R&M on Sunday announced that it had upgraded its entire range of fibre optic cables for data centres to bend-insensitive multimode fibre (BIMMF) standards.

R&M claims that the new systems will deliver “unrivalled” port density, reliability, modularity and ease of installation with the most efficient use of space.

“Organisations striving to be more agile are incorporating new means to offer on-demand services to their employees. This push for greater connectivity is resulting in an increase in the number of ports in data centres, which are already stretched to their limits,” said Jean-Pierre Labry, Executive Vice President, R&M Middle East, Turkey and Africa.

“Consequently, cabling has to be densified in order to ensure these demands can be accommodated. R&M has devoted considerable attention to the pressing needs of data centres, which why we are overhauling our range to BIMMF standards.”

R&M’s new range for data centres consists of Type S MTP modules, MTP adapter plates, HD panels, MTP trunk cables and patch cords. The vendor said that it would deliver the Type S MTP modules pre-terminated to enable simple handling and quick assembly, and that all components are subjected to stringent, 100-percent factory testing.

The new solutions have also been developed to be easily integrated with the R&M inteliPhy Automated Infrastructure Management (AIM) solution, which will soon be launched in the Middle East. This will automate the administration and monitoring of numerous connections in the data centre, simplifying network managers’ tasks.

“R&M always incorporates a forward-thinking approach in every product design. Features such as easy patching, colour coding and the ability to exchange modules or use the same modules and patch cords at both ends aid the installation process,” said Shibu Vahid, Head of Technical Operations, R&M Middle East, Turkey and Africa.

“Simplified installation means a much lower risk of human error and therefore lower downtime in the long run. We have also made sure that the same systems can be extended to 40GbE standards without having to rebuild the network.”

HP’s AllianceOne Partner of the Year awards recognise HP business partners’ accomplishments in the development and delivery of innovative HP-based solutions that raise the standards for business excellence and client satisfaction.

Winners are chosen for delivering solutions that drive meaningful business results for shared customers, AccessData said.

AccessData was recognised because, with HP, it helped clients respond to and analyse cyber-security threats, forensics and e-discovery, and provided a powerful end-to-end solution for incident response and remediation with AccessData’s CIRT solution and HP’s ArcSight SIEM solution.

“It’s an honour to receive such a prestigious award from HP and be named a leader in the field,” said Chad Gailey, Vice President, Worldwide Channel Sales, AccessData.

“Together with HP, we are working to raise the bar in cyber-security innovation and fight the war on cyber-attacks by offering solutions that streamline the incident response process and allow for much faster responses by forensics and investigative teams.”

Doug Oathout, Vice President, Channel and Alliances, Enterprise Marketing, HP, said, “AccessData has demonstrated their expertise in this area by developing innovative end-to-end security solutions for its customers, paving the way for more agile business.”

The workshop will be held on June 17 at the Four Points by Sheraton Hotel in Bur Dubai, UAE, Comguard said. The distributor added that it expects around 40 leading channel partners from across the country to attend.

EnGenuis specialises in feature-rich, long-range and enhanced wireless communications technology for datacom. The vendor offers a wide range of wireless products for home users, as well as SMB businesses.

Yuhan Wang, Managing Director, EnGenuis, will address partners at the workshop, and make a presentation on cost-effective wireless principles, project planning and implementation.

Meanwhile, experts from both Comguard and EnGenius will offer views on the latest developments in the field of wireless technology. The workshop will also include hands-on technical training for EnGenius products, as well as training on system setup, configuration, maintenance and troubleshooting.

Comguard and EnGenius executives will also update channel partners on warranty and support services policies.

“This workshop on EnGenius products and solutions in in line with our corporate policy to educate and enable partners to drive more business and open new streams of revenue for their business,” said Fayaz Ahamed, Head, Wireless Division, Comguard.

“The cost-effective solutions from EnGenius offer a great opportunity for channel partners to address the fast-growing SOHO and SME market in the country.”

