Baku to host another leading industry event

BakuTel 2011, the largest telecommunications exhibition in the Caspian and Caucasus regions, will be held at Baku Expo Center on 23-26 November.

Over the years, the exhibition has become a leading industry event in the country and in the region as a whole. The high status of the exhibition is emphasized by the attendance of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan H.E. Ilham Aliyev and official representatives of International Organizations at the opening of the exhibition in recent years. The Ministry of Communications and Information Technologies of the Republic of Azerbaijan has provided invaluable support to BakuTel, contributing significantly to the show’s development. The show is also respected globally and is supported by institutions, such as the United Nations, the International Telecommunication Union and the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry.

This year, BakuTel coincides with celebrations for the Anniversary of Communications in Azerbaijan. One hundred and thirty years ago, the Nobel Brothers laid the first telephone line in Baku and, since then, Azerbaijan has had its own place in the history of the communications industry. Today, Azerbaijan's ICT industry growth rate ranks first in the non-oil sector of the economy, which can be seen at the exhibition; occupying two exhibition halls and the outside area of Baku Expo Center, BakuTel 2011 has demonstrated unprecedented growth – more than doubling in size in comparison with 2010.

A substantial business programme and many other interesting events have been organised for BakuTel’s visitors to commemorate this momentous event in Azerbaijan. Delegations led by ministers from the European Union, Turkey, Jordan, Senegal, Israel and Estonia, among others, have arrived to participate in BakuTel. Ján Kubiš, Chairman of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe; Hamadoun Touré, Secretary-General of the International Telecommunication Union; Ambassador Abdul Moisi Bukhari, Deputy Secretary General of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC); Atta-ur-Rahman, Coordinator General of the OIC’s Ministerial Standing Committee on Scientific and Technological Cooperation (COMSTECH), and many others, have come to Baku for participating in the exhibition.

This year’s exhibition features about 250 companies from 29 countries. More than 40% of the exhibition space is occupied by domestic IT companies, mobile network operators, distributors and service companies. All these will be joined by BakuTel’s regular exhibitors - major players in the global IT market.

Eighteen national stands from Austria, Belarus, Canada, Croatia, Estonia, France, Hungary, Iran, Israel, Korea, Latvia, Lithuania, Spain, the UAE, Romania, the USA, and Turkey will be participating in BakuTel for the first time. The second exhibition hall will also house the national stand of the Azerbaijan Republic, which will stand out both in terms of its size and the projects on display there. On this stand, 13 ministries will be demonstrating ICT-related projects, including the Ministry of Communications and Information Technologies, which will present the results of the E-Government Project and other government ICT projects, and talk about the Trans-Eurasian Information Super Highway Project. The second hall of Baku Expo Center will be totally occupied by national group stands, which will be offered to the visitors the chance to attend interesting presentations about ICT products, services and latest innovative solutions.
BakuTel 2011 will cover four key sectors: telecommunications, the Internet, software and satellite communications. In addition, the four-day exhibition will offer visitors the opportunity to find out about broadband communications and technologies, cable and wireless communications, broadcasting equipment and technologies, automation systems, IT and office technologies, security systems, banking technologies and services, and equipment and services for the aerospace industry. By covering almost every aspect of the ICT sector, the exhibition helps to expand the capabilities of the local market and increase prospects for co-operation with foreign partners.

In the Innovation Zone exhibitors will demonstrate the latest automatic control systems (SON), software, servicing equipment for satellite communications, broadcasting equipment and technology, banking technologies and services, mobile communication innovations, new specialised magazines, etc will take their place in the catalogue of innovations. The catalogue will be distributed at Baku Expo Center for the duration of the show. Information about the innovations will also be available on the official website - www.bakutel.az. For the first time this year, there will also be a Game Zone, where visitors will be able to test their gaming abilities on different playstations provided by Microsoft.

The Smart Zone Project will be a new and important addition to the exhibition. The main objective of this project is to provide opportunities for young professionals to talk about their inventions, programmes and services at the region’s largest telecommunications event. The world's leading companies are always looking to introduce new innovations so they can stand out in this rapidly developing sphere. It's hard to imagine a “launch pad” more attractive than BakuTel for young talent to promote their own ideas and attract the attention of professionals.
The business programme is an integral part of the exhibition, promoting inter-business communication through forums, workshops and presentations. The exhibition’s museum stand, which will track the development of the country’s telecommunications market over the years, will be dedicated to the 130th anniversary of communications in Azerbaijan. The BakuTel Conference, to be held on 24 November in the Conference Hall of Baku Expo Center, will be another important element of the business programme. The conference topics will cover the introduction of innovations to the Azerbaijani market, the development of broadband networks in the region, the implementation of the E-Government Project, the development of infrastructure and a legal framework, the Internet and social networking, and regional trends and prospects for ICT.

News from the exhibition and conference, articles about key figures in the ICT sector, BakuTel presentations and industry news will all be reported in the Daily News exhibition newspaper. The newspaper will be distributed free of charge to participants and visitors.

Microsoft Corporation is the major sponsor of this year’s exhibition. AzStarNet, a regular participant in the exhibition is sponsoring the Smart Zone Project and is the official Internet provider for the exhibition. Azerfon-Vodafone has been the official communications partner for all the international exhibitions and conferences organised by Iteca Caspian in Azerbaijan for the past two years. Among the other partners of the exhibition are AZAL, Greenwich Travel Club, Caspel and Caucas Point Hotel. The exhibition is organised by Iteca Caspian LLC, part of the ITE Group.

This year, BakuTel will be a highly effective platform for business meetings dedicated to the industry and for the demonstration of achievements in the communications industry, data processing and the development of computer technologies. The international BakuTel exhibition makes a significant contribution to the development of local enterprises in the ICT industry and encourages them to produce competitive products that meet international quality standards. The new products presented at the exhibition also help to promote innovation, the introduction of new services and technologies in the domestic market and the integration of the country into the global information space.


/Today.Az/