SDT and Sotetel welcome regional colleagues to Cisco Meraki solutions event in Tunisia
SDT, also known as Southcomp Distribution Tunisie, and part of the Midis Group, organised a conference on July 9, 2019, with Cisco and Sotetel in Djerba, Tunisia, to present Cisco Meraki solutions to companies in the southern region. Up to 90 sales and IT people from across north Africa attended.
Skander Ghattes, Country Manager Cisco, talks about the advantages of Meraki solutions
The conference was held at the Hotel Hasdrubal Thalassa in the city, and presentations were made by Skander Ghattas, country manager at Cisco Systems and Habib Bouattay, CEO of Sotetel. Sototel is a partner of Tunisia Telecom.
Southcomp SDT is the Official Cisco Distributor in Tunisia
Ernest Sales interview: from national health service innovation to national-scale retail networks
Midis Group has just appointed one of the most experienced and popular technology sector leaders working across Europe and the Middle East. Former HP executive, Ernest Sales, is new Chair of Midis Groups’ recently-acquired K-Tuin retail network in Spain, and also now CEO of Midis Group affiliate, Selectium, principally delivering local office facilities for HPE. To get the low-down on his pathway to Midis, we interviewed Ernest about his early years in the business, and the distinctive edge that is driving Midis Group success.
“Well, you know, a 30 year career is a long time. The latest part of my career has been all sales and business management, but the first part of my career, was computer science, software development, IT consulting, these type of things,” said Ernest as we started our conversation. It turns out the early years of Ernest’s IT career contain a great story of risk and reward.
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Midis is one of the few organizations that understands how to put itself in the shoes of these big groups and is able to develop local offices seamlessly for them.”
Ernest is originally from Barcelona, so he’s Catalan. His first degree was Computer Science from the Universidad Politécnica de Barcelona with a Masters Degree in Business at Instituto de Empresa. Still a student, he found work at Hewlett Packard in Spain, in the healthcare department. From the start he was thrown in at the deep end, implementing third party software in healthcare to computerize hospitals.
The first two years at HP, he implemented healthcare Information systems in seven hospitals. HP offered him a job leading development of a nationwide healthcare platform from scratch, a giant deal that led to computerizing the majority of hospitals and primary care centers in Spain. The national scale of the achievement really becomes apparent when Ernest tells more about the project.
“In 1988 or ‘89, Spain did not have healthcare for everybody. Only healthcare workers and families of workers had it – around 67% of the population. President Felipe González had discussions with our management and the company proposed software that might save 35% of cost of the healthcare budget. If they rolled it out it would be able to cover 100% of the people.”
“So Felipe González went to the elections in 1989 offering full universal health care for everyone, and I did receive an order for millions to computerize all the hospitals of Spain. I was 25 years old, had already developed the software, and now I had to implement it. So we ended up hiring 200 people and we implemented 70 plus hospitals.”
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It’s a big opportunity, and we will be looking for talent, for ambition and for fearless execution. It’s exciting and it’s going to be outside the comfort zone for many, but I am sure we all are going to experience great success.”
“From day one as a kid, I started by having the responsibility of developing software and implementing it, which lasted a few years. Still today, the software running the healthcare of Spain is my product, something I can’t be more proud of. As a result, Spanish citizens – and foreigners – have free healthcare. It is a human right and I had something to do with it. My first ten years of career were IT Software Development, consulting, CIO-like responsibilities for all Spanish health care and I ended up running the overall Healthcare Information Systems Department, focusing mainly on selling our solutions. Then I was invited to lead same department for Latin America from Miami and from there I got other sales management jobs.”
Q: Knowing what you know now about software development, would you have still taken on that big job in Spain?
“You know, I was a kid, and I was completely ignorant of the complexities that I was going to deal with. I did computerize seven hospitals so I had background on how to go in there, install computers, install applications, teach people and educate them. And somehow I felt it was possible, but I felt it was very difficult to sustain a software platform made in Pascal, Fortran, Cobol, RPG1, with a hierarchical database based on HP 3000 systems and with unique modifications to the core SW for each hospital. Thank goodness HP accepted to develop the new SW in a relational database, a fourth generation programming language, and open systems, so we could use parameters to adapt the new SW to different hospitals.”
Q: Sounds a bit like that first big job for the health service was one of the high points of your career. Would you say that?
“If we measure it on how you impact human beings, I think I was very fortunate to be able to develop software that saves lives, and saves time for people. People used to go to the hospital at six or seven in the morning and stay five hours waiting until the doctor could see them; suddenly they could go at 10:15 and maybe wait five minutes. Contributing to Universal health care from the human perspective angle was a job that brought more value, and I feel very proud of it.”
