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City IT 2008 - a technological extravaganza
Any IT fair opens vast portals to new technologies and good business and City IT 2008 strived to achieve no less than that. It is a grand occasion to exhibit and sell computer accessories not just for the technology savvy. Organised on the massive space of BCS Computer City, it provides a great platform for vendors to showcase their tech-related products with attractive discount offers. This year, the exhibition was held between May 24 and May 30. The big chunk of the visitors was teenagers who came with a passion to explore new technologies. Their common interests included portable devices such as MP3 players, flash drives, webcams, headsets, etc. Others looked for newer alternatives to upgrade their PC experience. Corporate users came to this fair mostly to discover advanced technological solutions to increase productivity and reduce operational costs. They are the prime punters of high-end printers, scanners, photocopiers and LCD monitors. Educational software for children were also available. Mustafa Zabbar, president of Bangladesh Computer Samity (BCS), told StarTech, "Until recently the total market for hardware products was about Tk 700 crore and that of software products and services amounted to about Tk 200 crore. Compared to our population this market is not inspiring." "In other countries, the government is the largest consumer of IT products, but the picture is totally different in Bangladesh. If our government starts digitising its ministry related work, it will definitely create a huge surge in demand for IT products", he said. "It has been observed that every IT fair has some positive impact on IT products sales. But special initiative is essential to organise this kind of fair outside the city. Moreover, organisers can arrange this kind of fair at a specific period of the year. Apart from product selling, it should also be a platform for displaying high-end technology to our curious IT lovers", Zabbar added. Imran, a computer-science student of American International University, Bangladesh (AIUB), said, "I've seen that many people come to this fair with great enthusiasm; however, compared to people's interest, companies have not been able to exhibit newer exciting technologies. Time is a crucial factor in this regard. I hope next time I'll find more innovative solutions." Rafiq, an IT entrepreneur, told StarTech, "No doubt, this is a good initiative. However, there is a lack of international companies, with whom, as a businessman, I would love to work. City IT's organising committee may take initiative on this front". A number of companies used the fair as an opportunity to introduce their new products. Speed Technology displayed a 32 GB PQI flash drive at Tk 12,500. They also offered the Altech Lansing mobile speaker at Tk 1,500. This lightweight gadget incorporates features such as surround sound, Nokia ExpressMusic compatibility, long battery life, shock resistance etc. Index IT Limited unveiled three types of PCs - professional PC at Tk 18,900, gaming PC at Tk 24,900, performance PC at Tk 30, 900 and business PC at Tk 36, 900. J.A.N Associates displayed various printers and digital cameras. The firm said people generally love to explore digital cameras. It offered special prices for cameras. In addition, it also exhibited different printers with discount prices. United Computer Centre displayed Transcend memory modules with a capacity of up to 4GB. They also exhibited Transcend portable hard drives with memory capacities of 250 GB and 160 GB at Tk 12,500 and Tk 9,500 respectively. Daffodil Computers brought HP colour laser printer, photo scanner etc. In addition, the company also offered special package for its own brand PC with discount of up to Tk 2,000, one-year free home service, versatile player etc. The City IT organising committee staged different events such as quizzes, game shows and fashion shows in which visitors gladly participated and won attractive prizes. Cultural programmes featuring celebrities and tech professionals were also held at the central stage. Apart from the exhibition and entertainment programmes, several sessions were organised to discuss contemporary issues such as call centre, e-commerce, national fibre optic communication etc. Overall, City IT attracted quite a huge turnover of visitors.
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