MDS PACC chosen as an ‘Outstanding Partner’ by Pelco
MDS PACC has been chosen as an ‘Outstanding Partner’ by US-based global security hardware and software solution specialist, Pelco. On their LinkedIn profile, MDS PACC thanked Pelco: “We are delighted to have been chosen as ‘Outstanding Partner’ by Pelco – the leading provider of ELV solutions in the UAE.”
More about Pelco
Pelco is a global leader in the design, development, and manufacture of predictive video security solutions, including video surveillance cameras, video management and recording systems, security software, and aligned services. The company was founded in 1957 and is headquartered in Fresno, California.
More about MDS PACC
MDS PACC has been a premier IT solutions provider for 43 years, and is backed by one of the best service infrastructures in the region. Founded in 1978, MDS PACC is part of the Midis Group and comprises highly qualified employees and professionals. To meet the demands of a changing world, MDS PACC has been dynamic in its approach and has continuously updated its clients with the latest in technology. MDS PACC has offices in Dubai and Abu Dhabi to serve all its client base in the UAE.
Midis Group Local Office teams at Dubai hold Breast Cancer Awareness month
In support of people affected by Breast Cancer, Midis Group Local Office HR and Marketing staff in Dubai organized multiple activities during October to bring everyone together and campaign as a team to bring awareness to this disease. In their invitation to employees to take part, the HR team talked about the challenges of this illness.
As the Campaign took place, everything was done in Covid-safe conditions. Photo credit – Midis Group
“Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed form of cancer in women; on average, one out of eight women is diagnosed with breast cancer.
This disease is very diverse and complex and it overpoweringly affects us all – not only diagnosed people but also their loved ones. Together, we are thriving to raise awareness among our people, helping them with early detection, but even more importantly, for avoidance of this malicious disease.”
The Campaign attracted lots of support from everyone in the Group. Photo credit – Midis Group
During the campaign, employees were urged to wear pink shirts and ribbons which were distributed during the month, with people invited to wear the ribbons daily until the end of the month.
An awareness session led by Dr. Rajul Matkar, a specialist OBGYN practitioner, took place in Covid-safe conditions at the Local Office premises on Thursday, October 28. Dr. Matkar offered an hour long awareness session, self-diagnostic tips and held a Q&A.
The Midis Group Local Office teams were out and about to publicize the cause, interacted with passers-by and received lots of support. Photo credit – Midis Group
Access to Breast Cancer Screening Centers was publicized to employees; Dubai Health Authority as well as private clinics offer Free Breast Cancer screening services every October.
Last, but definitely not least, group activities were organized. A social gathering was held on Thursday, October 28, where the team enjoyed a social break together, with different members of the team sharing related stories on the importance of having the necessary awareness to combat the disease and some personal experiences in this matter.
Stronger together – team work with an important goal. Photo credit – Midis Group
On the evening of Sunday October 31, the team organized a group walk/run taking advantage of the good weather to enjoy some time together at Kyte Beach. Here, everyone participated, wearing their shirts and ribbons.
Stitched across the back of their pink T-shirts was a key message from the team on this breast cancer awareness campaign: “We’re Stronger Together.”
Midis Tech-Talk at Gitex: Mindware withstanding challenges and growing with their ecosystem
At GITEX Global 2021 Mindware were prominent on video channels, in event-related print interviews and in award ceremonies. Much of the interest around this growing and successful group centered on ambitious plans to extend and increase the international reach of their distribution offer. This feature offers a chance to click through and read more about how this leading Distributor of top IT technologies expects to work with existing and new clients and partners across the MEA region.
Nicholas Argyrides: “As businesses embrace the hybrid workplace model in the light of the pandemic, technology firms have clearly adapted to the requirements of this new environment by focusing on security, connectivity and accessibility.” Photo credit: Mindware
Nicholas Argyrides, General Manager, Gulf, stressed the unusual nature of the challenges businesses have faced over the last two years when he spoke to TechX. “At Mindware, we have patiently and prudently been able to withstand these challenges – and even grow our business. We hope to utilize GITEX as a platform to listen, advise, guide, and support our channel partners in a similar manner, to ensure their business continuity. We also wish to assure our associates of our Company’s resilience and permanence as their value-add distribution partner in both the good as well as the challenging times.”
Silmi Khanfir: “everything you used to have in your data center can now be provided as a service.” Photo credit: Mindware
Silmi Khanfir, Director of Cloud and XaaS – Middle East and Africa at Mindware, revealed four new aspects in plan for 2022. One of which is “a new refreshed offering of professional services from consultancy, to implementation, to migration, to optimization of cloud environments – this is what we are adding to our portfolio of services. We are announcing, as well, a new support center to help our business partners address issues that their end-users have so that they can provide an end-to-end support structure.”
When Arkan Saleh, Chief Operating Officer at Mindware spoke to CXODX at GITEX, he first stressed that Mindware had been keen to continue with their Digital Transformation agenda, begun in 2019, to spread and build business activity. Beyond that, Arkan talked about the development plan for the VAD in Africa: “So the expansion plan for 2022 is to consolidate our entities in Africa – to provide them with the proper support in order to expand our business there. Also we are working to add to our product portfolio some top technology vendors and to support these vendors for growth.”
