Blue Ocean Global delivers ICT and telecommunications products through a structured, process-led model focused on consistency, compliance, and customer alignment. Operating across the Middle East, Africa, the Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia, Australia, and New Zealand, the company manages the distribution of internationally recognized brands including Mitel, NEC, and Gigaset.

With a foundation in standardized processes and a commitment to adapting to regional demands, Blue Ocean Global offers a combination of e-commerce distribution and specialized telecommunications solutions. The company prioritizes operational clarity and reliability, ensuring its partners are equipped with relevant, high-quality products tailored to evolving market conditions.

Blue Ocean Global Security Solution, the company’s ICT-focused division, manages a wide B2B network across more than 40 countries. This division works closely with channel partners to place NEC, Mitel, Gigaset, and other technology brands in sectors including aviation, telecommunications, banking, finance, and healthcare. Pre-sales consultation and post-sales support form a core part of this offering, enabling seamless integration across various industries.

“Our technology-driven approach enables efficient data analysis, seamless inventory management, and enhanced decision-making across all verticals,” says Rohit Savara, CEO of Blue Ocean Global. The company integrates advanced technology to support internal operations—helping monitor SKUs, track inventory in real time, and maintain compliance with regional standards.

Blue Ocean Global’s warehousing infrastructure is designed for both global distribution and local responsiveness. Facilities offer ambient and non-ambient storage options, along with reworking, bundling, labeling, and packaging services tailored to promotional or market-specific needs. These value-added services support supply chain flexibility while maintaining product quality.

With a presence in multiple markets and a focus on operational efficiency, Blue Ocean Global continues to refine its internal systems and partner engagement strategy—aiming to provide dependable, process-driven solutions across a dynamic and competitive landscape.

By Aleksei Makarov

When I first arrived in Dubai, I was struck not only by the scale of its ambition but by the clarity of its vision. What once was a desert is now one of the world’s most advanced and inspiring cities, thanks to the leadership of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and the continued national progress under His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. In this spirit of innovation, I believe the maritime sector is poised to become one of the UAE’s next great achievements.

This is precisely the energy I see today in the maritime sector. An industry rooted in the Emirates’ history, but still waiting to fulfill its modern potential. From ancient pearl diving to historic trade routes, seafaring has shaped this region for centuries. And now with global shipping and marine technologies evolving faster than ever, we have the opportunity to reclaim that legacy and turn it into a world-leading force.

The idea behind Octanta Maritime Academy was born out of this vision. Our goal wasn’t just to create another training center – it was to respond to a pressing need. Too often, education and real-world maritime practice remain disconnected. Our team of experienced captains, engineers, and maritime professionals understood that to shape future leaders, we must offer more than just courses. We must offer mentorship, real-world perspective, and a foundation built on both skill and character.

One of the key challenges we address is preparing professionals for a dramatically changing industry. New regulations, digital ship management, AI-assisted navigation, and unmanned vessels are already shaping maritime operations. These are not distant concepts – they’re here now. That’s why we integrate emerging technologies into our curriculum, but always emphasize that behind every system, a human is still responsible. When lives and cargo are at stake, technology helps but judgment, calm under pressure, and leadership make the final difference.

We strongly believe that maritime training cannot be reduced to theory or online modules. Seamanship it’s physical, intuitive, and deeply situational. You cannot learn to lead a ship through a crisis over an online meeting. That’s why our programs focus on simulation, immersive exercises, and face-to-face instruction. From day one, our students are trained as professionals to lead teams, manage risks, and uphold the highest standards of safety and conduct.

Another pillar of our philosophy is bridging the gap between maritime engineering and business leadership. Captains, like military officers, don’t just execute – they manage people, make strategic decisions, and ensure operations run efficiently. This requires a wide range of skills: emotional intelligence, discipline, and the ability to think both tactically and long-term. We embed these elements throughout our training to ensure that our graduates aren’t only technically proficient but ready to lead departments, vessels, or entire companies.

Equally important is career direction. We work closely with companies and maritime organizations to make sure our programs align with actual industry needs. Our students leave with a clear understanding of where their skills are most valuable and how they can grow. Whether it’s logistics, compliance, offshore operations, or maritime innovation, we support each student’s long-term development, not just their first job.

The UAE is uniquely positioned to be a global maritime hub. Strategically located, deeply invested in infrastructure, and supported by a government that champions innovation, the country already excels in aviation and real estate. Maritime can and should be the next sector to shine on the global stage. With the right institutions, workforce, and vision, there’s no reason why Dubai and Abu Dhabi can’t lead in maritime education, shipping services, and marine innovation.

