TechExpoSoftExpo 2008
Software gala heats up
Enthusiastic crowd takes a look at Bangla blog at Somewhere in..'s stall, top, latest notebooks on display at Computer Source's pavilion, bottom-left, and a visitor checks out the The Daily Star e-paper at it's stall.Photo: Syed Zakir Hossain
Basis SoftExpo 2008, the mega exposition of the software industry, is now going on in the city with a view to exploring new avenue for local hi-tech industry. It is also a festival of innovation where exhibitors showcase their high-end products and services. If you are familiar with modern IT applications, you are supposed to know that software development is an exciting way which helps talents to demonstrate their creativity. In the near future, when all our activities become fully virtual, our dependency on software will dramatically increase. This phenomenon will lead to a huge surge of innovative software development. Technologically advanced countries now outsource their software development activities. It could be a very lucrative chance for Bangladesh. Every year Bangladesh Software and Information Services (BASIS) organises SoftExpo in order to showcase innovations of local talents and attract global IT payers to invest in the local IT industry. Chief Adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed inaugurated the fair on February 14. He said the importance of ICT for national development is now well established, adding that it is now widely accepted that ICT has become the centre of an economic and social transformation that is affecting all countries. "In fact, ICT and globalisation have combined to create a new economic and social landscape. In doing so, ICTs have brought fundamental changes in the way enterprises and economics as a whole function", he added. This year more than 150 local and foreign exhibitors are participating in the fair. Exhibitors at SoftExpo 2008 are multinational software vendors and ICT companies, international ICT associations, local software development houses, successful ICT projects initiated by multinational and local companies, government departments and agencies implementing e-governance projects, ICT training institutes and universities. Apart from regular display, nearly 15 seminars and roundtables will be organised, highlighting issues such as e-governance, e-commerce, internet penetration and ICT4D. Visitors to this kind of fair generally search for software that is essential and well suited to their day-to-day activities. STM Software Ltd has come up with "Tally 9" software at SoftExpo 2008. It is a popular accounting, inventory and payroll management software and is now available in Bangla. The firm, for the first time, has added value added tax (VAT) analysis and reporting facility to Tally 9. Somewhere in…, a Norway-Bangladesh joint venture company, has developed Bangla blog where any person can open their own blog. Other products and services that Somewhere in… is exhibiting at the fair are local community solutions, outsourcing and career related activities. The Daily Star has introduced e-paper (epaper.thedaily star.net) for the first time in the country. This is an exact replica of the print version of the popular newspaper available online. Readers are now able to enjoy the print flavour of The Daily Star on the web. Good navigation system and design have made the website unique. The e-paper is powered by MNHs e-Solutions Ltd. in partnership with The Daily Star. Companies that offer software solutions to telecom industry are also drawing huge crowd at the fair. REVE Systems, a telecom and IP based solutions provider, is exhibiting various cutting edge products such as iTelBilling, iTel ISP Billing, iTel Mobile phone and PC-based soft dialler, iTel IVR, iTel External Router and others. The firm also provides VoIP solutions on open source soft switches like GnuGk and Asterisk. Flora Systems Limited, a well known IT solutions provider, is showcasing products such as Flora Bank (online banking software), Flora ERP (online ERP software), database application development, rebate form processing, web application development, data entry and conversion etc. In addition to software display, hardware vendors have also come forward to showcase their products at the fair. Computer Source has put Fujitsu Lifebooks and HP Notebooks on display at their stall. The company also offers a broad array of solutions and services by distributing and marketing IT products from nearly 30 suppliers. International Office Machines (IOM) Ltd has brought both hardware and software products. IOM is demonstrating "e-Bridge Re-Rite", a software developed for Toshiba e-STUDIO Multi-Function Device (MFD). This software enables the users to convert paper documents to electronic files, like Word, Excel or PDF. Multimedia companies at the fair have adorned their pavilion with attractive products and services. SW Multimedia Company Ltd, a software firm that basically works for the media, is exhibiting different solutions such as animation, audio/video production, graphic design, desktop publishing, photography and web portal. Job portals, namely bdjobs.com, aiminlife.com and jobstreet.com, have also showed up at BASIS SofExpo this year. Bdjobs.com, the top visited online career service portal, is exhibiting different services such as online job announcement, online CV bank access, customised e-recruitment solution etc. Aiminlife.com is showing resources for career and manual for online education whereas jobstreet.com has brought different career services. IT training institutes are offering various programs for people who are planning to step into professional life or upgrade their present status. BASE Limited, a renowned IT training institute, has put on offer various programs and facilities regarding Oracle and RedHat. Cell phone operator Citycell is displaying its Zoom mobile internet service in the fair. Zoom is based on new age CDMA 2000 1X technology and is now available across the country within Citycell's network. To connect to the internet through Zoom, people need to purchase a special modem or handset to surf the net wirelessly though their RIM card. Citycell says download speed is satisfactory in both stationary and mobile condition. The BASIS SoftExpo 2008 gained momentum in the evening of the launch day. Several visitors at the exhibition expressed their opinion to StarTech. Rupam, a university student, said, "I'm glad to see the active presence of different universities at SoftExpo this year. It's a unique opportunity for the students to reveal their innovation to the industry players". Pavel, a software developer, opined that presence of telecom related software should be increased. He said, "In the near future, when mobile operators switch to all IP services, they will require versatile software solutions for the network operation and our young developers can utilise this scope to build up their career". This year BASIS has taken initiative to kick-start interaction between local and overseas companies through a process called "Match Making". BASIS anticipates that this step will act as a catalyst to draw foreign investment, promoting local innovation in the global market. The five-day SOFTEXPO has been organised by BASIS with cooperation from Danish IT Industry Association (IT-Brachen), Danish Federation of Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (DPSME), Paris Chamber of Commerce & Industry (CCIP), UK Trade and Investment and Japan External Trade Organisation (JETRO) while The Daily Star and Radio Today act as the media partner.
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