ArabWeeks

The enterprise expectations of IT are broadening, with technology increasingly seen by regional organisations as a key element of business growth and innovation. CIOs in Saudi Arabia are therefore focussing on exactly how technology can be used to proactively drive enterprise results.

As the largest ICT sector in the region, accounting for 50% of total GCC sales, CIOs in Saudi Arabia find themselves at the forefront of some of the key global trends that are shaping IT usage. Many of these serve both as opportunities and challenges as CIOs seek to meet these expanded enterprise expectations.

A recent study by Gartner identified BYOD and security as some of these key trends, stating that “[BYOD] Policies and tools initially put in place to deal with mobile devices offering consumer-grade security must be revised to deal with these devices being under the ultimate control of a private user, rather than the organization.”

In what IDC is referring to as the “3rd Platform”, it has acknowledged how Cloud and Mobility will play a pivotal technological role through “increased use of mobile devices and apps and the migration toward SaaS and industry PaaS”, which “will also drive profound changes in the datacenters and IT organizations supporting these 3rd Platform solutions.”

For Saudi-based CIOs that can see these developments fitting into their own agendas, the key is how to leverage these trends to the best impact and benefit for the business, while still maintaining vital control of security and manageability.

Saudi Arabia has one of the most vibrant IT markets in the region and significant technology investment in the public sector, as well as the strength of the oil and gas, financial services and banking sectors, creates a culture aspiring to operational excellence. IDC estimates that the Saudi IT market will be worth more than $10 billion (SAR37 billion) in 2013, rising to more than $12 billion (SAR45 billion) in the next two years.

As identified by Gartner and IDC, the four key business growth technology trends in focus for CIOs are:

BYOD – managing and controlling the proliferation and devices
Cloud – managing and controlling application use and protecting data
Security – upholding the resiliency of software and hardware
Mobility – understanding how to enhance enterprise mobility

Even with new technology and trends, business success drivers will continue as they always have done. For Saudi Arabian CIOs, the challenge is to do more with less and do it faster. Do more with less and do it faster.

The impact is that CIOs are under constant pressure to efficiently, securely and cost effectively deal with day-to-day issues affecting their businesses. At the same time, new expectations from the enterprise and its workforce are adding another layer of pressure to CIOs managing the IT departments of Saudi businesses, especially when the market is undergoing such rapid transformation. There is significant demand for internet and mobile services in KSA, with increased enterprise and government usage of web-based services providing large-scale opportunities for contractors and service providers.

Harnessing new ways of communication and collaboration, managing multiple devices and securing numerous platforms, and enabling secure mobile working models are more than just a vision. These elements represent the arrival and influence of consumerization and for CIOs of Saudi organisations this means that IT policies and investments, if left unchecked, risk becoming ineffective in supporting and growing the business as the enterprise expects.

What’s the common denominator?
As technology becomes increasingly cost effective and available, more and more people are using technology in every area of their lives. In the same way that we can choose the most suitable and preferred technology in our personal lives, employees expect this same freedom of choice at work to help them get their job done in the most efficient and effective way possible. It’s this combination of technology availability and evolving attitudes and behaviour towards technology that is driving the consumerization of IT which underpins the four key trends that CIOs are facing.

IT departments in the Middle East, and indeed Saudi Arabia, are increasingly adopting a BYOD model for tablets due to strong demand from employees and Dell has attempted to help organisations maximise this opportunity by providing the necessary training and sales support to ensure they are able to specify the right solutions based on the profile of the customer.

Hesitancy from CIOs around new technology is entirely understandable, if even expected. Trying to support and cultivate the ‘consumer’ mentality and approach towards technology in the workplace could expose the company to increased security risks and potential data mismanagement. But the reality is that doing nothing is the real threat, as businesses risk employees taking matters into their own hands, using their own unsuitable and unprotected equipment, software and services at work. The good news for CIOs is that harnessing a new productive, efficient and evolved workforce in a secure and manageable way is a reality within grasp.

CIO pipe-dream to CIO reality
With the consumerization phenomenon underpinning the key technology trends and therefore how the workforce is evolving, CIOs are paying more attention to how employees expect to work and how the relationship is changing between employer and employee. Employees are demanding technology choice at some level and simply want a positive user experience – meaning seamless access to information to be able to work flexibly to get their job done anywhere, anytime enabled by the right tools. In addition, the advent of touch functionality in devices is set to be a game changer in terms of workforce productivity. ‘The Evolving Workforce’ research from Dell and Intel showed that almost half of workers globally believe the ability to work flexibly can boost productivity, and this belief is set to increase in the future.

