Dell Delivers Ultra-Thin and Light True Mobile Workstation Blending Beautiful Design with Uncompromising Performance

Dell Delivers Ultra-Thin and Light True Mobile Workstation Blending Beautiful Design with Uncompromising Performance
Dell today launched the thinnest and lightest 15-inch true mobile workstation, the Dell Precision M3800, to its family of the world’s most powerful mobile workstations. Merging beautiful design in an ultra-thin form factor with workstation-class performance, Dell has delivered an uncompromising system for digital content creators and engineers looking for portability, power and stylish design to match their image and environment.

“Dell has a long history of delivering leading-edge performance workstations for customers in engineering and digital content creation,” said Jon Peddie, President, Jon Peddie Research. “After seeing the new Dell Precision M3800 ultra-thin mobile workstation it’s like falling in love all over again. It has everything I want in a power notebook including a super processor and GPU, high-resolution and big screen, light weight, lots of I/O, great speakers and camera. What’s not to love? With the M3800, I no longer have to sacrifice performance for mobility and beautiful design.”

Less than three-quarters of an inch thin (18 mm) and starting at 4.15 pounds (1.88 kgs)¹, dual-cooling to allow maximum performance at all times, and up to 10 hours and six minutes² of battery life with NVIDIA® Optimus™ technology that maximizes battery life for extended productivity, the M3800 enables editing video at a shoot, presenting CAD ideas to customers in style or rendering 3D animation and modeling on the road.

“Our designers frequently travel, to meet with and collaborate with vendors and clients and the new Dell Precision M3800 provides workstation-class performance to power their software applications with an aesthetic design that fits into those collaborative environments and creates the impression we want,” said Curt Spence, Client Devices Engineer, Freeman.  

Offering powerful performance in an ultra-thin form factor, the Dell Precision M3800 is available with Windows 8.1 Pro (64-Bit) or genuine Windows 7 Professional (64-Bit) and is loaded with up to 16GB³ of memory and 4th-generation Intel Core i7-4702HQ 8 threaded quad-core processor with up to 3.2 GHz clock speeds for seamlessly running professional software applications.

The M3800 is equipped with the NVIDIA Quadro® K1100M GPU with 2GB³ of GDDR5 dedicated memory, offering twice as much on board video memory as the HP Z series Ultrabook™, for a rich visual experience with graphic-intense software applications.

“The new Dell Precision M3800 is the first and only thin and light mobile workstation to offer the power of the Kepler-based NVIDIA Quadro GPUs, the industry’s highest-performing and most capable professional graphics,” said Sandeep Gupte, senior director of Product Marketing for the Quadro Professional Graphics Business at NVIDIA. “With 2GB of video memory in the NVIDIA Quadro K1100M GPU, the M3800 delivers uncompromised performance and rich visual experiences for graphics-heavy applications that creative professionals have been waiting for.”

To manage large data files while on the go, the Dell Precision M3800 offers multiple storage configurations including up to two storage devices, with a maximum of 1.5TB of storage (HDD, SSHD, or SSD), up to 35 percent more than HP’s 14-inch Z series Utlrabook™, one 2.5-inch drive and one solid state Mini-Card storage device (mSATA).

“As the traditional workplace continues to evolve, our workstation customers are requiring more portable systems, but can’t afford to sacrifice performance for their critical software applications,” said Andy Rhodes, executive director of Dell Precision workstations. “With the introduction of the M3800 we’ve not only delivered on customer requests but set a new standard for mobile workstations with the thinnest form factor, outstanding performance and highest resolution QHD+ display for designing, creating and collaborating with clients while in the office or on the road.” 

Tuned and optimized for the top media & entertainment, engineering and design applications such as Adobe Creative Suite, Autodesk Entertainment Creation Suite and AutoCAD, Inventor and Revit, Avid Media Composer, Dassault Catia and Solidworks, PTC Creo, Siemens NX and TeamCenter, among others, the M3800 assures mission critical applications will run as designed, and comes with optional Dell ProSupport for premium 24/7 global support from expert technicians.

