By Peter Alagos
An official of an international Information Technology (IT) firm has said that the role of IT is crucial in putting Qatar at the forefront of the knowledge-based economy index.
“Information Technology is a critical element to the whole development of any nation,” Cisco Qatar general manager Mohamed Hammoudi told Gulf Times on the sidelines of a roundtable discussion yesterday, where he announced the staging of Cisco Connect Qatar 2014 on November 18 at the St Regis Hotel in Doha.
Hammoudi stressed that Qatar recently recorded a strong performance in the World Economic Forum’s Global Information Technology Report (GITR) 2014, sponsored by Cisco, which measures the capacity of 148 economies to leverage ICT for growth and country economic and social transformation.
When asked if Qatar is nearing the top of the knowledge-based economy index, Hammoudi said: “It’s getting there.” He said that the GITR showed that Qatar’s number 23 overall ranking in the Network Readiness Index (NRI) is the highest in the Arab world.
He said in the past year, Qatar has continued to improve and upgrade its ICT infrastructure (where it ranks 31st) and uptake (18th) due to government’s “decisive effort” and strong vision (3rd) that has identified ICT as one of the key industries that will diversify the local economy and boost the productivity of all sectors.
Hammoudi also said Qatar is also among the top 10 countries in the world in terms of Internet users (ninth) and households having access to a computer (8th) and Internet connection (10th), which has become almost universal and has helped to achieve high social impacts (8th).
“IT is the catalyst for openness, transparency, ease of doing business, human development, social development and readiness on different fronts such as education and health, among others,” Hammoudi said.
With the theme, “The Internet of Everything: Tomorrow Starts Here,” Hammoudi said Cisco Connect Qatar 2014 will bring together the country’s key technical and business decision-makers, alongside customers, media representatives and industry experts to discuss the latest technology trends, solutions, and innovations.
Hammoudi defined the Internet of Everything (IoE) as the process of linking people, process, data and things to create new capabilities, richer experiences and economic opportunities.
He added that by 2030 the world will have at least 500bn devices connected online. With the expected abundance in electronic devices, Hammoudi also cautioned end-users of opportunities and threats from these developments.
“The Internet is becoming a very critical part of everything we do and it is the glue that holds everything together. And with it comes a lot of opportunities and a lot of threats, which is why we need to be very vigilant in creating a safe cyber-environment,” Hammoudi explained.
Hammoudi said it is estimated that by 2020 the value of the IoE from a business perspective would be $19tn. “You can just imagine the amount of business that could be generated at a global level using the IoE concept,” said Hammoudi, who cited industries such as farming and waste management.
During the event, Hammoudi said Cisco Connect Qatar 2014 will include a lineup of international senior Cisco keynote speakers, who will focus on how the IoE is driving changes in ICT, and daily lives in the society and the business sector.
