In an effort to understand the performance in 2022, Werno Gevers, cybersecurity expert at Mimecast spoke about their achievements including extension of partnerships and targeting double digital growth.
“What we’re now seeing – and have been seeing through the course of 2022 – is that organisations are going back and reviewing their security posture.”
Werno Gevers, cybersecurity expert at Mimecast
Can you highlight your performance in MEA in 2022?
With rapid digital growth in the region and a proliferation of sophisticated cyberattacks globally, there has never been a greater demand for security solutions. Hybrid work models have transformed the way organisations operate, changing how people communicate, share data, and collaborate. And with email remaining the primary attack vector, and collaboration tools introducing a new attack surface, the demand to secure communication platforms has never been higher. It’s therefore no surprise that our solutions have continued to grow in relevance and are being adopted by organisations of all sizes is high. For yet another year since entering the region, we have witnessed double digit annual growth.
What are some of the major technologies/solutions you have implemented to solve customer challenges?
During the years of the pandemic, organisations had to rapidly adapt to remote work environments which meant they were quick to adopt solutions like Microsoft 365. Teams can now work from virtually anywhere, thanks to email and more recently, collaboration tools. But the speed at which they adopted these technologies meant that security took a back seat and organisations did not have the relevant solutions baked in. In fact, research conducted by Mimecast at the end of 2021 showed that 76% of IT decision-makers in the UAE and Saudi Arabia said their approach to cybersecurity was more reactive than proactive.
What we’re now seeing – and have been seeing through the course of 2022 – is that organisations are going back and reviewing their security posture, while continuing to invest in solutions like M365. And with email as the primary attack vector and collaboration tools posing new risks, they are now looking to third party security providers. They are adopting advanced security solutions to ensure their digital transformation efforts are adequately protected from growing cyberattacks and their employees are always able to work protected, regardless of whether they are working in the office or at home.
Which are some of industries that have adopted your technologies the most?
Considering the prominence of cyber threats targeted at email and collaboration tools, security for these vectors is relevant across all industries. So, our solutions were adopted across an array of organisations of all sizes. But our largest customers came from manufacturing, construction and notably financial services which as an industry known globally for prioritising cybersecurity. Our State of Email Security 2022 research found that close to half of financial services companies (47%) already have a cyber resilience strategy in place, compared to an average of 38% across all sectors.
Please provide the names of some of the customers you have added this year?
As mentioned, our new customers came predominantly from the manufacturing, construction and financial services sectors, but a key highlight for us was that we onboarded one of the largest e-commerce organisations in the region.
What is your revenue growth expectation for this FY?
Our 2022 State of Email Security research found that email usage rose at more than 8 out of 10 companies in UAE and Saudi Arabia, with 46% saying it was significant. The widespread adoption of hybrid work environments coupled with the increased usage of digital-centric communication channels has expanded the attack surface – creating new organisational security risks for both people and data. Therefore, the demand for safeguarding email and business communications will continue grow as organisations endeavour to protect their people, data, and communications. I therefore expect we’ll continue to see a double digit growth trajectory.
What are other milestones you have achieved this year?
- In addition to onboarding one of the largest ecommerce companies, Mimecast Middle East had two record quarters.
- We had our most successful GITEX to date. We shared a stand with one of our API partners -Netskope – which worked really well, and we saw a great return on investment. It’s unusual to see two vendors exhibiting together so we were really pleased with how it worked out.
- Finally, we extended our partnership with global cybersecurity specialist distributor Exclusive Networks in the Middle East. The partnership forms a key part of Mimecast’s growth plans and will expand access to its. Exclusive Network has recruited, and will continue to expand and enable a team that is dedicated to Mimecast. Once fully in place and enabled, the extended channel team across both organisations will continue to help customers throughout the Middle East manage risk and reduce complexity across their email and collaboration platforms.
What is your road map for 2023?
The major launch for us this year will be the introduction of our Email Security, Cloud Integrated solution in this region. The gateway-less solution is designed to optimise protection for Microsoft 365 environments with scalable, best-in-class email and collaboration security. Typically deployed in less than five minutes, this solution is ideal for IT teams that need email security delivered the fastest way possible. This new gateway-less deployment solution is engineered for organisations that want to secure their M365 environment without adding complexity or burdening overstretched teams.
