Apcom welcomes a new Apple Authorized Reseller in the Adriatic – BC Group Computers
Apcom in the Adriatic recently signed an agreement with BC Group Computers, a major operator in online only retail technology sales in Serbia, as a new Apple Authorized Reseller.
“Apcom is proud to announce cooperation with BC Group Computers as an Apple Authorized Reseller” said Dragana Lovre, Regional Retail Account Executive, Apcom. “BC Group is a regional market leader in online sales with a strong focus on customer satisfaction. We are looking forward to working with them and helping them make Apple products even more available in all parts of our country.”
BC Group Computers has 18 years of experience in online business and were among the first in Serbia to recognize the potential of e-commerce. According to the company website, from the earliest days of e-commerce they have been working to build the trust of customers through digital sales.
Photo credit – BC Group doo
Online, BC Group receive 50,000 visits per day which leads to 13,000 orders per month and rising. There are 50,000 items available on the web platform with a wide range of offers in different categories. Customers give Google reviews of 4.9 for the company which suggests that BC Group customers are among the most satisfied in the online business.
“After almost 20 years of successful existence of BC Group in our market, I can say that we are mature and experienced enough to recognize good business opportunities and choose the companies and people with whom we will cooperate through great effort, hard work and above all with a huge dedication to each of our customers and clients” said Marko Šoškić, General Manager of BC Group Computers doo.
“We set all goals, including for Apple products, as realistic, concrete and measurable and we aim to achieve them. We want excellent results and we can achieve them, so we can’t wait to embark on the BC Group adventure as an Apple Authorized Reseller” added Marko Šoškić.
More about Apcom in the Adriatic
Apcom in the Adriatic is an Apple Authorized Distributor in Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Albania, Kosovo and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
MDS System Integration Group launches new corporate website
MDS System Integration Group, the #1 IT services provider in the region, has launched a new website at https://mdssigroup.com/. The new website was announced at the MDS SI kickoff event held recently. It is designed to be easy to navigate, with improved security features and is more user-friendly with a dynamic and interactive design.
Key features of the website include:
Affiliate Directory (Solutions, Industries focus, Countries coverage, Partners etc.) covering important information of all the MDS SI Affiliates operating in 13 countries across 20 cities.
Smart filtration process covering all the relevant details for affiliates by Industries, Solutions, Partners.
Optimized for SEO that will be running throughout the year ensuring higher ranking on Search Engines like Google etc.
The site homepage features an easy to use ‘Access your Solution’ dropdown filter which seamlessly directs viewers to information about which Affiliates offer what kind of solutions across the 13 countries that MDS SI affiliates operates in.
The release of the new website follows other recent achievements by the Group. MDS SI is leading the way in the IT Services market across the GCC according to the recently released IDC Competitive Profiles and 2021 Analysis of IT Services players. The Group leads the market in UAE and Oman, and is an increasingly successful contender in Qatar, and also in the KSA market, up from ninth in 2020 to eighth place in 2021.
Greater Together: MDS System Integration Group welcomes senior management at 2023 Kickoff event
Senior leaders at MDS System Integration Group welcomed key stakeholders at their annual Kickoff event held in Dubai on March 3, 2023. With an inspiring theme – Greater Together – the day began with a keynote from MDS SI President, Sami Abi Esber.
Held this year at the Hilton Palm Jumeirah, more than150 of the Group’s top executives attended from all affiliates within the MDS SI Group. In his opening keynote, focused on growth, Sami Abi Esber talked about the pathway to 2025, an overview of current business and what the way forward looks like.
The day’s agenda was brought to life all through the day by interactive games led by the event’s MC, Robert Day of Turnaround. The first session taxed the brains and challenged the creativity of everyone present. Next in the formal program was guest speaker Ranjit Rajan, VP Research at IDC, who offered excellent insights into the ‘Tech Market Outlook & Ecosystem Strategies for Addressing Opportunities in 2023 and Beyond.’
All through the Kickoff meeting there were some very taxing interactive games designed to cultivate team togetherness. Photo credit – MDS SI
Most sessions highlighted the achievements of 2022 and the way forward with a key focus being ‘The Path to 25 and the strategy to achieve the Mission and Vision of the MDS SI Group’.
One of the key highlights of the day was the Annual President’s Awards and the winners of these prestigious awards were as follows:
Abdul Salam Knio: ICT-D Qatar (Winner – Innovation)
Jawad Alam: ICT-D Qatar (Winner – Innovation)
Cesar El Ferkh: MDS CPT (Winner (Cross Group Collaboration)
Muhammad Faiez: MDS CPT (Winner – Cross Group Collaboration)
Georges Sargi: QuanTech SAL (Winner – Cross Group Collaboration)
Amir Abu Naj: SVDS (Winner – Cross Group Collaboration)
Jacques Gemayel: MMR (Winner – Going Extra Mile)
Anas Ajlouni: MAGNOOS (Winner – Operational Excellence)
Greater Together – the whole MDS SI Group senior team at the 2023 Kickoff meeting. Photo credit – Robert Day, Turnaround.
MDS for Computer Systems promoted to Star Partner by NetApp
Riyadh-Saudi Arabia, February 23, 2023 – MDS for Computer Systems (MDS CS) today announces that it has been promoted to Star level Partner of NetApp, a global cloud-led, data-centric software company that empowers organizations to lead with data in the age of accelerated digital transformation.
