Infotech believes in strong and long-term partnerships   

Anu Cherian Philip, General Manager, OCS Infotech, discusses the significant changes happening across the MENA region’s channel ecosystem and Infotech’s role within it. 

Q1. How has the channel ecosystem across the MENA region evolved and changed over the last 2-3 years?  

The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated digital adoption across the region. Businesses have gradually adopted e-commerce, cloud computing, and digital payment solutions. This shift has led to a surge in demand for IT services and solutions, creating new opportunities for channel partners. 

Countries like the UAE and Saudi Arabia have been actively working to diversify their economies away from oil dependency. Initiatives such as Saudi Vision 2030 and the UAE’s National Innovation Strategy have spurred investments in technology, healthcare, and renewable energy sectors. This has opened new avenues for channel partners to offer specialized solutions. 

The entry of international players into the MENA market has increased competition. Local channel partners are adapting by forming strategic alliances, enhancing their service offerings, and focusing on customer-centric solutions to stay competitive. 

These trends indicate numerous opportunities for growth. 

Q2. Many of the largest technology players globally rely on rock-solid channel partners to be successful, and that is especially pertinent in the Middle East region. What are the key characteristics required to be an effective channel partner?  

Understanding the local market, unique cultural, economic, and regulatory landscape of each country is critical. This includes being aware of local business practices, customer preferences, and compliance requirements. 

Building and maintaining strong relationships with both vendors and customers is always vibrant. This involves trust, reliability, and effective communication to ensure smooth operations and customer satisfaction. 

Presence of Local Technical Expertise having in-depth knowledge of the products and services being offered is essential to maintain the customer relation and market penetration.  

Commitment to Customer Success, This involves providing excellent after-sales support, understanding customer needs, and helping them achieve their business goals. 

By these characteristics, channel partners can effectively support global technology players and drive success in the Middle East region. 

Q3. What would you say differentiates your company from other players in the channel industry?  

We believe in Strong and long-term Partnerships, we build and maintain healthy relationships with partners, ensuring mutual growth and success. 

We build strong Sales, Pres Sales and Technical Capabilities for the Products we partnered with. Provide extensive training programs for the resources and customers to ensure they can maximize the value of the products or services. 

We prioritise customer satisfaction through exceptional service and responsive support. 

Q4. Can you tell us more about how important your partnership with Fortinet is for you as a company – and what makes Fortinet’s technology stand out?  

We have more than a decade relationship with Fortinet and getting stronger year by year. This is just because of the focus from both the sides.  

We maintain an excellent pool of Fortinet resources for Project implementation and local support. 

Fortinet’s comprehensive security solutions help us provide robust protection for our clients’ networks, data, and applications. From firewalls and VPNs to endpoint security and cloud solutions, Fortinet offers a wide range of products to meet diverse security needs, so we continue to invest in Fortinet Security solutions. 

Image Credit: OCS Infotech