While trying to accommodate and harness an evolved workforce, offering fully-fledged employee choice is not an option for a majority of organizations. However, it is still possible to offer degrees of choice based on specific parameters defined by the company.

The Saudi market, specifically, is comprised of a number of small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) and while these may have the infrastructure and cost rationalization for a BYOD model, they will still require solutions to support it. However, for larger organizations, BYOD may not be a feasible option. What these organizations can do instead is offer a range of attractive form factors that can be securely managed and supported by IT.

CIOs need to provide the business and employees with the ability and freedom to connect anytime, anywhere, to anything without compromising security and manageability. This is especially true for Saudi enterprises that operate on a national or global scale in key areas such as oil, telecommunications, government and healthcare, as they cannot afford for their security operations to be undermined.

The protection of corporate and customer data is essential to the health of any business, but security can be hard and costly to manage and deploy, and may interfere with everyday IT processes. For mainstream employee segments, commercial personal computing solutions remain the best approach to secure and manage data.

The best of both worlds
To be able to leverage the key technology trends and support an increasingly mobile workforce, CIOs need to be able to offer the ‘best of both worlds’. That is ultra-mobile and portable units, such as tablets and ultrabooks which are thin, light and aesthetically desirable, while also being durable with dependable security, data and device management facilities. This is particularly pertinent for the Saudi market due to the proliferation of tablet sales.

CIOs can accommodate this trend by creating a single policy console, pre-set compliance templates and compatibility across a range of devices as well as remote battery management and hard drive wipe. Couple this with the need for other productivity requirements which can be met with extended battery life, swappable batteries and wireless docking.

There is not a ‘one size fits’ all solution to this. It requires businesses to embrace the consumerization of IT with a considered approach and an open mind. This means adopting a tailored approach that is specific to the company’s circumstances and sets clear parameters around levels of choice.

Organizations should work with technology partners to develop tailored solutions that meet the individual requirements of both the organization and employee. If CIOs can understand is how the workforce is changing and provide platforms and tools that enable new approaches to work, ‘secure and manageable’ will be a reality and not a pipe-dream.

The IT market in the Kingdom is booming due to economic stability and ongoing government investment in the sector. With the prospects for growth looking extremely strong, Saudi enterprises have a real opportunity to embrace technological change and empower employees with the flexibility to be more productive.

The Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC) was the Diamond Sponsor of the Saudi International Forum for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) held under the patronage of Dr. Ibrahim Al-Assaf, Minister of Finance, in Riyadh on May 28. SABIC was honored for sponsoring the event with a plaque, received by Khaled Al-Mana, SABIC Executive Vice President, Polymers Strategic Business Unit.

The Forum was organized by the Saudi Industrial Development Fund – Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises program – and the Saudi Credit & Saving Bank. The Forum brought together government officials, businessmen, decision makers from local, regional and international companies, along with SME representatives and global experts in the field.

SABIC’s sponsorship of the SME forum is part of its social responsibility strategy, and is in line with its strong commitment to support national development as a pioneering company in the Kingdom. SABIC also participated in an exhibition, held as part of the Forum, to highlight its experience in driving innovation in the region and in developing specialized and advanced plastic applications for key industries, such as automotive, tires and accessories, electronic devices and home appliances, fibers and packaging materials, pipes and fittings, and medical supplies.

Commenting on SABIC’s participation in the Forum, Mohamed Al-Mady, SABIC Vice Chairman and CEO, said, “SABIC is fully aware of the importance of SMEs as an essential element in the employment strategy, accounting for about 51 percent of local jobs. We are committed to contributing effectively to the development of this sector by providing adequate opportunities for their growth through innovation and material supplies.”

Al-Mady added that SABIC is working with its partners in the Saudi market to develop solutions of high value to enable its customers to further improve their end products. “These joint efforts with our partners have led to responsible manufacturing, resulting in reduced weight of products, energy conservation, reduced waste in production processes, optimized working capital, and improved mechanical and thermal properties of many finished products,” he said.

SABIC has always played a leading role in the support of national programs for the betterment of society and economic development. As part of its Corporate Social Responsibility programs, the company continues to take strong initiatives in support of the national economy and focus its people and resources on solutions that make a difference to society.

Protential – Human Capital Development, represented by Dr. Timothy Campbell, Senior People Management and Development Consultant, participated in the panel discussion at the Kingdom Human Asset Management Summit. The key points mentioned in his speech were:

• Team work usually accounts for more than 90% of the work output in organizations

• Existing approaches to team evaluation and/or development are typically dated, complex and usually focus on individual team composition

• Effective team working in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the GCC is a challenge for many organizations given the nature of the workforce.

