Dubai, February 12, 2013 – International Data Corporation (IDC), the premier global market
intelligence and advisory firm for the information technology and telecommunications industries, today
outlined the fundamental shift that is set to take place in the region’s ICT markets as it previewed the
latest edition of its widely acclaimed Middle East CIO Summit, which is set to take place at Dubai’s
Jumeirah Beach Hotel on February 18 and 19 under the tagline ‘Seize the Moment: Transform,
Innovate, Collaborate’.
Hosting a panel of global information and communication technology (ICT) experts from IBM, Dell, HP,
EMC, and Intel at the iconic Burj Al Arab, IDC’s vice president and regional managing director for the
Middle East, Africa, and Turkey, Jyoti Lalchandani, got proceedings under way by examining the ways
in which the four technology “game changers” of cloud, mobility, social business, and data analytics are
set to impact the ICT market as we know it, both from a regional and global perspective. Utilizing the
latest IDC research and market findings from discussions with leading CIOs from across the Middle
East, he also explained how the improving economic outlook, emerging new technologies, and shifting
enterprise strategies are reshaping IT purchasing decisions in the region.
Chris Lewis, IDC’s group vice president for international telecommunications and networking, then
followed up by examining the latest worldwide market developments as the telecom services space
attempts to react to the explosion of demand caused by the proliferation of smart handheld devices and
the widespread implementation of intelligent converged enterprise infrastructure. Explaining that the
four technology game changers discussed earlier are driving a broad industry movement to what IDC
calls the ‘third platform’, he also assessed the ongoing initiatives being undertaken by services
providers as they seek to supplement the solutions already available in the market today and embed
themselves into every aspect of the evolving business processes associated with this revolutionary
transition.
The assembled members of the media then questioned each of the panel members on their key
strategic initiatives and visions for the year ahead, while Mr. Lalchandani also offered an insight into
some of the key topics that will be addressed at the upcoming Middle East CIO Summit 2013. Now
entering its sixth year, IDC’s Middle East CIO Summit has grown from strength to strength since it was
first introduced to the region in 2008. Tailored specifically in terms of format, structure, style, and
partnership opportunities, the event has developed an enviable reputation for directly addressing the
most critical concerns of the region’s senior ICT executives via a unique blend of keynote addresses,
plenary sessions, panel discussions, breakout tracks, real-life case studies, and in-depth Q&A sessions.
With more than 150 of the region’s most influential ICT decision makers in attendance and the unique
needs of the local market setting the agenda, the Middle East CIO Summit 2013 will focus heavily on
the aforementioned ‘third platform’ technologies, together with critical CIO considerations such as
virtualization, business continuity and resiliency, collaboration and unified communications, and
managed services. One of the key figures speaking at this year’s event will be Matthew Eastwood,
group vice president and general manager of IDC’s Enterprise Platform Group, a widely respected
thought leader and prominent global analyst on emerging trends in enterprise systems and datacenters.
For more information about the upcoming IDC Middle East CIO Summit 2013, please visit www.idc-
cema.com/events/ciome2013 or contact Ms. Ronita Bhattacharjee, associate vice president for
conferences at IDC Middle East, Africa, and Turkey, on +971 4 391 2747 or at rbhattacharjee@idc.com.