Zain forms strategic partnership with Microsoft and EBLA to serve KCB
Partnership to enable disaster recovery backup system outside Kuwait
• Al-Mudhaf: KCB one of first entities with emergency backup system on the cloud; project ensures continuation of offering services to citizens with same high efficiency in all circumstances.
• Al-Khashti: Zain offers exclusive high-speed and secure express route; company keen on further pushing digital transformation wheel in Kuwait.
• Arnaout: EBLA enjoys strategic relationship with Kuwaiti government entities; we stress our support to KCB’s digital transformation journey.
• Haddad: Microsoft’s vision meets KCB’s, proud of this collaboration to contribute in pushing digital transformation wheel.
KUWAIT: Zain, the leading digital service provider in Kuwait, formed a strategic partnership with Kuwait Credit Bank (KCB), EBLA Computer Consultancy, and Microsoft Kuwait, to enable the disaster recovery backup system project outside Kuwait using Microsoft’s cloud services, enabling KCB to retrieve its vital data from the cloud during unexpected emergencies.
The project launch ceremony witnessed the attendance of Kuwait Credit Bank’s Vice Chairman and Managing Director Salah Al-Mudhaf, Zain Kuwait’s Chief Corporate Communications and Relations Officer Waleed Al-Khashti, EBLA Computer Consultancy’s Chief Executive Officer Hilal Arnaout, and Microsoft Kuwait’s Government Sector Manager Ali Haddad. The ceremony also witnessed the presence of KCB’s Information Systems team, as well as Business and Government Relations teams from the partners.
Kuwait Credit Bank’s Vice Chairman and Managing Director Salah Al-Mudhaf expressed his pleasure on the occasion of launching KCB’s Disaster Recovery Backup Site project in collaboration with Microsoft and Dell EMC.
In a press statement following the project launch ceremony, Al-Mudhaf commented: “the finalization of the Disaster Recovery Backup Site project marks our second disaster and emergency site, as the first site was built in Kuwait a year ago, and is fully equipped to exactly match the main site, working in parallel with it around the clock and all year-round”.
Al-Mudhaf explained: “the second disaster recovery backup site exclusively saves a backup of our data on Microsoft’s cloud (outside Kuwait), making KCB one of the first entities in Kuwait to have a disaster and emergency backup site on the cloud. This also makes KCB the first institution in the State of Kuwait to use Microsoft’s Avamar Backup Cloud Technology in collaboration with Dell EMC”.
Al-Mudhaf stressed that the new project will ensure the continuation of KCB’s offering of its services to the citizens of Kuwait with the same high efficiency in all circumstances and situations. The project will allow KCB to face any attempts to sabotage its equipment, systems, and networks, while maintaining the safety and security of all its data.
At the same time, Al-Mudhaf pointed out that the project comes as part of KCB’s efforts to keep up with the latest technological advancements: “the bank’s executive management is keen on implementing saving policies by migrating all staff’s emails to Microsoft’s Office 365 service on the cloud, which alone saves nearly KD 20,000 annually for every 500 users”.
Al-Mudhaf explained that the new feat is added to KCB’s long list of achievements, as well as to the successes of the Information Systems team, whom along the years held the responsibility of transforming the bank’s transactions from paper to digital. The team also succeeded in preparing and defending the bank’s data networks against cyberattacks, an achievement that received great praise from various related entities.
Al-Mudhaf thanked the bank’s Information Systems Center for its great and continuous efforts, as well as the Council of Ministers’ Central Agency for Information Technology for their support to finalize the disasters and emergency site project.
During the ceremony, Zain Kuwait’s Chief Corporate Communications and Relations Officer Waleed Al-Khashti commented: “today we are proud of announcing yet another strategic partnership that brings Zain together with a leading governmental entity: the Kuwait Credit Bank, as we continue to expand our strategic partnerships ecosystem with the Kuwaiti public sector”.
Al-Khashti added: “we are also pleased to enrich our ongoing partnership with the world’s biggest tech leaders at Microsoft, and our colleagues at EBLA Computer Consultancy, with the joint aim of bringing forward the latest tech advancements to Kuwait’s enterprise community, both in the public and private sectors”.
Al-Khashti explained: “today, Zain and KCB’s visions come together to achieve the goals of the Kuwait National Development Plan (New Kuwait 2035) that stems from His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah’s conceptualized vision of a new Kuwait by 2035. Our presence today reflects the joint success of the collaboration between the public and private sectors in achieving the country’s developmental goals”.
Al-Khashti continued: “Zain’s role in this partnership is to offer a high-speed and secure express route to enable KCB’s disaster recovery backup system outside Kuwait using Microsoft’s cloud services. This service, which Zain offers exclusively in Kuwait, allows KCB to be prepared for any unexpected emergencies by swiftly and securely retrieving its data from the cloud”.
Al-Khashti concluded: “Zain’s promise will always be to present the best and latest services and solutions to serve the further progress of the enterprise ecosystem in partnership with the country’s various institutions. This stems from our goal to enrich our leadership position as the biggest digital service provider in Kuwait”.
EBLA Computer Consultancy’s Chief Executive Officer Hilal Arnaout commented: “data is the cornerstone of any organization, and preserving it is a great responsibility that lies upon the Information Systems team. Our gathering today is a success story for KCB, and it came to light because of the collaborative efforts of Kuwait’s biggest technology leaders; EBLA, Zain, Al-Diyar Al-Mutaheda, and Microsoft Kuwait”.
Arnaout added: “EBLA Computer Consultancy enjoys a strategic relationship with Kuwaiti government entities, and we also enjoy a relationship of collaboration and trust with Kuwait Credit Bank. We stress our commitment to support the bank’s digital transformation journey in all areas”.
Microsoft Kuwait’s Government Sector Manager Ali Haddad said: “Microsoft’s vision comes together with that of Kuwait Credit Bank, and we are proud of this collaboration that contributes to accelerating KCB’s digital transformation by relying on Microsoft Azure’s cloud in three key areas: business integration, artificial intelligence, and developing staff skills”.
Haddad continued: “KCB sets the best example in how adopting technology and advanced tools pushes the change, empowerment, enhancement, and transformation wheels. We know how digital transformation contributes in empowering organizations to redesign their tech potential, and how it takes them to new levels. Today Microsoft is proud to support KCB in their digital transformation journey, and we stress our support to the government of Kuwait”.
Haddad concluded: “Microsoft values the partnership with the government of Kuwait, represented by the Central Agency for Information Technology, who enabled us to offer other government entities with digital transformation tools, especially Kuwait Credit Bank”. Zain is extremely keen on supporting the various developmental projects and initiatives in the country, as such partnerships showcase the collaborative spirit between the public and private sectors. The company is also keen on contributing to the further progress of national economy, reflecting its leadership position as a leading national company in the Kuwaiti private sector.