Geovana Pagel
São Paulo – During the second half of August, the city of São Paulo, the largest business centre in Brazil, in the southeastern state of São Paulo, is going to house fair Comdex IT Brasil, responsible for the definition of many new tendencies for the Information Technology and Communication sector, and congress Comdex Sucesu-SP 2004. Both events, to take place at the Anhembi Exhibition Pavilion, represent an opportunity to change experiences, contacts and to generate new business in an area in which the country is, slowly, beginning to stand out internationally.
"Traditionally, the Brazilian IT market has average growth greater than that of the Brazilian GDP and of other sectors in the country. Up to the end of 2000 it grew as much as 16% a year," stated the president of the Computer and Telecommunications User Society (Sucesu/SP), André Cosentino Machado Homem.
According to him, the country has started having access on the foreign market and has been exporting solutions. ANBA has already informed, for example, that companies in Jordan and the United Arab Emirates have shown interest in importing domestic technology, such as bank correspondent services.
Representatives of exporters in the Brazilian software industry were even included in the party that accompanied president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on his tour of the Middle East and North Africa in December last.
"Brazil is currently one of the most advanced countries in the area of bank automation. No other country has a real time system like the Brazilian. Most of the producers established in Brazil have know-how to develop software for international technological solutions," stated Homem.
Another example, he recalls, is the automated electoral system, "one of the most advanced in the world."
According to figures supplied last year by the Ministry of Science and Technology, there are currently 4,169 hardware and software producers in the country, as well as 11,619 establishments that supply IT services.
Business area
The fair, to take place between August 17 and 20, will include the presence of companies from all around the country and also from Europe, Asia, the Americas, and Oceania. This year the fair will have an area completely turned to business, the New Concept IT, where the latest tendencies in solutions by companies leading the sector they operate in will be presented.
"We intend to repeat the success of last year, when we counted on the participation of 465 companies and of 89,000 qualified professionals, representing the most varied sectors of the economy," stated fair director Marcus Faria.
"This initiative will put buyers and suppliers of famous IT companies face to face, to discuss matters in the area and to stimulate business. It will be a corporate area and our objective is to bring the main executives in the market to this event," continued Faria.
Since 2002, the fair has been betting on the format of events focussed on specific segments considering important themes for the domestic IT market. This year, apart from that, there will be another four events: Global IPv6 Summit Brazil 2004, ProIndústria, IT Business Solutions, and OnDemand Latin America 2004.
The pavilions that have already been confirmed are Automation (companies in the commercial and industrial automation area), Sebrae-SP (small companies from the state of São Paulo) and National Sebrae (small Brazilian companies), Brazilian Association of Software Companies (ABES), ITS/Assespro – Software Technology Institute / Brazilian Companies of Software and Information Services (small and medium software companies) and Bahia (small companies from the state of Bahia).
Small companies
Small company participation at the fair is guaranteed by means of partnership between the Comdex organizers and the Sebrae. There will be around 64 small companies at the event. The organizations are offering small companies subsidies of up to 50% in the purchase of a space, including ample support infrastructure, such as a meeting room, telephone, fax, Internet access, technical support, and receptionists.
Last year, Sebrae-SP alone supported the participation of 30 companies that, together, made over 2,600 contacts and generated around US$ 25,000 in business. Apart from being visited by domestic companies, the Sebrae-SP stand was visited by people from countries like Argentina, Spain, the United States, Germany, Korea, and China.
The congress
Congress Comdex Sucesu-SP 2004 will take place between August 17 and 19. It is expected that a total of 2,000 people should attend the congress, representing around 1,000 companies.
"In its new format, the congress will include different sectors, making it possible for companies to face the constant challenges present in business," stated the Sucesu/SP president.
In all, 13 seminars are programmed, each lasting a day, including talks and a closing panel. Themes to be discussed will be the following: Business Intelligence; Project Development; Project Management; IT Management; Communication Management; Infrastructure; Java; Storage; Mobility & Wireless; Security; Free and Voice Software, Data, and Convergence.
Information and enrolment
Congress: (+5511) 3078.2144
Fair: (+5511) 4688.6000
Site: www.comdex.com.br
