Over 6,000 Companies Vying to Showcase High-Tech Products in Hannover CeBIT2006 will be held from March 9 to 15 at the Hannover Convention Center, Germany under the slogan of "Digital Solutions for Work & Life." In its 21st year this year, CeBIT 2006 promises to be the stage for some 30 special exhibitions and 800 conferences in addition to the products display by more than 6,300 companies from over 70 nations. Of the participating companies, 3,300 are foreign companies of which 51.5%, or 1,700 firms, are from the Asia and Pacific region. The participation by Asian countries has been growing annually to such an extent that their rented space for displays this year has reached 300,000 square meters. In 2005, more than 6,200 companies from over 70 countries took part in the annual event that attracted 480,000 visitors. The CeBIT exhibition, industry watchers say, is meaningful in the sense that it provides a forum for participants to share today's industry issues and future visions not merely for the display of products itself. Digital Solutions for Work & Life At CeBIT 2006, organizers have placed emphasis on how the digital world can assist people improve their lifestyles during their working and leisure hours. To be introduced at the exhibition includes various business solutions and digital lifestyles based on up-to-date technologies including the communication network connecting working sites with home. The capping of CeBIT 2006 with the slogan of "Digital Solutions for Work & Life" is said to be derived from the important role information technologies play in not only home appliances but also in the fields of telematics and logistics. CeBIT 2006 Under a Variety of Themes At CeBIT 2006, exhibition halls are arranged according to major themes and are anticipated to win the favorable responses from visitors since various forums and special exhibitions are also scheduled to be held. In the Business Process Hall, business solutions and related products will be on display. These include a host of security devices and software in addition to RFID technologies that have recently been attracting much attention. In the Communications Hall, which displays telephones, mobile phones and network-related products, a special exhibition dubbed 'VoIP@CeBIT and WLAN-World' will be held under the theme of 'Telematik, Navigation, Logistik and Handy-TV.' In the Digital Equipment and Systems Hall, HDTVs as well as personal and mobile storage systems will highlight today's digital entertainment. In the Banking & Financing Hall, business solutions for enhancing the convenient use of various equipment and devices employed by financial institutions including banks will be on special display under the slogan of 'Bank-Finance-Systems.' In the Public Sector Parc, public and academic institutions will take part and make presentations concerning geographical information systems. In addition, special exhibitions are scheduled to be held under the theme of 'eHealth.' In the Future Parc, research and academic institutions will be introducing new ideas through a forum for discussions entitled 'future talk.' At CeBIT 2006, special emphasis has also been placed on SMEs. Through the "Forum CeBIT Mittelstand," numerous seminars and discussions are scheduled to be held with the participation of business leaders, politicians and journalists. Furthermore, a variety of products and solutions for SMEs will be on display. In addition, an exhibition hall has been prepared for merchants in the business of trading IT products, home appliances as well as photo shop and office supplies. For some time, CeBIT has won the acclaim as a prominent stage for meetings with corporate leaders around the globe. In the list of programs for 'Keynote Speeches' to be presented during the exhibition, Anand Chandrasekher, vice president of Intel, and Guerrino De Luca, CEO of Logitech, have been invited to deliver keynote speeches. Another event which is anticipated to draw much attention at CeBIT is 'Digital Living' through which visitors can operate digital products and experience future technologies. Market Trends at CeBIT 2006 At this year's CeBIT, digital products with various functions originating from digital convergence are set to make conspicuous showing. The combining of home entertainment with mobile technologies, in particular, is expected to make a striking debut since it has become possible to adopt more innovative products and services thanks to the continued growth of the cell phone market and the increased accessibility of the broadband Internet. Portable Multimedia Players Lead Home Electronic Products It is forecast that PMPs (Portable Media Players), mounted with TV screens and navigation functions that include those of DVDs, HDDs, and MP3s, will lead the home entertainment market. DMB and DVB-H Vying for the Portable TV Market The adoption of DMB for its trial service during the 2006 World Cup soccer games in the five German States of Bayern, North Rhine-Westphalia, Saarland, Berlin, and Brandenburg has attracted heightened interest. This is because its success is much anticipated to provide an important turning point in deciding the future course of the mobile TV market. LCD & PDP TVs Mounted with HD-DVDs and HDTVs Due to the advent of HD-DVD players and HDTVs with 1920x1080 panels, LCD & PDP TVs capable of performing the functions of these new models are expected to post rapid growth from the early stages of the high-resolution digital broadcasting. The Advent of 3.5G Mobile Phones with HSDPA Functions Following T-Mobile's successful launch of high-speed mobile communication utilizing HSDPA (High-Speed Downlink Packet Access), the third-generation technology of Nokia, a trial telecom service at the speed of 1.8Mbps, a speed that is comparable to that of ADSL, is scheduled to be launched this month. Korea Pavilion The Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA), which has participated in CeBIT since 2002, will take part in this year's event by organizing the Korean delegation to the Korean Pavilion. According to Han Jong-woon, director-general of KOTRA, the Korean Pavilion will be displaying high-tech multimedia products at 3 convention halls (Halls 22, 23 & 25) including the one (Hall 25) set aside for the exclusive display of display products. A total of 108 companies, an increase of 13 from last year, will be participating in the Korean Pavilion on an exhibition floor space of 1,467 square meters. In the midst of growing expectations for a substantial growth of the home electronics market in Germany on the occasion of the 2006 World Cup, it is anticipated that Korean IT SMEs can engage in lively consultations for export. Mindful of the importance the occasion carries, the Korean Pavilion will be housing a special booth for the exclusive demonstration of DMB service. At the Korean Pavilion, new models of MP3 players and PMPs that reflect today's trend for convergence will also be displayed with the participation of 24 and 12 Korean firms, respectively. Bluetooth models including wireless headsets will also be presented by 9 companies. In the meantime, highdefinition LCD TVs with fancy designs from ten companies such as KTV Global are expected to capture the hearts and minds of buyers. Invest Korea Fair for IT Products and Services On March 13, Korea will be holding an investment fair at Hanover Convention Center from 10:30 a.m. for a two-hour run in order to boost Germany's investment in Korea's IT industry. Chung Dong-soo, head of Invest Korea, is scheduled to deliver introductory remarks on Korea's IT industry and Chu Woo-shik, head of investor relations division at Samsung Electronics, will give a keynote speech on Samsung's strategy for future growth. In addition, Siemens and Rohde &Schwarz Int'l GmbH of Germany are scheduled to deliver success stories of investing in Korea. Mr. Han said that the trade promotion agency and OAV, the German association for friendship between Germany and East Asia, as well as the German Chambers of Commerce in Hamburg, Hanover, Lubeck and Kiel have been striving to search for German companies interested in investing in Korea.