Software expo begins Feb 22

A four-day BASIS SoftExpo 2018 starting February 22 promises to be the country's largest exposition of software and ICT enabled services (ITES) and will bring together ICT companies, experts, policymakers and industry leaders.

Local enterprises have pinned hope on the event's 12th edition, seeking to generate a substantial amount of business showcasing innovative products before prospective buyers, including those from abroad.

The venue is Bangabandhu International Conference Centre, said the organiser, the Bangladesh Association of Software and Information Services (BASIS), at a press conference at their office yesterday.

Over 200 local and international IT companies are expected to participate in the show, they said, adding that response has already been huge since registration for participants began two weeks back.

The organiser said they were trying to get Bangladesh's missions to send out invites to countries, especially those in Central Asia.

"SoftExpo is the platform to showcase the capability of local software companies in the international arena," said Syed Almas Kabir, president of BASIS.

BASIS members and other local IT bodies will get a platform to expand their business, he said. There will be five zones focusing on software, mobile innovation, digital commerce, ITES and business process outsourcing and cloud computing.

There will also be matchmaking sessions for businesses, a unique opportunity for software and ITES companies, said Mostafizur Rahman Sohel, the event's convener.

Last year there were 30 such sessions and attempts are ongoing to organise even more along with some seminars.

BASIS has a students' forum, members of which will be presenting their innovative projects giving a clear understanding of Bangladesh's ever-growing ICT sector, Sohel added.