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Freedom to choose
(Computer News Middle East Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) As enterprises and governments in the Middle East continue to embrace open source software and open standards, Redhat believes now is the time to up its tempo in the region. The vendor is exploring opportunities with academic institutions all in an effort to accelerate open source skills development in the region. CNME�s Manda Banda spoke to Sherif AbdElGawad, Regional Services Director at Redhat Middle East and Africa to find out more about the company�s strategy for the region.
As organisations in the Middle East continue to adopt open source solutions and open standards in their IT environments, Redhat, a global maker of open source software believes now is the right time for it to take its solutions to the next level.
The vendor is using this period when the global economy has tanked to continue offering clients of all sizes the freedom of choice when it comes to software.
In addition, the vendor is capitalising on the fact that organisations have embraced virtualisation platforms in the Middle East and are exploring ways on how they can leverage cloud computing services as they strive to run efficient IT systems and data centres.
Most enterprises and their IT decision makers have been more careful when engaging with vendors as they would like to partner with savvy vendors that are able to provide post-sales support. In fact enterprises in the Middle East are looking at forming relationships with vendors that can add value and help them push business innovation using IT.
For Redhat, the fact that organisations in both the private and government sectors are looking at or in some cases have already adopted open-source software is encouraging. The Linux and JBoss Middleware maker
Sherif AbdElGawad, Regional Services Director at Redhat Middle East and Africa, says the focus in the Middle East is around the expansion of skills development around open source technologies. �When we started in this market, we evangelised about Redhat and its solutions,� he recalls. �Now that the message has sunk in, we have to up our tempo and enhance our skills development initiatives.�
AbdElGawad adds that part upping the tempo in this region has also seen the company focus on skills development. To this end, he says that the vendor has been talking to governments, private sector entities and organisations in the educational sector to ensure that there is a coordinated effort that readies the new generation of IT users the power and freedom to choose technology that is free of vendor lock in.
AbdElGawad says through the Redhat Academy, the company is already talking to universities in the region with the sole purpose of engaging with them on specific IT issues that relate to open source software and the entire open source ecosystem.
He explains that most enterprise organisations in the region have virtualised their server platforms and are looking at the possibilities of cloud computing technologies and services.
AbdElGawad says this an opportunity for for Redhat as virtualisation, cloud computing and shared services are top of the agenda for the coming year.
With most companies in more mature markets moving from cloud computing to shared services, AbdElGawad says in the Middle East region cloud computing has not really taken off but it is an area that has huge business potential for Redhat and its ecosystem. �We are still testing the waters in the region. Despite all the buzz around cloud computing, our interest is around the area of cloud dynamic,� he says.
He points out that although most enterprises have piloted or implemented a private cloud, there is a lot of interest around providing organisations in the region with shared virtualised services. �We are beginning to see a mindset change in so far as shared IT services are concerned in the region,� he says.
AbdElGawad attributes this to the fact that most governments in the Middle East are pushing e-government services in their respective countries and that has had a complementary effect on initiatives that private sector organisations are rolling out around shared IT services.
As for the channel, AbdElGawad says the company will continue to push for certification for its services partners. �As the channel is the extended sales arm of Redhat, we are developing programmes that ensure that they are well trained and can provide competent support to their end-user clients.
As for 2010 and beyond, AbdElGawad says the focus for Redhat will be to enable partners to focus on outreach programmes that aim at educating them on the value and benefits that come with the freedom of open source solutions.
(c) 2008 IDG Middle East. All rights reserved. Provided by Syndigate.info an Albawaba.com company
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