In keeping with the big theme of this year's show - wireless technology - visitors with owners of personal digital assistants (PDAs) can receive direct online access to information about the Fair and the exhibitors via the Mobile Fair Guide.

A complete list of exhibitors (or parts of the list), hall plans, site maps and event details are available for downloading at: www.cebit.de

The guide and the relevant LocalNavigator software have been developed by German-based lesswire. The service has been operating for about three weeks prior to the show.

During CeBIT itself, the CeBIT LocalNavigator will guide visitors through Hall 13 with the help of Bluetooth short-range wireless technology. The hall will boast the world's largest single Bluetooth network, covering a total area of 25,000 sq m.

To take advantage of this new service users will require standard PDAs with infrared communication ports and the operating system Palm OS or Windows CE (version 3.0 or higher).

The exhibitor lists consist of the following items: name of the company, hall, stand number, country, town, and telephone number during CeBIT. In addition, users will be able to access product group lists, general information about CeBIT and details of the supporting program. The personal notebook function will enable users to compile personal lists of selected companies. The new 'download service' will be accessible to stationary users at their home or office PCs, as well as to mobile users at CeBIT 2001.

The required information will be available at four 'data download stations' located at strategic points in the grounds, at the Nord 2 and Ost 2 entrances, in Hall 13 (Stand B 74), and between Halls 16 and 17. Downloads are free of charge.

Owners of Bluetooth-capable PDAs will be able to take advantage of an extended service. Visitors will have the option of defining their specific 'interest profiles', whereupon they will receive a detailed list of all the corresponding suppliers and exhibits. The LocalNavigator then plans the best route and transmits a message to the user when he or she is in the immediate vicinity of an exhibitor offering relevant products and services.

Meeting place for IT professionals

To address the shortage of skilled manpower in the IT and communications industry, Deutsche Messe, organisers of CeBIT, is setting up a central meeting place at the show for first-time job seekers and professionals seeking a change of career.

The 'Job Market' is located on the 5th and 6th floors of Hall 10. This event is targeted at new career entrants and computer specialists alike, who are invited to come along and find out about job vacancies and future career prospects.

The Job Market was instituted at last year's CeBIT, and attracted considerable interest both from exhibitors and from visitors. At this year's Job Market, which covers some 3600 sq m of floor space, more than 110 recruitment agencies, publishers, companies and banks will be represented.

For many years, exhibiting companies have looked on CeBIT as a recruitment opportunity. At the same time, young people entering the job market and others who are looking for a career change use the Fair to find out what is happening within the industry and to check out potential employers.

The Job Market thus serves as an ideal point of contact between job seekers and companies with positions to fill. The exhibitors in Hall 10 have vacancies to offer in IT and communications, and will arrange the initial contact between applicant and employer.

In addition they will present profiles of specific careers in computing and provide general information about the job market and career prospects. In a series of 'recruitment meetings', Braincapital, a Hanover-based management consultancy, will introduce companies in the IT industry which are looking for new staff.

Another way of finding out about 'situations vacant' is the magazine Unternehmen - Markte - Jobs (Companies - Markets - Jobs). Here exhibitors can advertise their current job vacancies. Interested CeBIT visitors can arrange a preliminary job interview during the Fair itself and meet representatives of different companies at their exhibition stands.

In addition, the magazine offers insights into the job market in the computer industry and presents a comprehensive overview of the many career opportunities that exist within the IT and communications sector. Copies of the magazine are available free of charge at all EBi (Electronic Visitor Information System) and information counters, and at catalogue sales points throughout the exhibition grounds.

Investment capital theme

Equity World, a new event designed to serve as a marketplace for companies seeking or offering investment capital, takes place for the first time at CeBIT 2001.

It forms part of the CeBIT Banking Center in Hall 18, where numerous companies will be showcasing their innovative solutions and products.

The aim of the event is to exploit the business potential of CeBIT, while at the same time providing a dedicated platform for the exchange of know-how.

Equity World will not only host presentations by various companies; it will also offer an environment conducive to communication and dialogue.

The 'Equity Lounge', meanwhile, will provide a forum for engaging in serious business talks or make initial contact with potential business partners from Old and New Economies alike. Compiled by FT-IT from Deutsche Messe's CeBIT information services