The Dell Precision M3800 features a stylish, industrial-grade design with an aluminum frame, a strong, lightweight carbon fiber chassis, and a Corning Gorilla NBT Glass display with five-finger multi-touch on all systems. Viewing fine detail is easy with the workstation’s vivid 15.6-inch UltraSharp display available in QHD+ (3200 x 1800), which is higher resolution than the Apple Mac Book Pro Retina, or FHD (1920 x 1080). The M3800 can also be paired with the high-performance 31.5” UltraSharp 32 monitor with exceptional Ultra HD 3840x2160 resolution, coming later this fall, for a powerful dual-monitor workstation combination.

Simplifying the transition from the road to a desk-based workspace, the M3800 offers multiple external monitor support with the optional Dell D3000 USB 3.0 Docking Station. For customers needing access to high-speed Ethernet access, every M3800 is equipped as standard with a USB to RJ-45 dongle. It is also designed with a backlit full-size keyboard, four USB PowerPorts (3 USB 3.0 & 1 USB 2.0), a large gesture-enabled touchpad, HD video webcam and Waves MaxxAudio Pro suite of advanced audio enhancement tools.

“We do a lot of on-location video streaming and the M3800 shaves off pounds of weight and bulk that we used to have to carry but we still have the processing power to encode multiple live HD video streams,” said Stephen Taylor, IT Manager for Web Services at Appalachian State University. “The absolutely gorgeous QHD+ screen means we are able to monitor 1080p video at full resolution on part of the screen while still monitoring our data feeds on another. When space and weight count, but performance can’t be compromised, the M3800 really delivers for us.”

When Linkin Park needed powerful technology to produce its latest music video, the band turned to Dell. The multi-platinum rock band is premiering today “A Light That Never Comes” in collaboration with electro house DJ Steve Aoki, created using Dell Precision workstations with NVIDIA® Quadro® professional graphics processors. Known for such #1 rock songs as “Burn It Down,” “The Catalyst,” and “Numb,” and equally recognised for embracing technology and innovation, the Grammy-winning band has won Best Rock Video three times at the annual MTV Video Music Awards and garnered multiple nominations for Best Visual Effects and Best Special Effects. Dell’s technology enables “massive acceleration,” which allowed the video team to render 3D scenes “in seconds instead of hours”.

Full details can be found here and you can check out the making-of video, with a behind the scenes glimpse at the technology and workflow used to create the video at www.dell.com/linkinpark or view the full music video at www.youtube.com/linkinparktv.


LCA premieres ‘City Legal’ radio show

 LCA premieres ‘City Legal’ radio show
In line with promoting awareness for Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) in Nigeria, the Lagos Court of Arbitration (LCA) has embarked on a radio programme, ‘City Legal’, which runs on Tuesdays by 10:00am and Thursdays by 05:30pm, on Smooth FM 98.1.

The 15-minutes programme targeted as Large Corporations, Small and Medium Scale Business Owners, International Organisations, Consumers, among others, is created to enlighten and empower the public on ADR and the LCA’s role in bringing mediation and arbitration to the fore-front in dispute resolution.

Through its episodes, the programme will feature top lawyers, legal and financial analysts, as well as personalities in the Nigerian Corporate and Business Environment. Present on the show are Partner and Head, Dispute Resolution Practice Group, Aelex, Mrs. Olufunke Adekoya (SAN); Associate Director and Head of Research, Nigerian Economic Summit Group, Dr. Sope Williams-Elegbe; Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission, NHRC, Professor Chidi Odinkalu, Managing Director and Chief Executive of Financial Derivatives Company Limited, Mr. Bismarck Rewane; amongst others.

Megha Joshi, Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer of the Lagos Court of Arbitration, while speaking on the programme, said that the time was right given that the topic on Arbitration was relatively new to Nigerians.

“We strongly believe that this programme is what Nigeria needs now as it presents a wide array of topics that addresses any questions they have concerning arbitration and mediation,” she said.

