DIMENSION DATA CTO TO DISCUSS CLOUD: DISRUPTING THE VALUE CHAIN AT WORLD ITU FORUM

Mayan Mathen, Dimension Data’s CTO, Middle East & Africa will join a panel of experts in a discussion on Cloud:  Disrupting the Value Chain at the landmark International Telecommunication Union’s ITU Telecom World 2012 Forum.
This year, the ITU Telecom World Forum, which takes place in Dubai from 14 – 18 October, will promote leadership and innovation to expand broadband services in a competitive marketplace and achieve global connectivity while ensuring equal access and transparency.  Other topics on the agenda at the Forum include Visionary Keynotes, Big Conversations, Ministerial Round Tables, and Young Innovators.
According to Mathen, while the cloud is already a reality in most organisations – from small SMEs to large corporations, and even the public sector – this shift has the potential to change how the traditional value chain of businesses operate.
“Cloud provides an opportunity to leverage economies of scale in both infrastructure and capabilities, making IT more accessible to companies. This creates important opportunities, particularly in emerging markets where there has been under-investment in IT.   This not only changes the dynamics of investments in data centres, but also business models on network investments towards broadband access; job creation (there are more totally new roles in this industry every year than any other industry); and policies and regulation around data management and privacy.
“What’s even more exciting is the ability for cloud to totally transform how businesses and governments engage with clients, stakeholders and citizens,” adds Mathen.
Mathen believes that at this early stage, the opportunity to dominate this area is still open, with a wide range of players such as telecommunication providers, IT service providers, over-the-top providers and other players trying to capture the space.  “I don’t see any player showing a clear advantage so far.  However, what is clear is that cloud is supporting and enabling us to take advantage of the transformational impact of the dramatic explosion of data around us.”
The ITU meeting brings together high ranking Heads of State and Government, as well as key government representatives. Other delegates include Alcatel-Lucent CEO, Ben Verwaayen, CEO, Alcatel-Lucent; Ahmad Abdulkarim Julfar, CEO, Etisalat Group; Eugene Kaspersky, CEO Kaspersky Lab; Sheikh Abdulla Bin Mohamed Saud Al-Thani, Chairman, Q-Tel; Romain Bausch, President and CEO, SES; and Franco Bernabè, CEO, Telecom Italia.
“Creating awareness of the new technologies and trends revolutionizing our industry is just the beginning,” said Dr Hamadoun Touré, ITU Secretary-General. “We want to help people understand the impact, opportunities and challenges that these create. Above all, we want to make sure that the new ICT ecosystem which is developing is one that is fair, safe, resilient, open to all and fully transparent. I believe that ITU Telecom World 2012 is the platform to achieve these aims.”