Sherif Azzam, Business Unit Manager, Comstor -KSA, and Mohamed Hilmy – MEA Sales Director, IST Networks – KSA, discuss their key priorities for the upcoming year in addition to their usage of strategic collaboration solutions.
What are the unique aspects of working with Comstor?
Sherif: Comstor is uniquely positioned as a Cisco-only, value-added distributor, offering unmatched expertise, product knowledge, and tailored support for Cisco partners. Comstor provides bespoke sales and technical training, helping partners build competencies and maximize returns from Cisco’s channel programs and incentives. The Comstor team goes above & beyond to help partners grow their business, strengthen expertise, seize emerging market opportunities, and secure a competitive advantage by leveraging Cisco’s latest technologies and market strategies.
Another unique advantage of working with Comstor is that partners get access to detailed data analytics to boost win rates, identify untapped markets, and enhance customer lifetime value.
What are Comstor’s key focus areas and priorities for growth in the upcoming year?
Sherif: Being a Cisco exclusive distributor, Comstor’s key focus areas and priorities remain fully aligned to Cisco’s growth strategy. Comstor is prioritising cybersecurity as its top growth driver for the year. There is a lot of focus on supporting partners with continuous training, solution architecture, and marketing resources to address the increasing demand for robust, enterprise-grade cybersecurity.
Networking also remains a core area, with continued investment in Cisco’s switching, routing, mobility, and Meraki solutions. Comstor is showcasing cross-architecture innovations, such as Cisco Meraki, to drive digital transformation and collaboration for end-user businesses.
Comstor will also continue leveraging its expertise across Cisco’s entire collaboration portfolio, including solutions like Webex, Unified Communications Manager, Cloud Calling, and contact centre products.
Overall, Comstor’s strategy is cantered on empowering partners with exclusive enablement programs, flexible financing models, and tailored go-to-market strategies. This includes a strong focus on professional services, education, support, and supply chain management to help partners seize every opportunity and deliver value in key industry segments.
How has the partnership with Cisco enabled you to effectively meet the requirements of your customers?
Mohamed: We firmly believe that an IT partner that dedicates time to understanding its customers and their unique requirements is better positioned to deliver tailored solutions, superior services, and exceptional user experiences.
By leveraging Cisco’s industry-leading products and services, which offer comprehensive end-to-end solutions for customer needs, our partnership with Cisco has empowered IST to assist numerous clients in achieving their business objectives and realising their value-driven goals.
Q4: What are the key Cisco Collaboration Solutions that most in demand?
Mohamed: There is a growing understanding among organisations to invest into high quality solutions and systems in order to have business continuity. Hence, there has been a big surge in requirements for Cisco’s Collaboration Endpoints, Conferencing, Messaging, and other Hybrid workspace solutions. It is no wonder that the Cisco Webex solution is today trusted by 95% of Fortune 500 companies as it has all the features that support hybrid workspaces.
Can you elaborate on how your strategic partnership with Comstor has facilitated the delivery of Cisco’s latest Collaboration solutions to your customers?
Mohamed: Comstor has proven to be an invaluable partner in our journey to deliver Cisco collaboration solutions in the Saudi market. Through our strategic alignment with Comstor, we have successfully established best practices that enhance our ability to meet customer needs effectively. This partnership has been instrumental in ensuring that we remain at the forefront of innovation and service excellence.
The Comstor team has played a pivotal role in our success by providing consistent updates on Cisco’s latest solutions and advancements. Their expertise and dedication have empowered our team to stay informed and agile in a rapidly evolving technological landscape, allowing us to offer cutting-edge solutions tailored to the unique demands of the Saudi market.
Image Credit: Comstor & IST Networks
