Friday, Nov. 9, 2001 | 11:19 a.m.
Las Vegas and the information technology industry may have never been so glad to see each other.
Las Vegas has been in a tough slump since the attacks of Sept. 11 and the tourism slowdown that followed. Information technology (IT) has struggled since tech stocks began melting down last spring.
The two will come together Sunday, as Comdex -- and an estimated 150,000 visitors -- once again returns to Las Vegas for its November run. Monica Vila, president of Comdex, hopes the show might be the ticket for getting IT moving in the right direction once again.
"The technology industry was such a significant part of our economic upswing," Vila said. "We'd like to start that cycle again as soon as possible."
Las Vegas promoters hope the same holds true for the city. The current projection is that Comdex will inject $200 million in non-gaming revenues into the Las Vegas economy.
"We just finished a very successful SEMA/APEX (an automotive trade show), with attendance of 70,000," said Rob Powers, spokesman for the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. "Between those two shows (SEMA/APEX and Comdex), you're talking close to a quarter of a million people. That shows major trade shows are going ahead, that they have a lot of faith in Las Vegas, and that they feel good about coming here."
Comdex, certainly, isn't the same as it has been in recent years. Last year, attendance reached 210,000. This year's decline in attendance will result in an estimated $50 million in lost non-gaming revenues for Las Vegas.
"Going to Las Vegas and Comdex if your company has restricted travel (because of budget difficulties) is going to be tough," said Rob Enderle, analyst with Cambridge, Mass.-based Giga Information Group.
Other numbers are coming down as well. The show will feature 750,000 square feet of exhibition space and 2,000 vendors, down from 1 million square feet of exhibits and 2,300 vendors in 2000. One traditional Comdex venue, the Sands Expo and Convention Center, has been dropped from the mix entirely.
Security will be dramatically higher. Bags and briefcases will be restricted, and attendees are being asked to carry identification at all times. Bomb sniffing dogs and metal detectors will greet attendees at security checkpoints.
The role of technology in security is also taking a leading role at this year's show.
"A lot of the toys are gone now," Enderle said. "My guess is that if there's going to be a show based on security, this is probably it."
The attacks of Sept. 11 prompted a keynote panel on technology's role in Hollywood to be bounced. Replacing it will be "Sept. 11: The Impact on IT," a Monday session discussing the steps businesses should take to ensure their systems are capable of withstanding and recovering from disaster. And Comdex officials are urging all speakers to touch on the ramifications of the post-Sept. 11 era in their presentations.
One particular technology that could get a lot of attention from corporate IT buyers is the field of "biometrics" -- the emerging technology of using a person's individual features as a method of establishing identity. "Biometropolis," a pavilion dedicated to biometrics companies, will feature technologies that key in on such features as a person's voice, face, hand, fingerprints, signatures, and even the retina of the eye.
Some expect Larry Ellison, chairman and chief executive of Oracle Corp., to make security an issue at his Monday evening keynote address. Ellison has proposed using "smart cards" to create a national ID system.
Ellison's speech is scheduled to focus on the development of software in powering the Internet. Instead, Enderle predicts, "Larry will make a full-court press on his national ID card idea."
The most high-profile keynote address, however, is by Bill Gates, chairman of Microsoft Corp. Gates, who historically has used to address to outline his visions for the future of the IT industry, is scheduled Sunday evening to focus on future opportunities created by advancements in computer technology over the next 10 years.
It will be Gates' first major public appearance since Microsoft struck a deal with the U.S. Department of Justice that will enable the software behemoth to settle anti-trust charges and remain whole. But virtually no one expects Gates to make an impromptu speech about the settlement to a packed house at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.
"Gates will sidestep that," Enderle said. "They won't want to discuss that on the stage. I'd be surprised if he even responds to questions (on the settlement)."
Instead, Enderle and others believe Gates will take the opportunity to promote Windows XP, the latest generation of the Windows operating system. Gates and Microsoft have been promoting the new operating system as a key to jumpstarting the stalled PC industry.
Not everyone is buying that, however.
"I just don't see how XP is going to be a factor," said Bruce Kasel, senior analyst with Forrester Research. "It's a nice operating system, but it's not driving anything."
Other technologies are expected to remain hot spots at Comdex this year, though they've moved back a notch. Wireless and handheld computing devices -- and the convergence of the two technologies -- are expected to be hot items this year.
Technologies that merge the computer and the car will be hot on this year's floor, predicts ZDNet, and include a new product that allows users to talk on the phone, review e-mail, and surf the Internet while behind the wheel.
Other technologies worth watching include "Internet appliances" -- everyday products such as telephones and televisions that are capable of connecting to the Internet -- and digital imaging technologies.
The number of products making their debuts on Comdex's floor this year is unusually high -- Vila said there are 378 entries for this year's "Best of Comdex" awards, given to the most innovative products introduced at the event. Last year, there were 254 entries.
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