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| Tuesday, 24 June 2003 |
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Independent agency vital to develop ICT sector By Sudarshana Perera An independent ICT agency such as the Gartner is vital to further develop the ICT sector in Sri Lanka and setting up such an agency will lead to better co-ordination while encouraging and boosting the ICT market said T.V.T. Chari, Vice President Personal Group HP South East Asia. Chari was in Sri Lanka recently to attend HP organised business events. The laying out of up-to-date telecom infrastructure is also a key factor in bringing Sri Lanka towards further development in the ICT industry, he said. Thomas Chiam and Bob Ang of the HP Group were also present. Question: What is the objective of your visit to Sri Lanka? Answer: The objective of my visit is to structure our business plans for the coming years and to meet employees, partners and customers of the HP Group here. Q: What are your comments on the standard of Sri Lanka's ICT market? A: We are very happy to observe that Sri Lanka is an emerging market providing a conducive environment for ICT industrialists. The Sri Lankan Government in recent times has done a lot to attract investments on the ICT sector. The establishment of an independent ICT agency such as the Gartner is vital for the country to follow a cohesive path towards growth. When considering HP's market performance in Sri Lanka, I think we have done well and want to improve our market share in the coming years. I am very optimistic that the government is on the right path and the HP Group also wants to be a part of that growth path. Sri Lanka has to concentrate on the development of Telecom infrastructure suited to compete with the international market. Q: How do you plan to support the growth of our ICT market? A: We are very happy that the government has given its priority to the ICT sector by venturing into the e-SriLanka initiative. We too had discussions with government officials on this. HP will introduce all the latest products especially wireless products so that country would benefit from our latest technology. We expect to play a major role in the Sri Lankan IT market. I am also hopeful as the government has started opening up, there will much potential for foreign investment to flow in. Q: Your comment on the Lanka ICT professionals? A: The Sri Lankan people are very talented, aggressive, entrepreneurial and intelligent. According to my observation there is no dearth of professionals in Sri Lanka. But We have got to think innovatively and be in touch with the up-dates in the ICT field. Today the use of Internet worldwide is rapidly increasing. So every transaction will be done via the internet. Sri Lankan ICT professionals must be prepared to meet this challenge and gear the country towards that end fast. In comparison to India and China there is no language barrier in Sri Lanka, most of the people are fluent in English and they are well versed in the subject they are into. Q: Do you have any plans to help improve ICT education in Sri Lanka. A: Education is not part of our business. But we will continue to educate and share the knowledge and expertise we have with our business colleagues and others. I think our contribution in this regard will benefit the country as a whole. Q: What is your target in the future especially in Sri Lanka? A: Since Sri Lanka is an emerging market, the HP Group will continue to invest more here. We are into printing, PC, notebook and Servers. We are also targeting to improve our market share in Sri Lanka while making available all our new products and services. |
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