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Global tech slowdown mars Bangalore IT.com

Fakir Chand in Bangalore

The fifth edition of Bangalore IT.Com 2002 ended on a tame note, with tech slowdown and rains robbing it of the pomp and glitter, assoicated with such mega events.

Though the organisers have reeled out impressive figures on the number of participants, visitors, and the response the seven conferences (held as part of the exposition) generated, the conspicuous absence of leading multinational companies such as Microsoft, Intel, HP/Compaq and Wipro tell a different story.

Moreover, unlike in the last two years, there were no major announcements on either product launch, business generated or fresh investments being made from the 264 participants, including 222 companies, which had their stalls in the nine theme pavilions to showcase their products and technologies.

Karnataka Minister for IT and Tourism D B Inamdar admitted that because of frequent rains, the number of general visitors was down this year by 50,000 from 200,000 last year in the five-day event.

"But the number of business visitors has gone up to 50,000 this time from 44,000 last year, showing an increase of over 10 per cent," Inamdar claimed.

With major IT players keeping away, the exhibition was dominated by small and medium enterprises, occupying a built-up area of 8000sq meteres.

Tech slowdown, gloomy economic outlook, and cost-cutting have dampened the spirit of participation by key sectors of the IT industry.

The Exhibitors' Directory, distributed to the media on the concluding day, shows that only 170 companies participating against 253 firms last year.

The IT event was inaugurated by President APJ Abdul Kalam on Monday and attended by distinguished leaders, including UK e-Commerce Minister Stephen Timms, and Andhra Pradesh IT-savvy Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu. In all, delegations from as many as 16 countries visited the exposition.

Besides 53 foreign companies, about 300 international delegates participated in the exhibition and parallel conferences such as e-governance, customer centricity for business excellence, biotechnology, TiE Con, CEO conclave, BPO and IT strategies for banking and finance.

As part of the event, a five-day Student Internet World was also organised, which attracted about 30,000 school and college students to surf and browse the worldwide web.

The annual popular Rural IT Quiz also drew a huge response this time too, with a whopping 48,600 school students from across Karnataka participating.

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