Businesses in the Middle East are turning to green alternatives when updating Information and Communication Technology (ICT) products and the change will be one of the major themes at this year's Gitex Technology Week on Oct. 19-23. Many companies are now incorporating strategies on both the business side and on an individual responsibility basis, to reduce waste and energy in a drive to become more sustainable. Experts predict that “going green” will be one of the most important factors over the next decade. “Middle East leaders are putting a lot of money and commitment into developing new and environmentally sustainable products to combat the problems of climate change. A number of exhibitors at Gitex Technology Week will be unveiling the latest hardware which is energy efficient and low on non-renewable materials,” said Helal Saeed Almarri, director general, Dubai World Trade Center, Gitex Technology Week organizer. The World Bank has reported that 2 percent of global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions currently come as a result of ICT and there is now a concerted effort within the industry to find more environmentally solutions which are also financially beneficial to business. Several exhibitors who are focusing on green issues at the event include 3M, Dell, NEC-Philips, Panasonic, Sharp and Samsung. Sharp is targeting a 40 percent expansion in the region this year and expects more than 50 percent of the sales to come from environmentally-friendly products in the coming years. “All new products that Sharp bring in are designed to use less energy and be more user-friendly,” said Tomio Isogai, Middle East managing director, Sharp. “We will be showing our latest LCD televisions and professional monitors at Gitex Technology Week which contain components and materials that are recyclable and environmentally friendly. Other shows include a series of health conscious products. We have set a global goal of becoming the most advanced environmentally-friendly and health conscious company,” he added. This year's Gitex Technology Week will incorporate a powerful week of dedicated trade events looking at the new technologies to support an environmentally-friendly working environment. The show includes three segments: Gitex Business Solutions, Gulfcomms and Consumer Electronics, as well as targeted networking initiatives. Many businesses will come together at Gitex Technology Week with the aim of building alliances to promote the adoption of energy efficient standards, processes and technologies, while reducing computer power consumption. Organizations across the Middle East are changing the way in which their computer systems are designed, manufactured, operated and recycled, and 3M will be demonstrating a cabling system based on fiber-optics that lower the amount of energy needed. “The reasons are clear for switching to Green ICT now; it will reduce the impact and costs of energy consumption, and it will meet customer and employee expectations,” said Martin Parsons, marketing manager, 3M Electro-Communications Business. __
