Author: Hajeer Al-Haddabi

• The Summit focuses on the transformation of the financial services ecosystem with changes in regulations, emerging consumer needs and fast-changing financial technologies, challenges and opportunities in embracing digital transformation at a faster pace

31^st May 2022, Muscat: Oman Data Park (ODP), the Sultanate’s first IT-managed and cloud services provider, took part in the seventh edition of the New Age Banking Summit – Oman 2022 on 31^st May 2022, at Al Bustan Palace, – A Ritz Carlton Hotel Muscat, under the patronage of His Excellency Tahir Al Amri, Executive President, Central Bank of Oman as the Chief Guest of the Summit.

During the summit, ODP has signed an MOU with Bank Nizwa for cooperation on Artificial Intelligence & Data Centre Services. This partnership further attests to Bank Nizwa’s keen focus on embracing digitalization and technological innovation to deliver distinct, elevated and customized services to its customers. Treating data as a quintessential element to gaining a better insight into customer preferences, Bank Nizwa has continued to invest in its data management systems to deploy innovative solutions for the benefit of its clients. Ever since its inception, Bank Nizwa has entrusted its data management to Oman Data Park (ODP). ODP, in return, has ensured that its data center has remained abreast with deploying the highest level of safety, security and efficiency in data hosting.

Commenting on the MOU  at this summit, Eng. Maqbool Al Wahaibi, CEO of Oman Data Park said, “Our participation in the seventh edition of the New Age Banking Summit constitutes a turning point in Oman Data Park’s march of achievements, where we are delighted by signing important agreements with Bank Nizwa in fields that we are enjoying privileged professionalism.“

Al Wahaibi added, “Our signing of this Memorandum of Understanding with Bank Nizwa enhances our role in contributing effectively to achieving a safe digital transformation in the field of banking and financial services in the Sultanate, in a world that is moving towards making the most of artificial intelligence services in various fields.”

Khalid Al Kayed, CEO, Bank Nizwa stated, “We are pleased with our new partnership with Oman Data Park in the fields of advanced technology that will contribute to smoothing the data flow and ensuring its protection, while ODP is reputed by its professionalism in the field of data centers and managed services.      As the first Islamic bank in the Sultanate, we at Bank Nizwa have been keen on our leadership in various fields of our banking services, by keeping pace with the latest developments in banking technology, including our endeavor to benefit from artificial intelligence and data center services.”

“Undoubtedly, keeping pace with artificial intelligence technologies will contribute to enhancing our banking services for individuals, corporate internet banking services for small and medium enterprises, international banking services for global markets and investment banking as well,” he added.    

Bank Nizwa continues to invest in innovation and provide its customers with a unique digital experience, while simultaneously giving Nizwa a solid platform for future growth. Innovative approaches have been well-integrated into the bank’s future strategies, giving its business partners the ability to look forward to the further development of customer-facing applications and enhancing corresponding back-end processes and systems in the near future. Bank Nizwa has made use of available technology to enhance and onboard multiple business processes to the digital platform, leading to continuous business and operations flow. As a result, flow management can be monitored clearly, and thus, customer experience is likely to increase continuously.

The Summit focused on various areas including the transformation of the financial services ecosystem with changes in regulations, emerging consumer needs and fast-changing financial technologies, challenges and opportunities in embracing digital transformation at a faster pace, managing a balance between shareholders’ expectations, national agenda, overcoming disruption threats and business growth, the collaboration between banks,  regulatory bodies and challenger enterprises, and how to meet ESG commitment and compliance.

A number of panelists also have spoken in the summit including Mujahid Al Zadjali General Manager Information Technology and operations Ali Hassan Moosa, CEO, Oman Banks Association, Badar Al Shanfari, Chief Operating Officer (COO), OMINVEST, Ewan John MacLeod, Chief Transformation Officer, Sohar International, and many other professional cadres in financial and banking fields.

As the Cloud service Partner of the event, Oman Data Park had an active interaction in this specialized summit, through the participation of its CEO, Eng. Maqbool Al-Wahaibi, as one of the key panelists at the conference. The company also gave a visual presentation on its professional services in its various fields of work.

