(1888PressRelease)
January 15, 2008 - Sharjah, UAE - In a strategic move and a business coup, Benz International signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Extol MSC Berhad from Malaysia to establish a joint Security Operations Centre (SOC) in Dubai that will be catering especially to the Middle East market and beyond.
The Security Operations Centre (SOC) enables Benz International, the Managed Security Services (MSS) providers to be, a powerful tool to provide 24 x 7 surveillance and monitoring services to Benz’s enterprises clients in the Middle East. Providing easier manageability to an MSS provider translates to better service levels to customers in a win-win situation all round.
Extol’s Managed Security Services through a global standard SOC is a complete solution which automates the monitoring of IT systems and controls in real time, enabling enterprises to identify and respond to anomalies and policy violations quickly and efficiently. It collects, correlates, monitors and displays data from thousands of events per second in real time. Extol’s MSS helps by making sense of the volumes of data that these systems generate, and demonstrate enterprise compliance with internal policies and governed regulations such as Sarbanes-Oxley, HIPAA, GLBA, FISMA and others. This joint SOC will provide the market’s strongest solution for meeting the log monitoring and auditing requirements set forth by the Payment Card Industry (PCI) data security standards.
Extol’s Managed Security Services (MSS) is a complete suite of security outsourcing comprises of Extol’s proprietary applications with monitoring centre, the SOC based in Benz premises. Extol’s MSS global deployments of customer’s sites has gone as far as Jakarta, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh, Labuan, Shanghai, Hong Kong, New York, London, Papua New Guinea, Cambodia and more to come. These sites are currently remotely managed from Extol SOC in Malaysia. Similarly MSS deployment sites in Middle East and beyond will be manageable from Benz’s SOC with Central Command Centre based in Extol, Malaysia.
Coupled with Extol’s Threat Profiling Methodology, the management of security events can be better tailored to meet individual customer’s threat and risk profile. Alerting according to threats that have a bigger impact to a customer’s business allow them to prioritize and maximize their use of resources.
The project which involves technology transfer from Extol, Malaysia, is expected to take place by 1st Quarter of 2008 and will be operational latest by 3rd Quarter of 2008. Benz International will invest to equip the data centre with hardware, software, peripherals and human resource.
“The Middle East market has been experiencing rapid economic development and the impact on IT security solutions is growing by leaps and bounds. With the SOC established with the assistance of Extol Malaysia, Benz International will be dealing directly with clients as a trusted service provider in offering effective Internet security solutions,” said Mr. Maneesh Gulati – Business Development Manager of Benz International FZ LLC.
According to IDC, spending on security software and appliances is expected to grow to nearly US$250 million. In 2006, investment in IT security software and appliances in the Gulf States (Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman and Qatar) jumped by almost 60% year-on-year to reach nearly US$180 million.
“The time is fitting for Benz International to step in and take charge of ICT security solutions segment as we understand the Middle East market and its needs. We will be able to manage clients’ Threat Management, Secure Content Management (SCM) and Security and Vulnerability Management from our SOC,” Mr. Maneesh further added.
Benz is targeting the financial, telecommunications and government sectors as these segments require critical attention in ICT security areas. Mr. Maneesh said the region is poised for continued growth as the market will grow steadily in the next five years. The popularity of appliance-based solutions is increasing as they are easier to implement, integrate and manage as opposed to “software only” solutions.
According to Mr. Justin Tan, CEO of Extol MSC Bhd: “Extol MSC Berhad has chosen to work with Benz International as the organization has established markets that extend throughout the Middle East, India, Central and Eastern Africa. This strategic partnership will realize our objective of offering effective security solutions to these markets through our extensive range of products and services for corporate and commercial entities.”
Commenting on the agreement between Extol and Benz, MDeC CEO Badlisham Ghazali said: “Extol has a track record of providing innovative solutions that fulfill the needs of both enterprises as well as small to medium businesses. By partnering with Benz International, we’re confident that Extol will become another Middle East success story for MSC Malaysia.”
The signing ceremony between Benz International and Extol MSC Berhad took place during the Malaysian Services Exhibition (MSE) showcase in Sharjah, UAE, from 13-15 January 2008.
About Benz International FZ LLC
Benz International Tech. Distribution FZ LLC was established in Dubai, United Arab Emirates in 2003. The organization has grown and expanded to represent and distribute the full suite of Network and Internet Security Solutions for the region.
As a professional Network Security Solutions Value Added Distributor, Benz International assists its partners in the design, implementation and maintenance of advanced security levels of any sized networks. It also provides critical support services to ensure that the reliability, availability and security of customers’ network infrastructure are maintained for the long term.
Benz International today distributes products and services for its vendors in a multitude of countries – Oman, Africa, UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Turkey, Cyprus, CIS (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan), Levant (Jordan and Lebanon), India, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. For more information, visit www.benzitd.com
About Extol MSC Bhd
Extol MSC Bhd is a pioneer ICT security solutions provider, offering one-stop end-to-end solution services encompassing all aspects of ICT security, including managed security solutions, implementation and consultancy. In meeting the challenges of escalating security threats, Extol has become the leading provider of simple, cost efficient and effective ICT security management systems, protecting organizations from security threats and fraudulent use of ICT systems.
Extol MSC Berhad was one of the first Malaysian companies to develop a commercially-viable anti-virus software called the Armour. To date, the organization has received the world-class standards of ISO/IEC 27001:2005 Certification in Information Security Management System, and MS ISO9001:2000 Quality Management Systems Certification.
Today, Extol MSC Berhad has remained responsive to the evolving needs of the business world by delivering one-stop industry-leading ICT security management solutions: Fraud Detection and Management, Forensics and Incident Response, Anti-virus Outsourcing and Management, Security Systems Management, Professional Services, Managed Security Services; and Secured Enterprise Applications.
Extol provides solutions to key local Financial Institutions, Telcos, hypermarts and other organizations as well as protecting systems from the threat of viruses, hackers and fraudsters. It currently manages the security of remote branches for local organizations as far as London, New York, Shanghai, Hanoi, Jakarta and Hong Kong. For more information, visit www.extolcorp.com
About MSC Malaysia (www.msc.com.my)
MSC Malaysia is a national initiative spearheaded by the Malaysian Government to promote both the national ICT industry and provide a test-bed for the global ICT industry. MSC Malaysia provides a condusive enabling environment designed to facilitate companies to harness the full potential of ICT and multimedia technologies.
With its ideal business environment coupled with the availability of talent resources, the MSC Malaysia has attracted participation from major global ICT companies to develop and host their leading-edge technologies in the designated MSC Malaysia Cybercities. MSC Malaysia also provides the ideal growth environment for Malaysian ICT SMEs to transform themselves into world-class companies.
Come explore the unlimited collaboration opportunities of the ICT world with MSC Malaysia and be part of our global network of businesses and connected communities.
About MDeC
Multimedia Development Corporation (MDeC) is a unique high powered government-owned corporation, established to facilitate the development and promotion of MSC Malaysia, the premier Malaysian ICT initiative. MDeC is tasked to advise the Malaysian Government on ICT legislation and policies, develop MSC Malaysia as a key growth driver of the economy and set breakthrough standards for ICT and multimedia operations. MDeC also promotes MSC Malaysia locally and globally, as well as supports companies which are located within the MSC Malaysia designated areas.
MDeC works closely with various parties and government agencies to ensure that MSC Malaysia offers a conducive enabling environment for companies to harness the full potential of ICT and multimedia technologies.
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