NEWS
Omantel expands Ericsson managed services partnership subscribers . Ericsson will enable Omantel to lower operational expenses as well as help create sustainable differentiation by evolving from a network-centric operations focus to a user-experience-centric operations focus anchored by Ericsson ’ s automation use cases .
Oman-based telecoms provider Omantel has expanded its managed services partnership with Ericsson . The deal covers fully managed end-to-end multivendor operations services including nationwide network operations , as well as field support and maintenance for Omantel ’ s fixed-line access , 2G , 3G , 4G and future 5G access .
Ericsson has been an Omantel managed services partner since 2016 .
The deal includes Network Functions Virtualisation ( NFVi ) and the deployment of automation platforms to allow Omantel to increase operational network efficiency and further enhance customer experiences for
Talal Said Al Mamari , CEO , Omantel , said : “ Expanding our long-term partnership with Ericsson with the implementation of its innovative solutions is in line with our strategy to focus on our core business of providing a convergence of communications , and information to our customers and to deliver the best possible service to our growing customer base . The deal covers network operations and field maintenance for Omantel ’ s multivendor mobile networks , including access and core technologies . We at Omantel work with international companies such as Ericsson to bring extensive management Services expertise to our network .”
A new Mimecast report shows a steady increase in malicious files in GCC
Email security vendor Mimecast has released a report from its Threat Intelligence Centre titled Arabian Peninsula as a Cyber Innovator and Associated Cyber Risk to Resilience in the Region . Researchers at the security vendor have observed a monthon-month increase in malicious files detected in the region over the course of 2020 .
The report highlights how between March and April – when COVID-19 first began spreading in the region and countries went into lockdown
– there was a 93 % increase in malicious files detected . The report provides a detailed overview of threats seen in the region over the course of this year , highlighting some of the technologies and regional dynamics driving increased cyber threats . It draws on data from organisations in Bahrain , KSA , Kuwait , Oman , Qatar and the UAE .
“ As the world navigates a new normal , opportunistic threat actors continue to use a combination of attack methodologies to target vulnerabilities .” said Jonathan Miles , Head of Strategic Intelligence , Mimecast . “ These findings put the spotlight on the growing threat activity in the region , placing emphasis on a multi-layered approach to security . Organisations need to implement a cyber resilience strategy with due consideration given to protecting an organisation at its perimeter , inside the network and beyond the perimeter , by protecting its brand from exploitation .”
14 INTELLIGENTCIO MIDDLE EAST www . intelligentcio . com