Oman Data Park, the Sultanate’s first managed cyber security and cloud services provider, plays an integral role in supporting the digital transformation of Oman, through their offering of an all-in-one solution of computing, cloud computing, data storage, networking, web hosting and network security services. ODP also offers the Sultanate’s first Artificial Intelligence ready cloud infrastructure – Nebula AI powered by Nvidia. More details of their services can be found at www.omandatapark.com

• Maqbool Al-Wahaibi: We are delighted to take part in COMEX 2022, and our winning of the award is a qualitative addition to the Sultanate’s capabilities in preserving and protecting data locally

Muscat, May 22: Oman Data Park (ODP), the Sultanate’s first IT-managed and cloud services provider, has won Comex Award For Excellence in Cyber Security, within its participation in   COMEX 2022, which kicked off on Monday at the Oman International Convention and Exhibition Center and will last until Wednesday, that includes a conference on the Artificial Intelligence and other events related to the information technology.

The wining of Oman Data Park by this award is a testimony to its commitment to provide the best and most significant choice of data centre services in the Sultanate,as well as it is a  recognition of ODP’s efforts in predicting and detecting the cyber security threat and in providing preventive services, that to keep Omani business entities safe from cybercriminals hacking as well as reducing cyber-attacks.

Commenting on this event, Engineer Maqbool Al Wahaibi, CEO of Oman Data Park Company, said: “Winning this award   is considered as a qualitative addition to the Sultanate’s capabilities in preserving and protecting data locally, and it is also an affirmation of Oman Data Park’s ability to continue to win recognitions and  professional awards year after year.”  

He added: “This winning affirms Oman Data Park’s leadership in supporting the digital transformation efforts made by the government and the private sector, while all our services in various fields constitute smart, pioneering and effective solutions, that the concerned authorities and companies can rely on.”

He also added: “ Further to our delight by receiving this award, we are pleased to witness that  COMEX  2022  is being held face to face with the public after an absence of the expo  for the past 3 years. Thus event has an important role in enhancing knowledge of the technical aspects in the Sultanate, and considered very practical in keeping the pace with the global technological developments, through providing various opportunities for the Sultanate to benefit from these developments” .

Al-Wahaibi pointed out that Oman Data Park always looks forward to offering its quality services to Public and private companies in order to provide them opportunities to take advantage of the modern technology and employing it in developing their digital operations. ODP continues to provide infrastructure for artificial intelligence services and cloud services, as well as hosting data within the Sultanate of Oman, to ensure the data security.

He emphasized that. the number of Oman Data Park customers reached over 500 entities in the private corporate sector, while it provides its advanced services to small and medium enterprises within the framework of its national and social responsibility, by hosting their data via special packages for SMEs, benefiting from its work team that consisting of a group of qualified national cadres in the fields of accurate technology and in supporting data preservation process.  

Through COMEX 2022, Oman Data Park showcased its various cloud services, hosting services, managed services and other specialized services that are provided by ODP to government agencies and private sector companies to meet their needs of managed and cloud hosting services.

At the same expo, ODP also highlighted its pioneering experience in the Managed Security Services which it provides through its Cyber Security Park, which contributes to providing high-quality services to many government agencies and private sector companies to meet their needs for managed and cloud hosting services. As well as it also presented visual presentations about its services.

Oman Data Park pavilion at COMEX 2022 has received a large audience, in addition to qualitative visits from a number of cadres and specialists in the fields of digital technology from various entities.

It is noteworthy that ODP, the Sultanate’s first managed cyber security and cloud services provider, plays an integral role in supporting the digital transformation of Oman, through its offering of an all-in-one solution of computing, cloud computing, and data storage, networking, web hosting and network security services. ODP also offers the Sultanate’s first Artificial Intelligence ready cloud infrastructure – Nebula AI-powered by Nvidia. More details of their services can be found at www.omandatapark.com

• Oman Data Park (ODP), the Sultanate’s first managed cyber security and cloud services provider, and the Omani Future Telecommunication Company – Vodafone – signed a strategic partnership agreement under which ODP will provide Cloud Services, Colocation Services, Managed Security Services and Managed Infrastructure services to Vodafone in the Sultanate.

  The signed agreement reflects the future vision of the two parties on the importance of enabling technology to serve national economy in line with Oman vision 2040, which stresses on the need to provide technical solutions that contribute to localize the technology in the Sultanate, keep pace with the requirements of the Fourth Industrial Revolution and to create wider horizons for utilizing the modern technologies in various fields of business.

