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A DESERVING APPLAUSE FOR WINNERS OF INTEGRATOR ICT CHAMPION AWARDS

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Updated : June 16, 2014 0:0  ,
By Editor

The winners of the Integrator ICT Champion Awards were chosen through a polling activity of votes during a 3 week long online survey, hosted on www.varonline.com and winners were decided on the basis of maximum votes polled

The Integrator Awards were launched last year to recognize outstanding achievements in key categories representing the value side of the ICT industry. This is in parallel to the VAR COC Awards that saw its 9th edition held at the Meydan hotel in March. These awards are now being consolidated under the common banner of ‘The ICT Champion Awards’.

The award winners were chosen through a polling of votes from industry particpants during a 3 week long online survey, hosted on www.varonline.com   and winners were decided on the basis of maximum votes polled. There was a great participation from the industry in the voting process.

The vendor nominees were shortlisted initially on the basis of top names in specific domains and among them the active ones in this region were then requested to send in their nominations for relevant categories of the survey. For distributor and integrator categories, the names were shortlisted on basis of known activities that have been broadcast over the year as well as past communication of the editorial team with those companies.

The winners thorougly deserve the applause. Please find below the list of 2014 winners of the Integrator ICT Champion Awards.

Winners of the Integrator ICT Champion Awards 2014:
Cloud Computing Vendor of the Year
Winner: Microsoft Gulf

The winner in the category is a company that has listed cloud as one of its key areas of focus and has an extensive array of cloud versions of its products which are promising to make more money for its partners.

Virtualisation Vendor of the year
Winner: VMware

The winner in the category is a company that has played a key role in providing customers and partners in the region to reduce costs and enhance agility through Cloud and virtualization solutions.

SMB Storage Vendor of the Year
Winner: NetApp

The award goes to a vendor who employs the strategy of partnering to deliver the functionality and value of Enterprise Data Management Solutions which are ideal for mission-critical IT applications to the Mid-Market cost effectively.

Enterprise Storage Vendor of the Year
Winner: EMC

The winner is a company that has a comprehensive suite of enterprise storage solutions and is a worldwide network-attached storage (NAS) and unified storage, as well as leading storage provider for key applications and virtual environments.

?SMB Networking Vendor of the Year
Winner: D-Link

A vendor focused on this segment needs to provide a range of products inclusive of switches, routers, and gateways that meet the growing aspirations of the smaller sized companies.The winner in the category is a company which has been consistent in its regional strategies and is reaping the rewards for that commitment.

Enterprise Networking Vendor of the Year
Winner: Cisco

The winner in this category is a company that has dominance across several main segments of enterprise networking and is still believed to command close to 75% of the enterprise router market, and about 70% of the enterprise switch market.

Unified Communications Vendor of the Year
Winner: Avaya

The winner in the category is a company that focuses on productivity solutions that are innovative in the UC space. It focuses on bringing flexible, multi-medium communications tools into a single strategic asset for enterprises and SMBs

Video Conferencing Vendor of the Year
Winner: Polycom

The winner in the category is a company that has long been known for its quality hardware products– conference phones, video endpoints, telepresence systems and so on and is well placed to make further gains through its strategic vendor partnership in the UC space.

Data Management & Analytics Vendor of the Year
Winner: SAP

The winners of the category is a company that provides a single platform for advanced real-time analytics, data warehousing, visualization and reporting and enterprise applications.

Disaster Recovery and Backup Software Vendor of the Year
Winner: Symantec

The Winner in this category is a vendor that has effectively been able to offer disaster recovery and backup solution, both hardware and software based, designed for both virtual and physical environments.

Client Security Software Vendor of the Year
Winner: Kaspersky Lab

The winner of the category is a company whose enterprise security portfolio now includes a new expansion for Virtualization, which brings security technologies to virtual endpoints that were previously difficult to secure without sacrificing network performance.

Network Security Vendor of the Year
Winner: Dell

The winner in the category is a vendor that offers an end to end portfolio from a next-generation firewall to other leading security solutions including Data Protection and Encryption and Security Services, making it a great value proposition for its partners.

WAN Optimisation Vendor of the Year
Winner: Riverbed Technology

The winner is a company that has unique WAN optimization solutions able to span mobile workers, branch offices, and data centres, both physical and virtual, allowing the distributed workforce to collaborate in real time and is also rebranding its end-to-end product portfolio, seeking to broaden its reach beyond the WAN optimization market.

Power Solutions Vendor of the Year
Winner: APC by Schneider Electric

The winner is a company that offers solutions to manage the power and cooling of business critical infrastructure and is among the top three in datacenter infrastructure management.

