< PreviousWith digital transformation taking place across all industries, momentous shifts in next-generation mobile cellu- lar communications are set to change connectivity as we know it. Through- out the last few decades, each new gen- eration of wireless service has resulted in mobile technology reaching new heights to offer better quality services and enhanced customer experiences. The world’s connectivity needs are changing – the number of mobile broad- Eva Andren, Vice President and Head of Managed Services, Ericsson MEA. Ericsson: Enabling service providers to capture connectivity Smart Networks boost user experience by combining content, network and connected devices band subscriptions grew at 10% year-on- year, increasing by 120 million in Q3 2019. The total is now 6.2 billion, equaling 77% of mobile subscriptions. Particularly in dense urban areas, the current networks simply won’t be able to keep up. New user behaviors, emerging technolo- gies and an increasingly connected world are changing the way we lead our lives, both at work and during our leisure time. We use smartphones, computers and tab- lets for work and play. More and more de- vices, from cars to street lamps, are now be- ing connected to make them more useful. And complete industries are being connected – from transport to utilities and health care and public safety, which is changing the way we do business. These advancements in wireless tech- nology are placing ever-increasing de- mands on network resources. As new technologies like 5G, IoT and Cloud gain traction, networks are becoming more complex. // ANALYSIS / ERICSSON // WWW.NETWORKMIDDLEEAST.COM /// 10 / NETWORK MIDDLE EAST / JANUARY 2020 / Applying machine learning and AI to automa- tion makes it intelligent automation. Delivering consistent performance and reliability are critical to the success of next-generation networks. Adapting to the rapidly changing telecom envi- ronment requires a forward-thinking approach that consolidates operations, customer experiences, and collabora- tive innovation to meet the challenges of tomorrow. AUTOMATING THE TELECOM INDUSTRY Building automation rules into the net- work itself means the system processes information in real time and, when a specific activity is triggered, a carefully designed sequence of automated tasks is performed. By boosting automation with machine intelligence technologies – such as ad- vanced analytics, deep learning, machine learning and artificial intelligence solu- tions – predictions and models can be provided that could not be created by humans alone. That’s why we call it Intelligent Network Operations. By taking advantage of the data available in the network – as well as various other forms of external data such as weath- er conditions and adding the intelligence of machines – network operations can be performed in a smarter way. Applying machine learning and arti- ficial intelligence to automation takes it to a new level – intelligent automation. The objective is to predict events be- fore they happen and take preventative or corrective action to ensure incidents do not occur. SMART NETWORKS MAKE REAL PERFORMANCE HAPPEN When everything happens in real-time, connectivity is the catalyst for innova- tion, collaboration and unprecedented business opportunities. Spurred on by the growth of the likes of Netflix, Hulu and YouTube, video traffic is increasing exponentially. In addition, gamers are going online in ever-growing numbers, increasing the demand for bandwidth and advertisers are demanding that their online clips be carried in high definition as they are streamed throughout the web. Everyone – content owners, network operators, equipment vendors, and device manufacturers – can work to- gether to create attractive services and elevate user experiences. Smart Networks allows the use of sophisticated policy control, traffic categorisation and quality-of-service delivery to flexibly respond to oppor- tunities. Application providers can use these advanced features to allow loca- tion-specific service access, and for the tailoring of promotions. Load times for web pages can be crit- ical in determining a user’s quality of experience, especially when browsing and buying online. Together, service enablers and application providers can prioritize traffic, reducing download times for selected premium websites. Put plainly, that means Smart Net- works do not limit the creativity, scope or rapid delivery of new services. The solutions that Smart Networks offer comprise more than just a few prod- ucts and extend beyond policy control. More is required because the user experience is the combined result of every part of the network used to de- liver services from server to screen – the combination of content, network and connected devices. // ANALYSIS / ERICSSON // JANUARY 2020 / NETWORK MIDDLE EAST / 11// WWW.NETWORKMIDDLEEAST.COM /After taking part in intensive sessions and workshops, candidates of Jadarah, Seera Group’s five-month accelerator programme, have now commenced on- the-job learning at Seera’s offices. Through the hands-on training with the travel and tourism company, they gain both technical and interpersonal skills in addition to industry-recognised