Kingdom of Bahrain

Issue 133
MEET ICT & BITEX
Special
Kingdom of
Bahrain
to be digitally enabled
in line with the
global trend
Eng. Muna Al Hashemi
CEO, Batelco Bahrain
January 2017

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January 2017
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AN EVENT OF
Mobile has become fundamental to our everyday lives.
It has inextricably changed how we communicate,
interact, work and play as individuals. It is
transforming entire industries, bringing new levels
of productivity and efficiency to enterprises.
Over three decades, mobile has evolved from an
emerging communications technology to a
phenomenon that is now at the foundation of
everything we do. How can we describe the role
of mobile in today’s world?
Elemental.
Mobile is revolutionary, dynamic, ever adapting.
It’s the force behind every emerging innovation, every
forward-thinking enterprise. Join us in Barcelona for
Mobile World Congress 2017, where the world comes
together to showcase, celebrate and advance mobile.
WWW.MOBILEWORLDCONGRESS.COM

23 33
2016 has been a year of great transformation
Liu Dianfeng, CEO - CMPak (China Mobile)
A year in review and the future outlook
Riyadh Al Adely, Managing Director - SkyStream
Interviews
19 C5 provides a highly tailored programme in the
form of Cloud10
Hadyah Fathalla, Executive Director, C5 Accelerate
20
This year we expect to see integration
with key players in the industry
Eng. Muna Al Hashemi, CEO, Batelco Bahrain
Telecom, IoT and AI
08 The evolution of communications
14 Etisalat Group active to promote
telecommunications services in UAE
16 US to continue to assist India in
development of ‘Smart Cities’ under Trump
22
47
STC announced 4th quarter financial results
26 Huawei secures top spot at Etisalat
Strategic Suppliers Awards
29 The Levant’s rising Digital Economy creates
new opportunities for tech entrepreneurs
Cyber Security in 2017
30
Qualcomm has always been the leader in
pioneering next generation technology
Jay Srage, President, MEA & Southeast Asia - Qualcomm

Letter to Readers
Dear Reader
2016 has been a year of great challenges and transformation
for all of us. As we move towards a Global Data Economy, the
roles of all players are fast changing to accommodate for today’s
needs and market conditions. You will find a lot of interesting
interviews and opinions on the past year and what we are looking
forward to in 2017 in this edition.
11
Brand-building takes time, especially when done globally
Joy Tan, President Global Media Communications - Huawei
Event Reports
17
29
32
36
MEET ICT and BITEX 2017
to be held under the patronage of
H.E. Eng. Kamal Bin Ahmed Mohammed,
Minister of transport and telecommunications,
Kingdom of Bahrain
Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre
hosts UN / UAE - High Level Forum
Satellite Communications
Moving closer to delivering the home WiFi
experience to users on the move
“Space as a Driver for Socio-Economic
Sustainable Development”
One of my recommended reads is the interview with Joy
Tan, President of Global Media Communications at Huawei
Technologies. She talks about Huawei’s journey on a global
level, brand-building (Huawei is now one of the most well-known
global telecom brands) and the future outlook for one of the
world’s largest telecommunications companies.
You will find exclusive insights from other industry leaders in this
edition such as Liu Dianfeng, CEO of Zong (China Mobile) and Jay
Srage, President, MEA and SEA – Qualcomm.
Bahrain has been a key Middle East market demonstrating good
growth in terms of market size, level of technology and user
adoption over the past years. We are now looking at MEET ICT
& BITEX Bahrain in the 2nd week of February 2017. The event
will focus on discussion on the Bahrain ICT market, its role
in the regional market and connect Bahrain ICT players with
other players within the region and beyond. Teletimes is the
International Media Partner to this event and will be actively
participating there. I am personally available to meet any of our
readers and partners at the event and can be directly reached at
khalidathar@teletimesinternational.com
When we talk about Bahrain, it is impossible to not mention
Batelco – you will find in this edition an exclusive interview with
Eng. Muna Al Hashemi the CEO of Batelco.
As always, your feedback is welcome and much appreciated at
info@teletimesinternational.com
Please enjoy reading this edition of Teletimes International!
40
42
43
Selevision chooses Voddler Group
to optimise quality of experience
EUTELSAT 117 West B now in commercial service
Ericsson and SpeedCast International
announce global partnership
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ARTICLE
The
evolution of
communications
Toby Ruckert
CEO - Unified Inbox
Back in the day, people talked
in person. Communications
was exclusively synchronous,
complete with sight, sound,
and even smell (both good
and bad). Then came the breakthrough
technology of letters, and before we knew
it, communications became possible on
different channels.
Today, we now use dozens of different
synchronous (live) and asynchronous
communications channels at home and at
work. These include everything from ink on
paper letters to emails and from chat and
messaging apps to social media.
Interestingly, at this point of
communications evolution our
asynchronous text-based messaging —
thanks to the rich media of photos, videos,
audio, emoji, and stickers — enable us
to engage our senses (with the notable
exception of smell, so far) more than a live
audio conversation does.
This, combined with the sheer speed and
convenience of being able to express our
every thought, feeling, and opinion anytime
and from anywhere, has made text-based
messaging our most frequently used
method of communications.
Which industries are affected by this
evolution?
Pretty much all industries will over time
be affected by this constant evolution of
communications. But there are some which
have communications as their core DNA
and therefore will be disrupted first.
Telecom Companies
While all telecoms offer internet packages,
often with unlimited access to our choice
of different messaging services through
their pipes, customers still perceive them
as being voice-driven. As a whole, telecoms
have not yet managed to move up the
value chain to be perceived as innovators,
value creators, and service providers for
how people want to communicate. Many
millennials view the telcos in the same
way as previous generations view electric
utilities — dull, but necessary. What matters
to them is their device, not who powers it or
how it connects to the internet. There is a
huge opportunity for telecoms to reposition
and rebrand themselves to better engage
current and future generations.
Postal Companies
Suffering with increased costs, decreased
margins and the immense pressure of
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the world as a whole moving away from
postal to electronic communications,
postal companies are gravely affected by
this communications evolution. With few
exceptions, they have little or no history,
experience or technology when it comes to
pushing for a more digital world.
That said, they know where people live
and who stays in one household together.
Consequently they have an unique ability
to leverage identities in a physical-digital
world fabric. However whether they can
eventually make use of this opportunity
remains to be seen.
Device Manufacturers and Software
Companies
Interaction with technology is greatly
changing alongside the evolution of
communications – both in terms of
hardware as well as software. In software
we’re seeing the rise of chatbots and
hardware is getting a personality makover
of its own. This is driven by design thinking
and human device interaction: so far we
literally had to be “in touch” with our
devices in order to operate them, but now
communications and control is available
from our smartphones via the same
messaging platforms which push chat
bots and manage our human to human
communications electronically already
(refer to “How People and Machines
communicate in Future” for more detail).
Therefore it is an enormous opportunity
for both makers and developers to
accelerate their development and offering
by having an innovation strategy in place
which is aligned with the evolution of
communications.
Becoming an enabler for IoT – the
Internet of Things
No matter which industry you’re in, the
ongoing evolution of communications will
touch your work and customers. The easiest
way to not get disrupted in the process is
to be aligned with the current phase of this
communications evolution, to see and to
seize the opportunities that come with it,
and to potentiatlly even become a force for
disruption in your own industry.
In the current state of this evolution,
IoT plays a dominant role. Becoming an
enabler for IoT, or, at the minimum, having
a strategy in place which supports those
enabling this next phase would certainly
create new opportunities but at the very
least could simply ensure survival.
The above example industries could all be
key influencers in IoT. Telcos could be part
of the “I”nternet’s infrastructure, postal
companies manage the “o”f identities
between man and machine and device
makers and software developers naturally
develop “T”hings for IoT.
The glue which brings it all together is
“intelligent IoT messaging”. It’s easier (and
safer!) for smart, connected machines
to talk with humans using text-based
messaging. Technologically speaking,
the apps we currently use to control and
manage our smart devices are all API-driven
anyway. Therefore – for now – text trumps
voice recognition as it eliminates the
problems of understanding different voices,
accents, and dialects.
Eventually of course there will be an
Artificial General Intelligence (or “AGI”)
powered interface which rules them all –
whether that is messaging, voice or thought
(see below “Future Outlook”) based – but
that is likely still years away. Often it is
not technology which isn’t ready, but our
behaviour in society. For instance it would
still be awkward (at best) for you to host
your next dinner party while yelling at all
of your appliances as you entertain your
guests.
In the meantime text-based messaging
offers us the privacy and security of
controlling our smart devices and having
them communicate with us without others
even noticing. Your appliances, for example,
could tell you when each food is ready.
Future Outlook
Research tells us the generation currently
entering the workforce prefer text-based
messaging for communications in both their
human and their machine relationships.
I predict, however, that the next
generations, those born after 2020, will
prefer voice. After seeing their parents
glued to their screens, they will long for
voice-based interaction and (following) its
easy, intuitive commands driven by AGIpowered
personal assistants.
Latest 2040, I believe thought-based
communications will start to be en
vogue and then making the channel use
irrelevant. This certainly guarantees that
each generation will become even more
impatient than the last.
Electric communication will never be a
substitute for the face of someone who with
their soul encourages another person to be
brave and true” – Charles Dickens
The takeaway for makers, researchers and
developers?
For the next five years, focus on text
integration rather than building an app; and
latest from 2020 on, focus on direct voice
integration with AGI-powered assistants.
The underlying technologies of AGI and
intelligent IoT messaging will evolve over
the next decade so developers can continue
to create the next generation of messaging
technologies alongside the ongoing
communications evolution.
10 January 2017

INTERVIEW
Brand-building
takes time, especially
when done globally
Joy Tan
President, Global Media
Communications
Huawei Technologies
Interview - Khalid Athar
Khalid Athar: As a thought leader, you
have contributed new insights on the
developments taking place within the
ICT sector. What developments or trends
within the industry do you feel have been
the biggest drivers of business growth?
Joy Tan: ICT growth is being driven by
several forces, all of which will be familiar to
readers of Teletimes International. They are
Cloud computing, online video, the Internet
of Things (IoT), and digital transformation.
Cloud computing creates opportunities
for companies to create new products,
services, and business models. Large
companies have already embraced the
Cloud, and small and mid-sized enterprises
are beginning to follow suit. In fact, the big
trend that Huawei sees in Cloud computing
is what might be called the Industry Cloud.
It’s actually not a single cloud at all, but
thousands of distinct, separate clouds
spanning different industry verticals.
Huawei projects that by 2025, 85% of
enterprise applications will be deployed
in the Cloud, and that every company will
integrate its core business with the Cloud.
Online video is putting huge pressure on
data networks. Gaming, streaming video,
virtual and augmented reality, not to
mention video captured by sensors in the
Internet of Things – all will increase this
pressure over time and deepen society’s
reliance on the network. More data means
more opportunities to apply analytics
that produce business insights and, in
many cases, social benefits. Of course,
many people watch video on their phones,
creating demand for our smartphones,
tablets, and other devices.
The IoT will create estimated 100b
connections within the next 10 years, a
significant driver of business for Huawei.
This means companies will operate in a web
of digital connections – a digital ecosystem.
Industries that never had to work together
before will have to start collaborating.
Much of that collaboration will happen
through the Cloud.
The Cloud is also central to the fourth
big trend, Digital Transformation – the
process whereby companies become
digital enterprises. To become digital,
companies have to integrate the Cloud
into their production processes. This will
give them access to advanced technologies
like data analytics, mobile broadband, and
the Internet of Things. With these new
resources, companies will be able to deliver
products and services at scale, in a way that
is flexible, customized, and innovative.
Again, all of these trends – video, cloud, IoT,
and digital transformation – are going to
increase society’s reliance on the network.
That means that sound ICT regulatory
policy and secure, stable networks will be
essential requirements for prosperity and
growth.
KA: How has 2016 been a
transformational year for Huawei as a
top technology brand among businesses
as well as end-users of your handheld
devices and digital platforms?
January 2017
11

