Stc's emerging technologies are helping to shape Saudi Arabia's sustainable future - Issue 197 February
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Issue 197
February
stc’s emerging technologies
are helping to shape Saudi
Arabia’s sustainable future
17 02 February 2022
17th year of publication
"MEA Business Award 2021
for Best Telecom Publication"
"Best IT & Telecoms News Outlet Award 2020"
Chairman Dr. Zafar Khan OBE
Publisher & Chief Editor Khalid Athar
Executive Editor Syed Zulfiqar Ali
Scan to download PDF version
Managing Editor Nasreen Akhtar
Associate Editor Gulraiz Khalid
Assistant Editors Jassem Hariri
Abdul Majid
TELETIMES MEDIA LLC. Technology Writer
Aftab Raza Khan
Ken Herron
P.O. Box 239031, Sub Editors Fakher Dawar
Dubai - UAE Mohsin Shahab
Director Sales (MEA) S.A. Burney
Business Dev. Manager Tahir Alam
Special Correspondents
Barcelona Mohammed Tanveer
Dubai Masood Kahout
Cape Town Peter Stoffberg
Ontario Nasir Kharl
Jeddah Akram Asad
Amman Eng. Mohammed Sirrieh
Doha Ashraf Siddiqui
Brunei Imran Ul Haq
Farah Muhammad
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Featured
08 stc’s emerging technologies are helping to
shape Saudi Arabia’s sustainable future
15 Articles
15 Towards excellence in the Digital Economy
20 Measuring and Mitigating Cyber Risk
21 The 3 Key IT Trends to look out for in 2022
24 Is Eco-SIM unnecessary step
in Telco Sustainability?
Reports
17 Huawei showcased Secure-by-design
Safety and Security Solutions
18 OIC-CERT 5G Security Working Group
announces new 5G Security Framework
22 SAMENA Council emphasized on re-energizing
Sustainable Development and Universal
Connectivity Drives at WTPF
39 Euroconsult estimates Global Space
Economy totaled $370b in 2021
47 Axon Technologies turns spotlight
on Cyber Hygiene at Intersec
21
48 What awards did Moscow receive in 2021
Editor’s Note
Dear Readers,
This edition features a report on stc's emerging
technologies and innovative ventures that are aligned with
the Kingdom's Vision 2030 and are helping to shape Saudi
Arabia’s sustainable future. Something which means a lot
to me personally is stc's commitment to reduce its carbon
footprint and become a green network operator - many
of their initiatives are directly pointed towards a Net
Zero outcome which is something that I really hope other
operators will pick up. It's about time that our environment
18 becomes the top priority for everyone in every sector.
The month of February brings our attention to LEAP Saudi
Arabia - the ground-breaking event which is bringing
together the world’s greatest minds; from leading
Telecommunications technology corporations, inspiring pioneers from global
start-ups and venture capitalists with the means to make it
38 Infinet Wireless PtP solutions used to all happen. LEAP is at the moment one of the Most talked-
interconnect Coca-Cola offices in Egypt about events around the world and the excitement around
it is simply unmatched. I cannot wait to participate in the
41 du deploys Ericsson’s new radio to disruptive discussions that will take place and I welcome
reduce network carbon footprint you all to join the industry leaders in Riyadh from February
1-3.
44 Ooredoo Group and CK Hutchison create Indonesia’s
Second Largest Mobile Telecoms Company Moving on, I would definitely recommend reading through
the editorial "Towards excellence in the Digital Economy"
by Safder Nazir, SVP of Digital Industries, Huawei Middle
45 Etisalat to offer first of its kind Digital
Insurance Services Platform in UAE East. The article talks about the implications of digital
technologies in the Middle East and how tech-focused
thought leadership can help organizations benefit from
Satellite Communications these capabilities.
As always, you will find the latest news and updates from
30 ND SATCOM’s SKYWAN 5G is continuously all major players in the ICT space in this edition. Your
enhanced with new features feedback is welcome on info@teletimesinternational.com
31 Total solution combining satellite and IP-based Enjoy Reading!
technologies from AsiaSat and OCGL
33 Intelsat and Partners Bring Emergency
Connectivity to Tonga Khalid Athar
Chief Editor
Events
26 Aruba to turn spotlight on building
‘Your Journey. Your Edge’ at LEAP’22
27 Intersec 2022 concludes on a high note
with strong international participation
Scan to download PDF version
33 4th Grand Blockchain Event to be held in Dubai Follow @TeletimesIntl on Twitter
... and much more
stc’s emerging technologies
are helping to shape Saudi
Arabia’s sustainable future
stc, with its
partners, is
now the MENA
region’s hub for
digital goods
and services and
is the national
enabler in KSA for
the government’s
Vision 2030 – a
revolutionary
transformation
that will see the
country depend
less on its oil by
developing and
STC Group CEO Eng. Olayan M. Alwetaid
diversifying its
economy.
As we hurtle toward a more technologically advanced future in the Middle East, it’s Saudi Arabia’s leading digital enabler in
the sands of the world’s digital landscape are shifting faster the telecommunications industry, stc that is paving the way,
than ever before. The way we use smart devices and consume having been the fastest-growing brand in the region in 2021
digital content is continually evolving - NFTs are changing the after reaching a market value of $9.2 billion . The company,
way we buy products, the Metaverse will impact the way we with its partners, is now the MENA region’s hub for digital
communicate with each other and Web 3.0 will utilize ledger goods and services and is the national enabler in KSA for the
blockchain technology to decentralize the Internet as it enters government’s Vision 2030 – a revolutionary transformation
a new phase. that will see the country depend less on its oil by developing
and diversifying its economy. To ensure the nation remains
By spearheading the globe’s digital revolution, technology a thriving one and enriches lives for generations to come,
companies are some of the fastest growing in the world and sustainability has been placed at the heart of the Vision, and
8 February 2022
Emerging technologies such as 5G, artificial intelligence and
augmented reality are already being used in innovative stc
products and services while new tech such as IoT and cloud
technology are proving to be accelerants in achieving
sustainability goals.
