Under the Sign of the Terminator.

The recruits Cebit 2009 with the "Terminator", the unkaputtbaren Kampfrobotor. Arnold Schwarzenegger, the machine played in the movie, opens today with Chancellor Merkel the fair - as a symbol of energy in times of crisis, which now includes the IT industry has recorded.

 

Cool looks of the "Terminator" from Cebit billboard, in his sunglasses blogsn to have a computer and the words "Silicon Valley". Arnold Schwarzenegger, former Hollywood star and now governor of California, this year is the driving force of the world's largest computer fair in Hanover.

DDP
Terminator doll at Cebit: It's Arnold Schwarzenegger on his exhibition tour not only to remember his past, but also to his presence. In California the fight "Gouvernator" against the highest unemployment rate in the U.S. and a chronic budget Minus - also because of the IT economic crisis

But the brilliance of "Arnie" can not obscure: The times are difficult for the high-tech industry, the Silicon Valley - and the Cebit. Economic crisis and structural change in the industry have been a dramatic decline in the number of exhibitors to ensure, as compared to last year, missing one in four.

The IT industry is not from the recession was so severe erwischt such as the auto industry. But companies and consumers cut their spending heavily on computers and the purchase of new mobile phones, added the sharp price war and a tough competition. Thousands of jobs in the industry dropped.

Just in time for Cebit start waiting for the market researcher Gartner with a bad news: The PC market is facing the worst slump in its history. Sales of notebooks and desktop computers will be increased by nearly 12 percent to 257 million units burglarize.

Market researchers: Record of the market slump

"This is my third Cebit at Microsoft and my 20th at Cebit. So a difficult environment I've never experienced," said the CEO of Microsoft Germany, Achim Berg, before the start of CeBIT, which opened on Monday evening, also ex - movie star Schwarzenegger arrived. California this year is partner country of the fair.

The industry association Bitkom tried to spread confidence.

"The industry is in comparison to other sectors as being relatively well," said Bitkom president August-Wilhelm Scheer. In the current year could be the German market for information technology, telecommunications and digital consumer electronics last year's turnover of around 145 billion euros is expected to hold.

In order to combat the recession, the industry sees itself in a key role. The information and communication technology was a "kind of crisis management technology," said Bitkom chief executive Bernhard Rohleder. "It helps to reduce costs and increases the efficiency of large and small companies." Example: Cleaner Information Technology, Green IT, as in the previous year, a Cebit-focus.

Help from the state?

To whereby calls for the industry in Germany by the policy, the IT industry in the huge economic packages involve the federal government. "Instead of the money for schools and universities only in the renovation of the buildings to invest, it would be useful, for example, better schools with PCs and Internet access device," said an expert Dieter Westkamp by the Association of German Engineers. Roads and urban boosting only in the short term growth, investment in high contrast creates long term growth and jobs.

ALL INFORMATION TO CEBIT 2009

General opening times Admission prices Check

At the Cebit are around 4300 exhibitors from 69 countries gathered. The net total of all booths is approximately 200,000 square meters.

The CeBIT opens its doors from 3 until 7 March 9-18 clock and 8 March 9-16 clock.

One day in advance 33 Euro; ticket in advance 71 Euro, one day at the ticket 38 euros; ticket to the ticket 81 Euro, reduced day ticket for 17 euros - for students, trainees, conscripts, civilian service, are valid only on the weekend 8 / 9. March. Children under 15 years unless accompanied by regulated adult admission. Children up to 6 years have free admission.

Tickets for the CeBIT will no longer be sent by mail.

Tickets are available on the Internet at www.cebit.de relate to. A personalized ticket on your own computer can be printed.

All tickets are on the day of the fair visit as tickets are valid on buses and trains in the metropolitan traffic Hanover.

For the disabled is available on all days of the discounted ticket price of 17 euros.

Special and regular flights from the domestic and abroad. Generally fair and special trains stop at the station "Hannover Messe / Laatzen", from here, a "skywalk" to treadmill to the fairgrounds. The tram lines 8 and 18 operate in the fast clock approximately every 3 minutes between Central Station and Exhibition Center (North 1 and 2). Also driving the lines 6 and 16 from downtown to the eastern area of the fairgrounds. Parking for some 45 000 cars, special parking spaces for buses, trucks, vans and caravans.
mak / dpa

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But currently, many IT companies - mainly from Asia - and the cuts applied to a Cebit appearance waived. "On the marketing is first saved," said Ernst Raue, Board Member of the organizer Deutsche Messe AG. Only 4300 companies are made at the Cebit.

Some big names are missing: For example, the electronics giant Toshiba in Japan and Samsung of South Korea this year do not have their own stands and are only compatible with some devices in partners.

Even the mobile phone giant Nokia is once again not on the Cebit, the Group continues to prefer house shows, and - like the rest of the industry - at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, each year only a few weeks before the Cebit takes place.

Overall, the Cebit exhibition space compared to the previous year by almost 20 percent to approximately 200,000 square meters shrunk. This provides for a sensitive loss of revenue at the fair society. The crisis is also visible - at Cebit this year are in some halls empty.