The rise of the “always-connected” user is driving the need for best-of-breed solutions
Noman Abdul Qadir, Director – Channel at Citrix Middle East and Africa, speaks to Channel Post MEA about why GITEX is important for the company’s strategies in the region.
What sort of technology trends have you seen in the Middle East and Africa market over the past few months?
Our most recent data examining the adoption of mobile workstyles in the Middle East, conducted by YouGov, highlighted that companies are missing an opportunity to attract and motivate staff by offering a flexible working environment.
Less than half (46 percent) of employees report their companies equipping their staff with the technology to access data remotely and only one in ten (9 per cent) actively offering a policy known as BYOD – bring your own device – in the workplace.
2012 saw the proliferation of smart phone and tablet use, followed by the implementation of tools to harness these devices for business productivity. Subsequently in 2013, many enterprises are being faced with a huge number of different form factors, proprietary platforms and devices coming into the workplace – bringing the question of how they should be governed to the fore.
To securely manage corporate data across a mobile workforce, organizations need to proactively manage the information, apps and devices with the right policy and technology solutions. That means seamlessly delivering access to corporate networks from wherever staff may be and on whatever device they choose to work.
Which technologies do you think are the most-wanted technologies in the MEA region for sectors such as enterprise, SMB and end consumers?
With the Middle East being one of the world’s most connected regions, we are witnessing the rise of the “always-connected” user, and this is driving the need for best-of-breed solutions in cloud computing, mobility, virtualization, networking and security, and social collaboration.
With this in mind, our focus at Gitex will be to highlight how Citrix solutions portfolio can mobilize every aspect of work and bring the reality of mobile workstyles to any business in the region.
What do you plan to achieve through GITEX Technology Week this year? Can you please share your plans?
GITEX aims to provide an opportunity for everybody who is interested in technology to interact with one another and this year’s event is no different. Following our successful participation at the 2012 edition, Citrix is returning to the Middle East’s flagship ICT event to showcase a complete suite of market leading solutions that are helping our customers embrace mobile workstyles to succeed in a dynamic and mobile world, including:
- Mobility to work securely with people, data and apps from the latest devices.
- Desktop and Application virtualization, to transform Windows desktops and apps into Windows-as-a-service.
- Bring-your-own-device: to embrace conzumerization, empower employees and simplify IT.
- Enterprise Cloud Networks, to create a service delivery fabric for maximum performance, availability and scale.
- Unified Storefront, allowing businesses to build their own enterprise app and data store for greater mobility and security.
Do you plan to launch any new products or technologies at GITEX Technology Week this year?
Mobile workstyles are not just about devices, they are about people and the changing nature of work. This evolution has been amplified by the consumerization of IT and the rapid adoption of mobility and cloud.
As work becomes more complex and unpredictable, people need simple solutions that let them get more done, more quickly. At Gitex 2013, Citrix will highlight new ways for customers to mobilize their businesses by delivering desktops, apps and data as true on-demand cloud services from both private and public clouds, transforming how they operate, collaborate and innovate.
What’s going to be your theme at GITEX Technology Week this year?
Citrix will be showcasing its mobile workstyles vision, providing powerful new ways for people to work whenever, wherever and however they choose.
What sort of channel strategies are you going to follow this year?
Earlier this year, Citrix announced a global restructure to our channel partner program. As a result of this change, Citrix is launching two growth-oriented programs, an enhanced Citrix Solution Advisor (CSA) program and a new Citrix SaaS Advisor (CSSA) program.
Both programs are designed to make it easier than ever for partners to do business with Citrix. They also enable them to earn greater rewards, establish a competitive advantage in new and established markets and grow revenue by selling complete mobility, desktop virtualization, cloud networking, cloud platforms, collaboration and data sharing solutions which empower people to work and collaborate from anywhere and securely access apps and data on any of the latest devices, as easily as they would in their own office.
In the Middle East and Africa region, we are currently in the process of expanding our channel base in the next three to six months and with this we aim to have a wider partner network that will deliver value and partner differentiation to improve market reach, revenue and scale.
Do you have any specific engagement for your channel community this year at GITEX?
A number of our partners will be engaging with us at this year’s event some of which include Cisco and Wyse Technologies. The Citrix stand will be located at Hall 6 stand number CLD-14.
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