True collaborative effort in ICT sector vital for achieving development goals - ICTA CEO

True collaborative effort in ICT is vital for achieving the goals set out in the ‘Mahinda Chinthana - Vision for the Future’, ICTA CEO Reshan Dewapura said while participating at the inauguration of the two-day 29th National ICT Conference, hosted by the Computer Society of Sri Lanka (CSSL) in Colombo recently.

Delivering his address on the theme “Exploiting ICT trends for collaborative development” Dewapura emphasized the importance of ‘Knowledge Hub” among the hubs mentioned in the Mahinda Chinthana policy statement. “Sri Lanka is looking to transform itself to a dynamic global hub in the region. Becoming a ‘Knowledge Hub’, is one of five key areas that are being pursued. In all probability, it will be the cornerstone of this transformation exercise of our country to a hub status. We are all aware, that information and communication technology will be a key contributor to this activity. In this context growing into a highly developed, highly mature, world-class ICT sector, is vitally imperative,” he said.

Stressing the need for adaptation when exploiting the new ICT trends Dewapura said: “While we use the new ICT trends, we should also adapt ourselves to them to maximise the potential of ICT, for the greater good of our people to use ICT as a tool for socio-economic development and to take the benefits and the dividends of ICT to every citizen in every village”.

Explaining how the exploiting of the new ICT trends should be carried out the ICTA CEO said that this adaption should not be done haplessly but in a collaborative manner. It should also be done in a cohesive, as well as in an inclusive way. “Collaboration is a key word that we need to lay great emphasis on here. By ensuring a true collaborative effort, we can make certain of avoiding pitfalls, such as, development in isolation which, does not fit into the bigger picture, and also duplication of effort, which can result in a huge waste of time and resources.

“It is only then that we can maximize on the synergies, which tools such as ICT can generate,” he said. Pointing out the importance of maintaining standards for achieving true collaboration Dewapura said: “Collaboration, in terms of implementing ICT development projects, can also be achieved greatly by the firm adherence to standards and guidelines. The required environment, especially for government, in the form of hard and soft infrastructure platforms, has now been established country-wide; enabling the government process transformation exercise, as well as the rapid process automation and implementation activity.”

A large gathering including MP Thilanga Sumathipala, CSSL President Chrisantha de Silva and Singapore Computer Society Enterprise Cloud Computing Special Interest Group Chairman Martin Yates participated in the occasion.