Local Industry News

ICTA strengthens Mahinda Chintana forward vision

12-Mar-2010

By Shirley WIJESINGHE

The Information and Communication Technology Agency (ICTA) has launched several projects to implement the Mahinda Chintana Idiri Dekma.

According to ICTA sources, National e-Literacy Project is aiming to bring out 100,000 citizens in the rural community to ICT literate within 18 months.

This is one of the projects tasked to run for Instant Global Village envisaged in the Mahinda Chintana Idiri Dekma ensuring 75 percent island-wide ICT literacy by 2017.

Sri Lankan Software Testing Board to host the International Software Testing Qualifications Board Certified Tester Foundation Level Examination for the first time in Sri Lanka

11-Mar-2010

ISTQB is the world’s only not-for-profit organization dedicated solely to provide practical, globally-accepted software testing certification in more than 45 countries.

Since it has been developed by more than 100 global software testing experts, offered in more than 45 countries, and with more than 110,000 certified software testers worldwide, ISTQB software testing certification is the most widely recognized and fastest-growing software tester certification in the world.

SLT pushes up turnover to top off at over Rs.700 mn

11-Mar-2010

Although Colombo bourse was flat yesterday large volumes got traded with SLT topping the most traded stocks with over 3 million shares.

SLT was the highest trading stock amounting to 3,708,100 shares that got traded yesterday up by 0.68% at prices up by 25 cents on the heels of the court ruling yesterday which cleared a sale of an equity stake to a foreign buyer.

SLT accounted for the highest turnover, contributing 137 million rupees to the day's turnover .

Novell Partner Training Academy empower industry

11-Mar-2010

Novell India Partner Academy, a training program for Novell's partners in selling, distributing and supporting Novell's suite of enterprise IT solutions, held for the first time in Colombo, was a major success.

A mobile surge

11-Mar-2010

By Rafik JALALDEEN

Cellular phone usage in Sri Lanka has shown a dramatic rise. A total of over 14 million registered SIM card holders are reported to be using mobile phones, a Telecommunication Regulatory Commission spokesman said.

Over 14 million registered SIM card holders use mobile phones as a means of communication in Sri Lanka. As a developing country, it is a high figure compared with many other developing nations.

Nearly 16.8 percent use fixed land line phones. He said mobile phone users are growing in the country.

Virtusa Announces Suite of Services for Transforming Organizations to Enterprise 2.0: Social Media, Video and Mobile Channels Fuel Collaboration for the Enterprise

11-Mar-2010

Virtusa Corporation (NASDAQ: VRTU), a global IT services company that offers a broad spectrum of business consulting and outsourcing services, has introduced the company’s new Enterprise 2.0 Services Suite from the Gartner Portals, Content and Collaboration Summit 2010.  Using a set of collaborative technologies including social media, video and mobile, the comprehensive portfolio allows businesses to implement innovative Web 2.0 initiatives for attracting and retaining customers, reducing costs and increasing employee productivity.

SLT ties-up to offer BIT degree

10-Mar-2010

Sri Lanka Telecom entered into a partnership with the Moratuwa University to conduct the Bachelor of Information Technology (BIT) external degree program at its established Training Centre at Welisara.

The agreement was signed at the Sri Lanka Telecom premises on Monday.

Sri Lanka Telecom Chairperson Leisha De Silva Chandrasena and the Moratuwa University Vice Chancellor Prof. Malik Ranasinghe signed the agreement.

SLIIT and Virtusa to implement Virtusa Head Start Program

9-Mar-2010

The Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT), renowned for producing skilled IT specialists, creates valuable opportunities for students to further their knowledge-base and enhance future career prospects through its collaboration with many institutions and companies to provide constructive industry-ready training. 

SLIIT recently partnered with reputed global IT services company Virtusa Corporation to introduce a program that will boost the quality of the Software Testing educational experience and maximise student potential within the IT sector.

Is dynamic or rapid implementation a myth in ERP projects?

