The region’s biggest ICT event showcasing Qatar’s booming technology industry- QITCOM 2011 will be held at the Doha Exhibition Centre from May 24 to 26. The three-day event, organised by IFP Qatar in partnership with the Supreme Council of Information Technology (ictQATAR) will be a gateway for international and regional ICT companies and organisations to see what Qatar has to offer in terms of partnerships, prospects, investment opportunities and research and development centres. The driving force behind QITCOM 2011 Conference and Exhibition is ictQATAR’s commitment to the country’s vision to become a knowledge based economy by 2030 and the government’s support of the ICT sector. “The government of Qatar recognises the enormous value a vibrant ICT sector can have in our advancement towards being a diverse knowledge based economy. ictQATAR is committed to growing and developing the ICT sector here, and we are aiming to accelerate the contribution of ICT to Qatar’s economy and workforce over the next five years. QITCOM is an important part of our efforts in this regard. To have a vibrant information, communication and technology sector, we need to connect local leaders with the global ICT industry to help spur investment and locally grown innovation,” said Marwan Mahmoud, dxecutive director (ICT Industry Development) at ictQATAR. “We have developed a diverse programme for QITCOM 2011 that will be relevant to entrepreneurs, IT professionals, policy makers, investors and business leaders. We anticipate a dynamic three days of information sharing and networking that will lead to lasting partnerships and new business opportunities. I fully expect QITCOM to grow in the coming years and become the leading ICT industry event in the region,” Mahmoud said. George Ayache, general manager (IFP Qatar) said, “This unprecedented level of support from all areas of the industry shows the strength and potential of the ICT industry in Qatar with investment in major ICT projects set to double over the next five years as part of the challenge to create a vibrant and diverse knowledge based economy by 2030.” Taking place at Doha Exhibition Centre, QITCOM will have the triple themes of Innovate, Connect and Transform with the conference and exhibition running concurrently. It will showcase Qatar’s growing stature in the ICT industry and underscore the myriad of opportunities in the country over the next decade. QITCOM has already attracted top speakers, including ictQATAR secretary general Dr Hessa al-Jaber, director general of the Telecom Regulatory Authority, UAE, Mohamed al-Ghanem, former Apple chief evangelist and co-founder of Alltop.com, Guy Kawasaki, chairman of the United States Access Board’s Planning Committee, Phil Jenkins, Former head of Usability and Accessibility at BBC Future Media Jonathan Hassell, and regional manager Gulf at Google Mohamed Mourad. “QITCOM 2011 is the first conference and exhibition of its kind in Qatar to recognise the significance of the development of assistive technologies,” said Ahmed Habib, head of Communications from Mada. “This programme will feature interactive technology workshops as well as panel discussions and showcase the latest developments in making technology available to all people with disabilities.” Xiao Ning, country manager of Huwaei Technologies Qatar, and QITCOM’s exclusive Pearl Sponsor, said the issues canvassed at QITCOM 2011 were the most compelling in the industry today. “Qatar is gaining fast momentum in terms of its social development. And technological changes through the ages have created real opportunity to uplift an entire country’s prospects and transformed the way that businesses operate.” Qatar Foundation has been named as Diamond Sponsor for QITCOM 2011, bringing with them their expertise in research and development. Also playing a role as Diamond Sponsor is business software provider SAP. Global software giant Microsoft is lending its support as Platinum Sponsor. The other sponsors announced yesterday include DELL, and Juniper Networking (Gold Sponsors), Fahras Qatar, EMC2, Oracle, Ali Bin Ali, QCS, QDS, Wipro and IBM (Bronze Sponsors). QNB is Official QITCOM 2011 Bank

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