 |
|
| 7.4 billion Estimated Mobile Connections, $552 billion Mobile Data Revenue by 2015 |
| 4 August, 2011 |
 |
On the back of a migration toward smartphones, an increase in sales of media tablets and heightened access to mobile data networks, mobile data traffic is expected to show significant increase in 2011. Mobile data volumes will continue to grow as mobile data networks become faster and more pervasive, while at the same time the number of data users and data usage per user is expected to grow.
Worldwide mobile connections are expected to reach 5.6 billion in 2011, up 11 percent from 5 billion connections in 2010, according to Gartner, Inc. Mobile data services revenue will total $314.7 billion in 2011, a 22.5 percent increase from 2010 revenue of $257 billion.
In calculating its forecast, Gartner assumes that there are four major mobile data traffic drivers: growth in the number of mobile connections, increasing availability of higher-speed data-centric mobile networks, smartphones, and data-consuming content and applications.
Gartner expects communications service providers (CSPs) to increasingly start moving toward offering more flexible and more personalized data plans, which should help capture a larger mobile data user base.
Carriers should investigate the pros and the cons of more customized pricing plans, look to offer increased flexibility in pricing and introduce add-on pricing models, in which users are able to add data access when they want to. Further, Carriers should focus on increasing the level of clarity and the transparency of their mobile data contracts in order to make the majority of customers feel more at ease in using data services. |
| Top |
|
| Consumers Show “Social Media Fatigue” |
| 15 August, 2011 |
 |
According to a survey by Gartner, Inc., there are signs of maturity in the social media market, as some users in certain segments are showing “social media fatigue”.
Gartner surveyed 6,295 respondents, between the ages of 13 and 74, in 11 developed and developing markets in December 2010 and January 2011. Consumers were asked about their use of and opinions about social media sites with the aim of examining usage trends and how enthusiastic users were about social media in general across a range of countries.
The survey revealed that teenagers and those in their twenties were significantly more likely to say that they had increased their usage, while a fairly consistent percentage stated that they were using social media less.
Of the respondents, 24 percent said they use their favorite social media site less than when they first signed up. These respondents tended to be in segments that have a more practical view of technology. 37 percent of respondents, on the other hand, particularly those in younger age groups and more tech-savvy segments, said they were using their favorite site more.
The trend indicates that young aspirers are easily bored with their social network and social media providers need to innovate and diversify to keep consumer attention.
When asked what negative factors might be influencing their decision, 33 per cent cited concern about online privacy,
From a geographical point of view, some of the more mature social media markets are Japan, the UK and the US. At the other end of the spectrum, countries with the most respondents saying they used the site less included Brazil and Russia.
|
| Top |
|
| dunia Highlights Commitment to Community through Blood Donation Drive |
| 21 & 22 August, 2011 |
 |
In the spirit of giving during the Holy month of Ramadan, Dunia Finance LLC (dunia), business partner of Dubai Outsource Zone, called on members of the community including employees and fellow partners to give back to the society and make a positive difference.
dunia organised a two-day blood donation drive at their offices in Dubai Outsource Zone as well as Dubai Media City, encouraging participation from the public.
The drive was held in collaboration with the Al Wasl hospital in Dubai and was a part of dunia’s constant commitment to its various CSR initiatives. |
| Top |
|
| Organic Growth Top Priority for IT Outsourcing (ITO) Providers in 2011 |
| 6 September, 2011 |
 |
Gartner Inc. conducted an online survey in the first quarter of 2011 among 47 ITO providers, accounting for 62 percent of the total ITO market. The respondents represented the full range of providers, all major geographies and all types of ITO services including infrastructure (data center, desktop, storage and network), applications and cloud services.
It became clear that providers are optimistic despite considerable uncertainty in the global economies. Gartner predicts that the ITO services market will reach $313.2 billion in 2011, a growth of 6.9 percent from 2010, and will reach 4.6 percent compound annual growth rate through 2015.
The survey found that at least 50 percent of outsourcing providers said they will be spending 2 to 5 percent of revenue on marketing in 2011.
Forty-five percent of all ITO providers indicated that winning new clients is the top priority for 2011. However, they recognized that the bulk of this year's actual revenue growth will continue to come from existing accounts.
Further, the survey revealed that cloud investments are among the top priorities for 2011. The average percentage of deals expected to include cloud services and utility services or "as a service" delivery models is 18 percent for data center deals in 2011, growing to 24 percent in 2012.
However, ITO providers are conservative in their views of how the cloud phenomenon will affect their ITO deals by 2015, with 26 percent unsure of their involvement in any of these deals.
