Hundreds of senior ICT professionals welcomed expert insights at the GITEX Global Leaders Summit today (SUNDAY 9 OCTOBER), themed ‘Innovation in Leadership’ by some of the most inspirational and sought-after authorities in the industry.
Keynote Speaker Chris Dedicoat, President EMEA of Cisco, stressed the importance of technology in achieving sustainable growth in the MENA region. He told the audience that technology is crucial to growth and development in the regional economy, and a prime driver of efficiency, cost-effectiveness and organic expansion.
Rod Beckstrom President and CEO, ICANN, delivered a speech on new ‘generic Top Level Domains’ (gTLDs), a development he said could “mark one of the biggest changes in the internet’s history”. In a Middle East market, he said it would be particularly relevant because the new gTLDs can be in Arabic and could lead to broad opportunities for organizations across the region and ultimately lead to increased internet usage.
Beckstrom said: “ICANN’s new gTLD Programme has been years in the making. Many issues needed to be addressed before it could launch, such as the protection of intellectual property and community interests, consumer protection, and ensuring the stability and security of the Internet. The programme has the potential to enhance competition and consumer choice, and to stimulate online innovation. For a Middle East market this is a great step forward in terms of being able to use Arabic and increase internet use and penetration in what is already a rapidly evolving Internet region.”
Following Beckstrom, Giorgio di Paolo, IT Strategy Lead IGEM, Accenture, Lead Sponsor of the Global Leaders Summit, spoke on ‘The Context For Innovation – Unofficial Thoughts On Tech Trends’, an insight into not only the technical developments, but the leadership and vision that drives the ICT market into new products and tangents.
The rising star of new technology, Pranav Mistry, wowed audiences with live demonstrations of his human data transfer invention SPARSH, a cloud computing application that allows users to become a physical part of the transfer. Among his latest prototypes, Mistry has invented a smartphone app that can control all appliances in a house from changing a TV channel to running a bath at the right temperature in another room.
Mistry said: “The Middle East and India have an inherent quest and curiosity for innovation and are problem solvers at heart. Through the centuries we have had our own unique problems and have had to overcome them in our own unique way. From that, there is a natural link to technology and a culture where concepts can become reality. This is a region of innovation.”
William Saito, CEO, InTecur KK, government advisor, venture capitalist and named as a 2011 Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum, was the final speaker of the day, whose presentation ‘From Science to Implementation’ was well-received by the audience. Saito told the delegates that innovation and technology development in the Middle East is among the fastest in the world.
“The progression in science and innovation isn’t created equally,” he said. “This is a region where there are quantum leaps and technology has skipped generations and we have reached a stage in science where the move from concept to realization has moved from centuries, to decades, to years and even months in some cases.”
Making its debut today, the new GITEX feature focusing on Cyber Security was opened by Jeff Moss, Chief Security officer at ICANN whose ‘Individual Acts of Community Immunity’ speech highlighted the importance of collective security, breaking the chain of mass software infection.
Tomorrow’s (MONDAY 10 OCTOBER) Cyber Security speakers will include Jay Bavisi, Co-Founder & President, EC Council, and Black Hat’s Richard Thieme, who will provide insights into the future of hacking.
-Ends-
Notes to Editors
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 Technology: The MENASA region’s premier international trade event for consumer technology, 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 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, focused on bringing digital opportunities to the forefront.
New to 2011 – CyberSecurity @ GITEX
CyberSecurity @ GITEX edutainment will offer presentations on cybercrime awareness and how to avoid falling into traps including web phishing site, mobile phones credit card scanning and cloning, and identity theft among many more.
About Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC)
Website: www.dwtc.com
As the organiser of GITEX Technology Week, Dubai World Trade Centre offers more than 32 years’ experience of delivering world-class events in the Middle East, providing local, regional and international exhibitors with unmatched expertise and in-depth market knowledge.
Our team organises 18 of the largest and most successful international and regional shows in Middle East, providing an ideal platform for business development in the region. Our commitment to ongoing innovation within the exhibition industry has supported the rapid growth and development of a wide range of business-to-business and business-to-consumer shows, and delivered consistent satisfaction to exhibitors and visitors.
For more information, please contact:
Abhijit Pradhan/Feras Hamzah
Wallis Marketing Consultants
Tel: +971 (0)4390 1950
[email protected]
Kurt Parry
PR Manager
Dubai World Trade Centre
Tel: (+9714) 308 6124
[email protected]
editor
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