An additional trend at CeBIT 2008 involves the new digital radios, which offer clear reception without any static or crackling. According to an EU recommendation, all conventional USW stations in Germany are to be taken off the air by 2015, thus catapulting conventional analog radios from people’s cars and living rooms onto the scrapheap of history.

Industry representatives
     Ernst Raue, managing board member of Deutsche Messe noted, “At CeBIT 2008 we will have more outstanding repre-sentatives from politics, business and research than ever.’ The exhibition will be kicked off on the evening of 3 March by German Chancellor Angela Merkel, in a ceremony which also features French President Nicolas Sarkozy, EU Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso and Steve Ballmer, CEO of Microsoft, the world’s biggest software manufacturer.
     “We are also anticipating numerous additional top industry representatives within the framework of our CeBIT Global Conferences,” Raue continued. “We already have firm commitments from Microsoft COO Kevin Turner, Software AG CEO Karl-Heinz Streibich, Sony Ericsson CEO Carl Henric Svanberg, Natalya Kasperskaya of Kaspersky Labs, SAP CEO Henning Kagermann, Deutsche Telekom CEO René Obermann, and many more.”
     Out of a large field of topics, several key themes are already emerging in advance of the show.
     “At CeBIT we will be seeing numerous new technology trends for office and home-based applications. The convergence of technologies will be tangible in all halls at CeBIT. At ‘Future Parc’ several international research labs will display the technology of the future,” explained Raue. “The problem of an inadequate supply of qualified specialists for the IT industry is becoming more acute; as an international flagship exhibition, CeBIT plays an important role in helping companies find the right people. For this reason, we have teamed up with the business initiative known as ‘IT Fitness’ to create a special weekend event designed to popularize IT careers among young people.”
     A pervasive issue in the industry involves green IT,” asserted Raue. “The question of how innovative IT applications can contribute to climate protection is one that preoccupies almost all enterprises. 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.”
     In response, CeBIT will be offering several concentrated green IT exhibits for the first time ever: “In Hall 9 we will have our Green IT Village. And we are organizing a special green IT supporting program. Finally, we are producing a Green IT Guide, a comprehensive reference guide which will come out in time for CeBIT,” explained Raue.
     To do justice to the topic at CeBIT, Deutsche Messe has entered into a strategic cooperation with the Climate Savers Computing Initiative. This global initiative brings together manufacturers, businesses, organizations and consumers to sharply increase the energy efficiency of computers and servers. The initiative is led by international enterprises like Dell, EDS, Google, HP, Intel, Lenovo, Microsoft, Pacific Gas & Electric and the World Wildlife Fund. The sponsors include AMD, Delta Electronics, eBay, Fujitsu, Hitachi, Marvell Semiconductor, NEC, Sun and Supermicro.
     Another focus at CeBIT will involve the interests of small and medium-sized enterprises. “This target audience is of particular importance to us,” stated Raue, “for it is exactly this group which can greatly increase its chances of making the right investment by visiting CeBIT to get a comprehensive overview of the available IT applications. This is becoming vitally important in the face of increasingly globalized competition.”
     CeBIT is responding to the growing significance of the retail sector by staging its ‘Planet Reseller’ special display. Specially designed for resellers and closed to the general public, this event continues to register growth. “Exhibitors here can reach more resellers than at any other event. This is where new trends are revealed and the latest products showcased,” said Raue.
     The growing penetration of health care by information technology and telecommunications is underscored by the rapid growth of the Telehealth sector. “The health care sector has a particularly large cost-savings potential, which can be tapped through the intelligent deployment of IT solutions,” explained Raue.
     “The example of the health care sector proves that information technology has developed into a pivotal cross-sectional industry. IT is omnipresent----be it in industrial machinery and equipment, in every car, in every office, in the living room and even children’s rooms,” concluded Raue.