Fortinet® (NASDAQ: FTNT), a global leader in broad, integrated and automated cybersecurity solutions, today announced that it has been chosen by Ooredoo Kuwait, a part of Ooredoo Group – a leading international communications company operating across the Middle East, North Africa and Southeast Asia – to deliver the region’s first secure SD-WAN managed service. Fortinet Secure SD-WANwill allow Ooredoo’s existing and new enterprise customers to achieve accelerated connectivity, transport mode independence, and increased application performance while benefiting from tightly knit SD-WAN and advanced security features. Ooredoo Kuwait itself is deploying Fortinet’s Secure SD-WAN across its retail branches and will serve as a reference for customers wishing to follow suit. 

“Ooredoo Kuwait’s broad managed security services rely on several Fortinet solutions, including the Fortinet Secure SD-WAN solution, which significantly reduces onboarding efforts and speeds time to market for the service,” said Abdulaziz AlBabtain, Chief Business Officer at Ooredoo Kuwait. “Our secure SD-WAN managed service is much more than just a new connectivity service for the enterprise WAN edge. It is paving the way for significant benefits for our customers and significant new revenue streams for Ooredoo Kuwait by leveraging our security operations center, clean pipe, secure WiFi, email security, end-point security and advance threat protection.”

As organizations increase the use of business-critical cloud-based applications and infrastructures, they are becoming more attuned to the benefits of extending these tools to remote locations through software-defined wide-area network (SD-WAN)architectures, a network segment now referred to as the WAN Edge. In fact, because the need to provide the services and applications being generated by digital transformation to the WAN Edge is accelerating so rapidly, the global SD-WAN market is projected to reach $4.5 billion and grow at over 40% CAGR by 2022.

“SD-WAN offers accelerated connectivity, cost savings, and increased performance for Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) applications. However, the benefits of SD-WAN cannot be truly realized without security as an integral part of the solution,” said Joe Sarno, International Emerging Vice President at Fortinet.“Without an integrated security solution, organizations are forced to overlay security, creating significant overhead and leaving gaps in protection as security and management systems remain isolated. We’re pleased to work with Ooredoo Kuwait to deliver the region’s first secure SD-WAN managed service and continue our focus of delivering integrated SD-WAN and advanced security to enterprise customers around the world.”

The following Fortinet products underpin Ooredoo Kuwait’s Secure SD-WAN managed service:

• FortiPortalprovides turnkey, easy-to-deploy customer portals for self-service without having to worry about complex development or maintenance costs
• FortiSandboxdelivers real-time actionable intelligence through the automation of zero-day, advanced malware detection and response
• FortiMailis a top-rated secure email gateway that stops volume-based and targeted cyber threats to help secure the dynamic enterprise attack surface, prevent the loss of sensitive data and help maintain compliance with regulations
• A range of FortiGate Next-Generation Firewallsdeliver both advanced security and SD-WAN services
• FortiManagerdelivers single-pane-of-glass management for both SD-WAN and security, end-to-end visibility, and multi-tenancy to support many enterprise customers at scale 
• FortiAnalyzerdelivers centralized reporting, advance analytics and open-programmable interface to integrate with customers’ existing investments and solutions 
• FortiClientensures that all fabric components – FortiGate, FortiAnalyzer, EMS, Managed AP, Managed Switches, Sandbox – have a unified view of endpoints in order to provide tracking & awareness, compliance enforcement and reporting

Fortinet’s Secure SD-WAN solutioninteroperates as part of a comprehensive security architecture through the Fortinet Security Fabric, producing an integrated end-to-end security solution across the entire attack surface that leverages Security-Driven Networking.

 

R&M CEO Michel Riva visited the UAE and joined top regional executives to officially launch the company’s new Cat. 8.1, Netscale 72 and inteliPhy net solutions in the Middle East

At a premier event, held this week in Dubai, R&M unveiled its new Cat. 8.1, Netscale 72 and inteliPhy net network cabling solutions in the Middle East. The launch was attended by Peter Harradine, President of the Swiss Business Council, Dubai & Northern Emirates as well as several prestigious R&M customers from the region, including the Deputy General Manager and top executives from Istanbul Grand Airport (IGA).

