The Nation

12-July-2009
By Azhar Razak

The Chairman of Sri Lanka Association of Software and Service Companies (SLASSCOM) says that the recent statement made by Raman Roy, who is considered the father of Indian BPO industry, has been misquoted, and it only referred to the Quatrro’s joint venture with Sri Lanka’s John Keells Holdings (JKH).

At the recently concluded Sri Lanka Economic Summit, Raman Roy, Chairman of India’s Quatrro BPO Solutions had stated that Sri Lanka’s unit productivity was well below Indian standards, where the average time taken by Sri Lankan staff to carry out a task was over 200 percent of what it takes in India.

14-June-2009
By By Azhar Razak

Two Sri Lankans have been granted access to modify official releases of Mozilla Foundation’s products, language packs and patches such as Mozilla Firefox web browser.

The two members of the LAKapps team, a Mozilla localisation project K.Sarveswaran, Systems Engineer at the Department of Computer Science and Engineering, University of Moratuwa (UoM) and Rohana Dassanayake, Systems Analyst at the Arthur C. Clarke Institute (ACCIMT) have been awarded this opportunity to access Mozilla’s L10n repository.

‘Both gentlemen have been active members of LAKapps from its very initiation and their commitment to the localisation of Free and Open-Source Software (FOSS) was thus rewarded by the Mozilla localisation project. This is a rare opportunity in the IT field and LAKapps is honoured to have been recognised,’ an official from LAKapps, a project to improve local language Internet-based software development and deployment said.

19-Apr-2009

Sri Lanka Telecom, the nation’s number one integrated telecommunications service provider, partners with the Asia Foundation for the 6th consecutive year, by renewing its sponsorship of the Asia Foundation’s Book Programme. Chairperson, SLT, Ms Leisha de Silva Chandrasena, handed over the sponsorship cheque to the Country Representative of the Asia Foundation, Nilan K. Fernando at the SLT Headquarters recently.

SLT and the Asia Foundation embarked on this book programme for the first time in 2004, as a part of the Foundation’s ongoing “Books for Asia” initiative. Ever since, SLT has been partnering with the Foundation every year in line with one of the company’s main Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives, ‘Spreading the wealth of knowledge,’ with the aim of stimulating curiosity, fostering knowledge, and improving literacy levels.

19-Apr-2009
By Azhar Razak

Sri Lanka’s BPO (Business Process Outsourcing) and IT sector, are presently facing a slowdown in operations as a result of contraction in projects offered by foreign counterparts. Industry officials say that new recruitments to the industry have also become limited following a dip in foreign business.

‘The global economic turmoil is slowly taking its toll on this industry. Foreign clients in major markets such as Europe and USA, have been restricting their investments and therefore new recruitments to the outsourcing sector have been frozen,’ Director and Vice Chairman of The Sri Lanka Association of Software and Service Companies (SLASSCOM), Ravi Abeysuriya told The Nation Economist.

12-Apr-2009
By Azhar Razak

Sri Lanka’s IT sector has grown remarkably by around 31 % to US dollars 230 million in 2008 from US dollars 175 million in 2007. However, this sector is likely to experience a slowdown in the coming years due to the economic slowdown in the top markets, namely, United States and Europe, the Central Bank 2008 Annual Report pointed out.

‘The significantly increasing lay-offs in these markets over the last few months and the protectionist measures that may be taken by the US Government to protect local production rather than off-shore outsourcing may however hinder the demand for ITES in Sri Lanka,’ the 2008 Annual Report noted.

7-Dec-2008

President Mahinda Rajapaksa returned to the island last Friday after a successful visit to Turkey at the invitation of the Turkish Prime Minister. He was the first Lankan Head of State to visit Turkey after independence.

During his visit, President Rajapaksa held a discussion with his Turkish counterpart, Abdullah Gal. Later, dignitaries of both countries including Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama, Presidential Secretary Lalith Weeratunga, Enterprise Development Minister Mano Wijeyeratne, Presidential Advisor A.H.M. Aswer, Board of Investment Chairman Dhammika Perera, and President’s Coordinator Sajin Vass Gunawardena, along with Turkish officials participated in discussions.