In a video interview with Tahawultech for GITEX, Fadi Matta, Mindware’s GM in KSA, reinforced the message of the value of being back face-to-face at GITEX, networking with customers and clients. Answering what technologies might drive innovation in 2022, Fadi said:
“As a matter of fact the pandemic era has indicated that remote connectivity, online sales, online trading, online communication – have become a necessity. Also, organizations have understood that budget cuts, the decrease of CapEx requirements, the increase in OPEX requirements, have pushed companies to take more and more information into the private cloud/public cloud, CSP subscriptions and so forth, so I believe cybersecurity, cloud, artificial intelligence are going to have a major role in fueling the innovations of 2022 onwards. I assure you that we, at Mindware, are fully ready for that. And we look forward to participating and supporting all these new technologies and new innovations for 2022 onwards as we go forward.”
Mostafa Kabel, Solutions Director at Mindware was interviewed by Lynchpin Media at GITEX about the range of platforms and solutions that the group can deploy. “We are honored to participate this year with all the top players and vendors in the market. We are providing all the solutions that support infrastructure, network and software as well as cybersecurity and cloud… we are supporting all types of business from off-premises to on-premises, cloud, hybrid cloud and multi-cloud scale.”
Mostafa Kabel: “we have an amazing service team of 55 Engineers with more than 15 years experience working as a subject matter expert.” Photo credit: Lynchpin Media
All in all, the Mindware presence at GITEX was extensive and from all the interviews there is a strong consensus that it was a successful event and – of course – great to be back with partners and customers alike.
Midis Tech-Talk at Gitex: interviews with key leaders at ESET, Barracuda and Ivanti
GITEX Global 2021 was a refreshing return to full face-to-face networking, where business deals were done and the shape of the digital future was very much on the agenda. In these videos, Husni Hammoud, Demes Strouthos, and Samer Hani talk about subjects critical to development and business success.
Husni Hammoud, Managing Director, Technetium, talks to Tahawultech about the opportunity GITEX offers to reinforce the importance of the cybersecurity industry. Check out Husni speaking to Tahawultech, below:
Demes Strouthos, General Manager, ESET Middle East, talked to Tahawultech about the ESET Protect portfolio, and how it has moved with the post-pandemic times, and also about GITEX itself.
“After COVID, companies had to change direction and to rethink the way they have been working. Security officers need to work on a ‘zero trust’ approach, which is the approach which does not allow anybody who is not authorized or authenticated to connect to our system. ESET is here of course to help people towards this direction.” Hear and see Demes interviewed below, also by Tahawultech:
Finally, Ivanti Regional Director, Samer Hani, was interviewed by CXO DX. After highlighting the importance of being present at GITEX, here he is explaining the solutions of focus for Ivanti and how it is enabling and securing digital transformation:
“Ivanti focuses on four major pillars… First we discover all the endpoints: servers, mobiles, laptops etc. irrelevant of the operating system. Then we manage them, secure those endpoints, and service them.” Catch the rest of the interview here:
iSTYLE opens 50th Apple Premium Reseller store in CEE as international network grows
October 2, 2021 saw the opening of a new iSTYLE Apple store in Sibiu, a well-known Romanian tourist destination for both domestic and foreign visitors. Located within Promenada Sibiu shopping center, the store is the 13th iSTYLE location in Romania and the 50th in Central Europe – consolidating iSTYLE as the regional leader for Apple monobrand shops, offering a best in class customer experience within the full Apple ecosystem in dedicated physical stores.
The new iSTYLE store, designed and arranged to the usual high-quality Apple standards, offers the public an area of over 55 square meters of hi-tech Apple products presentation, served by a team of certified specialists, ready to provide individual assistance to each visitor. iSTYLE Sibiu offers the traditional combination of Apple products including the best quality accessories and excellence in customer service, something which has become the popular brand’s slogan.
The opening of the 13th iSTYLE store was lucky for the first visitors, who took advantage of special price offers for a selection of products and enjoyed other surprises and gifts. Photo credit: iSTYLE
“Apple experts can’t wait to meet you! That’s the headline on our billboards in the city, and it is more than just a marketing slogan, it’s what we feel. We are pleased that, despite the unfavorable epidemiological situation, we are able to offer the people of Sibiu a very pleasant and easily accessible place to discover the Apple ecosystem in complete safety. Moreover, iSTYLE plans for 2021 do not end here; before the end of the year another store opening is planned,” said Valeriu Ion, General Manager of iSTYLE Retail in Romania, Bulgaria and Adria.
The opening of the store attracted many happy visitors who took advantage of special offers for a selection of products and enjoyed other surprises and gifts. Among the Apple products they were able to test were the recently released iPad models, including the sixth generation iPad mini, a technical marvel offering sensational performance in an extremely compact and attractive design, and the ninth generation iPad, a robust, versatile device at an extremely affordable price. In addition, customers were able to place pre-orders for the long-awaited iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Pro models.
How it all started
iSTYLE CEE started in 2005 in Budapest with a street location on the Andrassy avenue 4. Since then, the company has grown to reach a significant milestone of 50 stores and 400 employees, covering nine countries across Central Europe.
“Back in 2005 and in the ensuing years, our core business was selling Macs, iPods and a limited selection of accessories. No iPhones, iPads, Apple Watch or AirPods. The main challenge was how to generate enough traffic and attract enough customers just with iPods; the Mac in 2005 was used by a limited number of businesses usually around graphic and design, and not by consumers,” said Georges Abboud, the iSTYLE leader at that time.
“So, to begin with, store profitability was a huge challenge. Think about it – all the innovative new products that came later represent today about 80% of our revenue. Even when the amazing iPhone was introduced, it was sold only through the phone carriers, making our job even more complicated.”