given its crucial role in the development and enabled transactions to take place of people around the world as a way of
of Saudi’s digital framework, stc has more sustainably. This was highlighted accessing essential goods and services,
placed great onus on not only operating further in June last year when stc while giving the companies behind them
sustainably but evolving sustainability signed an agreement with Huawei to a sustainable growth.
with the use of emerging technologies. advance sustainable development and
The company is leading the charge in green initiatives in the KSA. Emerging Digital products and services have the
stimulating innovation and creativity technologies such as 5G, artificial ability to change people’s lives for the
through a range of important domains intelligence and augmented reality are better, stc Group CEO Eng. Olayan M.
such as energy management and already being used in innovative stc Alwetaid stated:
financial services, all of which contribute products and services while new tech
to sustainable living. such as IoT and cloud technology are “stc is committed to reducing its carbon
proving to be accelerants in achieving footprint and become a green network
One of the emerging technologies from sustainability goals. A host of companies operator, and we have taken several
the firm is stcpay, which has allowed in various industries are now adopting steps to achieve this goal and reach Net
users to spend and manage their finances digitalized operations, which are proving Zero. We have developed a Sustainable
from their digital device was downloaded effective in reducing emissions and Energy Framework designed to take us
by over a million people in its first year waste. Apps are now a go-to for millions through 2030.”
February 2022 9
“These steps will reduce our energy our strategic approach and in our reporting. The urge to be sustainable has never been
consumption and will include better energy “We have made excellent progress in greater as our planet faces climate and
management, monitoring, and reporting aligning our disclosures with international environmental issues on a never-been-seen
with clear benchmarks and KPIs. We will standards such as GRI, SASB, national scale that has led to a fifth of the world’s
also develop renewable energy generation standards, and the requirements of companies, including stc, to committing to
at our campus and facilities throughout sustainability indices and rating agencies.” being net zero by 2050.
Saudi Arabia.
He went on to say, “First and foremost, Caring for the environment is just one of
He added: "Saudi Arabia has committed mobile communications are the key stc’s seventh sustainability pillar, others
stc is committed to reducing its carbon footprint and
become a green network operator, and we have taken
several steps to achieve this goal and reach Net Zero.
to generating 50% of electricity through enabling factor in SMART technologies include doing business with integrity,
renewable resources by 2030 and and applications; it enables IoT and AI- enhancing economic impacts, enriching
reaching the environmental targets based infrastructures through high-speed lives and experiences, expanding access
organizations are expected to collaborate connectivity and low-latency, real-time to technology and connectivity, advancing
and work together to achieve within KSA’s edge-computing applications. innovative digital opportunities, and
sustainability goals.” empowering its people. The use of
“At STC, we also plan to reduce emissions emerging technologies and the early
He elaborated “Stakeholder engagement through a combination of engagements integration of these in Saudi Arabia is
is an integral part of our approach. By with our partners in the value chain and by already helping to shape the country’s
engaging with our key stakeholders, we developing e-services that reduce carbon digital future into one that not only
make sure that we address the issues of emissions by providing services over the enhances humanity but also allows our
most importance to the business, both in mobile network.” planet to thrive once more.
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Immersion4 Advertising Frebruary Teletimes Edition.indd 1 17.01.2022 10:14:20With a volume of financial transactions worth more than SAR 10 Billion
stc Contributes to Supporting Innovation
and Promoting the Digital Economy Within
the InspireU Program in the Kingdom
In the presence of His Royal Highness Prince
Mohammed K. Al Faisal, Chairman of the
Board of stc, and a group of government
officials and investors, as well as the GCEO
of stc Group, Eng. Olayan Alwetaid. stc
celebrated the graduation of the seventh
and eighth batches of the Entrepreneurs
Support Program which carried the slogan
“To go further” for this year, as it announced
that the support of entrepreneurs in the
program had reached the roof of 500 million
riyals. This came as a part of its endeavor
to support and develop entrepreneurship in
the Kingdom with the aim of contributing
to supporting innovation and promoting first time in the same year, adding that the The program also provides office space for
the digital economy in the entire technical program has been able, since its launch entrepreneurs to promote their projects
fields. This occurred at a ceremony held in 2015, to support 75 start-up projects in with an opportunity to be present and
at the King Abdulaziz Communications various fields, which contributed to scoring participate in many events starting from
Complex in Riyadh to showcase the 20 a volume of financial transactions worth workshops, national and international
incubated projects and highlight their more than SAR 10 billion. As a result, exhibitions, and helping projects to reach
achievements. InspireU projects benefited more than the best investors and investment funds in
40 million users and provided more than the market.
The GCEO of stc Group, Eng. Olayan 600,000 participatory jobs in the local
Alwetaid, emphasized the role of market. stc, through its work strategy within
the InspireU program in supporting the social responsibility and sustainable
entrepreneurs, creative youth, and their The InspireU program is one of the most development sector, focuses on
emerging projects in the field of digital important business incubators in the activating the advantages offered by the
transformation which is considered an Kingdom which provides many services to InspireU program that aim at supporting
essential part of stc's strategy in this emerging projects through an intensive, entrepreneurships represented by small and
field. He indicated that this year has seen high-quality training program provided medium enterprises, facilitating financing
a doubling in the number of projects by experts and consultants from Silicon opportunities and providing administrative
incubated by the InspireU program while Valley in several fields, including meetings and technical support to develop the
incubating two additional batches for the with many entrepreneurs and mentors. capabilities of these companies.
