Saudi Telecom Company (STC), the largest telecommunications company in the Middle East, and Qualys, Inc., a leading provider of cloud-based security and compliance solutions, have announced an agreement to deliver a regionally hosted, cloud-based security and compliance platform to secure global digital transformation for enterprises throughout the Kingdom.
Under the partnership, STC Solutions will integrate and deliver the Qualys Private Cloud Platform and its suite of cloud apps from its data center in Riyadh to expand its managed security services offerings and allow Saudi enterprises to consolidate a full range of security and compliance solutions in a single-pane-of-glass view. These offerings provide customers with two-second visibility of their security and compliance posture across all global IT assets — whether on premise, in the cloud or on endpoints. The Qualys cloud apps that STC will offer include Vulnerability Management, Web Application Scanning, Threat Protection, Continuous Monitoring and Policy Compliance.
The arrangement enables STC to provide its customers the advantage of ensuring that all their security and compliance data stays within the Kingdom, which aligns with government regulations developed to safeguard residents and enterprises. With everything hosted in the cloud, there are no capital expenditures, no extra human resources needed, and no infrastructure or software for customers to buy and maintain.
“Through this partnership, we’re able to strengthen our existing portfolio of robust managed services with cybersecurity that is built in, as opposed to bolted on as an afterthought,” said Fahad Aljutaily, VP of cybersecurity at STC Solutions. “We can also simultaneously meet our goal of delivering superior value for customers, which is of paramount importance for our business. Given that Qualys is a market leader in this space, we remain confident that our operations are on track to proactively mitigate potential threats, achieve greater agility, cost savings and better business outcomes.”
Hadi Jaafarawi, managing director, Qualys Middle East, said: “We’re thrilled that STC has chosen to host the Qualys Cloud Platform and its cloud apps for security and compliance solutions from their data center. As STC plays a vital role in maintaining Saudi Arabia’s cyber hygiene, we will continue to work closely with their team of esteemed security professionals to simplify the complexity associated with managing multiple solutions, while increasing the automation, effectiveness and proactive nature of security.”
