Articles Archives - Page 30 of 54

Canon Partners with Copatra Graphics

Posted on January 23, 2019 | by root

Canon Partners with Copatra Graphics to further its Commitment to the Saudi Arabia’s Graphic Art Industry

Canon Saudi Arabia, the leader in imaging and printing solutions, today announced a strategic partnership with Copatra Graphics, a leading provider of printing and media solutions in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. With this collaboration, existing and prospective graphic art customers across the Kingdom will have access to Canon’s innovative, technology-led solutions, designed to deliver high quality and efficiency.

Canon Saudi Arabia, reporting to regional headquarters Canon Middle East, was formally established in 2018 to support growing demand for business solutions in the Kingdom. The company’s largest regional direct presence operates from Riyadh with two branches in Jeddah and Khobar, with the aim of directly contributing to Saudi’s economy and industry diversification strategy as outlined by Vision 2030.

With over 50 years of experience in the Saudi market, Copatra Graphics today provides high quality solutions to the printing, packaging, and graphic art industries to a variety of businesses across the region. This strategic partnership aims to extend Canon’s reach in the sector to meet customer requirements for Wide Format and Production Print Products in the Kingdom. As Canon’s partner in the region, Copatra Graphics will benefit from the company’s technology expertise to better deliver business success by recognizing and seizing new opportunities in the industry.

The alliance strengthens Copatra’s portfolio to include the latest solutions from Canon such as Canon’s imagePROGRAF inkjet products and Colorado 1640 wide format printer, powered by UVgel, amongst other innovative products. Experts in the industry have indicated that more than 40% of production jobs need to be turned around within 24 hours and a majority of those are same-day orders. This is accompanied by a growth in print volumes in the wide format marketplace in the recent years. Canon’s UVgel print technology provides a significant competitive advantage by filling this gap to unlock additional value for customers.

‘Over the last few years, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has witnessed significant growth within the graphic art, publishing and printing sectors, which has driven demand for revolutionary technology to boost productivity and ensure high quality. Copatra Graphics’ extensive market reach and experience in this industry makes them the ideal partner for us to extend our commitment to businesses in Saudi Arabia looking to tap into new opportunities.’ commented Shadi Bakhour, B2B Business Unit Director for Canon Middle East. He added ‘This partnership will go a long way towards strengthening our ability to deliver our suite of solutions to our customers in the Kingdom and we look forward to extending our collaboration well into the future.’

According to a report by the Printing Industries Research Association (PIRA) the Saudi print industry is presently well established with significant market potential in digital printing for suppliers of print equipment, consumables and print service providers. It is set to expand at 5.5% by value across 2017£2022 to pass $7 billion by the end of this period.

Yasser Anan, CEO of Copatra Graphics said: ‘We are excited to partner with Canon, a proven leader in the imaging and printing industry. Our position as one of the pioneers in the regional graphic arts industry, along with Canon’s value proposition will provide us with the edge we require to lead this competitive local market and most importantly enhance our customer’s experience. Together with Canon, we will continue to deliver quality, productivity and profitability in the Kingdom.’

Flying High

Posted on January 22, 2019 | by root

Flying High

Gama Aviation is a global business aviation services organisation, operating over 230 aircraft, with bases across Europe, the Americas, Asia and the Middle East. We caught up with Oliver Hewson who provided us with a detailed insight into the inner workings of the award-winning company.

Established in 1983, Gama Aviation is a global business aviation services organisation, operating over 230 aircraft, with bases across Europe, the Americas, Asia and the Middle East. The firm’s headquarters are located at Farnborough Airport in the United Kingdom, where Gama Aviation Plc is a publicly listed company.

Gama Aviation offers VIP aircraft management and charter, FBO handling and maintenance services, special mission support, consultancy, and aviation software solutions. Their clients include, Governments, Corporations, Ultra High Net Worth Individuals, Heads of State, and Special Mission Organisations. In the majority of cases – aside from public tenders ‘ the firm are approached by their clients via referrals and recommendations. Going into further detail about the firm, Oliver begins by informing us of the strategies Gama Aviation employs to achieve success within such a dynamic industry.

‘Here at Gama Aviation, we make business aviation simple for our aircraft owners and clients by leveraging our organisation’s Scale, Breadth and Depth. Recently, we helped an Asia-based Gulfstream owner who had been struggling with a management transfer for an ‘N’ registered aircraft. Using our expertise and process, the client’s challenges were resolved within a two-week period, something it had taken the incumbent three months to debate without conclusion.’
When discussing the role staff play in the success of the firm, Oliver is keen to highlight how each member of the team at Gama Aviation ensure that they deliver their high-quality services to clients.

‘Safety is the most critical component of our business, so our clients benefit from access to the industry’s most experienced Postholders in our various Air and Ground businesses, including departments such as Safety & Quality, Flight Operations, Ground Operations, Senior Management, Engineering and FBO Operations. Our aircraft operation is accredited by IS-BAO and our Sharjah FBO holds IS-BAH accreditation, so our staff work to the highest industry standards and safety procedures. Despite being a global organisation, we ensure our clients have responsive access to our local experts.’

Looking ahead to what the future holds for the firm, Oliver signs off by revealing the exciting plans
which lie in the pipeline for Gama Aviation, especially following their recent success in MEA Market’s Business Excellence as the Leading Aircraft Management and Charter Service Provider 2018 ‘ Middle East.

‘In the Middle East in 2019, we will be focused on completing the build of our new $40 Million investment at Sharjah International Airport which is a state-ofthe-art Business Aviation Centre, including 25,000sqm of apron parking, 11,000sqm of hangar space, maintenance facilities, new VIP passenger and crew facilities, and new regional offices for our staff. In addition to this, we are also planning to grow our managed fleet of jets in Saudi Arabia using our GACA Part 125 Operating Certificate: so far our aircraft management services have been received extremely well in the Kingdom and we look forward to helping more aircraft owners with remaining compliant with the new GACA rules.’

Contact: Oliver Hewson

Company: Gama Aviation

Address: Hangar 2, Gate 3A, Sharjah Airport, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates

Telephone: +97165027703

Website: www.gamaaviation.com

Falconry In The Middle East: What’s The Fascination?