9-Mar-2010

By Colin Beaney and Poorna Bandara

With the demand for information within an organisation growing on daily basis, business solution providers are constantly looking at new approaches of shorter implementation cycles, better known as "dynamic or rapid implementation".

Although rapid implementation approaches appear to be theoretically promising, in practice, it may not help all customers equally. On the contrary, the forced rapidity against the best fit approach could lead to failure in the implementation.

One Laptop Per Child Project: Chart Foundation donates 144 laptops

9-Mar-2010

Nimesha Priyadarshani of Katawela Kanishta Vidyalaya was offered a scholarship to study at the Infosys Institute, Hyderabad by Infosys Institute, Founder and Chairman Nayana Moorthy.

She was one of the students sponsored by the Rotary Club of Colombo West, to follow the Toast Masters ‘speech’ Program.

The Chart Foundation, formed under the auspices of the Rotary Club of Colombo West, plans to take the next step by making the Katawela village an integral part of the global village.

To develop graduate entrepreneurship: UK, Lanka university partnerships

8-Mar-2010

By Ramani Kangaraarachchi

UK and Sri Lanka are prioritizing their investments in developing graduate entrepreneurship and enterprise education.

New businesses can lift nations out of recession through job creation which is economic policy’s top priority. British Council Sri Lanka Country Director, Gill Westway said.

SLICELT enables equal access- Rao

8-Mar-2010

Sri Lanka-India Centre for English Language Training (SLICELT) enables every child in Sri Lanka to learn English and access equal opportunities, Indian Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao said.

She was speaking at the inauguration of the SLICELT at the National College of Education in Peradeniya yesterday.

This promotes English language learning to bring about a better life, Rao said.

English as a life skill, which reacts in fostering our relationship in every angle.

Enlighten your child's future with world-class JAVA technology: Simply an academic qualification alone will not help your child to get a good job…

7-Mar-2010

As the first point of guiding your child towards IT, you have to be aware of the two major types of qualifications that need to be acquired. Similar to any other field, the qualifications in the IT field too belongs to two main categories; academic qualifications and professional qualifications. Basically, any university around the globe focuses mainly on academic qualifications especially in the field of information technology.

Aepona picked for OneAPI Commercial Pilot

7-Mar-2010

Aepona, a global provider of telecoms software products and services headquartered in Belfast, Northern Ireland, and with a software development centre (Aepona International Lanka (Pvt) Limited) in Colombo, announced that it has been selected by the GSMA for its launch of the world's first commercial implementation of OneAPI, a groundbreaking initiative that aims to make it much easier for application providers and enterprises to mobile-enable their applications and services across multiple operators. The service is being launched in Canada as a commercial Pilot, connecting to the three major Canadian mobile operators - Bell Mobility, TELUS and Rogers Wireless.

At Sri Lanka Telecom Summit 2010: Innovative ideas needed to invest in Telecom Industry

7-Mar-2010

A nation needs a strong broadband backbone to deliver the technology to all segments of the society said chief regulatory advisor and director government affairs of BT (India) (Pvt) ltd Shri Satya Gupta. He was addressing Sri Lanka Telecom Summit 2010 in Colombo last week.

IT for remote sector schools in next six months

7-Mar-2010

Education Minister Susil Premajayantha said the Government's assurance of expanding the facility of Information Technology for the rural and remote sector in the country will become a reality with the providing of computers to 500,000 schoolchildren during the next six months.

Virtusa Launches BPM Test Drive for Needs Assessment, Business Case & ROI: Intensive Education and Evaluation Program Creates Framework for BPM Success

7-Mar-2010

Virtusa Corporation (NASDAQ: VRTU), a global IT services company that offers a broad spectrum of business consulting and outsourcing services, has introduced the Virtusa BPM Test Drive for Needs Assessment, Business Case & ROI from Gartner’s Business Process Management (BPM) Summit 2010.  This intensive three-week program, focused on BPM education, evaluation of challenges, business case creation,  prototype development and technology evaluation and recommendation, establishes a framework for a client’s successful BPM engagement.

