Mohammed Amin - Afrikan Heroes

Will Technology Reinvent ‘the New Normal’ in 2021?

March 7, 2021

By Mohammed Amin

2020 can only be described as an unpredictable year, and one that brought with it some of the most dramatic shifts we’ve seen in the way we live and work. In a year of uncertainty, it’s safe to say that technology was the one constant – the platform that transformed the fundamentals of commerce, healthcare, education and financial services across the world.

***Mohammed Amin, SVP at Dell Technologies MERAT***

Disruption is a process that plays out over time; sometimes slowly, but completely and the pandemic proved this to be true. It showed that it’s imperative for organisations to invest in a holistic and strategic approach to respond to the pace of disruption. This investment calls for the convergence of technologies, to connect, collaborate and create new services that will ultimately help weather disruption.

As we head into 2021, the MERAT region is centred around one common theme – how to transform for the long term?

Hybrid cloud for the hybrid workforce: A recent IDC survey showed that across the Middle East, Turkey, and Africa region, at least one-third of CIOs are planning to increase their spending on cloud. Investments in cloud operating models that span public, private and edge environments will continue to grow, enabling rapid scale and management of IT everywhere, with the security and visibility organisations need to keep their data protected.

Edge opportunity comes into focus: The increase in remote work and learning combined with data-powered smart applications has meant that data workloads need to be managed and analysed in real-time at the edge. Across every industry, organisations are now looking to edge technology to improve agility and customer experiences. According to IDC, the worldwide edge computing market will reach $250.6 billion in 2024 with a compound annual growth rate of 12.5% over the 2019–2024 forecast period. This means we’ll see even more investments into simpler and faster to deploy distributed technology infrastructure, particularly within the education and healthcare sectors.

The promise of 5G: The pandemic may have slowed the deployment of 5G networks in non-GCC markets, however, 5G leaders in the GCC have continued to invest in the technology, and 5G activities in non-GCC countries are expected to gather pace again from 2021 according to the GSMA. Effective management of spectrum is key to maximising this opportunity, and mobile network operators will invest in modern IT that “cloudifies” their network architecture – bringing us closer to widespread connectivity and edge processing made possible by 5G.

Intelligent PCs will make work and play more seamless, intelligent and enjoyable: A Forrester Consulting survey revealed that remote work is likely to become the norm, with 67% of decision-makers extending remote working arrangements for some employees even after the pandemic, and 57% introducing more flexible work-from-home policies. As people adapt to hybrid remote working models, technology will continue to evolve as well. We’ll see a combination of AI, cloud and improved connectivity merge to improve user experiences with devices. AI will make PCs more seamless, customised and hassle-free. Intelligent software will help your device understand when you do not want to be seen in a video conference and new apps and services will continue to make collaboration easier and more organic, and the systems we’re using will also start to see upgrades in functionality.

AI disruption will unlock human potential: Technology will enable a greater sense of connectivity in a time where we’re working and learning further apart from our homes. AI and automation will reimagine the division of labour between humans and machines. In this region, AI, IOT and other new interfaces are already changing how organisations and governments operate, with the annual growth in the contribution of AI expected to range between 20-34% per year across the region according to PWC, with the fastest growth in the UAE followed by KSA. AI is also expected to contribute over US$135.2 billion in 2030 to the KSA economy alone. We’ll offload more thinking tasks to AI instead of just mechanical ones, leading to faster, deeper and more meaningful insights than enables us to shift our focus to greater innovation, purposeful work and human connections.

Mohammed Amin, SVP at Dell Technologies MERAT

Kelechi Deca

Kelechi Deca has over two decades of media experience, he has traveled to over 77 countries reporting on multilateral development institutions, international business, trade, travels, culture, and diplomacy. He is also a petrol head with in-depth knowledge of automobiles and the auto industry

Will Technology Reinvent ‘the New Normal’ in 2021?

February 21, 2021

By Mohammed Amin

2020 can only be described as an unpredictable year, and one that brought with it some of the most dramatic shifts we’ve seen in the way we live and work. In a year of uncertainty, it’s safe to say that technology was the one constant – the platform that transformed the fundamentals of commerce, healthcare, education and financial services across the world.

