Wednesday, October 23, 2013

Intergence all about expertise in IT optimization!

Intergence is a consulting organisation specialising in network, application, and process optimisation. It provides consulting services to align IT to your business strategy; resourcing to provide highly skilled expertise and managed services to deliver challenging IT projects on time and to budget.

Utilising a unique combination of world class expertise, industry-leading methodology and unique tools, Intergence has a clear and common purpose – to allow clients to extract more value from their existing assets, whilst delivering a first-class service.

Peter Job, CEO, Intergence, said that Intergence is all about expertise in IT optimization. This is about extracting more value. “One key challenges we found was that we were on the second or third generation structure. It is about of our expertise. We operate on three areas – IT optimization, managed sourcing and managed services around managing applications.

“One of the challenges we are addressing are addressng the end user themselves. They have fast and quicker access to applications. We have launced two new products at Gitex – AppFire – allows you to look at the LAN and WAN and the application itself.

“The AppFlare – gives the ability to monitor applications running across the Internet. We place software agents and they report how apps are running.

“We also do lots of managed sourcing – building infrastructure. We are able to mobilise and get a team of experts to come and build the IT team and build the infrastructure. The third is infrastructure. We are looking at cloud, security, etc.

“We are from the UK, and our business is growing at 35 percent. We moved to Dubai in 2008.This is our fifth Gitex. It can be any medium- or large-enterprise, public sector organization.

“The geography is UK and Europe, as well as the GCC countries. We have plans to go to Africa in the future.

The expertise of Intergence is IT optimization. Enterprises can use the AppFlare to make their infrastructure run more efficiently.

This year’s show is the best according to Intergence. You are always going to see security issues. More people are offering cloud services.

Some trends in 2014 include:
* BYoD will become mainstream.
* IT departments will have to become business centers.
* As for the cloud market, by 2016, 60-70 percent of businesses will have hybrid cloud. Lot of companies are looking at software-defined networks.
* Cloud analytics will go up by two to three years. People can actually see their data, and take informed decisions.

Apple's done it again, wth iPad Air!

At San Francisco, Apple introduced the iPad Air that features a 9.7-inch Retina display in a new thinner and lighter design!

Earlier, yesterday, in India, Samsung announced the GALAXY Note 10.1! However, it isn't any match for the iPad Air!!

The release says that precision-engineered to weigh just one pound, the iPad Air is now 20 percent thinner and 28 percent lighter than the fourth generation iPad, and with a narrower bezel the borders of iPad Air are dramatically thinner-making content even more immersive.

Apple also introduced the new iPad mini featuring Retina display and 64-bit Apple-designed A7 chip.

The iPads feature two antennae to support Multiple-In-Multiple-Out (MIMO) technology, thus bringing twice the Wi-Fi performance to iPad Air and iPad mini with Retina display at a blazingly fast data rate up to 300 Mbps. The fact that Apple will be offering 128GB for both the models shows that it really means business!

Besides the iPad Air, there were some other announcements made by Apple. First, Apple introduced the next gen iWork and iLife apps for OS X, as well as the OS X Mavericks, which is now available free from Mac App store. Apple also introduced the all new Mac Pro!

And, what will it do to Apple's business? Well, there will definitely be many more buyers for sure. Gosh, what will I do? I have a third-gen iPad and this is a fifth-gen model! Never mind! All the best to those who would be buying the iPad Air! Brilliant!

DP Electronics aims to be best in power solutions

DP Electronics eK (Deutsche Power), based in Germany, with an office in Hong Kong, is showcasing power electronics products at Gitex 2013. It has assembling partners in Hong Kong, Hungary, China, Taiwan and Germany.

Helen Long, manager, International Affairs, said that the company’s mission is to be the best supplier of power solutions. The company will continue to tailor products for market needs, while maintaining high quality, integrated customer service and prompt delivery.

The cycle time for the development of new models of UPS has been rapidly shortening as the manufacturers take advantage of the latest advancements in the use of microprocessors (MPUs) and power semiconductor devices. Hence, the supplier’s products are also becoming lighter, smaller and increasingly intelligent, with a dramatic effect on cost reduction. DP Electronics’ range of UPS include over 60 models/ratings.

Some of its products include the DH series sine-wave inverter (1 KVA-2 KVA), suitable for small/medium home equipment, office and public devices, home lighting systems, fabrication and control systems, PCs, PoS devices, etc. The SOLO series simulated sine-wave inverters (1 KVA-2 KVA) is useful for tubelights, TVs. computers, stereos, PBXs, etc.

It is also offering solar panels (100W-300W), as well as off-grid and on-grid PV imverters with MPPT solar charger, and a PV charge controller. DP Electronics is also displaying optoelectronic LED lights for ceilings, corn ligts, warehouse lights, flood lights, spot lights and other lights of different concepts.

Among UPS, it is offering the XL Plus series line interactive UPS (650VA-3KVA), Elentra series line interactive sinewave UPS (1KVA-6KVA), Elektra series online high frequency UPS (1KVA-30KVA) and 1KVA~10KVA models. The Elektra series is available as online industrial grade UPS — 10KVA~60KVA models and 10KVA-3.5MVA models, respectively. Then, there is the Fuhrer series of modular online UPS from 10KVA~100KVA.

