CommunicAsia2006 to feature new technologies, services

Filipino visitors will be treated to new technologies entering the telecommunications marketplace in the global event CommunicAsia2006 as it returns alongside BroadcastAsia and EnterpriseIT on June 20-23 at the Singapore Expo and Raffles City.

Last year, over 3,200 Filipino visitors went to the exhibition.

Victor Wong, project director of CommunicAsia and EnterpriseIT, said, "CommunicAsia alone is the most established ICT show in Asia, and the ideal platform to launch and showcase new technologies and services to the world that will transform the way we live."

"Not only is CommunicAsia a highly relevant event to the needs of Filipino visitors to the event, it is an important platform for the Philippines to showcase its ICT capabilities to the world," he added.

For the third time, the Philippines, through the Center for International Trade and Expositions and Missions (CITEM), will bring its major players in wireless services to the much-awaited Asian event in a bid to boost the local wireless industry.

Trade and Industry Secretary Peter Favila is confident that the Philippine participation in global exhibitions such as CommunicAsia will help promote the Philippine brand of ICT services to Asia and the rest of the world, as well as provide a venue for local ICT companies to expand markets.

According to International Data Corp. (IDC), new technologies entering the telecoms marketplace are redefining the industry.

The telecom services market in the Asia-Pacific (excluding Japan) is projected to exceed US$170 billion, posting a growth of seven percent compared to last year.

IDC added that this growth is likely to come from Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), broadband and 3G services.

Featuring key technologies, world vendors and thought leaders, CommunicAsia provides a comprehensive offering of technologies as they integrate IT, communications, broadcasting and enterprise solutions.

Some of the key technologies addressed on the show floor include mobile entertainment, 3G, VoIP, NGN, WiMAX, information security, and embedded technologies.

Visitors can expect to see the latest innovations from the most influential world vendors and operators, including Ericsson, Huawei, ZTE, NTT DoCoMo, LG, Lucent, Motorola, Samsung, Siemens, and Sony Ericsson, among many others.

The event will also feature 21 international group pavilions, including that of Thailand, the United States, Korea, the European Union, and China.

"As a strategic decision, local companies join CommunicAsia to highlight our excellent communications infrastructure, highly skilled workforce, innovative and creative content, and proactive government support," said Trade Assistant Secretary Fe Agoncillo-Reyes.  

This year’s focus of the high-powered CommunicAsia Summit will be on mobile applications, broadband and next-generation networks as the industry’s three key growth areas.

Invited speakers include known names in the industry like Andrew Sukawaty, CEO and chairman of Inmarsat; Joseph Anton Aliagas, CEO of Arena Mobile Music; Skuli Mogensen, CEO and founder of OZ; Craig Wilson, IBM’s Asia-Pacific director for digital media and telecommu-nications; Craig Farrill, CEO of Kodiak Networks; and Thorsten Heinz, Siemens CTO.

Held alongside CommunicAsia is BroadcastAsia2006, the 11th International Digital Multimedia and Entertainment Technology Exhibition and Conference.

Its theme "Digital: The Journey Forward" embodies the event’s positioning to embrace the digital revolution and constantly "go forward" by staying relevant to the industry.

BroadcastAsia2006 incorporates ComGra-phics & Animation2006, Professional AudioTech-nology2006, and CableSat2006.

Adding to the clout of CommunicAsia is the imbX Ministerial Forum on ICT and the Euro Southeast Asia Information and Communication Technologies Forum.