Convergence India 2003

March 10, 2003
Smart cards -- cornerstone of secure future

NEW DELHI -- An industry analyst had predicted last year that the demand for smart cards in India would shoot up from 8.17 million units in 2001 to 105.1 million units to 2008. Smart cards are the cornerstone of our secure future. They provide enormous business opportunities for application developers, besides benefits for the end users. Future market trends are also pointing toward pocket computers, downloading applications on to smart cards, running multiple applications and multi-tasking, and global interoperability.

The first SCTI 2002 event organised at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi last year focused on every aspect of the smart card technology and application in a high level two-day meet and was well received by the industry and the media. The 2nd Smart Card Tech India 2003 Conference and Exhibition is co-located with 11th Convergence India 2003 Conference and Exhibition, the country's largest event on IT and telecom, broadcasting and cable, satellite, and space sectors.

A business-to-business (B2B) show, it is a unique platform for the industry to showcase the latest technologies, applications and developments in the field of smart cards, from leading global vendors and service providers, as well as private players from India and abroad.

The 2nd Smart Card Tech India 2003 international conference will furnish delegates with an insider's knowledge of the smart card technology and applications, and enable them to create winning strategies in today's competitive economic environment. The theme of this year's conference is: "Smart Cards @e-Applications." The event is being co-organised by the Ministry of Communications and IT, Department of Information Technology, Government of India, and co-sponsored by Frost & Sullivan and the Institute for Development & Research in Banking Technology (IDRBT). It is supported by the Asia Pacific Smart Card Forum, Australia, the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) and the Institution of Electronics & Telecommunication Engineers (IETE), India.

The conference sessions will cover topics such as recent developments and future trends in SIMs, biometrics and e-security, smart card platform (SCOSTA), smart cards in banking and retail, and smart card based government and transportation applications.

The exhibition will attract all the major companies in the industry. Exhibitors from across the world will have the opportunity to demonstrate their latest applications and innovations and interact with the buyers and the experts. This makes Smart Card Tech India 2003 the ideal platform to present solutions, launch new products and applications, build relationships, seek new partners and meet new customers. Smart Card India 2003 is essential for any company aiming to establish, develop or extend their presence and activity in the Indian card industry.

Conference: The two day (12 - 13 March 2003) technical conference will feature high profile speakers presenting a wide spectrum of industry experience in delivering smart cards into the hands of end users, to customer feelings about their privacy and security in using smart cards. Various members of leading industry applications will present their experiences, and discuss customer feedback of the smart cards they have in their hands. This strategic forum will also examine the key developments surrounding smart technologies, and will trace the life cycle of implementation by assessing live applications in India and in the international arena. The strategic benefits and lessons learned from these case studies; the conference will highlight the considerable commercial and practical value of smart cards and biometrics.

Delegate/visitor profile: Decision-makers, operational heads, technology heads, professionals, consultants and entrepreneurs engaged in Indian banking industry, government departments and other nodal agencies:

Banking/Finance/Insurance sector
IT (Hardware/Software)
Retail selling
Internet/e-commerce
Telecommunications/Computer services
Transportation
Tourism/Leisure/Culture
Automobile manufacturing
Universities/Colleges
Legal Profession
System Integration/IT/IS solutions
Construction/Civil engineering
Materials handling/hoisting and lifting
Electronics
Research & Development
Other services

Exhibition profile:

Card manufacturers and embedders
System engineering -- computer services
Manufacturers of electronic components
Integrators/developers
Certification systems
Personalised systems (electronics, photo, hologram, etc.)
Information technology (software/hardware)
Logical/Physical access control systems
Identification systems -- biometrics (finger prints, iris scans, voice, dynamic signature)
Terminal -- automation readers -- specialised equipment
Electronic tags
Card operators
Network operators -- telephony GSM