Gitex Technology Week 2011 - spotlight on world's latest trends

Dubai, Oct 4, 2011 (WAM) - Gitex Technology Week which runs from 9 - 13 October at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre (DICEC), connects more than 130,000 industry professionals from five continents with over 3,500 suppliers. Under the 2011 theme of "Redefine the Future" Gitex maintains and enhances its status of the region's only finger-on-the-pulse ICT event that not only provides practical solutions, but drives the investment that helps to make the Middle East a competitive technology market.
This year's Gitex Global Leaders Summit, themed 'Innovation in Leadership', has some of the most inspirational and sought-after speakers within the ICT industry, including Pranav Mistry, the rising star of new technology and radical inventor of Sixth Sense Mistry, voted one of the top 15 Asian scientists to watch and one of the top 35 innovators in the world under the age of 35, will be demonstrating his unique human interface concepts and introducing prototypes for the first time in the Middle East.
One of the sectors new to Gitex 2011 is Cyber Security @ Gitex. A recent Norton Cybercrime report revealed that the global cost of cybercrime is $388bn, with 76% of UAE residents having been the victim of data theft over the past twelve months. The inaugural Cyber Security sector will offer presentations on cybercrime awareness and how to avoid falling into cyber traps. Live demonstrations by Terabyte Sponsors Abu Dhabi Police, Gigabyte Sponsor McAfee, Byte Sponsor Norton and event supporters TRA, aeCERT, and Black Hat will give visitors practical advice on how to defend against attacks across a variety of platforms.
To further raise awareness and highlight the sophistication and speed of ICT security risks, the first ever Middle East and India regional finals of the Global CyberLympics Championships will be held alongside the CyberSecurity @ Gitex feature. Some of the world's most skilful hackers will take part in a series of ethical hacking games of both offensive and defensive security challenges, relayed live on screens around the virtual battlefield.
For the first time at Gitex Technology Week, Gitex Digital Marketing is an opportunity to assess, evaluate and analyse the full potential of what is becoming an essential business tool. In a recent survey by digital marketing experts Econsultancy, entitled 'The State of Digital in MENA', 58% of businesses in the region are increasing their digital budgets this year, and 53% doing the same for mobile marketing. Social media is also thriving, with 56% of Middle Eastern companies currently using social networking websites such as Facebook and Twitter to attract business. With sponsors including Yahoo Maktoob (Pearl Sponsor), Ikoo (Emerald Sponsor), ICANN (Opal Sponsor) and Khellan and TkXel among the exhibitors, Gitex Digital Marketing will be strongly attended by experts hailing from digital creative agencies, email software companies and mobile advertising, among many others.
The inaugural Gitex Card Technology feature will reflect and drive one of the most rapidly developing ICT sectors. From widespread use in the financial services sector to mobile phone SIM cards, road toll systems, national ID cards and hospital records, the use of smart card technology, be it in contact or contactless format, continues to accelerate at an exponential rate. In keeping with regional advancements, GITEX will again be expanding its profile to incorporate this increasingly important sector.
In the Gitex Telecoms sector, as the Middle East prepares to roll out the next generation of Long Term Evolution (LTE) and 4G technology, the implications for the industry and consumers are vast. In response to this revolution in digital communication, Gitex is introducing its first ever Telecoms Symposium. Sponsored by Etisalat and supported by Euromonitor and knowledge partner Telecom Review, the initiative is the region's most comprehensive and influential telecoms forum.
Keynote Speaker Jim Balsillie, CEO, Research in Motion is one of the most influential figures in his field, and an inspiration to both business owners and the leading players in the telecoms industry. Addressing the unprecedented telecoms developments in the UAE, Osman Sultan, CEO of du will focus on LTE deployment and the cost of migrating to 4G for the providers - a crucial aspect of the timing and effectiveness of next generation communications. And with a wealth of experience and expertise from other international telecom gurus, including Olivier Campenon, President, EMEA, British Telecom, Mario Bouchard, President and CEO, IBwave and Mehmet Balos, Executive Director, GenBand, insights into the opportunities and challenges in today's telecoms markets will be invaluable.
InfoComm Middle East and Africa (MEA) 2011 will make its REGIONAL debut alongside Gitex TECHNOLOGY WEEK, in a joint collaboration between Dubai World Trade Centre in an effort by the international association of pro AudioVisual and information communication industries to help AV professionals and end-users in the region to keep abreast of latest developments and expand their skills and knowledge.
Once again, more and more international companies will experience the global influence of Gitex as the event welcomes exhibitors from new countries including Kazakhstan, Latvia, Malta and Morocco and nine new national pavilions including Bangladesh, Italy, Lebanon, Pakistan, Palestine, Scotland and Spain. - Emirates News Agency, WAM