Joshi restated that the LCA represents the private sector taking initiative to enhance infrastructure and provide dispute resolution services to help businesses operate easily. According to her there is the necessity for efficient dispute resolution mechanisms to be in place in order for businesses to embrace arbitration, emphasizing how it enhances the nation’s economy. 

Over the last one year, the Lagos Court of Arbitration has been engaging businesses and stakeholders within and outside of Nigeria on the increasing need for an international standard alternative dispute resolution center. These initiatives include capacity building among judicial officers as well as drumming up awareness for the LCA internationally including the International Market Place Conference at the Law Society of England & Wales in London, International Business Law in Africa Conference held in Mauritius, and International Bar Association (IBA) 2013 Annual Conference held in Boston recently.


The City Legal radio programme is an additional feather to LCA’s cap in boosting awareness and engaging individuals and businesses on the need to embrace arbitration as a faster and more efficient method of resolving disputes.

NOTES FROM A NIGHT OF CLASSICAL BLISS AT THE ETISALAT, MUSON MUSIC FESTIVAL

NOTES FROM A NIGHT OF CLASSICAL BLISS AT THE ETISALAT, MUSON MUSIC FESTIVAL
Strings and keys brought together classical music lovers at the MUSON Classical Concert on 20th October, 2013, when Etisalat Nigeria sponsored the exclusive event, as part of MUSON Music Festival, held at the MUSON Centre in Onikan, Lagos. The 10-day annual Festival, which began on the 17th of October, also lit the Centre with jazz, drama and dance, coinciding with the Centre’s 30th anniversary on the 25th.
Breathtaking performances were delivered by two guest artistes from Germany, Professor Ulf Klausenitzer on the violin and Ms. Manami Sano on the piano, both of whom performed alongside MUSON Artistic Director, Maestro Thomas Kanitz on the Cello. The classical night also featured a selection of African classical works. A star performance by Nigeria’s renowned Pianist, Ayo Bankole Jnr., received an ovation for Yoruba folk songs astonishingly rendered from a grand piano.

Chief Commercial Officer, Etisalat Nigeria, Mathew Willsher, said the telco remains proud to support the incredible work the Musical Society of Nigeria (MUSON) is doing. ‘At Etisalat, it is a priority for us to support the arts and culture. It is our way of sharing the passion of our subscribers and supporting causes such as this one, which make an impact in the classical music community,” he said.

British Airways Celebrates A380 to Hong Kong with Star-Studded ‘Gig on a Wing’-

 British Airways Celebrates A380 to Hong Kong with Star-Studded ‘Gig on a Wing’-
The best of British music, fashion, design and cuisine came together in Hong Kong for one night only, to celebrate British Airways launching its brand new A380 on the Hong Kong to London route.  The exclusive event, billed as a ‘Gig on a Wing’ showcased the very best  of  British,  to  an  audience  that included Keith Williams, British Airways’  Chief  Executive  and  special  guests from Hong Kong’s aviation, travel, business, entertainment and hospitality industry.

Held  inside  Hong  Kong  International  Airport’s  China Aircraft Services Limited Hangar, British Airways’ state of the art A380 super-jumbo was the star  of  the  show  and  it formed the centrepiece for the invitation only event.

Keith Williams, British Airways’ chief executive, said:  “Today marks another milestone in our long and proud tradition of connecting Hong Kong and London – two truly global hubs. For over three quarters of a century, this city has been an important part of British Airways’ worldwide network, so we are extremely delighted to be operating the state-of-the-art A380 onthe route, and to also be the first to fly it non-stop between Hong Kong and Europe.”

British Airways’  ‘Gig on a Wing’ event launched with a glamorous fashion show by acclaimed British designer Alice Temperley MBE. Fresh from showing at last month’s London Fashion Week, Alice treated guests to her Spring/Summer 2014 collection from the award winning Temperley London collection.

