Keeping Data Protected as Businesses in the Middle East Embark on Remote Working Journey

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By: Claude Schuck, Regional Manager, Middle East at Veeam

 

Over the last few months, we’ve seen many organizations in the Middle East have arranged for employees to work from home. Living in the golden age of Digital Transformation means that we are connected at all times. Consequently, the workplace today has evolved significantly to allow individuals to communicate seamlessly and connect from anywhere through mobile devices, digital tools, cloud services and many more. But what does this mean for organizations and the protection of its data?

With many employees working from home, businesses can expect a huge spike of personal file storing coming in from external sources. This is the perfect opportunity for malicious malware to make their way into servers, potentially corrupting a network of data.

According to a recent news report in The National newspaper, the UAE has been revealed as the leading target of cybercriminals in the region, accounting for more than half of the examples of malicious online and theme-driven behavior detected in the Gulf. Trend Micro, an international cybersecurity and defense firm, said it had detected 1,541 attacks in the UAE in the past months, including 775 malware threats, 621 email spam attacks and 145 URL attacks during March. Across the GCC countries, the figure was 3,067 over the same period.

Here are some of the necessary steps businesses should be taking to protect their data and IT architecture:

3 layers in the circle of defense

Businesses need to be aware of how they manage data between cloud and consider tools that will give them an advantage. Today, businesses are continuously backing up and replicating applications and we can only expect this to increase over the next few years as others learn the significance of data that are easily recoverable.

They need to understand the different roles that are needed for consideration when optimizing their systems for backup and replication. This can be easily summed up into the 3 layers of defense in data protection.

  • Perimeter: Firstly, businesses must consider the situation at hand – in this instance, it is remote working or working from home. Protection must be made available for employees to be able to access the cloud and in turn, ensure that these data can be backed up.
  • Mid: Next, businesses need to note that with an increase in the number of people working from home, measures must be put in place so that the systems are still able to run smoothly and efficiently. To counter this, it is highly recommended that servers be optimized for different groups of networks to tap into.
  • Base: It goes without saying that having more people accessing the servers from an external network will also result in an increase in the number of personal files coming in. Businesses need to ensure that they are able to mitigate any malware that might make its way through.

 Data backup and protection

There are many unforeseen circumstances that businesses need to prepare for. Therefore, it is important for them be highly adaptable. Having data that is easily accessible is part of the solution to be ready for remote working. Over the next few years, businesses can expect to see an increase in the number of tools that can allow them to continuously back up their data and perform recovery in a matter of minutes. With these tools, they will be insured with more than just backed up data – they will also have access to insights that will allow them to make informed decisions in their digital transformation journey.

Apart from that, it is also important for businesses to protect their data – as seen with the recent increase of data breach. Cloud Data Management is expected to see an increase in mobility and portability over the next few years. With added security measures, businesses will have access to data easily outside of their workplace with a peace of mind.

Prevention of cyberattacks

One of the essential steps businesses need to take is to minimize administrative access to platforms and servers and increasing rules of operation. Not everyone needs to be able to access all the systems in place.

It is also vital for organizations to educate their employees – often, ransomware finds its way through a system because of an individual’s mistake. It is important for businesses to remind employees on best practices, especially in times when telecommuting is an option for everyone. They need to understand that being connected to a network outside of the company’s system exposes the servers to potential malware.

To sum it all up, businesses in the Middle East need to always prepare ahead for any disruption that might have an impact in the way they work. Especially in an era where remote working is a step forward, organizations need to ensure that their systems are ready and fully protected so that their employees can remain efficient and productive.

The Borderless Enterprise – Optimizing Networking at the Edge

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By: Mohammad Jamal Tabbara, Senior Solutions Architect, Infoblox

 

Enterprises are growing more dispersed and borderless. Essential talent, branch offices, facilities and partners can be located anywhere in the world—and they need rapid and secure access to critical apps and data to keep business running smoothly. What’s more, with aggressive initiatives around SaaS, IoT, SD-WAN and IPv6, smart organizations are moving to the cloud to accelerate workflows and better support users and sites wherever they happen to be.

Yet the shift to leverage public, private and hybrid cloud networking across the borderless enterprise is becoming more challenging. In a cloud-first world, the nexus of activity is no longer in your data center; it’s at the network edge. The hub and spoke way of networking cannot keep up with the soaring demand for direct-to-cloud access at the edge.

Your organization wants to embrace the cloud and all its benefits—yet you need a simpler, more reliable way to manage your network, devices, apps and services across all locations. How can you solve networking challenges at the edge with fewer enterprise resources and still replicate on-prem experiences for your end users?

Enter cloud-managed DDI (DNS DHCP and IPAM). By moving the management plane for DDI from the appliance to the cloud, it enables you to centrally manage your borderless enterprise—and with far greater elasticity, reliability, security and automation than traditional on-premises DDI solutions provide. In addition to optimizing network access and performance across all your locations, cloud-managed DDI is also a key enabler of your digital transformation as an organization, and it will accelerate your migration to Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) networking.

The following 5 edge networking scenarios will demonstrate how cloud-managed DDI can solve many key challenges for your borderless network.

