Dell - Experts & Thought Leaders

In the hyper-connected world, cyber threats are no longer just a possibility—they’re an inevitability. Organisations across industries are grappling with increasingly sophisticated attacks that disrupt operations, compromise sensitive data and erode trust. A whopping 88% of organisations expect GenAI to explode data volumes, yet 65% of these same organisations backup less than 50% of their data. For business pioneers, the stakes couldn’t be higher. Staying competitive in this volatile environment requires more than just innovation—it demands innovation that’s built on a foundation of cyber resilience. Traditional cybersecurity measures Dell Technologies is at the forefront of this effort, empowering businesses to minimise risk, ensure continuity Security is no longer a back-office concern; it’s a strategic enabler. Without it, innovation stalls, and businesses are left vulnerable to the growing tide of cyber risks. To thrive, organisations need more than traditional cybersecurity measures—they need a comprehensive approach to cyber resilience.  Dell Technologies is at the forefront of this effort, empowering businesses to minimise risk, ensure continuity and move forward with confidence. The latest advancements in the PowerProtect portfolio, including the availability of the Data Domain All-Flash appliance and updates to cyber resilience software, exemplify this commitment.  Dell’s approach to cyber resilience: A proven pioneer  Dell Technologies has long been a trusted partner for organisations seeking to strengthen their cyber resilience. Its strategy is built on three pillars - reducing attack surfaces, detecting threats, and enabling rapid recovery.  Dell Technologies has long been a trusted partner for corps seeking to strengthen their cyber resilience The Dell PowerProtect portfolio sets the standard with Data Domain purpose-built backup appliances, delivering robust cyber resilience and management both on-premises and across multicloud environments. Trusted by over 15,000 customers worldwide, Data Domain safeguards the most vital assets with unmatched reliability. With a focus on continuous innovation, Dell ensures its solutions stay ahead of evolving threats, providing resilience and peace of mind.   PowerProtect Data Domain All-Flash: A new era of cyber resilience  The PowerProtect Data Domain All-Flash appliance delivers a groundbreaking solution that redefines what’s possible in cyber resilience. Built on the trusted Data Domain platform, this high-performance appliance delivers unmatched speed, efficiency and security, empowering organisations to modernise their cyber resilience strategies.  Key benefits include:  Unparalleled performance: Up to 4x faster data restores and 2x faster replication, ensuring minimal downtime during recovery. The appliance also delivers up to 2.8x faster analytics to validate data integrity in a PowerProtect Cyber Recovery vault.  Space and energy efficiency: Occupies 40% less rack space and provides up to 80% power savings without compromising performance, while achieving up to 65:1 data reduction.  Advanced security features: Built-in data immutability, encryption, and hardware root of trust ensure that data remains tamper-proof.  Seamless integration: Native compatibility with Dell PowerStore and PowerMax for fast, efficient, and secure backup and recovery, plus an extensive backup software ecosystem.  Broad DD Boost ecosystem: Enables seamless integration, advanced efficiency, and collaborative innovation for greater flexibility and growth.  The PowerProtect Data Domain All-Flash appliance is more than just a backup solution—it’s a cornerstone of modern cyber resilience, equipping organisations to protect critical data, optimise resources and stay ahead of emerging threats.  Enhancements across the PowerProtect portfolio  Dell’s commitment to innovation extends beyond hardware. Recent updates to the PowerProtect portfolio further strengthen its ability to deliver end-to-end cyber resilience:  PowerProtect Data Manager: New features add ecosystem, security and virtualisation enhancements, including support for Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) deployment, a SUSE deployment option for Dell PowerMax and archive to object proxies, and archive to object support for Wasabi with Dell ObjectScale.  PowerProtect Cyber Recovery: Enhancements address critical challenges in ransomware recovery and operational efficiency, including support for the PowerProtect Data Domain All-Flash appliance, and CyberSense Analytics support for Commvault client-direct backups of Oracle databases.  PowerProtect Backup Services: Backup Services now enables you to leverage Microsoft Asure Storage as a backup target, in addition to AWS.  Backup Services also offers seamless backup and granular item-level recovery for Microsoft Dynamics 365, enabling restoration to both production sites and sandbox environments.  In addition to Dynamics 365, Backup Services delivers trusted cyber resilience for Microsoft 365, Azure VMs and Entra ID, unifying the Microsoft data management under a single, reliable platform.  These enhancements reflect Dell’s unwavering dedication to help organisations stay resilient, no matter how complex their IT environments or cyber challenges may be.  A future built on resilience  Cyber resilience is more than a defensive strategy—it’s a catalyst for innovation. By safeguarding critical data and ensuring business continuity, organisations can focus on what matters most: driving progress and delivering value. The Dell PowerProtect portfolio offers the comprehensive protection businesses need to thrive in an unpredictable world.  Are they ready to strengthen the organisation’s cyber resilience? Explore Dell’s PowerProtect portfolio, including the innovative PowerProtect Data Domain All-Flash appliance, and discover how they can help them minimise risks, optimise infrastructure and ensure business continuity. Together, they can build a safer, more resilient future. 