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Right now, we are focusing on helping very large IT players manage their life cycles. Midis are very good at the emerging markets and very good at covering for those companies, with what we call local office”
Q: If you were starting at K-Tuin now, at the age of 21 or 22, what advice would you give to the young Ernest Sales?
“Entrepreneurship is not about you starting your own company, where you are the leader. Entrepreneurship means that whatever job you have, in whatever company, whatever assignment you get, you put your brain to work in every possible way to develop the maximum you can get at it. And don’t get limited by boundaries that many times are just perceptions. If I had limited myself on those boundaries, I probably would not have achieved anything in my life. I don’t see boundaries, I just see possibilities and I try to maximize them without allowing any one of them to limit me.”
Q: What’s been the most challenging thing you’ve done in your career?
“The difficult things are not to sell or to reach targets, those things are relatively easy. The difficult things are to manage people, manage relationships with complex organizations, manage egos, and keep yourself humble while you are growing. Focussing on what you have to do independently of your success or your job title or things like that. Fighting yourself, with your own ego and your own values, while around you the people are fighting for power, fighting for vanity – you have to keep focused and not enter into those things. Not having money ambition, but driving business success, people success as the main ambition. For me, that’s the most challenging. Somehow get rid of those toxic people and enable your organization to freely grow with powerful values, respect and hungry for business success, free of politics.”
Q: What do you feel you’re going to bring to Midis with all of your experience and your insights from HPE?
“With Midis, first there is a match between Midis’ values and mine. I look at how important for me it is to just be straight, clear, direct, honest and transparent. I see Midis is about that. I felt we were talking the same language and I knew I could be an entrepreneur in Midis. And that’s what I’m looking for. It’s to be able to use every bit of my energy to maximize potential and help in any possible way the development of people, to grow business, deliver results.”
“Second, I love to work in an international environment, where you have to have the bandwidth to understand different cultural approaches, respect people’s minds, their values and what they care for, and drive people with passion and ambition, but with respect. I know that maximizes the business.”
“Third, developing people is something I care for a lot. Sometimes we become too complex when we start using business language. I take it more to a personal way. I try to simplify everything. I try to be for others what I expected others could be for me. I think, ‘how can I help this person to stretch, to grow, to develop,’ and to get the maximum out of that person even if that would not be in my advantage. I try to push for their own benefits and for their own success, and I enjoy seeing them stretch and develop further. ”
“Normally it also delivers great business results and an amazing team spirit… a very powerful one, that feels they can win and that confidence bring success. At least, it is my experience. You give it all, and you receive huge returns in employee and customer satisfaction. For me happiness is the number one thing to have to go to work. So my teams have to be happy. They need to feel secured, they need to feel home. If there is something they don’t know what to do, it does not really matter, they should know they will get 100% of my support and I will be ready to fail with them, trying new things.”
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I love to work in an international environment, where you have to have the bandwidth to understand different cultural approaches, respect people’s minds, their values and what they care for, and drive people with passion and ambition, but with respect. I know that maximizes the business.”
After the big health service platform projects in Spain, Ernest went to the US and worked for HP on a multiplicity of projects and in roles that reached right to the top of the company.
Q: Do you think your business experience in the US has given you an insight into how to approach working in other parts of the world with Midis?
“One day, the majority of computing will be sold on the cloud and as a service. Across long careers like mine, IT has gone through different life cycles. And this is the new life cycle. There’s no debate, it’s going to happen. It happened first in US. It’s going to happen second in UK and then it’s going to be happening every other country in western Europe and finally we’ll get into Africa and others.”
“But the older companies are still around. How many times have we said ‘IBM is dying, their mainframes are not going to be there?’ I remember having those conversations in the early nineties, and you know, here we are reaching the 2020s and mainframes are still there. The life-cycle of technology is a long, long one. There’s still many years of work in traditional IT, in huge numbers. It’s still billions of dollars. Right now, we are focusing on helping very large IT players manage their life cycles. Midis are very good at the emerging markets and very good at covering for those companies, with what we call local office.”
Q: How do you think K-Tuin and Selectium should develop from now?
“K-tuin has 16 stores and covers majority of the north of Spain, and I’m looking to increase the number of stores and cover the key parts of Spain while covering more business to business and internet sales. Potentially we will do other acquisitions and grow this company to probably double the size.”
“The Selectium work is about extraordinary execution and expansion. Building yet more confidence with big companies, showing we know how to run them in our special territories, maximizing the business for them. So it’s a big opportunity, and we will be looking for talent, for ambition and for fearless execution. It’s exciting and it’s going to be outside the comfort zone for many, but I am sure we all are going to experience great success.”
