THE information and communication technologies (ICT) sector Monday invited ICT students, professionals, and followers for the first Saas Entrepreneur Camp (Saas Ecamp).

The event is set at 4 p.m., December 3 at the SM City Davao Event Center.

This is a landmark event being Saas (Software as a Service) a new concept and ICT in the city is still at its realization of potentials, ICT Davao vice president for industry development Bert Barriga said at Kapehan sa SM.

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The Saas Ecamp is a DevCon (Developers Connect) Mindanao event made possible through the cooperation of ICT Davao and the Philippine Software Industries Association (PSIA).

This event is also part of the Davao Innovation Month, an initiative of ICT Davao, DSII, G2iX, and PSIA; and sponsored by software companies: Oracle and G2iX.

Saas Ecamp highlights a competition where the winning team will receive up to 2 years operating capital from an "angel investor" from Silicon Valley, California - business plans not required.

The deadline for submission of concepts was last November 6 however, anyone interested may attend the event, Barriga said.

"During the event, a forum will be held with fellow geeks both professional and students, it's the chance to get noticed by Silicon Valley angel investors, become a Saas entrepreneur or enter technopreneurship, and learn to market your products and services globally from the best and the brightest in the software industry. Come for free and let's have unlimited pizza and beer and go home with freebees," Barriga said.

In this light, Barriga said communication skills for technopreneurs is a must. "We need people who have the capability to communicate effectively. As an ICT professional it's a must to be able to communicate outside of the country to software companies and then also communicate back to the local team," Barriga said.

"The academes should infuse an improved English program in thier IT (information technology) curriculum. Honestly, what the sofeware guys lack is communication skills," Barriga said. (Jade C. Reporter)