GITEX expands focus to diverse industry verticals

With the potential global economic impact of Internet of Things-related technology and services anticipated to reach more than USD 11 trillion per year by 2025, developing economies such as those in the Middle East will contribute nearly half of the total value, according to a new report by the McKinsey Global Institute.

Consequently, the 35thedition of GITEX Technology Week 2015 - the leading ICT business gateway in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia (MEASA) - will target ICT professionals from six key regional industry verticals expected to lead sector-specific contributions to Internet of Everything investment over the next 10 years.

With nine of the Middle East's top 10 universities, 20 of the Arab World's largest banks, and the Middle East's top five largest oil companies all set to attend GITEX Technology Week 2015, the event's new, industry-focused GTX Communities initiative will extend the mega fair's appeal to ICT professionals working in oil & gas, education, healthcare, retail, banking and construction, according to event organisers.

"While the Internet of Things era is making strong headway in the Middle East, not all industry verticals are digitising at the same rate," said Trixie Loh Mirmand, Senior Vice President, Exhibitions & Events Management, Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC). "In GTX Communities, GITEX Technology Week 2015 will provide a dedicated component for individuals and organisations from six, revenue-delivering verticals with the research, networking and tools to harness the latest innovations, disruptive technologies and emerging trends to fully digitise their business and succeed in the Internet of Things era."

Aligning with the event's theme of 'The Internet Future of Everything', the GTX Communities initiative includes dedicated TechVertical Conferences, Industry Roundtables for C-suite executives, the Smart Sessions Innovation Series, as well as a series of thought-leading white papers, articles, surveys and interviews with pioneering tech leaders on the event's website.

The content-rich initiative aims to deliver knowledge and value for professionals and companies exploring technology investment as immediate and long-term monetisation opportunities in six core sectors: Education - Improving learning outcomes through technology, such as with classroom mobile apps, social augmented reality, and game-based learning in projects.

Healthcare - Healthcare providers can learn how pervasive connectivity leads to better solutions, outcomes, and lower healthcare costs, while transforming the patient-doctor relationship.

Banking - Digital disruption and its impact on the future of banking, with focus areas including how social media and Big Data enhance customer service and engagement, new product development, payments and transfers, and risk management.

Retail - Agencies, brands, publishers, and retailers will examine innovations in shopping, customer engagement, advertising, and selling such as e-commerce, predictive analytics, and mobile retail.

Construction - Executives will hear how technology is enhancing project site efficiency, productivity and safety; transforming construction with 3D printing and drones; and delivering the next era of Smart Cities.

Oil and Gas - Oilfield operators can learn real-time technology integration can maximise exploration and production, and enable workers to access information and capture data using mobile apps.