Disruption is a process that plays out over time; sometimes slowly, but completely and the pandemic proved this to be true. It showed that it’s imperative for organisations to invest in a holistic and strategic approach to respond to the pace of disruption. This investment calls for the convergence of technologies, to connect, collaborate and create new services that will ultimately help weather disruption.

As we head into 2021, the MERAT region is centred around one common theme – how to transform for the long term?

Hybrid cloud for the hybrid workforce: A recent IDC survey showed that across the Middle East, Turkey, and Africa region, at least one-third of CIOs are planning to increase their spending on cloud. Investments in cloud operating models that span public, private and edge environments will continue to grow, enabling rapid scale and management of IT everywhere, with the security and visibility organisations need to keep their data protected.

Edge opportunity comes into focus: The increase in remote work and learning combined with data-powered smart applications has meant that data workloads need to be managed and analysed in real-time at the edge. Across every industry, organisations are now looking to edge technology to improve agility and customer experiences. According to IDC, the worldwide edge computing market will reach $250.6 billion in 2024 with a compound annual growth rate of 12.5% over the 2019–2024 forecast period. This means we’ll see even more investments into simpler and faster to deploy distributed technology infrastructure, particularly within the education and healthcare sectors.

The promise of 5G: The pandemic may have slowed the deployment of 5G networks in non-GCC markets, however, 5G leaders in the GCC have continued to invest in the technology, and 5G activities in non-GCC countries are expected to gather pace again from 2021 according to the GSMA. Effective management of spectrum is key to maximising this opportunity, and mobile network operators will invest in modern IT that “cloudifies” their network architecture – bringing us closer to widespread connectivity and edge processing made possible by 5G.

Intelligent PCs will make work and play more seamless, intelligent and enjoyable: A Forrester Consulting survey revealed that remote work is likely to become the norm, with 67% of decision-makers extending remote working arrangements for some employees even after the pandemic, and 57% introducing more flexible work-from-home policies. As people adapt to hybrid remote working models, technology will continue to evolve as well. We’ll see a combination of AI, cloud and improved connectivity merge to improve user experiences with devices. AI will make PCs more seamless, customised and hassle-free. Intelligent software will help your device understand when you do not want to be seen in a video conference and new apps and services will continue to make collaboration easier and more organic, and the systems we’re using will also start to see upgrades in functionality.

AI disruption will unlock human potential: Technology will enable a greater sense of connectivity in a time where we’re working and learning further apart from our homes. AI and automation will reimagine the division of labour between humans and machines. In this region, AI, IOT and other new interfaces are already changing how organisations and governments operate, with the annual growth in the contribution of AI expected to range between 20-34% per year across the region according to PWC, with the fastest growth in the UAE followed by KSA. AI is also expected to contribute over US$135.2 billion in 2030 to the KSA economy alone. We’ll offload more thinking tasks to AI instead of just mechanical ones, leading to faster, deeper and more meaningful insights than enables us to shift our focus to greater innovation, purposeful work and human connections.

Mohammed Amin, SVP at Dell Technologies MERAT

Kelechi Deca

Kelechi Deca has over two decades of media experience, he has traveled to over 77 countries reporting on multilateral development institutions, international business, trade, travels, culture, and diplomacy. He is also a petrol head with in-depth knowledge of automobiles and the auto industry

How Enhanced Connectivity Sets the Foundation for Digital Economies By Mohammed Amin

January 5, 2021

Mohammed Amin, SVP of MERAT at Dell Technologies

Over the past few months, we’ve seen the world transform. It’s clear that cities will be affected in the long-term, which is why it’s critical to reflect on how emerging technologies can shape the future.

The emergence of 5G networks and boundless broadband deployment has the potential to change the way cities define their digital future. The promise of mobile gigabit connectivity, low latency and unprecedented device density offers new and exciting developments that affect every aspect of public life, from intelligent transportation to public safety and waste management.

Additionally, the COVID-19 pandemic is shining additional light on the need for greater connectivity speeds and broadband access, that not only allows organisations to drive business continuity, but to also bridge the digital divide and enhance a country’s digital infrastructure.

