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Forty percent of the people use Samsung devices, but a hundred percent of the people have some Samsung parts in their device – screen, battery, conductors, etc. Samsung Semiconductors is the second biggest company in the field of components in the world, after Intel, with memory being its biggest product. It is these components that help enable smart devices like phones, cars, etc.

"The three main components that have to be accounted for are computation, storage and displays and each of them has different strong and weak sides, different trade-offs that have to be made. The main goal of the company is to find the right balance between these and make some big decisions based on that", shared at CEE Digital Summit by Webit Stylianos Mamagkakis - Manager Strategic BD, Samsung Semiconductor Europe.

Starting with wearables, their main components are a connectivity component, display, computation processor and a security component. All of these need to be very light, small, powerful and efficient. The processors used in smart watches are bio processors, which are very small and can be embedded in the smallest of things, like necklaces for example. Depending on what end-user scenarios we have there are many different ways the manufacturer can go. For example, when it comes to watches, appearance and fashion are the leading forces when it comes to design. the devices also needs to be thin, yet reliable and secure. These needs raise some question when we think about storing data – on one hand we can store the data in a data center, which means that the device needs to stay connected. On the other hand the data can be stored on the device, but in that case the consumer might decide not to share it with anyone, making it harder for manufactures to monitor the devices they sell. Another area where smart technology is needed are connected cars. The car can be looked as a device that collects and displays data in the same time. The backstage of all enabled devices is the cloud. Depending on the scenario we choose, we might want to store and process all our data on the cloud, where we have more security and more processing power. In data centers, as well as devices you have different components that play leading roles, like processor and memory. Having faster CPUs and hard-drive might cost more but will provide a better customer experience. As usual, we need to find the correct balance when we talk about storing and processing data in the cloud. In the recent years, solid state drives have proven to be a much better choice for storing data. New technologies are coming in, like VNAND, that will make storing data even faster and more power-efficient. It is not just important for manufacturers to understand how components work – it is also important that designers understand the limitations and work around them, trying to provide the best user experience with the resources provided. understanding all the trade-offs in respect of size, speed and power-consumption will let companies to make the right choices when it comes to providing the best user experiences. If you'd like to hear the whole speech of Stylianos Mamagkakis - Manager Strategic BD, Samsung Semiconductor Europe, please click HERE.

Continuing innovations, connecting devices, machines. Connected people, cars, homes, transport - everything surrounding us is an open system, where you can just plug yourself in anytime you want. All parking lots have cameras which watch for empty spaces and feed the data to mobile application. This is saving everyone half an hour every day. Pollution has also declined by 30%. Waste management companies only come when the bins are full, as they get real time information.

"Digitalization is global, it neglects borders. It generates opportunities, but it can also create some risks. Even though CISCO has 50bn in cash they might disappear from the market completely in just 5 years if they don’t make the right decisions and restructure. Innovation has to be driven everywhere, not just in the Silicon Valley, said Bernd Heinrichs, Managing Director IoT EMEAR Cisco in his speech at CEE Digital Summit by Webit".

But first what is the Internet of Things and what is so important about it? The Internet of Things is a system, where everything is connected and everything is constantly feeding data to the cloud – starting from your smartphone and going everywhere else, like toys, microwaves, cars etc. The things themselves are not important, the data they produce is. And with that comes the question that we still haven’t answer – who owns the data? Is it the owner of the machine, is it the manufacturer, or the retailer? We have to make sure that the data doesn’t get in the wrong hands, that it is handled properly and is well secured. With the size of the network constantly growing, security will become a bigger and bigger issue. We currently have around 15bn connected things and this is just 1% of all the things we can connect. When talking about the Internet of Things we certainly can’t have a full discussion without mentioning some of the biggest problems we are facing. Challenges like limited bandwidth, latency and network unreliability have to be solved efficiently before we can move on to implementing the Internet of Things everywhere, in every industry.