Posted on January 16, 2019 | by root

Falconry In The Middle East: What’s The Fascination?

An ancient hunting art perfected over thousands of years, falconry is a majestic sport that requires talent, intuition and passion. Over the years it has practically died out, but in countries such as the UAE it still reigns supreme, with many paying thousands and spending many hours honing their craft and training truly exceptional birds. Staff writer Hannah Stevenson explores the region’s continued love of bird of prey and why they remain a key part of many people’s lives.

Falconry is an ancient practice whose regal connotations go back centuries. Originally used for hunting, falcons were also a status symbol among the wealthy and influential. Today, thanks to the cost and time constraints of keeping these birds, as well as the licences required, falconry is not as common, and birds no longer hold the status they once did.

Despite the vast amounts of money, time and expertise needed to successfully keep, breed and hunt with falcons and other birds of prey, they remain incredibly popular in the Middle East, where many royals, wealthy individuals and even ordinary members of the public continue to enjoy flying falcons.

A few years ago a Reddit post showcased the true extent of the Middle East’s love affair with falconry, when a user shared a picture of a plane filled with hawks, allegedly owned by a member of the Saudi Arabian royal family.

Although the ownership of the birds is not verified, they symbolise the Middle East’s on-going passion for the sport. At the end of 2018 Gulf Today reported a 30% year-on-year increase in participation in the Sharjah Falconers Club Championship ‘ (Telwah).

Many may not be surprised by the Middle East’s continued fascination with falconry, particularly since many animals are still used as status symbols in the region. For example, camel racing remains a popular sport and many racehorses and pedigree dogs are owned by MEA residents who wish to use these animals as a symbol of their wealth and power.

Gary Timbrell, CEO of the International Association for Falconry and Conservation of Birds of Prey explores how falconry originally came to the Middle East and how far it has come over the years.

‘Western falconry almost died out. In Europe from the Middle Ages it gradually became the pastime of the rich, who then excluded the ordinary people. Then guns were invented that were a much more efficient method of getting food. By the 19th century, European falconry was hanging on by a thread. It struggled through the first half of the 20th century and then, in the £60s and £70s was hit with a sudden plunge in the peregrine falcon population.

‘In 1976 the late Sheikh Zayed brought together falconers and conservationists from all over the world to discuss two things: why the peregrine was in decline and how falconry and its traditional values could be revived. He was successful in both his visions: the falconers and conservationists worked together to discover the cause for the peregrine’s sudden demise (agricultural pesticides like DDT) and to restore the world population by captive breeding and release. Now there are more peregrine falcons than ever before in the history of mankind.

‘His Highness’ vision to revive falconry and its values also worked: first of all, he encouraged his own people to continue practicing ancestral values, while enjoying the wealth that modernity brought to his nation. The fact that falconry had never quite sunk in the Arab countries to the low level it had in Europe, helped a lot.

‘Sheikh Zayed and his sons, their Highnesses Sheikhs Khalifa, Mohammed and Hamdan, were all instrumental in the 2010 inscription of Falconry on the UNESCO Lists of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Mankind. Eighteen countries, led by UAE, are now part of this inscription and they will be joined in the next two years by at least five others. This initiative, which included the International Falconry Festivals in Abu Dhabi of 2011, 2014 and 2017, enabled falconers from up to 90 different countries, often countries where one or two falconers were just clinging to their passions, but sometimes from countries where authentic communities were still practicing the falconry of their ancestors, to come together and discuss and work out ways to save their heritage.’

Thanks to the sport’s popularity in the region, it hosts many exhibitions and events, where international falconry fans gather to share their passion. Gary explains the excitement these events evoke.

‘In 2017 International Festival of Falconry, held in the Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed School of Falconry and Desert Physiognomy, near Remah, and in Khalifa Park in Abu Dhabi City, the values of traditional falconry were apparent on an amazing level, young people and old people mixing and learning from each other, 25-30 languages, people communicating even though they did not speak the same languages, no political or national differences, I have never experienced anything like it in my life.’

It is this shared passion and openness that is perhaps what sets the Middle East, in particular countries such as Qatar and the UAE, apart in terms of falconry. Whereas in Europe and America the sport is confined to a limited number of dedicated practitioners, in the Middle East there is a collective focus on falconry as a hobby, and it is this that has led the region to become one of the largest markets for falconry in the world. This passion for falconry offers businesses an insight into the mindset of the region, with its focus on prestige and heritage, and also provides many exciting opportunities for companies in this sector and many others to capitalise on the region’s passion for birds of prey.

From Scalability to Customization

Posted on January 14, 2019 | by root

From Scalability to Customization-Why Industry 4.0 is Helping Middle East Manufacturers Grow

By: Terri Hiskey, Vice President of Product Marketing for Manufacturing at Epicor Software

Manufacturers in the Middle East must do things differently to win market share in today’s environment. To survive and thrive, manufacturers must focus on growth, and one of the ways they can achieve this is to leverage Industry 4.0 technologies. In fact, according to research from PwC, for businesses in the Middle East, Industry 4.0 creates the potential to reap cost savings of US$17.3 billion per year and gain US$16.9 in incremental revenue.

Industry 4.0 is all about doing things differently’introducing automation and data exchange in manufacturing technologies. It includes cyber-physical systems, the Internet of Things, and cloud computing. The goal is the “smart factory” with cyber-physical systems capable of autonomously exchanging information, triggering actions, and controlling each other independently. This facilitates fundamental improvements to the industrial processes involved in manufacturing, engineering, material usage, asset performance and management, and supply chain and lifecycle management.

While there is a great deal of discussion about the various technology enablers of Industry 4.0, I feel it’s more crucial to reframe the discussion around the business benefits. Industry 4.0 isn’t a technology initiative. It’s the future of manufacturing as we know it. It’s not just about improved performance and efficiency; investments into new manufacturing technologies enhance agility, flexibility, and speed-to-market when designing and launching new products and services.

