Multinational ICT solutions firm Huawei Technologies will take its place among thousands of exhibitors and participants expected at CeBIT Global Conference 2017, running from 20 – 24 March in Hannover, Germany.

The annual international tech event will feature keynote addresses, workshops, expert discussion panels and a networking area, with discussion focused on tech trends that impact the digital business - specifically 5G, Artificial Intelligence, cloud, cyber security, Internet of Things (IoT) and virtual reality.

Huawei and its partners will showcase solutions that underpin a business' road to digital transformation, particularly related to cloud computing, Big Data, IoT and software-defined networking (SDN).

The company's portfolio covers enterprise networking, Unified Communications & Collaboration, cloud computing & data centre, as well as enterprise wireless, among others.

It will also use the opportunity to discuss best practices for smart cities, finance, smart grids, transportation, and manufacturing.

Smart cities

Huawei is actively pursuing the development and integration of solutions to support the establishment of smart city networks in Africa.

In October 2016 the company showcased its Safe City Integrated Communication Platform in Kenya, with a detailed business case of how the solution could be used to facilitate a continent-wide network of safe cities.

Hong Eng Koh, Global Chief Public Safety Expert at Huawei Enterprise Group said following meetings with senior government representatives and local partners in South Africa, that there are opportunities to make cities, the country and the entire region safer through the use of cloud computing, social media, mobility, big data and other technologies for the digital age.

In early February 2017, the company launched an intelligent transport system solution at the i-Transport & UATP Conference and Exhibition in Johannesburg.

The solution integrates ICT technology and intelligent algorithms to support traffic data centres, Internet Protocol Multiprotocol Label Switching (IP MPLS) and optical transmission network, video surveillance platforms and other ICT infrastructure in order to build a comprehensive unified traffic management platform.

These are timely initiatives if analysis regarding the smart city market proves accurate. In January 2017 Pablo Tomasi, analyst for smart cities IOT intelligence service at IHS Markit, said verticals, including both proven successful case studies and also more innovative initiatives, will push the market into the next stage of its evolution.

He believes the category of mobility and transport will set the pace. "The vertical provides clear use cases in the form of traffic management and optimisation through the use of sensors, cameras, and platforms, while also possessing a game-changing spark in the form of vehicle-to-vehicle communication (V2V), vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) communication, and self-driving vehicles," said Tomasi.

Huawei has selected Leading New ICT...the road to digital transformation as its lead theme and topic for CeBIT 2017.

"New ICT technologies enabled by cloud computing are creating exciting new user experiences ... AI powered machines predict the success of your business. New products, new services, and new business models – this is the new era of ICT," states Huawei in a corporate video explanation of its theme.