Features

The shifts in the data center

Published

8 years ago

May 15, 2017

admin

The demands on the data-centre are rising with need for handling massive data volumes, enabling high speed of data accessibility and offering longevity of data

The data center remains pivotal to delivering IT applications for commercial and consumer consumption. In the region, the investments continue to be robust. Strong economic growth, rapid take-up of smart devices, the rise of Smart Cities, and increased investment in mega projects like World Expo 2020 in Dubai and 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar are all driving business demands for more agile IT infrastructure. The data-centers of today are evolving to support the newer data intensive applications with real time output.

Mohannad Abuissa, Head of Sales Engineering – East Region, Cisco Middle East says, “Cloud, mobility, and big data applications are causing a shift in the data-center model. New applications are placing demands on the infrastructure in new ways. Distributed applications (for example, Big Data and Hadoop), database applications that run on bare metal, virtualized applications running in multi-hypervisor environments, and cloud-based applications that are available on demand all impose different demands on infrastructure.”

Summarizing the changes and trends being see in the data center segment, Tarek Helmy, Regional Director Gulf and Middle East, South & East Africa of Nexans Cabling Solutions says, “The pace of innovation in data-centre infrastructure is increasing with more innovation in the past five years than in the previous 15 years. With the ever-increasing number of mobile devices and IoT (Internet of Things), data has also grown and increased exponentially. Data centers today need higher speeds, greater design flexibility and a cost-effective migration path. There are a lot of changes going on in data centers such as centralization of sites and growth of cloud based solutions. They also require greater design flexibility and a cost-effective migration path. The trend in data centers is towards more data and bandwidth.

Data center infrastructure is now seen to extend beyond brick and mortar walls. There is a lot of data today being hosted with external service providers. Servers are getting consolidated and virtualized. Massive data volumes, speed of data accessibility and the longevity of data are key drivers for the transformation of data-centers in the Middle East. Cloud computing is one of the main technologies driving this change.

Mohannad adds, “Boosted by the region’s rise in Big Data, business analytics, and sharing of rich media, data centers need to support new business models. The vast majority of the data center traffic is not caused by end users, but rather by data centers and cloud-computing workloads used in activities that are virtually invisible to individuals.”

Key trends

Among other aspects, network monitoring and management as well as integrated infrastructure are key facets of the next generation data center.

Mohannad says, “The Virtualization of physical data-center infrastructure has built a flexible foundation for many enterprises, and attention is now turning to enabling centralized visibility of all applications and systems in order to control performance and service management. Also, an end-to-end data center solution should be able to integrate computing, storage, networking, virtualization, and management into a single platform and more efficiently support evolving business applications.”

More global co-location third party data-center service providers are establishing their presence in the region. More customers, both in the enterprise and the SMB are preferring co-location as an option to manage their IT needs.

Mohannad says, “There are definitely more global players establishing their presence in the region. With traditional data center architecture, IT organizations often spend as much as 70-80 percent of their resources just maintaining the existing infrastructure. The evolution to cloud computing and IT-as-a-Service (ITaaS) has allowed organisations to make significant improvements in efficiency and agility, ultimately freeing IT resources from the burden of maintenance to focus more on delivering innovation.”

He adds, “Many enterprises, managed services providers and cloud providers in the region are choosing co-location, where they lease the data center space rather than buying or building their own data centers. This is especially true in the case of SMB’s who are looking to build business continuity and disaster recovery solutions without incurring the high cost of building a secondary or a tertiary data center within a country. Co-location service providers can benefit from economies of scale, and thus are able to provide cost effective and attractive DRaaS offerings to lure SMB’s in.

Cloud adoption has matured to an advanced stage where enterprises are increasingly relying more on cloud infrastructure.

According to Jeroen Schlosser, MD, Equinix MENA, “Enterprises are already using multiple clouds today, and the need to connect more diverse and traditionally divided ecosystems with demanding expectations around performance, user experience and seamless integration will push this trend more aggressively in the coming year. 2017 will be the tipping point, when the convergence of multiple clouds across the enterprise – data, applications, infrastructure and personal clouds – will fundamentally change the way people and businesses operate.”

