Gartner is looking to feature African start-up tech companies

Business owners have never been so spoilt for choice. Networking components, security providers, hosting, mail, Big Data vendors are literally knocking on doors daily offering their services. However, with so much choice, the responsibility for steering a business through the landmine of overhyped technology and over-promised technology which under-delivers becomes the responsibility (and pain) of  the CIO and Senior Executives.

Thankfully, there is one tool that CIO’s can rely on – the annual Gartner Symposium/ITxpo. This is where IT executives are provided a strategic view on the trends that shape IT and business. The event delivers independent and objective content from the world’s leading IT research and advisory organisations, and provides access to the latest solutions from key technology providers.

At the Cape Town leg of the Gartner Symposium/ITxpo Africa 2015 which is taking place at the International Convention Centre (CTICC) on the 28-30 September, delegates are going to be offered a view of the local start up African technologies.

Rene Jacobs, Managing Director of Gartner Africa, says that the aim is to support African start-up technology while giving Gartner’s clients access to innovative local technology solutions. “Gartner analysts follow technology and help customers find and apply it, no matter where it comes from,” says Jacobs.

Selected by Gartner research analysts, the start-up companies have the opportunity to describe what they are doing in front of an audience who are looking for solutions and the opportunity to talk with delegates from a shared sponsored ITxpo stand.

This got my attention. Marrying start up technologies directly with CIO who are the decision makers is not something that every expo offers and having vetted by Gartner before allowing to exhibit is a big feather in the start up’s  cap.

I met with Jeffrey Mann, Research Vice President for collaboration and social software at Gartner Research to discuss the upcoming Gartner Expo and the opportunity it presents to African start ups:

For more information check out the Gartner website