INTERSEC 2011 TO BE HELD UNDER THE PATRONAGE OF HH SHEIKH MANSOOR

His Highness Sheikh Mansoor bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum will be the patron of Intersec Trade Fair and Conference 2011, the region’s premier trade event for Commercial and Information Security, Aviation, Homeland Security and Policing, Fire and Rescue and Safety and Health industries, which runs from January 16 to 18, 2011 at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre.

The exhibition and conference, which reflect the latest trends and developments within the security industry have been drawing strong interest from manufacturers, suppliers, security agencies and government institutions from across the world.

The show will be larger both in scope and reach as compared to last year, a fact that reflects the increasing interest in safety and security worldwide and in the region in particular. With a 25% increase in net space sold, and eight halls fully occupied, this is the largest edition yet. 

“Increasing concerns over safety and security in the region has led to a surge in interest about the latest trends and developments in these fields,” said Ahmed Pauwels, Chief Executive Officer of organiser Epoc Messe Frankfurt GmbH. “Being the largest and most representative event of its kind, Intersec 2011 will attract all those who have a stake in the industry as it presents the best platform for industry networking and for gauging the latest trends and developments.  It will be a key factor in the drive for industry best practice in the region,” he added.

Expected to attract over 750 exhibitors and more than 22,000 trade visitors, Intersec 2011 will feature all the popular attractions of previous shows, including the 2^nd International Firefit Championships and the high-interest Outdoor Demo Area.

Featuring for the first time at Intersec, the new Commercial Security in a Changing Economy Conference, running from January 16 - 17 is designed to bring together professionals working in the security industry to exchange and explore ideas related to commercial security.  This years Protecting Life and Major Developments from Fire and Other Emergencies Conference taking place on January 18 will bring together international and regional experts to discuss the challenges involved in fighting high rise fires. This year will also feature a workshop dedicated to Emergency Planning for the Oil, Gas and Petrochemical Sectors featuring international experts who plan, prepare, respond to and manage emergencies and crisis within this sector everyday.

Show Profile:

Intersec trade fair and conference has played a major role in the last 12 years in reflecting the security industry worldwide. The exhibition and conference combines a strong international profile, with a huge regional impact.

Intersec 2011 will showcase the latest technologies and apparatus in Commercial Security & Information Security, Homeland Security & Policing, Aviation, Fire & Rescue and Safety & Health. 

The next edition of Intersec will take place from 16 – 18 January 2011, at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre.

Show website: www.intersecexpo.com

Company profile:

EPOC Messe Frankfurt GmbH is a subsidiary of Messe Frankfurt, Germany’s leading trade fair organizer. With 424 million Euros in sales in 2009 and more than 1,660 employees worldwide, Messe Frankfurt brings 800 years of experience to Dubai, the strategic hub for the region.

The successful portfolio of events of EPOC Messe Frankfurt GmbH in Dubai include: Intersec trade fair and conference, Materials Handling Middle East, Hardware & Tools Middle East, Garden & Landscaping Middle East, Light Middle East, Beautyworld Middle East, Automechanika Middle East, and now also Paperworld Middle East, Festivalworld Middle East and Playworld Middle East.

For more information, please visit our website at: www.uae.messefrankfurt.com

Symantec Reveals Top Security and Storage Predictions for 2011; Cloud, Virtualization, Mobile Security and Social Media Predicted To Take Center Stage in the New Year

Dubai, UAE. - Dec. 12, 2010- Symantec Corp. (Nasdaq: SYMC) today announced its security and storage predictions for 2011 based on what its security and storage experts are observing in the information protection landscape.  Today's organizations are overloaded with information as data grows exponentially.  Almost daily, a new technology is either announced or brought to market with the promise of making the cost of doing business lower, more convenient and more timely. 

“Given today's stagnant and declining IT budgets, it's imperative that organizations achieve more value from their IT spending,” said Johnny Karam, Regional Director for Middle East and North Africa, Symantec. “By understanding challenges, risks and threats, organizations can plan and implement strategic technology initiatives such as virtualization, mobile security, encryption, backup and recovery, archiving and cloud computing to protect and manage their information more efficiently.”
Click to Tweet: Symantec predictions for 2011: Cloud, virtualization, mobile security and social media to take center stage http://bit.ly/ibGkcr 
New Technologies, New Challenges
As technologies become smarter and faster, the threats to these technological assets follow suit.  For example, the exponential consumer adoption of smart mobile devices will increasingly result in these devices making their way into enterprises through the back door, blurring the lines between business and personal use, and driving new IT security models to market in 2011.
Analyst firm IDC estimates that by year's end new mobile device shipments will have increased by 55 percent, and Gartner projects that in the same timeframe, 1.2 billion people will be using mobile phones capable of rich Web connectivity.  Although cyber criminals have shown little interest in mobile devices in the past, as devices grow more sophisticated and as a handful of mobile platforms corner the market, it is inevitable that attackers will target mobile devices in 2011 and that mobile devices will continue to grow as a source of confidential data loss.
Gap in Virtual Machine Protection
A similar challenge exists with the widespread adoption of virtualization.  Although many companies believe the information and applications within their virtual infrastructure are protected, many IT administrators will face the harsh reality that they are not in 2011.  The rapid adoption, fragmented implementation and lack of standardization of virtual infrastructures will continue to expose gaps in the security, backup and high availability of virtual environments.  Although virtualization decreases server costs, organizations are realizing that virtualization is simultaneously increasing management and storage costs, and without a plan to protect these environments, they may not realize the full return on investment.
Taking Control of Information
The exponential level of data growth is impeding organizations' ability to effectively manage and recover data.  In 2011, storage administrators must regain control of information, lose their “pack-rat” mentality and categorize what information is most important for retention purposes.  Otherwise, storage costs will continue to skyrocket, and organizations will face extensive recovery times and be unable to comply with regulatory compliance standards, including privacy laws, and e-Discovery.
Adding to the complexity is the use of social media to improve communication and productivity throughout an organization.  Although social media will continue to change the way we collaborate in 2011, IT organizations will also need to understand how to protect and manage these non-standard applications for recovery and discovery of business information that is communicated in these channels.  Social media archiving will grow in importance as companies unleash the power of social business but maintain archiving as a form of control to reduce information risk.
Additionally, as data goes “mobile” and becomes less centralized, regulators will start cracking down in 2011, which will drive organizations to increasingly implement encryption technologies, particularly for mobile devices.
The Next Generation Data Center of 2011
As organizations continue to manage with limited resources in 2011 while facing more intelligent and specific threats, IT will take a more strategic and innovative approach to solving problems.  While software will continue to drive innovation, 2011 will bring new delivery models in response to customers' need to ease IT operations.  Cloud computing, hosted services and appliances are examples of increasingly attractive delivery models that will change the landscape of today's data center by providing organizations with flexibility and ease of deployment.
Organizations will leverage public and private clouds as they become highly available in the coming year.  Tools will also emerge to manage this new, complex storage environment and to help IT administrators better understand and capture information about unstructured data that resides within it.  This will allow IT to fully utilize the benefits of the cloud and intelligently report to management.  While customers opt to take advantage of cloud messaging services, they are still finding that they can drive greater cost out of the discovery process by keeping their archives in-house.  This hybrid cloud archiving model allows organizations to use hosted messaging services while keeping their archives on-premise. This way they can combine email with other on-premise content sources like PSTs, IM and SharePoint that are relevant to the discovery process. 
Multimedia