JT: Brand-building takes time, especially
when done globally, and in 2016 Huawei
saw steady improvement in our brand
recognition. We rose to #72 on Interbrand’s
global brand ranking, moving up 16 spots or
18 percent from 2015. In 2016, in addition to
product ads, we launched a comprehensive
corporate branding campaign. It used a
series of images and stories to convey to
our key stakeholders as well as the general
public who we are, where we came from,
and what we stand for. This campaign has
run in many countries and regions. I believe
you can see the impact in our business,
which has grown substantially this year.
KA: What is Huawei’s global marketing
vision as the world’s leading
telecommunications company, which
some argue, many consumers in the
Western world don’t know much about?
JT: Again, we’ve begun talking more about
our values, what we believe and why we do
what we do. We don’t want to be known
simply as a company that makes phones,
or network switching equipment, even
though we do make those things. We want
to be known as a company that enables the
digital, intelligent society of the future.
That may sound a bit abstract, but it’s really
not. In an intelligent world, factories will run
more efficiently, farmers will use less water
and get better crop yields, streetlamps will
use less electricity, and nearly everything
will emit less carbon. People will have
access to always-on medical services and
education. Cities will be safer. The potential
for improving the quality of everyday life
is immense. You can get bogged down in
the bits and bytes, but as a communicator,
I always try to emphasize technology’s
benefits to people and society.
KA: What specific endeavours by your
team of media and communications
professionals have helped elevate
Huawei’s standing as a top technology
player on the global scale?
JT: One of Huawei’s core principles is to
remain customer-centric, and if you’re in
Corporate Communications, your main
customers are the media. My team tries to
apply that philosophy to our engagement
with journalists around the world. We give
them information that provides context
for their stories, so they in turn can help
their audiences better understand not just
Huawei has been investing in 5G research since
2009. We collaborate closely with top universities
including Harvard, University of California at
Berkeley, and Cambridge, and to date have
published more than 250 research papers
about 5G technology”
Huawei, but the technological changes
affecting the economy and the world.
One new thing we did last year was to start
an influencer marketing function aimed at
Key Opinion Leaders, or KOLs – bloggers
and other people who may not be accredited
journalists, but are nevertheless shaping
conversations related to technology in
general, and Huawei in particular. We look
for people who have substantial online
followings, or who have a strong influence in
specific areas such as cloud computing, safe
cities, robotics, or fintech. Currently we have
more than 100 KOLs. In 2016, they shared
Huawei-related content that reached 39
million people.
KA: How is Huawei promoting its
innovation and best practices particularly
within South Asia and the MENA region?
JT: In the Middle East, Huawei manages
more than 24 operators’ networks in more
than 10 countries. We have three resource
centers dedicated to Managed Services, and
three training centers across the region. We
partner with leading local organizations to
create innovation centers in the UAE, Saudi
Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain and elsewhere.
We also invest in local talent through our
“Seeds for the Future” program. Partners
in that program include leading universities
such as King Fahd University of Petroleum
and Minerals, UAE Higher Colleges of
Technology, King Saud University, Kuwait
University, Texas A&M University in Qatar,
and the University of Bahrain. We also work
with regulatory and other government
authorities, and with organizations such as
Aramco, UAE TRA, Saudi CITC, Oman TRA.
In South Asia, Huawei’s Lean GSM
solution helped Telenor India in its digital
transformation project. Among other things,
we provided green solutions that reduced
power consumption by nearly one-third and
increased spectrum efficiency and network
capacity by more than 30%. Telenor took
that saved spectrum and used it to launch
an affordable high-speed internet service
to a mass market in India. Last August, we
set up a Global Services Center (GSC) in
Bangalore with an investment of over US
$20 million. And in partnership with Flex, a
contract manufacturer, last fall we started
manufacturing Smart Phones in India.
KA: What are your views on IoT for
telecom operators, on its sustainability
practices, and how should it be viewed by
the general public in terms of its potential
contributions to enhancing quality of life?
JT: IoT is a big contributor to sustainability.
It’s already making a difference in agriculture
by helping farmers in drought-stricken
regions conserve water. In California, for
example, some farmers are already using
20% less water to grow their crops because
of IoT technology. This increases yields,
while lowering costs. Smart power grids will
use IoT sensors that help operators manage
loads more efficiently and check meters
remotely. Buildings will use less energy and
emit less carbon. Huawei recently conducted
a year-long pilot experiment in China where
a four-story office building employed
energy-control systems using IoT sensor
technology. After just one year, the building
had saved the equivalent of 165 tons of coal.
Rolled out across China, such programs
could reduce air pollution substantially.
Manufacturing, public infrastructure, and
many other areas will also benefit from the
efficiencies created by the IoT.
KA: What R&D leadership role has Huawei
taken to accelerate the development of
5G technologies, and do you also view
2020 as being the year of 5G’s widespread
availability?
JT: Huawei has been investing in 5G research
since 2009. We collaborate closely with top
universities including Harvard, University of
California at Berkeley, and
12 January 2017

Cambridge, and to date have published
more than 250 research papers about 5G
technology through our engagement with
these leading schools. We have more than
2,000 research scientists and other experts
working on 5G, and have established 11 5G
research centers around the world. In the
five years between 2013 and 2018, Huawei
will invest at least US$600m in 5G research
and innovation.
We’ve also been promoting 5G
standardization. In the EU, we’ve played
a leading role in the 5G PPP project. We
are the founding member of 5GIC, a 5G
innovation center in the UK. With respect
to 5G as it relates to the industrial IoT,
we are a founding member of the 5G
Vertical Industry Accelerator program,
through which we collaborate with various
industry sectors in Europe in finding and
encouraging early adoption of 5G IoT
solutions.
There have been several early 5G precommercial
adoptions, such as the 2018
Winter Olympic Games in South Korea, the
2018 World Cup in Russia, the 2020 Olympic
Games in Japan, and Expo 2020 in the UAE.
Huawei has been actively involved in all of
them.
KA: What are some of the ways in
which Huawei, through its media and
communications strategy under your
leadership, is promoting digital inclusion
across the world?
JT: Bridging the digital divide is a hugely
important issue. Worldwide, about 4 billion
people remain offline. If even a small
fraction of those people come online in
the next five to 10 years, it will create new
commercial opportunities and raise living
standards. That means there’s an urgent
need to build out broadbrand networks in
less developed regions of the world.
Huawei runs a program called Seeds for
the Future that trains young engineers in
countries around the world. This type of
intervention can have a dramatic impact
on digital inclusion, especially in remote
areas. For example, last year we launched
a project aimed at bringing connectivity to
small fishing villages in a remote part
of the Amazon Forest in Brazil. We took
30 young Brazilian students and trained
them in basic IT skills, computer
maintenance, and photovoltaic systems.
Bridging the digital divide is a hugely important
issue. Worldwide, about 4 billion people remain
offline. If even a small fraction of those people
come online in the next five to 10 years, it will
create new commercial opportunities and raise
living standards”
This last item is crucial because many
Brazilian villages lack electricity, and solar
power is their only hope of connecting to
the Internet.
Also, each year we publish a Global
Connectivity Index that measures different
countries’ progress toward achieving
digital parity. We hope this encourages
governments to invest in broadband, cloud
computing, the Internet of Things, and data
center technologies, all of which will form
the basis of economic development over
the next decade and beyond.
January 2017
13

NEWS
Etisalat Group active to promote
telecommunications services in the UAE
The Etisalat Group is actively
working to strengthen the
Etisalat Enterprise division,
which aims to reaffirm its
position as a pre-eminent
telecommunications service provider in the
UAE and beyond.
The business-to-business (B2B) wing
handles smaller entities, SMEs, large
business accounts and government
departments, with innovation at the
core of its operations. Armed with teams
for products and services, in addition to
dedicated sales teams, the Enterprise
Division is currently working on several new
experiences that expand into cloud services,
security, Internet of Things (IoT), as well
as machine-to-machine (M2M) options,
among other booming sectors.
To date, Etisalat stands as a complete
Information and Communication
Technology (ICT) solutions provider
and trusted outsourced partner. This is
complemented by the Enterprise Division,
which has helped the company emerge
as a major player in the ICT space, and is
expected to make significant contributions
in terms of revenues in the near future.
Etisalat is keen to provide solutions to
customers in a profitable and competitive
manner; a strategy geared to transform
its product portfolio through project
management and professional services.
Its position at the forefront of telecom
technology in the region gives Etisalat
a unique advantage to meet customers’
present and future needs. Aside from core
services such as fixed line mobility, it also
offers a slew of services and products that
comprise the digital division. The company
invests considerable energy to offer an agile
platform that customers can use for cloud
and other systems.
The telecom giant devises solutions to
create secure environments, an interactive
platform that allows easy access to
digital channels (to send texts and enable
payments, for instance), encourage the use
of smart devices, and analyse relevant data.
The endeavour is to create matchless M2M
and IoT experiences for its clientele.
As a first in the region, Etisalat recently
conducted 5G live demos with super
speeds of 5Gbps. With international
standardisation of this technology nearing
completion by 2017, commercial networks
will be implemented in the year 2020.
Similarly, Etisalat’s M2M technology will
allow intelligent machines to communicate
with each other via IP-based networks
to automate the collection of essential
data faster and accurately without human
intervention. M2M SIMs would provide
connectivity to a wide variety of solutions
for businesses and communities alike.
Etisalat’s continued spotlight on IoT is
transforming the government’s vision of
Smart Dubai and other projects into reality.
The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA)
has already connected most traffic lights in
the emirate to a central command centre.
By using cameras and sensors, the timings
of these lights can be controlled to guide
the flow of traffic in real time, thereby
easing congestion to a great degree. By
2020, smart meters will replace energy
meters.
As robotics, augmented reality and
automated retail gain wider traction in
the UAE, Etisalat is taking the lead in
implementing these technologies. Last
year, the company launched the country’s
first ‘Smart Mall’, an integrated technology
eCommerce service that provides shoppers
with an engaging shopping experience.
The first Smart Mall was unveiled at Mall
of the Emirates metro station that gives
customers a chance to browse through
products ad make purchases through a
3D-enabled format. Aside from instant
purchases with Etisalat’s novel payment
solution, the Mobile Cashier, customers can
also choose to have items delivered to their
doorsteps.
14 January 2017

Jumeirah Mina A’Salam Hotel - Dubai
MAY 2017
TELECOM LEADERS' SUMMIT
2 0 1 7
Meeting between Government Leaders and
Telecommunications Industry CEOs
BUILDING DIGITAL ECONOMIES
For More Information:
Telephone: +971 4 364 27 09, Mobile: +971 56 882 95 03
Email: info@samenacouncil.org, www.samenacouncil.org

NEWS
US to continue to assist India in
development of ‘Smart Cities’ under Trump
US officials have confirmed that they will
continue to assist India in the development
of ‘smart cities’ in the region under the
administration of president elect Donald
Trump. During the reign of Barack
Obama, India and the US signed a series
of memorandums of understanding which
was aimed at specifically developing three
‘smart cities’ in Allahabad, Ajmer and
Visakhapatnam.
Ashely O’Connor
US officials agreed to help assist the
cities in relation to a number of key areas
such as project planning, infrastructure,
development, feasibility studies and
capacity building. There had been fears
expressed among some leaders involved
in the ‘Smart City’ movement in India, that
the US would withdraw its support for the
initiative – following the election of Donald
Trump.
However, it has been officially confirmed
that the US will continue to work closely
with Indian officials in relation to the ‘smart
cities’ development.
Deputy Assistant Secretary in the US
Department of Commerce, Vinay Vijai Singh
said initial discussions had taken place with
a team of officials formed as part of Trump’s
on-going transition into office – and he
outlined some of the challenges that need
to be urgently addressed in India.
Singh said, “We have held initial discussions
with the transition team (under new
presidency). It is still early stages but we
have shared our plans and they have been
included. Indian cities should be enabled
to have more autonomy. The mechanics
between the centre and states in India
need to be worked out. I know they are
working hard at it, we had this ‘smart cities’
competition and the money has gone to
the states – then we go to the states and
some states say we don’t have the money
because these things haven’t been done.”
Further concerns have been raised by some
businesses who are already heavily involved
in India’s smart cities projects. One of these
companies is Region Business Line Leader,
AECOM. Its vice president, Ashely O’Connor
expressed her concerns and has appealed
for clarification to be offered on the smart
cities project.
She said, “In Visakhapatnam, in particular,
there were talks of a new airport. It would
need significant investment, so clarity
around these, what is in works, and how
they are working moving forward would be
helpful for the business side.”
Singh refuted suggestions that the US’s
involvement in India’s smart cities project
was politically motivated – and that the
agenda was being driven by the US private
sector which sees the region as a huge area
for potential growth.
Singh added, “We will continue to engage
with all stakeholders. We will also work with
multilateral institutions to help eliminate
the initial risk involved in such projects.”
Chief of Staff for the US Trade and
Development Agency echoed the
sentiments of Singh and declared the
primary focus areas for the US in smart
cities are in energy, telecom and the
transportation sector.
16 January 2017

EVENT
MEET ICT and BITEX 2017 - Bahrain
to be held under the patronage of
H.E. Eng. Kamal Bin Ahmed Mohammed
Minister of transport and telecommunications
Special Report
Meet ICT Conference is being organized
with multiple activities that will enhance
that will enhance the experience of the
participants and enable them to exchange
knowledge and ideas on difference
platforms.
The conference will be held on February
7-9 under the patronage of the Minister of
Transport and Communications Kamal bin
Ahmed Mohammed.
Imagine all the top business and ICT professionals
in one venue, sharing knowledge
and exchanging insights on what’s up and
what’s new in the field.
Digital transformation is happening
everywhere, in every industry. Thus, this
edition, the conference is much focused
on the latest digital trends, technologies,
and the cultural dynamics they bring to the
business and inspire how to become more
competitive in the digital economy.
The conference will also include knowledge
sharing, high level engagement, strategic
debate and networking with key stakeholders
and experts as they share insights and
debate on major issues confronting the ICT
Industry.
The conference will be hosted by the
high-caliber experts to share their outstanding
knowledge in the following key
topics:
• Digital Transformation
• Cloud Computing
• Smart World
• IT Security
• Internet of Things
• Big Data
• The Future Enterprise
This year’s event will have more than 30
speakers from international and regional
organizations and they are expected to
present a wealth of knowledge and expertise
in the various areas on ICT.
With their wide range of expertise and
experience, speakers will be able to answer
all the queries that will be made by the
attendees that will help enhance their skills.
These speakers will be using their motivational
abilities to deliver their message as
they impart their experience as well to the
participants.
In an industry where convenience is key, we
have developed a way for you to meet and
interact with the people who matter most
to your business.
Bahrain’s position as the Middle East’s most
liberal information and communications
technology (ICT) market, along with
January 2017
17

