U-City in Andicom 2008: Where Innovative Business Models Are Built for the Cities of the Future

CARTAGENA, Colombia--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Andicom 2008:

• The digital city will be deployed on 1200 square meters in Las Animas Cloister at the Convention Center of Cartagena de Indias.
• The scenic architecture of the city will incorporate the concepts of transparency and metals, not only with a futuristic aesthetic purpose, but also in order to emphasize how technologies are becoming increasingly transparent to the end users and allow them to live ubiquitous experiences.
• There will be thematic modules for health, education, home-entertainment, corporate-retailing, banking, tourism and security.

Each year CINTEL chooses a theme for the congress Andicom according to the needs and current prospects of the telecommunications market.

The centerpiece for the congress this year, reaching its XXIII national version and XIV international, is: "Technology: Creating welfare and building the future." That is why, and pointing to the prospects that the sector has, Andicom will recreate a digital city that will allow attendees to live, first-hand, the opportunities it offers.

A digital city with affordable electronic services that allow citizens to improve their quality of life and therefore offer welfare to the community, productivity to companies and competitiveness to countries, and it is through this approach that are aligned the theme of the congress and the U-City pavilion.

The U-City pavilion, one of the novelties of Andicom 2008, will allow visitors to learn first-hand the various strategies that have been worked in the private and public sectors of the country to offer citizens electronic services that will improve their quality of life in health, education, government, commerce and communications, among others.

Nearly 30 companies and government entities have confirmed their participation in the U-City Pavilion, which is an integral part of the Commercial Exhibit Andicom 2008, which will take place between October 29^th and 31^st. U-City is organized by the Colombian Telecommunications Research Center (CINTEL), with the support of the Colombian Ministry for Communications.

U-City will be:

Source of information: For institutions and organizations committed to the improvement and development of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT).

Business opportunity: For the operating companies, consultants and solution, applications, products and services providers that make possible the development of digital cities.

Connection point: Where players in the industry can share their experiences regarding the generation of competitiveness through the appropriation and application of ICT.

The digital city will be deployed on 1200 square meters in the Las Animas Cloister at the Convention Center of Cartagena de Indias. The scenic architecture of the city will incorporate the concept of transparency and metals, not only with a futuristic aesthetic purpose, but also in order to emphasize how technologies are becoming increasingly transparent to end users and allow them you to live ubiquitous experiences.

Services in U-City

The pavilion will function as an interactive showroom of solutions, applications and services for digital cities and lifestyles. In this sense it contemplates various services that are offered and interact in a city. The pavilion will have a central axis empowered by the government representation through the programs: Government online, Compartel and Computers to educate, lead by the Colombian Ministry for Communications.

It will be divided into several thematic modules where private sector companies and public sector entities will be able to do different demonstrations, coupled with commercial or technical talks to take place in the conference room of U-CITY, equipped with all necessary services to meet groups of interest.

The thematic modules are: health, education, home-entertainment, corporate-retailing, banking, tourism and security, among others. The companies that will be in each module are:

Education: Comware - Anpasa; Telefonica Foundation; ICDL; ETB (Bogotá Telecommunications Enterprise).

Home and Entertainment: Motorola - Telmex; CNTV (National Television Commission of Colombia), Nokia Siemens Networks and Sony.

Health: Bitakora; Inteligensa, Districalc, Hewlett Packard and Logyca GS1.

Office and retailing: Huawei, Avaya, Energex; Logyca GS1; 4-72 Postal Network of Colombia, and Nokia Siemens Networks

Government: Colombian Ministry for Communications; Government online; Computers to educate; Compartel; Directorate of Access and Social Development; RTVC; 4-72; Internet Sano

Others: Motorola; UNE EPM (Medellin Public Enterprises), Intel, Cisco, TCC (Commercial Transportation of Colombia); InterNexa.

In order to show the services that interact in a digital city, different entities and companies will present their projects, solutions and devices:

Colombian Ministry for Communications will lead the government module as the engine driving digital cities, presenting outstanding projects in which participate: Computers to Educate, Government Online, Compartel, 4-72, DADS and Radio Television of Colombia.