“Midis is one of the few organizations that understands how to put itself in the shoes of these big groups and is able to develop local offices seamlessly for them. We run the local office for companies including HPE in many countries and as a 30 year veteran of HPE, I really get it and I want to do the very best for HPE business. They already know me, and I know them, and they know I will do my very best to deliver. We have the core values and practices of major companies, but without many of the layers and bureaucracy that slow down decisions, impede teamwork, and ultimately hurt execution. Midis is one of the few companies in the world that gets it and is capable of operating like this. I am really happy of being part of Midis group and I am looking forward to driving these business to maximize success. I am also very thrilled and humbled for the opportunity. Very grateful.”
MMR run sales training in Riyadh with Ramez Helou from Hult Business School
MMR, the Midis Group site and power company in Saudi Arabia, recently ran a major training event in partnership with Ramez Helou, a Professor of Sales & Leadership at Hult Business School. The training took place on June 13, at the Marriot Hotel in Riyadh, and involved around 27 employees from the Central, Eastern and Western branches, all gathered to learn about more effective networking.
Professor Ramez Helou is also the founder of the Academy for Sales in the UAE. According to MMR, any firm that invests in its employee’s improvement is investing in its own success. The core company philosophy is about creating an adaptive and flexible workplace by high quality training for employees.
While there are many training courses available, MMR chooses core courses that are essential to its employee’s success at work. The main aim – as with most training – is to serve strategic priorities, and by serving these priorities MMR are keen to gain a competitive advantage over rivals.
First Ultra Trail Des Cedres in Lebanon declared a success
Beirut-based Midis Group were one of the principle sponsors of the first Ultra Trail des Cèdres which took place on July 7, 2019. The event drew 200 trail runners from close to a dozen countries, who competed at three distances ranging from 25 to 75 kilometers and with hefty elevation gains of 1,311m to 3,274m, all inside the beautiful Shouf Cedar Reserve.
Runners were welcomed from Canada, Colombia, Egypt , France, Jordan, Lebanon, New Zealand, UK, USA, Switzerland and Morocco from where the 10 times champion of Marathon Des Sables, Lahcen Ahancal, came to take part as special guest of race organizer Maxime Chaya.
Maxime Chaya waits at the finishing line with the Midis Group logo in the background
Main sponsors of the 2019 first edition of the Ultra Trail Des Cedre were Al Mawarid Bank, Dar al Handasah, Midis Group and Alfa.
“Maxime Chaya has long been a friend of the Midis Group,” said Katia Harfouche of Midis Group. “Over the last decade and mostly during our biennial conferences, he has thrilled Midis members and partners with tales of his adventures. Besides being our national champion, he is an inspiring and challenging person. The sponsoring of Maxime has always surpassed the group’s expectations.”
Runners from many nations took part. UTC has now been confirmed as one of the Ultra Trail championship rounds.
Winners of this year’s Ultra Trail Des Cedre were:
UTC75 Men overall: Mohamad Al Nawasirat (JORDAN) 7h 59m 54s (course record).
This being the first Ultra Trail on the Shouf Biosphere site, these are the current standing course records. The addition of Lebanon as a new member of the World Ultra Trail Circuit has now confirmed, following the success of this, the first edition of Ultra Trail des Cedres.
UTC organizer Maxime Chaya, trail master Ali Kedami, the Red Cross and the Shouf Cedar Reserve all worked hand-in-hand to deliver the event to the highest standards.
Main sponsors of the 2019 first edition of the Ultra Trail Des Cedre were Al Mawarid Bank, Dar al Handasah, Midis Group and Alfa.
Have a look on Maxime’s Facebook page at the 2019 UTC promo film: https://www.facebook.com/maxfans/videos/488981541674078/
For further information about the race and to see the results in full, go to the Ultra Trail Des Cedre website.
Interview – Five Minutes with Roger Kakhia, Executive Vice President of MidEast Data Systems UAE
Five Minutes with Roger Kakhia, the Executive Vice President ofMidEast Data Systems UAE(MDS UAE)
Roger Kakhia, EVP, MDS, was recently featured in the Five Minutes section of Network Middle East magazine. In this exclusive interview, Roger has spoken about recent IT trends in the region, the growing need for automation within the IT industry and how MDS is continuously innovating to contribute to this growth.
What is your current role in the ICT industry in the Middle East and what are your responsibilities?
At MDS, our focus is to provide customers greater value and help decision makers experience the add-on benefits we bring to the table. As the executive vice president of the company, this is one of my main responsibilities. My other focus is to create a well-rounded channel ecosystem where partner products and solutions are perfectly fitted to provide our customers with customized and comprehensive range of services.
