Intelligent CIO Middle East Issue 35 | Page 13

Qatar Airways adopts Virtual Reality tool for aviation training High growth rate expected in cloud infrastructure services market Q atar Airways has become the first enterprise in the world to adopt Virtual Reality for aviation training purposes. The airline is leading the adoption of Virtual Reality for aviation ground operations training by becoming IATA’s global launch partner for RampVR. The RampVR system is being used by Qatar Airways’ Talent Development Department to train its ground operations teams. In a major innovation in aviation ground operations training, the airline’s talent development decision makers have taken the global lead by being the first to implement the new technology at their Doha-based training headquarters. The new system is being used to train airside operational and management staff through immersion into a real-time experience, while being in a controlled training environment. Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Akbar Al Baker, said: “As the world’s leading innovative airline, we are always looking at new technology that will keep us ahead of our competitors. Utilising RampVR, we are the world’s first airline to partner with IATA in launching this Virtual Reality system, which brings an immersive and safe way of training our staff to the highest standards.” IATA’s Senior Vice President, Airport, Passenger, Cargo and Security, Nick Careen, said: “Talent development is essential to making our industry safe, secure and sustainable. Innovative technology is the key.” www.intelligentcio.com T he cloud infrastructure services market size in the Middle East and Africa is expected to grow from US$2.80 billion in 2018 to US$4.72 billion by 2023, according to new research. Significant economic growth and the vision of the country’s government could help in driving the major adoption of cloud infrastructure services in the country, the report says. This is according to a new market research report published by MarketsandMarkets which says Qatar is expected to grow at the highest rate during the forecast period. Furthermore, to support this increasing adoption, major market players are also making investments in Qatar. The report also says the key factors driving the market in the Middle East include initiatives by governments and corporate bodies to promote emerging technologies, such as cloud and analytics; an increasing use of cloud dependent technologies, such as Bring Your Own Device and the Internet of Things; and business continuity requirements resulting in high demand for disaster recovery services. MarketsandMarkets, which provides quantified B2B research, reports that the growth of the cloud infrastructure services market in Qatar has started to gain momentum and is expected to grow at the highest growth rate over the next five years. INTELLIGENTCIO 13