Latest news with #RentonD'Souza
Tahawul Tech
19-02-2025
- Business
- Tahawul Tech
'Cisco is making significant investments in key market opportunities, with security being a top priority'
Renton D'Souza, Vice President, Comstor MEA & Manoj Rawat, Director, Sigma Technologies L.L.C discuss core offerings, key growth areas and the importance of certification in this exclusive interview. Answered by Renton Q: What are the key advantages, core offerings, and differentiators of Comstor? A – Partnering with Comstor ensures collaboration with top-tier vendors, both global and local, whether they are emerging or well-established. We foster collaborative ecosystems that benefit our IT communities. We offer a comprehensive suite of services throughout the project lifecycle, which encompasses professional services, education, support, supply chain management, and financial services. Our expertise in trade and logistics enables us to manage cross-border transactions effectively for our partners. Our data-driven approach empowers us to make informed decisions that enhance business value for our partners. The go-to-market programs we provide are designed to help them seize every opportunity. Additionally, we are dedicated to sustainability, aiming to create a sustainable future for our organisation and the environment. This encapsulates the essence of Comstor and our mission. Q: What are Comstor's key growth areas and priorities for the year ahead? A – As a Cisco dedicated distributor, our entire go-to-market strategy is dedicated to empowering our partners and enhancing Cisco's market presence. Cisco is making significant investments in key market opportunities, with security being a top priority. Cisco has made substantial investments in collaboration with Comstor to broaden its security portfolio and acquisitions. This partnership has facilitated the creation of a robust cybersecurity portfolio that we are utilising to enhance market penetration. Given the increasing importance of cybersecurity for organizations today, Cisco's considerable investments in this area are highly relevant. Being one of the largest cybersecurity vendors globally, Cisco's extensive portfolio allows us to capitalize on significant opportunities with both partners and end-users. Answered by Manoj Rawat Q: Cyber security is a fast-moving sector, as both hackers and security providers vie to outsmart each other. New threats – and innovative ways to combat them – emerge all the time. How has alignment with Cisco helped you in terms of addressing the Cybersecurity needs of your customers? A – Enhancing Cybersecurity with Cisco: A Strategic Advantage At Sigma Technologies, our alignment with Cisco has been instrumental in strengthening our ability to address the evolving cybersecurity needs of our customers. This partnership empowers us in several key areas: Access to Cutting-Edge Technologies : Cisco's SecureX platform, Talos threat intelligence, and Zero Trust architecture provide a comprehensive defence framework. These advanced solutions enable us to proactively protect our customers against emerging threats with state-of-the-art security tools. : Cisco's SecureX platform, Talos threat intelligence, and Zero Trust architecture provide a comprehensive defence framework. These advanced solutions enable us to proactively protect our customers against emerging threats with state-of-the-art security tools. Proactive Threat Intelligence : Cisco Talos delivers real-time, actionable threat insights, allowing us to identify and mitigate risks before they impact our customers. This proactive approach enhances security resilience and fosters greater confidence in threat defence. : Cisco Talos delivers real-time, actionable threat insights, allowing us to identify and mitigate risks before they impact our customers. This proactive approach enhances security resilience and fosters greater confidence in threat defence. Integrated Security Ecosystem : Cisco's end-to-end security architecture spans networks, endpoints, cloud environments, and applications. This holistic approach simplifies cybersecurity management for our customers while improving threat detection, response times, and overall security posture. : Cisco's end-to-end security architecture spans networks, endpoints, cloud environments, and applications. This holistic approach simplifies cybersecurity management for our customers while improving threat detection, response times, and overall security posture. Scalability to Meet Business Needs : Cisco's solutions are designed to evolve with businesses, allowing us to customize cybersecurity offerings based on each customer's unique requirements—whether they are a growing startup or a large enterprise. : Cisco's solutions are designed to evolve with businesses, allowing us to customize cybersecurity offerings based on each customer's unique requirements—whether they are a growing startup or a large enterprise. Continuous Innovation and Collaborative Defence: By leveraging Cisco's partner ecosystem and cutting-edge innovations, Sigma Technologies delivers adaptive, next-generation security solutions. This strategic alignment ensures our customers benefit from industry-leading cybersecurity measures that evolve with the dynamic threat landscape. Through our partnership with Cisco, Sigma Technologies remains committed to empowering businesses with proactive, intelligent, and scalable cybersecurity solutions—ensuring their resilience in an ever-changing digital world. Q: As we embark on 2025, the realm of cybersecurity is poised on the brink of further transformative changes. Cyber threats are not just escalating in frequency but are also becoming more sophisticated, challenging traditional security paradigms. What are some of the key security related trends and solutions that are expected to gain momentum? A – As we step into 2025, the cybersecurity landscape continues to evolve, with threats becoming increasingly sophisticated and frequent. Organizations must adopt forward-thinking security strategies to mitigate risks and safeguard their digital ecosystems. Here are the key cybersecurity trends and solutions expected to shape the industry in the coming year: Zero Trust Architecture (ZTA) With the proliferation of remote work, hybrid environments, and interconnected systems, the Zero Trust model remains a cornerstone of modern cybersecurity. Key Solutions: Advanced identity verification, multi-factor authentication (MFA), and real-time analytics to continuously validate users and devices, ensuring strict access controls. AI-Driven Cybersecurity As cyber adversaries leverage artificial intelligence to enhance attack precision and automation, organisations must integrate AI-driven defences to detect and respond to threats in real time. Key Solutions: Behavioural analytics, automated incident response mechanisms, and predictive threat intelligence platforms that enhance threat mitigation capabilities. Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) The convergence of networking and security services through SASE frameworks is gaining momentum, particularly with the rise of cloud adoption and distributed workforces. Key Solutions: Cloud-delivered firewalls, secure web gateways, and zero-trust network access (ZTNA) unified under a single, scalable security model. Regulatory Compliance and Data Privacy Governments and regulatory bodies worldwide are enforcing stricter cybersecurity mandates and data privacy regulations, necessitating greater compliance efforts. Key Solutions: Automated compliance monitoring, advanced data protection platforms, and privacy-centric frameworks designed to ensure regulatory adherence. Decentralised Identity Management With growing concerns over data privacy and identity security, decentralized identity systems are emerging as a viable alternative to traditional identity management approaches. Key Solutions: Blockchain-based identity platforms and verifiable credentials that empower users with greater control over their digital identities. The Road Ahead In 2025, a proactive and integrated cybersecurity approach will be essential for organisations to stay ahead of emerging threats. Leveraging advanced technologies, industry best practices, and strategic partnerships will be critical to building resilient security infrastructures. By embracing these evolving trends, businesses can fortify their defences, protect critical assets, and ensure compliance in an increasingly complex digital world. Q: Can you share how your strategic partnership with Comstor has helped you in taking the latest Cisco security solutions to the customers? A – At Sigma Technologies, our strategic partnership with Comstor has been pivotal in delivering Cisco's latest security solutions to our customers. This collaboration enables us to provide cutting-edge cybersecurity technologies while ensuring seamless access to Cisco's comprehensive security portfolio, including SecureX, Umbrella, Talos, and Zero Trust frameworks. As a leading global distributor of Cisco solutions, Comstor empowers us with: Exclusive Partner Enablement Programs – Continuous training and certification programs keep our teams at the forefront of Cisco's security innovations. Exclusive Partner Enablement Programs – Continuous training and certification programs keep our teams at the forefront of Cisco's security innovations. Pre-Sales and Solution Architecture Support – Expert guidance and access to technical demonstrations enhance our ability to craft tailored security solutions for diverse industries. Marketing and Go-to-Market Strategies – Comstor equips us with co-branded materials, targeted campaigns, and strategic insights to amplify customer engagement. Beyond technology enablement, Comstor's flexible financing models, including Cisco Capital and consumption-based options, allow us to offer scalable, enterprise-grade security solutions that align with our customers' financial and operational requirements. This ensures businesses of all sizes can adopt robust cybersecurity measures without budgetary constraints. Our collaboration with Comstor also enables us to develop focused go-to-market strategies, targeting key industry segments where Cisco's security solutions provide maximum impact. This alignment enhances our ability to deliver cybersecurity solutions with precision, efficiency, and a strong value proposition. Ultimately, this partnership reinforces Sigma Technologies' position as a trusted cybersecurity provider, backed by Cisco's global ecosystem. By bridging the gap between innovation and business security needs, we empower our customers to navigate today's complex threat landscape with confidence. Q: What are the some of the key milestones including training and certifications that your company has achieved over the years? A – At Sigma Technologies, we take pride in our commitment to excellence, continuous learning, and industry-leading expertise. Over the years, we have achieved several key milestones that reflect our dedication to delivering top-tier IT solutions and services. ISO 9001 Certification – Quality Management Excellence Sigma Technologies has been ISO 9001 certified for many years, ensuring that our processes and services adhere to the highest quality management standards. This certification underscores our focus on operational efficiency, customer satisfaction, and continuous improvement. Comprehensive Training and Certifications We strongly believe in fostering in-house expertise rather than outsourcing critical services. Our team members undergo rigorous training and certification programs across all levels of the products and technologies we work with. This commitment enables us to provide expert solutions with confidence and efficiency. Cisco Specialisations and Certifications As a long-standing Cisco partner, we have achieved multiple specializations in Advanced Services and Collaboration. These specialisations validate our ability to design, implement, and support cutting-edge Cisco solutions tailored to diverse business needs. Cisco Core Security Specialisation – A Recent Achievement Recognising the growing importance of cybersecurity, we have recently attained the Cisco Core Security Specialisation. This achievement demonstrates our advanced expertise in delivering secure networking solutions, cybersecurity frameworks, and threat intelligence services. Through these certifications and specialisations, Sigma Technologies continues to position itself as a trusted IT partner, ensuring that we stay at the forefront of technological advancements to support our customers effectively. Image Credit: Comstor & Sigma Technologies
