| Wani Roslan |
THE Brunei Technology Expo (TechXpo) 2018 was launched by Minister of Communications Dato Seri Setia Awang Abdul Mutalib bin Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Setia Dato Paduka Haji Mohd Yusof.
The inauguration of the fifth edition of the expo took place at the Plenary Hall of the International Convention Centre (ICC) in Berakas yesterday.
Also present at the launching ceremony were Deputy Minister of Development Haji Marzuke bin Haji Mohsin, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Communications (MinCom) Haji Azhar bin Haji Ahmad and Deputy Permanent Secretary at the MinCom Dr Haji Supry bin Haji Awang Ladi.
The TechXpo 2018 is organised by InfoCom Federation Brunei (IFB), a non-profit organisation which serves as the voice of Brunei Darussalam’s ICT industry together with D’Sunlit Sdn Bhd as the appointed event manager.
The four-day event, which will run until August 21 with the theme ‘Innovative Technology For All’, aims to provide a platform for showcasing products, services, trends, developments and ideas associated with technology from Brunei and all across the globe.
In its efforts to make Brunei Darussalam a ‘Smart Nation’ in the era of current digital economy, the Brunei National Road Safety Council is also participating in the event where MinCom, as supporter of the expo, has been given the opportunity to raise public awareness on road safety.
Through the collaboration with motor vehicle dealers in the country, MinCom strives to emphasise how technology facilitates and serves as enabler to ensure safe driving of vehicles that are equipped with sophisticated and advanced technology.
At the expo, MinCom also showcases roles of technology in meteorological equipment and how it allows the Brunei Darussalam Meteorological Department to forecast and issue weather warnings. This is also where technology is used through Brunei WX mobile application and social media for the safety of all road users and the public in general.
During the ceremony, the Minister of Communications also launched one of the main highlights of TechXpo 2018 – the TechXpo Cyber Games Tournament 2018 – organised by D’Sunlit in association with Sigma Cyberspace as the event manager.
A record pool of BND15,000 worth of cash prizes are to be won across seven games in which over 100 teams are competing in PC Games (CS:GO, League of Legends, and DOTA 2), Console Games (Tekken 7 and FIFA 18) and Mobile Games (Mobile Legends and Rules of Survival).
Throughout the event, the public can also meet and interact with the humanoid robot Zora of Belgian-based robotics company ZoraBots.
In an effort to extend the scope and deepen the impact of ICT in line with the emerging technologies, the TechXpo 2018 also features artificial intelligence through robotics, Internet of Things, virtual reality, cybersecurity, home-connectivity and others.
The expo is also organising a lucky draw for the public in which visitors can stand a chance to win Microsoft Surface Pro 4, Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus, Acer Travel Mate P249 and other exciting prizes.