The deal was announced at AT&T Cabling Systems’ Middle East launch, which took place at Ferrari World Abu Dhabi on May 8. At the launch, the vendor showed off some of its products, including the AT&T CopperLine, FiberLine, CenterLine, RackLine and OutdoorLine.

The distribution agreement with Westcon covers the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, Yemen, Bahrain, Afghanistan, Libya and Iraq, Westcon said.

The vendor said that its channel programme, going through Westcon, provides full channel protection and secures channel profits. It added that all channel installers would receive the AT&T Cabling Systems Certified Installer training through Westcon, with sessions across the region scheduled for June.

“I believe this synergetic agreement combining Westcon Group established exposure and channels with AT&T Cabling Systems quality and brand provides value for both companies across this region,” said Serdar Gorali, EMEA Sales Director, AT&T Cabling Systems.

AT&T Cabling Systems ranks among the world’s most trusted cabling equipment companies – the vendor provides the AT&T Millennium Lifetime Warranty, which is a comprehensive warranty for life.

“We are delighted to be associate with AT&T Cabling Systems. This relationship enables the Middle East enterprise to have access to high-performance cabling systems with the AT&T Millennium Lifetime Warranty through our certified installers,” said James Saldanha, Divisional Director, Infrastructure and Mobility Division, Westcon Middle East.

At the E3 conference this week, AMD unveiled what it says is the world’s first commercially available 5 GHz CPU processor, the FX-9590.

The announcement makes the processor the most powerful member of AMD’s FX family of CPUs.

The FX-9590 announcement was made as part of a broader launch of AMD’s new FX-9000 Series, a family of eight-core CPUs that deliver new levels of gaming and multimedia performance for desktop enthusiasts, AMD said.

“At E3 this week, AMD demonstrated why it is at the core of gaming,” said Ossama Eldeeb, Regional Sales Manager, AMD MENA.

“The new FX 5 GHz processor is an emphatic performance statement to the most demanding gamers seeking ultra-high-resolution experiences including AMD Eyefinity technology.”

The 5 GHz FX-9590 and 4.7 GHz FX-9370 – currently the only two models available in FX-9000 series – feature the “Piledriver” architecture, AMD said, adding that they are unlocked for easy overclocking.

The processors also feature AMD Turbo Core 3.0 technology to optimise performance across CPU cores and enable maximum computing for intensive workloads.

“AMD continues to push the envelope when it comes to desktop capabilities and power performance,” said Wallace Santos, CEO and Founder at MainGear, an AMD partner.

“In unveiling the world’s first 5 GHz, eight-core CPU, AMD continues to lead the way in innovation while providing our customers with a best-in-class experience.”

The FX-9590 is not the only AMD product to have claimed a first. In 2000, AMD became the first manufacturer to break the 1.0 GHz barrier. It also created the first Windows compatible 64-bit PC processor, and the first native dual-core and quad-core processors.

The new FX-9000 Series will initially be made available in PCs through systems integrators, AMD said.

Imation this week unveiled its next-generation object store, the Nexsan Assureon secure automated archive solution, which, the vendor said, cost-effectively consolidates storage tiers, secures data and simplifies storage management.

Imation said that the new solution would be of particular interest to government, healthcare and financial organisations, which often have to manage rapid, unpredictable growth in digital content and data while ensuring compliance with industry and government regulations.

By deploying the Assureon solution, Imation said, organisations can automate storage policies to encrypt, self-authenticate, self-manage and self-configure storage for unstructured files and content.

Imation added that, unlike its competitors’ archiving solutions, the Assureon does not require that applications are customised to use proprietary APIs in order to store their data in the archive. This means that users do not need to learn new processes or change how they access data.

“When we talk to IT leaders, we hear that organisations are challenged to manage exponentially increasing data sets, while complying with strict government and industry data retention and security requirements,” said Mike Stolz, Vice President of Marketing, Nexsan Storage Solutions, Imation.

