23-May-2008

ZILLIONe, one the leading providers of pioneering technology based business solutions in Sri Lanka, has once again come up as the associate sponsor of CIMA's flagship conference, the CIMA World Conference, for the eighth consecutive year.

The CIMA World Conference, which will be held at the BMICH at the end of this month, is, in CIMA tradition slated to be a sell-out and will be attended by over 800 corporate decision makers. ZILLIONe, having sponsored this flagship conference for nearly a decade, shares a strong bond with CIMA and is also a CIMA training partner.

Delegates to the conference can look forward to an offering of cutting-edge financial management solutions from Sage Accpac at the ZILLIONe stall. Product demonstrations and special offers will also be part of the attractions at the stall.

22-May-2008

"The industry has evolved to be dynamic and is growing rapidly. As a result, there are abundant opportunities for women in many different areas," Roshani Cooray explains to LMD.

Senior General Manager of Sales and Marketing at Lanka Bell, Roshani Cooray, recently elaborated on the state of the telecommunication industry in Sri Lanka and the role played by women in this sector. She further illustrates to LMD in the May issue of the business journal, that "the telecom industry has been one of the country's most vibrant and dynamic industries".

And she adds: "Customers today are offered the most cutting-edge telecommunications technology that is available internationally at present."

22-May-2008

Sri Lanka Telecom has been chosen as the total telecommunication service provider as well as the communication infrastructure provider to the Lanka Government Network (LGN). The Government aims at encouraging public sector employees to get better acquainted with Information and Communication Technology (ICT), assuring efficiency and smooth flow of information as well as improving standards of service in the public sector to be able to provide efficient citizen services.

LGN project is a strategic project of Re-Engineering Government programme of Information and Communication Technology Agency of Sri Lanka (ICTA), which functions under the Presidential Secretariat.

22-May-2008

The global demands of today's rapidly evolving economy have given arise to many nations addressing issues of mutual interest which, are of paramount significance in relation to global economies and their rapid development.

The Government Leaders Forum (GLF) provided an opportune moment for leaders in the Asia Pacific Region to come together, in an exchange of views relating to administrative governance, education, healthcare, sustainable economic growth and most importantly, addressing the role of information and communications technology (ICT) within these spheres and the value it adds to the successive evolution of the above.

22-May-2008

Sri Lanka Telecom (SLT) is proud to announce that it is the infrastructure and service provider for SchoolNet, a new online educational system, which will improve efficiency and increase academic achievement within public schools across the nation. Part of the Secondary Education Modernization Project under the Ministry of Education, the initiative is set to revolutionize the way school administrators operate, the way teachers teach, the way parents are involved as well as the way in which children learn. SchoolNet allows teachers and students from schools throughout the nation to access reference material, tutorials, emails and other educational programmes over the Internet. In addition, for the first time teachers will be able to access several lesson plans on their computers.

22-May-2008

Information technology changes everything. In nearly every industry, from manufacturing to education, IT provides hope and promise for the future. Over the past few years, IT has come to play a significant role in biotechnology research and development, with the sequencing of the human genome and the ongoing work in genomics, proteomics, and systems biology, industry is booming in Sri Lanka. Now, with the informatics sector of the biotech market having fallen on hard times, many are starting to believe that informatics, as an industry, was oversold, and that this was a case of a technology searching for a market.

22-May-2008

Indicates possibility of setting up an innovation centre in the country

The chairman of global IT giant Microsoft, Bill Gates said that Sri Lanka should find ways of developing world class universities locally, thereby enabling the island to enter into a new world of knowledge and technology. In that respect, Microsoft has announced the possibility of setting up an innovation centre in Sri Lanka, whilst facilitating greater support for the IT/BPO industry, greater investment in education and boosting IT capacity in Sri Lanka.

Gates made this suggestion when he met an eminent Sri Lankan delegation at the Government Leaders Forum (GLF) organized by the Government of Indonesia in collaboration with the Microsoft Corporation. The event, titled ‘Serving the Citizen: The Transformative Power of Information Technology in Delivering Government Services’ was graced with the presence of high profile participants in the league of President of Indonesia Dr. H. Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, and Bill Gates, Chairman, Microsoft Corporation.

22-May-2008

Expat Chit Chat by Anjana Samarasinghe

The local ICT sector has a high reputation in the international arena and the country has been able to attract global IT giants to the country CEO of Tata Communications Lanka Ltd V. Ravi Sankar said.

"I did not know there is a well developed ICT industry in the country till I came to Sri Lanka. Compared to other countries in the region, the local ICT industry is developed to high standards," he said.

There was a significant growth in the telecommunication sector after the liberalisation. In the basic telephony segment, Sri Lanka has 50 per cent of the telephone penetration which is a little higher than other countries in South Asia. BPO was existing in Sri Lanka for long period of time with less visibility. But many entrepreneurs have entered the local BPO industry creating a vast number of employments for the country.

22-May-2008

Dr. Archana Arcot

There is so much buzz about the emerging role of HR - that of a 'strategic partner'. Ideally this should have seen HR Professionals move from the Young HR Minds Award 2008 - Shaping the Strategic Partner Role of HR backroom to the boardroom.