“Building a great customer experience was not so easy to achieve in the stores due to the limited resources and of course, online sales were non-existent. Our marketing was exclusively billboards and radios, and with the small budgets we had, the impact was negligible. Patience, the conviction we were doing the right things, the alignment with Apple, and the support of the Midis Group allowed us to go through the bad times and become a major retail, online and service partner for Apple,” Georges added.
Csaba Gyarmati, Regional Manager for iSTYLE CEE: “We continuously work on improving our consumer offers.” Photo credit: iSTYLE
Looking to the future
Csaba Gyarmati, Regional Manager for iSTYLE CEE tells more about the bright future now in prospect for the Group: “Our goal is to become the top omni-channel Apple Reseller in Central Eastern Europe. To reach this goal we aim to provide the best customer experience; we will increase our leadership with the number of Apple monobrand stores operated in the region, as well as acquire regional leadership in online sales of Apple products. We continuously work on improving our consumer offers, and our customer service to be our customers’ preferred local Apple Expert.”
“Premium monobrand retail has always been at the heart of the proposition for iSTYLE. Being close to our customers is important for us, and we continue to grow because they are happy, and keep on returning to our stores, our website and our service locations.”
“We keep on increasing our network of premium stores to reach all key locations in the region where Apple customers are looking for that premium experience and support. We have ambitious goals for the coming years,” said Csaba.
Turkcell chooses Broadcom Software for API Management and security
Turkey’s leading digital operator, Turkcell, trusted in Broadcom Software’s Layer7 API management to protect data moving through its applications. A newly-published case study details the progress of the relationship between the partners, which began in 2016 with an initial contract for Broadcom to re-engineer network connection layers.
With the network contract running successfully, Turkcell turned to the challenge posed by their complex API structures. As a key national and international telecoms leader, Turkcell maintains more than 150 critical applications integrated into customer services by more than 2,000 APIs. By 2018, the internally-managed API setup was facing a number of challenges, including the sheer variety of types and configurations of APIs, which caused delays, errors and an increasing management load.
The success of the business also created an ever-growing amount of data, straining gateways and management infrastructure. On top of that, as a consumer-facing company, regular marketing offers created spikes in demand that needed systems in place, ready to scale to meet customer needs. Consumers had moved on too – use of mobiles to manage accounts added new data security challenges and government required constant adherence to the highest data security standards.
Broadcom’s Layer7 solution was selected after succeeding in an on-site Proof-of-Concept trial, which led to an experimental period where the solution was implemented on internal non-consumer-facing APIs. Following successful test phases, Broadcom and Turkcell contracted T5 Systems to implement and support the solution.
Bahar Uyanık Ağar, Senior Account Manager, MBCOM Technologies/Broadcom Software said “Layer7 API Management is a complete API lifecycle solution allowing you to consistently create, manage and consume API and micro services while improving security and scalability. We’re glad to support Turkcell with Broadcom Software.”
Now fully deployed, with its excellent functionality and high management efficiency, the scaled-out Layer7 infrastructure was able to successfully handle up to 50,000 transactions-per-second, totaling 400 to 500 million per day with ease and without introducing availability issues, achieving near 100% up-time.
Turkcell is a digital operator headquartered in Turkey, serving its customers with its unique portfolio of digital services along with voice, messaging, data and IPTV services on its mobile and fixed networks. Turkcell Group companies operate in four countries – Turkey, Ukraine, Belarus, and Northern Cyprus. It has been listed on the NYSE and the BIST since July 2000, and is the only NYSE-listed company in Turkey.
Sami Abi Esber, President, Midis System Integration welcomes GITEX 2021 and talks about Digital Transformation
In a major new interview with Tahawultech.com, Sami Abi Esber, President, Midis System Integration and Board member, Midis Group, welcomes GITEX Global 2021, talks about the challenges and rewards of Digital Transformation, and how Midis – in particular – is approaching the future in a strategic way.
“The Midis Group is no stranger to GITEX; our contribution to this event was acknowledged through an award by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum back in in the year 2000,” said Sami, talking to Daniel Shepherd of Tahawultech.com.
“This year, we are the exclusive sponsor the VIP Majlis Club for the 12th year in a row, including GITEX Global 2021. This association will continue, since we see GITEX as the Middle East’s largest tech event. For 2021, over 3,000 tech companies will leverage the GITEX platform to launch innovative products and services in 5G, AI, Cloud & Edge, Cybersecurity, Future Mobility, Fintech, Health-tech, and more.”
Sami goes on to single out some particular qualities that the annual event brings: “GITEX serves as the bedrock for breakthroughs and technological innovations in the region. Moreover, it brings stakeholders across the tech value chain together under one roof, offering a platform for networking, collaborations, partnerships, and synergies.”
For Tahawultech, Daniel Shepherd initiated the interview with Sami by outlining some of the challenges faced by companies as they get to grips with what he described as Cloud Transformation. He asked Sami why he thought some companies struggle with the cloud opportunity, and how Midis, in particular, assists customers when they encounter difficulties.
Sami responded by first outlining the giant scale of the cloud opportunity, and then by pointing out two possible blockages to enterprise success: firstly, key concerns for some include cybersecurity, increased costs, vendor lock-ins and skills gaps. To help with this kind of difficulty, Midis Group typically offer customers support in the assessment, planning and migration services to help them throughout the process.
The second kind of blockage, according to Sami, relates to the nature of Cloud Transformation itself. It’s about really taking full advantage of the novel nature and scalability of the cloud, which can bring unique gains from employing facilities like microservices and server-less architecture, which in turn opens up questions about how companies should effectively manage, operate and secure the new environment.
