By ARIEL SHAPIRAUpdated: FEBRUARY 23, 2016 20:11SIGVE BREKKE, president and CEO at Telenor, delivers a keynote speech during the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, yesterday.(photo credit: REUTERS)
Over 140 Israeli companies are displaying their innovative technologies at the Israel Pavilion at this year’s Mobile World Conference, taking place this week in Barcelona. The MWC is considered the largest and most important meeting for wireless computing in the world, and more than 100,000 visitors will browse among the latest and coolest gadgets created by 2,000 companies from around the globe.The Israel Pavilion was established by the Israel Export Institute in cooperation with the Foreign Trade Administration at the Israel Ministry of Industry and Economy, and is spread out over 500 square meters in Hall 5 near leading international telecommunications companies. The pavilion is divided into different zones, with one section for companies to display their products, and another area for representatives from 65 different Israeli companies (40% of which were participating for the first time) to hold meetings with (potential) clients from around the world.The Israel Pavilion is expected to be one of the most visited areas of the conference, especially since the Foreign Trade Administration set up a full schedule of appointments for participating companies with potential partners for joint ventures.There were quite a few intriguing gadgets showcased in Barcelona this week, including a dog collar equipped with miniature, non-invasive sensors that track the status of your pet’s health; a device that you attach to your suitcase which lets you track its location throughout your flight; a wireless charging device that charges your mobile phone; a button that lets you reorder groceries easily and quickly; and a device that assists with early detection of parking spots.WiseSec At the Mobile World Conference, Israeli company WiseSec is showcasing its unique mobile cash access capability using ATMs produced by US-based Diebold, the world’s largest ATM manufacturer. Using Bluetooth-based communications technology, WiseSec has developed a product for both Android and iOS-based smartphones that will enable users to withdraw money from ATMs using only their mobile phone, or to make secure payments on their phone.Diebold, which was founded in 1859 and is one of the world’s most veteran banking institutions, has more than 15,000 employees worldwide and annual sales of billions of dollars.In addition to its unique ATM technology, WiseSec is also featuring other products at the Barcelona show, such as a closed location-based customer experience management system, a Plug & Play secure payment technology for smartphones, and a technology that opens locks with locks without having to use a key.WiseSec’s initial intention was to produce security-related solutions in mobile computing, but in recent years, the company has moved more into the civilian market and currently has partnerships with Bank Leumi, Amdocs, AT&T, the Radisson Royal Hotel in Moscow and Ness Technologies.Campus Lustig Israeli hi-tech companies are always looking for competent, skilled employees, and one of the most successful places employers search these days is Campus Lustig, a branch of the Jerusalem College of Technology (JCT-Machon Lev).Established in Ramat Gan in 1998, the branch is geared especially for haredi women.
Recently, the 2016 FemTech job fair took place at Campus Lustig for haredi women looking for work in hi-tech. The fair was sponsored by JCT, the Ramat Gan Municipality and the non-profit Tamach.The conference, which took place at the Ramat Gan Theater, was moderated by journalist Sivan Rahav Meir, and included participation from: Deputy Minister of Finance Yitzchak Cohen, Intel Israel CEO Maxine Fassberg, MK Roy Folkman (Kulanu), Tel Aviv Chief Rabbi Yisrael Meir Lau, Ramat Gan Chief Rabbi Israel Singer, Modi’in Illit Mayor Yaakov Gutterman, Chief Scientist of Israel Aerospace Industries Prof. Leah Boehm, President of the Jerusalem College of Technology Prof.Chaim Sukenik, executive director of Tamach Shaindy Babad, HR Director of Sandisk Israel Ronit Ronen-Karpol, Malam-Team Chairman Shlomo Eisenberg, along with hundreds of company representatives and Campus Lustig graduates.A panel was held during the conference on the topic of governmental and municipal tools that can help haredi women find work. The panel was made up from Campus Lustig graduates, hi-tech business owners, and public officials.In addition, during the conference, a number of students and graduates presented initiatives they’d created, such as: Secure Remote Access – an excellent complementary solution for VPN (virtual private network) that does not require installation on your computer. It’s a portable remote login on a USB that lets you connect securely from any computer around the world.Artificial Intelligence – which uses advanced artificial intelligence algorithms to create a computer than has human-like capabilities and can recognize characters on a screen, and even hold a “smart” dialogue between people and the screen characters. This product can be incredibly useful for communication with autistic users, developing smart games, and managing information systems in the cloud. This project is being overseen by Dr. Meirav Hadad and was developed by students and graduates of Campus Lustig.If you run a young startup, have developed an interesting app or have a question, please feel free to contact info@ social-wisdom.com.Translated by Hannah Hochner.