“It is with great happiness and genuine excitement that we announce the promotion of our partnership with NetApp to Star level – what an inspiring achievement” said Khaled Halawa, General Manager, MDS-CS.
“We are incredibly proud of our team who devoted years of hard work and dedication to this partnership. NetApp team’s level of dedication and professionalism has impressed us tremendously. Please accept our deepest appreciation for your unflagging efforts. We have enjoyed doing business with you and we anticipate a lasting business relationship” said Khaled Halawa.
More about MDS for Computer Systems
MDS for Computer Systems is a well-known and highly reputable organization with an expert team of engineers and technicians and a large base of satisfied customers including a significant number of large turnkey projects.
MDS for Computer Systems brings in a highly professional approach to meet each of its customers’ unique business requirements. Its commitment in terms of financial investment and customer support is aimed at a long-term relationship with its customers.
Mindware has earned the Windows Server and SQL Server Migration to Microsoft Azure specialization
Dubai – March 1, 2023 – Mindware today announced it has earned the Windows Server and SQL Server Migration to Microsoft Azure Specialization, a validation of a solution partner’s deep knowledge, extensive experience and expertise in migrating Windows Server and SQL Server-based workloads to Azure.
This level distinguishes channel partners that have met the stringent criteria around customer success and staff skilling, as well as pass a third-party audit of their migration practices earning them this Azure specialization.
More and more companies seek to modernize their applications and take full advantage of the benefits that cloud computing can deliver. The end-of-support for Windows Server 2008 R2 and SQL Server 2002 R2 (plus upcoming end-of-support for Windows Server 2012 R2 and SQL Server 2012 R2 in October 2023) will continue to increase the need to find partners with skills to assess, plan and migrate their existing workloads to the cloud.
“The achievement of this Microsoft Azure Specialization is a confirmation of our capabilities at Mindware to successfully plan and deliver complex cloud migration projects” said Silmi Khanfir, Director of Cloud and XaaS at Mindware. “Together with our partners and Microsoft we are working to help customers transform their businesses and we’re delivering impactful, human-centered solutions to the market every day.”
Andrew Smith, General Manager, Partner Program Management at Microsoft added, “The Windows Server and SQL Server Migration to Microsoft Azure Specialization highlights the partners who can be viewed as most capable when it comes to migrating Windows-based workloads over to Azure. Mindware clearly demonstrated that they have both the skills and the experience to offer clients a path to successful migration so that they can start enjoying the benefits of being in the cloud.”
More about Mindware
As one of the leading distributors of the finest IT products in the Middle East and Africa, Mindware’s extensive portfolio includes top-class global brands reaching out to over 4,000 partners. Mindware’s comprehensive offering includes a selection of infrastructure, networking, security, and storage leading brands. As part of its VAD methodology, Mindware also offers supplementary value-added services to its reselling partners including pre-sales consultancy, implementation services, local technical support, marketing enablement tools, and multiple channel-enabling programs. Headquartered in Dubai UAE since 1991, Mindware has been uncompromisingly serving its customers for more than three decades.
Mindware Academy launched to bridge technology skills gap in the Middle East
DUBAI, UAE, February 22, 2023: Mindware, a leading Value Added Distributor (VAD) in the Middle East and Africa, has announced the launch of Mindware Academy, an initiative designed to develop young talent and help combat the challenge of IT skills shortage in the Middle East.
Mindware teamed up with the American University of Sharjah (AUS) for a pilot program in December, where a few select students from the University successfully underwent a five week internship. The two institutions are now working towards signing a Memorandum of Agreement with the intention of growing the relationship and deepening the collaboration. As part of the agreement, the University will commit to providing the best potential candidates for the program on an on-going basis.
The pilot program covered the following topics and information:
Introduction to Cloud, Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), and Cloud vs On-premise
Security overview, Data Protection, Endpoint Security and Identity & Access Management, Data center and Cloud Security, Security Operations and Incident Response
Data center overview, Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery, Digital Workspace, Network Management, Server Virtualization fundamentals, Endpoint foundation
Mindware service offerings and understanding processes from receiving the RFP, preparing the quotation, SoW, pricing and assigning engineers.
The internship not only helped the students enhance their technical knowledge but also helped significantly improve their communication and presentation skills, besides giving them clarity on which courses/ tracks to opt for in the next four years of their university education.
Mindware Academy will start with two programs a year in UAE, with six students attending each program. As the Academy grows from strength to strength, Mindware will look to ramp up the number of programs, as well as expand the concept from UAE to the wider Middle East region, involving more universities.
The initial phase will feature technical skills development, but in time the program will be expanded to include sales, marketing, e-commerce, marketplace and other disciplines. These new areas will be mapped to Mindware’s own requirements for talent, so that once interns finish the programs, top performing students could be presented with a job offer from Mindware.
Mindware Academy is the brainchild of Philippe Jarre, CEO of Mindware, who believes that in a dynamic, ever-evolving tech industry, the minds of tomorrow need to be equipped to take on all its challenges. He advocates that there is no better way than to invest and train students in real world scenarios with practical experience that gives them the tools they need to be able to make a positive impact in the industry.