Yet, global statistics show that while 50 per cent of HR Professionals see themselves as "strategic partners" within their organisations, only 17 per cent of HR Professionals are invited to participate in the initial stages of company's mergers and acquisitions (source SHRM Foundation /Towers Perrin study).

The question in context therefore is what does it take for HR practitioners to get to the CEO's strategy table?

22-May-2008

SunGard today announced that Ambit, a new brand and a new software strategy for its solutions for retail, commercial and private banks, will become available in Sri Lanka in June. SunGard’s Ambit brings together the technology of a range of SunGard solutions and the experience of a global team of industry experts that already serve more than 800 banks in 70 countries, including 41 of the world’s top 50 banks*. Ambit provides banking professionals with software solutions that support front-, middle- and back-office operations, as well as solutions for financial management, risk and compliance.

21-May-2008

You’ve finished degree, A/L’s or O/L’s and you’re thinking of setting the right foundation for your career. Look at the opportunities provided by ACCA right here in Sri Lanka before you make your decision and step right up to a globally mobile career in finance and accountancy that is delivered locally.

ACCA - the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants - is the largest and fastest-growing global professional accountancy body. And there is a portfolio of financial qualifications to take you on the route to success with a number of entry routes to take in to account your present achievements.

21-May-2008

The United Nations Global Alliance for Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) and Development should chart a multi-year work programme to spread the benefits of ICT to the developing world, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs Sha Zukang said at the Alliance’s third annual meeting in Kuala Lumpur.

The Global Alliance is at a turning point, said Sha, whose Departmentof Economic and Social Affairs hosts the Alliance. “It has the brand?”- It is a big name now. It has the recognition, the platform and the networks. It has launched initiatives and partnerships that are already yielding initial results.

21-May-2008
Anjana SAMARASINGHE

Human Resource is a vital aspect for any business organisation to develop and succeed in their endeavour. Having identified this many companies in Sri Lanka have embarked on special projects to improve and develop their human resources with heavy investments.

According to Deputy General Manager Corporate Relations, of Sri Lanka Telecom (SLT) Jagath Dheerasekara, companies can deploy various methodologies to develop their human resource asset. But these methodologies need to connect the corporate, the employees of the company and the society where all three parties benefit together.

21-May-2008

Anjana SAMARASINGHE

The country is on the right track with the necessary law enforcement for preventing piracy and there is a decline in the piracy in the country, Director General of National Intellectual Property Office of Sri Lanka D.M. Karunaratna said.

“Comparing with the other countries in the region piracy rate in Sri Lanka is high. Both consumers and the genuine traders are affected by the piracy.

Industries such as motor spare parts, book publishing, software, computer, pharmaceuticals, cassette and CD badly impact from piracy in Sri Lanka. Local software industry has lost US $ 86 million in 2006 due to the software piracy,” he said.

20-May-2008
by Dinesh Weerakkody

Aviva Global Group Director Alastair Ham shares his views, experiances and the importance of people in organisations.

Q What role do you play in Aviva?

I am the Aviva Group Organizational Development Director. That is one of three main roles in the Group HR function in Aviva. But it is not a traditional OD role, as we go through you would probably uncover that.

Q What would you see as your top three HR priorities for the global Aviva business?

The priority of the business at the end of the day is performance. So everything I do is predicated on performance. Specifically what I am interested in is creating a leadership climate where we lead in a way that enables everybody to perform at their best. In our language that means exciting people to exceptional performance (borrowed from Gareth Jones & Rob Goffee – Why Should Anyone Be Led By You) and to help create a culture that puts people and customers at heart – these are my two challenges.

20-May-2008

The Board of Investment of Sri Lanka signed agreements for 8 new projects. Dhammika Perera, Chairman / Director General, signed the agreements on behalf of the BOI and formally presented the investors with the BOI Certificates of Registration.

Intelligence Augmentation & Management (Private) Limited

The agreement signed with Intelligence Augmentation & Management is for a project to set up a Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) company to develop business models for overseas clients.

The project is an investment of US $ 155,200 and will create 15 employment opportunities. The venture will be located at Dehiwela and has already commenced construction.

20-May-2008

HP announced the appointment of Sinetcom as its Sri Lanka distributor and business partner, primarily for its products, solutions and services under the HP Technology Solutions Group (TSG), which includes enterprise storage, servers, software and related offerings.

Under the agreement, Sinetcom will work with selected resellers and partners and use their regional reach to further extend HP’s footprint in the country. Sinetcom will initially distribute all industry standard server (ISS) products as well as entry level storage solutions. “We are pleased and excited about representing HP and working with them in Sri Lanka,” said CEO at Sinetcom Clehan Pulle.

20-May-2008

Virtusa Corporation (NASDAQ:VRTU), a globally-renowned IT solutions provider, is sponsoring the “Young HR Minds Award 2008” at a pre-conference session at the National HR Conference on June 2nd, 2008, organised by the Institute of Personnel Management Sri Lanka, Inc. (IPM) and held at BMICH.

