Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – 21th August, 2024 – CNTXT, a leading cloud and digital transformation company in Saudi Arabia, today announced an expanded partnership with Google Cloud to introduce a new premium cybersecurity offering to the Saudi market: Sovereign Controls by CNTXT. The new offering is designed to support the digital transformation journeys of organizations operating in the region who must meet strict data sovereignty, regulatory and security requirements.
With this offering, CNTXT, a reseller of Google Cloud Platform services for Saudi-based customers, helps local organizations meet digital sovereignty requirements by delivering a managed External Key Management (EKM) with Key Access Justifications (KAJ) service, as well as localized support. EKM with KAJ encrypts customer data at rest with keys stored outside of Google Cloud’s infrastructure. This offering also requires detailed justifications each time access to keys is required, offering customers the ability to deny access for any reason, including extraterritorial data requests. This innovative solution is designed to protect highly sensitive workloads that would typically remain on-premise, providing an additional layer of control for organizations moving to the cloud
The EKM solution is offered in Saudi Arabia by SITE, as an integral part of the “DATA SHIELD powered by Fortanix” product and Google Cloud’s Cloud External Key Manager service. SITE provides innovative, reliable Digital and Cybersecurity services and solutions, and develop future technologies to address needs, aspirations, and threats, while fostering an entrepreneurship ecosystem and developing a highly talented pool of Saudi human capital. This integration allows organizations to move their data to the cloud while maintaining the same level of security for keys that they are accustomed to in their own on-premises environments.
DATA SHIELD powered by Fortanix enables users to create, store, and manage encryption keys outside of the Google Cloud environment. This ensures that encryption keys are always under customer control and stored inside a FIPS 140-2 level 3 certified HSM, away from the cloud. With the click of a button, organizations can enable or disable access to their data from specific instances and locations in real-time, ensuring the highest level of security for their data.
“We are thrilled to bring Cloud External Key Manager to Saudi Arabia, offering organizations the ability to securely move their most sensitive workloads to the cloud,” said Abdullah Jarwan, CEO at CNTXT. “With the integration of SITE’s DATA SHIELD powered by Fortanix EKM, organizations can trust that their data is protected by the highest standards of security and encryption.”
Majed Alamri, Chief Business Solutions Officer at SITE, said, “We are excited to introduce the External Key Manager to Saudi Arabia, empowering organizations to securely migrate their most sensitive workloads to the cloud. With the integration of SITE’s DATA SHIELD powered by Fortanix EKM, clients can be assured that their data is protected by the highest standards of security and encryption.”
Bader Almadi, Google Cloud country manager for Saudi Arabia, said, “Google Cloud is committed to working with local trusted partners to help our customers meet digital sovereignty requirements. We are proud to offer Sovereign Controls by CNTXT to help Saudi-based organizations meet more stringent data sovereignty requirements. This offering that’s provided through Assured Workloads, and built on Google Cloud’s Class C-certified infrastructure offers customers the ability to deny access to their data for any reason, empowering organizations across the Kingdom to accelerate their digital transformation journeys while helping to meet regulatory requirements and maintaining more control over their data.”
For more information about Sovereign Controls by CNTXT and its availability in Saudi Arabia, please visit [Google Cloud Blog ].
About CNTXT:
About CNTXT: CNTXT, a joint venture between Saudi Aramco and Cognite, is a leading digital transformation company headquartered in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. With a mission to empower organizations through technology and innovation, CNTXT leverages strategic partnerships and a network of resellers to accelerate digital transformation across public and private sectors in the Kingdom.
RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA — 5/08/2024 —CNTXT is thrilled to announce the official opening of our new regional headquarters in the prestigious King Abdullah Financial District (KAFD), Riyadh. On August 1st, we celebrated this momentous occasion with a grand opening ceremony attended by industry leaders and guests, including Tareq Amin, CEO of Digital Aramco and Chairman of the CNTXT board.
Joined by CNTXT Board members Fahad Aldossary, Francois Laborie, and John Markus Lervik, as well as key public and private sector executives, we showcased our stunning new workspace and celebrated our continued growth. The event was a fantastic opportunity to connect with industry leaders and explore the innovative environment we’ve created.
Our move to a larger, strategically located office marks a significant milestone for CNTXT. The expanded space empowers us to enhance our service offerings, foster collaboration among our talented team, and deliver exceptional value to our valued clients.
By doublingfootprint of our previous Riyadh office, we’ve designed a space that encourages creativity, innovation, and teamwork. Each office is meticulously crafted to reflect our commitment to world-class service standards.
We are excited to embark on this new chapter in our journey and look forward to welcoming our employees, customers and partners to our new offices.
Simplified Access to Google Cloud Services Now Available for Individuals and Small Businesses
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – June 24, 2024 – CNTXT, a leading technology enabler in the MENA region, is proud to announce the launch of the CNTXT Portal for Google Cloud, now live for users across Saudi Arabia. This innovative platform marks a significant milestone in the journey towards greater accessibility and utilization of Google Cloud services in the Kingdom.