credentials through one-on-one mentor- ship with the most tech-driven travel and tourism organisation in Saudi Arabia. The Jadarah programme candidates now work at Seera Group and are trained and mentored by experienced consult- ants from different departments. Candidates work under various teams including strategy, data, performance marketing, product development, UX/ UI, user research, technology, partner- ships, revenue management and HR that will help them move into more highly skilled roles within or outside Seera. Abdulaziz Aldawood, head of Jadarah, Jadarah candidates in Saudi Arabia enter the next phase of on-the-job training Candidates commence on-the-job learning after five-month accelerator programme Oman and Wipro to launch open-source CoE Wipro and the Ministry of Technology and Communications (MTC) of Oman have signed an MoU to establish a center of excellence (CoE) for open source. Under this MoU, Wipro and MTC will collaborate to build, deploy and sustain the centre of excellence. NEWS IN BRIEF STC selects IFS to boost customer experience Saudi Telecom Company (STC) has selected IFS Ser- vice Management to increase process efficiency, improve margins, and facilitate improved customer satisfaction. STC sought a platform to re- place legacy business systems. Traka to modernise Atlantis access con- trol systems Traka has announced the integration of its key and asset management software at Atlantis, The Palm hotel in Dubai. The browser-based asset control software provides tools to manage all Traka key cabinets and lockers centrally. Infoblox to acquire CN-NOS company SnapRoute Infoblox is acquiring SnapRoute, the company behind the industry’s first cloud-native network operating system (CN-NOS). With SnapRoute’s cloud- native OS, Infoblox can accelerate the delivery of additional network services. The first two months of the programme focused on training sessions – both tech- nical and soft skills covering problem- solving, storylining and presentation skills, excel and financial statements, public speaking, emotional intelligence and more. The second stage, now ongo- ing, centres on applying the cultivated skills during the on-the-job-training. says, “It is important that we invest in home-grown talent, who can take up pro- fessional careers to boost the prospects of the travel and tourism sector. The in-house on-the-job training offered at Seera Group will strengthen their skills, encouraging them to take up jobs in the industry or evolve as entrepreneurs who can contribute to the economy.” Stephen Keys, IFS regional president, APJ ME&A The Jadarah programme candidates are trained and mentored by experienced consultants. // UPDATE / JANUARY // WWW.NETWORKMIDDLEEAST.COM /// 12 / NETWORK MIDDLE EAST / JANUARY 2020 /Fortinet has entered into a technology alliance partnership with Siemens to offer an integrated solution combin- ing technology and a worldwide resell agreement to address the security and connectivity requirements of operation- al technology (OT) networks. While OT environments have tra- ditionally been isolated from the rest of the IT network, efforts to converge IT and OT to provide more responsive and agile business outcomes have exposed OT and industrial control systems (ICS) to increased cybersecurity risk. According to the SANS 2019 OT/ ICS Survey, just over 50% of respond- ents rated the level of ICS cyber risk to their organisation as “severe/critical” OT networks under increased risk, warns Maddison. Kaspersky has unveiled the next version of Kaspersky Web Traffic Security to protect corporate IT networks from web-based threats. The il and gas industry and its supply chain face increased risk from advanced threat groups and others, Trend Micro warns in a new report. Qualys has partnered with Google Cloud to provide its customers with one-click vulnerability assessment via the Qualys Cloud Agent. ADSelfService Plus, the pass- word management service from ManageEngine now offers Endpoint Multi-factor Authenti- cation (MFA) for Linux logins. For further info on the above stories, plus all the latest security news, visit www.itp.net/news-and-features/security NEWS JUST IN… //Security_Report Siemens joins the Fortinet Fabric-Ready Technology Alliance Partner Program Fortinet, Siemens partner to secure OT or “high.” However, given the nature of many OT environments, traditional security solutions can sometimes leave gaps in the protection of the aging or sensitive systems in place. Addition- ally, deploying reliable connectivity and security in harsh and frequently remote or substation environments has traditionally not been easy. While rug- ged products do exist, assembling and implementing the various parts of the complete solution can create issues with connectivity, reliability, space, and even physical security. “OT networks are increasingly ex- posed to cyber threats through their convergence with IT systems. By part- nering with Siemens, a global leader in OT digital solutions, Fortinet continues our focus on expanding the Fortinet Security Fabric platform deep into OT networks.,” says John Maddison, EVP of products and CMO at Fortinet. Siemens has also joined the Fortinet Fabric-Ready Technology Alliance Part- ner