  1. Centralizing Control of the Edge

Cloud-managed DDI offers a bridge that allows organizations to integrate core network services, bringing DNS, DHCP and IPAM together on a unified platform. By replacing siloed on-prem DNS and DHCP controllers with cloud-native technology, organizations can take a huge step toward digital transformation through integrated DDI services they can centrally manage in the cloud across all locations, ensuring better branch performance, faster access to cloud-based applications and higher availability.

  1. Increasing Agility at the Edge

For some borderless enterprises, fully-featured, enterprise-grade DDI services are not needed in all of its branches or remote sites. For example, an organization may already have a DNS service that meets all its needs in every location, but it wants to deploy only DHCP or IP address management services in small regional offices. Similarly, it may wish to expand DDI capabilities in some branches but not others.

Just as common, especially for enterprises that are undergoing digital transformation, it’s important to have the flexibility to roll out DDI capabilities incrementally. They may wish to upgrade DHCP in the near term while keeping their current IP address management solution. They need a DDI solution that protects them from over-provisioning services in remote sites that may go unused for some time yet.

Cloud-based DDI provides the flexibility and agility for enterprises to achieve the right size DDI implementation for every location.

  1. Simplifying Application Access at the Edge

For the borderless enterprise, with growing numbers of remote workers and branch locations, simple, reliable access to mission-critical applications at the network edge is paramount. This requires organizations to move away from traditional MPLS architectures. Backhauling network traffic through the data center creates severe latency and bottlenecks for end users in branch offices and remote sites, preventing them from moving at the speed of business.

Modernizing with more agile cloud access to applications like Microsoft Office 365 requires a different infrastructure. One where DDI services can be delivered and managed centrally via the cloud and where traffic from remote locations can connect directly to the closest local PoPs in the cloud without the backhaul bottleneck.

  1. Boosting Survivability at the Edge

When your business depends on connecting vital manufacturing facilities to global supply chain partners and remote offices, the term mission-critical takes on a whole new meaning. Add to that IoT devices that have to communicate 24/7 and reliability, redundancy and survivability become essential.

Application latency is not the only downside to traditional backhauling of DNS and DHCP through a headquarters data center. If the link to headquarters goes down, because of a power outage or natural disaster, remote locations are not able to reach the central data center for DNS and DHCP resolution. As a result, they lose access to the Internet and cloud-based apps. To ensure always-on networking for all locations, remote and branch offices need the ability to maintain DDI services locally.

  1. Scaling at the Edge

Many high-growth companies today were born in the cloud and their business is 100% cloud-based. Which means no centralized data center—all apps and services are managed and delivered in the cloud. So when it comes to managing the growth of branch offices and remote locations, it’s challenging to find a solution that is 100% cloud-ready. Typically, core DDI services like DHCP are managed by hardware routers or servers located at each site. A large enterprise may have hundreds of these throughout its borderless operations. These on-premises devices are often resource-intensive, error prone, cumbersome and hard to scale. In addition, they provide no easy way to monitor and manage multiple locations.

For cloud-born businesses, cloud-managed DDI makes it simple to eliminate resource-heavy physical appliances in branch and remote offices. Instead, lightweight devices or virtual appliances can be deployed in all locations, which enables DDI to be centrally managed in the cloud across all sites.

In every one of these core benefit and success spotlight scenarios, there is a common denominator: traditional networking architecture is no longer effective for managing the explosion of workflow at the edge.

Anker Innovations curates a unique and functional gadget must-have list for Eid Al Adha

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Eid Al-Adha is a special occasion and a perfect time to celebrate with loved ones as well as express your appreciation for them with Eid gifts. Anker Innovations team has curated a unique and functional gadget must have list to suit different tastes and styles for this joyous occasion.

soundcore-lifeq20 

Soundcore Life Q20

Hear songs in the way they are meant to be heard with Anker Soundcore Life Q20 Bluetooth Headphones. The wireless Over Ear Headphones are perfect for travel and work as it features custom 40 mm dynamic drivers to reproduce sound with extraordinary clarity, Hybrid Active Noise Cancelling, Hi-Res Audio and Deep Bass for a heightened listening experience.

Compatible with smartphones, tablets, laptop computers and more, Life Q20 offers up to 40 hours of non-stop playtime in wireless active noise cancellation mode and a single charge can play over 600 songs.

For optimal noise cancellation, memory foam earcups gently mold around your ears, while the headband’s rotating joints automatically adjust the earcups to fit the shape of your head. Life Q20’s built-in microphone allows convenient hands-free calls, enhances voice pick-up to ensures you sound crystal clear.

Soundcore Life Q20 comes with a travel pouch to conveniently store the headphones, a 3.5 mm AUX cable to keep the music playing when you’re low on battery and a Micro USB cable plus a user Manual and 18-Month Warranty.

Eufy Security Indoor Cam 2K and Indoor Cam 2K Pan & Tilt

Anker’s eufy Indoor Cam 2K and Indoor Cam 2K Pan & Tilt helps keep an eye on your pets and children while you are at work, on your elderly relatives living remotely and your home even at night when intruders can be a threat to the safety and security of loved ones. The indoor Cam is also very useful for new parents as it doubles up as baby monitor and recognises & instantly gives baby crying alerts on your phone.

It helps detect unusual activity and records movements in picture perfect 2K clarity. The Indoor cameras are triggered by movement by unknown faces or pets/children’s movements in no go zone areas and users receive an alert instantly.