Commvault, a pioneering provider of cyber resilience and data protection solutions for the hybrid cloud, has now announced two powerful additions to its HyperScale portfolio: HyperScale Edge and HyperScale Flex. As modern enterprises generate more data from remote offices and edge locations, these environments have become lucrative and vulnerable targets for cyberattacks. Exploitation of edge devices To help clients address this challenge and improve their resilience, Commvault has developed HyperScale Edge The 2024 Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report reveals a startling trend: breaches from the exploitation of edge devices and VPNs surged to 22%, an eightfold increase from the previous year.   To help customers address this challenge and improve their resilience, Commvault has developed HyperScale Edge and HyperScale Flex. Commvault’s HyperScale X solution Complementing Commvault’s HyperScale X solution, which serves as its flagship scale-out integrated appliance, these new on-premises offerings provide customers with exceptional flexibility, performance, and resilience for protecting workloads running in various environments.  Like HyperScale X, both HyperScale Edge and Flex models are delivered as a software image that can easily be installed on validated hardware. Modern retailers “No two enterprises are the same. Modern retailers often manage mission-critical data across dozens of sites, while large organisations may want to leverage existing storage investments. But regardless of infrastructure, every enterprise is striving for one thing: cyber resilience,” said Pranay Ahlawat, Chief Technology and AI Officer, Commvault. Pranay Ahlawat adds, “With the launch of HyperScale Edge and HyperScale Flex, we’re delivering the best of both worlds — flexibility and choice, combined with industry-pioneering cyber resilience.”  Data protection and recovery HyperScale Edge enables localised data protection and recovery for remote sites, edge locations HyperScale Edge enables localised data protection and recovery for remote sites, edge locations, and small and medium-sized businesses where space and IT resources are limited.  This could include retail stores, branch offices, and distribution centres. Customers can utilise this offering in combination with validated hardware from Dell, HPE, and Lenovo.   Requirements of modern applications and AI/ML workloads For large, data-intensive, and AI workloads, such as those generated by technology, telecom, and healthcare industries, HyperScale Flex delivers high-performance backup and recovery with a flexible architecture that connects to external flash storage pools.  Supporting certified storage offerings from Pure Storage, VAST Data, and in the near future, HPE, it enables organisations to meet the extreme performance demands and multi-petabyte capacity requirements of modern applications and AI/ML workloads.   Supporting quotes  “Commvault's HyperScale Edge was crucial in creating a cost-effective data management and cyber resilience solution across our many data centres,” said Lee Lindstrom, Principal Infrastructure Architect, Fortune Brands, adding “With Commvault’s HyperScale Edge, we were able to implement a cost-effective, repeatable, and easily deployable solution. The built-in resiliency and advanced ransomware protection have given us the peace of mind that our critical data is always protected and recoverable.”  “As cyber threats increase in sophistication and the pace of business operations accelerate, current data protection approaches and architectures are not adequate,” said Jim O'Dorisio, Senior Vice President and GM for Storage, HPE, adding “In the coming quarters, Commvault HyperScale Flex with HPE Alletra Storage MP X10000 and our full-stack infrastructure will deliver a truly differentiated, holistic approach to cyber resilience and data protection that meets the extraordinary speed, scale and simplicity required by modern enterprises.”  “An all-flash architecture with the Pure Storage platform combined with Commvault HyperScale software will provide a massively scalable, high-performance, and cost-effective platform for protecting petabyte-scale data, giving organisations the confidence to manage and secure their largest and most critical data assets from a single centralised plane,” said Maciej Kranz, General Manager, Enterprise, Pure Storage.  George Axberg, Vice President, Data Protection, VAST Data said, “The performance demands of modern AI and data-intensive workloads require a new approach to data architecture. By combining the high-throughput and low-latency infrastructure of the VAST AI Operating System with Commvault's HyperScale Flex, we are delivering a solution that can keep pace with these critical applications. Customers will be able to protect massive datasets at unprecedented speed, minimising application impact and accelerating recovery when it matters most.”  Availability and pricing  Commvault HyperScale Edge is generally available now. The software is available via a subscription model with pricing per node/per month or as a perpetual licence plus support costs. Customers are responsible for purchasing an approved server based on the HyperScale Reference Architecture.  Commvault HyperScale Flex is available now for early adopter customers, who can contact Commvault Sales to request access to the EA program. Pricing is configured based on the specific server and storage options selected for the solution.