What is the best part of your job?
For me, it is very invigorating to be a part of the growth process not just for our company, but also for our customers. The ability to visualize and streamline our efforts to achieve our long-term goals plays a major role in ensuring that we put in our collective efforts. Leading the team towards this brings me immense pleasure.
How innovative do you think the network industry in the Middle East is and how can it improve?
The network is at the heart of the way in which data is being processed and consumed across various sectors; finance, health- care, education, transport, communication and a host of others. While consumers are benefiting from this transformation, service providers themselves are streamlining their work processes, resulting in better financial outcomes. What we envisage for the future of networks is the added emphasis on security, as well as focusing on creating highly flexible and scalable networks for an enhanced customer experience.
What are the upcoming trends or products in your sector?
Needless to say, both governments and enterprises are laying the groundwork for a digital future. This includes major changes in their IT infrastructure and will pave the path for the investment and implementation of their digital transformation strategies. We foresee a greater demand in Cloud Services, Managed Services and Managed Security Services.
Automation is a growing movement in your field. How is your company adapting to this development?
For us, automation is all about adapting to the changing needs of the customer to achieve a higher return on investment, or ROI. As the largest Systems Integrator and IT services provider in the region, we place strong emphasis on continuously deploying the latest technologies. We strive to maximize automation in order to improve our business processes, and elevate our service goals for enhanced customer as well as employee experiences.
Midis Group is pleased to be a sponsor of the 2019 Ultra Trail Des Cedres
Midis Group sends best wishes and good luck to all racers and runners taking part in the Ultra Trail Des Cedres in the Shouf Cedar Reserve on July 7, 2019. Midis is pleased to be one of the lead sponsors of the Ultra Trail race and continue our sponsorship links with Lebanon’s national champion Maxime Chaya.
The race – being run for the first time – takes part over three distances – 25, 45 and 75km for experienced runners in different classes. Each race distance covers difficult terrain and runners in the 75km class tackle a course that rises and falls 3,457m from start to finish. Around 120 racers are expected to take part in the event.
The Shouf Cedar Reserve is more than a natural reserve, it is a UNESCO Biosphere and amazingly contains some cedars that are thousands of years old. Race organisers have put in place detailed environmental protection measures to ensure the event has no negative impact on the Reserve. No single-use plastics are allowed at the event and competitors and spectators alike have to bring their own bottles to fill with drinks on-site.
iSTYLE retail sites expand into Africa as Casablanca store opens
iSTYLE recently expanded its global network with the opening of its first retail store in Africa in Casablanca, Morocco in early June 2019.
Located in the famous Boulevard d’Anfa, the store designed by Beirut architect Michel Moukarzel covers two floors, displaying a wide choice of Apple products and accessories, with iSTYLE Apple-qualified friendly staff providing a great Apple shopping experience.
iSTYLE Casablanca interior
Making the experience even better, an Authorized Service Center will be opening soon in the same location. The Casablanca store is one of 56 iSTYLE sites in Central Eastern Europe, the Middle East and now the African continent, and is iSTYLE’s first Mono-brand Apple Authorized Reseller, or MAAR. The fast-growing iSTYLE retail network is part of the Midis Group.
iSTYLE Casablanca interior view
“Architecture in the iSTYLE shops reflects the three principles of the Apple design: Form, Function, and Purity. Harmony, beauty, and synergy complement the high-tech look of the new iSTYLE,” said architect Michel Moukarzel.
“Particularly situated in Casablanca, it meets the aspirations of the city, being the high-tech and business hub of North Africa,” he added.
HDF sas celebrates Ramadan with Dell and partners in Morocco and Tunisia
HDF celebrates Ramadan with its partners in Morocco and Tunisia
During the month of Ramadan, HDF in collaboration with Dell organized two iftars in both Morocco and Tunisia. The iftar in Morocco was held on May 13 at Pilotis restaurant in Casablanca with 50 key HDF partners, the Dell team and Sales Director Johny Rahme.
Speakers from both Dell and HDF took the opportunity to give presentations about the two companies and their products. It was followed by the iftar and discussions with key company supplier, Dell, and HDF partners to both improve business relationships and promote Dell products.
The HDF iftar in Morocco
The iftar in Tunisia was held on May 23, and 70 people were present and shared a lovely meal with the Dell team and HDF CEO Jacques Tachdjian, sales director Johny Rahme, as well as financial manager Colette Eid at the Dar Belhaj restaurant. It was a very successful event that allowed the company to maintain and further strengthen the relationship with the Dell team and HDF partners and clients in Tunisia.