With eufy Cam Pan & Tilt, when a movement is detected, the camera will automatically pan and tilt 360o to follow the actions and record the entire movement while it gives you the instant alert and allows a two-way audio communication.

Both cameras work with voice control and are compatible with Apple Homekit, Google Home Assistant and Alexa. You can know more about this product through videos on Anker MEA Youtube Channel.

HomeVac S11 Go

HomeVac S11 Go

Suitable for delicate surfaces, eufy HomeVac S11 Go comes equipped with a 120AW suction power, detachable battery and a 2-in-1 crevice tool to deep clean carpets to hard floors.

The innovative technological features in the eufy HomeVac S11 Go include a washable high-efficiency filter that ensures minimal maintenance and improved performance plus the device can be detached to empty the dustbin in seconds. Increased efficiency also includes dust-tight containment for reduced air pollution.

The eufy HomeVac S11 Go’s long crevice tool can be used to suck up crumbs and dirt in any corner or hard-to-reach areas and the advanced 5-tier filtration system safeguards and maximizes the motor performance.

The long-lasting detachable battery offers up to 40 minutes of cleaning time and the max-mode provides 8 minutes of fierce and focused cleaning when tackling the deepest dust and debris. With eufy HomeVac S11 Go, whether an impossibly tight space or a delicate surface, or the AC vent grill at a height there is an attachment suitable for any cleaning scenario. Available on Amazon.ae.

nebula-apollo-pocket-projector

Nebula Apollo Pocket Projector

Nebula Apollo Smart Pocket Projector is a new generation pocket cinema in a compact, mobile and soda-can size design. Hosting capabilities such as Google Assistant, remarkable clarity with Sharp 200 ANSI lumen image and improved audio, it is the perfect entertainment device to enjoy together with family.

Nebula Apollo is perfect for dads who want to enjoy their favorite match or TV shows through streaming apps on the go on a bigger screen powered by Android 7.1 which brings great content to you, so you spend less time browsing and more time watching movies with loved ones.

Nebula Apollo provides 4-hours of video playtime with single full charge and offers big 360o sound with a 6W speaker. Nebula Apollo offers an advanced entertainment experience, anytime, anywhere with your loved ones.

ANKER POWER BOX Pack-C2C

Anker Power Box

Make sure your loved ones never run out of charge on their phone with Anker Power Box. This Power Box contains three flagship products from Anke:

1) PowerCore 10400mAh Power Bank, a high capacity Power Bank that offers up to 3 times charging for Flagship Phones and comes with optimized output for Multiple Device Charging.

2) Powerport+1 Charger, equipped with PowerIQ Technology and Multiprotect Safety System, along with a micro USB cable, is travel ready with Quick Charge 3.0.

3) Powerline II 3-in-1 Charging Cable, the extremely durable and MFi Certified charging cable with 3-in-1 Connectors i.e. Lightning, Micro and C-Type and is Universally Compatible with every phone that uses these one of the three charging connectors. Available in Jumbo Electronics and EMAX.

Get festive and express appreciation for loved ones with a unique gadget must-have list from Anker Innovations

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Eid Al-Adha is a special occasion and a perfect time to celebrate with loved ones as well as express your appreciation for them with Eid gifts. Anker Innovations team has curated a unique and functional gadget must have list to suit different tastes and styles for this joyous occasion.

Soundcore Life Q20

Hear songs in the way they are meant to be heard with Anker Soundcore Life Q20 Bluetooth Headphones. The wireless Over Ear Headphones are perfect for travel and work as it features custom 40 mm dynamic drivers to reproduce sound with extraordinary clarity, Hybrid Active Noise Cancelling, Hi-Res Audio and Deep Bass for a heightened listening experience.

Compatible with smartphones, tablets, laptop computers and more, Life Q20 offers up to 40 hours of non-stop playtime in wireless active noise cancellation mode and a single charge can play over 600 songs.

For optimal noise cancellation, memory foam earcups gently mold around your ears, while the headband’s rotating joints automatically adjust the earcups to fit the shape of your head. Life Q20’s built-in microphone allows convenient hands-free calls, enhances voice pick-up to ensures you sound crystal clear.

Soundcore Life Q20 comes with a travel pouch to conveniently store the headphones, a 3.5 mm AUX cable to keep the music playing when you’re low on battery and a Micro USB cable plus a user Manual and 18-Month Warranty.

Eufy Security Indoor Cam 2K and Indoor Cam 2K Pan & Tilt

Anker’s eufy Indoor Cam 2K and Indoor Cam 2K Pan & Tilt helps keep an eye on your pets and children while you are at work, on your elderly relatives living remotely and your home even at night when intruders can be a threat to the safety and security of loved ones. The indoor Cam is also very useful for new parents as it doubles up as baby monitor and recognises & instantly gives baby crying alerts on your phone.

It helps detect unusual activity and records movements in picture perfect 2K clarity. The Indoor cameras are triggered by movement by unknown faces or pets/children’s movements in no go zone areas and users receive an alert instantly.

With eufy Cam Pan & Tilt, when a movement is detected, the camera will automatically pan and tilt 360o to follow the actions and record the entire movement while it gives you the instant alert and allows a two-way audio communication.

Both cameras work with voice control and are compatible with Apple Homekit, Google Home Assistant and Alexa. You can know more about this product through videos on Anker MEA Youtube Channel.

