SCHNEIDER Electric, the global specialist in energy management, is set to host its annual Power to the Cloud conference and exhibition under the theme ‘Building Next-Generation Mission Critical IT Infrastructure’.

Scheduled for November 25 and 26 at the Atlantis – The Palm in Dubai, this year’s edition of the event will highlight the confluence of Smart City and Informational Technology and Schneider Electric’s integrated solutions portfolio in certain key simulated environments such as banking and finance, hospitality, healthcare and telecommunications.

The event will also showcase Schneider Electric’s strength in the datacentre space with the display of physical datacentre infrastructure and the path-breaking Struxureware software for datacentres. The event is expected to bring over 1,000 IT decision-makers and key influencers from the Middle East and Africa region.

Power to the Cloud 2013 will discuss emerging technology paradigms that make a tangible contribution to long-term IT infrastructure strategies. It will also allow IT executives and industry analysts to share best practices of leading global and regional government and private entities.

NEW TECHNOLOGIES

Thierry Chamayou, vice president, Middle East & Africa for IT business, Schneider Electric, said: “New technologies are helping us redefine efficiencies and optimisation, with the greatest impact of this visible in smart cities. Schneider Electric is at the absolute forefront. Power to the Cloud showcases how Schneider Electric solutions validate the benefits of IT investment through improving the management of energy and utilities, saving costs, and adding business value – all with the datacentre at its core.”

The two-day event will include a dedicated segment with the CIO community, as well as speaking opportunities for Schneider Electric’s global and regional customers and reseller training sessions.

Olivier Delepine, vice president, IT business in the Gulf countries, Schneider Electric, added: “Building on the success of our inaugural Power to the Cloud event last November, we have increased the exhibition space this year to showcase a greater bandwidth of solutions and host nearly 1,000 participants. In addition to simulated environments of a few verticals, the 1,400 sq m dedicated model of a fully functional smart city will feature residential and office buildings, a  school and an electric vehicle charging station. The pavilion will also host mock-ups of an airport, a power station, and a wastewater treatment area.”

Ranjit Rajan, senior research director, IDC Middle East and Africa, said IT spending in the MEA region currently estimated to be $76 billion, is expected to surpass $105 billion by 2017. The demand for cloud services in MEA is registering a sustained increase as organisations realise the business agility and cost optimisation benefits of cloud. However, security, control, and usability constrain widespread adoption, especially in key Gulf countries such as Saudi Arabia. Despite this, the Saudi cloud market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 49.7 per cent and the UAE 43.7 per cent during the period 2012-16, Rajan said.