SPECIAL ADVERTISEMENT

SPECIAL ADVERTISEMENT

!"##$%&'#("'#)"%*

$%
#(" +,-.*
These days, most businesses operate in that virtual space between
the screens of powerful handheld devices and constantly connected
boardrooms. Although businesses have changed where they carry out
their activities, the need for powerful applications to empower these
enterprises still exists. Bulky servers, expensive technical support,
and inaccessible information no longer have a place amid successful
ventures that strive to compete with larger operations.

Feature

$%'#("'+,-.*
As a self-confessed cloud computing evangelist,
Issam Alameh is changing the way people do
business in the Gulf region.
!"#$%%&'#(''!
That is exactly
why a greater number of
smart businesses are taking
their operations to the
cloud, says Issam Alameh,
as he frantically rushes to
plug himself into another
meeting with a regional
client looking to take its
product worldwide.
Alameh has spent his entire
life working on ways to
make technologies serve
people in smarter and
more accessible ways. From
governments to businesses
of all kinds and sizes,
Alameh is a firm believer in
the ability of smart solutions
to take projects to the next
level. With this in mind, he
is a perfect match for his
latest manifestation: cloud
computing evangelist.
78 MAY 2010
SPECIAL ADVERTISEMENT
I have seen how businesses
that moved to the cloud have
lifted such a huge weight
off their shoulders ‒ giving
them the room to do the
things they want to do most,
which is make their business
successful, adds Issam from
his buzzing office in Doha.
In our quest to stay up-to-date
with the latest business trends,
we recently sat down with
Alameh to probe more into his
obsession with the cloud and
to find out why he thinks any
business not following suit will
be grounded by the burdens of
archaic IT delivery models.
What exactly is the cloud?
Alameh: In cloud computing,
applications, information and
resources are all stored on the
Internet. The idea behind this
is that it alleviates businesses
from the rigorous hassle of
establishing expensive and
tiresome infrastructures locally
in which to deliver their services
in an effective, and sustainable
manner. Instead, their entire
operation can be safely stored,
administered, and customised
to their needs remotely, and at
a fraction of the cost. More and
more, successful businesses
are moving to the cloud to
create additional space right
here on the ground for them
to succeed.
We are seeing a real shift in the
way companies operate. Big
businesses are cutting millions
of dollars in IT budgets, while
smaller businesses are gaining
access to services, which were
previously exclusive to larger
operations. The cloud is a true
encapsulation of the power
of the Internet to change the
ways we conduct business.
How did you first run
into the cloud?
Alameh: Just like how anyone
else would see a cloud, by
looking cloudward.
I was really disenfranchised
by the way businesses set
up IT services within their
organisations. I was dismayed
http://www.alameh.com
issam@alameh.com
to see established businesses
spending the majority of
their time upgrading servers
and purchasing expensive
software licences, and even
more disturbed to see great
business ideas falling victim to
astronomical IT budgets before
they even got off the ground.
I was having nightmares about
spending countless hours on
setting up data management,
customer relations, and asset
tracking systems in ways that
were compatible with each
other, and customised to the
business needs of my clients.
I wished for a solution that
would combine all the
applications that we needed,
customise them, and store
them remotely in the hands of
someone, whose core business
was the maintenance of these
networks. That way they would
be safe, reliable, and most
importantly accessible at the
click of a mouse. When I ran into
some great cloud computing
solutions, I immediately started
thinking of ways to implement
them here in the Middle East.
Why should businesses
move to the cloud?
Alameh: It gives big businesses
the chance to grow at a

faster rate, and the chance
for smaller businesses to
compete with the bigger
ones. It is safer, more reliable,
and definitely more accessible.
Businesses can focus on
their core speciality, without
having to allocate so much of
their resources to building an
effective IT infrastructure.
In the cloud, solutions are
customisable to the greatest
of detail, and they combine
as many applications as you
need on a seamless platform.
Businesses no longer need
to hire overqualified staff
to run their networks. With
cloud computing solutions,
all the expertise is included.
Staff members can maintain,
customise, and expand the
cloud with minimal training.
Once your business is in the
cloud, the sky is the limit.
We are seeing a real shift in the way companies
operate. Big businesses are cutting millions of dollars in
IT budgets, while smaller businesses are gaining access
to services that were previously exclusive to larger
operations. The cloud is a true encapsulation of the
power of the Internet to change the ways we conduct
business. Issam Alameh
SPECIAL ADVERTISEMENT
How reachable is
the cloud?
Alameh: As long as you have
the vision, the cloud can
make dreams come true. By
placing your IT needs in the
hands of creative and reliable
experts, you will empower
your business with the tools it
needs to compete in a global
economy. You can access
information, services, and
resources from anywhere, at
anytime. You no longer need
an army of technicians to keep
your business afloat. It sounds
too good to be true, but just
like a real cloud, these kind
of solutions set the standard
for the height that one
can achieve. With an effective
assessment, a strong vision,
and the desire to compete,
clouds are now within
your reach.
Tel: +974 SUCCESS (7822377)
Mob: +974 5514260
Commercial Bank Plaza, 14th floor, Doha
http://www.alameh.com
issam@alameh.com
What are your
dream cloud scenarios?
Alameh: I really would love
to see businesses that were
unable to break into the world
of big competition, have a say
in the market. Good business
ideas should never die because
of the size of a server. I want
to also show big businesses
a newer way of conducting
business and help them
understand the benefits of
shifting to this new world.
In the cloud, the strength of
your enterprise is determined
by the quality of your services
and not by the size of your
IT department.
As a self confessed cloud
computing evangelist, I want to
be part of a powerful movement
that is reshaping the way we
conduct business and help
businesses move cloudward.
/012340'
2'15637'
!"#$%&"'%('%
89:6'2';6<
One of the strengths
embedded in the
cloud is the ability to
customise solutions
to a great extent. One
of the major trends
being seen in the field
of cloud computing is
collaboration between
developers and
solution providers to
customise the cloud to
the client’s needs.
Doha-based Alameh
Networks and
AppShark are some of
the collaborations that
have emerged from the
growing market.
AppShark is a software
services provider based
in Hyderabad, India.
They specialise in
outsourced software
application and product
development using
agile development
methodologies. Their
key focus and expertise
is in scalable and high
availability web, as well
as collaborative
and client-server
application development.
AppShark Software
info@appshark.com
MAY 2010 79
SCAN ME