“We are excited to launch Mindware Academy and provide opportunities for the next generation of talent to learn and grow with our company. We believe this program will be beneficial for both, the interns as well as our organization, and we look forward to seeing the impact it will have. There is a skills gap in the region and this program aims to bridge that gap by providing young talent with the opportunity to gain valuable hands-on experience” Philippe Jarre concludes.
More about Mindware
As one of the leading distributors of the finest IT products in the Middle East and Africa, Mindware’s extensive portfolio includes top-class global brands reaching out to over 4,000 partners. Mindware’s comprehensive offering includes a selection of infrastructure, networking, security, and storage leading brands. As part of its VAD methodology, Mindware also offers supplementary value-added services to its reselling partners including pre-sales consultancy, implementation services, local technical support, marketing enablement tools, and multiple channel-enabling programs. Headquartered in Dubai UAE since 1991, Mindware has been uncompromisingly serving its customers for more than three decades.
iSTYLE opens the first Apple Premium Reseller (APR) retail site in Casablanca, Morocco
iSTYLE, the leading chain of Apple retailers in Europe and the Middle East, has opened the first Apple Premium Reseller (APR) retail site in Casablanca in the fancy Al Massira boulevard.
The welcome event on February 7 was enjoyed by around 50 distinguished invited guests, including prominent media figures and key Moroccan social influencers, along with a talented illustrator doing portraits of guests on iPad.
The iSTYLE team relax before the big opening event. Photo credit – iSTYLE MENA
“It’s the whole Apple experience, with Apple expertise, from a design template approved by Apple” said Edy Hamati, Business Development Manager for Lebanon and Morocco at iSTYLE, during the opening of the new store. “Our team of five salespeople are all trained by Apple to give the best advice to customers. Now we’re offering the full Apple experience to the Moroccan consumer. Grateful to be working with such an amazing team. The best is yet to come!” added Edy.
iSTYLE Massira joins one other iSTYLE store in the city and more are coming to the country soon. Photo credit – iSTYLE
The Apple Premium Reseller concept builds upon the already excellent iSTYLE retail offerings to include enhanced service from expert sales and tech staff trained by Apple, the widest variety of Apple products in Casablanca, great after sales service, excellent payment facilities and much more.
‘iSTYLE Studio’ events led by influencers and Apple experts will be organized regularly to help new Apple users make the most of their iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch and other Apple devices
The opening event was graced by the presence of media figures and social influencers. Photo credit – iSTYLE
The new APR store is at 13 Bld Al Massira, Casablanca, Morocco. www.istyle.ma
More about iSTYLE
iSTYLE, part of the Midis Group, is the largest Apple Premium Reseller network in Central and Eastern Europe, Middle East and North Africa. Through its 70+ retail and online stores, iSTYLE offers the full range of Mac, iPad, iPhone, Apple Watch and Apple TV along with an impressive but carefully selected portfolio of accessories and software.
iSTYLE opens the first Apple Premium Partner store in Hungary
Budapest, February 2, 2023 – iSTYLE’s first Apple Premium Partner (APP) store has welcomed its first customers in the Árkád shopping center in Budapest. The second Apple Premium Partner brand store in the Central and Eastern European regions brings to the nation the shopping experience of the iconic Apple Store and represents a completely new level of customer service.
The APP iSTYLE store located on the ground floor of the Árkád shopping center in Budapest is the first Hungarian store to be included in Apple’s new retail program. Based on the new concept, the store has been renewed in a larger area than before and is waiting for Apple fans with many novelties. The floor area of the showroom has increased to 125 sqm where even more employees, technical service and advanced product support services are waiting for those interested in the clean, friendly environment, familiar from Apple.
“The opening of our new Apple Premium Partner store marks the beginning of a new era for us: in the renewed store, a design similar to that of Apple Retail Stores, a spacious well-lit interior awaits the brand’s customers, and our highly trained and increased number of sales staff ensures the outstanding customer experience and satisfaction” highlighted Csaba Gyarmati, Regional Director of iSTYLE.
The Apple Premium Partner program concept differs from the previous Apple Premium Reseller approach which provided Apple’s partners with a uniform design and operational framework. Building on that concept, with the new Apple Premium Partner stores, Apple’s goal is for customers to get even closer to the brand’s iconic technology landscape and to receive even higher quality service.
The design of the store was created by a team of designers specialized in Apple’s headquarters in Cupertino. Photo credit – iSTYLE
What new features does the iSTYLE store in Árkád bring?
Renewed design in line with Apple style
The design of the store was created by a team of designers specialized in Apple’s headquarters in Cupertino. All equipment comes from Apple’s direct suppliers, the stone floor from Italy, the designer rounded tables from the USA and the furniture from Germany. Another special feature is that the store will be able to function without a physical cash register in the near future.
Products available immediately
In Apple Premium Partner stores, the display of Apple products and Apple accessories is even more important than before. The number of closed showcases is reduced to a minimum, so customers can easily try out the products displayed on open surfaces without the help of the staff.
Device servicing – within one day
In the flagship store, customers are welcomed with continuous servicing, so the staff can even undertake an iPhone screen replacement or battery replacement on the same day.
The range of payment solutions is also expanding, in addition to the Easy Upgrade payment services and the iSTYLE Comfort service packages, customers are also provided with a product credit scheme and a used equipment offsetting service.