14-Sep-2008

A Sri Lankan IT/BPO sector delegation led by the Board of Investment of Sri Lanka concluded a successful mission to Chennai, Bangalore and Hyderabad last week. The visit was co-organised with the Information and Communication Technology Agency of Sri Lanka (ICTA), IT SME Association of India and the Software Technology Parks of India (STPI).

The delegation which included Sri Lankan IT and BPO companies held successful meetings in the southern Indian IT hubs with SMEs and government agencies.

The focus of the mission was the attraction to Sri Lanka of Small and Medium-sized companies in India, including companies looking for joint venture opportunities. The Indian SME sector has been hit hardest by the rising operational costs, difficulties in hiring the best talent, high attrition rates and the appreciation of the Indian rupee versus the US dollar. These factors have forced many of them to look for locations outside India.

3-Aug-2008

One of Sri Lanka’s largest garments suppliers, Christy Holdings, a diversified group with five companies within its fold and with nearly a century of experience in Sri Lanka entered into a strategic agreement with Microsoft Sri Lanka for the implementation of Microsoft Dynamics. Raffles Solutions, one of the key partners for Microsoft Dynamics NAV ERP solutions, will be the implementation partner for this landmark project with Christy Holdings.

In a recent occasion where both parties signed up the contract for the implementation of Microsoft Dynamics, Raffles Solutions Country Manager, Sujatha Nadesan commented, “Taking into consideration that the Christy Holdings is one of the leading exporting organisations, we expect to further enhance their leadership and strengthen their global presence. We look forward to implement Microsoft Dynamics NAV 5.0, which will augment the Christy Holdings unique processes that have led them to become a highly competitive entity in the Global Market. Among all leading vendors, Raffles Solutions clearly differentiated itself with a custom built proposal which met the Board’s high expectations.

3-Aug-2008

The ICT industry of Sri Lanka is one the fastest growing, and has the potential to emerge as one of the leading revenue generators for the country, says “Sri Lankan ICT Market Analysis”, a new research report from RNCOS.

The report says that Sri Lanka has been showing strong determination to develop its infrastructure despite ongoing political problems, and this sustainable economic growth is one of the main reasons boosting growth in the country’s ICT market.

At present, the Sri Lankan economy is counted among the most moderate economies in South Asia that has succeeded in maintaining healthy growth rates in recent past. Moreover, the country has some added benefits in developing its ICT industry, like favorable macro-economic policies and a business culture open to international investors and partners. In addition, Sri Lankan telecom industry, constituted by fixed and Wireless Local Loop (WLL) operators, and mobile and public phone operators, is the most liberal in South Asia.

20-Jul-2008

The welcome ceremony of the fifth intake of students for the Master’s Degree at the Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT) and the second intake for the Master’s Degree from Sheffield Hallam University, UK conducted in collaboration with the Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology was held on 27th June, 2008 at Cinnamon Grand Hotel, amidst a large gathering of distinguished guests, staff and students. Altogether 90 students have enrolled for both courses.

The chief guest at the occasion was Mr Keith Modder, Managing Director Asian Operations – Virtusa who applauded SLIIT’s commitment and dedication to providing IT education of exemplary quality, stated that SLIIT has contributed significantly to Sri Lanka’s progress in this field. Many key IT personalities graced the occasion.

Facilitated by MillenniumIT’s Automated Trading System Millennium Exchange, the Nairobi Stock Exchange successfully held its biggest Initial Public Offering (IPO) when shares in Kenya’s Safaricom were traded. Safaricom is the mobile arm of Kenya Telecom and has been a very profitable company, historically. This has been the biggest IPO in East Africa, by far.

