With trepidation, I stepped into the halls of Singapore Expo hoping to be enthralled despite what was said about the event this year. Less fanfare, less energy maybe except for the LG booth. How true was that. Nonetheless, I was still impressed with one thing: the number of countries that were exhibiting there: from Vietnam to Thailand to Australia to China. Even Israel was not one to miss exhibiting at this event. China’s booths were decorated in their standard red colors from top to bottom reminiscense of their national flag.

I was one who likes looking at the latest technology from NTT Docomo and thankfully I did not go away disappointed. An array of new technologies were displayed from a phone called ‘Sound Leaf’ that allows you to listen to your phone from any bones of your face, hence the name (this tech is exceptionally useful for those with hearing disorders) to child phone called Soma phone that allows kids to pull a trigger on the phone whenever there is an emergency so that their parents can locate the kids via GPS connected to the phone. NTT Docomo also took the contrarian approach in phone development. While all phone manufacturers from LG to Samsung to SonyEricsson were busy displaying their latest high-tech phones with shiny sliding covers of Shine by LG and phones supporting the latest broadcasting technology from HSPA (bye, bye HSDPA and HSUPA, huh?) to TDM, NTT Docomo conveniently displayed their simple, easy to use phones called the Simplure phone that is shaped in a way that is easy to hold and their fast to call phone that has so little functions and only buttons to make speed dials preconfigured for u. How cool is that! Like what everyone says, be different! And that was exactly what NTT Docomo did.

Next are mobile technologies from start ups like a company doing Digital Concierge with services like search facility for locations ard Singapore and mps pushed to u on a needed basis featured by Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore. Another start-up that got some following is a company that masks phone numbers so that u can call and sms anyone without displaying ur number on your friend’s or a stranger’s phone screen.

And how can I miss out technologies from Malaysia with an up and coming company called Green Packet promoting their peer to peer info exchange through PC called SonBuddy. I was not able to see more of Malaysian companies except Telekom that has a few operators under their umbrella including MobileOne of Singapore, XLcommindo of Indonesia and many others.
Walking past the ailes of Australian booths, I was impressed to see various mobile technologies related to weaponry and artillery on display.

So, what was the theme of the whole exhibition? Hmm…with the mix of technologies, everyone would be confused even though I do see lots of hardware and software, applications and services. Some say mobile advertising and some say mobile security but all in all there are just to much to pick one. Walking past the four halls in 3 hours added with some networking in between, I was panting by the time I got from one end of the halls to the other. I was glad I made the time to go, to be enthralled with all the techs on show.

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A down-to-earth commentary on mobile technology, internet and telecommunications from an employee working in a network operator in Asia. Feedback and proposals most welcomed.

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