With hybrid cloud deployments very much part of IT enterprise investments in infrastructure build-up, CIOs are faced with choices as to best options. Data integrity may influence the decision making of Enterprise to SMB customers who may prefer cloud services hosted from locally based data centers.

Mohannad opines, “Going forward every enterprise will live in a world of multiple clouds, and building a hybrid cloud strategy that includes both public-cloud and on-premises assets will be a top item on every CIO’s agenda. A CIO has to balance business and technical considerations such as being able to achieve the efficiencies and disruption that a public cloud provides, while staying within the confines of regulations around data sovereignty, providing acceptable application latencies, and avoiding cloud lock-in. It is for such considerations that we see growth in the data center segment. Vendors like Cisco, and local service providers and systems integrators wanting to create new revenue streams have a great opportunity to help their customers build their cloud solutions, whether private or hybrid.”

SDN ramping up

The software defined focus in networking, storage, compute etc is rising.

Jeroen says, “Networking that previously depended on physical wiring can now be dynamically controlled via software. Going forward, the next generation infrastructure – compute, storage, network and data centers – will be open source based. Software Defined Networking (SDN) and Network Functions Virtualization (NFV) centralize and automate the management of large, distributed multi-data center networks using simple application level policies. “

Cisco is focused on innovations that break down silos across the components of the data center, and add programmability to all layers of the data center to support increasingly virtualized and distributed applications. Among Cisco’s innovations are the Unified Computing System (UCS), which uses a Unified Fabric to converge both SAN and LAN connections into a single infrastructure and Cisco’s Application-Centric Infrastructure (ACI), or SDN 2.0, which simplifies and accelerates the deployment of applications, reduces IT costs and operational errors, and helps make businesses more agile.

“Today’s data center architecture must support a highly-mobile workforce, proliferation of devices, data-driven business models, and be capable of seamlessly incorporating cloud applications and services. To meet these diverse requirements, Cisco offers the Unified Data center platform, a unified data center architecture that combines compute, storage, network and management into a platform designed to automate IT as a service across physical and virtual environments, resulting in increased budget efficiency, more agile business responsiveness, and simplified IT operations.

The Unified Data center also offers a flexible and open data center architecture that will support legacy infrastructure components, as well as delivery of IT-as-a-Service and cloud services. Cisco’s Software-defined Networking (SDN) strategy for the Data-centre is built around the 3 key pillars of Application Centric Infrastructure (ACI), Programmable Fabric and Programmable Network

Cisco’s competitor, Juniper’s new Open Cloud incorporates technologies in routing, switching, packet optical, network management and software-defined networking (SDN) Interconnect. It offers customers a flexible and open approach to architecting data center networks to meet the demands of public, private and hybrid multi-cloud environments.

According to Masum Mir, vice president of Product, Solutions & Technical Marketing, Juniper Development and Innovation at Juniper Networks, “The demand for cloud services is bringing forth a tidal wave of change and new opportunities for the networking industry. The DCI infrastructure demands bandwidth capacity, secure connectivity and operational simplicity. The Open Cloud Interconnect solution can play a pivotal role within a technology transition cycle that’s heading towards a digitally cohesive era where automation, mega-services and machine learning will reign supreme.”

Need for high speed cabling

One of the fundamental principles of the data center of the future, both globally and in the Middle East region, will be the ability to dynamically deliver business critical applications. To enable this, next generation data-center infrastructure also entails a focus on the structured cabling part. Else, with Internal data center traffic expected to grow 80% over the next three years, networks are at risk of becoming bandwidth bottlenecks.

Dr. Rick Pimpinella, Panduit Fellow, Optical Fibre Research says, “Just as the storage memory in your computer, USB drive, or smart phone rapidly reaches its storage limit with photographs, music, and other data, the data center operator must plan for the unrelenting demand for more data as it is the foundation for business continuity. To meet future needs, it is important to focus on next generation network infrastructure. A critical component of the infrastructure is the structured cabling, and its important to know if it can support the next generation network resources and transceiver technology designed for higher speed data rates and maximum channel reaches.”

