GLOBAL TELECOMS LEADERS CONVERGE ON DUBAI

Global Insights and Innovations at Unique Middle East Telecom Symposium

Mobilk - As the Middle East prepares to roll out the next generation of Long Term Evolution (LTE) and 4G telecoms technology, the implications for the industry and consumers are vast. Within 18 months, 4G could change the face of the region’s communication platforms to meet the growing demands of a booming population, data security, communications and reliability.

This year’s GITEX TECHNOLOGY WEEK Telecom Symposium will bring together international and regional authorities to share their knowledge and insights into the lessons from the past, the issues of today and the possibilities of the future. World renowned experts from some of the industry’s most illustrious organisations will address mobile communications, the advent of 4G, wireless local area networks (WLANs), regulatory issues, new internet and hardware technologies and the potential of new forms of telecommunications architecture from both a commercial and academic scope.

“As the telecoms industry grows, so too does the need for knowledge exchange,” said Trixee Loh, SVP, Dubai World Trade Centre, organiser of GITEX TECHNOLOGY WEEK. “New technologies such as 4G and LTE are increasingly being implemented, and the increase in ownership of mobile devices among both businesses and consumers presents unique challenges and opportunities for the telecommunications industry.”

“GITEX hosts the largest Gulfcomms event in the Middle East and the Telecoms Symposium provides the ultimate platform for the industry’s international innovators to come together and discuss the challenges and share their solutions,” she added.

The GITEX Telecom Symposium is a two day event running 10 – 11 October in Sheikh Maktoum Hall, Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre, and features global experts targeting the issues surrounding today’s key telecoms issues and the scope of the regulatory environment within a local and worldwide context. Sponsored by Etisalat and supported by Euromonitor and knowledge partner Telecom Review, day one will include case studies, thought leader presentations and round table discussions, while the second day will feature a panel discussion of operator and service providers, providing the audience with dedicated question and answer sessions through in-depth dialogue.

Jaber Al Janahi, Acting Vice President – Corporate Communications, Etisalat, said:  “Etisalat is proud to be the ‘Headline Sponsor’ of the Telecoms Symposium, a conference which brings together leaders in the ever-evolving telecommunications sector. Etisalat is a pioneer of new communication developments in the UAE and beyond. The Symposium is an ideal platform from which to discuss and interact with leaders in the sector while helping to shape the future of telecommunications.”

Some of the highlights on day one include industry insights from Keynote Speaker Jim Balsillie, CEO, Research in Motion; Osman Sultan, CEO of Du will focus on LTE deployment in the UAE and the cost of migrating to 4G for the providers; Olivier Campenon, President, EMEA, British Telecom will discuss megatrends for profitability in emerging telecom markets; Mario Bouchard, President & CEO, IBwave will share his insights on investment in implementation and integrating efficient solutions; and Mehmet Balos, Executive Director, GenBand will discuss monetising 4G services, traffic and policy management. 

Day two will focus on a series of networking sessions and panel debates on some of the key industry issues, including ‘LTE’s Middle East Performance Promise – Believe the Hype?’, ‘Convergence - Technological, Market And Policy/Regulation Dimensions and Creating a New ICT Sector To Encompass All’ and ‘Smartphone Operating Systems And Data Applications Are Flooding 3G Networks – Will 4G Exacerbate the Problem?’ Among the distinguished panellists will be: Adrian Pickering, Area VP Middle East and Africa, Juniper; Laurent Delifer, CEO, Navlink; Will Blench, VP and GM, EMEA, Openwave; Brett Butler, Senior Manager Systems Engineering, Avaya; Ihab Ghattas, Assistant President Middle East, Huawei; and Emmanuel Durou, Principal, Value Partners.

“Telecom operators and their strategies into infrastructure investment are engines for growth in emerging economies. It is therefore of critical importance for the operators to stay at the forefront of global trends and spearhead innovation into new services and solutions. As the oldest telco in the world, BT has a wealth of know-how in how to capitalise on the market potential and I am excited about sharing and collecting new ideas at the GITEX Telecoms Symposium,” said Olivier Campenon, President, British Telecom EMEA and speaker at the conference.

Following three decades of continued modernisation, GITEX TECHNOLOGY WEEK will this year further evolve and re-invent offering new features which reflect regional and global trends, offering new highlights to exhibitors and attendees alike.

 

The 2011 GITEX Conference programme continues to evolve as an integrated business symposium with unprecedented levels of knowledge exchange and focused networking opportunities. The Global Conference agenda explores technology trends with a powerful combination of leading conferences including: Global Leaders Summit, with this year’s theme of innovation and Leadership; GITEX Telecomms Symposium and the annual GITEX Cloud Confex, the largest cloud platform in The Middle East.

 

GITEX 2011, taking place at Dubai World Trade Centre from 9 - 13 October, is introducing brand new elements to reinforce its position as the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia (MEASA) regions 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.