GSM in MEGNA event 'a huge success,' Informa says conference's tenth anniversary marked by brilliance

"We had fantastic turnout, dynamic speakers, and a state-of-the-art exhibition that wowed GSM executives from over a dozen countries," said Informa's marketing director Louisa Rogers. Informa Telecoms and Media, the leading provider of business intelligence and strategic services to the global telecom and media markets, hosted the two-day GSM event in Dubai, UAE.

"Our MEGNA event has been consistently well-attended and informative," Rogers said. "After ten years, it's a veritable fixture here in the world of GSM."

Exhibitors such as Nokia, Siemens and ORGA Card Systems displayed their wares at a sleekly furnished exhibition, while top GSM executives and technicians from across the MEGNA region described the steps to success in a varied selection of countries and markets. The quickly changing landscape of the area was captured by perspectives from companies large and small, new and well established.

"This year's speakers focused their attention on the most important issues the GSM markets in these countries face," explained Senior Analyst for the Middle East and Africa John Everington. "Meanwhile, the hottest technologies were at our participants' fingertips: the exhibition this year was cutting edge."

"We knew we had to bring in ideas that spoke to providers from more than just one market," Rogers said. "We designed a two-day program that had something in it for everyone."

Informa's line-up of speakers reflected the diversity and fluidity of today's MEGNA markets, which put a wide variety of demands on their GSM providers.

"Informa's analysts understand the features of these markets perfectly," said Everington. "We do the research, but we know that GSM providers and executives themselves are the experts. We let them speak for themselves about the nuances of their markets." he said. "Insiders offering their views—that's the backbone of our annual event."

The second day of the conference focused on the future of 3G in the MEGNA countries. 3G technologies like WCDMA and EDGE are likely to hit the more saturated areas soon, and their fates may differ greatly between neighbouring countries. Speakers from several countries entertaining 3G issues gave their impressions on the viability of the technology in their markets.

"Each year brings something new, but the success is reliable," Everington said. "We know that next year we'll be able to offer our participants another round of invigorating discussion and inspiring ideas."