Imagine sitting on a boat 10 miles offshore when your office phone starts to ring. Unless you are telepathic and also have 10-mile long arms you are going to miss the call, right? Wrong.

Or at least not necessarily, because if you have a new piece of computer software and you are using your laptop while out at sea an alert will appear and instantly tell you who is calling your office and give you the option, at the press a button, to have the call redirected to the cell phone you are carrying.

Perhaps you are at the airport and your home phone rings — again there's an instant alert on your laptop and you can decide whether to switch the call to you present location, which may be anywhere in the world.

That was one of the cutting edge information technologies demonstrated at Bermuda's first Tech Showcase, which was opened at the start of a week of information technology events.

Elsewhere at the exhibition in the Fairmont Hamilton Princess Hotel there were other IT breakthroughs, including an interactive classroom whiteboard that connects up with digital applications (digi cameras, DVDs, computers) and is touch-sensitive in the same way that an ATM screen is controlled by touching the screen.

Internet banking, online TV, computer games, a "Big Brother is watching" corporate computer network security package and the latest cell phones were amongst other technologies on show.

Neletha Butterfield, Minister of the Environment, Telecommunications and E-Commerce, opened the show and TechWeek and said it was an example of the productive relationship between Government and the private sector to work together to create a week of lunchtime and evening events that provide insight and education on the technologies available in Bermuda.

"If we in Bermuda are to really reap the benefits of technology, it is of critical importance that our children have an understanding of the opportunities available in the IT sector and that all of us, senior citizens included, recognise the role that technology plays in our lives," Ms Butterfield said.

"Awareness-raising events such as these can only help to achieve that goal. Because we cannot afford to lose sight of the fact that our economic success, our sustainability as a community and indeed the way we spend our leisure time, all depend increasingly on technology."

In the show the exhibitors included local and overseas companies.

Hamilton's Applied Computer Technologies had the IT telephony system that allows a user to see from a computer screen if there is an incoming call on their home phone, office phone or cell phone and at the touch of a button have that call redirected to their nearest phone connection, no matter where in the world.

Another use of the software is to see at a glance on a computer screen where other people in an organisation are and whether they are available to take a call or receive an internet message at that moment.

Bank of Bermuda were promoting internet banking, both to individuals and customers, which allow bills and payment transfers to be made without having to stand in line at a bank office.

Ron Felsch, senior project manager at the bank, explained: "We are seeing a higher shift towards internet banking, although there is still some way to go. Our message is that people should not be scared of this technology."

Companies can benefit from doing internet-based transaction by not paying to have an employee standing in a bank queue, as well as conducting transactions at their convenience, said Mr. Felsch.

A security information manager software programme was demonstrated by Charlie Van Pelt and Karl Gerling of Georgia-based Enterasys, which is partnered on-Island by Gateway Systems. It can be used by companies to shift through data to see where its computer network is under attack and identify reasons why a system is slowing down and "mine" forensic data to see exactly where a cyberspace intruder has trespassed.

Nearby Gateway Systems were showing the latest computer game technology, while Smart Technologies had a demonstration of the 600i interactive whiteboard for use in classrooms, allowing all manner of digital appliances to be linked up easily and projected onto the board where simply pointing at an item can control its use in the same way that ATM touch-sensitive screens operate.

Many other exhibitors filled the exhibition area. TechWeek continues at a number of venues around Hamilton until Friday with various presentations ranging from animation workshops, creating music and art with technology and using blogs, wireless broadband and tricks and tips for Blackberry users.

Full details are available at http://www.techtime.bm