The Hindu Business Line : Connect2004 opens in Chennai

CONNECT2004, the fourth edition of Tamil Nadu's annual information, communication and technology (ICT) event, would not only project the State, and Chennai in particular, as a destination of choice for IT investment, but would also showcase ICT opportunity in India.

It would be a knowledge-sharing event, and deal with issues pertaining to use of IT in sectors such as services, manufacturing and e-governance and bridging the digital divide, according to Mr Vivek Harinarain, State IT Secretary.

Connect2004 would be a "graduate from IT for investment to ICT for people," he told newspersons.

The four-day event begins on September 22 with conferences and exhibitions on all days at the Chennai Trade Centre. The Tamil Nadu Minister for Law and IT, Mr D. Jayakumar, would inaugurate the event along with Mr Kralsorn Pornsutee, Deputy Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Information and CT, Thailand.

Mr Azim Premji of Wipro Corporation, Mr Ashok Tyagi of GE Capital, and Dr Noshir Khory of Motorola, US, are some of the prominent speakers at the conference, said Mr R. Ramaraj, Co-Chairman, Connect2004.

Intel would showcase its wireless initiatives and digital thrust, and IBM its technologies on Linux, open standards and e-governance frameworks at the Enterprise ICT exhibition.

Sify Ltd, the Indian Internet and e-commerce firm, would put forth its network, application and security services, he said.

According to Mr Ramaraj, the B2B (business-to-business) forum would update and demonstrate to the user industry/corporate on latest trends, products, solutions and technologies in enterprise ICT. It would also explore Chennai/Tamil Nadu's ICT skills, capabilities, ICT infrastructure and technical skills in a major way, he said.

There would be sessions on various topics, including wireless, e-governance and manufacturing. The event would also deal on solutions for SMB (small and medium size business) firms with participation of ICT companies with low cost solutions, he said.

International delegations are expected from Malaysia, Thailand, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Mexico, Dubai, Taiwan and Korea. Delegates from States of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Pondicherry and West Bengal are also expected, he said.

Compared to 2003 there has been a 26 per cent increase in the number of exhibitors, to 106 this year. The exhibition space increased by 25 per cent to 4,000 sq m, he said.