< Previous(30) CHANNEL MIDDLE EAST_JUNE 2019 www.channelmiddleeast.com migration to the cloud while providing a robust network infrastructure. “At D-Link, we address this by offering a breadth of ser vices to help the channel maximise their collaboration investments. Working directly with our partners to jointly deliver ser vices, D-Link ser vices portfolio allows for an end-to-end deliver y of ser vices designed to plan, deploy, support, operate, manage and carr y enterprise application solutions,” says Hussain. Channel partners play a major role in the distribution of relevant technology driven solutions to the right set of clients. They should have a wide portfolio of solutions that addresses multiple clients while always remaining on the lookout for new solutions available in the market. “The answer is innovation and evolution. They can stay competitive by also increased in the region. But this growth has been driven by the rapid adoption of the cloud as more organisations need enterprise apps to move some of their IT infrastructure to the cloud. D-Link’s Hussain adds that businesses in the SMB, midmarket and enterprise sector are adopting all kinds of business applications and the need to improve customer experiences in high on their agenda. The rapid adoption of mobile devices, BYOD and the acceleration toward a software defined everything is opening up opportunities for vendors (hardware and software) to embrace apps that bring value to the solutions they take to channel partners. However, adoption is a gradual process as organisations are beginning to realise the need for mobile applications or enterprise applications for specific needs. One of the main challenges for partners selling enterprise app solutions is ensur- ing they can help customers manage their One of the main challenges for partners selling enterprise app solutions is ensuring that they can help customers manage their migration to the cloud while providing a robust network infrastructure. SAKKEER HUSSAIN, DIRECTOR – SALES AND MARKETING, D-LINK ME Channel partners play a major role in the distribution of right technology driven solution to the right set of clients. They should have a wide portfolio of solutions that address multiple clients. Channel partners should be in the lookout of new solutions available in the market. PRASUN CHATTERJI, MANAGER- SOLUTIONS AT EMITAC driven organisation and drive technology solution partners, or a technology solution partner with a sales team. In case they decide to be the latter, they clearly need to have the right skills to develop the right applications. The skills they should look at are product management skills, design skills, quality assurance and performance testing skills, clean coding, cross-platform skills and data skills,” adds Chatterji. Customers across the region are demanding highly specialised systems which are mobility enabled, and available on both enterprise and cloud platforms. The portability of data with real-time accurate information is the key require- ment of an evolved market with clear visions of digital governance. User experi- ence on mobile interface and mobile secu- rity are the most important factors that would decide which apps would take lead in the coming year. The enterprise apps market is highly competitive with a number of software vendors offering enterprise applications now increasing focus in this segment and pushing their product offerings. adding new solutions to the portfolio, which are specific to requirements. The idea is to align with the client and understand their pain points as well as requirements and either develop a solution from the scratch, or enhance what’s available,” says Chatterji. When it comes to developing the right skill-sets, software skills are, in general, a must have. However, partners need to aggressively invest in business application software skills, unified communications, networking skills and most importantly security skills. “Partners that invest in training and certifications will put their organisations in good stead and win confidence from customers who will know the solution providers they are working with carry industry recognised badges,” says Hussain. “Partners must adapt to differentiate themselves in the market. They need to decide, whether they want to be a sales BUILDING AND DELIVERING IT SOLUTIONS FOR THE MIDDLE EAST CHANNEL MIDDLE EAST OCTOBER 2008 V ol. 06 Issue. 10 BUILDIN G AND DELIVERIN G IT SO LUTI O N S F O R THE MID DL E EAEA STSTST C HANNEL MIDDLE EA ST OC T O BE R 2008 V ol. VV 06 Issue . 10 Building and delivering IT solutions for the Middle East www .itp.net JUNE 2019 An ITP Media Group Publication WORKPLACE TRANSFORMATION How document management can help businesses transform p36 SPECIAL REPORT Document Management Solutions DOWNLOAD OR UPDATE THE APP NOW ON YOUR IOS DEVICE// INTRODUCTION EDITOR’S LEADER Going paperless is certainly on the charts, but this move is unlikely to be without challenges Best of both worlds Unimaginable amount of data is being generated today that can be leveraged by businesses to gain competitive advantage. This calls for efficient capture followed by analysis and validation of captured content, and finally putting that data into a business process. Thus, document management solutions are increasingly being adopted by firms to manage the flow of information more efficiently between departments. What is interesting is that the demand for hardware solutions is increasing as governments and enterprises look at digitising their