• Video: 2011 Trend Predictions from Symantec
• Podcast: Internet Security Predictions

Resources

• Blog Post: Internet Security Predictions for 2011: The Shape of Things to Come
• SlideShare Presentation: Internet Security Predictions for 2011
• Survey: Symantec Internet Security Predictions for 2011
• 2010 Critical Infrastructure Protection Study
• 2010 Disaster Recovery Study
• 2010 Information Management Survey
• 2010 Ponemon Encryption Trends
• 2010 State of Enterprise Security Report
• 2010 State of the Data Center Report
• Internet Security Threat Report (ISTR), Volume XV
• Trojan.Hydraq Overview
• Mocana's Mobile & Smart Device Security Survey 2010: Concern Grows as Vulnerable Devices Proliferate, Smartphones are the Tip of the Iceberg (PDF)
• Stuxnet Dossier (PDF)

Related

• Symantec Data Protection Solutions
• Symantec Disaster Recovery Solutions
• Symantec High Availability Solutions
• Symantec Secure Information
• Symantec Security Management
• Symantec Storage Management
• Symantec Virtualization Management Solutions
• Symantec Web Security

Connect with Symantec

• Follow Symantec on Twitter
• Join Symantec on Facebook
• Read Industry Trend Resources on Delicious
• Visit Symantec Connect Business Community

About Symantec
Symantec is a global leader in providing security, storage and systems management solutions to help consumers and organizations secure and manage their information-driven world.  Our software and services protect against more risks at more points, more completely and efficiently, enabling confidence wherever information is used or stored. More information is available at www.symantec.com.

Juniper Networks Announces Acquisition of Altor Networks; Extends Juniper’s Leadership Position in Security to Virtualized Data Centers

Dubai, UAE., Dec. 9, 2010 – Juniper Networks (NYSE: JNPR) today announced it has acquired Altor Networks, a leading provider of virtualization security technology that enables organizations to secure the virtualized world.  This acquisition will allow Juniper to extend its market-leading security position by delivering an integrated, highly-scalable security architecture that protects physical and virtual systems. Under the terms of the agreement, Juniper acquired Altor for a cash purchase price of approximately $95 million, net of Altor shares already owned by Juniper.

The acquisition builds on Juniper’s existing technology partnership with Altor and will extend Juniper’s leadership in security for both the enterprise and service provider virtualization markets.  As organizations rely more on virtual servers for critical applications, concern around server security in the cloud has increased.  Altor has developed some of the industry’s most advanced capabilities to address this challenge, including a high-performance hypervisor-based firewall, on-board intrusion detection, complete network visibility and monitoring and comprehensive reporting for compliance.  Altor’s solution enables security visibility, compliance and control over the entire virtual machine infrastructure, giving security teams’ visibility to understand the applications, services and traffic being sent between virtual machines.

Virtualization technology enables multiple virtual machines to run on a single physical host, with each virtual machine sharing the resources of that hardware across multiple environments.  An increasing number of enterprises have virtualization technology deployed in some portion of their data center, with that number expected to increase, according to a recent study by Enterprise Strategy Group (ESG).¹

“Juniper is excited to acquire one of the industry’s leading virtualization security vendors and the extremely talented team that built it,” said Mark Bauhaus, executive vice president and general manager, Service Layer Technologies at Juniper Networks.  “This acquisition will extend our leadership in data center and cloud security and will enable customers to deploy a consistent set of security services across their physical and virtual infrastructure, while delivering lowest total cost of ownership.”

“Altor has led the virtualization security market in innovation, defense-in-depth and performance,” said Amir Ben-Efraim, CEO and co-founder of Altor Networks. “Today, we join forces with Juniper, which shares a common vision for securing data centers and the cloud, and together we look forward to extending our leadership in the VM security market.  We are excited about the opportunity to leverage Juniper’s world-class organization and market-leading products to deliver tightly integrated, feature-rich security solutions to customers.”

Altor Networks was founded in 2007 by security and networking experts from some of the industry’s leading vendors.  In early 2010, Juniper Networks made a venture investment in the company.

The transaction closed on December 6, 2010.

§  Juniper Security portal — www.juniper.net/security

§  The Network Ahead blog — www.juniper.net/networkahead

§  Juniper.Net Community — www.juniper.net/community

1)       Enterprise Strategy Group, “The Evolution of Server Virtualization,” November 2010.

