Tech News
The Future of Maritime Operations: Combining Technical Skills with BusinessStrategy
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.
Tech News
OPTRO LAUNCHES ‘OPTRO PARTNER CONNECT’ TO POWER GLOBAL GRC ECOSYSTEM GROWTH

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.
Tech News
DXC INTRODUCES DXC PRIVATE CLOUD+, BRINGING GREATER CONTROL, SECURITY, AND FLEXIBILITY TO ENTERPRISE CLOUD
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.
Tech News
DELINEA LAUNCHES NEW PARTNER PROGRAM TO DRIVE PARTNER PROFITABILITY AND SCALE GROWTH
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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