Intelligent Tech Channels Issue 13 | Page 7

ISSUE 13 EDITOR’S COMMENT www.intelligenttechchannels.com PUBLICATION Intelligent briefings for Middle East and Africa channel partners 2017 IN REVIEW Key executives look at gains and challenges for the channel across the year (Left to right and top to bottom) Ali Saleh GE Digital, Chris Wiese Credence Security, Christian Putz Pure Storage, Jason Roo Mimecast, John Hathaway BeyondTrust, Luis Ortega IFS, Mark Ackerman ServiceNow, Monzer Tohme Epicor, Niranj Sangal OMA Emirates, Ossama Eldeeb VMware, Savitha Bhaskar Condo Protego, Shahnawaz Sheikh SonicWall. Measured approach to data management Rich Communication Suite to displace WhatsApp Good and the Bad of 2018 JOHAN SCHEEPERS, DIRECTOR, MEDHAT KARAM, CEO NICOLAI SOLLING, CTO COMMVAULT ARPUPLUS HELP AG EDITOR’S NOTE 2 017 was still a good year. In this issue of Intelligent Tech Channels, we present the regional industry’s take on the year gone by. Despite the hugely challenging market conditions dominating the region, vendors and tier-one distributors have continued to invest in channel partner enablement and the creation of opportunities for channel partners to boost both their top and bottom line margins. The upside and downside of cloud have been equally spectacular across the year. Vendors report seeing increasing interest levels in cloud adoption from their enterprises and readiness to go the cloud-first route. But they also report all-round hesitation in data privacy issues as also managing the complexity of hybrid cloud adoption. Governments and public-sector organisations continue to take the lead in championing digital transformation, an all-encompassing headline that now stands for technology solutions built around the convergence of IoT, smart solutions, mobility, software-defined everything, 5G, social, analytics, 3D printing, virtual reality, robotics and other such converged and enabling technologies. Vendors and tier-one partners like Mimecast, BeyondTrust, IFS, Credence Security, SonicWall and Epicor ran aggressive partner enablement programmes across much of 2017 and also expanded their net new relationships with channel partners. Credence Security launched its forensic security business division and SonicWall launched its professional services programme, both meant to enable channel partners to grow top and bottom line margins. On the flip side, channel partners continue to be challenged by the relentless changing technology cycles and the need to keep pace with the number of new vendors entering the region with new platforms. The lack of solution depth and specialisation among channel partners, the Managing Partner Richard Judd [email protected] excessive numbers of vanilla channel players and the need to continuously invest in skills development, certifications, and number of qualified engineers, has created a shakeout among channel partners across the region. Vendors continuously point out to channel partners about their requirements for channel partners to specialise in solution competency. Adding to these challenges are the volatile macroeconomic conditions that are inhibiting vendors from investing in the regional channel and increasing the lead times for generating returns from the local environment, while reducing the availability of funds. Moving on, the plus side of cloud technologies is creating a joyful rainbow for enterprises promising them cost savings, removal of organisational silos and business agility. In a recent survey conducted by cloud vendor ServiceNow, 52% of respondents reported they are taking a cloud-first approach, a number which is expected to grow to 77% by 2018. 76% of businesses in the Middle East and Africa region think that cloud and on-premise should complement one another rather than compete. ServiceNow believes it is just a matter of time before all organisations will have a very clear cloud adoption strategy. The vendor is increasingly seeing adoption of cloud services as a strategic driver in the private sector and to a lesser degree in the public sector. But ServiceNow also points to various reasons for the start and stop cloud approach across the region. Data sovereignty is still the biggest stumbling block for SaaS solution providers in the Middle East. While ServiceNow has seen massive growth, there is still a long way to go for cloud to be accepted as the new normal. Gentle reading! Arun Shankar Editor Managing Partner Stuart Lynch [email protected] Editor, ITC Arun Shankar [email protected] Editor, ICIO Middle East Mark Bowen [email protected] Editor, ICIO Africa Emily Freer [email protected] Editor, ICIO Europe Alix Pressley [email protected] Business Development Manager Susan Paul [email protected] [phone] Head of Design and Production Pippa Sanderson [email protected] Marketing & Content Development Manager Nick Onyett [email protected] Lynchpin Media 2017 © Intelligent Tech Channels is a Lynchpin Media publication for IT professionals with an interest in the Middle East. If you wish to apply for regular free copies then please email [email protected] Lynchpin Media is a boutique publisher registered in the United Kingdom. Company number 8096230 5 Burnside Court Leominster Enterprise Park Herefordshire, HR6 0LX 7