The award programme recognises up-and-coming HR professionals for their contributions to best HR practices in Sri Lanka. Awards are based on submitted organisational case studies assessed by a panel of judges comprising eminent professionals and HR practitioners.

Director HR/Asia Head of HR for CCT Business Unit at Virtusa Ishan Dantanarayana said, “Virtusa is highly people-driven and committed to best HR practices and the trusted advisor role that HR plays in aligning HR strategies with business strategies.

20-May-2008

Microimage the pioneering e-HR technology company joined hands with IPM as the knowledge partner by sponsoring the Dave Ulrich live cast. Professor Dave ulrich is considered, as one of the most respected guru’s in HR and his live satellite session will be the key event of the conference.

Dave Ulrich is Professor of Business at the University of Michigan and a partner at the RBL
Group, a consulting firm focused on helping organizations and leaders deliver value. He
has helped to generate award winning data bases that assess alignment between strategies,
Human Resource practices and HR competencies. He has published over 100 articles and

20-May-2008

-- Fourth quarter revenue of $45.0 million increased 28% year-over-year and full year revenue grew 33% to $165.2 million

-- Income from operations for the fourth quarter grew 38% year-over-year to $5.6 million and for the full year increased 37% to $19.4 million

-- Signed 10 new clients in the fourth quarter and 24 new clients in the full year

WESTBOROUGH, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 20, 2008--Virtusa Corporation (NASDAQ: VRTU), a global information technology (IT) services company that provides IT consulting, technology implementation and application outsourcing services through an enhanced global delivery model, today reported its financial results for the fourth quarter and full fiscal year ended March 31, 2008.

www.itpro.lk

The University of Moratuwa ranked #1 among the global Universities this year according to an announcement made by Leslie Hawthorn, Open Source Team of Google.

University of Moratuwa (UOM) becomes the Global Top University with the Highest Number of Awards as well as the highest number of applications for this year’s Google Summer of Code. Students from the Department of Computer Science & Engineering, of Faculty of Engineering started with one award 3 years ago and have bagged 18 GSoC awards this year. Two other awards were presented to students from ENTC and from Faculty of Engineering. With a total of 24 awards, the University of Moratuwa has become the #1 ranked in the world. This is a is a remarkable testament to the quality of the graduates produced by the University of Moratuwa.

18-May-2008

The Institute of Personnel Management (IPM) Sri Lanka will hold its annual National Conference on Human Resources Management, on June 2-3 at the BMICH. The theme of this year’s conference will be “People Drive Business’ and will focus on the best HR practices to meet business challenges, HR value creation, meeting the expectations of stakeholders, the importance of HRM , the need to strategize HRM and develop the competencies of its practitioners.

The conference will be addressed by several foreign experts in the field of HR. Among them will be Professor Dave Ulrich, Professor of Business at the Ross School of Business, University of Michigan and HR Guru, who will address the conference via satellite.

18-May-2008
By Duruthu Edirimuni Chandrasekera

The much awaited Bharti Airtel will launch its services in the country towards the end of the year. Here the CEO of the company, Amali Nanayakkara talks to The Sunday Time FT on the future plans of the fifth mobile operator in the country.

When did you get the licence?

In early 2007.

Why is the delay in launching Bharti Airtel?

Bharti Airtel India has a vision of being the most admired brand. Our vision therefore is very much in line with that. How does that translate into a strategy? You will be loved by more customers than the existing operators. That requires your services to be competitive as well as preferred. We are gearing ourselves for a launch, which will meet that kind of an expectation (as explained). That takes time. So we are planning to launch in quarter three of this year. We are well within line of the plan.

Westborough, MA - April 23, 2008 - Forrester Research, Inc., the leading independent technology and market research company, has highlighted Virtusa in a publication released April 14th, 2008.

The report titled, “Not the Usual Suspects Part II: Cost, Quality, and Client Service Benefits from Midtier Providers,” is authored by leading Forrester analyst Stephanie Moore, together with Christine Ferrusi Ross and Allison Thresher. It is published under a series of Forrester publications for Sourcing and Vendor Management Professionals.

Commenting on the publication, Virtusa CMO Marc Hebert says, “We are very pleased to receive such positive coverage in our first Forrester report. Increasingly IT outsourcing analysts tell us that Virtusa represents an attractive alternative to the large providers when clients need a highly-responsive, agile provider, particularly for specialized skills like our platforming, BPM, BI/DW, testing and partner-specific practices. This is the first of several reports we expect to be covered in this year.”

18-May-2008

HP has appointed Sinetcom as its Sri Lanka distributor and business partner, primarily for its products, solutions and services under the HP Technology Solutions Group (TSG), which includes enterprise storage, servers, software and related offerings.

Under the agreement, Sinetcom will work with selected resellers and partners and use their regional reach to further extend HP’s footprint in the country. Sinetcom will initially distribute all industry standard server (ISS) products as well as entry level storage solutions.

“We are pleased and excited about representing HP and working with them in Sri Lanka,” said CEO at Sinetcom, Clehan Pulle.