Similarly, 56 percent of ITO providers expect these alternative delivery models will drive overall ITO revenue growth by 2015, while 29 percent believe it will essentially cannibalize some ITO revenue. |
| Top |
|
| ‘in5’ Innovation Centre Launched to Serve as Enabling Springboard for Tech Entrepreneurs |
| 19 September, 2011 |
 |
Dubai Internet City recently launched the ‘Majid Bin Mohammed Innovation Center in5’ under the direction of His Highness Sheikh Majid bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of Dubai Culture and Arts Authority.
in5 is envisioned to promote entrepreneurship and technical innovation in the UAE. The center will focus on five key objectives including accelerating the development of new start-ups, fostering entrepreneurships, driving technology innovation, contributing to shaping an ICT ecosystem and, most importantly, promoting Dubai as an ideal location for tech start-ups.
The in5’s ultimate objective is to help young innovators and talents gain access to leading technology companies and draw value from their expertise and knowledge.
Ahmad Julfar, Group CEO, Etisalat, will head the in5 board as Chairman, providing timely guidance, industry insights and setting up long-term strategies for the innovation center. Also on the board are Malek Al Malek, Managing Director, Dubai Internet City,
ohammad Gawdat, Managing Director-SEEMEA, Google, Charbel Fakhoury, Vice President-Sales, Marketing and Service-Middle East and Africa Region, Microsoft Corporation, Nassir Al Rafi, CEO, Emaar Malls Group, and Daniel A Rivetti, Associate Professor of Finance at the University of San Diego. |
| Top |
|
| Canon Celebrates 10 Years at DIC |
| 28 September, 2011 |
 |
Canon Middle East recently launched a series of activities to be held over the next 10 months to, celebrate the 10th anniversary of its headquarters in Dubai Internet City.
The official launch ceremony held at a gala dinner also saw the inauguration of a photo competition open to all journalists and photojournalists in the region. The competition is the first in the series of monthly activities and one of the major highlights of the anniversary celebrations.
The monthly themes and activities are the “Power of Image” photo contest for media practitioners (September-October), the “Power of Partnership” conference for channel partners (November), the “Power of Environment” photo exhibition (December), the “Power of Image” regional photo competition (January), the “Power of Family” weekend activities for the family (February March), the “Power of Friendship” (April/May), and the “Power of Education” events for schools and universities (June/July).
Canon Middle East’s 10th anniversary activities are intended to reaffirm the company’s vision for the region. The monthly themes and activities have been specifically designed to give back to society and to express Canon’s gratitude to the customers, partners and other members of the society that have been integral to Canon Middle East’s success.
|
| Top |
|
| DIC Showcases Technology Incubation and Innovation Environment at GITEX 2011 |
| 9-13 October, 2011 |
 |
For the eleventh consecutive year, Dubai Internet City marked its presence at GITEX Technology Week 2011, one of the largest and most important ICT events around the globe.
The event saw the launch of the Majid Bin Mohammed Innovation Center in5, the unique concept that will open its doors in 2012 to facilitate the growth of young innovators in the region.
In addition, Dubai Outsource Zone, a member of the ICT cluster of TECOM Investments also highlighted its free zone infrastructure, sharing insights on its latest report ‘Outsourcing Opportunities in the MENA Region’ that was issued in collaboration with global business research and consulting firm Frost & Sullivan.
The DIC pavilion at GITEX additionally hosted business partners Microsoft, Hewlett Packard (HP) and Qualcomm. The technology giants showcased a number of their latest products and consumer and commercial product offerings. They additionally created numerous networking opportunities and provided insight into various issued that have a high standing in today’s technological landscape.
Microsoft offered its expertise on ‘Cloud Technology’ and ‘Consumerisation of IT’, while HP Imaging and Printing Group conducted an anti-counterfeit awareness campaign in conjunction with DIC. Qualcomm, the US-based giant in the wireless telecommunications segment, focused on mobile networking technology mainly LTE (long term evolution) Advanced that enables next-generation mobile networks to deliver data service at speeds of more than one GB per second.
Inarguably, this year’s participation was a great success, marking yet another successful beginning to the fourth quarter.
|
| Top |
|
| Information Security Critical with Increased Dependence on Virtual Technology |
| 9-13 October, 2011 |
 |
The steep rise in the use of social networking sites and increasing reliance on internet-based applications called for increased attention on internet security to safeguard information, said Malek Al Malek, Managing Director of DIC & DOZ in his comments ahead of the Black Hat Abu Dhabi 2011.
Dubai Internet City was the ICT partner of Black Hat Abu Dhabi for the second consecutive year. Commenting on DIC's support Travis Carelock, Technical Director, Black Hat, said: "We are delighted to have DIC's support for the second year. As a regional ICT hub, DIC recognises the increased importance of IT security and the need to be at the cutting-edge to protect the interests of their business partners and businesses in the region."
The four-day event included discussions by leading global experts on the most pressing security issues facing the ICT sector.
|
| Top |
| |
