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Asia dominates at telecoms show
By Julie Clothier for CNN
GENEVA, Switzerland (CNN) -- The big players who gave the ITU Telecom World conference in Geneva a miss this year may have lost business opportunities to others -- especially from Asia -- who did show up. Some of the biggest names in the industry -- including Nokia, Deutsche Telekom, Siemens, Vodafone and Alcatel -- are notable absentees at this year's event. Attendance is said to be 30 percent down and exhibits far lower key than when it was last held in 1999, as companies tighten their belts due to an industry downturn in the past three years. The price of exhibiting forced several to stay away. A booth measuring 20 by 25 meters costs 350,000 Swiss francs ($265,600) for the week-long event. Ian Keene, vice-president of consulting firm Gartner, said he had expected the event to be smaller this year, which it was, but this did not mean it was a failure. The absence of big companies was noticeable. However, smaller companies, including equipment vendors from Asia and service providers from developing countries, had seized the opportunity, he said. "It's easy to make the remarks that the corridors were wider. There were people looking for business and people looking to buy. I wonder if the bigger companies will regret not being there to be honest." He said the general atmosphere was one of "cautious optimism". "Things are really starting to pick up. The hype has gone from the industry. People are looking for real solutions for their business." The ITU said 37 percent of exhibitors were first-timers, with "a fair chunk" from Asia. There was also a presence from Russia, one of world's fastest-growing telecoms markets. Asian groups at the event include Samsung Electronics, LG Electronics, NEC and NTT DoCoMo. Top U.S. companies like Cisco and Microsoft have maintained their presence. "It seems to have turned into a forum for the Asians and the Americans," said Anders Igel, chief executive of top Nordics telecoms operator TeliaSonera. The ITU Telecom World conference is held every four years and organized by UN agency International Telecommunications Union. It ends Friday.
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