic relationships with their customers.”

GBM gets Storage Integrator of the Year award

News Bytes


Microsoft and BSolutions announced the launch of the Hosted Microsoft Dynamics CRM across North Africa (Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia), Pakistan, Jordan, Lebanon, Saudi, Gulf and Egypt.

Hosted Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 equips business professionals with access to customer information through a familiar Microsoft Outlook experience to help ensure rapid user adoption and fast results through a customer relationship management (CRM) solution that several capabilities.

The on-demand or hosted CRM offer from BSolutions costs $40/user/month to as little as $34 for a 25 user bundle per month. Many small to medium businesses are turning to hosted CRM solutions as a way to increase their return on investment for the money they spend on customer relationship management, with monthly access to the software, no server housing issues, and the customizability to tailor their CRM solution to the unique needs of their business based on a pay as you go model, offering Arabic user interface and Arabic speaking technical support.

The use of IPv6 – the internet’s new addressing system – is gathering pace, according to a survey of global organisations conducted by BT.

The 2012 BT Diamond IP IPv6 Industry Survey, which collected responses from IT and operations professionals across the world, found that 13 per cent of organisations have already rolled out IPv6 across all or part of their networks — up sharply from just five per cent in 2011. Diamond IP is part of the BT Connect portfolio, BT’s portfolio of intelligent network services.

Tim Rooney, BT Diamond IP product management director, BT Global Services, said: “We have been surveying IPv6 deployment over the last seven years now. This year’s results show a dramatic progression in the adoption of the new standard, with a majority of global organisations seeing it as a priority. The move to IPv6 is here, and BT is investing to support its own transition. We are also ideally placed to help

A further 44 per cent of respondents plan to roll out IPv6 within two years, given the twin developments of an ever expanding internet and a rapid depletion in IPv4 addresses — the internet’s older addressing system.

Qatar's Ministry of Foreign Affairs deploys R&M's Cabling Solutions

More global organisations deploying IPv6

Microsoft partners with BSolutions to launch Hosted Microsoft Dynamics CRM

Reichle & De-Massari (R&M), has successfully completed the implementation of a large scale cabling project for Qatar's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA). The project involved end-to-end cabling for MOFA's new 23 storey office building in the capital city of Doha. GBM, R&M's partner in Qatar, carried out the implementation and provided excellent support throughout the installation.

The project which was aimed at establishing a robust and reliable data and voice network for the new building also included cabling for the new 300 sq-m data center. This data center will be accessed by MOFA's employees both in Qatar as well as those spread around the globe. Being a government agency, security is paramount and R&M's new cabling infrastructure supports the CCTV, Access Control and the RFID networks which are deployed for on-premise security.


News In-Detail

The impact on IT security of emerging technologies and models such as virtualization, cloud, and mobility sat at the very heart of the agenda of the seventh edition of IDC's annual IT Security Roadshow. The event explored the likely scenarios that will characterize the use of IT security technology over the coming years.

Drawing on a mix of keynote addresses, high-impact presentations, plenary sessions, in-depth panel discussions, real-life case studies, and interactive Q&A sessions, the conference provided guidance on how to deal with the wide array of constantly evolving threats currently plaguing the security landscape at a time when IT systems, networks, and applications are expanding at a rate never seen before.

Megha Kumar, research manager for software and enterprise solutions, at IDC Middle East, Africa, and Turkey, got the day's proceedings underway by exploring the potential security implications of cloud, social business, and mobility,

outlining the key challenges and priorities associated with each of them. She also offered advice on drawing up effective strategies, laying down policies and processes, and deploying optimal technology solutions as part of the quest to secure the next-generation enterprise.

Dell SonicWALL's head of product marketing for EMEA, Florian Malecki, assessed the security risks associated with the increasingly popular 'Bring Your Own Device' (BYOD) movement, which is being fuelled by the dramatic growth and adoption of mobile platforms such as Apple iOS and Google Android in the workplace as organizations look to empower their employees and increase their business agility. He offered the delegates expert advice on solving the challenge of rebuilding security into the network's DNA.

Brian Meenagh, an associate at the Abu Dhabi office of Latham & Watkins, served up a legal perspective on the security risks that organizations need to consider

when procuring cloud computing services. The delegates then heard from Christian Hewitt, a senior technical consultant at RSA, who presented his strategy for sustaining trust in the digital world. Discussing the shift in business trends brought about by the proliferation of Web applications, new mobile devices, social media, and the cloud, he outlined the pressing need for security to adapt to the changing IT and threat landscape facing today's 'advanced' enterprises.

Sherif AbdElGawad, general manager at Barracuda Networks, expressed his opinion that traditional security is no longer sufficient for the changing nature of today's enterprises and explained how the delegates could enable end-to-end security for their entire IT operations, whether they are physical, virtual, or in the cloud. Nader Henein, a BlackBerry security advisory at Research In Motion (RIM), then sought to allay the nagging concerns about security and privacy in the mobile world that have prevented many organizations from fully embracing the concept of mobility beyond simple email and calendar functions.

Bringing the event to a close, Antonio Piazza, regional sales manager for Southern Europe and Middle East at TITUS, opined that classifying information at the source of creation is the critical first step in protecting organizations and their data. Such an approach, he argued, makes users responsible for their own data, educates them on corporate policy while they work, significantly reduces data-loss incidents, and frees up IT departments for more targeted security enforcement and education.

Experts outline challenges and strategies at IDC's IT Security Roadshow 2012


TechKnow | LogRhythm

Please discuss demand for log and SIEM solutions in different verticals in the ME region.The demand for an automated integrated log management and security information and event management (SIEM) platform is on a very strong upward trajectory. This growth is driven by the rising need for next generation SIEM technology in the region, with analyst firm Frost & Sullivan predicting demand for SIEM solutions across EMEA will grow substantially to reach $359 million by 2014.

Of course what is sitting behind this demand is the failure of traditional security products to adequately protect against today’s sophisticated cyber-attacks. Most organizations now recognize that it is a case of WHEN they will be attacked, not IF. It's no accident

that that's a strong customer base for LogRhythm. Criminals are going after personal information and they're trying to exploit (that) for economic reasons. There is also industrial or nation-state espionage in the utility and critical infrastructure space, people who have maybe malicious goals, where they're trying to disrupt the infrastructure. That's a real threat and we see that increasing and is strongly allied to attacks against governments and defence organisations. In all of these cases, it's about protecting critical information and monitoring and protecting against unauthorized access of information.

The bottom line is our customers are dealing with people and organisations who have very sophisticated cyber ‘weapons’, so our job is to help enable them to better use the wealth of information at their disposal to defend, detect and respond.

How are log management or, analytics/ forensics etc important in an enterprise network today?Every device, application or server connected to an enterprise’s network will generate log data each and every time it is used. If collected and analyzed correctly, this data provides vital intelligence into the security health and efficiency of the network. For example, alerts can be generated if unauthorized or unexpected activity is identified, helping organisations thwart security threats before any damage can

be done. Equally, LogRhythm’s powerful correlation capabilities can be used as the basis for forensic investigations, for example, to see how a hacker probed various weak spots in a company’s infrastructure in order to reach their ultimate target. The collection and analysis of log data is also often mandatory in order to prove compliance with various national laws and industry regulations, most notably the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS). We are also increasingly finding that log data is invaluable when analyzed to help identify and remediate operational inefficiencies.

