Ilyas Mohammed, COO at AmiViz and Tom Johnson, Regional Channel Director for META at Darktrace highlight Darktrace’s robust presence in the Middle East, leveraging AmiViz’s deep market knowledge to deliver AI-driven cybersecurity solutions, fostering growth through localized support, training, and strategic investments.
How would you define your business in the Middle East?
Tom Johnson: Darktrace is well established in supporting organisations across the Middle East protect themselves from cyber threats. Our Self-Learning AI engine builds a unique digital fingerprint of each organisation and uses that understanding to autonomously spot and respond to known and unknown threats within seconds across the entire organisation. This unique understanding means we can effectively defend organisations across sectors, and across the Middle East we defend customers ranging from complex logistics businesses to high profile events like the Football World Cup in Qatar where we helped to defend every aspect of the tournament’s digital infrastructure.
Can you outline Darktrace’s overall strategy for growth in the Middle East region?
Tom Johnson: Our strategy for growth in the Middle East focuses on tapping into the region’s economic potential and addressing its unique challenges. The region is experiencing significant economic growth and digitisation, which presents valuable opportunities for expansion.
The Middle East’s geopolitical importance and swift digitisation make it a target for cyber threats, a fact we saw for ourselves on the biggest stage when protecting the Football world Cup in Qatar. We saw the region’s commitment to combating these threats and appreciate its local talent and advanced technologies. With the Cyber Threat Intelligence (CTI) market in the Middle East expected to reach $31 billion by 2030, Darktrace is committed to the region with dedicated teams in sales, technical support, customer success, and support functions.
As the demand for comprehensive cybersecurity solutions grows, our platform-oriented approach addresses network, endpoint, email security, and challenges posed by Cloud, applications, and OT/IoT environments. This positions us to effectively manage cyber risks and proactively defend against threats across all attack surfaces.
Overall, we believe we can leverage the Middle East’s economic growth and address its cybersecurity challenges through local expertise and tailored solutions. This approach supports our growth goals and reinforces our commitment to delivering value in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.
What investments is Darktrace currently making in the Middle East to support its expansion?
Tom Johnson: Darktrace is actively focused on strategic initiatives across the Middle East to support our operations in the region. In alignment with the Middle East’s evolving cybersecurity landscape, characterised by a shift towards proactive and predictive security practices, we are intensifying our investments in cybersecurity technologies and services to deliver unmatched, unsupervised machine learning and AI capabilities which are crucial in building a defensive framework that aligns with the sophisticated nature of modern cyber threats. Our commitment extends beyond technological capabilities in the region; Darktrace’s local team includes more than 32 professionals covering the Middle East, Turkey, and North Africa.
We’re dedicated to a sustainable presence in the Middle East, leveraging local opportunities and contributing to the region’s digital transformation journey.
In what ways does AmiViz actively contribute to Darktrace’s expansion strategy in the Middle East?
Ilyas Mohammed: AmiViz plays a crucial role in Darktrace’s expansion strategy in the Middle East by utilising its deep understanding of the regional market and its extensive network of partners. By providing localised cybersecurity solutions, training, and support, AmiViz helps drive the adoption of Darktrace’s AI-powered threat detection technologies. Collaborative marketing efforts, including events and webinars, further enhance Darktrace’s visibility and credibility, enabling the company to penetrate key industries across the region more effectively.
What specific strategies are you employing to help Darktrace increase its customer base in the Middle East?
Ilyas Mohammed: We employ targeted strategies to help Darktrace expand its customer base in the Middle East by leveraging our extensive regional partner network. We engage in localised marketing campaigns, webinars, and educational events to raise awareness about Darktrace’s AI-driven cybersecurity solutions. We also provide tailored demos and proof-of-concept, enabling potential customers to experience the value firsthand, thus driving adoption and fostering long-term partnerships.
What kind of support does AmiViz provide to Darktrace customers in terms of onboarding, training, and ongoing service?
Ilyas Mohammed: We provide comprehensive support to Darktrace customers by facilitating seamless onboarding with implementation services. We offer in-depth training sessions, ensuring users are well-versed in Darktrace’s AI-driven cybersecurity solutions. We also deliver ongoing service through continuous technical support, regular health checks, and updates. Our localised expertise ensures that customers receive responsive and relevant assistance, optimising the performance and effectiveness of Darktrace’s security technologies in the Middle East.
How do you ensure the support aligns with Darktrace’s standards and customer expectations?
Ilyas Mohammed: We align with Darktrace’s standards and customer expectations by following its comprehensive training and certification programs. We apply consistent onboarding and support processes that reflect Darktrace’s protocols, ensuring uniform service quality. Through regular audits, feedback mechanisms, and close collaboration with Darktrace’s technical teams, we maintain high-quality support, continually enhancing our methods to meet customers’ evolving needs in the Middle East.