Enterprise education for development

5-Mar-2010

Enterprise education involves developing core skills required to succeed in the corporate world, such as strategic thinking and the ability to think out of the box, thereby creating a more entrepreneurial and employable pool of individuals.

With the British Council actively campaigning for the establishment of enterprise education in Sri Lanka, Manager Education Partnerships at the British Council, Sri Lanka, Eranda Ginige spoke on the importance of a culture tailored to enrich and boost the entrepreneurial skills of the future generation.

Entrepreneurship in developing a country's economy

5-Mar-2010

An entrepreneur is an individual who owns a firm, business, or venture, and is responsible for its development.

Entrepreneurship is the practice of starting a new business or reviving an existing business, in order to capitalize on new found opportunities.

Moving into internet and mobile banking: Banks need to assess risk factor

5-Mar-2010

While banks are moving into latest technologies with internet and mobile banking, they should also be concerned about the risk factor it carries, Central Bank Governor Ajith Nivard Cabraal said.

“In a time where people are concerned of the greater potential with less inputs in any industry, savings banks too have introduced fast moving technology into banking transactions”, Cabraal said at the World Savings Banks Institute (WSBI)’s Cross Regional Conference 2010 held at Colombo Hilton yesterday. There are more than 4000 branches and outlets of savings banks in Sri Lanka.

Telecom Summit 2010, colombo: Revolution lies ahead: Broadband services to be key growth drive

5-Mar-2010

Sri Lanka and India have immense growth potential for collaborations in the telecommunication industry.

UT Starcom’s Managing Director for South Asia Vijay Yadav said Sri Lanka has a well adopted technology in telecommunications and geographically Lanka is well placed.

The re-launch of “How IT changed my life”

5-Mar-2010

IT (Information Technology) is a science which is constantly changing emerging as a scientific discipline out of research and development activities in the fields of technology, data base technology, software technology, video technology and communication technology, to the adaptation to a vital part of everyday life. Our country experienced a boost and adaptation towards IT following the technology boom in Sri Lanka. The opportunities available in the IT and ICT sectors are rich, yet Sri Lanka is absent with regards to the talent inheriting as there is a lack of awareness within the mass – realized by the government, and the resistance to change – change is inevitable in IT.

The role of software as a service

4-Mar-2010

SaaS or Software as a service, is computer based applications and services that are provided via remote delivery to end users rather than as a packaged product to be purchased and installed by the end user.

Here an interview with the Suntel’s Head of Corporate Solutions, Ranjith Fernando on SaaS.

Q: How would SaaS transform software investments in future?

The beauty of the solution is that you can use it based on the requirement without spending initial capital expenditure to obtain services.

With the current global economic turmoil calls CEO’s of almost all companies to do business in smarter ways. Ways where earlier we have not even dreamt of. Software as a Service refers to one such way of doing business as an when you would want it.This opens a whole new world of opportunities for commercial establishments plus software vendors.

ICTA BPO program in Jaffna successful

4-Mar-2010

The Information Technology Business Process Outsourcing (IT-BPO) program organised by the Information and Communication Technology Agency of Sri Lanka (ICTA) created huge interest among the student population of the North.

This was shown by more than 4000 students who participated in the three-day IT-BPO career guidance program ICTA held at the Jaffna Vembady Girls' High School the last three days of last month.

Out of the 4000 odd students from grade 9 to 12 who participated in the program the girls slightly outnumbered the boys.

Milestone Document Management Project started with Department of Immigration and Emigration Sri Lanka

3-Mar-2010

One of the largest electronic document management project in Sri Lankan history started recently with Department of Immigration and Emigration Sri Lanka. Under this project Sanje Lanka Private Limited provide all the technologies and resources to digitize & index passport related documents enabling online search, retrieval and manipulation.