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TELETIMES-COOLLABS ADVERTISING.indd 1 17.01.2022 10:33:25As part of its Strategy for Sustainability
stc announces its accession to the UN Global Compact
stc’s announcement of its accession to the The UN Global Compact operates under a applying responsible business practices
UN Global Compact aims to encourage principles-based framework for businesses since it established a sustainability program
companies around the world to adopt by aligning its strategies and operational in 2019 to ensure the continuity of business
sustainability and social responsibility, to be processes with global principles including management using the most sustainable
one of the local networks of the UN Global human rights, labor, environment and anti- methods. stc’s sustainable strategy, identified
Compact worldwide. corruption. This will take place by taking 9 goals that were effective in implementing
strategic actions to enforce broader societal a deeper level of conformity of its action
stc’s accession to the UN Global Compact goals like those of the UN sustainable strategy with sustainable development goals
emphasizes of the sustainability strategy development while focusing on cooperation of global compatible priority including health,
that stc adopts in all its businesses, to be and innovation, in addition to creating a local education, decent work, climate action and
one of the leading global companies that network and a platform for discussion and others. These goals were effectively achieved
support the global movement towards a exchange of information regarding the UN due to integrating the mentioned social,
more sustainable future for the benefit of Global Compact. economic and environmental goals with stc’s
stakeholders in achieving the SDGs, and the administrative systems, actions and strategy
success of the companies’ future plans on the This is the outcome of the stc’s commitment management so it can contribute positively to
long run. to sustainability in its comprehensive and ensuring a positive future for all.
14 February 2022Towards excellence in
the Digital Economy
Safder Nazir, SVP of Digital Industries, Huawei Middle East
Over the last two decades, digital Every GCC country currently has
technologies have transformed our a national vision focusing on the
societies at unprecedented scale, development of non-oil sectors for
changing the ways we live, work, and economic growth, local value and
interact. The COVID-19 pandemic has employment creation, and social
only reminded us of this fact, teaching the development. National leaders have
world that it must build digital resiliency recognized the importance of the digital
to prepare itself to better handle economy in achieving such visions. For
unforeseen, disruptive events. Overall, example, Saudi Arabia has launched a
the digital economy as a share of the total Digital Economy Policy that aims to have
economy has, in general, been growing the digital economy's GDP share on par
and those countries with larger digital with other leading global economies.
economies, relative to the whole, have A little further east, the UAE plans to
proven to be more resilient. double the size of its digital economy in
just 10 years. Indeed, all of the countries
According to the Organization for leadership because of its positive impact of the region have undertaken initiatives
Economic Co-operation and Development on national economies and job creation to realize ambitious policy goals,
(OECD), the digital economy and the boost it gives to inclusion. focusing on data, Artificial Intelligence
encompasses all economic activities (AI), the cloud, and 5G-enabled services.
reliant on, or significantly enhanced The Implications for the Middle East
by, digital inputs, including digital Thriving in the Digital Economy
technologies, digital infrastructure, digital The Middle East has made significant
services, and data. This can be taken as a progress in adopting digital technologies Organizations need to transition into
broad definition. As such, the emergence over the last decade. Mobile broadband digital enterprises to thrive in a digital-
and evolution of the digital economy penetration across Gulf Cooperation first world. Fueled by data, a digital
is characterized by the dominance of Council (GCC) countries is now at 100% enterprise provides personalized
digital business models and digital-native and more than 50% of consumers in the experiences to customers through digital
companies such as Careem and Noon. region already shop online. In the UAE, platforms, backed by constantly evolving
There has also been a clear shift, from 80% of digital payments are contactless. and expanding digital infrastructure.
providing mere services to creating However, 62% of enterprises in the
experiences, allied to the rise of industry Similarly, government-to-consumer Middle East are yet to reach sufficient
ecosystems that are scaled-up and interactions in the UAE, to take one digital transformation maturity to take
integrated, using software platforms to example, are now predominantly digital, advantage of the digital economy.
deliver value. and there are plans in place to close To get there, they must re-invent
half of the existing government service business models, create new customer
Today, the impact of digital is visible centers by the end of 2022. Indeed, the experiences, reimagine work models,
everywhere, from accessing essential number of bank branches in the country and innovate with partners. Such
services and purchasing products through has already fallen, by 34% between 2016 efforts often face significant internal
digital platforms, to the shift to virtual and 2020, coinciding with the launch of challenges, which organizations must
methods of learning and working. Indeed, several digital banks, such as Liv., E20., overcome through well-executed change
the digital economy is vital to national NEO, NEOBiz, and CBD Now. management.
February 2022 15To start with, it's vital to recognize that in the workplace. To tackle the issue in cloud-based applications, requiring
success in the new economic paradigm and improve organizational agility, organizations to rapidly modernize
will depend on an organization's capacity digital enterprises are increasingly legacy applications into cloud-native
to collect, synthesize, and analyze investing in technologies such as Robotic versions, to support new customer and
data, along with the ability to apply Process Automation (RPA), AI, and operational use cases.
resulting insights at scale. However, Machine Learning (ML). Organizations
most organizations struggle to achieve that effectively use AI-augmented Embrace the Future
such success due to the large volume automation to boost efficiency and
and variety of available data. AI-based contain costs will gain a significant Today, a nation's future heavily depends
automation can enhance each step in competitive advantage as the digital on advancements in science, knowledge,
the business intelligence and analytics economy evolves. innovation, and technology. Many
process, from finding and preparing to countries in the Middle East are nurturing
exploring, analyzing, and acting on data. Finally, digital organizations must such advances by developing foundational
Such solutions can also help businesses embrace the cloud. A digital enterprise's elements — such as infrastructure, data,
re-architect into data-native enterprises, capacity to generate revenue depends and skills — through investments in
creating superior customer experiences on the responsiveness, scalability, critical technology enablers like 5G, the
and making more informed decisions. and resiliency of its infrastructure, cloud, and AI. For digitally determined
applications, and data resources. enterprises in the region that have
Next, organizations must prioritize Cloud-centric digital infrastructure embarked on their digital journey,
automation to address the global and applications are essential for any renewed focus on these foundational
skills shortage. In the digital economy, organization's transition into a digital elements and technology enablers will
organizations have to grapple with skills enterprise. Many features needed for the reveal significant opportunities to thrive
issues as digital technologies proliferate digital economy are now only available in the new world.