• TDP is a new tool to help teams deal with these challenges and deliver high performance.

• Team Diagnostic Profiler (TDP) is a new strategic method to help organizations deliver better performance through effective teams

• It is designed to help the team evaluate its own status and identify barriers to effective team performance

• It is about focusing on the critical elements of teamwork and understanding the root cause of barriers to effective performance and not about dealing with symptoms

• Organisations can now measure team effectiveness over a period of time through analysing the automated reports generated, thus accurately calculating the return on time and money invested in training programmes to increase team effectiveness.

• Taking a new holistic approach as opposed to the traditional individual composition focus, TDP provides a structured methodology for team development that relates practically to teams within the organisation.

Finally, we mention here a simple overview about Protential – Human Capital Development

Protential – Human Capital Development is a leading provider of world class employee development training.  Today, Protential have over a decade of experience in training and consultancy in the region. Some of Protential staff has worked in the region since 1978, being part of the dramatic growth and change in the Middle East as well as working in Europe, Asia and North Africa.
Protential’s extensive experience within the Middle-East has allowed them to conclude that team work within organisations has today re-emerged as a focal point in terms of competitive advantage, and thus arises the need for an innovative method to support team effectiveness. Team Diagnostic Profiler (TDP) is the most effective approach to team development, supporting organisations to deliver team effectiveness. It is especially important in Middle-East countries such as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Qatar, as work teams in organisations are often composed of members from very different backgrounds and are expected to come together and perform.

TDP has been implemented to understand team effectiveness at various MNC’s from the Financial Services, Airlines, Fast Food, Public Sector, Media and Advertising, Construction, Hotel and Professional Services Industries in the UK, USA and Ireland.  Protential is the exclusive partner of the TDP in the Middle East and has collaborated with Mega Training to specifically cater to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

 Riyadh Valley Company (RVC), a strategic investment Company, participated in the Saudi International SMEs forum, organized by Saudi Industrial Development Fund (SIDF) and Saudi Credit & Savings Bank (SCSB) which was held at Four Seasons Hotel in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from 28-29 May, 2013. RVC showcased its services & capabilities at a booth to promote awareness about the offerings that RVC provides to young entrepreneurs of the country as well as to partner investors in strategic investments. RVC exhibited at the venue to pronounce their 14 portfolio companies, achievements, capabilities in creating financial and strategic returns.
Dr. Rasheed AlZahrani, CEO, RVC, said, “It is a pleasure to be part of such a crucial forum which intends to advocate the present and the future initiatives in order to direct and put in practice engaging and efficient SME support programs. Moreover, we are here to support this leadership initiative taken by the SIDF and the SCSB in leading the way for bringing the revolution in this level of industry”.
As this Forum brought together industrial houses, banks, entrepreneurs, futurists and policy makers to debate and recommend the best way of empowering Saudi’s economy through transforming the Small and medium industries, the RVC’s CEO, Dr. Rasheed AlZahrani had been invited as a speaker for the session ‘Unconventional Programs in SMEs funding’ where he presented the importance of Venture Capital to bridge the financing gap for start-ups. He also showcased the achievements of RVC in supporting the launch of several startups by providing venture capital and also the management support and oversight to these high potential technology startups.  RVC’s booth attracted around 300 visitors including aspiring entrepreneurs who needed financial or commercial consultancy, it was able to attract numerous start-up owners who were enthusiastic in gathering knowledge on the services offered and achievements of RVC.  The two-day event saw more than 700 participants, and featured 40+ speakers in talks, interviews, panels and more.
As stated by Mazen AlJasser, GM – MARCOM, “RVC is powered enough to provide every required support to a promising startup and has all capabilities to enable any small or medium startup achieve big returns in the commercial world”.
The Forum discussed the mechanisms and ways of supporting the small and medium-sized enterprises in Saudi Arabia within the multiple economic and social variables by highlighting the efforts of the private sector and major companies in supporting and financing SMEs and traditional programs to finance these types of initiatives, in addition to the presentation of some successful international experiences in supporting the sector, and ways to take advantage of them.
About RVC
Being one of the Saudi Arabia’s initiatives to support the adoption of innovation culture, foster entrepreneurship, leverage the kingdom’s research capabilities, mobilize, engage and oversight investments in knowledge-based sectors, RVC invests in sectors that best serve the national interest and businesses that appear to have the greatest capability and commitment to succeed. Thus, the booth of RVC was most visited by startup entrepreneurs.
Riyadh Valley Company is providing generous support to Sustainable Resources, Healthcare and ICT because of the nature of their development and settlement in technology. Its interest in these technologies is considerably varied with a list that includes Renewable Energy, Energy Conservation, Water Desalination, Water Reclamation, Diabetes, Cardiovascular Diseases, ICT technologies. With a significant surge in these technologies, Riyadh Valley Company expects the areas to be one of its most important and diversified interests in near future.
Riyadh Valley Company can be seen as a hub in the heart of a rich and generously branched network. At the network’s closest level, Riyadh Valley Company is directly connected to The King Saud University’s innovation system, including the Prince Salman Institute for Entrepreneurship, Innovation Centers, the Riyadh Techno Valley Science Park, the Riyadh Incubation Center and the Intellectual Property and Technology Licensing (IPTL) Program.
As an investment arm of King Saud University, Riyadh Valley Company coordinates with various KSU entities, ensuring the best investment use of KSU assets. This cooperation has led to many worthwhile results, some having contributed to solid startups.
Riyadh Valley Company is managing a growing network of major regional and international business and investment partners. MIDROC, ZAMIL Group, CERNER, CRISTAL GLOBAL and SHELL-Intilaaqah are some of its valued partners.
Such a huge consistently growing and pulsing network is constantly feeding Riyadh Valley Company and its partners with opportunities and successes.

