Global firms pack communications and IT expo
JAKARTA (JP): Leading communications and information technology companies from most parts of the world packed an exhibition on Wednesday to flaunt their latest products and services in the hope of sharing in the country's huge market potential.
Global telecommunication carriers and infrastructure providers, such as France Telecoms, Lucent Technologies and China's Huawei Technologies and mobile telephone makers Ericsson, Nokia, Motorola and Siemens, are among the hundreds of participants in the Indonesian International Telecommunications Media & Information Technology (IITELMIT) exhibition, which opened on Wednesday.
Major local players, such as state-owned telecommunications companies PT Telkom and PT Indosat, Telkom's KSO partners, mobile phone operators Satelindo and Telkomsel and dozens of Internet- based firms, also packed the Jakarta Convention Center, where the exhibition is being held through Saturday.
Foreign participants said their presence reflected their big hope in Indonesia's communications and information technology sectors, which were widely expected to flourish in the next couple of years in line with the government's plan to liberalize the sectors.
Philippe Valigny, an advisor to Telkom's KSO partner in Sumatra, PT Pramindo Ikat Nusantara, which is partly owned by France Telecom, said the company was looking forward to a greater business opportunity that would come along with the liberalization of Indonesia's telecommunications sector.
"We have high expectations in Indonesia's telecommunications sector and we plan to increase our existence here," he said.
The Indonesian government is considering liberalizing the telecommunications sector by lifting a monopoly currently held by Telkom and Indosat by 2002 or 2003.
Telkom now has the exclusive rights to provide local fixed line telecommunications until 2010, while Indosat controls international phone call service with its subsidiary Satelindo until 2004.
Wang Xin, a representative from China's largest telecommunications equipment manufacturer, Huawei Technologies, said like many other global players, his company was also anxiously waiting for a bigger business opportunity in the country's telecommunications sector.
"Indonesia is a very important market. Hopefully, the country will open its telecommunications sector soon so that we can have a greater opportunity to participate in the telecommunications business here," said Wang, adding that his company just started business four months ago.
Mobile telephone and Internet-based participants are stealing the limelight at the IITELMIT show.
Hundreds of visitors were dazzled with a range of new Internet access-enabled cellular phones from Nokia, Ericsson, Motorola and Siemens which are displayed at large, stylishly decorated stands.
Ericsson's director of consumer products, Susanto Susilo, said the current trend in the communications sector was the convergence of mobile phones and the Internet.
"Mobile Internet is the sensation now and it will stay that way for the next couple of years in line with the rapid growth of the country's Internet sector," he said.
Detik.com, kopitime.com, boleh.net, CyberCity Indonesia, World Wide Web Institute, www.TradeEzy.com and the Indonesia Net Exchange are among the dozens of Internet-based companies that are showing off their latest products and services at the IITELMIT show. (cst)