< Previous(30) CHANNEL MIDDLE EAST_DECEMBER 2020 www.itp.net The key here is focus. Businesses must focus on how to accompany cus- tomers and partners in the best way and support them in this new era of doing business. Focus on business continuity and how to maintain it with solid end to end solutions with resil- ience and efficiency. Businesses must be innovative and anticipate disrup- tions to be sustainable in the future. SASE which brings security to where all the data is – the cloud. The other thing hurting many companies is data loss, especially due to the overextension of the digi- tal perimeter. To know exactly where their critical data is, compa- nies need to introduce real-time user activity monitoring that focuses on preventing data loss before the breach happens. to continue in 2021. Despite budget restrictions, securit y executives will still be engaged in securing the digital transformation in their organisations. Under these circumstances, the key drivers will be consolidation and simplicit y. T herefore, to cope with reduced budgets, CISOs will need to seek consolidation across securit y solutions, turning to cloud solution able to integrate multiple ser vices into one platform in order to realise significant cost-savings. The traditional perimeter is now dis- solved and with people working remotely, they need uninterrupted access to the company’s data to be able to perform effectively with no downtime. One way to do so is to adopt and invest in cloud-based secu- rity architecture such as Gartner’s Cybercriminals took advantage of this sudden shift to remote work- ing caused by the pandemic, to launch phishing, ransomware, mal- ware attacks targeting gaps in securit y postures, as many organ- isations were not really prepared to support a large scale remote work- force securely. In this new context, where a considerable number of employees do work remotely, business organ- isations need to rethink their approaches to securit y, by better protecting the remote end point and ensuring patching via alterna- tive ways than the V PN corporate connection. Failing to do so makes remote workers the ideal entr y points for hackers to break into any company’s IT environments. In 2020, IT spending decreased approximately 8 % , according to Gartner and the trend is expected Organisations must move to X DR and MDR to protect themselves from the threats we see today. T he best option for companies looking to protect themselves is to work with a cybersecurit y specialist with a global presence, as they will get a broad view of all the latest threats in real time, and the abilit y to com- bine machine learning with human intelligence. This way, suspicious activity affecting a certain sector in one part of the world can be analysed and alerts can be sent to customers in other continents and countries who might be targeted by the same, or similar attacks, and appropriate protections can be put in place. FOCUS ON BUSINESS CONTINUITY DATA VISIBILITY AND DATA PROTECTION, A PRIORITY CONSOLIDATION AND SIMPLICITY WILL BE KEY BUSINESS DRIVERS WORK WITH A GLOBAL CYBERSECURITY SPECIALIST Sandrine El Khodry, vice president – MEA, Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise Mahmoud Samy, vice president & managing director - EMEA Emerging Markets & Eastern Europe, Forcepoint Giuseppe Brizio, CISO EMEA, Qualys Nader Baghdadi, general manager, META, SecureworksOne Platform. One Community. Love Technology.(32) CHANNEL MIDDLE EAST_DECEMBER 2020 www.itp.net Finastra hosted its first-ever CXO roundtable in the Middle East, initiating an engaging discussion on how fostering a customer-centric and collaborative culture is conducive to successful digital transformation of the banking sector Building on its initiative ‘Redefining Finance for Good’, Finastra launched its debut CXO forum in the MEA region to enlighten the industry and its stakehold- ers on how the banking sector is evolv- ing to navigate the challenges that rapid digitalisation has triggered. The discus- sion gleaned insights from the experi- ences and successes of industry leaders to understand how the ongoing evolu- tion of traditional business models will define the future of finance. The panel was moderated by Finastra’s head of International, Wissam Khoury and the director of IDC Financial Insights, Thomas Zink, and included senior executives from some of the region’s most reputed banks and financial institutions. Although the pandemic has brought the future forward, it