Cisco today announced that du, the fastest growing telecommunications service provider in the UAE, is deploying the foundation layer for its virtualized infrastructure based on Cisco Unified Computing System (UCS) and Cisco Data Center Switches. This comes as a move to bolster du’s position as a provider of competitive cloud-based security solutions for UAE businesses.

With cyber threats continuing to be a major concern, globally, du utilizes a number of systems to provide the intelligence to keep its core assets and customers safe from attack. The virtualized environment will enable du Technology Security Risk and Fraud Management team to build a scalable and operationally efficient hosting environment for its Security management systems.

A Cisco Unified Data Center changes the economics of the data center by unifying storage, networking, virtualization, and management into a single platform. The result is operational simplicity and business agility - essential for cloud computing and deploying IT as a service. For du, the Cisco UCS platform will also incorporate VMware solutions, to deliver an integrated solution designed to enable them to realize the full promise of virtualization, and also providing superior manageability, security, performance, business agility, and cost savings.

Highlights/Key Facts:
· For rapidly changing business demands that require a fast response, Cisco Unified Computing System delivers a smart, programmable infrastructure that simplifies and speeds enterprise-class application and service deployment in bare-metal, virtualized and cloud-computing environments.

By integrating Cisco servers and network into one system, Cisco UCS improves enterprise application availability and performance whilst streamlining data center resources to reduce total cost of ownership.

du always strives to be recognized as a green service provider ensuring that it contributes to a sustainable future for the UAE, as well as rationalising both operational and capital expenditure.

· The Cisco UCS platform will help du to deliver this goal by radically reducing the number of devices requiring setup, management, power, cooling, and cabling.

· Cisco UCS and Nexus platforms are the corner stones for building next generation datacenters that allow for energy efficient use and reduced operation cost and complexities. Server, network, storage, and application virtualization present challenges because a server must host multiple applications with different security, compliance policy, and service-level requirements.

· Cisco’s solution has enabled du to increase its infrastructure operational efficiency and increased the agility of virtualized service provisioning.

Executive Quotes:
Walid Kamal, Senior Vice President, Technology Security, Risk and Fraud Management, du
“Making our first step towards virtualization and consolidation is a part of our vision towards cloud-based security services. We have achieved this with the support of Cisco in deploying virtualization for one of our core security services. We now intend to move towards cloud-based architecture for all our internal and external security service offerings, addressing all our key security requirements, achieving operational efficiency, gaining significant competitive advantage and subsequently reducing the time to market. With this development, we are able to strengthen our portfolio of cloud-based security offerings for UAE-based businesses, to add to our competitive edge.”

Rabih Dabboussi, Managing Director, Cisco, UAE
“Being one of the leading Service Providers in the UAE, we are immensely pleased that du understands how Cisco is uniquely positioned to lead its transformation to the next generation Data Center with a new architectural approach. The Data Center is transforming into an agile and efficient networked environment providing access to every device to any content, everywhere. Subsequently, virtualization has created a unique opportunity to create a more agile and efficient infrastructure and Cisco’s Unified Computing System is a next-generation data center platform that unites compute, network, storage access, and virtualization into a cohesive system that reduces TCO, increases business agility and improve energy efficiency.”

Emirate:  Dubai

Date: Feb 13, 2013