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd, a global leader in digital media and digital convergence technologies, launched its 2013 Samsung Smart TV line up during a press conference organized in Riyadh on June 1st 2013 at the Four Seasons Hotel in AlMamlakah ballroom.

During the ceremony, Mr. Jae Cheon Park, General Manager at Samsung Electronics Saudi Arabia said: “Our consumers’ dreams and expectations were grand and, as a leading company, we strive to see their dreams fulfilled and their expectations exceeded. At Samsung, we offer today a World of possibilities wherein our devices can work individually and just as well in synchronized connection to provide our customers with an everyday richer, easier and “smarter” life.”

From his side, Eng. Adnan Matbouli, CEO of United Matbouli Group added on: “At Matbouli, we aim to fulfill our digital society’s needs through our partnership with Samsung. We do not trust Samsung only because it is a global brand nor for being their official partner in Saudi; we believe in Samsung because we are witnesses of the evolution they have materialized over the years having invested, as it still does, in research and development.”

Samsung’s 2013 Smart TVs allow users to enjoy a more seamless and immersive entertainment viewing experience raising the bar with unprecedented and integrated special features for all and distinctive picture quality in each. Thanks to the quad-core CPU, the ultimate TV experience is now even faster and richer with enabled quick app launching, web browsing and multi-tasking.

UHD TV – The Highest Resolution on Larger Screens

Samsung is launching the S9 UHD TV, which brings larger screens in home entertainment viewing with brilliant picture quality in ultra-HD resolution. The S9 comes with ultimate up-scaling possibilities to ensure the best picture quality possible regardless of  video source.
With Samsung’s Precision Black Pro technology, the S9 delivers deep, real blacks as well as pure vivacious whites.  In addition to picture quality, the S9 combines a powerful sound system with a fast quad-core processor to ensure a premium experience and true multitasking capabilities between content and apps and is of course controllable through Voice & Motion commands. The S9 comes with 3-way 2.2 channels of 120 watt sound for an audio experience six times better than a typical TV. Part of its accessories the 2013 Smart TV line up  comes with a Smart Touch Remote Control which pushed the barriers of the remote concept itself now enabling users to move wave the device itself to switch channels.

A vivacious, bright picture

The newly designed flagship model S9 UHD TV, the (F8000) & the (F7500) come with an innovative technology enhancing lifestyle and simplifying consumers’ every day to “Live Smart”.
The (F8000) is available in 46, 55, 60, 65 and 75 inches, while the (F7500) is now available in sizes of 40, 46 and 55 inches and they all come with smarter features and superior picture quality.

Triple Smart Concept: Content (Hub), Interaction & Evolution

The completely redesigned 2013 Smart Hub offers newly-designed panels with personalized content and an easy-to-navigate interface and vibrant thumbnails for instant previews.

The Smart Interaction feature was also pushed to reach 300 voice commands available in Arabic, English and in French for the Saudi market; and in all languages around the globe. Next to the Swipe Control, the
Advanced Smart Interaction allows consumers to use everyday language and casual gestures to control the TV as well.

Samsung is delivering on its promise by offering consumers a way to stay up-to-date with the latest technology. The Smart Evolution Kit gives owners of flagship 2012 Samsung TVs the opportunity to update their models with some of the latest features from 2013 without having to buy a new set and will be available on Series 7, 8 and 9 2012 Smart TVs.

