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Dell Technologies Research: 9 in 10 organizations in the UAE and KSA are well positioned competitively for innovation in AI

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Generative AI (GenAI) and AI will significantly transform industries in the future, according to UAE (95%) and KSA (100%) respondents to the Dell Technologies Innovation Catalyst Research.

The research suggests that while there is broad optimism for AI and GenAI, the extent to which organizations are prepared for the rapid pace of change varies greatly. Ninety percent in the UAE and a similar percent in KSA, say they are well positioned competitively and have a solid strategy. At the same time, half of the respondents (UAE: 51%, KSA: 49%) are uncertain what their industry will look like in the next three to five years and nearly eight in 10 (UAE:75%, KSA:78%) report struggling to keep pace. They cite the lack of the right talent (UAE:31%, KSA:27%), data privacy and cybersecurity concerns (UAE:27%, KSA:28%) and lack of budget (UAE:31%, KSA:31%) as challenges they face in driving innovation.

GenAI Moving from Ideation to Implementation

Respondents from UAE and Saudi Arabia cite GenAI’s transformative or significant potential to deliver value in improving IT security posture (UAE:62%, KSA:62%), productivity gains (UAE:60%, KSA:60%) and to improve customer experience (UAE:61%, KSA:59%). They are also aware of challenges to overcome – (UAE:75%, KSA:74%) fear GenAI will introduce new security and privacy issues and (UAE:89%, KSA:84%) agreed that their data and IP is too valuable to be placed in a GenAI tool where a third party may have access.

More broadly, responses suggest that organizations are working through GenAI practicalities as they transition from ideation to implementation, with more than half saying they have begun implementing GenAI. As organizations increase adoption, concern centers around understanding where risks reside and who is responsible for them. An overwhelming majority (UAE:80%, KSA:87%) agree that the organization, rather than the machine, the user or the public, is responsible for any AI malfunction or undesired behaviour.  

Mohammed Amin, Sr. Vice President, CEEMETA, Dell Technologies said: 

“Organizations seeking to stand out in today’s disruptive market must pivot from innovation being a side project to it being deeply embedded into their corporate identity. At Dell, we believe tangible, positive change is achievable through innovation and action. By combining GenAI and other transformative innovations, businesses can augment their capabilities and raise their productivity levels to new heights.”

Organizations are Rising to the Challenge of Today’s Threat Landscape

Cybersecurity more broadly continues to be a pain point for organizations. These concerns are well-founded, as (UAE:93%, KSA:91%) of respondents say they have been impacted by a security attack in the past 12 months. The majority (UAE:98%, KSA:94%) are pursuing a Zero Trust deployment strategy and (UAE: 85%, KSA:86%) say they have an Incident Response Plan in place to recover from a cyberattack or data leakage.

The top three cited issues included malware, phishing and data breaches. Issues with phishing are indicative of a wider problem highlighted in the report, which is the role employees play in the threat landscape. For example, (UAE:80%, KSA:75%) of respondents believe some employees go around IT security guidelines and practices because they delay efficiency and productivity, and (UAE:78%, KSA:71%) say that insider threats are a big concern. This indicates a need to focus on training as employees are the first line of defence.

The Right Technology Infrastructure will help Organizations to Succeed

The research also reveals modern data infrastructure’s critical role as technologies like GenAI gather pace and data volumes increase. Investing in a modern, scalable infrastructure was cited as the number one area of improvement for businesses to accelerate innovation. Most IT decision makers (UAE:87%, KSA:75%) say they prefer an on-prem or hybrid model, to address the challenges they foresee with implementing GenAI.

The ability to share data across the business is also a key part of the innovation puzzle, with only 1 in 3 (UAE:35%, KSA:31%) saying they can turn data into real-time insights today to support innovation efforts. However, responses suggest organisations are acting on this challenge, with (UAE:79%, KSA:91%) saying that data is the differentiator and their GenAI strategy must involve using and protecting that data. Almost half also claim they anticipate that the bulk of their data will come from the edge in the next five years.

Other research findings include:

  • Skills: Two-thirds (UAE:70%, KSA:65%) claim there is currently a shortage of talent required for innovation in their industry. Learning agility and desire, AI fluency, and creativity & creative thinking rank as the top skills and competencies for the next five years
  • Sustainability: Forty-two percent believe “driving environmentally sustainable innovations” is an important improvement area. Energy efficiency is high on the agenda, with 79% experimenting with as-a-Service solutions to manage their IT environment more efficiently and 73% actively moving AI inferencing to the edge to become more energy efficient (e.g., smart buildings)
  • Making IT a strategic partner: Currently, 81% of business decision makers have reasons to exclude IT decision makers from strategic conversations, yet both departments ranked a stronger relationship as the second most important improvement area

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OPTRO LAUNCHES ‘OPTRO PARTNER CONNECT’ TO POWER GLOBAL GRC ECOSYSTEM GROWTH

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Optro (formerly AuditBoard), the leading AI-powered GRC Intelligence Platform empowering enterprises to transform risk into opportunity, has announced the formal launch of Optro Partner Connect. The new partner program offers partners flexible ways to go to market, a comprehensive suite of enablement, certification, technical, and co-marketing support, and a clear, predictable path to expand into new markets, deepen their service offerings, and drive lasting customer outcomes.

