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Newsbit

SOFTWARE VISIT TO SWEDEN & FINLAND

28 NOVEMBER - 2 DECEMBER 1999

Article Produced by Karl �gerup of Vision Media on www.vision-media.se

BRITISH IT COMPANIES SEEK CO-OPERATION IN SWEDEN

Fifteen British IT companies met their Swedish counterparts on Monday at a seminar at The British Embassy. The high penetration of internet and PCs makes Sweden an attractive market for foreign companies. But, the Swedish companies shared less interest for co-operation.

During the morning, the English companies sought to book meetings with 10 or more Swedish visitors. Against which the Swedish companies sought to meet only one British company.

"The English presentations were far too much product orientated" said one Swedish visitor that left the Embassy without making any contacts. "It is a bit odd that English men should come here and try to impress us with technical solutions. What we need is to take some of their knowledge in finance and management" said another visitor.

Other participants were though more positive. Family run business E-shopping had travelled from Linkoping to meet their English software supplier NetShift. E-shopping are the Swedish re-seller of the Danish information kiosk First Impression. An information kiosk is a static computer with a touch screen.

"It is really good for us to be able to make contact in these circumstances" said marketing chief and participant Gunilla Almes�ker, who said that she had sold 2000 kiosks at the Internet World Trade Fair in October.

The Swedish job centres have similar kiosks where job seekers can contact employers by email. The job centres have however decided to close down their kiosks since it was shown that Nazi and other extremist groups have been using them to send anonymous hate mail.

It is a natural complaint that the equipment is mis-used said Kevin O�Keeffe Business Development Manager at NetShift who develop the software for E-shopping kiosks. But there have always been extremists that attack others via other media. It is wrong to blame the equipment.

Other participants were:

Consultancy companies: Softex & Esker

Software companies: Visual Team, SS&C,

Network designers: & Quotia

Law Firm: Wragge (specialists in IT questions)

Software Testers: Magic Performance

Encryption Technologies: ParaTek & ImageBase

All of the companies sought customers, re-sellers and partners.

The introductory speaker was Fredrik H�r�n from Resco. "I am here to promote Sweden" began H�r�n who believes that Sweden�s strong development on IT is based on two factors: "we are able to purchase home computers tax free and we have lost our inferiority".

"Saying we are the best is the first step to becoming the best" said H�r�n who urged the English guests to do business with Sweden. "You can sell us anything in the next five years. We are in the honeymoon phase since showing that we are actually good at IT. In five or ten years we will be in the old married couple phase where things just tick along".

The seminar was organised by the British Embassy and the export agencies of both countries.

Newsbit furnished by:

A: NetShift Software Ltd.
A: Hughenden Yard, Marlborough, Wilts,SN8 1LT, UK
T: +44 (0)1672 511 094
F: +44 (0)1672 511 078
E: [email protected]
W: www.netshift.com