“For these types of challenges, and through Midis Group’s unparalleled eco-system of technology partners, we offer customers the expertise and insights on how to achieve true Cloud Transformation competitively,” said Sami.
Daniel asked Sami to explore more about Digital Transformation – something he has expressed views about recently in other interviews. Sami is clear that businesses must have a clear vision of what they want and how they will plan for future eventualities.
And here’s a phrase that has become one of Sami’s key messages: “Finally, we must understand that Digital Transformation is a journey; not a destination. So, businesses must stay technologically agile; through continuous improvements, timely upskilling, and constant course corrections.”
Samer Hani from Ivanti talks about digital transformation, Ivanti Neurons and cybersecurity challenges
Ivanti Middle East Regional Manager Samer Hani was recently interviewed on the TechX website about digital transformation, the innovative Ivanti Neurons business platform, and upcoming cybersecurity challenges.
TechX began the interview by asking Samer about ways that business continuity might change as digital transformation moves onwards. Clearly, businesses need support as the technical and customer landscape develops.
According to Samer, adaptability is becoming critical to working across different time zones, cultures and markets. The challenge of the pandemic means people are working smarter and are accessing what he called an ‘everywhere workplace’.
“Ivanti is creating end-to-end solutions supporting this new everywhere workplace, delivering secure and personalized employee experiences across industries for people to thrive” Samer suggested.
And it’s the distributed nature of the new working environment that creates all kinds of challenges for IT companies and managers everywhere, he says. The new smart working space is increasingly popular with people who formerly were anchored to the office. According to Samer, as a result, IT managers face challenges solving technical and security issues from employees in diverse situations across various endpoint devices, with limited direct access.
“Remote working eliminated walkup IT requests but challenged organizations without robust request/fulfillment processes and access to resources for self-service” he suggests, but it’s thanks to Ivanti’s progress in developing a platform that enables companies to manage, administrate and secure endpoints, that businesses can offer employees the kind of workplace that the post-pandemic world appears to make necessary.
“For IT or line-of-business teams, we are leading in-service management solutions, Unified Endpoint Management (UEM) and security. We resolve incidents pre-emptively, optimize values of IT assets, and enable employees to self-serve with our hyper-automation platform. Businesses reduce outages by up to 70%, resolve up to 80% of issues before being reported and improve the change success rate by 95%.”
Samer was also asked by TechX to explain more about the innovative Ivanti Neurons ‘hyper-automation’ platform, launched last year. According to TechX, Neurons aims to give businesses the facility to self-heal and self-secure their devices; so was it complex to deploy?
Samer described Ivanti Neurons as a “hyper-automation platform meeting organizations’ exponentially growing IT and business requirements. It provides self-healing, self-securing and self-servicing solutions, improving costs, speed and IT service accuracy. Automation-powered bots “shift-left” your IT incidents, detecting issues and actioning. We service endpoints from the network to the edge.” The novel nature of Neurons was recognized during the 2021 Computing AI & ML Excellence Awards, when it was awarded the Most Innovative AI Solution award.
Going on through the interview, Samer Hani explored how Ivanti has morphed its Channel program to cope with shifting business patterns, and he talks about the recent acquisition of RiskSense, just as the threat from ransomware has become more and more prominent. Samer ends the interview by commenting on the strategic importance of the RiskSense deal: “Gartner recently listed risk-based vulnerability management as a top security focus for 2021 to drive business value and reduce risk.”
New K-tuin Apple Premium Reseller store opens at Barakaldo in Spain
A new K-tuin Apple Premium Reseller (APR) store has opened at Barakaldo near Bilbao in Spain, with as many as 400 Apple fans enjoying special offers on Apple devices at the opening event on September 2.
The new store is in a modern mall at Barrio Kaleaga s/n, Barakaldo (Bizcaia) Spain. The Apple Premium Reseller store has a team of six with all the excellent K-tuin facilities such as technical service, trade-In, financing, insurance and the best Apple advice, all situated in a COVID-safe space of 200m2.
The new APR at Barakaldo – part of a fast-growing K-tuin network of stores. Photo credit – K-tuin
“The opening of K-tuin Barakaldo was a challenge because we had to be ready to open just after the holidays and before the new iPhone launching. The marketing campaign was a success, especially considering that we are still in the COVID era and we had to take distancing measures and strict protocols to take care of people and the image of our brand,” said Juan Fernandez of K-tuin.
K-tuin has been busy building the network, with uplifting of existing sites and launching of new stores taking place, notably in Logroño and Vigo, both moving to larger premises. After the Barakaldo opening a new site will be premiered in October in Seville and one in Madrid.
Apple fans are loyal and follow the launch of every new model. The K-tuin team make sure there’s a big buzz at Barakaldo. Photo credit – K-tuin
Summer 2021 has been a time of network expansion and organizational growth for K-tuin – in June this year the company signed an agreement to take over the Microgestio and Goldenmac store groups. When that deal was agreed, the business combined represented approximately 50% of the Apple Premium Resellers (APR) market in Spain, doubling the size of the business since the Midis Group acquired K-tuin.
iSTYLE opens 48th European Apple Premium Reseller store at Etele in Budapest, Hungary
iSTYLE opened its 48th store in Central and Eastern Europe at Etele in Budapest, Hungary on September 17, 2021. The new store is the largest Apple Premium Reseller in Hungary, part of the iSTYLE network of stores.
“It’s been a great challenge to get to this point, but thanks to fantastic teamwork we’ve opened the store and we’ve managed to keep customers happy and engaged with us – but also, most importantly, to feel they are in a safe environment,” said Vit Goluch, Regional Manager for Czech, Slovakia and Hungary.
