ICT industry Archives

September 20, 2022

HUAWEI CONNECT 2022, Huawei’s 7th annual flagship event for the global ICT industry, began today in Bangkok. The theme of this year’s event is “Unleash Digital,” gathering over 10,000 ICT industry leaders, experts, and partners from around the world to explore how to more effectively unleash digital productivity, promote the digital economy, and build up stronger digital ecosystems.

At the event, Huawei shared the steps it’s taking to advance digital development across a wide range of industries, and released 15+ innovative cloud services for the global market.

Three initiatives to help all industries go digital

To kick off the event, Ken Hu, Huawei’s Rotating Chairman, delivered a keynote outlining three ways the ICT ecosystem can help break through common barriers in digital transformation:

 Boost digital infrastructure, including more robust connectivity and stronger, more diverse computing resources.

 Help organizations go beyond simple cloud adoption and truly make the most of cloud, focusing on advanced technology services that drive leapfrog development.

 Build out local digital ecosystems, including partner development, strengthening the digital talent pool, and providing more support for SMEs.

GDP growth has been unstable over the past two years. However, the digital economy has seen consistent growth on a global scale – more than 15% in 2021. This has prompted many organizations to transform their operations and service offerings with next-generation digital technology.

“Going digital is clearly the right choice,” said Hu. “The demand is there, and so are the technologies. The world is unleashing digital productivity, and it’s happening right now.”

New Huawei Cloud Region in Indonesia, and 15+ new services

At the event, Zhang Ping’an, the CEO of Huawei Cloud, announced the launch of new Huawei Cloud Regions in Indonesia and Ireland. By the end of 2022, Huawei Cloud will operate 75 availability zones in 29 regions around the world, boosting services for more than 170 countries and regions.

Huawei Cloud and its partners also took this opportunity to launch the “Go Cloud, Go Global” ecosystem plan. With a focus on Everything as a Service, the plan is designed to accelerate the development of a global digital industry ecosystem for joint innovation and shared success.

Focusing on Everything as a Service, Huawei Cloud is committed to building the industry-leading platform for innovations on the cloud. As part of these efforts, Jacqueline Shi, President of Huawei Cloud’s Global Marketing and Sales Service, announced the global launch of 15+ new advanced services, including Huawei Cloud CCE Turbo, Ubiquitous Cloud Native Service (UCS), Pangu wave model, DataArts LakeFormation, Virtual Live, CodeCheck and CloudTest, KooMessage, KooSearch, and KooGallery.

Building out local ecosystems for shared success

At the event, Huawei reinforced its commitment to open collaboration and shared success. The company called for governments and enterprises to work more closely together to cultivate local digital ecosystems that build up innovation partners, strengthen the talent pool, and support startups.

In his keynote, Simon Lin, the President of Huawei Asia-Pacific Region, released the Digital First Economy whitepaper that delves into targeted policy suggestions for digital infrastructure construction and digital economy development in the Asia-Pacific region.

“The Asia-Pacific region is standing at the forefront of the global digital landscape,” said Lin. “Huawei is committed to becoming a key contributor to the digital economy in the region. We will keep supporting its digitalization and sustainable development efforts, and building out the industry ecosystem.”

“HUAWEI CONNECT 2022 is very important for Sri Lankan ICT industry at a time digital transformation has become the main engine of economic growth globally. In today’s world digital infrastructure could be the foundation that take an economy forward step by step for faster growth creating more opportunities for youth and new generations. I believe the entire sessions that HUAWEI CONNECT 2022 has to offer will help to learn and explore new technologies that could bring in sustainable growth development for countries such as Sri Lanka’s future and ICT Sector” Dineth Chathuranga Director Siyabasa Technologies said participating at the event online.

“I am delighted to take part at this event HUAWEI CONNECT 2022, it showcases new technological solutions that Huawei has to offer as a global leader in ICT. Digital infrastructure is a strong enabler of both green and sustainable development. In economies that have adopted digital transformation, businesses are more resilient. They can respond better to emergencies, and recover operations more quickly. HUAWEI CONNECT 2022 could provide us global experience, case studies, technological solutions to prosper and develop economies to next level and case studies that Asia Pacific economies can implement through concrete actions like developing digital master plans, increasing ICT infrastructure investment, and promoting cloud-first policy and investment in AI” V. Maheswaran a Global Economic & Equity Analyst from Sri Lanka said who also joined the event online.

At the event, a distinguished group of government representatives from the Asia-Pacific region also took the stage to share the progress they have made with advancing digital economy development in their respective countries. These include H.E. Supattanapong Punmeechaow, Thailand’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Energy; H.E. Chaiwut Thanakamanusorn, Minister of Digital Economy and Society of the Kingdom of Thailand; H.E. Airlangga Hartarto, Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia; H.E. Muhammad Abdul Mannan, Planning Minister of Bangladesh; H.E. David Almirol, Undersecretary of E-Government, Department of Information and Communications Technology, Philippines; and Dr. Yang Mee Eng, Executive Director of the ASEAN Foundation.

