CommunicAsia to host next-gen communications technologies

By Erwin Oliva - INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines -- CommunicAsia, the biggest telecommunications event in Asia scheduled to open this week, will showcase both the convergence of various technologies and experts representing different sectors in the high-tech industry.

According to organizers, key industry executives like Dr Tero Ojanperä, executive vice president and chief technology officer of Nokia, and Sukhinder Singh-Cassidy, vice president of Asia Pacific and Latin America Operations of Google, are expected to attending event to discuss the impact of digital convergence in businesses, society and individuals.

This year, CommunicAsia will also delve on mobile applications, such as IPTV and mobile TV for faster and new-generation mobile networks, organizers said.

Planned are six conference tracks focusing on mobile, broadband, next-generation networks, convergence, satellite, and wireless broadband, such as the emerging wireless standards Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX) and the high-speed data packet access (HSDPA) and their newer evolving version.

Also a trade show, CommunicAsia is expected to bring together 2,400 companies including Chunghwa Telecom, Ericsson, Huawei Technologies, Infosys, Nokia Siemens Networks, LG Electronics, Samsung, Tandberg Television, ST Electronics, Infosys and Aspect Software.

Ericsson is scheduled to demonstrate its mobile and interactive TV and new developments in HSPA (high speed packet access) technology, while Huawei Technologies will launch new products that include a HSDPA handset that can act as a USB HSDPA high-speed modem for notebooks and PCs.

Nokia Siemens Networks, which is a year-old joint venture, will talk about its strategy and plans.

CommunicAsia will be held at the Singapore Expo from June 19 to 22, 2007.

It will be spread over a total of eight halls of Singapore Expo. It will be held alongside EnterpriseIT, BroadcastAsia, and CG Overdrive (or Computer Graphics Overdrive), an event dedicated to animation.

Interactive digital media and entertainment will also be showcased in CommunicAsia.

Organizers said that the estimated size of the global media and entertainment industry in 2009 is expected to hit US$1.78 trillion, while the Asia-Pacific market is predicted to reach US$431 billion in the same period.

Converged applications such as mobile entertainment, IPTV, connected digital home devices, as well as mobile gaming, will be showcased and discussed in this year's event.

Participating countries in this year's CommunicAsia include Germany, Sweden and UK, South Korea, China, Taiwan and the United States.

"CommunicAsia has become the preferred ICT show in the Asia-Pacific region for technology professionals; for close to two decades, we have assumed the leadership position in featuring new technologies and applications that will fundamentally change the way we do things," said Victor Wong, Project Director of CommunicAsia for organizers Singapore Exhibition Services, in a statement.

"This year, it is no exception. CommunicAsia2007 will showcase promising technologies that will bring the Digital Convergence dream to life. We are confident that the show will deliver great value-add to our exhibitors and visitors," he said.