Digital maturity to drive UAE’s economic growth, says ManageEngine president

"Disruption is universal; getting swept is optional," said Rajesh Ganesan, president at ManageEngine, as he settles down in The Ritz-Carlton, Dubai International Financial Centre, for an exclusive interview with Khaleej Times.

Ganesan was visiting Dubai for ManageEngine’s 12th Dubai User Conference that was recently held. The two-day conference focused on digital maturity as the UAE witness’s huge digital transformation among B2B and B2C segments.

"Every organisation must forge its unique path to digital maturity, balancing the benefits of digital technology against the risks inherent in adopting leading-edge solutions," said Ganesan.

"Nowhere is this challenge more pressing than in the Middle East, where state-of-the-art IT solutions serve an increasingly sophisticated user population. This year, Dubai User Conference attendees learned how to navigate technological challenges, show resilience, and deliver elevated customer and employee experiences."

Key takeaways from Dubai User Conference included: The Path to a Mature Digital Enterprise; Driving Digital Maturity; ManageEngine’s recently launched ManageEngine DDI Central and ManageEngine’s Exploit Triad Analytics, an ML-powered enhancement to its security information and event management (SIEM) solution, Log360.

Ganesan focused on five disruptive waves, starting with the dot-com boom, the recession of 2008, virtualisation, cloud, and mobile technologies, blockchain, and the rise of AI.

"Every disruption presents an opportunity, highlighting the importance of embracing change rather than being swept away by it. Opportunities stress the need to assess one's preparedness and adaptability, understand the impact on customers and business to constantly evolve and innovate to stay ahead of disruption," he said.

Countries like UAE and Saudi Arabia have the capital and expat demographics driving their digital agendas. Ganesan said: "Dubai's digital maturity is evident when you witness the efficiency of processes like immigration and airport security as a prime example. Growing adoption of cloud among businesses is also proving to be a sign of digital maturity."

Companies are increasingly adopting cloud services, with cloud products experiencing significant growth compared to on-premises products. ManageEngine’s data shows on-premises products growing at a much lower rate than cloud products, with cloud growing at 70 per cent, especially in regions like India and the UAE.

Ganesan hinted at plans to establish a data center in the UAE to support the company’s cloud services. "Developing nations are adopting cloud slowly, except in highly regulated industries like healthcare and financial services, where additional considerations and certifications are required. Overall, there is a clear shift towards cloud services, with many industries and regions prioritising cloud solutions," he said.

ManageEngine has offices worldwide, as well as 200+ global partners to help organisations tightly align their business and IT. Ganesan said that in 2024, ManageEngine will focus on expanding its local presence in the UAE. The company — which opened an office in the UAE and has a country manager for the region — plans to invest in their products to turn them into a platform.

"The goal for this year is to expand the local team to offer closer customer engagement, starting with support in English and Arabic. The company aims to have its own office, operations, and local hires in the UAE," concluded Ganesan.

• KT Network