New research from Dell Technologies and Intel reveals that 71% of U.K. IT Decision Makers (ITDMs) view the move to Microsoft Windows 11 as an opportunity to upgrade their PC fleets with AI-capable systems.  The ‘Windows 11 and AI PC Readiness Report’ also found that U.K. businesses see upgrading to AI PCs when they transition to Windows 11 to transform operations, with 64% saying being able to run AI applications effectively is critical or extremely critical for their organisation. Top AI PC advantages The top AI PC advantages reported were ‘advanced security features’ (47%) and ‘greater employee productivity’ (44%), highlighting a dual focus on cybersecurity and using AI to empower their teams.  "The migration to Windows 11 is a key moment for U.K. businesses to align their technology with their strategic ambitions," said Steve Young, Senior Vice President and U.K. Managing Director for Dell Technologies, adding "This research shows that forward-thinking pioneers are looking beyond the immediate deadline, seising the chance to upgrade to AI-capable systems to enhance security, improve efficiency and boost productivity."  Navigating common Windows 11 migration barriers  Hardware (34%) compatibility is also top-of-mind, as are potential disruptions to operations (32%) While 79% of organisations have started to transition to Windows 11 (44% in the process of transitioning and 35% have fully transitioned), the survey found that 20% of businesses have not yet begun the process ahead of the October 2025 deadline.   Respondents report that benefitting from enhanced security features (60%) is their main motivator for transitioning but said that software compatibility for existing applications is a key concern (45%). Hardware (34%) compatibility is also top-of-mind, as are potential disruptions to operations (32%). Seamless transition to minimise disruption "In addition to losing technical support, inaction means businesses may rely on less secure devices that can’t keep up with the latest applications," said Louise Quennell, U.K. Senior Director, Client Solutions Group for Dell Technologies. Louise Quennell adds, "By working with trusted partners like Dell and Intel, they can plan a seamless transition to minimise disruption and set them up to thrive in the AI era." Small businesses face unique hurdles  Findings suggest that small businesses (1 – 50 employees) are less likely to have started or completed their transition to Windows 11 (62% versus 79% of all businesses). They are more likely to be considering the move (22% versus 17% of all businesses) and a higher percentage aren’t considering it at all (14% versus 3% of all businesses). While small businesses share similar barriers with medium and big businesses, they are much more likely to say they feel it’s unnecessary (29% compared to 15% at 51 – 250 employee and 12% at 251+ employee businesses). Benefits of AI PCs   38% of small businesses said that they see Windows 11 as an opportunity to refresh to an AI PC fleet Looking to AI PCs, 38% of small businesses said that they see Windows 11 as an opportunity to refresh to an AI PC fleet compared to 72% of medium businesses and 79% of big businesses.  They report being less likely to be planning to refresh their PC fleet at this time (25% versus 6% of all businesses) and more likely to want to evaluate the benefits of AI PCs further for their transition (26% versus 19% of all businesses).  Windows 11 migration and adoption of AI PCs "We understand that for small businesses, every investment must have a clear return so the need to upgrade isn't always immediately obvious," said Brian Horsburgh, U.K. Small Business Country Manager for Dell Technologies. Brian Horsburgh adds, "That's why we focus on making the business case clear: AI PCs with Windows 11 deliver a competitive edge through smarter day-to-day tools and proactive security. We're here to provide tailored guidance and flexible solutions that turn a perceived cost into a clear catalyst for growth."  The study was conducted via Focaldata from 3 – 9 June 2025. 1,000 U.K. IT Decision Makers were surveyed online across small (15%, 1 – 50 employees), medium (32%, 51 – 250 employees) and large (53%, 251+ employees) businesses to assess preparedness for Windows 11 migration and the adoption of AI PCs.