excellent infrastructure, has encouraged
many ICT companies to base their regional
headquarters in Bahrain. As we all know,
information and communications technology
is emerging as one of the strongest
tools in the world that help people in their
everyday lives.
BITEX, a technology exhibition held alongside
with the MEET ICT Conference will
bring all ICT companies under one roof to
display the latest trends in their field. It also
aims to bring together the ICT community
for business building as well as researching
for more powerful solutions in the sector.
Hence, the expo aims to strengthen innovative
potentials and boost the process of
technical restoration of ICT industry.
An excellent opportunity for companies,
consulting and research organizations
to display and demonstrate their activities
and services related to the subject of ICT
and other associated services. Exhibiting
in BITEX provides an ideal opportunity
to present your organization not only
to the local customers but also an international
target audience. Your participation
will be highly acknowledged and you will
enjoy multiple and attractive benefits.
With the rising demands for Information
Communication and Technology, this
sourcing event will feature and showcase
the following categories:
• Mobile Accessories
• IT Products and Solutions
• Mobile Applications
• IT Services
• Software Development
• Telecommunications
• ICT Consultancy
• Data Management and Storage
• IT Security
• eContent
• Networking
• System Automation & Robotics
• Etc.
BITEX aims to deliver fresh ideas, let you
find the right solutions and make you updated
on new trends and products:
• Achieve the best experience of attending
an expo and conference in one mega event
• Meet the best exhibitors showing their
newest products and services.
• Be updated on the newest trends of the
industry.
• Converge with the experts face- to- face
in a professional atmosphere.
This year’s Meet ICT and BITEX are backed
by the top ICT & Telecommunications in
Bahrain and the region:
Ministry of Transportation and Telecommunications
– Strategic Partner
Huawei – Strategic Technology Partner
C5 Accelerate – Strategic Innovation
Partner
Batelco Bahrain – Strategic ICT Partner
Viva Bahrain – Official Telecom Partner
Ericsson – Gold Sponsor
SAP Saudi Arabia – Digital Transformation
Partner
Microsoft – Cloud Partner
CTM 360 – Cyber Security Partner
Computer World – Bronze Sponsor
Almoayyed Computers – Bronze Sponsor
Ahlia University – Bronze Sponsor
Teletimes International – International
Media Partner
Thinksmart for Training and Development
– Training Partner
CIO Knowledge Club – Affiliated Partner
Gulf Future Business – Affiliated Partner
BTECH – Organizer
Worksmart - Organizer
Together, let’s experience the Smart World
through Digital Transformation in MEETICT
and BITEX 2017!!!
Teletimes becomes ‘Meet ICT & BITEX’ International Media Partner
Bahrain News Agency
“WORKSMART” for Events Management
said it has entered into a strategic
partnership with Teletimes International, a
publication focused on the telecom, ICT and
satellite industry of the Middle East, Asia
and Africa, to be an international media
partner of seventh edition of the
Information and Communication
Technology (ICT) conference “MEET ICT”
and the Bahrain International Technology
Exhibition (BITEX).
Worksmart CEO Ahmed Al Hujairi said
that the partnership with Teletimes
International aims to promote ‘Meet ICT’
Conference and BITEX Exhibition at the
international level, which will increase the
operations of the Bahraini companies
participating in the expo and contribute
to attracting more regional and
international companies to Bahrain.
Ahmed Al Hujairy
Group CEO, WorkSmart for Events
Management - Bahrain
“I can say that after seven years of holding
MEET ICT Conference and BITEX Exhibition
in Bahrain, we are on threshold of a new
phase of growth at the regional and
international levels, which will support
the efforts of the government which has
placed the information and communication
technology sector at the top of sectors
that are capable of enhancing growth and
boosting the national economy,” he said.
Teletimes Chief Editor, Khalid Athar said:
“Bahrain is a key market for the industry
and for many of our readers. The country
holds great importance as one of the fastest
growing technology markets that is home
to many service & solution providers.
As the International Media Partner,
Teletimes will be glad to provide due
coverage to this gathering for professionals
in the industry.”
18 January 2017

INTERVIEW
C5 provides a highly
tailored programme in the
form of Cloud10
Hadyah Fathalla
Executive Director, C5 Accelerate
Teletimes Interview
Q: Please talk about the vision behind the
start-up accelerator – why Cloud services?
A: C5’s Scale-up accelerator or Scalerator
is a programme that takes young dynamic
tech post revenue start-ups across MENA
and scales their business using AWS
cloud and international mentors. Cloud
services drive real business advantage and
differentiation in the current digital market.
Q: What are the benefits for start-ups to
get involved with C5 and how can they
apply to participate?
A: C5 provides a highly tailored programme
in the form of Cloud10 that provides a
unique integrative and bespoke approach
to honing business skills and competencies
while upskilling companies to leverage cloud
computing . The AWS technical support,
C5’s open door policy and access to senior
executives, the international mentorship
network, and international field-trips deliver
a unique and highly dynamic learning and
growth experience. It is a very different
approach and unlike many of the other
accelerator programs in the region.
• Applicants can apply via Tamkeen through
the below link or by contacting the us at C5
in Bahrain directly: http://www.tamkeen.bh/
en/pss/?p=C5#.WHJP3lN97IV
Q: How are Cloud services impacting the
business environment, especially in this
region, and how will they evolve how we
do business over the coming years?
A: Many organisations in the GCC have
The Bahraini
government strategically
is also adopting a
“Cloud First” policy and
looking at migrating all
government data to the
cloud while AWS is also
exploring geographic
expansion in the region”
already moved to the Cloud for lower cost
of operations, faster time to market with
product / services, operational agility,
and innovation among other benefits.
The Bahraini government strategically is
also adopting a “Cloud First” policy and
looking at migrating all government data
to the cloud while AWS is also exploring
geographic expansion in the region. There
are all signs of things to come.
Q: Are any of the start-ups allied with
C5 working on Cloud Security as we are
currently seeing a huge demand for it?
A: Yes, we have IPIFI, Bahraini based ip
threat detection, plus Drie – a UK based
major AWS Cloud security player.
Q: Please tell us about some of your
major partners?
A: Our main strategic Cloud10 partners are
Tamkeen, EDB, and AWS but we also have
a very strong working relationship and are
development exciting collaborations with
key players like BDB, leading universities like
UoB and Polytechnic, and also with industry
leaders like Batelco.
Q: What are you looking forward to at this
year’s BITEX and MEETICT? What do you
plan to achieve during the event?
A: Drive greater awareness of C5 and
Cloud10 business in MENA region.
• Network with industry leaders and
potential future partners.
• Pipeline for our Cloud10 programme.
January 2017
19

INTERVIEW
This year we expect to see integration
with key players in the industry
Eng. Muna Al Hashemi
CEO - Batelco Bahrain
Teletimes Interview
Q: Amongst the many challenges this
industry is facing, how was the year
2016 for Batelco, and what are your
expectations for 2017?
A: 2016 has been a very successful year
for Batelco, with the inclusion of new
certifications and partnerships coupled
with product and service launches. During
the year, Batelco successfully launched
the most advanced 4G+ digital network in
Bahrain with super-fast speeds. In 2016 we
became officially certified by Avaya as a
Platinum Certified Partner, in recognition of
our commitment, investment, experience
and dedication to customer satisfaction.
Additionally, we also launched WiFi and
were the only telecom to offer superfast
500Mbps fibre internet with the highest
thresholds. Furthermore, in 2016 Batelco
signed a memorandum of understanding
for 5G with Ericsson to drive innovation and
early loT applications on 5G mobile network
technology.
In 2017 we expect to see integration
with key players in the industry such as
20 January 2017

etail, automotive or healthcare. The
consumer oriented things that comprise
IoT will in large part consist of wearables,
smartphones, connected cars and smart
homes. We also expect to find new
opportunities for growth in the public
sector, as smart cities gain more traction.
We expect that the consumer demand for
digital technologies that make it easier to
access and pay for public services using
mobile devices will continue to drive these
initiatives.
Q: In many situations today, people tend
to prefer messaging over voice calls –
how will that impact telecom operators
and how are you evolving your business
models to adapt to this?
Key elements of
our focus include
enabling the Kingdom
to be digitally
enabled in line with
the global trend”
A: This is a natural change in customer
behaviour and Telecoms need to adapt.
In Batelco we will continue to invest in
improving the Broadband infrastructure
to ensure the best quality and to allow
customers to enjoy their life style.
Q: Is Batelco currently involved in any
Smart City initiatives in the country?
A: Yes and in collaboration with major
technology providers Batelco has
demonstrated a range of Smart Solutions.
The leading companies are partnered
to demonstrate a variety of Cloud and
Sustainability solutions with the range
of advanced technologies designed to
enable the development of the Networked
Society’s smart cities.
The technologies showcase how
life experiences in a smart city are
enhanced through more connectivity,
with a particular focus on working life,
city life and home life, allowing citizens
to live and work in more sustainable
societies. Among the solutions is Connected
Print along with smart solutions for homes
and hospitals.
Q: The IoT market is set to grow
exponentially into a multi-trillion dollar
market – are you currently working on any
IoT applications or initiatives?
A: Batelco, the Kingdom’s leading
digital solutions provider has launched
a cutting edge IoT (Internet of Things)
Connected Vehicle Solution to support
the requirements of the education and
transportation sectors.
The solution is aimed at equipping vehicles,
such as school buses, with cameras,
sensors, GPS tracker, sound level detector
and object count and furthermore the
solution is self-powered through the use of
solar panels.
Q: Where do you see the Batelco Group
in the coming years and how do you see
Batelco Bahrain’s contribution to the
group in the future?
A: With a core strategy focused on elevating
communication standards and digital
solutions in the Kingdom of Bahrain;
Batelco is paving the way for the evolution
of the industry keeping abreast with the
latest global trends. Our core strategy
centres on our continuous efforts towards
superior customer centricity by transforming
digital lifestyles. Batelco has played
a pivotal role in the country’s development
as a major communications hub and
today we are the leading digital
communications’ provider, continuing
to lead and shape the consumer and
enterprise market.
Q: Would you like to elaborate on the
BITEX theme “Smart World through Digital
Transformation” for this year and how
it translates into Batelco’s strategy?
A: The ongoing evolution of the industry inspires
us to continuously change our mindset
and business strategy. Key elements of
our focus include enabling the Kingdom to
be digitally enabled in line with the
global trend.
January 2017
21

NEWS
STC announced 4th
quarter financial
results
Consolidated revenue for the year
increased 2.4% compared to last
year, with increased contribution
from the Enterprise sector
Dr. Khaled H. Biyari, CEO - STC Group
STC has announced the company’s
preliminary financial results for the period
ending at 31 December 2016
• Revenues from domestic operations
during the year grew 2.4% compared to last
year
• Consolidated revenues for the year
reached SR 51,845m, an increase of 2.4%
compared to last year
• Bundled services customer base during
the 4th quarter increased 19% compared to
the same quarter last year, and an increase
of 11% compared to the immediate prior
quarter
• Enterprise business unit overall revenues
increased approximately 19% during the
4th quarter compared to the same quarter
last year
In accordance with the approved dividend
policy for three years starting from the 4th
quarter 2015 which was announced on 11
November 2015, and have been ratified
during the General Assembly Meeting on
April 4th 2016, STC will distribute a total
of SR 2,000 million in cash dividend for Q4
2016, representing SR 1 per share.
Commenting on the results, STC Group
CEO, Dr. Khaled H. Biyari, stated: stated:
“The 2.4% increase in Consolidated revenue
for the 12 months period compared to
last year, confirms that STC strategy is
working well despite all the challenges and
circumstances facing the communications
sector and overall economic conditions.
While, the decline in Net Profit for the 12
months period is mainly attributed to the
increase in cost of services during the period
which included significant costs resulting
from the fingerprint authentication process
for millions of customers and documented
among relevant government agencies
during the first half of the year, and due to
STC investments in software’s and systems
related to cloud computing and managed
data services mainly during the 1st half.
Also, during the twelve months period, STC
invested in programs and initiatives that will
have positive outcomes in the near future,
such as Early retirement program. I would
like to stress that the company will continue
its investment in advanced networks and
new technologies in order to reach the
highest levels of customer satisfaction and
enrich our customers’ experience.”
Dr. Biyari also stated “that STC vision for
the year 2020 is to transform to a digital
company that provide innovative services to
its customers. The country is now living the
beginning of transformation to the digital
economy, and the company is capable to
work with all government sectors and the
private sector towards the dissemination of
broadband services and the corresponding
platforms like cloud computing platforms
and the Internet of things as per NTP
2020 and 2030 Kingdom vision. Assuring
the current need for high speed data
services, especially fiber optic networksupported,
so that the period ahead for
the telecommunications world will see
overlaps with many sectors, for example in
health and education sectors to enhance
the efficiency of the services provided to
clients.”
Domestically, STC’s continues with the
deployment of 4G network in all districts of
the country, and continued with deploying
the fiber optic network in the country to
serve the business sector. In addition,
bundled services customer base during the
4th quarter increased 19% compared to the
same period last year, and 11% compared to
the immediate prior quarter.
Enterprise business unit overall revenues
increased approximately 19% during the
4th quarter compared to the same period
last year, driven mainly by the 16% increase
in Business sector data services revenues
compared to same period last year, and also
due to the offering of cloud computing &
managed data services which started during
the year.
22 January 2017

INTERVIEW
2016 has been
a year of great
transformation
Liu Dianfeng
CEO - CMPak Ltd.
(A China Mobile company)
Interview - Gulraiz Khalid
Mr. Liu Dianfeng graduated from Harbin Engineering University in 1991 with a Bachelors of Science in Navigation Engineering,
completing a Masters in Acoustics from Chinese Academy of Sciences in 1996 & completing his EMBA in 2007 from Cheung Kong
graduate school of business.
Mr. Liu has an extensive experience working at China Mobiles spanning over 17 years holding multiple leadership positions of Chief
Technical Officer & Chief Commercial officer Beijing Company, Chairman of Labor Union & chief Commercial Officer at Jilin Company.
He also has a diverse experience starting up his own business at China. His primary focus has been on network planning and online
education. Mr. Liu was appointed as Chairman & CEO of China Mobiles Pakistan in October 2014.
Q: To begin with, how do you think Zong
has evolved into a leading operator in
Pakistan?
A: I think technology has the real advantage
here, we have been able to capitalize on the
latest 4G technology evolving in Pakistan
very successfully. We have the largest, best
quality 4G network coverage in Pakistan
with the largest 4G subscriber base, and we
will continue to increase our base with more
and more network sites, more than 5,000
by the end of 2016 and be able to provide
our services to more and more cities of this
country. Our 4G is unbeatable in quality,
service and coverage.
Q: Would you like to comment specifically
on the performance of Zong throughout
2016?
A: 2016 has been a year of great
transformation, particularly from our voice
to our data services. Our 4G has yielded
incredible terrific results for us and we
January 2017
23