Program. Technology ecosystem partners are a key part of the Fortinet Security Fabric, which enables Fortinet and partner products to cooperatively integrate and provide comprehensive security solutions. Gartner forecasts global IoT enterprise drone shipments to grow 50% in 2020 (Top 5 IoT enterprise drone use cases by shipments, worldwide, 2019-2023 (thousands of endpoints) Use Case20192020202120222023 Construction monitoring 141.1209.8294.2394.3509.5 Fire services monitoring 32.748.558.263.767.0 Insurance investigation 31.846.467.296.3135.8 Police evidence gathering 26.845.160.472.080.7 Retail fulfillment12.924.944.475.1122.0 Other use cases106.2150.8206.5275.3356.5 Total351.5525.6730.9976.71,271.6 Source: Gartner // UPDATE / SECURITY // JANUARY 2020 / NETWORK MIDDLE EAST / 13// WWW.NETWORKMIDDLEEAST.COM /QUOTED SentinelOne boosts threat intelligence with SentinelLabs Endpoint security company Senti- nelOne has announced the launch of SentinelLabs, a research division for identifying new attack vectors and mitigating threats impacting businesses. SentinelLabs will power the company’s first threat intelli- gence offering, a managed threat monitoring and reporting service designed to equip SentinelOne customers in the Middle East and globally with analyst coverage of the latest cybersecurity tactics and techniques. With the launch of the new threat intelligence platform, Sen- tinelOne provides clients with 24/7 security and access to plat- form data along with daily up- dates, detailed threat intelligence reports, infection metrics, and further requests for information and briefings. “Offering more visibility and in- sight through the newly launched SentinelOne Labs to our regional customers will add tremendous value to their breach prevention efforts. Cyber threats are evolving daily, and our research team will help cyber-security profession- als to stay up to date and well in- formed about evolving tactics and SentinelOne research team will help cyber-security professionals to stay up to date, says Odeh. GLOBAL MALWARE ACTIVITY DECREASED SLIGHTLY IN NOVEMBER, DOWN 2.5% FROM THE PREVIOUS MONTH (SYMANTEC MONTHLY REPORT). Boosts enterprise security platform with threat re- search and intelligence offering Source: Symantec Ozhegov: If a company does not have someone responsible for information security, then data is at risk. “Manufacturers of IoT devices must ensure that effective security is baked into the overall design.” Renaud Deraison, Tenable MIL L IONS 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 SMMJ 2019OJJFAADN // UPDATE / SECURITY // WWW.NETWORKMIDDLEEAST.COM /// 14 / NETWORK MIDDLE EAST / JANUARY 2020 /SearchInform has launched an infor- mation security outsourcing service for companies that face the problem of cor- porate fraud and data leakage. Many organisations lack the staff or resources for a one-time purchase of equipment and software for protection against internal threats. SearchInform information security outsourcing ser- vice includes DLP management, em- ployee monitoring, internal threats de- tection and productivity monitoring. “If a company does not have the employees responsible for information security, employee monitoring, and internal threats prevention, then per- sonal data and company secrets remain unprotected from leaks, and corporate incidents are not detected. This is usu- ally about small and medium businesses, which can’t hire expensive staff and buy professional software. Moreover, it is difficult for owners to assess the feasi- bility of spending money on serious tools implementation,” says Sergey Ozhegov, CEO, SearchInform. “The outsourcing service shows an objective picture of information security and risk management of a business and allows you to get high-quality protection at a reasonable price and be proactive,” Ozhegov adds. The outsourcing of internal security allows users to identify weaknesses in the company in a short period, with the first results obtainable within one to three months. The service is also avail- able as a SaaS version, which means that the company provides software, cloud server and information security ana- lyst’s services for rent. Most customers for now are SME companies. SearchInform launches outsourcing service Cybersecurity tips for online retailers Anti-fraud toolkits. It is essential to have the wherewithal to determine transactional inconsistencies, such as a regular customer’s card being used on a foreign device. Verification tools. Multifactor authentication should be implemented on any system connecting to high-impact assets. Ideally, application-layer encryption can also supplement TLS/SSL to maintain confidentiality at the browser level. Enhanced levels of application-layer visibility and control can mitigate distributed and polymorphic injection risks. Protect consumers. Attackers go after the poorly protected. Tokenisation and in-app encryption can protect personal and financial details during the check-out process. Vulnerability scanning. CISOs increasingly recognise the importance of running external scans to get a hacker’s eye view of the situation. This becomes even more important when vast quantities of content are assembled at the last minute on the