About Altor Networks

Altor Networks is the leading innovator and provider of security for virtual data centers and in the cloud. The company developed the world’s first purpose-built firewall for virtual networks and has continued to embed multiple layers of protections including on-board intrusion detection (IDS). Altor’s virtualization security solutions are currently protecting some of the world’s most demanding virtual environments, including federal, state and local governments, and well-known service providers, universities and retailers. Founded in 2007 by security and networking experts from some of the industry’s leading vendors, Altor Networks is headquartered in Redwood Shores, California. For more information, visit www.altornetworks.com.

About Juniper Networks

Juniper Networks is in the business of network innovation. From devices to data centers, from consumers to cloud providers, Juniper Networks delivers the software, silicon and systems that transform the experience and economics of networking. The company serves customers and partners worldwide, generating revenues exceeding $3 billion over the last year. Additional information can be found at Juniper Networks (www.juniper.net). 

Fujitsu Research Reveals One-size Data Privacy Rules Do Not Fit All; Respondents from 12 diverse countries indicate how governments and businesses must respond to local attitudes to achieve the benefits of cloud computing while minimizing its pitfalls

Dubai, UAE, December 8, 2010 – Fujitsu has released its global research report ‘Personal Data in the Cloud: The Importance of Trust.’ The report finds that trust will be the key to unlocking the personal data needed to realize the future benefits of cloud computing, but the degree to which governments and businesses are trusted to look after personal data varies greatly from country to country.

This variance was explained by two factors; the complex nature of trust (whether people will rely on something they don’t trust), and the different attitudes to cloud computing of ‘advocates’, ‘objectors’, and by far the largest group, ‘fence-sitters’.

Under its banner ‘Shaping tomorrow with You’, Fujitsu commissioned the research to help its public and private sector customers to navigate towards realizing the wider social and business benefits of cloud computing, while gaining citizen and consumer trust with regards to data privacy.

The research, polling 6,000 people in 12 countries across the globe [1], investigated the extent to which consumers do – or often don’t – trust governments and large corporations to protect their privacy. The resulting report is designed to help these data-privacy stakeholders to understand the roots of divergent, and sometimes mutually exclusive public attitudes about who they trust, and what data security role consumers expect stakeholders to take. These roles, ranging from ‘keep out!’ all the way up to ‘play a role in connecting data,’ for example in sharing data for social purposes, such as in controlling traffic flow, or promoting public health, are summarized in the chart: Recommended Stakeholder Roles in Ensuring Data Privacy (page 35).

The 46 percent of total respondents found to be fence-sitters may well hold the key to cloud computing adoption rates in the future. They are pulled in two directions: positive about the benefits of cloud computing, but concerned about data privacy.

Farid Al-Sabbagh, Managing Director – Middle East, Fujitsu Technology Solutions explains, “With such divergent attitudes to the benefits and risks of cloud computing, there is no one strategic approach to data privacy that will work for public and private sector organizations everywhere. This research helps stakeholders to take a reading in their markets today, and so develop an appropriate response. Successful data privacy strategies will focus on winning over the fence-sitters, converting them into advocates by communicating the benefits even more clearly and by allaying their fears.” ‘Personal Data in the Cloud: The Importance of Trust’ was released at the Fujitsu VISIT Forum Europe 2010 in Munich.

,

The second in a series, this report delves deeper into the findings of the recently published ‘Personal Data in the Cloud: A Global Survey of Consumer Attitudes’ to better understand common global trends such as substantial consumer fears over data privacy, coupled with an unwillingness to take measures to protect their data or trust organizations and governments to look after it. Consumers also saw the potential benefits of sharing their data, but the degree to which they were willing to trade off the benefits and risks varied depending on age, gender and nationality. The next two reports in the series will be practical ‘navigation’ guides for the private sector and for governments.

Cloud computing and other trends such as off-the-rack software and Generation-Y attitudes towards social networking and social responsibility are changing the landscape for IT and business decisions.  Fujitsu has identified nine technological trends expected to have a lasting impact on the way companies do business. Please see Fujitsu’s Technology Perspectives website, launched today, for a continuing development on this theme at: http://www.technology-perspectives.com.

For further information, please see:

http://blog.ts.fujitsu.com/

http://www.twitter.com/Fujitsu_TS

http://www.facebook.com/face2fujitsu

[1]About the report: ‘Personal Data in the Cloud: The Importance of Trust’ The report was commissioned by Fujitsu Research Institute and produced by Fujitsu Global Business Group (part of Fujitsu Limited). It is based on data compiled as a result of a market research project undertaken by ORC International Limited on behalf of Fujitsu Global Business Group.

The research was conducted from June to September 2010 using online bulletin boards, focus groups and quantitative research. Participants from Australia, Germany, Japan, Singapore, the UK, the USA, Canada, India, China, Brazil, Finland and Switzerland were screened to ensure a broad sample in terms of age and gender. There were 500 respondents from each country for the online quantitative research – 6,000 in total.

This is the second in a series of reports. The first "Personal Data in the Cloud: A Global Research of Consumer Attitudes" was published on October 27, 2010.

About Fujitsu
Fujitsu is a leading provider of ICT-based business solutions for the global marketplace. With approximately 170,000 employees supporting customers in 70 countries, Fujitsu combines a worldwide corps of systems and services experts with highly reliable computing and communications products and advanced microelectronics to deliver added value to customers. Headquartered in Tokyo, Fujitsu Limited (TSE:6702) reported consolidated revenues of 4.6 trillion yen (US$50 billion) for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2010. For more information, please see: www.fujitsu.com

About Fujitsu Technology Solutions

Fujitsu Technology Solutions is the leading European IT infrastructure provider with a presence in all key markets in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, plus India, serving large-, medium- and small-sized companies as well as consumers. With its Dynamic Infrastructures approach, the company offers a full portfolio of IT products, solutions and services, ranging from clients to datacenter solutions, Managed Infrastructure and Infrastructure-as-a-Service. Fujitsu Technology Solutions employs more than 13,000 people and is part of the global Fujitsu Group. For more information, please see: ts.fujitsu.com/aboutus.