Organisations need to realize the wealth of information that they

Proactive securityThere is a strong case for securing critical information and protection of data of organizations against sophisticated cyber attacks. Ross Brewer, Vice President and Managing Director, international markets at LogRhythm speaks to The Integrator about the need for intelligent solutions and how the company’s SIEM security intelligence platform delivers the visibility, insight and remediation required to detect the previously undetectable and address the mutating cyber threat landscape.

Ross BrewerVice President & Managing Director, International Market, LogRhythm


appliance based. However today it is very important to offer multiple delivery options to seamlessly integrate into an organisations enterprise infrastructure so software, virtualised environments have also been deployed globally. Where we are also seeing a strong growth is the delivery of log management and SIEM through Managed Security Service Providers (MSSP).

In terms of the types of customers or verticals where we see the biggest opportunities, there's high value delivered in a wide array of verticals and there's a particular strength in five or six: financial services, healthcare, retail, government, utilities and critical infrastructure.

Why are geolocation and network visualization important

attributes in your solutions? The latest version of LogRhythm’s solution includes network visualisation and Geolocation out-of-the-box , making it capable of pinpointing exactly where an activity originated, its final destination as well as all the hosts impacted along the way. By way of example, LogRhythm can generate alarms if data is moved to a rogue state, a country with inadequate data protection laws or even in the vicinity of a competitor’s head office. By providing security administrators with an ‘eye-in-

the-sky’ perspective of their IT infrastructures, LogRhythm allows them to quickly identify where suspicious activity is occurring, the scope of the risk, its impact and its origin.

Discuss your go to market strategy for these products?Our go to market strategy is 100% channel globally and more specifically two tier across EMEA leveraging specialised distributors that carry complementary next generation technology platforms. We have also launched a completely new channel program at the beginning of the year that allows partners true differentiation based on their size, type and own market strategy. There has also been a noted step shift towards services in our market and with our architecture being engineered for

multi-tenancy services out of the box we have also created two MSP partner levels for those looking to offer SIEM based managed services. Couple this with the favourable changes in our competitive landscape, our product innovation with technologies such as our AI Engine and the recent news of LogRhythm’s recognition as a leader in the Gartner Magic Quadrant and we find ourselves as an extremely attractive proposition for partners wishing to tackle some of the more pressing security challenges with their customers today.

have at their fingertips and start utilizing it to gain a deep insight into systems. Combining these two approaches ensures evidence can be pieced together to reveal threats that would otherwise remain undetected until after the damage was done. This in turn will help to transform daily security and IT operations management into a proactive, rather than reactive, process.

What are the various functionalities of your appliance that offers an integrated solution? LogRhythm’s next generation platform seamlessly combines Log Management, SIEM, File Integrity Monitoring (FIM) and Host Activity Monitoring in a single integrated appliance. A wealth of valuable information can be derived from log data – whether it originates in applications, databases, servers, network devices or endpoint systems. By automating the central collection, organisation, analysis, archiving and reporting of all this log data, the LogRhythm appliance enables organisations to implement security best practices, eliminate blind spots, meet a variety of compliance regulations as well as improve operational efficiency.

What we are finding now as one of our key differentiators is the power and simplicity of our Advanced Intelligence Engine (AI Engine) module. With its ‘drag & drop’ advanced correlation for security intelligence, AI Engine gives organisations the ability to detect and respond instantaneously to threats that were previously undetectable.

Does your appliance suit all customer sizes and verticals? The preferred deployment type is

Every device, application or server connected to an enterprise’s network will generate log data each

and every time it is used. If collected and analyzed correctly, this data provides vital intelligence into the security health and efficiency of the network.


Cover Feature | IP surveillance

Heightened security concerns are naturally creating a spurt in demand for video surveillance solutions. IP (Internet Protocol) surveillance solutions are soon expected to take the lead over the traditional analog based CCTV deployments as customers become more aware of the longer term benefits of IP based deployments.

John O'Donnell, Global Systems Engineer Manager Physical Security, Cisco says, “The general market is now beginning to move more rapidly to IP based solutions, the understanding that there these systems are more open, flexible and as a result easier to integrate with other systems in a company’s environment enable organizations to adapt to business and environment changes and respond to incidents far more nimbly and cost effectively than they would with analog systems. The market is looking for simplification in the ways the IP video surveillance systems are deployed across their infrastructure whilst ensuring quality of the video streams and ways to more rapidly fault find problem.”

IP surveillance on the upswingIP surveillance on the upswingThe demand for IP surveillance solutions is set to show a steady rise vis-à-vis analog CCTV deployments and will be a segment that will attract more partners in the longer run.


Further, there is a range of innovative IP surveillance solutions including video cameras that are available that provide much more than security intelligence for Businesses. End to end network surveillance solutions solutions including IP video surveillance cameras and servers, as well as digital video recorders (DVRs) providing users with greater flexibility, limitless storage, remote video monitoring, upgradeability, and the capability for advanced automation and intelligent video analytics.

Sabbahuddin Khan, Regional Manager, Allied Telesis Middle East says, “Without a doubt, IP surveillance market is among the most promising solutions from a sales point of view. A recent survey indicates that the market for video surveillance equipment is growing by 10% year on year in the region. I believe this figure can further go up as more people realize the benefits.”

As the market for IP surveillance solutions is expanding, the market revenue for the devices has been growing at a good pace over the last five years.

Sakkeer Hussain, Sales & Marketing Manager ,D-Link Middle East & Africa says, “Based on the Global CCTV Market Analysis, the projected growth of IP surveillance solutions is more than 37% between 2010 and 2013 in the Middle East alone. There are many reasons for this growth, but one of the key factors is the dramatic improvement in semiconductor technologies which allows the introduction of new features in IP cameras.”

The growth rates are likely to sustain over the next few years and seems to be a growth opportunity for the vendors and partners that

are into this segment. SNB Middle East is a fast growing Value Add Distributor that offers end to end solutions for IP surveillance through tieups with vendors including Cameras from HowenTech, Video Surveillance Management Software from Axxonsoft , networking solutions from Allied Telesis, extended Storage requirement from Infortrend Technologies as well as Back up video from Imation for Axxonsoft and other vendors

Deepesh Gangadhar, Director Sales & Marketing at SNB Middle East says that the IP surveillance market is witnessing buoyant growth today and, more importantly, the demand for CCTV and Surveillance products is going to be sustained with very consistent and high growth rates over the next 4 to 5 years.

