Technology investments in the GCC to top $9.1bn by end of 2008

Amidst the burgeoning growth, experts have identified strong technological leadership as an important factor in achieving genuine productivity benefits for companies and social and economic advantages for the region.

In line with this, SAS, the leading provider of business intelligence and analytic software and services, is set to host the 'Premier Business Leadership Series' (PBLS) - a one-day invitation-only event on September 11, 2008 at the Trident Hotel in Mumbai.

The event will gather global thought leaders to address senior executives from the Middle East and Asia Pacific regions, on the business impact of performance excellence through insight and innovation.

With a focus on the globalisation and future business issues that C-level executives across the Middle East and Asia Pacific regions face, PBLS has been designed to provide valuable foresight into the global economic outlook by inviting global thought leaders to talk about how managing performance, customers, analytics and information are essential to sustainable success.

Speakers at this year's Asia Pacific leg of the event will include among others, Gerard Lyons (Global Economist, Standard Chartered); Adil Zainulbhai (CEO and Managing Director of McKinsey India); Renée Mauborgne (co-author of Blue Ocean Strategy) and Thomas Davenport (co-author of Competing on Analytics). Further, Jim Goodnight, CEO, SAS, will discuss and provide insights into what it takes for a company to be globally competitive.

Bill Hoggarth, Regional CEO, Africa Middle East, SAS said:

"The growing adoption of business analytics and intelligence by companies in India and in the rest of Asia Pacific continues to gain momentum. With world-class innovators set to grace the event and impart real-world case studies, the 'Premier Business Leadership Series' in Mumbai will deliver a roadmap to participants, which will help them gain valuable insights on how to innovate and manage in these exciting times to ensure growth that is manageable and sustainable."

At present, nearly 40% of the GCC technology investment is intended to support new initiatives as organisations in the region experience rapid growth, either through mergers or acquisitions.

SAS' hosting of such a high impact event such as PBLS is a testament to the company's proactive approach in extending the reach of innovative business intelligence solutions and the role these applications play in the growth of the most important industries in the region.

In addition to representatives from SAS, spokespersons from other leading organisations, including Gartner, Citi, Vodafone and ICICI are also set to provide their opinions on their respective industries.

"There is an increased need for an informed and experienced management layer across all businesses to capitalize on the growth experienced in the region, and also to utilize latest business intelligence and analytics technology to its full potential to help develop the region's economies. By providing a platform where the world's leading technology companies and the region's most senior technology decision-makers can meet, we are aiming to add to the understanding and skill-sets of CIO's operating in the Middle East," concluded Hoggarth.

SAS supports companies in the Middle East, India, China, Russia and other emerging international markets by providing software and services that will help them use business intelligence to further increase their competitiveness.

As today's business organisations rapidly adopt business intelligence and analytics, SAS leverages its expertise and strategic position at the focal point of this new business world order to support these companies through its wide array of software and services.