STATEMENT FROM THE BOARD OF ECOBANK TRANSNATIONAL

STATEMENT FROM THE BOARD OF ECOBANK TRANSNATIONAL
The Board of Ecobank Transnational Incorporated (ETI) today announced the decision of Kolapo Lawson to stand aside as its Chairman. He will retire from the Board on 31 December 2013 and hands over to André Siaka as interim Chairman with immediate effect.
Commenting on his decision, Mr. Lawson said: “The last few months have seen huge pressure on the organisation, and on me personally, in the media. These have culminated in allegations, which are untrue, made to the Nigerian SEC on issues of corporate governance. During this time, I led constructive discussions on the need for independent review of these allegations. The board has now taken the necessary decisions to appoint independent parties who, I am confident will investigate these allegations and review our corporate governance with the utmost professionalism. In order to give total credibility to these reviews, I have decided it would not be appropriate for me to be the person leading this process. The Board has assured me of its commitment to seeing these investigations through and I will continue to monitor this as an interested party.
I am very conscious of the uncertainty that current media speculation has cast over the institution. I therefore wish to take the necessary steps to bring this to an end. As the head of such a respected global institution, I must act when there is even the slightest perception that the interests of that institution might be at risk. I therefore step aside as Chairman of Ecobank Transnational.”

Speaking on behalf of the Board, Mr. Siaka said: “Kolapo Lawson has been a loyal servant of Ecobank for very many years and has played a major part in shaping the successful organisation we know today. His family is inseparable from Ecobank and Kolapo’s contribution to Ecobank is second to none: over twenty years, as a director of Ecobank Nigeria, of Ecobank Togo and of ETI, he has made a truly outstanding contribution to this great pan-African company. He has our very sincere thanks for all of his hard work and commitment, his leadership and his good company.” 

THE FRAMEWORK CONVENTION ON TOBACCO CONTROL (FCTC) DEBATE ON INDUSTRY EXCLUSION

THE FRAMEWORK CONVENTION ON TOBACCO CONTROL (FCTC) DEBATE ON INDUSTRY EXCLUSION


 BY MOSES OBALOJU

While the Tobacco Control debate increases in momemtum, it appears to be paying more attention to dealing  with  tobacco companies than anything else. One cannot help but ask if this is the right approach to reducing tobacco consumption and stemming the tide of possible increase.  

There is an inherent danger that the global drive to eliminate tobacco use and manufacture will take on the same outlook that the drive to eliminate poverty took in developing countries. The attempt to eliminate poverty through the use of aid granted to many countries in Africa did not achieve its intended objectives. After pumping huge amounts of funding into different projects all in a bid to reduce poverty, , multi-lateral agencies and others have changed their strategies, believing more in socio-economic growth or poverty reduction enabled by either foreign or local investment.

As funding for tobacco control increases, so also have the organisations involved in the race to address tobacco related issues. The demand for smoking has persisted despite the increase in funding and tobacco control advocacy. Smuggling of tobacco by criminals and terrorists has also increased tremendously in countries where stringent regulation have been enacted, leading to a decrease in government revenue with no protection for public health.

 Understandably Tobacco is a product that must be regulated. This is an incontestable fact. However, what can be contested is the form of regulation that  will be most effective in protecting people from the harm related to smoking. It is extremely important for all tobacco policy formulators to understand the critical importance of drafting laws and policies which will have the effect they should have, within the context of its operating environment. Copy and paste laws do not work anywhere in the world, least of all  in developing countries.

Tobacco policy making must also be all inclusive, everyone must state their case. It is expected that those who are charged with the affairs of formulating these laws are trust worthy enough and have the requisite expertise to make the right kind of calls that will protect public health. There is, therefore no basis for excluding the tobacco industry from deliberating on issues that will affect them. Attempting to exclude them from such discussions by engaging in unnecessary media sensationalism is  mere whitewash. Funding used in this regard if any should be used to educate consumers on the ills of smoking.  

For laws to be properly drafted all issues and stakeholders must be considered, with the aim of having a robust process of deliberation which can lead to sound policies and laws. Not listening to all concerned parties can invariably affect the soundness of decisions made and will also encourage adapting laws and policies which are borrowed from foreign parties and will not be effective within the local context. 