Michel Riva, CEO, R&M group and Nabil Khalil, Executive Vice President, R&M Middle East, Turkey & Africa delivered the evening’s keynotes. These were followed by a detailed presentation of the Netscale 72 and inteliPhy net solutions, provided by Reinhard Burkert, Product Manager Smart Networks, R&M under the theme ‘Driving Digitalization with Smart Networks’. Netscale 72 offers the highest density of FO ports and can be used to create large spine-leaf network architectures in cloud data centers and facilitate fast migration to new network generations, such as the step from 10 Gigabit to 40 or 100 Gigabit capacity. inteliPhy net is R&M’s easy-to-operate DCIM solution for asset, capacity and change management in data centers. The solution attaches importance to a simplified representation and convinces by its intuitive, web-based operation.

“To date, R&M’s fiber optic solutions have represented a perfect balance between high performance, flexible configuration and state-of-the-art port density. With Netscale 72 we have shifted the balance further towards intelligence, monitoring and automation,” said Dr. Thomas Wellinger, Market Manager Data Center, R&M.

Alfred Tharwat, Head of Training & Data Center Consultancy, R&M MEA & Turkey then introduced attendees to the company’s new Cat. 8.1 cabling system with his presentation titled “Next Generation Components for LAN and Data Center”. R&M new cabling solution is designed for data centers and office LANs and supports up to 40 Gigabit/s Ethernet (GbE) – the fastest data transmission rate that local networks with structured copper cabling can achieve today. In line with the specifications of the ISO/IEC and TIA standards, the company guarantees 40GbE performance for 24-meter permanent links and the up to 30-meter channel depending on the patch cords used.

In addition to the product launches, Emrah Bayarçelik, Deputy General Manager, IGA, delivered a compelling testimonial detailing how the largest airport in the world is now also the first globally to be fully digitized with its key security, communication and IT functions based on a network provided by R&M. The Swiss company’s cabling connects the airport’s ICT systems for customs, security staff and the police force, as well as 9,000 surveillance cameras, 3,000 card readers and 5,000 Wi-Fi access points, giving the airport a full-coverage WLAN.

Commenting on the launches, Michel Riva, CEO at R&M said, “We are proud to bring to the Middle East these innovative solutions that represent the pinnacle of technology in their respective cabling domains. 2020 will be a landmark year for the whole region with Dubai hosting the Expo 2020, opening new horizons for the sustainable future of our planet. The Middle East is also one of the most important sales regions for R&M and a focus for our activities in the coming year. We are proud to be among the top three providers of connectivity, exciting our customers in the government, telecom provider and enterprises sectors with next-generation networks.” 

BPI Network Study Finds Multi-Cloud Security Is Top Challenge for Enterprises Globally

A vast majority of enterprises worldwide have adopted multi-cloud strategies to keep pace with the need for digital transformation and IT efficiency, but they face significant challenges in managing the complexities and added requirements of these new application and data delivery infrastructures, according to a global survey conducted by the Business Performance Innovation (BPI) Network, in partnership with A10 Networks.

The new study, entitled “Mapping The Multi-Cloud Enterprise,” finds that improved security, including centralized security and performance management, multi-cloud visibility of threats and attacks, and security automation, is the number one IT challenge facing companies in these new compute environments.

Among key survey findings:

• Approximately two-thirds of companies have now deployed enterprise applications across two or more public clouds
• 84 percent expect to increase their reliance on public or private clouds over the next 24 months
• 35 percent have already moved half or more of their enterprise applications into the cloud
• Only 11 percent believe their companies have been “highly successful” in realizing the benefits of multi-cloud
• Improving multi-cloud security is seen as their most critical challenge, followed by a lack of multi-cloud talent and expertise, the need for centralized visibility, and the capacity to more effectively manage application and infrastructure complexity.

 “Multi-cloud is the de facto new standard for today’s software- and data-driven enterprise,” said Dave Murray, head of thought leadership and research for the BPI Network. “However, our study makes clear that IT and business leaders are struggling with how to reassert the same levels of management, security, visibility and control that existed in past IT models. Particularly in security, our respondents are currently assessing and mapping the platforms, solutions and policies they will need to realize the benefits and reduce the risks associated of their multi-cloud environments.”

“The BPI Network survey underscores a critical desire and requirement for companies to reevaluate their security platforms and architectures in light of multi-cloud proliferation,” said Gunter Reiss, vice president of worldwide marketing at A10 Networks. “The rise of 5G-enabled edge clouds is expected to be another driver for multi-cloud adoption. A10 believes enterprises must begin to deploy robust Polynimbus security and application delivery models that advance centralized visibility and management and deliver greater security automation across clouds, networks, applications and data.” 

The study finds that some 38 percent of companies have or will reassess their current relationships with security and load balancer suppliers in light of multi-cloud, with most others still undecided about whether a change in vendors is needed.

Benefits and Drivers of Multi-Cloud

IT and business executives respondents point to a number of benefits and business and technology forces that are driving their move into multi-cloud environments. 

