Innovation 2.0

If there’s a sector synonymous with innovation, then it must be IT. When you last bought a laptop, didn’t they tell you it was the very best? And now, six months later, the thing’s positively geriatric – out of date and definitely out of memory.

The industry is constantly evolving, not just to meet the needs of its clients, but also to satisfy the creative fancies of its pioneers – Gates, Jobs, Page, Brin and numerous others. And if this year’s GITEX show tells us anything, then it’s that the Middle East IT sector is evolving too.

The region’s biggest IT show faces a crucial phase in its development. It is a time of transition, not just for GITEX but for Dubai and much of the rest of the world. The old model just doesn’t work.

That ‘old model’ was one of consumption. Planeloads of Gulf shoppers arrived in town with bucketloads of cash, ready to kit their burgeoning business empires out with the very latest that Intel could build, Apple could market, and Vista could slow to a crawl.

Every day IT infrastructure worth millions was flogged to nascent Gulf firms with big ideas and even bigger budgets. The place was abuzz with big bucks - and anyone hoping to make it from one end of the exhibition centre to the other in one piece was likely to die trying.

This year things are different; gone are the palatial exhibition stands of previous shows. Even Microsoft, with its bottomless budget, has reined in its excesses – and this is a company with a huge product, Windows 7, about to hit the shelves.

Gone too are the heaving masses of sharp-suited company directors, quick-witted salesmen, inquisitive Gulf businessmen and curious tourists that besieged earlier GITEX shows. There’s a calmer pace and a more considered approach from those firms who in previous years were known for their spectacular adherence to the more-is-more philosophy. You can hear yourself think.

And here’s a thought: the key concept now isn’t consumption at any cost, but long-term growth. It’s a mantra and one that is repeated by government subsidiaries as well as private companies. The bosses of two Dubai government firms told me yesterday that their focus was on nurturing existing relationships, rather than the pursuit of new names for their all-star freezones.

“There’s still growth here, so why do we need to chase firms in the US or Europe?” said one. “We’re focused on providing the very best service to our clients; it’s not just about big international companies but about long-term support.”

Let’s be honest: if we could go back to the heady days of October 2007, we would. Spending (and receiving) money is more fun than looking long-term. But economic circumstances have determined that the Gulf’s IT players must evolve or die. And they are evolving.

Initiatives such as Dubai Internet City (DIC) are doing excellent work to lay the foundations for future success. Its forward thinking will ensure that there is a steady stream of tech start-ups in Dubai, making the best of local talent and also leveraging off the expertise of blue-chip IT firms such as Microsoft, Yahoo and Intel.

We all know that building a Knowledge Economy – the go-to goal of the Gulf – takes time as well as money. DIC is already a success, but its legacy will be measured in ten years, not on the ninth anniversary it celebrates this GITEX.

And how about a future in which the region is not known simply for consumption, but for innovation? We need R&D, we need laboratories, and we need men (and women) in white coats cooking up the very latest technological advancements.

Such innovation would take the Gulf IT sector to a new level altogether. Next year, or the year after, let’s make GITEX about production rather than consumption, with Gulf-based firms unveiling their own software and hardware. We’re all waiting for a breakthrough, for a Gulf IT star to join the Silicon Valley set in that pantheon of tech pioneers. Where do you want to go tomorrow?

For full coverage of GITEX, visit ITP.net

Print | Email | Discuss this article

| Share |

READERS' COMMENTS

Click here to post a comment

Add your Comment All posts are sent to the administrator for review and are published only after approval. ArabianBusiness.com reserves the right to remove any comment at any time for any reason. Please keep your responses appropriate and on topic. Arabian Business would like to point out that only comments relevant to the story will be published. Any containing personal insults or inappropriate language will not be approved.
Name *
Remember me on this computer
Email *	(Your email address will not be published)
City
Country
Subject *
Comment *
Notify me of further comments
Enter the words above *
Please click post only once - your comment will not be published immediately.

MORE FROM ARABIANBUSINESS.COM