Juniper Networks Expands Leading Security Services Gateway Line to Address Small to Mid-Size Data Centers

SRX1400 Services Gateway Protects 10 Gbps Networks by delivering scalable Integrated Security Services

Dubai, UAE., Dec 5, 2010 – Juniper Networks (NYSE: JNPR) has announced general availability of the SRX1400, the newest member of its leading SRX product line. The SRX1400 is a consolidated security services gateway ideal for securing small to mid-size enterprise, service provider and mobile operator data center environments. 

“Not only does the SRX1400 help companies migrate their mid-size data centers to 10Gbps, but it also helps them reduce costs in the process,” said Doug Murray, senior vice president and general manager, High-end Security Systems Business Unit at Juniper. “The SRX1400 consolidates multiple security functions, including our new AppSecure application security capabilities, on a single services gateway, providing the flexibility to scale bandwidth and services in the future.”

For mobile service providers, the SRX1400 is a cost-effective solution that delivers security at scale to their core networks and protects against a variety of attacks and unauthorized access on critical infrastructure including the internet connection on the Gi interface, roaming exchanges and signaling networks. With its separate control and data planes, the SRX 1400 combines carrier-class resiliency with advanced inspection and protection capabilities developed specifically for mobile networks and applications.

The SRX1400 simplifies management and configuration with an integrated, single security policy and device management system for multiple security services.  With excellent 1 and 10 GbE port density built-in and room for expansion, the modular design of the SRX1400 uses interchangeable cards from the SRX3000 line providing investment protection and simplifying sparing logistics.

“We are excited to see the expansion of the data center SRX product line with the introduction of the SRX1400,” said Bryan Miles, director of networking at Station Casinos.  “The security services scale in a small form factor is a great fit for our smaller data center deployments, and the common policy, OS and hardware modules with our installed base of SRX 3K’s simplifies our operations and lowers our cost.”

The SRX1400 consolidates multiple security services and functions into one compact system by tightly integrating the configuration, security policy and device management of these services within the Junos operating system. Data center, enterprise and service provider security services include: stateful inspection of IPv4, IPv6, Streams Control Transmission Protocol, IPsec VPN, SSL decryption, IP and GTP hardware assisted Quality of Service, dynamic and virtual routing, AppSecure, Network Address Translation and application level gateways for IPv4 and v6, SCTP and GTP protocols.

The SRX 1400 is available now and starts at $30K.

For more information about Juniper’s solutions, please refer to the following resources:

• Juniper Security portal — www.juniper.net/security
• Juniper Online Newsroom – www.juniper.net/press
• Juniper’s Social Channels – www.juniper.net/social

About Juniper Networks

Juniper Networks is in the business of network innovation. From devices to data centers, from consumers to cloud providers, Juniper Networks delivers the software, silicon and systems that transform the experience and economics of networking. The company serves customers and partners worldwide, generating revenues exceeding $3 billion over the last year. Additional information can be found at Juniper Networks (www.juniper.net). 

FRiENDi GROUP wins ‘Best New Entrant’ award at the prestigious fifth annual CommsMEA Awards

Dubai, 01 December, 2010: FRiENDi GROUP the MVNO in the SAMEA region, last night took home the coveted title of ‘Best New Entrant’ at the prestigious CommsMEA awards held at Jumeirah Emirates Towers in Dubai.

The award ceremony, part of the 3GSM Telco World Summit, the premier communications event in the Middle Eastern region, was held to acknowledge individuals and operators who have taken a leadership role, invested in technology and developed services in the region’s fast growing telecoms sector. FRiENDi GROUP was recognised as ‘Best New Entrant’ for their innovative and successful launches of the company’s MVNO (Mobile Virtual Network Operator) businesses in Oman and Jordan.

Commenting on the award, Mikkel Vinter CEO, FRiENDi GROUP said; “Since its launch, FRiENDi GROUP has enjoyed a very warm welcome from the customers in both Oman and Jordan, and we are very pleased with this now being recognised by FRiENDi GROUP receiving the CommsMEA award as “Best New Entrant”.

With the launch in Oman in April 2009, FRiENDi GROUP established the first MVNO/Mobile Reseller in that country and in the Middle East region in general. Providing a pre-paid mobile experience based around empowering customers to stay connected to their family and friends locally and internationally, whether they are expatriates or nationals, the FRiENDi GROUP proposition combine exciting services and competitive prices. Winning the hearts and minds of end-users, FRiENDi GROUP launched a second MVNO service in June 2010 in Jordan.

Mikkel Vinter added, “The South Asia, Middle East and Africa region, where FRiENDi GROUP has its geographic focus, offers a great opportunity for our business model. In Europe alone there are over 300 different MVNOs, whereas there is only a handful today in this region, so we certainly expect the regional mobile industry to move towards a more segmented approach with new brands being introduced to replace the ‘one-size-fits-all” single brand approach” of the past.

FRiENDi GROUP is currently delivering on the company vision of establishing a pan-regional footprint, and is deploying its advanced MVNO/MVNE technical platform plus global operational experience to support the roll-out of several new countries to be announced in the near future. With mobile operators and telecom regulators increasingly recognizing the fresh impetus and value the wholesale business model can bring to mobile markets across the region, FRiENDi GROUP is positioned as a leader in this exciting development for the regional telecommunications industry over the coming months and years.
About FRiENDi GROUP

FRiENDi GROUP was established in 2006 and is headquartered in Dubai Internet City, UAE. FRiENDi GROUP is an award-winning innovative telecommunications group operating as a Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) and Mobile Virtual Network Enabler (MVNE) across the SAMEA region (South Asia, the Middle East and Africa)

The MVNO/MVNE model is a proven business model delivering significant benefits to mobile consumers and telecom operator partners.

The FRiENDi GROUP management team includes senior level team members from a variety of successful regional and global mobile operators as well as MVNOs. FRiENDi GROUP has a strong financial foundation and is supported by well-reputed and highly experienced global and regional shareholders.

