The Hindu Business Line : IT.Com sees interest from Australian cos

THE seventh edition of Bangalore IT.Com concluded today having attracted participation from 295 international delegates, 40,000 business visitors, 15 countries and 15 States.

While business enquiries could not be quantified, the annual IT symposium evinced serious interest from the Australian delegation resulting in several joint ventures.

For instance, the India-based ANZ Trade Center entered into a joint venture with Australia's eCentric Solutions to establish a dedicated channel that would enable small and medium-sized enterprises to foray into the Asia- Pacific markets including Australia and New Zealand.

"While larger companies have the necessary clout to explore international markets, it is the SMB segment that needs help. Our channel will provide this and we expect (business) value of $180 million to be generated from this," said Mr Umesh K. Baveja, President, ANZ Trade Center.

Addressing the media ot the final day of IT.Com, Mr K. Shankaralinge Gowda, Secretary, Department of IT and Biotechnology and Science and Technology, Government of Karnataka, said, "Bangalore IT.Com 2004 attracted more international participants than before and foreign visitors numbered over 500."

Other projects announced were a joint venture between Senko Advanced Components Australia and TVS InterConnect to develop and deliver fibre to the home product to the Indian market. The FTTH product developed by Senko has already been exported to Japan and the US. The venture is expected to record (business) value of $200 million over the next three to five years.

Besides this, Business Intelligent Technologies, Australia have set up offices in India.

Mysore-based Raman Infotech has inked an agreement with Centennial Media Pty Ltd to offer total IT solutions to schools. On the Student Internet World (IW) side, this year three lakh rural students were introduced to the Internet and the World Wide Web with the Government having set up IW sites in 27 districts across the State.

Interestingly, the Karnataka Government plans to enter the Rural IT Quiz event in the Guinness Book of Records for "being the biggest IT event of this sort which attracts enormous response from rural students," Mr Gowda said.

Rural IT Quiz had 61,000 participants from 27 districts. Mr Samarth Kudalkar and Mr Darryl Lewis of the Little Rock Indian School, Udupi won the event.