He adds, “Going by the current trend, the deployment of IP surveillance systems is growing significantly as compared to that of conventional analog CCTV security camera installations. The advantages of IP surveillance include better performance, ease and versatility of use, flexibility and, of late, cost-benefits. Network video or IP-based surveillance technologies are maturing and improving due to a higher level of integration where surveillance integrated with access control and other non surveillance technologies provides a complete solution in surveillance. Moreover, the possibility of accessing video remotely with IP cameras has helped spawn innovative applications. “

The driving factorsEarlier IP surveillance was seen only from security point of view but now companies are realising the Business sense to it. Analytics applications available with the

video management software is turning IP surveillance into a powerful tool for Business.

Sabbahuddin adds, “With the new applications sitting on top of surveillance solutions – headcount, Face recognition software, footfall count in retail locations etc are enabling organizations to draw logical decisions as well. Businesses, enterprises, semi government organizations, Education and Healthcare segment etc are realizing the need for video surveillance. Now there is more and more focus on applications that enhance the value of video surveillance. As the Surveillance market is still at an infancy stage and there are a lot of opportunities that surveillance solutions providers can look forward to.”

John ODonnellGlobal System Engineer Manager, Physical Security

Cisco


While security is the primary objective, add on gains include a micro view of events happening in those locations throughout the day. These useful observations are useful for Businesses to help determine loopholes or weaknesses and strengthen their workflow processes, productivity, marketing and customer facing transactions etc.

Donnell adds, “Customers are looking for ways to maximize their investments in all technologies they own. Examples of this are utilizing virtualization of video surveillance applications in their data centre in a scalable deterministic manner so they have known operating characteristics for the given number of cameras and stream types, sharing their storage among

all their applications, enabling video streams to be shared among a number of applications and end points. In addition there is a growing awareness that analytics used in conjunction with ‘security’ cameras can provide great insight not only into potential security risks but also into movement patterns of customers, counting customer numbers in areas, which can now be used by the operational parts of the business to plan effective advertising placement, staffing levels of stores, store sizing and so on.”

Axis Communications claims that the Middle East has become one of the fastest growing markets for it, with network video surveillance solutions seeing increasingly large-scale deployments. Customers are aware now of the lower total cost of ownership, integration benefits and enhanced HDTV capabilities, clear advantages that network video has when compared to analog solutions. The retail, transportation and oil & gas sectors are seen

as major growth areas for video surveillance in the region.

Does size matter?It is quite likely that installations at smaller companies are likely to go for the analog deployments. This is because cost upfront might be cheaper for analog CCTV deployments.

Baraa Al Akkad, Regional Sales

Manager, Axis Communications says, “Initially the technology shift to networked video took place in large installations. But now we’re seeing an increase in demand for video installations in the low camera count segment. We believe numerous companies and industries as a whole are beginning to realize the benefits of IP-based video surveillance, and we are confident that the days of grainy, indistinguishable surveillance footage will soon be a thing of the past, especially with affordable, high-definition IP cameras which are emerging on the marketplace.”

He adds, “As we continue to drive the video surveillance world from its analog past into to the digital future, it's important that we deliver high-quality IP cameras at an affordable price so system users large and small can enjoy the benefits of IP video.” And while size has been a determining factor, things are likely to change or are already changing,

notwithstanding sometime the vested interest of lack of awareness of Building contractors who may have a say in determining the kind of installations.

Cisco’s John says “The transition from analog to IP technologies has realistically been taking place for the last 8 years or so, starting slowly but now is reaching tipping point where the volume of networked

"Initially the technology shift to networked video took place in large installations. But now

we’re seeing an increase in demand for video installations in the low camera count segment."

Sabbahuddin KhanRegional Manager,

Allied Telesis, Middle East



based cameras will soon surpass analog cameras. Looking at this from a size perspective smaller companies (up to 50 cameras) still predominantly deploy analog systems and this is mainly due to the fact that the contractors delivering these systems have less knowledge and are more comfortable with the analog video surveillance world than the networked IP world. As we move into the larger type of installations the contractors typically have made the skills investments in the networked world and have a much higher knowledge and comfort level here. Soon networked deployments will become the de facto solution in much the same way that telephony has transitioned from a silo’d analog environment to an IP environment.”

The way ahead is to work with the decision makers for medium to large installations in accordance with the segments targeted. With ELV contractors and consultants playing a significant role in influencing decisions to invest in IP surveillance, companies like Allied Telesis are working closely with these consultants.

Sabbahuddin says, “When it comes to Greenfield projects, Video surveillance solutions are mostly the decision of ELV contractors along with consultants. We have good response from the consultants that see us as a good alternative in terms of price, support and performance and flexible to work with. We are working closely with the consultants. “

There can be hiccups along the way. With a large number of companies already having analog installations, the trick is how they can best include the new IP

technology into their scheme of things without rip and replace .

Cisco’s John says ,” Certainly the networked based solutions are inclusive of analog deployments, I don’t think any manufacturer is advocating wholesale rip and replace. The networked video surveillance solutions have ways to bring analog cameras into the IP world via encoders, supporting the same quality streams and functions such as PTZ.”

D-Link’s Sakkeer says, " The migration becomes easier if the critical elements in the transition are identified and the solution is well-evaluated. Critical factors to bear in mind include DVR support for IP cameras and vice versa, the need for NVRs and VMS, additional cabling and the related cost, bandwidth impact on the network, etc. With analog cameras being phased out and new technological developments in IP cameras the move is more or less inevitable.”

Promises of better ROI with IP surveillance installations is bringing in new believers into the fold. The cross functional leverage that companies will benefit from with IP based deployments is a hard to ignore argument especially in an era when go to market strategies need to be constantly reviewed to deliver desired efficacy.

SNB’s Deepesh says, “The companies that have been using analog surveillance solutions are open to new technologies because the overall TCO of an IP based system is at least 3.8% lower than a traditional analog system. Equally significant, companies are now realizing that video surveillance can be applied to other areas of the business beyond loss prevention. By leveraging one solution for

cross-functional purposes, the costs can be spread across a number of company divisions. The very nature of IP-based open systems makes it possible to merge and analyze data collected from multiple sources, thereby eliminating stand-alone organizational silos and giving management a more comprehensive view of activity across the organization. “

Flexibility and scalability of IP based systems is always an advantage vis-a-vis the siloed nature of analog deployments. There are less maintenance costs, and with no need for video cassette tapes, a significant amount of money is saved due to digital storage. He adds, “With an IP-based open system, retailers will find

Sakkeer HussainSales & Marketing ManagerD-Link, Middle East & Africa


hardware and software costs more manageable than they were with their legacy analog systems. Implementation will be easier as well. Analog systems carry higher installation costs for cabling and moves/ adds/changes. IP systems allow merchants to place cameras in any location without the need to run long cables resulting in a quicker ROI and a lower TCO.”

Hybrid installations with media convertors convert analog into digital but there could be possibilities of limitations or performance constraints including not being able to utilise some of the advanced analytics tools.

The benefits of IP Technology are

greater in the longer term. Larger projects are being deployed on IP technology. Sabbahuddin says that in companies where there are people who understand the benefits of IP surveillance, they tend to go for that. Companies that are less equipped in terms of IT staff or have budgetary constraints or less informed about the benefits of IP surveillance are looking at analog solutions.

