Alpha Arzu
The country’s largest software and information technology exhibition of the year, BASIS SoftExpo 2009, concludes today, with a target to increase the income from IT-enabled services to $150 million from the present $7 million by 2011, software and information service leaders said.
Bangladesh Association of Software and Information Services coordinator of events Nurul Alam said the BASIS organised the event to facilitate a presentation of the country’s potentials in information and communication technology to international players in different fields, like national and international vendors and service providers, investors, development agencies, policymakers, and ICT associations.
With four foreign companies from the USA, Singapore, Sri Lanka, and Saudi Arab, 93 organisations including three universities are showcasing their products and services in 122 stalls and eight pavilions at the five-day exhibition at Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Centre in Dhaka.
BASIS president Habibullah N Karim said the size of the present global software and IT services is $300 billion. ‘If we can take just 0.50 per cent of the service market, the country’s income from the sector will stand at $150 million by 2011, up from the present $7 million,’ he noted.
The BASIS, a platform of 281 member organisations, arranges the annual event to exhibit the software and IT services industry in Bangladesh.
The theme of this year’s expo is ‘Linking People with Technology’.
ICT companies, international ICT associations, local software development companies, successful ICT projects initiated by multinational and local companies, government departments and agencies implementing e-governance projects, ICT training institutes and universities dominate the participants of the expo.
Genuity System LTD is exhibiting its unique gPlex Softswitch Call Centre Solution, Grameen Phone showing its facilities — like BillPay, Cell Bazar, CIC Heathline, Data Service and Basic GSM — offered to customers, and Desktop Computer Connection Ltd displaying the Desktop e-Banking system ClickBD Ltd.
Winux Soft Ltd, US Software Ltd, Roots Information Technology, Moon Networks, Agree Ya Solutions from the USA, Mi3 Inc as well as TechnoVista Ltd have focused on e-governance solutions, e-Government and Dohatec displayed its Voter Registration Enrolment and Multi Biometric Duplicate Detection System.
The participating universities are the American International University of Bangladesh, Daffodil University, and United International University.
Besides displaying products, a number of seminars, workshops and roundtables on the contemporary issues have been organised by the host at the fair venue.
On an average, 600 visitors visit the exhibition between 9:00am and 8:00pm, said the BASIS.
Local government and rural development minister Syed Ashraful Islam is expected to take part as the chief guest at the exposition concluding ceremony, slated for 2:30pm today. But the exhibition will continue till 8:00pm as usual, Nurul Alam said.
Courtesy: newagebd.com
