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GITEX FEATURE
Helmy, Solutions Architects Director, Avaya EMEA & APAC. Avaya’s platform allows any enterprise to register its chatbot with a unique social profile and ‘friend’ other member bots from different domains and industries. This social platform demonstration will also allow chatbots to rate each other, and store confidence metrics based on the quality of information received, and feedback from end customers, leading to constant improvements in each bot’s quality and speed of customer service. Linksys is bringing in enterprise grade cloud networking management for SMB networks and this will be the one of the major focal points of the networking manufacturer’s showcase at this edition of GITEX. It recently did the regional launch of Linksys Cloud Manager, a cloudhosted WiFi Management Platform purpose-built for small business environments that reduces costs and increases operational efficiencies, in the United Arab Emirates. The solution offers centralized visibility, management and control of a wireless network without the cost and complexity of traditional hardware controllers, overlay software, or annual hosting costs. Amanulla Khan, Managing Director Linksys Middle East, Turkey and Africa says, “ We have a significant focus on the commercial side at this year’s GITEX. We are excited and confident about this launch as an organization and have had positive feedback from our partners in the commercial segment.” He emphasizes that they have built these solutions that address the pain point of the mid-market customers by providing robust hardware that is also highly secure, feature rich and yet not with excess functionalities that are not really relevant for the mid-market. “We are launching cloud access points with our cloud manager. This are unique solutions for mid-market customers. Although there are such products from other vendors, they don’t tick all the boxes which our solution does such as either they are built on consumer hardware as well as without true cloud functionalities and support or they are enterprise products trimmed down. Those with basic hardware may not be secure enough to inspire confidence in Business owners to invest in those kind of solutions. As for products that come with enterprise grade features, they are over engineered for mid-market customers and with SMART SMB | OCTOBER 2018
a rich set of features, several of which would never be used by the mid-market customer. That would be therefore a needless investment. Further, they also have a recurring cost with a license to renew every year.” “Our products are built from ground up to meet SMB requirements but on enterprises grade hardware, that guarantees its robustness. We are adding features and benefits that are necessary for mid-market users. They are simple to use with zero touch provisioning.
EMPOWERING CUSTOMERS So what does the digital workplace as a concept means to the customers and how it does empower them? According to Hemayun, “Mobility trends continue to transform the way we communicate, collaborate, and access information. Customers today are taking a wireless-first approach to connectivity. To create a digital workplace, SMEs need mobile networking solutions that allow them to easily accommodate smartphones, tablets, and other personal devices on internal networks while keeping them safe with the most robust security features available. Mobility and security are technology priorities for SMEs to consider in their digital transformation journey.”
Further, the digital workplace as a concept extends beyond the mobile workforce which has been in vogue since the days of work from anywhere concept that has been enabled by mobile technologies. MOBILITY TRENDS
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CONTINUE TO TRANSFORM THE WAY WE COMMUNICATE, COLLABORATE, AND ACCESS INFORMATION. CUSTOMERS TODAY ARE TAKING A WIRELESSFIRST APPROACH TO CONNECTIVITY. TO CREATE A DIGITAL WORKPLACE, SMES NEED MOBILE NETWORKING SOLUTIONS THAT ALLOW THEM TO EASILY ACCOMMODATE SMARTPHONES, TABLETS, AND OTHER PERSONAL DEVICES ON INTERNAL NETWORKS WHILE KEEPING THEM SAFE WITH THE MOST ROBUST SECURITY FEATURES AVAILABLE.”
Hemayun concurs and elaborates, “ Yes, the digital workplace has certainly involved from the early days. Major trends – such as a changing worker demographics, mobility, IoT, consumerized technologies and intelligent buildings – are driving a global transition from traditional workplaces to a future workplace scenario that Aruba, a Hewlett Packard Enterprise company, calls the Smart Digital Workplace.” According to the Aruba’s view of the Smart Digital Workplace, it is designed to be an upgraded and more-productive work environment for employees, visitors, operators, and managers. The Smart Digital Workplace can be implemented wherever work takes place – in an office, factory, retail space, warehouse, or home. Its primary distinguishing characteristic is that it is interactive and adaptive – taking full advantage of the power of mobility and IoT – rather than fixed and passive.