For the first time ever at Comdex, a group of Norwegian information technology companies has gone to Las Vegas in the hope of some exposure in the US market. Representatives from eight companies are crammed into one small booth – the organizer says it cost them $35,000 just for the space – but they seem happy to be there. Among those present are PCTVnet, which markets a WebTV-like box with 8Mb of RAM, a Spyglass browser and a 33.6kbps modem. Also in the booth is an ergonomically-designed mouse from a company called Animax. New Media Science is touting its intranet software and a Java designed and programmed gaming software. Norman Data Defense is showcasing its full line of security software. All in all, the products on display don’t seem particularly revolutionary, but the goal seems to be awareness. Most of the companies hope to score some development agreements in the US, if not some customers. One of the companies, Paradigm Business Simulators, has just inked such a deal with US company CreditTek to work on Paradigm’s financial and operational business simulation software. The presence at Comdex was organized and roughly 45% subsidized by the Norwegian Trade Council. Charlotte Berge, a market analyst at the NTC who organized everything almost single-handedly from Norway, says the response has been generally positive. She says they will be definitely coming back next year with more companies and that their Nordic neighbors, the Swedes, plan to be crammed into the booth next door.
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