Developed countries are domesticating the FCTC articles not only through inclusive strategies but also in the context of their operating environment. A recent move by the UK health department to introduce plain packaging in the UK was aborted after extensive deliberations with all stakeholders, including the tobacco industry, simply because such a move would have other unintended consequences such as increased smuggling and the loss of revenue and jobs for small businesses.

We need to be careful in Nigeria. We must not copy and paste recommended guidelines that are not mandatory but can further jeopardise the public health debate and create bigger problems in the long term. Tobacco sales and manufacture is a lucrative business for criminals and terrorists who smuggle the product into countries where policy or enforcement gaps allow the illegal trade of tobacco to thrive. The insecurity issues, lack of adequate resources and many other problems we are currently facing in Nigeria must all be put on the table with advocates thinking logically and working in the best interest of everyone. The recent allusions to the issues of tobacco smuggling must not be swept under the carpet but should be weighed alongside the impact of legislating these companies away and the attendant rise in the use of illegal tobacco which will have consequences that are far worse than we could have imagined.

While industry practices must be monitored, there are benefits associated with the existence of tobacco companies. The reality is that it is the tobacco companies, and not the tobacco control advocates, who have over the years assisted the country to reduce smuggling, replacing counterfeit tobacco products with products that several regulatory agencies can now monitor and regulate. These legally produced and properly regulated products also generate revenue for the government. There is definitely a benefit to having structured, legal tobacco companies around, versus having a situation where faceless and nameless entities flood the markets with smuggled counterfeit tobacco products. It is important to look at these issues holistically and also compare the successes recorded in other places. Each country must on its own look at how to address the issues affecting them, and so far this has been the case for most developed countries.

The failure to reduce the effect of tobacco use on public health should be seen as a need for the advocates to take another look at their strategies, although it is the norm for corporate activists world-wide to attempt to shame the businesses they attack. This strategy cannot be employed in all situations especially when you have a teeming population of consumers who say smoking is their choice. 

Globally, huge sums of money have been pumped into tobacco control advocacy over the last few decades by philanthropists and many others, however, the demand for tobacco consumption persists and illegal markets continue to thrive.  As the advocates continue to focus their energies on the tobacco industry, so do the criminals, smugglers and illegal marketers who continue to smile to the bank, to the detriment of public health

On one hand, tobacco control advocates report that the incidence of smoking in some of countries has declined, while on the other hand the media and enforcement agencies continue to report increased incidences of smuggling. Tobacco smuggling is often linked to the funding of terrorism and other criminal activities. Countries like Canada, Ireland and even New York, USA are some of those affected. A CNN online report of 17th May 2013, stated that “A cigarette smuggling scheme that cost New York State millions of dollars in sales tax revenue may have raised funds for militant groups…” The reality is that the strategies deployed by tobacco control advocates are attempting to push the legitimate businesses out of the picture yet these same strategies are consequently fueling the entrants of smugglers into the same space. .

Over the last few years we have seen an increase in the number of tobacco control advocates who have shown interest in tobacco control, the bills introduced into the National Assembly have increased and there is also a doubling up of efforts on other fronts including the State, Executive level and the judiciary.

The global drive to wish tobacco demand away is the same as was done for alcohol in the USA in 1920. Referring to historical antecedents can be a useful way of developing effective strategies. The introduction of alcohol prohibition in the USA in 1920 made the production, distribution and consumption of alcohol illegal and the enforcement of this law was a hotly debated issue. “The contemporary prohibitionists presented it as a victory for public morals and health, but once the laws were passed they did little to help enforce them.” Alcohol simply became a product used and traded by criminals, which made the situation worse and during this period people’s lives were put at jeopardy because of the increase in sub-standard alcohol that was available on the market. The government lost control and nothing could be done about it until the laws prohibiting alcohol were changed.

In the case of Nigeria, what needs to be considered is how we are going to tackle the issue of smuggled tobacco products when the legitimate tobacco businesses have been driven out. Are there benefits from legitimate tobacco business? Definitely yes. Does this mean that tobacco regulation will be subverted and public health put at more risk? The answer is a resounding no. Can the problem of smoking be solved through the current strategies without proffering alternative approaches? Definitely not! The simple logic as we have seen with other controversial products is that millions of people will still smoke, law or no law.

