Promoting Cebu as ICT, e-services investment hub

CEBU CITY — The upcoming International Conference and Exhibition on Business and ICT (CEBU IT 2005) in Cebu expects to attract over 2,000 local and foreign delegates.

The three-day event, which will run on June 22-24 and touted as one of the largest ICT conventions here, aims to strengthen Cebu’s brand as an ICT and e-services investment hub in Asia.

The congress and exhibition, which will take place at the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and Casino in Lahug, is the flagship event of the Cebu Business Month (CBM 2005) organized by the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) in cooperation with the Department of Trade and Industry and the Board of Investments.

"We would like to capitalize on Cebu as a brand, and highlight Cebu’s strength in ICT. The global market should know our capabilities in this field," CCCI president Robert Go said.

Through the three-day ICT congress, Go said local ICT players could forge strong alliances with the major global ICT companies.

At least 36 IT and IT-related organizations are joining this first-ever ICT convention held in Cebu.

Carrying the theme "Asia’s Emerging Role as a Global Center for ICT and IT-Enabled Services," the conference aims to address issues related to Asia’s emergence as a technology and ITES (IT-enabled services) hub.

The event’s chairman, Bonifacio Belen, said the conference and exhibition also target the promotion of Asia as a global ICT and ITES center by bringing together key ICT and ITES executives from around Asia and the world for three days of high-level discussions and interaction.

"The exhibition will showcase the products and services of global, regional and Philippine ICT and ITES providers, contractors and support industries," Belen said.

Invited resource speakers from some of the world’s most respected ICT and ITES organizations include executives of India’s National Association of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM) and Gartner.

NASSCOM president Kiran Karnik will be the presenter for a panel discussion on "Opportunities and Threats for Asia’s Emerging IT and ITES Industry."

Datuk Dr Mohamed Arif Nun, chief executive officer of Malaysia’s Multimedia Development Corporation, the developer and operator of the Multimedia Super Corridor, will also keynote one of several principal discussions.

Plenary and panel discussion topics also include global IT and ITES trends and strategic issues, next-generation networks and their impact on the IT and ITES industry, and the role of venture financing in IT and ITES hub development.

Business matching sessions will also be held to facilitate networking among participants and assist buyers in identifying vendors who meet their specific business requirements.

The government’s Commission on Information and Communications Technology (CICT) will conduct a session on the development of a Philippine cyber-services corridor. CICT Commissioner Damian Domingo Mapa will take part as a panelist.

According to Mapa, the session will tackle the campaign initiated by President Arroyo to promote economic development focused on new centers of knowledge all over the country.

"As part of the campaign, we will set up 15 to 20 new ICT and outsourcing hubs from Baguio to Zamboanga," Mapa said.