HomeVac S11 Go

Suitable for delicate surfaces, eufy HomeVac S11 Go comes equipped with a 120AW suction power, detachable battery and a 2-in-1 crevice tool to deep clean carpets to hard floors.

The innovative technological features in the eufy HomeVac S11 Go include a washable high-efficiency filter that ensures minimal maintenance and improved performance plus the device can be detached to empty the dustbin in seconds. Increased efficiency also includes dust-tight containment for reduced air pollution.

The eufy HomeVac S11 Go’s long crevice tool can be used to suck up crumbs and dirt in any corner or hard-to-reach areas and the advanced 5-tier filtration system safeguards and maximizes the motor performance.

The long-lasting detachable battery offers up to 40 minutes of cleaning time and the max-mode provides 8 minutes of fierce and focused cleaning when tackling the deepest dust and debris. With eufy HomeVac S11 Go, whether an impossibly tight space or a delicate surface, or the AC vent grill at a height there is an attachment suitable for any cleaning scenario. Available on Amazon.ae.

Nebula Apollo Pocket Projector

Nebula Apollo Smart Pocket Projector is a new generation pocket cinema in a compact, mobile and soda-can size design. Hosting capabilities such as Google Assistant, remarkable clarity with Sharp 200 ANSI lumen image and improved audio, it is the perfect entertainment device to enjoy together with family.

Nebula Apollo is perfect for dads who want to enjoy their favorite match or TV shows through streaming apps on the go on a bigger screen powered by Android 7.1 which brings great content to you, so you spend less time browsing and more time watching movies with loved ones.

Nebula Apollo provides 4-hours of video playtime with single full charge and offers big 360o sound with a 6W speaker. Nebula Apollo offers an advanced entertainment experience, anytime, anywhere with your loved ones.

Anker Power Box

Make sure your loved ones never run out of charge on their phone with Anker Power Box. This Power Box contains three flagship products from Anke:

1) PowerCore 10400mAh Power Bank, a high capacity Power Bank that offers up to 3 times charging for Flagship Phones and comes with optimized output for Multiple Device Charging.

2) Powerport+1 Charger, equipped with PowerIQ Technology and Multiprotect Safety System, along with a micro USB cable, is travel ready with Quick Charge 3.0.

3) Powerline II 3-in-1 Charging Cable, the extremely durable and MFi Certified charging cable with 3-in-1 Connectors i.e. Lightning, Micro and C-Type and is Universally Compatible with every phone that uses these one of the three charging connectors. Available in Jumbo Electronics and EMAX.

FERRETTI YACHTS 1000: BIGGER AND BETTER

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Ferretti Yachts has revealed its future in the shape of its new flagship, which is the biggest it has ever built

No dream is too big: with a length of 100 feet, the breath-taking new Ferretti Yachts flagship takes the company into uncharted territory. Majestic, versatile and suitable for all markets, Ferretti Yachts 1000 has reshaped spaces and changed the whole approach to life on board. It features unprecedented design solutions and a choice of two different moods for the interiors. Owners and their guests can enjoy complete privacy and make the most of the exterior thanks to an extremely innovative and practical aft beach area and a spacious flybridge that is connected directly to the forward section.

At the heart of the project is the idea of unparalleled comfort and well-being both outdoors and indoors. Quintessential Italian taste prevails in an understated, polished design that combines clean-cut shapes and refined materials. There is a sense of sophisticated luxury that brings out the best of the values summed up by the slogan “Just Like Home”: comfort, Italian qualities, timeless designs and craftsmanship.

The new vessel stems from the partnership between Ferretti Group’s Product Strategy Committee (led by engineer Piero Ferrari)and Engineering Department, with exterior design work by architect Filippo Salvetti and a new interior design concept by Ideaeitalia.

LOFTY FORMS AND TIMELESS ELEGANCE

Ferretti Yachts 1000 is the shipyard’s first 100% wide-body vessel. The exteriors espouse the same design outlook seen in the other recent models in the range. It has a sporty outline, with lateral glass structures aft and amidships. Teak plays a prominent role, appearing not only on the aft beach area but also on the curves of the hatch, the walkways, the stairs leading to the flybridge, and the external helm station. In addition, Ferretti Yachts 1000 is the company’s first ever vessel to feature substantial use of carbon: all of the superstructure, including the hard top, will be made of the material.

“Ferretti Yachts 1000 is the brand’s flagship and it heralds a new style based on even more simple and clean-cut forms. They give the yacht a strong, spontaneous and graceful appearance with an extremely fresh and vibrant silhouette. The new concept for on-board flows that has been introduced here is set to become an iconic part of all of the large vessels in the range. Designed with the future in mind, this new creation takes things to the next level for faithful Ferretti Yachts customers,” said Filippo Salvetti about the new flagship.

The elegant, modern interior design stays true to the nautical traditions that are an inherent part of the Ferretti Yachts DNA. The indoor spaces are highly versatile thanks to a modular layout that gives owners plenty of scope to put their own personal stamp on the on-board experience. It really feels like home. Lots of natural light pours through the large floor-to-ceiling glazed windows, which bring out the best of the surroundings and emphasise the close connection with the sea. The free-standing furniture adds a sense of lightness, while a degree of timeless style is established by the curves of the geometric detailing. Wood is the predominant material in the interior design scheme and a number of different types have been masterfully combined. Nonetheless, there is a feeling of perfect balance between the materials. Superior coverings and fabrics add delightfully soft, warm and comfortable sensations that offset the sheen of marble and glass. Simple yet sublime qualities shine through in every detail. Owners and their guests are made to feel welcome in every area. Fleeting fashions play no part in the spellbinding shapes, which nonetheless encapsulate the very moment when they were conceived.

