ENTERPRISE TECHNOLOGY
data must remain as the centre point of
this transformation. Data will continue to
become even more distributed and dynamic.
In response to new challenges in the hybrid
cloud world, IT infrastructures, application
architectures and provisioning strategies
will evolve rapidly. Data is becoming self-
aware and metadata will enable data to
proactively categorise, analyse and protect
itself. Evolution from Big Data to Huge Data
will drive the demand for new solid state-
driven architectures. The ability to manage
data in a secure, reliable, immutable
and distributed way will emerge and
change the datacentre ecosystem.
Machine learning, artificial intelligence,
augmented and virtual reality and edge
computing will become more pervasive.
Video collaboration and security
The flagship of the Genetec IP security
portfolio is Security Center, the
company’s open-architecture, unified
security platform that blends IP security
systems within a single intuitive
interface to simplify operations. From
access control, video surveillance,
and AutoVu automatic license plate
recognition to communications,
intrusion, and analytics—Security
Center empowers organisations through
enhanced situational awareness, unified
command and control, and connectivity
to the cloud.
“Genetec is committed to deliver the
technology that addresses the continuous
growth and demand for enterprise-grade,
unified physical IP security solutions in
the region. Middle East countries such
as the UAE and Saudi Arabia hold a
majority of the revenues for the video
surveillance segment and are now taking
the lead in upgrading to and adopting IP-
based surveillance systems. The IP video
surveillance segment has demonstrated
aggressive growth over the years,” explains
Firas Jadalla, Regional Director Middle
East and Africa, Genetec.
The continuous growth in and
demand for enterprise-grade, unified
physical IP security solutions in the
region are largely driven by key factors
such as the growing construction
market, rising security concerns, and
increased information technology
spending. Most challenges in information
and communications technology
adoption and usage lie in the regulatory
environment with uneven records in
regulatory issues, weak ICT strategies,
chronic research and development
shortages, and ongoing weaknesses in
ICT implementation, Other identified
challenges include lack of budget, long
sales cycles, and market price sensitivity,
among others.
Unified communication trends in UAE enterprises
Daniel Schmierer, Area Sales Vice President for
Middle East and Africa at Polycom.
I
n October, Polycom launched the
results of a new study that aims to
understand the drivers and benefits
of current deployments in unified
communications across organisations
in the UAE. The study conducted by
Ipsos was commissioned by Polycom,
which highlights the potential of unified
communications solutions for organisations
aiming to meet the needs of an increasingly
connected customer and empower a mobile
workforce. The study found that 34%
of organisations surveyed are currently
investing in unified communications
solutions and report significant benefits for
the optimisation of resources and enable
better business operations.
18
Almost 52% of organisations in the
UAE report significant savings from
optimisation of travel allowances, while
41% highlight improved connectivity with
stakeholders both inside and outside
the organisations as being a key benefit.
38% said that unified communications
solutions have helped them drive
productivity and improve workflows.
The study further delved into
the current nature of unified
communications deployments,
highlighting that 44% of organisations
surveyed currently use these solutions
company-wide; with 35% reporting
that unified communications systems
are currently used by specific teams
and departments to enable expedited
communications and collaboration
between teams and offices.
Despite the notable benefits, the study
highlights key challenges that stand in the
way of unified communications potential
across the UAE; with 50% of organisations
citing limited integration with current
devices and infrastructure as being a key
limitation. 32% of organisations reported
high total cost of ownership, in addition to,
managerial and operational complexity as
being their biggest challenge.
The study finds that while today, 52% of
organisations in the UAE spend an average
of 10–20% of their annual IT budget
on unified communications solutions
and infrastructure; this is expected to
change in the year ahead, with 32% of
organisations confirming plans to increase
investment in 2018. 36% of organisations
report an interest in deploying cloud based
unified communications solutions in 2018,
in addition to 28% who are reported to be
working on plans to enable better network
performance, disaster recovery and
security capabilities.
Most notably, organisations
are beginning to see the benefits of
deploying unified communications
solutions to enable flexible working
options to better attract and retain an
increasingly millennial workforce. The
Study was commissioned by Polycom in
September 2017. The data was collected
through Computer-Assisted Telephone
Interviewing of 100 IT Managers and
decision makers across medium to large
organisations in the UAE.
Daniel Schmierer, Area Sales Vice
President for Middle East and Africa at
Polycom said: “With the right unified
communications solutions in place,
organisations can reap the benefits from
reduced travel expenses to improved
connectivity with stakeholders and
increased employee productivity.”
Issue 13
INTELLIGENT TECH CHANNELS