Sun Microsystems' Chairman to open Gitex Technology Week Global Conference

The Chairman, and Co-Founder of Sun Microsystems, Scott McNealy, will open this year's Gitex Technology Week Global Conference in a keynote address.

This opening keynote will be followed by Pim Dale, Vice President and General Manager, Dell Emerging Markets, Europe, Middle East and Africa.

Gitex Technology Week Global Conference, one of the region's largest and most high-profile IT forums, has been expanded to include 35 sessions of interactive discussion, featuring leading industry experts on new generation technology. Internationally-renowned business speakers from across the region and beyond will focus on the latest hot topics, including the role of technology in the region's dynamic real estate sector, the need for enhanced smart communications devices, as well as the opportunities for new revenue models for telecom players.

Helal Saeed Almarri, Director General, Dubai World Trade Centre, said:

"We are proud to have some of the world's leading personalities from the ICT industry keynoting at this year's Gitex Technology Week. Some of the speakers will be presenting for the first time in the region, cementing our position as one of the most important technology shows in the world. It also reflects the importance of the event in the ICT Global community as companies look to tap into the Middle East, one of the only growing ICT markets in the world."

Mr. McNealy, who is acknowledged as one of the most influential global speakers having helped launch Sun Microsystems back in 1982, will be talking on the topic of 'how open source technology is driving economic growth and social progress'. Sun Microsystems is now one of the world's leading technology companies which now employs more than 35,000 staff.

Mr. McNealy will open the conference with his keynote speech on 19 October 2008 looking at the changing ICT marketplace and its effect on business within the Middle East.

Mr. McNealy has overseen Sun Microsystems deployment of world-class products, including Java - which now powers more than 3.5 billion devices - as well as the latest Niagra chip with its ground-breaking high-performance and sustainable technology.

"The rapid growth of IT adoption throughout the Middle East has made this region a hot bed for technology innovation, from the desktop to the data centre,"

said Scott McNealy, chairman and co-founder, Sun Microsystems Inc.

"Sun is committed to this region and actively working with some of its largest enterprises, most promising start ups, and leading universities to help them leverage open source technology, lower-power computing, virtualisation, data archiving and more to expand economic opportunity, gain competitive advantage and drive massive efficiencies on a global scale," he added.

Pim Dale, the Vice President of Dell's Emerging Markets will be talking about unlocking the potential for businesses, government and citizens during the second keynote speech of Gitex Global Conference.

"Gitex Technology Week has always played an important role in defining the shape of the IT industry across the Middle East. But as technology advances and end-user demand grows, the exhibition has never been more important in bringing people together. Dell is proud to be a part of it," said Mr. Pim Dale, Vice President and General Manger, Dell Emerging Countries.

Many other leading experts in the field of IT will be speaking at the event, including the chief information officer of the multi billion dollar aluminium firm, Dubal. Ahmad Alumulla, who has nearly twenty years experience working for the seventh biggest aluminium company in the world, will talk on the role technology plays in enabling business success.

Also speaking on a similar topic at the Gitex Technology Week Global Conference is Tariq Y. Elsadik, the chief information officer at Abu Dhabi based conglomerate Al Fahim.

Fadi Hindi is the Head of IT planning and enterprise architecture for Dubai Customs. Hindi will be hosting a tutorial on 'Enterprise Architecture: Drawing up a Blueprint for alignment'.

In addition, John Fitzgerald, CEO, Beyond Encryption Technologies is a well known security expert, who played a leading role in the computer security training company, SANS across Europe and the Middle East. Fitzgerald will host a clinic on security solutions for small to medium-sized businesses.

Other sessions within the Global Conference will focus upon three of the major components of Gitex Technology Week - communications, consumer electronics and business technology. The Global Conference also includes a developer's forum with specialised tracks on Microsoft, Oracle, Linux and Java.

Gitex Technology Week Global Conference is working with conference management partner Corporate Publishing International (CPI), one of the region's leading publishers of IT titles and partner of IDG, the world's largest IT publishing organisation.

This year's conference programme is accompanied by a whole host of other highlights including new product launches, interactive demonstrations, Gadget Glam - a product display and fashion show presented in partnership with T3, Gitex Majlis - a senior ICT members programme and a new feature - Gitex Digital Game World - where professionals can try the latest esports games as well as examine, discuss and exchange information on the b2b element of this exciting industry.

Visitors are encouraged to pre-register for the event online and can also avail of the new online payment for the conference and five-day visitor ticket to ensure quick and easy access. Admission includes access to all events including Gitex Business Solutions, GULFCOMMS and Consumer Electronics.