The supplier is also offering VRLA/SLA/GEL batteries in 2V/6V/12V types.

Monday, October 21, 2013

Odyssey offers ClearSkies SaaS cloud-based integrated security services

Odyssey Consultants is a PCI QSA, ISO 27001 certified infosecurity, infrastructure and risk management solutions integrator, and a managed security and outsourcing services provider. Founded 2002, it has since evolved into a regional leader in managed security and outsourcing services.

Odyssey’s range of solutions and services lie within a four-phase information security continuum, such as test and access, design and implement, monitor and respond, and outsourcing. According to the company, information security management involves the development, deployment, and ongoing monitoring and review of a combination of preventive, detective, and response processes and controls.

Odyssey is offering the ClearSkies security-as-a-service (SaaS) line of cloud-based integrated security services. ClearSkies platform has the necessary tools that enable the organizations reap benefits of the cloud without compromising on infosecurity.

The first of the ClearSkies series of services offered by Odyssey is the security information and event management (SIEM). SIEM provides organizations an adequate infrastructure in-house, with the opportunity to gain such capability in the cloud. ClearSkies is enriched with the vast know-how, expertise and intelligence of the latest threats and vulnerabilities that come right out of Odyssey’s Ithaca Labs. It transforms the service into a powerful information security tool for the client.

Odyssey also offers managed security and outsourcing (MSOS) services. Key benefits include:

* Enhanced 24/7/365 protection and monitoring of network, systems and security components.
* Continuous log analysis and correlation of events with real-time incident escalation.
* Focus internal resources on core organizational competencies.
* Threat analysis and access to security advisories issued by Ithaca Labs team.
* Minimized mean time to restore/recovery (MTTR) capability by proactive indentification of Internet threats.
* Retention of logs collected in a secure environment, helping clients meet regulatory compliance without needing to deploy costly and complex reporting tools and processes.
* Low TCO by eliminating the need to recruit, train and retain an in-house security capability.
* Notification of in-scope devices outage that impacts log collection.
* Access to MSOS secure portal for reviewing real-time alerts, published incidents and generate reports.

Odyssey has offices in Cyprus and Greece, and is exhibiting at the Gitex 2013 show in Dubai.

Sunday, October 20, 2013

Gitex 2013: All about Big Data and cloud

Its been warm and sunny in Dubai, UAE, host to the Gitex Technology Week 2013, at the Dubai World Trade Center. Opening today, the show is literally the live wire for the Middle East technology roadmap.

Well, it seems that this show is all about the Big Data and cloud. On Oct. 21st, there is the Cloud Confex, where enterprises can learn how they can achieve the benefits of transformation. Are the CIOs and the businesses really prepared for Big Data? You can find that out by attending the session on Big Data on Oct. 22nd. There is the digital strategies day as well, on Oct. 23rd, where enterprises can find out more about how to integrate mobile and social media into their business models. This session should help you understand what customers or users do online, and more importantly, why they do that!

There are said to be 1,500 or so exhibitors at Gitex 2013. My attention was drawn to the gsmExchange, said to be the global trading platform for mobile phone wholesale since 2000. You can buy or sell mobiles phones as well as refurbished mobile phones at this portal. You can also buy and sell mobile phone accessories as well. Kaspersky Lab has a large booth, catering to the Internet security and mobile security products. Cisco is showcasing its intelligent network  products portfolio.

Elsewhere, there’s news about Datawind, and its low-cost phablet for the Indian market at Rs. 6,999 (taxes extra). Cyberoam is showcasing the next generation firewall (NGFW) and its enterprise security offerings. TP-LINK has launched its flagship 802.11ac wireless router, which is providing up to 1750Mbps of wireless bandwidth and set to change the way we look at home networking.

Olivetti is presenting innovative solutions and products whose features will be of particular interest to banks and post offices, such as the revolutionary MB-2 ADF, an all-in-one product for bank front offices that combines specialised printer functions with those of an A4 scanner, a cheque reader and allows the automatic multi-page documents feed thanks to the ADF. It is also displaying the Oliscan A600, a duplex colour scanner, the M206 and M210 multiservice terminals, and so on.

I saw a booth from Dubai Silicon Oasis Authority (DSOA), which is showcasing the park’s hi-tech ecosystem. Five years ago, when I was in Dubai, the director had informed me that the DSOA was large enough to fit in eight wafer fabs! Where are those fabs, dear sirs? Does it seem that the focus has shifted from fabs to providing incentives and state-of-the-art infrastructure to technology companies looking to set up shop in Dubai? We will try and find out, time permitting.

There is a strong presence of the local government, with large booths showcasing their wares. The Dubai Smart Government has introduced several new applications, such as the mobile gateway app – mDubai, mPay app, HR self-service app, MyID and iProc mobile app, and the suggestions and complaints app. Great work!

There are large booths mostly, especially from Etisalat, the Middle East’s leading telecommunications operator and one of the largest corporations in the six Arab countries of the Gulf Co-operation Council, Intel, which is showcasing its enterprise solutions, and Huawei, which is targeting the data centers, as well as enterprises.

There will be more updates tomorrow, as I’ve to rush for a meeting.