BASIS SoftExpo, 2010 kicks off February 10
Sunday, 7 February 2010
FE Report
BASIS SoftExpo- the annual mega exposition of the country's software and Information Technology, is poised to become a major IT event of the South Asian region within a few years, organizers of the event said Saturday.
"The yearly expo has expanded its range and capacity over the decade and now attracting a number of participants from abroad regularly", President of Bangladesh Association of Software and Information Services (BASIS) Habibullah N Karim said at a press conference in the city.
"Although, the main focus of this software exposition is the promotion of our homegrown companies to the local market, our aim is to turn it into a major regional IT event after hosting two or three more such occasions", he added.
The remark came days before the upcoming BASIS SoftExpo 2010 which would take place in the city's Bangabandhu International Conference Center from the next Wednesday (February 10).
Around 200,000 visitors are expected to visit this year's five-day long expo which would be participated by around 150 software and IT enabled service companies from home and abroad, organizers informed.
Finance Minister AMA Muhith is expected to inaugurate the event, the BASIS authority said, while Commerce Minister Faruk Khan and State Minister for Science and ICT Yeafesh Osman would also be present at the opening ceremony.
Highlighting the growth potential of software and ITES in Bangladesh, Habibullah Karim said, "The market size of the country's software industry which is currently Tk. 10 billion is set to grow to almost Tk. 50 billion within the next three to four years".
"At the same time, the export from software and ITES which is presently amounted to US$ 33 million, could reach US$ 500 million within five years", he added.
This year's SoftExpo would have special focus on attracting top level executives like chief executive officers, chief financial officers and chief technical officers from various local and multinational companies, the organizers said. The theme of the expo for this year is "Digital Bangladesh in Action".
"IT and telecommunication industry is quintessentially integrated with each other as the mobile handsets have to use a range of software for their value added services and other applications", said Mamun Hashmee, Additional General Manager of Grameenphone, platinum sponsor of the event.
"The market for cell phones' value added services in Bangladesh currently amounts to Tk. 500 million, most of which is shared by the local software companies and it is poised to grow into Tk. 3 billion within five years", he added.
M Rezaul Hasan, Chief Executive Officer of Reve System, the gold sponsor of the event and Mubin Khan, Director of BASIS also spoke on the occasion.
The price of the entry ticket for this year's expo is Tk. 20.00. However, students will be able to enter the fair venue free of cost from 10 am to 5 pm and tickets can also be bought through mobile SMS from any Grameenphone number.
BASIS SoftExpo- the annual mega exposition of the country's software and Information Technology, is poised to become a major IT event of the South Asian region within a few years, organizers of the event said Saturday.
"The yearly expo has expanded its range and capacity over the decade and now attracting a number of participants from abroad regularly", President of Bangladesh Association of Software and Information Services (BASIS) Habibullah N Karim said at a press conference in the city.
"Although, the main focus of this software exposition is the promotion of our homegrown companies to the local market, our aim is to turn it into a major regional IT event after hosting two or three more such occasions", he added.
The remark came days before the upcoming BASIS SoftExpo 2010 which would take place in the city's Bangabandhu International Conference Center from the next Wednesday (February 10).
Around 200,000 visitors are expected to visit this year's five-day long expo which would be participated by around 150 software and IT enabled service companies from home and abroad, organizers informed.
Finance Minister AMA Muhith is expected to inaugurate the event, the BASIS authority said, while Commerce Minister Faruk Khan and State Minister for Science and ICT Yeafesh Osman would also be present at the opening ceremony.
Highlighting the growth potential of software and ITES in Bangladesh, Habibullah Karim said, "The market size of the country's software industry which is currently Tk. 10 billion is set to grow to almost Tk. 50 billion within the next three to four years".
"At the same time, the export from software and ITES which is presently amounted to US$ 33 million, could reach US$ 500 million within five years", he added.
This year's SoftExpo would have special focus on attracting top level executives like chief executive officers, chief financial officers and chief technical officers from various local and multinational companies, the organizers said. The theme of the expo for this year is "Digital Bangladesh in Action".
"IT and telecommunication industry is quintessentially integrated with each other as the mobile handsets have to use a range of software for their value added services and other applications", said Mamun Hashmee, Additional General Manager of Grameenphone, platinum sponsor of the event.
"The market for cell phones' value added services in Bangladesh currently amounts to Tk. 500 million, most of which is shared by the local software companies and it is poised to grow into Tk. 3 billion within five years", he added.
M Rezaul Hasan, Chief Executive Officer of Reve System, the gold sponsor of the event and Mubin Khan, Director of BASIS also spoke on the occasion.
The price of the entry ticket for this year's expo is Tk. 20.00. However, students will be able to enter the fair venue free of cost from 10 am to 5 pm and tickets can also be bought through mobile SMS from any Grameenphone number.