It has become more imperative than ever for data center infrastructure managers to carefully consider their network architecture. In today’s competitive business environment, there is a need to implement the most cost-effective, future-proof connectivity infrastructure quickly and efficiently. Server virtualization is one of the trends in increasing the efficiency of data centers; however, it can lead to stresses in the supporting connectivity infrastructure.

Tarek elaborates, “The ever-increasing flow of traffic – from the cloud in particular – is putting pressure on conventional network architectures, particularly in terms of ensuring business continuity. These developments affecting the data-center environment place a new series of demands on the network at the level of cabling infrastructure, and are changing data center design from the ground level up.”

Elaborating the difference between LAN in an office and in a data center, Tarek explains, “In data centers, the main requirements are high-speed links with condensed number or terminations (fiber & copper). The high-speed links require either fiber links, which are usually pre-terminated fiber cables to support switch-to-switch connectivity or high-end copper technology such as Cat6A, Cat7A or Cat8 to support server-to-switch connectivity.”

Cabling needs to support the increasing need for high speed and bandwidth. Looking at bandwidth needs in data centers, data center connectivity can be seen as “switch-to-switch” vs. “server-to switch” links.

Tarek adds, “Switch-to-switch connections is fiber rich, while in server-to-switch more copper solutions are used. Parallel optics enables us to achieve up to 100GB today with multimode fibers (OM3 & OM4). Two-lane singlemode is also possible but will be much more expensive because of higher transceiver costs. Upcoming copper standard of 25Gb/s over copper (25GBASE-T) will also enable us to see more copper ports to support high speed server-to-switch connectivity.”

Optimum set ups include a mixture of copper and fiber cabling. Copper cabling should support migration paths to connect servers running from 1G to eventually 25G and possibly 40G whereas fiber cabling should connect network switches running from 10G to eventually 100G. Good quality cabling and careful design help to minimize disruptions.

On the need to future proof investments in cabling, Tarek says, ”The primary role of data center cabling is to facilitate and enable this unprecedented growth in data and bandwidth while at the same time maximising data centers’ up-time. To date network speeds as high as 200Gb/s are being discussed. Fiber is best placed to support such high network speeds.”

As part of its vision of supporting the world’s growing data needs, Nexans recently launched new copper-based solutions to support bandwidths of 25Gb/s and 40Gb/s Ethernet and ultra-high density LANmark ENSPACE solutions for data centers.

Dr. Rick elaborate the importance to future proof structured cabling as it is always an extensive upgrade and therefore is quite wise to do it with a longer time frame in context.

He says, “To fully utilise all fibre strands, the data-centre infrastructure must be carefully designed with an upgrade path in mind. A more efficient upgrade path would be to replace 10GBASE-SR transceivers with next generation 50GBASE-SR transceivers (to be ratified in 2018), which utilises the same duplex fibre structured cabling. The higher speed 50Gb/s solution is projected to be lower cost and utilises an advanced modulation scheme which can be extended with future 200 Gb/s transceivers. Focusing on next generation data center infrastructure will provide a cost effective flexible infrastructure for years to come.”

While the data center continues to evolve as the hub of IT infrastructure that enables IT applications, the challenge is to future-proof the data center and how you should manage and support your data center and your on-premise systems. Among the challenges anticipated, data centers in future will have to manage application solutions based on containers and micro-services delivered in the cloud and utilising software defined networks (SDN), and network function virtualisation (NFW).

Features

Redefining Real Estate: The Rise of Wellness-Centric Spaces

Published

2 months ago

March 14, 2025

Integrator Web-Editor

By Mark Phoenix – CEO of Sankari

The way we think about real estate is evolving, and at the heart of this change is a renewed focus on wellness. As we become more aware of the profound impact our living environments have on our health and well-being, it’s clear that real estate must go beyond aesthetics and luxury—it must support a lifestyle of vitality and longevity. To me, true luxury is no longer defined solely by opulence but by spaces that promote health, balance, and connection.

