Expo 2020 Dubai is teaming up with leading global professional services company Accenture to create a powerful and engaging digital experience for millions of visitors from around the world.

The deal will cover information security and customer relations to virtual assistance and geolocation services.

As the newly appointed Digital Services Premier Partner and Systems Integrator, Accenture will play a key role in making the first World Expo in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia (MEASA) region one of the fastest, smartest and best connected places on Earth.

To achieve this, Accenture will work with Etisalat Digital, a business unit of the international telecoms and technology service provider Etisalat, Expo’s Premier Telecommunications and Digital Services Partner.  

Accenture will design, build and run solutions in areas such as virtual assistance, business intelligence and analytics, mobile applications and technologies that support guest relations. It will also ensure the integration of more than 70 Expo applications and coordinate programme management, architecture and testing across Expo’s multiple technology partners, said a statement.

Over the coming years, Accenture and Etisalat Digital will explore ways to enhance the Expo experience using digital services. Examples of these services could include ensuring visitors have a virtual assistant to guide them around the site or allowing them to order their lunch at a restaurant before they even arrive using smart technology.

Accenture and Etisalat Digital could also help participants and partner companies evolve their offerings by analysing who is visiting their pavilion, as well as training staff and volunteers to make sure they have all the necessary skills and knowledge to meet the needs of the millions who will visit the Expo.

“We are delighted to welcome Accenture as our Digital Services Partner,” said Reem Al Hashimy, UAE Minister of State for International Cooperation and Director General, Bureau Dubai Expo 2020.

“Innovation and technology are at the heart of World Expos and Accenture is a world leader in technology and business innovation and digital transformation.”

With more than 180 countries expected to participate and up to 60,000 visitors every hour, Accenture’s role will be critical to ensuring that the Expo experience for every individual will be as exceptional as possible. Expo 2020 Dubai will run from October 20, 2020 to April 10, 2021.
 
The partnership deal with Accenture was signed by Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, chairman of the Expo 2020 Dubai Higher Committee, and Gerardo Canta, Accenture’s Communications, Media & Technology lead for the Middle East, Africa, Russia and Turkey.   
 
Accenture’s experience across more than 40 industries in over 120 countries, the power of the Accenture Innovation Architecture and the presence of the Accenture Digital Acceleration Center in Dubai, as well as previous involvement at Expo Milano 2015, where it was Global Systems Integration Partner, makes it an ideal partner for an event on the scale of Expo 2020 Dubai.
 
Its expertise in integrating systems and creating innovative solutions also mean that it will have a vital role to play in delivering the overall theme of the Expo, ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future.’  
 
“Accenture, Etisalat Digital and Expo 2020 Dubai share a goal of joining together businesses, systems and people around the world,” said Gerardo Canta.

“This new partnership represents our common commitment to this mission and aligns with Expo 2020 Dubai’s theme. We recognise the unique opportunity that Expo 2020 Dubai presents and will use our experience, network and specialised digital skills to ensure the underlying systems infrastructure for this remarkable event is state of the art.”
 
Expo 2020 Dubai and Accenture have previously worked together. In November 2016, they organised the Accenture Digital Connected Hackathon. The event pitted young graduates and undergraduates from eight cities in Europe and Asia, including Dubai, against each other in a 24-hour challenge under the theme of ‘Connect. Collaborate. Create.’

Accenture also took part in GITEX Technology Week 2016 in Dubai, where it was the Exclusive Digital Transformation Partner.
 
With its agreement with Expo 2020 Dubai, Accenture joins a number of other global brands – including DP World, Emirates Airlines, Etisalat, SAP and Siemens – who have become premier partners.
 
More partnerships are expected to be announced in the coming months, it said. - TradeArabia News Service