UK banned Huawei because
US told us to: Former minister
government led by David Cameron, said that the decision against
the Chinese tech giant was taken “because the Americans told us
we should do it.”
In July 2020, Boris Johnson’s government announced that Huawei
products would be removed entirely from the UK’s 5G networks
by the end of 2027, citing new advice produced by the National
Cyber Security Centre (NCSC).
The move came just months after the United States imposed
sanctions against Huawei on the grounds that it was acting
contrary to US national security or foreign policy interests. The
US barred Huawei from acquiring crucial components such as
microchips and forced it to create its own operating system.
Cable, who has a reputation for being more sympathetic towards
China than most UK officials, added that during his tenure as
minister, the intelligence and security services gave repeated
assurances that there was no risk posed by using Huawei services.
The UK government’s decision to ban Huawei 5G equipment
and services “had nothing to do with national security,” and was “If Britain had kept with 5G, we would now be at the forefront of
because of American pressure, a former business and industry countries using the most advanced technologies. And we’re not,”
minister has said. Speaking at an event, Vince Cable, who served said Cable.
as Business and Industry Minister for five years in the coalition (With compliments from euractive)
16 February 2022Teletimes Report
Intersec 2022
Huawei showcased Secure-by-design
Safety and Security Solutions
Huawei, a leading global provider Huawei Global Cybersecurity and Privacy and intelligent ecosystem to safeguard
of information and communications Protection Office, took part in a panel connected societies."
technology (ICT) infrastructure and smart discussion on moving from cybersecurity
devices, has showcased at Intersec 2022 to cyber-resilience, and the importance To further demonstrate its commitment
the next generation of cybersecurity of deploying ecosystem-wide resilience to raising cybersecurity standards, Huawei
solutions, standards, and strategies to plans. Additionally, Aloysius Cheang, has partnered with the Cybersecurity
help organizations in the Middle East be Chief Security Officer of Huawei UAE, has Lab at Intersec. The Cybersecurity Lab
secure from the ground. As part of the spoken on policing the “Metaverse" and provides a platform where information
region’s leading emergency services, addressing the challenges of securing a security, emergency response, and safety
security, and safety conference, Huawei world where the boundaries between the professionals can collaborate around
is highlighted how it enabled customers virtual and physical domains are yet to be shared cybersecurity needs and objectives.
to meet their digital transformation goals defined. Nadim Abdulrahim, Government Experts are networking, discussing, and
securely and resiliently under the theme of Industry Expert at Huawei Middle East, evaluating best practice approaches and
'Safeguarding the Digital Future'. has given a keynote speech on the second tactics to manage evolving cyber threats.
day highlighting how cybersecurity can
The 22nd edition of Intersec took place serve as the foundation for tomorrow’s Huawei has long worked with
between January 16 - 18 at the Dubai smart cities, including innovative solutions organizations like the GSMA, 3GPP, OIC-
World Trade Centre, with participants from that can help build safe, secure, and CERT, and other industry stakeholders to
120 countries, governments, and industry resilient cities. examine emerging cybersecurity threats
leaders discussing the latest security and promote independent certifications
advances. Aloysius Cheang, Chief Security Officer at and standards such as the NESAS Security
Huawei UAE, said: "The boundaries that Assurance Specifications. In addition,
During the event, Huawei regional and existed between the physical and cyber Huawei is now driving the development of
global experts participated in various world are rapidly disappearing. Therefore, the OIC-CERT 5G Security Working Group
panel discussions as well as delivering all connected devices should be built on a (WG) aiming at enhancing cybersecurity
keynotes on trending security topics. On robust cybersecurity foundation. We look measures proportionate to the threats
the first day of the event, Gong Xiaoxin, forward to fruitful discussions with our emerging from digital technology
Senior Cyber Security Expert at the peers on creating a secure, trustworthy, advances.
February 2022 17OIC-CERT 5G Security Working Group
announces new 5G Security Framework
In a significant milestone, the OIC-CERT remarkable progress in addressing some Security Framework within OIC community
5G Security Working Group (WG) has of the security concerns around 5G in and outline additional technical work
announced the completion of the core general." Meanwhile, Ts Dato Dr Amiruddin needed to enhance the Framework. The
OIC-CERT 5G Security Framework in less Abdul Wahab, CEO of CyberSecurity document remains a work in progress due
than eight months after the initiative Malaysia, was of the opinion that, “5G to 5G evolving technological improvements
was launched. The Framework, now in is another disruptive technology that all and new application scenarios and there
the hands of the OIC-CERT, consists of a parties have no choice but to embrace are plans to give a technical presentation
5G security risk repository, a 5G security it. The OIC-CERT has overcome a major of the OIC 5G Security Framework during
baseline technical specification, and a hurdle by defining the requirements in this the GISEC in Dubai in March 2022, bringing
cross-recognition assurance methodology. framework for the OIC community and the initiative to a full circle as the formation
could not have come at a more opportune of the WG was also announced at the same
The Organization of the Islamic time as 5G matures worldwide”. event in 2021.