The demand for wellness-oriented spaces is growing rapidly, and real estate developers must rise to meet it. Today’s buyers are looking for more than just high-end finishes and exclusive locations—they want environments that enhance their well-being. Integrating wellness features such as fitness centers, yoga studios, meditation areas, and holistic health services is no longer an option; it’s a necessity. These spaces don’t just add value to a property; they create communities that create physical health, mental clarity, and social engagement.

Wellness-centric design is about more than just adding amenities—it’s about creating environments that encourage movement, relaxation, and human connection. By prioritizing well-being in real estate, developers can offer residents a lifestyle that aligns with modern values and aspirations. These spaces cultivate a sense of belonging, allowing people to come together in ways that enrich their lives beyond the walls of their homes.

Beyond individual benefits, wellness-focused communities have a lasting impact on society. As more people seek out homes that support their health, the real estate industry has an opportunity to lead this cultural shift. Developments that incorporate sustainable materials, biophilic design, and eco-friendly building practices not only benefit residents but also contribute to a healthier planet.

In the ultra-luxury segment, this focus on wellness is especially meaningful. The most sought-after properties are no longer just about extravagance—they are about creating a sanctuary where people can rejuvenate both physically and mentally. True luxury lies in thoughtful, health-driven design that enhances everyday life in meaningful ways.

Designing for wellness also means partnering with visionary architects and designers who understand the importance of both form and function. In regions with challenging climates, for example, innovative solutions can help reduce environmental impact while enhancing comfort and efficiency. Securing sustainability certifications like LEED further reinforces a commitment to responsible development and aligns with the global movement toward eco-conscious living.

For me, integrating wellness into real estate is more than just a trend—it’s a deeply personal mission and a strategic imperative. The places we live should do more than just shelter us; they should actively contribute to our health and happiness. By embedding wellness into the very foundation of luxury real estate, we’re not just shaping beautiful spaces—we’re shaping better lives.

Features

We are bringing tradition to every table in just five minutes

Published

2 months ago

February 20, 2025

Integrator Web-Editor

Exclusive Interview with Ashvin Subramanyam, CEO International Business, Orkla India

In this exclusive interview, Ashvin Subramanyam, CEO of International Business at Orkla India, shares insights on the brand’s participation at Gulfood 2025 and its mission to blend tradition with innovation in the Middle East. With the launch of Eastern’s 5-Minute Breakfast range and a refreshed Arabic spice portfolio, Orkla IMEA is redefining convenience without compromising on authenticity.

What can we expect from Orkla IMEA’s presence at Gulfood 2025, and how significant is this event for your brand’s growth in the region?

At Gulfood 2025, Orkla IMEA, subsidiary of Orkla India, is set to make a strong impact by unveiling the Eastern 5-Minute Breakfast range, designed to bring the authentic flavors of Kerala to the fast-growing ready-to-cook market in the Middle East. In addition, visitors can expect a refreshed Arabic spice portfolio, reflecting Orkla India’s continued commitment to catering to the diverse culinary preferences of the region.

Gulfood is a key platform for us as it enables us to showcase our latest innovations to a global audience, including retailers, distributors, and food industry leaders. The Middle East is a strategic market for our expansion. By blending tradition with convenience, our goal through this event is to become a household name across diverse communities in the region, reinforcing our commitment to quality, authenticity, and innovation in packaged foods.

How does Gulfood help Orkla IMEA connect with new markets, consumers, and industry partners, particularly in the Middle East?

Gulfood serves as a vital gateway for Orkla India to connect with new markets, consumers, and industry partners through its subsidiary Orkla IMEA in the Middle East. As one of the world’s largest food and beverage trade exhibitions, it provides an unparalleled opportunity to engage directly with key stakeholders, including retailers, distributors, and hospitality businesses, facilitating strategic partnerships and market expansion.

