Critical issues concerning cloud computing in the region, its impact on business and the pitfalls that should be avoided will form the agenda for an upcoming CIO summit in Fujairah.

Organised by International Data Corporation (IDC), the premier global market intelligence and advisory firm for IT and telecom markets, the two-day Middle East CIO Summit 2012 will be held at the Le Meridien Al Aqah Beach Resort, starting on February 20.

The summit will be attended by IDC’s longstanding global president and CEO Kirk Campbell, who will be visiting the UAE for the first time to address the delegates in person. More than 150 of the region’s most influential ICT users will also be attending the event.

IDC has noted that four technology game changers – cloud, mobile, social, and analytics – are sustaining the growth and innovation of the region’s ICT industry in the midst of a "once every 20–25 years" shift to a new technology platform.

The Middle East CIO Summit will therefore showcase presentations from prominent industry leaders and facilitate discussions that will examine current and future IT trends as well as their impact on the region.

“CIOs in the Middle East are channelling investments towards more strategic IT projects, particularly consolidation, virtualization, and automation, taking advantage of technologies and strategies that deliver the most significant benefits to their organizations,” said Jyoti Lalchandani, vice president and managing director of IDC Middle East, Africa, and Turkey.

“Private cloud adoption, in particular, has been gaining widespread attention in the region, driven by the impact of cloud technology on cost, efficiency and more agile resource deployment.”

“The gradual transition towards the cloud will certainly have a significant impact in the growth of the region’s IT expenditure, as organizations take advantage of new technology platforms to enhance the business value of their IT investments,” he added.

Dr Liu Qi, president, Huawei Enterprise, Middle East said: “IDC’s Middle East CIO Summit provides an excellent platform to meet with industry representatives across the region to share and exchange thoughts on how cloud technology can realize its full potential in transforming businesses from top to bottom.”

“The event will also help to develop understanding on how the cloud is moving up the decision making chain, from IT managers up to the C-level decision makers: They recognize that IT investment must be integrated with the rest of the business to achieve full transformational potential.”

“Huawei will be showcasing cloud computing-based data centre and application services including Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) solutions and how various application cloud offerings can suit different scenarios across vertical sectors,” Dr Liu added.

Eyad Shihabi, managing director – HP Middle East, said: “The high – level discussion at IDC’s Middle East CIO Summit help create a better overview of the growing role of technology in shaping the region’s business dynamics.”

“HP will be discussing the real challenge for CIOs in bringing innovation and business profitability in a much shorter time frame and show the tools they need to modernize, transform, secure, optimize and deliver the Instant On Enterprise.”

The Middle East CIO Summit 2012 will explore the ways CIOs in the region are using technology and emerging service delivery models to build efficiencies into their IT organizations and the business as a whole.

The summit will also identify the factors that CIOs have to consider as they embark on cloud initiatives, while providing in-depth examples and case studies about successful adoption of cloud technology.

IDC’s Middle East CIO Summit 2012 will also examine the strategies that the business-savvy CIO should be considering moving forward and explain how he/she can demonstrate greater value to the business, thereby increasing the profile of IT in the boardroom.

Tailored specifically in terms of format, structure, style, and partner opportunities, the bespoke event will address the unique needs of the local market, with plenary sessions, panel discussions, breakout tracks, real-life case studies, and in-depth Q&A sessions combining to provide unparalleled interaction between delegates and partners. – TradeArabia News Service