GBM: leveraging AI, cloud, and cybersecurity to innovate and enhance the customer experience

Veronica Martin caught up with Ossama El Samadoni, General Manager – Dubai & Northern Emirates at GBM, during GITEX to discuss the key findings and insights from their annual security report, how they are leveraging their solutions to deliver exceptional customer experiences and the company’s vision for the upcoming years. 

GBM is a prominent player in the Middle East’s technology landscape. Can you share your company’s focus at GITEX 2024 and highlight some of the key products and solutions you’re showcasing?

We’re very happy to have been part of Gitex for many years and have witnessed its transformation from a platform for showcasing independent technologies to a major event that each year focuses on a key theme relevant to global trends. This year, the focus is on the AI economy, exploring the real-world impact of AI implementations on industries and economies.

When we look at AI, not just generative AI, it’s clear that it plays a pivotal role in enhancing productivity, reducing operational costs, improving customer experiences, and providing deeper qualitative and quantitative insights across diverse data sets. At GBM, we’ve identified two critical challenges in this space.

First, as highlighted in our annual security report, AI requires greater data openness, which involves integrating data from various previously siloed systems. This brings heightened security risks, making cybersecurity a major focus for us this year.

The second challenge is operationalising AI. Many companies have adopted AI, but often in simple, pre-made use cases. However, to truly unlock AI’s potential, it needs to be integrated into more complex, automated systems, ensuring seamless interaction between AI outputs and real-world execution. This involves advanced automation and carefully constructed application integrations, enabling AI to act on behalf of, or under the control of, the customer.

In addition to these AI-focused initiatives, we are continuing to enhance our traditional offerings in cloud management, security with our Shield platform, and database operations, all of which remain critical to our portfolio this year.

Given GBM’s expertise in cybersecurity, could you discuss some of the key findings and insights from your annual security report?

When we conducted our annual security report, the results were quite unexpected. In the past, such as in the 11th edition last year and the 10th the year before, the main discussions revolved around core security topics: how to protect the edge, secure the core, build an effective SOC, and the necessary tools and services for comprehensive protection. For instance, last year, we saw a growing focus on the role of managed security services providers (MSSPs), which led us to invest in a company called CORE or Coordinates to meet that need.

However, this year brought a shift in the conversation. A significant number of respondents were focused on the adoption of AI and the associated risks and opportunities. Among the 500 CIOs and CSOs we interviewed, 59%—to be precise—reported that they are integrating AI into their operations.

“While AI adoption is rapidly increasing, it’s also bringing new concerns to light.”

Many expressed worries about data bias, the need to open up data sources, and challenges around data privacy, security, and integrity. There were also concerns about automation being implemented for its own sake, without fully understanding its potential impacts.

With every advancement AI promises, new challenges arise. This is why, under the GBM Shield—our security framework for executing projects—we’re addressing these concerns. Our comprehensive approach, supported by a wide range of technology partners, ensures that we are well-equipped to manage both the opportunities and the risks associated with AI.

GBM is renowned for its leading end-to-end digital solutions and comprehensive portfolio. In the experience economy, how are you leveraging this breadth to deliver exceptional customer experiences (CX) for public sector clients?

That’s actually a point I highlighted in one of my published articles: Customer Experience (CX) should be viewed as a system of engagement rather than just a system of records. This shift reflects the changing expectations of customers. Ten to fifteen years ago, businesses focused primarily on systems like ERP, which handled transactions—debit, credit, and other records like sales or services provided. These were static records, and any insights we gathered were based on analysing past data.

Today, whether we’re dealing with citizens, residents, or consumers, we need to meet them in their own space, shaped largely by the rise of social media. Each of us has created our own digital environments—our personal spaces on platforms like Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and others. We now expect service providers to come to us, not the other way around. To illustrate, when I first moved here over 22 years ago, I had to bring copies of my passport, visa, photos, and visit typing centres to get things done. Now, standing in my digital space, I expect services to come to me.

This paradigm shift in CX requires a new approach. Once a service provider reaches a customer’s space, the next critical question is: what should they do? This is where AI becomes integral to CX, helping analyse the customer’s persona and identifying what matters most to them. AI then determines the best way to deliver services, and what backend integrations are needed to make it happen.

At GBM, when we began focusing on CX about three to five years ago, we recognised these trends. We concentrated on developing open APIs, enhancing application integration, securing transactions, and infusing AI and data analytics into our systems. Our goal was to provide service providers with the intelligence to identify the “next best action” during their engagement with customers, not after. 

Today, everything happens in real-time. Decisions are made on the spot, while the engagement is ongoing, allowing service providers to act immediately based on the customer’s needs.

This is the essence of working within the customer’s space—delivering seamless, intuitive experiences that respond to their needs in the moment, rather than after the fact.

Cloud adoption and migration can be complex. Can you elaborate on how GBM is facilitating its clients’ journeys to ensure a smooth transition?

Three years ago, when we embarked on our cloud journey, we made a strategic decision to adopt a hybrid multi-cloud approach. We recognised that offering each cloud service with its own distinct terms, conditions, and operations would be limiting. Instead, we focused on creating a unified solution that could seamlessly manage all cloud environments. This led to the development of Cloud X.

Cloud X goes beyond being just a “manager of managers.” It’s designed to optimise cloud operations by allowing customers to choose the best environment—whether it’s private, hybrid, or public cloud—for each specific task. The system provides the tools needed to monitor, manage, and make informed decisions about where workloads should land and how to automate their movement across various cloud platforms, including multiple public clouds.

In addition to this flexibility, Cloud X offers intelligence on cloud usage, providing insights into resource allocation, cost-effectiveness, and operational efficiencies. It helps customers assess whether they’re using their cloud resources to the fullest and what improvements can be made to enhance their operations. This intelligence is where we add real value, helping our clients optimise their cloud strategies and maximise returns on their investments.

Looking ahead, what are GBM’s aspirations for its role in the regional tech ecosystem? How do you envision your company contributing to innovation and growth in the coming years?

That’s a tough question, and it’s something that everyone at GBM is constantly thinking about—how we can leverage and strengthen our relationships with existing technology partners, harness their offerings, and blend them into a new approach that drives continuous innovation for our customers.

“Innovation is moving at the speed of light, and the expectation now is to deliver it immediately.”

One of the challenges with rapid technological advancements is that the lifespan of each innovation becomes shorter, meaning we need to develop solutions that not only evolve quickly but also anticipate the future needs of our clients. 

To address this, we’ve established cloud competency teams and AI squads whose sole focus is to stay ahead of developments in the AI world. They explore how we can apply these advancements, identify new use cases, and determine which customers could benefit from them.

By testing hypotheses and experimenting with emerging technologies, we’re able to stay ahead of the curve. When customers come to us asking about the latest innovation, we’re not just prepared to answer questions about what’s happening now—we’re already helping them think about what’s next. This is where GBM, with its collective strength of 1,500 employees, excels: we empower our clients to navigate the future, not just the present.