Gitex 2020: Qualys launches UAE Cloud to address local data residency regulations

Cloud-based cybersecurity vendor Qualys has announced the launch of the Qualys Cloud in the UAE, seeking to solve data privacy and residency concerns for regional customers.

The move comes amid acceleration of regional cloud migration. Last year, YouGov revealed a report that showed that 88 per cent of IT stakeholders in the UAE were planning budget increases for cloud computing. Across the GCC, the emergence of the Covid-19 pandemic has acted as an accelerant to digital transformation, with the IDC projecting that the Gulf’s public cloud market alone will more than double over the next four years, from $956m in 2020 to $2.35bn in 2024. IDC also predicted that hybrid clouds — known for their complexity and compliance issues — will grow in popularity.

But many organisations in heavily regulated industries such as banking, oil and gas, and government have had to consider issues such as privacy and data residency when planning their migration journeys. The Qualys UAE Cloud platform will help eliminate these barriers and will act as the company’s main hub for the Middle East.

The Qualys UAE Cloud will offer all the company’s flagship products including VMDR, (Vulnerability Management, Detection and Response); Multi-Vector EDR; Global IT Asset Inventory; Configuration Management; Certificate Inventory; Threat Protection; Continuous Monitoring; Patch Management; Container Security; Web Application Scanning; and Web Application Firewalls.

The Qualys Cloud Platform will now support several local compliance requirements, such as the Abu Dhabi Systems and Information Centre’s (ADSIC) Information Security Policy and the UAE Information Assurance Regulation. It will also allow Qualys’ partners, such as managed service providers (MSPs), the opportunity to offer cloud services to highly regulated sectors.

“The UAE has been a clear leader in cloud-first technology strategy, as it has moved forward boldly with its ambition to become a regional data hub,” said Hadi Jaafarawi, managing director, Middle East at Qualys. “The Qualys UAE Cloud will help further this goal. It is a clear signal of our resolute commitment to the country and the wider region and comes at a pivotal moment — amid an economic crisis — when organisations need to innovate with greater ease.”