has also com- pounded existing challenges such as lower returns, tightening of margins, increased competition and an ever- growing set of regulatory demands. The good news is that the banks have realigned themselves to prioritise on achieving operational resiliency rather than focusing merely on cost control and return on investments. Banks are and will remain an inte- gral part of global economies. Such drastic changes in both outlook and strategies call for the industry to dis- cuss universal concerns and learn from the experience and successes in the ecosystem. To initiate such a con- versation, Finastra invited a distin- guished panel of C-level executives to discuss the topics that matter to the FUTURE OF BANKING CUSTOMER-CENTRIC DIGITAL COLLABORATION // EVENT REPORT / FINASTRA(33) www.itp.net CHANNEL MIDDLE EAST_DECEMBER 2020 Securing methodologies and the future of remote banking Zink first tackled the important topic of how this crisis has changed transforma- tion priorities in the banking sector. Turning to Yuri Misnik, group chief technology officer, First Abu Dhabi Bank and Nikolaos Sfikas, group chief information officer, National Bank of Kuwait (NBK), Zink inquired what the roadmap for digital transformation looks like and how banks in the region have adapted to the new normal. financial services leaders today and understand what their priorities are as they prepare for the complexities and uncertainties of the future. Role of technology in adding stability in the banking industry Thomas Zink, director IDC Financial Insights kick-started the session with an engaging overview of how technology is enabling banks to regain pre-pandemic stability and face the consequences of the ongoing transformation in the years to come. Zink explained that the banking industry has adapted to the initial shock of the pandemic and reached a turning point where they must invest in technologies that can help them transform sustainably to explore new business models. “ W hile earlier the banks focused on return on invest- ments, they have now started moving Dr. Yousif Almas, group chief innovation officer, Bank ABC. Thomas Zink, director IDC Financial. Yuri Misnik, group chief technology officer, First Abu Dhabi Bank. Nikolaos Sfikas, group chief information officer, National Bank of Kuwait. While Covid-19 accelerated the imple- mentation of projects that were already in the pipeline, it has also tested remote support capabilities of organisations around the globe. Explaining how NBK responded to the crisis, Sfikas said: “NBK managed to maintain business continuity by distrib- uting its critical staff to different loca- tions and enabling financial transactions remotely. However, the key to successful transformation lies in effective collabo- ration through digital platforms and dealing with the accompanying risks. This means intensifying security mea- sures and providing uninterrupted ser- vices must be an important part of any bank’s digitalisation strategy.” Misnik reiterated that while most banks had been undergoing some form of digitalisation over the past few years, it was the shift in focus that was the pri- mary outcome of the pandemic. Banks have now shifted their energies on implementing different digital channels and adopting new technologies to fur- ther their digital agenda. “While there were initial hiccups in terms of produc- tivity, remote working was quickly adopted as the norm in the Middle East. into the next phase of transformation by looking into operational resiliency. The question remains, however: how does the bank build resiliency and the business momentum that existed in the pre-Covid era? Also, what invest- ments must they make to future-proof the business? Admittedly, agile transformation and customer engagement are key areas that CIOs are focusing on, especially as banks move away from selling only traditional products. “Banks are evolv- ing to become trusted advisors and service providers to the customers, helping them achieve business out- comes and facilitate the challenges in managing financial needs,” he added. The industry has also seen an uptake of a cloud-first strategy. This is reiterated by banks that have partnered with hyperscalers and cloud providers to enable both resiliency and cost-saving,” Misnik added. Sfikas also commended how the gov- ernment has been forthcoming in sup- porting the local economy by enabling the postponing of loan obligations for extended periods of time. He also urged