Aussie firms sought for big South Asia expo

IT providers have been invited to display their products and services at an exclusive Australia Pavilion at South Asia's largest IT&T show, ITCN Asia, in Pakistan in early August.

The fifth ITCN (Information Technology Commerce Network) Asia trade show and exhibition will be held at the Karachi Expo Centre in the Pakistani port city of Karachi from 9 to 11 August.

The Australian Technology Showcase has advertised for Australian IT solutions and services providers to exhibit at the Australian stand.

The ITCN Asia Secretariat, representing the organisers of ITCN Asia, said the show would have 7000 square metres of exhibition space, housing leading regional IT companies.

"ITCN Asia is destined to be a one-stop shopo for internet technologies and solutions to empower the Asian economy," it said. "It will be the platform for licensing agreements, creating joint ventures and localising your products."

South Asia, the secretariat said, was experiencing a "massive computerisation drive" on which vendors, dealers, distributors and resellers could capitalise. Government initiatives had also eased restrictions to foreign investment, it said.

"You may build brand awareness in the fast expanding South Asian, Central Asian and Middle-Eastern markets," it said.

Khursheed Nizam, president at the ITCN Secretariat, emailed several statements to CRN that said the exhibition expected 75,000 trade or corporate visitors and some 300,000 visitors in total in 2005, viewing presentations and stalls from 200 IT providers.

"The IT&T sector of Pakistan is reshaping itself owing to the liberal deregulation of the present government," it said. 

"The country offers immense opportunities for investment in internet services, local loop, mobile phone, satellite and fibre optic connectivity. Pakistan is also the hub of over 600 software houses and economically available, untapped skilled IT professionals, which makes it ideally suitable as a centre for value-added IT services."

A report from ITCN Asia 2004 shows that many diverse nations were represented that year, including the UK, Canada, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, the United Arab Emirates and the Ukraine.

The show's organisers include Ecommerce Gateway Pakistan, the Islamic Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Pakistan's Ministries of Privatisation & Investment and IT&T, Saudi Arabia's Dhahran International Exhibition Centre and the Jang Group of Newspapers.