Expert staff and workshops
In the store, instead of the usual five people, eight employees who have received exclusive Apple Premium Partner training help to serve customers smoothly. The Apple Premium Partner store concept also provides regular free education and open workshops for the general public. The courses starting in the spring offer topics such as MacOS work for beginners, tips and tricks for advanced Mac users, and video editing.
In parallel with outstanding service, iSTYLE elevates its offerings by catering to the need of entrepreneurs and small and medium-sized businesses with exclusive deals. Dedicated staff, specialized in corporate users and experienced in financing corporate hardware, are in-store to serve corporate clients.
iSTYLE APP stores aim for the very highest standards of customer service. Photo credit – iSTYLE
In 2022, iSTYLE Hungary Kft. excelled with sales revenue compared to the previous year, mainly due to a strong increase in consumer sales. Renewal and expansion of the store network also continued, as a result of which iSTYLE now welcomes customers at nine stores in four cities across the country – Budapest, Győr, Debrecen and Szeged. In the future, in addition to the opening of additional stores, plans include converting several iSTYLE brand stores into Apple Premium Partner stores.
In a calm moment before the store opened, the iSTYLE Árkád team gather for a group photo. Photo credit – iSTYLE
iSTYLE, an affiliate of the Midis Group, is the largest network of Apple Premium retail stores in nine countries in Central and Eastern Europe. The first iSTYLE store was opened in 1999, and currently the company has 57 stores located in Central and Eastern European and 19 in the Middle East and North Africa. The network of Spanish sister company K-Tuin consists of another 33 stores, totaling up to more than 100 stores for the Midis Group.
3T and Intalio sign key agreement at LEAP 2023 to resell Intalio products and services into the Saudi Arabian market
Riyadh, February 8, 2023 — Leading technology solutions and integration service provider 3T and Intalio, a major provider of Digital Transformation Solutions in Europe, today signed an agreement for 3T to resell Intalio products and services into the Saudi market.
The agreement was signed at LEAP 2023 in Riyadh by 3T Deputy General Manager, Fawzi El Khatib and Intalio Sales Director, Ali Hmedeh, covering the Saudi Arabian market.
The agreement covers a range of key products and solutions from Intalio, including Intalio Content Services, Intalio Process Automation, Intalio Data Governance, SAIF, Safety Analytics, and Investigation List. The low-code solutions help businesses optimize their workflow, manage their content life cycles, and assume full control over their critical data.
“This is an exciting moment for us at 3T; it’s a great honor to partner with Intalio to expand their presence in the Saudi market and an opportunity to make a real contribution to the Digital Transformation agenda in the nation” said George Malouf, GM of 3T.
“This partnership reflects our desire and determination to expand in the technology market in KSA and contribute to achieving Vision 2030. This strategic collaboration will offer businesses in the Kingdom the solutions they need to start and complete their digital transformation journey. The market here is growing and we are willing to provide what it needs to achieve this growth” said Intalio’s Executive Country Manager, Riyad Alasheikh.
More about Intalio
Intalio is a leading business solutions vendor providing a wide product line of solutions essential for the success of businesses. A pioneer in Enterprise Content Services (ECS), Process Automation, Data Governance Services, Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), and cutting-edge technologies, Intalio is always leading the way in the market of business solutions and digital transformation.
More about 3T
Total Technical Triangle (3T) is a comprehensive technology solutions and integration service provider with over 15 years of experience. 3T is under the Al-Rumaih Group (MMR) in Saudi Arabia and is part of the Midis Group. 3T was founded in 2005 with a major focus on Dell products, catering for the Large Public and Private sectors of the Kingdom.
In the past three years, 3T has expanded its partnership with Dell and became a Titanium partner covering Dell, EMC & VMware. Today the company is also a Microsoft License Provider and an Apple Authorized Reseller in Saudi with a focus on B2B sales.
3T is aiming to be a major contributor in achieving Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 strategy and aspires to spearhead futuristic technology solutions to enhance their clients’ proficiencies, competencies, and return on investment.
Mindware partners with Cloudflare to provide organizations in Middle East & Turkey with Digital and Cyber Security Solutions
DUBAI, UAE, February 7, 2023: Mindware, a leading value-added distributor (VAD) in the Middle East and Africa, announced today its strategic partnership withCloudflare, Inc. (NYSE: NET), the security, performance, and reliability company helping to build a better Internet. Mindware will provide sales support, go-to-market programs and after-sales services for Cloudflare solutions in the Middle East & Turkey.
Nicholas Argyrides, General Manager – Gulf at Mindware noted, “The pace of digital transformation has accelerated in recent years, driven by the organizational need to enable a hybrid workplace. The incidence of cyberthreats has grown and evolved to an extremely high level of sophistication. In response to the needs of our partners and their customers, Mindware is relentlessly enhancing our cyber security capabilities. We have a robust focus on this segment, with an increased investment in resources, training and certifications over a wide array of security vendors.”
“We are very happy to have strengthened our portfolio with this newest addition of Cloudflare. We look forward to combining our expertise in designing and distributing our solutions with Cloudflare’s innovation-driven offerings that enable a more reliable, secure and private Internet,” he continued.
