FUTURE TECHNOLOGY
customers to benefit from new innovations
and not aim to achieve lock-in” said Luis
Ortega, Managing Director, Middle East,
Africa and South Asia at IFS.
Digital transformation and cloud
key drivers
Every industry is being disrupted,
transformed by automation, intuitive
consumer experiences, machine learning
and an explosion of connected devices.
Enterprises are looking to consumerise
the user experience and improve
employee productivity and efficiency
by digitising workflows and employee
interactions, breaking down silos within
the organisation and automating tasks
through machine learning and AI.
What is interesting is the number of
companies that have employed or are
creating roles for a Chief Digital Officer
or similar. These innovators are looking
to consumerise and modernise the
workplace, and drive efficiencies. These
CDOs are looking for a platform for the
business as opposed to another tool and
this has driven a lot of our success across
the region.
“The cloud is another trend that is
disrupting the industry and driving
business. ServiceNow is increasingly
seeing adoption of cloud services as a
strategic driver in the private sector and
to a lesser degree in the public sector, as
enterprises look to improve their agility,
standardise processes and reduce cost and
complexity,” explains Mark Ackerman,
Sales Director, Middle East, ServiceNow.
In fact, in a recent survey ServiceNow
conducted, 52% of respondents reported
that they are taking a cloud-first approach,
a number which is expected to grow to
77% by 2018.
Concerns with cloud, particularly
around data sovereignty is still the
biggest stumbling block for SaaS
solution providers in the Middle East. As
mentioned above, while ServiceNow have
seen massive growth there is still a long
way to go for cloud to be accepted as the
new normal. ServiceNow believe it is just a
matter of time before all organisations will
have a very clear cloud adoption strategy.
Cloud first gains momentum
for channel
In terms of events, in May 2017, Epicor
hosted the annual customer summit where
it shared its regional strategy and product
roadmap with its customer base. In August
2017, Epicor hosted its International
Partner Conference in Dubai—bringing
together partners from across the globe,
excluding the Americas. At this year’s event,
Epicor were joined by four key partners,
RheinBrücke, Knowledge Web, Cork
Infotech and Index Infotech.
Key recent customer wins include
SIDDCO Group and Emirates Metallic
Industries Corporation in the UAE,
Havelock AHI in Bahrain, Ocean Fresh
Fish and Siniora Food Industries in
Jordan, and Abu Qafrh Holding in Saudi
Arabia. In June 2017, Epicor announced
that its international channel partner,
RheinBrücke, has signed a partnership
agreement with SmartWorld, to provide
businesses in Dubai South with access
to cloud ERP solutions, helping them to
better manage their business, automate
processes, improve operational efficiency,
and set their organisation on course
for growth.
“The January 2018 introduction of
VAT in the region has been a key driver for
both existing and potential customers to
adopt new business solutions as they look
to automate their business processes and
gain better control of their business,” says
Monzer Tohme, Regional Vice President,
Middle East and Africa, Epicor.
Customers with legacy ERP solutions,
particularly in the manufacturing,
hospitality and service sectors, are looking
to leverage next-generation technology to
address the full business spectrum. Another
driver is the ongoing adoption of cloud
Cybersecurity will
remain a strategic
priority for every
company and
organisation.
solutions by enterprises in the region, as
they look to capitalise on the improved total
cost of ownership that the cloud model
allows. Probably the biggest challenge is the
lack of key skills in the IT sector.
Mobile payment solutions fuel
geographic expansion
OMA Emirates has introduced new
services as well as implemented several
projects which have helped move into
new and uncharted avenues. The OMA
Emirates Benefit Beyond platform which
was previously focused only on being a
loyalty card now has several new services
added on to the platform and provides
customers with a wider range of end user
benefits. The new and enhanced offering
includes gift cards, prepaid cards and an
easy to use mobile application.
The need for customer satisfaction is a
priority and OMA Emirates is now working
with the fast-paced sectors of retail,
with Mobility solutions and Unattended
solutions for transport, entertainment,
and the growing parking services. And the
company also has a continuous focus on
Issuance solutions and services.
Digitisation has been on an upward
trend in the Middle East, especially within
the GCC with governments playing a key
role in paving the way for technology
advancements and innovations to be
utilised across the services they provide
for citizens and residents. “This has also
spearheaded the use of new payment
options by the financial institutions as well
as the retailers,” explains Niranj Sangal,
Group CEO, OMA Emirates.
There is a wider acceptance
of Mobility solutions and the
implementation of Unattended payment
solutions across Parking, Kiosks and
Vending Machines. However, the surge in
such solution usage can also be attributed
to the focused efforts being made to
provide safe, secure and convenient
modes for both payments being made as
well as for payment acceptance.
One of the primary inhibitors especially
in the payment domain is the high
technology costs. Simultaneously, the
skills required to manage and implement
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