As the leading distributor of quality IT products to the African market, the French Overseas departments and territories (Dom-Tom) and the neighbor islands, HDF, part of the Midis Group, is based in Paris. HDF is unrivalled in their support and commitment to over 500 leading re-sellers throughout the region.
Sami Abi Esber: transformation success depends on culture and employees
Sami Abi Esber, President, Midis System Integration Group and Board member of Midis Group, writes about digital transformation in Business Transformation website.
“Across the Middle East, digital transformation is becoming increasingly familiar to business decision-makers and business owners. It is worthwhile to take a deep breath and reflect on what this is supposed to mean for someone outside the information technology industry.
Whether digital or business transformation, these are all-encompassing terms, and refer to those organisations that are embarking on a path of innovation, that has been rolled out by bringing digital technologies into the center of the organisation’s business.
On a broader scale, such organisations would have adopted digital technologies and rebuilt their sales models, in a particular vertical market, offering completely new products or services and customer experiences, while significantly influencing an extended eco system of supplier partners.”
MDS Computers and HPE host Nimble Storage event in Abu Dhabi
MDS Computers hosted key enterprise customers for a half day event focusing on HPE’s Nimble Storage program in April 2019 in Abu Dhabi, UAE. The event featured speakers from HPE EMEA leading the content delivery of the presentation.
The event focused MDS Computers’ key enterprise accounts and presentations were made by HPE and Veeam in a collaborative effort to push HPE’s Nimble program.
Piotr Drąg, Erdinc Kaya and Mohamad Rizk were busy in the event showcasing how collaborations can enhance customers’ infrastructure.
Key topics covered included:
HPE Intelligent Storage
Intelligent Data Management – Veeam
Nimble Storage – Revolutionary IT Management & Support Concept
Nimble – Software Defined Storage – Machine Learning
Foremarke School supported by MDS CTS to be Apple Distinguished School
Apple Distinguished Schools are centers of innovation, leadership and educational excellence that use Apple products to inspire collaboration, critical thinking and creativity. Foremarke School in Dubai recently announced that it has been recognized as an Apple Distinguished School for 2018-2021 for its use of Apple technology with MDS CTS’s support.
MDS CTS is a member of the Midis Group
Watch the Foremarke School journey on YouTube here
iSTYLE takes over iCentre and becomes the only Apple Premium Reseller in Romania
April 23, 2019 – iSTYLE Retail Romania announces the takeover of the iCentre store in Mall Promenada, in Bucharest, an acquisition that ensures its position as the only Apple trading partner in Romania with APR (Apple Premium Reseller) status.
iSTYLE now manages ten locations in Bucharest and the main cities in the country. Overall, these amount to over 1,500 square metres of premium high-tech retail premises, designed and executed with attention to Apple’s characteristic details, employing more than 50 highly trained consultants.
The acquisition complements the actions taken over the past year, including the integration of the iSTYLE PRO team as Apple’s authorized service department (a priority business segment for 2019), migration to a new e-commerce platform that improves user experience and facilitates the process while providing increased security for online payments as well as expanding the B2B team that supports organizations, targeting the implementation of the Apple ecosystem, regardless of their current size and structure.
“Through this acquisition we achieved two goals: that of becoming the chief Apple Premium Reseller in Romania, a posture that honors us, but also represents a great responsibility towards our customers. It also continues our aim to develop and consolidate the iSTYLE network whenever there is an opportunity in the market,” said Valeriu Ion, General Manager at iSTYLE Romania and Bulgaria.
In 2018, iSTYLE Romania recorded the best financial results in the company’s nearly 20-year history, reaching a turnover of more than 180 million lei, an increase of 16% compared to 2017. The growth is the result of organic growth of iSTYLE, illustrated by expanding its presence in the most popular shopping centers in major cities in the country.
This year iSTYLE aims to put even more emphasis on meeting Apple’s needs, including the opening of a stand-alone service center in the second half of the year, in addition to the service take-over points in stores. It will streamline diagnosis, troubleshooting, repair or replacement of products both during the warranty period, but also for warranty-less products . When it comes to service, iSTYLE customers will have also additional benefits, such as a 25% discount for iPhone loaner units, in the period when the customer device is in service.
Beyond figures and indicators, iSTYLE’s main goal remains not only to market the latest innovative products created by Apple, but also to provide customers with a complete experience with personalized service packages. They combine pre-sale specialized consulting, flexible financing and protection options for iPhone, iPad, or Mac through extended insurance and warranty packages, initial device setup support, and the ability to participate in group training sessions or even one-on-one sessions with an accredited Apple expert.
iSTYLE will continue to invest in staff development through training and verification programs run by certified Apple trainers, as well as by performing regular mystery shopping procedures for objective assessment and quality of service.
iSTYLE, part of the Midis Group, is the largest Apple Premium Reseller network in Central and Eastern Europe. Through its 43 retail and online stores, iSTYLE offers the full range of Mac, iPad, iPhone, Apple Watch and Apple TV along with an impressive but carefully selected portfolio of accessories and software.
