SHARJAH, (Pakistan Point News - 22nd Mar, 2021) The Sharjah Research Technology and Innovation Park (SRTI Park) and Global CIO Forum hosted a hybrid – live in-person and online – event of the 7th edition of the Future IT Summit (FITS) & Catalyst Awards on Monday at the SRTI Park HQ.
The IT summit focused on dissecting a number of tools, technologies, trends and techniques that could drive organisations towards a more productive remote or hybrid work model.
The event, attended by around 200 IT professionals, HR officers and C-level executives, was inaugurated by Hussain Al Mahmoudi, CEO of SRTI Park, and Ronak Samantaray, CEO of GEC Media Group and Co-Founder of Global CIO Forum, along with other key dignitaries from the government and private sectors in the UAE.
In his keynote address at the event that was also beamed live on YouTube and social media, Al Mahmoudi said, "As the world grapples with the new technological challenges to combat the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, FITS has focused on its theme, #StrongerTogether, to highlight how the collaboration between humans and technology would fast track the efforts are on getting the IT industry thrive in the so-called new normal."
"Automation gained pace and we adapted by withdrawing from the physical offices and working remotely but effectively from our homes and. Rapid adaption of technology affected across all industries - from manufacturing to retail, healthcare, logistics and supply and delivery of basic services. We now look at the best practices and innovate," he underlined.
Ronak Samantaray, CEO of GEC Media Group and Co-Founder of Global CIO Forum, said, "We, at GEC Media Group, further leverages the organisation’s vision towards working with the region’s leading decision makers to promote the future of IT and bring the best-of-breed solution providers at the forefront."
Samantaray underscored, "Over the past years, FITS has seen the attendance of over 5,000 industry leaders and decision makers and the tradition has continued in 2021. As partners, GEC Media and SRTI Park are all set to promote futuristic innovations in the ICT landscape and work towards a common goal of positioning the UAE as one of the pioneers in the world in terms of technological advancements."
During the event, the attendees also got a chance to have a site tour of the futuristic SRTI Park, where they saw the Innovation Lab, SkyPod project and other innovative businesses. The Future IT Summit 2021 also had a networking session of the leading players in the arena of digital and hybrid workforce who demonstrated their solutions in creating a winning business strategy for the customers. Leading CIOs (chief information officers) from the UAE likewise presented their business outlook for 2021 and beyond.
The Catalyst Award 2021 was also announced, honouring the trailblazers in the industry who have been uplifting the brand and reputation of their respective organisations during these difficult times with various cutting-edge initiatives, platforms and market-penetration and truly acting as catalysts in the ever-changing market landscape.
FITS MEA 2021 honoured top 10 happy companies for the award. The winners included: StorIT Distribution, ASBIS middle East, Emitac, Barco, Gulf Business Machines, Spectrum Networks, Arcon TechSolutions, Mindware, RNS Technology Services, and GAVS Technologies.