One of the distinguishing features of the approach taken in the new partnership with Ideaeitalia is a choice between two different interior moods: classic, with soft, traditional tones and subtle contrasts, and contemporary, with bold colours and more urban and modern influences, underlining the widespread international impact on Italian style.

OUTSTANDING FEATURES OF FERRETTI YACHTS 1000

Ferretti Yachts 1000 presents a revamped stern concept with 40 m² of living space, which is on a par with super yacht sizes. It is an authentic beach club with direct links between the swimming platform and the cockpit, creating an open wellness area. Situated right next to the sea, it opens up all sorts of adventurous opportunities for owners, who can use the unprecedented outdoor entertainment zone however they like. A ground-breaking concept makes it easy to climb up when the swimming platform is under water. There are three steps on each side that open up as the platform lowers, extending the cockpit stairs. Ferretti Group has patented the design, which was entirely developed by the Engineering Department. On the starboard side there is independent access to the garage, which can accommodate a Williams Sportjet 445 tender, a personal watercraft and even 2 Seabob. A glass and steel railing runs around the aft side of the large cockpit, which contains two comfortable sofas and a central table that can be transformed into a coffee table or a dining table. The area can be complemented with free-standing items. It enhances the experience at anchor, as there are no architectural features that block direct contact with the surroundings.

The distribution of on-board flows has been innovatively overhauled: access from the cockpit to the flybridge is provided by two stairways and from there it is possible to reach the forward area, where complete privacy is guaranteed. Both of the side walkways on the main deck lead inside. From there, it is easy to get to the raised helm station and back to the flybridge and the forward area. Consequently, owners, their guests and the crew can all comfortably move around separately.

There is an exemplary approach to space and ergonomics, with a large lounge that looks directly out over the sea, a galley that is truly unprecedented in a yacht of this size, and a totally unique owner’s cabin. On request, the large floor-to-ceiling glazed windows in the lounge on the main deck can be made to open up on both sides. Along with the glass door at the entrance, they help to break down the visual barriers dividing the inside and outside, making it feel like a seafront terrace.

One of the yacht’s crowning glories is its multi-purpose galley, which is designed to satisfy even the most demanding owners. Spanning a huge 10 m², it boasts a comprehensive range of equipment. An electric wall opening system reveals a bar and joins it together with the dining area. Further facilities come in the shape of a laundry and storage area next to the galley. It provides access to the crew area, which sleeps five people altogether. As well as a large captain’s cabin, there are two twin cabins. The solutions underline the international nature of the design, which can cater to the needs of different markets and different on-board requirements. Ferretti Yachts 1000 is perfect for everything from family cruises to charter services.

With the standard layout, there are five cabins in the guest area: an owner’s suite on the main deck and four large double cabinsthat are all the same size on the lower deck. It is possible to have separate beds in the two forward cabins. Owners can happily stay in their own little private apartment with a full range of facilities, including a sizeable full-beam bathroom adorned with a perfect blend of marble and wood. It is a beautiful piece of exceptional workmanship. The rooms on the lower deck have been cleverly, rationally designed and the materials are exquisitely balanced.

PROPULSION AND TECHNOLOGY

Ferretti Yachts 1000, with twin MTU 16V 2000 M86 engines delivering 2638 mhp (optional), reaches a top speed of 28 knots and a cruising speed of 24 knots (preliminary data). 

On request, the new yacht can be equipped with a gyroscopic stabilisation system and stabilising fins to keep it as quiet and comfortable as possible both at anchor and out on the waves. Ferretti Yachts 1000 is classified as a recreational craft with CE marking.

Riverbed “Future of Work” Study Finds 95% UAE and Saudi Business Leaders Are Comfortable – But Not Fully Prepared – for Shift to Remote Work

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As organizations address the pressing need to adapt workforce models for the ‘new normal’, almost all (95%) business leaders in the UAE and Saudi Arabia state that they are comfortable with the broad scale shift toward remote work. Whilst there’s been digital investment in the region during the last few years, according to the Riverbed Future of Work Global Survey 2020, over two-thirds (68%) of UAE and Saudi organizations were not completely prepared to support remote working when the COVID-19 pandemic began.

“Businesses had already been accommodating more remote workers the past several years, but COVID-19 is accelerating this, and the office of the future will clearly look very different with a more flexible and hybrid workplace,” said Rich McBee, President and CEO of Riverbed. “This new study shows that business leaders are now much more comfortable with their teams working remote, however organizations must have the right technology in place to ensure greater productivity and a better remote experience as employees increasingly work from anywhere.”

Performance Issues Have Impacted Employees and the Business

Nearly all (97%) of the business leaders surveyed in the UAE and Saudi Arabia reported that technology performance issues impact the experience of their remote workers. The most common issues – all resolvable – include: frequent disconnects from corporate networks (43%), slow file downloads (41%), apps not working properly (40%), and long response times when loading apps (39%). When asked about the impact these issues have on the remote work experience of employees, business leaders report: increased technical disruptions or difficulties (44%), weaker employee performance and lack of productivity (41%), lack of clarity on strategic priorities (37%), and reduced direct services to customers or clients (37%).

