Advancing Connectivity and Security for the AI Era

Exclusive interview with Ahmed Al-Sayed, Channel Sales Lead for the MEA Region at HPE Aruba Networking, during GITEX Global 2024. Ahmed highlighted how sustainability is a central theme on everyone’s mind, with HPE Aruba Networking prioritizing it across their innovations. In particular, he discussed solutions for small businesses, including their advanced Wi-Fi 7 technology, which brings enterprise-quality connectivity to this space.

What are some of the highlights from a channel business perspective for HPE Aruba Networking?

At HPE Aruba Networking, we have always been led by innovation. Our focus is on empowering our channel partners to differentiate themselves within the competitive landscape and remain relevant to their customers. Our channel partner programs continue to evolve to adapt the market changes and to make sure we reward our channel partners for their value added activities. Enablement is key because market dynamics are constantly shifting. We want our partners to evolve and remain specialized with the latest technology and innovations. To achieve this, we’ve developed multiple platforms within HPE to ensure our partners have access to the latest tools. In line with the theme here at GITEX, “AI: The Future is Now,” we’re bringing this vision to life.

How HPE Aruba Networking is working towards this AI-driven world?

HPE Aruba Networking has been one of the leading companies in AI-driven innovation, investing significantly to prepare our infrastructure for an AI-ready future. The AI era is unlocking an enormous amount of opportunity, with networking infrastructure playing a critical role in managing the vast workloads and applications of AI. Our solutions allow customers to leverage AI to its fullest potential, optimizing networks and generating valuable insights. Through a dual approach we call “networking for AI and AI for networking,” we provide our customers with the tools they need to enhance performance and realize the full power of AI.

How does HPE Aruba’s security-first AI networking portfolio as a whole add value in this market?

I would break this security-first, AI-powered networking approach into two parts. Security has always been central to our products, and we encourage our customers to adopt a zero-trust model. This means knowing exactly what is connected to the network and to be given the least access privileges enforced. Instead of managing complex, disparate systems, we consolidate security into a single platform that provides a comprehensive 360-degree view, encompassing our offerings from networking to ZTNA, ClearPass, and NAC solutions. On the AI-powered front, our approach enhances automation and protection, reducing manual configurations, minimizing potential security gaps, and enabling the network and security teams to anticipate and address issues proactively.

How important is the world’s biggest tech event, GITEX Global, for the company?

GITEX Global is one of the most important platforms for showcasing our latest technologies and innovations. It’s an opportunity to engage directly with partners and customers, sharing solutions such as Wi-Fi 7, our latest in connectivity. We know our customers expect cutting-edge advancements from HPE. Sustainability is also a priority, and we ensure it’s at the heart of all our innovations. At GITEX, we’ve presented our small business solutions, offering complete end-to-end connectivity from access point to wireless LAN, bringing enterprise quality to small businesses. We’re also showcasing our end-to-end SASE platform, designed to secure and streamline access for our clients and partners.