Uwe Kubach, SAP, gаve a lecture at CEEDS'15 by Webit about the possibilities that Internet of Things gives us, why it is the next logical step after Machine-to-Machine and what challenges lie ahead of us. The main accent of the talk is “what IoT means for enterprise applications?” and it focuses on the impact that IoT has on big businesses and business models. According to most of the surveys, we are going to have 12-50bn connected devices and 40-50% growth rate on the M2M market by 2020. The prices of communication modules have already declined by 80% and will most probably keep going down in the next decade. There are several reasons why M2M and IoT have gained speed in the last years, one of them being the much cheaper price of technology nowadays. However, the most important reason probably is the fact that technology has become more mature and reliable. We can now build solutions and application on top of the technology. For example, we know you will have mobile coverage everywhere, which enables us to create solutions that would have been impossible 10 years ago. Looking at the history of the field we can see how it all started with embedded systems – putting a computer or a piece of hardware inside a physical object, like microwaves or fridges. However, this system has no communication with the outside. The next step is networked embedded systems, where you have multiple piece communicating with each other, but still within the bounds of the physical object (e.g. all the different systems on your car). After that, the logical development was making these whole systems communication with each other. In the beginning it was just M2M (machine-to-machine) where one object can communicate with another one. The final step we have gotten to is the Internet of Things, where every one of those systems can talk to all the rest. The important differences between M2M and IoT is that in the older model you only have 1-to-1 communication – two systems that are not integrated to work with each other can’t do it without extra programming. This problem is solved in the IoT structure, where all the systems use the same protocols, allowing you to pool all the information in the cloud and then let all the machines access it. There is still the challenge to find the right data models, that are not too specific and not too generic, but it is not unsolvable. The best thing we get out of the Internet of Things structure is the real-time transparency. You don’t have to work on planning data or estimation anymore, as you can get all the data on demand. For example, you can get the number of cars on a certain road in real time and thus find a better route. This will also allow business to introduce new business models. For example, a company which has been selling compressors can now move to selling cubic meters of compressed air instead. You are not paying for the machine, but for the time you have used it. Having all the answers to questions like “how much has the machine been used for?”, “what is it used for?” and so on, will enable you to provide a much better service and customer support, being able to react to problems as they occur. If the companies agree to share the information they get to other companies, this can enable us to improve the whole supply chain. With the information flow coming in real time we can now not just analyse the data retrospectively and make changes according to the results, but we can set triggers that come into play in real time as the data changes. For example we can start an automated task if we see something going wrong with a system or a machine. From there on you can go even further and try to predict when something will go wrong with a machine. To sum up, Internet of Things will enable us to not only create new business models but also improve existing ones. The access to real time data will change the way we perceive problems and the ways we deal with them. There are several challenges along the way but none of them unsolvable.

We have all seen how the technological advances change the world around us by the day. They have change the way we live, the way we communicate with others, the way we organize our lives. And they are rapidly changing the way the businesses work. The introduction of new technology has led to not just changes in the existing businesses, but also to the creation and development of whole new fields like outsourcing. By making ideas more easily shareable than ever it has become simple to find like-minded people and create a startup together. This, combined with the power on the Internet has led to the creation of giants like Facebook, but has also allowed small business like WhatsApp to grow immensely over the course of a few years. Technology has affected the business in many ways, both directly and indirectly. On one hand, it has become easier for business to find new talent and build a lasting relationship with their customers with the power of social networks. On the other hand, it has become easier for customers to find a new company that can give them more value for their money, which has forced big companies to try and find new ways to satisfy their customers. One of the biggest changes we have seen in the recent years has been the development and popularizing of “loyalty programs”. While they look innocent and like a small change, programs like Tesco Clubcard or Wizzair’s Wizzclub have greatly affected the way people spend their money. By becoming a part of the club you are not only accepting the rewards it gives, but you are accepting the responsibility to keep giving your money to this company and not any other. The loyalty programs have also enabled companies to collect big data about their customers – what is the demographic, how much do people spend on average, what are their habits. By finding an answer to all these questions, a company can greatly improve the service it provides, which leads to more people joining the program, which leads to more data and so on. Technical advances have been affecting the business world ever since the invention of the steam engine. However, it has only been in the recent decades, with the invention of the Internet that we have seen a skyrocket of the impact technology has on every industry. No one can imagine building a company nowadays without having an IT department, or at least and IT guy. In the foreseeable future technology will keep increasing its impact on every area of our lives and on every area of our businesses.

