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Mobile marketing set to boom, still slow in GCC
Audio: With mobile phone penetration soaring to over 200% in most of the GCC it seems remarkable that brands and advertising agencies are slow to strategise for mobile marketing. Steven Bond speaks to Sagar Shetty, founding partner of Clique Media and organiser of the 5th Bar Mobile Marketing Forum, about the opportunities and challenges of moving forward, despite the expectation that the industry will soon begin booming. Shetty also speaks of the need for education across the board in terms of how to implement effective campaigns - and the importance of moving away from spam SMS messages.
SAP Mena and Dubai Silicon Oasis to develop regional talent
Audio: Sam Alkharrat, MD, SAP MENA talks to Phil Blizzard about their expansion plans across the region which is required to match up supply with demand and how the training and development institute with Dubai Silicon Oasis will see around 2000 consultants being trained over the next three or four years.
Cybercrime expert links social media scams to 'classic crime'
Audio: After the dust has settled regarding 'Gauss', the cyber-threat targeting Middle East web users, Kaspersky's Head of Global Research and Analysis, Dmitri Bestuzhev discusses how the 'huge industry' of cybercrime has permeated social media. Steven Bond spoke to Bestuzhev at a press summit in Moscow where the cybercrime expert drew a clear line between oversharing on social media and classic crime, such as fraud and burglaries - and also shared tips on how to stay safe online.
SAP MENA see significant demand for business management software and solutions
Audio: Business management software and solutions provider SAP are going through an expansion programme in the MENA region to satisfy demand from a wide range of industry sectors. Sam Alkharrat, MD, SAP MENA talks to Phil Blizzard about the solutions they offer, how the global economic slowdown is 'good for business' and which sectors are driving the demand.
Dubai Silicon Oasis and SAP MENA to open IT Institute
Audio: The UAE's first IT specific education and development institute is to open at Dubai Silicon Oasis in a joint venture with SAP MENA. Phl Blizzard attending the signing ceremony, with HH Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman, Dubai Silicon Oasis Authority (DSOA), spoke with Dr Mohammed Al Zarooni, CEO, DSOA about the project.
Cybercrime expert: Mac OS vulnerability 'nothing new'
Audio: Apple's growing market sure has prompted cybercriminals and malware coders to target Mac users, says Aleks Gostev, Kaspersky's Chief Security Expert. The Flashback virus, also known as FlashFake, has affected a greater proportion of machines than notorious Windows viruses such as Conficker - hitting 1% of the 60 million Mac OSX users worldwide. On the other hand, iOS has proved to be incredibly resilient with zero malware tracked to date.
Bring Your Own Device not secure, policies are key
Audio: The concept of Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) is based on convenience and cutting costs, but companies must have security policies and solutions for all personal devices brought to the workplace, according to Denis Maslennikov, Senior Malware Researcher for Kaspersky. Steven Bond spoke to Maslennikov about BYOD and social media risks at Kaspersky Lab's Security Summit in Moscow.
Sony exec: mobile music downloads to hit 90%, GCC to overhaul royalty system
Audio: The UAE is readying a new royalty collection system to benefit artists and producers, and the regional market is expected to follow in Asia's footsteps, with mobile downloads nearing 90% of total music sales. Steven Bond spoke to Craig Pereira at, Sony Music Middle East's Director of Marketing, at the Music Industry in Middle East: Challenges & Opportunities' forum in Dubai Media City.
Double take on the Flame virus and data protection
The long undetected Flame virus which has intruded IT networks across the Middle East is discussed by Mike Khattab, VP - Emerging Markets, Vision Solutions with Phil Blizzard. The impact of intrusions like this and their prevention, along with the importance to businesses to avoid interruption or downtown to data and IT systems. He also explains how Double Take performs a continuous back-up of data, ready for data recovery should an IT system fail.
Intel Middle East boss says tech market 'hungry', unveils next gen processor power
Audio: As Intel launches their 3rd Generation Intel Core Processors, Nassir Nauthoa , Intel's General Manager for the GCC, comments on innovations in the laptop and tablet industry and the region's young, but mature market, with a 'healthy appetite' for cutting edge technology. Steven Bond reports on the significant leap forward in processing power as Intel encourages developers to capitalise on boosted CPU capabilities.
Does Big Data invade personal privacy or enhance user experience?
Audio: Big Data is proving valuable for business intelligence, and technology is maturing to provide effective real-time analytics, but as firms process large amounts of personal data, should we be concerned, or simply embrace an improved end-user experience? Steven Bond spoke to Josh Klahr, Vice President of Product Management at Greenplum (now Pivotal) at EMC World in Las Vegas, about his perspectives and personal findings.
Excitor app divides smart phones for corporate and personal usage
The current trend for enterprises to allow 'Bring Your Own Device' (BYOD) into the corporate environment may see their IT infrastructure being susceptible to security issues. Phil Blizzard talks to Matt Irwin, UK Account Director, Excitor about their smartphone app which places all corporate data into a 'container' which is isolated from the personal data of an employee's device.
Big Data tools can derive new insights and transform business performance
Audio: The ability to make sense of the masses of the 'big data' mounting daily on company networks and across the internet is the next stage of evolution in business analytics. Such chaotic and vast data requires powerful tools to locate, process and analyse relevant information for enterprises - but harnessing big data will revolutionise business intelligence and transform decision making, according to experts. Steven Bond spoke with Chris Preston, Senior Director of Integrated Technology Strategy with EMC at EMC World in Las Vegas, to break down the big data concept and illustrate its high value.
Blackberry apps to be acclerated with greater developer involvement
Research in Motion (RIM) key focus is an accleration in the development of apps for the Blackberry. David Schifman, Director of Developer Marketing, RIM. talking to Phil Blizzard outlines the key strategies for Research In Motion, which includes greater engagement with the developer community. He also talks about what can be expected in the future and the challenges facing the telecom sector.
Disaster Recover Survey finds low investment in backup and differing attitudes in UAE, Mena
Audio: A new report focussed on the issue of data loss, downtime and related investments has found that respondents in Mena, and particularly the UAE, are more concerned about customer confidence than lost revenue, compared to other global reports. Steven Bond spoke to Said Akar, EMC's District Manager for South Gulf about the Disaster Recover Survey 2012 and some of its key findings, including the widespread use of outdated technologies, such as CD-ROMS, for data backup.
