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Mohammed Al-Moneer, the Sr. Regional Director for the META Region at Infoblox, spoke to Arabian Reseller about the regional trends in the networking and security space, the company’s regional growth and its commitment to the region
What do you see as some of the regional trends in the networking and security space?
Below are some of the key trends that we see in the MEA region:
- Focus on Cyber Security
- Adoption of Multi-cloud strategies
- Leading the way in NetOps and SecOps collaboration
As cyberattacks are increasing in frequency and sophistication, companies in the Middle East and Africa are increasingly investing in cybersecurity measures to protect their networks and sensitive data. Spending on security solutions and services in the MEA region, including Israel, is expected to increase by 7.9% YoY in 2023, reaching $6.2 billion, according to the latest Worldwide Security Spending Guide from the International Data Corporation (IDC).
Within the cybersecurity domain, there will be increased Zero Trust adoption. Zero-Trust architectures have become a means for modern enterprise and government institutions to secure sensitive data in the face of digital transformation and the loss of the traditional network perimeter, as we move to borderless network architectures. And we will no doubt witness an increasing adoption in the MEA market by enterprises this year and beyond.
Companies are increasingly relying on Software-defined Wide Area Networking (SD-WAN), virtualization, and other cloud-based networking solutions. Cloud-managed networking provides the visibility, management, and scale needed to operate today’s distributed cloud and on-premises network, security, and location infrastructure.
Over the past 9 years of operating in this region, we have observed a growing trend among various industries in bringing their networking and security teams together to achieve a more comprehensive and unified approach to securing their core network services, such as DNS and DHCP. In the financial industry, we have witnessed the largest banks and financial institutions in the GCC adopting a more collaborative approach between their networking and security teams to mitigate the growing threat of cyber attacks.
Similarly, in the healthcare industry, hospitals are also implementing this approach to ensure the security and privacy of patient data. We have also seen a similar trend in large enterprises across industries such as technology, retail, and manufacturing, where they are increasingly moving towards a more integrated approach between their networking and security teams.
While we have worked with several global customers who have successfully integrated their networking and security teams, we cannot disclose their names due to confidentiality agreements. However, we can share industry-specific case studies that demonstrate the benefits of this approach and its effectiveness in improving network security and performance.
Can you talk about Infoblox’s regional growth in the Middle East and Africa markets? What are the key drivers for the business?
Infoblox has made a significant investment across the META region with the idea of building out its presence in multiple countries, with offices in Saudi, UAE, Egypt, Kenya, South Africa, Morocco & Turkey. Infoblox has been expanding its operations in META over the past few years, as the region’s digital transformation initiatives have increased demand for network automation and security solutions. The company serves customers across various industries, including telecommunications, finance, healthcare, education, and government.
Some of the key drivers for Infoblox’s business in META include:
- Increasing demand for uniting network and security together – As more organizations in the region move their operations online, the need for network and security to work together became paramount. Our solutions help both, network and security teams to protect networks from cyber threats, including malware, ransomware, and phishing attacks.
- Growing adoption of cloud-based services: Many organisations in the region are embracing cloud-based services to improve operational efficiency and reduce costs. Infoblox offers cloud-based DNS and IPAM solutions that help manage and secure these cloud-based networks.
- Strong partner program: Infoblox’s innovative partner program has been launched to play an instrumental role in meeting the growing demand for network and security solutions.
By bringing together network and security teams, our partners are better equipped to position Infoblox’s core technology value and deliver comprehensive solutions to customers. With our solutions, customers can achieve real-time visibility and control over their networks, enabling them to build safer and more resilient environments. Infoblox is committed to working closely with our partners to help organizations in all industries meet their network and security needs.
What is the significance of the new brand launch for local customers and partners in the Middle East and Africa region?
The rationale behind our new brand positioning is the fact that networking and security work better together when they share real-time visibility into application, user and device context. And real-time threat protection and more resilient network performance can only happen when networking and security work side by side.
Infoblox is uniquely positioned – we help enable NetOps and SecOps to work more efficiently by uniting their view of user context and DNS data, so everything runs faster, works better, and is more secure. And uniting saves NetOps and SecOps time, by uniting real-time user and device context, eliminating critical network and security bottlenecks. Unlocking this unparalleled visibility and control empowers customers to deliver the protection and performance they need today.
We believe that security effectiveness depends on threat intelligence above all else. Using tools included in Infoblox BloxOne Threat Defense, security teams can collect, normalize and distribute highly accurate, multi-sourced threat intelligence to strengthen the entire security stack, secure DNS and boost SecOps efficiency. Infoblox rebrand initiatives reflect confidence and business focus, shaping the company’s critical role in securing the networks of some of the world’s largest companies, appealing to both networking and security professionals alike.
A new brand launch can have a significant impact on local customers and partners in regions like the Middle East and Africa, as we weave a story around how our company is making the transition to a new world of protective services. We believe that the launch will increase awareness of our brand, create new business opportunities, and improve the customer experience.
What can customers in MEA expect from Infoblox in the next 4-5 years?
Infoblox will continue to invest in developing cloud-based solutions to help customers secure their networks and data. This could include offerings like cloud-based DDI (DNS, DHCP, and IP address management) and security services that provide visibility and threat detection across hybrid cloud environments.
Automation is a key focus area for Infoblox, and customers in the MEA region can expect to see more automation features added to its solutions. Infoblox is likely to continue focusing on improving the user experience of its products, with a particular emphasis on making its solutions easier to use and more intuitive.
What are some of the investments that Infoblox is making in the region?
Our company’s training programs, mentorship initiatives, and collaborations with academic institutions are aimed at equipping the region’s talent with the necessary skills and knowledge to tackle today’s networking and cybersecurity challenges effectively. We believe that investing in regional talent is crucial to the success of our customers, and it is a responsibility that we take seriously.
At Infoblox, we are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive work environment that nurtures and empowers our employees to deliver value to our customers. By investing in regional talent, we are not only contributing to the development of our employees but also to the growth and prosperity of the communities we operate in.
Are there any big channel initiatives planned for the region?
A big focus when it comes to the channel is on our recently launched “Skilled to Secure” partner program which reflects the changing security landscape and shifting customer requirements – and the need for providers of security solutions and services to adapt in response. We have been heavily investing in our talented and experienced channel teams and I am proud to say that we currently have industry-leading channel executives across the region who are really able to transform the way we engage with our partners.
We lay heavy emphasis on knowledge and skills development of our channel and we deliver a broad range of training programs. One of our key priorities is building out our channel ecosystem through the recruitment of partners that share our vision, ideology and passion. And we find a great amount of interest from new channel companies interested in joining our program, largely based on the fact that they see huge market potential for our solutions and services. We also have a robust program – Expert Club, for our top-performing partners, to incentivize them as they drive growth for our company.
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