“The Assureon solution offers mid-sized organisations and enterprises a single, highly advanced automated disk-archiving solution to secure and manage this data. Administrators can deploy the Assureon solution to manage their entire data protection architecture, controlling all critical data protection functionality, while shrinking storage infrastructure and its associated costs.”

The Assureon solution has already garnered praise from industry analysts: Deni Connor, Principal Anlayst, Storage Stategies NOW, said, “Archive automation is crucial for organisations confronted with managing the costs, administration and growth of mandated secure retention of unstructured data.

“The Nexsan Assureon solution is a highly advanced archive storage platform, notable for the way it simplifies and automates data ingestion, and assures data integrity in a single hardware-software offering.”

EMC announced this week that it had appointed Nazim Fraijat as managing director for its Levant and emerging Africa region.

In his new role, Fraijat will focus on strategy and business development to extend and accelerate EMC’s growth in the region, EMC said in a statement.

The vendor added that he will do this by delivering and supporting the full range of EMC products, services and solutions in established and new markets, and enhancing partner and channel relationships.

Fraijat will report to Mohammed Amin, Senior Vice President and Regional Manager for Turkey, Eastern Europe, Africa and the Middle East, EMC.

With 13 years of experience behind him, Fraijat has previously held a number of leadership positions at EMC. Prior to joining EMC, Fraijat worked for AT&T and NCR, and gained a bachelor’s degree in science and electrical engineering from the University of Columbia, Washington DC.

“Over the last several years, Nazim has led EMC’s back-up and recovery division in Turkey, emerging Africa and the Middle East, while managing EMC’s operations across the South Gulf district,” said Amin.

“In doing so, he has greatly contributed to our growth as a business and as a trusted partner to our customers across the entire region. With his vast industry knowledge and technical skills, Nazim is perfectly positioned to leverage and create new opportunities across the rapidly developing markets of Levant and emerging Africa, and to bring EMC’s industry-leading value proposition to this important audience.”

Tarek Helmy, Regional Director for the Gulf, Middle East and Africa, Nexans, said that East Africa was an important market for the vendor, and that Redington Gulf would help it to make a big push into the region.

“With so much development taking place, there is big demand for the IT LAN infrastructure,” he said. “We have been looking for a reputed and experienced value-added distributor with a strong local reseller network to help us fuel our growth and increase our market share in the region.

“Redington, with its extensive experience, market knowledge and strong technical expertise, was our partner of choice.”

Helmy added that the partnership also demonstrated Nexans’ commitment to its existing customer base in East Africa.

There is increasing demand in East Africa for Nexans’ solutions. In the field of LAN cabling systems, the vendor offers a range of products and value-added services, which provide improved reliability and reduces cost of ownership for network managers.

Nexans also specialises in LANsense Intelligent Infrastructure Management (IIM) products, including environmental monitoring and access control devices.

For Redington, the partnership means that the distributor will be able to offer solutions that complement an already strong portfolio to its channel base in East Africa.

“We are looking forward to the opportunity for presenting cabling solutions from Nexans to our channel in East Africa,” said Ramkumar B., Senior Vice-President, Redington Gulf, Value Division.

“Nexans will complement our existing offerings within networking, servers, storage and convergence in East Africa. Redington Value will run awareness campaigns for Nexans in East Africa and also conduct enablement programmes across East Africa to build the channel for Nexas.”

The winners of the Reseller Partner Excellence Awards

Ben Jacobs hosted from within a packed Godolphin Ballroom, as the CPI Media Group celebrated the businesses which have prevailed throughout a difficult year for the channel.

The awards, opened by CPI’s CEO, Dominic De Sousa, covered several categories, including vendors, distributors, editor’s choice, and a selection of new entries.

Plenty of big guns took home awards, as expected, as well as a high number of wildcard and underdog wins. Cisco took the first honours of the night, winning the Networking Vendor of the Year, while EMC took home the Best Partner Excellence Programme From a Vendor award at the end of night.

