GITEX 2011 LAUNCHES NEW FEATURES AS TECH SPENDING HITS US$14 BILLION

 

Digital Media & Marketing, Card Technology, Gulfcomms and Government in the Limelight – Technology Spend Projections for the Region up by 12% for 2011

Dubai, United Arab Emirates

In a month which has seen predictions of double digit technology growth and unprecedented ICT investment across the Middle East, GITEX TECHNOLOGY WEEK 2011, taking place between 9 – 13 October at the Dubai World Trade Centre, has announced its special features this year are already ahead of the curve with up and coming trends for the region.

Total Middle East IT spend is estimated to reach US$14 billion in 2011 and in order to meet industry demands and drive business in the ever-evolving ICT sector, GITEX 2011 is introducing brand new elements to reinforce its position as the MEASA region’s leading ‘finger on the pulse’ technology event. As one of the three largest ICT exhibitions in the world, the show connects more than 136,000 industry professionals from five continents with over 3,500 suppliers and is one of the most influential and high-profile events in the global ICT sector today.

Marketing

The brand new ‘GITEX Digital Media & Marketing’ feature will help Middle East businesses achieve their potential through more effective and efficient online campaigning. Recent studies by marketing strategists Econsultancy show that companies in the Middle East and North Africa are on average spending 22 per cent of their marketing budget on digital platforms and more than half (58 per cent) are increasing their digital budgets in 2011.

GITEX Digital Media & Marketing presents a host of digital opportunities to an emerging market where the expansion of fibre optics, high-speed internet and broadband penetration has opened a brand new digital marketing world more accessible to Middle East marketeers than ever before.

Helal Saeed Almarri, CEO, Dubai World Trade Centre, organiser of the event said: “The ever-increasing technology investment in the Middle East and its ongoing potential as one of the most rapidly growing ICT markets in the world makes the region an ideal opportunity for expansion. GITEX TECHNOLOGY WEEK is not only the perfect platform for technology development and growth, it is at the heart of the industry in this region. For more than 30 years, GITEX has been a business driver and an innovator and now it is seen as the industry authority that can both meet the current demands of technology companies, but equally importantly, identify the sectors with the most significant potential in the future.”

Card Technology

GITEX will again be expanding its profile to incorporate ‘GITEX Card Technology’, focussing on the evolution of smart cards including financial services, mobile phone sim cards, road toll systems, national ID cards, biometrics, hospital records and much more.

According Frost & Sullivan, the Middle East and North Africa smart cards market is expected to reach $328.5m by 2014, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10.8%. The report adds: “Furthermore, booming economy and strong demand for digital security is making the shift in demand for smart cards. It is projected that the global smart card market will post double digit growth (CAGR around 12%) during 2011-2013.”

Jim Runcie, Regional Vice President of Datacard Group for Europe, the Middle East and Africa said: “As the world leader in secure ID and card personalization solutions, the Datacard Group has 40 years experience in card technology and we see that the industry opportunities in the Middle East are vast. It is one of the fastest growing markets in the world and the timing is perfect for GITEX to introduce a feature focusing on such rapidly developing technology. Smart cards are not only a convenient part of today’s lifestyle they are increasingly becoming an essential aspect of our day to day living, from protected proof of identity to secure financial transactions. The GITEX platform is an excellent way to promote the technology potential and drive the industry.”

Telecommunications

GITEX TECHNOLOGY WEEK’s will increase its focus on the GITEX Gulfcomms in 2011. As the largest business-to-business exhibition for carriers, cable, fixed, IP and satellite across the Middle East, Africa and South Asia, GULFCOMMS 2011 opens endless opportunities to solution providers in the fields of telecommunication networks, next generation networks, IP technology, satellite communications, infrastructure solutions, backhauling, teleconferencing and more. According to the Telecommunications Industry Authority’s 2011 Market Review & Forecast: ”The Middle East and Africa will be the fastest-growing international region, fueled by expanding wireless and broadband infrastructures.”

In the public sector, ‘Government@GITEX’ will be further enhanced in 2011 to offer the best platform regionally for suppliers and government agencies to meet and review technologies, share best practices and discuss solutions. The recently released "Middle East and Africa Government Sector Top 10 Predictions, 2011" published by the Government Insights team at IDC showed that IT spending by the MEA public sector totalled $5.35 billion in 2010 and is set to surge by 10.7% in 2011.

Cloud technology and virtualisation will be the central focus of the ‘Cloud Computing Confex’, which returns alongside a strong presence from the GITEX ‘Mobile, Apps & Content World’. Consumer Technology and Business Solutions will draw many of the world’s leading brands and companies to showcase and launch their latest products and services and the ‘GITEX Global Conferences’ will feature some of the global industry’s most influential and illustrious decision-makers to share their knowledge, experience and insights into today’s most pressing ICT opportunities and challenges.

GITEX TECHNOLOGY WEEK, which is themed ‘Redefine the Future’ runs from 9 - 13 October 2010, at Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre. For more information please visit www.gitex.com.

About GITEX TECHNOLOGY WEEK 2011:

Redefine the Future:

GITEX TECHNOLOGY WEEK delivers the ultimate platform for the international ICT industry to meet and conduct business. The event is a definitive gateway not just to the Middle East market but to the wider region.

GITEX TECHNOLOGY WEEK hosts thousands of key suppliers and market innovators across three core disciplines:

·         GITEX Business Solutions: The leading international ICT trade event for enterprise solutions and SMBs for the MENASA region.

·         GULFCOMMS: The largest international telecommunications trade event for mobile, fixed IP and satellite.

·         Consumer Electronics: The MENASA region’s premier international trade event for consumer electronics, entertainment, IT systems, components and peripherals.

New to 2011 – GITEX Card Technology:

Gitex expands its portfolio to incorporate this rapidly emerging sector as the Middle East embraces the latest trends, challenges and related products and services in this sector.

New to 2011 – GITEX Digital Media and Marketing:

GITEX Digital Media and Marketing embraces the world of the digital era by bringing together a combination of e-commerce, social marketing and e-marketing in an innovative, multi-dimensional platform, focussed on bringing digital opportunities to the forefront.

Website: www.gitex.com