CeBIT 2006 surpassed exhibitor expectations by a wider margin than ever before in the 20-year history of the event. The buoyant mood triggered by favorable industry forecasts during the run-up to the show continued to brighten as CeBIT progressed, culminating in many million-dollar deals. After years of holding back, all signs pointed to small and medium-sized businesses being back on the investment track. The show's 6,262 exhibitors, including over 3,300 from abroad, reported having closed about 20 percent more deals than last year - a fitting "birthday present" to the CeBIT community during the event's 20th anniversary.

CeBIT 2006 Opening Ceremony; from (L) to (R): Dr HC Herbert Schmalstieg, Mayor and Chief Executive, City of Hannover, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Arun Sarin, CEO of Vodafone and Willi Berchtold, President of the German Association for Information Technology, Telecommunications and New Media – BITKOM.

Franz Beckenbauer of soccer fame at the 02 stand during CeBIT 2006.

HIGHLIGHTS Exhibitor expectations exceeded Million-dollar deals signed Global stage for trendsetting technologies Excellent attendance despite inclement weather

With excellent attendance figures of around 450,000 visitors, unrivaled international appeal for an ICT event - with around one-third of all visitors coming from abroad - and an extremely high rate of professional attendance (around 85 percent of all attendees), CeBIT has clearly lived up to its reputation as the key B2B platform for the entire ICT industry.

The jump in attendance from the Americas was particularly gratifying. Attendance from North America was up 28 percent, and attendance from South and Central America even went up by 38 percent. The turnout from European countries such as Austria, France and Sweden also experienced an upswing. The figures for German attendance revealed increases from Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg and Saarland, while adverse weather conditions led to fewer visitors making the trip to Hannover
from Hamburg, Berlin und Brandenburg.

This year more than ever before, CeBIT proved a strong magnet for decision makers. Attendance by professionals with purchasing authority or involvement in purchasing decisions jumped from 77 percent last year to 80.4 percent this year. CeBIT also underscored its role as a place where deals are done, with some 50 percent of all trade visitors stating that they had come to Hannover with specific investment plans.

Technology trends
CeBIT 2006 set new global technology trends for the year and served as the launching pad for scores of innovations. Special highlights included mobile TV reception via the two new standards DVB-H and DMB, the HSDPA standard for increased UMTS throughput and Triple Play - i.e. integrated telephony, television and Internet services from the same source. The use of multi-core processors in laptops is set to deliver massive performance capability and prolonged battery life. The launch of the latest-generation "Ultra-Mobile PCs", somewhere between the size of a PDA and a tablet PC, also caused a minor sensation. In the field of navigation and telematics, next-generation GPS receivers (Global Positioning System) are proving much more reliable, even indoors, in urban high-rise jungles and in forested areas. New multimedia projectors are now so much smaller they can truly be classified as mobile devices and can even be operated on batteries. No doubt partly, but not only, as a result of the upcoming World Cup soccer tournament, visitors also displayed keen interest in the subject of high-definition television (HDTV).

A further key topic involved the streamlined compatibility of corporate software. The trend is towards flexible, service-oriented architecture (SOA), in which essential functions are organized as services. New technologies grouped under the designation of "Web 2.0" are driving Internet design. In the field of "Auto ID/RFID", exhibitors demonstrated interactive applications that are eminently compatible with existing in-house systems. The trend here is away from insular, stand-alone solutions to open systems. A further focus of CeBIT was on enhanced security for data and systems.

A popular issue at the Banking and Finance sector was the networking of sales, controlling, and production along with the security of electronic transactions. In the public sector, interfaces based on open standards are being designed to promote transparent and simplified processes. Apart from the electronic health card, a voluntary electronic patient card proved a compelling theme for the healthcare sector.

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