Managed services provided through the cloud offer multiple advantages for system integrators. These include: Increased recurring monthly revenue: Managed services are a new business model that generates more stable and predictable income streams for integrators. Stickier customers: Managed services foster a more involved relationship between integrators and their customers, which can help boost customer retention. The cloud enables integrators to serve more sites without hiring additional technicians High gross profit margins: Cloud managed services create an opportunity for a service and technology to be purchased together, helping to generate a higher gross profit margin from the beginning of the customer relationship. They are easier to provide: The cloud enables integrators to serve more sites without hiring additional technicians. Problems can be fixed proactively: When a problem occurs on a site that is managed by a cloud-based system, the integrator can receive a real-time notification regarding the issue - possibly before the customer even notices a disruption in service. Increased valuation of business: According to a study by Dell, companies that utilise cloud, mobility, and security technologies are experiencing as much as 53 percent higher revenue growth rates compared to those who do not such technologies. Importance of cloud-based solutions The cloud also challenges integrators to educate customers on the value of the new approach The cloud also challenges integrators to educate customers on the value of the new approach. For example, the cloud changes the expense model of security systems. It allows customers to shift from a capital expenditure (CapEx) model, where large capital funding is required to purchase equipment, to an operational expenditure (OpEx) model, where the costs of the solution become an operating expense. Since the cameras, installation, storage, and software are packaged into the service, you don’t need a large capital outlay up front - you simply pay a predictable expense every month. Leveraging this difference opens new sales opportunities for integrators. The benefits of cloud services on how physical security equipment and software services can be monitored and maintained through a connected service is a particular benefit to integrators. Data monitoring and security “By having data describing the health of the system shared on the cloud, system integrators can observe data on demand and create proactive maintenance plans in coordination with the end user,” says Stuart Rawling, Director of Business Development, Pelco by Schneider Electric, and one of our Expert Panelists. A daily challenge for end users is balancing human resources used in the operation of a system “Such plans should result in increased system reliability and less downtime. If system performance data is aggregated and anonymised, it could also be used by manufacturers to analyse and form conclusions about maintenance schedules and system lifespan.” A benefit is happier customers. “A daily challenge for end users is balancing human resources used in the operation of a system and daily maintenance, with maintenance having shared responsibility with the system integrator,” says Rawling. The cloud software as a service The SaaS model gives companies the resources to improve the deep learning model" The cloud also can help to make cutting edge technologies more affordable. Economies of scale provided by the Cloud (Software as a Service, or SaaS) are making the sophisticated capabilities of deep learning affordable to a wider audience. Meanwhile, deep learning augments cloud systems with capabilities that may not be available (or affordable) in on-premise systems, thus accelerating the broader move to cloud systems. “Having a SaaS model gives companies the resources to improve the deep learning model,” says Shawn Guan, CEO and co-founder of Umbo Computer Vision, a provider of deep learning video analytics. "We can make more accurate systems that scale better and faster. SaaS enables vendors to do something great with deep learning. You don’t have to redo it for everybody. One customer benefit from another customer and all the knowledge is aggregated together.”

