Financial Times - Microsoft IT symposium in Sri Lanka for the second time

Microsoft will present its acclaimed symposium Tech–Ed 2006 to the local IT industry this October where delegates will be able to experience and discover a range of path-breaking products and technologies due to be unveiled by Microsoft in the coming months.

The global company said Tech-Ed 2006 will take place at the Waters Edge from October 25 to 27. Tech-Ed is Microsoft's flagship annual technology conference, designed to expose IT professionals to educational and networking opportunities and face-to-face access to industry experts and peers. It focuses on sharpening the skills of IT professionals to enable them to build, deploy and manage IT solutions in a competitive business world. The symposium encompasses aspects such as technical training, information and awareness on current and soon-to-ship technologies, and community resources.

Shaminda Illanganthilake, Network Administrator of International Water Management Institute, speaking of last year's event said, "Tech-Ed 2005 offered my colleagues and me a rare opportunity to participate in an IT symposium of international standard. The exposure and learning experience we received at Tech-Ed 2005 have had a direct bearing on propelling our awareness of the latest technologies to a new level – we were able to experience hands-on, the technologies that would otherwise have reached us much later. Symposiums such as Tech-Ed are essential if Sri Lanka's IT industry is to gain recognition on the global IT footprint and Microsoft must be commended for its commitment to bringing its global event to Colombo".

More than 750 participants are expected this year. Over 25 of Sri Lanka's leading ICT companies will also showcase their latest technology at the event, enabling delegates to experience the best of today's technology and the most exciting and promising innovations in the pipeline.

A panel of highly acclaimed international speakers including Steve Riley (Senior Security Strategist, Security Technology Unit, Microsoft Corporation) and Kavitha Rathika - Managing Director of ITvision Sdn Bhd an established IT consultancy company in Malaysia has been invited to Tech Ed 2006.

Microsoft will bring in key professionals from its offices around the world, with a team of the best international speakers scheduled to deliver in-depth Technical Breakout session on current and forthcoming technologies.