The CNTXT Portal for Google Cloud is designed to streamline the procurement process, making it possible for individual users and small businesses to access Google Cloud services with unparalleled ease. By enabling the use of credit cards for procurement, the portal removes previous barriers, allowing a broader range of users to harness the power of Google Cloud’s advanced technologies.
“We are thrilled to launch the CNTXT Portal for Google Cloud, which is set to revolutionize how cloud services are accessed in Saudi Arabia,” said Abdullah Jarwan, CEO of CNTXT. “This portal embodies our commitment to fostering technological innovation and supporting the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 by empowering individuals and small businesses with the tools they need to succeed in a digital economy.”
Bader Almadi, Country Manager, Google Cloud Saudi Arabia said: “By enabling our partners to a platform to their customers to manage their relationship with Google Cloud and access resources for selling, servicing, and building on Google Cloud, this CNTXT Portal simplifies the management and administration of cloud infrastructure and enables users to leverage the power of Google Cloud services for their applications and workloads. Through our partner CNTXT, individuals and businesses in the Kingdom can now gain access to expert consultation and support for implementing Google Cloud solutions tailored to their needs, access to specialized applications and services built on Google Cloud that can address specific use cases, and benefit from streamlined process of purchasing and managing Google Cloud services, potentially simplifying adoption for those less familiar with the platform.”
Key Features of the CNTXT Portal for Google Cloud:
- Simple Procurement: Users can now procure Google Cloud services using credit cards, simplifying the payment process and making cloud services more accessible.
- User-Friendly Interface: The portal is designed with an intuitive interface to help ensure a seamless user experience, even for those new to cloud technologies.
- Comprehensive Support: CNTXT offers dedicated support packages to help users navigate their cloud journey.
This initiative builds on the existing success of Google Cloud in Saudi Arabia, where it has been instrumental in driving digital transformation across various sectors since the launch of Google Cloud Region in Dammam on November 15th, 2023. By expanding access to Google Cloud services, CNTXT is poised to further accelerate the adoption of cloud technologies, enabling businesses of all sizes to innovate and grow.
The launch of the CNTXT Portal for Google Cloud is aligned with the broader objectives of Vision 2030, which aims to position Saudi Arabia as a global technology hub. With this new platform, CNTXT and Google Cloud are empowering the Kingdom’s next generation of entrepreneurs, developers, and innovators.
For more information about the CNTXT Portal for Google Cloud and to get started with Google Cloud services, visit www.cntxt.com.
About CNTXT CNTXT is a leading technology enabler in the MENA region, dedicated to providing innovative solutions that drive digital transformation. With a strong focus on cloud technologies, CNTXT partners with global tech giants to deliver cutting-edge services that empower businesses and individuals to thrive in the digital age.
Aramco has long been at the forefront of innovation, particularly in the realm of digitalization. As part of its ambitious vision to lead the industry in technological advancement, Aramco has been exploring using ground robotics to enhance the safety and efficiency of its operations. Recently, the company achieved a significant milestone by conducting the Site Acceptance Test (SAT) of an intrinsically safe robot, marking a major step forward in its digital transformation journey. This groundbreaking initiative underscores Aramco’s commitment to leveraging cutting-edge technology to revolutionize how inspections are conducted in the energy industry, setting new standards for safety, reliability, and efficiency.
Aramco and CNTXT successfully conducted an SAT for the Taurob Inspector robot at Manifa Central Processing Facility in August 2023, proving the robot’s ability to withstand the high temperatures of a Saudi Arabian summer.
The test encompassed manual navigation, site mapping, inspection route planning, and autonomous mission execution, culminating in a detailed assessment of collected data across the various inspection payloads.
The successful execution of the SAT — under extreme environmental conditions — underscores the robustness and reliability of the Taurob Inspector robot. It offers a pioneering solution for enhancing operational efficiency and safety in industrial settings, particularly in challenging climates like Saudi Arabia.
“Throughout the pilot, we successfully completed site mapping, route planning, and autonomous missions. Taurob’s Inspector robot was able to collect the necessary data and navigate the environment successfully. Most notably, the robot demonstrated the ability to withstand ambient temperatures of 45°C, and temperatures well above 50°C under the scorching sun,” said Saeed Alamoudi, Specialist Engineer at Aramco.
Kristoffer Gjerde, Head of Robotics at CNTXT, adds, “CNTXT is proud to be able to continuously support Aramco as they expand the use of industrial robots across their facilities. Completing user acceptance tests of Taurob robots is another milestone towards autonomous operations in industrial facilities.”
Looking ahead, Aramco and CNTXT are looking to expand the integration of cutting-edge robotics technology into industrial operations by adding new types of robots to their existing fleet. The successful SAT for Taurob robots paves the way for broader adoption of autonomous solutions as Aramco continues to pioneer with its vision for the adoption of 4.0 IR technologies.
