Channel Post MEA speaks with Fadi Kanafani, Managing Director – Middle East at NetApp about its participation at Gitex Technology Week this year and explains that the company will showcase its industry-leading solutions in Cloud, Business Continuity, Data Services, Hybrid Cloud, Artificial Intelligence and Security at the 5 days show.
Give us a brief snapshot of your organization.
NetApp is a global cloud-led, data-centric software company that empowers organizations to lead with data in the age of accelerated digital transformation. The company provides systems, software and cloud services that enable them to run their applications optimally from data center to cloud, whether they are developing in the cloud, moving to the cloud, or creating their own cloudlike experiences on premises. With solutions that perform across diverse environments, NetApp helps organizations build their own data fabric and securely deliver the right data, services and applications to the right people—anytime, anywhere.
Which products would you be showcasing at the Gitex?
NetApp will showcase its industry-leading solutions in Cloud, Business Continuity, Data Services, Hybrid Cloud, Artificial Intelligence and Security. We will also emphasize our data fabric vision as businesses rapidly look to make cloud their platform of choice.
Gitex is a platform for companies to showcase bleeding-edge technologies that empower businesses to not only accelerate the pace of their business operations but be sustainable. Among the big trends, this year is AI and cloud & edge computing, and it is undeniable that cloud and AI are two technologies revolutionizing how businesses store, access, analyze and use their data to gain a competitive advantage.
As a cloud-led, data-centric software company with AI-driven solutions, NetApp is strategically placed to address the business challenges that businesses have been facing over the past few months – business continuity being at the center. Our Data Fabric, which is a unified cloud data management solution allows businesses access to their data is anywhere and everywhere, in every form imaginable.
There continues to be a huge focus on AI in the Middle East region. In the current circumstances, we are seeing a lot of AI implementations in the healthcare sector related use cases around genomics research, and analytics. From a cyber security perspective as well, AI workloads will identify national security threats, financial irregularities, fraud, etc.
Which are the key industry verticals that drive your business?
NetApp caters to businesses and organizations across verticals, the key being governments and the public sector, healthcare, and oil & gas.
How do you think social distancing and COVID-19 compliance will impact this year’s Gitex?
As a global platform that Gitex is, we believe the authorities are taking every precautionary measure in accordance with all the health & safety guidelines set out by the local authorities, to provide exhibitors and visitors with a safe environment to do business.
What do you expect to gain from the show?
Much of 2020 has been about business continuity and building sustainable, secure and flexible IT infrastructures. We’ve seen how rapidly businesses have turned to the cloud to enable engagement with customers and employees. As a cloud-led, data-centric software company, our aim this year is to demonstrate the power of the cloud in enabling not just business continuity but also building the organization of the future. We expect more and more businesses to understand the power of the data fabric and are encouraging customers to take advantage of AI in making faster and better business decisions from their data.
To this effect, NetApp will engage with audiences through a mix of physical and virtual experiences at the show. We aim to give our visitors the flexibility of having access to our local experts as well as international solution specialists. Eventually, we will create an experience for our visitors that will reinforce the idea that NetApp is truly cloud-led.
Where can visitors locate NetApp at Gitex Technology Week?
Our booth is located at Hall 7 and visitors can find us at Booth No.: H7 – C10 during the Gitex Technology Week.