that the industry must focus on improving infrastructure and enabling digitalisation by directing customer- centric investments into capital and human resources. The mobile imperative for digi- tal banks Spotlighting Bank ABC’s foray into the digital, mobile-only banking space, Zink then explored how the bank’s digital strategy enabled it to offset the impact of the crisis, especially in comparison with a traditional bank. “The launch of ‘ila Bank’ is part of a series of digital initiatives by Bank ABC,” said Dr. Yousif Almas, group FINASTRA / EVENT REPORT //(34) CHANNEL MIDDLE EAST_DECEMBER 2020 www.itp.net chief innovation officer, Bank ABC. “This is our first venture into retail banking, and from a business perspec- tive, we aimed to make banking as easy as possible. More than 90% of the bank components were hosted on the cloud, making Bank ABC the first cloud-first bank in the Middle East and Africa.” Discussing how this initiative benefit- ted the bank’s customers, Dr. Almas added: “One key capability that we focused on was redefining the client onboarding process. We streamlined it so that onboarding could be done com- pletely from the phone, allowing instant access to bank accounts with the facility to avail virtual debit cards.” “Just 3-4 months into the launch the no-touch economy became a necessity, and Bank ABC became a problem solver overnight. Being in the cloud, we were able to scale our capabilities and resources with ease and efficiency,” he explained. Collaboration is vital for successful digitalisation Despite all the transformation in the industry, there remains uncertainty in the market. Zink then turned to Nada Awad Rizkallah, deputy general manag- er & head of Risk, Credit Libanais to understand what the ideal plan of action or strategy would look like in such mar- ket conditions. R izkallah explained that the pan- demic compounded the challenges that Lebanon had been facing. “ This meant adopting a wider approach to digital transformation that goes beyond the digitalisation of operations to maintain business continuity. In such a situa- tion, the main priority should be to restore customer confidence and recapitalise the banks, especially due to the ongoing defaults, liquidity and budget constraints.” Rizkallah highlighted that despite the challenges, banks will always remain an essential part of the economy. “What remains is the need for banks and FinTechs to collaborate to achieve oper- ational efficiency. Traditionally, several banks have been slow in managing their risk and compliance processes, and partnering with Fintechs will allow banks to undergo speedy digitalisation with minimum investment.” However, Rizkallah stressed the need for banks to rethink their business mod- els to keep up with the advances in tech- nology and customer requirements. “While collaborating with FinTechs will be mutually beneficial, banks will have to up their game and rethink not just regulations but also their business mod- els. Such evolution will finally lead to a change in the culture within the organ- isation, thereby redefining employee experience as well.” Innovation comes from collaboration Finally, Wissam Khoury, head of International, Finastra summed up the discussion by highlighting the challeng- es in different markets and how banks are elevating themselves to meet the demands of a tough market. K houry began by explaining the key problems faced by customers today. “Customer expectation is the biggest worry for financial institutions these days because the customer’s behaviour has changed, especially in post-Covid times. A nother problem is managing the total cost of ownership or opera- tional efficiency. Further, most finan- cial institutions are pressurised by shrinking revenues, tighter margins and interest rates.” He went on to explain what banks can do to fend these challenges. K houry said: “In these rapidly chang- ing times, what worked last year in terms of solutions offered to the mar- ket might not work this year. The solu- tion lies in adopting the right technolo- gies. The first one would be cloud - digital banking which is based on a cloud infrastructure. This will give banks a cost-effective way to offer their services to customers regardless of where they are and improve opera- tional efficiency. Further, banks will have the f lexibility and agility to respond to customer demands by expanding their capacity and adding new services very quickly.” “Nobody can cannibalise innovation,” said