previously generated paper documents or those getting generated with day to day transactions. It certainly is a growing market with some of the major growth drivers being the adoption of new technology and government-driven initiatives like Dubai’s Paperless Strategy and Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030. E-Government initiatives, desire for greater productivity and cost effective options, and support for the environment, are all contributing to increase the demand for document management solutions. Whether the reasons stem from an environmental perspective or simply as an extension of ‘going digital’, document management solutions are certainly gaining traction. End users are investing heavily in robotics and AI, and they understand that in order to analyse data you need perfect images of documents to be able to extract the relevant information. The acceleration of digital transformation is further increasing the need for more robust solutions and end users are now looking at vendors and the channel to work together and help end users during this transition. On the other hand software options are also seeing a surge in demand in this sector, giving a number of vendors the required edge in the document management solutions space. This essentially means that technology providers should continue to invest in cloud and mobility computing solutions to address evolving customer needs. Understanding the regions, verticals, and organisational departments in which digital transformation is occurring is critical for print device manufacturers and print services providers. However, they will have to adjust their value propositions, and adopt new approaches for current and prospective clients. In this month’s Special Report, I would like to extend my gratitude to Fujitsu for being the Knowledge Partner on Document Management Solutions. With document management being vital in the digital transformation machine, Fujitsu emphasises that resellers have the opportunity to offer a solution that is not only a vital part of this machine, but also a welcome one. As a leader in offering document management solutions, Fujitsu sheds light on how workplace transformation is at the forefront of most regional organisations’ minds to increase productivity and ensure staff retention. >> DOWNLOAD OR UPDATE THE APP NOW ON YOUR IOS DEVICE Sarah Rizvi Editor, Channel Middle East (33) www.channelmiddleeast.com CHANNEL MIDDLE EAST_JUNE 2019// MARKET FOCUS Document management solutions: where do opportunities lie for the channel to take advantage of and grow their business TAPPING THE PAPERLESS OPPORTUNITIES Document management solutions focus on the con- version of paper-based documents to electronic files. In the Middle East, there is a growing trend among government entities to establish paperless offices. This is especially true in the UAE, with initia- tives like Dubai Paperless Strategy in place. The aim of this initiative is to build a per- fectly integrated paperless government framework. The strategy will eliminate over one billion papers annually used today in Dubai government transactions. The emir- ate hopes to achieve full digitalisation by the end of 2021. Because paper files are costly to process, duplicate, distribute and store, digitalising paper archives ultimately reduces operating expenses and overheads. Now, the trend towards establishing paperless offices is more in the Government sector. Print still has a place in the non-government sectors in this region, with an inclination towards adopting more environment friendly and cost saving solutions. Digital transformation is driving a lot of firms to share information between depart- ments, but this increases the complexity of shared documents. Increasingly vendors are offering integrated document solutions that manage both the physical hardcopy and digital documents and workflows. The region’s ICT spending is predicted to grow, resulting in more CIOs opting for dig- ital transformation to increase productivity. This will result in a demand for document management solutions. According to a lat- est IDC report, more money is expected to pour into the sector in 2019 signalling a renewed push for digital transformation. As per the report, one of the key drivers for ICT spending in the region will be digi- tal transformation initiatives to bring busi- ness and government initiatives online, with spending expected to surpass $25bn, up from nearly $20bn last year. Saudi Arabia, for instance, will spend one per cent more reaching $34.5bn in 2019. Regardless of the digital initiatives deployed by companies and governments, paper reliance remains dominant in the Middle East. The potential of getting busi- (34) CHANNEL MIDDLE EAST_JUNE 2019 www.channelmiddleeast.com BUILDING AND DEL REACH MORE THAN// MARKET FOCUS ness decisions faster and cheaper is one of the main drivers as well. Roberto Alunni, senior research manager - Middle East, Turkey and Africa at IDC says that the market across the Middle East varies in terms of adoption of document management solutions, with Saudi Arabia and the UAE being the most mature. The growth is driven by GCC govern- ments that are keen on establishing paper- less offices. The Dubai Smart Government initiative to become a fully paperless gov- ernment, for example, will see 100 % of internal and customer transactions being digitized from 2021. That means govern- ment will no longer issue or ask for paper documents across all its operations. There is also a growing environmental