The first iSTYLE store was opened in 1999. Currently there are ten iSTYLE stores in Romania, five stores in Bucharest, Constanta, Timisoara, Cluj, Brasov and Iasi. iSTYLE Romania has 70 employees.
Yasser Zeineldin: building a cloud strategy to boost digital innovation
Yasser Zeineldin, CEO of Midis Group affiliateeHosting DataFort,explains why it is necessary to build an organizational cloud strategy that includes the expectations of both business and IT end-users and generates suitable return around business objectives.
The role of cloud as an IT and business tool is now more than a decade old. Globally, IT departments are migrating their business applications from on-premises to public cloud platforms at a continuous pace. Gartner, a global market research player, expects this rate to pick up as legacy systems reach their end of life support and migration projects get underway.
However, on the flip side, many enterprise CIOs have still to announce and formulate a well-defined cloud strategy for their internal IT and business end users. If well thought out and articulated, a cloud strategy can become a blueprint for the roll out of revamped and forward looking, digital processes, job roles and change in organizational structure.
Shelf Drilling accelerates its digital transformation journey with help from LiveRoute
Dubai, UAE, May 5, 2019: LiveRoute, a part of MDS Computers Group and a leading Cloud Solutions Provider in the Middle East, has enabled Shelf Drilling, the world’s largest contractor of jack-up rigs based in Dubai, to digitally transform its operations and embark on a Cloud journey. LiveRoute helped Shelf Drilling deploy Microsoft Azure and Office 365 to become an agile and scalable Cloud-based organization.
“Shelf Drilling acquired its entire fleet of rigs in a single transaction and our establishment necessitated an infrastructure design that was truly ‘fit-for-purpose’ in line with our overarching company strategy. When we first started looking for vendors, it was important for us to find the right one offering newest and best technology without hindrance of legacy systems, and Microsoft was our obvious choice,” said Ian M Clydesdale, Director of IT, Shelf Drilling.
“We signed up LiveRoute as they are a Microsoft Gold Partner delivering Cloud-based solutions in the region, who met our requirements completely. LiveRoute’s team of technology experts spent a considerable amount of time discussing how Cloud-based productivity solutions could overcome our challenges while improving cost efficiencies with a tailored approach,” Mr. Clydesdale added.
Shelf Drilling’s digital-first experience shows how new companies can leverage the latest know-how for agile, effective solutions. “We knew where we were coming from, where we stood and were ready to go forward. Since we had no legacy infrastructure to make-over, we could start directly in the Cloud and put the infrastructure on-premises only when – and if – we absolutely had to. This gave us a massive head start.”
For LiveRoute’s experts, ensuring a smooth data migration to the Cloud with minimum disruption to Shelf Drilling’s business was paramount. “We created a template for office and rig services that were then replicated across the company’s entire environment. With this standardised approach, we injected simplicity into a complex network structure with a solution that was designed to be totally integrated, simple to understand and easy to support.” said Roger Kakhia, EVP, MDS
Roger Kakhia, EVP, MDS CTS Photo credit: MDS CTS
Since LiveRoute’s plan was implemented, each Shelf Drilling rig now operates its own local infrastructure to support basic computing services including File and Print, email and office productivity tools (Office 365), ERP (preventative maintenance, inventory and purchasing systems), personnel on-the-job training and competency management, health and safety monitoring and management services and rig operations management systems. Each rig system collates data locally and synchronises this data across dedicated satellite communications links back to the core systems.
Based on independent assessment the cost of Shelf Drilling IT services is 22 percent lower than equivalent organisations, due largely to the systems and solutions that LiveRoute helped to implement.
Senior management at Shelf Drilling take an active interest in the IT solutions deployed and understand that the IT infrastructure and solutions act as a mechanism to enable their employees to perform their respective functions more efficiently.
To manage complex infrastructure and successfully complete this project, the company utilized its qualified manpower of highly skilled IT personnel. Furthermore, Shelf Drilling leveraged its strategic partnerships with key vendors to supplement required skill-sets to deploy and configure new technologies.
Finally, Shelf Drilling was faced with a very aggressive time-table for the design implementation and deployment of their infrastructure solution. “This timeline for implementation was very aggressive as we had to match the transition and contract dates for the jack-up rigs. We were impressed that the implementation of the core infrastructure was completed within six months to match the go-live date for the first rigs. Full implementation across all 34 rigs was completed within 18 months,” explained Mr. Clydesdale.
