Intelligent CIO Middle East Issue 58 | Page 11

NEWS GGCI ramps up security and compliance capabilities with Nutanix Tatweer and Epson Saudi spearhead technological transformation of the KSA’s classrooms Tatweer Educational Technologies (TETCO) and Epson have come together to provide innovative and immersive inclass technology solutions, as a part of the National Transformation Programme in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). The solutions look to enable and nurture Saudi students, by delivering a learning experience that is interactive and well-suited for this generation of students. Nutanix, an enterprise cloud computing solutions vendor, has announced that Saudi Arabia’s Gulf General Co-operative Insurance Company (GGCI) has successfully completed its journey to the powerful Nutanix Cloud in a move designed to help the organisation overcome regulatory compliance and security challenges. “Currently, the retail segment of the Saudi insurance industry is booming,” said Shaikh Hassan, Head of IT, GGCI. “GGCI is a SAR200 million (US$53 million) company and we have plans in place to expand to SAR400 million (US$106.6 million) in the near future.” The company’s vision is to provide a versatile product range to the Saudi Arabian market. Its ambition to become the premier insurance services provider in the Kingdom required its stakeholders to evaluate internal IT architecture with a view to compliance and security. “The regulator in Saudi Arabia is very strict and they impose a range of restrictions to ensure robust cybersecurity. That includes stringent requirements on the level and frequency of reporting of certain network events to the regulator,” said Hassan. GGCI’s legacy infrastructure – consisting of an eclectic mix of servers, storage and backup solutions – stood in the way of its growth plans because it did not smoothly accommodate the integration of applications that were mandated by Saudi Arabia’s regulators. Ghassan Brinji, Project Manager, Equipment at TETCO, said: “A good education is vital for every child’s future and every pupil is entitled to the same learning experience. Much has changed in classrooms in recent years, affecting how lessons are taught and how teachers keep students engaged in class. The Ministry of Education in KSA seeks to give all children the necessary skills to face the requirements of a modern and technology driven job market. To achieve this, it is crucial that our schools adopt the latest smart classroom technology to help teachers and students to work more collaboratively.” Amr Ahmed, Sales Manager – Saudi Arabia, Epson Middle East, said: “We understand the needs of today’s education sector and use this knowledge to design technology to help make teaching and learning more collaborative and efficient. In a recent Epson research, it was revealed that 58% of students cannot read all of the content on a 70-inch flat panel screen.” www.intelligentcio.com INTELLIGENTCIO 11