A news release by NSE states, ‘the IPO and subsequent trading activity highlights the depth and liquidity of our market and the potential that is yet to be tapped for infrastructure upgrades and development within Kenya and the region. MillenniumIT deployed its Automated Trading System at the Nairobi Stock Exchange in September 2006, while their Central Securities Depository (CSD) for Kenya has been operating in a live environment since November 2004. MillenniumIT systems power all the stock exchanges in East Africa, comprising the Nairobi Stock Exchange, Dar es Salaam Stock Exchange and the Uganda Securities Exchange.

6-Jul-2008

Intel Education Initiative has launched two groundbreaking Teacher Development programmes to empower Sri Lanka’s education system with the kind of technology-supported learning needed to cultivate the next generation of innovators. Intel Teach pre-service programme, directed at teachers still in training and Intel Teach In-service programme, suitable for teachers already working in schools, are two internationally acclaimed programmes now offered in Sri Lanka to enable all teachers to better exploit the full education potential of the technology age.

Commenting on the implementation of the programmes in Sri Lanka, Country Manager Sri Lanka Intel EM Ltd., Indika De Zoysa, said, “Intel has demonstrated unparalleled commitment to the educational excellence of Sri Lanka, especially, in the neediest parts of the island, and we are proud to say that, our programmes have garnered an inspiring amount of support from every level of education. The Intel Teach In-service programme has successfully been implemented in the Western, Central and Uva Provinces, training over 4,000 teachers to date. Intel is directly and actively involved in various education programmes in Sri Lanka, because we believe that, empowering our student population with the resources, skills and learning experience to develop their already promising potential will not only spawn the next generation of innovators but, will lead our country as a competitive force in the knowledge economy of the world.”

13-Apr-2008
By Samantha Whybrow

Last year saw a record US$734.4m in approvals, up from US$604m in 2006

The telecommunications sector has firmly established itself as the single largest source of foreign direct investment (FDI) in the country, with Central Bank statistics showing the sector was responsible for more than 50 percent of FDI inflows to Sri Lanka in 2007.
Last year saw a record US$734.4 million in FDI approvals, up from US$604 million in 2006.
While the specific figures were not reported by the Central Bank, it is known that Bharti Airtel agreed last year to invest US$100 million in the country in its first year of operations, although it is yet to commence its operations here.

6-Apr-2008

hSenid Software International, a global software solution provider of mobile solutions, human resource management solutions and software outsourcing services has once again dedicated themselves to organising a Young Leaders Summit for the second year in a row. The main focus will be on the broader subject of Leadership.

Founded in 1997 with the aim of supplying high quality software products and services to its customer’s world wide, hSenid has now grown to a 200-person organisation with offices in Sri Lanka, Singapore, Malaysia, India and USA making it a truly global organisation, serving corporate customers across the world.

6-Apr-2008

In recognition of all futuristic teachers dedicated to taking Sri Lankan classrooms into the 21st century, the ‘Innovative Teachers National Competition 2007’, awards ceremony was held for the third consecutive year recently at the Ministry of Education Auditorium. The Minister of Education Susil Premjayantha graced the occasion as Chief Guest, with other distinguished invitees including education officials, academics, Microsoft Sri Lanka representatives and the media.

This annual competition is a joint initiative of Microsoft Sri Lanka and the Ministry of Education and is organised to increase teachers’ knowledge of Information Communication Technology (ICT) island-wide, as it is very much the way forward in the present day context of a student oriented education system.

24-Feb-2008

Delays in allocating frequencies and severe competition are main causes

By Indika Sakalasooriya
The Indian Mobile giant Bharti Airtel who succeeded in winning a license to operate in Sri Lanka as the fifth player is believed to have faced many obstacles in setting up their operations here causing frustration, industry sources revealed.

The company which got the license from the Telecommunication Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka (TRCSL) in May last year had originally planned to roll out its operations in December or early this year. “But it seems that Bharti has lost its enthusiasm about the Sri Lankan mobile market despite mobile penetration being as low as 20 percent, due to several constraints that they had to face in Sri Lanka” a telecom analyst who wished to remain anonymous told The Nation Economist.

