Irmgarda Kasinskaite,
Senior specialist
Department of Information and Informatics,
Ministry of Public Administration Reforms
And Local Authorities, Republic of Lithuania

In the capital of Lithuania, Vilnius, on the 25th and 26th of October this year, the first International Information Society conference '99 turned out to be not an ordinary event. The conference was not only important in the information technology (IT) sphere, but it influenced the entire social lifestyle in Lithuania.

The conference International Information Society '99 was the first international, scientific, and practical conference organized by the non-profit Association InfoBalt. InfoBalt has been popularising Information Technologies in Lithuania during the previous five years and the international conference expanded, propagated, and accentuated the scope of the mission of the increasingly popular International Trade Exhibition of Information Technology jointly organized by InfoBalt, the exhibitions organizers Visus Plenus, and the Lithuanian Exhibition Centre, Litexpo. The sixth InfoBalt '99 has just been successfully organized, executed, and completed for the sixth year running. (Exhibition InfoBalt '99, October 26-29, 1999).

The Association InfoBalt was established in 1994 as an independent and non-profit organization. The Association has coordinated and communicated with all Lithuanian companies working in the information technology, telecommunication and offices equipment spheres of activities. The InfoBalt has stimulated and supported, and continues to do so, the activities and the programs of the Lithuanian Information Society. In 1999, the Association InfoBalt became a member of the European ITT organizations, WITSA and EISA.

OBJECTS AND GOALS OF CONFERENCE

The definition and the concepts of the Information Society is still not yet clear for many people, irrespective of the fact that information technologies and telecommunications are continuously abolishing all boundaries between nations, societies, organizations and individuals. Contrary to the doubts of many people, this conference was greatly informational, highly practical, and unexpectedly punctual. Lithuania and the Lithuanian people are keen to have equality of rights of membership in a variety of innovating processes around the world. Lithuania constantly endeavours and strives not to lag behind other European countries, but rather, to be part of the overall redevelopment and innovation courses of action. The conference "Information Society '99" has opened several wider opportunities to Lithuania to pursue and achieve these intrinsic ambitious desires.

"The main goal of the conference was to concentrate all powers, with all possible efforts, to form and create the programs of the national Lithuanian Information Society and to steer all available progressive forces in Lithuania to support our goals," - stated the President of the Association of InfoBalt, R. Tamulevičius.

The organizing committee of the conference is continually inviting the Lithuanian and foreign public politicians, office employees, intellectuals, business people to participate in the exhibition and the conference. At the international and local levels, all would optimistically jointly find solutions to Lithuania's resolutions in the information technology spheres. In the course of formulating and shaping the information technology society in Lithuania, to recognize and identify the problems of the information technology society and to introduce and acquaint all members of the conference with latest and up-to-date ideas and innovations, this would hopefully ultimately lead to more serious attention, dedication, support, and acknowledgement from our politicians and statesmen.

THE ATTENTION FROM STATE AND SOCIETY

It is a noteworthy to mention that the conference has patiently awaited the attention from Mr. V. Adamkus, The President of the Republic of Lithuania, who stated in his opening greeting speech to the conference members: "Each state, irrespective of where it might be located and its current level of development, has the equal possibilities to use modern information technologies and telecommunication means and become a partner in a rapidly developing economic processes in the world".

The Chairman of Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania, Prof. V. Landsbergis, has also affirmed the same in his opening congratulatory remarks too.

Mr. R. Pavilionis, the Rector of Vilnius University, has warned of the great impending danger if the Information Society served only for economic incentives of materialism or interests groups. In his opinion, at first, the Information Society has to serve the progress of the society, - "We can't allow the Information Society to serve the primitive human consciousness, preventing politics and business structures from harvesting and reaping the benefits of these tools". The Political Parties of Lithuania have also delivered presentations on the subject and submitted a Memorandum that documents the main trends and principals of development of information in Lithuania. (The Memorandum is featured in this issue of Baltic IT review).

PRESENTATIONS OF THE INTERNATIONAL AND LOCAL EXPERTS

The International Conference of Information Society '99 contained presentations and seminars form the state, science, education, business, and investments agencies and organizations. The discussed material covered a wide range of theoretical and practical opportunities and researches, problems of information technologies (IT), and other relevant subjects in this sphere.

Mr. Jean-Piere Euzen, the European Commission, DG "Information Society" briefly discussed the policy of the European Union related to the establishment of the Information Society focusing on the Electronic Commerce market.

The speech of the general sponsor of conference Mr. Pentii Matti Tapio Paarma, General Director and President of AB "Lithuanian Telekom".

Dr. R. Gudauskas, Vice-Minister of the Information and Informatics of the Public Administration Reforms and Local Authorities Ministry, described the creation of Information Society like an advantage as well as a priority for competition. The Information Society may become the priority of our country to join the European Union and other international organizations. More than once, it was discovered that the effective creation of an information society in Lithuania could be realized, if the combined business, science, and state institutions worked jointly and cooperatively together.

Mr. Jonas Milerius, Head of Information Technologies department of The Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania represented Information System for Seimas.

Dr. Jaff Schatz and Mr. Hans-Goran Wilhelmsson of Sweden addressed the congregation about the public administration methodology and the efficient management of infrastructure (featured later in this article).

Mr. Bo Kruse, "Microsoft" representative to Baltic States, and Mr. D. Barnby, Hewlett-Packard" representative to the UK, have both delivered relevant speeches and presentations on the subject, so did Mr. Werner Jostmeier, parliamentarian of the Bundestag, Germany. More information can be found in the Internet website at in http://www.infobalt.lt/1999/conference/

A WIDE RANGE OF THEORETICAL AND PRACTICAL OPPORTUNITIES

During the conference, a special teleconference Vilnius-Brussels-Helsinki-Vilnius was organized. All conference members took part in discussions in five committees: -communications and information law; -evolution of electronic trade; -teaching and information society technologies; -lifestyle of the post-modern society (culture, heritage, traditions, policy, consumption, leisure, science and world outlook); -strategy, policy and a future vision of Lithuanian Information Society.

THE LEAGUE OF INVESTORS

In second day of the conference, the League of Investors, the investment ITT companies, and the different investment funds, were all discussed. The League of Investors is attempting to open new markets, to promote interest in the area and form foreign investors, to support and to sponsor new projects that are being conceptualised at the time being, to provide and make available positive conditions for development and innovation in the field of information technology.

About 260 members from 14 different countries participated in the conference. Along with the InfoBalt Exhibition '99, the International Information Society Conference '99 is expected to be held annually, in order to stimulate not only national and regional interests in the Information Technologies, but also to accumulate investments for IT projects, which are being forecasted and planned for execution soon in Lithuania. The two would also jointly seek to promote the support of international friendship and alliances between the Baltic States and the Northern States.

LOOKING IN THE FUTURE

It is anticipated that in the future, the International Information Society Conference would be systematically and abundantly joined by European Countries, enriching and advancing the organization of the conference and its themes, in line with it European family of conferences, namely those conferences of: IST '99, Helsinki; the Balance '99, Hamburg; and the Baltic IT&T, Riga.

The standards of XXI century for States and Societies are formalized and well established already in many developed countries around the world. Consequently, the Baltic States, along with the East and Middle European Countries, should attach a greater importance to the value and need of informational programs and projects that are been currently conceptualised, designed, constructed, or commissioned in the region. Only the road in this direction could provide positive and benevolent conditions for every country's citizen to live in full-valued life, and to effectively and efficiently function and develop in the age of information technologies.