As interest on the part of both the public and private sector in the field of information and communication technology (ICT) has increased, ICT companies have had the opportunity to participate in a growing number of exhibitions.

Armenian ICT companies have been taking part in these international exhibitions since 1997, and starting in 2000, Armenia has hosted them as well. This October saw the DigiTec 2005 exhibition in Yerevan, in which forty companies took part. This number bears witness to the enthusiasm of companies in the field for events like these. Two or three years ago, only a few ICT companies would have taken part. Now, organizers hope that the 2006 exhibition will see the participation of 80 per cent of the Armenian market. However, many big names, such as Migma, Viasphere, and Khartia, were missing from the event this year, as were the influential communication companies like ArmenTel and VivaCell.

Over the past three or four years, exhibitions like this were simply a way for local companies to gain recognition in local and international markets, to attract investors and establish new contacts. The past year, however, participants in ICT expositions have not only tried to sell computers, find partners or establish contacts, but have also been marketing their products by offering programs written by Armenian experts, technological innovations or new services. Thus, local companies have been trying to work for the local market as well. There are also organizations that participate in Armenian expositions as a way of making their presence in the country known. "To be honest, our participation in the exhibition is nor for commercial or marketing purposes, since our market is global, and all our products are exported from the country. But we felt it our duty to participate in the event and let everyone know that Synopsis is now working in Armenia as well," said Hovik Musayelyan, executive director of Synopsis Armenia.

Local companies are especially keen to participate in international exhibitions; taking part in the most prestigious exposition in the world has already become a tradition for some Armenian companies.

Armenia first participated in the world-famous CeBIT exposition in 1997. In 2005, there were 12 companies at CeBIT representing the ICT sphere in Armenia. "Our first objective was and remains establishing a reputation for Armenia as an ICT country through participation in CeBIT. One of our most urgent aims is to show that we too have accomplishments in the ICT sphere. The second thing is to establish new contacts and links. Participation in such expositions is also very important for ICT companies because it allows them to compare their work with other technological innovations and novelties, thus giving themselves an idea of their own standards of development," said Norayr Vardanyan, head expert at the Enterprise Incubator Foundation for Information Technology. The directors of these companies admit that their regular participation is largely due to the large potential for collaboration. "Over these past years, we've established business relationships and gained a large number of partners from many different countries. And we understand that our participation has to be regular," said Vladimir Hakobyan, director of Algorithm Service.

Comdex, the largest IT exhibition in the US, is organized annually in November in Las Vegas. Some Armenian companies have been regular attendees at Comdex for the past five years. Participants here claim that this exposition presents great interest because participating countries are seen as potential markets for American information technology, and there is great internal competition among the various countries present in order to grab attention and secure investments for themselves. In this regard, Armenia has to set itself the aim of appearing attractive to potential investors. It is very important in this process to correctly present one's potential, and the more active a country is during the event, the more interest it attracts. Armenia and Russia were the only CIS countries to take part. While the Armenian participants at Comdex did not get specific contracts, they secured appointments for future contacts.

"We've already got some idea of how we should present ourselves more effectively. We should have a permanent display and clear information about the ICT sphere and companies in Armenia. We should try our best to participate in as many exhibitions and forums there as possible. Over the years, each company has developed its own way of presenting itself. At an exposition, it is the seller who looks for buyers. Through various sources, you look for potential partners, and call them or send an invitation or a letter asking them to visit your display. Sometimes there are dinner invitations, where personal interaction has a great role to play," said Grigor Barseghyan, director of Migma.

The directors of various ICT companies in Armenia say that the main things that potential partners are interested in are the quality and cost of labor as well as Internet and communication technology in the country. They also want to know which reputable companies are working in the country, what the ICT legal framework is like, and what advantages are given to the ICT sphere.