The company maintains a forward-looking IT strategy for the next three to five years. “Rather than attempt to run multiple diverse projects each year, we try to focus on specific areas. Last year we focused on security and improved our security profile considerably. Next year, the company’s focus will be on endpoint security and the extension of our multi-factor authentication to include access to any corporate resource outside of our company network,” concluded Mr. Clydesdale.
LiveRoute is a Certified Microsoft Gold Partner in Dubai catering to business IT needs through Consultation, Planning, Implementation and Management of Services. The companies’ expertise covers the complete Microsoft technology stack, both Cloud and On-Premises. They have demonstrated exceptional growth in the region with over 100,000 seats being deployed in the UAE alone and over 300 customers in various verticals.
Pioneers of MS cloud services in the region since 2008.
Microsoft Gold Certified Partner in Dubai.
LiveRoute has successfully migrateD more than 100,000 users across 300 organizations for Microsoft Office 365 across UAE, GCC and Levant.
Provides award-winning Managed IT services.
A team of certified professionals that bring industry standards
LiveRoute is a part of the MIDIS Group – an international organization comprised of over 150 companies across the emerging markets of Europe, the Middle East and Africa. It now has more than 5000 professionals, over 50 of the world’s leading IT suppliers, and a solid 50-year track record of performance and reliability.
MDS Leads Transformation of the Education Sector with Apple’s Innovative Products and Technologies
Dubai, UAE, April 16, 2019: MDS Computers Technical Systems (MDS CTS), Apple Solution Expert (ASE) for Education in the UAE, has been the fulcrum of change in the UAE’s education sector by successfully deploying Apple’s products to transform teaching and learning.
Currently, the company is working with over 100 educational institutes and training centres with five of these schools being recognised as Apple Distinguished Schools. MDS CTS has also been leading an Inclusive Learning Initiative, which aims to offer students with special needs the opportunity to become active independent learners by utilizing accessibility features embedded into Apple Devices.
“MDS CTS has over 15 years of experience in delivering Apple solutions to schools in the UAE and we are proud of our contribution in transforming education in the region. As an Apple Solution Expert for Education, MDS CTS has been working closely with educational institutes to understand their unique challenges and provide customised solutions, ongoing support and various services to meet their requirements. From education strategic planning sessions to technical services and professional learning for teachers. We have demonstrated that we have the experience, expertise and deep understanding of technology integration needs in the education sector.,” said Roger Kakhia, EVP, MDS CTS.
“Our goal is to continue transforming technology integration in educational institutions. In 2019, we plan to raise awareness around the use of iPad and Apple pencil for art, sketching and graphics, and focus on robotic kits with swift playgrounds and Apple’s Everyone Can Create curriculum. We also plan to reach out to students with special needs through our Inclusive Learning Initiative.” Mr. Kakhia added.
In addition to transforming the teaching and learning experiences in education, MDS CTS has also supported five UAE schools on their journey to achieve the ‘Apple Distinguished School’ recognition. These schools are centres of innovation, leadership and educational excellence that use Apple products to inspire creativity, collaboration, and critical thinking.
“MDS CTS has been our partner in our digital transformation journey; with their continued technical and professional learning services, we have transformed our learning environment and changed the way our students learn, and how our teachers teach. Our school has been recognized as an Apple Distinguished School, where our staff and students demonstrate how best practices in learning and teaching are continuously innovating with Apple technology,” said Emma Hannon, Director of Digital Learning and Innovation, Sheikh Zayed Private Academy of Boys.
“Through a wide range of educational tools and programs, our students have personalized their learning experience, which has led to a marked improvement in performance and grades. The interactive nature of these digital tools has made learning immersive and fun, and has motivated and inspired our students to innovate and go beyond the scope of traditional learning.”
MDS CTS is an Apple Authorized Service provider for all Apple products in the UAE. MDS CTS is a part of MDS UAE Inc. which was established in 1982 to serve the country’s fledgling IT industry. MDS UAE Inc itself is a part of the Midis Group, one of the largest IT Groups in the region with a turnover of approximate 4.0 Billion US dollars and 4,500 employees. For more information, please visit https://www.mdscts.ae/.
Sami Abi Esber: Top IT Trends redefining businesses in 2019
Sami Abi Esber, President of MDS Gulf, and board member, Midis Group, shares his views on the top technologies that regional organizations can leverage to transform their business in 2019.
