Welcome @ Gitex 2007

“Let’s share our experiences and make added value alliances”

To point out the part which information technologies played and continue to play in the growth of developed and less developed countries, would be a repetition that many people would regard as useless. It might be less useful to indicate that only countries which are engaged with a policy of voluntarist and global information technologies draw the dividends and impose themselves in the context of the globalisation dominated by the economy of the knowledge.

Here in Morocco, since the mid 90s, certain awareness made it possible to classify the IT sector among the strategic sectors for the country.

Regarding Apebi, the conviction is natural. It was embodied in the high involvement in all the formalities that aiming at transforming this increasing awareness to a palpable reality. From the cluster approach to e-Morocco, through the SICT and others, thousands of stakeholders contributed to the ongoing reflection and made possible to compile hundreds of pages and reports.

In order capitalize such investment and promote its progress, Apebi took the initiative in 2004 of developing a strategic vision, throughout a “Public Private Partnership voluntary Policy, under the umbrella of our Prime Minister” , that it has presented as a Progress Contract to all the operators and decision makers.

Many positive achievements have since then been recorded on such matters as support to innovation, incentive fiscal measures, training and human resources, the starting of e-government projects, dedicated technological parks, expanding telecommunication sector, participation in some international events, and many others.

T his is why we are here present today at the 2007 Gitex event in the way to share with you our experience due to the contribution of the Moroccan ICT core competencies, and allow you to benefit from their economic and social impact.

The main key players present in our booth are also here, not only to show you their technologies, but moreover to help you define the best ICT chain value that can improve your business model.

By the way, if you want to benefit from our e-enabling environment, and invest within the Moroccan ICT sector, the Moroccan delegation made part of private companies and public bodies, can deliver you the most tailored technical assistant with the last updated datas and the main key contacts.

Our E-Morocco brand, settled as a ‘’ public-private concerted, ambitious and realistic strategic vision ‘’ is here to serve competitiveness.

Let’s make added value alliances, because we believe in the quality people concept. What is crucial for a business community is not only the technology, but specifically the mind set that each of us can bring and share.

What about us ? For more than 10 years, the Moroccan Federation of Information Technologies, Telecommunications and Offshoring (Apebi) has been dedicated to advancing the growth of the information technology (IT) industry in Morocco. When Apebi was founded in 1989, it had about ten member companies and was called Data Processing, Office Automation and Telematics Association.

In 1998, our association has changed its name and its logo in order to match current terminologies and improve its image. The association’s name has become : Association des Professionnels des Technologies de l’Information.

In 2004, more than one hundred companies are members of Apebi and they represent 95% of the IT industry turnover in Morocco. Apebi’s membership includes manufacturers, distributors, resellers, solution providers, ISPs, ASPs, software developers, e-commerce, consulting, training, engineering and telecom companies.

Apebi represents a quality label for the users thus Apebi continues to grow by enrolling companies which meet high standards of reliability, competence, quality and continuity.

M. Bachir RACHDI
Chairman
APEBI
Moroccan Federation of Information Technologies, Telecommunications and Offshoring