Intelligent CIO Africa Issue 44 | Page 15

NEWS

First Distribution expands Kaspersky distribution to West Africa

Pan-African distributor for Cybersecurity , data centre , enterprise and cloud solutions , First Distribution , has expanded its distribution agreement with Kaspersky and is now offering the security software portfolio in West Africa .

First Distribution currently distributes Kaspersky in Southern Africa and East Africa , and the addition of the new territory means it now covers the full region for non- Francophone sub-Saharan Africa .

Adobe , IBM and Red Hat partner to advance customer experience transformation

Adobe , IBM and Red Hat have announced a strategic partnership to help accelerate Digital Transformation and strengthen realtime data security for enterprises , with a focus on regulated industries . The intent of the partnership is to enable companies to deliver more personalised experiences across the customer journey , driving improved engagement , profitability and loyalty .

As companies undergo their Digital Transformations and move core workloads to the cloud , the entire C-suite is facing a re-framing of their roles to meet customer demands – all while keeping security front and centre . Chief Marketing Officers and Chief Digital Officers – particularly those working in regulated industries such as banking and healthcare – are finding that with the emphasis on data-driven marketing , they are now becoming stewards of critical enterprise and customer information . For these executives , the need to protect data while delivering meaningful customer experiences is paramount .
“ Now more than ever , companies are accelerating their efforts to engage customers digitally ,” said Anil Chakravarthy , Executive Vice President and General Manager , Digital Experience , Adobe . “ We are excited to partner with IBM and Red Hat to enable companies in regulated industries to meet this moment and use real-time customer data to securely deliver experiences across any digital touchpoint , at scale and compliant with regulations .” •
Brad Stein , General Manager : Networking and Cybersecurity , First Distribution , has been working with Kaspersky since 2007 , when Phoenix Software first signed up the distribution rights . Phoenix was later acquired by First Distribution .
Stein said First Distribution has already built a presence and resources in the region , so adding new products and services simply takes advantage of that .
“ We have all the skills in sales , pre-sales , operations and marketing already in place , so it was an easy option to take the products into the new territory . We also have a good track record with Kaspersky , and the right platforms ,” he said .
First Distribution has a team on the ground in West Africa and engages with the channel via traditional dealers , system integrators , value-added resellers ( VARs ), telecommunications companies and Internet service providers ( ISPs ).
Amir Kanaan , Managing Director , Middle East , Turkey and Africa at Kaspersky , said : “ We are pleased to confirm the appointment of First Distribution as our distributor in West Africa .”
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