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ODP receives award as an Industry Leadership in Virtual Datacenters at New Age banking Summit 2020

MUSCAT, October 2020

Oman Data Park (ODP), the Sultanate’s first IT-managed and cloud services provider, was presented with a special recognition award at the annual New Age Banking Summit – Oman 2020 held at Hotel Sheraton Oman on October 6, 2020.

The participants of the summit included leaders of top banks in Oman, 100 delegates and over 280 online viewers from over 100 BFSI and information technology companies from across the GCC and Middle East countries.

The summit, which was held under the patronage of  His Excellency Tahir Salim Al Amri, Executive President, Central Bank of Oman, as the keynote speaker, focused on digital transformation for banking in future, Artificial Intelligence, the role of 5G technology in enhancing banking financial services, digital payments, mobile banking, the next level of digital customer experience and cyber security .

The conference included honoring ODP with an appreciation award for its Industry Leadership in Virtual Datacenters which was awarded for their Nebula Virtual Datacenter Service. ODP is the first entity to establish a virtual datacenter called Nebula as well as the first security center called the Cyber Security Park to ensure safe data storage in the Sultanate.

 

The discussions of the summit also included a number of issues and topics related to development of the banking and the financial sector, such as the great reset for the banking and finance due to Covid-19, the need for collaboration with regulatory authorities to strengthen the banking and the finance sector, the changing dynamics of the financial services sector and the importance of developing an ecosystem of partnerships for innovative products and customer experiences.

In his speech, Eng. Maqbool Bin Salem Al Wahaibi, CEO of ODP, focused on the services that OPD provides to the banking sector, such as providing advanced data centers for saving data, reserve data centers for emergency use during times of disaster, and the advanced security systems that can be operated round the clock, in addition to hosting services, managing and securing electronic banking platforms and the secure remote work service (Desktop as a Service) (DaaS).

He added that the banking and financial sector in the Sultanate has witnessed a qualitative leap in utilizing the advantages of technology in order to serve customers and streamline the work within the banking sector.

The participants and attendees of the conference also witnessed a presentation by ODP on the services provided by the company in the field of banking services such as (BaaS), which highlighted the challenges of this type of service, as well as old banking platforms, the Business Model (FinTech API) and other information for those interested in banking services.

It is noteworthy that ODP has greatly contributed to providing an all-in-one solution of computing, cloud computing services, data storage, networking, as well as web hosting and network security services, while it has an advanced virtual data center in the field of cyber security with a world-class level of quality, which helped the beneficiaries of its services to save up to 55% on the total cost of ownership compared to a traditional data center.

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ODP launches Esign – an electronic signature document management solution

MUSCAT, August 2020

Oman Data Park (ODP) has launched Esign – an Oman based, secure e-signature & document management solution, in compliance with the rules and regulations of the Sultanate of Oman, to enable signing of documents electronically. It can substitute the process of signing on paper and scanning it as well as other traditional methods of transactions.

The Corona pandemic has led to an increase in the use of electronic transactions. This crisis has led to an urgent necessity for the use of electronic signature. ODP’s Esign solution helps replace the use of paper completely. The users of this solution will be able to request documents and sign them remotely from anywhere in the world, without compromising on the privacy of the transactions.

ODP, which is the first provider of cloud and information technology-managed services in the Sultanate of Oman, has launched the Esign solution which is locally hosted in their tier III data centres. It helps any organisation to reduce time and minimize costs, enhance efficiency, improve visibility and accountability, and have control over the flow of documents and private papers.

Esign solution supports many sectors, including banking, finance, aviation, law, insurance, real estate, human resources, education, health care, and communications. It can be also be customised according to any business or industry.

The electronic signature solution can be used for the management of documents and papers on one central platform. They can be created, shared and stored as well as followed up from anywhere, anytime and from any device using this solution.

The Esign solution it is capable of matching with the requirements of those who use this service. It can be configured to facilitate seam-less integration, as well as add value to the user’s ERP and MIS systems by integrating with powerful applications and programming destinations.

The Esign platform has the advantage of adding two sites, setting a signature sequence as well as finalizing documents to send them. The platform also provides quick and complete solution from the beginning of the service till the completion of the process.

