The Department of Commerce’s Commercial Service in Vancouver is organizing a computer software-partnering event, in Vancouver, February 15&16, 2001. Participating small to medium sized U.S. firms will benefit from a networking reception and most importantly, pre-scheduled, pre-qualified one-on-one meetings with Canadian computer software companies. This forum was created to meet the demand of today’s high tech companies who seek alliances and strategic partnerships.

The Canadian software market was valued at US$3.85 billion in 1999 and projected to grow to approximately US$4.61 in 2000. The software market is one of the fastest growing segments of the Canadian economy. Software sales are driven by continued growth in the use of internet, intranets, and the deployment and development of associated applications. The need to provide information on demand will continue to propel the software market in Canada. United States companies are the dominant suppliers of computer software to Canada with a 52.4 percent share of the total market.

In British Columbia, the high tech sector, which includes computer software, is leading the British Columbia economy. In 1999, British Columbia imported US$388 million of computer and telecommunications related products from the United States. As such, computer software technology partnerships bode well for US firms interested in the British Columbia marketplace.

CanAm E-Commerce Partnering@Vancouver’s goal is to provide a forum for companies to explore software technology partnering opportunities. This two-day event is designed to attract high tech firms from the United States and Canada specializing in:

• B2B E-Commerce
• Software Platform Development
• Customer Relationship Management

United States firms will take part in formal matchmaking sessions with Canadian companies, and will be given several opportunities to interact with local company representatives at a networking event. The matchmaking sessions will take place at each local company’s business site.

CanAm E-Commerce Partnering @ Vancouver will take place February 15 & 16, 2001. Participants arrive according to their own schedules on or before February 15, 2001. The event will begin with a networking reception, hosted by the United States Consul General. During this reception, US firms will be given an opportunity to promote their computer software to a pre-screened audience of Canadian firms. The Canadian firms will also be given the same opportunity ensuring that all participants learn the types of technology available. The following day the mission participants will begin their schedule of one on one appointments with pre-screened computer software firms interested in a technology partnership.

Recruitment of US firms will be by Commercial Service in Vancouver in conjunction with the domestic Information Technology team, and numerous Export Assistance Centers. The target number of companies for this mission is ten companies, with a cut-off date for recruitment of January 2, 2001. This event will be listed on the ITA homepage.

Criteria for participation are as follows:

• Company engaging in technology related to one of the three identified streams.

• Timeliness of company's completed participation agreement and payment of the mission participation fee of $500.00.

Cheryl Schell

Commercial Specialist

US Consulate General

P.O. Box 5002

Point Roberts, WA 98281-5002

Tel: (604) 685-3382

Fax: (604) 687-6095

e-mail: cheryl.schell@mail.doc.gov