Adopting an Industry 4.0 approach also provides the means to navigate change. Regional manufacturers are reinventing their business models to focus on value-added services, and/or entering new geographic markets or adjacent market segments. Today’s Industry 4.0-outfitted factories are empowered to drive productivity, and this keeps costs down while ensuring quality and consistency across manufacturing processes globally.

From a business perspective, Industry 4.0 supports four major tenets of operational execution’interoperability, information transparency, actionable insights and automation.

These tenets in turn, support several business imperatives. These include:

Scalability: Automation in the factory gives manufacturers the ability to transition personnel to more value-added activities, and provides the foundation to extend and expand product and service offerings. As they look to expand globally, automation maintains process consistency across locations. This also allows manufacturers to focus on what they do best to find and refine their sweet spot. This moves manufacturers into a more advantageous position from taking on every job to taking on those jobs the organization can do well, while achieving the best profit margins.

Cloud technology is central to Industry 4.0. It allows manufacturers to scale operations by focusing more on core competencies versus IT operations. Many small to mid-market manufacturers have limited IT staffs; they must be very strategic with IT resources. The cloud is the great IT equalizer-giving small and mid-market enterprises access to leading software capabilities, while freeing them from having to monitor and manage infrastructure. The cloud also gives manufacturers the ability to spin up computing power, providing agility to help organizations ‘rise to the occasion’ when needed.

Security and redundancy: As digitization in the factory continues, security implications grow and a sophisticated and layered approach to security is critical. This is challenging for manufacturers who may not have the security resources in-house to adequately address this growing challenge. Again, leveraging a cloud-hosted software model can give manufacturers the ability to confidently charge forward in their Industry 4.0 initiatives.

Control and visibility: In an increasingly complex and global manufacturing enterprise, a single digital thread across all operations is needed to support responsiveness, improve collaboration, reduce risk, and streamline compliance requirements. Visibility from order entry to inventory to finished product is required to inform customers, partners and other stakeholders as to status at any time.

Customer experience: This visibility is key to providing the omni-channel order and fulfilment options that customers demand today. It’s also critical to support co-creation’the ability to collaborate with customers and suppliers. Making business processes transparent and/or open to engagement from customers and suppliers can support improved satisfaction, stronger relationships and loyalty.

Customization: Mass market manufacturing has given way to personalization and customization. This entails shorter production runs and the need to switch out lines more often. Manufacturers need to be able to configure and reconfigure the shop floor quickly and easily to avoid expensive machine and line downtime. Velocity is the new business currency.

Technologies such as augmented reality can help reduce lag time between design and production. 3-D printing is pivotal in this area. To date, the use case for rapid prototyping has proved to be a game changer, and other broader use cases are now coming into focus. These include 3-D printing for spares or replacement parts’providing the ability to improve responsiveness for customers at a time of need.

Additionally, manufacturers also benefit from 3-D printing of replacement parts’another game-changing value proposition when you consider all the benefits ‘ reducing the acquisition time and cost of parts, especially for old or obsolete parts, and enabling manufacturers to implement speedy repairs that significantly reduce downtime while extending equipment shelf-life and return on investment.

Innovation: Crucially, manufacturers need to address whether the business systems they have in place are ready to support the journey toward Industry 4.0. Product Lifecycle Management (PLM), Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES), and Computer Aided Drafting/Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAD/CAM) all must be integrated to support the move toward increased digitization and customization.

So many regional organizations are spending many IT cycles on integration (a necessary evil), which takes away from their ability to focus on innovation (competitive advantage). This integration albatross is the subject of a study by Accenture, who reports a typical IT budget may allocate up to 90% to maintaining the current state and just 10% on innovating’a ‘technology debt’ that is bankrupting competitive advantage.

The boundaries between production and management must disappear, and ERP, MES and other critical systems must form an integrated unit if businesses are to realize the growth opportunities presented by this new age of intelligent manufacturing. Evaluating the existing IT environment is the first step to understanding how ready’or unprepared’Middle East manufacturers are for Industry 4.0.

Turkish Intellectual Property Law

Posted on January 10, 2019 | by root

Turkish Intellectual Property Law ‘ An Overview

By, Nigar Guliyeva, is an Associate at K?l?n’ Law & Consulting and has experience and expertise in corporate and commercial law.

Turkish Intellectual Property Law is closely aligned with EU Law and international norms. However, it has many unique features which those doing business in Turkey need to be mindful of, to ensure their IP remains secure. Nigar Guliyeva is an Associate at K?l?n’ Law & Consulting, an Istanbul-based commercial law firm, and she provides a fascinating overview of the market today.

Turkish Intellectual Property Law was dramatically updated by the introduction of the Industrial Property Code No. 6769 (the ‘IP Code’) in January 2017. The new IP Code replaced a patchwork of older laws and decrees. The Code also made significant procedural and substantive changes. These included provisions bringing Turkish Patent Law into line with the European Patent Convention.

The IP Code operates alongside the Law on Intellectual and Artistic Works No. 5846, Turkish Commercial Code No. 6102 and the relevant international agreements to which Turkey is a signatory. These include the Paris Convention, the Berne Convention, the Madrid Protocol, the Hague Agreement and the Patent Cooperation Treaty.

Turkish IP laws are broadly harmonised with the EU’s ‘acquis communautaire’. As a country keen to encourage foreign direct investment, Turkey operates a modern and robust IP regime. Both registered and unregistered IP are protected. As regards unregistered IP, Turkish Law recognises copyright in respect original works. The IP Code also protects unregistered design rights for novel designs of individual character for 3 years from when the design was made public.

However, it is preferable to register IP rights. For instance, while an unregistered design is protected for 3 years, a registered design is protected for 5 years, renewable to a maximum of 25 years.

Trademarks

The registration of a trademark in Turkey is valid for 10 years from the date of application. A trademark can be renewed indefinitely for additional ten-year periods.

An applicant must submit a completed trademark application form, with the relevant fees, to the Turkish Patent and Trade Mark Office.

The form is in the Turkish language and, if the applicant is based overseas, they must use an authorised Turkish trademark attorney. Multi-class applications are permitted. An initial review is conducted to determine whether the procedural requirements are met. The application then proceeds to an ex officio examination, resulting in a determination as to whether the application meets the absolute requirements. If so, the application is published for opposition.

