ISSUE 18
A
Intelligent briefin
gs for Middl
e East and Africa
PUBLIC ATION
channel partn
ers
The challenge
of being
cross-sector
FRANK BASINS
KI,
DIRECTOR, RED
HAT
StarLink anno
unces new
distribution
partnership
Mark Bowen is Lynchpin Media’s Managing
Editor, and Editor of Intelligent CIO Middle East
and Intelligent Tech Channels. He has more than
10 years’ experience of editing newspapers and
magazines in the UK.
NIDAL OTHMA
N, FOUNDER
AND MD, STARLI
NK
Security impli
cations of
Digital Trans
formation
ALAIN
PENEL, REGION
AL VP –
MIDDLE EASE,
FORTINET
LOOKING AH
EA
SECURE FU D TO A
TURE
GET SOCIAL
. . .
Chris Green
, Vice President
at Malwareby
Middle East,
tes, on why
channel partn Africa and Turkey,
ers have a cruci
in the fight
against ranso
al role
mware.
@IntTechCha
nnels
www.linkedi
n.com/compa
ny/lyn
chpin-media
www.intellig
enttechchan
nels.com
EDITOR’S COMMENT
W
elcome to the latest edition of
Intelligent Tech Channels (ITC).
This is my first issue as Editor
of ITC, which coincides with a
fresh new look for the magazine
and this year’s upcoming GITEX
Technology Week. We hope you
like the revamp and enjoy its
dynamic new layout, but the good
news is all your favourite features
can still be found inside.
On the subject of GITEX, this
issue we take an in-depth look at how
vendors and their channel partners will
be making the most of the event.
GITEX is one of the few occasions when
it’s possible to find so many key players in
one place. It represents a great chance to
meet existing and prospective customers,
vendors and channel partners, and offers
an opportunity for all interested parties to
interact. Interestingly, Elie Dib, Regional
Vice President, Middle East, Turkey and
North Africa at Riverbed, tells us the
company has found the event useful for
building and strengthening relationships
with all stakeholders, from customers and
technology alliance partners to the channel.
“This year will be no different,” he says.
This edition’s Editor’s Comment looks
at the much-discussed issue of Artificial
INTELLIGENT TECH CHANNELS
Issue 18
Intelligence (AI). Some see AI as the answer
to many of life’s problems, with the promise
of automation enhancing productivity, and
others as a threat to our livelihoods, with AI
threatening to take people’s jobs.
The truth, as is usually the case, is
probably somewhere in the middle. But
personally I can see no reason why we
shouldn’t allow ourselves to get excited by
its potential, although we would be wise not
to get too carried away.
Sometimes it’s best to look on the
bright side and as Allan Leinwand,
CTO, ServiceNow, says, even if AI does
successfully steal some traditional jobs, it
will create many more.
We just need to accept that these jobs do
not currently exist and may well emerge in
many unexpected forms.
Who knows, eventually AI might just
allow us all to enjoy a better work/life
balance – wouldn’t that be something!
Mark Bowen
Editor
15