“It’s an exciting time for iSTYLE with the new iPhone 13 launching right now, and there’s another new store (the 49th!) opening just one week away, in Győr.”
With this launch the iSTYLE footprint has grown to seven locations in total in Hungary with six stores in the capital, Budapest.
The new iSTYLE store at Etele in Budapest. With more openings planned, soon the 50th site will open. Photo credit – iSTYLE
The new location design makes great use of the bright design from Apple, and has a generous 200sqm showroom located on the main corridor of a newly-opened luxury fashion shopping mall in Budapest.
The store opening coincided with the opening of the new mall and iSTYLE was judged to be the most successful tenant at the launch.
Apple launches generate big crowds. This iSTYLE store is an Apple Premium Reseller, a guarantee of the very best service, prices and skilled help from the store team. Photo credit – iSTYLE
A generous iSTYLE opening offer attracted a queue of 200 customers, and it was the only store in the new mall where consumers queued up. Local press coverage recognized iSTYLE as the engine driving the success of the new mall opening.
As well as attracting plenty of customers, sales were great. During the opening day 388 Mac computers were sold, generating excellent revenue.
The hardworking iSTYLE team on site did a great job, working under supportive management, and colleagues from other branches in Hungary and the Czech Republic helped cope with the expected high demand from consumers.
Enjoy the excitement of the opening day at Etele in this video:
MBCOM Technologies (a Midis Group company) expands role as representative of Broadcom Software Solutions
On May 1, 2021, Midis Group, through the subsidiary MB Com. Ltd, (hereafter referred to as MBCOM Technologies), agreed to new contract arrangements with CA Europe Sarl, a Broadcom Company, unifying existing local Midis teams for the representation of CA Enterprise and Symantec Cybersecurity solutions (“Broadcom Software”).
The new structure expands MB Com. Ltd role as the representative of CA for the Broadcom Software portfolio. The new agreement builds on existing strong and successful local partnerships, a ten-year plus relationship with CA, and engagement with Symantec that reaches back eight years.
Given the scale of the business, MBCOM Technologies will be operated by two experienced entities – one in Eastern Europe/CIS and one in the Middle East/Turkey/Africa (META). Ensuring operational continuity, former CA VP Pierpaolo Taliento is now responsible for the Eastern European region, and the META territory will be managed by former Symantec VP Nehme Mouchantaf.
Geographically, MBCOM Technologies will be the exclusive representative for CA and Symantec software solutions across 90 plus countries in five substantial territories – the Middle East, Turkey, Africa, Eastern Europe and CIS. As of May 1, 2021, MBCOM Technologies has assumed full sales and operations responsibilities across these regions through a network of distributors and resellers already in place.
MBCOM Technologies customers can now benefit from one single point of contact for all their CA Technologies and Symantec requirements and issues ranging from initial inquiry to installation and support, while enjoying full access to all Broadcom Software solutions and services via the consolidated MBCOM business.
The agreement to unify MBCOM Technologies’ CA and Symantec teams under the MBCOM Technologies brand has a number of other goals, too. Chief among these is the intention to boost agility and local decision making, alongside greater responsiveness to channel and end customer opportunities.
Mindware and Quest sign distribution agreement for the GCC and Levant
DUBAI, UAE, September, 2021 – Mindware announced that it has been signed on by Quest, a global systems management, data protection and security software provider, as a Value-Added Distributor for the GCC and Levant regions. The agreement will see Mindware promote and distribute the entire suite of the vendor’s offerings that manage, modernize & secure enterprise infrastructure.
Commenting on the partnership, Nicholas Argyrides, General Manager – Gulf at Mindware, says – “In today’s extremely complex IT landscape, Quest has earned a reputation as a leading software provider for critical enterprise IT challenges. Their solutions indisputably tick multiple digital transformation boxes. Quest makes the promise of new technology real – turning data into insights quicker, modernizing infrastructure faster for the Cloud, optimizing the application experience and helping organizations gain control for every device that touches the network.”
“With Mindware building out its solutions portfolio, we saw an opportunity in the Identity & Access Management and Data Governance verticals. In addition, we felt the need to bring in a solution suitable for the Microsoft platform management, that would add value to our long-standing partnership with the vendor. Quest software solutions address all these areas and round-up our portfolio nicely. Together with our channel partners, we are excited at the prospect of bringing the vendor’s offerings to the market and are confident of driving aggressive growth, this year and beyond.”
Mindware and Quest will work closely together to build an ecosystem of specialized partners that have the technical proficiency to provide high quality consultancy and implementation services on behalf of the vendor.
Partner training and enablement sessions will be a top priority. In addition, Mindware will provide support to partners at the time of conducting POCs. The distributor will run promotions, which include offering free-trial licenses as per the deal size and an incentive program involving Microsoft LSP partners.
“With digital transformation on the agenda of nearly every organization today, the time is right for our company to capitalize on new market opportunities. We see the GCC and Levant as high growth markets, with the region’s propensity to embrace the ‘latest and greatest’ technologies.
We believe that Mindware – with its high level of technical expertise, deep market knowledge, strong channel base and wide portfolio of vendor partners with complementary solutions – is the perfect ally to help us penetrate the market. We are eager to grow this partnership and build on the initial success that we have had in this region,” said Amer Chebaro, Region Lead – EMEA Emerging Markets at Quest.
