IT exports may grow to $10b by 2020

[Dance]

KARACHI:
Pakistan could play host to an extreme growth spurt in the information technology industry in the next 10 years, according to a study quoted by IBM’s Country General Manager Hamayun Bashir.

Speaking at a ceremony held to celebrate a century of IBM’s existence on Thursday, Bashir informed Pakistan may have up to one million jobs in the information technology industry by 2020.

“IBA students are working on a study with assistance from the Overseas Investors Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s IT committee. The report, to be published in a few months, underlines that by 2020, Pakistan can easily have a million jobs and exports of $10 billion in the IT industry,” he asserted.

He expressed hope that the current figure of 0.15 million jobs in the industry could easily be increased. “I see a bright future for our industry, which is producing top-quality software,” said Bashir.

“We are meeting the IT ministry on behalf of Pasha – the chamber for IT in the country – to get officials to refocus on the sector,” said Bashir.
Commenting on the resignation of former IT minister Babar Awan, he said, “The minister was an important, focal point of the industry.”

“I have heard that the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is providing funds and a data centre will be created in Islamabad,” he said while talking about the e-government programme.

Replying to a complaint that large organisations in the country, such as banks, did not give projects to local firms, he said that there were up to 60 large companies in Pakistan which needed tried and tested software.

He, however, explained that there were at least 10,000 small companies that would not be able to afford services of large international firms and would have to adopt local software solutions, which would help the economy grow.

IT exports may grow to $10b by 2020 – The Express Tribune

 

[ajpirzada]

i wonder what techlahore thinks about this above news.. will be gud to hear his views


Two thumbs up for Pakistani techies
April 15, 2011

The lack of success is somehow discussed and internalised more than the sweet taste of victory. But let’s sip this sweet nectar one sip at a time and savour it, just this once.

The fastest brain in the world

The world of information technology has found an abundance of fresh blood from the fertile Pakistani soil. The fastest brain in the world according to the Guinness Book of World Records is Mamoon Tariq Khan, our very own wonder boy from Islamabad, now working on an inter-disciplinary IT solution to the problems of poverty and class divide through uniformed IT access from low-cost mobile phones, primarily for farmers finding buyers for their produce. But that is a separate column.

Awards galore

Our software houses bagged not one, not two, but 7 Asia Pacific ICT Awards (APICTA), held at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Out of 16 APICTA categories, the P@sha (Pakistan Software Houses Association for IT & ITES) delegation brought home 7 Merit Awards (the APICTA Silver equivalent).These included Merit Awards in security applications, e-inclusion and e-community, financial applications, communications, e-government and e-health categories. The P@sha delegations have been making their mark at APICTA for the last three years, but this time they really managed to make heads turn, as for the first time, Pakistan’s name was called out 7 times, for awards in 6 different categories.

These awards will help the winning software houses build credentials in the Asian market and break new ground across the globe. But these things don’t just happen. Planning and merit-based selection of contestants is what enabled P@sha to put their best foot forward. To represent Pakistan at the APICTA Awards, each of these companies had to pick up a winner or runner up award at the P@sha ICT Awards 2010, an event that has matured into the flagship IT and ITeS sector industry event in Pakistan. You act like a professional, you get treated like a professional. It’s as simple as that. No hidden agenda, no conspiracy theory, just the sweet taste of victory after the sweat and toil of an honest day at work.

But it doesn’t end here. Badar Khushnood, Country Consultant for Google Pakistan was selected to serve on the panel of judges for the awards. Dynamic and always on the go, Badar is a graduate of the Lahore School of Economics; so this was a Pakistan show all the way!

Maybe you are not a technology buff, but still read this. Nor am I. But I sit up and listen if one country, any one country, crowds the trophy stand like we did in Malaysia this year. I am especially interested when that country is one beset by constant power outages and poor internet access. These seem to be minor irritants for our go-getting IT pros.

Maybe this doesn’t even affect you directly or in ways that you are aware of. But I am glad if you still read on because it feels good to be on the winning side: it’s important to discuss our defeats and process our feelings about them, but it sure feels good to take off our analytical caps and just bask in the glow of triumph every now and then.

Published in The Express Tribune.

Two thumbs up for Pakistani techies – The Express Tribune Blog