Smartworld, one of the leading master systems integrator and next generation ICT service provider in the Middle East, has been elevated to elite partnership status from Juniper Networks Inc., a leading American manufacturer of networking equipment.
The new level of partnership, which reflects reinforced ties between the two parties, is expected to add more value to Smartworld’s diverse portfolio of services and products.
The move also proves to be very timely as recent industry reports have shown that the Middle East region’s IT spending is expected to reach $192.9bn before the end of 2013.
According to Smartworld senior executives, being included as one of Juniper Networks elite partners will allow us to leverage the company’s wide range of high-performance Internet Protocol network products, which includes routing, switching, security, application acceleration, identity policy and control and management systems, across various industry verticals in the region.
Smartworld is also looking to increase its Middle East market share while at the same time satisfy the demands and requirements of their customers and stakeholders. With the upgraded partnership status in place, Smartworld will now be able to offer customized high-performance network infrastructure built on simplicity, security, openness, and scale depending on each customer requirement.
“We are very humbled by the strong vote of trust and confidence given to us by Juniper Networks. Being named as an elite partner will help us bolster our market share in the region’s thriving IT industry,” said Hani Esber, Senior Sales Manager, Smartworld.
“The Middle East is expected to increase its IT spending this year and is positioned to reach $192.9bn – wherein a large fraction of this will be spent on improving data centre facilities and enhancing connectivity capabilities. Our enhanced level of partnership will not only give us added value to the services and products we offer but will also give our customers the security and confidence of a world class leading brand name like Juniper Networks,” he added.
A recent report from Gartner, a leading IT research and advisory firm, shows that the forecasted IT spend of $192.9bn reflects a 5.5% increase from the previous year. The report also states that the increase in spending will be driven by key markets such as security, storage management and customer relationship management. In addition, the report also sees an increased level of investment in 2014 across markets aligned to big data and other information management initiatives, like enterprise content management, data integration tools and data quality tools.
“The Middle East region’s IT landscape is rapidly changing—adopting key technologies and innovations that are at par with their counterparts from the other side of the globe. Working closely with Smartworld as one of our elite partners bring us one step closer towards achieving our vision of creating a connected planet that unleashes a great wealth of possibility, innovation, and discovery that cannot be measured,” concluded Mario Georgiou, Area Partner Director – Middle East & Africa, Juniper Networks.