client-side. Inspect encrypted traffic for malware. Traffic from malware communicating with command and control servers over encrypted tunnels is undetectable in transit without some form of decryption gateway. It is vital to decrypt internal traffic before sending it to incident detection tools for infection detection. Improve reporting mechanisms. Incident responses should include a streamlined and guiltless method for users to flag suspected phishing. Source: David Warburton, principal threat evangelist, F5 Networks “Following best practices and using common sense can keep you safer, but no online activity is risk-free.” Mahmoud Mounir, Secureworks “Organisations need to move beyond the early siloed deployments of cloud platforms.” Lee Chen, A10 Networks Service also available as a SaaS version 39% Of survey respondents are concerned about employee- owned mobile devices SANS 2019 Endpoint Protection and Response Survey // UPDATE / SECURITY // JANUARY 2020 / NETWORK MIDDLE EAST / 15// WWW.NETWORKMIDDLEEAST.COM /Pace Education Group selects Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise for converged telecommunications platform Case study Setting the pace // CASE STUDY / PACE EDUCATION GROUP // WWW.NETWORKMIDDLEEAST.COM /// 16 / NETWORK MIDDLE EAST / JANUARY 2020SUMMARY Objective Pace Education Group required high-performance Wi-Fi connec- tivity in its newest school to ensure its teachers and students ben- efit from access to uninterrupted high-definition video content, the school’s central learning manage- ment portal, and the internet for learning support material. Solution The deployment includes the Alcatel-Lucent OXO Connect telephony system, the Alcatel-Lu- cent OmniSwitch 6450 at the core and Alcatel-Lucent OmniSwitch 6350 at the edge, the Alcatel-Lu- cent OmniAccess Stellar AP1201 and Alcatel-Lucent OmniAccess Stellar AP1221 access points. Results Teachers can now deliver lectures remotely to utilising learning aids, streaming uninterrupted high- definition content, and accessing the school’s centralised learning management portal. Students are benefitting from a wide range of learning techniques and access to learning support material and content. Technology is playing a vi- tal role in enabling mod- ern education. Providing faculty and students with continuous and seamless connectivity is crucial to drive interac- tive learning and elevate the teaching and learning experience. Pace Education Group runs several schools across the UAE. The group em- ploys 1,200 faculty, over 500 non-teach- ing staff, and caters to more than 20,000 students representing 25 nationalities across its schools. BUSINESS NEED The education provider required high- performance Wi-Fi connectivity in its newest school to ensure its teachers and students benefit from access to uninter- rupted high-definition video content, the school’s central learning manage- ment portal, and the internet for learn- ing support material. It sought a reliable technol- ogy partner with a proven track record to provide a Wi-Fi platform with zero downtime, offer com- prehensive coverage and is future-proof so the school can focus sorely on delivering a better learning experience for students. Pace picked Alcatel-Lucent En- terprise (ALE) data networking and Wi-Fi solutions to deliver an end-to-end telecommunications wireless infra- structure at its new Pace British School in Sharjah, UAE. The deployment includes the Al- catel-Lucent OXO Connect telephony system, the Alcatel-Lucent OmniSwitch 6450 at the core and Alcatel-Lucent OmniSwitch 6350 at the edge, the Alca- tel-Lucent OmniAccess Stellar AP1201 and Alcatel-Lucent OmniAccess Stellar AP1221 access points. “Connectivity is critical for our stu- dents as they are no longer confined to classrooms to learn solely by sitting in for lectures. Within a progressive educa- tional system, we understand education must be collaborative and interactive for learning to be effective and beneficial,” says Dr. P.A. Ibrahim, chairman, Pace Education. “We are committed to building insti- tutions that enhance the prestige of edu- cation around the world,” he adds. ALE stood out with the OmniAccess Stellar range of access points that met the institution’s criteria. ALE also has a proven track record in providing edu- cational institutions with connectivity and communication solutions. “Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise has a history of 100 years of operations and has proven a long track of loyal cus- tomers and support. We believe their OmniAccess Stellar solutions have the capabilities to scale across our differ- ent campuses, support our existing fleet and provide end-end-end solutions to maintain always-on connectivity,” says Dr. Ibrahim. “Our environment is dy- namic, and the underlying technology should be dy- namic as well and ready to adapt almost immediately. With technology playing a major role in driving a mod- ern educational environment, an always-on network is not an option anymore,” says Dr. Ibrahim, adding, “Network availability is manda- tory in terms of uptime, area of cover- age and scalability. Our approach is to focus on our core education business, and technology should be available to support us on our