Let's start with some numbers, shall we? Dh51.4 billion. That is what the regional ICT industry is slated to spend this year.
Double-digit growth saw the ICT industry trump economist predictions to join the likes of China and India in minimising the impact of the nosedive the Western economies took three years ago. Technological advancements in mobile internet and digital media have supported the growth. With mobile subscriptions in the region expected to hit 300 million by 2014, the industry here is also not far behind.
These numbers and a host of other mind-boggling statistics will be discussed and leveraged by the world's most influential technology businesses at Gitex Technology Week, which begins today and runs until Thursday. Recognised as one of the world's three largest ICT exhibitions, Gitex has generated significant revenue for the local economy, exhibiting leading-edge innovation and solutions.
This year, Gitex turns a momentous 30 and celebrates by showcasing the latest trends that are rewriting the ICT industry. "Every year we strive to drive the regional ICT market and provide a platform for the world's best," says Trixee Loh, Senior Vice-President, Dubai World Trade Centre, the organisers of the annual event. "We're committed to adding even more cutting-edge components in order for Gitex to reinforce its global positioning."
In the cloud
The Gitex Cloud Confex will present the latest developments in cloud technology and services and explore its potential as a reliable platform for business and governance in the Middle East.
"Cloud computing is one of the primary topics of the region's ICT agenda. Our aim with the Gitex Cloud Confex is to offer attendees the opportunity to get a holistic view. The intention is to let the experts and world-class leaders present cutting-edge trends, explain its realities and demonstrate the cloud's capabilities in facilitating growth and development," says Loh.
Hewlett-Packard, a key developer of cloud computing software and services, is a core participant this year. "Gitex is where all the major cloud computing players will connect together, and we're looking forward to sharing our experiences in helping customers get tangible results from cloud computing, which include speed innovation and time to revenue," says Steve Dietch, Vice-President, Cloud Solutions and Infrastructure, HP Business Enterprise.
Dietch will also deliver a keynote presentation titled Building an Instant-On Business with Cloud Computing, which will highlight how to make hybrid delivery a reality, simplify cloud adoption while reducing risk and modernising legacy IT operational models and managing an on-demand cloud service delivery environment.
For the man in the street wondering if all this talk of cloud is just hype, Bulent Teksoz, Chief Security Strategist for Emerging Markets, Symantec, sounds like he's on their side. Asked what's new in the cloud space, he tells GN Focus, "The answer is probably not much. Cloud computing has been around for years. The terminology may be the current buzzword, but the underlying concept of shared and centralised IT dates back to the mainframe computing days. Infrastructure, platform and software-as-a-service solutions have seen rapid growth in adoption not because the idea is new, but because the leaps we have made in connectivity have made the cloud a viable option for shared IT services."
Mobile phone takeover
According to the World Economic Forum's IT Report, the number of internet users in the UAE stands at 75 per cent, with broadband internet subscribers at only 15 per cent. The significant difference between users and subscribers can be attributed to the mobile phone penetration rate of 232 per cent, with UAE consumers increasingly moving towards a ‘mobile phone only' environment. Global market intelligence firm International Data Corporation reports project growth from 10.7 billion app downloads last year to 182.7 billion by 2015. As a result, specialist technology firms are focusing on the region's burgeoning mobile demands.
Positioned as a networking and knowledge exchange event, Gitex Mobile, Apps & Content World will offer free-to-attend open panel debates featuring speakers from Research In Motion, Nokia, and Mobile Entertainment Forum among others. Themed across four days, the debates will focus on mobile phone advertising and gaming, security and more. A series of developer days hosted by Nokia and BlackBerry will include a networking platform for regional and international app and content developers.
"While the Middle East may be a fresh entrant into the mobile apps market, the region is poised for unprecedented growth over the next few years," says Vibhin Sreevalsan, Business Development Manager, QBurst, a specialised customer-focused web and mobile application development company, debuting at Gitex this year. "There are four main trends that are influencing the mobile sector for a little over five years now: money transfers via mobile phones, location-based services, mobile phone search and m-commerce."