The Smart Evolution Kit will be made available soon in Saudi Arabia and provides updates that include access to the 2013 Smart Hub and AllShare feature. It will transform the 2012 set’s dual-core CPU to quad-core, resulting in faster internal processing speeds. Samsung’s flagship 2013 Smart TVs are also equipped with slots for future Evolution Kits.

Haier brand the No. 1 in many products in the global market, also the honest services that provided by Al Jabr Electronics added more by offering warranty and providing after sales services

Rosewood Hotels & Resorts have appointed Alex Pichel as the new Managing Director of the ultra-luxury Al Faisaliah Hotel and Hotel Al Khozama in Riyadh. The new appointment has been made following Erich Steinbock’s decision to retire after a career of exceptional success in the hospitality industry, both in the Middle East and globally.

Already a member of the senior management, Alex Pichel has held the position of General Manager of Al Faisaliah Hotel for the last two years. He brings a wealth of knowledge to Rosewood Hotels & Resorts, with more than 25 years of hospitality experience around the globe including Germany, Great Britain, France, Russia, Azerbaijan, UAE and Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Commenting on the new appointment, Radha Arora President of Rosewood Hotels & Resorts said: “Rosewood has been very fortunate to be the beneficiary of Erich’s strong leadership, expertise, loyalty, wisdom, quick wit and candor for the past five years.

“We are delighted to announce Alex Pichel’s appointment and have every confidence that his contribution will maintain our leadership position in the Kingdom.”

In his new role, Alex Pichel will oversee the day-to-day operations and activities of both hotels, and implement the company’s growth strategy.

ITS (International Turnkey Systems) Group, a leading solution provider for both Islamic and conventional banks, today announced a ‘transformative’ restructuring of its business focus, organization model, processes and product positioning to meet new macroeconomic realities and prepare the company to embark on a profitable growth journey from 2013 onwards.

The announcement today comes on the heels of an overhaul in the company’s executive leadership and business plan when in April 2013, L. John Loomis took over the reins from Khaled Faraj Al-Saeid, who had been running ITS for two decades. Loomis, who comes to ITS with more than 20 years of executive management and leadership experience in the financial, technology, entertainment and communication industries, set forth and is rolling out a plan to align, focus and regain ITS’ technology prowess and industry leadership.

“ITS is today rolling out a rejuvenated comprehensive business plan that will put the company back on track. This plan, which has been developed between April and May this year is set to reposition ITS as a profitable, cutting-edge IT and business solutions provider, producing and delivering to the highest standards of quality to meet customer demand,” said L John Loomis, ITS’ CEO. “Our business requires that we develop a more agile structure, focusing on quality and cutting edge technology products that satisfy all our stakeholders, from customers to shareholders and employees.”

Coined the ‘Turnaround,’ this process of getting ITS prepared and ready to face new market realities has been expansive and current to industry needs and opportunities as new lines of business would bring new revenue streams, and a new industry positioning for ITS. The Turnaround, which is well underway today, aims to rebuild, reorganize and prepare for profitable growth, which the new company leadership projects to happen throughout 2014.

“Our new mission today and into the future is to be the world class strategic solutions provider for all IT and related business needs across all industries globally, based on sharia compliance,” continued Loomis. “Built on a solid foundation of innovation, trust, respect, accountability and customer and shareholder satisfaction, we are focused on taking ITS into the global arena where we know that our business fundamentals are very competitive.”

STC won the best BlackBerry application for “Abyat” application it offers to its customers via INTGRAL – its digital arm. The award was granted to STC by The Mobile Show held in Dubai emirate as an emphasis to its distinct role in the region and its leading position in communications and internet.
“Abyat” application enables the customer get the latest poetry and related news in addition to the dates of poetry evenings and ceremonies. The application also features a wide range of diverse poetry content. Furthermore, it supports most of modern devices such as IPhone, IPad, Android, BlackBerry in addition to Nokia devices. The application has been downloaded more than 50000 times.
“Abyat” won the award this year as one of the best Middle East senior developer applications recommended for this award. STC also won an award in 2012 in the same conference for the best new IPhone application via My STC portal. Customers who are interested to download the application on all devices can visit AL Jawal browser page www.abyat.mobi or send a blank text message at no cost to 5335 to get poetry and poet services list of Abyat.
The involvement of STC in the conference is aimed at active participation in the regional and world technical events where state of art electronic innovations, products, devices, solutions  and applications are displayed and discussed since it furnishes the market with the most recent solutions of smart devices, Tablets and laptops