Wireless still the star at this year's CommunicAsia
According to Singapore Exhibition Services CEO Stephen Tan, whose company is organizing the event, wireless technology--with particular emphasis on mobile commerce and third-generation (3G) technology--will be the main focus at CommunicAsia 2001.
"Wireless may a passé thing, but from our clients' feedback, the world is going towards wireless communications and about 45 percent of the 2,400 exhibitors this year are wireless players," Tan said this afternoon.
Mobile may have been last year's hot topic, but the reality is that it takes time for a technology to be adopted, Tan noted. "People are talking about 3G as a lifestyle, but it will take some time for it to take place. Until then, the focus will still be there."
Tan said other areas of interest at this year's event include digital interactive television and smart card technology.
CommunicAsia 2001--the 13th Asian international communications and information technology exhibition and conference--will kick off in style at the Singapore Expo in Changi tomorrow. The four-day event will be held concurrently with BroadcastAsia 2001, and is open to trade visitors only.
Singapore Deputy Prime Minister BG Lee Hsien Loong is scheduled to give the address at the official opening ceremony of the event tomorrow. Other speakers include the Info-communications Development Authority of Singapore chairman Lam Chuan Leong.
Although some big players like Motorola and Nokia are not represented at CommunicaAsia 2001, the exhibition boasts six of the world's top 10 mobile phone makers, said Tan.
Among the big names at the exhibition this year are Avaya, Agilent Technologies, NTT DoCoMo, Siemens and locally-based Singapore Technologies.
The exhibition area this year has grown to about 75,800 square meters compared with 68,250 square meters last year.