A third party may oppose an application on absolute grounds, such as that it is insufficiently distinctive. An application may also be opposed on relative grounds, for example by arguing that the trademark is likely to cause confusion.

If no opposition is raised within two months, the application is granted and proceeds to registration. In this case, the entire process would typically take 9 to 12 months. If opposed, opposition proceedings may take an additional 6 to 8 months.

If an application is refused, it is possible to appeal within two months. If a trademark application is granted, it is published in the Official Trademark Bulletin.

Trademarks can be cancelled if they have not been used for 5 years. Any third party claiming a prior right can also make a court application to cancel a trademark. However, if they have not done so within 5 years of the granting of the trademark, any rights they may have may be deemed forfeited.

Patent applications

In order to obtain a patent in Turkey, an applicant has to prove the novelty of their design, that it involves an inventive step and that it is capable of industrial application.

Certain categories are excluded from patent protection. These include scientific theories, mathematical methods and artistic works.

The patent application process involves applying to the Turkish Patent and Trademark Office with the appropriate fees and documents. If a decision to grant a patent is made, this is published in the Official Bulletin. Third parties then have six months to object. The grounds for objection include that the patentability conditions have not been met and that sufficient details of the invention have not been disclosed. Once granted, a patent lasts for 20 years.

Utility models

Registering a utility model is an alternative way to protect a new invention. Like a patent, a utility model requires an invention to be new and capable of industrial application. However, a utility model does not need to involve an inventive step. These less onerous requirements make utility model registration easier to obtain. The registration process is simpler and quicker. However, a disadvantage is that utility model registration will only protect an invention for 10 years, whereas a patent lasts for 20 years.

Geographic indications

Signs indicating the geographic origin of a product ‘ such as Champagne or Scotch Whisky – can be registered in Turkey under the IP Code. This means that products with a reputation for quality linked to a region or country can obtain protection.

Licences

Licences for the use of IP may be registered with the Patent and Trademark Office, but this is not compulsory. Registering a licence can however make it easier and quicker for a licensee to enforce their rights.

Enforcement

Specialised courts are available to hear cases of patent and trademark infringement. The Courts of Industrial and Intellectual Property Rights are based in Ankara, Istanbul and Izmir. Elsewhere in Turkey, the local civil courts deal with IP infringement. A patent holder must take legal action within 10 years of the infringing act. A trademark holder must ordinarily take legal action within five years of the infringement. However, if the infringement is in bad faith, there is no limitation period.

The available remedies include preliminary injunctions, damages, seizure of goods and court orders prohibiting infringing acts.

Further general protection is offered by the Turkish Commercial Code No. 6102, which prohibits unfair competition, including unlawfully benefiting from the IP of a third party. Both civil and criminal penalties are set out.

There are also specific criminal remedies for trademark infringement in the IP Code. Anyone commercially selling infringing goods is liable to a prison sentence of between one and three years and a fine.

As international investment increases, Turkish IP Law is increasingly relevant to global companies and anyone selling products into Turkey, or doing business there.

Gearing Up for Growth

Posted on December 7, 2018 | by root

Gearing Up for Growth’Critical Success Factors for Middle East Manufacturers

By: Terri Hiskey, Vice President of Product Marketing for Manufacturing at Epicor Software

It’s an exciting time, with manufacturers gearing up for growth, investing in equipment, new manufacturing modalities such as 3D printing, and software to support digital transformation and new collaborative, connected factory floor competencies.

Expect cloud, the Internet of Things (IoT) and analytics to be key areas of technology investment for manufacturers across the region. While these have been topics of conversation and exploration for a while, manufacturers are now moving past the design and concept stage to full-on production execution and deployment of these technologies.

Cloud ‘ from strategy to action

Now is the time for Middle East manufacturers to put a cloud readiness plan into action. The cloud is quickly levelling the playing field, enabling even smaller manufacturers to leapfrog older, more established manufacturing players.

Aside from bringing about improvements in responsiveness, agility and costs, the cloud is helping businesses transform. As manufacturers shift away from traditional on premises systems to cloud-based ERP they are taking advantage of new capabilities to transform their business and optimize processes. What’s more, it’s enabling the surfacing of information from even the most far-flung and darkest recesses of the organization and transforming this data into insights necessary to run and drive their business.

The IoT Imperative ‘ Start Small, Start Today

The application of Big Data and the IoT continues to offer growth opportunities as insights gleaned from various internet-connected devices enable even more targeted customer engagement and business revenue channels as well as the ability to support operational efficiencies. The McKinsey Global Institute says that despite the immense potential factories have for value creation in the IoT era, an estimated 70 percent of data captured in manufacturing goes unused.

While most manufacturers recognize the promise of the IoT, many’especially small and midmarket manufacturers’have taken a ‘wait and see’ approach because IoT initiatives can seem daunting. They don’t have to be. You don’t need to boil the ocean; there are likely processes that can be IoT and/or cloud enabled that represent low-hanging fruit in your manufacturing organization. Start there (and start now!).

According to PriceWaterhouseCoopers, 55% of businesses will see ROI from the IoT in two years or less. This means manufacturers who have begun to put the IoT to work may already be starting to gain traction with these initiatives. To this end, it’s important to get moving with understanding how and where the IoT can aid your business.

Retool Your Business for the Next-Gen Workforce

Much has been written about the so-called ‘Great Shift Change,’ as Baby Boomers head toward retirement and Millennials continue to enter the workforce in droves. Today more than 1 in 3 workers are Millennials and they now comprise the largest faction of the workforce.

Regional manufacturers must re-think their relationship with these digitally-literate workers and retool their organizations to leverage technology to motivate and empower this next-generation workforce. Sitting at the intersection of workers and systems to unite information and execution, technology plays a vital role in reducing complexity, improving the quality of work life, and enhancing productivity. Business systems that are intuitive and accessible can assist Millennials wanting to have an immediate impact in the workplace.

