Twelve networks are already connected or in the process of connecting to the new data center and carrier neutral IX.

The interconnection platform is hosted in the IRAQ-IXP data center in Baghdad and operated by DE-CIX under the DE-CIX as a Service (DaaS) model.

The IX will in future also be directly connected to the world’s largest interconnection ecosystem through DE-CIX Istanbul and DE-CIX Frankfurt, the largest IX in Europe.

This allows customers to access thousands of networks globally. IRAQ-IXP powered by DE-CIX is built on DE-CIX’s award-winning interconnection infrastructure, offering peering, cloud connectivity, and enterprise-grade interconnection services.

The interconnection platform is set to serve as a hub for regional connectivity, enabling local networks to benefit from low-latency interconnection and the localization of global content, while increasing network stability, scalability, and security.

“The millions of users in Iraq deserve digital services of state-of-the-art quality. This requires the best local infrastructure possible, which DE-CIX is delighted to contribute to. With a strong and diverse landscape of Internet service and network providers, Iraq is in need of local interconnection to create local data and content gravity, and its Internet connectivity will be strongly enhanced through the new IX. IRAQ-IXP powered by DE-CIX is the ideal place for international networks interested in reaching this important Middle Eastern market,” comments Ivo Ivanov, CEO of DE-CIX. “The new IX, established through the partnership between DE-CIX and IRAQ-IXP, will unleash the potential of the country’s emerging digital economy by providing better performance and user experience of content and applications, and affordable and high-quality Internet access for enterprises and individuals.”

“We have a strong vision to provide improved connection services to our customers, taking care of data flow in terms of speed and comprehensive security,” comments Ahmed Rakwi, CEO of IRAQ-IXP, on the new Internet Exchange. “IRAQ-IXP powered by DE-CIX is set to serve local, regional, and international ISPs, CDNs, content and cloud, as well as enterprise networks, covering the interconnection demand of our customers. This partnership will improve the resilience of local and regional connectivity, lower the latency of data traffic, and improve the performance of cloud-based resources and applications.”

DE-CIX, home to the largest neutral interconnection ecosystem in the world, has been active in the Middle East for more than a decade, and now operates IXs in several countries in the region: the UAE, Jordan, and Iraq, as well as Turkey.

IRAQ-IXP powered by DE-CIX joins such success stories as the UAE-IX powered by DE-CIX in Dubai, also operated under the DaaS model.

The DaaS program includes a set of services – such as installation, maintenance, provisioning, marketing and sales support – designed for data center operators or other third parties to create their own Internet Exchange and interconnection platform fully operated by DE-CIX.

The growing need for hybrid working environments has led businesses to explore new ways of securely linking systems and staff.

Meanwhile, many institutions are wrestling with a shortage of IT personnel brought about by the widespread phenomenon of the ‘Great Resignation,’ which is rapidly growing around the world^I.

The latter is even worse in Nigeria, where a great number of IT professionals are resigning daily and heading to countries like Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States, in search of the proverbial ‘greener pastures’, a phenomenon known in local parlance as ‘japa’, a Yoruba word that simply means ‘to run away’ or ‘escape’.

Apart from the medical field, the Japa syndrome seems to have hit the IT sector the most, with many tech developers either leaving the country in search of better paying jobs or working remotely for foreign companies.

While IT costs around the world are on the rise, interest in managed services is equally increasing. Such a scenario may appear staggering, but it shouldn’t.

As these changes are reevaluating the way people and businesses work, IT as an industry is reacting with inventive solutions for the majority of the urgent challenges faced by organisations.

The increase in all-inclusive services for hardware, software, and amongst others helps businesses to adjust, grow, and constantly renew themselves to be able to provide customers with capabilities they desire.

This is because services will not only propel the subsequent business revolution, but they will also be the base for their growth.

New Age, Fresh Tests

Research firm Gartner estimated that by the end of 2023, 48% of knowledge workers around the world – engineers, accountants, and writers – will work either fully remotely (9%) or in a hybrid arrangement (39%).

So, it is important to build robust IT structures and solutions that will empower these hybrid staff to be productive, wherever they will be working from.

It is equally important to obtain an emerging blend of remote gadgets, cloud-based software solutions, and on-premises hardware.

Yet, achieving the goal of acquiring the perfect IT personnel proves to be a challenging task. Despite the long-standing global demand for IT workers, the increasing shortage of skilled personnel in the industry has become a cause for concern in recent times.

A Nigerian business survey showed that 58% of IT decision makers in Nigeria view a shortage of personnel with IT skills as one of the main threats to their business.

The survey also found that 34% of tech decision makers in Nigeria were planning to move to a new region, and 33% into a new country.

Expectedly, it’s all about more money, more flexibility, reduced stress, and new experiences. Numerous organizations in Nigeria and Africa are anticipated to face challenges related to tech skills, and these issues are expected to intensify in 2024 and the years to come.

These undercurrents are a disaster for IT units, many of them already under-staffed, and at a time when businesses really need them most. Luckily, the right services can deal with such growing obstacles.

Help is Here

Over time, HP has been researching different kinds of innovations that can assist companies around the world to traverse this new era, and managed services and solutions are top of the list.

In contrast to total gadget possession, these end-to-end options, just like HP’s Managed Print Services, are convenient, flexible, scalable, secure, and manageable.

Personalization is rapidly becoming the new thing. Today, to be successful, businesses need bespoke solutions that fulfil the changing expectations of consumers as effortlessly as they enable access to competencies.