According to a report produced by the GMSA titled “5G in Sub-Saharan Africa: laying the foundations”, 5G will pay a pivotal role in shaping the digital landscape of the region, however mass adoption is not imminent due to the cost of the infrastructure that needs to be developed.

Nonetheless, the report goes on to document how the positive impact of 5G is acknowledged in the region, however, the implementation will be lagged, and most respondents alluded to wanting it to be tested in other regions, before adopting the technology, allowing for economies of scale for equipment and devices to drive the costs down.

South Africa is leading the way in terms of implementation with 5G available in major cities through an increasing number of operators.

Over the past few months, the global pandemic has further impacted the perceived value of 5G in Sub-Saharan Africa and has illuminated equity issues and opportunities to address them. Government leaders know that inequalities will continue to grow should they not solve the problem right now.

As these governments look to rebuild their economies and invest in technology infrastructure, enhanced broadband deployment provides communities with an opportunity to close the digital divide by shrinking the gap between constituents who have access to high-speed connectivity and those who don’t.

Enhanced connectivity: will form the backbone of smart cities and a new era of tech innovations.

African cities are in a good position to accelerate into Smart City stature due to the rapid urbanisation their cities are experiencing, lessons learnt from other first world countries as well as the economic opportunity many African cities hold.

In these environments, enhanced connectivity forms the backbone for smart city communications and applications, enabling networks to carry the real-time information that makes cities ‘smart.’ These connections between almost every type of smart device, appliance or machine, will allow cities to reduce traffic congestion and vehicle emissions, manage waste disposal, conserve energy and optimise the efficiency of utilities.

Emerging 5G capabilities will even facilitate communications between smart, and eventually driverless, cars that will connect to the larger smart city network. With 5G networks touted as having latency rates of under a millisecond, near-instantaneous delivery of information will support rapid responsiveness needed by autonomous vehicles when confronting an imminent danger like a pedestrian.

Today, service providers are introducing software that incorporates artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) technology, which can be as smart and dynamic as the smart cities themselves. New software innovations can analyse data patterns and identify anomalies, spikes of traffic or congestion and instruct the city’s traffic control systems to take appropriate action.

The impending 5G transition, with significant advances in bandwidth and improved latency and quality of service (QoS), will enable a new wave of services including enhanced mobile broadband, connected cars, drones, smart retail, industrial robots, and much more. This new era of 5G networks will see not only technology innovations, but also business model innovations that result in intelligent devices and applications consuming and generating data like never before.

Imagine the future – what used to be possible only in science fiction movies – flying drones, driverless cars and planes, machine-to-machine interactions, seamless communication around the globe – is fast becoming a reality.

Looking ahead: this is a transformation journey, not an overnight upgrade.

As cities and countries across Africa look to capitalise on the benefits of enhanced connectivity through broadband deployment, their journey may include obstacles. 5G is not simply an evolution of 4G – it requires massive transformation, demanding new distributed architectures using software-defined infrastructure.

When government invests in this new software-defined world, it is imperative to remember that it’s constructed upon common building blocks of compute, storage and networking. For example, 5G requires multiple ecosystems driven by use cases and end-user experiences, a highly distributed infrastructure and workload agility in a cloud native environment.

Establishing this baseline on open, interoperable standards will set governments up for innovation and flexibility as they continue on their connectivity journeys. As we leverage enhanced connectivity to enable new use cases as part of wider smart city initiatives, networks must be equipped to deal with the extensive usage variations associated with everyday life in a major city. As bandwidth use shifts with traffic patterns, day-and-night cycles and major city events, IT leaders need to focus on how these stressors are affecting networks.

We cannot accept the status quo when we’ve seen what technology and data can do when needed most. As populations grow, government services must be effective, efficient and equitable. Moving forward, remember that this transformation is a gradual architectural evolution, and an opportunity for communities and governments to close the connectivity divide to bring to fruition the next wave of technology-led, human progress.

Mohammed Amin, SVP of MERAT at Dell Technologies

Kelechi Deca

Kelechi Deca has over two decades of media experience, he has traveled to over 77 countries reporting on multilateral development institutions, international business, trade, travels, culture, and diplomacy. He is also a petrol head with in-depth knowledge of automobiles and the auto industry