To be held on July 30-31:

Mini Infotel - Kegalle towards a knowledge nation

The Federation of Information Technology Sri Lanka (FITIS) announced Mini Infotel Kegalle - Towards a knowledge nation, the largest regional ICT exhibition in 2011. FITIS is organizing Mini Infotel Kegalle in partnership with the Telecommunication and IT Ministry and the Presidential Task Force for English and IT.

Speaking about the Mini Infotel Kegalle - Towards a knowledge nation, exhibition, Telecommunication and IT Minister Ranjith Siyambalapitiya said, “Our Ministry is making every effort to implement policies and programmes to ensure that ICT can enrich the life of every citizen of this country and ICT can contribute optimally to Sri Lanka’s national development and prosperity.

While bringing out necessary policy initiatives to achieve this, it is also important to take the ICT message to all parts of the country. This helps us to achieve our national ICT objective of achieving 75 percent ICT literacy in 5 years and to create awareness of benefits of ICT to citizens. It is in that spirit and with these objectives, we partnered with the Federation of IT Industry Sri Lanka (FITIS) to conduct Mini Infotel ICT exhibition in Kegalle. We would like to invite the entire ICT industry to join hands with FITIS in this initiative and appeal to the people of Kegalle district to get the best benefit out of this opportunity.

FITIS Hardware Chapter President Wasantha Weerakoon said, Mini Infotel regional exhibitions and ICT career guidance programme are a joint private public partnership in order to promote ICT in outstation areas.

Hon Minister has taken a keen initiative to promote ICT among rural youth to meet national ICT objectives of 75 percent ICT literacy and US$ 1 billion ICT export revenues and encouraged FITIS to conduct more regional ICT exhibitions. “Promoting information technology usage and taking its benefits to all citizens and regional economies is one of FITIS objectives as well.

Also FITIS working hard with their over 160 member companies to promote wider usage of information and communication technology to enhance the competitiveness of industries vital to the economy. To achieve these objectives, FITIS is planning to hold more regional exhibitions in main provincial towns.

FITIS Chief Executive Officer Damith Hettihewa said, “Information Technology skills are vital to build a vibrant knowledge-based economy. To attract more youth from Kegalle district to the field of information and communication technology, arrangements have been made to hold an ICT career guidance programmes parallel to the Mini Infotel Kegalle Exhibition. Awareness programmes on professional ICT education, ICT usage in SME sector and lectures on free and open source software (FOSS) will also be organized parallel to the Mini Infotel 2011 exhibition.

A large number of local and multinational organizations representing the ICT field will be participating in the exhibition. Stalls can be reserved under the categories of computers, IT solutions, telecommunications and broadband services, gaming, media and entertainment, computer gaming, software, electronics retail, banking and insurance, manufacturing and SME, eCitizen services, ICT training, professional education, English and higher education, and food and beverages. Hettihewa added.

ICT solution providers, computer vendors and organizations in telecommunications, banking, it training, professional studies and higher education sectors have come forward to partner the exhibition.

In February 2010, Mini Infotel exhibitions was held very successfully in the Jaffna peninsula after 30 years. The Mini Infotel Jaffna exhibition drew large crowds as it was the first mega exhibition to be held after opening A9 highway. Mini Infotel was also held in Kurunegala and Tangalle ICT in 2009.

The Sri Lanka ICT industry association, FITIS, the Federation of Information Technology Industry Sri Lanka, which constitutes the Sri Lanka Computer Vendors Association (SLCVA) - the Hardware Chapter, the Sri Lanka Association for the Software Industry (SLASI) - the Software Chapter, the Association of Computer Training Organizations (ACTOS) - the Training Chapter, the Lanka Internet Service Providers Association (LISPA) / (TPA) - the Telecommunications Chapter and Information Systems Audit and Control Association (ISACA) - the Professional Chapter.

FITIS has been in operation for the last 15 years as the unified umbrella organization of the ICT industry in Sri Lanka. FITIS has been actively engaged in setting the strategic direction and developing the ICT industry in Sri Lanka with many programs which have been successfully implemented.