15th International Conference on Telecommunications, Informatics & Media
Digital Grecovery: The Data Highway!
Titled «Digital Grecovery: The Data Highway», the InfoCom World 2013 Conference (www.info-com.gr) will take place on October 30, 2013 at Divani Caravel Hotel.
This year’s conference coincides with the emphasis placed on the country’s efforts to return to growth in spite of the still lurking risks, while at the same time marks the 15th consecutive year of the institution.
InfoCom World is the largest event about digital technologies in South Eastern Europe attracting more than 3,500 delegates. It registers and successfully captures the course, but also the convergence of technology markets, IT, Telecommunications and Media in Greece, and every year provides an excellent opportunity for delegates and speakers to engage in an interactive dialogue on the future of those markets, through the common path of the digital data.
Greece marches -even with a “zigzag” path- towards the exit of the recession spiral, so there will be a need for a driving force, both in primary and secondary investments. This driving force will primarily come from Digital Technology, Telecommunications and Informatics, all of them sectors with high added value and high growth potential.
First Session
Beyond voice: Data only!
By consolidating networks, digital data is now undoubtedly the common denominator of the entire infrastructure. Every survey shows that the share of voice usage has now definitively supplanted data usage. Besides, in the new generation mobile technologies such as LTE, voice is considered just another data service, making the distinction between voice and data meaningless.
The huge volume of data to be routed between the network edge and central management node poses a challenge because it requires sophisticated technologies for proper management.
There are also some other important issues, regarding the storage, so that the required infrastructure, combined with the multiple technologies of distribution networks, is what has now been registered in the public consciousness as “cloud”.
In any case, data applications find their place in more and more aspects of our everyday life and create network layers that, although developed in parallel and independently, they can easily interact creating a “three-dimensional” digital environment (Machine to Machine, Smart Grids, Smart Cities etc).
Information & Communication Technologies offer quite important reasons to enterprises (also to big organizations, banks and even the public sector) in order to transform a big slice of their CapEx to OpEx, releasing precious resources, while on the same time let them acquire their customers in a more personal level.
In this session, infrastructure providers, technology and services, will present their proposals for a data-centric environment which is constantly expanding in response to dilemmas regarding both how to manage the volume of information, and the delicate balance between accessibility and security. Businesses now have plethora of IaaS, PaaS and SaaS solutions to choose from, so they focus mainly on SLA and the most desirable mix between standardization and adaptability.
Second Session
Infrastructure: How many networks? How many technologies?
Providers have been engaged in a growing struggle to find both economical and effective ways in order to give their users the coveted fast connection to the Internet.
On their way they are faced with financial, constructional, legal, regulatory, predictable and unforeseen obstacles that cause them to perform complex maneuvers between different technologies, implementations and business models, sometimes cooperatively, sometimes competitively.
As a consequence, the Gordian knot they have to solve is getting more and more complex. Should they adopt another alternative and groundbreaking approach? Both at European and national level, the idea of joint provision of network infrastructure is now starting to mature, restricting the competition at service level, only.
Although it sounds like a simple concept, the actual implementation of this initiative is quite close to be called chaotic, because of the need to merge existing networks, select the ideal mix of technologies and also locate the virtual and physical paths for matching optimal binding characteristics, with maximum economy of scale.
Representatives of manufacturers and network providers, as well as institutional stakeholders are invited to express their views on the future shape of the telecommunications environment and also describe their strategy on this issue.
Third Session
Grecovery & Entrepreneurship: Business unusual
Nowadays, the customer – business relationship evolves dramatically. Competition intensifies, purchasing power is weak and any company has to evolve with an orientation to innovation and flexibility-factors in correct proportions can multiply the value-usually limited to initial investment. The same, however, concepts of innovation, flexibility and extroversion make it particularly difficult to find a model that guarantees success, since it must be implemented most of the time by managers who can hardly deny the business ‘rut’ of the pre-crisis era.
However, there are some basic guidelines that should be followed, in order valuable investment in effort and money to have prospects. The requirements are different and we all have to adapt to the «unusual business model», because under the present circumstances only the excess can ensure survival, outlook and growth. The bet is the transformation of these companies from small local businesses to global enterprises.
On the other hand the business environment of the country is far from being classified as “business friendly”, which makes the viability of a business endeavor even more difficult, and it also makes it almost prohibitive to create business plans because of the increased risk of investing.
Yet, despite the rigidities and inertia investment initiatives are emerging from various directions designed to reposition Greece on the map as an investment destination. The unequivocal geographical position of the country and its political role in the European Union, make it attractive to investors and the single regulator remains the country risk. Surely, a factor beyond businesses control, but within the range of the political leadership actions.
Fourth Session
CEO Summit: Make or Break. The suspended step of the CEO
The challenges that continually unfold before today’s telecom operators are fundamental and oblige them to redefine their operational structures.
The CEOs are invited to manage the new data with almost zero margins for error, juggling on the tightrope of a volatile environment. The suspended step of the CEO or maybe not?
Some of them have seen the prospects offered by the particular environment, dared and supported the overall effort for the resurgence of the country. They will have a prominently seat in the panel!
At the same time, in this year’s Summit there are two important and quite specific questions that the leaders of telecommunications companies and the regulator will be asked to answer. These queries come from the European Commission itself and show that the transformation of providers is a pan-European issue.
The first is whether the relaxation of the existing regulatory framework across the main provider can be used as a springboard to re-launch investments. The second is if a common infrastructure provider can achieve economies of scale in order to release funds that could be launched to create and promote innovative and competitive services.