Local Industry News

27-May-2008

A Norwegian software company Exilesoft will investment US $ 400,000 on a project to develop software for foreign clients and provide outsourcing services in Sri Lanka.

The venture will also provide reengineering and consultancy services. Exilesoft will mainly focus on providing software solutions for European clients.

The new project will create 50 employment opportunities. The venture will be located in Colombo. The company is in the process of setting up its infrastructure and is expected to commence commercial operations.

The venture will develop Microsoft based software for Financial Services, Human Resources and Customer Relationship Management sectors.

26-May-2008

Colombo, 23rd May 2008:Suntel and Excel Global Holdings signed for the new agreement for the IP VPN data network to connect all the locations of the Excel Global Holdings. With the new agreement, Excel Global Holdings will have integrated data and voice solution from Suntel.

Excel Global Holdings (Pvt.) Ltd. is a business conglomerate with diversified interests such as Apparel, Software, Trading & Leisure Sector operating ‘Excel World’ the popular entertainment and food court at Darley Road Colombo.

The company plans aggressive investments in and around Colombo providing entertainment for the urban population.

26-May-2008

Sri Lanka Telecom, the nation’s number one integrated communication services provider has been chosen as the communication infrastructure provider for National On-line Distance Education Service (NODES) operates under Distance Education Modernisation Project (DEMP) of the Ministry of Education. The company will be providing connectivity solutions for National On-line Distance Education Service (NODES) an initiative of DEMP, with a Wide Area Network (WAN), operating on fibre optic based Virtual Private LAN services (VPLS) of SLT Metro Ethernet which can support advanced data, voice, video and higher-speed internet services. This WAN connects the NODES Access Centres (NACs) of DEMP from across the country, facilitating distance learning.

26-May-2008

The National Science Foundation (NSF), together with its two predecessors, the Natural Resources, Energy and Science Authority (NARESA) and the National Science Council (NSC), is celebrating 40 years of active contribution to the advancement of research in science.
The National Science Council commenced awarding research grants in 1970; the NSF now supports industrial research and development, recognising it as a major force which drives both science and the economy.

In keeping with recent advances in science, the NSF, together with the Ministry of Science and Technology, initiated and now leads the National Nanotechnology Initiative to infuse nanotechnology into local industries such as telecommunication, apparels, water purification, and the agro-based industries.

25-May-2008
By Chathuri Dissanayake

Traditionally local universities have a reputation for non-productivity and violence among many other problems. Many in the private sector blame the institutions for producing an inefficient and incompetent labour force to the economy.

Armed with a lot of examples collected at the recently held workshop on pockets of best practices in the state universities by the chamber of commerce, Deepal Sooriyaarachchi, CEO of Eagle Insurance begs to differ. A member of the steering committee on human resources and education which has formed a round table discussion with the university academics called Chamber Academia Round Table (CART), Sooriyaarachchi believes local universities don’t always receive the credit they deserve. However student clashes, strikes and protests are given ample publicity which has over the years have given rise to a very negative portrait of state-run universities and its students.

25-May-2008

The Board of Investment of Sri Lanka has signed agreements for five projects. Dhammika Perera, Chairman / Director General, signed the agreements on behalf of the BOI while Dr. Sarath Amunugama, Minister of Enterprise Development and Investment Promotion formally presented the investors with the BOI Certificate of Registrations, the state agency said.

The agreement signed with Epic Technologies is for a project to develop software and provide IT related services for foreign clients. The project is an initial investment of US $ 150,000 and will create 30 employment opportunities. The venture will focus in providing software solutions in four core areas -- Information Security, Electronic Payments, Mobile Enterprise Automation and E-Governance as the core areas.

25-May-2008

ICT global leader Bill Gates has expressed his support towards Sri Lanka’s ‘Year of IT’ plan for 2009 during a recent leadership conference held in Indonesia, according to an official communiqué. Gates had also made recommendations to the Sri Lankan delegation on ways of reducing Internet access costs, which he felt ‘was a prime factor in regard to a population’s progression in being Internet savvy; and further increasing broadband penetration in Sri Lanka.’ The Microsoft Corporation chairman was also extended an invitation to visit Sri Lanka.

The communiqué from Microsoft said the Government Leaders Forum (GLF) provided an opportune moment for leaders in the Asia Pacific Region to come together, in an exchange of views relating to administrative governance, education, healthcare and sustainable economic growth.

25-May-2008

With a new expansion plan in Sri Lanka, Zone 24X7, the global technology solutions company based in San Jose, California opened its new State-of-the art office premises at Nawala Road, Koswatta last week.

The CEO of the company Lalvan Fernando said that this is a major milestone of Zone 24X7. The new premises will substantially increase our capacity in Sri Lanka.