“Accelerating channel driven business is part of our growth and expansion strategy across the Middle East & Turkey region, where we were on the lookout for a trusted value-added distributor that can support us on that journey. We saw a lot of synergy between our go-to-market strategy and that of Mindware which is key for the success of our new partnership. Eyad AlShami, Channel Manager at Cloudflare will be leading the day-to-day partnership to proactively and successfully expand with new channel partners at the regional level” explained Bashar Bashaireh, Managing Director, Middle East & Turkey (MET) at Cloudflare.
More about Cloudflare
Cloudflare provides security, performance, and reliability services through its global network that spans more than 275 cities in over 100 countries, and spans 17 cities in The Middle East. On average, Cloudflare blocks 126 billion cyber threats each day for millions of Internet properties across the globe.
More about Mindware
As one of the leading distributors of the finest IT products in the Middle East and Africa, Mindware’s extensive portfolio includes top-class global brands reaching out to over 4,000 partners. Mindware’s comprehensive offering includes a selection of infrastructure, networking, security, and storage leading brands. As part of its VAD methodology, Mindware also offers supplementary value-added services to its reselling partners including pre-sales consultancy, implementation services, local technical support, marketing enablement tools, and multiple channel-enabling programs. Headquartered in Dubai UAE since 1991, Mindware has been uncompromisingly serving its customers for more than three decades.
MDS CS wins important Cisco contract with Almoosa Specialist Hospital in KSA
MDS for Computer Systems (MDS CS) has signed an important agreement to supply Cisco systems to Almoosa Specialist Hospital in Al Ahsa, KSA. The Rehab New Tower project will see extensive deployment of Cisco solutions including wired network, wireless network and unified communication / collaboration solutions (IP telephone & Video conferencing).
Part of the solution also includes use of Cisco DNA space which will enable the team at Almoosa to achieve the below outcomes once they integrate with other third party solutions:
Environmental Monitoring: this deploys humidity and temperature sensors to monitor the hospital environment.
Indoor Navigation & Wayfinding: indoor maps and accurate indoor positioning to digitize hospital spaces.
Seamless Wi-Fi Onboarding: driving differentiated loyalty experiences and zero-touch Wi-Fi onboarding via OpenRoaming.
Asset Tracking: determining the current and historical location of all devices connected to the institutional network and visualizing them.
Indoor Location Analytics: providing Behavior Analytics, Trends and Insights for people within the hospital estate.
Occupancy Monitoring: helping management know how many people there are across the sites.
More about Almoosa Specialist Hospital
Almoosa Specialist Hospital is a world-class health system that promotes wellness and heals illness founded in 1996 as the first private hospital in Ahsa, offering high-quality integrated healthcare. Ranked among the best ten hospitals in the GCC, the hospital aims to provide patients with the best care in the Kingdom and GCC with qualified, competent caregivers using the latest technologies and evidence-based techniques.
Almoosa Specialist Hospital is also an academic teaching hospital accredited by the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties – SCHS – with 12 residency programs and two fellowships programs. The hospital provides the best human-centered care with a capacity of over 380 beds, with a diverse team of more than 3000 caregivers working together to achieve one mission: to promote hope and well-being for our society.
More about MDS for Computer Systems (MDS CS)
Founded in 1982 by Sheikh Mohammed Mansour Al-Rumaih as Mideast Data Systems, today MDS CS is a well-known and highly reputable organization with a team of professional engineers and technicians, with a large base of satisfied customers including significant numbers of large turnkey projects.
MDS CS takes a highly professional approach to meet each of its customers’ unique business requirements. Its commitment in terms of financial investment and customer support is aimed at a long-term relationship with its customers.
iSTYLE promotes well-being with new ‘Start The Movement’ campaign
January 12, 2023, Bucharest: iSTYLE, the largest network of Apple Premium Reseller stores in Central and Eastern Europe, has launched the ‘Start The Movement’ campaign to encourage Apple fans to do more sports, choose a more active and healthy life and monitor their results with the help of products such as Apple Watch and the Apple Watch Ultra series, Apple AirPods and Apple Smartphones.
Start The Movement is the first campaign in Romania involving influencers from different fields – nutrition, medicine, sports motivation, lifestyle and vlogging – joining their efforts together as ambassadors for the initiative. The six influencers promoted #StartTheMovement among their digital communities and invited them to take part in the first action – a swimming competition. The public response was enthusiastic and hundreds of people signed up to the campaign through direct participation supporting their favourite influencers.
Swimming is one of the most complete and beneficial sports for health. At the Dinamo Sports Club swimming pool, six teams of supporters of a healthy lifestyle – amateurs or performance athletes, outdoor or indoor exercise enthusiasts – competed in different swimming styles. Each team was coordinated by their favourite influencer and cheered on by supporters in the stands.
“It becomes easier to make a lifestyle change with support, especially when we are talking about starting to practice a sport. Unfortunately, our daily routine often prevents us from being consistent or adopting the most suitable habits. Apple has understood this need in recent years and has created products that are more and more innovative, more intuitive and more adapted to the needs of its users” said Alina Gheorghiu, Marketing Manager, iSTYLE Romania.