  The inking of the agreement also reflects the confidence of international companies such as Vodafone in the local companies and their capabilities to provide technical solutions that help to save time , reduce operational costs and speeding up the work process.

  

  In a press statement on this occasion, Engineer Maqbool Al Wahaibi, CEO of Oman Data Park Company said: “As a pioneering Omani company in all its fields of work, our involving into a strategic partnership with Vodafone as a global company in the telecommunications fields is considered as an affirmation of the capability of Oman Data Park in providing colocation and cloud services locally to various companies, including advanced telecommunications companies” .

  He added : We are proud that , the services offered by ODP through its own locally hosted TIA 942 Rating 3 certified certified datacenters in Rusayl, Duqm and Wattayah, and  the cyber security services through its Cyber security Park Center, will contribute to provide High-quality services for Vodafone to meet its needs in this regard.”

  For his part, Sayyid Fahad bin Abdulaziz Al Busaidi, Chief Support Services Officer at  Vodafone  stated : “ “We are delighted by this strategic partnership , which will pave the way for  Vodafone and ODP to work together towards strengthening this partnership to broad horizons to contribute and to enhance the in country value he added , while we stressed our full commitment to work with our partners in utilizing all the supportive capabilities in creating a digital society that is  capable to meet the requirements of the next stage, in particular with Oman Data Park, which enjoys advanced services in the field of Cloud Services, Colocation Services, Managed Security Services and Managed Infrastructure services”

• Brief on ODP  :

  It is noteworthy that ODP, the Sultanate’s first managed cyber security and cloud services provider, plays an integral role in supporting the digital transformation of Oman, through their offering of an all-in-one solution of computing, cloud computing, data storage, networking, web hosting and network security services. ODP also offers the Sultanate’s first Artificial Intelligence ready cloud infrastructure – Nebula AI powered by Nvidia. More details of their services can be found at www.omandatapark.com

• Brief on Vodafone:

  Vodafone was established in Oman in 2021 , through a strategic partnership between the the Omani Future Telecommunication Company and Vodafone International Group, which is one of the largest providers of mobile, fixed, broadband and digital TV services. Vodafone has obtained the first class license to establish and operate public telecommunications services in the Sultanate of Oman, thus becoming the third telecommunications operator in the Sultanate of Oman.

  Vodafone is always keen to employ the latest technologies and digital solutions in the telecommunications field  in order to contribute to achieve the objectives of Oman vision 2040, by providing the opportunity for individuals, companies, small and medium enterprises to innovate and be creative in thier operations .

  The percentage of Omani competencies within Vodafone team in the Sultanate reaches 90%, which reflects the company’s great interest in developing local talent, transferring knowledge and localizing technology, and providing a classy work environment that stimulates self-development and creativity. Vodafone believes that human competencies with advanced technologies can lead the journey of building the future that humanity seeks, and therefore the company chose its slogan to be “Together we can”. For more details please log on  : https://www.vodafone.om

• 2 in a row! Oman Data Park wins another award for Cloud Managed Services Partner of the Year 2021 from Logicom. This award is a testament to our commitment to offer the best and the largest choice of data center services in Oman and we dedicate the award to all our customers and partners who have placed their trust in us.

• Most trusted and once again the region’s best. Oman Data Park wins the best Middle East Service Provider of the Year award at the Veeam ProPartner Summit 2022. This award is a testimony of the company’s efforts to provide excellent support and world-class expertise to the customers and help them meet their digital transformation goals with ease. You can stay ahead too in your digital transformation journey. Get in touch to know how. 

Oman Data Park, a subsidiary of Omantel Group, is an Omani company that have over the past 9 years, been able to consolidate their position among the major regional and global companies hosting digital environments and providing cloud solutions, security services (cyber security) and artificial intelligence applications to the business sector in the Sultanate of Oman or abroad. 

Read the full publication with Al Duqm – Economist  page 20

ODP organizes a workshop in collaboration with MTCIT on Artificial Intelligence for the Government sector targeting over 30 ministries, authorities and establishments.