education evolvement journey,” he adds. The OmniAccess Stellar AP1201 and AP1221 are multifunctional high- performance access points that com- bine high build quality that can support numerous users, guarantee zero hard- ware failures, are easy to manage, and provide comprehensive coverage across campuses, both indoor and outdoor. Il- anz Technologies, an authorised chan- 20,000 No. of students at the group // CASE STUDY / PACE EDUCATION GROUP // JANUARY 2020 / NETWORK MIDDLE EAST / 17// WWW.NETWORKMIDDLEEAST.COM /Use of machine learning has helped improve the accuracy of transit time predictions by 74%. Education must be collaborative and interactive for learning to be effective and beneficial. nel partner of ALE, provided the instal- lation services. “The OmniAccess Stellar range of products are multifunctional and high- performance access points. They are ideal for simple, secure and seamless user ex- perience. They have superior build qual- ity to withstand the elements, and sup- port many students, which is important in campus sites, without compromising on performance,” says Dr. Ibrahim. BUSINESS BENEFIT The school’s classrooms are equipped with interactive smart boards with an in- ternet connection, while CCTV cameras ensure safety. “Our underlying strategy is to move to a digital school model, and Wi-Fi is fundamental to supporting our strategy execution. Smartboards and CCTV sys- tems are standard requirements, and stu- dents and teachers will benefit from hav- ing Wi-Fi in schools,” says Dr. Ibrahim. Students see Wi-Fi as a tool that helps save time, and teachers can moni- tor the progress of their students and send out learning materials and require- ments at any time, says Dr. Ibrahim. Also, the growth of educational technol- ogy has transformed the usual, lecture- style teaching into a two-way learning process, and Wi-Fi enables access to ap- plications that promote this type of col- laborative learning. THE VENDOR Alcatel-Lucent is a global telecommunications equipment company, headquartered in Boulogne-Billancourt, France. It was formed in 2006 by the merger of France-based Alcatel and U.S.-based Lucent, the latter being the successor of AT&T’s Western Electric. The company focuses on fixed, wireless and converged networking hardware, IP technologies, software and services, with operations in more than 130 countries. Alcatel- Lucent also owned Bell Laboratories, one of the largest research and development facilities in the communications industry, whose employees have been awarded eight Nobel Prizes and the company holds in excess of 29,000 patents. // CASE STUDY / PACE EDUCATION GROUP // WWW.NETWORKMIDDLEEAST.COM /// 18 / NETWORK MIDDLE EAST / JANUARY 2020possibilities and collaboration. The role of high-performance Wi-Fi is important in enabling this transformation,” Dr. Ibrahim adds. The improved connectivity has al- lowed students to expand their learning boundaries as they are no longer con- fined to textbooks and classroom dis- cussions, Dr. Ibrahim says. “Access to faster and more secure wireless internet connection gives them the chance to supplement their learning with their medium of choice. Our faculty can send stu- dents supplementary re- sources instantly to aid then in their homework. So, the teaching and learn- ing experience continues even beyond classroom walls. Whenever students have questions, instructors are only a ‘Wi-Fi’ away from them,” he adds. “Whatever personalisation educa- Pace Education’s vision is to move to a digital school model, and Wi-Fi is fundamental to supporting this strategy execution. THE CUSTOMER Pace Education group was founded in the year 1999 by Dr P.A. Ibrahim Haji by forming a trust, namely, P.A. Educational Trust. The first venture was P.A. College of Engineering (PACE) in Mangalore. In 2001, the group opened India International School in Kuwait with CBSE Indian Curriculum (KG to 12th). It’s first venture into UAE was in Sharjah with the Gulf Asian English School. Today, the group employs 1,200 teaching staff, over 500 non-teaching staff and over 20,000 students from 25 nationali- ties. Teachers are making drastic changes to the way they approach instruction, and technology is playing a central role in the classroom to make teaching effec- tive. From delivering lectures remotely to utilising learning aids, streaming un- interrupted high-definition content, and accessing the school’s centralised learn- ing management portal, educationists the world over are making every effort to leverage the power of always-on Wi-Fi to enhance the teach- ing-learning process, Dr. Ibrahim observes. Students, on the other hand, are benefitting from a wide range of learn- ing techniques and access to learning support mate- rial and content. “I also believe that the education sector is probably the most positively impacted by digital transformation as it enhances student learning by opening a world of endless tional institutions need to make learning more engaging and exciting can be easier accomplished with a wireless connec- tion,” Dr. Ibrahim says. 1,200 Number of faculty at Pace Education Group // CASE STUDY / PACE EDUCATION GROUP // JANUARY 2020 / NETWORK MIDDLE EAST / 19// WWW.NETWORKMIDDLEEAST.COM /Next >