Tahawul Tech
14-02-2025
- Business
- Tahawul Tech
Comstor & TS Qatar discuss how their partnerships with Cisco is helping them address Cybersecurity needs
Renton D'Souza, Vice President, Comstor MEA and Sojy Oommen, Manager Cyber Security, TS Qatar discuss how their respective partnerships with Cisco are helping address their cybersecurity needs. Answered by Renton Q: As the IT landscape rapidly evolves, how is Cisco ensuring that the partners and customers stay ahead of the curve? A: As cyber threats evolve, defending workloads in today's multi-cloud environments requires more than traditional security. Attackers are no longer simply at the perimeter; they may already be inside, waiting to exploit vulnerabilities. This reality demands a shift from just keeping threats out to minimising their impact when they breach. In response to these challenges, Cisco is driving innovations within its Security Cloud to power and safeguard the AI revolution. New capabilities across Cisco's unified, AI-driven, cross-domain security platform enable businesses to better protect their applications, devices, users, and data, while also enhancing their ability to detect, respond, and recover more quickly from incidents. Q: Comstor has recently unveiled its biggest ever security enablement program for the partners. Could you tell us how partners can benefit from it? A: As the largest Cisco-exclusive distributor, we remain dedicated to helping our partners fully capitalise on growth opportunities with Cisco. With Cisco making significant investments in security, we have launched our most extensive security enablement program to date for our partners. This program offers partners access to an unmatched and rapidly expanding team of cybersecurity experts from Comstor, along with support to help them achieve their own specialisations with Cisco. Through this initiative, Comstor is also providing enhanced, exclusive training through Cisco Secure 360, a unique program that equips partners with the tools needed to effectively position the Cisco Security portfolio. Partners who join the program will also gain access to the Cisco Security Deal Concierge Service, which provides a dedicated resource offering strategic support for deals tailored to customer needs. Additionally, partners will benefit from rich opportunity data gathered by Comstor's Intelligent Demand team from multiple sources, as well as exclusive marketing assets to help drive end-user demand generation. Answered by Sojy Oommen Q: The cybersecurity landscape is evolving faster than ever. As per some estimates, $10.5 trillion in projected cybercrime costs globally by 2025. How has alignment with Cisco helped you in terms of addressing the Cybersecurity needs of your customers? A: The security needs of customers are evolving in response to the increasing complexity of digital interactions, data privacy concerns, and emerging threats. There are several key areas in which the customer security needs are changing such as Data Privacy and Protection, Multi-Factor Authentication, Secure and Transparent Transactions, Threat Detection and Prevention, Convenience Without Compromising Security. Customer across different sectors have struggled to manage a complicated patchwork of ever-evolving technologies which is more prone to attacks than ever. With Cisco's security platform, we have been able to keep Cybersecurity solutions for our customers simple yet robust. Thus, ensuring that everything connected is fully protected. Q: The year 2024 was a whirlwind year for cybersecurity. From the fallout of high-profile ransomware attacks to the increasing commoditisation of AI tools, the challenges kept mounting. Cyber threats are not just expected to escalate in frequency but also become more sophisticated, challenging traditional security paradigms. What are some of the key security related trends and solutions that are expected to gain momentum? A: The cybersecurity landscape is expected to become increasingly complex in 2025. This complexity will not only be driven by sophisticated cyber-attacks, but also due to increased regulation, and rapidly evolving technology. Some of the key security related trends and solutions that are expected to gain momentum in 2025 are enhancement of security solutions with Artificial Intelligence (AI), focus on avoiding Zero-day vulnerabilities, adoption of decentralised security models. Q: Can you share how your strategic partnership with Comstor has helped you in taking the latest Cisco security solutions to the customers? A: Comstor has helped us enhance our capabilities relating to Cisco security. Through our partnership with Comstor, we have not only benefitted from the unparalleled support offered by the technical experts at Comstor but we have also been able to conduct lead generation by receiving marketing growth funds. Our partnership has also enabled us to get easy access to Comstor's best-in-class platforms and tools such as the Comstor Partner Portal and Comstor Bot. Q: What are the some of the key milestones including training and certifications that your company has achieved during the year when it comes to Cisco security? A: We ensure that our teams complete all the key certifications in order to remain up-to-date on the latest technology offering from Cisco. Our sales and pre-sales teams have recently successfully completed the Black Belt Cisco Core Security Specialisation. We remain committed to upgrading the skill set of our teams in a timely manner. Image Credit: Comstor MEA & TS Qatar
