OCTOBER 2-4, 2009: AATM Participated in DigiTec Expo 2009 – the largest and most important local and regional ICT event, featuring exhibition of leading high-tech organizations and companies from Armenia and abroad, organized by the Union of Information Technology Enterprises (UITE) and Enterprise Incubator Foundation under the auspices of the Prime Minister of Republic of Armenia and other government authorities. AATM, supported by the USAID CAPS project, was presented by a separate booth dedicated specifically to Telemedicine and eHealth solutions, in association with its partner, TMD Systems – leading producer of telemedicine solutions from USA.
DigiTec is an annual event of informational and telecommunication technologies (ICT) dating back to 2005. The exhibition is organized every fall in Yerevan, and always takes place under the auspices of the Prime Minister. The goals of the exposition are: to create favorable environment for a dialogue between ICT companies and consumers; to involve the public into the ICT field (stimulate formation of information society); expansion of international contacts; and establishment of business contacts. In the years 2005 through 2008 the DigiTec Expo was attended by over 150 local and international leading companies. The tradeshow has so far been attended by over fifty thousand visitors including government and non government delegations from Belgium, Greece, Kazakhstan, Russia, Czech Republic, USA, France, and Israel. DigiTec Expo is organized by Union of Informational Technologies Enterprises, and Enterprise Incubator Foundation.
The DigiTec Expo-2009 took place at the Karen Demirchyan Sports and Concert Complex in Yerevan, Armenia, and was by far the largest and most populous of all the annual exposition held so far. The three-day long exhibition was attended by more than 15,000 visitors, who were able to evaluate production and solutions by more than 50 exhibiting companies. The tradeshow was officially launched by a large governmental delegation, including the Prime Minister and other authorities.
Armenian Association of Telemedicine (AATM) was presented at the exhibition by a separate booth dedicated to Telemedicine and eHealth. AATM’s participation was made possible due to support by USAID-funded Competitive Armenian Private Sector (CAPS) project. AATM’s principal partner at the DigiTec Expo was US-based producer of telemedicine equipment and solutions TMD-Systems, presented by the company’s CEO Mr. R. Klingensmith, and senior sales manager Mr. H. Behravan. The booth featured two typical telemedicine stations by TMD-System representing the referral and the consult sites, with specialized equipment and devices, including video-conferencing equipment, vital sign monitor (for continuously measuring patient’s blood pressure, heart rate, temperature, ECG, and blood oxygen saturation), otoscope (special instrument for examining the patient’s ear and transferring images to the consult site), among others, as well as computers connecting the devices, and special health information software (Electronic Health Record software) for acquiring, storing, and exchanging patient’s health information. The capabilities of the telemedicine devices were being continuously demonstrated by the company’s representatives, as well as presented in the demo video clip being shown in the booth. The booth also displayed posters and advertizing printed materials (brochures and flyers) in Armenian and English, presenting AATM’s highlights (about the Association, its mission, objectives, past achievements, ongoing and prospective projects, partnership, and contact information), as well as posters and flyers on the TMD-Systems.
On the opening day the Association’s booth was attended by the Prime Minister of Armenia, Mr. T. Sargsyan, as well as Ministers of Economy, and Communications of the Republic of Armenia, who confirmed their special interest in development of Health ICT solutions in the country, praised AATM and their partners for taking important part in advancing the field, and encouraged the Association to continue endeavors to promote development of the Telemedicine and eHealth field in Armenia. On the following days the AATM’s booth was attended by virtually all exhibitors, and hundreds of interested visitors including among others, healthcare and IT specialists, medical executives, engineers, students, and press. AATM’s Board of Directors received more than 20 new applications for membership. The Association’s leadership, as well as TMD-Systems’ executives have been almost continuously busy communicating with the attendees, explaining the importance of Telemedicine and eHealth for developing the healthcare system in Armenia, presenting and showcasing the telemedicine solutions and equipment, and giving interviews to interested media representatives. AATM gained many more enthusiastic supporters for their cause.
The Association’s team expresses sincere thanks to the organizers of the exhibition, to those organizations and individuals who made possible our participation in this important event, as well as to all the visitors of the booth.