3-Feb-2008
By Samantha Whybrow

Imports of PCs to Sri Lanka are being curtailed by increases in defence spending, inflation, and interest rates, according to a leading IT market research company.

While, overall imports in Q3 of 2007 showed a year-to-year growth rate of 13.5%, this figure could have been higher, if not for the prevailing conditions in the country.

“An increase in defense [sic] spending, as well as rising inflation and interest rates has contained the overall IT demand in the country,” reports Springboard Research, in a statement released on Tuesday [29]. According to the researchers, the prevailing security and economic situation in the country means organisations are putting IT expenditure on hold.

3-Feb-2008

The Asia Pacific Institute of Information Technology (APIIT), a leading higher education institute in Sri Lanka, awarded 10 full scholarships last week for academically promising and financially needy students.

The selected students will follow a full-time study programme in computing or business management at the APIIT City Campus in Colombo, leading to a degree awarded by Staffordshire University in the UK.

Each scholarship is worth more than Rs. 1 million and covers the full cost of education during the entirety of the study programme including the fees payable to Staffordshire University.

11-Nov-2007

C.N.S. Lanka, the island’s latest communication service provider has revolutionised the public phone sector with the recent launch of their flagship product SimPhony.

Rich in the state-of-the-art technology and an array of exclusive features that deserves to be called the common man’s mobile phone, SimPhony currently has operations in 12 strategically important districts in Sri Lanka.

Being the only virtual mobile phone service, which does not require a handset, it is rapidly gaining popularity and reliability among low income population in rural and semi-urbanised areas.

21-Oct-2007
By Quintus Perera

Renders yeomen service to IT education in Sri Lanka

So far Informatics has produced more than 30,000 graduates globally and the Sri Lankan counterpart contribution is a hefty 5,000 so far. Jayalath said “Per year we train about 2,000 students. He said the major plus point has been that all their graduates are highly employable and reiterated that their potential in obtaining employment has been so great that by the end of the first year itself most students are employed.

The Singapore Informatics Computer Institute (Pvt) Ltd (SICI), a wholly owned subsidiary of Informatics Education Ltd, Singapore which was established in 1994 has been providing yeomen service to the youth of this country, especially those who fail to get university admission.

21-Oct-2007

IFS Sri Lanka the pioneer in Enterprise Resource Program has been chosen as the application solution provider for Ministry of Defense and Aviation United Arabia through the introduction of Kerfi Arabia the Saudi branch of IFS Applications.

IFS provide Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solutions, which are a merger of global ERP best practices to Sri Lanka which facilitates resources to be used in a more agile way to accomplish Sri Lankan business performance and competitive advantage, which has been developed to suit all the business concern.
Thus IFS Sri Lanka was called upon to formulate a solutions for the Human Resource administration, pay roll management and distribution operation of MODA Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

30-Sep-2007

PC Partner, a SBU of the well-diversified PCH Holdings that deals in computer hardware and software, office automation equipment, restaurant, pharmaceuticals & healthcare products, consumer electronics, audio visual and event productions, international operations, automobiles and property development, has strengthened its position in the computer retail market with the expansion of their retail arm, PC Partner outlets.

PC Partner outlets are the one stop shop boutiques for items such as Notebook computers, PCs, computer peripherals, accessories, server systems, network & communications devices, Office Automation equipment, optical devices, storage devices and all the other.

30-Sep-2007

[visit schools net at www.schoolnet.lk]

Sri Lanka Telecom (SLT) announced that it is the infrastructure and service provider for SchoolNet, a new online educational system, which will improve efficiency and increase academic achievement within public schools across the nation.

As a part of the Secondary Education Modernization Project under the Ministry of Education, the initiative is set to revolutionize the way school administrators operate, the way teachers teach, the way parents are involved as well as the way in which children learn. SchoolNet allows teachers and students from schools throughout the nation to access reference material, tutorials, emails and other educational programmes over the Internet. In addition, for the first time teachers will be able to access several lesson plans on their computers.