If the telco market doesn’t get engaged in IoT
now in Pakistan, it will be too late, but I am
happy to see that the market is responding to a
strong IoT demand in Pakistan, which is a very
positive sign”
have seen phenomenal growth in our data
services demand, which is a sign that our
customers are happy with our services. At
this point, we have our 4G in more than
250 cities in Pakistan. Having said this, we
are looking forward to a better 2017, with
more sites, more investment in our network
and more solution related services for our
customers across the nation.
Q: How has the market responded in your
opinion to the introduction of LTE 4G?
A: Market response actually depends
on many factors, for example, quality,
coverage, speed and most importantly
price. We have been rated the best quality
network by PTA, we have the best coverage,
the fastest 4G speed & highest number of
4G sites and most of all, affordability. We
think our products and our prices are the
most affordable in the market. Considering
all this, our customers have reacted to our
4G services in a very positive way.
Q: After the acquisition of Warid by
Mobilink and 4G spectrum by Telenor, will
there be any changes to Zong’s strategy
moving forward?
A: Our strategy has always been to provide
the best services to our customers through
a more stable and reliable network and we
will continue to focus on how we can
24 January 2017

continue to improve in this area. One area
we will focus more in the future is how we
can provide more solutions to different
industries of Pakistan through our 4G
network. Infact, we want the 4G market to
Our 4G is unbeatable
in quality, service
and coverage.
develop in Pakistan, and we are happy that
this merger will be an enabler for the 4G
market to develop faster in the nation and
continue to contribute to the 4G ecosystem
in the industry. We are very open to a
healthy and fair competition in business, so
we take this in a very positive way.
Q: When and how do you see a future of
IoT in Pakistan?
A: The answer to when is “now”. If the telco
market doesn’t get engaged in IoT now in
Pakistan, it will be too late, but I am happy
to see that the market is responding to a
strong IoT demand in Pakistan, which is a
very positive sign. I hope all operators build
this market together in Pakistan to benefit
the local people & to introduce more and
more solutions. Infact, advancement of IoT
will help benefit the corporate sector and
the government more than a single user.
Exchange of information and smart data
analytics can be a really strong tool for any
country in its journey towards prosperity
and progression. Zong will be a strong
enabler in this area.
Q: Do you think our networks will be
able to support an IoT ecosystem? (It is
predicted that an average autonomous
vehicle will need 4000GB per day by 2020)
A: It’s a long journey and it will take time but
the market is reacting stronger and stronger
in this area every year, especially after the
4G launch in the country. Awareness to the
importance of data and IoT is becoming
more and more essential as Pakistani
markets compete in the international world.
Some sections of this ecosystem are very
visible, but some areas are still upcoming,
for example, 4G handsets market share in
the country is very low. Government itself
needs to play a stronger role in developing
One area we will focus more in the future is
how we can provide more solutions to different
industries of Pakistan through our 4G network”
this ecosystem by introducing more flexible
policies, especially on the taxation side.
Q: Given your experience, what will be the
key success factors for Mobile operators in
Pakistan and beyond?
A: I think 3 things are very important: 1- The
financial stability of the market itself in
terms of a reasonable tariff 2- 4G market
development and its contributors, meaning
the 4G handsets availability in the system.
3- The ecosystem, meaning that voice and
data are very different to each other. Voice
is voice and has linear dimension, but data
is very different and has many different
dimensions. Understanding of data, its
content, its application and its products are
very different to that of voice, so the overall
ecosystem to support data applications and
products must be very strong.
All 3 of these things are extremely
important, because the market is changing
significantly. We can have the best 4G
network, but if the users don’t have a 4G
handset, it’s a challenge for the operator
to sell its services. On the other hand,
commercial tariff for mobile data and voice
is one of the lowest in Pakistan with the
highest taxation and the overall ecosystem
is still in development phase. This balance
needs to be adjusted for the market to
recapitalize again.
Q: Would you like to comment or make
any suggestions on the current policy
framework with respect to regulation and
spectrum issues etc.?
A: It’s a good and positive step, and if
implemented correctly, it will benefit all
mobile operators in the long run. At the
same time, it does need more work to be
able to solve some specific challenges the
industry is facing.
January 2017
25

EVENT
Huawei secures top spot at Etisalat
Strategic Suppliers Awards
Huawei has been honored with the “Best
Strategic Supplier Award” by Etisalat
UAE. Huawei secured the top spot at the
inaugural Etisalat Strategic Suppliers
Conference. The event successfully
promoted better understanding and mutual
benefit within the ICT ecosystem, while
recognizing the key telecom suppliers in the
region.
“Needless to say, this is a proud moment
for the entire Middle East team,” explained
Poundss Peng, President of Etisalat Global
Key Account, Huawei ME. “Ranked number
one in 2015, based on a comprehensive
evaluation, this is the direct result of the
close partnership between Etisalat and
Huawei over the years, and the hard work
from both teams.”
Huawei and Etisalat have worked together
to outline the carrier’s future network
framework architecture vision and
produce a five year roadmap to achieve
end goals. Future network and operation
plans, that will enable the various national
visions of the region, will see Etisalat offer
personalized and seamless user experience
and services over the next decade.
In order to determine the winner of the
‘Best Strategy Supplier’, Etisalat evaluated
suppliers on several crucial sets of criteria,
like quality and performance of work;
overall cost competitiveness and added
value; how they approached innovation and
partnership; and capability to follow clause
compliance.
neXgen and Huawei Join
For years now, Etisalat and Huawei
have worked together on leading
projects that span beyond the building
of crucial ICT infrastructure in the region.
Just this year Etisalat and Huawei partnered
up to successfully trial 10Gbps service
that will enable users to experience
the fastest broadband speed available
in the region today; one of several key
projects.
Under the current partnership framework,
Huawei is committed to collaborating
with Etisalat on launching innovative
technologies and services.
26 January 2017

NEWS
Huawei promotes quality and
safety in the Kingdom
In line with the Saudi Vision 2030 goal
to embrace responsible businesses,
adapt a comprehensive list of standards
and guidance, regulating an array of
environmental and safety challenges,
Huawei Tech Investment Saudi Arabia
recently held an Environment, Health and
Safety (EHS) workshop for its employees,
partners and suppliers in the Kingdom as
part of the global ICT leader’s commitment
to safety and quality.
Aimed at highlighting best practice in
EHS, the one-day event was attended
by a number of Huawei partners in Saudi
Arabia including Consulting Engineering
Group (CEG) KSA, Al Rashed Comatec,
Zamil Steel Holding, waseela, Mobiserve
Co. Ltd. and Gulf Business Horizons etc.
The workshop was also attended by Huawei
staff including senior executives. As part of
its commitment to following the highest
standards in safety and quality throughout
all its operations, the company also
launched the Huawei Saudi EHS Operation
Incentive Award, which aims to recognize
and encourage safe and responsible
practices amongst employees and partners
within the Kingdom.
“As a global leader in the ICT industry,
Huawei is committed to conducting
its business responsibly, placing great
emphasis on the adherence of both local
and global policies among staff, partners
and suppliers,” explained Charles Yang,
President of Huawei Middle East, who
also attended and spoke at the workshop.
“With over 1,000 Huawei employees and
almost 100 partners working across several
KSA projects, EHS standards top Huawei’s
priorities to ensure the successful delivery of
all its projects”.
Accompanied by a number of senior staff
members from Huawei and partners,
Charles Yang inspected different work sites,
to ensure full compliance to EHS standards
in all locations.
Forces to Make Region’s Cities Smarter
Huawei has joined forces with neXgen
Group, to meet the ever-increasing
demand for Smart City technology in
the region. Enabled though its strategic
partnership with Zain Group, neXgen is
the trusted advisor and managed service
provider to some of the most forwardthinking
governments and enterprises
worldwide.
The strategic alliance agreement was
signed between Terry He, President,
Enterprise Business Group, Huawei Middle
East, and Ghazi Atallah, CEO of neXgen
Group - in the presence of Zain Group CEO
Scott Gegenheimer, and Huawei Middle
East President, Charles Yang.
Both Huawei and neXgen will cooperate
in the Smart City Go-to-Market (GTM)
across the region with emphasis on
markets within Zain’s footprint.
The collaboration covers the design,
release and marketing of joint Smart City
solutions for smart districts and logistics,
smart safety and security, and smart
healthcare services. The agreement also
covers cooperation in Smart Internet of
things (IoT), and Narrow Band IoT (NB-IoT)
technologies. “This strategic collaboration
with Huawei, will bring readily deployable
solutions for Smart Cities and Districts,
enabling our clients across the region to
leverage these innovative services in their
digital transformation journey. Delivering
simple and effective services to our
customers from our industry collaboration
efforts is always our overarching goal.” said
Ghazi Atallah, CEO of neXgen Group.
“This partnership is in line with our
strategy to build an ecosystem that
involves various industry players to
enable an open, better connected world.
This alliance allows us to capitalize on
neXgen’s regional presence and
know-how while addressing the evergrowing
appetite for smart city solutions
in Middle East,” said Mohamad Sharara,
President of Zain Key Account Dept,
Huawei ME.
January 2017
27

NEWS
HUAWEI
Consumer Business
Group announces
strong 2016
performance
Huawei Consumer Business Group
(CBG) revealed its expected 2016 annual
performance figures indicating a 42 per
cent increase when compared to 2015. With
anticipated sales revenue of USD $26 billion
Huawei CBG is showing steady growth for
the fifth consecutive year. Additionally,
smartphone shipments reached 139 million
units presenting a year-on-year growth of
29 percent. According to IDC, the increasing
rate of global smartphone shipments was
only 0.6% in 2016, which means Huawei has
outperformed the overall market.
Mr. Richard Yu, Chief Operating Officer
of Huawei CBG commented on the
results saying, “Despite tough market
conditions Huawei CBG is still growing
at industry-leading speed. We believe
our success is a direct result of our
consumer and innovation-centric approach,
as well as our ongoing commitment
to building a premium brand. As we
reinforce our global channels and ensure
consistent, high-quality service, we make
our devices accessible and reliable for all
Huawei users.”
When speaking on Huawei’s plans for the
coming year, Yu said: “In 2017, we plan to
strengthen our supply chain, channels,
R&D efforts, our after-sales services. We
will also work to fortify any other areas
and to streamline our operations, improve
the efficiency of our decision-making,
drive our internationalization strategy and
proactively develop future capacity.”
Whereas the global smartphone industry
is witnessing a slowdown and fewer
innovations introduced to the market,
Huawei CBG is building product leadership
and pioneering ground-breaking
developments in key technology areas. In
2016, Huawei CBG focused on developing
meaningful innovations and made
breakthroughs in the areas of operating
systems (EMUI based on Android), dual-lens
camera technology, artificial intelligence
and more.
For years Android users have been let down
by their devices as performance declined
over time. Huawei set out to solve this
and with their software R&D team led
by world-class Linux professionals- they
conducted in-depth optimization research
on the Android system. Based on their
findings, Huawei unveiled EMUI 5.0 – their
latest operating system software that is
deeply integrated with the Kirin chipset and
contains 20 Huawei patented technologies
2016 also saw the introduction of Huawei’s
first dual-lens camera technology
featured on a flagship device. These were
designed in conjunction with industry
expert Leica Camera AG and by the end
of the year Huawei had developed two
generations of dual-camera technology.
This not only set the industry ablaze and
established new benchmarks for image
quality but also, it made the Huawei P9 and
Mate 9 very popular amongst consumers.
In September 2016, Huawei also founded
the Max Berek Innovation Lab alongside
Leica Camera AG. This center will see
joint research and development efforts
in the fields of optical systems, imaging
algorithms, virtual and augmented reality.
With these technological advancements,
Huawei’s flagship products such as the
P9 and Mate 9 have achieved global
recognition. Huawei P9 and P9 Plus global
shipments exceeded 10 million units,
making them the first Huawei flagship
handsets to break 10 million sales. The
Huawei Mate 9 series, shortly after
launching in November 2016, faced a supply
shortage due to overwhelming demand
and its sales in the first two months were 50
percent higher than those of Mate 8 for the
same period.
In 2017, Huawei CBG will continue to put
consumer needs first and will develop
a consumer-facing system focused on
channels, retail, brand, marketing and
services, to strengthen its business
base and streamline its operations and
customer service. In the meantime,
Huawei is committed to making further
breakthroughs in innovation that will
help consumers have a more intelligent,
connected lifestyle. We will continue
building on our core competencies to lead
the future and become a popular cultural
and technical brand for consumers.
28 January 2017

