Companies' hybrid IT systems, which grew in parallel with the rise of the work-from-anywhere model, are creating challenges for technology professionals, but those in the Middle East are more confident of dealing with them, according to a SolarWinds report.
Overall, the continued expansion of these set-ups is causing a lack of confidence for IT professionals, citing the rising complexity, the lack of proper tools to manage them and increased technology requirements from departments as some of the biggest challenges, the Texas-based IT management solutions provider said in its Getting IT Right report this month.
In the Middle East, however, 24 per cent of respondents said they felt “extremely confident” to handle hybrid IT complexities, compared to the world figure of 16 per cent. More than a third in both categories admitted they were not fully equipped to manage complexity and felt only “somewhat confident”.
Those who “weren't confident at all” in the Middle East was at 10 per cent, higher than the global figure of 6 per cent.
“In managing hybrid IT complexity, tech pros should always consider the size of their organisation because resource needs and capabilities play essential roles in knowing the best direction to take,” Brandon Shopp, vice president for product at SolarWinds, told The National.
“Large organisations are often faced with maintaining and upgrading big legacy tech stacks. Tackling complexity at this scale requires investment, which can run a higher percentage of spending than it would for a small business.”
Hybrid IT is the process of combining in-house and cloud-based services to satisfy an organisation's requirements.
The work-from-home — and, subsequently, work-from-anywhere — model grew during the Covid-19 pandemic, and remains popular. Offering flexibility to employees is also key for companies to attract and retain talent in a post-Covid-19 working environment.
Globally, hybrid work is the most preferred model across all ages, with about 70 per cent of Generation Z, millennials, Generation X and Baby Boomers all preferring the flexibility it offered, US technology firm Cisco said in a study last month.
Those who want a fully remote set-up are a distant second at about 20 per cent, it said.
Technology roles are also rapidly increasing, particularly in the UAE, due to companies digitising their processes to enable, among others, flexible working, according to a report from UK-based recruitment firm Michael Page.
In-demand technology roles include front end and full stack developers, heads of software engineering, cloud architects and engineers, and IT project managers, it said.
The SolarWinds report said one in five of those surveyed said the acceleration of hybrid IT has increased the complexity of their organisation’s IT management, with 60 per cent saying inefficient change management processes was the top concern.
This was followed by outdated staff skill sets that are no longer aligned with new technologies (40 per cent), increased technology requirements from multiple departments (40 per cent) and new tools and/or technologies (35 per cent).
“Moving to the cloud could no longer be phased luxuriously for years in the future. It happened overnight, as workers everywhere went remote and were no longer within the office’s four walls,” Mr Shopp said, referring to how the pandemic forced a drastic change in working conditions.
“The move to the cloud, with distributed workforces, and the accelerated adoption of new technologies will invariably lead to a rise in IT complexity, and this is where observability can help organisations manage greater levels of complexity in diverse and distributed environments spanning on-premises, private and public clouds.”
Moving to the cloud could no longer be phased luxuriously for years in the future. It happened overnight, as workers everywhere went remote and were no longer within the the office’s four walls
Brandon Shopp,
vice president for product at SolarWinds
The lack of insight into networks also affects returns on investment, the SolarWinds report showed, with 84 per cent of respondents in the Middle East agreeing that ROI was hit during an IT project they oversaw in the past 12 to 18 months because of increased hybrid IT complexity, compared to the global figure of 75 per cent.
Investing in improving hybrid IT infrastructure is seen to be key in boosting an organisation's overall performance, with 42 per cent of Middle East respondents saying the best solution to manage increased complexity is to adopt IT management tools — almost at par with the 44 per cent global average.
“As organisations look beyond the pandemic, they must re-examine their investments from the past few years,” Sudhakar Ramakrishna, president and chief executive of SolarWinds, said in a statement.
“Part of that requires organisations to have visibility into their IT environments to understand what’s working and not working, and where to prioritise their efforts to achieve the ROI targeted in their planned projects.”
The SolarWinds report was based on a survey from more than 100 technology practitioners, managers, directors and senior executives in the Middle East, and was part of the global study that spanned more than 1,100 respondents across geographies.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
French business
France has organised a delegation of leading businesses to travel to Syria. The group was led by French shipping giant CMA CGM, which struck a 30-year contract in May with the Syrian government to develop and run Latakia port. Also present were water and waste management company Suez, defence multinational Thales, and Ellipse Group, which is currently looking into rehabilitating Syrian hospitals.
