The IP EXPO has been running successfully in the UK since 2006, and now its organiser, Imago Techmedia, is bringing the show to South Africa.

As more undersea cables and satellites boost Africa’s bandwidth, smart companies can introduce new systems and applications to keep a step ahead of their rivals. The exhibitors, speakers and analysts supporting IP EXPO on the 15th and 16th of November will show them exactly how to do that.

A number of key organisations have already confirmed their involvement including Aastra Telecom, VMware, Intel, Telkom, Motorola, CommVault, Westcon, Citrix, Mitel Networks, Veeam and Oracle.

The focus of the expo

The IP EXPO will focus specifically on Internet Protocol (IP) infrastructure, virtualisation and cloud computing. It aims to make those complex technologies easy to understand and even easier to deploy by creating an environment where enterprise end users can meet the experts in a two-day consulting experience.

“While South Africa is seen as a leader in technology and telecommunications on the African continent, the country is still lagging behind most developed countries,” sated IP EXPO exhibition manager Lizelle Christison.

“The landing of several international cables and massive fibre infrastructure projects mean that our bandwidth is improving. As the costs come down, end users are more open to looking at technologies such as virtualisation and cloud computing,” Christison said.

“The historical lack of high-speed bandwidth and the exorbitant costs have inhibited moves towards virtualisation and cloud computing,” Christison added. “Now we should see a lot more organisations look at virtualisation and cloud computing as part of their technology projects.”

Almost 50 seminars over two days

Three stages at IP EXPO will host 48 seminars over the two days, covering topics such as virtualisation, data centre management, business continuity, mobility and wireless, unified communications, and the underlying network infrastructure. Other sessions will explain how to apply the technologies to specific fields such as the security market and identity management systems.

Local speakers will include Arthur Goldstuck, managing director of research house World Wide Worx, who will present the research findings on the potential for IP networks, cloud computing and virtualisation, commissioned specifically for the event.

IP EXPO has become the biggest IT infrastructure and business communications show in the UK, said Hugh Keeble, managing director of Imago Techmedia. It aims to achieve the same success in South Africa, with plans to replicate the exhibition and speaker programme in other African countries as they also begin to enjoy the benefits of additional bandwidth.

IP EXPO will showcase technology solutions that deliver true enterprise flexibility, and will help buyers make smart decisions by giving them the right information at the right time, Keeble added. “IP EXPO is unique as it allows sponsors and exhibitors the opportunity to interact directly with their core target market – an audience that is informed, keen to learn about the technology and ready to make decisions.”

Organisations are always looking for opportunities to improve their bottom line and rely heavily on technology to do so. Infrastructure growth, virtualisation and cloud computing are all expected to boom this year, Keeble concluded, and South Africa leads the African continent in its adoption of these strategic technologies.