IBM and Zain Launched Cloud DR Service in Kuwait

IBM Corp. and Zain Group, a Kuwait based telecommunications company, announced their collaboration to launch a cloud DR service that will provide the two compaines’ enterprise customers with cloud-based BC capabilities and faster DR of their critical IT systems, without incurring the infrastructure expense of a second physical site.

Through the service, customers will benefit from the added flexibility of keeping their data in-country on IBM Cloud.

The DR as a service (DRaaS) market size in the Middle East is $100.64 million and is expected to see a CAGR of 44.8% through 2021. The Middle East region is experiencing a significant increase in DRaaS adoption due to the increasing number of cyber-attacks and other data threats like security breaches, software and hardware failures, and power outages, according to MarketsandMarkets Research Private Ltd.

The cloud DR service will help protect IBM and Zain customers against data loss from their own servers or from other cloud services, and can maintain readiness without the need to invest in additional physical space or stand-by hardware. The service will provide replication of critical applications, infrastructure, data and systems to IBM Cloud so customers can recover from an IT outage within minutes.

“In the face of increased cyber-attacks and other IT threats, unplanned downtime is a business risk that can damage both business operations and corporate reputations,” says Laurence Guihard-Joly, GM, IBM global resiliency services. “Through this new cloud DR service, IBM and Zain customers can confidently manage any cloud environment and take proactive steps to differentiate their business resiliency capabilities and meet ‘always-on’ expectations.“

“Today’s announcement comes as part of our vision to transform Zain into a digital lifestyle provider,” said Zain Kuwait’s CEO Eaman Al Roudhan. “The business needs of our corporate customers are continuously changing, and offering them innovative solutions to help maintain resiliency is a top priority for us.“

The cloud DR team will monitor developing disaster events 24/7 and help ensure that the infrastructure of IBM and Zain customers is equipped to handle the latest threats to keep data, applications and transactions secure. The service will also enable customers to adjust and customize their resiliency strategies to their own requirements to optimize recovery time.

The service underscores IBM’s expanding BC and resiliency services portfolio. In ‘always-on’ world, IBM offerings like DRaaS and Cloud Resiliency Orchestration are built to simplify and automate the DR process, increase workflow efficiency, and reduce risk, cost, and system testing time for clients around the world. With more than 50 years of BC and DR experience, IBM has over 300 resiliency centers across 68 countries.

Zain’s strategy of being a sustainable digital communications company has long focused on the customer experience. The launch of this service is one of the major steps in the company’s strategic plan to introduce more distinctive digital services dedicated to corporate and enterprise customers.