However, throughout the evening, plenty of channel players stuck their hands in and took some goodies home. Saudi-based BDL Group snapped up the Broadline Distributor of the Year, as Asbis Middle East snatched the Components Distributor of the Year Award.

The full length of winners were as follows:

Networking Vendor of the Year: Cisco

Software Vendor of the Year: Symantec

Storage Vendor of the Year: Dell

Components Vendor of the Year: WD

Printing Vendor of the Year: HP

Security Vendor of the Year: Blue Coat

Systems and Hardware Vendor of the Year: HP Enterprise Group

Infrastructure Vendor of the Year: Schneider Electric

Broadline Distributor of the Year: BDL Group

Components Distributor of the Year: Asbis Middle East

Networking Distributor of the Year: Optimus Technology and Telecom

Security Distributor of the Year: Comguard

Specialised Distributor of the Year: StorIT

Emerging Distributor of the Year: Spectrami

Value-Added Distributor of the Year: Westcon Group

Enterprise Reseller of the Year: helpAG

Systems Integrator of the Year: Almoayyed Computers

SMB and Consumer Segment: Lucky Star Computers

Super Retailer of the Year: Axiom Telecom

Editor’s Choice

Mobility Vendor of the Year (new): Prestigio

Peripherals and Consumable Distributor of the Year: Despec MERA

Woman Executive of the Year: Sushma Kajaria – Trend Micro

Partner Champion of the Year: Sakker Hussain, Sales and Marketing Manager, D-Link

Management Excellence Award: Tamer Ismail, CEO, BDL Group

Outstanding Executive of the Year – IT Channel: K S Parag, Founder and Managing Director, FVC

Outstanding Executive of the Year – Vendor Community: Shahnawaz, Regional Director, Dell Software

Reader’s Choice

Vendor of the Year: Avaya

Distributor of the Year: Redington Gulf

Distributor Partner Excellence Programme: Mindware

Best Partner Excellence Programme From a Vendor: EMC

CPI Technology welcomed a heaving crowd inside the Jumeirah Emirates Towers today as it kicked off the 2013 Reseller Partner Excellence Conference and Awards.

The ballroom appeared insignificant this morning, as the entire channel and reseller community filled it to bursting point to witness the early sessions of what is being touted as the most successful Partner Excellence Conference to date.

CPI Technology Group Editor, Jeevan Thankappan, delivered the welcome note before Basil Ayass, Managing Director, Dell, a well-known regional speaker, presented the opening keynote on channel transformation.

“Is transformation necessary in the channel?” he asked. He claimed that “Aggressive discounts” were stopping the channel from prospering, and also focused heavily on how the smartphone craze dramatically changed the business landscape.

“I call smartphones ‘converged phones’, multiple functions in one device. Convergence changes industries, it turns them upside down,” he said.

“We had channel partners focusing on different things but then the smartphone came and changed everything – it offered everything.”

Following Ayass, ME indirect sales manager for HP, Ayman Dwidar, presented on the subject cloud and the channel, one key topic which continues to be of interest in the industry.

He claimed that there are three trends which are currently revolutionising the IT industry; converged infrastructure, cloud, and the software-defined data centre.

“The opportunity in private cloud is going to equal the opportunity in public cloud – channel must start looking at the skills needed in order to prepare,” he claimed.

He added: “Partners are looking at market opportunities, profits paths, vendor support, channel programs, and how vendors will showcase their value.”

For this, Dwidar said that the channel needs to begin looking at a completely new type of business model – the cloud model is completely different to the traditional model, he claimed.

“Channel needs to change,” he said. “But the most important question is how. Vendors are not giving solutions on how they can assist change.

“You can jump early or wait, but those who have the nerve to experience new business models will lead in the future,” he concluded.

The Reseller Partner Excellence Conference and Awards is currently live from Jumeirah Emirates Towers – following @Resellerme for live updates throughout.