Barriers to Success of a High Performing Remote Workforce

UAE and Saudi business leaders say the biggest barriers to success for ensuring the performance of a remote workforce are: training or manager support (43%), the need for software or technology to optimize or improve performance (40%), and the need for better visibility into network and application performance (37%).

“The last several months have given organizations a better understanding of the barriers to success for creating a high-impact remote workforce,” said Subbu Iyer, CMO at Riverbed. “It’s encouraging to see from the Future of Work survey and in conversations with our customers, that businesses and governments are planning to invest more in technology to boost remote work performance. Riverbed is fully focused on helping our customers maximize the performance and visibility of networks and applications, regardless of the physical location of where employees work.”

Remote and Flexible Workforces Expected to Increase Significantly

Despite challenges, more than one in five (22%) UAE and Saudi business leaders expect half or more of their employees to work remotely (full time or at least half time) after COVID-19. Additionally, on average, these business leaders expect 28% of employees to work remote after COVID-19. Globally, industries projecting the largest average percentage of their teams to work remote after COVID-19 are those less dependent on physical presence, including financial services (39% vs. 28% before the outbreak) and professional services (35% vs. 28%).

Business Leaders Investing In Technology for Remote Workforce Performance

To drive greater remote working performance, the large majority (79%) of UAE and Saudi business leaders plan to make additional technology investments – and 41% plan to make significant investments – in the next 12 months. These business leaders have already begun to identify their priority strategies and technologies to enhance remote work for their employees and their company. The top initiatives regional business decision makers plan to undertake in the next two years include:

  • updating company-wide remote workplace strategies and policies (48%)
  • deploying technology to automate remote network operations (47%)
  • re-evaluating and/or re-architecting the IT environment (46%)
  • gaining better visibility of network and application performance (45%)

Middle East business leaders expect to gain long-term benefits for their employees and bottom line as a result of increasing their remote workforce, including: better work-life balance (56)%; increases in employee retention (48%), savings from office space and related costs (48%); better use of technology 48%.

Work From Anywhere with Riverbed

Now more than ever, business leaders and IT teams are tasked with quickly scaling remote work models to maintain business continuity and employee productivity. Riverbed delivers solutions that maximize performance and visibility for networks and applications — regardless of location. Riverbed’s remote work performance solutions include Riverbed Client Accelerator and Riverbed SaaS Accelerator, and help organizations:

  • Reduce bandwidth utilization by 99%
  • Extend optimization to laptops for 33x faster application performance
  • Accelerate enterprise SaaS applications, including Office 365, by up to 10x

Additionally, Riverbed’s market-leading Network Performance Monitoring (NPM) solutions diagnose and troubleshoot network performance and security issues, delivering: 100% visibility of every packet, every flow and all networked devices; 53% reduction in network and app blind spots; and a 67% reduction of lost user productivity. Together, Riverbed’s NPM and Client and SaaS Accelerator technologies offer the most complete network visibility  and performance solution for working remotely.

70 SUNREEF POWER IN THE SPOTLIGHT

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Following the success of the 80 Sunreef Power and 60 Sunreef Power, the first 70 Sunreef Power is currently being built at the Sunreef Yachts shipyard in Gdansk, Poland. 

Due for launch in 2021, the first unit of the 70 Sunreef Power will be equipped with twin 850HP engines. Luxurious accommodation will be provided for up to eight guests thanks to the yacht’s 4-cabin layout including a vast master suite.

As all the catamarans within Sunreef Yachts’ new Power range, the 70 Sunreef Power is also equipped with an aft garage and hydraulic swim platform. Other models in the range include the 60 Sunreef Power, 80 Sunreef Power and 100 Sunreef Power.  

94% of Security Teams Start Threat Investigations with DNS but Under Use the Investment through the Hunt Cycle

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203 senior security and risk professionals reveal a missed opportunity to leverage DNS throughout the threat analysis and response cycle

As cyberattacks escalate, Infoblox Inc., the leader in Secure Cloud-Managed Network Services, and Forrester Consulting investigated how security and risk (S&R) teams are using their DNS investments. The 203 respondents to the Accelerate Threat Resolution with DNS study reveal they most often use DNS to detect and block threats early in the kill chain, identify compromised devices, and investigate and respond to malware.

The top findings, as detailed in this infographic, underscore DNS is an effective but under-utilized tool for threat hunting and resolution even as alert fatigue challenges security teams to scale:

  • 94% of S&R leaders either use or consider DNS as a starting point for threat investigations but only 43% of security and risk leaders rely on DNS as a data source to complete their investigations.
  • 66% of respondents use DNS to catch threats — from DNS tunneling/data exfiltration, domain generation algorithms (DGAs), and lookalike domain attacks — that other security tools miss but only 34% anticipate using internal DNS to stop malicious attacks at scale.
  • 52% of leaders cite alert fatigue among teams and 51% report challenges dealing with threat triage; but only 58% of teams incorporate some automated processes for incident response.

“It’s good to see the vast majority of security and risk teams recognize DNS as a powerful threat hunting tool,” said Anthony James, Vice President of Product Marketing at Infoblox. “At the same time, most companies are leaving money on the table by under-using their DNS investments. With 56% of leaders looking to improve security ROI, DNS can help save the day by providing a single pane of visibility into threats across the network and the edges.”