Cooperation- Computer Emergency
Response Team (OIC-CERT) is a platform Ts Mohd Shamir bin Hashim, SVP for The 5G heralds a new era of digital
for information sharing and developing International & Government Engagement transformation. But with this progress
cybersecurity capabilities for the members Division of Cybersecurity Malaysia and comes new threats and vulnerabilities
mainly among the Organization of the Co-chair of OIC-CERT 5G Security Working because of the vastly expanded attack
Islamic Cooperation (OIC) community. It Group said: "Our objective was to develop surface. Adopting IoT, for example, will
is an Affiliate Institution of the OIC. The a set of guiding principles for the OIC-CERT add a new set of challenges such as the
OIC-CERT 5G Security WG is jointly led members on how to address the emerging security, safety, and robustness of cyber
by Cybersecurity Malaysia, the OIC-CERT 5G security threat. Thanks to the support of and physical systems. Therefore, there's
permanent secretariat, and Huawei UAE, the WG members and my co-chair, Huawei an urgent need to enhance cybersecurity
an OIC-CERT commercial member. Dubai. we have delivered.” measures proportionate to the threats
emerging from digital technology
Eng. Badar Ali Al-Salehi, Chairman OIC- A meeting between the co-chairs and the advances. More than ever, cross-border
CERT said, "It has been eluded on many OIC-CERT secretariat team is planned for collaboration is key to mitigating cyber
platforms and occasions that the only way February 2022 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, threats and that is so true for OIC whose
to solve the ever increasing cybersecurity where the WG work plan for the year 2022 57 member states are spread over 4
challenge is through collaboration. The will be announced immediately after it is continents, a challenge that is exacerbated
OIC-CERT 5G Security working group finalized in the meeting. The work plan shall by the contrasting maturity of ICT adoption
affirms this viewpoint and we are seeing address promotion and adoption of the 5G within the countries.
18 February 2022ISNR partners with Huawei
for upcoming edition
The Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions edition of ISNR Abu Dhabi. As an event He added: “The continuous digitalisation
Company (ADNEC) will host and organize where thought leaders, experts, and efforts across the world has led to a rise in
the International Exhibition of National change makers in national and cyber cyberattacks, therefore, we firmly believe that
Security and Resilience (ISNR Abu Dhabi). security communities convene, ISNR in order to achieve a greater defense, we need
The upcoming edition of the event will see Abu Dhabi is truly the perfect platform to strengthened global cooperation. It is not the
Huawei join as technology partner, offering identify avenues in which we can safeguard responsibility of one company or country. We
their insights and expertise as a leading our communities and countries, as well as need to cooperate on unified regulations to
global ICT solutions provider. spark meaningful change in the industry. protect the cyber space and ensure the digital
With the continued support of Huawei UAE, economy is safely guarded.”
The exhibition, held in collaboration with we are looking forward to witnessing the
the Ministry of Interior, will take place at success and excellence that the upcoming Co-located alongside the Unmanned
the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre edition of ISNR Abu Dhabi will bring.” Systems Exhibition & Conference (UMEX)
(ADNEC) from February 21-23, 2022. and the Simulation and Training Exhibition
Jiawei Liu, CEO of Huawei UAE said: and Conference (SimTEX) for the first time,
ISNR Abu Dhabi will highlight the latest “We are again pleased to be partnering ISNR Abu Dhabi will attract several official
innovations and solutions, strengthen with ADNEC for this year’s International delegations, consisting of representatives of
commercial and business relations, as Exhibition of National Security and the Ministry of the Interior, police and security
well as foster partnerships in the fields Resilience 2022. ISNR will bring the global leaders, as well as a large number of visitors,
of National Security, Cyber Security, cyber security community together to officials, and decision makers – reinforcing
Policing and Law Enforcement and Critical accelerate public-private collaboration for a the event's status as the most trusted regional
Infrastructure Protection. safer, connected world. This mission aligns platform.
with Huawei’s vision around cybersecurity.
Saeed Al Mansoori, Executive Director of We regard cybersecurity as a shared ISNR Abu Dhabi is expected to see
Capital Events, said: "We are thrilled to concern and have long advocated for participation from 20 countries from around
have the support of Huawei as Technology lasting partnerships to tackle a common the world, welcoming more than 26,000
sponsor and partner for the upcoming threat.” visitors.
February 2022 19Measuring and Mitigating
Cyber Risk
Saket Modi, Co-Founder and CEO at Safe Security
As businesses continue to invest in digital New approach to cybersecurity Objectivity and simplicity should be at the
transformation and base their business core of a cybersecurity strategy
models on technology, cyber threats only Today, the delegation of risk decisions to
become more imminent. Cyber Risk is no the IT team cannot be the only solution and Cybersecurity posture cannot be
longer an IT problem, but a board-room has to be a shared responsibility. The board represented by lengthy reports anymore.
concern. With cyberattacks disrupting and business executives are expected to It needs to become objective and help
business continuity, they pose a direct incorporate the management of cyber risk as decision makers across the organization
impact on the top and bottom line of an part of their business strategy since they are truly understand the risk posture and the
organization’s balance sheet. Thus, making accountable to stakeholders, regulators and financial value of risk that the organization
cybersecurity one of the top priorities of customers. For the CROs, CISOs, and Security faces. It also needs to be free from IT
every organization. and Risk Management Professionals to be jargons to enable the boardroom to
on the same page, there has to be a single have a clearer view of the risk posture,
Challenges with traditional cybersecurity source of truth for communicating the impact thereby facilitating data driven and
approach that cyber risk has on business outcomes, in a informed decisions. Executives can get
language that everyone can understand. overwhelmed with excruciating details
The evolving breach trends verify that from multiple tools or people. They can
complying to frameworks alone can no This is where Cyber Risk Quantification now rely on all the data that has been
longer holistically safeguard organizations. becomes a game-changer. There is a need collected and converted from these
Frameworks such as ISO, NIST, PCI DSS for a solution which integrates with the sources into a simple yet comprehensive
and others are used as reference checklists entire security stack and gives a measurable risk metric that they can use to track and
for cybersecurity and risk management analysis that supplements decision making. build their trust on.
practices, however, they provide limited This comprehensive information empowers
visibility. Cybersecurity must be aligned in CISOs and executives to make informed and Benefits of Cyber Risk Quantification
every organization; threats and mission- timely data backed decisions to ensure the
critical business needs, provided by cybersecurity of the organization. With quantified cybersecurity risk management
products that deliver holistic and actionable practices, organizations have:
insights. The Frameworks approach to Continuous Assessment of Cyber Security is
risk-posture assessments is subjective, the need of the hour 1. A unified cybersecurity strategy:
labor-intensive, and only offers point-in- Cybersecurity that is presently siloed,
time snapshots/assessments. They rely on a Compliance and government guidelines will have a single pane of glass view for
qualitative scale without any objective and mandate the move to go beyond periodic security leaders to make quicker, data-
quantitative measure to assess the security assessments and into continuous monitoring driven decisions.
