The annual seven-day extravaganza is where hundreds of thousands of visitors view and test the latest wired and wireless systems and gadgets. Over the years, CeBIT has launched a host of high-tech innovations from Microsoft’s MD-DOS operating system to Apple computers. But wireless networking and devices dominated this year’s event, according to a survey carried out at the show by a German consultancy firm.

According to Mummert + Partner Unternehmungsberatung, in a survey of 50 major exhibitors at the fair 46 percent said UMTS was one of the hottest topics at the show, while 40 percent cited mobility, 38 percent security, 22 percent named wireless networks, and 18 percent highlighted business-to-business applications.

While show organizers had hoped that the show would spark a recovery in an industry hard hit by an economic slump, their expectations were diverted when equipment makers Lucent Technologies and Nokia used the onset of the show to announce that they expected difficult times ahead. Lucent said its first quarter sales would fall short of its earlier predictions of 10 – 15 percent. Then Nokia reported its first quarter sales of telecom equipment were down and could impact its bottom line.

Even though these forecasts took some of the shine off the launch of the world’s largest tech fair, the announcements which followed sparked the interest of the 8,500 industry professionals and 8,000 journalists who attended.

• Nokia debuted its new color 3G handset, the 7210, which works on networks in North America, Europe and Asia and is compatible with 2G and 2.5G services. Besides a color display screen, the 7210 features a stereo FM radio, MMS, and polyphonic MIDI ring tones. The device will be shipped globally in the third quarter of this year.

• Siemens AG unveiled a new handset, the M50, with Java technology, which will make it easier for users to download content and files from the Internet. The M50 is expected to hit store shelves in May or June.

• Microsoft demonstrated its next-generation Web tablet, the Mira. The Mira is a flat-screen device that uses 802.11b wireless Internet access and uses a stylus and on-screen keypads for data input.

• Vodafone and Siemens signed an agreement to implement a GPS platform for Vodafone’s network. The platform will allow the carrier to access location information on any given subscriber. Vodafone customers will be offered a variety of mapping and navigation tools. They will also be able to access GPS services while roaming outside the carrier’s coverage area, the companies said.

• Vodafone and T-Mobile inked a deal to allow Britons and Germans to use their devices as a payment tool. The payment scheme will allow customers to pay participating companies for goods and services using their mobile phones. Vodafone subscribers will be able to use a mobile phone to store personal information and preferred payment options in a ‘virtual wallet.’ The mobile payment project is backed by software company eONE Global, a subsidiary of First Data, one of the largest payment processors.