Growth in key vertical industries as well as significant investment by some of the region's fast-growing businesses are creating new opportunities for the world's leading technology companies, such as Microsoft, particularly as the Middle East's economies continue to shine against a backdrop of global economic slowdown. Rapid development in sectors including energy, banking, government services, transport and hospitality are all creating significant “Greenfield” investments in technology solutions, as companies look to build the infrastructure to support a growing number of customers and employees. In the field of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software alone - solutions designed to manage information regarding a company's interaction with customers and prospective customers - growth rates in investment surged by 40 percent in 2007, according to international research group Gartner. Globally, the CRM market is now worth $8.1 billion - an increase of 23.1 percent, with emerging markets driving overall industry growth. Major names in the business solutions industry, including Microsoft Dynamics, will have a strong presence at Gitex, which runs on Oct. 19-23, at Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Center. __
