Italian Tech Tour Sponsors

Cisco Systems, Inc. is the worldwide leader in networking for the Internet. Cisco's Internet Protocol-based (IP) networking solutions are the foundation of the Internet and most corporate, education, and government networks around the world. Cisco provides the broadest line of solutions for transporting data, voice and video within buildings, across campuses, or around the world.

FORTUNE is the world’s premier business magazine. FORTUNE delivers the most sought-after eyeballs in business: more than five million senior global decision-makers and influencers. With its own unique brand of storytelling, FORTUNE delivers in-depth, cutting-edge editorial coverage and exclusive insider access to some of the sharpest minds in the world.

Intel Capital’s strategic investment program is one of the largest corporate venture programs worldwide investing in the technology segment. With an overall strategy to stimulate advances in computing and communications, the Intel Capital team seeks out and invests in promising companies worldwide working together to establish new and innovative technologies, develop industry standard solutions, drive Internet growth and advance the computing platform. While financial returns are not Intel’s primary goal, Intel seeks companies that can succeed and have an impact on their market segment.

At Microsoft, we're motivated and inspired every day by how our customers use our software to find creative solutions to business problems, develop breakthrough ideas, and stay connected to what's most important to them. We run our business in much the same way, and believe our seven core business units offer the greatest potential to serve our customers in the coming decade. They include: Windows Client, Information Worker, Business Solutions, Server Platforms, Windows CE & Mobility, MSN, and Home & Entertainment. We are committed long term to the mission of helping our customers realize their full potential. Just as we constantly update and improve our products, we want to continually evolve our company to be in the best position to accelerate new technologies as they emerge and to betterserve our customers.

For more than 25 years, Oracle has worked on ways to help our customers manage critical information. We built the only Unbreakable database, with 15 international security evaluations. We developed the first complete suite of business applications - for the internet. We created the fastest, most reliable, and least expensive application server. Why? So that our customers have reliable, secure, and complete business systems that give them better quality information at a lower cost.

PricewaterhouseCoopers (www.pwc.com) is the world's largest professional services organisation. Drawing on the knowledge and skills of more than 125,000 people in 142 countries, we build relationships by providing services based on quality and integrity.

TIME is desired and required reading for influential and internationally-minded executives throughout Europe, Middle East and Africa. Every week over two million affluent consumers, frequent travelers and senior business people turn to TIME EMEA for award-winning coverage of the key issues affecting the region.

Tornado Insider is the only true pan-European technology media company serving the pan-European technology industry, providing entrepreneurs, investors, service providers and other participants with the information they need to succeed in Europe's high-growth high-tech economy. By connecting all the relevant players across industry and geographic boundaries through a rich mixture of news, analysis, research and conferences, Tornado Insider plays a vital role in helping Europe's entrepreneurs and investors build great companies.

Vision Capital is a Trans-Atlantic fund providing growth capital for leading technology companies. Vision invests in promising European and US technology companies and then takes an active, hands-on approach in expanding these businesses across the Atlantic. Vision Capital specializes in investments focusing on communication, software and Internet/e-commerce companies that are proven winners and have global potential. Their portfolio consists of venture backed European technology companies with a strong foundation in Europe who wish to enter U.S. market and U.S. companies who seek an added-value investor who can assist in global expansion.

CIR Ventures is an early-stage technology venture capital fund sponsored by CIR Group, a leading European industrial holding company. CIR's connections to the Italian and European communications, Internet and investment industries, an experienced team and the support of the CIR Group allows CIR Ventures to provide not just capital but active hands-on support to accelerate the development of their portfolio companies. CIR Ventures focuses on software and communications, and invests primarily in companies in North America (Silicon Valley) or Italy.

TIM operates in the domestic market, Latin America and the Mediterranean Basin and is the leading European operator for number of lines with, in Italy alone, a total of 25.7 million lines as of March 31, 2003 and a market share standing stable at 47.5%. Taking into account foreign customers, the TIM Group has reached a total of 40.2 million lines.

TIM was listed on the Milan Stock Exchange on July 17th, 1995 and today it is among the top Italian companies for stock-market capitalization with an MIB 30 weight approx. equal to 10.07%. The international relevance of TIM's stock is confirmed by main rating indexes: FTSE, EuroStoxx50, DJ Stoxx, MSCI.

Apax Partners is one of the world's leading private equity investment firms and is dedicated to helping entrepreneurs build world class companies. Their track record of working with entrepreneurs from start up to leveraged transactions of over EUR1 billion is exceptional. Since 1995 alone 46 of their companies went public on stock markets around the world. At point of entry to market these companies had a collective market capitalisation of over EUR23 billion. Apax Partners currently has EUR12 billion under management or advice around the world. Apax Partners has over 330 companies in their portfolio, the firm has 180 investment professionals operating in offices across Europe, Israel, the United States and Japan.

myQube finances and supports the development of companies operating in the high-tech sector. It is focused on innovative software applications, high-tech hardware solutions, wireless, infrastructures and enabling technologies and supports early stage companies with highly attractive market opportunities in Europe and the United States.

Founded in 1997, Net Partners was one of the earliest venture capital funds in Europe to begin operations with an exclusive focus on financing seed and early stage Internet, commerce and transaction services companies. Direct venture investments include some of the best known European Internet companies such as Self Trade (Nouveau Marché: 7505), BFinance, Accucard, Freever and Mutui Online. Net Partners is known for its hands on and highly entrepreneurial approach to building companies and working closely with entrepreneurs. The firm has emphasized and helped implement both Pan-European and local initiatives in Europe.

PROFESSIONISTI ASSOCIATI is a member firm of DTT -one of the world's leading organizations performing professional services - and one of the leader firms in Italy in tax and corporate consulting services. It assists multinational entities as well as public institutions and rapid-growing small businesses, the core of the Italian economic system. Every day our professionals offer a wide range of services satisfying all needs of our clients: in addition to the traditional tax and corporate services, it has specialized in corporate restructuring services, services relating to in-bound and out-bound acquisitions of holding and operating companies, cross-border tax planning services regarding corporate entities and individuals, services relating to the determination of tax efficient structures to shelter on-going profits end gains, and transfer pricing analysis.

With our broad based practice and focus on key industry sectors and legal service areas, clients can access our lawyers according to their individual needs. Providing clients with worldclass legal advice, whenever and wherever they need it, is truly at the heart of our business. Our philosophy to international growth has been to build practices around local lawyers who understand the country's culture, business and language. In doing so, we have created a more closely knit and cohesive network of lawyers around the world. It is a significant challenge to unite the wide range of cultures and legal approaches that run through our firm and we believe that we have succeeded in achieving the right balance between respecting these traditions and delivering a truly global service.

Comune di Milano.

Sellys focuses on solutions and its services include interactive web design, e-services and IT consulting.