2009 Marks a Successful Year for Dubai Internet City

Milestones Include 135 New Entrants and Corporate Expansions as ICT Sector Witnesses Major Acquisitions 2009 has proven to be a successful year for Dubai Internet City with the addition of 135 new companies, expansion of business partners within the cluster and a flurry of industry-related milestones including mergers and acquisitions.

Despite global economic challenges, DIC remained resilient with many of their business partners expanding their presence at the cluster while the industry witnessed major acquisitions among the business partners and by overseas companies that affirmed the region’s strong fundamentals.

Communications leader Nokia Siemens Networks also expanded on its existing facilities at the cluster, as did Qualcomm, McAfee and Research in Motion, the maker of Blackberry.

This year, Kaspersky Lab, a leading developer of secure content management solutions, established its regional headquarters in DIC, aiming to use the base to cater to the region’s IT industry.

AT&T, the global telecommunications major, opened its new office at the cluster, underscoring its commitment to the Middle East and Africa region Other ICT players that have joined DIC during 2009 include leading companies such as India-based Tata Communications, Norway headquartered Telenor Global Services, KDDI Singapore and Sophos Middle East.

Cementing its position as a driver of the regions ICT industry and as a destination that aids companies to grow and develop, DIC also witnessed key acquisitions within the industry during the year.In one of the biggest deals of its kind, Yahoo! acquired DIC-based Maktoob, providing further incentive to IT startups in the region.

Another business partner Tandberg, one of the largest makers of video conferencing systems, was acquired by CISCO recently. In addition to acquiring Tandberg, CISCO also expanded its already significant presence at DIC to accommodate its regional growth.

In addition to major corporations, DIC has also been successful in attracting SMEs through its FirstSteps@DIC Business Center, a unique facility that allows new companies to test the region’s business environment with minimal upfront investment. This segment witnessed an increase of nearly 30 per cent with 36 new companies becoming part of the programme. Some of the most prominent companies to enroll in the FirstSteps@DIC Business Center include Wexer, ReverNet and Netcetera.

Since its inception in 2000, Dubai Internet City (DIC) has been able to attract over 1,300 companies to its technology business park.

Dubai Internet City Offers Young Regional ‘Technopreneurs’ Platform to Demonstrate Creativity at DemoCamp Dubai 2010

The fifth edition of DemoCamp Dubai took place recently, drawing more than 200 attendees looking for promising technology to spur innovation and positive returns. A concept conference that aims to spark and open up creative communities for tech entrepreneurs, students, professionals and engineers, DemoCamp Dubai brought together technology innovators in the region to share their latest developments while giving them an opportunity to obtain valuable feedback from venture capitalists and angel investors.

The six selected technopreneur projects included: Hyzonia, a web platform for creating, customizing and publishing games online with the capacity to send ads to games directly. It was then followed by FURNISHMarketplace, a site which serves the procurement needs of interior designers, hospitality professionals and real estate developers in their quest to contract quality furniture and equipment. Next was ShopMidEast, who presented a project, set to be the largest and most comprehensive eRetailer in the Middle East. With intuitive payment methods, the website is designed to deliver a localized experience for every country in the region.

Another demonstration was InTheLoop, a professional social network site that focuses on the MENA region. Launched just five months ago, the site already has 6,000 professionals. Intheloop aims to launch Arabic and French versions of the website in the next coming few months. The demonstrations were concluded with Mysalbum, an online space that allows users to create a URL. Each image uploaded has the capacity to specify the number of views, type of users depending on geographical location and timing. Positioned to be a smart way to present photos to different targets, the website provides an easy to handle high performance solution. Lastly was Yebab.com, a unique online wedding directory in Arabic that caters to the UAE. The service covers the complete range of business for vendors, products and services, set to revolutionize the wedding planning industry.

DemoCamp Dubai is part of Dubai Internet City’s ongoing efforts to drive innovation and entrepreneurship in the region. A large number of start-ups and SMBs are currently part of the FirstSteps@DIC business centre, an initiative that aims to allow new companies to test the market before committing to establishing a larger foothold in the region. At the forefront of the region's ICT industry, Dubai Internet City remains committed to supporting emerging technology trends in the region and continues to play an instrumental role in developing the industry while contributing to Dubai's drive for creating a knowledge-based economy.

Two more DemoCamps are scheduled in 2010. For more information and updates, please contact opportunities@dubaiinternetcity.com

Technology and Innovation Key Catalysts for Economic Recovery, says Top Dubai Internet City Official

Technology and innovation are key catalysts for economic recovery, as the global economy is set to gain growth momentum in the new year, according to Majed Al Suwaidi, Director of Commercial Operations, Dubai Internet City.

Setting an optimistic note, Al Suwaidi assured the audience that greater IT spending and higher budgets marked a good start for the road to economic recovery in 2010.

He said: “We are witnessing corporations across sectors and governments in the region raising allocations towards IT spending. Technology is seen as a vital means to generate revenue at a much lower cost. Video-conferencing projects in the last year, for instance, have reduced travel costs without the loss of face-to-face contact with customers. As businesses reassess their budgets to identify areas that are proving more cost-effective, they are investing in new products and technologies that will increase overall productivity.”

Al Suwaidi added: “We believe through our partnerships and collaborations with business partners and government bodies, we can together contribute to the development of the IT industry.”