Khoury. “Innovation does not only come from within, or even from one FinTech provider. Financial institutions need to invest in technology and that is the true enabler for innovation.” “Banks in this region are already investing in open banking and open A PIs. By partnering with FinTechs, and platforms for open innovation like FusionFabric.cloud, banks will be able to of fer unique ser vices that can enhance customer experience. Such collaboration can also enable banks to capitalise on the latest technologies that these small FinTechs are using,” concluded K hour y. Nada Awad Rizkallah, Deputy General Manager & Head of Risk, Credit Libanais. Wissam Khoury, head of International, Finastra. // EVENT REPORT / FINASTRADAY IN THE LIFE INSIDE THE CHANNEL WORKPLACE // (35) www.itp.net CHANNEL MIDDLE EAST_DECEMBER 2020 Most days, I have a full calendar of meetings, either in person or virtual. I consider tasks which need immediate attention that morning and prioritise these, then list everything else I would like to complete during the course of the day. At the latest I am at my desk by 9:30am. I grab a coffee and have a quick chat with the rest of the team — it is a great opportunity to build personal relationships but also discuss any urgent business matters that we need to deal with. My favourite part of the job is giving our ecosystem — be it a distributor, technol- ogy alliance partner or reseller — the support they need to achieve their goals. I’m a salesman at heart so closing business will never get old! Having spent my entire career in the channel, I can tell you first hand that commitment to I live very close to the Pure office, which is located in Dubai Internet City. Now that we are able to go to the office again, I usually leave home between 8:45am and 9:15am. It’s a short drive and I listen to a few of my favorite songs as it gets me energised for the day. I am a morning person — I love to get a head-start on my day, so I usually wake up between 6:00 and 6:20am. My morning routine starts with a coffee followed by quality time with my wife and son before the school bus arrives. I then spend a little time organising my day and work activities. SUNDAY, 04 NOVEMBER 2020 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 06:0008:4509:30 11:3011:00 I have always been into sports and exercise and no matter how busy I am, I always make the time for some physical activity — given the stresses of life and the job, for me, exercise is the key to both physical and mental well-being. The key for me is to be disciplined about the tasks that I need to accomplish that day. Of course, things do come up that need to be dealt with. I only prioritise these unplanned tasks if it is a real emergency that would impact our business. As the head of channel and alliances for Pure Storage in the Middle East, my perfor- mance is inextricably linked to that of our partners. That being said, aside from top line partner business growth, I also measure myself in terms of partner engagement. 17:0015:0016:0019:00 Right after lunch, I usually re- view my schedule to make sure I am making progress on my to-do list for the day. I’ll usually revisit this towards the end of the day around 5:00pm. If I do feel I am falling behind, then I’ll either plan on working a couple of hours when I get home, or aim to schedule these first thing the following morning. This really depends on where I am working from. At home it’s usually after 3:00pm but when I am in the office, its around 12:30pm. De- pending on the day, it’s either a social lunch with colleagues or a working lunch with partners or the senior team. 14:0012:30 After I am done with work and exercise, I like to dedicate about an hour to just playing with my son. After we have finished playing, my wife and I will sit down and catch each other up on our days, before the three of us sit down for dinner around 08:00pm. After dinner with the family and once our son is in bed, my wife and I like to watch a bit of TV. Right now we are making our way through some documentaries, which are captivating so we usually end up going to bed between midnight and 1:00am. 24:00 We join Samer Semaan, Channel & Alliances Manager Middle East of Pure Storage as he shares how he spends his day at work. the job, being innovative and creative in how you manage partners, building strong rela- tionships based on trust and mutual respect, empowering partners to act as extensions of your company and being very communicative, are keys to a long and successful career. 