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
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BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
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UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
UAE v Gibraltar
What: International friendly
When: 7pm kick off
Where: Rugby Park, Dubai Sports City
Admission: Free
Online: The match will be broadcast live on Dubai Exiles’ Facebook page
UAE squad: Lucas Waddington (Dubai Exiles), Gio Fourie (Exiles), Craig Nutt (Abu Dhabi Harlequins), Phil Brady (Harlequins), Daniel Perry (Dubai Hurricanes), Esekaia Dranibota (Harlequins), Matt Mills (Exiles), Jaen Botes (Exiles), Kristian Stinson (Exiles), Murray Reason (Abu Dhabi Saracens), Dave Knight (Hurricanes), Ross Samson (Jebel Ali Dragons), DuRandt Gerber (Exiles), Saki Naisau (Dragons), Andrew Powell (Hurricanes), Emosi Vacanau (Harlequins), Niko Volavola (Dragons), Matt Richards (Dragons), Luke Stevenson (Harlequins), Josh Ives (Dubai Sports City Eagles), Sean Stevens (Saracens), Thinus Steyn (Exiles)
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Financial considerations before buying a property
Buyers should try to pay as much in cash as possible for a property, limiting the mortgage value to as little as they can afford. This means they not only pay less in interest but their monthly costs are also reduced. Ideally, the monthly mortgage payment should not exceed 20 per cent of the purchaser’s total household income, says Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching.
“If it’s a rental property, plan for the property to have periods when it does not have a tenant. Ensure you have enough cash set aside to pay the mortgage and other costs during these periods, ideally at least six months,” she says.
Also, shop around for the best mortgage interest rate. Understand the terms and conditions, especially what happens after any introductory periods, Ms Glynn adds.
Using a good mortgage broker is worth the investment to obtain the best rate available for a buyer’s needs and circumstances. A good mortgage broker will help the buyer understand the terms and conditions of the mortgage and make the purchasing process efficient and easier.
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
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The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl, 48V hybrid
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
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$1,000 award for 1,000 days on madrasa portal
Daily cash awards of $1,000 dollars will sweeten the Madrasa e-learning project by tempting more pupils to an education portal to deepen their understanding of math and sciences.
School children are required to watch an educational video each day and answer a question related to it. They then enter into a raffle draw for the $1,000 prize.
“We are targeting everyone who wants to learn. This will be $1,000 for 1,000 days so there will be a winner every day for 1,000 days,” said Sara Al Nuaimi, project manager of the Madrasa e-learning platform that was launched on Tuesday by the Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, to reach Arab pupils from kindergarten to grade 12 with educational videos.
“The objective of the Madrasa is to become the number one reference for all Arab students in the world. The 5,000 videos we have online is just the beginning, we have big ambitions. Today in the Arab world there are 50 million students. We want to reach everyone who is willing to learn.”
So what is Spicy Chickenjoy?
Just as McDonald’s has the Big Mac, Jollibee has Spicy Chickenjoy – a piece of fried chicken that’s crispy and spicy on the outside and comes with a side of spaghetti, all covered in tomato sauce and topped with sausage slices and ground beef. It sounds like a recipe that a child would come up with, but perhaps that’s the point – a flavourbomb combination of cheap comfort foods. Chickenjoy is Jollibee’s best-selling product in every country in which it has a presence.
The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
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- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Muslim Council of Elders condemns terrorism on religious sites
The Muslim Council of Elders has strongly condemned the criminal attacks on religious sites in Britain.
It firmly rejected “acts of terrorism, which constitute a flagrant violation of the sanctity of houses of worship”.
“Attacking places of worship is a form of terrorism and extremism that threatens peace and stability within societies,” it said.
The council also warned against the rise of hate speech, racism, extremism and Islamophobia. It urged the international community to join efforts to promote tolerance and peaceful coexistence.
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COMPANY PROFILE
Initial investment: Undisclosed
Investment stage: Series A
Investors: Core42
Current number of staff: 47
Qosty Byogaani
Starring: Hani Razmzi, Maya Nasir and Hassan Hosny
Four stars