For Orkla India, this event is instrumental in understanding regional consumer trends, preferences, and evolving dietary habits, particularly in the fast-growing packaged food sector. The launch of the Eastern 5-Minute Breakfast range and refreshed Arabic spice portfolio at Gulfood allows us to showcase our innovation in convenience-driven yet authentic culinary solutions.

By participating in Gulfood, we strengthen our brand presence, foster collaborations with regional partners, and position ourselves as a trusted name in ethnic and mainstream food categories. It’s a key milestone in our vision to become a household name in the Middle East.

Eastern is set to unveil its preservative-free quick South Indian 5-Minute Breakfast range. What was the inspiration behind this concept?

The Eastern 5-Minute Breakfast range was inspired by the growing need for convenient, time-saving meal solutions that do not compromise on authentic taste and quality. South Indian breakfasts, particularly Kerala’s traditional dishes, are deeply rooted in culture, requiring significant time and effort to prepare. However, with modern lifestyles becoming increasingly fast-paced, many consumers struggle to recreate these meals from scratch.

Recognizing this shift, Eastern set out to bridge the gap between tradition and convenience by crafting a range that retains the authentic flavours and textures of Kerala’s most-loved breakfasts while eliminating the long preparation time. The preservative-free formula ensures that consumers enjoy fresh, wholesome meals made from high-quality ingredients in just three easy steps, ready in five minutes.

With this innovation, Eastern empowers busy professionals, young families, and expatriates to stay connected to their culinary heritage without compromising on their schedules, making traditional breakfast accessible anytime, anywhere in just 5 minutes.

Can you give us an insight into the development process behind this 5-Minute Breakfast range, especially in maintaining authentic South Indian flavors without preservatives?

The development process for our 5-Minute Breakfast range began with a deep understanding of our consumers’ evolving lifestyles and their desire for authentic Kerala-style breakfasts that eliminate a lengthy preparation process. We identified a unique need-gap: while traditional dishes like Puttu, Appam, and Idiyappam are much-loved, the time and effort they require can be challenging in today’s fast-paced world.

Our journey involved benchmarking these dishes to the traditional methods used by homemakers, capturing the essence of how an amma would prepare them at home. This set the standard for the flavor profiles we aimed to achieve. The challenge was to replicate the authentic taste and texture while ensuring our products were preservative-free.

Our R&D team worked tirelessly, conducting extensive trials to balance authenticity and convenience. Through our innovation center we crafted recipes that retain the goodness of traditional Kerala breakfasts while being ready in just five minutes. With this range, Eastern redefines breakfast convenience, allowing families to savor the true flavors of Kerala in a fraction of time.

With over one million Keralites in the UAE, how does Eastern plan to cater to both the traditional tastes of this community and the broader multicultural audience?

With almost two million Keralites in the UAE, Eastern understands the deep emotional and cultural connection this community has with its traditional cuisine. The Eastern 5-Minute Breakfast range is designed to preserve the authentic flavours of Kerala while offering a convenient solution for modern lifestyles. By using high-quality ingredients and a preservative-free formula, the range ensures that the taste and texture remain true to tradition, making it an ideal choice for Malayalees longing for home-cooked meals.

While there are other instant and ready-to-eat options in the market, Eastern’s range stands out by offering dishes like Puttu and Palappam, which traditionally require culinary expertise and time-consuming preparation. These dishes are not widely available in the quick- convenience food category.

At the same time, Eastern is expanding its reach to a broader multicultural audience by showcasing South Indian cuisine as a flavourful, nutritious, and easy-to-prepare option for all. The simplicity of the 3 Easy Steps preparation makes these dishes accessible to non-South Indian consumers who are eager to explore new flavours. Through strategic retail partnerships, digital outreach and and aggressive in-store sampling, Eastern aims to introduce and establish South Indian breakfast as a preferred choice for consumers in this region.

What’s one thing about Orkla IMEA that people might not know but should?

While Orkla IMEA was incorporated recently, we have been in the region for over 25 years now, through our brand Eastern.

