AMANULLAH BASHAR KARACHI (July 2): Pakistan's newly emerged software industry has entered the billion dollar world market by exporting software worth 25 million dollars into American market, it is learnt.
Leading software houses in the country now have plans to explore the European markets, especially Germany, by adjusting the software in accordance to the needs of European users who are not English speaking.
Jamil A. Naz, Chairman, Pakistan-Germany, Business Co-operation Project (PGBCP) a joint venture of GTZ and FPCCI, has expressed the hope that with the help of GTZ experts the software industry will be in a position to present to German customers an attractive offer later this year.
In connection with the third part of the assistance package, being implemented by PGBCP, in collaboration with Private Software Board and Pakistan Software Houses Association, five-day seminars have been planned which will be held in Lahore and Karachi besides two workshops for senior management.
The objective of the seminars, which will be conducted by German expert Ekkehardt Roth and American expert Sheldon Mac Dunn, is to upgrade the performance of the leading software houses.
Pakistan's software industry enjoys top priority in the development of the high-tech sector as a foreign exchange earner of high potential. The government is also implementing a national package comprising Technology and Training Centres.
A boost to software, engineering industry: Business Council
RECORDER REPORT KARACHI (July 18): The Chairman of Business Council for Economic Revival, Latif E. Jamal has welcomed the new trade policy announced by the Federal Commerce Minister, on Wednesday and expressed the hope that the policy would give impetus to the engineering industry and computer software. He said that the country needed more trained manpower to run engineering and computer software industries for export. The Government should set up a task force to go into details of development of human resources by establishing more and more training centres in the country to help produce more value added products in textile, engineering and computer software. Latif Jamal said Japan having no raw material is importing industrial raw material for re-export from the cheapest sources available anywhere in the world using technology and manpower and making on average 30 to 40 times higher value. He said that Government should encourage high fashion fabrics and garments which would almost be five to six times higher value than what we are producing and exporting now. He said that the target fixed by the Commerce Minister was easily achievable if training facilities, on the basis of short term and long term, were provided by in various industrial cities to cater to the needs of trained manpower in various industrial sectors. He welcomed the government's policy of using idle capacity of cement and sugar and added that allowing export of cement will help the country's economy.
IBM Chairman named Software Executive of the Year
KARACHI (July 18): Chairman and CEO of IBM, was named Software Executive of the Year in an announcement by Patrick, L Porter, Editor-in-Chief of Software Magazine, company's announcement said here. In consideration of his demonstrated leadership, vision, and execution, Software Magazine has selected Gerstner for this first annual award. This recognition is bestowed on Gerstner-and all to IBM for remarkable effectiveness in setting in place a software strategy that not only addresses most cutting-edge trends in software today, but also meets the needs of thousands of enterprise software customers who are looking for sensible, cost-effective solutions that preserve and extend their existing investments in information technology, Porter explained. This three-day event is held in conjunction with the publication of Software Magazines annual Software 500 issue. The Software 500 issue examines the overall health of software industry, including a recap of the years significant events, product developments, market trends, pricing and services policies. Software providers are categorised and compared by software revenues, professional services revenues, revenue growth, number of employees, revenue per employee. R&D outlays. The top 500 accounted for an aggregate of dollars 71.7 billion in software sales last year, representing 72 percent of the total dollar 100 billion in world-wide sales. IBM ranks at the TOP of the 500-vendor list, with software revenues last year of dollars 13 billion. Mark McCourt, Publisher of Software Magazine said, "The Software 500 issue has involved into a desk reference on the world-wide corporate software widely used by large corporate software buyers, suppliers, investors and analysts.-APP
German agency sponsors seminars, workshops on software development
KARACHI (July 2): A German official agency for technical collaboration with developing countries, GTZ has sponsored two seminars and two workshops on software development in Pakistan, FPCCI sources said on Tuesday (July 1).
Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) said one of the seminars was to begin in Lahore on Monday while another will be held in Karachi on July 9. Two workshops will be held for senior management.
These seminars are being organized under Pakistan Germany Business Co-operation Project (PGBCP) with the assistance of Private Software Board (PSB) and Pakistan Software Houses Association (PASHA).
GTZ has invited German expert Ekkehardt Roth and US expert Sheldon Mac Dunn to hold two five-day seminars and two workshops in Pakistan.
The objective of the seminars is to upgrade the performance of the leading software houses in Pakistan in approaching the European markets, especially in Germany.
The quality assurance and localization of software are the topics of the third part of the assistance package being implemented by Pakistan Germany Business Corporation Project.
A top quality standard had already been reached by some of Pakistan's software houses and they are exporting these software to the American market. This software has however to be adjusted to the needs of European users who are not English speaking.
Speaking on the occasion, Chairman of PGBCP, a joint venture of GTZ and FPCCI, Jamil A. Naz expressed the hope that Pakistan could achieve good results in the short seminar.
"We are confident that with the help of GTZ experts we will be in a position to present to German potential customers an attractive offer later this year", he said.
The first steps have already been taken by a delegation of PSEB and Pakistan Software Houses Association under the leadership of Shahid Mir, the secretary general of PSEB.
Pakistani software industry enjoys top priority in the development of the high-tech sector and as a foreign exchange earner with high potential. The Pakistan Government therefore is implementing a national package comprising Technology and Training Centres.
"Foreign assistance as we get now from Germany is therefore highly appreciated in upgrading technology as well as in marketing support", said President of PASHA Aezaz Hussain. He added that the exports of US dollar 25 million last year indicates the dynamic development of this young industry.
He said it is still a small share of the overall exports of India which has become the leading software supplier in the world.
"But we are sure that we can increase our share in this billion dollar business", he added.-APP
NCR starts export of software to India
RECORDER REPORT KARACHI (July 2): NCR Corporation, a well-known international computer and software company's Pakistan branch, has started exporting locally developed software to India, S. Bader-ul-Islam, General Manager, NCR Corporation, informed newsmen while addressing a press conference at a local hotel to announce corporation's programme of celebrating 50th birth anniversary of Pakistan.
He said that the NCR Corporation had also started negotiations on possibilities of export of locally developed software to African and European countries.
He said that the use of computer in Pakistan had increased considerably in the last few years. Data of total number of computers existing in Pakistan is not available. Awareness about computer is 5 to 6 percent according to one estimate, he informed.
The general manager said NCR would hold an Information Technology (IT) week from August 3 to 10, 1997 to celebrate the golden jubilee of Pakistan, in Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad.
The NCR would also organize an IT walk, IT quiz, IT initiators recognition programme and an amateur level golf tournament in Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad.
A ceremony is also planned to recognize and appreciate the assiduous efforts of those people who have been the initiators in spreading IT in Pakistan. This would be followed by a musical evening.