For more information please visit: www.friendigroup.com

Dubai, 01 December, 2010: FRiENDi GROUP the MVNO in the SAMEA region, last night took home the coveted title of ‘Best New Entrant’ at the prestigious CommsMEA awards held at Jumeirah Emirates Towers in Dubai.

The award ceremony, part of the 3GSM Telco World Summit, the premier communications event in the Middle Eastern region, was held to acknowledge individuals and operators who have taken a leadership role, invested in technology and developed services in the region’s fast growing telecoms sector. FRiENDi GROUP was recognised as ‘Best New Entrant’ for their innovative and successful launches of the company’s MVNO (Mobile Virtual Network Operator) businesses in Oman and Jordan.

Commenting on the award, Mikkel Vinter CEO, FRiENDi GROUP said; “Since its launch, FRiENDi GROUP has enjoyed a very warm welcome from the customers in both Oman and Jordan, and we are very pleased with this now being recognised by FRiENDi GROUP receiving the CommsMEA award as “Best New Entrant”.

With the launch in Oman in April 2009, FRiENDi GROUP established the first MVNO/Mobile Reseller in that country and in the Middle East region in general. Providing a pre-paid mobile experience based around empowering customers to stay connected to their family and friends locally and internationally, whether they are expatriates or nationals, the FRiENDi GROUP proposition combine exciting services and competitive prices. Winning the hearts and minds of end-users, FRiENDi GROUP launched a second MVNO service in June 2010 in Jordan.

Mikkel Vinter added, “The South Asia, Middle East and Africa region, where FRiENDi GROUP has its geographic focus, offers a great opportunity for our business model. In Europe alone there are over 300 different MVNOs, whereas there is only a handful today in this region, so we certainly expect the regional mobile industry to move towards a more segmented approach with new brands being introduced to replace the ‘one-size-fits-all” single brand approach” of the past.

FRiENDi GROUP is currently delivering on the company vision of establishing a pan-regional footprint, and is deploying its advanced MVNO/MVNE technical platform plus global operational experience to support the roll-out of several new countries to be announced in the near future. With mobile operators and telecom regulators increasingly recognizing the fresh impetus and value the wholesale business model can bring to mobile markets across the region, FRiENDi GROUP is positioned as a leader in this exciting development for the regional telecommunications industry over the coming months and years.
About FRiENDi GROUP

FRiENDi GROUP was established in 2006 and is headquartered in Dubai Internet City, UAE. FRiENDi GROUP is an award-winning innovative telecommunications group operating as a Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) and Mobile Virtual Network Enabler (MVNE) across the SAMEA region (South Asia, the Middle East and Africa)

The MVNO/MVNE model is a proven business model delivering significant benefits to mobile consumers and telecom operator partners.

The FRiENDi GROUP management team includes senior level team members from a variety of successful regional and global mobile operators as well as MVNOs. FRiENDi GROUP has a strong financial foundation and is supported by well-reputed and highly experienced global and regional shareholders.

For more information please visit: www.friendigroup.com

Juniper Networks Acquires Advanced Video Delivery Technology from Blackwave

Dubai, UAE., Dec. 1, 2010 - Juniper Networks (NYSE: JNPR) has announced it has acquired the intellectual property assets of Blackwave, an innovator in Internet video storage and delivery infrastructure, further enhancing the company's solutions for delivering Internet video content with exceptional scale, performance and efficiency. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.


Juniper plans to integrate Blackwave's technology with Juniper Networks® Media Flow Controller, creating one of the most comprehensive converged content delivery solutions. This move reinforces Juniper's continued investment in technologies that bring value to service providers, content providers and content delivery networks (CDNs).

“The acquisition of Blackwave technology continues Juniper's commitment to the new network by serving the rapidly escalating appetite for high-quality video from anywhere to any device, ” said Rajan Raghavan, vice president and general manager, Content and Media Business Unit, Juniper Networks. “The Blackwave technology brings storage performance and scaling capabilities that, combined with the Media Flow platform and Juniper's high-performance networking systems, will provide a compelling solution for our customers who require scalable and efficient distribution of content and high-quality video over the Internet.”

Juniper Networks Media Flow portfolio includes advanced software and hardware designed to address the challenges of rich media delivery. Media Flow is a converged content delivery and caching solution that dramatically improves the performance of rich media delivery by leveraging unique innovations such as hierarchical caching, superior media-aware intelligence and massive scalability. With Media Flow, customers can profitably and efficiently deliver rich media content at massive scale.



About Juniper Networks


Juniper Networks is in the business of network innovation. From devices to data centers, from consumers to cloud providers, Juniper Networks delivers the software, silicon and systems that transform the experience and economics of networking. The company serves customers and partners worldwide, generating revenues exceeding $3 billion over the last year. Additional information can be found at Juniper Networks (www.juniper.net).

Avaya Enables Channel Partners to Deliver Innovative Real-time

Dubai UAE – Avaya, a global leader in business communications systems, software and



services, today announced new skills, certifications and support systems to help Avaya Connect



Channel Partners in the Emerging Markets region provide innovative, real-time business



communications and collaboration solutions to their customers. Avaya Connect Channel



Partners will have access to new technology certifications, business management, increased



marketing funds and a global Partner HelpDesk to help evolve both their customers business as



well as their own. Partners serving the SME sector will particularly benefit from this increased



support structure and will now be able to gain their SME certification with greater ease.



The announcement was made as more than 400 Avaya channel partners from the across



Avaya’s Emerging Markets region gathered in Dubai, UAE, for its 2011 Partner Conference that



runs from November 30 to December 1.



“The innovations Avaya is now bringing to market allow our Avaya Connect Channel Partners in



the Emerging Markets to change the conversation,” said Jeremy Butt, vice-president, Worldwide



Channels, Avaya. “Our partners can have a strategic impact helping enterprises reinvigorate



their business by using open, standards-based real-time communications and collaboration



applications. Avaya is equipping channel partners with the technology, skills, certifications and



support to enable their success in this industry.”



