Technology officials and experts said that the expansion of distance education and education has increased the demand for video communication programs and applications in the UAE, at unprecedented proportions, especially since the beginning of last March, compared to previous months.
They explained to «Emirates Today» that the availability of modern technological infrastructure in the country, such as cloud computing systems, artificial intelligence and access to optical fiber networks, are all factors that contributed to raising the state’s share in the rates of using those applications compared to other countries.
In addition, two experts in information technology estimated the growth rates of the use of video communication applications in the country, since the beginning of March until the end of last May, exceeding 600%.
Unprecedented growth
In detail, Sam Taian, Regional Director of Zoom in the Middle East and North Africa, said that the company’s “Zoom Telemarketing” platform has witnessed an unprecedented growth in demand, as it is currently being used widely by many institutions and companies. In the country there are various sectors, such as the health care sector, education, as well as government sectors. ”
He added that «the use of the (Zoom) application at the international level now exceeds much what we expected when we announced for the first time our desire to help work and distance education through the application, in late February, after the spread of the Corona virus globally, explaining that at the end of Last December, the number of participants in (zoom) meetings per day, whether the account is free or paid, reached about 10 million users as a maximum, while last March we reached more than 200 million users in meetings via the platform with various types of accounts, while we currently have more "From 300 million users in meetings held via Zoom to stay in touch with others during the Corona pandemic."
Great share
For his part, Fadi Younes, Head of Cybersecurity in the Middle East and Africa at Cisco, said that “the UAE accounts for a large share of the rate of using video communication programs, supported by an advanced technology infrastructure based on the latest in modern technology, Such as artificial intelligence technologies, the Internet of Things, and cloud computing. ”
He added that «the company, through the (WEBEX) platform for visual communication, has cooperated with many government and private agencies to enhance the tools for remote cooperation in it, as it provided free commercial licenses for 90 days in the UAE since mid-April last».
He pointed out that «there is an excessive growth in demand for the use of (WEBEX) at the global level», indicating that, for example, Cisco recently completed 4.2 million meetings in a single day, more than twice what it was witnessing. Webbex before the Corona crisis.
Advanced technical architecture
In the same context, Rashid Al-Omari, the first strategic expert for business solutions at VMware International Company for Technical Solutions, said, "Visual telematic applications are among the most prominent sectors that have witnessed unprecedented record growth since the development of the repercussions of the Corona virus spread. Especially since last March ».
He pointed out that according to the market operations that were monitored during the last period in the expansion of education and distance work, the UAE witnessed high rates of demand for video communication programs of all kinds, with rates exceeding 600%, since March until the end of May 2020, compared to the rates used in The end of last year and the beginning of this year.
Al-Omari indicated that the UAE has acquired large shares of the rates of using remote communication applications, compared to many other countries, as a result of the availability of the elements of advanced and modern technical infrastructure in the country, which supports the ease of using those applications and relying on them to accomplish business or distance education, In addition to providing technologies and systems supportive to these patterns of work and distance education, whether from cloud computing services and the spread of their services in the Emirates, or the availability of automation processes in many institutions, or the use of artificial intelligence, or access and expansion of optical fiber networks spread throughout the country.
More options
In turn, said Information Technology Systems expert, Dr. Moataz Kokesh, that «the expansion of state institutions in relying on distance education and work, since the development of the Corona pandemic, has contributed to an increase in the use of video telecommunications applications, whether free or paid in record and unprecedented proportions , Especially with the availability of the competent authorities to allow the use of more varied options from those applications, which supported the rapid transformation of the country to that type of use.
He added that «according to the market indicators, which were monitored by information systems companies supporting the use of these technologies, or according to international reports and growth data, the estimates of the growth in demand for the use of video telecommunications programs in the UAE exceeded 600%, since last March until the end of May, compared to periods Previous ».
He pointed out that "supporting the advanced technological infrastructure in the country, which ranks first in the world in the access of the optical fiber network, in addition to the availability of the elements of digital transformation for some time in the country, contributed to the ease of transition to remote work patterns."
Great boom
Microsoft reported that it had monitored 2.7 billion minutes of meeting, during the day, through its platform for video communication, "TIMES", at the end of last March.
And «Microsoft» explained in a report published recently, that this growth represents an increase of 200%, compared to previous records recorded in mid-March, which amounted to 900 million minutes per day, pointing out that this big boom indicates the high demand for technology that links features Communication and productivity alike are on one platform, noting that 183,000 educational institutions in 175 countries benefit from TIMES services.
The report showed an increase of 1000% in the total number of video calls via the platform in various countries of the world during last March, while the number of users using mobile phones increased to more than 300%, since the first of February until the end of last March.
- The country ranks first in the world in the access of the optical fiber network