CeBIT computing fair regains lost ground, industry says

Hanover, Germany - The CeBIT trade fair, the world's biggest computing expo, is gaining in popularity thanks to reforms designed to make it more attractive, industry officials said Sunday. A female visitors at booth V at the IT trade fair CeBit in Hanover, Germany, 08 March 2008. On 08 March, the International Women's Day, all female visitors enter for free. From 04 through 10 March, some 5,500 exhibitors from 75 countries showcase their latest products at the world's largest trade fair on digital IT and telecommunications solutions for home and work environments. EPA/Jochen Luebke

A female visitors at booth V at the IT trade fair CeBit in Hanover, Germany, 08 March 2008. On 08 March, the International Women's Day, all female visitors enter for free. From 04 through 10 March, some 5,500 exhibitors from 75 countries showcase their latest products at the world's largest trade fair on digital IT and telecommunications solutions for home and work environments. EPA/Jochen LuebkeThe six-day fair, which this year focussed on the needs of business and government buyers, saw the number of visitors increase 3 per cent from 2007 to 495,000. Some 5,845 exhibitors from 77 nations leased booths to demonstrate software and new digital equipment, although some of the big-name consumer brands were not present. This year's new concept saw the fair divided into three main sectors - business and trade, public administration and new technologies. The new concept paid off, according to August-Wilhelm Scheer, president of the German computing trade federation Bitkom. Exhibitors were happy and reported good business, he said as the fair drew to a close. 'Green' information technology was one of the themes of CeBIT, with calls for future computers to waste less electricity. Computing industry leaders claimed a leading role in the fight against climate change, arguing that software could cut world energy use. IBM Germany chief executive Martin Jetter, who is on the board of on Bitkom, said software and services could help most other business sectors cut their power use and their carbon footprint. An end to energy waste is widely seen as one way to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from burning fossil fuel. The world's computer and telecommunications systems are estimated to cause about 2 per cent of carbon dioxide emissions, industry leaders said. Those emissions are about equal to the carbon emitted by the world's aircraft engines.