PC Retail

Determined to offer a more streamlined event, Deutsche Messe cut the event's running time by a day, but promised more variety, more exhibitors and a more focused experience.

"The new CeBIT is in place," stated Ernst Raue, managing board member of Deutsche Messe. "Our new concept – involving a sharper profile, a clearer structure and significantly more content – is meeting with a positive response in the marketplace."

This year's show, which takes place between March 4th and 9th in Hannover, Germany, will feature four main display sections: Business Solutions, Public Sector Solutions, Home and Mobile Solutions, and Technology and Infrastructure.

It'll also focus on learning, consulting, knowledge and green IT, and will feature keynote addresses from Steve Ballmer, CEO of Microsoft, Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel, the French president Nicolas Sarkozy and BITKOM president Professor August-Wilhelm Scheer.

It certainly sounds impressive, so lets take a closer look at what this year's event holds...

Think green about your PC

Power saving technology, recyclable notebooks, toxic free display monitors… These are just some of the many environmentally-friendly products that have passed through the PC Retail office over the past few months. Green IT is certainly one of the hottest topics of the moment, and located in the depths of Hall nine at this year's CeBIT show, you will find the Green IT Village.

The Green IT village comes with a special supporting programme and a reference guide that will be published in time for the event. And it will also house a series of environmentally conscious products.

"The question of how innovative IT applications can contribute to climate protection is one that preoccupies almost all enterprises," said Ernst Raue managing board member of Deutsche Messe: "But for the IT industry, the energy efficiency of their equipment is also becoming a key concern. The global IT industry is facing some critical choices."

One of the key new technologies on show will be the new Green Power technology from Cyber Power Systems. The company claims its technology will lower the power consumption of uninterruptible power supply systems by up to 75 per cent.

Power efficient products will also be on display at the event, with German power supply manufacturer, Be Quiet, preparing to launch seven new Dark Power Pro power supply units. The units are said to be first class and have an efficiency rate of up to 88 per cent.

Other companies expected to reveal green products at the event include Icop Technology and Amacrox, so stay tuned to PC Retail for the latest developments.

Solutions for Business

Business Solutions is one of the four main display sections at CeBIT this year. Previously known as IT Enterprise, the Business Solutions display will contain details on software, products and services, vertical industry solutions and feature special topics, which will focus on the Future Parc innovations platform, network technology and IT for banks.

The displays for the sector will be located in halls two to seven, and will focus on internal and external communication, product developments, products, sales, customer relationship management and will end with administrative processes, such as financial accounting and human resources management.

Updating the Public Sector

Occupying two entire halls, the Public Sector Solutions display will feature 250 exhibitors, including Agresso, Fabasoft, Fujitsu Siemens Computers, IBM, MACH, Materna, SAP and Siemens.

The Public Sector Solutions section will have displays on a wide range of issues, including ICT recruitment and geographical information systems, and on March 7th and 8th, the fine folk of Telehealth will be visiting. Telehealth is set to showcase dedicated ICT solutions for the healthcare sector and will be involved in a series of lecture programmes. These programmes are to feature high-profile contributors, who will present their research findings and discuss best-practice.

Also booked for the Public Sector Solutions display, is the Public Services Parc in hall nine. The Public Services Parc is a special forum for the public sector, and will deal with issues such as the EU Services Directive.

"We are very pleased that Public Sector Parc is dealing with such a broad range of issues," says Dr. Sven-Michael Prüser, the senior vice president responsible for CeBIT.

"The public authorities are still unsure about how to implement the directive – i.e. to what extent they will have to modify their internal systems and who should be accessible via the standard 115 telephone helpline.

"At CeBIT visitors will be able to talk directly to the experts and find out about future developments."

The Digital Home

The largest and most exciting display at CeBIT this year is called Home and Mobile Solutions. This section is dotted throughout CeBIT and is sure to appeal to retailers with its focus on mobile devices for transport and the home, PCs, televisions, mobile phones, printers and a host of other consumer products.

In the run up to this year's CeBIT event, organisers Deutsche Messe issued a statement in relation to the its Home and Mobile Solutions section, which detailed the consumer trends that will be seen at this year's show.

"Digital entertainment is in greater demand than ever before," says Deutsche Messe. "The German association for consumer and communications electronics is predicting sales of more than 4.4 million flat panel television sets in Germany alone."

"There is also a growing interest in 'professional' flat panel television sets which can be used, for example, as customer or visitor information systems in various public places by companies, airports and train stations, local government, hotels, retailers or medical facilities.

"Digital recorders and players which support the high-grade DVD format Blu-ray will also be experiencing further growth in 2008, with annual growth expected to reach 12.5 per cent through to 2011. And the picture is similarly positive for digital set-top boxes used for high-resolution HDTV.

"Another new trend being highlighted at the new 'Home & Mobile Solutions' display sector at CeBIT involves digital connectivity. According to BITKOM, United States consumers are already spending eight billion dollars annually for networked consumer entertainment devices."