Zone 24X7 set up its Sri Lanka technology centre in 2003 with eight software engineers. As Sri Lankan operations became promising, we increased our staff on several occasions and today there are over 100 top notch IT engineers. With this growth additional office space was required, Fernanado said.

25-May-2008

The Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT) marked yet another milestone recently, by inaugurating the three-year Special Honours Degree program in Business Management in collaboration with the prestigious Sheffield Hallam University of the United Kingdom.

At a ceremonial launch which took place at the SLIIT Malabe Campus auditorium SLIIT entered into an affiliation with Sheffield Hallam University, one of the United Kingdom's most progressive and innovative universities which is known to have a flexible, business-led approach.

The two institutions will collaborate to enable Sri Lankan students to obtain a Bachelor of Business Administration Honours Degree in Business Management from Sheffield Hallam University while continuing to be based in Sri Lanka.

24-May-2008

By Ravindu Peiris
Sri Lanka Genius 2008 was officially launched yesterday by the University of Colombo School of Computing (UCSC) with the sponsorship of Dialog Telekom PLC to enhance and develop the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) knowledge of the students in the rural areas.

Sri Lanka Genius 2008 is an island wide quiz programme covering all nine provinces with approximately 1000 schools and 4000 students.

“IT facilities are unevenly distributed in Sri Lanka. They are more devoted to the urban areas and we want to make a difference,” UCSC Sri Lanka Genius Chief Organizer Dinusha Senadeera said.

23-May-2008

ZILLIONe, one the leading providers of pioneering technology based business solutions in Sri Lanka, has once again come up as the associate sponsor of CIMA's flagship conference, the CIMA World Conference, for the eighth consecutive year.

The CIMA World Conference, which will be held at the BMICH at the end of this month, is, in CIMA tradition slated to be a sell-out and will be attended by over 800 corporate decision makers. ZILLIONe, having sponsored this flagship conference for nearly a decade, shares a strong bond with CIMA and is also a CIMA training partner.

Delegates to the conference can look forward to an offering of cutting-edge financial management solutions from Sage Accpac at the ZILLIONe stall. Product demonstrations and special offers will also be part of the attractions at the stall.

22-May-2008

"The industry has evolved to be dynamic and is growing rapidly. As a result, there are abundant opportunities for women in many different areas," Roshani Cooray explains to LMD.

Senior General Manager of Sales and Marketing at Lanka Bell, Roshani Cooray, recently elaborated on the state of the telecommunication industry in Sri Lanka and the role played by women in this sector. She further illustrates to LMD in the May issue of the business journal, that "the telecom industry has been one of the country's most vibrant and dynamic industries".

And she adds: "Customers today are offered the most cutting-edge telecommunications technology that is available internationally at present."

22-May-2008

Sri Lanka Telecom has been chosen as the total telecommunication service provider as well as the communication infrastructure provider to the Lanka Government Network (LGN). The Government aims at encouraging public sector employees to get better acquainted with Information and Communication Technology (ICT), assuring efficiency and smooth flow of information as well as improving standards of service in the public sector to be able to provide efficient citizen services.

LGN project is a strategic project of Re-Engineering Government programme of Information and Communication Technology Agency of Sri Lanka (ICTA), which functions under the Presidential Secretariat.

22-May-2008

The global demands of today's rapidly evolving economy have given arise to many nations addressing issues of mutual interest which, are of paramount significance in relation to global economies and their rapid development.

The Government Leaders Forum (GLF) provided an opportune moment for leaders in the Asia Pacific Region to come together, in an exchange of views relating to administrative governance, education, healthcare, sustainable economic growth and most importantly, addressing the role of information and communications technology (ICT) within these spheres and the value it adds to the successive evolution of the above.

22-May-2008

Sri Lanka Telecom (SLT) is proud to announce 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. 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.

22-May-2008

Information technology changes everything. In nearly every industry, from manufacturing to education, IT provides hope and promise for the future. Over the past few years, IT has come to play a significant role in biotechnology research and development, with the sequencing of the human genome and the ongoing work in genomics, proteomics, and systems biology, industry is booming in Sri Lanka. Now, with the informatics sector of the biotech market having fallen on hard times, many are starting to believe that informatics, as an industry, was oversold, and that this was a case of a technology searching for a market.

22-May-2008

Indicates possibility of setting up an innovation centre in the country

The chairman of global IT giant Microsoft, Bill Gates said that Sri Lanka should find ways of developing world class universities locally, thereby enabling the island to enter into a new world of knowledge and technology. In that respect, Microsoft has announced the possibility of setting up an innovation centre in Sri Lanka, whilst facilitating greater support for the IT/BPO industry, greater investment in education and boosting IT capacity in Sri Lanka.