“In turn, iSTYLE decided to encourage people to join the community of exercise lovers. That’s why we thank all those who got involved in the first edition of the ‘Start The Movement’ campaign, a campaign that was not limited to a specific action, but has given birth to a trend” said Alina Gheorghiu.
iSTYLE plan to extend soon the campaign to other sports trackable with Apple devices. Photo credit – iSTYLE
The six influencers united their efforts to promote sports and a healthy lifestyle not only by personal example but by attracting their own supporters who, in turn, involved their families and friends. The snowball effect continues and the conversation remains open.
The next edition of ‘Start The Movement’ will take place in February 2023. On istyle.ro/StartTheMovement, information about those who are supporting the campaign will always be updated along with data about future competitions, but also about Apple technologies adapted to an active lifestyle.
Winning is a great feeling with iSTYLE and Start The Movement. Photo credit – iSTYLE
Apple Watch Series, swimming partner
When swimming training is selected, Apple Watch automatically locks the screen with Water Lock to prevent accidental touches. When the workout is over, the Digital Crown unlocks the screen and drains the water from the speaker. Considering laps in a pool or swimming in open water, the features of Apple smartwatches help you monitor the parameters you care about and check your progress in real time. When the workout is over, Apple Watch shows you a summary of it, including the swimming styles practiced. To correlate more data, you can review your workout history in the Fitness app on your iPhone.
Apple Watch estimates measurements during workouts based on information entered at the setup time. For pool swimming, when starting a workout, the length of the pool must be specified to help Apple Watch measure laps and distance covered. GPS isn’t used while swimming in the pool, and water can prevent heart rate measurement, but calories, laps, and distance will still be tracked using the built-in accelerometer. For open water swimming, the GPS will only measure distance for freestyle. Water may prevent heart rate measurement, but calories will be tracked using the built-in accelerometer.
Swimming – great exercise but even better when it is tracked via an Apple Watch. Photo credit – iSTYLE
More about iSTYLE Retail Romania
iSTYLE manages 15 locations in Bucharest and the main cities in the country. They total over 1,700 sq metres of premium high-tech retail, designed and executed with Apple’s signature attention to detail, and serviced by over 80 consultants trained to the highest standards. iSTYLE premises are adapted so that the focus is on customer safety and the constant provision of the best quality services.
iSTYLE, part of the Midis Group, is the largest network of Apple Premium Reseller stores in Central and Eastern Europe. iSTYLE has been providing Romanian customers with the highest quality and continuous services for over 20 years through a competent team of certified specialists permanently trained to Apple standards.
MDSap appointed Digital Transformation Partner by leading EPC contractor METSCCO
MDSap has been appointed as Digital Transformation Partner by METSCCO, a leading regional EPC Contractor serving the top customers in the petroleum and manufacturing industry in Saudi Arabia. MDSap is entering a relationship with METSCCO that will help the company navigate the future of technology.
MDSap plans a greenfield implementation project with METSCCO to engineer strong integration and connections through departments putting in place a One Company One ERP System using the 2022 S/4HANA Public Cloud Acceleration Program.
“Our first pillar will be to create strong trust because businesses succeed when they create a meaningful connection between partners. Our mission with METSCCO is to deliver it” said Johnny Beyrouthy, General Manager, Middle East North at MDSap.
“RISE with SAP S/4HANA Public Cloud plays a key part in building the connections that drive success, and that success can be harnessed to create positive change. We will act as trusted and innovative advisors for that common goal” said Emiliano Baroni, Business Development Manager of MDSap.
“We look forward to the opportunity to work with MDSap to build a Digital Transformation strategy across our businesses. Finding a competitive edge is always key to business growth and new ways of thinking digitally and deploying technology could be an important factor for success” said METSCCO CEO, Abdullah Alsabhan.
RISE with SAP is an industry-leading ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) suite which embodies themes from their White Paper titled ‘The Intelligent Enterprise for Industrial Manufacturing Companies.’ The solution, with its embedded industry best practices coupled with MDSap subject matter expertise, is capable of supporting sustainable and profitable businesses that deliver tailor-made solutions at scale and as a service.
More about METSCCO
METSCCO was founded in 1979 to be the construction arm of the Saudi Arabia Petroleum sector. Today, after four decades, METSCCO is recognized as a leading regional EPC Contractor with a strong portfolio covering various businesses like Oil, Gas, Chemical, Petrochemical, Power, Industrial and Infrastructure projects. The company employs a workforce of over 2,100 employees, and owns a large fleet of modern construction equipment, world-class fabrication facilities for Process Equipment, Offshore Fabrication Yards, and TANKS coating facilities. METSCCO Systems aligns with the latest editions of International Standards and holds the Quality Management System Certificate ISO 9001, the Guidance on social responsibility ISO 26000, the Environmental Management System Certificate ISO 14001, and ISO 45001.
More about MDSap
MDSap is a leading SAP Gold Partner and a regional leader in enterprise application software, catering for customers across the Middle East, North Africa, Turkey and CEE. With more than 120 business and technical advisers on site, MDSap focusses on turnkey IT solutions in Business Transformation, Intelligent Enterprise, Big Data Analytics, Omni-Channel Banking and Human Capital Management. MDSap has a strong focus in banking and financial services along with public, healthcare, and telecommunication sectors, with a dedicated mission to ensure all their customers get the right support on their digital transformation journey.