The user of this solution can review, sign or authorise anyone using this easy digital signature service. Along with this, this platform has a tracking and management feature through which users can manage their documents on a centrally and locally hosted platform. It can be created, coordinated, stored and tracked from anywhere and anytime and on any device.

The solution uses smart templates of electronic and digital signature, performs digital auditing and provides reminder via e-mail and through mobile applications. It also enables implementation of work and tracking as well as ensures security and integrity of data. Through this, the documents, if required, are saved and stored for long time and are compatible with the rules and regulations practiced in the Sultanate.

The electronic signature solution also saves time, effort and money, unlike traditional methods that consume long time for printing documents, scanning, following up, and storing them. For more information regarding this platform, users can visit the website www.esign.om

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ODP receives MTC accreditation to provide government and private organizations with data storage and retrieval facilities in Oman

MUSCAT, August 2020

Oman Data Park (ODP), the Sultanate's first IT-managed and cloud services provider, has successfully been accredited by the Ministry of Technology and Communications (MTC) for delivering “Security Assessment Services” and “Cloud and Hosting Services” to government institutions in the country. ODP has been added to MTC’s Register of Accredited IT Service Providers on its official website: www.mtc.gov.om/ITAccreditation.

The organization has been awarded two Economic Activities License Certificates by the Ministry of Technology and Communications (Subject to Free Zones laws and regulations).

The license form has been signed and certified using a Digital Signature Certificate as specified under The Electronic Transactions Law of the Sultanate of Oman issued by His Majesty’s Royal Decree 69/2008.The accreditation as a Cloud and Hosting Services permits ODP to provide data storage, retrieval and cloud and hosting services to government administrative units.The accreditation as aSecurity Assessment Services permits ODP to conduct penetration testing and vulnerability assessment to protect the government administrative units of the country against external and internal threats by identifying the entity’s security weaknesses and preventive measurements.

“As the premier Cloud, Hosting and Security services provider in Oman, we are delighted to receive this accreditationin recognition of our excellence in delivering world-class services to users in Oman. Having already served key government institutions with our hosting and security services, this accreditation will further strengthen our commitment towards the digital enablement of our government entities and its preparation for the 4th Industrial Revolution. Our talented and professionally qualified Omani teams are ready to serve any government institution to enable them in their digitisation journey while saving costs and increasing overall efficiency”

-Maqbool Al Wahaibi, CEO of Oman Data Park

ODP offers managed cloud services to reduce cyber threats and is fully equipped to educate and serve private and government sectors with cost-effective and secure IT needs. The company offers a wide range of security services for all government sectors to improve their services in a more cost-effective manner.

ODP’s security assessment services can help government institutions to reduce the risks of possible security breaches and take all necessary measures to prevent them or minimize the harm they can cause. It includes Penetration Testing, Technical Assessments and Maturity Assessments services.

Penetration testing involves testing a computer system, network or web application to find security vulnerabilities that an attacker could exploit. Technical Assessments include Web Application Testing, Infrastructure Testing and Firewall reviews and involves Configuration review, Code review and Architecture review. Maturity Assessments services include ISO 27001 Assessments; Risk Assessments; Audits and Maturity Assessments as well as Policy and Procedure Assessments.

ODP’s security assessment services are used to generate a defence strategy in the area of information technology that can be implemented by organizations to reduce potential security risks. It is a preventative system that greatly reduces the risk of an intrusion and keeps up with ever-evolving threats.

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ODP Offers Azure Fundamentals Training For 25 Participants As Part Of Its CSR Strategy

Muscat, July 2020

In a bid to uphold its social commitment and as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), Oman Data Park (ODP), the premiereCloud Services and ITManaged Services Provider,organized a free training program for 25 attendees on Microsoft Azure Fundamentals AZ-900 in two separate sessions. This initiative comes under the company’s CSR policy to serve the community through digital enablement.

As a responsible corporate, ODP believes in giving back to the communities it interacts with and has therefore set its focuson three main areas – the Environment, Education and Industry innovation.

The company has developed a CSR policy aimed at serving and supporting the communities through digital enablement. What sets them apart is their undisputable value to strive to promote knowledge for the benefit of the society that they are a part of.Considering the importance of education and skill development as cornerstones of a progressive society, ODP aims to offer industry leading IT educational courses to enhance the capabilities of participants.

