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IDATE creates the DigiWorld Institute
[November 17, 2011]

IDATE creates the DigiWorld Institute


(ENP Newswire Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) ENP Newswire - 17 November 2011 Release date- 16112011 - Montpellier - IDATE announces the launch of the DigiWorld Institute at its 33rd annual DigiWorld Summit.

The project marks a new stage in IDATE's development, and aims to provide Europe with a top-tier centre for analysis and forward-thinking on the digital economy.

The difficulty that Europe is having in fully capitalising on the opportunities created by the telecom, internet and media economy is a major source of concern. It is with this in mind that IDATE, which has gained international recognition for its independence and the rigour of its analyses, has worked to create a European think tank that is capable of taking discussions to the next level - elevating them through active market monitoring and proposing new courses of action. For the Institute, this means developing a truly Europe-wide reputation, strengthening its ties with the industry and public authorities, and closely involving a wide circle of experts and academics in its efforts. These are the ambitions and requirements that form the core premises of the newly created DigiWorld Institute.



For IDATE Chairman, Francois Barrault, the challenge is clear: 'the next five years will undoubtedly be decisive ones. I am very glad to be rising to meet this challenge with IDATE, its staff and Institute members, to help create an interactive, independent, international forum that is open to all industry players and public authorities'.

There is a specific set of circumstances driving this new stage - as pointed out by Francis Lorentz who, in his former capacity of Chairman of IDATE, oversaw the creation of this new initiative: 'while the digital economy is reaching a new stage in its development, despite its many strengths, Europe appears no longer to be among the frontrunners in new generation access network rollouts, in designing innovative devices, developing the mobile internet's ecosystems or, more generally, in seizing the many opportunities that the digital economy has opened up.' The core functions of the DigiWorld Institute The DigiWorld Institute will be structured around three main courses of action: An independent observatory: the Digiworld Institute will keep a close and continual watch on digital world industries, collect relevant data and provide benchmark analyses on market developments and innovations in the telecom, internet and media industries. This is something that IDATE has been doing for some time now, through its DigiWorld Yearbook and the DigiWorld Economic Journal, along with its comprehensive collection of market reports and market watch services that are published and made available online throughout the year.


A time-tested capacity for analysis and research: The Digiworld Institute must be able to identify the core issues the industry will be facing down the road, and to set up collaborative research programmes that will draw on the expertise of its members and in-house teams, in addition to calling out outside experts.

A European forum open on the world: The Digiworld Institute will take existing IDATE initiatives, such as DigiWorld Summit, and the clubs in Paris, London and Brussels, to the next level.

The work performed will be centred primarily around four main topics: Next Gen Telecom, Next Gen Television, Internet Policy and Smart Cities. All of these topics will be broken down into specific issues, based on the latest developments in the digital economy (FTTH, LTE, Connected TV, NFC, mMoney, eHealth, Net neutrality...) How the DigiWorld Institute works An international Scientific Committee. To strengthen its influence in Europe and around the world, the DigiWorld Institute has set up an international Scientific Committee whose main purpose will be to ensure that its annual work programme meets the project's high standards and targets.

Teams of specialised analysts and consultants. Under the stewardship of CEO, Yves Gassot, and Deputy CEOs, Gilles Fontaine and Jean-Dominique Seval, the teams of analysts and consultants in charge of the DigiWorld Institute's annual programme, and the analytical work assigned to the Institute are structured into dedicated practices: Telecom practices: Telecom economics, Regulation, Mobile services & spectrum, Broadband & FTTx, Networks & equipment, Satellite Internet practices: Internet networks & technologies, Internet services, The Internet of things TV & Digital content practices: Television & digital content, Digital home & devices, Gaming Regional development practices: Networks & local authorities, Digital blueprints, Smart cities An international network of consultants and partners. The DigiWorld Institute project also draws on a vast network of correspondents and independent experts to help shore up its international market watch and analysis capabilities, and on institutional partnerships to carry out joint projects, including WIK in Germany, KISDI in South Korea and CITI in the United States.

Institute financing. Ensuring its independence and future viability, the Institute is sustained by various sources of income: Founding and Corporate members' annual fees; Revenue generated by the Institute's many initiatives: its journal (subscription), its conferences (sponsorship and tickets) and its overseas fact-finding missions; The sale of reports published as part of the DigiWorld Observatory, The Collaborative Research Programmes conducted every year on the major issues shaping the future of digital industries; Industry-sponsored research and consulting assignments for public authorities, and carried out as part of R&D programmes.

The DigiWorld Institute currently enjoys the support of the following companies: Accenture ? Alcatel-Lucent ? Atos Origin ? AT&T ? Bouygues Telecom ? Bull ? Caisse des Depots ? Capgemini ? Ciena ? Cisco ? Cable & Wireless Communications ? Deutsche Telekom ? Ericsson ? Eutelsat ? France Televisions ? Google ? IBM ? Ircem ? Iris Capital ? Maroc Telecom ? Microsoft ? Motorola Mobility ? NTT-DoCoMo ? Orange ? PWC ? Qualcomm ? Samsung ? Sagemcom ? Serena Capital ? SES ? SFR ? Societe Generale ? Swisscom ? TDF ? Telefonica ? Technicolor [Editorial queries for this story should be sent to [email protected]] ((Comments on this story may be sent to [email protected])) (c) 2011 Electronic News Publishing -

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