We are living in an era of unparalleled innovation. As new and emerging technologies continue to redefine IT and business, the pace of change and technological advancement is accelerating. Today, we are looking at a smarter, intelligent future driven by technologies such as cloud, artificial intelligence, blockchain, internet of things, and more. While the industry has already embarked on its digital transformation journey, businesses are yet to realize the full potential of these technologies and how they will shape the way we do business in the future.
In the coming years, new digital businesses and brands will bring greater focus into the region and will help accelerate the ICT business. Across the Middle East, Africa and Turkey, banking, finance, healthcare and utilities are taking the lead in driving digital transformation. The local drivers for such initiatives center around customer experience enhancement and achieving competitive advantage. These initiatives are driving investments into mobility, analytics, cybersecurity and cloud solutions.
Regardless of the industry or enterprise, one or the other technology will definitely play a part in transforming the business by offering benefits like cost savings, improved security and better customer experience, among others. Here, we define the top technologies that regional organizations can leverage to transform their business in 2019:
1. Internet of Things (IoT)
With the acceleration of digital transformation in the region, more and more devices are getting connected. Although the adoption of IoT will be massive, it is still slow as the devices are not standardized. From autonomous vehicles to drones to sensors in oilfields, healthcare, transport, oil and gas etc., IoT will have a huge impact on enterprises and consumers. Our Group is developing innovative IoT solutions and is working with IBM and other major players like Microsoft, Cisco and GE to implement solutions like Predictive Maintenance instead of the traditional Preventative Maintenance model for oil and gas assets and real estate facilities based on Maximo. One of our affiliated companies recently signed an agreement with Etisalat to jointly offer Smart Integrated Facility Management Solutions to achieve cost savings, operational efficiencies and enhanced customer satisfaction.
2. Artificial Intelligence (AI)
The use of AI technologies is now penetrating many aspects of business. A recent survey by ServiceNow across Europe, Middle East and Africa indicates that customer service is an area that is showing a fast return on investment. Companies across these regions are deploying AI technologies to revolutionize customer service as more and more consumers are showing an acceptance to AI-driven experiences. Nearly 30% of EMEA organizations have introduced AI technologies to customer service and 72% of those are already seeing benefits that include freeing up agent time, more efficient processing of high-volume tasks and providing always-on customer support.
3. Blockchain
Interest in blockchain technologies in the region is growing rapidly. The pace is being set by government and public sector, including education, healthcare, finance, distribution and services. The most popular blockchain use cases in the coming years will be cross-border payment and settlements, asset and goods management and identity management. Across the private sector, we have seen announcements of recent initiatives by The Atlantis, Jordan Investment Bank, Noon Capital, DIFC, and Halal Guide, amongst others. Global blockchain player, ConsenSys, recently conducted a blockchain developer training and hackathon camp in Lebanon.
4. Multi-Cloud
Enterprises in the region are now using multiple cloud solutions whether on-premises, public cloud, or a hybrid of both. In the coming years, upfront costs will become less important as cloud vendors continue to produce convincing use cases. AI and machine learning will be fundamental in increasing the levels of automation. Corporate cloud literacy is becoming an operational prerequisite as technological progress accelerates in EMEA. With a multi-cloud strategy, businesses can decide how to distribute workloads to cloud platforms that are best suited for specific tasks.
5. Big Data
With massive volumes of data being generated every second from connected devices, machines and IoT, Big Data is definitely a trend to watch out for. Big Data is the new oil as it has the potential to empower organisations to make better business decisions, in real time. By unlocking the organisation’s data, they can fundamentally change the way it operates and steer the transformative digital journey the company’s stakeholders expect.
MDS ap sponsored IDC CIO summit for a second year
Midis Group company, MDS ap, sponsored the IDC CIO summit for a second year recently at the Ritz Carlton hotel in Dubai.
This is what Johnny Beyrouthy, Regional Director, Middle East North, MDS ap, said about the summit:
“It was my pleasure to participate in the IDC CIO summit 2019 for the second year in a row; I had the opportunity to interact with the region’s most influential CIOs and IT leaders and to showcase and discuss our latest innovative solutions that help their organizations transform into a “data-driven, Intelligent Enterprise.”
Read more about MDS ap achievements on their website. MDS ap is a Gold Partner of SAP and is part of the MIDIS Group. They have twelve offices across the Middle East, North Africa, Turkey and Central Eastern Europe with locally-based consultants.
The power of one: Midis Group’s Husni Hammoud interviewed in Security Advisor ME
April’s Security Advisor ME magazine features a long interview with Husni Hammoud, Midis Group managing director for Middle East, CEE and Turkey. In the feature, Husni talks about his career so far and what he sees coming up in the IT and Cybersecurity sector.