The instructor-led online trainingwas dedicated for Microsoft Azure Fundamentals.Upon completion of the course, students were eligible to move to the next step and even appear for a certification course to develop their professional skills.The course trained the participants on the process of implementing Microsoft Azure infrastructure and creating services such as App Service, Virtual Machines, HD Insights, API Management, and StorSimple.

The training received amazing response from participants.

“We appreciate ODP’S CSR strategies and perspectives to help people and communities develop their respective digital enablement by leveraging unique skills and resources. There were lot of opportunities to discuss real-life examples which all made for a really educative and enjoyable course.”

Hasan Mohammed Ali Emam

IT Department of Oman

“The Azure fundamentals course helped us fine-tune our innovative skills to help the larger community to be digitally efficient and benefit from the proficiency offered through such innovations.

Sachin Sharma

Head – IT Information Security of National Life and General Insurance

“We request the organizers to conduct many more such educationalactivities in futureto help us to be beneficial for the societies we serve”

Mohammad Ibrahim

Software Developer

“The Azure training course enabled the participants to acquire knowledge, competence and expertise skills. “Such training courses are important as we develop stronger employees. The course helped us to develop our potential to use everything around us to not only achieve our goals but also work towards the progress of others around us

Laila Al Balushi

IT Engineer at Oman Dates Production and Packaging Co.

The session was amazing and full of knowledge for future transformation.

“We were trained on the basics of cloud computing and how these are applicable to the Azure environment. We could also gain knowledge on the two main deployment models, such as the classic deployment and the Azure Resource Manager.”

Mohammad Ajmal

System administrator at Oman Fibers

The course was excellent. ODP’s initiative to offer such training is highly commendable because ultimately the end beneficiary is the community,”

Mohammad Ajmal

Executive Assistant at Fisheries Development Oman (FDO)

The Azure Fundamentals training was conducted in four modules. In Module 1, the participants were trained on basic cloud concepts to help understand the general ideas of cloud computing. In Module 2, basic core services available with Microsoft Azure were explained. The participants learned about security, privacy, compliance, and trust with Microsoft Azure in Module 3, the. Module 4 focused on pricing and support models available with Microsoft.

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Oman Data Park enables business entities for remote operations during the COVID-19 crisis

Muscat, June 2020

Maqbool Al-Wahaibi: We are assisting medium and small institutions so that they can install various platforms to help them continue their services to society in various fields. Maitham Al Lawati: We caution companies and financial institutions over storing their data outside the Sultanate.

Oman Data Park (ODP) has enabled many government organisations, companies and banks operating in the Sultanate of Oman to reorganise their technical networks and main systems to operate them remotely with complete security and without any hindrance. It has been carried out to mitigate the effects on the security of electronic networks and is in line with the decisions of the Supreme Committee in charge of dealing with the situations arising due the spread of Corona virus (Covid-19). ODP’s role comes as part of its efforts to increase information security in the country and provide assurance against security breaches during such crisis.

Engineer Maqbool bin Salim al Wahaibi, CEO of Oman Data Park, said that the company, through its Information Security Centre, was working to make systems and networks safe and secure in the Sultanate of Oman and protect them from any cyber threats. The centre makes sure that continuous necessary protection standards are applied to ward off any infiltration or virus. Any electronic security threat to these systems is monitored and protection is provided against piracy and hacking.

Al Wahaibi said that remote working enables the work conditions of business entities to be continued at a record speed. It is required in several sectors including banks and financing sectors who were recently requested to scale down their operations to reduce the spread of the virus. This has been done by providing advanced technical systems and solutions to help the employees do their job in a very simple manner with security. He said that the cloud solutions have two main qualities, namely remote operations and low capital and operational cost.

He stated that business entities needed innovative solutions to help them work from a distance and with high efficiency and low financial costs thus reducing their capital and operating costs during this crisis.

We advise all government and private sector organisations to use the solutions and programs which have high security standards with their data stored carefully within the Sultanate. We have  invested in the services of ODP to support in such requirements to reduce the capital and operational costs, on the one hand, as well as to increase the efficiency, on the other, he added.

Al Wahaibi warned all companies and particularly addressing financial institutions against the risk of installing their systems and storing their data with cloud companies outside the Sultanate. He said that such practises have threats arising from electronic piracy or illegal exploitation of data.

