UAE-based telecommunications operator du has partnered with American multinational technology corporation IBM to leverage the latter’s security software and solutions across its Digital Trust portfolio and its Cyber Defense Centre.
Through this new collaboration with IBM, du hopes to accelerate its innovations in the field of data security, while also scaling and improving its existing services to create unique solutions that cater to a variety of end-user requirements.
“With digital transformation accelerating rapidly and new threats continually presenting themselves, organizations tasked with protecting communities of customers are required to expand their cybersecurity capabilities at every available opportunity,” said Martin Tarr, Chief ICT Officer (Acting) at du. “As such, we are delighted that we will meet this obligation once more with support from IBM. Constant engagement with best-in-class partners is an enduring principle our company adheres to, and we look forward to working with IBM in the years ahead to deliver cutting-edge solutions that leverage global expertise and the very best technologies.”
“Digital transformation is now more critical than ever, and we have lately seen tremendous increase in client demand for our capabilities and expertise across our region, specially on the cybersecurity front,” added Hossam Seif El Din, IBM General Manager in the Middle East and Pakistan. “In the Middle East, IBM’s business partner ecosystem is central to our growth strategy, and we are proud of collaborating with du to help businesses in the region to not only respond to the ever-increasing security incidents, but also supporting them to proactively protect their businesses from emerging threats.”
du’s partnership with IBM is expected to bolster operations centered around protecting the digital environments and infrastructure of its enterprise customers and government entities from cyber-attacks. In due course, du will also leverage cutting-edge technology with open standards, combining it with internal intellectual property to deliver next generation Security Operations Center (SOC) services to clients and consumers. At the same time, du will benefit from unique expertise and specialist knowledge from global markets, which is certain to support efforts to empower enterprise and government initiatives further.
The announcement of the partnership follows a recent study by IBM that did an in-depth analysis of over 500 real-world data breaches occurring over the past year across 17 countries, and found that the Middle East region is the second highest average breach cost amongst the 17 regions studied. du’s tie-up with IBM also aligns with the UAE’s National Agenda mandate to build sustainable digital infrastructure and embrace technological innovation without compromising security.
As for the du Cyber Defense Centre, which was launched in June 2021 with the aim to mitigate cyber threats that put businesses at risk through the use of proven use cases, leading technologies, and a global team of security analysts, IBM’s QRadar® Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) is already its cornerstone, with it helping security teams accurately detect and prioritize enterprise threats, while providing intelligent insights that enable prudent responses and minimize incident impacts.
With the the new partnership, the Centre will now provide even greater value and support to clients in the enterprise and government spaces. In addition to a process-driven approach, fully managed service, always-on security, and peace of mind through an established team of security experts, multiple layers of integrated security solutions will also deliver comprehensive ICT ecosystem protection.
