Q2 2020

MEAMARKETS / Q2 2020 5 NEWS The first phase of the new high specification 200,000 sq. ft, seven floor campus development, has seen ISG hand over levels one, three, four and six to the university. These key ar- eas house UOWD’s renowned English Language Testing Sys- tem (IELTS) Centre, alongside students’ lounges, laboratories and lecture theatres, and the university’s leadership, management, and administration offices. Commencing on site in November 2019, this first phase handover is fully aligned with the fast-track programme, that will see ISG deliver the new campus, ahead of the start of the new academic year in September. With an absolute focus on the health, safety, and wellbeing of every oper- ative across its sites, and strict compliance with UAE Government’s health and safety guidelines, ISG worked diligently to successfully mitigate the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on productivity. Comprehensive meas- ures have included the review of safe travel to and from site, one-way site route planning, agile shift patterns and flexing the number of operatives on site to conform with strict social distancing regulations. ISG has also recruited dedicated occupational health first responders and introduced daily temperature checking of operatives, as part of a robust package of measures to maintain consistently high productivity rates. As one of the region’s most innovative contractors, ISG has accelerated the roll out of visualisation technology to reduce the requirement for site visits during the crisis. Using 360-degree cameras, inspections and valida- tion work have been carried out remotely, increasing efficiencies for opera- tives and project stakeholders. Project teams across the territory have also utilised the UAE’s official contact-tracing app to allow timely and accurate identification of any infection risks. Scott McCulloch, general manager, Middle East, ISG, said: “Celebrating this key programme milestone for the UOWD has extra resonance during this unprecedented global crisis. By adopting a smart, agile and above all a robustly safe approach, and working in full collaboration with every pro- ject stakeholder, we have collectively risen to the challenge of operating in this ‘new normal’ and achieved an outstanding result. “Technology has certainly played an important role in maintaining our pro- ductivity rates on site, and our strong tech-led credentials have helped us to deploy smart innovations quickly to generate immediate efficiency ben- efits. I would like to thank our outstanding project team for demonstrating the creativity, drive, and professionalism to operate under the most de- manding of circumstances. And our client UOWD, Woods Bagot, Cundall, C&B, other project consultants and our valued supply chain partners, who have supported us tremendously, in our strive to deliver this project safely.” Andy Phillips, Chief Operating Officer, UOWD said, “UOWD is building the campus of the future with a focus on delivering a first-class education envi- ronment that meets the demands of evolving higher education models. Be- ing in Dubai gives us access to some of the most advanced technologies in the world, which have been woven into the fabric of our new building. “Our campus will have state-of-the-art facilities that will enhance our stu- dent experience, support modern teaching methodologies, and cater to the increasing expectations of the new age higher education model. “Students will benefit from the cutting-edge technologies, modern architec- ture, and a mix of traditional and innovative learning spaces. We are looking forward to opening our new campus at the start of the Autumn semester.” From the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, ISG and its key stakehold- ers have been working closely to accommodate the immediate and future potential requirements for social distancing measures on the newly created teaching, social and administrative spaces at the campus. This collaborative approach has enabled spatial planning revisions to be made and dynamical- ly incorporated into physical spaces with negligible impact to the programme. Nutanix, Inc., a leader in enterprise cloud computing, recently announced that it has signed Alpha Data, a leading solutions provider in the Middle East, as a ‘Master Reseller Partner’ in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). As part of the agreement, Alpha Data is author- ised to purchase products and services from Nutanix distributors and carry out implementations of the vendor’s market-leading mul- ti-cloud infrastructure solutions across the UAE. Nutanix will assist Alpha Data in developing and certifying its staff to provide design, configuration and support capabilities to its cus- tomers for the entire portfolio of Nutanix solutions. Nutanix will conduct regular training and enablement sessions for online cer- tifications, product updates and workshops for hands-on instruc- tion. Currently the reseller has more than six engineers certified on Nutanix technology. Alpha Data technical and sales staff will have access to the various tools and resources available as part of the Nutanix Channel Charter (program). Nutanix will also make available skilled resources to assist the reseller in the execution of its Nutanix opportunities. In support of the vendor, Alpha Data will be inviting customers to its state-of-the-art Digital Information Centre where it will offer live demos and proof of concepts (PoCs) of Nutanix solutions. The two companies will also jointly host events and customer master classes to educate the market about the importance of having a well-defined cloud computing strategy in place as part of overall digital transformation initiatives, as well as latest cloud computing technology updates. Talking about the partnership, Bassam Al Masri, Director of Chan- nel - METI at Nutanix said, “As a solutions provider, Alpha Data has built a solid reputation as a company that has the experience, technical expertise, market coverage and drive that can help tech- nology vendors more fully reach and penetrate the regional market. The company has provided end-to-end infrastructure solutions to thousands of satisfied customers in UAE. We believe that with a strong partner like Alpha Data, Nutanix will be able to help enter- prises in the country embark on their hybrid cloud journey.” “The market today is changing from the earlier model of tradition- al data centres to new, innovative and dynamic cloud models that are accelerating digital transformation. Nutanix as a company is playing a big role in this transition. As a world leader in enterprise cloud computing, Nutanix is aiming to be the operating system for the cloud. This partnership is very valuable for Alpha Data as the vendor’s technology helps fills a gap in our solutions portfolio and complements our existing technology vendor partners. We believe we are now strategically positioned to empower a hybrid cloud en- abled workforce and drive the concept of a digital workspace sup- ported by Nutanix technology,” concluded Mr. Amar Singh, Director - Sales at Alpha Data. Nutanix Signs Alpha Data as Master Partner in the UAE ISG has announced the completion of phase one of University of Wollongong Dubai’s new campus at Dubai Knowledge Park. Companies to support development of IT market in UAE by helping enterprises transition to the cloud.