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: SAMER SEMAAN COMPANY: PURE STORAGE JOB TITLE: CHANNEL & ALLIANCES MANAGER MIDDLE EAST YEARS IN THE ROLE: 1.2 YEARS YEARS AT THE COMPANY: 1.2 YEARS PREVIOUS COMPANIES: DELL TECHNOLOGIESKODAK ALARIS LAUNCES NEW LINE OF LOW- VOLUME SCANNERS HP LAUNCHES NEW WORKBOOKS FOR HYBRID WORK ENVIRONMENTS Kodak Alaris is expanding its document capture portfolio with the launch of a new line of low- volume production scanners and a refresh of its web-based capture software. The new scanners and software are scalable to meet rapidly changing business requirements as organisations increase their focus on digital transformation. Based on the award-winning i2900 and i3000 Series Scanners, the new Kodak S2085f and S3000 Series are faster and more powerful while offering network connectivity and a better user experience. New models include the 85 page per minute (ppm) Kodak S2085f Scanner (A4 paper size) and the 100 ppm Kodak S3100f Scanner (A3 paper size). Both of these models are equipped with integrated flatbeds to easily capture information from business cards, to books, and more. Also, new to the Kodak Alaris portfolio are the 60 ppm Kodak S3060 Scanner, the 100 ppm Kodak S3100 Scanner, and the 120 ppm Kodak S3120 Scanners, which are all A3 scanners. “Most businesses have a strong desire to automate business processes to save time and eliminate mistakes,” said Lee Davis, Associate Director, Scanner Analysis and Software Evaluation for Keypoint Intelligence. “But when it comes to automating certain kinds of processes, like those where paper-based information needs to be entered into a digital process, things get tricky. The new scanners and software from Kodak Alaris simplify this intersection, providing customers with an automated portal for integrating paper-based information into digital workflows and archives.” HP has introduced a range of enhanced PC solutions, including the HP ProBook 635 Aero G7, which are designed to address a variety of rapidly evolving work environments, providing flexibility for partners and customers of all sizes. The HP ProBook 635 Aero G7 is the world’s lightest AMD-based business notebook. It is designed to keep users productive in the home or office or on-the- go with a starting weight of under 1kg and long battery life. It features the HP Sure View Reflect, which allows users to work discreetly. It is also enabled with Wi-Fi 6 and 4G LTE, which makes it easy to get connected, and the keyboard provides a smooth and quiet typing experience. It is also powered with the latest AMD Ryzen 4000 Series Mobile Processors, optional Ryzen PRO 4000 Series Mobile Processors, and latest integrated AMD Radeon Graphics. Dell Technologies has introduced the new Dell EMC PowerProtect DP series integrated appliances and PowerProtect Data Manager software advancements to help customers protect, manage and recover data from traditional and modern applications across core data centres, edge locations and public clouds. The PowerProtect DP series is Dell’s next- generation integrated data protection appliance, offering complete backup, recovery, replication, deduplication, cloud readiness with disaster recovery, and long-term retention to the public cloud. It helps customers manage explosive data growth, lower costs and simplify increasing complexities with an all-in-one solution. It delivers up to 38% faster backups and up to 45% faster restores. The PowerProtect DP also offers instant access and restore of up to 50% greater IOPS3 (Input/Output Operations Per Second), compared to the previous generation, allowing customers to quickly and easily recover critical data. Jeff Boudreau, president and general manager, Infrastructure Solutions Group, Dell Technologies, said, “Data protection is not a one-size-fits-all proposition. Dell Technologies continues to advance our target and integrated appliances portfolio and software-defined data protection offerings, helping customers manage today’s challenges while keeping an eye on what lies ahead.” The new scanners and software are scalable to meet rapidly changing business requirements Delivers productivity and collaboration experiences for working between the home, the office, or on-the-go Kodak S2085f Scanner DELL TECHNOLOGIES UNVEILS NEW DELL EMC POWERPROTECT DP SERIES ENTERPRISE (36) CHANNEL MIDDLE EAST_DECEMBER 2020 www.itp.netWestern Digital has launched a suite of new NVMe SSDs suitable for data centres, industrial