More about Quest
Quest creates software solutions that make the benefits of new technology real in an increasingly complex IT landscape. Quest helps customers solve their next IT challenge, from maximizing the value of their data, to Active Directory and Office 365 management, and cybersecurity resilience. Around the globe, more than 130,000 companies and 95% of the Fortune 500 count on Quest to become data empowered, deliver proactive management and monitoring for the next enterprise initiative, find the next solution for complex Microsoft challenges, and stay ahead of the next threat. Quest Software – where next meets now. For more information, visit www.quest.com.
More about Mindware
As one of the leading distributors of the finest IT products in the Middle East and Africa, Mindware’s extensive portfolio includes top-class global brands reaching out to over 4,000 partners. Mindware’s comprehensive offering includes a selection of infrastructure, networking, security, and storage leading brands. As part of its VAD methodology, Mindware also offers supplementary value-added services to its reselling partners including pre-sales consultancy, implementation services, local technical support, marketing enablement tools, and multiple channel-enabling programs. Headquartered in Dubai UAE since 1991, Mindware has been uncompromisingly serving its customers for more than three decades.
Midis Group marks its 12th year of exclusive sponsorship of the VIP Majlis Club at GITEX Technology Week 2021
For the 12th consecutive year, Midis Group is the exclusive sponsor of the VIP Majlis Club at GITEX Technology Week 2021 – the region’s largest Information Technology event of the year – at the Dubai World Trade Centre.
2021 has been an important year for the Midis Group, with MDS UAE celebrating it’s 40th anniversary year in business, along with other key long-time affiliates, and many new acquisitions, too.
As in every year, Midis Group presence at GITEX 2021 at Dubai World Trade Centre highlights the Group’s unique capabilities and standing in the marketplace. In the friendly surroundings of the Majlis Club, GITEX 2021 is an important opportunity for Midis Group affiliates to link and engage with strategic vendors, customers and partners.
Midis Group senior management will be present at GITEX to network with global tech leaders and regional partners.
GITEX 2021 is a chance to see what’s coming up next in the world of technology and business, as top technology enterprises, start-ups and think-tanks from around the world reveal their eureka moments and life-changing innovations.
According to the event website, this year 3,000+ tech enterprises will use their presence at GITEX 2021 to launch big breakthroughs in 5G, AI, Cloud & Edge, Cybersecurity, Future Mobility, Fintech, Health-tech and more.
The GITEX Conference itself will welcome 11 tracks, 450+ speakers and 350+ hours of groundbreaking content, from global tech enterprises to Silicon Valley’s hottest startups.
Sami Abi Esber, President – Midis System Integration – interviewed in Reseller Middle East about digital transformation across MENA
Sami Abi Esber, President – Midis System Integration and Board member, Midis Group was recently interviewed by Anita Joseph in Reseller Middle East about the rapid growth and progress of digital transformation across the MENA region.
The interview covered many themes and aspects with Anita initially asking Sami about how he perceives the current states of digital transformation – he sees business leaders, regulators and end-users all in agreement about the need for change.
Sami points out that the massive growth in smartphone use has been a principal driver for change, with users consuming many more digital services than before, and a consequent rise in the amount of business data that can be used to create new business models as well.
According to Sami in the Reseller ME interview, the resulting growth in business has been extraordinary: “So, I’m not surprised that the digital transformation market in MENA is forecasted to reach $2.8 billion by 2025. Economies like the KSA and the UAE are setting high standards. Take the Emirates Blockchain Strategy 2021 for example — it aims to blockchain-enable 50% of government transactions. Where else can you see such large-scale, ambitious transformations happening?”
Across the region there are two or three emerging factors in the way transformation is building – Sami sees national strategies as key, but he suggests that the private sector is also driving development – primarily to define and manage business KPIs but also to continue to improve customer service and the consumer experience.
“So, overall, I must say, it is an exciting time to be in the MENA region, and to note that digital transformation is a journey and not a destination by itself, as once you transform, technology will further evolve, enable new scenarios and there will be a need for a second wave of transformation and so on. We are at the beginning of the journey in MENA region, but certainly making interesting strides.”
Mindware and EC-Council sign agreement to develop Cyber Security awareness and skills for MENA region
With digital threats on the rise, Mindware, one of the leading Value-Added Distributors (VADs) in the Middle East and Africa, announced that it had signed a partnership with the International Council of E-Commerce Consultants (EC-Council). EC-Council is the owner and developer of the world-renowned Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) program as well as multiple other cybersecurity programs. The institution has trained and certified over 200,000 information security professionals globally, that have influenced the cyber security mindset of countless organizations worldwide.
As per the agreement, Mindware will leverage the presence of EC-Council to offer cybersecurity certification, education, training, and services in various cybersecurity skills to partners and customers across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. The courses are intended to prepare employees, contractors, temporary workers, and any additional representatives who perform authorized functions online, by offering the necessary information to defend themselves and secure their organization’s assets from damage or loss.
“The post-pandemic world has seen the adoption of new technologies for businesses. Adoption of technologies like Cloud, Artificial Intelligence, and Machine Learning is ever-growing. Businesses today need cybersecurity leaders that can make decisions and set industry benchmarks,” says Jay Bavisi, CEO and President of EC-Council Group. “We are delighted to partner with Mindware to encourage innovation and implement robust cybersecurity training strategies. With this partnership, EC-Council would share its cyber security training expertise and help cater to the growing demand for a skilled workforce.”