Optro Partner Connect replaces legacy frameworks with a modular design centered around distinct partner tracks, initially launching with Advisory Partners and Solution Providers, and a transparent tier structure in which benefits grow as partners do. Because benefits are tiered, partners will know exactly what they can access and unlock at each stage of their journey with Optro. Supporting every partner is a dedicated Partner Center of Excellence (PCoE): a team solely focused on partner success that guides firms through onboarding and ongoing “everboarding,” helping partners reach their first wins sooner and maintain a clear line of sight on their next stage of growth.

“Partners are a critical growth engine for Optro, and Optro Partner Connect ensures our ecosystem’s experience matches the enterprise-grade quality of our platform,” said Scott Whitlock, Global VP of Alliances and Channels at Optro. “By moving away from transaction-only metrics and adopting a holistic evaluation of capacity and competency, we are giving our partners a clear blueprint to build highly profitable services practices around our GRC Intelligence Platform.”

A differentiator of the program is Optro’s roadmap to weave an AI layer throughout the partner experience to give partners back time and help them win by automating repeatable manual tasks, surfacing real-time co-sell guidance in the field, and personalizing each partner’s onboarding so they can spend less time on administration and more time on value creation.

Key Program Highlights At-A-Glance

  • Flexible Tracks & Engagement Models: Partners choose how they go to market across the Advisory and Solution Provider tracks, referring, selling, or servicing with a transparent tier structure, a flexible legal framework, and recognized status as they grow. Financial and servicing incentives reward that momentum, and a services-rich platform offers eligible partners room to build a high-value practice across the full customer lifecycle — from implementation and advisory through managed services.
  • Enablement, Expertise, and Market Presence: A comprehensive benefits suite spanning role-based training and certification, deep technical and co-sell support, and co-branded marketing resources. Beyond a searchable partner directory that helps customers find them, qualified partners have a path to build their own solutions, integrations, and accelerators with Optro — turning their expertise into valuable IP.
  • A Strategic Voice for Optro: Through continuous feedback loops and a formal Partner Advisory Board, invited partners can participate in roadmap and go-to-market strategy discussions, helping to impact the future of connected GRC alongside Optro’s leadership rather than just delivering it.

“Our collaboration with Optro helps us transform how our clients handle audit and compliance,” said Adam Pajakowski, Principal at Crowe. “Through this new partner program, we can continue to help companies move away from outdated, manual processes. We look forward to expanding our work together and continuing to drive great results for our joint clients.”

“We’re excited about the launch of Optro Partner Connect and the added structure it brings to an already strong collaboration,” said Andrew Struthers-Kennedy, Global Lead, CAE Solutions, Protiviti. “The program introduces clearer alignment, more formal recognition, and a scalable framework for how we work together, which we believe will help drive greater consistency and impact as both organizations continue to grow.”

Optro Partner Connect formally goes live today. Comprehensive program briefs, regional guides, and deal registration resources are now available to active partners via a unified, updated partner portal. To learn more or apply to join Optro Partner Connect, visit optro.ai.

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DXC INTRODUCES DXC PRIVATE CLOUD+, BRINGING GREATER CONTROL, SECURITY, AND FLEXIBILITY TO ENTERPRISE CLOUD

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DXC Technology (NYSE: DXC), a leading enterprise technology and innovation partner, has announced that its DXC Private Cloud+ is now generally available. The solution delivers public cloud–like flexibility and pricing while maintaining full control over sensitive data and workloads. Powered by Dell Technologies infrastructure like servers, storage, and cyber resilience solutions and operated by DXC OASIS, DXC’s intelligent orchestration platform, Private Cloud+ helps organizations innovate more easily while still meeting strict requirements for data security, compliance, and sovereignty, at a time when enterprise cloud strategies are rapidly evolving.

As governance, security, data sovereignty, and industry-specific requirements become just as critical as scale, global organizations across industries are moving beyond a single-cloud approach and building multi-cloud portfolios that offer greater choice and control. In this environment, Private Cloud+ adds a powerful new option—combining the economics and agility of hyperscale with the control of private cloud, while providing a unified platform to connect data centers, integrate with public clouds, and prepare for AI workloads.

