Middle East Businesses Name Android Threats as Biggest Hurdle to Enterprise Mobility, Aruba Survey Reveals

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – 9^th August, 2014 – The adoption of Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policies by enterprises in the Middle East is accelerating, but not without ongoing security concerns. Aruba Networks conducted a survey[1] of Middle East IT Decision Makers (ITDMs) during GISEC, the region's only large-scale information security exhibition and conference. The survey found that nearly 60% of organizations either already support BYOD or intend to do so in the near future. Still, ongoing security concerns reflect a general lack of preparedness in managing employee mobile devices, which is holding back broader adoption.

Most interestingly, the three main security threats to enterprise mobility were perceived to be vulnerabilities associated with the Android operating system (40%), device theft or loss (31%) and employees leaving the organization (30%), all of which can be effectively mitigated by utilizing the appropriate mobile management solutions. “While the workforce is clearly eager and ready to embrace mobility, employers in the Middle East are scrambling to catch up. They need to have measures in place to secure mobile devices and applications in a systematic and scalable manner,” said Bashar Bashaireh, Regional Director, Gulf and Pakistan, Aruba Networks Middle East. “We are seeing the emergence of a breed of workforce dubbed #GenMobile. This generation is blending work and play via their mobile devices and will further accelerate the need for IT to respond.”

According to Bashar, catering to the needs of the #GenMobile employee will require organizations to first invest in providing robust and secure wireless networks. This was supported by the survey which showed that the large majority (70%) of respondents prefer Wi-Fi over any other form of connectivity. Given that security remains a top priority for any mobility deployment, organizations also need to look into diversifying the tools they utilize for monitoring mobile networks and their usage, so that they can address every potential vulnerability. Endpoint security products remain the prime mode of defense utilized by organizations as stated by 47% of respondents, and only 17% said their organization had a mobile device management (MDM) solution in place.

Employee behavior has often resulted in security breaches for organizations. With personal computing devices entering the corporate environment, this is even more of a threat. Despite this, less than 33% of respondents said their organizations conduct employee trainings relating to enterprise mobility, thus overlooking a vital part of the BYOD success equation.

With the newest smart devices now available at affordable prices, it is no longer only high-level employees who own the latest smart phones and tablets. Consequently, even employees down the ranks are now expressing a desire to access work on their personal mobile devices. Driving employee satisfaction as well as productivity requires organizations to safely support the mobile aspirations of all employees. 44% of respondents however stated that their organizations believe BYOD support should only be extended to upper management and high-level executives. Unless this mentality changes, businesses will risk creating a divide within their own work forces.

“Restricting enterprise mobility rather than offering and properly controlling it can negatively impact an organization. In the era of the #GenMobile employee, organizations that create a work environment conducive to mobility will be able to attract and retain the best talent,” said Bashar.

Aruba Networks is a leading provider of next-generation network access solutions for the mobile enterprise. As part of its product portfolio, Aruba ClearPass access management solution is designed to provide a window into the enterprise network and covers all network security & access control requirements from a single platform. More information can be found at http://www.arubanetworks.com/products/clearpass/   

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[1] Aruba Networks' survey of over 500 IT professionals from the GCC was conducted in early June 2014 and coincided with the GISEC security exhibition and conference that took place in Dubai

Nissan Names Roland Buerk Senior Director in charge of Communications for the Africa, Middle East and India region

Lebanon – August 8, 2014: Nissan has announced the appointment of Roland Buerk as Senior Director in charge of Communications for the Africa, Middle East and India region, effective immediately.

Buerk, currently General Manager, Global Corporate Communications, Nissan Motor Co. Ltd., will report to Takashi Hata Senior Vice President and Chairman for the Africa, Middle East and India region, and Jeff Kuhlman, Vice President Global Communications.

As Nissan continues to experience rapid growth in the Africa, Middle East and India region, Buerk will lead communications efforts for the company based in Dubai.

"We are happy to welcome Roland Buerk to the new position of Senior Director in charge of Communications for the Africa, Middle East and India region. For Nissan, the region is our strategic growth driver and I am confident his communications leadership will help us tell our story toward brand enhancement and business expansion,” said Hata.

Buerk joined Nissan in 2012 after a career as a BBC foreign correspondent which included five years in South Asia.

