Tarun Nandi, Director, Blue Bell Computers, says employee turnover and credit issues in the channel are interconnected.

Mastering the data
Moving virtual servers around a hybrid cloud environment isn’t hard, but managing the data is. That’s why NetApp wants to be “the enterprise data-management standard across the enterprise,” says CEO Tom Georgens.

Twitter acquires image search firm Madbits
Madbits, a year-old company that uses deep learning technology to assign relevant information to raw images, has sold itself to …

Palo Alto uncovers new source of cyberthreats
Palo Alto Networks has revealed that cyber criminals in Nigeria have evolved common malware campaigns to infiltrate businesses that have …

Microsoft introduces Surface Pro 3 to the region
Microsoft’s latest launch, the Surface Pro 3 is encased in magnesium and equipped with a 12-inch ClearType Full HD display, Windows 8.1 Pro, 4th-generation Intel Core processor and up to 8 GB of RAM in a sleek frame with up to nine hours of Web-browsing battery life.
emt incorporates TekVia for South America
emt Holdings, the group holding company for emt Distribution has announced its entry to the Latin American market through the incorporation TekVia.

UK rushes data retention bill
The U.K. government has pushed through a new surveillance law to replace one a European Union court said interfered with fundamental privacy rights – but, say civil rights campaigners, the new law is worse than the one it replaces.

Cutting edge
With the systems integrators market evolving, IT leaders have the opportunity to tailor their skills to specific verticals and areas of SI specialisation. Which verticals offer the best opportunities for growth and what types of projects will SIs have to specialise in?

Digging for gold
Intensified competition coupled with declining voice ARPU is forcing telecom service providers to look around for new revenue streams that some of the new advanced technologies offer. However, it can be a daunting task for carriers who are saddled with legacy systems and manual internal processes.

Oracle to release 115 security patches
Oracle is planning to release 115 security patches for vulnerabilities affecting a wide array of its products, including its flagship database, Java SE, Fusion Middleware and business applications.

Intercept: NSA targets American Muslims
More than 40 privacy, civil rights and religious groups have called on President Barack Obama’s administration to provide a “full public accounting” of long-time email surveillance of prominent Muslims living in the U.S., following a news report detailing the spying by the U.S. National Security Agency and FBI.

IBM lines up $3 billion cognitive chip investment
IBM will pour $3 billion into computing and chip materials research over the next five years, as it rethinks computer design and looks to a future that may not involve silicon chips.

Chinese hackers target Iraq experts
A sophisticated Chinese hacker group that had been stealing information from U.S. policy experts on nearby Southeast Asia suddenly changed targets last month to focus on the Middle East – Iraq, in particular – security researchers CrowdStrike said Monday.

Top vendors unite for IoT ring
Intel, Samsung and Dell are among the founding members to have established the OIC, a new Internet of Things consortium to create standards so that billions of devices can connect to each other.
ESET and Gateworx sign Egypt deal
ESET has signed a partnership agreement with the information security and business applications distributor Gateworx to distribute its security solutions portfolio in Egypt.
Westcon Group wins MEA employers accolade
Westcon ME Group has been announced as one of the ‘10 Best Employer Organisations’ in the Middle East & Africa region for 2014 by Aon Hewitt alongside peer companies such as DHL, Procter and Gamble, Marriott International and others.

Refreshing change
When Dubai Refreshments’ ERP systems needed refreshing, the company was faced with a choice. Either they could upgrade their current systems, or they could go on a search for a suite of modules the fit their every need. Not one to shy away from a challenge, Anas Taraben, CIO, investigated what it would take to quench the business’ thirst for innovation.

Safety first
Three-day IT security conference GISEC 2014 gave the masses a chance to meet first class security vendors as well as listen to presentations from internationally renowned security professionals. CNME reports from day one of the show.

In the bank
With a range of forecasts from research firms Gartner and IDC stating that MENA IT spending will increase in 2014, will CIOs find their budgets swelling, and if so, which areas are most in need of the spend? Who stands to benefit and what can the Middle East do to catch up with more developed regions?

Gartner names top 10 2014 IT security technologies
Gartner has highlighted its top 10 technologies for information security and their implications for security organisations in 2014.