Since its establishment, ODP is providing all means of cloud systems, various data centre services and advanced solutions of cyber security with all their necessary elements to empower the business entities of the Sultanate. This is done so that the subscribers of these services can focus on their main services and increase their productive capacity while ODP takes care of management, operations and high-quality security of technical systems as well as advanced data security with low financial costs, he said.

He said that creating electronic service platforms and storing them securely in Oman has become essential, especially those which address the main requirements of livelihood of the citizens, such as the new app offering groceries and and other electronic shopping platforms. Such storing services can strengthen them by providing necessary security systems of high quality so that they are not vulnerable to electronic piracy, sabotage and other hindrances. The storage of data within the Sultanate and dealing with a national company such as ODP guarantees confidentiality and privacy of information. It also provide the subscribers the necessary facility to directly communicate with an in-house team of engineers and technicians in case of any support on technical or security-related issues, he said.

Al Wahaibi said that the company was providing all support to medium and small institutions and has made special packages for them to enable them to install various platforms. They provide their services to the society in various fields, whether grocery, electronic shopping or delivery platforms.

ODP is providing advanced and innovative solutions as part of the Fourth Industrial Revolution in the field of artificial intelligence, big data and smart systems, which helps the Sultanate to continue its progress in the technology of the digital economy. This is because such solutions have positive effects on the economy in medium and long term, he said. 

Al Wahaibi said that creativity and providing best advanced solutions have always been the priority of the company. These solutions make the work simple are more effective and efficient. They also reduce the capital and operational costs associated with it. He said that so far the company was successful in providing its cloud solutions to more than 550 companies inside and outside the Sultanate.

“Information security is key to these institutions. We have established a dedicated cyber security centre to serve these institutions using latest and advanced systems. We feel proud that this cyber security centre is being run by industry qualified and competent Omanis who work round the clock to monitor and protect our customers against any cyber threat. Unfortunately, those who store their data outside, do not benefit from such a service, he said.

He said that the company has paid attention to supporting medium and small enterprises sector during these challenging times. ODP has been working closely with investment funds supporting this sector as well as with concerned government organisations. ODP offers special packages as part of its social responsibility programme to help more than 30 small and medium enterprises make their headway towards success and expects the number to double very soon. Al Wahaibi said that the company was working to empower small and medium enterprises by providing them cost effective cloud and secure data centre services to build their companies easily and conveniently.

Referring  to the importance of information and network security, Maitham Al Lawati, General Manager of the Cyber Security Centre of ODP, said that awareness on the information security must come from the top of the institutions. Their priorities should be to secure their networks from any electronic penetration. He emphasised that it was important to maintain confidentiality of passwords as well as updated protection systems to protect computers, networks, servers and storage systems. He also pointed out that it was equally important to have intelligent systems which can detect vulnerabilities and viruses. He said that the Oman Centre for Cyber Security was continuously providing necessary support for various business entities of the Sultanate and protecting them from any harm. (ENDS)

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ODP & Mile Solutions Launch ‘Imdad” Platform for the Logistics Sector

Muscat: June 2020

Oman Data Park (ODP), the premier cloud services and information technology managed services provider, in partnership with Mile Solutions launched ‘Imdad’ logistic platform to Optimize Lastmile Deliveries across Oman. Imdad stands to become a major contributor to the rapidly expanding logistics sector, with the massive economic and commercial growth in the Sultanate of Oman.

Enterprises such as Restaurants, Couriers, Grocers, Retailers & eCommerce Companies in Oman will now be able to use the ‘Imdad’ logistic platform powered by Mile’s Delivery Management Solution to optimize their entire delivery operations including in-house and external fleets. The Imdad platform will not only help improve customer engagement but also help businesses achieve cost effective and timely deliveries. imdad will help utilize and plan field operations effectively during peak hours and expand delivery coverage.

Eng. Maqbool Al Wahaibi, Chief Executive Officer of ODP, said that the “ODP & Mile Solutions are proud to launch ‘Imdad’ logistic platform via the “Tawseel” initiative in the Oman Logistics Platform, designed to support SMEs offering logistics services locally.

“As a unified platform managing all delivery and logistics operations, our ‘Imdad’ platform is launched considering the economic growth in this sector backed by a strong and flexible Delivery Management platform supporting effective logistics management. Our partnership with Mile Solutions brings forward the latest in logistics management software, which enable customers to leverage the power of technology and achieve excellence in logistics services” he added. “ODP & Mile teams are ready to take Oman’s Lastmile Delivery segment to the next level with the right technology deployed locally for the Sultanate of Oman”.

