ICT: Fair and forum
Cairo's largest information and communications technology fair has developed into something even larger than itself. Eman Youssef reports
The Cairo Information and Communication Technology (ICT) fair opened its doors to business executives and professionals, displaying the wares of 150 companies. The fair attracted an unprecedented number of visitors and witnessed the signing of a number of important agreements in the field of ICT.
Telecom Egypt (TE) signed a memorandum of understanding with Telecom Italia and TE Data, an Egyptian company affiliated to TE, to provide the Egyptian companies with the IP-VPN (Internet Protocol-Virtual Private Network) technology. This state-of-the-art technology protects computer users from hackers.
TE and Telecom Italia will be responsible for international connectivity, while TE Data will provide customer support.
"The agreement highlights the strength of TE and its distinguished role in the region and underlines the progressive development of its services provided lately to the Egyptian market", said Azza Torky, deputy chairman of TE.
Stefano Mazzitelli, CEO of Telecom Italia Sparkle said that Telecom Egypt has always had strong relations with Telecom Italia.
The selection of TE Data as part of the deal, according to its Managing Director Mohamed El-Nawaway, comes due to their organisational and technical capabilities which qualifies them to manage international IP-VPN.
"This agreement comes within the company's strategy to extend its services not only in Egypt but to the whole region," he added.
"We have a strong belief in the potential of the Egyptian market as well as in the importance of Egypt's role as a technology hub for the region of the Middle East and North Africa," said Jason Zhao, managing director of Huawi Technologies, the leading Chinese telecom solution provider.
Visiting the fair, Rania Osama, a student, said: "It was really good timing for the fair to be held during the mid--year vacation so we could have a good chance to visit the fair and catch up with the latest technologies."
The Arab ICT Youth Summit initiative, held on the fringe of the fair, has brought together young men and women from the region to discuss their ICT-based future and current problems. The discussions expanded beyond simply employment and career opportunities to discuss broad changes needed in the ICT sector.
Contrary to expectations, the number of companies participating in the ICT, around 150, was not affected by the fact that the much larger Africa Telecom fair will be held in May.