Stepping Up to ‘Servitization’

In the past few years, we’ve seen the emergence of new disruptive business models, and this trend is only set to continue. For example, the emergence of the ‘distribu–facturer‘ where distributors’under pressure to provide more customer value’are now adding services such as light manufacturing or kitting, and manufacturers are doing the same to extend their value by offering field service and maintenance options.

As organizations align their offerings to meet a wider array of needs and requirements throughout the customer journey, this creates opportunities to capture greater revenues and competitive differentiation. But as they branch out to serve a broader range of customer needs, and get closer to the end consumer, customer experience becomes more critical.

Embracing analytics for better decision making

With globalization and disintermediation, supply chains have gotten more complex and business more competitive. Supply chain visibility and responsiveness is key to know when there are deviations to plan and move quickly to ensure customer obligations can be met. Over the years manufacturers have leaned out manufacturing processes and cut costs as much as possible. The supply chain is fast becoming ‘the new frontier’ for opportunities to lower costs, improve responsiveness and reduce risk.

The customer experience imperative mandates widespread collaboration and visibility across the entire manufacturing value chain-shop floor operations and top floor operations must be connected. Siloed systems that stand in the way of a clear ‘line of sight’ from the manufacturing floor to the finance office will impede organizations.

Manufacturers must be able to make sense of business data quickly to understand the greatest business opportunities and threats that must be addressed to support growth and profitability’and be able to answer key questions about their business such as:

How are we doing sales-wise, up/down, month-over-month and by territory?
What are the inventory levels, how much is in stock versus demand?
What is the status of our outstanding accounts payable (AP), accounts receivable (AR) and cash flow?
How are we tracking regarding on time shipment performance, supplier/procurement scorecard, waste/cost on the manufacturing floor, etc.?

This enables course corrections and fine tuning of go-to-market strategies, customer management, planning and inventory management, and financial health.

Seizing the Day with Strategic Technology Investments

This time of year is an important one for Middle East manufacturers; it’s time for smart strategic moves. Focused investments in the cloud, the IoT and analytics will enable manufacturers to seize opportunities today, and also be prepared to embrace change and whatever lies ahead in 2019 and beyond.

ADCB launches ADCB Emirati

Posted on December 7, 2018 | by root

ADCB launches ADCB Emirati- bespoke banking service for UAE nationals

ADCB Emirati is available in two variations, “Emirati” for the ambitious young generation and “Emirati Excellency” that offers sophisticated and exclusive wealth management solutions.

Abu Dhabi, UAE: Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank (ADCB) has announced the launch of ADCB Emirati, a comprehensive banking and lifestyle service offering tailor-made solutions exclusively for UAE Nationals. Keeping in mind the goal of supporting upcoming and current Emirati generations, the new service is built around the values, ambitions and needs of the young Emirati.

By signing up for ADCB Emirati, customers can benefit from priority services such as a dedicated relationship officer, valet parking, and a special queue at ADCB branches. Access to a 24/7 dedicated contact center along with preferential rates and fees are also included. ADCB Emirati also entitles customers to TouchPoints Rewards, ADCB’s award winning loyalty program that gives reward points redeemable instantly at a wide range of retailers towards miles, vouchers, bill payments and more.

ADCB Emirati offers several other additional benefits that include Shari’ah compliant solutions, and hand-picked offers and discounts from a range of partners across lifestyle, entertainment, shopping, dining and even travel. ADCB Emirati customers can also benefit internationally starting from discounted booking rates from selected partners and complimentary access to the Diamond Lounge at the VIP Terminal in Abu Dhabi International Airport and a range of international lounges.

ADCB Emirati is available in two variations, ‘Emirati’ for the ambitious young generation and ‘Emirati Excellency’ that offers sophisticated and exclusive wealth management solutions along with day to day banking needs.

Hassan Sajwani, Head of Emirati Segment, ADCB said: ‘As a proud Emirati, the customer’s success is driven by their values, traditions and ambitions that we strive to support. Hence, we have created an entirely new banking experience called ADCB Emirati. It’s designed to fulfill the customer’s individual financial and lifestyle needs as an Emirati, giving them unparalleled access to exclusive products and services, preferential rates and lifestyle and dining offers.’

Global Finance names QIB as the safest Islamic Bank in Qatar

Posted on November 27, 2018 | by root

Global Finance names QIB as the safest Islamic Bank in Qatar

Global Finance evaluates the ratings and total assets of the key players in each region

Doha, Qatar: For the second year in a row, New York-based Global Finance Magazine has named Qatar Islamic Bank (QIB) the safest Islamic Bank in Qatar in 2018. Marking a new addition to its list of achievements, QIB was also recognized as the 2nd safest Bank in Qatar and the 11th safest Bank in the Middle East.

Global Finance evaluates the ratings and total assets of the key players in each region, providing an overview of which financial institutions offer the greatest safety for customers and stakeholders. The rankings are recognized as a trusted standard of financial safety for over 25 years. The Banks were selected through an evaluation of long-term foreign currency ratings from Moody’s, Fitch, and company reports.

The ranking reflects QIB‘s successful growth strategy, prudent financing policies, and its disciplined approach to risk management. Over the past few years, QIB‘s leadership has been working on a business strategy to build a long-lasting competitive advantage by introducing new products and services, boosting service performance, upgrading the Bank’s risk management framework, and migrating to new technology platforms that allow the Bank to better serve its customers. The successful implementation of this strategy has contributed to the Bank’s leading position in Qatar and the region.

QIB’s Group CEO, Mr. Bassel Gamal commented on the news: ‘Recognition from a trusted source like Global Finance is a testament that our business approach, to place the financial safety of our customers first, is working. We are in business to support the growth of the country and the prosperity of all the people living and working in Qatar. To do so successfully, we need to be a responsible Bank in everything we do. That is why we apply a well-thought, conservative risk management approach from the way we provide credit and ensure our own funding to the introduction of new innovative digital services which are rigorously tested and retested before we made them available to our customers.’

