MTC boss outlines future for 3G at top industry summit

Dr. Barrak will head a 40-strong MTC delegation to the 3GSM Conference, which is due to be held in Cannes on February 14 to 16 next year. With the GSM Association-organized event scheduled to focus on future priorities in 2005, Dr. Barrak will lead discussion on the crucial subject of how to bring 3G to the market and the difficulties of putting clear blue water between the products and services that go with this technology against existing 2.5G offerings.

The conference marks the first really significant meeting to build on the success of the 2004 summit, which helped define key areas of activity for the GSM Association, such as driving up take-up by the next billion and the interaction of the mobile and Internet worlds.

More than 150 CEOs from companies in the industry plan to be involved in the event. The focus will be on the newly launched 3GSM service, the latest technology, innovations and services.

An awards ceremony will be one of the high points of the event and it will some of the top people in the industry honored. The awards categories will include the Best 3GSM Handset, Best Mobile Entertainment Content or Service, Best Messaging Service and the Best Use of Mobile for Sustainability.

MTC's delegation will include some of its top management, reflecting the importance of the event and the group's position as an industry leader pushing back the boundaries of the technology and applications. The MTC team will use the opportunity to network with suppliers such as Siemens, Nokia and Motorola to create strategies to build awareness of the latest services.

At the first summit in 2003 the focus was on agreeing strategic priorities for 2004, which included action to tackle mobile phone theft, terminal development, testing and further standardization of messaging platforms, developing and defining responsible wireless Internet content access, and the broadening use of the SIM card for authentication and identification.

In commenting on this event, Dr. Saad said, "We are very proud to participate in an event as prestigious as the 3GSM Conference. This reconfirms MTC's position as market leader globally".

"Marketing is an important facet of technology, and Dr. Saad has been chosen to speak about the actual marketing of the 3GSM service. Our attendance at this event will enable us to offer a lead on some of the issues that will decide the future of the industry."

Dr Barrak added: "The Arab world is the primary market for MTC Group and we will continue to leverage the most advanced technology to provide this market with the best services."