awareness in the region, though this is still not on par with European markets. Since paperless offices are environment friendly, there are companies that are opting for greater digital transformation. “We have led the switch from laser to inkjet in this region through awareness campaigns. As per a survey we did in UAE among businesses, 60% of those surveyed said that they are willing to switch to inkjet. We experienced 8% growth in 2018 for our inkjet printers,” Jeroen van Beem, director of sales, Epson MEA. IDC analysts add that, in general, there is a lack of end-to-end solutions being offered by any one vendor. This makes it challeng- ing for the partner when it comes to imple- menting at the end users site. In Epson’s recent EMEA survey among businesses, 88 % stated that printing is still important to their role. Many ‘consid- ered printing vital in helping them work effectively’ and felt that ‘a paperless office was unrealistic despite increased digitisa- tion’. To that end, businesses would bene- fit from reviewing their printer fleets as these findings suggests that many do not have the best printing technologies or practices in place. Many are missing out on the significant improvements in pro- ductivity, reduced user interventions and energy reductions afforded by business inkjet technology. However, the growth driver for document management solutions is different in various sectors. “In the government sector, the drive is part of the e-government initiatives while in the Oil & Gas sector or banking sector, the desire to go paperless is to achieve greater productivity, efficiency and cost saving,” adds Epson’s Jeroen van Beem. “In the Middle East region, regulatory bodies will increasingly place pressure on businesses to maintain better records to ensure data privacy for individuals and busi- nesses. This will be similar to the European General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) which ensures that there is a legal framework to protect an individual’s person- al data,” adds Alunni. Historically, the public and banking sec- tors are the biggest users of document imag- ing solutions, but the market is witnessing growing interest from insurance companies, pharmaceutical and healthcare verticals, and educational institutions as well. For Alaris, the growth comes from its investments in demand generation, and channel expansion and enablement. “Our partners are our strength. We are a channel centric company and will remain so. We are investing heavily in enabling partners to make sure they are capable of pitching and placing the right solution to the right client. We are also continuously engaging with cli- ents, generating opportunities, and passing them on to our Elite partners,” adds. Confidence in the digital economy is key at a time when business strategies in com- puter security are a primary concern. The digitalisation of document flows and pro- cesses has become a reality for many pri- vate and public companies. It extends to all documents and business processes. None of these digital economy-related applications can develop without establishing a genuine environment of trust, and this is the chal- lenge that channel partners face. In this region, there is still scepticism about cloud- based technologies and digital files, so the channel partners need to debunk some of the myths and establish trust to be able to implement digital solutions. JEROEN VAN BEEM, DIRECTOR OF SALES, EPSON MIDDLE EAST AMD AFRICA NAJI KAZAK, GENERAL MANAGER - META & RUSSIA AT ALARIS, A KODAK ALARIS BUSINESS (35) www.channelmiddleeast.com CHANNEL MIDDLE EAST_JUNE 2019 DELIVERING IT SOLUTIONS FOR THE MIDDLE EAST AN 33,000 INDUSTRY DECISION MAKERS(36) CHANNEL MIDDLE EAST_JUNE 2019 www.channelmiddleeast.com // KNOWLEDGE PARTNER It has never been a better time for document management to help businesses transform their workplace, says Paul Brown, regional manager - Middle East & Turkey, PFU EMEA - a Fujitsu company Workplace Transformation T here are more than a few buzz- words in the business world at the moment; one of the most used ones that we have seen is digital transformation. This concept has become important to busi- ness, and is frequently seen as a critical enabler for organisations to develop and grow. One of the outputs of digital trans- formation is the internet of things. Connectivity is becoming ever more embedded throughout working spaces, and the demand for it is growing, so it is important for businesses of all kinds to be able to leverage its functionality, so that they can link people and systems across the world. The reliance on data as the cur- rency of these interactions means it has never been a better time for strong and reliable document management solutions to be implemented. The ‘always on’ nature of our connected digital lives both at work and at home means that readily available access to information is a commonplace require- ment for every company employee and every private individual. Enabling new ways of working for businesses - whether it is the creation and sharing of digital doc- uments across departments and teams, or the uploading of documents into the cloud - creates numerous opportunities for the channel – opportunities which resonate with an ‘always on’ audience. The AIIM report of 2018, The State of Intelligent Information Management, says that, ‘every organisation is on — or should be on —a digital transformation journey. The heart of this transformation journey is understanding, anticipating, and redefin- ing internal and external customer experi- ences.’ Document management is a vital cog in the digital transformation machine, and es, so that more can be achieved for their clients and more business can be brought in. Millennials are on their way to being the largest demographic of the workforce, and are asking for offices and workspaces that make it easier for them to get their work done, and more freely. Another growing demand is the rise in working from home, or flexible working. Thus being able to share important docu- ments across a network so that people can work on-the-go or at home, is more desir- able than ever. In enables collaboration, even when not face-to-face. An example where this is already happening, is within the healthcare industry, where the multi- disciplinary nature of modern medicine could require simultaneous access to patient records for consultants who may not even be on the same continent. However, it is not only large-scale indus- tries and companies that are striving to digitise documents, small to medium size enterprises are taking this approach. We PAUL BROWN, REGIONAL MANAGER - MIDDLE EAST & TURKEY, PFU EMEA - A FUJITSU COMPANY with trends like the KonMari method, devised by Japanese tidying expert Marie Kondo, trickling down from personal spac- es into work environments, resellers have the opportunity to offer a solution that is not only a vital part of this machine, but also a welcome one. By combining soft- ware with hardware, paperwork does not have to be the inconvenience it once was for those businesses who are open to learning about the solutions. Workplace transformation is at the fore- front of organisations’ minds to increase productivity and ensure staff retention. Both employers and employees are look- ing to make business purchases which are going to speed up functions and process- Of the 396 companies who joined the Imaging Channel Program since April 2018, 70 were in the Middle East(37) www.channelmiddleeast.com CHANNEL MIDDLE EAST_JUNE 2019 // KNOWLEDGE PARTNER know this to be true as over five million ScanSnap scanners had been sold in the world, as of September 2018. For many companies document capture is the first step in digital transformation, unlocking data from its paper prison, and gaining invaluable new insights from the information now available. Businesses are able to drive innovation and take advan- tage of new found opportunities. Historically, achieving a ‘paperless office’ and scanning items was driven by archiving requirements. We now also see an increase in people wanting to incorpo- rate it as part of a business process improvement effort. Arguably, it is this ‘access anywhere, anytime’ mantra which has become a priority for staff. Cloud based services are increasing the expecta- tion of being able easily store, trace and share your digital documents. “At PFU, we offer ScanSnap Cloud with our ScanSnap products - it classifies and sorts your paper or plastic card input and sends it to the right cloud space. Documents, receipts, business cards and photos are delivered directly to the cloud ser vice you use. ScanSnap Cloud is not a cloud storage system in itself, but instead it complements those ser vices, says Paul Brown, regional man- ager - Middle East & Turkey, PFU EMEA - a Fujitsu company. He adds that ScanSnap Cloud is a cloud based image processor and enhancement tool paired with the intelligence to classify scanned input into four essential types of content; as either document, photo, busi- ness card or receipt, routing each type into a different specified cloud location. “With such continued innovations avail- able to end users, there has never been a better time for our Channel partners to capitalise on their expert knowledge and experience in these fields to aid business- es, and be the early pioneers of digital transformation,” states Brown. PFU (EMEA) Limited, a Fujitsu compa- ny, the world’s leading scanner manufac- turer announced in April that it had regis- tered almost 400 new partners in the region within the last 12 months. Offering 5 million+ ScanSnap scanners sold globally as of September 2018 partners the support they need to effec- tively sell and incorporate marketing leading image capture devices into their solutions to end customers, PFU EMEA’s Imaging Channel Program enables quick and easy access to the content that matters to the channel, as well as a compelling loyalty scheme. Of the 396 companies who joined the Imaging Channel Program since April 2018, 70 were in the Middle East. By incorporating market leading image cap- ture solutions that enable organisations to achieve their business transformation goals, these new partners are able to provide a unique value proposition to their customers. The Imaging Channel Program, which was launched in April 2016, provides partners with all the collateral they need to support their sales funnel, including marketing material, offers and training services. PFU EMEA also offers a loyalty program, Imaging Rewards, which gives partners recognition for their engage- ment, commitment and sales. Rewards include business building services, trav- el, and the latest consumer electronics and experiences. Its widespread availabil- ity across 59 countries in EMEA means two thirds of all new enrolments in the Imaging Channel Program also partici- pate in Imaging Rewards. ScanSnap Cloud is not a cloud storage system in itself, but instead it complements those services - Paul Brown, regional manager, PFU EMEA - a Fujitsu company.