DCIM Solutions Vendor of the Year
Winner: ManageEngine

The award in this category goes to a vendor that provides the software tools required to monitor and manage various aspects of the data centre such as the network, servers, applications, storage infrastructures etc as well as non-IT parameters of the facilities infrastructure and environmental parameters such as humidity and temperature via sensors

Enterprise VAD of the Year
Winner: APTEC – an Ingram Micro Company

The winner in this category is a Distribution pioneer of the region that has continued to lead through very positive and beneficial VAR relationships and is highly regarded by resellers in the region and beyond.

SMB VAD of the Year
Winner: Redington Value

To cater for the SMB and their needs requires a delicate balancing act between quality and price and the winner of the category therefore has to be a company that has successfully maintained a vendor portfolio of brands that are able to offer scalable solutions as these businesses grow.

Networking VAD of the Year
Winner: WestconGroup

System integrators will require multiple complementing hardware and software. It is a great advantage to them if they can access all these services and products from a single supplier to ensure speedy delivery and unified contact source. The winner in this category has successfully brought key vendors together ensuring a total 360 degree integrated solution for clients.

Security VAD of the Year
Winner: ComGuard

The category recognizes a generalist Value Added Distributor that has a broad suite of solutions for the Enterprise and is bringing a great focus to its security hardware appliances and software portfolio.

UC Infrastructure VAD of the Year
Winner: FVC

By aligning with leading brands in the UC space and bringing to its partners a broad communication suite that includes high definition and high quality communication hardware and services, the winner in this category has brought to clients the ability to collaborate and enhance productivity, while also creating sizeable cost savings.

Storage VAD of the Year
Winner: StorIT Distribution FZCO

Winner of the award for a second year in a row, StorIT Distribution FZCO has allied with leading storage vendors and continues to provide a suite of solutions & services that enable enterprises large and small to store, protect & manage business critical data, and harness the value of information.

KVM Solutions VAD of the Year
Winner: Wave Tech

The winner of the category is Wave Tech, a distributor of networking products and with a strong portfolio of KVM connectivity solutions which are an integral part of a data center’s infrastructure.

Information Security Solutions VAD of the Year
Winner: Spire Solutions

Recognizing the growing eminence of Information Security, this category applauds a domain specialist distributor who is focused only on the Information Security software solutions niche and focuses on solutions ranging from SIM to vulnerability management and penetration testing etc.

Emerging VAD of the Year
Winner: FDC ProValue

This award recognizes a company that is fast building a strong value add focus though alliances with leading Technology vendors. The company has a strong broadline division but its value division is a recent venture but started off on a strong footing, focusing on key verticals.

Visionary VAD of the Year
Winner: SNB Middle East

This is an award that applauds a young distributor for its vision in developing a focused strategy and successfully executing it.

Managed Services Provider of the Year
Winner: Dimension Data

The winner in this category is a company that offers an extensive managed services portfolio which includes several globally standardised managed services products in specific technology domains – including networks, data centres, security, visual communications, unified communications and collaboration and contact centres.

Networking Integrator of the Year
Winner: Alpha Data

As one of the largest multi-disciplined systems integrators in the region, the winner of this category has accreditation with some of the biggest names in this space ensuring a very high level of confidence for clients and is reputed for its ability to serve clients across the whole business spectrum from SMBs to large government bodies

Storage Integrator of the Year
Winner: CONDO PROTEGO

The winner of the category is a company that brings a consultative approach to the fore and has alliances with the top tier Brands in storage.

Telecom Integrator of the Year
Winner: Prologix

The winner is a company that is focusing on delivering solutions for different industry verticals and has a strong reach in the Telecom sector with a wide range of products suitable for the telecom segment.

Security Integrator of the Year
Winner: Paramount Computer Systems

The award category recognizes the SI who has a focused practice around providing a comprehensive suite of security solutions and services to customers across all verticals and is allied with leading vendors in the security space.

Software Solutions Integrator of the Year
Winner:  Finesse

The winner is a company that provides Technology Solutions and services to Banking, Education, Energy, Healthcare, Hospitality and Retail segments

Emerging System Integrator of the Year
Winner: Intelligent Business Technologies

This award goes to a young SI company that provides turnkey solutions, is showing a swift growth and has customers across the region.

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Financial

CFI Partners with Saadiyat Nights as Part of Its Collaboration with DCT Abu Dhabi

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CFI

CFI Financial Group is proud to announce its official partnership with Saadiyat Nights, as part of CFI’s strategic partnership with the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi). This collaboration underscores CFI’s commitment to supporting its local community and providing its clients with unforgettable cultural and entertainment experiences in one of the world’s most dynamic destinations. 

