From February 21 to February 22, IBA Group participated in the European ISV Convention 2007 that was held in Brussels, Belgium. Delegates from 15 countries attended the event. Keynote speakers representing the European Software Association, Microsoft, IBM, the Itanium Solutions Alliance, Business Objects, and the Corum Group appeared at the convention's Open Sessions. The Open Sessions were followed by boardroom sessions and 1:1 meetings between delegates and the convention's major sponsors.

The convention agenda included the following topics: critical success factors for ISVs in Europe, the changing applications landscape in Europe, and the growth and exit strategies for ISVs.

The session run by the European Software Association (ESA) examined issues that companies and governments need to address to create an environment conducive for the software industry. ESA predicts that the industry will create 900,000 new jobs from 2006 to 2009, while software–related employees and companies will generate almost $125 billion in additional taxes.

According to ESA, “there is no single Europe”. The continent presents a fragmented, multi–lingual and multicultural environment. To penetrate any new European market, a local presence, contact with local universities, and membership in local industrial associations are indispensable.

John Chapman, Business Development Director of IT Europa, as well as Microsoft and IBM speakers said that the ICT market is undergoing dramatic change. A number of new delivery models and methodologies have emerged, including Software as a Service (SaaS), Service–Oriented Architecture (SOA), and Open Source.

Growth and exit strategies for ISVs was the last issue on the convention's agenda. According to Miro Parizek, Managing Director of Corum Group, international investment in IT and telecommunications is hot again. Therefore, software developers have excellent opportunities to attract funding from the investment community. He suggested that ISVs select between private equity recapitalization, IPO listing, and M&A. Though M&A is dominating, there has been some revival of the IPO market.