Intelligent CIO Middle East Issue 19 | Page 9

NEWS Digitisation of industries advanced with agreement An agreement between Honeywell and Saudi Aramco will advance Saudi Arabia’s oil and gas sectors. Honeywell and Saudi Aramco have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) that advances their long-standing cooperation. The move further supports the development and diversification of Saudi Arabia’s oil and gas sector, and accelerates the benefits of the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) within Saudi Aramco’s operations. The companies will work together to increase throughput, raise yield, and improve reliability of Saudi Aramco’s operations by leveraging Honeywell’s cloud-based services and predictive analytics solutions. The agreement was signed in Riyadh by Honeywell President and CEO Darius Adamczyk and Saudi Aramco President and CEO Amin H. Nasser during a series of meetings where the companies discussed the opportunities of leveraging Honeywell Connected Plant (HCP). HCP combines Honeywell’s unmatched industrial expertise, software, and cloud technologies to enable its customers’ operations to be more reliable, profitable, and secure than ever before. As Saudi Arabia continues to diversify its industries in line with Vision 2030, the introduction of IIoT technologies such as HCP and other connected process technologies from Honeywell UOP are playing a critical role in this transformation. The agreement will allow Saudi Aramco to enhance operational performance across its network of facilities while presenting opportunities for Honeywell to advance the adoption of the latest software solutions. “Saudi Aramco’s strategic objective is to collaborate with partners who are technology leaders and add strategic value to our company, sector, and the country as a whole,” said Mr. Nasser. “Having worked closely with Honeywell for the past six decades, we have established a unique professional relationship based on mutual trust, common goals, and shared commitment to our industries – a reflection of the strong relationship between Saudi Arabia and the US. “This agreement represents a new platform to further enhance these efforts, and I look forward to this exciting chapter as we continue to leverage decades of global and regional experience in the sector.” Mr Adamczyk said: “This agreement represents a significant milestone toward connecting the processes, assets, and people to drive optimal performance for Saudi Aramco.” ¡ Ministry seizes fake printing supplies for HP printers HP has announced multiple seizures of counterfeit printing supplies destined for its printers. The company supported Saudi Arabian Ministry of Commerce (SAMC) officials, alongside the local police force, who confiscated more than 145,000 illicit items in separate actions. as about 45,000 components used for manufacturing the fakes. Before and after the raids took place, experts from HP’s Anti-Counterfeiting and Fraud (ACF) programme supported the authorities by providing key intelligence and identifying the seized items as counterfeit. Between December 2016 and February 2017, the SAMC conducted several raids at both warehouses and showrooms of four major counterfeiting syndicates. Some of those distributors were also involved in manufacturing counterfeit print supplies. Counterfeiting is a crime and for users such illegal imitations can cause a multitude of problems that can cause performance and reliability issues. Should a printer break because of using counterfeit printer ink or toner, users could also have issues with the manufacturer’s warranty becoming not applicable. In total, the officials seized around 100,000 counterfeit cartridges as well Authentic HP LaserJet and HP inkjet cartridges, unlike counterfeits, www.intelligentcio.com provide consistent results and are thoroughly tested. “HP appreciates the cooperation of Saudi Arabian officials and its prosecution of counterfeiters who try to defraud innocent customers,” said Jason McMillan, Managing Director KSA, HP. “We are honoured to have played a role in these key successes and will continue to protect customers from potentially dangerous fakes.” ¡ INTELLIGENTCIO 9