Currently captivating audiences, the second edition of Saadiyat Nights is bringing legendary international artists, performers and fans together at the iconic open-air venue on Saadiyat Island. Running from December to February, this extraordinary series features iconic acts like Boyz II Men, Christina Aguilera, Robbie Williams, Michael Bublé, Leningrad, Ebi and Omar Khairat, with some already dazzling the stage and others eagerly awaited.

Through this collaboration, CFI will benefit from exceptional brand visibility at each event, while offering its clients premium access to performances and money-can’t-buy experiences, including exclusive Meet & Greet opportunities with some of these legendary artists.  

“Through this collaboration, CFI reinforces its brand presence and industry leadership by securing high brand visibility at each of the Saadiyat Nights events in Abu Dhabi, a key hub for culture and global connections,” said Hisham Mansour, Co-founder and Managing Director of CFI. “This partnership reflects our commitment to fostering meaningful connections, supporting cultural initiatives and providing our clients with opportunities to engage with world-class experiences that complement their journey with CFI.”

Through this partnership, CFI is proud to support Abu Dhabi’s position as a leading cultural destination in the region, while staying committed to its mission of providing traders with exceptional trading experiences and engaging with like-minded local communities.

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Hospitality

Where There Is Trade, There Is Gulfood

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Gulfood

There is only one place where the world gathers annually to witness an unparalleled F&B showcase, with products meticulously handpicked from every corner of the globe. This time, a new global chapter is unfolding in the future of food and it’s within the legacy of Gulfood that the world can anticipate a seismic impact.

The 30th edition of Gulfood, taking place at the Dubai World Trade Centre from 17 – 21 February, will host a record 5,500+ exhibitors from 129+ countries. It will unveil new business opportunities and solve new and evolving global challenges.

Celebrating 30 Editions of Informing the Global Foodscape

For over three decades, Gulfood has been the driving force at the heart of global food commerce—igniting innovation, sparking cross-cultural collaboration and redefining the next era of global F&B. As the world experiences a sweeping transformation in food systems—powered by groundbreaking technologies, sustainability breakthroughs, and forward-thinking ideas—Gulfood 2025 will be the epicentre of this revolution. This is where the next era of food begins, and you’re invited to be at the forefront.

Event date:  17 – 21 February 2025 at Dubai World Trade Centre & registration is now live.

Why Visit?

Where The World Connects for Their F&B Sourcing Success

  • 5500+ Exhibitors: Explore 100k+ new products and innovations from a vast exhibitor showcase across eight distinct sectors.
  • 129 Countries Exhibiting: Experience global diversity with the biggest lineup of participating countries.
  • 43% New Exhibitors: Get the first look at the fresh offerings from exhibitors attending the show for the first time.
  • 24 Huge Halls: Navigate 24 massive halls filled with exhibitors, country pavilions and culinary experiences.
  • 1 Million Sq. Ft Exhibition Area: Gulfood 2025 boasts one million square feet of show floor space.
  • Network And Pre-Schedule Meetings: Establish close connections with F&B industry leaders through pre-scheduled meetings via our official event app and meetings programme.

Show Sectors

Gulfood is set to showcase the latest trends and advancements in the F&B industry, spanning seven distinct sectors: Dairy, Beverage, Fats & Oils, Pulses & Grains, Meat & Poultry, Power Brands and World Food.

Anticipate exploring products spanning these sectors at Gulfood, the ultimate platform for connecting with industry leaders, discovering state-of-the-art innovations and forging valuable partnerships in the ever-evolving F&B landscape.

Features

Food500

The summit will unite global leaders to tackle key challenges, sparking discussions, and showcasing trends, featuring top CEOs, policymakers and innovators.

From talks like Visionaries: Exploring Cutting-Edge Technologies Driving Food Tech to Pioneering Smart Agricultural Systems in the F&B Sector and more, the summit aims to drive business, inspire change and fuel global economic growth.

GULFOOD DISCOVERY TOURS

Over five days, engage in curated tours that are designed to connect you directly with the products you’re most interested in sourcing. The tours focus on diverse food categories such as Gourmet, Alternative Proteins, Ready-to-Eat, and Plant-Based.  F&B professionals, buyers and sourcing experts can gain valuable insights, access exclusive products and make informed business decisions while exploring key trends influencing global F&B.

Top Table

Top Table returns with a charismatic group of local and international chefs who are reimagining the way we create and enjoy food. With a bold focus on culinary futurism, the 2025 edition will debut new techniques, inventive flavour combinations and unconventional textures that surprise and delight audiences.