posture of an organization. of sensitive and critical information. In such 2. An objective metric of communication:
situations, a CISO may often be unable to The potential financial impact of a
Similarly, Security Rating Services represent quantify the maturity of the Information cyber attack converts its risks to a direct
an independent source of publicly accessible Security measures deployed in the business threat. It becomes a simple and
data to support some use cases. However, organization. Continuous Assessment of effective means to communicate risks to
these services don't provide a complete cybersecurity risk posture lets an organization all internal and external stakeholders.
assessment of security controls, as their prioritize the key focus areas across 3. Real-time visibility: Dynamic visibility of
information is primarily sourced from their Critical Assets and most vulnerable what is going well and what needs
publicly accessing internet IP addresses, technology, third parties or employees. This improvement is enabled by a real-time
honeypots, analyzing Deep and Dark web ensures that adequate measures towards cohesive output - breach-likelihood across
content, and individual proprietary data holistic Cyber Security maturity are adopted people, process, technology, and third-
warehouses. throughout the organization. party.
20 February 2022The
3 Key IT Trends to look
out for in 2022
Sherifa Hady, VP Channel, Europe Middle East & Africa at Aruba, a Hewlett Packard Enterprise company
The huge changes brought about by the have for trusted advisors to help them
pandemic were the catalyst for a faster with this transition. The process can be
pace of digital transformation across every overwhelming - particularly if customers
industry sector. Now it’s time for businesses don’t have the skills to understand the
to go from surviving to thriving. benefits of the cloud or whether it’s more
cost-effective for them to deploy a hybrid
Businesses have been made fully aware cloud model.
of how crucial digital transformation is
to their future success and are looking to To take full advantage of the increased
invest in IT services, support and solutions interest in cloud, channel partners need
that match their new needs - distributed to differentiate themselves - guiding
workforces, agile IT and all things cloud. customers through the process, and
Channel partners who can tap into these helping them maximise the benefits of
trends and offer guidance, services, and the cloud - perhaps via a support offering.
solutions, will be the ones to succeed within This means developing a comprehensive
this rapidly changing IT landscape. cloud-based strategy to ensure they have
Network simplification is even more the best tools and management software
Here’s our pick of the top three trends driving crucial since the pandemic has shrunk available to support customers.
market demand in 2022: many business budgets making it crucial
for IT teams to have capacity to manage #3 Shift to flexible subscription models
#1 Network simplification distributed environments without
damaging wider operations. By offering The rapid uptake of cloud technologies
Distributed workforces and hybrid- a unified infrastructure, channel partners has prompted a widespread re-think of
working have led to complexity in IT can provide customers with new levels IT consumption models and we have now
systems and infrastructure. Applications of operational simplicity so that IT teams moved from hardware-driven revenue to
and workloads are distributed across can redirect precious resources to more a software-first market - essentially an
data centres and the cloud and at the business-critical areas. SaaS-based economy. In 2022, we can
same time, businesses have pivoted to expect to see heightened demand for
meet new customer expectations within #2 Cloud transition support flexible subscription models.
stores, such as touchless interactions. The
combination of fragmented networks and There is no doubt that the outlook for Recent research from Aruba found that
unyielding demands puts businesses at risk 2022 is for plenty of cloud. Recent Aruba customers are becoming more open to
of jeopardising the key benefits of new IoT research found that 83% of IT decision exploring flexible models of consumption.
and cloud technologies. makers were looking to increase their Only 8% of IT decision-makers said
investments in cloud-based networking they would continue with solely Capex
In 2022, IT teams will need to focus on over the next 12 months and data from investments in light of the pandemic,
network simplification, and channel Canalys reveals that the channel helped compared to 55% who said they would
partners can get a step ahead by offering a fuel a 33% increase in cloud spend in look at SaaS models. With many key
unified network operating system. A unified 2020. services such as deployment and
infrastructure, centrally managed via a decommissioning included in subscription
single point of control, will help IT teams Upgrading to the cloud is a complex offerings, these models give IT staff more
to effectively manage distributed network journey and there is opportunity for time to carry out the more complex,
environments, while also delivering a channel partners to step in with new value-add business tasks. It’s vital that
high-quality user experience within a single product offerings - and it’s important to channel partners broaden their own
architecture. understand the deep need that customers offerings to reflect this new demand.
February 2022 21SAMENA Council emphasized at the top of their data-centric policy and
regulatory approaches.
on re-energizing Sustainable Bocar BA, in his keynoted, stated,
"Focusing on these two aspects will help
establish a foundation on which the future
Development and Universal of connectivity can be built. SAMENA
Council suggests that the Policymakers
and Regulators consider extending
Connectivity Drives at WTPF the regulatory sandbox approach to
understand and address new challenges
associated with cross-border data flows,
which are an integral part of the global
connectivity system we have recognized
SAMENA Council, represented by its today for building a sustainable digital
CEO - Bocar BA, who also delivered a future for all."
keynote in support of the Private Sector,
participated and contributed to the BA also reiterated, "In the age of
Opinions adopted during the Sixth World collaborative regulation, policy and
Telecom/ICT Policy Forum (WTPF-21), regulatory approaches should aim to
held virtually in December 2021. The more effectively address the needs
Forum brought together representatives of the Private Sector, in particular of
from all stakeholder groups belonging Telecom Operators. The success of
to 90 ITU Member States, 40 Sector the Governments and the success and
Members, including SAMENA Council, sustainability of the Private Sector are
and various Observers. closely interlinked. Consequently, in
support of the Opinions adopted regarding
Deliberations at the WTPF-21 delved into future-oriented policy approaches, it is
identifying actions that can be taken to almost inevitable that we’d also need to
mobilize new and emerging technologies focus specifically on the need for reducing
and ICTs for sustainable development, Taxation and incentives in investment,
as well as practical measures to boost adopting future-friendly Spectrum
universal, affordable and secure allocation approaches and rectification
connectivity. Delegates recognized of Spectrum Interference issues and
the need to re-energize sustainable the ITU Secretary General, Houlin Zhao, supporting innovation in the creation,
development and drive faster and more and Opinions 3 & 4 agreed to during adoption, and championing by the
inclusive connectivity, and to ramp up the WTPF-21 regarding the need to government sector of the adoption of new
digital skills. The essential requirement adopt effective future-oriented policy digital services."