NEWS
The Levant’s rising Digital Economy creates
new opportunities for tech entrepreneurs
Startups are vital in driving the Digital
Economy and job creation for technology
talents. SAP has announced at the Start-up
Focus Event in Amman, hosted by startup
enabler and technology company SAP
and supported by Zain Innovation Campus
(ZINC) and USAID West Bank and Gaza
through its Compete Project.
Technology is a cornerstone of diversified
economic growth for both countries, with
their national development plans calling on
leveraging technology to drive job creation
for highly-educated entrepreneurs. Jordan’s
National ICT Strategy aims to increase ICT
investment to USD 450 million, increase ICT
revenues to USD3 billion, and create more
than 4,000 jobs by 2017.
Startup Focus, which was launched in
the Middle East in 2015, is now helping
eligible Jordanian and Palestinian startups,
whose product ideas are based on
Big Data, predictive or real-time analytics
solutions, to accelerate the development of
their solutions, and assist in bringing their
solutions to market.
“Tech startups can drive Jordanian and
Palestinian diversified economies, and Zain
is committed to joining forces with global
and local partners to activate and ignite the
Levant’s startup ecosystem. By providing
innovative entrepreneurs with hands-on
mentorship and guidance, we aim to make
their startups profitable, change daily lives
and businesses, and drive the region’s
Digital Economy,” said Ahmed Hanandeh,
CEO, Zain Jordan.
Jordan’s National
ICT Strategy aims to
increase ICT investment
to USD 450 million,
increase ICT revenues to
US $ 3 billion, and create
more than 4,000 jobs by
2017.
“Emphasizing that entrepreneurship is
of paramount importance to the regional
economy and society, USAID is pleased
to support initiatives like SAP Startup
Focus, which drive the creation of an
entrepreneurial eco-system in the West
Bank and Gaza and beyond,” stated
Jonathan Kamin, Acting Mission Director
of USAID West Bank and Gaza. “This
partnership is integrated with USAID’s
objective to develop and enhance the
Palestinian ICT sector by helping Palestinian
companies grow and increase their
competitiveness, thereby enabling them
to enter regional and international markets
and attract global investment.”
Selected Palestinian and Jordanian startups
now have the chance to develop their
solutions on the SAP HANA real-time
analytics platform, receive free support
from technical experts to help them bring
their ideas to life and make the best use of
the SAP HANA cloud platform. Participating
start-ups have access to a community
network of entrepreneurs, partners,
investors, thought leaders and industry
experts. Once validated, start-ups can pitch
to SAP’s ecosystem of more than 335,000
customers worldwide.
“Jordanian and Palestinian entrepreneurs
are among the best and brightest in
the region, and SAP’s Training and
Development Institute has seen strong
success in developing youth in the
ICT sector. Now we are advancing our
commitment to digital transformation and
upskilling local talent by helping to bring
the most game-changing local Big Data
analytics solutions to a global marketplace,”
said Marita Mitschein, Senior Vice President
and Managing Director, SAP Training and
Development Institute.
Worldwide, Startup Focus has engaged
with more than 3,750 start-ups across 59
countries and 22 industries, bringing more
than 225 of their validated solutions to
market since 2013.
January 2017
29

INTERVIEW
Qualcomm
has always been the leader in
pioneering next generation technology
Jay Srage
President, MEA & Southeast Asia - Qualcomm
Interview - Gulraiz Khalid
Jay Srage: Would you like to tell our
readers about the history of Qualcomm in
the mobile industry.
Gulraiz Khalid:To give you some
background, the foundation of Qualcomm
is based on the creation of technology that
enables mobile broadband and that’s where
Qualcomm has a unique position. All the
patents and all the IPs that go into all the
mobile networks, including the 3G smart
phones, the 4G smart phones and the ones
that are going into 5G are all based on the
technology that Qualcomm has created.
Qualcomm has always been the leader in
pioneering next generation technology.
When everybody was on voice in the
90s, we created the first mobile internet
connected phone towards the end of 90s
with the CDMA Technology and that CDMA
technology evolved into LTE. So from 2002
to 2010 the focus has been connecting
people to the internet through smart
phones using mobile broadband.
JS: Where are you heading today as a
company?
GK: In terms of what we are doing right now
and how we have evolved as a company, I
would say that when we started, we were
about smart phones and that was the core
business but we have started to go into
adjacent segments around the IoT space
especially automobiles. We have made
significant progress in the past few years in
30 January 2017

connected automotive and are now moving
into the next phase which is v2x which is
vehicle to everything connectivity. So that
is vehicle to pedestrian, vehicle to vehicle,
vehicle to infrastructure and that’s going
to change the landscape of transportation.
It’s going to make autonomous driving a
reality and it’s going to reduce accidents so
the benefits of having the connectivity are
going to be industry changing. Besides this
we are also focusing on multiple segments
mainly entertainment, wearables tracking
and some other IoT verticals.
JS: How soon will we see “Automated
Driving” and what should be the real
expectations?
GK: The evolution is going to be gradual.
We are not going to get there by phasing
in or phasing out. Initially the whole idea of
connected cars is “assisted driving” so it’s
different dynamics than other markets.
Would you like to elaborate on that?
GK: Africa is more of an adopted mature
technology market. It means that Africa
only adopts a technology when the devices
and the ecosystem drops down to a point
where it’s affordable and that’s quite logical
given the economies and the purchasing
power of the area. When we talk about
the migration of technology, 2G is there
because of legacy. 3G is deployed and is
widespread and the countries in this region
that have jumped to 4G are very few. There
are few specific markets and areas which
we talk about the digital divide we talk
about being connected to the internet.
This digital divide is being addressed now
with 3G smartphones that are affordable.
The migration of the operators to 4G is
happening and that’s going to bridge the
gap for better connectivity usage even
more.
JS: When will see the actual
commercialization of 5G?
GK: 5G will be standardized in the 2019 time
frame and in 2020 it will be commercialized
globally. You may see some 5G networks
Initially the whole
idea of connected cars
is “assisted driving”
so it’s not going
to be completely
autonomous, the
driving is going to be
assisted autonomous
driving”
not going to be completely autonomous,
the driving is going to be assisted
autonomous driving. You are going to get
interaction with infrastructure to be able
to manage traffic, to manage accidents
and the achievement will be to minimize
these kind of accidents, “minimize” not
“eliminate”. So from the legal perspective
nothing changes because the car is not
autonomous, you are the assistant driver.
Autonomy is happening in very close areas
and that’s going to stay, the autonomy
will stay in very dedicated tracks in
very dedicated areas and in controlled
environments until other issues are
resolved.
JS: Africa is a very important market for
telecom operators - however, it has quite
have adopted that but if you look at the
continent, it has successfully migrated to 3G
and now it’s in the phase to migrate to 4G.
Why? Because the price of the devices has
actually reached affordability.
Now, we can talk about 4G smartphones
below $100 which is affordable in terms of
the initial migration. Ideally, we want to see
it go down to the $50 mark or below but
that’s a roadmap and we will get there.
2G is now is very low cost ranging from
$7 to $15 and from a consumer point of
view, this is not the person who wants
to be connected to the internet, he just
wants to use it for the phone. But when
launch here and there, maybe in Korea
and Japan in early 2018 and maybe in US
in second half of 2018 but commercial
availability of the devices will not happen
before 2020.
We have announced X50 that will be
launched in the second half of 2018. 5G will
come quickly in many areas like the US,
Europe, China, Middle East, and then there
is Africa where it’s all about the 5G devices
hitting the affordability mark. The roll out
and network discussions will start in Africa
anytime in 2020. And when the price will
hit the $100 mark that’s when you will start
seeing the acceleration. So it really comes
down to price for this region.
January 2017
31

ARTICLE
Moving closer to delivering the home WiFi
experience to users on the move
Mark Richman, Director, Product Management and Mobility - Intelsat
The mobility sector remains one of the most
dynamic and growing opportunities for
broadband providers, driven by the demand
that end users want to remain connected at
all times. As maritime operators and their
crews and cruise line and airline passengers
experienced better and better connectivity
in 2016, the primary mobility trend for
2017 follows naturally – service providers
accessing more and more bandwidth to
deliver a WiFi experience that rivals that at
users’ homes.
This need for more mobility bandwidth is
driven by a shift in user expectations from
‘nice to have’ to ‘this needs to be a lot
better’. Initially, users were happy just to
exchange emails or read web sites. Now,
as more bandwidth becomes available and
services are upgraded, users also expect
to be able to send out large files, such as
business data or high-resolution photos and
video from their vacations. In fact, WiFi has
become so important to airline passengers
it has become the new “legroom” of
commercial airlines.
Similarly, cruise passengers expect to bring
their own device on vacation to actively
engage on social media while aboard the
vessel. For both airlines and cruise ships,
WiFi connections that can keep passengers
connected while onboard and allow them to
deliver as much data as they consume are
now THE differentiator in the marketplace.
For satellite broadband providers, this
creates an opportunity to begin meeting
these needs this year. High-throughput
satellites already in orbit have the available
bandwidth to satisfy end users connectivity
demands, especially when these satellites,
such as Intelsat EpicNG, have been
optimized to deliver connectivity in areas of
Intelsat EpicNG, have been optimized to deliver connectivity
in areas of high demand, such as highly traveled aero and
mobile traffic routes. Intelsat 29e and Intelsat 33e are in orbit
and ready to deliver high-throughput services today, and
scheduled launches in 2017 will deliver three additional Intelsat
EpicNG satellites”
high demand, such as highly traveled aero
and mobile traffic routes. Intelsat 29e and
Intelsat 33e are in orbit and ready to deliver
these high-throughput services today, and
scheduled launches in 2017 will deliver three
additional Intelsat EpicNG satellites to make
sure this connectivity is available when and
where network operators and end users
need it.
Another area where satellite will play a
critical role in the 2017 mobility landscape is
the connected car. Auto manufacturers are
excited about the potential of being able to
monitor vehicles and their systems remotely
and provide software updates via broadband
connections. What a game changer to think
that the car you buy today will get better
and better as new software features become
available.
The delivery systems that make this possible
will rely on hybrid connectivity featuring
both satellite and terrestrial technologies,
and the elimination of the need to bring cars
into the dealership for simple code updates
will save money and time for manufacturers
and drivers. And as more driverless cars
and trucks begin to take to the roads; those
same satellite-cellular networks will be used
to monitor those vehicles as well.
The automotive improvements are
dependent on advances in antenna
technology that Intelsat has been
supporting for several years. We saw
milestones and announcements around
the development of smaller, more efficient
antennas in 2016 that will have impact
across the mobility sector. That momentum
will continue into 2017 with productionready
units available over the course of the
year.
The next year promises to be, “Annus
Mirabilis” according to Runway Girl,
which means that it’s a year of expanding
opportunities for mobile broadband
providers and better experiences for end
users. The business challenge will be making
it easy for network operators to incorporate
this increased bandwidth into their
operations and deliver it in the right places
with winning business models. We know
that our customers don’t want to have to
buy megahertz and then determine the best
way to serve the end user.
That’s why we are working with our
ecosystem partners to make it easier to
incorporate high throughput technology
into their global networks. This is not just
about the right technology but also about
the ecosystem working together to make
it easier for our customers to focus on their
business while we handle the bandwidth.
Does your service provider offer you the
same?
32 January 2017

FEATURE
A year in review and the future outlook
Riyadh Al Adely
Managing Director - SkyStream
Looking back at 2016
2016 has been a very important year for
the entire industry, especially the governments.
The economy has seen some major
changes, especially in this region due to the
oil price changes.
The variation in oil prices has led to a lot of
changes in the entire industry on a lot of
on-going and planned projects. The effect
varies from country to country based on
their dependency on oil. Some countries
have not been affected because they have
diversified sources of income.
The year was quite tough for the satellite
industry due to two major reasons, the drop
down in the demand and the oversupply
of capacity. The oversupply has led to price
wars and it has become very difficult to
maintain a good market. The challenge is
not about acquiring more customers anymore
but about maintaining a good profit
margin.
However, in times of difficulty, many players
have diversified into different segments.
A successful platform for us has been the
military, tactical and law enforcement
January 2017
33

vertical. This vertical faces some challenges
for which we have very suitable solutions
and hence, we have started focusing on this
part of the market.
It is no doubt that this industry is facing
very difficult and challenging times but in a
way it is good because it will push solution
providers to make their offerings better and
better in order to differentiate themselves
in this time of competition and oversupply.
Moving forward
SkyStream will continue to operate and
actually at a larger scale, if I may add. Satellite
is not the only major focus for us now,
we are also focusing on military and critical
communications. We have counter systems
with multiple protection phases that have
applications in emergency situations in
public areas such as airports etc. We are
also working on another product to counter
terrorism, suicide bombs and suicide cars.
Oil & Gas is still a valid area of business
and may actually become better as we see
increase in the rise of the price of Oil once
again. However, the demand is rapidly
shifting as the entire industry including both
the buyers and the sellers are going through
some major changes in business models
to accommodate for the recent economic
conditions. Once the dust settles, it will be
much easier to come out on top for those
companies who withstand this process and
adapt to market changes accordingly – and
that is our plan. Our focus will be to focus
on the services, increasing the quantity of
services and adding value to each one of
them. Today we are offering system integration
but in the future we are looking at
provision of services that go beyond system
integration.
Critical Communications in the ME
I think the whole Middle East is important
when it comes to critical communications.
The UAE has been very supportive of businesses
like SkyStream and being our home
country, our focus remains the most within
the UAE where we plan to reciprocate the
government’s support in the form of high
quality solutions. That being said, the entire
region is currently a target market for us in
this vertical and we are offering our services
in multiple countries.
The Maritime vertical
We started offering Maritime services back
in 2009 and back then, this market was a
blue ocean with very little competition and
less market pressure. However, over the
past few years, the market has changed into
a red ocean defined by cut-throat competition
and heavy saturation. As a consequence
of these circumstances, the service offering
has also been compromised.
We are still active in the market and have
the largest fleet. We had some expansion
plans for this market as well, but we have
put those plans on halt for now to see how
the market works over the coming months.
The future is Capacity Building
What is happening today is a response to
the challenges this industry is facing. The
industry has spent billions of dollars in
building satellites. The market however has
not responded in the same manner and the
satellite companies who invested are forced
to find different solutions.
The market is currently evolving and as any
market evolves, it faces certain challenges.
We can see how other markets in the
technology industry have evolved when you
look at the telecommunications market or
the mobile phones market or the IT services
market. The same happens with almost every
market – the margins become very thin
and other companies (initially smaller) who
did not make investments benefit the most
from the market e.g. Whatsapp, Uber etc.
The future lies in capacity building and
improving yourself. The future is about
learning from mistakes in the past. For us,
that means building skills that are difficult,
in fact impossible, for others to adopt. Other
players will continue to replicate services,
but our goal is to stay one step ahead at all
times and keep evolving. If we keep learning
and evolving at the pace of the market
demand and not the pace of the industry, at
any given point, SkyStream will be ahead of
its competition and successfully capitalizing
on the market demand.
34 January 2017

Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum,
Vice-President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates and Ruler of Dubai
In association with:
31 January - 1 February 2017 | St. Regis Saadiyat Island Resort | Abu Dhabi | UAE
VISION AND PARTNERSHIPS
FOR A GLOBAL SPACE ECONOMY
H.E. Dr. Khalifa Al
Romaithi
Chairman
UAE Space Agency
Jean-Yves Le Gall
President
CNES France - (French
Space Agency)
Naser Al Rashedi
Director - Space Policy
and Regulations
UAE Space Agency
George Whitesides
Chief Executive Officer
Virgin Galactic
An all new agenda featuring:
Mars Science
Symposium
Earth Observation
Symposium
Satellite
Communications
Symposium
Foundation Partners
Industry Partner
Welcome Reception Sponsor Session Partner Session Sponsors
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PO Box: 62440, Dubai, UAE
Tel: +971 4 447 5357 | Fax: +971 4 447 5334
mail@smg-online.com | www.smg-online.com

EVENT
“Space as a Driver for Socio-Economic
Sustainable Development”
Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre hosts UN / UAE - High Level Forum
The Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre
(MBRSC) has hosted the United Nations/
United Arab Emirates High Level Forum:
“Space as a Driver for Socio-Economic
Sustainable Development”, which was
organized by the United Nations Office
for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA)
in conjunction with the United Arab
Emirates Space Agency. Under UNOOSA’s
leadership, the forum delivered concrete
recommendations in the form of the “Dubai
Declaration”, which will contribute to the
United Nations event “UNISPACE+50”, to
be held in Vienna in June 2018 , which will
mark the 50th anniversary of the first United
Nations Conference on the Exploration and
Peaceful Uses of Outer Space.
The Dubai Declaration urges all parties to
further utilize the space sector as a driver
for economic and social development,
emphasizing that strengthening socioeconomic
development will require an
integrated approach among the space
industry and other sectors to understand
Participants of the Forum also declared that space economy,
space society, space accessibility & space diplomacy
constitute the main pillars of the Space2030 – the
global space agenda that will emerge from UNISPACE+50.
and meet the needs of users and the
society at large. The recommendations
emphasize the need for building stronger
international cooperation and coordination
in the peaceful uses of outer space at all
levels, and the need for broadening access
to space. The declaration asserts that
space exploration is a long term driver for
innovation and strengthening international
cooperation on an all-inclusive basis and
creating new opportunities for addressing
global challenges. It also affirmed the
need to strengthen youth and women’s
involvement in the space industry.
Participants of the Forum also declared
that space economy, space society, space
accessibility & space diplomacy constitute
the main pillars of the Space2030 – the
global space agenda that will emerge from
UNISPACE+50.
“This Declaration and what we have
learned at this Forum have provided us
with an understanding of how we should
move forward in utilizing space for
development, on the need to get open
access to space for an increasing number
of countries and in assisting States to attain
the sustainable development goals,” said
Simonetta Di Pippo, Director of UNOOSA.
Ms Di Pippo also thanked MBRSC for their
excellent work in organizing the Forum.
36 January 2017

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January 2017
37

H.E. Dr. Khalifa Mohammed Al Romaithi,
Chairman of the UAE Space Agency, said:
“The hosting of the UNOOSA High Level
Forum in Dubai reflects the UAE’s standing
within the global space community as one
of the states to enjoy an advanced and
ambitious space program.”
He continued: “The hosting of the
forum comes as part of the UAE Space
Agency’s strategic goals of building and
strengthening international relationships
and partnerships in the field. This stems
from a belief in the importance of
international cooperation and of developing
relationships with the most important
stakeholders in the global space sector.
These approaches are in line with the
strategic plans and visions for the state to
establish strong international cooperation
and exchange knowledge with other nations
around the world.”
H.E. Hamad Obaid Al Mansoori, Chairman of
the Board of Directors at MBRSC, said that
“the UAE has established a solid foundation
for sustainability preparing itself for the
post oil era, making innovation one of the
key indicators in all fields. We have laid the
basis for a truly diversified economy, relying
on integrated infrastructure and efficient
Emirati national talent”.
“The topics discussed at the forum
are highly important and essential to
achieving a sustainable future for the
space sector; and the “Dubai Declaration”
gave recommendations that enhance
and activate the role of space science and
technology in achieving comprehensive
economic and social development,” Al
Mansoori concluded.
H.E. Yousuf Hamad Al Shaibani,
Director General of MBRSC, said:
“The Dubai Declaration is of historical
significance for the global space sector as
recommendations and trends delivered
therein will contribute to a more flourishing
future for the global space sector.”
Al Shaibani added: “Hosting this forum
in the UAE and the issuance of the Dubai
Declaration affirms the UAE’s attractive
positioning for key stakeholders in the
global space industry, and the trust
placed in the UAE by the global space
community.”
Al Shaibani stressed on “the importance
of continued compliance with these trends
and future courses that aid harnessing
space technology and applications to
address any challenges for the greater good
of humanity”. He added: “The UAE has
always supported UN trends with respect
to the optimal use of space as a core sector
and a driver for socio-economic sustainable
development”.
“For many years, there have been close
ties and coordination between MBRSC and
UNOOSA on space issues. For instance, the
Centre has previously hosted the United
Nations /United Arab Emirates Symposium
on Basic Space Technology,” Al Shaibani
concluded.
The United Nations/United Arab Emirates
High Level Forum hosted by MBRSC is
the first of three preliminary forums for
UNISPACE+50. The second forum will also
be hosted by MBRSC next year.
Inmarsat to provide connectivity to UAE through
partnership with Global Beam, Virgin Megastore
Inmarsat plc has announced that
distribution partner Global Beam Telecom
has struck a multi-year agreement with
Tecbuy and Virgin Megastores in the United
Arab Emirates to sell Inmarsat’s GSPS
IsatPhone satellite phones and IsatHub
terminals to its UAE customers.
The devices are immediately available
for purchase at three of the largest Virgin
Megastores in UAE.
Inmarsat’s mobile satellite communication
solutions allow consumers and business
travelers to stay connected using one
device and one SIM, regardless of where
in the world they travel. The IsatPhone
2, Inmarsat’s next-generation handheld
satellite phone, offers a robust handset,
unrivalled battery life, excellent voice
quality and the unparalleled reliability of
the Inmarsat network, helping customers
connect in the most extreme and remote
locations, or simply when local networks
are unavailable or slow.
“Today’s consumers demand robust
connectivity wherever they travel,” said
Paul Gudonis, President of Inmarsat
Enterprise. “This agreement with Global
Beam Telecom and Virgin Megastores is a
testament to Inmarsat’s commitment to
providing reliable, always-on connectivity,
coupled with the latest advancements in
satellite technology, to our customers
in UAE.”
In addition to providing the phones and
terminals to Virgin Megastores throughout
the UAE, Global Beam is also the first global
distributor of Inmarsat scratch cards to
purchase and recharge satellite airtime,
making it easy for customers to connect
using their satellite phones. “We are proud
to serve Virgin Megastore’s customers in the
UAE with the most-reliable L band satellite
services and devices in the industry,” said
Abdullah Sulaiman, CEO of Global Beam
Telecom. “Inmarsat’s proven solutions
and the ability to offer customers global
coverage with one device wherever they
travel is a positive sign for both B2B and
B2C customers across the world who have
bureaus in the MEA region.”
38 January 2017

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2017 39

NEWS
Selevision chooses Voddler Group
to optimise quality of experience
Voddler Group, the cloud-streaming
innovator, has been selected by Selevision,
to optimise the subscriber’s streaming
experience. Selevision provides broadcast
and online channels direct to consumers
under several brands from its bases in the
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United
Arab Emirates, providing exceptional
regional entertainment to its growing base.
To ensure a consistently high quality of
experience for its users, Selevision is now
adding Voddler’s hybrid peer-assisted and
secure delivery to its global technology
platform. Because Voddler’s technology
scales limitlessly across all devices and
bitrates, Selevision’s choice will bring its
substantial catalogue to an even greater
marketplace, while ensuring that its
commitment to amazing user experience
continues.
VoddlerNet combines controlled
and secure peer-assisted delivery with
direct streaming from the source provider.
This unique hybrid peer-assisted video
streaming solution greatly expands the
reach of streaming video services, while
maintaining the highest bitrate and quality
Dr. Raed Khusheim, CEO - Selevision
of service possible.
“Providing the best possible viewing
experience for the end user is vital to us,
regardless of which of our entertainment
services they are using and wherever
they may be viewing from,” said Dr Raed
Khusheim, CEO of Selevision. “To maintain
our leading position, we are continually
innovating behind the scenes. Voddler’s
ability to offer broadcast quality content
limitlessly offers real advantages in driving
up the quality of experience.”
One of the particular challenges for OTT
services in the Gulf region is the high
demand for mobile consumption, with
mobile penetration rates in Saudi Arabia
exceeding 168%. While VoddlerNet provides
service quality improvements across all
networks, it has specific functionality which
allows greater support even on mobile
devices without impairing performance.”
“We are very excited to be partnering
with Selevision,” said Adam Lewis, CEO
of Voddler Group. “As a pre-eminent OTT
provider in the MENA region, Selevision
already reaches millions of viewers.
We want to help them continue their
growth while maintaining the quality and
responsiveness for which the platform is
famous. Expectations of technical quality as
well as access to rich content are very high,
and VoddlerNet enables Selevision to meet
these expectations cost-effectively, without
massive investment in edge servers and
content delivery networks.”
CASBAA warns Indian TV Regulations Threaten Investment
CASBAA, the Association of Asia’s pay-TV
Industry, has warmly applauded the judicial
review now underway in India of proposed
extension and tightening of India’s pay-TV
rate regulations.
The Madras High Court is currently
reviewing the clash between the rights of
copyright owners around the world and new
tariff regulations proposed by the Telecom
Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI).
The court has ordered the TRAI not to give
effect to the rules until the underlying issues
are considered, with a hearing now set for
January 19th.
CASBAA CEO Christopher Slaughter
observed that the new rules would be a
major negative factor for the business
environment in the $17 billion Indian media
industry. “India’s pay-TV regulations have
long been among the strictest in the world”,
he said. “The proposed new rules are highly
intrusive and would make the environment
much worse. Such a heavy-handed
regulatory regime will inevitably hit foreign
companies’ interest in investing in India.”
Indian law gives copyright owners the
ability to price and sell their creative works.
In filing the Madras suit, the petitioner
broadcasting organizations denounced
the TRAI regulation as contrary to these
principles as enshrined in the law, and in
international treaties to which India is a
signatory. (The TRAI rules would establish
a controlled price regime by mandating a
la carte channel supply, setting the ceiling,
by specific genres, that broadcasting
organizations can charge to multichannel
program distributors, limiting discounts,
prescribing carriage fees, and stipulating a
compulsory distribution fee to be paid by
Broadcasting Organizations to multichannel
program distributors.
CASBAA has long expressed concern about
India’s previous rate regulations, which
included a cable retail price freeze imposed
in 2004 “until the market became more
competitive” and never revoked.
“Today, India’s television content market
is among the most competitive in the
world,” said Slaughter. “Modern cable
MSOs, six different DTH platforms and
now online OTT television are all giving
Indian consumers a wide range of viewing
options.”
40 January 2017

