delegation to a major e-commerce conference in California.

The group is attending the Gartner Groups ieb Expo in Anaheim, California in a bid to promote Bermuda as a centre for e-commerce.

The ieb Expo, which ran from Tuesday and ends today, is the world's largest Internet and e-business show and expects to attract more than 10,000 delegates.

BIBA is exhibiting alongside the likes of Compaq and Intel and is accompanied by senior executives from leading Bermuda based e-commerce service providers including First Atlantic Commerce and oeBusiness.

"Being visible at prominent industry events such as this adds to the credibility that we have managed to build with respect to our e-commerce capabilities,'' said Raymond Medeiros, Chairman of BIBA. "The reinforcement of our reputation and increased recognition of our name and status is positioning us as the offshore leader in this realm.'' Gartner analysts were expected to present 55 in-depth sessions for conference attendees in the following tracks: Going to Market in the New Economy, Managing the Enterprise in the New Economy, Electronic Marketplaces, Applications Service Providers (ASPs), and Technology Infrastructure Solutions.

Mr. Medeiros continued, "As shown at the eCC conference, Bermuda based talent can seamlessly blend with the best in the world, such as Patty Seybold, Abbott Smith from Compaq, and Nick Jones from Jupiter Communications.

"Attendance at this event is a further reflection of Bermuda's ability and the fact that in the e-commerce world, Bermuda is increasingly regarded as a global competitor, not just an offshore option.'' BUSINESS BUC