He adds, "As a matter of fact, Analog video surveillance manufacturers are also enabling IP based solutions as they recognize the transition happening. Obviously there are also government regulations in some sectors that permit only installations of IP based surveillance."

For customers that have analog implementations but want to install additional IP camerasAllied Telesis offers a Media Convertor that allows conversion of COAX into Ethernet POE or non-POE. AT-MC606 connects an Ethernet or Fast Ethernet UTP connection over a coax cable at distances up to 2 km. “

The Building blocksCameras are an important part of the IP surveillance solution. IP camera makers like Axis, D-Link and others are feeding on this growing demand for IP surveillance and have a range of models that cover different outdoor and indoor needs of surveillance.

Axis has specific solutions for retail, transportation, education, industrial, city surveillance, government, banking, and healthcare.

Baraa Al Akkad says “Axis Communications has a wide range of solutions to suit a number of different verticals, and which are for both indoor and outdoor use. Whether companies need an

IP-Surveillance solution to secure the safety of people and places or to remotely monitor property and facilities, Axis can find a tailor-made solution to meet these needs. Axis works closely with companies and recommends a range of cameras suitable for the client’s varying needs. Axis cameras are also extremely easy to install which, in large area installations, is a real plus point as cameras can be relocated very quickly and easily if the need arises. These cameras are also a greener option as they use less power than previous analogue CCTV systems and are simpler to maintain. “

D-Link offers a good range of IP cameras in both the outdoor and indoor range.

Sakkeer says, “We have a wide selection of IP cameras and new devices are being launched steadily throughout the year. Among the latest products are our cloud-enabled IP cameras, which allow the user to monitor his/her house, office etc. via the mydlink website, from anywhere an Internet connection is available. In general, when choosing an IP camera, it is advised to opt for one that is best suited for the customer’s requirements and the environment used. Motion detection and event management are also common in the current generation of IP cameras. Most of these cameras are operational in a wide variety of environments, so it all depends on the customer’s requirement and budget.”

In addition to cameras, video encoders and software are essential building blocks of IP surveillance solutions. Axis offers IP-Surveillance software solutions as a complement to the company's network cameras and video encoders. D-Link offers

Deepesh GangadharDirector Sales & Marketing

SNB Middle East



the D-ViewCam , a comprehensive network camera surveillance software designed for Enterprise users.

Cisco with an end to end portfolio offers has its Medianet services that enable dynamic configuration of the network that provides the correct quality of service for the video stream regardless of the switch port the camera is plugged into, association to the video management system, with the ability to store quality of service statistics of the video stream at each device it traverses, greatly simplifying fault finding particularly where there are intermittent faults.

John says, “Cisco has adopted a market differentiated strategy for video surveillance that takes advantage of built in services in the network and tight integration into other applications and solution sets. Cisco Video Surveillance Manager has a rich set of API’s that enable our partners and 3rd parties to develop applications that integrate closely with Cisco Video Surveillance Manager. The ready made integrations between these elements greatly simplifies the design and deployment of these combined systems.”

Further, IP networks need to be capable to handle high bandwidth consuming live video streams when it comes to IP surveillance deployments. Purchasing decisions can be skewed if the IT managers are not looking at all of the building blocks of the solutions they are looking to deploy.

Sabbahuddin says, “Our switches – both layer 2 and layer 3 – can handle video streams better. In a lot of instances, IT purchase Managers focus a lot on the camera

functionalities in evaluating the cameras. They don’t focus as much on the network technologies that will be processing all of that video. In the end, they don’t get all the desired results because their IP network isn’t able to handle high bandwidth video streaming. “

Partner strategiesAlmost all vendors are looking at both the security providers in the Physical Security domain as well as ICT channel security VARs. The growth in this segment is seeing more partners focusing on the IP surveillance segment.

Sabbahuddin says, “There are some partners who are dedicated to video surveillance segment. There are also partners who do it on an opportunity basis. Since a lot of decisions are driven by market trends, I believe more partners will get into the video surveillance segment and those who are already doing this would strengthen their focus.”

He adds, “We are quite successful and focused in the video surveillance market with our industry standard solutions. Our message to our partners is that there is great opportunity for them to work with us on larger projects because many of the projects coming up in the region have video surveillance requirements tied in.”

Axis is investing heavily in further developing its partner network in the Middle East. As part of the Axis Partner Program, the company works with resellers and system integrators which are equipped and trained to have the skills necessary to fully implement IP surveillance solutions from Axis.

Cisco video surveillance VARs are a

combination of Cisco’s traditional networking partners and partners with more of a history with analog video surveillance and security systems. Part of Cisco’s go to market strategy for Physical security involves an Advanced Technology Partner program, which ensures they have excellent skills in both Cisco Access Control and Video Surveillance solution sets.

In summary, it is almost a foregone conclusion that in the coming years, as the benefits of IP surveillance become more obvious, the majority of users will choose IP camera systems over traditional CCTV. A vast ecosystem of vendors and partners stand to benefit from the growth that beckons.

Baraa Al AkkadRegional Sales Manager

Axis Communications


Cover Interview | Netgear

What are the trends you see in demand for IP surveillance solutions in the region?There has always been a never ending debate of IP Surveillance vs Analog always throwing up the question of whether IP-based equipment sales will overtake analogue equipment sales. The Growth in network video surveillance equipment sales is forecasted to exceed 25 percent in 2012 and by 2013 the network video surveillance equipment sales would overtake analogue video surveillance equipment sales worldwide. As seen there is increasing price competition and commoditization of the mid to low tier of the analog surveillance market. As IP video gets cheaper, smaller end users will see more value in switching over to an IP-based system. The projected dip in

the prices of IP cameras is expected to narrow the pricing gap between IP and analog systems. Hence we would definitely see a lot of new requirements coming in from different segments mainly Small and Medium Business, Government entity and Hospitality Segments.

Has the move from analog Technology to IP based surveillance been happening rapidly in the region?There definitely has been a very high acceptance rate for newer Establishments who opt for IP based solutions rather than the traditional analog option, largely because of the flexibility that IP solutions provide, giving the user the advantage to adapt to future requirements at a minimal cost

difference. The organizations that already have an established set up are also migrating towards IP based solutions.

What are th solutions you offer for IP surveillance?In NETGEAR we offer the NVR Solution as an add-on Application which will easily integrate into any NETGEAR Business storage environment.

The NETGEAR ReadyNas are offered as Desktop Based ( 2,4,6 Bays) or RackMount (4,12 bays) giving the customer the flexibility to choose based on their requirements , coupled with PoE switches which can be used for easy deployment of IP Based PoE Cameras in different location from our Prosafe Family of Switches. We do not offer IP cameras as part of our solution but

our storage devices are compatible with over 1000 different brands of IP cameras available from different vendors.