The announcement follows a series of technology innovations announced by Avaya through



2010 that included advancements in unified communications and collaboration, contact



centre and data networking for businesses from small to very large. Most recently, Avaya



announced a new portfolio of video-enabled collaboration solutions highlighted by the Avaya



FlareTM Experience, the industry’s first next-generation user experience that delivers unique



collaboration capabilities across video, voice and text.



The recently launched Avaya Connect Partner HelpDesk provides a single point of contact for



channel partners who have questions about Avaya’s partner programmes, tools and services.



Available in 10 languages, this new resource offers truly global assistance to channel partners



to make it easier for partners to do business with Avaya, regardless of their level, geography,



or portfolio sold. The new training and certifications will be available over the next two quarters.



The Avaya Connect Partner HelpDesk is available now.



Avaya is offering access to courses leading to a Professional Diploma in Marketing Business



Services and Solutions provided by ITSMA and the Chartered Institute of Marketing to help



channel partners build business skills. The curriculum will help channel partners understand



what they need to do within their own business to create and deliver business services and



solutions and how to win, grow and defend key customer accounts.



The new and expanded technology training, designations and skills reflect Avaya’s expanded



portfolio into Data and Video Solutions and include Video or Data Authorisations, Video or Data



Expert, Avaya Certified Solutions Architect , and Avaya Connect Video Solutions certification.



“Vendors with clear and strong certification programmes enable partners to develop



comprehensive skill-sets and build and grow their business,” states Chris Ilg, director,



Infrastructure Channels and Alliances, IDC. “As enterprises look for innovative collaboration



solutions to fuel innovation in their business, partners with the latest capabilities are best



positioned to meet the needs of customers today.”



About Avaya



Avaya is a global leader in enterprise communications systems. The company provides unified



communications, contact centers, data solutions, and related services directly and through



its channel partners to leading businesses and organisations around the world. Enterprises



of all sizes depend on Avaya for state-of-the-art communications that improve efficiency,



collaboration, customer service and competitiveness. For more information please visit



www.avaya.com.

Lack of Skills the Biggest Challenge facing GCC Organizations

Dubai, UAE – Sept. 20, 2010 – A new study has shown that a lack of skills is the biggest challenge CIOs in the GCC face, both internally as well as within their partner ecosystem, when it comes to increasing investment in IT security and storage.

Respondents in the Symantec-sponsored IDC Study revealed that skills were also rated the most important consideration when choosing a partner to work with. According to the results, lack of skills was not only an internal challenge, but was also seen as a problem with partners and other solution providers in the region. A common view held by CIOs was that generally vendors had sales offices in the Gulf and lacked suitably skilled staff to advise customers, implement solutions and support users.

The study also showed that spending on IT security by organizations in the GCC remained robust – the study highlighted a distinct increase in IT budgets compared to 2009. The findings also indicated that only critical projects requiring minimum expenditure with minimum risk would get the green light in 2010. The majority of respondents (excluding the government sector) said they had been severely affected by the recession and as such indicated reprioritized efforts, with new initiatives focusing squarely on business value and cost savings.

“The study has identified that  regulatory compliance is also a concern for GCC corporations,” said Ranjit Rajan, research director at IDC MEA. “Over 90% of CIOs have currently invested or are planning to invest in governance, risk and compliance solutions highlighting regulatory compliance as a major driver of security and storage investment.”

According to the study, cloud computing was being considered by 62% of respondents, however concerns around data ownership, security and regulatory compliance together with poor connectivity infrastructure would restrict its uptake over the medium term. “The research has shown that business applications less likely to move to a cloud environment as opposed to web applications that are most likely to be deployed on a public cloud environment,” added Johnny Karam, MENA regional director at Symantec.

The findings of the study, which focused on IT Security and Storage priorities and challenges in the GCC, was conducted by IDC  and sponsored by Symantec Corp. The results were disclosed by Ranjit Rajan, research director at IDC Middle East and Africa (MEA), and Johnny Karam, MENA regional director,at Symantec, at a press conference held today in Dubai.

For further details on this study, please contact rachel.watts@theportsmouthgroup.com or Ibrahim.asran@theportsmouthgroup.com or call +971 4 369 3575.

Microsoft Brings Four-Wheel Drive to Your Desktop: New Mice Work on Virtually Any Surface

From optical to Microsoft BlueTrack Technology, Microsoft leads mouse innovations.

Dubai ¾ May 25, 2009 ¾ Consumers are taking their notebook and netbook PCs everywhere these days and can now work or play wherever they go with three new Microsoft BlueTrack Technology products: the Wireless Mobile Mouse 6000 featuring Microsoft’s first nano transceiver, the full-sized ambidextrous Wireless Mouse 5000, and the sleek mouse and keyboard combo Wireless Desktop 3000. With these new products consumers can work with confidence on more surfaces than ever— from a granite kitchen countertop to the living room carpet.1 Microsoft Hardware continues to deliver technology innovations that meet consumer needs — from optical technology one decade ago to BlueTrack Technology today.

“Microsoft Hardware has always been at the forefront of innovation — from the creation of optical technology 10 years ago to the launch of the world’s first Bluetooth desktop in 2002, and now with BlueTrack Technology,” said Armagan Demir, Head of Microsoft Entertainment and Devices Division Middle East. “We firmly believe BlueTrack Technology gives you the ability to work virtually anywhere your PC does and will be the tracking technology of the future. We are excited to extend it down our product line.”

Award-Winning BlueTrack Technology
Tech savvy consumers want the latest and greatest technology available, and that is exactly what Microsoft’s proprietary BlueTrack Technology delivers. Unveiled last fall, the technology works on more surfaces than both optical and laser mice,2 including smooth and shiny surfaces such as granite and marble. In addition, the technology enables reliable mouse tracking even on difficult surfaces such as carpet. The success of BlueTrack Technology has already been noted around the industry.

