Tech meet to focus on promoting IT economies in Asia

Monday, 08 December 2003, 20:30 IST
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NEW DELHI: A two-day technology summit that begins here Tuesday will focus on the development of "information economies" in Asia and explore ways to enhance IT trade among Asian countries, said organisers Monday. The Asia Tech Summit 2003, being jointly organised by the Business Software Alliance and the National Association of Software and Service Companies (Nasscom), will also focus on challenges confronting the Asian IT sector. The event will bring together IT industry leaders and policy makers from countries like the US, China, Japan, Australia, Indonesia, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea and India. "Asia is an integral part of an advancing global networked economy. The Asia Tech Summit 2003 will explore the opportunities that lie ahead for Asian economies," said Jeffrey Hardee, vice president and regional director, Asia-Pacific. "We look forward to diverse and lively dialogues that will help us openly address the complex issues presented by an increasingly connected and borderless world," Hardee said in a statement here. He said issues to be discussed in the summit included plans and challenges in developing a skilled IT workforce and creation of favourable conditions to encourage IT trade. The role of governments in Asian region to promote e-commerce and e-government will also be deliberated in the Asia Tech Summit 2003. According to a survey conducted by tech industry research firm IDC, within the next four years a staggering 65 percent of the billion-plus web users in the world will be able to access the Internet with a wireless device. Business Software Alliance, an organisation dedicated to promote legal digital world, says making the Internet safe for all commercial transactions will help e-commerce grow from $1 trillion last year to nearly $6 trillion in next few years. "The Indian IT industry is today a $16.5 billion sector and is emerging as a leader in the Asian region," said Kiran Karnik, president of India's premier IT industry lobby group Nasscom. "The Asia Tech Summit 2003 will provide an opportunity to share best practices and build increased alliances amongst the Asian economies," he added.
Source: IANS
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