The top-four drivers for multi-cloud:

• The desire to improve efficiency and cut costs (47 percent)
• The need to move applications and data closer to users (43 percent)
• Safeguards against single-vendor cloud failures (32 percent)
• The desire to access new solutions and technologies (28 percent)

The top-four benefits for multi-cloud:

• Redundancy and disaster recovery (61 percent)
• Cost optimization (50 percent) 
• Performance optimization (47 percent) are also seen as top benefits 
• Using the best cloud environment for specific workloads (34 percent) 

Security Tops IT To-Do List

Respondents report facing a long list of challenges in managing multi-cloud compute environments, with security at the top of their agenda.

The top-four challenges for multi-cloud:

• Ensuring security across all clouds, networks, applications and data (63 percent)
• Acquiring the necessary skills and expertise (37 percent)
• Dealing with increased management complexity (33 percent)
• Achieving centralized visibility and management across clouds (33 percent)

The top-four requirements for improving multi-cloud security and performance:

• Centralized visibility and analytics into security and performance (56 percent)
• Automated tools to speed response times and reduce costs (54 percent)
• Centralized management from a single point of control (50 percent)
• Greater security scale and performance to handle increased traffic (38 percent)

The top-four security-specific solution needs:

• Centralized authentication (62 percent)
• Centralized security policies (46 percent)
• Web application firewalls (40 percent)
• DDoS protection (33 percent)

Survey Methodology

In partnership with A10 Networks, the BPI Network conducted a global survey of IT professionals and business executives to understand the state of multi-cloud deployments worldwide, including their priorities, intentions and concerns. The study includes responses from 127 participants across North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, South America, Africa and the Middle East.

Company invests in new office, in addition to hiring resources in order to accelerate business growth

Nutanix (NASDAQ: NTNX), a leader in enterprise cloud computing, announced that it is further investing in Saudi Arabia by opening a new office and hiring new technical and sales resources in order to better support customers and partners. The company has been posting revenue growth, driven in part by the increasing uptake of the company’s market leading hyperconverged infrastructure solutions by enterprises in the Kingdom looking to embrace the power of cloud computing.

Mohammad Abulhouf, Country Manager – Saudi & Bahrain at Nutanix says, “Against the backdrop of Saudi Vision 2030 which outlines the government’s intent on developing the digital economy, digital transformation and cloud computing has become an imperative for enterprises in Saudi. We see a lot of companies making the transition to a multi-cloud environment. In this scenario, Nutanix’s value proposition of modernizing datacentre infrastructure and making clouds invisible is very appealing to customers. Our solutions help enterprises embrace the power of hybrid clouds by eliminating pain points, and enabling them to manage, govern and optimize applications across public and private cloud architectures.”

Over the past year, the company has expanded its channel base and seen growing interest from customers. An example of one of its customer successes is Saudi Arabian Capital Markets Authority (CMA) that partnered with Nutanix to transform its datacentre infrastructure – to improve manageability of its operations, reduce running costs and provide better IT support to internal users.

Nutanix Saudi is very much committed to Saudization and empowering local caliber to drive business. Recently, Nutanix started hiring both male and female Saudi engineers in order to have the right diversity in its workforce.

To further accelerate growth, the company recently signed partnership agreements with two leading system integrators in the Kingdom – International Systems Engineering (ISE) and Advanced Electronics Company (AEC). The partnerships aim to leverage the strengths of Nutanix’s market-leading hyperconverged infrastructure solutions and the strong capabilities that ISE and AEC have in technology implementations.

In terms of channel initiatives, keeping in mind the key role that the channel ecosystem plays in helping drive Nutanix’s growth, the company recently introduced updates to its Channel Charter with the intention of increasing profitability for partners selling the company’s solutions.

Over the past year, Nutanix has brought a number of new products and innovations to market in the cloud space, including the expansion of its multicloud solutions portfolio, introducing cloud native solutions for enterprises and the launch of a new service called Nutanix Xi IoT that enables best practice for edge computing.

In order to educate the market about the latest developments in data center modernization, multi-cloud and automation, the company is hosting its annual .NEXT on Tour with the theme ‘Invisible Clouds, Visible IT’ at the Fairmont Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The conference will focus on helping enterprises in the Kingdom free themselves from the complexity and cost of legacy IT and embrace the power of cloud.

“We believe that with our increased investment into Saudi Arabia, we are well placed to address the cloud computing needs of enterprises in the Kingdom and further   continue our business growth next year and beyond,” concluded Abulhouf.