“Customers today expect a personalized and real time delivery experience regardless of the demand peaks or the geographical constraints of a particular fleet” said Fawad Ahmed, Mile Solutions CTO & Co-Founder “Our partnership with ODP is a step towards ensuring that our joint customers in Oman enjoy flawless delivery experiences, while enabling user adoption at scale.”

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Supporting a national economy based on knowledge and fourth industrial revolution, ODP Launches first serverless-computing with Microsoft Azure Stack in the Sultanate

Muscat, 12th February, 2020

Oman Data Park (ODP), the Sultanate's first IT managed services and cloud services provider, rolled out Microsoft Azure Stack services in cooperation with Microsoft Oman and Bahrain at a customer event held at the W hotel this week.

This step has strengthened the process of technological transformation in the Sultanate and supported the technical side of this change. This would also enable the IT revolution in the country to match with the developments taking place in the information technology sector internationally and would enable better efficiencies through its use in the Sultanate.  

The launch of this quality service was part of the efforts aimed at supporting the digital economy, which the countries of the world use in the process of building their economies based on knowledge and the Fourth Industrial Revolution. 

Oman Data Park was established as the first provider of managed services in the Sultanate. Now, it also becomes the first to provide serverless computing in the Omani IT market. 

Maqbool Al Wahaibi, Chief Executive Officer of  ODP said, “We are delighted to bring Microsoft Azure Stack services to Oman. Now any entity in Oman can benefit from this world-class cloud-computing service – be it standalone at a customer’s premises or hosted at our certified data centres. He said that it would automatically be in complete compliance with Oman’s regulatory requirements on data policy and protection.

“The service comes with a wide choice of Infrastructure-as-a-Service options, such as virtual machines, containers, network storage and encryption, as well as Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) offerings such as microservices, database services and app services using this same PaaS platform,” he said.

Al-Wuhaibi further said that with the introduction of serverless-computing in the Sultanate, it will enable economical computing for all immaterial of the size of organization. Furthermore, this and all of the other world class Azure Stack services comes to you with our more than eight years of hands-on experience in providing cloud solutions in Oman, backed by a professionally certified service team.

It is gratifying to be the first in the Sultanate to offer multi-tenanted Azure Stack deployments. I urge both government and private-sector entities to embrace this opportunity to further their business and digital transformation growth.” said Al-Wuhaibi.

Shaikh Saif Al-Hosni, General Manager, Microsoft Bahrain and Oman said, “Oman Data Park has been a driving force in digital transformation across the sultanate. Microsoft is proud to have been a partner in those efforts. Today we stand together to reiterate our commitment to the government, people and business community of the Sultanate of Oman. The ability to engage customers, empower employees, optimise operations and transform products and services could be pivotal in the success of the country’s Vision 2040 journey. Now that ODP can deliver hybrid cloud services and serverless computing, thousands of organisations from numerous industries can innovate with greater freedom, propelling the nation onward to economic prosperity.”

Serverless computing
ODP, currently serving around 500 companies, announced at the event that it would use Microsoft Azure Stack platform to offer Oman’s first serverless computing service. Companies can access computing facilities on a per-use basis.

Through serverless computing, businesses in Oman will have enterprise-grade cloud computing at their fingertips. Those who would adopt it would get benefitted, as rates are based on shared usage and exclude license costs. Customers are charged only for what they use, making the service ideal for non-critical applications.

This server-free method of application is ideal, especially when you need to increase the speed of an application. Instead of weeks and months to publish an application, you can do this within hours and days, and the reason behind this is that you do not have to bother with the infrastructure. You can focus only on Software and launch it immediately. Here, scalability is automatic.

Microsoft Azure Stack
The benefits of Microsoft Azure Stake are gaining importance as an extension of the Microsoft Azure program. It is made by Microsoft to create, test, publish, and manage applications and services through data centers managed by Microsoft.

It is also the best way to utilise the agility and rapid innovation of Azure public services which are compatible with local corporate governance, safety and other regulatory requirements.