We are convinced that this is where the future generation of managed services will come into play – narrowing the skill gap, and at the same time delivering solutions needed to empower and protect a hybrid staff.

For instance, the HP Device as a Service (DaaS) assists IT units cut the rate and intricacy of running devices during their lifespan of gadgets, delivering gadgets, repair services, and AI-driven analytics in a formularized payment. We also provide bespoke offerings for special needs and budgets.

Future-proofing IT

Fully managed services strengthen IT units, delivering the know-how and materials that organisations require to prevail over present uncertainties.

Managed services enable organisations to double up and grow to satisfy the present needs and be ready for future expansion.

Having access to extra capability and up-to-date solutions helps businesses to easily transform digitally, thus decreasing the danger and price of doing so.

What’s more, digital services enable businesses to grow competencies in step with changing consumer demands – all the while not being obliged to update technology.

HP’s acquisition of Teradici in 2021 presents a supportive set of cloud-based and remote experiences to products like HP workstations, presenting consumers with faster computing and the suppleness of simulated access that will satisfies their personal requirements.

This is quite surprising, considering that it’s been a while since the widespread adoption of hybrid models.

HP’s engagements with Chief Innovation Officers (CIOs) and Information Technology (IT) teams have revealed the complexities associated with the installation and administration of IT infrastructure.

This complication has necessitated the call for ‘Workforce Solutions’ offerings including Device as a Service (DaaS), Software as a Service (SaaS), and Customer Support into an integrated, flexible plan the end-user can subscribe to.

Many of the challenges of hybrid work can be eased with such flexible offerings by allowing economies of scale, and restructuring operations to deepen employee experiences.

This signifies a remarkable prospect for the tech industry – and one of the decade’s most significant business challenges, when combined.

Workforce Experience takes the Lead

In Nigeria today, businesses are now entrenching sustainable ‘Employee Experience’ (EX) strategies by deepening diversity, culture re-evaluation, and inclusive reward mechanisms that drive ‘Customer Experience’ (CX). That’s the differentiator in a contemporary market.

Today, an international partnership with HP covers over 90% of global wireless and 5G services provider Ericsson’s devices, traversing some 130,000 end-users in 140 countries.

Staff can now choose from several laptops available that offer various solutions that empower them to complete their workload. The devices are prepared and shipped either to their homes or offices.

All the end-user has to do is provide their email, complete the multifactor authentication, and in 10 minutes, they are good to go, thus reducing device installation time by a whopping 400%.

With the international nature of Ericsson’s business, it is vital that employees can work securely regardless of location.

Products like the latest HP EliteBook models, armed with 5G capabilities and military-type encryption, guarantee Client Services staff has full control of the device stack, from the application and OS level to the BIOS and hardware.

Great device functionality linked with cloud-based applications have lowered longer boot times to between 30 to 40 seconds, from 120 seconds, while ever-ready 5G connectivity eases cloud management and ensures rapid updates and service provisioning.

And where necessary, Break/Fix agreement implies employee uptime is secured with devices basically swapped for new replacements.

Altogether, this promotes a flexible, ultra-modern workplace setting for staff, and we all know that a cheerful, industrious workforce is a CIO’s delight.

Shedding IT and Procurement Teams’ Workload

Now, to be candid, while Workforce Solutions is a blend of vital services for simplicity and suitability, this model isn’t a one size fits all remedy.

Workforce Solutions must be flexible, considering that organizations are at different phases of development and digi-tech evolution.

A significant advantage is scalability (either up or down), sanctioning businesses to change devices and software whilst reacting to modifications in growth and approach.

Without doubt, IT units of firms stand to gain from an integrated partnership framework which processes all telemetry and data across their device networking systems.

Consequently, the CIO’s schedule is positively impacted with this unified structure that aids IT teams’ concentration on higher impact initiatives, such as enabling centralization of routine monitoring and maintenance. For instance, HP TechPulse, is a cloud-based arrangement that aggregates functional data from devices and applications, using predictive analytics and automation for practical resolution of device issues.

As such, the Workforce Solutions model provides clients clarity and serenity by pruning down organization running costs.

Advancing Sustainability through Lifecycle Management

Workforce Solutions presents an auspicious opportunity for institutions looking to reduce their environmental impact by preserving device lifespan, improving resource optimization, and offering all-inclusive collection and recycling programs.

Presently, HP Partners Nigeria, an arm of HP’s business, offers a wide range of products and services – from hardware and software solutions to consulting and support services to help businesses and individuals stay productive and efficient.

Additionally, many HP partners in Nigeria have service centers where you can bring your equipment for repairs or maintenance, rather than throwing them away.

Similarly, HP consummated an agreement with BBVA, a Spanish multinational financial service provider, to supply over 5,000 devices at its headquarters.

The partnership comprises support, configuration, delivery, maintenance, and replacement services. Thus, enabling the beneficiary to cut fleet energy consumption by 32%, adopt more circular practices, and optimize productivity.

To make the needed paradigm shift from an office-centric model to a hybrid-by-design approach, it is fundamental to note that investing in a sustainable and inspiring office environment is a given. Thereafter, Workforce Solutions models can ease this transition by synchronizing all devices and systems that staff need to operate efficiently.

In today’s landscape, it’s hard to come across an organization that doesn’t experience positive outcomes from embracing Workforce Solutions.

With this model, CIOs and IT units can prioritize their core objectives and structure their schedule, while partners can acquire the needed tools and data for building better and more lasting customer relationships. The same way, employees get better equipment that works seamlessly, enhancing productivity with sustainable engagement.