On 21-22 April, CEEDS'15 got together in Sofia more than 3,300 top executives from Central and Eastern Europe. CEOs, founders, CTOs, CIOs and top managers shared their experiences during the ‪CEEDS by ‪‎Webit lecture stream and shared part of the marketing trends that will influence the market in the next few years. “Global Webit Series became a gateway between the corporate and startup worlds helping them innovate through collaboration,” said Plamen Rusev - serial entrepreneur and investor in technology companies, founder of the largest technology forum CEEDS'15 by Webit. He opened the conference with an inspiring speech, highlighting the speed of the technology advancement and the importance of being aware of the opportunities that this digital tools offer us in order to achieve a better future. The following lines contain all the inaugural speech of Plamen Russev: “We are living in a very unique in economic history time when the very potent cocktail of globalisation combined with digitalisation is giving wings to amazing companies and endeavours. The companies who arised on the waves of it are all part of our everyday living now – Google, Apple, Facebook, Uber, AirBnB to name some of them. None of these are targeting niche markets – all of them are on a quest of taking over the world. Now we are going through a global digital transformation – it is changing our lives, societies, long lasting industries, lifestyles... in other words we are now facing a social transformation that ultimately will affect each and every person in this room, in this region and around the world. The phenomenon of this digital a.k.a social transformation is that it is taking place globally, at the same time and almost the same speed and impact and that it is driven by a quantified number of people (mostly located in the Silicon valley) with armies of developers chasing artificial intelligence and creating real life solutions which few years ago were considered science fiction and impossible. Do you remember when you first read about self driving or driverless cars a few years ago? A pure example of innovation thinking – you take the most important things in a product which you know and start removing the most important component of it. This is the way many new products are born, but in the driverless cars case you not only remove the wheel, the pedals and all connected to them controls, but the driver! So a few years ago when this hit the news – we all thought it might take decades to see it on the street – if we see it at all. Now all states in America already voted acts allowing such cars on the streets, UK is planing to become the largest adopter of the technology by 2017-2018. Something which was considered crazy a few years ago is adopted as normal today and the technology development is not linear but rather exponential and it is a fact that it started to advance faster that science fiction itself. What I believe we shall see next is the digital transformation being led by a few hundred tech illuminates and investors leading to a global revolution. Imagine what will happen to the thousands of taxi drivers in just few years when driverless cars become common on our streets. What about the artificial intelligence – it might not be news for you but the fact is that algorithms in the US control some 70 percent of all trading on the stock market these days. And it is not even close to artificial intelligence – imagine the impact over the human kind once it is achieved in the way some people think of it! Today you may sequence the human genome for a few hours and for some 1000 USD. Imagine how this can influence medicine tomorrow? Imagine how all the above is changing the world we live in. These technologies are all impacting one another but still each going its way. Imagine what will happen if a common platform may leverage on all of them and use them in synergy and simultaneously – and this platform is the AI. Imagine the speed of innovation and the horizons of it. Imagine how it will look compared to today. Now stop imagining. It is today! "The singularity is already here," says the person bearing the personal responsibility for technology taking over the science fiction. "It's not something that just happens next Tuesday at 9:40 in the morning. It's a process and it is taking place right now." says Sebastian Thrun, founder of Google X laboratory which for the past years created more new symbolic products and innovations such as driverless cars, Google glass, contact lenses that measure blood-sugar levels and many more. Thrun says "It's not the naysayers, but the optimists who will change the world, and the consequence is that such people will also amass more wealth and power." This is the reason the Webit community grows at 4 continents and brings so many amazing optimists together. "Over 120'000 people are part of our community newsletters from all around the world. Every year Global Webit series welcome over 15 000 people to our events in Europe, Middle East and Asia from over 110 countries. All of them, all of you are the optimists who are changing the world and who are part of the Digital transformation." The Global Webit Series because the largest EMEA digital economy forum to help boost the knowledge transfer, business networking and opportunities and innovation. More that this we are the most startup friendly enterprise events welcoming hundreds of selected innovative startups in technology, science, energy, commerce, fin-tech, health, edtech, digital entertainment, infrastructure, Big Data, cloud, etc. More than this – every year we are supporting them with a grant of a Millon Euros in marketing, PR, media and investors relations and investments. The Global Webit Series became a gateway between the corporate and startup worlds bringing synergy and helping them innovate through collaboration. But the humble beginning of Webit events was to change and improve the lives and chances of the people in Europe and more precisely for Central and Eastern Europe. Our team is not just making events and creating communities, we believe we bring happiness – we believe and know it by personal experience that people are happy being along with their families and friends and at the same time having opportunities for career and business development. This was the initial idea of Webit to help people from CEE embrace opportunities through the network which Webit brings, through the knowledge and knowhow transfer we empower and the business opportunities that arise from that. Recently I have heard through friends of mine about 3 young Bulgarians who proved the fact that the right time is now – not the future. 2 boy and a girl at their 17-teens won award for a robot they have build from various sources and using their pocket money and were selected among over 100 candidates at their age from all around Europe at the an international event in Vienna, Austria. Such young people are the proof that talent is equally distributed around the world – it is not only in America or Germany – it is everywhere – but we as society and individuals are responsible to invest in their education and opportunities if we want CEE and Europe to be part of the future I have shared with you in the beginning – and not only being spectators, but leaders and master minds. Тhe digital transformation leading to the global social transformation is a phenomenon that is still misunderstood, first and foremost by policymakers. If we want our home continent Europe to play a role in the future our Policymakers should master the framework creating the dreamers starting from school and the education system, legislation, healthcare, transportation and above all – to boost the entrepreneurial spirit, while following rules applicable for all. “ Annual Webit Series gather over 15,000 people worldwide and assist entrepreneurs from around the world, providing them with marketing resources, mentoring and opportunity for development by connecting them with investors, media and corporations. You can see the opening keynote of Mr Plamen Russev at CEEDS'15 by Webit in the YouTube Channel of Webit HERE.