He holds a degree in Political Science from the University of Birmingham in the UK.

نيسان تعيّن رولاند بويرك رئيساً أولاً لقسم الإتصالات في مناطق أفريقيا،

الشرق الأوسط والهند

بيروت في 8 اب 2014 ـ أعلنت نيسان عن تعيين السيد رولاند بويرك في منصب رئيس أول لقسم الإتصالات في مناطق أفريقيا، الشرق الأوسط والهند، على أن يتم تطبيق هذا التعيين بشكل فوري.

ويشغل بويرك حالياً منصب المدير العام لقسم الإتصالات العالمية لدى نيسان موتور كومباني المحدودة وسيعمل في منصبه الجديد تحت إدارة كل من تاكاشي هاتا، نائب الرئيس ورئيس مجلس الإدارة عن مناطق أفريقياً والشرق الأوسط والهند وجيف كوهلمان، نائب رئيس قسم الإتصالات العالمية.

ومع النمو السريع والمضطرد الذي تشهده أعمال نيسان في مناطق أفريقيا والشرق الأوسط والهند، سيرأس بويرك قسم الإتصالات في المكتب الإقليمي لـ نيسان الشرق الأوسط.

وفي هذا السياق، قال هاتا: "نحن نرحب بـ رولاند بويرك في منصبه الجديد كرئيس أول لقسم الإتصالات عن مناطق أفريقيا والشرق الأوسط والهند. فبالنسبة لنا، تعتبر هذه المناطق حيوية وتشكل جزءاً كبيراً من عمليات نمو نيسان الإستراتيجية وأنا على يقين تام بأن قدراته التواصلية ستساعدنا في إيصال رسائلنا والإرتقاء بعلامتنا في سبيل تحقيق المزيد من النمو التوسع".

وكان بويرك قد إنضم الى نيسان عام 2012 بعد أن إكتسب خبرة عريقة من خلال عمله كمراسل أجنبي لشبكة BBC منها خمس سنوات من العمل في آسيا الجنوبية.

ويحمل بويرك شهادة في العلوم السياسية حصل عليها من جامعة برمينغهام في المملكة المتحدة.

IATA Welcomes US Dept. of Transportation Final Approval of Resolution 787

9 August 2014 (Geneva) - The International Air Transport Association (IATA) welcomed the decision by the United States Department of Transportation (DOT) to grant final approval to Resolution 787[i]. The Resolution is the foundation document for the New Distribution Capability (NDC), a travel industry-supported program launched by IATA for the development and market adoption of a new, XML-based data transmission standard. “This is a very exciting development for air travelers, airlines, intermediaries, and for competition,” said Tony Tyler, IATA’s Director General and CEO.

The final approval leaves unchanged DOT’s tentative decision approving Resolution 787, which occurred on 21 May 2014. In the tentative decision DOT stated that, “Comparison shopping under the current system is generally limited strictly to comparing fares, and it is difficult to make price quality comparisons of different carriers’ product offerings....The modernized communication standards and protocols and the marketing innovations that [Resolution 787] could facilitate would be procompetitive and in the public interest.”

As part of its tentative and final approvals, DOT accepted the conditions proposed by IATA and Open Allies for Airfare Transparency to ensure that no traveler is required to supply personal information to receive an airfare offer (“anonymous shopping”); that the standard remains voluntary and that each airline is free to choose its own data exchange methodologies.

“Since Resolution 787 was adopted by the Passenger Services Conference, IATA has emphasized that NDC will be a voluntary standard and that no passenger will be required to divulge personal information to receive an offer. We are pleased to reaffirm those commitments,” said Tyler[ii].

According to DOT, Resolution 787 will “create modern, industry-wide technical standards and protocols for data transmission throughout the distribution chain, promoting efficiency, cost savings, and innovation through a real-time exchange of price and service information among carriers, travel agents, customers, and other parties, such as web-based aggregators.” Furthermore, “the use of common technical standards could facilitate the marketplace development of distribution practices and channels that would make it easier for consumers to compare competing carriers’ fares and ancillary products across multiple distribution channels, make purchasing more convenient, allow carriers to customize service and amenity offers, and increase transparency, efficiency, and competition.”

