The signing of two memoranda of understanding (MoU) covering security and disaster recovery was the hall mark of the 14th annual Emirates Advanced National Research and Education Network (Ankabut) users meeting that was held at the Khalifa University of Science and Technology campus. The event also marked the launch of the newly-designed Ankabut website and the new data center. Two panel discussions led by Khalifa University faculty on the impact of cloud on IT organizations and artificial intelligence were the other highlights of the day. A total of 11 breakout sessions were also part of the agenda.
Of the two MoUs, the MoU with DarkMatter covers ‘Security and Management’, while the MoU with Fujitsu focuses on disaster recovery (DR) as service provider. The agreements are expected to provide Ankabut with adequate strength in offering enhanced services to its users.
In his opening remarks, Dr. Arif Sultan Al Hammadi, Interim Executive Vice-President, Khalifa University, said: “Ankabut offers resources for development of human capital, and we are delighted to support Ankabut, as it contributes to the country’s efforts towards creating a knowledge economy.”
Fahem Al-Nuaimi, CEO, Ankabut, offered an overview of the activities, updating participants on the progress of all the projects and projected plans for the future.
Al-Nuaimi said: “The two MoUs, redesigned website and the data center together add a new dimension to our services, enhancing user experience and better connectivity. Through offering advanced services to students and faculty, Ankabut aims to remain the right channel for knowledge-related information that could be used for better learning experience. We believe the new capabilities will help us become a formidable force in offering network infrastructure and a center for research and learning in the UAE.”