Features

2025 Hospitality Tech Trends

Published

3 months ago

February 12, 2025

Integrator Web-Editor

By Prince Thampi, Founder and CEO, Hudini

As we approach 2025, the hospitality industry is poised for transformational growth, driven by evolving traveller preferences and advancements in technology. The future of hospitality promises enhanced convenience, personalisation and sustainability, with a significant focus on creating memorable experiences for guests. Let’s dive into five key trends that will shape the hospitality tech landscape in 2025 and beyond.

The Continued Rise of Frictionless Technology

The increased demand for frictionless experiences is set to dominate the industry, with more and more travellers preferring hotels that offer touch-free check-in, check-out, and room access via mobile apps. This trend reflects a broader shift towards easy interactions powered by seamless digital integration. Mobile apps have been an essential tool for a few years now, enabling guests to manage their stays, order room service, and access hotel information effortlessly. With the introduction of Gen AI, those apps have become more powerful than ever and are now able to provide highly personalised recommendations and speak in different languages.

Hotels embracing this trend will gain a competitive edge, as tech-savvy travellers prioritise convenience and efficiency during their stay. According to a recent survey by Deloitte, around 72% of travellers are more likely to choose a hotel that offers mobile check-in and check-out services over those that don’t.

Hyper Personalised Guest Experiences

In 2025, personalisation will continue to be at the core of hospitality services but will finally be taken to the next level thanks to Gen AI. Guests expect hotels to anticipate their needs and offer tailored experiences, from customised room settings to personalised dining recommendations. Apps powered by AI are now able to predict guest needs based on a wealth of data, ingested from the hotel systems or fed externally.

Leveraging guest data and insights, hotels can create unique offerings that cater to individual preferences. This level of personalisation not only enhances guest satisfaction but also fosters loyalty and repeat bookings. According to Oracle’s findings, biometrics and AI are set to play pivotal roles, with 62% of guests valuing automated recognition for personalised interactions. Biometrics will experience a breakthrough into mainstream hospitality in 2025. Facial recognition technology has matured significantly and is ready to be weaved into the guest experience. It will enable better security and guest recognition while protecting their privacy at the same time.

AI-Enabled Customer Service

Artificial intelligence is revolutionising every aspect of the hospitality industry, but will be by itself a new way of providing customer service. Chatbots and virtual assistants are becoming standard tools for handling common queries, offering instant support, and streamlining operations at any time and in any language.

AI-driven solutions not only enhance efficiency but also provide guests with 24/7 assistance, ensuring a smoother and more satisfying experience. By integrating AI technologies, hotels can free up staff to focus on delivering exceptional in-person service.

Sustainability and Eco-Friendly Practices

Sustainability is no longer optional, it’s a necessity often enforced by regulation. Travellers are increasingly favouring hotels that adopt eco-friendly practices, such as using locally sourced food, implementing energy-efficient operations, and reducing waste.

By prioritising sustainability, hotels not only meet guest expectations but also contribute positively to the environment. This commitment to green initiatives enhances brand reputation and attracts environmentally conscious travellers. A recent survey by Booking.com found that 83% of global respondents believe more sustainable travel is vital, with 49% believing there aren’t enough sustainable travel options and 53% saying they get annoyed when a hotel prevents them from being sustainable.

Smart use of technology is key in the sustainability journey of hotels. Technology can accurately measure the reduction in carbon footprint, it will help reduce energy and adopt renewable energy sources, and will enable the effective management of food waste. Many hospitality apps allow guests to apply green energy settings to a room, some will even exchange your energy savings to loyalty points.

The return of ‘real’

With Gen Z – the first generation grown up with everything digital – becoming the next large group to travel, the craving for ‘real’ experiences is bigger than it ever was. Hotels focusing on truly unique and hyper local experiences; a great meal, cultural outing, or wellness treatment will win the hearts of this generation.

Fortunately hotel apps, AI, automation of processes, sustainability tech and the removal of cumbersome processes like checking-in and studying paper manuals will free up hotel staff to allow them to do what they do best: providing unforgettable, personalised and sustainable experiences.