New Delhi: One of the most prestigious events on the Asia-Pacific calendar, the 19th ASOCIO general assembly and symposium will be held in New Delhi from 6 to 8 December 2001. Prime Minister A B Vajpayee will inaugurate the symposium, which will be hosted by National Association of Software and Services (Nasscom).

The Asian Oceanian Computing Industry Organisation (ASOCIO), set up in 1984, has been playing a key role in promoting, encouraging, fostering, developing and coordinating trade between members and helping in the proliferation of the computing industry in the Asian and Oceanic regions.

The information technology sector has played a critical role in the economic success of recent years. Business strategies and even the structure of companies and industries are being transformed as communication within companies and users occurs more rapidly, with more customised information, and with greater security, interactivity and timelineness than before.

ASOCIO has played an important role in promoting and developing information technology and information services industry in the Asian Oceanian region. With the recent developments of slowdown in technology companies and general recession in the US economy, ASOCIO provides an excellent platform to network and forge alliances between member companies in the Asian Oceanian region. The general assembly and symposium of ASOCIO provides an ideal platform to increase trade promotion in the region.

The ASOCIO symposium is held by rotation in every member country. Each country gets to host this prestigious event only once every 10 years. Nasscom had last hosted the event in 1993 and is delighted to once again host the 19th general assembly and symposium in 2001.

The 19th general assembly and symposium in India will focus on the theme Government and industry Business in the Digital Economy. Spread over three days, the conference sessions will focus on the important trends of IT in government, human resource development, e-strategies in the digital economy and how the government and industry can work in cooperation in the digital economy.

The symposium in New Delhi will focus on the importance of e-governance and trade alliances in the Asian Oceanian region. Business-to-business (B2B) alliances will be the underlying theme at the symposium. The programme is designed in a manner so that the delegates can learn more about the IT industry and opportunities in the Asian Oceanian region as well as network and forge alliances.

The symposium has a strong support from the Indian government, which has increasingly laid out progressive policies for growth of the IT sector in the country. A number of social events are also planned to provide the delegates an opportunity to mix business with pleasure and get a glimpse of Indias rich cultural heritage.