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International Data Corporation (IDC) today launched the second edition of IDC’s DX Insights, a three-part magazine supplement aimed at making sense of the wave of digital transformation (DX) that is sweeping across the Middle East. Focusing on the theme ‘Smart Cities – Understanding the Future of Our Connected World’, Issue 2 of the supplement was developed in collaboration with Dell EMC and accompanies the August issue of Gulf Business magazine. It is also available to view now at www.idcdxinsights.com.

"One of the most innovative initiatives currently impacting each one of us in this new digital era is the rise of smart cities," says Jyoti Lalchandani, IDC’s group vice president and managing director for the Middle East, Turkey, and Africa (META). "These communities are embedded with devices and a vast multitude of services, all with the intention of enhancing the lives of citizens, enabling economic diversification, and creating a more sustainable environment.

"Digital transformation is the engine that drives these cities, and various initiatives across the Gulf region are beginning to establish new standards for other cities around the world to follow. DX initiatives are already driving innovation, creating new revenue models, and fostering a far more open and collaborative society, and the latest edition of IDC’s DX Insights provides a timely update on the various elements that are required to enable the connected cities of tomorrow to truly thrive."

With this in mind, Lalchandani explores the critical role that collaboration has to play in the successful development of these communities, while Ranjit Rajan, IDC’s associate vice president for research in META, takes a look at the impact that disruptive technologies such as robotics, artificial intelligence, and 3D printing are likely to have on the region’s employment landscape.

Dell EMC’s vice president for the META region, Mohammed Amin, offers his thoughts on the evolution of citizen demands in the modern city and the key challenges that lie in wait for city planners. He also serves up advice on managing the exponential growth of data that inevitably accompanies the digitalization of day-to-day city processes, while an exclusive case study examines the successful implementation of intelligent storage infrastructure at National Bank of Kuwait.

Elsewhere in the magazine, IDC’s director of telecommunications and IoT in META, Paul Black, lays down a blueprint for building smarter cities with the Internet of Things (IoT), while Megha Kumar, IDC’s research director for software and cloud in META, explores the role of Big Data analytics in enabling city transformation and stresses the need for security to be built into the very fabric of city infrastructure. There are also fascinating insights into the innovative application of drones and autonomous vehicles within the smart city setting.

To access your complimentary copy of IDC’s DX Insights, please visit www.idcdxinsights.com. You can join the conversation on LinkedIn and Twitter by using the hashtag #IDCDX.