As technology advances, the world is becoming increasingly connected, changing the way users think about and interact with security systems, which continue to evolve across all verticals and applications. With this change comes new opportunity for security integrators; security systems are advancing, creating new needs for products and services — some of which can be met through the adoption of cloud-based service systems. Cloud technology is no longer a dreamt-up version of the future of security — it’s here. If you’re hesitant to make the move to the cloud, consider these six reasons to embrace this new technology now.Cloud technology has created an opportunity for integrators to offer managed services to their customers Increased RMR Cloud technology has created an opportunity for integrators to offer managed services to their customers, producing a new business model that generates more stable and predictable income streams. By offering managed services on a subscription basis, integrators can build a part of their business to provide recurring monthly revenue (RMR), allowing them to scale faster. This business model is especially beneficial for customers who prefer to pay a fixed monthly or yearly rate for services rather than a large upfront fee, which can help attract new business while growing revenue from current customers. Stickier customers Providing managed services fosters a more involved relationship between integrators and their customers, which can help boost customer retention. This is primarily the result of three factors. Firstly, customers who buy managed services are committed for a specified term, which helps develop an ongoing business relationship between them and the integrator. Secondly, providing managed services creates an opportunity for more customer contact — each interaction is an opportunity to build rapport and monitor customer satisfaction.While the functionalities of each system vary, their potential is evident in the cloud-based services available Third, customers who purchase managed services generally tend to do business longer than customers who purchase products or services individually; with the monthly purchase of their services on autopilot, customers get into the habit of receiving these services, which helps reduce the chance that they’ll cancel their subscription while also building customer loyalty. High gross profit margins Cloud managed services create an opportunity for a service and technology to be purchased together, helping to generate a higher gross profit margin from the beginning of the customer relationship. On an ongoing basis, cloud service platforms offer a new level of accessibility to integrators, helping to provide better insight on activity trends to identify opportunities to continuously grow their revenue through subscription-based streams. Easier to provide managed services Traditionally, serving more sites required integrators to hire more technicians to meet the needs of their growing customer base, but the cloud has helped overcome this demand. While the functionalities of each system vary, their potential is evident in the cloud-based service platforms that are available today. When a problem occurs on a site that is managed by a cloud-based system, the integrator can receive a real-time notification regarding the issue The Avigilon Blue™ platform, for example, is a powerful new cloud service platform that helps integrators address the needs of their customer sites using fewer resources by offering the ability to administer system upgrades, fixes, health checks, and camera or system settings adjustments remotely.  The Avigilon Blue platform automatically sends, and stores video analytics highlights in the cloud, which can easily be accessed from any PC browser or mobile device. This data can be used to efficiently manage customer sites and maintain the health of those sites, helping to increase speed of service and expand the capacity to have more sites up and running. Cloud service platforms have the potential to revolutionise the security industry by providing new opportunities for integrators Not only does this help integrators scale their business faster, it creates an opportunity to provide added value to the customer at a lower cost as new upgrades and services come out. Proactively fix problems before they occur In addition to automating notifications and tedious maintenance tasks, cloud service platforms help provide integrators with the information and abilities they need to keep their customer sites running smoothly. When a problem occurs on a site that is managed by a cloud-based system, the integrator can receive a real-time notification regarding the issue — possibly before the customer even notices a disruption in service. They can then identify the problem and determine whether it can be resolved remotely or requires a technician to be deployed. By having the capacity to pinpoint service needs and make certain adjustments via the cloud, integrators can streamline their customer service processes and lower their response times to provide better, more efficient service. Increased valuation of business Companies that utilise cloud technologies are experiencing as much as 53 percent higher revenue growth rates The ability of cloud service platforms to help integrators manage more sites remotely and expand their revenue through subscription-based streams offers a competitive business advantage. Security innovators have harnessed the power of the cloud to enhance integrator efficiency so that they can spare their attention, resources and effort for where it’s needed most. As a service that helps offer scalability and a high gross profit margin while requiring fewer resources to maintain customer sites, cloud service platforms have the potential to revolutionise the security industry by providing new opportunities for integrators that may ultimately increase their business valuation. According to a study by Dell, companies that utilise cloud, mobility, and security technologies are experiencing as much as 53 percent higher revenue growth rates compared to those who do not such technologies. Integrators who adopt cloud service platforms can benefit from numerous advantages — cost-saving maintenance capabilities, the potential to generate new monthly recurring revenue, and user-friendly design and data security — which make them a significant development within the industry as well as a potential lucrative new business model. The dream of cloud technology is no longer a distant idea of the future, it can become a present reality — and integrators who harness its power can reap its business benefits now.

