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Time to stand and stare

Rediff On The Net will bring you IT India '97/Comdex as it happens. Bookmark and be there between December 3 and 6.

Isn't it strange that the industry, which manufactures the future, lives in the past! The world over, people in the information technology business are hurtling through the present as they try to finish tomorrow's need which was due for delivery yesterday.

Only grand industry events like IT India '97/Comdex give peers a well-deserved breather to step back; look at the larger picture and retrospect their collective effort.

This year the stocktaking will be done in New Delhi. From Wednesday, December 3, through Saturday, December 6, IT India '97/Comdex will comprise an exhibition and a series of conferences spread over several venues in the capital.

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It is being jointly organized by the Manufacturers' Association for Information Technology and the National Association of Software and Services Companies in coordination with the premier producers of exhibitions for the IT industry in India and abroad - Business India Exhibitions and Softbank Comdex Inc respectively.

'IT India '97/Comdex has been specifically designed to showcase India as the launch pad for the latest information technology products and services,' an official release said.

'Visitor friendliness has been central to planning the event this year. As the event is expected to be significantly larger, visitor friendliness gains more importance. The key features of the event this year include an event intranet, networking the entire show to a backbone to allow connectivity through Internet from the outside, and through info islands from within. The info islands, replete with information on the show, will help visitors surf the show from anywhere. This will enable cyber visiting and cyber scheduling in addition to the traditional pre-registration,' the release said.

Tech-talks is being launched this time round. Participants will now have access to audio-video equipment in a small hall nearby so as to let them make continuous presentations on new technologies and products.

'Attracting foreign direct investment is another important focus of the event. Foreign institutional investors and venture capital fund managers will have special packages to visit the exhibition and attend company briefs,' the release said.

NASSCOM Executive Director Dewang Mehta has said, "The high-power conferences would complement the exhibition. The topics this year will revolve around the theme of 'Towards India.in - the intelligent network'. Over 50 speakers of international repute will make presentations over the two days of the conference (on December 4 and 5). The three tracks of the Conference - the 'strategy' track, the 'nets' track and the 'platforms and connectivity' track will throw light on some of the hottest technological areas in IT today."

"The technology roundtable for the CEOs, one of the popular features of IT India/Comdex, is being upgraded for a simultaneous cyber-conference with a host of renowned dignitaries worldwide. This will also provide a forum for deliberation and brainstorming to the leaders of IT in India and abroad," he added.

Business India Exhibitions General Manager Balmohan Tarakad has said "The IT India '97/Comdex Exhibition would be spread to cover a gross area of 33,000 square meters, over 10 halls of Pragati Maidan, and is expected to be attended by over 100,000 business visitors. Special arrangements are being made to provide special facilities of international standards. These will include a business lounge, a press briefing lounge and special programmes to help launch of new products and services of the exhibiting companies."

"IT India '97/Comdex is expected to provide a display platform for over 600 participants from India and all over the world. This will include the whole gamut of IT products and services ranging from hardware, software, peripherals, value-added services, telecommunications, computer training and more. Apart from participation by global IT companies from USA, European Union, Japan and Korea, the event will comprise country pavilions from Singapore, Taiwan, and UK, thereby providing the event with a truly international perspective," he claimed.

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