A more important consideration than data protection is understanding how you will be able to recover it

Iryna Volk, General Director of Dell Technologies in Ukraine, Moldova, and the Caucasus region, spoke with LDaily about current cyber challenges and potential responses, the benefits of artificial intelligence, and her dreams of collaborating with real intellectual hubs. She also emphasized the importance of a strategic approach for companies in dealing with large volumes of data.

LDaily ly: Tell us about Dell EMC’s division in Ukraine.

I. Volk: We are a projection of the global company Dell Technologies in Ukraine. The name Dell EMC is familiar to everyone due to the historical merger of the two companies — Dell and EMC — which took place in 2016. Since then, our portfolio has expanded with a broad range of data storage systems. In Ukraine, we represent a wide Dell portfolio — our pride: products and solutions that can meet almost all IT infrastructure needs. These include server and network solutions, a wide range of data storage systems, as well as commercial client equipment and peripherals.

In Ukraine, we have assembled a strong, professional team. The team includes specialists responsible for developing the Ukrainian market, as well as experts working in specific areas across several countries in our region. We have implemented an indirect sales model — we work exclusively through partners. We collaborate with an ecosystem of system integrators and distributors who not only supply products to Ukraine but also help deploy our solutions, present them, and sell them to customers.

LDaily: What makes the Ukrainian market interesting for Dell?

I. Volk: It’s a large market — Ukraine has been, is, and will remain one of the key markets in Central and Eastern Europe for our company. Despite the fact that the country is at war, we continue close cooperation with customers and partners in both the commercial and public sectors. Ukraine has significant potential in terms of digital transformation, an area where Dell feels like a strong player.

Our current focus is helping critical sectors and companies overcome the challenges posed by the state of war. We believe that after the victory, Ukraine will fully return to its digital transformation program.

As for the implementation of innovations, Ukraine has never lagged behind — take, for example, the banking sector, telecommunications, agriculture, or our platform “Diia.” These are all examples of technological leapfrogging, using modern innovations capable of providing competitive advantages in the market.

LDaily:?What risks is the company currently facing in the Ukrainian market?

I. Volk: ?The risks can be broadly generalized for any company in Ukraine. First and foremost, there are physical safety concerns and human resources, as well as the energy crisis. These are the risks we face in our daily lives, and unfortunately, they are relevant for any business. Our company, of course, is no exception.

LDaily:?There is currently a high demand for data structuring, which requires new approaches to digital transformation. What solutions does Dell offer?

I. Volk: Yes, you’re right. Data is the primary currency of any business. Despite the growing interest in artificial intelligence (AI), there is a significant gap in the ability to manage data, even at a basic level. Today, approximately 90% of all data in the world is unstructured. This includes all data that isn’t stored in structured databases, such as emails, images, documents, videos, social media content, and even application logs. Unstructured data is considered extremely valuable for business analytics and creating business value.

Dell offers a dedicated line of specialized products, enhanced for AI use cases.

Finding a solution to manage unstructured data has always been a challenge. Next-generation applications capable of processing these growing volumes of unstructured data typically require the extraordinary performance of flash memory. However, organizations often find it difficult to take on the new capital and operational expenses that such powerful systems demand due to budget constraints.

The PowerScale product line (formerly Isilon) provides a powerful, scalable file storage solution that is easy to scale and use, regardless of the volume of unstructured data in your environment.

The ECS (Elastic Cloud Storage) product line is a modern, software-defined object storage platform designed for both traditional and next-generation workloads. It provides organizations with an alternative to public cloud solutions, based on their own infrastructure. ECS is a cyber-secure object storage system that delivers unmatched scalability, performance, resilience, and cost-efficiency to meet the needs of modern businesses. As S3-compatible and globally scalable object storage, ECS offers public cloud capabilities with the command and control of a private cloud infrastructure.

Most importantly, ECS is a reliable system. With enterprise-grade data protection capabilities and regulatory compliance, combined with Dell Technologies’ ecosystem of services, ECS helps organizations do more with their data at a lower total cost of ownership (TCO).

LDaily:?Does Dell have any plans to collaborate with Ukrainian universities and research institutes to develop the IT sector and IT talent in Ukraine?

