1. GITEX GLOBAL 2024 is bringing together the international tech community under the overarching theme “Global Collaboration to Forge a Future AI Economy.” In your view, how crucial are public-private collaborations for developing the next generation of AI-powered tech solutions?
I think that public-private collaborations are crucial for developing the next generation of AI-powered tech solutions. This has been highlighted both in the UAE, with the National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence 2031 and the Council for Artificial Intelligence and Blockchain, and also for the wider GCC, as highlighted at the AI Retreat in June this year held in Dubai. Zebra is dedicated to ensuring AI initiatives align to industry best practices and help set the standard when it comes to delivering solutions to the end-users, which includes government and public services. This is reflected in our commitment to share our expertise by participating in regulatory processes.
2. How is the rapid advancement of AI technologies influencing your industry sector?
AI is helping businesses streamline internal processes, optimize decision-making and enhance customer interactions, which can give a competitive edge across several industry sectors.
In manufacturing, there has been a surge in AI adoption by manufacturers. Zebra’s 2024 Manufacturing Vision Study found that 61% of surveyed leaders expect AI to drive growth by 2029. Manufacturers want leverage new technologies that enhance visibility and quality throughout the manufacturing process.
In warehousing, decision-makers are embracing AI supply chain and warehouse modernisation solutions in the face of disruptions. AI, specifically deep learning, is making machine vision technology for automated visual inspection more accessible and capable. Zebra’s Warehousing Vision Study 2023 found in the next five years, most global warehousing decision-makers plan to invest in machine learning (94%), predictive analytics (92%), machine vision (86%), and computer vision (85%).
And AI is also playing a crucial role in understanding customer demand, which ultimately improves customer satisfaction by enhancing inventory decisions across channels and throughout the supply chain. AI can also contribute to improving margins, revenue, and reducing inventory risks. Zebra Workcloud Demand Intelligence predicts sales demand with a high degree of accuracy and precision. For example, we enabled a large, national U.S bakery to reduce its forecast errors by up to 30% using Zebra’s AI-powered demand forecasting and planning solution.
3. How is your business adopting and integrating AI innovation?
Our AI capabilities seek to respond to and meet the needs of our customers across industries, who are facing longstanding and newer challenges. For example, Zebra is developing capabilities to run GenAI models on-device, to avoid latency issues, and improve privacy and security. We’ve shown that GenAI language models can run ondevice – opening up new use cases and cost savings. A European supermarket chain is developing a GenAI on-device solution with Zebra, by feeding the model its entire standard operating procedure library. Its employees could have a huge knowledge base in the palms of their hands, saving time, improving customer interactions, and transforming their own training and job satisfaction.
We’re working with global strategic partners who provide AI tools for Zebra’s internal workflows. Internally, we’re developing internal AI use cases for various departments. Other global partners provide AI chips for our enterprise mobile computing devices, so customers have more powerful, capable solutions.
Zebra’s AI offerings include our Work cloud suite which has AI applications for retailers and consumer packaged goods companies, and our Zebra Aurora machine vision software which comes with deep learning tools for machine builders and manufacturers in the automotive, food and beverage, electronics and pharmaceutical industries.
4. Beyond AI, what innovations do you believe will shape the future of your industry and which regions do you foresee leading these advancements by 2025?
Our surveys of manufacturing and warehousing leaders show that mobility-enabling technology will shape the future of those industries. Seven in 10 manufacturing leaders expect to augment workers with mobility-enabling technology, including wearable mobile computers. Radio frequency identification (RFID) is also a growing, transformative trend for inventory and asset visibility and management. RFID includes fixed readers, mobile handheld readers, antennas, portals, printers and supplies to meet the wide range of business use case needs. And six in 10 warehouse leaders plan to deploy RFID by 2028.
5. What are your motivations and expectations for coming onboard the 44th edition of GITEX GLOBAL in 2024?
To spent time with customers, partners, attendees looking for solutions, and innovators business technology forward, at one of the best tech events globally. Zebra will be sharing its latest innovations across retail, warehouse, transport & logistics, manufacturing, healthcare, and government, and our regional partners will be out in force at GITEX, showing how we work together for customers. Zebra’s global PartnerConnect ecosystem includes over 10,000 partners in 100+ countries. In the Middle East, around 250 partners serve a broad range of customers with a growing portfolio of solutions across a range of industries (retail, transport and logistics, manufacturing, healthcare) in the UAE, Gulf Cooperation Council, Egypt and Levant.
6. Are you planning to launch any products or services, showcase new technologies, or announce partnerships during the event?
• Retail: Zebra’s Modern Store inventory optimization with RFD40 UHF RFID sleds and point-of-sale solutions with the PS30 personal shopper solution and MP72 Series Multi-Plane Scanner/Scale which can support computer vision applications for more advanced self-checkout scanning. We’ll also have Work cloud Software Suite live demos.
• Warehouse: Zebra’s solutions to optimize pick / pack operations and dispatch including Wrist Mount Computers (WT50) & Ruggedized Mobile Computers (MC94)
• Transport & Logistics: Play the Packing Bench game and see how fixed industrial Scanning can speed up operations using the FS42.
• Manufacturing: See how Zebra’s machine vision turntable solution can improve the speed and accuracy of QA in the manufacturing process.
• Healthcare: Experience patient check-in and positive patient identification throughout the hospital journey with RFID wristbands, the ET45-HC and HC25 handheld devices.
• Government: See a smart ambulance and evidence tracking in action with our virtual reality experience, alongside the new ET65W rugged tablet.
7. As a global platform for tech enterprises and industry leaders, how does GITEX GLOBAL contribute to the future of your industry?
GITEX is a local, regional and international show bringing together the technology sector for this unique forum every year, bringing together major technology leaders to network and learn. GITEX also provides the opportunity to connect directly and personally with customers and partners, and we have colleagues visiting from all over the region and the world. People do business with people, and GITEX helps build those relationships that can ultimately lead to business growth, new opportunities and increased customer satisfaction.
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