16th Azerbaijan International Telecommunications & Information Technologies Exhibition & Conference to be hosted soon

BakuTel 2010, the 16th Azerbaijan International Telecommunications & Information Technologies Exhibition & Conference, will take place within International ICT Week on 23-26 November in Baku Expo Center.  Over the past 16 years, BakuTel has become the leading ICT forum in the Caspian region, each year attracting the attention of the international community. 

The prestige of the event is shown by the fact that, in recent years, the President of Azerbaijan, His Excellency Ilham Aliyev, has visited the exhibition on the opening day. The support of the Ministry of Communications and Information Technologies of the Republic of Azerbaijan underlines the significance of the exhibition for the strategically important ICT sector. 

The international authority of the BakuTel exhibition is shown not only by the presence at the exhibition of leading manufacturers of telecommunications equipment and information technologies, but also by the support of industry associations, such as the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), Regional Commonwealth in the field of Communications (RCC).  BakuTel also holds “UFI Approved Event” status from the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry (UFI).  The exhibition is organised by Iteca Caspian LLC, part of ITE Group PLC (UK).

The General Sponsor of the exhibition this year is Huawei Technologies.  The exhibition is also sponsored by Oracle.  Among the partners of the autumn exhibitions in 2010 are the companies Azerfon-Vodafone, Pasha Sigorta, Caspel, Greenwich Travel Club, SIAR and Caucas Point Hotel. The technical partner, Caspel, will provide information kiosks for visitors at the exhibition.    

BakuTel will bring together over 115 companies from 16 countries, including Azerbaijan, China, Israel, Lithuania, Malaysia, Turkey, USA and others.  One measure of the stability and increased potential of the industry is the fact that the area of the exhibition this year has increased by 30%, and the number of regular exhibitors has exceeded 70%.  BakuTel continues to attract new exhibitors, with 24 newcomers to the exhibition this year. 

Over 40% of the exhibition area will be occupied by major ICT companies, most of which are regular exhibitors at BakuTel.  They include: Azel, Azercell Telecom, Azerfon-Vodafone, Aztelecom, Azqtel, B&B TV, Bakcell, Baku Telephone Communications Production Association, Caspel, Caspian Navtel, Delta Telecom, Huawei Technologies, Idrak Technology Transfer, Microsoft, Nokia Siemens Networks, Oracle, Orbital Sciences Corporation, R.I.S.K., SINAM, Softline, Teleradio, Ultra and others.

During the exhibition, leading local and international companies will present to visitors: telecommunications and networks, broadband services and technologies, cable and wireless communications, satellite communications and technologies, broadcasting equipment and technologies, automation software and systems, IT and office technologies, security systems, and banking technologies and services.  As in the past, at BakuTel, Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Communications and Information Technologies, together with partner companies, will present the projects “National Computer”, and the creation of a regional innovation zone (RIZ), as well as talk about the progress of the Trans-Eurasian Information Superhighway project, which will cover about 20 countries in Western Europe and East Asia. 

The space industry sector will underline the relevance of the exhibition: BakuTel will provide an opportunity to learn about the latest successes in the project to launch the Azersat satellite into orbit, which is at the stage of completion, as well as the establishment of a satellite ground control system and training.       

An integral part of the exhibition is the comprehensive business programme, which enables extensive business communication and includes forums, seminars and presentations.  Due to the urgency of the problems associated with global climate change, as well as the Year of the Environment in Azerbaijan, the special topic of the conference will be “ICT and Climate Change”.  The conference will be held on 24 November in the Hyatt Regency. 

The conference accompanies the exhibition each year and is organised by the Ministry of Communications and Information Technologies of the Republic of Azerbaijan.  Representatives of relevant ministries, guests and experts from abroad will participate in the conference.  The speakers at the conference will include specialists from local and international ICT organisations, who will share their experiences and talk about future projects.

For the first time, the exhibition will include a special section of the Egyptian Ministry of Communications and Information Technology.  A separate stand will present the interesting Culturama project, which has already visited many exhibitions around the world.  Culturama, abbreviated from Cultural Panorama, is an innovative project which is shown on a nine-screen panoramic display using the latest multimedia applications and display technologies.  Staff from the Egyptian Centre for Documentation of Cultural and Natural Heritage will demonstrate the rich, almost 5000 thousand year history of Egypt, citing examples of the country’s Ancient, Coptic and Islamic heritage.

During International ICT Week, the 43rd session of the Heads of Communications Administrations Council of the Regional Commonwealth in the field of Communications will be held.  At the session, after discussion of current and future cooperation in the field of communications and information technologies, appropriate resolutions will be passed.  

News of the exhibition and conference, articles by key figures in the ICT sector, presentations and industry news will be published in issues of the annual exhibition newspaper, “Daily News”.  The newspaper will be distributed free of charge to exhibitors and visitors.

The exhibition will be key event for industry professionals, featuring a wide range of ICT products and solutions: from computer software to the space industry.  Maintaining the show’s best traditions, the only difference at BakuTel this year will be the venue.  For the first time, the exhibition will be held in Baku Expo Center.

This is a long-awaited event for exhibitors, as holding BakuTel in a modern exhibition centre will allow exhibitors to present their products and services more effectively.  Many regular exhibitors have increased the size of their stand, which will expand the range of products and services on offer at the exhibition.  At their stands, exhibitors have prepared surprises and prize draws for visitors, which demonstrates the active preparation for the event.

An important feature of this year’s show is the number of presentations of the latest products and services.   According to research, the interest of visitors in new products and technologies far exceeds the supply of new products from exhibiting companies, so the organisers of the exhibition have decided to introduce an Innovation Zone, which will present the latest domestic and international ICT equipment, technologies and solutions. 

The Innovation Zone, in which over 60% of the exhibitors will participate, will showcase new software programmes, navigation systems, WIMAX, Smart House systems, modern equipment,  and much more.  So that visitors can easily find these new products, the companies’ stands will display a special sign.  The same sign will be displayed on the exhibition floor plans, next to those companies showing a new product.  In addition, there will be an Innovation Zone catalogue, which will act as a guide to the world of new technologies and solutions.  It will be distributed to visitors at the exhibition.  The catalogue contains a detailed description of all the products/technologies/services presented, and the contact details of the companies. 

The organisers hope that BakuTel will further serve to strengthen mutually beneficial relations between Azerbaijan and other countries in the development of high technologies and communications, and become an engine of innovation and technological modernisation in Azerbaijan’s İCT industry.


/Today.Az/