for setting best policies and practices for approaches for building the digital
adopting and utilizing new and emerging future, SAMENA Council stressed upon WTPF-21 brought together policy-
technologies and services to facilitate the two particularly important aspects for makers from across the globe, providing
use of ICTs for sustainable development future policymaking and governance: a venue for exchanging views and
was recognized as being crucial. It was One, adopting innovative and sustainable knowledge to create shared vision on
also agreed that an enabling environment funding, financing and investment issues arising from the emergence of
for the development and deployment of models that need to be much broader new telecommunication/ICT services
new and emerging telecommunication/ and include contributors apart from and technologies. It is the sixth such
ICT services and technologies to advance Telecom Operators alone and predictable Forum, previous having taken place in
sustainable development is critical for and sustainable contributions from all 1996, 1998, 2001, 2009 and 2013. The
a sustainable digital future. (SAMENA those that benefit from infrastructure Forum was convened at the request of
Council noted that this was in accordance investments. Two, understanding and ITU Membership to discuss new and
with the earlier acknowledgement by meaningfully utilizing the vast data emerging technologies. The Sixth World
the global community of the role that flow landscape that now exists, and Telecommunication/ICT Policy Forum
the Telecom/ICT industry, especially the for which Policymakers and Regulators (WTPF-21) was due to be held on 16-18
Telecom Operator community, has been should help in the harmonization of data December 2021 in Geneva, Switzerland.
playing in digital development worldwide categorizations such as global definitions However, given the deterioration of
and more so throughout the 2020-to- and data-related concepts; developing the epidemiological situation and the
date pandemic response and future common technical data-related announcement of travel restrictions and
preparedness processes.) standards; exploring emerging forms of quarantine requirements in Switzerland
data governance, and agreeing on digital and many other countries, WTPF-21 was
Aligned with the Report presented by and data-related rights and principles only held as a fully virtual event.
22 February 2022Is Eco-SIM unnecessary step in Telco Sustainability?
Shifting straight to eSIMs is a more strategic choice
industries reach net zero targets by the eSIM shift could be challenging,
facilitating the avoidance of carbon since a lack of expertise, technological
emissions and enabling the use of SMART inaccessibility and bulky processes
technology. That is, devices connected to continually act as roadblocks. However,
the internet that use sensors and software Mobilise’s eSIM as a Service solution
to improve performance and efficiency. simplifies the process and empowers telcos
of all sizes to overcome these barriers and
But telcos are also part of the problem. launch their eSIM capabilities quickly and
When it comes to sustainability, their easily.
own operations are not carbon-free, and
a key emission contribution is SIM cards. Staying ahead of the curve
Despite their small size, SIM cards’ impact
on the environment is huge. Manufacturing Widespread adoption of eSIMs is inevitable
SIM cards requires large amounts of and at some point — all telcos will need to
virgin plastic, and distributing the cards adopt the technology to remain relevant
to customers globally creates even more and retain their customer base. But,
emissions. besides from being more sustainable,
what are the benefits of becoming an early
In 2020, 4.5 billion plastic SIM cards were adopter of eSIM technology?
produced. If they were to be placed in a
Hamish White, CEO eSIM line, they’d measure 11,250 kilometres In terms of boosting brand reputation,
— the distance between Delhi, India being an early adopter enables a company
In October 2021, telecom giant and and Montreal, Canada. So, even though to influence how the technology develops
leading global mobile network operator recycled plastic Eco-SIMs eliminate and have a say in its progression. It
(MNO) Vodafone announced its new the need for virgin raw materials, the also helps telcos to establish a lasting
Eco-SIM — made from recycled plastic. emissions related to the delivery of such name for themselves as a pioneer for
Any sustainability feat is positive for the a large quantity of components means new technology within the industry and
telecommunications industry, which that telcos using Eco-SIMs cannot call presents them with an opportunity to
contributes two percent of the global themselves green just yet. develop their image as a thought leader
emissions in total. But why stop at recycled that should be listened to among their
plastic SIM cards, when there is an entirely eSIMs enter the chat peers.
digital solution available? In this article,
Hamish White, CEO of eSIM as a Service Eco-SIMs are a step in the right direction, From an economic perspective, being quick
provider Mobilise, explains why it isn’t too but why stop with a temporary fix when to market also corresponds to greater
early to adopt an eSIM strategy. there is already a permanent, digital growth — according to Harvard Business
solution? Embedded SIMs, or eSIMs, Review, one in five ‘pioneers’ report growth
Vodafone claims that by adopting Eco- remove the need for a physical SIM card rates of more than 30 per cent, where just
SIMs across Europe, Egypt, Turkey and by downloading network authentication ten per cent of technology ‘followers’ could
South Africa, it can save 1,280 tonnes of credentials that are usually stored on the match that. Launching early presents a
carbon dioxide (CO2) each year. That’s the plastic SIM digitally. window of opportunity for telcos to use
equivalent CO2 emissions of flying from eSIMs as a unique selling point, facilitating
London, United Kingdom, to Sydney, A McKinsey survey revealed that across market differentiation.
