Off to a new start!

FIAM is celebrating its fifth anniversary this month. In fact, it was on May 12, 1998, that was held the Founding Convention by which was officially launched the International Federation of Multimedia Associations. This was a significant challenge for the roughly two dozen associations meeting in Montreal, fully determined to create an international exchange network of technical and commercial collaboration.

The multimedia sector has considerably evolved during the past five years. From the excitement and thrill of the years of growth that led up to the new century, to the dot com burst and subsequent rationalization, FIAM witnessed the evolution of the multimedia and interactive digital content (MIDC) sector as well as major changes in market conditions.

Today, the industry feels the need to refocus on its activities, redefine its contours and establish benchmarks. Be it in America, Europe, Latin America or Asia, the MIDC sector must find its way into the accounting books of the world. Multimedia has long been associated with the computer and electronics hardware industry known as the Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) sector, where interactive digital content creation, marketing and distribution processes are amalgamated.

In other respects, FIAM has been focused for two years on positioning itself within the circle of International Organisations to advocate the industry’s needs and objectives, and to see to its advancement in developing countries. FIAM’s last Summit in Montreux, Switzerland, has acknowledged FIAM into the process that will lead to the World Summit on the Information Society to be staged next December in Geneva. FIAM will take this opportunity to hold its general annual meeting, to which you are all invited, and to conduct a series of changes in the Federation’s Bylaws, changes serving to ease its associative process and deemed necessary in light of the industry’s new realities.

In closing, I would like to salute the vision and determination of the founding and actual President of FIAM, Mr. Hervé Fischer, and underline the invaluable work accomplished by the FIAM Team in Montreal, as well as the sustained efforts of the members of the Board of Directors.

To you all, happy anniversary!

André G. Côté, Director-general

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The World Summit on the Information Society
Following the Geneva-held PrepCom2 in February 2003, the World Summit on the Information Society continues its cycle of meetings with an Intersessional Period event, this time in Paris, July 15-18, 2003, at UNESCO offices. (Read more)

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Europe
The European Multimedia Forum (EMF) is organizing a conference, June 16-17, entitled Digital Media is alive & kicking: the money-makers of Europe's e-Economy. The conference is an important networking event to be held at the same time as the yearly Convention of Europe's national and regional multimedia associations (EMMAC). (Read more)

Brazil
Happy birthday to Brazil’s electronic chamber of commerce, Camara-e-net, and to the crew led by untiring Cid Torquato. Camara-e-net celebrated May 7th its second year of existence and plans to add a few more if one looks at their impressive agenda. (Read more)

Senegal
OSIRIS president, Amadou Top, discussed in a substantive interview with Ousseynou Nar Guève from the weekly New Economist, his outlook regarding the development of ICT in his country. Major issues facing Senegal include setting up the newly created telecommunications regulatory Agency ART, the dire situation of state-owned telecommunications monopoly Sonatel, President Abdullah Wade’s global digital solidarity Foundation proposal, the development of e-commerce, the government role in promoting ICT and the radical changes brought about by media convergence.
(Read interview, in french only...)

Canada
Just as we informed you in the beginning of april of a study New Media BC had undertaken on the state of the digital media industry in that Canadian province, this association released this month the results of the comprehensive project and the picture is quite ‘promising’. (Read more)

France We have told you in the March bulletin of the decision by multimedia association Franche-Comté Interactive (FCI) to change its name to Numérica and that it was going to focus its attention and energies on the digital publishing industry, digital imaging in industrial designs and audiovisual and digital TV. (Read more)

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Digital content development in developing countries
The city of Lugano (Switzerland) was host to an important Swiss Commission for UNESCO sponsored event (March 14-16) on digital content production in developing countries and Least Developed Countries (LDC). (Read more)

The bike moves into high-tech Your legs and heart have been the brains behind your bicycle but that is about to change thanks to electronic technology. Computers are about to take charge of how you change your gears, ensure lighting or ease that suspension ride.(Read more)

What will I do without my Outlook!
After years of peddling all sorts of Web and digital communication applications for the business environment, email is still considered the more valuable tool for communicating. According to META Group Inc. 80% of businesspeople surveyed consider e-mail as more valuable than phone for business communications and would feel hardship if that were taken away from them. (Read more)

Raffarin wants to help the French Gaming industry
And starts by distributing four million Euros to finance the early stages of production of 20 video games. This generosity is part of a technology innovation action plan presented by the Prime Minister at the inauguration of the ‘cité du Numérique’ of the city of Poitiers’ Futuroscope April 19th. (Read more)

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