To capitalise on the increasing demand for data networking products in the Middle East, Online Distribution, the value added networking distributor, and Extreme Networks presented the latest converged network solutions that provide businesses with a highly resilient and secure communications infrastructure at a Gulf road show held recently.
At popular sessions in Jeddah, Riyadh and Al Khobar, in Saudi Arabia, and Doha, Qatar, attendees discovered technologies and methods that will help them support IP telephony and data on a secure converged network. Extreme Networks’ network foundation provides enterprises with a lower cost of ownership and network tools to allow them to measure and assess the quality of converged VoIP phone calls beyond the local area network.
“Network technology is increasingly moving from being fragmented to being fully integrated and converged, with IP telephony and data networks fully merging. This trend is going to continue, and new innovations will be integrated into the converged network. Increasingly, organisations are looking for end-to-end technology, so that data can be punched in at every point of the organisation, and instantly accessed. This is crucial to the expanding Middle East business sector, and we work with a range of industry-leading network solution providers to bring the latest integrated solutions to the region,” said Keith Rich, managing director, Online Distribution.
Extreme Networks has expanded its product lineup over the past 18 months, including launching switch-based security solutions that comprises of two parts — the Clear-Flow security rules engine which is integrated into Extreme’s BlackDiamond 10K switch and the Sentriant virtual security resource (VSR) appliance. These have set new standards in performance, reliability and QoS (quality of service).
“Security is the number one concern of most customers. Moreover, we see a trend, which is confirmed by most leading analysts, that security is moving from dedicated security companies into the network arena,” says Chris Moore, regional manager, Extreme Networks MENA. “Threats are moving towards the inside of the network because you can’t protect every port with a firewall plus current security devices cannot deal with the huge amount of data on Gigabit and 10Gigabit networks.”
The BlackDiamond solution is designed to provide a defence against zero day attacks, which are threats that lack a signature or previous pattern. The solution will contain these attacks before they cripple network performance and works by using the Clear-Flow analysis engine to detect potentially damaging traffic. This is then diverted to the Sentriant, which counters the threat. The BlackDiamond12804R is purpose built for service providers rolling out metro ethernet networks for residential and business services.
“To provide our customers in the region, especially in Saudi Arabia, with easy access to the best alternative switch vendor, we have invested in a new Riyadh based operation. Along with our reseller partners, Online Distribution, we can now provide enterprise level technical support locally for our customers and demonstrates our commitment to the market. The network requirements in Saudi Arabia are the most demanding in the region and, as such, customers will benefit from the local presence of a best of breed ethernet switch vendor,” added Moore.
Extreme Networks’ customer lineup includes Saudi Telecom, Mobily, Saudi Aramco, Zamil Group, Bureau of Experts, and King Khaled Eye Specialist Hospital in Saudi Arabia and Woqod and Nasser bin Khaled Mercedes dealership in Qatar, among others.
“OnLine Distribution believe in supporting our vendors with high-level premium channel partner selection, professional territory management, and ongoing training and evaluation services for channel partners and we look forward to driving the growth of networking technology in the region,” said Rich.
About Online Distribution:
OnLine Distribution Ltd. is a value-added distributor for data networking products and services covering the Middle East, Western Asia and North Africa. It is a subsidiary of Datatec, an international networking and IT services group.
Based in the Jebel Ali Free Trade Zone of Dubai, the company has stocking locations and offices in both Jebel Ali and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. It provides its partners with
technical expertise, network design solutions, logistics and sales support for all its vendors, as well as their large inventory of products.
About Extreme Networks:
Extreme Networks is the leader in open converged networks. Its innovative network architecture provides enterprises and metro service providers with the resiliency, adaptability and simplicity required for a true converged network that supports voice, video and data, over a wired and wireless infrastructure, while delivering high-performance and advanced security features. For more information, please visit www.extremenetworks.com
