Organisations in the Middle East are increasingly looking to invest in cloud computing in a bid to capitalise on the expqanding global market opportunity, said the organisers of an upcoming cloud computing summit in Dubai.

Driven by innovations in software, hardware and network capacity, the emergence of cloud computing has led to an industry shift as more applications are being delivered over the web and through the browser, said Helal Saeed Almarri, CEO, Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC), organisers of the first Gitex Cloud Conference, taking place on October 19 and 20 at DWTC during the Gitex Technology Week.

It will cost Dh1,900 ($517) which include complimentary access to the Gitex exhibition, a statement said.

“It is clear that cloud computing represents the early stages of a big shift in the IT sector as it offers enormous potential in terms of reduced costs and operational flexibility,” said Almarri.

“The first Gitex Cloud Conference will serve as a dynamic, knowledge sharing platform for organisations that are looking to adopt cloud technologies and capitalise on the growth within this segment in order to build competitive advantage.”

The Cloud Confex will also offer a vendor showcase combined with a knowledge exchange conference that will address topics such as: enterprise cloud computing, transforming customer service with the cloud and applications for the cloud.

The Cloud Confex will also focus on the future of the industry in the Middle East. The event will highlight companies at the forefront of shaping the region’s future business models through education, vendor sourcing and collaboration.

“Today, cloud computing gives businesses more control and flexibility over the technology they deploy and the way they deploy it,” said Fawwaz Qadan, director of enterprise storage, servers and networking (ESSN), HP Middle East, platinum sponsors of Gitex Cloud Confex.

“It helps companies reduce costs and focus resources on gaining strategic advantage. While deployment strategies differ, it is critical that an organisation's infrastructure is managed as a utility made up of secure, scalable and standards-based building blocks of integrated IT resources from storage to servers and network management tools. These are some of the key areas that HP will highlight at the Gitex Cloud Confex,” he added.

Jesper Frederiksen, vice president EMEA, Symantec Hosted Services, said: “Cloud computing and software as a service is gaining significant traction as an important  delivery model for IT services with many potential business and financial benefits.”

“Because cloud computing is still relatively new in the Middle East, organisations may still be coming to terms with this delivery model and how best to take advantage of it.”

“At the Cloud Confex, Symantec will highlight how businesses can best capitalise on the benefits of SaaS, whilst also understanding and mitigating potential risks in order to build confidence in this fast growing technology,” he concluded. – TradeArabia News Service