MDSap Turkey announces new collaboration with Experilabs as an Incorta business partner
MDSap Turkey has announced a new collaboration with Turkish software development company Experilabs, which becomes an Incorta business partner. Following an agreement signed on December 22 the company will operate as an authorized business partner in the field of Incorta services and solutions.
Experilabs and associated company Testinium operate across Europe with over 1100 employees serving more than 50 global clients.
Nesrin Demirci: “We will create many Incorta success stories together in the new year.” Photo credit – MDSap
Evaluating the cooperation, MDSap Turkey General Manager Nesrin Demirci said, “Incorta is a platform that provides an end-to-end solution for the rapid collection, processing, analysis, and real-time insight of data, which has now become the most important value of companies. We are very happy to cooperate with Experilabs in the dissemination of this platform in Turkey. I am confident that we will create many Incorta success stories together in the new year.”
Bülent Kemal Mutlu, General Manager of Experilabs Turkey, said “With the experienced analytics team, Experilabs will provide faster and more powerful analytical solutions to its customers with the Incorta Analytics Platform partnership.”
More about Incorta
Incorta is the only unified data analytics platform powered by Direct Data Mapping™. Purpose-built to help companies stay ahead of the accelerating rate, volume, and complexity of modern enterprise data, the platform delivers unmatched speed and visibility. Incorta is built with open standards and integrates with cloud-friendly tools and platforms, making it easy to consolidate data in the cloud and extract meaningful insights.
By making any data source continuously available for analytics, the platform helps business leaders, business teams, and data scientists make more accurate, timely and transparent decisions with faster access to richer data sets. Backed by GV (formerly Google Ventures), Kleiner Perkins, M12 (formerly Microsoft Ventures), Telstra Ventures and Sorenson Capital, Incorta powers analytics for some of the most valuable brands in the world, including Broadcom, Credit Suisse and Shutterfly.
More about MDSap
MDSap, a gold partner of SAP and expert in SAP’s banking solutions, has over 25 years of in-depth experiences helping customers manage, integrate, analyze and mobilize business mission critical data across the enterprise. The company has an exceptional track record providing turnkey IT solutions across the Middle East, Turkey & Central Eastern Europe to over 400 enterprise customers and government entities. MDSap is part of the Midis Group and currently operates 10 offices across the Middle East, Turkey and Central Eastern Europe.
Qatar Site & Power partners with revolutionary green battery manufacturer FZSonick
Qatar Site & Power (QSP) has announced a key new partnership with the revolutionary Green Battery manufacturer FZSonick based in Switzerland. QSP has a company mission of supplying affordable safe energy on demand using natural resources and working responsibly to support the decarbonization process towards a fully sustainable environment.
“The QSP team are excited to be bringing this radical technology to the country and feel honoured that FZSonick have chosen to partner with us. We will work hard with FZSonick to realise the potential of the SMC battery and we know how important it will be for the regional market to have access to this new technology” said a company spokesperson.
Inside the SMC battery – before charging, the active materials are sodium chloride (salt) and metal powders (mainly nickel). When charged, they convert to sodium and metal chlorides. Photo credit – FZSonick
At the core of the FZSonick product line is Sodium Metal Chloride (SMC) battery technology. This has the following features, with zero impact to nature, which aligns with the partners shared vision of developing sustainable and reliable energy supplies. Specifics of the SMC batteries are;
100% recyclable
NO polluting materials
NO gas emissions
NO conflict “minerals” and cobalt free
NO dangerous materials
The range of power supplies has some distinctive features compared with other existing battery technologies like VRLA and NiCD:
The batteries can be installed outdoors
Risk of fire and explosion is nil
Fire detection or fire suppression systems are not required in the battery rooms
Room ventilation and HVAC is not required as the units don’t emit dangerous gases and work well in higher temperatures
Batteries come in standard DC bus voltage ranges, which makes them modular and redundant
Zero maintenance required
QSP is in discussion with several end users for pilot projects using the new technology power sources.
More about Qatar Site & Power
Qatar Site & Power (QSP) is today the largest and most experienced Data Center solutions provider in the Qatari Market. The company has participated in, and constructed, a big part of the Data Centers in Qatar, and they are the largest UPS supplier in the region, with more than 1000 UPS installations all over Qatar. QSP have certified and specialized teams to help customers in product selection, installation and servicing of all types of power protection and IT infrastructure equipment.
Emirates Business Machines partner with NetApp and Ingram Micro to run successful ‘Journey to the Cloud & AI’ event
Emirates Business Machines (EBM) and partners from NetApp/Ingram Micro welcomed 25 people to the St. Regis Palm Jumeirah, Dubai for a day of presentations and learning about cloud solutions and how AI can drive new kinds of business for the future.
The EBM team present at the event on November 30 were Raed Dabbous (Branch Manager), Jad Al Farran (Sales Manager) Oday Ashour (Sr. Account Manager) and Rima Safadi (Sr. Account Manager). From NetApp, Alaa Samarji presented on the following topics; Modernize Your DC – Faster Response to Business needs, Extend to Cloud, Build Hybrid & Multi Cloud. Following Alaa, Christian Khalil (NetApp) introduced other themes – namely ‘Monetize Your Data – AI/HPC,’ and ‘Optimize on Cloud.’
