CeBIT 2006 Wrap up
CeBIT 2006 Wrap up
May 12th, 2006: CeBIT 2006 has come to a close and all the exhibitors have ridden off into the sunset, Skype credit and headsets in hand. So how did this years conference stack up?
With three days and four labrinthyne halls of stands, CeBIT is turning into one juggernaught of a business and Information and Communication Technology (ICT) showcase.
NSW Premier Morris Iemma opened the show by talking up the importance of ICT to the state economy.
“I see key ICT (information and communications technology) as central to the transformation of our economy,” Iemma said in the opening conference. “New South Wales accounts for 42 per cent of ICT business in Australia, and has generated 83 per cent of the country's growth in ICT services exports over the past decade.”
“It's the heart and the future of our economy.”
This certainly seemed to be the case on the show floor, with more communication technology than you could poke a cheque-signing pen at.
“It's obvious that the ICT industry is enjoying tremendous growth," says Jackie Taranto, Managing Director of CeBIT organiser Hannover Fairs. “What has been especially noticeable this year is the amount of business being done at CeBIT, the level of networking and the creation of new business relationships.”
Withs so many players in such a small place, there was plenty of space for new relationships to be created. Some big players such as Microsoft, Cisco and Canon were missing, whereas others like Telstra, Adobe, Unisys, Intel, IBM and HP jumped in for the first time, bumping out the exhibitor list to 700 in the process.
With around 18,000 pre-registrations and an estimated 30,000 attendees, this years conference was also a little more than bustling. The crowd was particularly noticable at IDM’s booth, allthough we’re sure eGolfScore helped draw the punters in with it’s blackberry powered Golf score tracker.
Golf gadgetry aside, VoIP was a resounding theme at this years conference. VoIP is moving into the mainstream business and consumer limelight with many companies like Australia’s Engin launching VoIP related products, announcing partnerships or making other internet telephony related announcements.
The e-Government forum captured the attention of many, while a broad range of keynotes and panel discussions from the likes of Telstra, the Walt Disney Internet Group, LG and Sony BMG shared some inside information.
This year also saw the second installment of the CeBIT Awards for exhibitors with outstanding products and services. The winners for 2006 were:
- Best Product/ Service for Communications: Huawei, for their HSDPA - Mobile broadband Solution
- Best Product/ Service for Business Processes: ELO, for their document management and archiving solutions;
- Best Product/ Service for Digital Equipment: R.I.M. Blackberry, for Research in Motion, with the new Blackberry 8700g.
The CeBIT website experienced a few hiccups during the shows three-day run due to unexpectedly large volumes of traffic. IDM can smell the irony. Organisers say this will not happen again.
While many will be nursing post show hangovers, Taranto claims others are already signing up for next years show.
What did you think about CeBIT 2006?
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