Orange Business is seeing a growing number of enterprises across MEA reassess their resilience and disaster recovery strategies as geopolitical uncertainties and infrastructure dependencies put business continuity under pressure during prolonged disruptions. 

Traditional resilience strategies focus on recovery after an incident. But during a systemic crisis, businesses also need an architecture that keeps critical operations running while conditions remain unstable. CIOs are seeking a more dynamic and agile approach to adapt to changing conditions, mapping technology dependencies and planning for operational continuity in periods of instability. 

This iterative resilience includes strengthening backup and recovery architectures, adopting multi-site and cloud-based redundancy, automating failover processes and continuously stress-testing recovery readiness to maintain services under adverse conditions.  

“Recent escalations have made enterprises realize they need to be more proactive and flexible when it comes to resilience, but this is not easy with the complexity and distributed nature of modern interconnected infrastructures,” explains Sahem Azzam, President of IMEA and Inner Asia at Orange Business. “As a trusted partner with a local and international footprint, we are uniquely placed to help CIOs right-size their resilience strategy and do what is necessary in terms of disaster recovery based on current risks to ensure they can continue operations during periods of turbulence”. 

CIOs steering through an increasingly volatile digital landscape must treat business continuity management as a continuously evolving capability rather than a one-time plan. 

Building resilient, future-ready operations

By leveraging the scalability and geographic diversity of cloud infrastructure, enterprises can ensure that data remains accessible – even in the event of catastrophic failure.  

Orange Business helps organizations address this through hybrid cloud resilience with secure replication in its sovereign offer, Cloud Avenue, and provides co-location support in secure data center environments. Data can be segmented and mirrored based on business requirements.

A regularly tested resilience plan should be reinforced with real-time monitoring automation and embedded cybersecurity controls to enable rapid detection, response and recovery – ensuring uninterrupted operations in the most volatile situations. Orange Business works closely with Orange Cyberdefense, which is skilled at strengthening resilience through continuous security oversight and threat expertise.  

Platformization: a unified and trusted digital foundation 

In addition, platformization remodels disaster recovery from static backup plans into a dynamic, automated resilience solution. Where security, compliance and recovery are built into the same operational fabric. 

Building on its platformization announcement in the region last year, Orange Business is also highlighting its modular approach to cloud, connectivity and cybersecurity to support continuous operations as part of a business continuity management strategy. 

Evolution Platform’s modular and composable architecture allows customers to select and link together network and security functions as required, for example. It includes backup integration and dynamic SD-WAN failover to re-route critical traffic. 

Across the MEA region, the conversation has shifted. The real challenge is no longer whether to accelerate digital transformation, but how to build trusted cloud and platform foundations that give organizations the confidence to innovate while maintaining secure, continuous operations in an unstable environment.

Tally Solutions, a leading international technology provider of business management software, has announced the launch of the sixth edition of its flagship annual initiative, Tally MSME Honours. With an aim to recognize and celebrate emerging entrepreneurs, the initiative builds on the momentum of five successful years and continues to champion the future of the UAE’s MSME ecosystem by spotlighting innovation, resilience, and meaningful impact.

Over the last five editions, Tally MSME Honours has received more than 70,000 nominations globally, with over 20% of entries from women-led ventures, making it one of the biggest global platforms to celebrate MSMEs. This year, Tally expects 20,000 nominations across categories. The honours will also bring forth MSME success stories from across India, Africa, Bangladesh, and Nepal, in addition to the Middle East. The entries can be submitted by interested businesses or people who know such businesses via this link.

As part of this year’s edition, participants can submit video entries, ensuring representation from different emirates across the UAE. To further strengthen the evaluation process, Tally is also deploying an AI-led shortlisting framework that will help validate and assess entries more comprehensively by analyzing publicly available business information, ensuring deserving businesses receive due recognition for their impact and growth.

Speaking about the initiative, Vikas Panchal, General Manager – MENA, Tally Solutions, said, “MSME Honours is not just an award platform; it is a celebration of the resilience, ambition, and entrepreneurial spirit that drives small businesses forward every day. Across the UAE and the wider MENA region, we continue to witness inspiring MSMEs building innovative businesses, creating employment, and contributing meaningfully to economic growth. This becomes even more relevant as the UAE continues to place strong focus on strengthening its SME ecosystem as a key pillar of the country’s long-term economic vision. Through MSME Honours, we aim to spotlight these stories of determination and impact, while encouraging more entrepreneurs to share and celebrate their journeys.”

With a strong focus on enabling long-term growth and visibility, Tally MSME Honours extends beyond recognition to create a platform that continuously supports entrepreneurial journeys. Over the years, past winners have become part of a growing network of business leaders and changemakers, gaining opportunities to participate in industry discussions, ecosystem forums, and business-led conversations. These engagements help entrepreneurs showcase their journeys, build meaningful collaborations, exchange insights, and further strengthen their impact within the broader MSME ecosystem.

Tally MSME Honours 2026 will feature the following award categories:

• Business Maestro: Established businesses that have mastered the art of thriving and sustaining success.
• Wonder Woman: Outstanding women-led businesses making a remarkable impact.
• NewGen Icon: A new generation of business owners innovating and paving the way for exponential growth.
• Tech Transformer: Businesses leveraging new technology to drive efficiency and scale.
• E-preneur Icon: Purpose-driven businesses contributing meaningfully to society and the environment

The entries will be judged by an esteemed panel comprising experts from the field of technology, the MSME domain, and the media.

Belkin, a global leader in consumer electronics for over 40 years, today announced a real-world special edition iPad case inspired by Lilypad, the high-tech frog-shaped smart tablet character from Disney and Pixar’s “Toy Story 5,” in theaters June 18.

Designed to transform an iPad into a fun character companion, the Lilypad iPad Case blends protection with subtle character-inspired features, turning tablet use into an imaginative, playful experience connected to the world of “Toy Story 5.”

“Lilypad represents a modern take on how kids interact with technology,” said Steve Malony, CEO of Belkin. “With this collaboration, we wanted to create an accessory that captures the character’s personality while still delivering the quality, durability, protection, and thoughtful design families expect from Belkin.”

Turning an iPad into Lilypad

Designed, for families and Disney collectors, the Lilypad iPad Case combines durable EVA foam construction with character-inspired details like a built-in carry handle and foldable kickstand, allowing users to comfortably hold, carry, and use their device for watching, drawing, or learning on the go.

Key features include:

• Official Lilypad Character Design – Inspired by Lilypad from Disney and Pixar’s “Toy Story 5,” the case gives iPad (10^th and 11^th generation) expressive eye details and a character-inspired design.
• Kid-Proof Protection – Durable EVA foam construction helps absorb bumps and drops during everyday play.
• Soft, Grippy Edges – Easy for small hands to hold securely, helping reduce slips and accidental drops.
• Built-In Carry Handle – Integrated handle provides easy portability, designed to keep up with everyday use.
• Built-In Kickstand – Foldable kickstand supports hands-free viewing for drawing, watching, or playing.
• Exclusive Digital Wallpapers – Each case includes a QR code to download complimentary Lilypad-themed wallpapers for home and lock screens, making the iPad feel even more like the character.
• Safe & Parent-Approved Materials – Made with non-toxic materials and wipe-clean surfaces for easy maintenance.