Intelligent CIO Middle East Issue 15 | Page 71

INDUSTRY WATCH

Can you tell me about your company ? And describe your role ? SSH is a planning , infrastructure , building design , construction supervision and project management firm in the Middle East , with a reputation for design integrity and a portfolio that includes landmark projects throughout the region . Headquartered in Kuwait , the firm maintains offices in Abu Dhabi , Algeria , Bahrain , Dubai , Iraq , Kuwait , UK , Oman , Qatar , Saudi Arabia and South Africa .

Founded in 1961 , we employ over 1,200 high-caliber local , regional and international experts in their individual fields , most of whom are from globallyrenowned international consultancy firms . We ranked 3rd architecture company in the Middle East amongst the top 100 Architects in the world and number one design firm in the culture sector in the World by World Architecture Magazine . We were also ranked in 92nd place amongst ENR ’ s Top 225 International Design Firms , the 2nd highest ranking firm in the Middle East in 2016 .
SSH ’ s multifaceted practices include architecture , urban design and planning , structural and civil engineering , MEP / building services , interior design , highway and bridge engineering , storm water drainage , utility design , sanitary engineering , marine engineering and district cooling , in addition to high-profile project management and construction supervision services .
Can you describe recent ICT project initiatives and how they have better served as a business purpose ? ICT serves varying roles within any organisation depending on its maturity and efficiency . Immature ICT is , at best , a supplier to the business , offering low value business contribution , poor internal customer service and is seen as a cost to be minimised . Better is the ICT function that provides a defined and relatively reliable service to the business ( as anyone who works in
… OUR INITIATIVES HAVE HAD TO MOVE AWAY FROM COMMISSIONING AND DECOMMISSIONING SERVERS , UPGRADING SYSTEMS AND TALKING ABOUT NETWORK DEVICES AND TECHNOLOGY REFRESH … OUR INITIATIVES TALK ABOUT ENABLING OUR CUSTOMERS THROUGH ADOPTING CLOUD TECHNOLOGIES THAT SUPPORT AND PROMOTE INTER-OFFICE COLLABORATION , EASE OF ACCESS , PROTECTION OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY , AND ENSURING THAT OUR STAFF HAVE THE TOOLS THEY NEED TO HELP THEM DO THEIR JOBS
ICT knows there is no such thing as perfect reliability ), is seen to support the business , offers a good level of customer service and whose value is understood . The panacea is an ICT function that provides reliability , assists in the execution of the business , offers exceptional customer service and whose value is championed . I like to think we ’ re somewhere between the second and third descriptions .
To be there , our initiatives have had to move away from commissioning and decommissioning servers , upgrading systems and talking about network devices and technology refresh . Not that we don ’ t do that , we just don ’ t highlight those projects in discussions anymore . Instead , our initiatives www . intelligentcio . com INTELLIGENTCIO
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