Speaking about the partnership, Philippe Jarre, Mindware CEO says; “Most organizations today are embracing digital transformation and leveraging new-age technologies. With every new technology comes new and sophisticated cyber threats. Organizations are finding it difficult to combat these risks, especially with the shortage of security analysts and professionals in the market. The ongoing pandemic has further exacerbated the problem with the ‘work from home’ trend. A home working environment does not have enterprise cyber security prevention and detection technologies and policies in place. Additionally, home Wi-Fi networks are much easier to attack. Cyber criminals see the pandemic as an opportunity to step up their criminal activities.
“As part of Mindware’s growing security practice, we decided to join hands with EC-Council to help partners and customers overcome cyber security challenges through high-quality training and certification. We believe that this initiative will go a long way in developing overall skills in the region and reducing the number of cyber breaches and incidents.”
The latest partnership further strengthens Mindware’s security portfolio and enables the VAD to position itself as a one-stop-shop for security solutions and services. With the specific needs for the region in mind, Mindware and EC-Council will focus on the following training courses:
Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH)
Certified Network Defender (CND)
Computer Hacking Forensic Investigator (CHFI)
EC-Council’s Certified Incident Handler (ECIH)
Certified SOC Analyst (CSA)
About EC-Council
EC-Council (International Council of E-Commerce Consultants) is a cybersecurity certification body that certifies professionals across the globe in various cybersecurity domains.
EC-Council’s mission is to build and refine the cybersecurity profession around the world and is recognized globally for helping individuals, organizations, educators, and governments address workforce problems through the development and curation of world-class cybersecurity education programs, their corresponding certifications, and providing cybersecurity services to some of the largest businesses in the world.
Trusted by seven of the Fortune 10, 47 of the Fortune 100, the Department of Defense, Intelligence Community, NATO, and over 2000 of the best Universities, Colleges, and Training Companies, their programs have proliferated through 140+ countries and have set the bar in cybersecurity education.
EC-Council builds individual and team/organization cyber capabilities through the Certified Ethical Hacker Program, followed by a variety of other cyber programs including Certified Secure Computer User, Computer Hacking Forensic Investigator, Certified Security Analyst, Certified Network Defender, Certified SOC Analyst, Certified Threat Intelligence Analyst, Certified Incident Handler, as well as the Certified Chief Information Security Officer.
About Mindware
As one of the leading distributors of the finest IT products in the Middle East and Africa. Mindware’s extensive portfolio includes top-class global brands reaching out to over 4,000 partners. Mindware’s comprehensive offering includes a selection of infrastructure, networking, security, and storage leading brands. As part of its VAD methodology, Mindware also offers supplementary value-added services to its reselling partners, including pre-sales consultancy, implementation services, local technical support, marketing enablement tools, and multiple channel-enabling programs. Headquartered in Dubai UAE since 1991, Mindware has been uncompromisingly serving its customers for more than three decades.
Better mobile & online banking services in Africa with HPE Synergy
Assistant manager of a major bank’s IT department, Sagar Joshi, recently wrote about the steps taken by his group to build better mobile and online banking services for the African Market, working with Hewlett Packard Enterprise operated by Selectium.
At the heart of the development are the very latest Hewlett Packard Enterprise systems, building upon core banking and treasury legacy systems running on HP-UX and hardware from HPE.
Support from HPE operated by Selectium has enabled the bank to maintain a very high level of availability across all their important retail and enterprise channels. Photo credit – Hewlett Packard Enterprise
Over the years, according to Sagar, he and his team have gone through several upgrade cycles with HPE and they are now deploying HPE Synergy, which seamlessly integrates with their HPE 3PAR storage.
Why is all this needed? It’s because Africa is one of the fastest-growing banking markets in the world. Despite the size and diverse nature of the continent’s regions and various economies, electronic payments are also increasing in frequency, with a very significant proportion of Africans using digital banking to manage their finances and grow their wealth.
Sagar and his colleagues oversee the core banking and treasury systems at a leading Kenyan bank with many branches, employees, and a popular online presence. The ongoing development strategy began back in 2013, and was kick-started by the bank’s Head of IT, Gouri Shankar Sharma, who set up a plan to build on three operational pillars: business, infrastructure, and cybersecurity. According to Sagar, HPE has played an essential role in this project.
In line with the general IT sectoral move towards solid state storage, the bank moved to HPE 3PAR all-flash storage systems and HPE SAN switches. In the online case study, Sagar Joshi paid tribute to the support from HPE which has always been superb, and has enabled the bank to maintain a very high level of availability across all their important retail and enterprise channels.
The bank’s Head of IT, Gouri Shankar Sharma, set up a plan to build on three operational pillars: business, infrastructure, and cybersecurity. Photo credit – Hewlett Packard Enterprise
In the Case Study, Sagar’s manager, Gouri Shankar Sharma, is clear about the gains from the program of development. According to Sharma, “the banks’ HPE infrastructure has never let us down. I am a very great fan of HPE because our whole banking system has been running successfully since 2013.”
Assistant manager Sagar Joshi also paid tribute to the support from Hewlett Packard Enterprise operated by Selectium which has always been superb, and has enabled the bank to maintain a very high level of availability across all their important retail and enterprise channels.
Read more about the development program and the details behind the integration of HPE Synergy and the business and operational benefits it has brought in the online Case Study.
Barracuda Networks cybersecurity expert Toni El Inati: Ransomware attacks and ways to protect your business
According to Toni El Inati, RVP Sales, META & CEE, Barracuda Networks, while Ransomware is not new, it has evolved into a more destructive threat than ever before. Writing on ITP.net, he insists that protecting companies from Ransomware attacks is all about protecting their data.