Saudi Business Machines (SBM) and CNTXT have collaborated on a joint project to integrate the Boston Dynamics Spot robot with IBM Solutions for asset management. The scope of work encompassed two key milestones:
- Integration with IBM Maximo, facilitating streamlined asset monitoring, predictive maintenance, and reliability planning for businesses.
- Integration with IBM’s AI assistant, IBM Watson, allowing users to utilize voice commands to instruct autonomous robot inspections.
The integration of the Boston Dynamics Spot robot with industrial data platforms represents a crucial requirement for industrial customers in managing, contextualizing, and analyzing data generated by autonomous robots. By seamlessly integrating with industrial data platforms, such as IBM Maximo, businesses gain the capability to centralize and streamline their data management processes. This integration allows for the aggregation of data from various sources, including the Spot robot, enabling comprehensive analysis and contextualization of asset-related information. Moreover, it facilitates real-time monitoring, predictive maintenance, and reliability planning, empowering businesses to make data-driven decisions efficiently. This holistic approach to data integration and analysis not only enhances operational efficiency but also enables predictive maintenance scheduling and optimization of asset performance. Ultimately, by harnessing the power of industrial data platforms, businesses can unlock insights that drive better asset management strategies, leading to improved productivity, reduced downtime, and enhanced overall performance.
“This collaboration with CNTXT represents a significant advancement in the field of asset management,” said Tarek Khattab, IBM Software Group Delivery Manager from SBM. “By integrating the Boston Dynamics Spot robot with IBM Solutions, we’re empowering businesses to optimize their asset management processes, enhance operational efficiency, and drive better business outcomes.”
As businesses prioritize efficiency, automation, and data-driven decision-making, the integration of the Boston Dynamics Spot robot with industrial data platforms emerges as a game-changer. CNTXT, one of the leading companies for deploying and integrating ground robots for industrial inspection, is innovating with partners to provide an end-to-end solution for harnessing and using inspection data. With CNTXT on the team, organizations can unlock new levels of productivity, reliability, and agility in managing their assets effectively.
For further details on how you can seamlessly integrate autonomous robots into your operations today, schedule a meeting via the CNTXT website.
Cognite Data Fusion® on Google Cloud will bring advanced AI and machine learning tools to create actionable insights, improve operational efficiency, and drive digital transformation across industries.
RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA — [Date] — Cognite, a globally recognized leader in industrial software, announced today that its flagship Industrial DataOps product, Cognite Data Fusion®, is now available on Google Cloud in Saudi Arabia. This strategic collaboration combines Cognite’s leading data management and secure, trustworthy artificial intelligence (AI) with Google Cloud’s powerful infrastructure and data analytics capabilities, enabling customers to seamlessly migrate their data to the cloud, ensuring scalability, flexibility, and security while empowering customers in Saudi Arabia with simple access to their complex industrial data.
Cognite Data Fusion will deploy its own comprehensive contextualization and generative AI (gen AI) capabilities purpose-built for complex industrial data on top of Google Cloud’s advanced AI and machine learning tools—a powerful combination to deliver actionable insights, improve operational efficiency, and drive digital transformation across industries such as energy, manufacturing, and logistics.
“We are thrilled to bring Cognite Data and AI offerings to Google Cloud customers in Saudi Arabia,” said Francois Laborie, Executive Vice President, Cognite. “This is a significant milestone in our partnership, and as well as our commitment to the Kingdom. The power of data and AI, from Cognite and Google Cloud, enables industry transformation via solutions that deliver business value to our customers.”
“We are excited to partner with Cognite to bring their advanced industrial data platform to Google Cloud customers in Saudi Arabia,” said Abdul Rahman Al Thehaiban, Managing Director, Middle East, Turkey and Africa, Google Cloud. “By leveraging Google Cloud’s scalable and secure infrastructure, Cognite Data Fusion will enable customers to harness the power of their data to make smarter business decisions and accelerate their digital transformation journey.”
Cognite Data Fusion’s best-of-breed gen AI capabilities tailored for industrial use cases enable customers to generate synthetic data, simulate scenarios, and optimize operations, ultimately improving decision-making and business outcomes.
In the Kingdom and the wider MENA region, Cognite Data Fusion is brought to the market by CNTXT, a joint venture between Saudi Aramco and Cognite. This partnership combines CNTXT’s deep understanding of the regional industrial landscape with Cognite’s cutting-edge technology, providing customers with tailored solutions that address their specific needs and challenges. ‘’Cognite Data Fusion is poised to revolutionize how the Kingdom’s industries harness insights from their data. Cognite Data Fusion offers world-leading gen AI capabilities tailored for industrial sectors’’, said Abdullah Jarwan, CEO of CNTXT.
Cognite Data Fusion on Google Cloud is now available for customers in Saudi Arabia. For more information, visit www.cntxt.com.