FUTURE TECHNOLOGY
There is still a lack
of knowledge and
confidence in cloud
computing in this
region so there is
a constant need to
educate customers
about the benefits of a
secure cloud offering.
Mimecast has several partners in the
region, but certain partners deliver a
steady flow of customers and Mimecast
would like to show its appreciation
by rewarding them accordingly. By
throwing its weight behind channel
partners that deliver best results,
Mimecast is confident it will benefit
both parties and result in successful and
profitable partnerships.
As the cyber threat landscape
continues to evolve, and cyber criminals
become more advanced in their
methodologies, Mimecast believes its
products will continue to help partners
move the cyber resilience conversation
from the server room to the board room.
A cyber resilience strategy will help
defend against various cyber threats,
allow continuous access to critical
applications and information during an
attack and provide the ability to recover
data after a threat is neutralised.
Opportunity
Cybercrime is on the rise in the Middle
East and globally. A recent study by
Vanson Bourne and Mimecast showed
that 56% of organisations in the UAE had
been hit by an attack through an infected
email attachment and 29% through a
malicious URL. Furthermore, more than
half (57%) indicated that it was likely that
their organisation would suffer a negative
business impact from cyber criminal
activity. As negative as these statistics
are, they indicate an increased need for
organisations to implement advanced
security solutions.
Fortunately, Mimecast’s products
evolve as cyber attacks increase and
criminal methods change, so its partners
will always have relevant solutions
for their customers. The vendor also
continues to train partners on the benefits
of Mimecast’s full suite of solutions
and how Mimecast can assist in any
organisation’s cyber resilience strategy.
This ensures they are equipped when it
comes to educating customers about how
they can prepare for the constant threat
of cyber attacks.
There is still a lack of knowledge and
confidence in cloud computing in this
region so there is a constant need to
educate customers about the benefits of
a secure cloud offering. Mimecast looks
to its partners in the region to help drive
this message home and encourage more
migration to cloud based solutions that will
provide greater cyber resilience for email.
Forecast
1. The threat landscape will continue
to evolve; cyber crime will rise
and criminals will become more
sophisticated in their targeted attacks.
The dangers of email-borne threats
like ransomware, phishing and
impersonation fraud will become
common knowledge. Cybersecurity will
become front and centre of boardroom
discussions, with senior management
acknowledging that cyber attacks are
inevitable and implementing effective
protection is no longer a debate.
2. A major game changer will be the effect
of artificial intelligence on cybersecurity.
It is likely we will see a rise in the use
of AI or machine learning to introduce
attacks that can morph more quickly.
While this is a frightening thought, AI
will also play a crucial role in managing
threats. Threats are evolving rapidly and
are too varied for the industry to handle
them manually.
3. Ransomware will continue to be the
method of choice in 2018. Attacks will
be more prominent and successful;
the ones Mimecast has seen in 2017
have been damaging but have not
made anyone a lot of money yet.
Many organisations are not yet ready
for ransomware as they do not have
effective prevention or a plan for zero
downtime and fast recovery . ◊
NETAPP
NetApp’s Flash,
hyper-converged
infrastructure,
software, offer
multi-vendor
solutions for
channel
N
etApp is actively encouraging
its partners to take advantage of
certification programmes and
to focus on specialisations. As part of its
strategy to allow more time for partners to
achieve their certifications in the current
fiscal year 2018, partner audits will now
be done annually and not half yearly
like before. Equipping its partners with
the right set of skills and knowledge to
address the changing needs of the market,
including incentives, is an area in which it
continues to invest.
Opportunities
The management of data can still be
challenging, which in turn generates
business opportunities. The manipulation
of data involving storage of data on-
premises, which must be sent to the
cloud, opens up opportunities for other
application businesses that help achieve
this. It is very important to take these
applications out to the market, so the
vendor provides partners with the right
platform for their customers, making it
easier to manage their data.
Every market in the region has its
own challenge and opportunities. For
instance, Kuwait has great opportunities
while Saudi Arabia has good potential
as the economy stabilises itself, boosting
infrastructure development. This shift
opens up the market for NetApp solutions,
as more customers require solutions to
manage their complex data.
With the introduction of VAT in the
UAE, customers need solutions to manage
these new aspects of their businesses.
Companies are expected to keep their bills
and invoices for at least six years in the
UAE, which will add complexities to data
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