Beverage companies are giving their consumers healthier choices, so also are the tobacco companies attempting to proffer alternative options which may be considered less harmful and we should support this. The European smokeless tobacco council on their site stated that “the risk of dying from a tobacco related illness is lower in Sweden than in any other European country despite tobacco consumption being on a comparable level with other European countries. This paradox is often referred to as the Swedish Experience and is primarily explained by the fact that snus, a smokeless tobacco product, has served as a viable and less harmful alternative to cigarettes for Swedish men.” More funding should, therefore, be devoted to assisting tobacco companies come up with products like this that smokers will enjoy. The European Commission also recently declared that e-cigarettes can be regulated as general consumer goods which is a good start to assisting consumers to switch to a less harmful option.

The advocates must ensure that the confusion and distraction that has arisen recently must not divert all concerned from simple logic, which is to protect the man on the street who has chosen to smoke irrespective of the harm associated with doing do.  For this to happen their focus and strategy must change and the existing funds received must be devoted to less complex areas which will achieve the results. If the legislators or government are pushed into drafting a bad tobacco law, they will invariably make matters worse.  This is the message we should all walk away with.



Etisalat Advocates Standardization at 2013 CTO Forum

Nigeria’s innovative telecommunications company, Etisalat, has posited that great economies of scale can be achieved through standardization in the industry and this can be obtained when there is cooperation across stakeholders. The company’s Director of Regulatory and Government Affairs, Mr. Ibrahim Dikko made this assertion at the 11th Annual Commonwealth Telecommunications Organization (CTO) Forum held at Transcorp Hilton in Abuja last week.

The Forum with the theme, ‘Innovation Through Broadband’, was organized by the CTO in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Communication Technology and co-sponsored by Etisalat. The one-week forum served as a hub of communication technology experts from Nigeria, other commonwealth African nations as well as their international counterparts who deliberated on critical issues bordering on the deployment of a broadband strategy and policy for Nigeria.
(L-R): Director, Government and Regulatory Affairs, Etisalat Nigeria, Ibrahim Dikko;  Director, Policy and Competition in charge of International Affairs of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Lolia Emakpore; and the Honorable Minister of Communication Technology, Omobola Johnson at the 11th Annual Commonwealth Telecommunications Organization (CTO) Forum sponsored by Etisalat, held at Transcorp Hilton in Abuja....recently.

During the panel discussion which was facilitated by Dikko, it was established that broadband is indeed a game changer, hence its policy should be implemented in every country. Knowledge-share, as an enabler for broadband deployment, was also acknowledged as a key tool to drive the implementation of laws and regulation in each Commonwealth country.

Speaking further, Dikko highlighted the need for partnerships which will drive new laws and regulations regionally that will spur overall development. “Partnerships within the industry can be more effective if operators place customers at the fore of these discussions and strive to influence regulations or policies that will increase broadband availability and accessibility,” he said. In addition, he said, the CTO along with the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) can help the industry by setting the  right kind of standards.

He disclosed that Etisalat has always focused on customer-centricity to endear itself to its subscribers in Nigeria. “The level of growth we have experienced at Etisalat is traceable to our customer-centric and innovative approach to business,” he said.

HOW TO BECOME A YOUTUBE STAR

HOW TO BECOME A YOUTUBE STAR



1. Have you noticed a pattern to what makes a video/channel popular?

Popular videos tend to have a lot of personality and something unique about them. The YouTube community is very active and will rate, comment on and share interesting videos. People often create video responses to other popular videos - these tributes can get as many views as the original hit.


2. What kind of equipment does a user need to make cool videos? (eg, obviously video camera, what about editing equipment etc?)