What is your channel strategy for this segment of business?Storage has always been one of our flagship products and the lineup is already available with our existing channel partners. With Increased demand coming across we have seen a lot of VARs who have put together a dedicated team to address this segment of business and are also working together to empower them about the latest trends and upcoming new development. Further, over the years we have teamed up with different physical security vendors to offer a consolidated solution.

Ali AhmarRegional Director ME

Netgear

Netgear, known for building scalable networking and storage solutions has some significant solutions to offer in the IP surveillance segment. Ali Ahmar, Regional Director ME, Netgear discusses with the Integrator about the trends in the segment as well as the company’s focus in IP surveillance

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Point2point | Bulwark

Bulwark has primarily focused on security solutions since the start. Discuss the company’s focus towards making available security solutions for the market.Bulwark has been around for a while now. Earlier Security did not go beyond the conventional thoughts of network and perimeter security but now a lot of emphasis has been given on securing internal corporate information i.e vital customer data at least in the Banking, Telecom and Government Sector. As a value added distributor, we work with the resellers and system integrators in the region to reach the end users. For the products and solutions dealt by Bulwark, we also ensure that our services are available for the channel and in some cases to the end users to ensure that the customers get

the right support for the investment they in the solution. Even now as we see there is a dearth of system integrators who actually focus purely on high end information security solutions.

Are there any other areas you are currently looking at like network storage for instance?Till date, our focus is on the Security solutions, network management and reporting solutions. We might look at other options / areas as a part of expansion in future.

You provide a broad sweep of security solutions from endpoint to UTMs and other solutions. Which are the largest selling product lines in your business?There is regular demand and orders for the fast moving products on our distribution side, whereas for corporate security solutions, the lead cycle is much larger but ultimately the order values are much bigger. So we are moving ahead in a very balanced manner for the distribution products and corporate solutions.

Discuss the demand and go to market strategy for specialized solutions like a network analyser, secure remote access etc. Niche solutions for secure remote access are today being mainly

deployed mostly in the banking and Government sectors, mainly due to the need for public to access such applications. Apart from this, if an organization has a mobile work force, these kind of solutions would definitely make an impact. These areas now to an extent are already explored and the challenge now lies with the vendors to build an extra edge over the other solutions in the market and position them through the right partners who could exhibit the difference. In short, the demand is definitely there though definitely not to the likes of fast moving

solutions. You need to factor for the associated risks for such transactions and hence you need to be on your toes at all times. Bulwark, as VAD, is in a position to provide the required products from stock for the distribution business. We also ensure that the proper evaluation licenses and required support is given through our partners to the end users for the corporate solutions. Are majority of your partners focusing on security solutions or are they more of broadline integrators that do complete installations from network to systems, security, storage etc?Most of our channel partners provide solutions covering the entire requirement including

Jose ThomasMD

Bulwark Technologies

Staring its operations in the United Arab Emirates in towards the end of 1999, Bulwark Technologies has since then grown in terms of technology, partners, customer base and staff strength as a Value Added Distributor for IT Security products and solutions. As a value added distributor of products and solutions related to IT Security, Reporting, Unified Communication and Web Analytics, it works with channel partners and system integrators in United Arab Emirates and other GCC countries. Jose Thomas, MD of Bulwark speaks to The Integrator about the company’s focus areas.

On a steady course


systems, security, storage etc. We provide mostly the security portion of that.

Are there any new partnerships that you have recently added?We regularly update our portfolio with new products to address the latest threats coming up – either through enhancement of existing solutions or by adding new products. Recently we have signed up with new vendors for Secure File Exchange, Cloud Email Security and for Mobiel Device management solutions.

Discuss any significant plans of expansion in the remaining half

of the year? We will be strengthening our team to give more focus on the GCC region for all the products and solution offered. We have had a successful two quarters till now and business certainly looks positive for the remaining two quarters. Adding more members to the team definitely improves traction.

What is the response you get from channel and customer meets that you do?We consider these gatheringa and roadshows as an essential process in the whole distribution business as we are able to convey the latest product information and

technology advancement to the end users as well as resellers. These sort of events also enable us to have close customer interactions to know the market requirements and act upon that in a faster way. We also hold events in collaboration with our vendors to host events in appreciating the efforts put in by our resellers/ partners. We clearly are making a statement as to “how vital partners are to our line of business”. Partners do realize this and it adds as a catalyst to go the extra mile. Let’s not forget the current market conditions are not easy and you need your drivers in the right motivated frame of mind to get the job done.

Comendo FZ LLC (COM) a E-mail security and backup provider along with Bulwark Technologies, its Value added distributor in the Middle East recently organized an E-mail security forum for Bulwark’s reseller and end-user community in Abu Dhabi.

The forum held under the theme “Secure your e-mail, maximize business efficiency” was intended to refresh and update the channel partners as well as the customers on Comendo’s proprietary solutions for cloud e-mail filtering and backup. Comendo also communicated its vision and outlined strategies for mutual growth and expansion.

Chris Oestergaard, Product Director, Comendo demonstrated how the combination of spamFence, mailFence and dnsFence works to combat spam and viruses and provide total security and protection before reaching customers' networks. Participants also had the chance to learn about backupFence, a hosted managed backup and archiving solution.

The briefing also featured presentations on mailTunnel, which guarantees the safety of all e-mail communications between sender, recipient and the Comendo Data Centre through a secure and close

Transport Layer security (TLS) tunnel. The forum also provided insights into Comendo’s Datacenters, which are secured and well-equipped with the latest technologies to ensure the highest uptime. Comendo operates 5 Datacenters worldwide including the one in Dubai.

Jose Thomas, MD, Bulwark Technologies commented ”By bringing together the partners, end-users and the vendor under one platform, the event created better opportunities for networking and for engaging in meaningful dialogues. Secured e-mail communication is an important challenge not to be overlooked by businesses to maximize efficiency and productivity. This was one of the highlights of the forum that we jointly hosted with Comendo.”

Houda Naji, Managing Director, Comendo said, “This was an occasion for us to express our commitment towards the channel and the end-user community in Abu Dhabi, by addressing their concerns, besides apprising them of our existing product range and new products such as mailContinuity. We look forward to supporting such initiatives by our distributor partner Bulwark to benefit the resellers and the clients in the region.”

Comendo and Bulwark Technologies Host E-mail Security Forum


What are the various services GBM provides?GBM offers a broad expertise across servers, storage, software and technical support and is specialized in delivering innovative products and solutions that help meet customer business goals in ways not previously thought possible. From applications and skills to technology resources, GBM delivers flexibility through a choice of platforms, a broad portfolio and integrated virtualization capabilities—all built on open industry standards to help meet any enterprise’s needs, which include IBM Power Systems, IBM System x and BladeCenter, IBM System z and IBM System Storage.

Discuss your various divisions?The company offers key services in several areas. Among these, GBM Technical Support Services has cultivated an offer comprising of top-notch project management experts that are able to determine the most effective means of achieving the IT objectives and demands of an organisation. GBM’s Technology Services (TS) encompasses a wide range of services from infrastructure design and implementation to IT operations. TS has two major portfolios of service offerings - Platform Software Services and Managed Services. GBM Networking Services includes

a cluster of world-class consultants, architects and project managers to offer relevant consulting, integration, deployment and network support, region wide. The company is able to deliver large, complex, mission critical Emerging Network Technologies and IT infrastructure solutions.