Benefits of Azure Stack include data residency. Azure Stack can be used to guarantee the location and condition of sensitive data. Data security is also ensured and sensitive data is protected by some of the most innovative security measures in the industry. Azure Stack accelerates application development and deployment, combining access to the most advanced tools with flexibility of choice over environments. It also offers edge and disconnected solutions that allow users to benefit from the cloud even where connectivity is limited.

For more details about Oman Data Park services related to Microsoft Azure Stack service, including IaaS and PaaS and serverless computing log on to:
https://azurestack.omandatapark.com

About Oman Data Park:
Oman Data Park (ODP) is the leading managed services provider in Oman, with a vision of the future that will see ICT services available on demand. ODP currently runs three data centres, located in Wattayah, Rusail (KOM) and Duqm. These three centres are interconnected to provide resilience, interconnectivity of data, and business continuity. ODP serves more than 500 corporates, ranging from start-ups to major enterprises.

Whether it’s a government, corporate or SME entity, operating in Oman or internationally, ODP is fully equipped to serve. With cost-effective and secure IT services, ODP can lead a business into tomorrow, allowing it to focus on core business activities. ODP’s three TIA 942 Rating 3 certified data centres provide a diverse set of services, such as co-location, managed cybersecurity services, cloud and disaster recovery.

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Storing data inside Oman ensures compliance

Muscat, 6th February, 2020

Interview by: Ali Al Matani

Maqbool bin Salim al Wuhaibi, Chief Executive Officer of Oman Data Park, the first provider of local cloud services in the Sultanate, said that it was important to store data and information within the country so that they are under local regulations. It is safer for Omani companies. It also saves their money.

All critical national data is required to be stored within the borders of the Sultanate according to the regulatory authorities. This means that management and maintaining data confidentiality is the primary responsibility of the Omani data collector.

Al Wuhaibi

The actual importance of having data locally stored is that you have a guarantee that they are subject to local regulations. Therefore, storing data within the Sultanate is safer for Omani companies, also saves their money.

If the data is stored locally, the customers can get better quality services as they can access them from within the Sultanate and thus there is no latency. This and other such guarantees are not always available when data is stored outside the country, because it can be subject to different jurisdiction, he said. 

According to Al Wuhaibi, ODP is first and largest data centre in the Sultanate, which has made the country a global player in data services. This became possible by its best technologies of cloud services. It has also helped in raising the standard of Duqm Economic Zone to emerge as technologically most advanced economic zone in the Sultanate. This is by establishing a level 3 data centre which provides all managed data centre services. The ODP is the only data centre, which has a round the clock centre for security operations and networks working seven days a week. In addition to this, it has a specialised centre for cyber security managed by highly qualified Omani employees, he said. 

Al Wuhaibi further said: “We are also the first to introduce virtual data centre services in the Sultanate with our brand Nebula in 2019. We also provided the country world-famous Microsoft Azure Stack services which makes it possible to obtain world-class data centre solutions within the demographic boundaries Of the Sultanate. Before we started our services at ODP, the companies in the Sultanate had to manage their data requirements by themselves, which was costly. They have to bear the costs of hardware and software as well as those of maintaining specialised employees who needed constant training to keep up with changing technologies.” 

By using the services of the ODP, companies can now save their huge costs. They can use our infrastructure and the vast experience we have accumulated over the last eight years and get benefit from it. Moreover, our services attracted regional and international clients. They preferred the Sultanate than other major players in the region. This is how the ODP helped the Sultanate get recognition of its role in the technology sector at the international and regional levels. We were awarded the Best Digital Data Centre in the Middle East at the Telecom World Awards Middle East 2019, as well as the Best Security Services Provider MSSP award for 2019. 

International companies such as Google and Microsoft are all storing your data outside Oman. However, the centre provides similar international standard solutions to data, keeping it inside the Sultanate and protects them by providing high level cyber security services. It has services of the Security Operations Center (SOC) and network operations centre (NOC) which works round the clock and seven days a week, he said. 

Since 2012, ODP has served more than 500 local and international institutions from the public and private sectors. Data is stored securely within Level 3 data centres in three data centres: Al Wattayah, Rusayl and Duqm. All these data centres are protected by using high-class cyber security as well as physical security backed by alternative energy sources so that organisations can access their data whenever they need it. 

Al Wuhaibi said that the ODP team is comprised of 68 professionals. There is an Omanisation level of 75 per cent, which is much higher than the Ministry of Manpower’s recommended requirements of 35 per cent.