QBurst will launch an m-commerce application designed for retail solutions. Sreevalsan explains, "The application will enable retailers to develop customised product catalogues from which customers can browse, select, and place an order on the move. Customers no longer have to limit their shopping experience to their desktop or a single location. This is the way most of us will shop in the future."
UAE's Unique Computer Systems (UCS) will also debut at Gitex this year. "We have been primarily focusing on business process enhancement apps such as field sales and service. Over the past few years, we have added the capability for custom development for iOS, BlackBerry, Android and WP7. We see more demand in having our core applications translated to one of the more popular platforms as well as demand from customers to develop applications on iOS and BlackBerry platforms," says Manish Bhatia, Chief Technology Officer, UCS.
UCS' recent projects include iPad customer survey apps for a large FMCG organisation and English-to-Arabic language guide apps for an educational organisation. Its most recent is a CRM application called TouchPoint WP7 >that takes marketing and evaluation to the customer's doorstep with a customisable framework for a variety of industries from food and health care to the public sector.
The next frontier
The Mena smart card market's value is estimated to reach $328.5 million (Dh1,206 million) by 2014. The telecommunications sector accounts for 64.4 per cent of all smart card sales with an estimated growth in smart card shipments set to 4.5 billion units this year. The Gitex Digital Card Technology segment gives exhibitors the opportunity to showcase their latest solutions and take advantage of networking events.
An exhibitor at the card segment, Digital Identification Solutions (DISO) Group will display a series of technologies that specialise in securing smart cards against duplication and enabling cards for future applications.
"For a long time smart card technology was primarily limited to access control," says Gopalakrishnan, Regional Director, DISO. "But now, we're looking at cards that carry more intelligent data such as finger prints, photographs, and other such information for easier authentication and verification. The cards' true potential as a multitasking security and identity solution is only being tapped in recent years."
DISO will showcase its enhanced desktop laser engraving technology, developed two years ago, which makes cards more secure against duplication efforts. "We've juiced up the features to include micro-texting and faster deployment speeds that enhance security, and we can multitask with the encoding process for different types of electronic cards at the same time," he says.
"Our specialisation has led to engagements with the government's initiatives such as the National ID and driver licence projects. We recently won two national ID projects in two major Asian countries as well. At Gitex we will also present technology that can only be accessed by governments, including Changeable Laser Images and Multiple Laser Images systems that are not easily available to other sectors, and for good reason."
Security threats
Packaged as an edutainment feature, CyberSecurity @ Gitex will present the latest technology and solutions on cybercrime awareness, tips on how to avoid web phishing sites, mobile phone credit card scanning and cloning, and identity theft. Live demonstrations from Abu Dhabi Police, McAfee, aeCERT, and Black Hat will educate visitors on how to defend against attacks across a variety of platforms.
"A recent Trend Micro Smart Protection Network report cites the number of computers infected with malware in the Middle East at over two million, including 800,000 in the GCC and nearly 100,000 in Dubai alone. It has become an integral part of the boardroom agenda and with the recent international spate of hacking incidents, there has been no better time to raise awareness of malware and cyber security issues across the region," says Loh.
Symantec's Teksoz explains how cyber security threats are now going mobile. "As technologies become smarter and faster, the threats to these technological assets follow suit. For example, the exponential consumer adoption of smart mobile devices will increasingly result in these devices making their way into enterprises through the back door, blurring the lines between business and personal use, and driving new IT security models to market in 2011. The best practice is to focus on ensuring that the devices used to access the data in the cloud are adequately protected. Since they are essentially access points to the cloud, mobile and desktop devices need the same multilayer protection we apply to other business end points."
A highlight at the cyber security segment is the ethical hacking championship competition that will showcase the speed and skill of some of the most talented players as well as illustrate live hacking and counter-hacking situations to visitors.