Business through Internet is the topic of an international conference, which the Bulgarian Industrial Association (BIA) will organise with the co-operation of Microsoft, Nokia and most probably Ericsson on May 12-13 at the Sheraton hotel in Sofia, said BIA Chairman Bozhidar Danev. A total of 328,000 companies, linked to the network of the Bulgarian Industrial Association, have already submitted 192,000 business offers. Danev believes that e-business represents one of the big challenges facing the Bulgarian companies in the present moment. The concept that a prospering economy is based on a good financial system has changed. It is the information technology that provides the basis on which both the financial system and the economy itself are built, Danev said. According to Danev, in Bulgaria the business most successfully using Internet is the furniture trade. BIA has already set up the first virtual commercial centre with four virtual shops. By the end of May the centre will have 12 more shops while feasibility study is made for another 18. The digital certificates will make possible payments to be effected in real time