There are some important emerging trends in how companies should mitigate the threat from cybercriminals. Resistance to Ransomware demands by companies is starting to build following some disturbing statistics; according to a new report, 80% of companies that had paid a ransom were attacked again. Of those unfortunate organizations, around half believed their new attacks came from the same criminal groups as before.
Toni El Inati also notes other deficits as a result of Ransomware attacks. Security professionals think that cybercriminals compare notes on which companies have been known to pay ransoms and up to half of those attacked find their recovered data has been corrupted anyway – making the payment to the criminal pointless anyhow.
Another negative factor is that cryptocurrencies are being used as the unit of exchange to pay the ransom. These new forms of currency are currently in high demand, costing companies paying ransoms even more because of the punitive exchange rates for cryptocurrencies.
Toni El Inati emphasizes companies are making a big mistake trusting cybercriminals to honor ransom agreements. “The perpetrators of Ransomware attacks are cybercriminals, and therefore cannot be trusted. All too often, victims who pay are contacted several months later and asked for another payment to keep the stolen data secret.”
Data security is at the core of the ordeal, he writes, but once data has been stolen or placed out of reach by an attack ‘it is compromised forever.’
Tony El Inati goes on to explore how attacks develop and then are carried out – potentially then ending in public data breaches. The threat landscape is also becoming more organized, with some groups of attackers coordinating and even working together to deliver attacks. The targets chosen by attackers are also becoming strategic and unusual – logistics and industrial systems have become valuable targets for cyber ransom gangs.
Toni explains steps to effectively protect companies from Ransomware, what standards of protection should be used and what the prospect is for the future threat landscape.
He suggests that the best defense focuses on three key areas: protecting your credentials; securing your companies’ web applications, and always having a strategy to back up your data. Backing up data needs to include mapping the location of all company data wherever it is, and having a back-up plan that replicates the on-premise data structure in the cloud with built-in restoration points. Companies who use it would also need to plan facilities for restoring Office 365 and related solutions, too.
Two of the most successful Apple Premium Resellers in Spain have joined with K-tuin and the Midis Group to build success together
June 2021 – Spanish Apple Premium Resellers Microgestio and Goldenmac have signed an agreement with leading APR network K-tuin to work together to build and strengthen their collective market across Spain.
K-tuin was the first Spanish company to become an Apple Premium Reseller, the highest classification among Apple resellers. The company was acquired by Midis Group in December 2018. The Midis Group is a multinational organization comprising more than 170 companies across Europe, Middle East & Africa, with more than 4400 professionals, among the top 100 of the world’s leading technology vendors, and a solid 50-year track record of performance and reliability.
This business combined will represent approximately 50% of the Apple Premium Resellers (APR) market in Spain making a group total of 30 stores, thus doubling the size of the business since the Midis Group acquired K-tuin. Over the course of three years, K-tuin have expanded from 15 to 22 stores by acquiring two sites, one in La Coruña and one in Lleida, and by opening another five. The new deal with Goldenmac will add five more retail sites and three more additions with Microgestio.
With these acquisitions the business will see a 30% increase with a team of over 200 experts. The plan is to continue to develop and grow the Spanish market. The union of these three powers will give the group more strength.
The strategy is to serve the needs of the Spanish market via multiple channels: Retail stores, Online shops, Education, B2B and Enterprise. Each has a different specialization to bring to the Group: while K-tuin are leaders in the Retail business in both physical and online stores, Goldenmac have developed a focus on Education and Microgestio are specialists in Business to Business (B2B), where they all have built the best reputation in the market.
K-tuin, GoldenMac and Microgestio shares the Midis Group culture of familiarity, personal attention and excellence. Photo credit – K-tuin
“It is time to celebrate, we are now united as one to be stronger than ever and to make our customers’ lives fuller. Welcome to the family!” said Ernest Sales, Chairman of K-tuin.
Ernest Sales also paid tribute to Joan Tarafa, founder of Microgestio, and Jose Moralejo and Marisa Romaní of Goldenmac at the announcement of the agreement in June. “It is so impressive to see what Joan, Jose and Marisa have achieved; I have tremendous respect for their leadership. It is a great honor for us to unite to become the strongest Group in the market, to give our teams the possibility to grow and win together, and to build on their success.”
The businesses combined will represent approximately 50% of the Apple Premium Resellers (APRs) market in Spain making a group total of 30 stores. Photo credit – K-tuin
K-tuin, Goldenmac and Microgestio share the Midis Group culture of familiarity, personal attention and excellence. “We must also thank Midis Group CEO and Chairman, Nabil Bustros and CFO, Sonia Alia for their trust, support, and commitment to develop this market and give us the opportunity to build such an enterprise, that will allow us to build even more success in the future.”
More about Microgestio
35 years ago, Microgestio founder Joan Tarafa converted an old lighting store in the Gracia district in Barcelona into a computer store. Since then, Microgestio has become the leading Apple Premium Reseller in Catalonia, and has a strong business presence in the Education and B2B market.
More about Goldenmac
Goldenmac was founded in 1994 by Jose Moralejo and Marisa Romaní, who named their company in honor of Golden apples. In true Apple style, their first store was set up in a garage. They were the first store dedicated exclusively to Apple in Andalusia and since then they have dominated the south of Spain. Their impact on the Apple and education sector has also been unmatched.
More about K-tuin
K-tuin was founded in 1994 by Juan Fabre. This young man from Aragon discovered his passion for technology when the meat management program was computerized in the bar-restaurant where he worked. The first store opened in Madrid and dozens of openings followed. K-tuin was the first Spanish company to become an Apple Premium Reseller, the highest classification among Apple resellers. The company was acquired by Midis Group in December 2018.
