Pak software firms need to market products abroad
LAHORE- Pakistan Software Export Board (PSEB) will set up its office in the Saudi capital, Riyadh to exploit the opportunities of ever growing information technology sector in the oil rich kingdom is offering.
“There are chances of multibillion dollar investment in I Tech sector of that country on the coming years, “Managing Director PSEB, Suhail Shahid said while addressing a seminar on ‘Exposure to latest trends in the international I Tech market.
Referring to his recent visits to the Saudi capital and London, he said that numbers of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) were signed during the visit. ‘The Pakistani companies were able to get a handsome business during their stay in Riyadh and London”, he said.
Shahid said that PSEB had already set up its office in London to facilitate Pakistani I Tech firms in exploiting export potential in the European market.
He said that a delegation comprising representatives from leading I Tech companies of the country would be sent to Japan and China to explore markets for ITech products and services in East Asia.
The PSEB chief said that Pakistan would also take part in a software exhibition being held in Singapore next month.
Responding to a question, Suhail Shahid said that the commercial councillors would spend two months at PSEB before joining their jobs in future.
Talking about PSEB industrial automation programme, Bridge-2002, he said that matchmaking between a number of industrial firms and the I Tech companies had so far been carried out. “We hope that 15 industrial firms will be able to join the programme this month by signing agreements with the software companies,” he said.
He said that PSEB had recently set up its regional office in Mirpur (Azad Kashmir) with an objective of attracting the investment from the expatriates in the field of information technology.
John Marshal, President” and Chairman, Kingsdale Solutions Inc. Canada while speaking on outsourcing issues’ said that there was a lot of potential in the Pakistani I Tech sector to get outsourced work from other countries like Canada and the United States.
Regarding Indian I Tech sector, he commented that ‘Indians are good mathematicians but horrible software developers’.
He said that Pakistani firms needed to get up and market their services and products abroad as people abroad had no idea what Pakistan’s I Tech sector is.
Imran Rehman, Consultant, Paradigm (USA) also spoke on the occasion, focusing mainly on how a company could move from project oriented work to product oriented one.
Andy Merchant of Pakistan Canada Business Council and Arif Khosa, Director Domestic Business, PSEB were also present on the occasion.
Source: The Nation
Date:5/10/2002
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