Hosting more than 3,300 top executives from Central and Eastern Europe, the seventh edition of the largest technology forum CEEDS'15 by Webit was opened by its founder - Plamen Rusev -serial entrepreneur and investor in technology companies and the Vice President of the European Commission Digital Single Market, Mr. Andrus Ansip, special guest of the event.

"The potential users in Europe are about 500 million- far more than the 350 millionth US market, but that each Member-State is subject to its own regulations is a real challenge in front of the digital single market”, said Andrus Ansip during his speech at the opening of ‪CEEDS. "If we want Europe to take its role is extremely important to make the necessary changes in education and the legal system, health care and transportation, but mostly to begin to encourage entrepreneurship, because some of the most successful companies in recent years are those who founded the business in principles of the sharing economy. " Although this doesn’t fit the current legal system, their current market value can compete the world's largest banks with centuries of tradition" - was the thesis that Plamen Rusev defended during the opening.

CEOs, founders, CTOs, CIOs and top managers shared their experiences during the ‪CEEDS by ‪‎Webit lecture stream and shared part of the marketing trends that will influence the market in the next few years:

• The future of media and marketing market will be ruled by the three C - computers, cloud technology and connectivity;
• Although the content, technology and statistical data are already bound together, the business gradually passes from content-oriented to ecosystem-oriented communication;
• Hyper-segmentation and the ability to manage "transparent" data are the main skills that marketing experts should learn and apply;
• Email communication retained its leading positions on user engagement and effectiveness.

The video is also top trend shared Hristo Hristov, CEO of Netinfo, with particular emphasis on video, which share tips and information. The second day of the biggest technological conference in Central and Eastern Europe - CEEDS'15 by Webit was focused on social networking, analysis and management of big data, shared economy and technology. On stage came the top managers from SAP, Microsoft, Ford, the Austrian Space Forum, Eliademy, Intel Capital, Orange Ventures, 3TS Capital, Telerik, Forbes Media and many others. The ability of businesses to engage their audience through hyper-segmentation, personal attitude and attention to details will help brand managers to optimize marketing budgets and pay less for advertising. The analysis of "big data" and anticipating the trends will be what helps them survive – those were the two main points that were propagandized by the lecturers on the ‪‎CEEDS’s "Marketing and Innovation" scene:

"Big data turn marketing into a science - we no longer talk about emotions or stories, we discuss "the new marketing" as a science that doesn't educate but analyze. " said from the stage Igor Beuker- Pro Speaker, Author & Awakener.

On the tech scene were discussed the technology in the field of aerospace and the evolution of cooperation between human and robot in innovation of astronaut suits and how they interact with the person who wears them. There was spoken also about the evolution in online education and how it affects traditional pedagogy, making it even more effective, but also how important is the role of the professional and qualified training.

"Education is a whole industry. By placing the right objectives and considering its proper value every business should be influenced and affected"said the founder of the online education platform Eliademy - Sotiris Makrigyanis.

CEEDS'15 by Webit ended with a panel discussion that illustrates the huge advantage that Bulgaria offers the investors and the opportunities for CEE entrepreneurial ecosystem to develop.

