ICTA

The fourth IT centre of the Information and Communication Technology Agency (ICTA) ‘e-diriya’, being set up in each Province, was declared open in the Sabaragamuwa Province recently. Telecommunication and Information Technology Minister and Sabaragamuwa Province Chief Minister Mahipala Herath jointly declared open the province-level centre at the Zonal Education office in Kegalle recently.

The Networked Readiness Index (NRI) 2013 reflects the great and multiple strides reached in the country’s ICT sector, asserted ICT Agency of Sri Lanka (ICTA) CEO Reshan Dewapura. “The Global Information Technology Report (GITR) published for the 12th consecutive year corroborates that Sri Lanka continues to make huge progress in the ICT sector. The report published by the World Economic Forum and the Institut Européen d’Administration des Affaires (INSEAD) is a source of strength for the country to advance further,” Dewapura added.

Sri Lanka is now journeying from version 1.0 to version 2.0 of Development Agenda, 'Smart Sri Lanka' moving from pure technology and focusing more on innovation, transformation, entrepreneurship and inclusion, said ICT Agency of Sri Lanka (ICTA), CEO Reshan Dewapura at the inauguration of IBMSoftwareUniverse2013 in Colombo. It was organised by IBM Sri Lanka.

"The permanent Nenasala computer laboratory at the Hardy Advanced Technology Institute, Ampara (HATI) fulfils a dire need," said Telecommunication and Information Technology Minister Ranjith Siyambalapitiya at the launch of the Nanesala computer laboratory at HATI recently. "As the ICT Agency of Sri Lanka (ICTA) is wont to do, this time too it has come out with a mechanism for accelerated development through ICT," he said.

Sri Lanka is now journying from version 1.0 to version 2.0 of Development Agenda, ‘Smart Sri Lanka’ moving from pure technology and focusing more on innovation, transformation, entrepreneurship and inclusion. This was stated by ICT Agency of Sri Lanka (ICTA) CEO Reshan Dewapura on Tuesday (19), while participating as the Chief Guest at the inauguration of IBM Software Universe 2013 in Colombo.

The Information and Communication Technology Agency (ICTA), today entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Intel Sri Lanka on the adoption of Intel Easy Steps. Intel Easy Steps is a basic technology literacy education programme, provided free of charge by Intel to governments and NGOs around the world, to train adult learners with little or no experience with computers. ICTA would be using this as the primary instruction module for fundamental technology education at its Nenasalas. 

A seminar and exhibition on how ICT makes business grow will be held in Jaffna in early April, the Information and Communication Technology Agency of Sri Lanka (ICTA) said.

In coincidence with Deyata Kirula 2013, steps have been taken to improve access to ICT facilities in areas close to where Deyata Kirula 2013 is held, says the ICT Agency of Sri Lanka (ICTA).

The Sri Lanka country pavilion at Mobile World Congress (MWC) held in Barcelona, Spain recently (25-28 February) has yielded positive dividends, says the ICT Agency of Sri Lanka (ICTA).

Applications are currently called for the pre-selection of nominees to the World Summit Award 2013, the ICT Agency of Sri Lanka (ICTA) says. The award attempts to appreciate at an international level the ICT content and software developed to make the lives of people more comfortable.

Hacking of Government websites will continue as long as State departments fail to seek assistance from information security professionals, and as long as there are no security audits before a website is launched.

ICT has been the enabler in the country's tremendous improvement and development, said Information and Communication Technology of Sri Lanka (ICTA), CEO Reshan Dewapura.

Bangladesh is ahead of Sri Lanka in the IT/BPO industry which has grown leaps and bounds, IFS Sri Lanka and South Asia, Managing Director Jayantha de Silva said. Consistent and coherent government policies have helped Bangladesh to spearhead growth in the IT/BPO sector which makes a salient contribution to the economy of the country. “Bangladesh’s fibre optic cable layout is one of the best in the world. Its total exports are around $ 25 billion while Sri Lanka’s export income is around $ 10 billion,” de Silva said.Bangladesh has focused on the export of pharmaceuticals and ship building.

Steps have been taken for extending eRevenue licence, the automated service of issuing vehicle revenue license, to the Southern Province as well.

Inaugurating yet another application developed by the ICT Agency of Sri Lanka (ICTA) – Fish information SMS – on Tuesday (19), Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Minister Dr. Rajitha extolled the value of ICT. “ICT is a basic requirement of everyone and not a luxury of the elite,” the Minister asserted.

The Ceylon Fisheries Corporation (CFC) yesterday launched a special service in collaboration with the Information and Communication Technology Agency (ICTA) of Sri Lanka to make consumers instantly aware of the prevailing fish prices in the market via SMS.

International Association of Outsourcing Professionals (IAOP) global ambassador, Bobby Varnasi said that Sri Lankan outsourcing companies are not visible in international markets and companies should be visible from the buyers point of view rather than be dependent on independent assessments. He was speaking at the launch of IAOP Sri Lanka Chapter in Colombo last week.

Sri Lanka will be the venue of the  world-renowned e-content awards, WSA this year, WSA Chairman Dr. Peter Bruck announced in Abu Dhabi.    

As yet another step In making the optimum benefits of ICT reach all, the ICT Agency of Sri Lanka (ICTA) is to set up 40 'Nenasala's ('Arivaham's) in the Northern Province.

ICTA Chairman Professor P. W. Epasinghe explains that the ICT Agency of Sri Lanka (ICTA) has worked hard to achieve its ambitious national e-development program since 2005.

Kicking off last Friday a project that can make State land management unimaginably easy, Presidential Secretary Lalith Weeratunga showed the way to make 2013 the excellent public service year.

Sri Lanka Divineguma Department signed an agreement with Sri Lanka Telecom (Services) Ltd to develop a banking software solution for networking over 1,500 Samurdhi Bank branches and Samurdhi societies.

Participating at the e-Swabhimani 2012 award ceremony last week Minister Ranjith Siyambalapitiya commended ICTA for its role in making ICT part and parcel of people’s lives.

The Government Information Centre (1919) reported around 1.5 million calls in 2012, Information and Communication Technology Agency of Sri Lanka (ICTA) stated where a majority of the calls were received mainly from the Western Province.

The Information Communication Technology Agency (ICTA) of Sri Lanka entered into an agreement with Skills International Pvt Ltd for the replication of two key e-Society Projects in the Eastern and the Northern provinces of Sri Lanka to uplift the IT and English language literacy levels of the community in the two provinces.