Consumer demand for Smart Phone technology throughout the Middle East is growing at over 50 per cent annually and will reach almost 18 million mobile devices by 2010, up from 6.3 million last year, according to industry researchers Gartner.

Responding to the demand from these mobile and internet savvy consumers and the increasingly competitive market, many vendors are now 'bundling' the software in their devices and according to over 90 per cent of vendors the application of choice is currently provided by CIT Global.

At the cutting edge of this brave new mobile computing world, CIT MobiDiv, the mobile division of CIT Global, has patent pending software applications which are based on various operating platforms worldwide such as Windows Mobile, Symbian and Lunix. This is now delivering creative yet essential software solutions that are being installed in many of the leading Smart phones and mobiles.

'Today's customers are demanding increasingly sophisticated mobile devices. To remain competitive, manufacturers and vendors need to provide innovative features and applications to differentiate themselves in the marketplace,' said executive chairman, CIT MobiDiv, Ashraf Zaki.

Called convergence - the offering of many technologies in one small device, stylish units now offer functions such as MP3 players, cameras, email, organisers and even global positioning systems (GPS), in a choice of languages, smart phones sales are growing at phenomenal pace worldwide.

A unique aspect of CIT's business strategy has been their ability to recognise and respond to localised applications that complement cultural requirements.

Regional demand echoes current international trends where according to Gartner research , global shipments of smart phones, which are running advanced operating systems, was 86 million units worldwide in 2006.

Increasing at an average annual compound growth rate 53 per cent, shipments are forecast to reach 460 million units by 2010. By then, smart phones will account for over 33 per cent of all handsets worldwide, compared with just 8.5 per cent today.

CIT Global has an extensive global reach with offices in Canada, UK, US, the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Egypt, delivering solutions to clients in more than 30 countries. Leading mobile manufacturers that 'bundle' CIT products with their devices include Motorola, Samsung, iMate, Hewlett Packard, HTC, Mio, Asus, Dangaard, iDo, Eten, Benq, Lenovo and Gencell.

In the never-ending quest for quality and innovation, as well as Windows devices, the company is also working on different platforms based on Java and other operating systems.Trade Arabia News Service