The three-day conference in Bangkok is the first stop on HUAWEI CONNECT’s global tour in 2022. Featuring two keynote sessions, six summits, as well as multiple breakout sessions and demos, this year’s event dives into the challenges that governments and enterprises face at all stages of their digital transformation journey, Huawei’s advancements in digital infrastructure, as well as the company’s latest cloud services and ecosystem partner solutions.

March 9, 2022

Saegis Campus, one of the leading higher education institutions in the country with its state-of-the-art premises situated at the heart of Colombo, recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with digital innovation engineering leader Virtusa Pvt. Ltd. with the view of providing its future-ready graduates lucrative and diverse career opportunities.

The ICT industry in Sri Lanka is experiencing a significant growth, with a recent report by JLL Sri Lanka and ICTA projecting the sector’s revenue to be USD 1.8 billion by the end of this year and reaching USD 3 billion by 2024. The sector grew by 7pct in the second quarter of 2021 with over 150,000 employees according to the Sri Lanka IT-BPM Industry report.

This partnership will enable graduates of Saegis Campus to gain employment that are most demanding in today’s highly evolving technology-driven world, and help contribute to bridge the skills gap and together, uplift the sector in its efforts to be the one of the most sought-after IT/ITes? talent destinations globally. The MoU was signed between Prof Nalaka Jayakody, Vice Chancellor at Saegis Campus and Sampath Thrimavithana, Senior Director at Virtusa.

Saegis Campus offers undergraduate degrees namely BSc (Hons) in Computer Science, BSc (Hons) in Software Engineering, BSc (Hons) in Information Technology, and Bachelor of Information Technology, which are approved by the Ministry of Education and recognised by University Grant Commission.

Students who have successfully completed their Advanced Level Examination are eligible for these programmes and provides one of the best opportunities for their higher education. Saegis Campus also offers a Higher National Diploma in Computing specialized in Software Engineering by Pearson BTEC.

Students at Saegis Campus are assured of a contemporary learning experience through a lecture panel that comprises some of the renowned academics and professionals in the technology sphere. Its modern facilities such as campus-wide complimentary WiFi, modern IT lab, language lab, library, a relaxing lounge, spacious air-conditioned digital lecture halls, spacious cafeteria, sports and recreational activities, a Leo Club and a Rotaract Club, all enables one to have an ideal stimulating environment that encourages active learning and growth including personality development programmes.

November 22, 2021

 ICT industry in Sri Lanka is expected to reach USD 3 billion revenue by 2024

 Sri Lanka’s rank improved to 85th globally in the 2020 e-government Development Index, up from 94th in 2018

Colombo, 16 November 2021: Global leading real estate consultancy firm, Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL), Sri Lanka, in partnership with Information and Communication Technology Agency (ICTA) of Sri Lanka has launched ‘Sri Lanka: Asia’s next IT/ITES destination’- a report that highlights the immense capability and growth potential of Sri Lanka in the outsourcing/offshoring market and provides stakeholders with a holistic view of its IT/ITeS sector and the opportunities that lie ahead for investors. ICTA is the Sri Lanka Government’s apex ICT agency, designated to drive the country’s digital transformation.

The IT/ITeS industry of Sri Lanka has been performing at an accelerated rate for several years. ICTA, along with the industry stakeholders, estimates that the current IT/ITeS industry contribution to the economy is around USD 1.2 billion. In the recent past, this growth has picked up further pace due to the knock-on effect of the pandemic, paving the way for higher acceptance of digital technologies at the individual, corporate, industry, and national levels.

Sri Lanka is the only country in South Asia to achieve a balanced development in the e-government development index 2020 driven by strong socio-economic pillars like institutions, infrastructure, ICT adoption, macroeconomic stability, health, skills, product market, labour market, the financial system, market size, business dynamism and innovation capability.

Speaking on the findings of the report, Dr. Samantak Das, Chief Economist and Head Research & REIS, India, JLL stated, “Government’s regulatory reforms in trade policies to attract foreign direct investments coupled with export-oriented growth model that stimulates private investments are likely to boost an inclusive economic growth of the country. The country’s aim to fulfill its Vision 2025 project that focuses on transitioning the Sri Lankan economy into a knowledge based, highly competitive social market economic model will strengthen Sri Lanka’s position as an emerging hub for IT/ITeS.”

The overall ICT industry of Sri Lanka with its sub-sectors, including IT/ITeS and telecommunications, is projected to generate USD 1.8 billion revenue by 2022. Furthermore, it is to become a USD 3 billion industry by 2024, through export revenue, entrepreneurship, innovation and digital adoption, creating over 300,000 direct jobs and enabling 1,000 startups in the country.

“Sri Lanka has been long known as a niche outsourcing market successfully tackling complex business functions across various industries. Over the past decade, Sri Lanka had been quietly developing into Asia’s next IT/ITeS destination, with its vast talent pool, efficient infrastructure, supporting business and investment environment, and a high liveability index,” Jerry Kingsley, Head, JLL Sri Lanka stated.