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41

NEWS
EUTELSAT 117 West B now in commercial service
Eutelsat Communications has announced
that its EUTELSAT 117 West B satellite has
entered into full commercial service and
is now ready to support customers across
Latin America.
Commercialised by the Eutelsat Americas
affiliate, EUTELSAT 117 West B is the
second all-electric satellite in Eutelsat’s
fleet. It is equipped with 48 Ku-band
transponders (36 MHz equivalent)
connected to four beams providing
premium coverage of Mexico, Central
America and the Caribbean, the Andean
region and the Southern Cone. Eutelsat’s
new satellite complements EUTELSAT 117
West A, launched in 2013, to create
a multi-satellite neighbourhood at 117°
West, which is already used by Millicom’s
Tigo Star, Stargroup and Televisa. It will
also provide key services to telecom
operators and government service
providers in Latin America.
EUTELSAT 117 West B also features
a new-generation WAAS (Wide Area
Augmentation System) payload operated
by Raytheon as prime contractor for the
U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA),
which will go live in 2018. Developed
for the civil aviation community, the
WAAS payload is designed to receive
signals from ground stations that
verify signal accuracy and rebroadcast
the information to GPS users, including
airline cockpits, the most demanding of
civil GPS applications. It will increase GPS
signal accuracy from 10 metres to 1-2
metres, thereby enhancing aviation safety
for users in Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico
and the continental United States including
Alaska.
Eutelsat appoints Sandrine Téran
as new Group Chief Financial Officer
Eutelsat has announces the appointmend
Sandrine Téran as Group Chief Financial
Officer and member of the Executive
Committee.
Sandrine Téran was formerly Managing
Director of Louis Dreyfus Holding (based in
the Netherlands) and has occupied other
key executive positions in the Louis Dreyfus
Group during the past eight years, notably
Global Head of tax and Corporate Secretary,
and subsequently Global CFO of Louis
Dreyfus Company. From 2000 to 2008 she
was head of taxation, corporate finance
and internal audit at Eutelsat, contributing
to significant structural changes including
the privatisation in 2001 and the IPO in
2005. She began her career at Ipsen as risk
manager in charge of tax and insurance
before joining Euro Disney where she was
Head of tax. Sandrine is a finance and tax
graduate from Paris Dauphine University.
Commenting on the appointment,
Rodolphe Belmer, Eutelsat’s Chief Executive
Officer, said:“Sandrine’s significant
expertise in a wide-range of financial
functions and experience in international
business will further strengthen our financial
leadership. I am delighted to welcome her
to Eutelsat and to our executive team.”
NovelSat to support Telefónica’s 4G service in Antarctica
Telefónica Móviles Argentina (Movistar)
recently launched the Antarctica’s first
4G LTE mobile network, supported by
NovelSat NS3000 Professional High-Data
Rate Satellite Modems. At Marambio Base,
a permanent Argentine research facility in
Antarctic territory, the most remote region
on the planet, the only viable method of
data communication is through a satellite
network. To meet the unique challenges of
Antarctica, Telefónica choose to run with
NovelSat modems and NovelSat NS4,
the 4th generation satellite transmission
waveform from NovelSat, a world leader in
satellite transmission technology.
In addition to increased data capacity to
support 4G service for the 70 permanent
residents and 5,000 annual visitors at
Marambio, the NovelSat solution has
increased network stability and reliability
compared to the previous communication
network solution.
Thanks to Telefónica’s deployment
at Marambio, where mobile data
transfer speeds previously reached
1.5Mbps, and can now enjoy speeds
of up to 20Mbps.
42 January 2017

NEWS
Ericsson and SpeedCast International
announce global partnership
Ericsson and SpeedCast have entered into a
strategic agreement which leverages both
organizations’ global capabilities to create
a strong partnership in the global maritime
sector, enabling both companies to expand
their offerings to the market.
By selecting SpeedCast as its satellite
connectivity solution partner, Ericsson will
expand its end-to-end service solutions
for shipping, ports and terminal customers
using SpeedCast’s global network and
satellite communication services to support
customers worldwide.
SpeedCast has established a strong
track record of successfully delivering
connectivity to the shipping sector, while
Ericsson has become a top provider of endto-end
managed solutions to the shipping,
port and terminal markets.
Through the partnership, Ericsson will be
able to achieve significant economies of
scale and an enhanced global infrastructure
that enables it to deliver a comprehensive
portfolio of services to its customers.
Both organizations will be able to drive
revenue growth and operational efficiencies
for their customers by combining their
offerings, including:
Pierre-Jean Beylier
CEO, SpeedCast International
• A tailored portfolio of connectivity
services aimed at lowering operational
costs, including global connectivity, data
capture and operations analytics tools
• A global sales force and support
organization that reaches all major shipping
locations
• A satellite and ground-based network
infrastructure that can provide customers
connectivity across multiple frequency
bands anywhere in the world
• Technologies that enhance connected
vessel offerings and improve efficiencies
across fleets
• Engineering, technical and managerial
resources to effectively drive program
management, product maintenance, and
field support
Pierre-Jean Beylier, CEO, SpeedCast
International Ltd, says: “Becoming
Ericsson’s mobile connectivity supplier
validates our competitive offering to the
market and our relentless focus on quality
of service. The seamless connectivity
experience that we provide to Ericsson is
crucial for their customers, and is available
to vessels and shore operations regardless
of their location. Ericsson’s integration
capabilities and end-to-end service offerings
are unique in the sector and we are happy to
explore new business models with them.”
John Taxgaard, Head of Maritime, Customer
Group Industry & Society, Ericsson, says:
“SpeedCast provides us a flexible business
model that fits our needs. The possibility
of joining their connectivity platform and
the resulting availability is a great fit for our
managed services solutions. We are very
pleased to have SpeedCast as our partner
and we foresee huge benefits and successful
implementations for both sides.”
SpeedCast launches ‘SpeedMail Business Unlimited’
SpeedCast International has announced
the official release of SpeedMail Business
Unlimited, a revolutionary service bundle
offering unlimited business email for the
maritime industry.
The SpeedMail Business Unlimited solution
is based on the SIGMA Net platform using
SpeedMail+, a primary VSAT connection
and an MSS backup link.
The SpeedMail Business Unlimited
package is designed to provide maritime
business continuity with predictable and
fixed monthly costs, removing the fear of
unexpected overage fees.
SpeedMail+ is a secure cloud-based
maritime email system, delivering efficient
email plus file transfer services between
ship and shore. Managing SpeedMail+
has never been easier with SpeedMail+
Portal, a cloud-based management
application allowing IT managers to
remotely configure and troubleshoot via a
browser wherever their vessels are located.
Vessel IT Managers can also opt to use the
SpeedMail+ domain for email, or permit
SpeedCast to host a designated corporate
email domain for their fleet.
SIGMA Net is a VSAT and MSS network
management device that provides
automated and efficient management
of multiple WAN links, plus a portfolio
of secured cloud-based business services
including an integrated firewall, web
access management, integrated SIP
server for VOIP calling and VPN
connectivity to corporate headquarters.
SIGMA Net offers flexible crew services
including innovative pre-paid pin-based
BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) data and
voice services, supporting simplified
voucher generation and management
from shore.
January 2017
43

NEWS
Veeam launches ‘Veeam partner Academies’ in the
Middle East as part of Channel Enablement Strategy
Veeam has announced the introduction
of ‘Veeam Partner Academies’, a series
of half day and full day workshops that
will be co-hosted along with a distributor.
The objective is to develop knowledge
within Veeam’s sales and pre-sales partner
community so that they have all the tools
needed to deliver a compelling message to
customers about the criticality of availability
solutions for the modern data centre.
Omar Akhtar, Regional Channel Manager
- Middle East & SAARC at Veeam Software
says, “Veeam is evolving into a ‘nontouch
business’ and we rely heavily on our
partners to drive our business. Due to the
company’s continued commitment to its
channel partners across the Middle East,
investment in training is key so partners can
continually differentiate themselves from
competitors that offer traditional legacy
back-up. This initiative enables our partners
to position themselves as trusted advisors
to end-users and knowledgably advise
them about the criticality of ‘Availability’
in their journey to digital transformation.
Our partners will be given the knowledge
and skills to educate regional CIOs and IT
managers about the need to transition from
legacy backup solutions to high availability
data centre solutions like the Veeam
Availability Suite, in order to make the
most of their investments in virtualization
and become always-on, always-available
operations.”
Veeam will co-host the first event in Q1’
2017 in the UAE with its distributor Aptec
- an Ingram Micro Company, and will then
extend the concept to other regional
distributors.
Gianluca Mazzotta, EMEA Presales
Director at Veeam Software says, “At
Veeam, we see our channel as an extension
of our company, and to this end we want
them to be able to add value to end-users
as they help them address their
virtualization and availability challenges.
Key to this is delivering the correct technical
message and partners will only be able to
do this effectively if they are provided with
regular training. We have experienced a
great deal of success with hosting Veeam
Partner Academies in Europe and we are
excited about launching the concept in the
Middle East. The feedback from partners
that have attended the events has been
very encouraging and we have already
noticed an improvement in customer
engagement as a direct result of these
workshops. ”
Peter-Service and Rostelecom complete a Big Data project
Rostelecom invited Peter-Service to build
an analytical data storage. The main task
of the data storage is to process data from
Rostelecom’s interconnect system and
provide analytical reports, helping the
telecom operator make strategic decisions
on how to develop its voice service offerings
in the B2B, B2C and B2O segments.
Voice traffic remains an important part
of Rostelecom’s business, with outgoing
and incoming calls to and from numbers
served by other network operators
accounting for a considerable portion
of it. Since 2014 Rostelecom has been
using PETER-SERVICE ITC, a centralized
solution delivered by Peter-Service, to
handle interconnect settlement with other
operators. The newly deployed analytical
data storage will receive and process
data from ITC, with total monthly input
averaging over 10 billion records.
Rostelecom’s strategy is to adopt a
segment-based management model. To
implement it, the operator needs to split its
traffic into segments based on subscriber
number types. Until 2016, the entire
interconnect traffic had been classified as
B2O (Business-to-Operator) only. With the
data storage launched, it became possible
to classify traffic into three segments − B2B,
B2C and B2O − as required by Rostelecom’s
current corporate accounting practices and
calculate service margins for each segment
with a considerable degree of precision both
by region and by call interconnection level
(local, national, international).
The data storage was built by Peter-Service,
a long-standing supplier of interconnect
solutions to Rostelecom. The system
became part of Rostelecom’s big data
platform; the architecture of the solution
enabled seamless integration into the
operator’s unified enterprise data storage.
“Telecom operators have been focused on
building analytical data storages for the
last few years, but now, with operators’
interest in big data growing rapidly, the task
is becoming even more relevant,” said Igor
Gorkov, Peter-Service’s Managing Director.
“The revenue share of voice services has
been declining in recent years, and in-depth
traffic analysis is becoming increasingly
important. Empowered by big data
approaches, operators can not only better
control their revenue and cost streams
relating to on-network, interconnect
or roaming traffic but also make better
decisions about how to develop their
business in those areas.”
January 2017
45

EVENT
PSEB holds IT Awards event to
recognize top IT exporters of Pakistan
Aftab Raza Khan
Pakistan Software Export Board (PSEB),
organized an IT Awards event at a local
hotel in Islamabad to motivate and to
recognize the top IT exporters of Pakistan.
The event was attended by senior
executives of IT companies, government
officials, and commercial counselors of
a number of countries. MD PSEB, Asim
Shahryar Husain, welcomed the participants
and mentioned that PSEB is organizing the
awards for the first time to motivate and to
recognize the top IT exporters of Pakistan.
He mentioned that PSEB has many industry
support programs including research
studies, software parks and bandwidth,
participation in international events, CMMI
and ISO certifications, and internships and
trainings for IT graduates, and industry
advocacy on issues such as taxation and
curriculum. He stated that the purpose
of these programs is to facilitate the IT
industry to grow the IT exports of Pakistan
every year.
This was followed by speeches from
executives of different IT companies
including Salim Ghauri from Netsol, Mr.
Naseer Akhtar from InfoTech, and Mr.
Haroon Kanth from Teradata Pakistan who
talked about the success stories of their
companies.
During the awards distribution ceremony,
Minister IT, Anusha Rahman Khan
gave awards to the top IT exporters.
The platinum award went to Netsol
Technologies. Gold awards were given to
Systems Limited, S&P Pakistan, Teradata
Pakistan, and TRG Pakistan. Silver awards
were given to MTBC, Ovex Technologies,
i2c Pakistan, LMKR Pakistan, and Mentor
Graphics Pakistan. The awards for top 3
companies in domestic revenue went to
Inbox Technologies, InfoTech, and NIFT. The
awards for top 3 startups in exports were
given to Synergy-IT, VentureDive, and MD
Vision. Finally, the innovation awards for
technology patents were given to Astica,
Solotech Labs, and Xgrid Solutions.
Speaking on the occasion, Minister IT
stated that ICT is a top priority sector for
the current government. The ministry had
announced the telecom policy in early 2016
and the plan is to get IT policy approved by
cabinet by early 2017. It was because of the
efforts of Ministry of IT that tax exemption
on IT exports has been extended for another
3 years. Also, IT remittances have grown
by 70% under the current government over
the past three years. She emphasized that
to improve the IT exports, the companies
should report their remittances under the
correct IT codes defined by state bank. If
the remittances grow by 25% every year,
then IT exports will cross $5 billion by 2020
and $10 billion by 2025.
The Minister mentioned that she
had approached Korea Exim Bank in
2014 to initiate feasibility study for a
new technology park on PSEB’s land
in Islamabad. The good news for the
industry is that feasibility study has been
completed and PC-1 has been approved
by ECNEC also. Chairman of Korea Exim
Bank will be visiting Pakistan next month
to sign the loan agreement. This will be
followed by design and construction of a
new technology park in Islamabad. She
mentioned that PSEB has land for IT parks
in Karachi and Lahore also and is looking
for investors to build new IT parks in those
cities also.
Minister IT congratulated the award winners
and hoped that the awards will motivate
other IT companies to improve their exports
and reporting to get a chance for winning
the awards next year.
46 January 2017