Australia — 427 times. the United Kingdom, 25 per cent of people
tried a new brand for purpose-driven While Eco-SIMs will temporarily improve
Striving for sustainability reasons, like being more sustainable than telco sustainability, other SIM technologies
their competitors. So, for telcos looking can make a bigger impact. Eco-SIM
Sustainability’s importance continues to to offer eSIMs now, they present not adopters will inevitably have to shift to
grow across all countries and industries. only an opportunity to keep ahead of the eSIM anyway, without the benefits of
At the landmark climate event COP26 innovation curve but also drive their own doing so as an early adopter. With financial,
in November 2021, over 140 countries economic growth. economic and environmental benefits
pledged to reach net zero carbon abundant, is it time to take the plunge into
emissions. Telecoms will help other For small and medium-sized telcos, making the era of the eSIM?
24 February 2022Indonesian Telecoms provider installs long
distance ViaLiteHD RF over Fiber System
One of the largest telecommunications
providers in Indonesia now benefits from
the ViaLiteHD Long Distance DWDM Link
System. ViaLite Communications was
chosen due to the company’s ability to
supply a reliable system with guaranteed
performance.
The system was designed to meet specific
requirements provided by the customer
that matched the predicted results
generated by ViaLite’s software design
tool.
Having teleports tens or hundreds of
kilometers apart, in regions where deployment include switchable fiber routes long distance with redundant switchable
rain fade and diversity operations to allow for optical fiber redundancy and paths, and was tuned to meet performance
are key considerations, allows the SNMP monitoring of both sides of the specifications remotely,” said Amair Khan,
telecommunications provider to maintain link from a single control room, enabling ViaLite’s Business Development Manager.
satellite connectivity from either of their remote changes to be made easily without “We managed to not only assist installation
sites. With High Throughput Satellite (HTS) the need to travel between sites. of the system remotely but also train staff
connectivity becoming a prerequisite in the operation of the system at the same
where 500 MHz and 800 MHz bandwidths “Despite the difficulties caused by the time,” he added.
are necessary, ViaLite was able to exceed COVID-19 pandemic, our team was able
HTS bandwidth requirements using their to support the installation using remote The customer said that the equipment was
long distance links. logins and by providing guidance with local straightforward to implement and easily
engineers on site. The fully operational fine-tuned to improve performance as
Some of the key features of this diverse system was installed across a required on site.
February 2022 25Aruba to turn spotlight on building
‘Your Journey. Your Edge’ at LEAP’22
Aruba, a Hewlett Packard Enterprise
company, has announced its participation
at LEAP, the global platform for the most
disruptive technology professionals, taking
place in Riyadh in February. Exhibiting
under the theme ‘Your Journey. Your
Edge’, the company will demonstrate how
regional organizations in the Middle East
can lay the foundations for hybrid working,
digital-first experiences, and hyper-aware
facilities by leveraging the power of Aruba
ESP (Edge Services Platform).
Jacob Chacko, Regional Director - Middle
East, Saudi & South Africa at Aruba says,
“Saudi Arabia’s intention behind hosting
LEAP is to help the region lead and
leapfrog with technology and innovation. Jacob Chacko Jamil Ahmad
According to Saudi Vision 2030, the Regional Director, ME Saudi & SA Aruba Country Manager, KSA Aruba
Kingdom ‘aims to increase its investments
in, and lead, the digital economy’. Aruba • AIOps: Event attendees can discover The focus of Aruba’s participation at
shares the government’s vision and is Aruba network’s sixth sense – one that the event will be on Aruba ESP. It is the
committed to enlarging its footprint in the automatically monitors and fixes Wi-Fi, industry’s first platform with an AI-
country and offering solutions that will wired and SD-WAN environments. powered ‘sixth sense’. The solution is
help government and private enterprises • As-a-service: Aruba executives will designed to unify, automate, and secure
leverage data securely, increase efficiency explain the company’s flexible the Intelligent Edge and help organizations
in operations and services, and encourage consumption and financing options, to harness its immense potential. Event
innovation for a better future. LEAP is easily deploy new networking attendees will also be given an opportunity
the ideal platform for us to showcase our technologies in times of change. to discover Aruba’s new EdgeConnect
‘game-changing’ technology in simple, yet Microbranch solution, an industry-leading
innovative ways.” Jamil Ahmad, Country Manager, KSA at home office and small office networking
Aruba, comments, “The Saudi economy is solution for hybrid work environments that
At the event, Aruba will demonstrate on a steep growth trajectory. The various securely provides remote personnel all of
its latest technologies addressing the government-backed smart city initiatives the traditional services workers receive
digital transformation needs of regional and mega projects like NEOM, King Salman in-office via a single Wi-Fi access point (AP)
enterprises including: Park and others are transforming the – with no gateway, agent or additional
• Edge transformation in action: New Kingdom into a commercial, financial and hardware required at the remote site.
Aruba ESP use cases will be demonstrated cultural powerhouse. Technology is the
across healthcare, education, hospitality, backbone of these projects and we see Aruba is keen to showcase the company’s
finance, manufacturing and retail. Aruba’s solutions playing a very important 630 Series Access Points (APs) – the
• Unified Infrastructure: The COVID-19 role in contributing to the success of these industry’s first enterprise-grade Wi-Fi
pandemic accelerated digital initiatives.” 6E solution that enables businesses to
transformation but created operational become more connected than ever before.
complexity for businesses. The company “Different vertical industries have different With organizations looking to lower
will showcase how its unified network technological needs. Our solutions their risk during uncertain times, Aruba
simplifies network operations and boosts are designed to address these specific executives will be educating attendees
IT agility. imperatives and create value through about Aruba as-a-service and Aruba
• Edge-to-cloud security: More remote transformed customer experiences and network as a service (NaaS) options that
workers means more applications in the accelerated financial outcomes. We are offer business and IT leaders greater
cloud. Aruba will discuss starting a SASE excited to showcase some great demos visibility, control, and flexibility across
(Secure Access Service Edge) journey and use cases in hospitality, education and hardware, software, and management
with WAN and security transformation. retail to trade visitors at LEAP.” operations.
26 February 2022You can also read
