Association "Infobalt": Lithuania has moved towards an ambitious goal"

During 2007 we have proved to ourselves that we are factually able to become one of the most advanced countries in the world in the area of technologies. It seems that we were the first to implement the solutions connected to a mobile signature. From this moment every resident of Lithuania shall be able to manage his/her bank account and to fix electronic signature to documents by mobile telephone.

Why is it possible to consider this achievement as extremely important?

Firstly: We have proved that based on our intellectual and brain resources we could be able to occupy one of the leading positions in the world in the area of application of mobile phones. Some years ago we were proud to be among the first in the world upon a number of mobile phones users. Nowadays, we are trying to turn the quantity into the quality.
Secondly: We got to know that banks, telecommunications companies and state authorities are capable to implement within one-year period a very complex project. No any European country up to now was successful to do that. It seems that we can act powerfully and turn our technological visions into fast-achievable results. The Government, banks as well as the “Infobalt’ members and mobile connections operators have set a concrete goal for the year 2006: within the three-year period at least 300 000 residents shall use the mobile signature service.
Thirdly: We have chosen the very competitive way. The same way would be unavoidably used by all other countries. The world marketing research company ‘Gartner“ forecasts that in 2012 not less than 80 percent of companies’ employees involved in information processing would revise it and process through mobile devices. Another company, involved in marketing, IDC, states that in 2010 the total number of people using mobile solutions in their direct every day routine would reach 878 million.

The Association „Infobalt“ is observing a real progress in different business and society sectors and can state that Lithuania has huge intellectual resources related to equal competition conditions in Europe and the world, taking into consideration that:

Lithuanian secondary schools’ students win awards in the world competitions in Mathematics and Informatics.
Lithuanian companies are capable to export unique technological products created in our state not only to European countries, but also to Saudi Arabia, India, Azerbaijan and countries of Latin America. In 2006 export of high technologies amounted over Litas 400 million and this amount is expected to be larger.
This year in our country the scope of trade in electronics was increased by 60 percent
Representatives of technological parts can be proud of their results achieved in the field of innovations. Creators of the Kaunas technologies and science park “Technopolis” have introduced unique electronic cards to be used either in transport sector or in other areas of public life.
This year state institutions, such as the State Social Insurance Fund Board under the Ministry of Social Security and Labor (“SODRA”), the Lithuanian Customs, the State Taxation Inspectorate and other organizations have considerably expanded the package of electronic services provided by them.
Independent electronic mass media is becoming more and more influential. The citizens are creating their own opinions when joining digital societies. In future the weight and impact of such societies on public life would be more and more considerable.

The President of the Association “Infobalt”, Evaldas Kulbokas, is sure that it is possible to move towards large and ambitious goals in more constructive way: “Small countries with no considerable natural resources can compete in the world based on their intellectual and brain resources. In this regard, technologies are one of the intellectual levers that could transfer Lithuania from the position of second-rater countries to leading positions in the world. Undoubtedly, we are capable to use the most advanced technological solutions. We also able to create innovative technologies and export them worldwide. The only thing is needed in this aspect is a strong wish and will. Certainly, we would invite the society, state authority institutions, Lithuanian business and educational institutions to work in cooperation when achieving this important goal.”

About association “Infobalt”

Association „Infobalt“ unifies Lithuanian IT, communications and electronics companies, as well as scientific institutions, seeking to represent national ICT sector. The association participates in solving strategic sector’s development questions and influences the development itself.

„Infobalt“ unifies 116 members – Lithuanian companies, institutions, education institutions and non-government organizations operating in the fields of IT, telecommunications, e-services and other knowledge society creation activities. The association represents its members in state authorities and management institutions, stimulates cooperation and common activities preparing and implementing national development strategy for ICT sector. Simultaneously the association emphasizes the importance of cooperation among high education, scientific research und ICT sector and initiates activities of such cooperation.

By stimulating exchange of experience, introduction of innovations and more active involvement of society into knowledge society creation processes, the association has already organized fourteen annual exhibitions "Infobalt" and nine international conferences devoted for discussions related to innovation processes.

Seeking amplification of competitiveness of national companies and Lithuanian market in EU and the whole world, the association intensively works in the field of international cooperation. „Infobalt“ has become a member of international structures in ICT industry EICTA and WITSA, exchanges knowledge with representatives of national ICT sectors of European and other countries.

Activities of „Infobalt“ are actively supported by the Government of the Republic of Lithuania and responsible institutions, and Prime Minister of the Republic of Lithuania pays personal attention to annual events.

Technologies in Lithuania

Currently in Lithuania there are app. 1 thousand ICT companies which engage more than 15 thousand ICT specialists. Fast developing companies providing complex ICT solutions make major contribution to economics of the country.

13 of the 20 biggest IT service companies operating in the Baltic States are established in Lithuania. In the country there operate seven universities – more than 1000 IT graduates annually. E-banking system is well developed in Lithuania, it is used by over 80% of internet users. In the biggest cities of the country there are well developed public internet centers. In the country there is the most progressive infrastructure of telecommunications in the Baltic States (there is introduced EDGE technology, infrastructure of 3G mobile communications, speed – 3.6 Mbps). According to the data of international telecommunications market research agencies „Informa Telecoms & Media“ in Lithuania there is the biggest penetration of mobile communications in the world (at the end of the year 2005 it amounted to 138,5 per cents). In 2005 in the report about electronic communications markets and regulation prepared by the European Commission there is indicated that in Lithuania there are the lowest mobile communications service prices comparing to all EU countries. Companies performing activities related to information and communications technologies had been fast grown in 2005 – it is related to the understanding of importance of the mentioned field on national level. ICT is one of priority sectors which have special importance for development of Lithuanian economy. Not only Lithuania, but also the European Union considers development of information technologies as of high priority, because technological progress inter alia fates successful creation of knowledge economics.

„Infobalt“ Exhibitions and Conferences

By developing its activities the association seeks to provide Lithuanian ICT companies with the possibility to receive information on trends of creation of innovative technologies directly from big international companies and to become acquainted with differences of market development assessments presented by them. Seeking to fulfill the tasks, there are organized international conferences which simultaneously help Lithuanian companies to come in business contacts and to start exporting and developing the scope of export.

Annual “Infobalt“ exhibitions grant Lithuanian ICT companies the possibility to introduce their capacities, innovative technologies created for Lithuanian community and foreign partners, to introduce the fields to Lithuanian ICT companies, where growth of the added value is the most believable, successful commercialization of results of companies and research institutions, as well as export growth.