Gitex highlights some of the most wondrous technological achievements. It is also a superb showcase for the potential abuse of technology.
Without a doubt the most hated technology on display at Gitex was the much-touted E-Access System introduced by the Dubai World Trade Center (DWTC).
According to DWTC General Manager Exhibitions, Leasing and Property, Abdullah T. Qassem, the E-Access System was designed to better serve exhibitors and visitors to the exhibition and enable swift and easy access to exhibition as well as reduce queues.
In fact, the E-Access gates led to terrifying queues at Gitex entry and exit points. Every attendee to Gitex was issued with a bar-coded badge.
To open the E-Access gates the bar-code on the badge had to be read by the scanner mounted on the gate. The E-Access scanners were mounted thigh-high. Individuals wearing badges on neck cords had to actually bow down before the scanner so the badge’s bar-code could be read and the E-Access gate opened.
The mounted gate scanners were persnickety about how the bar-code was presented for reading. Faced with an uncooperative technology, many Gitex attendees simply handed their badges to the security guard stationed at each gate so that he could wave the bar-code before the gate’s scanner. At minimum it took 10 seconds for each individual to pass through an E-Access gate. When the scanner wouldn’t grab the bar-code or the gates jammed, as happened frequently, the time for entry per individual was much longer.
Being scanned once daily wouldn’t have been too bad, but many areas — Sheikh Rashid Hall, restaurants, media centers, conference rooms, etc — were outside the main Gitex exhibition halls.
To reach those areas it was necessary to stand in a queue to exit the main halls, and then, later, stand in another queue for reentry. Over at Sheikh Rashid Hall, where old-fashioned hand held scanners controlled entry, there was never a queue in sight.
By Tuesday, facing mounting anger over the E-Access Gates, DWTC management suspended the use of the gates for exiting the show.
Noise pollution at this year’s Gitex was incredible. In an effort to attract attention, many exhibitors had obnoxious multimedia displays mounted on their stands. Consumer electronics exhibitors were some of the worst offenders.
The audio from these multimedia displays could be heard 50 meters away from some stands, even over all the other show noise. In the midst of an interview on the IBM stand, located at the periphery of Hall 3, it was necessary to pause because the US National Anthem being played as part of a multi media display by a Korean electronics company was simply overwhelming.
There is frequent criticism that Gitex Riyadh is a dull event because such multimedia displays are not encouraged. However, at least at Gitex Riyadh it is possible to get through the show with one’s hearing intact.
DWTC authorities should restrict the decibels emanating from multi media presentations on individual stands to improve the overall environment and functionality of the exhibition.
Wireless was the word this year at Gitex, but it was apparent that few completely understood this technology. One IT security specialist at the show estimated that 80 percent of the wireless devices in operation at Gitex employed no security to protect their stored data. It was definitely a hacker’s paradise. Individuals exposed their address books through their PDAs and many even used unsecured notebooks in public spaces.
Vendors exposed corporate networks through poorly secured wireless hubs on their stands. Get with the program folks! Wireless’ invisibility does not confer data protection. Last but not the least, it is essential to mention the new trend in icky orations, delivered by some vendors at social events held during Gitex week.
Power Point presentations before dinner might be described as cheesy, but they still cause indigestion. It is extremely annoying to be invited to a meal, only to find that a lengthy, boring, nauseating presentation must be endured before food will be offered. Holding guests hostage at the dinner table, after a very, very long day at the show, is definitely not the way to encourage them to think highly of any company or organization.