Go Anywhere
The first new mouse to join the award-winning BlueTrack Technology family is perfect for using on the go. Featuring a sleek, ambidextrous design with chrome accents, the Wireless Mobile Mouse 6000 introduces Microsoft’s first nano transceiver. Sticking out only 0.8 centimeters from the USB port, the transceiver can easily remain plugged into the computer or be stored conveniently right in the mouse. The other new mouse launched today, the Wireless Mouse 5000, is also ambidextrous, providing full-sized comfort in either hand with a snap-in transceiver that lets consumers take it on the road.

Keyboards Go Blue
The first desktop to feature BlueTrack Technology — the Wireless Desktop 3000 — will turn heads with its stylish design. Paired with the Wireless Mouse 5000, the keyboard’s compact footprint, reliable 2.4 GHz wireless technology, and plug-and-play minitransceiver make it a great notebook PC companion. The keyboard also features quiet touch keys, a thin-profile design and a soft-touch palm rest.

Availability
The Wireless Mobile Mouse 6000, Wireless Mouse 5000, and Wireless Desktop 3000 will be available in July for the estimated retail prices of AED 199, AED 159, and AED 249, respectively.3 All products will be backed by a worldwide three-year limited hardware warranty from Microsoft. More detailed information about BlueTrack is available at www.microsoft.com/hardware.

Pluto restructures operations in line with expansion plans for the Middle East; Partners with AVG

Dubai, May 18, 2009: Furthering its commitment to the region and in line with its expansion strategy, Pluto today announced its new brand identity and operations structure for the Middle East. Pluto will act as the parent company for subsidiaries that include Pluto Channel and Pluto Games. Coinciding with the new brand launch, Pluto also announced that it has been appointed as the master distributor of AVG Technologies in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.

The restructuring is set to support Pluto’s increasing growth in the region and will span across a wide range of consumer technology and entertainment products. Pluto Channel will draw focus to Pluto’s growing portfolio of consumer technology products, while Pluto Games will continue its growing channel network in the gaming industry.

“In the region, we were previously known as Pluto Games and as our network is growing and product portfolio increasing outside gaming, the Pluto entity was formed,” said Rami El-Hussein, Managing Director, Pluto. “Pluto Channel, along with Pluto Games, will attribute to the Pluto business, enriching the channel with more products and focused support and marketing.”

As one of the first announcements for Pluto Channel, AVG Technologies, a leading anti-virus and Internet security software provider, has partnered with Pluto, thereby granting them extensive access to Pluto’s regional distribution network.

AVG has experienced significant growth in the last few years, becoming one of the world’s top five largest vendors of Internet Security software measured by installed user base. The company will continue to expand and address the needs of the global market through improved technology and broader language and platform support.

AVG has over 80 million users in 167 countries and has nearly two decades of experience in combating cyber crime. Furthermore, AVG has one of the most advanced laboratories for detecting, pre-empting and combating Web-borne threats from around the world.

“Our partnership with Pluto is part of our business strategy to officially enter the Middle East and North Africa region,” said Peter Baxter, Vice President, Business Development, AVG. “Pluto’s success in the region and channel expertise provides us with access to local outlets and retailers where premium AVG products can officially be available to the local consumer with the support that complements it.”
AVG Technologies provides a comprehensive range of security solutions, from standalone anti-virus and anti-spyware software, to all-in-one internet security suites and network solutions for the Windows platform. The company holds Microsoft Gold Partner certification and regularly achieves 100% certification in tests undertaken by Virus Bulletin. All AVG products incorporate the cutting-edge protection against drive-by downloads and other sophisticated cyber attacks provided by the LinkScanner technology, acquired in 2007 through Exploit Prevention Labs.
Commenting on the partnership, El-Hussein added, “AVG is a highly popular brand worldwide and we have no doubt in the potential of the product for us in the region. We extend our commitment of high quality services and support to AVG Technologies products as well as to its existing regional customers.”

Sonata Software opens fully owned subsidiary in Dubai Internet City

Dubai, March 04, 2009: Leading Indian software solutions company, Sonata Software Ltd. today announced the opening of its one hundred per cent owned subsidiary at Dubai Internet City, the region’s leading managed ICT cluster. Establishing itself as a regional hub for its business in the Middle East and Africa, Sonata Software FZ – LLC, will provide value-based IT solutions to customers, strengthening its presence in the region.
Sonata Software will use its Dubai Internet City free zone base to target regional market segments including the Travel, Tourism, Hospitality and Construction industries – some of the major sectors that make up the GDP in the Middle East.
Malek Al Malek, Executive Director, Dubai Internet City said: “Dubai Internet City has attracted some of the biggest names in the IT industry since it was established in 2000. We are delighted to welcome on board yet another global leader with a reputation for creating cutting-edge solutions and technology. We look forward to working closely with Sonata where the industry can leverage on its ability to bring out the best software solutions. In addition, our partnership with Sonata will find ways that will further build our knowledge-based economy for the region.”
Sonata has established a strong team that will manage its Middle East operations. Mr Mahesh Shastry, General Manager, Middle East and Africa, along with Principal Consultant, Mr A T Srinivasan together form a team that brings an in-depth knowledge of the Middle East market. With a wealth of experience working in the Middle East, the team is well positioned to leverage their knowledge of the market.
Mr. B Ramaswamy, President and Managing Director of Sonata Software Limited, said: “We are excited about our geographical expansion into the Middle East. We are confident that operating out of the region’s leading managed ICT cluster will make this an important growth engine for Sonata.
“Given our strong track record of innovation, satisfied and referenceable customer base, our robust infrastructure and an excellent workforce, we are fully committed to provide best-in-class services. Customers will benefit from our alliances with global technology majors and our proven track record of offering services to many multinational customers.”
“Based on our core competence built over the years and a strong commitment, we are confident that our steadfast service back-up and an expert team structure formed for this mission will provide high-quality and innovative solutions to our Middle East partnerships,” Shastry added.
Sonata Software ranked among the top 20 IT Software and Service Exporters in India for FY07-08, as per the industry rankings released by NASSCOM, the premier trade body and the chamber of commerce of the IT-BPO industries in India.
The Bangalore based company, worth US$400 million, will continue to spur its success in expanding its businesses in other geographies. The most recent expansion was its joint venture with European travel major TUI AG.
Sonata's services range from IT Consulting, Product Engineering Services, Application Development, Application Management, Managed Testing, Business Intelligence, Infrastructure Management, Packaged Applications to Travel Solutions.
Dubai Internet City currently hosts most of the Fortune 500 companies and more than 1,200 specialized industry leaders from diverse segments of the information and communication technology sectors. Emerged as one of the largest ICT clusters in the world, DIC caters to the region’s increasing focus on creating knowledge-based economies.
About Dubai Internet City
Dubai Internet City (DIC), a member of TECOM Investments, was established in 2000. It is currently regarded the Middle East's largest information and communications technology (ICT) cluster. Built as a strategic base for companies targeting emerging markets in several neighbouring regions, DIC’s core focus area extends from the Middle East to the Indian Subcontinent, and from Africa to the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) countries, covering two billion people with a GDP of US$6.7 trillion. As a knowledge-oriented business model, DIC has created a dynamic international community of IT companies hosting business partners that include most of the Fortune 500 brands, as well as a number of small and medium enterprises and ventures. In 2008, 140 new companies joined the DIC cluster. For more information, please visit: http://www.dubaiinternetcity.com/
About Sonata Software Limited
Sonata Software, headquartered in Bangalore, India, is a leading IT consulting and services company. Sonata's customers are located across the US, Europe and the Asia-Pacific region. Its portfolio of services includes IT Consulting, Product Engineering Services, Travel Solutions, Application Development, Application Management, Managed Testing, Business Intelligence, Infrastructure Management and Packaged Applications. As per the industry rankings released by NASSCOM for FY07-08, Sonata Software ranked among the Top 20 IT Software and Service Exporters in India.

