The relaunch of CeBIT was a success. The new CeBIT format succeeded across the board, drawing an enthusiastic response from visitors and exhibitors alike.Â
VIPs from research and industry as well as government figures used CeBIT 2008 to debate and promote issues of core
importance to the information society. Several of the industry’s biggest guns were at CeBIT 2008, visitors’ traffic at the stands was reported to have topped last year’s figures for each exhibition segment.
Exhibitors and visitors alike gave the new-format CeBIT top marks across all four of its key categories: business solutions, public sector solutions, home & mobile solutions and technology and infrastructure.
Here are some of the highlights:Â
Green ITÂ
The very first international “Green IT” showcase and forum for suppliers and users from around the world was successfully launched at CeBIT 2008. The key aspects included low-emission products and manufacturing processes, lower power consumption for equipment in both operating and standby modes, and the use of IT to achieve energy savings across a wide range of industrial sectors.
Business SolutionsÂ
The core themes included “software as a service” (SaaS), a business model in which software is provided as a web-based service. Another trend highlighted at the tradeshow was the increasingly mobile nature of business software. More and more business intelligence (BI) and customer relationship management (CRM) applications can now be used via smart phones. This gives employees mobile access to company documents and thanks to IP-based “next generation networks” (NGN), they can always be contacted at the same number. Web 2.0 is also becoming increasingly important for businesses today, with interactive and collaborative entities such as communities, wikis, blogs and social book-marking services adding value to business software. The other key themes included Open Source, service-oriented architectures (SOA) and radio-frequency identification (RFID).
Home & Mobile SolutionsÂ
With products and networks becoming ever more powerful, the benefits of associated services are now beginning to take centre stage. Wireless, high-resolution access is now available to all sorts of data – e-mails or personal video and music compilations, for example – thanks to wireless USB and wireless HDMI (high-definition multimedia interface), employing UWB (ultra wideband) technology. This includes Web content such as social networks and IPTV. Nor is this access restricted to the four walls of one’s home, where listening to WLAN radio in the bathroom, gaming with wireless freedom or commanding a TV media centre from one’s sofa are now commonplace. Thanks to E-HSPA (evolved high-speed packet access), the same experiences can now also be enjoyed on the road via your mobile phone–– all with broadband speed. Innovative interfaces using as touch screens and movement sensors ensure user-friendly access to all your media. In the notebook segment, there is a clear trend towards ever smaller, more compact and cheaper devices, alongside extravagant design options, including piano lacquer finishes and flashy colours.
SecurityÂ
Data security has long been a backbone topic at CeBIT, and one with great relevance to both business and private users in need of seamless, airtight solutions. Suppliers are offering ever-higher performance and lower demand on system resources. The other key topics included more effective protection against threats such as “drive-by downloads” which can lead to an malware-infected computer merely upon visiting a website, plus ways of keeping aggressive, locally deployed boot networks at bay. Also highlighted in this section was the issue of data leakage protection in the corporate sector. Security is also becoming an increasing concern for smartphone users in view of the growing popularity and performance of these devices.
Telematics and Navigation
Huge ranges of innovations were on show in the Telematics and Navigation sector at CeBIT this year. Integrated databases with information on current traffic forecasts allow for automatic selection of the fastest route to your destination and more accurate predictions of the arrival time. Route planning decisions are made easier by new technologies, such as anticipatory lane advice systems. Navigation functionality is also being extended to include driver’s logs and pedestrian maps. Voice input of destination addresses is now possible, and the latest devices can also speak the names of the streets you are driving through, thanks to the integrated “text-to-speech” voice synthesis function. Navigation software is also increasingly being offered for smart phones.
Public Sector SolutionsÂ
The “Public Sector Parc” was again a standout attraction for anyone interested in eGovernment at the municipal, regional, national or EU level. Solutions were on show for semi-autonomous government agencies, public sector businesses and the education sector. The key themes were the use of geo data, homeland security and IT solutions for all the aspects of energy efficiency and local and renewable energy forms. Also in evidence were perennial issues such as the cross-departmental networking of services and systems, electronic signatures and electronic identity documents.
BankingÂ
The “Banking & Finance” section featuring a “Point of Sale” component for the first time ever showcased a wide range of hardware and software solutions for money transactions. The main focus was on increased flexibility as well as the standardization of company-wide business processes and IT platforms. Considerable attention was also paid to security issues and the application of service-oriented architectures (SOA). A key attraction was “Future Banking – Bank Branch 2012”, a special show featuring a complete bank branch office, equipped with cutting-edge hardware and software for front and back-office functions.
