UNWIRED 2012 is organised by Wowo Communications, a firm run by former journalist Alfred Siew, and a number of like-minded tech and media professionals in Singapore. This is the third year that the conference is running in Singapore, after two highly successful events in 2010 and 2011.

Backed by big players in the industry, the show is the first truly independent mobile and wireless event in the country, in that it does not place speakers based on a sponsorship basis.

As we’ll tell you, content is king, and an engaging debate and sharing of ideas is ensured at UNWIRED 2012. We are glad to have the support of the industry, in the form of:

• government (Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore,
• corporate sponsors (Microsoft, HP and Tellabs),
• industry associations (Singapore IT Federation, Singapore Computer Society, Mobile Alliance), and
• many others who are helping us in one way or another.

This year, the focus is on how the cloud contributes to mobility. The explosion in mobile data means that, despite extended coverage and faster networks, telcos are still finding it tough to overcome the congestion that increasingly demanding apps require. If YouTube and Facebook constituted a challenge for download speed in the past, what about the uploads needed on Dropbox, iCloud and perhaps machine-to-machine sensor networks in future?

How can telcos deliver a smoother experience online? Can app developers design smarter apps to cater to smarter networks? Will new interfaces like Windows 8 truly unify the experience for phone and PC users? Look out for a demo of upcoming Windows 8 devices at the event.

With a stellar group of industry leaders, we hope to tackle some of these urgent issues at this year’s UNWIRED event.