  Bulgarian market is ready for new solutions

According to the MasterIndex research from 2014 the percentage of Bulgarian citizens who pay online has increased by 17% in 2014 – from 37% to 54%. No wonder then that Central Eastern Europe is recognized as being leader in contactless across the globe and Bulgarian market is ready for new solutions like mobile payments.

At this year’s CEEDS’15 by Webit Artur Turemka, General Manager, Balkans, MasterCard, will share the latest in online and mobile payments from the global and local experience of the company at the Mobile and Commerce Stream.

Ас a pioneer of mobile commerce innovation for years MasterCardvision is to create great payment experiences for everyone across all channels and all devices.So are looking forward to hearing about the company’s latest pursuits to transform any connected device a consumer may have into a commerce device which enables you to make and receive payments. Be sure not miss Artur Turemka on the first day of CEEDS’15 – April 21^st and learn about innovation across the region –from examples of adoption of digital wallets to the first service in Europe that allows fast and secure payments for taxi passengers that has been introduced in Bulgaria!

In the midst of the digital revolution thinking differently, designing products differently and innovating faster than ever before seems to be the winning credo and CEEDS’15 by Webit – the biggest Digital & Tech gathering for Central & Eastern Europe is the place to be if you want to be among the winners of tomorrow’s transformation.

And if you are up to some exciting adventures make sure you visit MasterCard’s local Facebook page during Webit conference as you will have the chance to get a priceless surprise!

CEEDS’15 by Webit will take you to paradise. Not only because of the amazing program and lectors but literally. The event will take place at Paradise Center – the first Lifestyle Mall in Bulgaria. Paradise Center has the best positioning since it was built on three major transport arteries – Cherni Vrah Blvd., Henrik Ibsen St., and Todor Kableshkov Blvd. The accessibility is very easy both with a car and with the aboveground or the underground public transport. The extension of the M2 metro line provides for the construction of a metro station, the Vitosha station, which shall have a direct entrance-exit to level -1 of the shopping center. Paradise Center offers an extraordinary view to the Vitosha Mountain with excellent communication to any part of the capital. The impressive architecture and design of Paradise Center was inspired by its unique location – between the city center and the mountain. The basic concept of Paradise Center is the synergy between trade and entertainment. The effect of the interior solutions is exalted by motifs creating the sense of outdoor high streets and park environment. Four interior areas are differentiated in the shopping mall; The Garden, The Canyon, The Terrace, and The Boulevard, which stand out with the various concept and design. The core of the project constitutes a nature garden with two waterfalls. Situated in the central atrium, it is bathed in sunlight. The panorama lift is situated there as well; it connects all levels and offers a view from above. An important role for Paradise Center’s positioning as the best place for holding events in the capital, is the Sofia Event Center, a unique in its nature multifunctional complex, having no equivalent in Bulgaria. It disposes of a hall with 2000 seats and an outdoor panorama terrace. We don’t guarantee that you will hear these words again, so hurry up and book your ticket for Paradise now.

Founders Games is the largest event into the startup ecosystem. The event provides scene to entrepreneurs from Bulgaria and CEE region to present their companies in their brilliance. CEEDS’15 by Webit is keen to identify and endorse the first CEE startup champion. With the recent exit of Telerik from Bulgaria at 264 000 000 USD the CEE startups scene has a new proof of success and the organizators of CEEDS’15 are sure it is just the beginning. To boost this process they shall be selecting number of startup from around CEE to exhibit for free at CEEDS by Webit as a part of the whole commitment to the ecosystem. A special StartUp Expo shall gather together all selected startups and a pitch stage shall help them boost their company and present it in front of investors, enterprise and European Commission representatives. In case your startup is selected to exhibit for free and pitch on the stage you would only have to pay for 3 tickets and shall receive a free expo table. Startup founders know that in order for your startup project to be successful you should have an unique idea, but they also know there is something more. No matter how brilliant your idea is, it worths nothing if you do not have place with appropriate audience where to present it. Problem solved, CEEDS’15 has the perfect audience. To convince investors and business angels to believe in your product is even harder, but it depends on your own motivation and passion about the idea. Have in mind that the investors who will be at CEEDS’15 shall be eager to see and why not to invest in products with great potential. You have now the opportunity to apply for a free expo stand where during Founders Games to present your product to media, investors and some of the most innovative worldwide companies like Google, SAP, Microsoft, Akamai, Experian and many other. Take this opportunity and apply now!