I. Volk: This is a very important and, at the same time, a painful topic for me. So far, we cannot boast of having established such systemic cooperation. Collaboration with higher education institutions, universities, and research institutes requires a systematic approach, because without it, such efforts do not work. A systematic approach is essential. We had a few initiatives, but first, COVID-19 got in the way, and then the full-scale war. There are ideas to create laboratories for students where they can practically learn to work with data. However, for now, we are forced to focus on critical tasks and work under conditions of severe human resource shortages.

In other markets, governments and development funds allocate targeted funding for such areas. The European Union is now directing funding toward the development of technologies like GNI and artificial intelligence, including machine learning. This is supported by governments at a high level. I believe that Ukraine will be able to return to these technologies and build a modern digital society in the short term. This is a personal matter for me — I graduated from Kyiv Polytechnic Institute and defended my PhD at the National Aviation University. My dream is to give a lecture at these universities with my own course on digital transformation. We can see how rapidly business and technology are evolving, and it is crucial that our young talents keep up with these changes. So, the ambitions are there. It’s unfortunate to say, “it’s not the time,” because this is such an important issue. However, I believe that one day I will personally bring closure to this unresolved matter for myself.

LDaily:?What technological innovations does Dell consider most important for the development of IT infrastructure in Ukraine?

I. Volk:?First and foremost, artificial intelligence. Sometimes, we hear a lot of noise around AI. But it’s very important to understand that the “tomorrow” we imagine as something distant is already here today. I believe that despite the war, businesses need to keep AI capabilities in their strategic focus and think about how artificial intelligence can help create a competitive advantage or even a new business model. Right now, it’s becoming just a trend. Even if AI may initially seem like hype, one day we’ll wake up, and, just like Skype for phones or Uber for taxis appeared, we’ll realize that someone is already using this technology, and we haven’t started yet.

Given the times we live in, I would certainly highlight technological innovations in cybersecurity and data protection. Unfortunately, this is a very pressing and painful issue. The public cases we see and hear about are just the tip of the iceberg. It’s clear that companies won’t publicly announce that they’ve been hacked — they will try to hide it and solve the problems themselves. There are also companies that hope it will happen to someone else, but not them — thinking, “Who needs our data anyway?” This is truly a problem. We work not only with IT departments on building reliable cybersecurity solutions, but we also try to convey to top management the risks that arise from underestimating investments in cybersecurity. Businesses must understand how to ensure operational resilience. This is a matter of survival.

LDaily:?What cybersecurity initiatives is Dell implementing to protect Ukrainian clients from cyber threats?

I. Volk: We work with each customer, helping companies improve their data protection and build strategies for recovering critical data in the event of an attack. Right now, we are actively promoting the concept of a cyber bunker. Hackers’ approaches are evolving too, so there’s no such thing as 100% protection from any attack. For every protection solution businesses implement, hackers respond with their own innovations. But the better the structure is protected, the more expensive it will be for hackers to acquire your data. The main goal of data protection is to make the hackers’ job extremely difficult and costly.

Even more important is understanding how you will recover this data in the event of an attack. What is your recovery strategy, and how quickly and easily can you execute it? This cyber resilience is probably our main message, especially for companies that already have basic protection technologies in place.

LDaily:?Is Dell involved in charitable initiatives in Ukraine?

I. Volk: Absolutely, and on all levels. We are proud of the honorary certificates and letters of appreciation from the General Staff, volunteer and non-profit organizations, and even personal thanks from military personnel and civilians. In addition to targeted humanitarian programs organized at the corporate level and through the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation, a special place is held by the initiatives of our employees, which we implemented with our own efforts and resources. We also continue our social initiatives — supporting and empowering women, promoting environmental responsibility, and participating in important social-educational events like Stop The Bleed Day.

However, what moves me the most is the help from our colleagues in other regions. When you receive a letter from a colleague in another office asking for advice on a volunteer organization where they can donate their monetary award for outstanding achievements, or when a colleague takes it upon themselves to provide equipment — it’s an incomparable feeling of pride and gratitude.

LDaily:?What should we expect from Dell in the next six months to a year? What are the company’s plans?

I. Volk: Our plans are to live, not give up, to rebuild Ukraine, restore, and bring us closer to victory. We are focused on what we do best and continue to provide value to our clients, businesses, and the public sector. We are meeting the urgent needs as they arise. And most importantly, we are looking toward the future with optimism. That’s probably the most important thing for all of us.