GBM Business Solutions comes to the forefront by offering true-blue consultancy on IT in business. This is achieved by providing counsel on methods for the effective, efficient implementation of IT solutions and services through a team of highly-skilled consultants.

GBM Learning Services is the

region’s leading IT training provider. With over 1,000 comprehensive training programs on offer across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, GBM Learning Services trains over 3,000 IT professionals annually. It is an exclusive training provider for selected IBM technologies and a Cisco Borderless Network Architecture Specialized Learning Partner for the MENA region.

Please elaborate in detail about services rendered by your Technical Support Services, TechnologyServices and Networking ServicesGBM’s TSS specialists aim to provide an all-encompassing holistic IT

support from deploying resources to end-product functionality, to a reliable, integrated, secure system, in addition to support and maintenance. Undoubtedly, TSS offers the industry’s most complete menu of IT services in the region. The services menu includes GBM maintenance services that protect the IT investment and ensure the availability of the production environment after deployment and GBM supportline services which provide on-call IT answers to all ‘how-to’ questions related to software installation and usage. Platform Software Services and Managed Services are part of GBM’s Technology Services (TS) Platform Software Services cover

A giant in servicesFounded in 1990, Gulf Business Machines (GBM) is a leading IT solutions provider in the region. A spin-off from IBM, GBM is the sole distributor for IBM– excluding selected IBM products and services –throughout the GCC, except for Saudi Arabia. Cesare Cardone, CEO, GBM speaks to The Integrator about the company’s domains of focus

Cesare CardoneCEO,GBM

Point2point | GBM


software technologies for IBM Server Platform.. Platform Software Services team comprises of consultants, technical architects, specialists and project managers offering consultation, technical design, implementation and solutions. The team has deployed numerous small, medium to large scale projects, successfully, in nearly all industries across the GCC. We have tie-ups with major server consolidation and virtualization vendors including IBM, VMware, Citrix and Red Hat and have delivered numerous successful virtualization projects in heterogeneous server and storage environments. We offer Managed Operations to provide on-site and remotely through State Data Center (SDC) network, infrastructure and application operations. Our Managed Workplace services for the desktop and smart devices include remote management, software distribution, asset tracking and service desk services.As for GBM Networking Services, the company’s special legacy relationship with IBM and decade-old partnership with Cisco adds considerable value by ensuring professional expertise with the highest level of Cisco Certification. This includes Cisco's CCIE and CCNP/CCDP professional status, and Cisco Advanced Technology Provider (ATP) status in TelePresence (TP- ATP), Outdoor Wireless Mesh (OWM- ATP) and Video Surveillance (VS- ATP).

How has GBM benefitted from close association with both IBM and Cisco? GBM is the sole distributor for IBM– excluding selected IBM products and services – throughout the GCC, except for Saudi Arabia. In 1999, GBM’s momentum was further

enhanced when the team secured highest level of recognition in the region from Cisco. Today, GBM is one of the largest IT solutions providers in the GCC, with more than 1000 employees and over 20 solid strategic partnerships forged with internationally recognised IT solution providers. This means that GBM can offer an extensive range of IT infrastructure, IT solutions and services ranging from consulting, resource deployment and integration to after-sales support. In comparison to other SI partners of IBM in the region, do you believe GBM is more privilegedby virtue of its closer association with IBM? Given GBM’s unique close and close relationship with IBM, GBM has been both, privileged and more specialized. GBM has maintained its status as not only the largest SI partner for IBM technologies, but also the leading SI player in the region. GBM is in this position today on account of its strong affinity with IBM from a people, process and technology standpoint.

Firstly, the majority of the people in GBM across all lines of businesses at all levels are in fact ex IBM employees from all over the world. They bring along a rich set of skills, certifications and experiences that are much appreciated by our customers. Secondly, GBM's business processes including sales, marketing, training and education, project services implementation, post implementation support and most importantly our HR processes are substantially based on IBM policies, methodologies and standards. Finally, working with customers across complex projects for a number of years in conjunction with IBM, GBM has been able to build an enormous knowledge base of best practices,

frameworks, architectures, SOPs and so forth that are constantly enhanced. The above factors have ensured that satisfied customers place their trust and confidence in GBM's capabilities as their partner of choice thereby differentiating us from anyone else. In summary, GBM is IBM for our customers, being also the exclusive distributor for a vast number of IBM products in the region.

Typically, is the percentage of work orders more from recurring customer upgrades? Going by 2011 data, around 80% of the business is from existing customer base. This is not something new. Over the years, if we analyze the data, we will find a similar trend. Do you see the Pareto principle apply well to your business?Yes, it does apply well. In fact, sometimes the percentage goes above 80%.

How do you handle larger customer accounts separately within the company structure in terms of dedicated Account teams etc? We do have dedicated Account representative for each customer. Apart from this, there is also the involvement of various functions and specialists at various levels. This involves relation building, Solution offering, proposal preparation, project delivery and so on. This is the usual approach we take to handling customer accounts.

We manage large accounts with dedicated sales team focused on specific industries such as Financial Services, Government, Energy, and so forth.


Case Study | HP

HP FlexNetwork architecture has transformed NBK’s network by cost-effectively delivering increased speed, performance and agility. At the network core, the HP 10500 campus switch delivers ultra-high resiliency and availability for NBK’s CRM and ERP applications. Its three microsecond latency and 40GB performance support the delivery of media-rich applications and provide NBK with a video-ready network. At the distribution layer, robust HP 5800 switches in NBK’s key locations provide the bandwidth necessary to ensure continuous availability for secure, high-speed communications. At the access layer, advanced intelligent HP 5120 switches eliminate loops in the network for maximum reliability.

NBK’s network infrastructure complexity is reduced by HP’s innovative Intelligent Resilient Framework (IRF) technology, which consolidates the management of multiple switches into a single, easy-to-manage virtual device. HP

IRF increases network reliability to ensure that NBK’s business-critical applications and services run without interruption. For maximum efficiency, the entire network can be centrally managed with HP Intelligent Management Centre (IMC) software. HP IMC eases the workload on NBK’s IT team and offers lower operating expenses by unifying the management of network resources, services and users.

“HP has enabled NBK to unleash the full performance, stability and manageability benefits of their virtualised IT network,” says Eyad Shihabi, Managing Director, HP Middle East. “With a single operating system and management platform, HP Networking switches allow NBK to meet their current networking needs and provide the flexibility for future expansion.”

Implemented by HP partner Gulf Business Center, the entire network infrastructure is supported by HP Care Packs.

Qatar’s Nasser Bin Khaled boosts Multimedia Communications Deploys HP FlexNetwork architecture that delivers virtualisation for high availability.

