Global Partner Conference – in a lesser-known emirate on the up and up.

We had our Global Partner Conference 2023 the other week. And, getting ahead of myself, let me tell you it was a great success!…

Our global partner conferences are one of the most important regular business events for us. They’re where we tell our partner companies (distributors, system integrators, service providers, and so on) from all over the world how our products and services are developing, and how those products and services can help their customers solve the most difficult aspects of cybersecurity all the more. In turn, our partners share with us how their business is growing and changing, what’s happening in their regional markets, what they want more of, and what their customers dream of. Then it’s back to us to tell them what we envision they’ll be wanting in a year’s time, in two years’ time, and in five. And it all looks something like this:

We’ve a tradition of normally (alas, not always) choosing venues for global partner conferences in warmer, sunnier, sandier, more comfortable places with good logistics, and this year was to be no exception to the rule. So off we popped to Sheremetyevo, and a few hours later we were up above a rather cloudy and foggy Moscow heading south ->

And we were flying south to Dubai. We flew no further, but our conference wasn’t in that particular emirate; it wasn’t in the neighboring emirate of Abu Dhabi either (we’ve had dozens of conferences in each down the years). This year we needed a change. But where? I’ll give you a clue: it was in the United Arab Emirates – but which of them? What – you don’t know how many emirates there are?!…

There are seven.

But I’ll get to which one we’d chosen later – I’ll keep you hanging for now )…

The main thing: it was a really successful business pow-wow. We brought together 90 (!) partner companies from 37 (!) countries.

But I’m getting ahead of myself again. Backing up, here we are – just before kick-off:

And here we are in full-swing:

All righty. Let’s get down to business…

Ah – before that, let me tell you about the couple things that concerned the K-team in charge of organizing the event in terms of content and logistics…

First, it was just over nine months since our last global partner conference. Would there be much that’s new for us to show and talk about?

Second, we were in an emirate that’s an hour’s drive from Dubai Airport. Are you getting warmer? You should be, for in summer in the UAE it gets just silly-hot. It’s like a furnace – reaching above 50°С at times! Might our dear guests pass out en route to the venue?!

// Btw – though I’ve been to the UAE scores of times, I’d only ever been in summer once – in June 2022, in Abu Dhabi. I swore I’d never do it again, but here I was – just a year later ).

Ok, I can’t really keep it from you much longer without gaping holes appearing in this narrative. Our venue this year was in… the Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah – here!

So – first worry, regarding content: come on – this is K! We’ve been so busy of late in so many different directions… of course we’d have something to show and talk about – plenty!

// Plus there were quiz questions, including, for example: “How can you slice a cake into eight pieces with just three straight cuts?” There’s a clue below, so you’ve some time to think it over!…

Second worry – regarding the heat. Turns out – sure it was hot, but not silly-billy hot. For Ras Al Khaimah is the northern-most emirate, and the nearest to the Indian Ocean, which perhaps compensates for the oven-like Arabian Desert. Dubai and Abu Dhabi were as oppressively scorching as usual, but here – not bad at all. So not a chance of partners passing out. We were good to go!…

Both the business and emotional aspects of the conference – all good!

Last fall, some of our partners, understandably, came to the partner conference to check up on the “patient” (K): to see if it’s in good health – alive even. But this year there was none of that. The mood was composed, assured, positive. And that went even for our American and European partners. So again – all good. Onward we march, no matter what!…

And out in the lobbies there prevailed contagious, measured optimism too; it was a pleasure meeting and chatting with folks.

On stage, there were lighthearted moments, as per our template. For example, Anna Kulashova, our managing director for Russia and the CIS, was the one whoe demonstrated how to slice the cake into eight pieces with three cuts:

While our Executive VP for Corporate Business (B2B), Kirill Astrakhan, tried to answer this question:

If one randomly answers this question, the probability of the correct answer is:
[ 25% ] [ 50% ]
[ 75% ] [ 25% ]

Quiz-fun aside, of course there were serious matters; namely: what’s going on in the market, where the growth lies, and where everything’s headed generally:

(i) No real surprises here: demand continues to grow for industrial cybersecurity, made up of (a) network protection and endpoint security; and (b) protection of both office environments and those of industrial control systems (PLCs, etc.). Hardly anyone in the market provides such complex protection, but we do – practically the only one in the world!

Here’s our scale model showing a plant that gets attacked – and we save it, of course! ->

(ii) Network security. We’ve just upgraded our SD-WAN, and are generally headed toward a single, unified security ecosystem in which we envisage potection of “everything against everything”. And it even features seamless integration with other vendors’ solutions. Our XDR Symphony for complex, multi-level protection is already on some markets selling like hot cakes and almost ready to go global.

(iii) Cloud solutions on the one hand and data sovereignty on the other. Demand for cloud services is growing everywhere in the world, and that means demand for their security too – which in turn means that we’ve got our own cloud offering, of course. The thing is – cloud requirements differ, while there are still plenty of organizations that aren’t ready and won’t be ready for some time to switch over to having their data in public clouds; therefore, we’re building a platform for any environment – so it can be used in the cloud or in one’s own infrastructure. And we’re ready to roll out (in fact – we’re already rolling out) regional security operations centers (SOCs) in various countries in order to provide the respective services – and also to enable keeping data within state boundaries in full accordance with respective local legislation.

(iv) Deficits of specialists, resources and budget deficits. Our answer: automation, automation, automation!

