Garden City all set to host Bangalore IT.in

BANGALORE: Bangalore IT.in 2005, the eighth edition of Asia's premier ICMT (Information, Communications, Media & Technology) event, gets underway on October 26 at the Bangalore Palace Grounds here.

The Karnataka Government in association with the Software Technology Parks of India (STPI) hosts the four-day event.

As India's largest technology exposition, the event will showcase the country's booming IT industry, providing an ideal platform for productive interface between CEOs, CTOs, presidents, managers, IT professionals, delegates and visitors from the world over.

In the annual edition, Bangalore IT.in will have an exhibition at the main venue and a host of related events in the city, including conferences, CEO conclave, networking dinner, rural IT quiz, student Internet world and an awards nite.

Sixteen countries will participate in the event, including high-level delegations from Australia, China, France (Rhone-Alps), Germany (Bavaria), Mexico, Spain (Barcelona), Taiwan and the UK.

In addition to 150 companies from across the country, about 120 international firms will display their technologies and products at the exposition, with a view to attracting collaborations and partnerships with the Indian IT industry.

"Over the last seven years, the event has attracted several hi-tech firms the world over to set up their operations in Karnataka, especially Bangalore, ranked as the world's fourth largest technology hub and the Silicon Valley of India.

The event has not only promoted IT in the State and the country, but also become a forum for showcasing the latest technologies to enhance competitive bandwidth and facilitate the growth of IT companies in the sub-continent," said the Karnataka IT & BT Secretary, M K Shankaralinge Gowda.

Besides Karnataka, 16 States are participating in the event to promote their respective States as major destinations for attracting investments in the IT sector.

The States are Andhra Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, Jharkand, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Orissa, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal.

In addition, Chandigarh will be present as Union Territory. The Andhra Pradesh Nite slated for October 26 will have a high level delegation led by chief minister Y.S.Rajashekara Reddy and a host of IT captains from the state.

Spread over 20,000 square meters, the exhibition will have eight focus pavilions.

The conferences will focus on Beyond Bangalore, Information Technology Services Management (ITSM) by the newly formed ITSM Forum India, Human Resources (HR) in IT by the HR India Foundation, TiECON 2005 on "Innovating - in India for India by India" by The Indus Entrepreneur (TiE) Chapter and Accelerating Technology - in Semiconductor Space" by the Indian Semiconductor Association (ISA).

The Trade Seminars being held at Bangalore IT.in will deliberate on IT Clustering in UK, Bridging Barcelona & India - Exploring IT Business Opportunities, Global Zone - Bavaria: Invest in Bavaria and Indo-French Session on Seminar on Micro and Nanotechnologies Research Skills in Rhone-Alps, France," said the STPI Director, B V Naidu.