“DNS can also help automate some of the more repetitive tasks in threat hunting, freeing up security teams who spend an average of 4 hours per incident investigation to address more complex problems,” continued James. “DNS is one of the most cost-effective ways that companies can fortify their security and risk frameworks and maximize their existing security investments.”

Register for the EMEA webinar taking place August 19 to hear Anthony James from Infoblox and guest speaker David Holmes, Senior Analyst from Forrester, discuss the study’s findings.

Forrester surveyed 203 security and risk leaders from companies that earned more than $1 billion in annual revenue in the financial services, health care, education, retail, and government sectors for this report. Respondents include all levels of decision-making, including C-level (48%), VP (11%), Director (34%), and Manager (7%) roles across companies.

Fortinet Unveils Cloud-to-Cloud SD-WAN Solution to Simplify and Enhance Multi-Cloud Applications

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News Summary

Fortinet® (NASDAQ: FTNT), a global leader in broad, integrated and automated cybersecurity solutions, today announced Fortinet Secure SD-WAN for Multi-Cloud, a networking and security solution that solves common application performance, visibility, cost, and control challenges associated with multi-cloud deployments by enabling SD-WAN across multiple clouds and regions.

Most enterprises today – 93% by recent estimates – have a multi-cloud strategy in place and work with multiple cloud providers to meet a number of business needs, including disaster recovery, data backup, application resiliency, and global coverage. However, managing and securing an assortment of different private and public cloud workloads and environments remains a challenge, with many organizations choosing to connect their clouds via their on-premises data center WAN edge. The use of this type of traditional WAN infrastructure approach, though secure, inhibits multi-cloud capabilities and results in deployment complexity, inconsistent network performance, and expensive connectivity.

John Maddison, EVP of products and CMO at Fortinet

“For enterprises deploying applications and workloads across multiple clouds, the need to seamlessly manage connectivity and maintain security across the diverse infrastructure is higher than ever. Fortinet Secure SD-WAN solutions provide connectivity and security across diverse cloud infrastructures while optimizing application user experience. Fortinet enables enterprises to realize the true potential of SD-WAN by enabling it to be implemented anywhere. From home, campus to cloud, data center to cloud, and now cloud to cloud, Fortinet delivers the industry’s most scalable, cost effective and secure SD-WAN solution on the market.”

Fortinet Secure SD-WAN for Multi-Cloud is a new approach to establishing secure and high-performance connectivity between public cloud workloads running on multiple clouds without increasing cost and complexity. Available in all major cloud providers, Fortinet Secure SD-WAN for Multi-cloud enables a consistent network architecture leveraging SD-WAN capabilities between clouds and empowers application developers and enterprise IT to build a high speed and seamless cloud-to-cloud network and security architecture. Fortinet Secure SD-WAN for Multi-Cloud uniquely offers a secure and effective infrastructure for maximizing the benefits of enterprise multi-cloud deployments by:

  • Automating the deployment of a consistent overlay network across different cloud networks, reducing complexity and increasing agility to save teams time and resources.
  • Offers end-to-end visibility, control, and centralized management that unifies functionality across multiple cloud environments through cloud native integrations.
  • Securely transports application traffic between clouds without needing to backhaul through the data center, enabling better scaling of deployments and reducing latency.
  • Intelligently selects connections based on application characteristics employing dynamic path selection, improving performance and optimizing cost by selecting the best internet or leased line link.
  • Provides an application developer-friendly API to enable programmers the ability to consistently represent their network and security requirements.

Fortinet Performance Advantage On-Premises and in the Cloud

Fortinet delivers Secure SD-WAN as an integrated feature of its industry-leading FortiGate Next-generation Firewall, powered by the industry’s first SD-WAN ASIC to enable better application experience, higher performance, and better cost efficiency – with Security Compute Ratings up to 17 times better than competitor solutions. Fortinet Secure SD-WAN for Multi-Cloud, delivered via FortiGate-VM, a virtual appliance, is powered by Fortinet’s patented vSPU technology and maintains a performance advantage in the cloud, including over 20Gbps of IPsec performance – 10 times the industry average – for fast encrypted connections over internet and leased line links to reduce operational costs. By leveraging the broad FortiGate-VM footprint across all major cloud platforms, as well as market leading FortiGate appliances on-premises, enterprise organizations can benefit from cloud-agnostic consistent multi-cloud networks without compromising on security and performance.

Fortinet Secure SD-WAN for Multi-Cloud, which securely connects applications and workloads across multiple clouds, complements Fortinet’s existing Secure SD-WAN Cloud On-Ramp capabilities to securely connect users and offices to applications and cloud workloads. 

SD-WAN for the Entire End-to-End Enterprise

Fortinet delivers a Secure SD-WAN product portfolio designed for the entire end-to-end enterprise with physical appliances for large data centers, branch offices, remote sites, and home offices, as well as virtual appliances for multi-cloud deployments. Fortinet Secure SD-WAN’s ability to scale from home office to branch to cloud all tied to a single operating system via the Fortinet Security Fabric ensures networking and security policies seamlessly work across multiple environments and cloud platforms, enabled by the latest threat intelligence from FortiGuard Labs.

