Business was booming at Gitex Technology Week 2012, on the closing day with the event attracting overwhelming crowds, showcasing eye-catching launches, sparking influential debate and facilitating a host of business connections on Thursday.
As the event drew to a close today (October 18), exhibitors hailed the event for its ability to successfully combine return on investment (ROI) with incisive insight into the latest issues and trends and were keen to book their spots for the next edition. Gitex returns to Dubai World Trade Centre in October next year.
Exhibitors reported an increase in the volume and quality of buyers, C-level executives and clients they interacted with and expressed strong satisfaction with the ICT platform that Gitex has provided, said the organisers Dubai World Trade Centre.
Helal Saeed Almarri, the chief executive of DWTC said: “The Middle East’s ICT industry is among the most dynamic in the world, and global decision-makers expect access to the key players, as well as a roadmap for how the latest trends will play out, at Gitex each year.”
“This year Gitex has once again attracted the leading industry players and driven ICT business deals and partnerships with genuine impact,” he noted.
Microsoft, which used the event to preview its highly-anticipated Windows 8 platform, also sounded a positive note. “We are thrilled at our participation at Gitex 2012 and have seen a lot of interest from visitors so far,” said Samer Abu Ltaif, regional GM of Microsoft Gulf.
“Our latest Windows 8 and Cloud innovation were on showcase to enable visitors to experience the latest technology from Microsoft. Our partnership with DWTC is long-standing and we are continually participating at Gitex to showcase our products to the region’s IT industry and consumers,” he added.
German enterprise market software leader SAP was a new notable presence this year, having recently announced an extensive four-year investment plan across the Mena region to create jobs, certify consultants, up-skill local talent and localise its solutions.
“We’ve made many business connections throughout the week and look forward to partnering with these companies to drive sustainable innovation and growth across the region,” remarked Sam Alkharrat, the managing director, SAP Mena.
Chinese telecoms vendor ZTE was another Gitex newcomer leaving with a positive impression. “ZTE continues to consolidate our market-leading position in mobile broadband, optical transmission, optical access and core network telecommunications segments in the Middle East,” said Hu Xuemei, the CMO of ZTE MEA.
“ZTE has gained a lot of value from participating in Gitex, which has given us the opportunity to launch and demonstrate these solutions to potential enterprise and government customers in the region,” he added.
US software security giant Symantec was among the big names reporting a successful year, having used the event to showcase its latest innovations and thought-leadership.
“Information protection and security is top of the mind for chief information officers (CIOs) and businesses in the Middle East. Gitex gives us the opportunity to connect with our current and prospective customers about these concerns and explain how Symantec can help them minimise their risks,” said Johnny Karam, regional director (ME and French-speaking Africa) Symantec.
Etisalat was another satisfied exhibitor, praising Gitex’s ability to reach the audience that matters.
“Our aim of participating at Gitex 2012 was to showcase our latest technological advances and to build relationships with key business partners, both current and new. To this end, we are very happy with the keen interest in our stand and the products and services we were highlighting,” said Ali Al Ahmed, the chief corporate communications officer, Etisalat.
Visitors locally and from across the world also reflected on a positive week’s worth of information gathering and networking.
“Gitex is one of the biggest technology exhibitions that I have seen. There have been many interesting conferences on cloud computing and Big Data, and it provides a fantastic platform to meet a diverse range of exhibitors and thought-leaders,” said Dominic Thornton, Account Director, MU Mobile, Manchester United Limited.
Akhilesh Sathyavan, the commercial specialist – US Consulate, was among the scores of visitors lauding Gitex’s new programme additions.
“Gitex is always a great show, and all aspects of the exhibition are ideally structured so information is shared and business can be done. The SME Zone was a particular highlight this year and did a good job in highlighting the importance of these types of businesses in driving innovation and creating jobs across local economies,” he added.
“I’ve been attending Gitex for the past 15 years, and this year has been a lot busier. There are a larger number of powerful multinational companies and the conversations, conferences and exhibitions on offer have left much more of an impact,” remarked Muhannad Qader, the business development manager, ME region, Sagemcom.
Fawaz Al-Shaikh Khazaal, GM, Apex Computer Services, agreed, saying: “I’ve been coming to Gitex for years now and this year is the best yet. There are concentrated areas for companies and products, so it is easier to hone in on what you are interested in.”
Gitex welcomed new technology giants, over 130,000 industry professionals and more than 3,500 suppliers attending from 144 countries across five continents.
New country participants included Algeria, Denmark and New Zealand. 625 new exhibitors were present, including SAP, STC, ZTE, Vocalcom, ZTE and Sage.-TradeArabia News Service
Gitex@wallis-mc.com
IT & Telecommunications
Mobile telephony steals the show in Morocco
A low fixed-line penetration of 11.1 per cent is driving mobile growth in Morocco, especially, in remote areas where mobile telephony services are easier to access than fixed-line telecom services, said a survey.
Mobile telephony’s increasing prevalence, along with young users’ demand for value-added services and broadband, will encourage operators to provide innovative applications and content such as mobile lotteries and short message service (SMS) quizzes, according to a new analysis from Frost & Sullivan.
The mobile telephony market earned revenues of $6.32 billion in 2011 and by 2018 the figure is likely to reach $7.42 billion, said the research and consulting firm in its report.
“The Moroccan telecom market will also benefit from the advanced regulatory environment, which fosters competitive conditions,” said Frost & Sullivan senior research analyst Jonas Zelba.
“On the other hand, intense competition is stoking price wars and thereby, slashing operating margins,” Zelba noted.
Mobile revenue growth is expected to be lesser than subscriber growth, mostly due to reduced tariffs and the addition of low-income subscribers, which decreases the average revenue per user.
Operators should acknowledge that the next wave of subscriber growth is expected from low-income consumers. Besides innovative and advanced services for high-end subscribers, they should offer simplified broadband services to penetrate the low-income segment effectively, said the report.
Such targeted services will also enable operators to better manage, churn and improve subscriber growth.
Morocco could also leverage its advantageous geographic location, as many large companies from Europe (especially France) view it as a viable outsourcing destination, it added.
“These investors will be looking to outsource their production, customer service and call centres to reduce costs,” noted Zelba. “Telecom operators can gain additional revenue streams by providing them with call centres and becoming a third-party service provider,” the expert added.-TradeArabia News Service
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