Learning about cloud and AI solutions from the NetApp team. Photo credit – EBM
The event was called ‘Journey to the Cloud’ and introduced the new technologies and solutions that might enable companies to move from local solutions to the cloud – in effect, how to move to the cloud without any complications. Cloud and AI solutions and services promise to bring a wide range of benefits to many business sectors. If businesses can embrace the cloud, it could help them develop faster, with more security and with potential savings in costs.
“We have a strong belief in the NetApp vision to provide a unified platform, managing on premise and within multi-cloud environments – all the while providing integrated intelligence for health monitoring, a ransomware dashboard and data mobility capabilities” said Raed Dabbous, EBM Branch Manager after the event.
After the event and networking were finished, delegates went on a different kind of journey to the cloud – they went to the top of the St. Regis to see the amazing view of the island from on high.
What the world looks like from the cloud – the amazing Palm Island. Photo credit – EBM
Site & Power DK announce successful completion of Gulf Data Hub ICAD III in Abu Dhabi
Site & Power DK have announced successful completion of the Gulf Data Hub ICAD III in Abu Dhabi, UAE. The occasion was marked by the award of a certificate from Gulf Data Hub to Site & Power DK.
The major project began in July 2021 and was completed on time, involving the full project team at Site & Power DK at different times throughout the enterprise. The company provided a range of services and solutions to develop and deliver the project: the Data Center MEP works included engineering, supply, installation, five levels of testing and commissioning, Uptime TCDD and Uptime TCCF Tier III certification.
The completed Gulf Data Hub is a co-location Data Center facility at ICAD, Mussafah. The initial build is for a 6500 sq meters Data Center Wide Space, comprising up to 18,000 sq meters built-up area on a 32,000 sq meter plot. Power density is 2.5 kW per sq meter with the infrastructure delivering up to 15kW per rack.
The new Data Center promises to transform regional provision for businesses. M/s GDH, the Data Center owner, has become one of the largest hyperscale Data Center providers serving the needs of hosting for many leading international cloud companies.
Winning the project was a significant gain for Site & Power DK. According to a company spokesperson, SDK was chosen because it is known in the market for its unmatched technical expertise, the ability to quickly deploy solutions enabling the quickest return on capital, its capacity to reliably meet deliverables targets, and the ability to offer the most competitive value proposition. While the Gulf Data Hub project was ongoing, the company also managed two other similar projects, with one of those also completed and one still under construction.
“Thanks must go to everyone in the team who worked on this project. Their hard work enabled us to deliver the project on time and to specifications. Thanks, also, to M/s Gulf Data Hub team for trusting Site & Power DK and giving us this valuable opportunity” said the management of Site & Power DK.
More about Site & Power DK
MDS Site & Power has been operating in the UAE since 1981. It provides Data Center activities and Turnkey Power projects for Oil and Gas in addition to Telecom and Utilities. The group Data Center Infrastructure Specialists have skills that range from consultancy and design to final implementation and training. Facility Management and services include consultancy, design, supply, installation and maintenance with a team that has an engineering ratio of 90% with customer satisfaction as its main objective. For Power projects, the group supply, install and maintain diesel generators for standby and continuous operation, as well as DC systems for various applications. The group also provides generators on a rental basis.
Mindware Azure Hypergrowth Program launched at Banana Island, Doha
Mindware launched the new Azure Hypergrowth Program in Qatar on the morning of October 5. Attendees travelled to the venue at Banana Island by boat and then watched presentations from Mindware and Microsoft Cloud colleagues, followed by executive testimonials from other MEA regions.
The Mindware Azure Hypergrowth Program is designed to help partners build their Azure expertise, generate leads and get compensated on incremental Azure consumption. The event was aimed at the Qatar channel ecosystem interested in cloud transformation and keen to be part of the expected growth in Azure usage.
The Mindware and Microsoft teams together at the event. Left to right, Elena Ascher (Microsoft), Heena Sharma (Mindware), Aishwarya Jain (Mindware), Jamal Bdeir (Microsoft), Mohamed Silmi Khanfir (Mindware) , Nazir Shaik (Mindware). Photo credit – Mindware
“We were delighted to announce our Mindware Azure Hypergrowth Program in Qatar with the presence of our valued business partners. This is a key milestone of our cloud expansion plan. We appreciated the excitement of our partners and their commitment to Mindware” added Mohamed Silmi Khanfir, Director of Cloud and Xaas, Mindware.
Microsoft launched the Azure Data Center in Qatar earlier in September and Mindware, as a major Microsoft Cloud Solution Provider, announced the Mindware Azure Hypergrowth Program to support its channel, building a strong value proposition for clients towards their cloud journey, leveraging the Microsoft Azure Data Center in Qatar and the benefits of the Mindware program.
Talking together about Azure and cloud solutions. Photo credit – Mindware
More about Mindware
As one of the leading distributors of the finest IT products in the Middle East and Africa, Mindware’s extensive portfolio includes top-class global brands reaching out to over 4,000 partners. Mindware’s comprehensive offering includes a selection of infrastructure, networking, security, and storage leading brands. As part of its VAD methodology, Mindware also offers supplementary value-added services to its reselling partners including pre-sales consultancy, implementation services, local technical support, marketing enablement tools, and multiple channel-enabling programs. Headquartered in Dubai UAE since 1991, Mindware has been uncompromisingly serving its customers for more than three decades.