Intel: Will expound how technology can interact in different sectors to provide more and better services to citizens.

Motorola: Will provide the connectivity of U-City by creating technical and technological conditions for the entire digital city to be completely connected.

Telmex: Will expound how the interactive digital television by subscription provides greater well-being and comfort to the inhabitants of digital territories.

Nokia Siemens Networks: Will provide a variety of applications, including a demo of innovative wireless connectivity, accessible by last generation equipment.

Sony: With a sample of devices will present how citizens can improve their lifestyle: homes, schools, offices, health centers, among others.

Telefonica Foundation: Will bring its model of virtual classroom where children and teachers will be trained in the use and application of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT).

ETB: With its interactive portal will demonstrate to participants how access to technology drives the development of communities.

Comware - ANPAS: With a practical and accessible solution, will invite participants to experience the future of education in digital cities and territories.

Microsoft: With its conference on "Health Vault," José Miguel Calderón, Health Industry Director for the Latin America Region, will expound how health services can be more efficient and effective through the use of ICT.

CNTV: Will develop demonstrations of digital terrestrial television and will show how this technology offers to the citizen the greatest alternative of entertainment, education and communication, among others.

ICDL: Taking advantage of the U-City scene, this NGO will launch a project to encourage access and use of ICT.

UNE-EPM: Will share its experience in the construction of digital cities, as the case of Medellin Digital and Digital Territories, and will provide Internet access at the Convention Center of Cartagena de Indias.

Bitakora: Will provide an integrated solution for improving the processes and services on a Digital Hospital. Companies like Inteligensa, Districalc, HP, Cisco and Logyca will participate in this solution.

Logyca: As a technology partner of U-City will be responsible for publicizing how the retailing sector can be more productive through the use and implementation of solutions based on RFID (Radio Frequency).

Avaya: Will share with the public how communication equipment can be integrated and supported on different networks to provide multiple services.

4-72: Will introduce the new Zip Code, which provides postal identity in the world and within the national territory.

Energex: Will provide energetic support of U-City, to demonstrate the importance of protecting the information in enterprises and institutions.

Expert speakers in the construction of digital cities and lifestyles

In Andicom 2008 will be present recognized speakers who will talk about the construction of digital cities and lifestyles. These are:

• Michael Byun, Director of Business U-city, Incheon Free Economic Zone, IFEZ.
• Juan ZAVATTIERO, ITU Director for the Americas and the Caribbean.
• Mauricio Bouskela, Inter-American Development Bank Senior Specialist in ICT.
• Chris Rourke, founder and president of the Scottish chapter of the Usability Professionals Association (UPA).
• Enrique Fanta, World Bank Senior Public Sector Specialist.
• Antonio Hernandez, Regional Advisor - Health Services Physical Infrastructure & Technology Pan American Health Organization - PAHO - World Health Organization - WHO.
• Roberto Martinez, Director of Health Policy for Digital Latin America - CONTINUALLIANCE.
• Jose Miguel Calderon, Health Industry Director, Latin America Region, Microsoft: Health Vault.
• Dr. Nicolas Apostolopoulos, Free University of Berlin.
• Julian Seseña, Member Steering Committee - NEM.

For more information about U-City: CINTEL +57 1 6353538 E-mail: cgamboa@cintel.org.co

About CINTEL

The Colombian Telecommunications Research Center, CINTEL, has set as its fundamental mission to promote and foster the development of Telecommunications and Information Technologies. CINTEL members include telecommunications operators, universities and government agencies. The board is chaired by the Colombian Minister for Communications.

Among its goals it is to study and assimilate the emerging technological tendencies with the purpose of divulging and analyzing their implementation; to offer open spaces to all sector actors in order to discuss and analyze economical, market, social, political and technological aspects that can affect or influence the industry development; promote the development of projects of the sector’s interest; provide specialized technical assistance and divulge the state and tendencies of telecommunications in the country and the world. For further information, check our web site www.cintel.org.co.