Gates made this suggestion when he met an eminent Sri Lankan delegation at the Government Leaders Forum (GLF) organized by the Government of Indonesia in collaboration with the Microsoft Corporation. The event, titled ‘Serving the Citizen: The Transformative Power of Information Technology in Delivering Government Services’ was graced with the presence of high profile participants in the league of President of Indonesia Dr. H. Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, and Bill Gates, Chairman, Microsoft Corporation.

22-May-2008

Expat Chit Chat by Anjana Samarasinghe

The local ICT sector has a high reputation in the international arena and the country has been able to attract global IT giants to the country CEO of Tata Communications Lanka Ltd V. Ravi Sankar said.

"I did not know there is a well developed ICT industry in the country till I came to Sri Lanka. Compared to other countries in the region, the local ICT industry is developed to high standards," he said.

There was a significant growth in the telecommunication sector after the liberalisation. In the basic telephony segment, Sri Lanka has 50 per cent of the telephone penetration which is a little higher than other countries in South Asia. BPO was existing in Sri Lanka for long period of time with less visibility. But many entrepreneurs have entered the local BPO industry creating a vast number of employments for the country.

22-May-2008

Dr. Archana Arcot

There is so much buzz about the emerging role of HR - that of a 'strategic partner'. Ideally this should have seen HR Professionals move from the Young HR Minds Award 2008 - Shaping the Strategic Partner Role of HR backroom to the boardroom.

Yet, global statistics show that while 50 per cent of HR Professionals see themselves as "strategic partners" within their organisations, only 17 per cent of HR Professionals are invited to participate in the initial stages of company's mergers and acquisitions (source SHRM Foundation /Towers Perrin study).

The question in context therefore is what does it take for HR practitioners to get to the CEO's strategy table?

22-May-2008

SunGard today announced that Ambit, a new brand and a new software strategy for its solutions for retail, commercial and private banks, will become available in Sri Lanka in June. SunGard’s Ambit brings together the technology of a range of SunGard solutions and the experience of a global team of industry experts that already serve more than 800 banks in 70 countries, including 41 of the world’s top 50 banks*. Ambit provides banking professionals with software solutions that support front-, middle- and back-office operations, as well as solutions for financial management, risk and compliance.

21-May-2008

You’ve finished degree, A/L’s or O/L’s and you’re thinking of setting the right foundation for your career. Look at the opportunities provided by ACCA right here in Sri Lanka before you make your decision and step right up to a globally mobile career in finance and accountancy that is delivered locally.

ACCA - the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants - is the largest and fastest-growing global professional accountancy body. And there is a portfolio of financial qualifications to take you on the route to success with a number of entry routes to take in to account your present achievements.

21-May-2008

The United Nations Global Alliance for Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) and Development should chart a multi-year work programme to spread the benefits of ICT to the developing world, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs Sha Zukang said at the Alliance’s third annual meeting in Kuala Lumpur.

The Global Alliance is at a turning point, said Sha, whose Departmentof Economic and Social Affairs hosts the Alliance. “It has the brand?”- It is a big name now. It has the recognition, the platform and the networks. It has launched initiatives and partnerships that are already yielding initial results.

21-May-2008
Anjana SAMARASINGHE

Human Resource is a vital aspect for any business organisation to develop and succeed in their endeavour. Having identified this many companies in Sri Lanka have embarked on special projects to improve and develop their human resources with heavy investments.

According to Deputy General Manager Corporate Relations, of Sri Lanka Telecom (SLT) Jagath Dheerasekara, companies can deploy various methodologies to develop their human resource asset. But these methodologies need to connect the corporate, the employees of the company and the society where all three parties benefit together.

21-May-2008

Anjana SAMARASINGHE

The country is on the right track with the necessary law enforcement for preventing piracy and there is a decline in the piracy in the country, Director General of National Intellectual Property Office of Sri Lanka D.M. Karunaratna said.

“Comparing with the other countries in the region piracy rate in Sri Lanka is high. Both consumers and the genuine traders are affected by the piracy.

Industries such as motor spare parts, book publishing, software, computer, pharmaceuticals, cassette and CD badly impact from piracy in Sri Lanka. Local software industry has lost US $ 86 million in 2006 due to the software piracy,” he said.

20-May-2008
by Dinesh Weerakkody

Aviva Global Group Director Alastair Ham shares his views, experiances and the importance of people in organisations.

Q What role do you play in Aviva?

I am the Aviva Group Organizational Development Director. That is one of three main roles in the Group HR function in Aviva. But it is not a traditional OD role, as we go through you would probably uncover that.

Q What would you see as your top three HR priorities for the global Aviva business?

The priority of the business at the end of the day is performance. So everything I do is predicated on performance. Specifically what I am interested in is creating a leadership climate where we lead in a way that enables everybody to perform at their best. In our language that means exciting people to exceptional performance (borrowed from Gareth Jones & Rob Goffee – Why Should Anyone Be Led By You) and to help create a culture that puts people and customers at heart – these are my two challenges.