CPI Media Group, in conjunction with HPE and Alpha Data, hosted a virtual webinar on the business benefits of HPE’s Container Platform and Consumption models. 
During the webinar, expert speakers Erdinc Kaya, Lead Storage Solutions Architect, HPE; Navid Hussain, Category Manager (GreenLake) – MESA Region and Wassim Babelli, Financial Area Manager – Middle East, shed light on how the latest solutions and capabilities from HPE can help organisations future-proof their business models and accelerate their digital transformation journeys.
The webinar was kickstarted by Gibi Abraham Thomas, Manager – Presales and Technologies at Alpha Data, who emphasized the importance of the systems integrator’s long-running strategic partnership with HPE. Thomas highlighted Alpha Data distinguished history in the IT industry which has spanned over 40 years – and said that the company has evolved to become the go-to partner for digital transformation in the region.
“We serve over 3,000 customers in the country and that ranges from SME’s to large multinational organisations. We also have a strong ecosystem of partnerships, and we really value our collaboration with our vendors. We also have the highest level of with partnership with HPE. Traditional IT has evolved from client-server architecture to a virtualisation model and has moved into a cloud era of containers. Customers are on a cloud journey and they want a consumption model that is agile and gives them flexibility and choice,” said Thomas.
Erdinc Kaya, Lead Solutions Architect, HPE, then delivered his presentation which take a closer look at the HPE Container Platform, which was entitled bringing ‘Kubernetes to the Enterprise’.
“We’re seeing new ways to deploy applications and this containerization is bringing many advantages for enterprises. We’re also seeing that the adoption of hybrid cloud and private cloud and having the ability to flexibility to migrate applications between these locations is something enterprises want,” said Kaya.
Kaya claimed that containers and Kubernetes represented the next wave in software development.
“Containers have emerged as the standard way to build, deploy and migrate applications. Kubernetes is the container orchestration solution and is an open-source platform. Kubernetes essentially allows developers to be able to deploy, monitor and manage containers in a vast ecosystem of development, so it could be deployed in cloud or virtual environments,” said Kaya.
Navid Hussain, Category Manager, GreenLake – MESA Region then delivered his presentation which closely examined the unique capabilities that makes GreenLake such an attractive proposition for enterprises.
“What we do with HPE GreenLake is review what you need and install extra capacity on-prem, which you don’t pay for until you use it, so that addresses issues concerned to agility and reduces your costs. Unlike public cloud, at GreenLake we suggest what are the best technologies for your environment,” said Hussain.
Hussain highlighted some of the key findings that emerged from a comprehensive report compiled by IDC on HPE GreenLake.
“The report by IDC found that HPE GreenLake reduced the time to market by 65%, improved ROI by 30% – and it also enhanced operational efficiency by 45%. Traditionally with procurement your returns would take about 3-5 years, but on this consumption model, because you’re not making any investment upfront you will see an ROI within a year,” said Hussain.
Hussain further illustrated the benefits of the solution and outlined what it gives its customers.
“It is an operational console for users and IT – and it is managed for them so they can focus on their business. It unifies and simplifies operations across their hybrid estate,” said Hussain.
Wassim Babelli, Financial Area Manager, Middle East at HPE, was the next executive to deliver his presentation which was entitled ‘The Power of IT Economics.
During his presentation he mapped out the huge success HPE Financial Services has enjoyed and outlined the key role the company is playing in terms of assisting its customers with refinancing and relief packages during COVID-19.
“HPE Financial Services offered $2 billion in refinancing and new programs to help its customers and partners cope with the economic impact of COVID-19. HPEFS has launched programs that includes payment relief initiatives to help customers acquire new technology to navigate their way through the challenges they face in this uncertain climate caused by the global pandemic,” said Babelli.
Babelli conceded that each company has their own specific KPIs and goals, but he said that HPEFS has positioned themselves to be an ‘agent of change’ and has helped their customers accelerate transformation.
“Our role is to work closely with our customers to help them execute their business objectives and then design a plan to help them acquire the technology they need to deliver their services. What we’ve discovered is that the majority of customers want to reduce costs, drive efficiency and minimise risk,” said Babelli.
To watch the discussions during the webinar, click here >>> Webinar: Accelerate your digital transformation journey with HPE and Alpha Data
