5G to pave way for cloud
The tech wave in the UAE has engulfed all key sectors of the economy and IT experts have given the thumbs-up to uptake of cloud technology as more and more global players set up shops in the country.
Fadi Hani, vice-president for the MEA and Turkey at Avaya, said: “We’re very confident that the overall consumption of cloudbased technologies will continue to climb with the anticipated roll-out of 5G networks in the UAE. But more than that, the roll-out of 5G will completely revolutionise the way in which applications are consumed, unleashing a whole new wave of creativity in the development of these applications.”
Enterprises of all sizes are also taking note of how the cloud is enabling digital communications apps, which are rapidly diversifying as things stand today. Organisations are seeking simplified platforms through which they can manage all of their communications tools for internal or external audiences.
Rajesh Ganesan, vice-president at Manage Engine, said: “The cloud is no longer just a ‘market’, but is becoming one of the fundamental enablers of business. The need for businesses to be nimble, scale fast and graceful, respond to disruptions, deliver on high user experience standards and yet achieve and surpass business goals means technology becomes a strong underpinning. This includes capabilities like big data, IoT, artificial intelligence, machine learning, collaboration and integration among services which are crucial to digitally transform the way businesses operate today.”
Meanwhile, Canon Middle East announced the findings of its Office Insights 2018 research, which reveals that Middle East businesses are rapidly investing in cloud and mobile solutions at a rate far surpassing other Emea markets.
With a focus on the evolution of the digital workplace and addressing the business challenges identified in the research report, the company demonstrated its solutions and services designed to drive digital transformation at Gitex Technology Week 2018.
Ayman Aly, senior marketing manager at Canon Middle East, said: “Many businesses are still cautious about integrating mobile and cloud technology into the office landscape. Our aim is to continue providing support and education to our customers and business partners in the Middle East, to ensure that they are able to reach their full potential, no matter the size or nature of their industry.”
The report states that 83 per cent of Middle East respondents voted cloud-based document access as important or critical and 67 per cent are already using cloud solutions on a daily basis. Around 93 per cent of respondents use an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system to efficiently manage information flow across different departments or sites.
Yasser Zeineldin, CEO of eHosting DataFort, said: “Cloud adoption is shaping the way businesses in the UAE are moving towards their core objectives. Added to this is the fact that enterprises are consciously leveraging Cloud scenarios to optimise their application workloads. They are focused on being able to gain from the unique capabilities that the different Clouds offer and to optimise costs. Cloud adoption amongst businesses is expected to increase exponentially over the next few years. The adoption of cloud services in the UAE is providing added avenues for organisations to adhere to data protection regulations and being able to maintain regulatory compliance with service providers consciously adding value to their services by attaining relevant certifications.”
Similarly, Jeff Ogden, general manager for the Middle East at Mimecast, said: “The growth opportunity for Middle East cloud services is one of the largest in the world. Microsoft’s plan for datacentres in the UAE for example, is a clear indication of the growing interest in cloud. E-mail is usually one of the first platforms organisations move to the cloud. It’s the business application that IT departments are most comfortable giving to a third party to maintain. And cloud allows employees to access their e-mails and work anytime and from anywhere. It increases productivity and streamlines collaboration. The benefits are huge, but concerns remain around what happens when critical services like e-mail fail, creating security risks and disrupting workplace productivity. Organisations therefore need adopt a cyber resilience strategy to secure, preserve and continue the flow of information via e-mail.”