Cisco’s Senior Vice President, Office of the President’s Keynote at UAE Expo 2012 Heralds the Arrival of Pervasive Computing

In his keynote at Cisco Expo UAE 2012, which took place last week at the Atlantis, The Palm in Dubai, Cisco’s Senior Vice President, Office of the President, Howard Charney asserted that when it comes to technology advancement the UAE, like the rest of the globe, is poised for exponential growth. He stated that we are entering the era of ”pervasive computing” where everything is smart and connected 24×7. Charney said that network-based technologies for managing Big Data – the explosion of information from sensor networks, smart devices and industry – will enable breakthrough new business models and drive efficiency and productivity improvements in the UAE and beyond.
Also speaking at the Cisco Expo was Duncan Mitchell, Senior Vice President, Emerging Theatre, Cisco. Duncan focused on the importance of innovation and how the UAE has witnessed significant technological advancement in the last 15 years alone and is becoming one of the region’s technology leaders. He also highlighted the increasing role of the network in people’s lives, referring to the 2011 Cisco Connected World Technology Report which revealed that one in three college students and young professionals consider the Internet to be as fundamental as air, water, and food. More than half of the study’s respondents say they could not live without the Internet and cite it as an “integral part of their lives” – in some cases more integral than cars and even dating!
The one-day Cisco Expo, themed “Innovate Together” was the largest ever held in Dubai. It received tremendous support from the industry and the market. Industry partners, technology vendors, associations, business and technical organizations, and more than 800 delegates and visitors participated in the event. Cisco UAE Expo participants included the cream of mid-market and large enterprises, local and central governments and telecom service providers, including top level management, decision makers, network administrators, network architects and many others – all of whom play a pivotal role in shaping the future.
At Cisco Expo UAE 2012, Cisco examined the most current and critical trends such as the power of cloud, collaboration, video, virtualization and borderless networks. In addition, the day included presentations and breakouts from Cisco global executives, Cisco partner showcases and joint-design workshops. Cisco also demonstrated how technology can improve and enhance the services that businesses have to offer – from simple connectivity to an intelligent platform that will dramatically improve productivity and collaboration.
Visitors to the event had the opportunity to experience the ”World of Solutions,” which is an interactive exhibition area that included product and technology demonstrations and cutting-edge solutions from Cisco and its partners. The official Diamond Sponsors of this year’s event included Dimension Data, ICT Partner Etisalat, EMC, Emircom, GBM and SAP. Gold Sponsors included Alphadata, Intel, IBM, Wipro and Lynksys. Silver Sponsors included CNS, Rockwell, SecureTech, and Commscope. The Silver Learning Partners included GlobalKnowledge and Fastlane.