CeBIT 2008: Partner Country France

France will be the official Partner Country for Germany's ICT sector in 2008. The announcement was made in a joint statement by BITKOM, the German IT and telecommunications industry association, and the trade show organizers Deutsche Messe

Indeed, France has seen higher growth rates in IT, telecommunications and digital consumer electronics than many other EU member states. In 2006 the French market grew by 3.5 percent, rising to a value of 105 billion euros. Estimates based on the market research project EITO have suggested similar growth in 2007. Accordingly, demand in France is expected to have reached almost 109 billion euros by the end of this year. This makes France the third largest ICT market in Europe after Germany and Britain.

Much of this growth has been driven by strong demand among private consumers. Almost 60 percent of all French households now have a PC, while nearly one in two has broadband Internet access. Experts forecast that new WLAN modems, Internet telephony and digital television will fuel further growth in this sector during 2007. Portable computers are another major source of sales. This year almost one in two computers sold in France will be a laptop. Market researchers predict that sales of software and IT services will increase by approx. six percent.

The French presentation at CeBIT 2008 next March will reflect this vibrant growth and optimism. One of the highlights of the Partner Country program will be the Franco-German ICT Summit at CeBIT. Both countries see this event as an opportunity to consolidate and develop cooperation in this sector.

The two industry associations BITKOM and Syntec Informatique expect the attendance of top politicians from both nations. The various meetings of experts will serve as a vehicle for an ongoing Franco-German dialog.

BITKOM and Syntec Informatique are preparing a comprehensive cooperation agreement on the high-tech partnership. They intend to draw up guidelines for cross-border business, joint working groups of industry experts and Franco-German workshops. Jean Mounet, the President of Syntec Informatique, explains: 'In this way we hope to assist companies in the achievement of their international ambitions