Eyad ShihabiManaging Director

HP, Middle East

HP FlexNetwork architecture is a unified architecture for the data center, campus and branch enabling enterprises to fully harness the power of media-rich content, virtualization, mobility and cloud computing. A core component of the HP Converged Infrastructure, the HP FlexNetwork architecture unifies network silos by ensuring industry-standard protocols are implemented consistently across all networked devices throughout an enterprise. As a result, clients are able to simplify and speed service delivery across the data center, campus and branch, driving increased agility and innovation.

HP FlexNetworkarchitecture

Nasser Bin Khaled (NBK), one of Qatar’s leading family businesses, has selected HP FlexNetwork architecture to replace its network infrastructure. Based on the HP 10500 switch, the new campus network provides NBK with cost-effective multimedia communications across all its sites.

NKB manages the sales and distribution in the Qatari market of notable international brands including Mercedes Benz, Harley Davidson and Michelin. NBK owns other companies in the fields of industry, construction, oil and gas, telecommunications, civil engineering, agriculture, real estate, fashion and hospitality.


the advantages and benefits it brings, and more and more are set to introduce virtualization in the future.

Most applications that companies now use in virtual environments are business-critical; these are databases, email services, ERP and CRM systems. This setup is the opposite of what we saw a few years ago. The fact that many of today’s critical applications have migrated into virtual environments demonstrates that organizations now put great trust in this technology, while the technology itself has reached maturity.

Kaspersky Lab experts have noticed that there is a persistent myth that virtual machines are more secure than physical computers. This was corroborated by the survey we have undertaken: more than half of the respondents thought that IT security risks are lower for a virtual environment than those facing a physical system. However, this notion about threats to IT security in virtual environments is not only unreasonably optimistic – it is fundamentally wrong. A virtual environment is subjected to lots of the same threats – malicious attachments in emails, drive-by attacks, Trojans, targeted phishing etc. – which physical environments are subjected to. But those who are security conscious can now find effective protection tools on the market.

In a bid to boost business efficiency, an increasing number of companies are turning to virtualization technologies. This is hardly surprising: virtualization brings businesses a number of advantages, including cost reduction, increased manageability and improved performance of corporate networks. However, the advantages always go hand in hand with the risks, which, as practice and statistics show, are often underestimated in many companies writes Vladimir Udalov, Senior Corporate Product Marketing Manager at Kaspersky Lab

Server virtualization has already become a significant trend. This type of technology has long been popular and occupies an important place in the IT infrastructure of all kinds of GCC companies. Desktop Virtualization (Virtual desktop Interface, VDI) has not yet become as widespread, as it is typically used by companies whose employees perform routine, strictly regulated tasks, e.g. call center employees, and bank transaction officers. Only a relatively small proportion of organizations need such work places. On the other hand, desktop virtualization technologies continue to develop, and large GCC companies are increasingly

implementing VDI pilot tests. Thus, the circumstances are ideal for desktop virtualization technologies to take off in GCC and strong growth in the numbers of VDI implementations is forecast for 2012.

To identify the main trends in virtualization across GCC companies, Kaspersky Lab has conducted a survey among IT specialists who are responsible for maintaining and securing the IT infrastructure for organizations with corporate networks of over 100 desktops. The survey revealed that 61% of the companies surveyed currently make use of server virtualization, or plan to implement it in the coming year. This figure amply demonstrates how popular and recognized the technology has become. Companies recognize

Virtualization: An Illusion of Security

Vladimir UdalovSenior Corporate Product Marketing Manager

Kaspersky Lab

Insight | Kaspersky Lab


Shaheen Haque, Territory Manager, Middle East & Turkey at Interactive Intelligence writes about customer satisfaction and cost reduction the main drivers of contact centre developments in 2012.

Building an effective Contact Centre

Insight | Interactive Intelligence

As customers grow ever more demanding, contact centres are being forced to swiftly evolve in order to accommodate their growing needs. Rising operational costs are also forcing companies to re-assess the ways in which their contact centres operate.

The challenge is in creating a customer-centric service delivery model whilst at the same time minimising overheads. This delicate balancing act is driving a movement towards a more efficient and holistic type of contact centre.

New systems and processes are now being implemented with a view to empowering contact centre agents, and providing them with a more holistic overview of the customer. ulti-channel systems, which allow agents to pull information from a variety of sources such as e-mail, fax and social media, are fast becoming must-haves within the contact centre environment. These systems help to paint a more holistic picture of the customer, with all previous incidents and queries easily traceable. Over and above this, these systems can result in significantly lowered costs.

Multi-point hardware systems are also being slowly phased out in favour of all-in-one software applications, which offer contact centres far greater levels of flexibility. The built-in reporting and monitoring capacity offered by

such applications affords contact centres the option to decentralise their operations and significantly reduce utility costs by having agents working from home.

Increased local broadband connectivity is now making the home-based agent model a realistic alternative for South African contact centres, many of whom are electing to move in this direction so as to minimise expenditure and improve levels of agent satisfaction and retention.

Unified communications solutions are helping organisations to gradually merge their front and back offices in order to create a more integrated, holistic customer service model. Such solutions now enable contact centre agents to interact with relevant experts within the organisation, allowing them to pose real-time questions or even conference the expert into a call in order to provide further assistance. By involving all employees in the customer service chain, queries can be resolved far more speedily.

With agents representing the contact centre’s most expensive operational cost, organisations are now looking for ways in which they can move workload into an automated environment without compromising service levels.

Voice and web self-service initiatives have already been widely implemented. Companies are also

now starting to harness the power of online communities, establishing help forums that essentially enable users to assist each other. Queries appearing on such customer self-service or social communities can be monitored from a central point, with contact centre agents able to step in and provide assistance when necessary. However, as these communities are largely self-sufficient, they can end up greatly reducing pressure placed on contact centre employees.

Advancing technology has made this new, more integrated contact centre a realistic possibility, and is allowing organisations to adapt their service offerings to the needs of their customers, whilst at the same time reducing their operational costs.

Shaheen HaqueTerritory Manager, ME & Turkey

Interactive Intelligence


eyetech

Dell announced details of the new entry-level Dell Precision T1650 tower workstation, which provides powerful performance on a budget. The T1650 is designed for demanding professional applications and workloads like 2D and mid-range 3D models, editing photos, CAD drawings and web development that push beyond a standard desktop. The T1650 offers a new industrial design with tool-less features, broad range of Intel Core and Xeon CPU options, increased memory speed of 1600MHz, four USB 3.0 ports and Intel Smart Response Technology solutions.

Key features• Enhances productivity potential with powerful Intel Core processors or Intel Xeon processors, up to 32GB1 of ECC or non-ECC memory, ample storage, RAID options and USB 3.0.

• The Dell Precision T1650 features a brand new industrial design and the toolless features that enable you to perform service and upgrades with ease.

• The most important business applications will run

smoothly thanks to independent software vendor (ISV) certification available with the Dell Precision T1650.

• Help protect critical data with optional Dell Data Protection | Encryption or self-encrypting drives while Dell Remote Hard Drive Wipe helps keep your data out of the hands of thieves.