In the first nine months of 2018, QIB achieved a net profit of QR2,005.3 million, representing a growth of 13% for the same period in 2017. Total assets of the Bank have increased by 1.4% compared to December 2017, and now stand out QR152.5 billion. Financing activities have reached QR106.4 billion and have grown by 3.7% compared to December 2017. Total income for the nine months period, ending in 30 September 2018, was QR 5,108 million, registering 8.2% growth compared to QR 4,722 million for the same period in 2017, reflecting a healthy growth in the Bank’s core operating activities.

In June 2018, Fitch Ratings affirmed Qatar Islamic Bank at ‘A’ with a stable outlook, and Moody’s Investors Service (“Moody’s”) affirmed long-term deposit ratings to QIB at ‘A1’. In April 2018, Standard & Poor’s (S&P) affirmed the Bank’s credit rating at ‘A-‘, and Capital Intelligence Ratings (CI) has affirmed the Bank’s Financial Strength Rating (FSR) of ‘A’.

The ‘Middle East’s Top 50 Safest Banks’ list was published in the November 2018 issue of Global Finance, an industry-leading magazine that provides a valuable source of financial industry data to 192 countries. Each year the magazine releases its ‘Safest Banks’ ratings covering the global and emerging markets.

DBS bank announces five-year wealth expansion plan in the Middle East

Posted on November 27, 2018 | by root

DBS bank announces five-year wealth expansion plan in the Middle East

Dubai branch to serve as strategic hub for bank’s Middle East private banking arm

Dubai branch to serve as strategic hub for bank’s Middle East private banking arm

Announces new senior-level appointment and plans to double headcount and triple revenue for private banking operations

DBS, Southeast Asia’s largest bank and the only Asian bank among the top six wealth managers in AUM for Asia (ex-China onshore), today announced its expansion plans in the Middle East over the next five years. Catering to a growing wealth segment that looks towards Asia for investment opportunities, DBS aims to make its Dubai office a strategic hub for its Middle East private banking arm, positioning itself as the partner of choice for clients wishing to access the Asian market. With over SGD 518 billion in assets, DBS has a diverse employee workforce from over 40 nationalities across 18 markets, and is strongly positioned to be the Asian partner for a growing Middle Eastern investor segment.

Along with its expansion plan, DBS also unveiled its new and expanded office premises located at the heart of Dubai’s financial hub, DIFC, where it aims to double the headcount for its private banking operations by 2023. Over the past seven years, total revenue of DBS’ Dubai branch has witnessed a significant growth rate of 20% per annum. Targeting the region’s growing presence of ultra-high net worth (UHNW) and high net worth (HNW) individuals, family offices and sovereign wealth funds, the bank also aims to triple its revenue over the next five years by focusing on increasing client diversity, spread and penetration.

As part of its extended offering, the bank is building a bespoke investment portfolio including private equity funds within growth segments such as e-commerce, health technology, real estate, logistics and fintech across growing Asian markets; structured products in key segments for China and India; dual currency loans; and REIT Initial Public Offerings with underlying assets in Europe and North America.

Said Tan Su Shan, Group Head of Wealth Management and Consumer Banking, DBS Bank, ‘As the former Development Bank of Singapore, DBS believes that Dubai and Singapore are strongly linked by their shared values of innovation, technological progress and visionary thinking, making Dubai a natural choice for a regional hub. Wealth in the Middle East remains on the rise, with the number of UHNW clients with more than USD 500 million in assets in this region projected to increase by 28% ‘ from 390 in 2017, to approximately 500 in 2022[1]. With Middle East client appetite for Asia wealth solutions growing, DBS is well-positioned to support our Middle East clients in accessing Asia’s growth opportunities through our strong Asian network, innovative investment solutions and world-class digital capabilities.’

‘In the next few decades, global economic growth will be fueled by the growth in Asia, with predictions that China, India and Indonesia will dominate the rankings of top economies in the world[2], helped by its large, young population and technologically wired smart nations. DBS, as one of the region’s largest and safest banks, plays to this pivot to Asia. As the world’s leading digital bank, we are also well positioned to capture the major digital trends in the region.’

As part of its expansion plan, the bank also announced the senior-level appointment of Rudiger von Wedel as Head of International, DBS Private Bank, effective 19 November 2018. Based in Dubai, he takes over from Rob Ioannou, who will be moving on to lead DBS’ wealth, trust and estate planning business, as well as drive the build out of DBS’ Single Family Office offering and Australian desk. Rudiger, who will be reporting to Lawrence Lua, Deputy Head of Private Bank, is a veteran in the industry and was most recently Chief Executive Officer of the Global Wealth Division of the National Bank of Abu Dhabi (NBAD).

Established in March 2006, DBS’ Dubai branch became the first Singapore-based bank to receive a banking license at the DIFC. The bank’s ‘AA-‘ and ‘Aa1’ credit ratings are among the highest in the world. Globally, the bank was recently named ‘Best Bank in the World’ by Global Finance and ‘World’s Best Digital Bank’ by Euromoney in recognition of its global leadership. DBS was also awarded for its strong private banking offering, having recently won ‘Best Private Bank in Asia’ and ‘Best Private Bank for Innovation’ at Private Wealth Management/The Banker’s 2018 Global Private Banking Awards.

Creating a GDPR Compliance Framework

Posted on November 23, 2018 | by root

Creating a GDPR Compliance Framework with Security Technology as one of the Pillars

By: Rabih Itani, Regional Business Development Manager, Security, Middle East and Turkey at Aruba, a Hewlett Packard Enterprise company

Cyber criminals today are attempting to penetrate your organisation’s network to try to get hold of critical assets with most looking for the valuable personal identifiable information (PII). It is a fact that cybersecurity attacks are on the rise all over the world, and the Arab world is no exception. There are even some recent reports stating that the Arab countries are among the ones facing the highest number of attacks. Meanwhile in EU, GDPR was launched back in May 2018 to create a new benchmark for personal data protection, and its influence was felt far and wide. It is now the template for privacy laws throughout the world. So how can organizations in the Middle East create a framework to ensure attacks are dealt with in a GDPR-aware manner, minimising fines, reducing breach-related costs, and ultimately better protecting the personally identifiable information?

