MEDIA RELEASE

Australia's Credentials in the Spotlight at SEARCC’98

Friday 19 July 1998 - With Australia’s present political position attracting regional attention to our stance on international relationships, SEARCC'98 is emerging as a key opportunity to convince Asia and the world of our international credentials as a trading partner and as a politically stable and friendly place to do business.

The annual conference of the South East Asia Regional Computer Confederation, SEARCC’98 will be staged in Darwin from 8-10 July 1998.

Despite the impact of the Asian currency crisis, the event has attracted significant attention from throughout the region, with Australia’s corporate and government communities demonstrating their support at a very high level.

Synchronised Industry Events Bring Executives to Darwin

Several industry events have been scheduled in Darwin to coincide with SEARCC’98, such as meetings of Telstra’s Board, the Online Council of Australia, the Special Regional Interest Group on Professional Standards and the SEARCC Executive Committee, as well as the Regional E-Commerce Session being chaired by Senator Richard Alston.

The combined result will be a convergence of many of the region’s most powerful and influential decision-makers from both private and public sector organisations in Darwin next month.

Over 90 per cent of the 400 people already committed to attend SEARCC’98 are senior executives, ranging from CEOs and Managing Directors to CIOs, Directors, Vice-Presidents and Heads of Schools and Departments.

"SEARCC’98 is shaping up as a unique opportunity for Australia’s key decision-makers to network with their Asian counterparts and demonstrate our openness to the region and the world," said SEARCC’98 Organising Chair, Prins Ralston.

"While the Asian crisis has reduced attendance from the region, international visitors still comprise one third of those booked to attend and the calibre of people is extremely high," said Mr Ralston, who is also President of the Australian Computer Society (ACS).

A review of current registrations show 50 per cent represent the commercial sector, with another 30 from government and the remaining 20 per cent from the academic community.

The overseas contingent represents over a third of all attendees, with strong contingents (over 15 people) from Hong Kong, India, Philippines and Singapore and slightly smaller groups from Japan, New Zealand and Sri Lanka. Nepal, Thailand, Pakistan, Indonesia and Taiwan are each sending five representatives while several other countries have registered one or two people, including Brunei, Vietnam, Switzerland, Germany, USA, Mexico and others.

Of the Australian registrations, one third is booked from the Northern Territory while the remaining delegates are drawn evenly from across all other states and territories, excepting Tasmania.

SEARCC’98 Builds Bridges Between IT Leaders of Future

One of the special components of SEARCC’98 is the International Schools Software Competition, which will bring together 80 of the region’s most talented high school students to compete in a programming tournament.

"With teams coming from most of SEARCC’s 15 member nations, this competition symbolises the building of bridges between the leaders of tomorrow from throughout the region," said Mr Ralston.

"The event promotes not only the intellectual pursuits of IT, but also sharing cultures and developing a sound basis for building peace in the region through celebrating diversity and tolerance. In recognition of the importance of these young people to our collective future, this competition will be staged in the Great Hall of the Northern Territory Parliament House," he said.

The NT Government is an active participant in SEARCC’98, with Chief Minister, Shane Stone, performing the official opening and hosting a cocktail function for speakers and delegates at NT Parliament House.

SEARCC'98 a Catalyst for Partnerships

Mr Ralston said much of the focus and discussions at SEARCC'98 will centre on developing and enhancing regional relationships and identifying where to concentrate our energies to achieve the best results.

"The presence of people like Stephen Yeo, CEO of the Singapore Computer Board, Iwao Toda, President of Japan's Information Processing Society, and Dr Makhdzir Mardan, Head of the Malaysia's CyberCreative Laboratory, will enable the formation of strategic partnerships between our countries," he said.

"In particular, the regional e-commerce session is expected to underpin the importance of moving ahead quickly to ensure the region is not left behind as the world advances online," said Ralston.

Three Concurrent Streams Provide Broad Technology Coverage

With an overriding theme of "IT reaching Out", SEARCC'98 features three separate streams: The On-Line Economy & Trading in Asia; Defence & Business; and Virtual Education & Training.

An additional 15 plenary sessions will involve high profile Keynote Speakers drawn from the upper echelons of Government, industry and the research community, providing a unique opportunity to hear some of the world's foremost experts and business leaders discuss their experiences in applying emerging technologies.

Keynote speakers include:

John Olsen, Premier of South Australia;
Senator Richard Alston, Federal Minister for Communications and the Arts;
Daryl Williams, Commonwealth Attorney General;
Warren Truss, Federal Minister for Customs and Consumer Affairs;
Alan Baxter, Chairman of the Australian Information Industry Association (AIIA);
Michael Poehner, President & CEO of DMR;
Alan Stockdale, VIC Treasurer and Minister for Multimedia;
Kim Yeadon, NSW Minister for Information Technology;
Peter Adamson, NT Minister for Communications and Advanced Technology;
Stephen Yeo, Chief Executive of Singapore's National Computer Board;
Iwao Toda, President of the Information Processing Society of Japan;
Frank Blount, CEO of Telstra;
Terry Cutler, Deputy Chair of the Advisory Board to NOIE;
Peter James, Chief Executive and Managing Director of Computer Power Group; and
Dr Michael Dixon, General Manager, Government and Education, IBM Australia.

In addition, Mark Hollands, Editor of The Australian’s Computers & High Technology Section, will be guest speaker at the Conference Dinner, sharing his own observations of industry highlights and technology trends.

On-line Economy & Trading in Asia Stream

Professor Paula Swatman, Director of RMIT's Interactive Information Institute and a founding director of CollECTeR (Collaborative Electronic Commerce Technology and Research);
Anne Dickson, National Director, Information Systems, Australian Stock Exchange;
Frank Merrick, Assistant Commission of Taxation;
David Jonas, founder and Managing Director of Electronic Trading Concepts P/L;

Virtual Education & Training Stream

Masohiro Horiuchi, Professor of Management Information Systems, Graduate School of International
Business, Aoyagama Gakuin University in Japan;
Dr Makhdzir Mardan, Head of the CyberCreative Laboratory and Manager of the Multimedia unit, University Business Centre, Universiti Putra Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur; LI>Prof. Emeritus M Wells, University of Sydney;

Defence & Business Stream

Brigadier Wallace, Commander 1 Brigade; and
Brigadier Mike Swan, Director-General, Information Policy and Plans, among others

For more information about SEARCC’98, visit http://www.searcc.org or call (08) 8941 3285.

This media release is available on the ACS Web site at www.acs.org.au/news/seaspot.htm

ENDS

Media Enquiries:

Prins Ralston, ACS President, Tel: (0411) 755 069, Email: p_ralston@ntu.edu.au

Caroline New, Caroline New PR, Tel: (02) 9980 8060 or (0411) 889 456, Email: cnew@acslink.net.au