IoT, automotive and client applications. The new family includes the Ultrastar DC ZN540 ZNS NVMe SSD suited for data centre storage tier with TCO; the Western Digital IX SN530 Industrial SSD suited for extreme environments of industrial and automotive applications; and the 2TB WD Blue SN550 NVMe SSD. Western Digital also announced that it is now sampling the new Ultrastar DC ZN540 ZNS NVMe SSD to select customers. The Ultrastar DC ZN540 ZNS SSD includes a vertically integrated, dual-port, high-availability NVMe controller with capacities up to 8TB in a standard U.2 form-factor. Synology has launched DiskStation DS1621xs+, which according to the company, redefines performance expectations in a compact tower form-factor. Pairing a quad-core Xeon processor together with ECC memory and onboard 10GbE, the DS1621xs+ accelerates high- performance data storage and management. The DS1621xs+ shares a powerful Xeon processor found in some of Synology’s datacenter bound devices, but now in an 11.5L chassis. Over 3.1 GB/s seq. read and 1.8 GB/s seq. write performance means organisations can tackle larger data sets and handle more users, even quicker than before. The device is also paired with ECC memory for maximum dependability. The device accommodates six internal 3.5-inch bays that enable up to 96 TB of raw storage capacity. It can also be expanded up to 256 TB, on-demand, by adding on two additional DX517 expansion units for a total of 16 drives. The DS1621xs+ also includes two M.2 2280 slots for blazing-fast NVMe cache so that organisations can make their storage go over 20X faster without sacrificing any bays. OKI Europe has launched the C650, which the company noted as the world’s smallest A4 colour printer. Available from January 2021, the C650 is designed for businesses with space and cost constraints. OKI says it is targeting retail, hospitality, healthcare, education and construction sectors with its new printer. The printer is powered by OKI’s digital LED technology, which allows it to deliver high-speed printing in rich LED colour. The device prints 35 pages per minute and can handle media from 60gsm and up to 256gsm, and from B8 up to 1.32m in length. For maintenance, OKI says the device requires all but 2cm space around the sides. In addition to an extended three-year warranty on product registration, OKI is offering a Business Agility pack with an approximate value of $580 with the purchase of a C650 and a set of CMYK toners. The pack includes a free six-month subscription to The Design Hub and ABBYY FineScanner Premium, media for sector-specific applications and access to templates and artwork. WESTERN DIGITAL EXPANDS STORAGE WITH SSD AND NVME RANGE SYNOLOGY INTRODUCES DISKSTATION DS1621XS+ OKI LAUNCHES WORLD’S SMALLEST COMMERCIAL A4 PRINTER BENQ UNVEILS NEW SERIES OF IFPS BenQ has announced the latest RP02 Series of Interactive Flat Panels (IFPs) for classrooms that are equipped with Advanced ClassroomCare Technologies. The new BenQ’s RP02 Series IFPs includes EZWrite Whiteboarding Solution that is an ultimate whiteboard app for interactive lessons, facilitating brainstorming, illustrating ideas, recording notes and collaborating among the teacher and students. For teachers who want to collaborate with students, EZWrite Cloud Whiteboard is an in-class cloud collaboration platform allowing teachers and students to collect, categorise, edit, and share notes between the display and their mobile devices. The Cloud Whiteboard also supports Sticky Notes functions which open endless possibilities for engagement. BenQ’s new RP02 Series comes in three sizes 65-inch, 75-inch and 86-inch to suit a variety of classrooms sizes. They help enhance interactive and project-based learning by providing a healthy learning environment despite any geographical distance. The DS1621xs+ shares a powerful Xeon processor found in some of Synology’s datacentre bound devices The device also enhances cloud collaboration when distance learning, and management support for installers, IT departments and end-users The device prints 35 pages per minuteThe new family includes the Ultrastar DC ZN540 ZNS NVMe SSD suited for data centre storage tier with TCO [] MONITORS [] PRINTERS [] STORAGE [] STORAGE ENTERPRISE (37) www.itp.net CHANNEL MIDDLE EAST_DECEMBER 2020Range (HDR) streaming capable, with High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) preinstalled on FHD and UHD panel options for a richer, more colourful viewing experience. The