• Whether you opt for integrated Intel HD graphics or choose from a variety of NVIDIA and AMD graphics options, you’ll get the power you need to get the job done.

• Help save energy and reduce environmental impact with EPEAT and ENGERY STAR compliance available with the Dell Precision T1650.

Overview Designed around the needs of corporate users looking for robust, secure and powerful systems, the new TravelMate P6 series hit the perfect equilibrium between efficient performance, enhanced security and optimal manageability, in three different format: 13.3, 14 and 15.6-inch. Key features:• TravelMate P6 series take advantage of the 3rd generation Intel Core processors with Intel vPro and AMT 8.0 technologies that allow in-house or outsourced IT to easily manage all software and hardware computing assets within the organization.

Dell Precision T1650

Overview

• Heal systems remotely regardless of the OS or system state and protect their enterprise from malicious software attacks.

• A remarkable visual performance with rich colour and crisp images is provided by Intel HD Graphics 4000, which enables high-definition video, seamlessly switching presentation, Windows extend desktop mode support, and real-time editing on screen.

• With the TravelMate laptops user data and valuable assets are protected by Acer ProShield security, a suite of essential security and manageability tools that integrates fundamental features in a unified user interface.

Acer TravelMate P6 series


OverviewLG Electronics (LG) unveiled its advanced P Series of cloud monitors, allowing companies to do away with desktops and laptops altogether. The P Series is a server-based model. The new VMware-based Zero Client monitors can be networked to create a virtual computing system and come packaged with Cisco’s Universal Power over Ethernet (UPoE) technology, enabling centralized resources, greater system security and reduced costs.

Key features:• As the software is managed from a centralized network, there’s greater security from hacking, viruses and spyware by allowing the data flow to be more easily monitored and blocked if necessary.

• LG’s Zero Client Cloud Computing technology also consolidates servers and thus re-quires less hardware. In fact, each

Iomega StorCenter px12-450r NAS

station requires only a LAN cable, a keyboard and a mouse and there is no CPU, no memory and no storage as well as employees don’t need to install operating systems or software, saving both time and money.

• Booting speeds are faster than traditional desktops, and the entire system is in line with eco-friendly green com-putting standards. • The P Series uses the VMware platform, which oversees server integration. Because the platform is automated, the delivery of IT services to each work station is faster and compliance to system specifications is guaranteed. The software also schedules secure back-ups and interruption-free system updates.

OverviewIomega, an EMC company announced the new Iomega StorCenter px12-450r Network Storage Array, multi-protocol networked data storage for small and medium business, remote office/branch office installations and distributed enterprises. The new StorCenter px12-450r is a ground-up redesign of Iomega’s previous top-of-the-line model, the StorCenter px12-350r. The StorCenter px12-450r features the new Intel Xeon Processor E3-1200 v2 Product Family, 8GB RAM, improved user supportability and

is ready for 4TB hard disk drives (HDD) and 10 gigabit Ethernet (10GbE) networks. Additionally, the StorCenter px12-450r utilizes the latest version the EMC LifeLine software, an advanced operating system that makes EMC’s enterprise class expertise and cloud capabilities available to a broad range of users.

Key features:• First EMC network storage array utilizing the new Intel Xeon Processor E3-1200 v2 Product Family for increased

performance with reduced power consumption • The new StorCenter px12-450r Network Storage Array is designed for advanced functions including dedupe, VDI, database and storage-based applications. • 12-bay, 2U network storage array ready for use with 10 gigabit Ethernet networks and upcoming 4TB disk drives

• Cisco’s UPoE technology is particularly appealing for its minimal energy requirements. It delivers power over LAN cabling to networked devices and with the Energy Wise program, UPoE can track power consumption and make adjustments in real-time for greater efficiency. UPoE technology also eliminates cables and connectors, letting employees make better use of their office space. • By using IPS rather than TN (twisted nematic) panels, the 23-inch monitor boasts life-like color reproduction and picture quality regardless of viewing angle. The N2311AZ also reduces eye fatigue, making it the ideal monitor for visual-based occupations like graphic design.

LG Cloud Monitors


Stats & trends

Results of the annual Cisco Visual Networking Index (VNI) Forecast (2011-2015) reveal Internet Protocol (IP) networking growth and trends worldwide. The VNI Forecast update covers 2011-2016, and quantitatively projects the significant amount of IP traffic expected to travel public and private networks, including Internet, managed IP, and mobile data traffic generated by consumers and business users:

According to the Forecast:• In Middle East and Africa, IP traffic will grow 8-fold from 2010 to 2015, a compound annual growth rate of 52%..• Middle East and Africa's IP traffic in 2015 will be equivalent to 6 billion DVDs per year, 505 million DVDs per month, or 691,466 DVDs per hour.• In 2015, the gigabyte equivalent of all movies ever made will cross Middle East and Africa's IP networks every 3 hours.• In Middle East and Africa, Internet traffic will grow 9-fold from 2010 to 2015, a compound annual growth rate of 56%.

IDC released its latest results from the Worldwide Software Market Forecaster. The research monitors over 1000 software vendors globally. A total of 35 vendors achieved revenues of more than $1 billion in 2011, representing a combined market share of 62%. The remaining market is shared among 1129 vendors and others. in software revenue, only three achieved a high double-digit growth rate (over 20%) – VMware, Salesforce.com, and Cadence Design Systems.

Microsoft remained the number 1 software vendor globally, holding 17.8% market share based on

• In Middle East and Africa, peak Internet traffic will grow 13-fold from 2010 to 2015, a compound annual growth rate of 66%.• Middle Eastern and African Internet traffic in 2015 will be equivalent to 98x

the volume of the entire Middle Eastern and African Internet in 2005.• In Middle East and Africa, average Internet traffic will reach 5 Tbps in 2015, the equivalent of 4,500,000 people streaming Internet HD video simultaneously.• In Middle East and Africa, busy hour Internet traffic will reach 17 Tbps in 2015, the equivalent of 13,890,000 people streaming Internet HD video simultaneously

Regional IP Traffic Trends• By 2016, the Asia Pacific region will generate the most IP traffic (40.5 exabytes per month), maintaining the top spot over North America (27.5 exabytes per month) which generated the second most amount of traffic.• The fastest-growing IP-traffic regions for the forecast period (2011 – 2016) are the Middle East and Africa (58 percent compound annual growth rate (CAGR), for ten-fold growth), and Latin America (49 percent CAGR, seven-fold growth).

Cisco’s VNI Forecast projects the Internet will be four times larger by 2016

Software Growth to Decelerate in 2012 Following the Post-2008 Boom

revenues, more than twice the market share of its closest competitor. IBM continued its streak of steady positive growth in 2011 and holds the number 2 position. Oracle and SAP were next in line with both vendors achieving double-digit growth rates and growing faster than the software market average.

The fastest growing software markets, according to the 2011 results, are Enterprise Social Software, Virtual Machine Software, and Team Collaborative Applications, which are closely related and support important cross-industry technology trends such as social applications, virtualization, and collaboration.

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