CommScope to Organise VIP Customer Forum During GITEX 2016
Arabian Reseller speaks to Ehab Kanary, Vice President of Enterprise at CommScope, Middle East and Africa, about the networking trends driving the Middle East market and the company’s channel and product strategies during GITEX Technology Week 2016
Are you participating at GITEX Technology Week this year?
Yes. CommScope has been participating in GITEX since 2014. Trends that will shape the transformation of networking across the Middle East will be the focus of CommScope’s participation at GITEX Technology Week 2016.
CommScope will be featuring technologies which are key for our customers preparing for the future. For example, high-speed fiber networks will support the demands of the future’s mobile population. Wideband multimode fiber (WBMMF) could contribute to the next generation data centers, considering it fits the requirements of 100G and 400G and extends the adaptability of multimode data centers.
What is your theme going to be for GITEX Technology Week?
We are in the early stages of what may be the greatest transformation of networking yet, driven by mobility, video consumption and cloud. These consumer behaviour and technology trends are straining networks globally and require new thinking regarding infrastructure requirements of the future.
Customers can “Expect More” from the new CommScope who is well positioned to address bandwidth needs through a convergence of network technology, including outdoor cellular towers infrastructure, small cells, distributed antenna systems, fiber optic connectivity and data centre infrastructure.
What technology and market trends have you seen this year on the Middle East market?
Below are four key trends in the Middle East based on insight from customers and partners.
- Tomorrow’s data centre will see continuous growth of bandwidth needs
With the evolution of smart cities, cloud technologies and IoT applications, the landscape is changing and the need for bandwidth and connectivity will only continue to grow. Consumers’ expectation for anytime, anywhere connectivity with the device of their choice has driven banks, service providers, universities, and hospitals to re-engineer their services at the front end to deliver those experiences, which then drives them to re-engineer their back office processes to manage the avalanche of big data that is a result of all this demand. - Smart buildings are the stepping stones for smart cities
Dubai, a leading Middle Eastern business and tourist hub which will host Expo 2020, is among those embracing ambitious smart-city goals, aiming to become the world’s smartest city by 2017 . - Buildings and large venues will continue to be designed like the smartest of cities
For example, stadiums will resemble a microcosm of a community – with solid transportation infrastructure, amenities, sustainable energy systems like solar and water reclamation, and data security and communications. Buildings will serve as venues where employees can collaborate at any time. With CommScope’s Intelligent Buildings Solutions and Indoor Solutions for large venues, organisations plan, design, build and maintain their building’s communication network. - Millennials are driving changes in tomorrow’s network
Millennials are so accustomed to the Internet that they would rather give up plumbing, heating and air conditioning, personal transportation and cable TV before they would go without connectivity and the electricity needed to power their devices. Seventy six percent of Millennials spend up to two hours per day on video platforms such as Netflix and YouTube, according to a recent survey conducted by CommScope which can be downloaded here. These trends are similar in the Middle East. - Fiber is the technology to meet today’s and tomorrow’s expanding bandwidth needs
Fiber is the most efficient technology to transport large amounts of data quickly and reliably. Given the region’s future plans to enter the Gigabit race with the highest speed available reaching 500 Mbps in the UAE , there will be an increased uptake in Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) technology, considered the fastest and most reliable way to access the Internet.
Will you be launching any new products or solutions at GITEX this year?
Our number one focus is on customers. We will continue to help them prepare for tomorrow’s networks. During the event we’re talking to customers about preparing for tomorrow’s networks. In fact, we’re proud to be showing customers how wideband multimode fiber (WBMMF) could contribute to the next generation data centers.
What sort of channel engagements have you planned for GITEX?
Events such as GITEX are a great platform for channel partners to understand and educate themselves on the latest technologies that are impacting the industry. CommScope has organised a VIP Customer Forum on the 16th of October where our customers and channels partners will share their perspectives and insights into opportunities for the future.
Will you be recruiting new channel partners? If yes, for which markets?
The PartnerPRO Network consists of thousands of CommScope certified local installers, distributors and integrators that put its high-performance solutions to work. That network is ready to expand and strengthen CommScope’s position in the global enterprise market.
Following its acquisition of TE Connectivity’s Broadband Network Solutions (BNS) business (telecom, enterprise and wireless) last year, CommScope is inviting select partners who use the BNS Network Design & Installation (ND&I) program to join the PartnerPRO Network. By the time this integration is completed at the close of 2016, the PartnerPRO Network is expected to almost double in size.
How does GITEX Technology Week fit into your overall regional strategies?
Operators and enterprises across the Middle East are implementing the technology necessary to compete internationally and locally. They expect to collaborate, create and connect at any time. CommScope is taking the complexity out of managing networks that are changing faster than ever before. Video-on-demand, online gaming, teleworking and e-Health services will undergo increased reliability as telecommunications companies invest in improving their networks’ capability of carrying large amounts of data.
GITEX provides CommScope the opportunity to listen to customers and demonstrate how we’re in a better position to serve customers in four major areas: indoor and outdoor wireless networks, data centre and central offices; connected and efficient buildings; and access and backhaul networks.