YOUTHX – YOUNG CHEF CHALLENGE

Witness a high-energy culinary competition between young hotel chefs from around the world. They will compete for a career-defining internship at some of the top restaurants and culinary schools in Europe. Gulfood’s YouthX brings together emerging culinary talent from diverse cultures, offering a global platform that unites chefs through healthy competition. They’ll be judged on futuristic techniques that set the event apart from previous editions, showcasing the next generation of global culinary leaders.

BLEND STUDIO
Celebrate the artistry of beverages with immersive masterclasses that showcase the latest trends and exclusive, never-seen-before creations crafted by industry experts. Explore the world of coffee and the trendiest crafted drinks while seizing opportunities to connect and learn from leading beverage professionals.

THE CULINARY DEBATE
Watch as global culinary icons debate the industry’s most critical challenges and exciting opportunities in the world of food. You’ll be captivated as they offer fresh perspectives on the rapidly evolving industry landscape.

THE TASTING ROOM
Experience the latest culinary creations from top brands and network with business leaders in the F&B industry. Whether you’re looking for the market’s most exciting products, new partnerships or upcoming trends, this is where opportunities come to life.

DUBAI WORLD CUISINE
Experience an exclusive four-hands dinner series that brings together celebrated international chefs and homegrown culinary talent. These unique collaborations offer a one-of-a-kind opportunity to savour bespoke menus, where local flavours and global expertise converge to create exceptional dining experiences.

GULFOOD AFTER HOURS
Explore Dubai’s vibrant food scene with Gulfood After Hours. We’ve teamed up with the city’s most iconic restaurants to give you an unforgettable culinary adventure. From casual eateries to fine dining, you’ll experience the very best Dubai has to offer, outside of the exhibition halls. Simply book, show your ticket, and enjoy exclusive offers at venues across the city.

INNOVATION AWARDS

The Gulfood Innovation Awards will celebrate brands setting a new standard for excellence in F&B. Recognising forward-thinking products that demonstrate creativity, ingenuity and impact, these prestigious awards highlight the best in the F&B industry across 10 categories.

Register today.

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Financial

MultiBank Group Secures Court Victory as Judge Declares Von Der Heydt Claims as “Fictitious” and “Untenable”

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MultiBank Group

MultiBank Group has achieved a significant courtroom victory in the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court against Von Der Heydt Invest S.A. (VDH), a Von Der Heydt Group subsidiary, which had brought claims against MultiBank FX International Corporation (MBFX), a MultiBank Group entity, and its founder, Naser Taher.

The court described the allegations brought by VDH as ‘fictitious’ and ‘untenable’, labelling VDH’s pursuit of these matters as an “abuse of process.” The court ordered VDH to cover over USD$25 million in legal costs incurred by Mr. Taher and MBFX. 

The Honorable Justice Gerhard Wallbank’s decision rejected VDH’s claims and confirmed MultiBank Group’s adherence to transparency and integrity. Naser Taher, Founder and Chairman of MultiBank Group said: ‘The accusations levied against us by Von Der Heydt have always been unfounded, and this ruling is a testament to our strong adherence to the principles of fairness and lawful conduct.’

The court confirmed that the legal campaign by VDH and its affiliates over the past four years consisted of coordinated and unfounded allegations targeting MultiBank Group. The judgment also highlighted a “conspiratorial network” involving multiple parties.

A previous ruling by the court made in early 2024 compared the relationship between the Von Der Heydt Group, to the Bernie Madoff ponzi scheme.

This decision marks an end to VDH’s pursuit of claims against the MultiBank Group and runs parallel to the financial group’s broader collapse. Von Der Heydt Bank, a 250-year-old institution and VDH’s parent company, has surrendered its banking license and ceased to exist after being placed in liquidation by its founder Dietrich Von Boetticher. The court further commented on the plight of German noteholders allegedly represented by VDH, attributing their difficulties to mismanagement at the hands of the Von Der Heydt leadership.

A prior ruling by the London High Court found Colm Smith, CEO of CSM Securities, and his company in contempt of court for not adhering to a worldwide freezing order (WFO) obtained by MultiBank Group. This contempt stems from Smith’s failure to disclose assets related to a legal dispute involving Van Der Heydt Invest SA (VDHI), where significant losses were linked to investments in notes associated with the Multibank Index. His actions have raised the possibility of imprisonment as the court continues to address allegations of unlawful collusion against MultiBank Group, which are unfolding in various European courts.

MultiBank Group’s victory in the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court further solidifies its position as a trusted leader in the financial derivatives market, operating under the oversight of 16 regulators across five continents and serving over one million clients worldwide. Naser Taher added: ‘We are delighted that the judiciary has recognised the baseless nature of these accusations and affirmed our global reputation for integrity and operational excellence. We remain steadfast in delivering the highest standards of financial services to our clients.’

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