// PRODUCTS The iX1500 scanner is ideal for individuals or small teams wanting a simple way to improve personal productivity by quickly digitising and automatically organising their paperwork. Its touch screen menu means a button for everyone’s favourite scan activities is close to hand. It is best suited for home and family use, for small teams or for those who are self-employed. • Personalised multi-user experience with powerful preview, manage, tag & search functions • Smart tech automates and adapts to the way you work • Touch screen, one-button, instant operation (5 million sold) • ScanSnap batches of mixed receipts in one go IX1500 [] SCANSNAP Smoothly scan batches of documents quickly and accurately into your business processes. Innovative paper feeding and protection mechanisms ensure seamless processing. Minimise user interaction through automated hardware and software based image enhancement tools. The fi-7160 comes with both PaperStream Capture and PaperStream IP for high performance batch scanning and image enhancement. • Fast, 60 ppm / 120 ipm scanning in color, grayscale and monochrome • 80-sheets Automatic Document Feeder (ADF); Scanner Central Admin Suite • Advanced paper handling technology for the ultimate in feeding reliability • LED light-source; Embossed card scanning; iSOP (Intelligent Sonic Paper Protection) FI-7160 [] FUJITSU IX100 Market-leading software, incredible build quality, and Wi-Fi scan to cloud or mobile functions make this the world’s bestselling personal scanner. ScanSnap Cloud takes paper directly to your cloud and is best used by those who are on the move. • Scan everyday documents in 5 seconds per A4 page • Scan wirelessly to mobile and desktop devices, cloud services and office applications • Powerful GI processor for outstanding results; cordless operation with lithium-ionbattery • Scan two or more small documents such as business cards simultaneously • Scan A3 documents: Automatically pairs A4 pages with overlapping content • Productive Win/Mac OS software bundle [] SCANSNAP PRODUCT FOCUS Channel Middle East reviews the latest gadgets and serious product innovations by Fujitsu that are making an impact in the document management solutions market in the Middle East Want to feature your product here? Email: sarah.rizvi@itp.com (38) CHANNEL MIDDLE EAST_JUNE 2019 www.channelmiddleeast.comDAY IN THE LIFE INSIDE THE CHANNEL WORKPLACE // (39) www.channelmiddleeast.com CHANNEL MIDDLE EAST_JUNE 2019 I enjoy working with people be it colleagues, partners, vendors and customers. To succeed in such a role you need to be able to lead and motivate different teams and functions within the organisa- tion, beside your ability to take I make my to-do list for the next day before I leave the office everyday, I start with that list and priorits my tasks between urgent and important. For meetings I challenge myself on the value I will bring by attending and what would be the outcome, I try to delegate as much as possible. Once I am at my desk, I start by looking at my to-do list and diary for the day by around 8:30 am to plan my activities. This is also the time when I review my tasks for the week, just for a heads-up in case I want to change something or prioritise differently. My day starts quite early in the day. I usually wake up around 6:30 am and am ready to hit the road to work around 8 am. 26th MAY, 2019 TIMELINE Would you like your channel job to be featured in our ‘Day in the Life’ section? If so, e-mail: sarah.rizvi@itp.com 06:3008:3009:0011:00 During a workday, I usually use my lunch time to review your schedule to check if I am on track, or if there is something that needs to be added to my schedule. 14:3017:00 decisions and handle pressure. To do that you have to be highly motivated, organized, strong communicator, efficient & ef- fective, analytical yet are able to see the bigger picture. I usually reflect on what we achieved as an organization, and what value I brought to my team and different customers. I compare achievement with KPIs and targets, maintain a record of key achievements and I always seek feedback from my team, customers and my manager. I take lunch around 1 pm, from time to time I try to have lunch with my team and colleagues to catch up. If I’m having lunch alone I usually use the time as a checkpoint on my to-do list, catch up with connections and read news and self-development articles. I keep an eye on my to-do list with tasks and activities ranked between urgent and im- portant, naturally you get pulled off track during the day, I try to manage that through delegation and good time management. 14:00 13:0012:30 I feel that exercising and maintaining a healthy body is critical. I usually eat healthy and ensure an active lifestyle and planned gym activities every week. I usually exercise in the morning so in the evening I spend time with family & friends, catch up on social media, read a book or online and from time to time watch some television. I am not one to retire to bed early. Usually, I go to bed around midnight. 18:30 24:00 We join Zaidoun Arbad, chief operating officer at StarLink as he shares how he spends his day at work. DAY IN THE LIFE Channel Middle East finds out from a market personality about their role, their routine and what inspires them to come into work each day NAME: ZAIDOUN ARBAD COMPANY: STARLINK JOB TITLE: CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER YEARS IN THE ROLE: 1 YEARS YEARS AT THE COMPANY: 1 YEARS PREVIOUS COMPANIES: CISCO SYSTEMS MIDDLE EAST, HP MIDDLE EASTNext >