Gitex Technology Week launches a week of latest innovations and products

"This year companies are under immense pressure to bring forth the best of their products to win consumer confidence. As the industry prepares for the upturn in the global economy, Gitex Technology Week is the preferred platform for companies to launch their new products and help industry players capitalise on the steady growth of the region's IT market,"

said Helal Saeed Almarri, CEO, Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC).

"We are looking forward to a week of serious networking, knowledge exchange and sales generation," he added.

Visitors to the trade show, which opens tomorrow at Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre until 22 October 2009, will experience an array of new products and solutions; the highlight of which will be the preview of Windows 7 from Microsoft, a week before its global release. Other big announcements include the launch of 3D technology from Panasonic, and the world's toughest satellite phone from Thuraya.

"The Middle East remains one of the focus markets for Panasonic. At Gitex we will be previewing the world's first full HD 3D technology for the first time in the Middle East and demonstrating other cutting-edge technology products that are eco-friendly, both for consumers and business solutions. Gitex is the ideal stage to introduce world class technology to the region," commented Anthony Peter, Associate Director and Group General Manager, Direct Consumer Communications and Customer Care, Panasonic Marketing Middle East FZE.

Industry heavy-weights like Dell are also looking to impress new and existing enterprise customers by launching a number of high-end products and services. CIO's, especially, can look forward to the company's 'efficient enterprise' range of solutions that are designed to address storage needs.

"Businesses today are looking for technology solutions that deliver more security, greater reliability and lower operating costs. Dell's Efficient Enterprise portfolio meets this need," said Driss El'Ougmani, Solutions Director, Emerging Countries, Dell. "We are better positioned to help our customers be more efficient so they can spend more time growing their business and less time managing their IT investments. Starting tomorrow at Gitex Technology Week we will be demonstrating the performance of our new server and storage technology live, a first for our customers."

Other innovative products which tech-savvy enthusiasts can look forward to seeing are the 2010 range of consumer solutions from security software and back-up giant, Symantec. Fusion Middleware 11g from Oracle will also be launched at Gitex Technology Week, a solution that is designed to drive IT efficiency.

"As an exhibitor at Gitex for several years, Symantec's customers and business in the Gulf as a whole continue to benefit from interacting with our specialists and our partners. Gitex gives Symantec an opportunity to present the latest technologies in the field of information security and management," said Johnny Karam, Symantec regional director for the Middle East and North Africa.

Government participation at Gitex has always been strong and with e-governance taking precedence, visitors can expect greater exposure to government entities and their service offerings. Government organisations like the UAE's Telecommunication Regulatory Authority (TRA) are looking to raise awareness of the country's domain names and promoting the ICT foundation, and Dubai Internet City (DIC) is out to reinforce its position as one of the region's largest technology clusters.

Powerhouses such as like Aastra, Alcatel Lucent, Brother, HP, Monster Cable, Sanyo and Toshiba have also confirmed their attendance at Gitex Technology Week this year, where they plan to launch innovative new technology and exciting new products.

With so many products being brought to the market at this year's show, DWTC is introducing a new feature to provide a unique platform for exhibitors to showcase the most advanced integrated technology on the market today.

The interactive 'Smart Home Smart Office' concept, held in Consumer Electronics, will offer companies including Alcatel Lucent, Al Futtaim Technologies, Cisco, Edimax Technology, Epson, Genius, hp, Microsoft, Panasonic, Sanyo and Verbatim the exact opportunity to demonstrate the advances in dynamic smart technology, which allows visitors to experience the functionality first hand in both a social and working environment.

Gitex Technology Week will open from 1pm - 7pm on Sunday 18 October 2009 at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre. Monday 19 October to Wednesday 21 October, Gitex Technology Week will run from 10am - 7pm and on Thursday 22 October the show will open at 10am and close at 5pm. The Consumer Electronics section of Gitex Technology Week will be open free to the public on Thursday 22 October for product previews.