H.265 compression continued to be a popular topic from exhibitors on the second day of IFSEC Video beyond security, compression, HD over analogue and integration were on the lips of several exhibitors at IFSEC International 2016. Strangely for a security exhibition, there were plenty of exhibitors talking about non-security applications on the second day of IFSEC International in London. For Axis Communications, Atul Rajput, Regional Director for Northern Europe, said the Internet of Things will have a big impact on security systems. Having been a leader in the IP video space, Axis is now involved in applications such as audio, intercoms and HVAC (heating ventilation and air conditioning) -- all over IP. Looking ahead, in five to 10 years, the Internet of Things will include sensors that can report back information such as environmental data and the interconnectivity in smart homes. “Now we’re involved in access control, horn speakers and retail analytics such as people-counting,” said Rajput. Over at Hanwha Techwin, a press conference highlighted one pioneering application -- using video to monitor a person’s vital signs such as breathing and heart-rate. Such a set-up could, for example, be used to monitor the wellbeing of detainees in police custody. Again today, H.265 compression was mentioned as a popular feature among exhibitors. Hanwha Techwin uses its own Wisestream compression technology in addition to H.265. The company says Wisestream can deliver up to a 50 percent reduction in bandwidth, with this rising to 75 percent if used with H.265. To put it another way, when you combine both with 4K images, the bandwidth required is the same as that for HD video. H.265 not the only compression standard in town But not everyone has been carried away by H.265. The folks at Axis use something called Zipstream compression and H.264; the thinking is that most video management systems don’t yet support H.265. Zipstream uses a dynamic frame rate that reduces the rate to its lowest when a scene is static, then increases it when there is movement or activity. Say you reduce your video storage by half, it translates into needing less hardware and less cooling, thereby reducing the carbon footprint of the end-user. Another big talking point was HD over analogue, or AHD. At Hanwha Techwin, for example, where they have a full range of AHD cameras and NVRs, they say the technology has “taken the market by storm” – especially in the UK, southern Europe and even Nordic countries. It seems existing analogue infrastructures, their ease of installation and low cost of implementation account for the high demand for this video technology. Partnerships and integration were also big themes at this year’s show, as Milestone promoted their Open Platform Community Partnerships lead to better security solutions Partnerships and integration were also big themes at this year’s show. VMS (video management system) supplier Milestone Systems announced what it describes as a “deep level partnership” with access control specialists Nedap. “Milestone always [was] an open platform company because we couldn’t do everything ourselves,” said Kenneth Petersen, Chief Sales and Marketing Officer. “We now want to take this to the next level to be an open platform community. Together with our partners, we can offer the best solutions.” Sieger Volkers, Managing Director of Security Management at Nedap, said: “The best of video management and access control will be combined into a solid, seamlessly integrated security solution. We’re committed to developing a deep integration between our access control platform AEOS and [Milestone’s] XProtect, reducing delivery risks and complexity for our mutual partners.” Hardware and software in harmony With this approach, Milestone hopes to provide more certainty about different software and hardware working well together, which should make life easier for integrators too, who are just beginning to integrate IP access control and video. A deep partnership, however, does not merely involve working together from a technical perspective but also with commercial operations such as sales and marketing. Milestone also announced a new global partnership with one of its existing partners, Dell OEM Solutions, which helps customers who have their own intellectual property to bring their technology to market. Dell will be able to fully test Milestone’s VMS and can simulate large camera systems, showing customers how their systems will perform before committing to them. Finally, speaking of VMS, AxxonSoft has brought these systems to a whole new level. The company was demonstrating what is said to be the first video transmission to a VMS from an HD-equipped drone. It incorporates a 14MP fisheye lens camera, flies at a height of up to 150 metres and can deliver images wirelessly within a 2km range. It is capable of providing video analytics and face recognition and should be available later this year.