YouTube is for everyone - you don't need to spend a lot of money to produce entertaining videos. You will need a video camera but it doesn't need to be high-spec - it could be a webcam, mobile phone camera, flip video camera or a digicam. Taking some time to think about lighting and sound will pay off and basic editing does help make your video more attractive. Most cameras come with editing tools. This is a fun project to do with a friend but if you need more help, use the YouTube community - there are millions of budding film directors who can give you tips. YouTube has some great video guides on how to produce videos: http://youtube.com/t/yt_handbook_produce

3. Are there any other tips or tricks you can share?

Do's:

Get inspiration from the best - Watch other YouTube videos and get ideas from other geniuses who are uploading videos.
Be creative - People want to see something interesting.
Be timely - Topical humour works!
Be consistent - Don't upload just one video, give people a chance to get to know your work.
Offer something new - The YouTube community wants videos they can't see anywhere else.
Be authentic - People love personality.
Be yourself - YouTube has something for everyone so if you've got a quirky talent, share it!
Know there is an audience for every talent - From Davido’s Sekewu dance's to delivering a lecture about science, the YouTube community loves uniqueness.

Don'ts:

Don't be a copycat - Cheating is overrated, you are unique and the world wants to see it.
Don't be afraid to experiment - If your friends like it, it's probably perfect.
Don't make your videos too long – Unless the likes of Tuface or Dbanj is in your video, try to keep it under five minutes.
Don't do anything you wouldn't want the world to see.

Don't make your video too complicated

GE Partners Supplier Chain Leaders to Boost Local Contents




L-R: GE Africa Supply Chain Leader Phil Griffith, Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB)Ernest Nwakpa and President/CEO GE Nigeria Lazarus Angbazo at the GE Supplier forum held in Abuja recently

Dell Delivers Connected Security Vision with Innovative Solutions and Capabilities

Dell Delivers Connected Security Vision with Innovative Solutions and Capabilities


Dell today announced the release of four products that tackle today’s biggest IT imperatives ─ including BYOD, cloud, network security, and compliance ─ and make Connected Security a reality for customers worldwide. Dell’s holistic and connected approach, which spans from endpoint to datacenter to cloud, helps solve today’s most complex security and compliance problems.

As part of Dell’s Connected Security portfolio, Dell™ One Identity Cloud Access Manager, Dell™ SonicWALL NSA 2600 next generation firewall, Dell™ ChangeAuditor 6.0, and Dell™ InTrust™ 10.7 all provide new levels of protection, and  empower organizations to  collectively gather, analyze, report and act in a proactive way when managing security threats.   

The major trends impacting IT today make it crucial for organizations to move away from managing security in silos, and embrace a strategy focused on connecting security to the infrastructure, information and applications that are critical to the organization. To protect data wherever it resides ─ on the network, in the cloud, or on mobile devices ─ Dell delivers Connected Security through  solutions that provide predictive, context-aware security to detect and protect against unseen threats, as well as managed security service offerings with SecureWorks  and Dell Data Protection and Encryption.
                    
One Identity Cloud Access Manager offers web-based access control to help organizations safely and effectively use both on-premise and cloud-based applications.
o   Addresses the need to control access to cloud apps and other apps from multiple end points ─ including office desktops, laptops, and mobile devices ─ that expose organizations to major security vulnerabilities
o   Provides an increased layer of security with access management for both on-premise applications and web-based applications like Salesforce, Google Apps and 0ffice 365
o   Enables Connected Security by delivering browser-based access through a unified and secure single sign-on, with just-in-time cloud provisioning, federation, authorization, and audit capabilities for all use situations
·         The SonicWALL Network Security Appliance (NSA) 2600 features Dell’s patented single-pass Reassembly-Free Deep Packet Inspection engine, and leverages the power of more than one million connected sensors around the world, so organizations can block the newest threats as they emerge.
o   Includes critical security capabilities such as intrusion prevention with sophisticated anti-evasion technology; network-based anti-malware with cloud assist; SSL decryption and inspection; content/URL filtering; application visibility and control and application bandwidth management

o   Delivers SSL VPN secure mobile access from a wide variety of platforms including Windows, Linux, MacOS, iOS, Windows 8.1 RT, and Android, enabling organizations to provide multi-layered security and access control rules as part of a multilayered BYOD strategy

o   Ensures that customers always receive the necessary protection without compromising performance.  The NSA 2600 gives organizations the power to solve their security and compliance challenges today, while helping them better prepare for tomorrow

o   In addition to world-class threat protection, the NSA 2600 offers a wealth of standard features vital to SMBs, site-to-site VPN, WAN failover and load balancing, and an integrated wireless controller for secure wireless networking, all while remaining easy to deploy and manage

