Tech News
62% OF SAUDI LEADERS ARE FAILING TO USE THEIR DATA EFFECTIVELY, NEW CLOUDERA REPORT FINDS

Cloudera, the only company bringing AI to data anywhere, today released its latest global survey, The Data Readiness Index: Understanding the Foundations for Successful AI, examining how prepared enterprises are to support AI at scale. Surveying more than 300 IT leaders in the EMEA region, including strong insights from Saudi Arabia, the report finds that while AI adoption is growing, most organizations still lack the data foundation needed for success.
The findings highlight a sharp contrast in how effectively organizations track their data. Nearly 9 in 10 EMEA IT leaders claim complete visibility into where all their data resides, compared to just 32% of respondents in Saudi Arabia. Furthermore, 62% of Saudi respondents cite data access restrictions as a major roadblock to effective data use.
This gap highlights an emerging ‘AI readiness illusion’: the belief that organizations are prepared to scale AI even as critical data challenges remain unresolved.
“Enterprises aren’t struggling to adopt AI, they’re struggling to operationalize it beyond experiments,” said Sergio Gago, Chief Technology Officer at Cloudera. “AI is only as effective as the data that fuels it. Without seamless access to all their data, organizations limit the accuracy, trust, and business value that AI can deliver. You can’t do AI without data.”
AI Adoption is High, but ROI Remains Elusive
While AI is now deeply embedded across the enterprise, achieving consistent returns on investment remains difficult due to a sharp geographical divide in implementation hurdles. Across EMEA, the struggle is largely centered on the inputs, with data quality issues (18%) and cost overruns (16%) cited as the primary causes of lackluster ROI. However, Saudi Arabia presents a different challenge focused on execution. In the Kingdom, weak integration into workflows is the overwhelming barrier at 29%, nearly doubling the concern over data quality, which sits at 15%.
These regional nuances are further tangled by significant infrastructure limitations. Around 65% of respondents in KSA report that performance constraints have hindered operational initiatives, highlighting the immense difficulty of scaling AI across fragmented environments.
Bridging The Data Gap
At the core of these challenges is a significant disconnect between data optimism and operational reality.
The report highlights that 95% of KSA respondents are highly confident in their data, but only 32% of that data is currently fully governed. While this outpaces the broader EMEA region, where only 26% of data is governed despite 91% confidence, it highlights a critical execution gap that organizations are now racing to fill.
The Kingdom is uniquely positioned to bridge this divide with 100% of Saudi respondents ready to adopt new governance frameworks, and 79% being extremely willing to transform their operations. This regional commitment suggests that Saudi Arabia’s proactive approach will likely outpace its peers in the race toward AI and digital maturity.
Strategic Alignment and the Accountability Gap
While leadership in both the EMEA and KSA regions understands the necessity of data infrastructure, the execution and accountability frameworks are worlds apart. More than 90% of EMEA respondents report a well-defined data strategy tied directly to business objectives, while only over half (53%) of Saudi Arabian respondents feel the same level of alignment.
Accountability and internal culture further widen this divide. In EMEA, 69% of leaders hold the CIO or CTO chiefly responsible for data readiness, whereas in Saudi Arabia, only 35% place ultimate responsibility on this role, indicating a more emerging ownership structure.
Beyond accountability and alignment, respondents in Saudi Arabia face a unique internal hurdle: 50% struggle with insufficient data literacy, while nearly a third (32%) cite a lack of executive sponsorship.
Data Readiness Will Define the Next Phase of Enterprise AI
As enterprise AI shifts from experimentation to execution, data readiness is emerging as the defining factor separating leaders from laggards.
Organizations able to fully access and govern all their data, wherever it resides, are far better equipped to deliver trusted, scalable AI. Notably, every respondent in the report indicated their organization is willing to adapt existing frameworks to support true data readiness.
As enterprises confront the limits of the AI readiness illusion, the path forward is clear: unlocking AI’s full value will require more than ambition; it will demand genuine data readiness. Those that close this gap will be best positioned to drive lasting impact and lead the next era of intelligent business.
Tech News
Vertiv expands Manufacturing and Testing Capacity at Tognana Campus near Padua
Vertiv (NYSE: VRT), a global leader in critical digital infrastructure, today announced investments to expand chiller manufacturing and integrated testing capabilities at its Tognana campus near Padua. The company expects to double chiller production capacity in the region by the end of 2026 and complete a new large-scale testing laboratory in early 2027. The growth is also creating additional career opportunities across the campus. The site serves as one of Vertiv’s principal centers for cooling technology development, bringing together research and development, product management, manufacturing, and a Customer Experience Center, where customers and consultants can participate in witness testing of a broad range of cooling technologies across the thermal chain under real-world operating conditions.
With the growing demand for thermal systems to support high-density AI applications, Vertiv is focused on increasing manufacturing operations and new production processes at the Tognana site to support regional and global chiller capacity. The company is also investing in a new integrated testing laboratory for large-scale chillers, to validate their integration with liquid cooling systems under high-density load conditions and extreme temperature ranges. The expanded capability is intended to help customers validate thermal performance under expected site conditions and deploy increasingly complex cooling systems with greater speed and confidence.
“AI is driving thermal demands that didn’t exist two years ago, with higher densities, faster deployment demands, and no room to compromise on reliability,” said Giordano Albertazzi, CEO of Vertiv. “The expansion at Tognana puts us further ahead with more manufacturing capacity, integrated testing, and advanced thermal management systems built for current and future generations of silicon. This investment reinforces our position at the front of the curve.”
Vertiv has maintained a longstanding presence at the Tognana site since the 1960s, building on the legacy of brands such as Vertiv™ Liebert® and Vertiv™ Hiross, pioneers in precision cooling. Today, the campus serves as one of Vertiv’s principal European centers for data center thermal management, integrating innovation, manufacturing, testing, and customer engagement capabilities. Together with the Castel Guelfo facility near Bologna, it forms one of Vertiv’s main European technology hubs. Bologna and Tognana are also Vertiv Academy sites, providing training programs for technicians, partners and industry professionals. They are part of a network of 30 training centers and academies worldwide, of which 15 are based in Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA).
“The expertise of our Tognana teams is central to Vertiv’s ability to support increasingly complex cooling requirements,” said Sam Bainborough, vice president, thermal business at Vertiv in EMEA. “By expanding manufacturing, integrated testing and our local talent base, we are strengthening the campus’s role in serving customers across EMEA and other global markets while creating skilled opportunities in the region.”
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.
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