The workshop highlights the Sultanate’s infrastructure readiness for Artificial Intelligence

Maqbool Al Wahaibi: ODP is capable to provide the required cost effective and efficient Al applications to various public and private entities

Muscat, 19^th January 2022: Above 30 Ministries, Authorities and Establishments participated on Wednesday in a workshop on Nebula AI, held by Oman Data Park (ODP) in collaboration with the Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology (MTCIT), at Muscat Novotel hotel. It highlighted the Sultanate’s infrastructure readiness for Artificial Intelligence (AI) as an embodiment of Oman’s Vision 2040, and the digital transformation strategy announced by the Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology, which aim at promoting and accelerating digital transformation of the government sectors and services in Oman in line with the global technical development. 

The workshop targeting all government entities, came within the framework of ODP’s national efforts that aim at contributing to accelerating the Sultanate digital transformation, through utilizing the Artificial Intelligence applications (AI) and the cost effective and efficient support available through Oman Data Park’s Nebula AI infrastructure which is powered by Nvidia and hosted in Oman.

The delivered content of the workshop included an AI transformation Roadmap for Government entities, their Cyber Security solutions, a framework for creating an AI project within the public sector and highlighted the action of the National Program for adopting Artificial Intelligence and Advanced Technologies in the Sultanate.

The holding of the workshop comes in light of the Sultanate’s interest in accelerating the adoption of the Artificial Intelligence, while the Sultanate has designated a National Program for Artificial Intelligence and Advanced Technologies in the year 2020, within the Ministry of Transport, Communications, and Information Technology (MTCIT).

In his welcoming speech at the opening of the workshop, Eng. Maqbool Al Wahaibi, CEO of Oman Data Park, stressed that, the holding of this workshop is considered as an embodiment of Oman Data Park’s efforts to contribute to the success of the Sultanate’s National Program for Artificial Intelligence. Nebula AI aims at enhancing the productivity of the targeted sectors for economic diversification, improving the human resources capabilities in Artificial Intelligence, adopting Artificial Intelligence applications in the infrastructure sectors, and the governance of Artificial Intelligence applications and advanced technologies in accordance with a human-centered vision.

 ODP’s partnership with Nvidia gives the ability for Government and private entities in Oman to avail world’s best processing equipment and technologies in the field of AI. Oman now has the best Artificial Intelligences, Machine Learning and Deep Learning capabilities online and hosted in Oman and ODP can tailor the required AI applications for different verticals. Furthermore, the given technologies are available on an OPEX model enabling cost effective implementation for the entity, and ODP also offers plug and play AI solutions for many verticals.

Al-Wahaibi added that, ODP’s keenness to provide its services to the public sector is backed by the confidence of government entities in the professionalism of Oman Data Park in providing various solutions related to Artificial Intelligence, Cloud services, Web hosting, and Cyber Security services, including their Security Operations Center services (SOC) and Network Operations Center services (NOC) which are operated around the clock, seven days a week.

In the same context, Al Wahaibi affirmed Oman Data Park’s capabilities to provide its specialized professional services to the various administrative units of government agencies in the Sultanate in the   cloud services fields and security assessment services, that aim at identifying, evaluating technical weaknesses, and setting preventive measures to protect them from external and internal cyber threats related to information technology.

Eng. Khalil Al Maawali, a member of the National Program for Artificial Intelligence team, gave a visual presentation highlighting the Sultanate’s integrated national action plan for Artificial Intelligence and advanced technologies. His session explained the activities under this national action plan including, the  setting of policies and legislation to adopt  AI and advanced technologies, including capacity-building, research, innovation, industrialization, investment, and supporting the establishing of emerging companies.

 The integrated national action plan for Artificial Intelligence and advanced technologies in the Sultanate also includes coordination and cooperation between stakeholders in the public, private and academic sectors, in order to share requirements related to Artificial Intelligence and advanced technologies, integrating with existing projects and initiatives, and coordinating with local and advanced international organizations and bodies related to the concerned topics.

It is noteworthy that ODP, the Sultanate’s first managed cyber security and cloud services provider, plays an integral role in supporting the digital transformation of Oman, through their offering of an all-in-one solution of cloud computing, hosting and network security services. ODP also offers the Sultanate’s first Artificial Intelligence ready cloud infrastructure – Nebula AI powered by Nvidia. More details of their services can be found at www.omandatapark.com