With so much talk on integration and IP, the Middle East is probably one of the few places in the world that brings out the best qualities of the two in real-life installations. Aside from Dubai, the rest of the United Arab Emirates is booming with Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait and Oman in infrastructural development and greenfield commercial projects. While market potential is tremendous, challenges surrounding market access and talent management remain. a&s talks to some of the most active players in the region to find out what's ticking in the region after the 2009 financial crisis and economic slowdown.
With so much talk on integration and IP, the Middle East is probably one of the few places in the world that brings out the best qualities of the two in real-life installations. Aside from Dubai, the rest of the United Arab Emirates is booming with Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait and Oman in infrastructural development and greenfield commercial projects. While market potential is tremendous, challenges surrounding market access and talent management remain. a&s talks to some of the most active players in the region to find out what's ticking in the region after the 2009 financial crisis and economic slowdown.
Siemens Building Technologies
As a global security solutions provider, we bring a lot of experience and best practices to the Middle East. Over many years, we have also built up strong local teams which I am convinced are among our most capable people worldwide. The countless greenfield projects in the region often demand the latest technologies, which are usually one or even two generations ahead of typical projects we see in other parts of the world. Consequently, the required skill sets are very different; we employ IT specialists and engineers rather than people that can only install controllers or cameras.
One big issue we do face in the region is a typical Catch-22 situation: How does one specify the newest systems and technologies when there are still no existing reference projects using these advanced technologies? Luckily, our global community of experts is very capable of adapting novel solutions, sharing expertise globally and 
solving complex problems at a very fast pace. While some competitors still discuss classic video and access control systems with customers, we are discussing the latest IP-based solutions, including comprehensive security management with integrated command-and -control capabilities. Our customers no longer want proprietary, closed, single-discipline systems, but truly valuable situational awareness, through integration with subsystems, as well as decision support.
In a highly volatile market with great potential, a successful solutions provider can only differentiate itself by maintaining excellent customer relationships through providing exceptional services, delivering on promises and providing complete, interoperable, cutting-edge solutions.