To young professionals thinking about a maritime career, I offer this: be adaptable. This is an industry that will look very different in five years, let alone twenty. The best way to succeed is to combine technical skill with a mindset of curiosity, resilience, and lifelong learning. You may start as an engineer or officer, but with the right preparation, you can grow into a strategist, innovator, or leader of an entire fleet.

At Octanta Maritime Academy, we prepare students for a mission. We are committed to excellence in what we teach and in who we help them become.

In contributing to the future of maritime operations in the UAE, we hope to do more than build careers – we aim to help shape the next chapter of this nation’s incredible story. One written on water, driven by knowledge, and powered by vision.

Qlik recently announced the acquisition of the Qloud Cover Migration technology from Stretch Qonnect, a long-standing Qlik Elite Solution Provider. This automated solution, to be branded as the Qlik Analytics Migration Tool, eliminates the complexity of migrating from QlikView, Qlik Sense, and NPrinting to Qlik Cloud—a persistent barrier to cloud adoption. It will be made available through Qlik at no cost to customers or through our Qlik-certified partners.

This acquisition gives Qlik customers and partners access to a proven, enterprise-grade migration engine—purpose-built for the Qlik ecosystem. While the shift to Qlik Cloud unlocks agility, faster innovation, and AI-driven capabilities, migration remains one of the most costly and disruptive hurdles. For many, it’s not about if they’ll move to the cloud, but how. Qlik Analytics Migration Tool delivers that how—with speed, structure, and scale—turning the first mile of modernization into an advantage, not a barrier.

“Too many organizations want to modernize, but they’re stuck—held back by the complexity and risk of migration,” said Roberto Sigona, Chief Operating Officer at Qlik. “This is about clearing that roadblock. We’re not just making it easier to move to the cloud—we’re making it practical, responsible, and immediate. Customers shouldn’t have to choose between keeping what works and gaining what’s next.”

The newly acquired migration tool provides full automation across the entire Qlik modernization process. It supports both QlikView and Qlik Sense environments and is designed to handle large-scale, complex deployments. Key benefits include:

• Faster, smarter scoping of migration projects: Automatically extracts metadata from client-managed environments and helps users design and implement the corresponding Qlik Cloud structure — removing guesswork from planning and reducing assessment cycles.
• Reduced effort and error in re-platforming: Automatically migrates Qlik objects like applications and data connections to Qlik Cloud, including making adjustments to legacy syntax, file paths, and custom logic.
• Flexible migration paths for every customer: Enables guided workflows for both self-service users and certified partners, with support for phased or full cutover strategies.
• Streamlined dashboard migration with visual continuity: Accelerates the transition of visualizations into Qlik Cloud, retaining layout intent and reducing rebuild effort.
• Lower migration risk with built-in validation and control: Provides rollback, backup, and content verification—ensuring safe transitions without jeopardizing continuity.

To further accelerate adoption, Qlik is also offering a complimentary Qlik Cloud tenant for customers who do not yet have one. Available at no cost until their next renewal, this tenant provides a ready-made environment to begin migrations, run proofs of concept, and explore Qlik Cloud’s full capabilities. Customers can request access through their Qlik representative or partner contact.

“We built this solution to solve a problem we kept seeing in the field—migrations that took too long, cost too much, or stalled entirely,” said Martin Sahlin, CEO and Founder of Stretch Qonnect. “It’s been proven across industries, in real-world deployments. Now, with Qlik bringing it to the full customer base, it’s ready to make a much bigger impact.”

Tightly integrated with Qlik Cloud APIs and governance models, the tool accelerates transitions while maintaining control, accuracy, and business continuity.

“Migrating to Qlik Cloud was a strategic priority for Lundbeck, and this tool gave us a structured, reliable way to make that move at scale,” said Stine Thomasen, Senior Manager for Business Intelligence, Lundbeck. “We were able to modernize thousands of analytics assets across global teams while maintaining continuity and control. It’s enabled faster insight delivery, better alignment, and a stronger foundation for innovation in how we use data.”

Designed to scale through Qlik’s global partner network, the migration capability helps certified partners deliver modernization faster and at lower cost. It turns complex projects into repeatable, high-quality offerings. For customers with in-house resources, a self-service option provides the same structured guidance—making cloud transitions accessible to any team.