newest Pavilion laptops come with up to 8.5 hours of battery life on the Pavilion 13, and up to 8.75 hours on the Pavilion 14 and Pavilion 15. The devices are also equipped with Wi-Fi 6 and can enable up to four times faster maximum Wi-Fi speeds and 75% lower latency. HMD GLOBAL UNVEILS 5G-ENABLED HANDSET HP EXPANDS PAVILION SERIES HMD Global, the home of Nokia phones, has unveiled its first 5G-enabled smartphone, the Nokia 8.3 5G, which is priced at AED 2,099. The Nokia 8.3 5G brings the largest PureDisplay screen on a Nokia smartphone yet. The 6.81-inch edge-to-edge screen comes with PureDisplay technology powered by the Pixelworks visual processor, complemented by the Snapdragon 765G Modular Platform’s breakthrough AI-enhanced entertainment capabilities. It is also the first Nokia smartphone to premiere ZEISS Cinema capture and editor app. The Nokia 8.3 5G is powered by the Snapdragon 765G 5G Modular Platform and comes with the Snapdragon X52 5G Modem-RF System that’s optimised for 5G. Juho Sarvikas, Chief Product Officer and Vice President of North America, HMD Global, said, “Together with Qualcomm Technologies, we were able to create a truly global 5G smartphone with the Nokia 8.3 5G. Being the first manufacturer to implement the Qualcomm 765G 5G Modular Platform in a smartphone, we were able to condense more than 40 different RF components into one single integrated module that gives the Nokia 8.3 5G industry-leading 5G performance. By supporting the highest number of 5G New Radio bands, the Nokia 8.3 5G is a truly future- proof global 5G smartphone.” HP has expanded its Pavilion line-up with new consumer PCs made with ocean-bound plastics. The HP Pavilion 13, HP Pavilion 14, and HP Pavilion 15 Laptops showcase a progressive new tonal colour-blocking design and are the first consumer laptops available from HP to feature 11th Gen Intel Core processors with Intel Iris Xe graphics. The new devices are also the company’s first consumer notebooks using post-consumer-recycled and ocean-bound plastics. “When it comes to PCs for the newest generation of users, we want to help power their fun not only during the pandemic but in the years to come,” said Kevin Frost, global lead and general manager, Consumer, Personal Systems, HP Inc. “HP packs powerful performance features and a youthful, colourful premium design into its newest Pavilion clamshells, making them accessible to everyone to stay connected, entertained, and learning.” All three devices offer optional dual channel memory technology and optional Intel Optane Memory with PCIe SSD standard up to 1TB. The devices are also Microsoft High Dynamic Shure MEA has introduced its AONIC 50 Wireless noise cancelling headphones in the UAE. The AONIC 50 is Shure’s first wireless headphones. It features adjustable noise cancellation to help eliminate distractions for a truly immersive experience with the flip of a switch. Users who want to interact with the world around them can activate Environment Mode to hear immediate surroundings. It offers up to 20 hours of battery life on a single charge and provides a week of use without needing to recharge. It also has fingertip controls that provide quick access to answer calls, adjust volume, or pause music with a push of a button. AONIC 50 Wireless Headphones offer Bluetooth 5 wireless technology for enhanced stability and a range of up to 30 feet. Featuring a dedicated, high-performance headphone amplifier, AONIC 50 supports popular audio codecs, including Qualcomm aptX, aptX HD, aptX Low Latency audio, Sony LDAC, AAC, and SBC. When Bluetooth isn’t an option, AONIC 50 Wireless Headphones can connect to wired sources with a 3.5mm analog audio input to ensure an uninterrupted connection to any device, including laptops for conference calls. When paired with the free ShurePlus PLAY App, listeners can personalise their noise cancellation and Environment Mode levels. Available for iOS and Android, the PLAY app is also a full-featured music player with EQ, supporting standard, and hi-res music files. AONIC 50 Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphones are available in two colour options (black, brown). It is priced at AED 1499. The device is the first Nokia smartphone to premiere ZEISS Cinema capture and editor app Listeners can personalise their noise cancellation levels with the ShurePlus PLAY App The new devices are made using post-consumer-recycled and ocean-bound plastics SHURE DEBUTS ITS FIRST WIRELESS HEADPHONES POWER RETAIL (38) CHANNEL MIDDLE EAST_DECEMBER 2020 www.itp.netTECNO Mobile has launched the all- new TECNO Spark 6 smartphones in the MENA region. The Spark 6 is packed with 6 upgraded features from a unique camera system designed to enhanced photographic immersion. It features a 6.8-inch Dot immersive High-resolution display and boasts a sleek, simple yet bold design. The TECNO Spark 6 sports a comfortable grip back cover and comes in four colours including Ocean Blue, Comet Black, Dynamic Orange and Misty Violet. TECNO Spark 6 is equipped with a 16MP AI Quad camera that has an AI Scene Detection feature that can recognise 18 different scenes with a 95% recognition rate. The device packs a 4GB RAM and comes in two storage iterations – 64GB and 128GB. It is powered by a G70 Octa-core processing chip that’s capable of boosting processing speeds by up to 60%. The Spark 6 comes with the new Bluetooth Audio Share feature that can connect multiple wireless Bluetooth headsets at the same time. Bose has announced the QuietComfort Earbuds, delivering all the ‘quiet’ of Bose around-ear noise cancelling headphones in an in-ear design. Bose has also introduced new Sport Earbuds, which was entirely re-engineered to produce amazing sound from smaller, slimmer enclosures that stay securely in place — almost magically — without pain, pressure, or ear hooks. The new QC Earbuds debut proprietary advancements in hardware and software to continue the 20-year legacy of QC headphones. Each bud measures just over an inch long and weighs 0.3 ounces — about the same as a quarter. Yet, they perform like every QuietComfort before them, transforming even the harshest environments into hushed sanctuaries — silencing the blare of trucks, buses, and horns during rush hour, or muting the simple distractions from the next room, next office, or the apartment next door. The Bose Sport Earbuds were built from the ground up to be the ultimate workout companion. They deliver better audio quality than their predecessor in about half their size. Sony Middle East & Africa has introduced a new soundbar with the launch of the HT-G700. According to the company, the new model is perfect for enjoying TV and movies with powerful and immersive sound in the comfort of your own home. The HT-G700 is a 3.1ch Dolby Atmos and DTS:X soundbar that couples immersive cinematic surround sound with clear dialogue. The HT-G700 includes an Immersive Audio Enhancement feature, which provides an upgraded surround experience- seamlessly enveloping listeners with up to 7.1.2 channel surround sound. The HT-G700 has three front speakers, combined with Sony’s signal processing, which enables sound placements that can envelop you in all directions, providing an experience that carries the user away into the world of movies and music through the latest technology. In addition, the HT-G700 offers a dedicated centre speaker so that vocals can be heard clearly, whether it’s quick-fire dialogue in TV shows or whispered lines in movies. It’s also great for music and provides a rich and detailed listening experience. TECNO MOBILE DEBUTS SPARK 6 SMARTPHONES BOSE LAUNCHES QUIETCOMFORT EARBUDS AND SPORTS EARBUDS SONY MEA INTRODUCES HT-G700 SOUNDBAR BENQ LAUNCHES EW3280U IN UAE BenQ has unveiled its latest monitor for next-gen console gaming and graphics in the UAE. The flagship 32-inch EW3280U includes proprietary eye-care for viewer comfort and protection, as well as HDRi intelligence and world-class speakers. BenQ’s EW3280U features proprietary HDRi intelligent technology that improves colour performance, detail contrast, and image clarity. A built-in sensor detects ambient light levels and simultaneously assesses and adjusts on-screen images. This instant refinement delivers an unrivalled experience. Additionally, HDR10 compatibility supports flawless high dynamic range performance, so viewers experience every detail of original content and gamers have an edge over their enemies with better visibility. The BenQ EW3280U monitor is now available for a retail price of AED 2799. The new Quietcomfort Earbuds builds on the 20-year legacy of QC headphones The device boasts an HDRi technology for an immersive gaming experience HT-G700 has three front speakers and is equipped with Sony’s signal processing The Spark 6 takes social connectivity a step further with the new Bluetooth Audio Share feature [] MONITORS [] SOUNDBARS [] SMARTPHONE [] HEADPHONES POWER RETAIL (39) www.itp.net CHANNEL MIDDLE EAST_DECEMBER 2020Next >