There has been a lot of talk of GDPR over the last year, so organizations today understand the serious repercussions of non-compliance and many have put basic frameworks in place with a focus on two pillars – ‘people’ and ‘process’.

People – GDPR stipulates the appointment of a data protection officer (DPO) for any organisation that is a public authority that has a core activity involving the monitoring of individuals on a large scale, or the processing of large volumes of sensitive data. The DPO needs to have a thorough knowledge of GDPR and have an independent voice within the organisation.

Process – Many organizations’ GDPR approach so far has been data mapping ‘ identifying where, why and how personal data is being used, while also eliminating any unnecessary data processing. Once this is done, each organisation has a foundation from which to ensure secure policies and processes are in place.

While the two GDPR pillars ‘ ‘people’ and ‘process’ have been looked at, there has been a bit of lag in the use of the third pillar – ‘technology’ ‘ which plays an important role in detecting attacks and crucially, responding to attacks. Do organisations need to rip and replace existing cybersecurity tools?

Let’s now look at the technology aspects of data protection and GDPR:

Technology: Security Solutions to the rescue

A GDPR security strategy should look at 4 technology areas. By applying good quality security solutions to each of these areas, security teams and the DPO can together manage the inevitable exposure to the risk of cyberattack:

Network Access Control (NAC)
Businesses today embrace the idea of anywhere, anytime connectivity, but have largely ignored the need for secure NAC. Many employ a laid-back ‘connect now, secure later’ NAC philosophy. Others simply choose the same vendor for security that they use for network infrastructure. Both of these approaches give the illusion of security’even compliance’but in reality, leave extensive security gaps.

Network access control (NAC) offers, at a minimum, authentication of a user or device. With mobile access now the norm and Internet of Things devices connecting to the network, the only way to ensure proper access is maintained is to go beyond simply validating credentials. The next level beyond this is to tightly control who and what is authorised to access IT assets, including personal information.

With advanced NAC, the IT team knows where personal data is located. They can use NAC to stipulate who is entitled to access that information and under what circumstances. In an ideal world, NAC and policy management solutions will provide device discovery, role-based access to IT assets and a closed-loop, policy-based attack response. For complete convenience, it should also integrate seamlessly with existing network infrastructure, perimeter security systems and service and support offerings.

Assurance
The next level of protection relies on the fundamental security of the underlying network infrastructure. If data can be easily tapped off the network in normal day-to-day business flows and process, the chances of a breach increase.

This is where technologies such as equipment tamper-proofing, encryption, key management and secure network administration are critical to the overall security strategy.

Breach Detection
GDPR requires the reporting of a data breach within 72 hours. Many existing systems can take almost all of this time to detect and generate the required event information.

While prevention is better than cure, early detection of a breach is a close second. There’s a huge range of different technologies and products available that find attacks before they do damage.

Today more and more attacks are specifically designed to breach traditional defences. It is because these exploits almost always result in the loss of personal information (and a quick sale on the Dark Web) that new approaches to attack detection are required. For example, a high volume of breaches make use of valid credentials, which means phishing attacks and social forensics are one of the biggest risks. The result is the bad actor using legitimate credentials to execute an attack that may take days, weeks or even months to unfold. How do you stop an ‘attack’ using valid credentials to tap information the real user has a valid reason to access?

Because these are previously unknown attacks, it’s no use to look for a signature or pattern to detect them. This means IT and security teams introducing an additional level of monitoring that complements existing defences, one that uses new types of attack detection such as machine learning to detect small behavioural changes that suggest an attack has occurred. Actions can range from requiring re-authentication or quarantining to totally blocking network access.

Machine learning can establish a ‘risk score’ based on the characteristics of suspected unusual behaviour and how these characteristics differ from the norm. This helps organisations to prioritise their resources and investigate suspected attacks before they do damage.

Response to Breach
The GDPR’s breach notification requirements are very clear when it comes to what an organisation must do when a personal data breach occurs. These include notifying the regulator within 72 hours of being ‘aware of the breach’ and notifying impacted individuals ‘without undue delay’. The notifications must include details of the breach including:

The type of data, type of exposure and the number of individuals involved
The probable consequences of the breach
Any mitigation actions taken

So, in the unfortunate event that a breach occurs, the DPO and his team need to rapidly gather the facts: what happened, the scope of the damage, and a plan of containment and remediation. This all has to be communicated to the regulators and authorities in a clear, concise manner. It is vital they have the tools and solutions to deliver this information efficiently. Any delays in gathering this information could cost the organisation dearly, both reputational and financially.

In conclusion, GDPR ‘compliance’ is not fully defined by the law and will be determined in part by rapidly advancing security technology capabilities and evolving best practices. Only technologies that are open and interoperable will make it through to the next generation of cybersecurity defences.

Gearing Up for Growth’Critical Success Factors for Middle East Manufacturers

Posted on November 22, 2018 | by root

Gearing Up for Growth’Critical Success Factors for Middle East Manufacturers

By Terri Hiskey, Vice President of Product Marketing for Manufacturing at Epicor Software.

Terri Hiskey, Vice President of Product Marketing for Manufacturing at Epicor Software.

Cloud ‘ from strategy to action

The IoT Imperative ‘ Start Small, Start Today

Retool Your Business for the Next-Gen Workforce

Much has been written about the so-called ‘Great Shift Change,’ as Baby Boomers head toward retirement and Millennials continue to enter the workforce in droves. Today more than 1 in 3 workers are Millennials and they now comprise the largest faction of the workforce.

Stepping Up to ‘Servitization’

In the past few years, we’ve seen the emergence of new disruptive business models, and this trend is only set to continue. For example, the emergence of the ‘distribu-facturer’ where distributors’under pressure to provide more customer value’are now adding services such as light manufacturing or kitting, and manufacturers are doing the same to extend their value by offering field service and maintenance options.

Embracing analytics for better decision making

How are we doing sales-wise, up/down, month-over-month and by territory?
What are the inventory levels, how much is in stock versus demand?
What is the status of our outstanding accounts payable (AP), accounts receivable (AR) and cash flow?
How are we tracking regarding on time shipment performance, supplier/procurement scorecard, waste/cost on the manufacturing floor, etc.?