(v) The icing on the cake: our solutions based on our Cyber Immune OS.

Other things talked about, in summary:

• 2022 was, to put it mildly, a very difficult year, but our financial results, remarkably, were still pretty good;
• We’re consolidating our positions as a developer of corporate solutions, with sales of the corresponding products (XDR, SIEM, KICS, etc.) growing at an unprecedented rate;
• We’re boldly diversifying into seemingly random (but it’s actually anything but random) directions: SD-WAN, containerization, blockchain, HR systems, and even development of a platform for electric cars;
• We have always been, are, and always will be a global vendor, with our solutions protecting contented customers across all continents. And our partners from all over the world confirm this. Cheers to that!

Work all done – time for some R&R. And when in UAE, it’s out into to desert you pop for it, which is just what we had planned…

And it wasn’t just me and travel companions venturing out into the desert. We basically took all the guests with us too. For if there’s one thing we’ve learned over the years, it’s that work, work, work is fine, but work, work, play is much better: an informal setting, ties off, hair down – it always brings the best out in folks, and we love “best” ).

Actually, “desert” isn’t all that accurate; no, we were headed to an oasis in the desert! ->

And after dinner – desert sunset time! You know I love my sunsets, but… I went and missed this one! Too busy conversing with important guys and girls about work. So much for work, work, play! Which reminds me – the pics here aren’t mine like is normally the case; they were taken by the professional photographer Dmitry Gorbunov…

Everything was so neat, tidy, trimmed, brushed, spruced – even the camels! ->

Camel-&-self-ies:

Hawks, of course…

Come night – scene change, and it was a lot cooler…

The official formalities out the way, next up – disco in the desert!

Ooh – a few 80s tunes I recognized. Found myself tapping my foot even. Whatever next?…

There’s something else I want to share with you from this lesser-known emirate: about the hotel we had our conference at…

First, it was clear that the hotel was only relatively recently built. But already it seemed to be full of guests – judging by its rammed pool and beach during the day. The below pics, btw, were taken at the crack of dawn, in case you’re wondering about their not matching my words re being full. The staff were extremely polite and helpful – even to the point of anticipating your upcoming wishes. In all, I was very impressed. Recommend!

Admittedly, I don’t know how dear staying at the hotel is – this was a business trip so the company paid!…

The beach had great sand too…

But what I noticed – and appreciated – most of all, was that the climate here (in summer at least) is so much more clement than in Dubai or Abu Dhabi. It’s warm – not sizzling hot. You can tell this most of all when entering or leaving buildings – which of course are all well air-conditioned: you don’t get that blast of cold/heat as you pass through the entrance/exit. Indeed, this climate is really comfortable – for both work and time off work. Wait… this is turning into an (unpaid) advertisement! I’ll have to come up with some downsides to compensate!…

Downside: since development of the coast here is all fairly new, and indeed the emirate on the whole isn’t the most developed (nothing on shiny Dubai, for example), there’s nothing to do here besides lounging by the pool or on the beach. Ok, there’s buggy-driving inland across the desert too, but anything else entertainment and attractions-wise: zilch.

Still, I think the cooler weather makes up for that downside, as does the freshness of the hotels…

A minor-minus: all the construction going on next door (another hotel, naturally). Still, hardly fair to complain about that: no omelet without breaking eggs…

At least I saw the sunset this time:

Heading back home, in the airport and on the plane I was recognized a full four times! One of those recognitions was made by a former colleague, so that hardly counts, but the other three were by strangers. Oh no!

For the last 15 years I’ve purposefully and strictly avoided showing my face on national TV channels. Ok, sometimes it can’t be avoided – cameras turn up to some event I’m participating in and you can’t exactly ask them so leave, but still – practically complete invisibility. And I’ve followed this policy to avoid being recognized in the street – and in airports and on planes! The celebrity thing: no thank you.

And the benefits of avoiding the cameras? I can fly mostly incognito. Folks may know my name, but most won’t be able to put a face to that name. And just as well. It means I can also go shopping or be in other public settings and no one recognizes me. Just as I want it: a bit of privacy. But then, here, suddenly – three four times!

The last time I was recognized on a plane was way back in 2017 on a flight to Hanover to get to Hannover Messe. Practically the whole plane was full of industrial-tech and IT folks, so, yes – being recognized in this instance was hardly surprising. And the time before that (on a plane)? In 2008 on a flight to Milan: economy class – in the line for the toilet at the tail end of the plane. Ever since – I try and fly business :).

So, like I say – four times in one go…: nightmare! So where did I go wrong?…

Well, I guess hardly ever being on the telly isn’t all there is to it – certainly not today. Times have changed, and what with social media and everyone having a good camera on their phone – plus my giving lectures and speeches and press interviews (and TV interviews – abroad) all the time all around the world – normally followed by unavoidable selfies afterward, well – what can I expect? This isn’t the 80s. Going full Stanley Kubrick is simply impossible these days; alas. Well, I guess one could try it, but that’d hardly be good for business…

Still, I keep as low a profile as I can, even though that’s becoming more and more difficult the more and more I’m out and about in the media space. BUT – on planes: I consider that time sacred. It’s “me time”. I don’t get much of that normally, so on a flight – especially a long-haul one – I keep myself to myself; rather: that’s what I’d prefer. I sure don’t want four recognitions in the same day! It’s all about boundaries, I guess. Or maybe it’s just planes? Like I say: flying’s sacred )…