R&D crucial in a time of crisis

MENAFN Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Experts at the British University in Dubai believe more advanced information technology is required in the face of economic downturn.

The importance of research and development in the field of information technology (IT) has grown as companies require more efficient IT systems in order to save money.

As a result of the current economic downturn, companies have a more pressing need to optimise and automate more business processes in order to cut down costs. Moreover, IT companies must provide more innovative services to secure their clients and become more competitive in the market.

Dr. Iyad Rahwan, Lecturer & MSc in IT Programme Director of the Faculty of Informatics at U.A.E.’s leading research-based postgraduate university, the British University in Dubai, said: “Electronic markets are online sites where people and businesses can trade. They have great potential in reducing the cost of search, negotiation and transaction.”

Electronic markets include business-to-consumer, as well as business-to-business online markets. There are many emerging technologies for optimising business procurement and supply chain management through integration with electronic markets, consequently automating more of the business process.

“At BUiD, we teach advanced technologies that can make electronic markets more efficient. These include XML-based and other Web Semantics-based technologies for, improving online catalog integration; we also teach cutting-edge technologies for automated negotiation,” Rahwan added.

There is a significant need for IT professionals with the necessary skills to introduce and operate the latest in IT developments. Adequate education and training is crucial in enhancing the level IT innovation in the region.

In addition to electronic market technologies, data mining technology is another essential tool in companies’ efforts to streamline their automated business processes. It enables companies to pick out the most important pieces of information contained in the plethora of data available on the Internet or in their own corporate databases. Companies amass large amounts of data including, for example, consumer transaction records and purchase prices from suppliers.

“There is also a lot of data on the internet including on blogs and social networking sites. There is often a wealth of hidden knowledge in this sea of data. By analysing this data, we may be able to identify important trends in consumer demand, or opportunities for optimising procurement by identifying times in which prices dip,” Rahwan said.

BUiD offers training in advanced data mining and machine learning techniques. It is the only programme in the country that teaches these important emerging technologies. The university has launched a pioneering programme aimed at boosting the level of advanced IT skills in the region, through the creation of the Middle East’s first MSc degree in IT programmes that focus on Knowledge and Data Management.

For further enquiries call BUiD on +971 43 913 626, or visit www.buid.ac.ae

Filed under: Articles , BUiD, Data Mining, R&D, Semantic Web, XML