eServices and cloud dominate the agenda as public-sector technology leaders gather in Abu Dhabi for IDC's 'IT in Government Roadshow'

Featuring senior IDC executives and regional experts from the world's foremost technology vendors, the event outlined a range of global best practices and in-depth case studies that documented cutting-edge technology implementations at work within real-life government organizations from around the world.

With government entities across the region coming under ever-greater pressure to improve service delivery to their citizens, IDC's IT in Government Roadshow 2012 could not have arrived in the UAE capital at a more opportune time.

Opening the day's proceedings, Mukesh Chulani, research manager for the Middle East, Africa, and Turkey at IDC Government Insights, advised the attendees on how to optimize their level of service delivery to citizens, while at the same time reducing costs and increasing responsiveness.

Acknowledging that managing in the public sector has never been more challenging, he pointed an accusatory finger at the legacy information systems currently installed in many government organizations, blaming them for failing to provide the enterprise-wide view of government needed to enable the more rapid and cost-effective dissemination of information.

Hein Van Der Merwe, Oracle's chief technologist and master principal consultant for the Middle East and Africa, then explained how cloud computing can play an important role in breaking down inter-agency barriers within the public sector, while also cautioning the delegates on the potential risks associated with the adoption of cloud technologies and the shortfalls of pure technology-driven cloud projects.

Steve Kletzmayr, strategic alliances manager for EMEA at Hitachi Data Systems, then continued with the theme of cloud's importance to government organizations, focusing on the ways in which it addresses changing storage needs and enables simplification for driving greater operational efficiencies and adding business value.

Kaspersky Lab's head of technology positioning, Vladimir Zapolyansky, was next on stage as he offered advice on regaining control of widely dispersed IT infrastructure in an effort to secure against the threat of network intrusions and cyber attacks that often go undetected due to the complex set of malware techniques used to perform them. He was followed by FVC general manager for the Gulf and Pakistan, Waleed Heloo, who addressed the issue of unified communications within the public sector, stressing the ability of video platforms to enhance relationships with other government agencies, private businesses, and citizens.

The day also featured the insights of Ammar Afani, a territory manager at Blue Coat, as well as an open discussion among all those in attendance, before Mukesh Chulani returned to the stage to bring the event to a close with a summary of the day's proceedings.

To ensure that the very latest technology developments were covered at the IT in Government Roadshow 2012 in Abu Dhabi, IDC partnered with some of the world's foremost software and technology vendors.

Oracle participated as Platinum Partner, Blue Coat, Kaspersky Lab, Hitachi Data Systems, and PACC ICT partnered at the Gold level, and FVC and Polycom featured as Silver Partners.