In addition to highlighting the Middle East’s great efforts towards economic recovery, Al Suwaidi also focused on trends in investing on innovation and new technology, spending strategically and refocusing existing resources to some areas that will facilitate the ICT sector growth once the economy picks up.

Dubai Internet City Launches ‘Excellence Series’ to Enhance ICT Community’s Professional Well-Being

Dubai Internet City has launched its monthly ‘Excellence Series’, a platform for its community to draw inspiration from renowned business and motivational speakers on topics relating to entrepreneurship, business and other interests.

The inauguration of the event, held in Dubai Internet City in February, introduced Carole Spiers, Vice-President, International Stress Management Association and also author of “Tolley’s Managing Stress in the Workplace”. Spiers delivered a presentation on ‘Change is your opportunity for growth’, aiming to encourage use of core values to approach change in a culturally diverse environment, use of change to your advantage as a positive attitude for personal growth and empowering others through visions and goals.

The second session of the ‘Excellence series’ welcomed celebrity speaker, Reg Athwal, Chairman of RAW Group LLC and co-founder of OneTVO who addressed the forum with an inspiring presentation on ‘Unleash your Business DNA.’ Part of the Global Speakers Network, Reg has addressed over 1 million people in over 40 countries offering his expert advice on how to build up companies in a recovery cycle and attract customers consistently to boost their cash flow.

The monthly event will invite business partners across TECOM Investments to hear from experts across different fields, and learn how the implementation of best practices and cutting-edge methodologies can make a telling difference to the corporate bottom-line.

Dubai Internet City’s Recycling Programmes Continue to Collect Large Number of Used Computing Equipment

Dubai Internet City is pleased to announce that over 1,000 pieces of used computing equipment hardware including screen monitors, printers and laptops have been collected as part of its ongoing recycling campaign and delivered to Dubai Municipality.

The ‘DIC Recycle – Reuse’ drive extends to recycling computing hardware, batteries and toners, and is being carried out in association with Dubai Municipality, Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Humanitarian and Charity Foundation and Microsoft Middle East. DIC’s business partners were encouraged to donate their used equipment at collection points at the technology business park. The donated items have been refurbished for distribution among educational, social and charitable institutions.

The ‘Envirofone Recycling Drive’ is the other ongoing green initiative by Dubai Internet City. Developed by Envirofone, an EnviroServe brand, which manages and promotes the UAE National Campaign for the recycling of e-waste, mobile phones, accessories and batteries, the programme aims to create a safer office environment at DIC, through disposing electronic waste that would be hazardous and toxic. In partnership with Envirofone, DIC has placed drop boxes across its business parks including Dubai Knowledge Village and Dubai Media City. Individuals are encouraged to deposit used phones, batteries, accessories, along with other related electronics. The items thus collected are exported to specialized e-waste recycling companies based in Singapore or Malaysia.

For more information on DIC’s recycling programmes, please contact us at opportunities@dubaiinternetcity.com.

Dubai Internet City Hosts 60-Member Delegation from ESSEC Business School of General Management’s Paris Campus

Dubai Internet City (DIC), recently welcomed a 60-member delegation from the ESSEC Business School of General Management of France, one of the world’s leading institutions for management and higher education, as a way of boosting closer collaboration with premier global academic institutions.

The delegation, from ESSEC Business School’s Paris campus, was welcomed by DIC’s top management team led by Majed Al Suwaidi, Director of Commercial Operations. As current managing directors, general managers and CEOs, the delegates from the reputed business programme represent a wide range of industry sectors, including telecom, banking, insurance, Internet services and logistics - each with an average of 15 years of experience in their respective industries.

The DIC team briefed the delegation on the region’s special industry practices and unique culture. They were also offered a presentation on the business concept behind Dubai Internet City and its continuing role in creating a knowledge-based economy in Dubai.

Attracting some of the world’s leading corporations and professionals from the world of academia, DIC aims to drive and spread the spirit of business enterprise among both the ICT community and the wider region, through launching and delivering a range of networking and industry knowledge-sharing programmes that inspire and build skills in the world of business.

BBC Top IT Show ‘Click’ Pays Flying Visit to Dubai Internet City

Following DIC’s milestones and achievements of 2009, the BBC World’s team from the Technology show ‘Click’, paid a flying visit from London recently, to meet with DIC’s Executive Director. Curious to understand how the region’s leading managed ICT technology business park plays a part in driving the development of the region’s internet infrastructure and connectivity, the TV crew was taken round the DIC grounds, capturing all the action that conveyed a ‘typical’ life inside the free zone community.

‘Click’ is a weekly global technology show that is broadcast to more than 100 million viewers, touching on topics including gadgets, the internet, consumer technology and mobiles. Watch the 30 minute ‘DIC story’ as a 30 minute special edition in April. You can also watch the programme online at http://www.bbc.co.uk/click

Dubai Internet City Kicks Off CyberFest 2010

CyberFest 2010, the annual three-day event that brings a diverse mix of fun and variety entertainment, took place at Dubai Internet City’s amphitheatre recently. Business partners at DIC had the opportunity to take a break from the office stress to relax and unwind in the sunshine.

Ethnic dance shows including the Kalbelia Dance group entertained on-lookers as they browsed through the bazaar, organized by the Forsaty Productive Families Program.

The fifth edition of CyberFest was organized in association with the Dubai Shopping Festival and the Ministry of Social Affairs.