“With the path now clear to begin to implement NDC on a voluntary basis, the next step is the release of the first comprehensive set of NDC end-to-end schemas, so the travel industry can start defining how to best take advantage of the new capability. We look forward to working with all stakeholders to advance the standard for transmission of airline product offers. This will enable travel sellers and consumers to have access to all of an airline’s products and offerings and to compare the full value of the product offer, not just the base fare,” said Tyler.

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[i] Resolution 787 was adopted by the Passenger Services Conference during its 18-19 October 2012 meeting in Abu Dhabi. Following DOT approval of the Resolution, IATA has declared this effective from 7 August.  The conditions imposed by DOT have been recorded in IATA’s declaration of effectiveness, and will be equally published in the next edition of the Passenger Services Conference Resolutions Manual. 

[ii] While DOT’s conditions are limited to activities subject to United States jurisdiction, IATA’s view is that these conditions, the 2013 IATA AGM Resolution regarding NDC, and the Joint Filing with Open Allies for Airfare Transparency, stand as clarifications of the original intent of Resolution 787, and provide explanatory guidance to the global airline community on how to implement NDC.

Air Freight Volumes Expand More Slowly in June

Strong Mid-year Results Disguise Patchy Regional Performance

5 August 2014 (Geneva) – The International Air Transport Association (IATA) released data for global air freight markets showing 2.3% growth in demand (measured in freight tonne kilometers) over June 2013. That is slower than the 4.9% growth reported for May.

Nevertheless, overall growth for the first six months of 2014 stands at 4.1% compared to the same period in 2013. That is much stronger than the weak 1.4% increase reported for the full-year 2013 over 2012 levels. The strengthened growth has been underpinned by improving global trade and stronger business activity over the past year.

“At the half-way point of the year, it is clear that overall cargo demand is much stronger than in 2013. Carriers in Asia-Pacific and the Middle East have been the biggest beneficiaries of the improved market conditions. Europe is doing reasonably well, albeit still in recovery mode. The weak spot is the Americas,” said Tony Tyler, IATA’s Director General and CEO.

“The general improvement in the economic environment is always good news for air cargo. This may not however, be a recovery as usual. First there are a lot of risks out there—from conflicts and sanctions to potential national defaults and fear of the Ebola outbreak. Second, while air cargo is slowly emerging from two years in the doldrums time has not stood still. Logistics has become an even more intensely competitive sector. Shippers value faster end-to-end transit times, greater reliability and improved efficiency. More clearly than ever, the building blocks for the future of air cargo are found in global programs such as e-Freight and Cargo 2000. These are helping the entire value chain to deliver on the expectations of their customers,” said Tyler.

Asia-Pacific airlines’ freight volume grew 4.9% in June, continuing the trend of strengthening results following the declines in the first quarter of the year. For the year-to-date, Asia-Pacific cargo is up 4.6%, and with Chinese manufacturing expanding again for the first time since December 2013, growth looks set to continue. Capacity expanded 4.3%.

European carriers saw freight volumes fall 1.5% compared to June 2013, possibly reflecting recent weakness in manufacturing and export activity. Overall, for the year-to-date, European cargo is up 3.2%, a stronger performance than in 2013. Capacity in June rose 2.1%.

North American airlines’ freight volumes declined 0.1%, compared to June 2013, and for the year-to-date are up just 1.6%. The overall performance may reflect the weakness in trade volumes that followed the severe weather events in the first quarter. Recent data points to much stronger business activity which could support stronger air cargo volumes in the months ahead. Capacity in June fell 1.0%.

Middle East carriers continue to expand strongly. Air cargo growth was 7.0% in June and is up 10.0% for the year-to-date. Airlines in the region are capitalizing on growth opportunities by expanding services to fast-growing emerging markets, such as Uganda and Mexico. Capacity expanded 8.6% year-on-year.

Latin American airlines suffered a sharp contraction of 3.4% in June. The overall performance for the year-to-date has also been a disappointing -0.1%, the only region to be in decline this year. Sluggish trade growth and in particular the weakness of the Brazilian economy is dragging down growth. Capacity in June was up by 1.6%.

African carriers grew 4.8% in June, much stronger than the year-to-date average of 3.1%. Growth has been affected by a slowdown in some African economies, notably South Africa. Improving trade data, however, points to a more optimistic outlook for the rest of the year. Capacity grew 0.3% in June, year-on-year.