Aswaaq Opts For Microsoft Dynamics Enterprise Resource Planning Software to Enhance Customer Experience and Improve Productivity

Dubai, UAE, March 3rd, 2009 – Microsoft Gulf today announced that Aswaaq has implemented Dynamics Navision Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software to maximize internal efficiencies. Since its inception, Aswaaq has been committed to providing a world class retail experience. The implementation of a robust technology platform will allow the retailer to automate business processes and adopt state-of-the-art technologies within its stores leading to enhanced customer experience and improved productivity across the organization. In addition, Dynamics Navision delivers value-added technical advancements and out-of-the-box integration with other Microsoft technologies, thereby improving total cost of ownership for Aswaaq.

“Aswaaq was looking for a comprehensive IT infrastructure that could manage all aspects of our automated processes” said Jassim Sajwani, Director of IT and Administration, Aswaaq. “Microsoft Dynamics NAV offers a comprehensive, cost-effective and standardized solution that fulfils all our business needs. The ease of setup and tight integration with the Microsoft products we already use allowed us to get up and running quickly and smoothly. We are already seeing increased productivity, reduced costs and timely decision-making. By using Dynamics NAV, we have enhanced the shopping experience for our customers.”

As businesses in the Gulf continue to face the increasing pressure of limiting risk factors, Microsoft Dynamics Navision has proven to be a powerful solution for Aswaaq that can be tailored to its business needs at an affordable price. It also adapts to Aswaaq’s expansion plans and supports more functionality in a pay-as-you-grow model.

Tamer Elhamy, Business Solutions Manager, Microsoft Gulf said, “Aswaaq was looking for a solution that would help streamline operations and find ways to use their internal resources more efficiently. Microsoft Dynamics Navision is a scalable and user-friendly solution that helps small and mid-market retailers deliver exceptional customer service and lower inventory costs as well as improve margins and increase revenues. It has enabled Aswaaq to develop efficient practices to expand and build competitive advantages. By delivering flexibility, adaptability and increased productivity, Navision is set to transform the way businesses compete in today’s global marketplace.”

Dynamics Navision provides robust capabilities to quickly deploy new services. It also enables Aswaaq to have a single, integrated location where employees can efficiently collaborate, find organizational resources and leverage business insight to make better-informed decisions. Some of the other Microsoft technologies adopted by Aswaaq include Microsoft SQL Server, Windows Server and Microsoft Office.

Cisco Aims to Energize Small-Business Productivity with $100 Million Investment

Dubai, UAE – January 27, 2009 – Cisco today announced a $100 million global strategic initiative focused on small business networking and communications solutions for companies with fewer than 100 employees.

Cisco aims to help small businesses gain greater agility and efficiency in working with customers who are increasingly expecting to do business on the move, on the Internet and via video. According to research firm IDC, the SMB market in the Middle East will account for more than a third of all IT spending by 2011 and comprises of 70 to 80 percent of businesses in this region.

A new Cisco® Small Business Technology Group (SBTG) is being formed to develop technologies focused on six areas consistently highlighted as top priorities by small businesses for enabling business growth: connectivity, security, remote access, productivity, customer interaction and customer support. The SBTG is part of a companywide initiative composed of sales, marketing, services and technology groups that will focus solely on the small-business segment.

Sam Alkharrat, managing director of Cisco Gulf and Pakistan, said: “The No. 1 priority for small-business owners is growing their companies, not becoming technology experts. Small businesses learn about and implement technology in very different ways than do large enterprises. In recognition, Cisco has transformed the way we communicate with small-business customers with a customized SMB-specific Website and marketing campaigns that focus increasingly on business capabilities and benefits of complete solutions rather than on products and technologies.”

Alkharrat added: “Small businesses are the lifeblood of today’s economy and in today’s environment, it’s critical that small-business owners have a technology partner they trust to help them find and deploy the right solutions to grow their businesses. With the widest range of solutions, from value-driven point products to expandable and upgradeable solutions to grow on, Cisco can meet any small business’ communications needs.”