·         ChangeAuditor 6.0 tracks, reports and alerts on vital configuration, user and administrative changes in real-time, without the overhead of native auditing.
o   Enables the viewing, correlation and filtering of change events, and provides the relation to other events over the course of time and in chronological order across the Windows environment.  This affords a better understanding and forensic analysis of those events and trends
o   Eliminates unknown security concerns and ensures continuous auditing of critical assets by providing detailed and normalized information on a change, and any related events, in only one click 
o   Delivers on the promise of Connected Security by detecting threats and patterns, enabling a rapid response from any device in real time
·         InTrust™ 10.7 helps organizations address regulatory compliance and internal security through the secure real-time collection, compression and search of event logs.
o   Monitors user access to critical systems and applications, and enables forensic analysis of user and system activity based on historical event data

o   Collects events on user and administrator activity from diverse and widely dispersed systems and applications, and presents them in an easy-to-use and complete form suitable for reporting and analysis

o   Enriches the Dell SecureWorks offering with intelligent data feeds that capture crucial aspects of user activity on Windows systems, detecting internal threats in less time and with less overhead

o   Supports Connected Security that’s unified with the business by eliminating silos of information, connecting security information across data, user, network, applications, and services

Pricing and Availability:
·         Call for pricing on One Identity Cloud Access Manager, Dell SonicWALL NSA2600, ChangeAuditor 6.0, and InTrust 10.7.
·         All four Dell solutions are available globally through the channel. Call Dell or a channel partner for more information.
According to Matt Medeiros, Vice President and General Manager, Security Products, Dell Software, “Today’s mega-trends ─ cloud, BYOD/mobility, and big data ─ each introduce a magnitude of new threats and vulnerabilities. The new challenges these threats create for the IT environment ─ insufficient visibility, siloed security, compliance requirements and new reporting ─ all must be managed with limited resources. The only true line of defense is a comprehensive set of predictive, context-aware security solutions that break down silos and protect data where it resides.  Dell Connected Security provides a dynamic solution portfolio that gives organizations the power to solve today’s biggest security and compliance challenges, while helping them better prepare for tomorrow.”

John McClurg, Vice President and Chief Security Officer, Dell emphasized that   “In an age of increasing risk, the security industry is facing the need to dramatically change its approach to protecting organizations of all sizes across all industries, at all times. Dell is at the forefront of this shift. Our vision for Connected Security ─ a holistic and connected approach to security that spans from endpoint to datacenter to cloud ─ is the driving force behind these collaborative, performance-focused security solutions. The new solutions announced today further expand our Connected Security portfolio, providing CSOs like myself with the business intelligence, contextual richness and tools we need to mitigate risks and become business enablers.”   

Mike Johnson, president and CEO, Cerdant , also supported by saying “We view Dell’s focus on security and its drive to deliver a comprehensive portfolio around its Connected Security strategy as an exciting development for channel partners like us. We are seeing great revenue potential in helping customers leverage Dell’s industry-leading end-to-end security solutions to tackle their most critical security issues and we look forward to continuing to build our arsenal of security solutions using Dell’s best-of-breed software products.”

Supporting Resources:
·         Dell Connected Security: www.dell.com/security
·         Twitter: www.twitter.com/dellsecurity
·         LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/dell
·         Dell YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/DellVlog
·         Dell Google+: https://plus.google.com/+Dell#+Dell/posts


About Dell
Dell Inc. (NASDAQ: DELL) listens to customers and delivers innovative technology and services that give them the power to do more. For more information, visit www.dell.com and http://software.dell.com

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