Regarding the centre’s aspirations, the CEO of Oman Data Park said the company’s aim is to make the Sultanate an international data hub. This is due to the Sultanate’s advanced infrastructure in marine cables, and Sultanate’s stablilty and security. 

“We are actively seeking to achieve regional and international potentials. We have successfully implemented our solutions in some GCC countries. We look forward to build business relationships in Africa, Europe and the Far East. We want to provide them economical services as a highly secure data centre as an innovative solution, which a customer can use from the first day. 

The vision of the ODP is to focus on diversification and constantly creating a competitive advantage for international players. The Oman Data Park is aimed at setting up innovation labs where the IT community can participate and use the opportunity to develop their work as well as improve customer and employee relations making them capable of meeting the requirements of Fourth Industrial Revolution.

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Oman Data Park (ODP) Receives the PCI DSS Certification for its Data Centres in KOM and Duqm

Muscat, 6th February, 2020

Oman Data Park (ODP), the Sultanate's first managed and cloud services provider has received Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards (PCI DSS) certification from SISA Information Security, the payment security specialist, headquartered in India. ODP has achieved this milestone after completing the audit for its Data Centres, making them the first managed services provider in Oman to receive such a coveted certification.

PCI DSS is the payment security benchmark by the Payment Card Industry Security Standards Council (PCI SSC) followed globally by organizations that handle sensitive data. The standards ensure secure storage, transmission, and processing of data, aiming for better data security and privacy throughout the world 

“The PCI DSS certification re-defines our continued commitment towards data security and tells the world how we value our customer’s privacy. We are pleased to achieve this certification besides our ISO27001:2013 ISO 20000:2011 certification and GDPR readiness. Oman Data Park is built with security in DNA and we will continue to create more value to both existing and new customers so that they can trust us with their technology challenges and focus on their core business.”

Maitham Al Lawati

General Manager of Oman Data Park

“Adhering to security guidelines and compliance is not an easy task. When followed correctly, it secures an entire organization from data breaches and leaks that have become unavoidable today. When organizations go through the time and expense of achieving such coveted compliance, we understand how much they value the security of their customer’s sensitive data.”

harshan Shantamurthy

CEO and Founder of SISA Information Security.

Having begun operations in 2012, Oman Data Park already supports over 500 local and international entities, offering a full eco-system of Cloud and Security solutions covering all types of businesses from Government, Oil & Gas and Banking, to name a few. Based on convenient OPEX based models, the solutions are available in economical pricing models that facilitate Managed Security Services, Infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS), Network-as-a-Service (NaaS), DataCentre-as-a-Service (DCaaS), Disaster Recovery-as-a-Service (DRaaS), Professional Services-as-a-Service (PSaaS) as well as Application-as-a-Service (AaaS). More details about Oman Data Park’s extensive product portfolio can be found via their website at omandatapark.com.
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Oman Data Park Wins Fortinet’s Best Managed Security Services Provider (MSSP) Award

Muscat, Sultanate of Oman , September 2019​

Oman Data Park (ODP), Sultanate’s first managed services and cloud services provider, has received Fortinet’s best Managed Security Services Provider (MSSP) of the year. ODP was honored during Fortinet’s Partner Sync event, held in Muscat on 3rd September.

ODP, a Fortinet MSSP partner since 2013 was recognised for its outstanding efforts in Oman’s cybersecurity space. 

As Oman’s largest managed services provider offering both local and international organisations with infrastructure, AI, cloud, public cloud, and managed security services, we are delighted to receive this award. It is in recognition for ODP’s excellent performance delivering complex security services to enterprises in Oman and regionally. The award is also a testament to ODP’s commitment to offer industry leading cyber security services.

Oman Data Park has been enjoying a vital collaboration with Fortinet as per which they provide us with security solutions for our managed network security services. Our objective is to deliver the best security services and maximum return on investment for our customers who place their trust on us to manage their next-generation security requirements.

-Maitham Al Lawati, General Manager, Cyber Security Centre

Winning this award is a clear recognition of cyber security capabilities and acknowledgement of the company being the finest in the Sultanate. “We are pleased to see one of our first Fortinet’s MSSP partners in Oman continue its momentum with Fortinet.”

Ali Abou Hamze

Channel Account Manager MSSPs, Fortinet