“Customers across industries from manufacturing to transportation, insurance and more want hyperscale economics, flexibility, and AI-readiness in a true hybrid environment, one that works across what they already run and the public clouds they depend on. Until now, they’ve had to compromise. Private Cloud+, powered by Dell and operated by DXC OASIS, ends that trade-off and enables them to be ready as AI workloads increase,” said Chris Drumgoole, President, Global Infrastructure Services, DXC.

Hosted in DXC’s data centers and orchestrated by DXC OASIS with a Human+ approach, Private Cloud+ supports the full range of enterprise workloads, including VMs, containers, data, backup and resiliency, and private AI. The result is a single environment where customers can reduce technical debt, strengthen security, and move faster from idea to production, supported by consumption-based economics that simplify financial planning.

Private Cloud+ is offered in three editions, enabling enterprises to choose the deployment model that matches their workload, tenancy, and compliance needs:

  • Core: a multi-tenant private cloud with the full Private Cloud+ feature set on consumption-based pricing
  • Dedicated: a single-tenant environment for customers requiring full isolation of compute, storage, and data sovereignty
  • Government: a hardened edition with advanced security controls, operated by cleared domestic personnel, for government agencies and regulated industries


“Enterprises are juggling sensitive workloads, modernization, and AI, all at once. Many are looking for infrastructure that handles it natively, without bolt-ons. That’s exactly what we built with Private Cloud+, with DXC OASIS removing the operational burden so customers can focus on innovation,” said Benjamin Greene, Director, Global Infrastructure Services, Private Cloud, DXC.

DXC and Dell have collaborated for over 25 years, jointly serving more than 2,000 customers worldwide. DXC is a Titanium Black partner in the Dell Technologies Partner Program. Private Cloud+ is a DXC Fast Track solution, focused on AI-fueled capabilities and automation that drive exponential growth.

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DELINEA LAUNCHES NEW PARTNER PROGRAM TO DRIVE PARTNER PROFITABILITY AND SCALE GROWTH

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Delinea, the runtime identity security platform that governs what humans, machines, and AI agents do once they have access, has announced the launch of the Delinea Partner Advantage Program. The new comprehensive framework is built to deliver proven identity security technology, protected discounts, and ease of doing business.

Developed with direct partner input, including a global partner listening survey, the Delinea Partner Advantage Program is designed to address the most persistent pain points in the channel: margin erosion, channel conflict, and ambiguous rules of engagement. The program gives partners a clear, structured path to deliver identity security outcomes to their customers and provides a foundation for predictable, profitable growth. Beyond protecting discounts, the program is structured to help partners compound the value of every customer relationship they build.

“Partners don’t care about your partner program,” said Scott Goree, senior vice president of channel and alliances at Delinea. “They care about technology that works, protected discounts, and a vendor that’s easy to work with. We built this program around what partners told us they actually need.”

The Delinea Partner Advantage Program has three core tenets – Protect, Align, and Scale – and introduces a modern structure to support how partners work today. Key features of the program include:

  • Codified Rules of Engagement: Clear, published deal registration, teaming protections, and Earned Incumbency discounts to ensure partners who invest in building and expanding customer relationships are protected on renewals and rewarded for their ongoing contribution.
  • AI-Driven Enablement: AI-powered just-in-time training and certifications that deliver the right content at the right moment in the sales cycle alongside an AI-powered partner portal.
  • Channel Autonomy: Streamlined processes, tools, and automation designed to remove friction from the full quote-to-cash journey, enabling partners to spend less time navigating vendor complexity and more time selling.

The program launches as AI reshapes what customers need from identity security. According to the Delinea 2026 Identity Security Report, 92% of organizations expect AI to amplify identity-related threats in the coming years, and 42% say AI expansion has already increased their non-human identity risk in the past 12 months. That demand is the growth opportunity the Partner Advantage Program is built to capture, giving partners a new revenue stream backed by a platform designed to govern access for every human, machine, and AI identity.

“The Delinea Partner Advantage Program reflects a strong commitment to building successful, long-term partnerships,” said Mark Thornberry, SVP Partnerships, GuidePoint Security. “The program provides a clear framework that supports how we work together in the market, while recognizing the value partners bring through the customer relationships we cultivate and support.”

To support partners at every stage of their relationship with Delinea, the program offers three tiers: Elite for leading at scale, Premier for growing practice depth, and Select for building expertise. Each tier is structured to reflect the depth of engagement and unlock the right level of access, investment, and support.

Enrollment in the Delinea Partner Advantage Program is open to selling partners across all tiers now, with roles for MSPs, GSIs, advisory, and technology partners coming soon.

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