As part of an initiative to explore the Egyptian market and present the Jordanian experience in developing the ICT sector, int@j participated in the Cairo ICT EXPO 2005, held on February 1 - 4, at the Cairo International Conference Center.
This annual event is a platform for marketing products, services, ideas, and innovations, giving companies a chance to network and do business within a professional ICT environment.
Cairo ICT 2005, held under the auspices of HE Dr. Tarek Kamel, Minister of Communications and Information Technology, Egypt, witnessed support and co-operation with leading regional and international players in the fields of IT & Telecom, headed by Telecom Egypt, companies like FLAG Telecom (UK), Jawwal (Palestine), Cisco Systems, Alcatel (France), Hyundai Mobile, and many others. The sectors represented in the event include banks and banking solutions, broadcast technology, media, office automation, wireless communications, networking, data communications, information technology and telecommunication.
"This year's participation was excellent as it exceeded expectations," said int@j Marketing Manager Samer Younis. "It is now our duty to follow up on leads and build on the relationships established."
Moreover, Cairo ICT 2005 acted as a doorway for participant ICT companies to explore the local as well as the region market.
"The expo provided a great platform for Ciscom to explore and build ties with companies in North Africa and Egypt," said Yara Masa'deh, marketing manager at Ciscom. "Those markets still have great potential for expansion and growth."
Other companies used the expo as an opportunity to exhibit their upcoming projects. Flag Telecom, a large-scale Internet provider, announced its plans to connect Jordan and Egypt via fiber optic sea cables.
Many new ICT technologies were highlighted at this expo, such as Voice over Internet Protocol, where Cisco systems demonstrated its newest applications that make use of this technology.
"VoIP, a taboo word a year ago, is now a common topic," stated Cairo ICT 2005 Managing Director Ossama Kamal, speaking on the rapid change that the sector is experiencing. "Preparations are afoot to open the gate wide for new operators on the fixed line network and the international gateway."
Egypt's information society initiative was formulated in the year 2003. The information society revolves around the following major pillars. E-Readiness, E-Learning, E-Government, E-Business, E-Health and the ICT export initiative and industry development.
This high interest in the ICT sector comes in accordance with the quantum leap that the entire region is beholding in terms of technological advancement. Jordan in turn has taken an active part in this ongoing quest, pioneering in July 1999 under the leadership and direction of His Majesty King Abdullah II.
Collaboration within the region is a must. General Manager of RealSoft, Ammar Sajdi commented that regional expos such as Cairo ICT 2005 are very beneficial to the sector's growth and deeply encouraged Jordanians companies to take part.
"The expo was indeed a success and had great support from the local Ministry," said Mr. Sajdi. "I hope to see more Jordanian participation in upcoming regional events to reflect the high level of commitment that Jordan has to ICT development in the region," said Mr. Sajdi.
"Cairo ICT is comparable to the GITEX expo in Dubai," said Dana Khatib, sales manager at Arab Advisors Group. "Jordan needs to host an ICT expo of similar standards."
Next year, Cairo ICT 2006, scheduled for 23 – 26 January, 2006, is aiming to attract even a greater number of exhibitors, bringing about greater business opportunities and a higher level of visibility.
"We hope that as the next Cairo ICT expo approaches, more companies will be interested to join and success stories of mutual cooperation will be presented," stated Mr. Younis.