 

Successful Tech Strategies for Tackling Evolving Guest Expectations in the Hospitality Industry

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Elaine Shuck

By: Elaine Shuck, Solutions Marketing Manager, Global Hospitality Team, Aruba, a Hewlett Packard Enterprise company

Connectivity expectations in the hospitality industry have accelerated from simply providing mobile connectivity to leveraging wireless and wired network capabilities to make experiences increasingly home-like, while simultaneously improving operations and profitability.

With a range of innovations to select from, we foresee that the following three technology trends will headline your IT to-do lists — regardless of your brand’s size or type.

Trend #1: Know Your Guests Better Than Ever Before

Delivering home-like experiences starts with knowing even more about your guests than before. This requires gathering and leveraging a range of data and analytics for both individuals and in the aggregate. To do so, hospitality providers are focusing on the following:

  • Enable frictionless Wi-Fi access and enhance data collection. The first step to knowing your guests is ensuring they are on your network. By using a technology called Passpoint, your existing loyalty guests can transition automatically from their provider’s cellular network to your wireless network. Guests will enjoy the ease of connectivity and you’ll gain capabilities for immediately providing personalized offers. With data gathered at the point of entry, rather than after a guest initiates a connection, you gain new insights on traffic patterns, enabling you to position digital or other signage, offer related items or discounts, and tweak infrastructure as needed to deliver the best connectivity experience.
  • Get personal by adopting a proven technology ecosystem. Truly personalizing guest experiences requires making sense of collected data quickly and responding accordingly. That’s why simply deploying a specific Wi-Fi solution is no longer enough. You need to also evaluate Wi-Fi solutions for offering proven technology ecosystem partnerships that help you turn your networking infrastructure into a powerful personalization platform.

For example, an ecosystem partner can automatically gather data from multiple sources, such as access points, people counters and POS systems, turn it into insights about how people behave, and enable you to engage with guests based on their preferences or the profile you’ve established.

Or, perhaps you’re a cruise line – where terrestrial backhauls are absent when your ships are at sea – and want to utilize location technology to offer guests app-based wayfinding or give your staff the ability to track equipment and luggage in real time. In this case, you need an ecosystem partner that tightly integrates location data from your Wi-Fi gear with a vessel’s on-premise positioning and proximity marketing platform rather than the typical cloud-based service.

Trend #2: Morph Your Wi-Fi Infrastructure into a Robust IoT Platform

Advanced Wi-Fi 6 solutions pack so much intelligence into each access point that industry leaders are now approaching their wireless infrastructure as an IoT platform, capable of enhancing guest experiences and operational efficiencies.

  • Deploy one platform that speaks many languages. Investing in an innovative Wi-Fi 6 solution that supports several protocols, such as Bluetooth and Zigbee as well as Wi-Fi, eliminates the need to deploy a separate overlay network. The most comprehensive solutions offers access points with a USB port, allowing you to plug in a dongle if another protocol is needed. Multi-protocol capabilities can enable better integration with app-enabled services, like automatic door locks and environmental controls. As a result, guests experience a seamless journey that begins with selecting their desired room and personalizing their environment prior to arrival and then walking directly into a personalized space, just like at home.

Go greener with energy saving features. Another hallmark of a robust IoT platform is energy efficiency. Such solutions supply the capability for automatic power reduction, where access points put themselves to “sleep” when utilization subsides and “wake” when demand returns. This offers significant savings to anyone with large conference areas, dining rooms or any high-density location where traffic varies over time.

Boost staff safety and operational effectiveness. Improved operational effectiveness, including a staff that feels safer, also contributes to a home-like experience. That’s why hospitality IT departments are adopting location-enabled tools, such as panic buttons for hotel staff that can trigger a trace and report on an individual, even when he or she is on the move. For day-to-day effectiveness, these same solutions can also support trackers to help staff keep tabs on inventory, such as those often-elusive luggage carts, or even monitor a vendor’s staff members who are scattered throughout your property.

Significantly improve everyone’s physical security. In the wake of high-profile adverse events, your guests expect more advanced physical security systems. Established partnerships with leading IoT providers help ensure joint solutions are fully tested and interoperable, improving guest and associate safety from guest rooms to back-of-office. For instance, emergency response solutions can leverage your wireless IoT platform, giving first responders and security staff split-second situational awareness into an entire property. This includes locating and monitoring affected areas, viewing threat entry and exit points, time-stamping incident progress and conducting real-time communication between staff, responders, on-site contractors and guests.

Trend #3: Manage Infrastructure at Far-Flung Locations Centrally and Securely

At remote locations, where on-site IT staff is limited, it’s important for corporate IT departments to feel confident with network and application performance at such facilities, as poor guest experiences can damage loyalty and the brand. The maturing of software-defined branch networking gives you the option to centralize worldwide infrastructure deployments to enable secure, simplified branch connectivity at scale. New innovations include capabilities that support a Zero Trust security model at remote locations throughout your footprint and SD-WAN orchestration features that deliver unified SD-Branch management and secure connectivity for cloud workloads. Also, for those using a leading cloud platform provider, adopting an SD-Branch solution that offers proven cloud platform integration capabilities can maximize benefits.

Regardless of how you begin addressing the trends and strategies we’ve discussed, it’s critical for you to advance your experiences to match evolving guest expectations. Doing so also improves employee satisfaction and retention, making innovation a win-win for your bottom line.