Innovation Leads ICT Market

Samer Abu Latif -regional general manager of Microsoft Gulf- said that innovation showcased via breakthrough technologies and customer experience will be the deciding factor in who leads the information and communication technology (ICT) market,

Abu Latif was speaking at a two-day information technology event called Open Door that began in Dubai yesterday.

“Information technology will continue to contribute to the competitiveness and development of the UAE and governments can harness IT to provide myriad benefits to citizens, businesses and their communities,” he said.

“Integration of devices is the next step in our journey,” he said and added that the company is showcasing both enterprise solutions and consumer offerings at the event.

The technology event focuses on the latest collaborative, cloud-based technology solutions and the much talked-about Windows 8, which is expected to be launched in October.

Ahmad Bin Humaidan, -director general of Dubai E-Government- said “Technology is an enabler to drive growth and can accelerate the pace of innovation and connect more effectively with the public and create a more competitive knowledge-based economy,”

He said that using the right technology in a right way has given the government a saving of Dh145 million from E-transactions last year.

According to Ihab Foudeh, -enterprise and partner, group director, of Microsoft Gulf- Microsoft is in a unique position to offer solutions that can be used and accessed from mobile phones, tablets, notebooks, desktop computers and server back-end infrastructure, as Gulf News stated.

Foudeh said in the current economic environment, IT can be a powerful tool to help governments find new efficiencies and take faster, more informed decisions to tackle the tough challenges ahead.