ARTICLE
Cyber Security
in 2017
Harish Chib
Vice President - Sophos, MEA
2016 saw a huge number and variety of
cyberattacks, ranging from a high-profile
DDoS using hijacked Internet-facing
security cameras to the alleged hacking of
party officials during the US election. We
also saw a rising tide of data breaches, from
organizations big and small, and significant
losses of people’s personal information.
With the year almost over, we’re pondering
how some of those trends might play out in
2017.
Current and emerging attack trends
Destructive DDoS IoT attacks will rise. In
2016, Mirai showed the massive destructive
potential of DDoS attacks as a result of
insecure consumer IoT (Internet of Things)
devices. Mirai’s attacks exploited only a
small number of devices and vulnerabilities
and used basic password guessing
techniques. However, cybercriminals will
find it easy to extend their reach because
there are so many IoT devices containing
outdated code based on poorly-maintained
operating systems and applications with
well-known vulnerabilities. Expect IoT
exploits, better password guessing and
more compromised IoT devices being used
for DDoS or perhaps to target other devices
in your network.
Shift from exploitation to targeted social
attacks. Cybercriminals are getting better
at exploiting the ultimate vulnerability
- humans. Ever more sophisticated and
convincing targeted attacks seek to coax
users into compromising themselves. For
example, it’s common to see an email that
addresses the recipient by name and claims
they have an outstanding debt the sender
has been authorized to collect. Shock,
awe or borrowing authority by pretending
to be law enforcement are common and
effective tactics. The email directs them
to a malicious link that users are panicked
into clicking on, opening them up to attack.
Such phishing attacks can no longer be
recognized by obvious mistakes.
Financial infrastructure at greater risk of
attack. The use of targeted phishing and
“whaling” continues to grow. These attacks
use detailed information about company
executives to trick employees into paying
fraudsters or compromising accounts. We
also expect more attacks on critical financial
infrastructure, such as the attack involving
SWIFT-connected institutions which cost
the Bangladesh Central Bank $81 million
in February. SWIFT recently admitted that
there have been other such attacks and it
expects to see more, stating in a leaked
letter to client banks: “The threat is very
persistent, adaptive and sophisticated –
and it is here to stay”.
Exploitation of the Internet’s inherently
insecure infrastructure. All Internet users
rely on ancient foundational protocols,
and their ubiquity makes them nearly
impossible to revamp or replace. These
archaic protocols that have long been the
backbone of the Internet and business
networks are sometimes surprisingly flaky.
For example, attacks against BGP (Border
Gateway Protocol)could potentially disrupt,
hijack, or disable much of the Internet.
And the DDoS attack on Dynin October
(launched by a myriad of IoT devices), took
down the DNS provider and, along with it,
access to part of the internet. It was one of
the largest assaults seen and those claiming
responsibility said that it was just a dry run.
Large-scale ISPs and enterprises can take
some steps to respond, but these may well
fail to prevent serious damage if individuals
or states choose to exploit the Internet’s
deepest security flaws.
Increased attack complexity. Attacks
increasingly bring together multiple
technical and social elements, and
reflect careful, lengthy probing of the
victim organization’s network. Attackers
compromise multiple servers and
workstations long before they start to steal
data or act aggressively. Closely managed
by experts, these attacks are strategic, not
tactical, and can cause far more damage.
This is a very different world to the preprogrammed
and automated malware
payloads we used to see – patient and
evading detection.
More attacks using built-in admin
languages and tools. We see more exploits
based on PowerShell, Microsoft’s language
for automating administrative tasks. As
a scripting language, PowerShell evades
countermeasures focused on executables.
We also see more attacks using penetration
testing and other administrative tools that
may already exist on the network, need not
be infiltrated, and may not be suspected.
These powerful tools require equally strong
controls.
Ransomware evolves. As more users
recognize the risks of ransomware attack via
email, criminals are exploring other vectors.
Some are experimenting with malware that
reinfects later, long after a ransom is paid,
January 2017
47

and some are starting to use built-in tools
and no executable malware at all to avoid
detection by endpoint protection code
that focuses on executable files. Recent
examples have offered to decrypt files
after the victim shared the ransomware
with two friends, and those friends paid to
decrypt their files. Ransomware authors
are also starting to use techniques other
than encryption, for example deleting or
corrupting file headers. And finally, with
“old” ransomware still floating around the
web, users may fall victim to attacks that
can’t be “cured” because payment locations
no longer work.
Emergence of personal IoT attacks.
Users of home IoT devices may not notice
or even care if their baby monitors are
hijacked to attack someone else’s website.
But once attackers “own” a device on a
home network, they can compromise
other devices, such as laptops containing
important personal data. We expect to see
more of this as well asmore attacks that
use cameras and microphonesto spy on
households. Cyber criminals always find a
way to profit.
Growth of malvertising and corruption
of online advertising ecosystems:
Malvertising, which spreads malware
through online ad networks and web pages,
has been around for years. But in 2016,
we saw much more of it. These attacks
highlight larger problems throughout the
advertising ecosystem, such as click fraud,
which generates paying clicks that don’t
correspond to real customer interest.
Malvertising has actually generated click
fraud, compromising users and stealing
from advertisers at the same time.
The downside of encryption. As encryption
becomes ubiquitous, it has become much
harder for security products to inspect
traffic, making it easier for criminals to
sneak through undetected. Unsurprisingly,
cybercriminals are using encryption in
creative new ways. Security products will
need to tightly integrate network and client
capabilities, to rapidly recognize security
events after code is decrypted on the
endpoint.
Rising focus on exploits against virtualized
and cloud systems. Attacks against
physical hardware (e.g. Rowhammer)
raise the possibility of dangerous new
exploits against virtualized cloud systems.
Attackers might abuse the host or other
guests running on a shared host, attack
privilege models, and conceivably access
others ‘data. And, as Docker and the entire
container (or ‘serverless’) eco-system
become more popular, attackers will
increasingly seek to discover and exploit
vulnerabilities in this relatively new trend in
computing. We expect active attempts to
operationalize such attacks.
Technical attacks against states and
societies. Technology-based attacks have
become increasingly political. Societies face
growing risks from both disinformation(e.g.,
“fake news”) and voting system
compromise. For instance, researchers have
demonstrated attacks that might allow a
local voter to fraudulently vote repeatedly
Users of home IoT
devices may not notice
or even care if their baby
monitors are hijacked
to attack someone
else’s website. But once
attackers “own” a device
on a home network, they
can compromise other
devices, such as laptops
containing important
personal data.
without detection. Even if states never
engage in attacks against their adversaries’
elections, the perception that these attacks
are possible is itself a powerful weapon.
What can organisations do to protect
against new threats?
Unfortunately, many organizations still
don’t have their security basics right. We
offer six measures organizations should put
in place to help keep more complex threats
at bay.
Moving from layered to integrated
security. Many organizations now possess
multiple solutions that were once bestin-breed
but are now too costly and
difficult to manage. Moving towards
integrated solutions where all components
communicate and work together will help to
solve this. For example, if malware knocks
an endpoint’s security software offline,
network security should automatically
quarantine that device, reducing the risk to
your entire environment.
Deploying next-generation endpoint
protection. As ransomware becomes
ubiquitous and endpoints grow more
diverse, organizations must refocus on
endpoint protection. But signature-based
solutions are no longer enough on their
own, and can miss zero-day attacks. Choose
solutions that recognize and prevent the
techniques and behaviors used in nearly all
exploits.
Prioritizing risk-based security. No
organization possesses the resources to
systematically protect everything, and
100% prevention is no longer realistic.
Clarify the risks associated with each
system, and focus your efforts accordingly.
Risks change fast: look for tools that track
them dynamically, and respond accordingly.
But make sure those tools are easy and
practical enough to use.
Automating the basics. You can’t afford to
waste time running the same reports and
performing the same security tasks you
always have. Automate wherever it can be
done simply and easily, so you can focus
scarce resources on serious risks and highvalue
tasks.
Building staff and process to deter and
mitigate social attacks. Since social attacks
now predominate, educating users and
involving them in prevention is now even
more important. Focus education on the
threats each group is likeliest to encounter.
Make sure it’s up-to-date: outdated
guidance on topics such as phishing can be
counterproductive, offering a false sense of
security.
Improving defender coordination.
Cybercrime is organized crime: defense
must be organized, too. That means
choosing tools and processes that eliminate
barriers within your organization, so
everyone can respond quickly to the same
attack. It may also mean looking for legal
and practical opportunities to collaborate
with other companies and the government,
so you can mitigate widespread attacks and
learn from others’ postmortems.
48 January 2017

The App is Dead. And IoT Killed It
What’s the last app you downloaded?
Did you download it “willingly,” or were you “forced” to download it to be able to operate a new device?
Shiny
Like millions of people around the world,
you may have received a shiny new device
as a holiday gift at the end of last year. But
it wasn’t just any device. It was a smart
device, connected to the internet and
controlled and managed through an app.
Wait? What?! I have to stop everything
just to download (and then keep updated)
another app on my smart phone just to use,
just to “talk” to my device? Why?
Faster
Over the past 12 months, I have seen the
world change — yes, for the better.
Full disclosure: My company created
technology which enables people to talk
to their things as easily as they talk to
each other (and depending on your family,
maybe even easier).
Easier
The world has changed for the better
because WE NO LONGER NEED A
SEPARATE APP to use our things, the
“things” in the Internet of Things (IoT). We
simply communicate with our devices —
including appliances, machines, equipment,
software, and databases — with the
communications platforms we already like
to use.
It’s an easy guess that the apps you
use most on your smart phone are
communications apps. It’s how you
communicate with the people in your
life.
You text people. You email people.
You tweet, snap, and Facebook people.
And, depending on the country in which
you live (and also your age!), you may also
WhatsApp, Viber, and WeChat people.
Cheaper
How exactly did IoT kill the app? You can
now text your air conditioner. You can email
your city garage’s parking camera. You can
have your fitness tracker tweet, snap and
Facebook your run or swim. And you can
even WhatsApp, Viber, and WeChat your
robot floor cleaner to finish vacuuming
before you get home from work.
But what about voice?
Text is still superior to voice, as anyone who
has used Google Home or Amazon Echo
(yes, I have one, and I love it) and/or tried to
use voice while waiting in an airport security
line without having other people overhear:
1) your proprietary business information,
2) your squeeze’s silly nickname, or 3) your
holiday weight gain. can tell you.
So what’s next?
At the recent Consumer Electronics Show
here in Las Vegas, arguably the Super Bowl
(or World Cup if you’re from outside of the
US) of technology, the trend line is clear.
IoT, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Natural
Language Processing (NLP), and Virtual/
Augmented/Mixed Reality (VR, AR, and MR
respectively) are rapidly, and permanently,
changing the capabilities of the products we
use at home, at work, and on the go.
Manufacturers who “zap the app”
reduce their costs (how much did your
company spend on its apps in 2016?),
increase product usability (no apps to
learn, even grandmothers can message,
especially when they get to choose their
own channel), and focus on what they
do best (i.e., I have yet to meet a product
engineer who loves managing dozens of
communications platforms’ constantly
changing Application Processing Interfaces
(APIs)).
January 2017
49

GLOBAL ICT, TELECOM & SATCOM EVENTS
PTC January & February 2017
15 - 18 January Honolulu, Hawaii, US
SCWS MENA 16 January Dubai, UAE
Customer Experience Management 23 - 26 January London, UK
Global Space Congress 31 Jan - 01 Feb Abu Dhabi, UAE
MEET ICT Bahrain & BITEX 2017 07 - 09 February Manama, Bahrain
Convergence India 08 - 10 February New Delhi, India
GTX-i 15 - 20 February Baghdad, Iraq
Milsatcom 21 - 22 February Abu Dhabi, UAE
GTI Summit 23 February Barcelona, Spain
GSMA Mobile World Congress 27 Feb - 02 March Barcelona, Spain
March & April 2017
Satellite 2017 06 - 09 March Washington Dc, USA
Capacity Middle East 07 - 09 March Dubai, UAE
Beyond Connectivity 16 March Oman, Muscat
Telecom World Asia 21 - 22 March Bangkok, Thailand
CeBIT Germany 20 - 24 March Hannover, Germany
CABSAT 21 - 23 March Dubai, UAE
NFV & SDN MENA Forum 27 - 28 March Dubai, UAE
Australian OTT Summit 27 - 28 March Abu Dhabi, UAE
MEFTECH 28 - 29 March Abu Dhabi, UAE
TV Connect 28 - 30 March London, UK
Convergence Africa World 05 - 07 April Nairobi, Kenya
Broadband TV Connect Asia 11 - 12 April Hong Kong
ITC FEST 11 - 12 April Dubai, UAE
SCWA Asia 11 April Singapore
Financial Inclusion Summit Asia 18 - 19 April Singapore
NAB Show 22 - 27 April Las Vegas, US
MVNOs World Congress 24 - 27 April Acropolis Nice, France
50 January 2017

March & April 2017
5G Latin America 25 - 27 April RIO de Janeiro, Brazil
Expo Comm Russia 25 - 27 April Moscow, Russia
Broadband Latin America 25 - 27 April RIO de Janeiro, Brazil
5G MENA 30 April - 02 May Dubai, UAE
Seamless Middle East
May 2017
01 - 02 May Dubai, UAE
Cloud MENA 01 - 02 May Dubai, UAE
The Mobile Show ME 01 - 02 May Dubai, UAE
Transform Africa Summit 2017 10 - 12 May Kigali, Rwanda
SAMENA Telecom Leader Summit 11 May Dubai, UAE
MilsatCom Asia Pacific 15 - 16 May Singapore
Critical Communications 16 - 18 May Hong Kong
GISEC & GEMEC 21 - 23 May Dubai, UAE
Future Technology Week 21 - 23 May Dubai, UAE
IoTx 21 - 23 May Dubai, UAE
Casbaa Satellite Industry Forum 22 May Singapore
CommunicAsia 2017 23 - 25 May Singapore
SCWS Forum 23 May London, UK
June to October 2017
West Africa Com 06 - 08 June Lagos, Nigeria
5G World 13 - 15 June London, UK
GSMA Mobile World Congress 28 June - 01 July Shanghai, China
IBC 14 - 19 September Amsterdam, Netherlands
Telecom World ME 18 - 19 September Dubai, UAE
ITU Telecom World 25 - 28 September Busan, Korea
PT/EXPO China 2017 27 - 30 September Beijing, China
5G Asia 02 - 04 October Singapore
GITEX Technology Week 08 - 12 October Dubai, UAE
Broadband World Forum 24 - 26 October Messe Berlin, Germany
CommUnic Indonesia 25 - 27 October Jakarta, Indonesia
January 2017
51

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