Government’s continuous efforts to boost economic growth and expand ICT industry Sri Lanka is one of the low-risk, emerging economies in the world today for investments, reinforced by a strong legal framework and investment facilitation bodies to protect investors. By introducing a series of reforms in trade policies to attract foreign direct investments, which are likely to boost an inclusive economic growth. It has launched several initiatives such as organising Asia’s largest virtual investment forum – ‘Invest Sri Lanka – 2021’ as well as several regulatory reforms to improve the country’s ease of doing business status and drive FDI inflows to new heights.

“The Government of Sri Lanka has identified the IT-BPM sector as a thrust industry and has prioritised its enhancement to reaching greater heights. Our goal is to build a digital economy driven by technology entrepreneurs in our quest to increase the export and foreign earnings from the technology sector and related knowledge services. ICTA is also working on an ambitious plan with the industry and the relevant regulatory entities to bridge the country’s digital divide, creating an inclusive digital ecosystem. It is a fundamental necessity to building the technology-based society envisioned in the Government’s national policy,” said Eng. Mahinda B. Herath – CEO, ICTA.

The virtual press conference was addressed by Jayantha De Silva – Secretary to the Ministry of Technology, Government of Sri Lanka. Other keynote speakers and panelists included Oshada Senanayake – Chairman, Information and Communication Technology Agency, Eng. Mahinda B. Herath – Chief Exectuive Officer, Information and Communication Technology Agency, Denver De Zylva – Senior Vice President / Global Head of Facilities and Sustainability, Virtusa, Timothy Wright – Vice President Operations – Sri Lanka, Shangri-La Group, Nuwan Perera – Board of Directors, SLASSCOM and Vice President – Software Operations at IFS, Sanjeev Nair – Senior Director, Work

Dr. Samantak Das – Chief Economist and Head – Research & REIS (India & Sri Lanka), JLL,. S. Robin, Senior Director – Consulting, and Jerry Kingsley, Head – Sri Lanka, JLL were also present.

June 2, 2020

Ranked as a Best Workplace in Asia for a fourth year and listed on Sri Lanka’s inaugural list of Best IT/ITES workplaces

Reiterating its commitment to diversity and creating equal opportunities for all in the workplace, 99X Technology was once again ranked on the Best Workplaces in Asia index for 2020 by Great Place to Work Institute. It retains its position at 8^th place among 25 companies from the Asia Pacific region in the Small and Medium Enterprises category. This achievement was soon followed by yet another, being listed among 10 companies on Sri Lanka’s inaugural list of Best Small and Medium IT/ITES Workplaces.

The publication of these lists comes amid the COVID-19 crisis, which has upended daily life and business operations throughout the region. The ranking of Asia’s Best Workplaces is based on data collected prior to the novel coronavirus outbreak but organizations on the list are leading the way amid the pandemic, demonstrating care for their employees, their customers and their communities during this difficult time.

“Our focus on being a life partner to our employees has never been more important to us as it is now, during this time of global uncertainty and unrest due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It is now more than ever that creating a great workplace with leading people practices has shown its merit, allowing us to manage the situation and ensure business continuity, while supporting our people and in turn, receiving the maximum support from them as we weather through this,” observed Mano Sekaram, Co-Founder and CEO of 99X Technology. “Continuing to be recognized by Great Place to Work Institute serves as a testimony that we are truly a great place to work.”

On the Asian index, other winners from the Asia Pacific region include SAP, Salesforce, PayPal, Marriott, HP and HubSpot. More than 2.2 million employees participated in the survey. Great Place to Work research shows everyone wants a high-trust culture, but the way forward for organizations has regional variations. In Asia, the Best Workplaces have stood out by creating sustainability when it comes to work and life. For this region, the survey statement that most strongly predicted a Best Workplace experience overall was “people are encouraged to balance their work life and their personal life.”

“The COVID-19 pandemic is a challenge facing organizations across the globe, and it puts a premium on being a high trust people-first culture,” said Michael C. Bush, Global CEO of Great Place to Work. “We honor the companies that earned places on our ranking of Asia’s Best Workplaces because they will outperform their competitors and we hope this will inspire more companies to become a Great Place to Work For All.”

With Sri Lanka’s ICT industry growing in leaps and bounds, Great Place to Work Institute Sri Lanka believed it was timely to recognize companies that have shown themselves to be the Best Workplaces among the SMEs in the IT/ITES sector of Sri Lanka. Approximately 4,000 employees from organizations with employees ranging from 20 to 500, were surveyed in 2019-2020, measuring employee perception and organisation practices.

HUAWEI CONNECT 2022 Begins Global Tour in Bangkok – “Unleash Digital”

Saegis Campus signs MoU with Virtusa to boost graduate employability

ICT industry in Sri Lanka expected to generate USD 1.8 billion revenue by 2022: JLL- ICTA Report

Double honors for 99X Technology by Great Place To Work Institute