This enables course corrections and fine tuning of go-to-market strategies, customer management, planning and inventory management, and financial health.

Seizing the Day with Strategic Technology Investments

Middle East Outpaces Global and EMEA Averages in Deployment of Hybrid Clouds: New Global IT Research

Posted on November 22, 2018 | by root

Middle East Outpaces Global and EMEA Averages in Deployment of Hybrid Clouds: New Global IT Research Report

Research Suggests Cloud Interoperability and App Mobility Outrank Cost and Security for Primary Hybrid Cloud Benefits; Public Cloud Only is not a Panacea, 91% State Hybrid Cloud is Ideal IT Model

Aaron White, regional director, Middle East at Nutanix

Nutanix, Inc. (NASDAQ: NTNX), a leader in enterprise cloud computing, today announced the findings of its first annual global Enterprise Cloud Index, measuring enterprise plans for adopting private, hybrid and public clouds.* The new report found enterprises plan to increase hybrid cloud usage, with 91% stating hybrid cloud as the ideal IT model, but only 18% stating they have that model today. The findings also revealed that application mobility across any cloud is a top priority for 97% of respondents ‘ with 88% of respondents saying it would ‘solve a lot of my problems.’ Additionally, the report found public cloud is not a panacea; IT decision makers ranked matching applications to the right cloud environment as a critical capability, and 35% of organizations using public clouds overspent their annual budget. When asked to rank the primary benefits of hybrid cloud, interoperability between cloud types (23%) and the ability to move applications back and forth between clouds (16%) outranked cost (6%) and security (5%) as the primary benefits.

Key Findings from the Middle East

‘ The Middle East runs slightly fewer workloads in traditional data centers and outpaces the global and EMEA regional averages in its deployment of hybrid clouds, with 22% penetration reported as compared to the global average of 19% and EMEA average of 17%.

‘ Today, the Middle East runs half (50%) of its workloads in private and hybrid clouds. However, in two years’ time, the region indicates plans to decrease its traditional data center workloads by more than half, drop its use of private clouds by 7% and increase hybrid cloud usage by the same amount. It also plans to increase its use of public cloud services by up to 10%.

‘ The Middle East ranks data security and compliance as the top benefit of the public cloud and as the top criteria for where to run its workloads, even more often than its peers in other regions Those priorities are followed by cost and performance, values that fall in line with responses from the rest of the world.

‘ Public cloud use shows the most growth in the Middle East over the next two years, where use of a single public cloud will grow by 10 percentage points and use of multiple public clouds will grow by 6 percentage points. Public clouds will then account for more than a third (36%) of the region’s overall workloads, followed by hybrid clouds at 29%, and private clouds and traditional data centers, collectively at 35%

Nutanix commissioned Vanson Bourne to survey IT decision makers about where they are running their business applications today, where they plan to run them in the future, challenges in setting up their cloud environments and how their cloud initiatives stack up against other IT projects and priorities. The survey resulted in approximately 2,300 respondents from multiple industries, business sizes and geographies in the Americas; Europe, the Middle East, Africa (EMEA); and Asia-Pacific and Japan (APJ) regions.

In roles centered on agility and digital transformation, IT teams understand that runtime environments for enterprise apps change constantly. Respondents indicated a need for greater orchestration and application mobility across cloud environments, as they seek flexibility to move apps to the ‘right’ cloud on a more dynamic basis. In addition, shadow IT practices that circumvent enterprise IT teams are posing a significant challenge to forecasting and controlling public cloud spend with well over half of respondents (57%) reporting one or more incidents of shadow IT.

Other key findings of the report include:

? Hybrid cloud better addresses business needs over single public cloud, including the price tag: 87% of respondents said that hybrid cloud as an IT trend is having a positive impact on their businesses, and more hybrid cloud users reported all their needs were being met (49%) compared to single public cloud users (37%). Furthermore, organizations that use public cloud spend 26% of their annual IT budget on public cloud. Perhaps most striking is the fact that only 6% using public cloud came in under budget, while nearly six times as many (35%) overspent in their use of public cloud resources

? Security is top of mind for determining workloads: 71% of respondents surveyed for the report ranked data security and regulatory compliance as the top factor in determining where to provision their workloads. This was followed by performance at 62%, ease of management at 53%, and cost at 52%.

? App developers today are circumventing IT: 57% of respondents said their developers are circumventing IT when it comes to deciding where applications run, putting the organization at potential risk.

? Finding hybrid IT talent is difficult: With clear benefits to a hybrid model, respondents say scarcity of hybrid experts is a challenge, with 54% claiming talent retention is part of the problem.

? EMEA is expected to surpass the Americas with hybrid cloud adoption: Regionally, the Americas reported greater use of hybrid clouds now (22%) and within 12 months’ time (31%). However, the two-year outlook has EMEA (43%) surpassing the Americas’ hybrid plans (39%) and APJ (39%) catching up.

‘As enterprises demand stronger application mobility and interoperability, they are increasingly choosing hybrid cloud infrastructure,’ said Ben Gibson, chief marketing officer for Nutanix. ‘While the advent of public cloud has increased IT efficiency in certain areas, hybrid cloud capabilities are the next step in providing the freedom to dynamically provision and manage applications based on business needs. However, the findings of this study reveal an important gap in the market: organizations need IT talent to manage their hybrid cloud models, especially in the next 12 to 24 months.’

Aaron White, regional director, Middle East at Nutanix says, ‘It is clear that hybrid cloud is the future. Hybrid cloud capabilities constitute a growing necessity in the dynamic, digital business climate, in which enterprises demand the freedom to dynamically provision and manage applications based on business needs. Reaching this ideal IT operating model will require more comprehensive hybrid vendor solutions, as well as greater expertise in designing, building, and operating hybrid clouds.’

To learn more about the report and findings, please download the full ‘Nutanix Enterprise Cloud Index 2018’, here.

*For the purposes of this study, hybrid cloud ‘describes the combined use of at least one private cloud and at least one public cloud service, with some degree of integration between the two cloud environments.’

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