Local Industry News

The fourth BMA Marketing Convention 20:20 focused on the theme ‘The impact of technology in reshaping the practice of marketing’, was hosted in Mumbai recently. A key take out from BMA Marketing Convention 20:20, was that evolution of technology is changing the way marketers design communications and that social media and digital are just the tip of the iceberg.

A Technology Stream will be part of the GCE (A-L) curricula from June this year for students who passed the GCE (O-L) 2012 Examination, Education Minister Bandula Gunawardane said.

FTMS Global Academy one of the leading educational institutions originating from Singapore would be opening their centre in Colombo in May.

Sri Lanka’s importance as a knowledge hub and source of talent for the finance and accounting industries was underlined recently at a meeting between HSBC, the Sri Lankan Association of Software and Services Companies (SLASSCOM), the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) and the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA).

Recent cybercrime attacks on government institutions gained access to confidential data, while also threatening the safety of countries, according to a statement by eCyberSec, an IT company specialising in application security.

A 0.3 per cent drop in education expenditure as a proportion of GDP from 2003-2012 had been reported in the Central Bank (CB)’s 2012 annual report.

Public procurement can play a major role in promoting information technology (IT) sector development in developing countries, a new joint study by UNCTAD and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) revealed.

The police raided a reputed garment manufacturer's office suspected of using pirated and unlicensed software. The raid took place in Colombo on April 11. Police seized over 50 computers installed with suspected pirated business software valued at over Rs 5 million.

Bhasha Lanka (Pvt) Ltd, well-known as Bhasha was founded by Dhanika Perera, a young Sri Lankan entrepreneur in 2011 when he was an undergraduate at University of Moratuwa & existed as a fully Virtual Company for more than one & half years. Introducing the concept of Virtual Companies to Sri Lanka, Bhasha successfully operated as a Virtual Company with all part-time employees including its CEO & innovated a number of Award-winning local language software products & recognized by several Global & National Awards. The mBillionth South Asian Mobile Award (2011), e-Swabhimani National Award (2011 & 2012) & National Best Quality Software Award (NBQSA 2012) were some of the Awards won by them.

Leading mobile telecommunications company Etisalat Lanka and Falck, the world’s largest emergency medical service provider, announced a partnership that will give access to the Telco’s customer base to emergency medical treatment.

In developing countries, jobs are a cornerstone of development, with a payoff far beyond income alone. They are critical for reducing poverty, making cities work, and providing youth with alternatives to violence, says the World Banks World Development Report (WDR 2013): Jobs.

Lafarge Mahaweli Cement and Microsoft, two premier multinational companies operating in Sri Lanka along with Sarvodaya, the country's foremost non governmental organization, declared open a state-of-the-art ICT centre in Tudella, Ja-Ela.

IFS, the global enterprise applications company, announced that Sri Lankan company MAS Brands Ltd., producer of the premium lingerie brand amanté, has implemented IFS Applications across its organiaation.

Tata Communications Lanka, a subsidiary of Tata Communications, expanded its portfolio with the launch of the Managed Hosting Services in Sri Lanka, bringing the global footprint to the local industry and society. Being a leading global telecom player, Tata Communications operates in several key markets around the world and this latest extension in Sri Lanka will mark its 43rd data centre location globally.

Dialog yesterday announced the launch with Google Inc. of Free Zone powered by Google, which will provide Sri Lankan mobile users with access to Google search, Gmail, and social networking through Google+, with zero data charges.

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.

Colombo Jewellery Stores, the leading and most iconic jewellery brand in Sri Lanka, continues to break the mould for customer interaction via their partnership with Saberion (Pvt) Ltd, with the introduction of a state of the art web solution and in-store iPad application.

Sri Lanka’s second international airport, the Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport (MRIA) commenced operations with the landing of a national carrier flight on the airport’s opening date with HE the President of Sri Lanka on board.

The government has worked with unprecedented enthusiasm to ensure quality education for each and every child in the country. This government has been more interested than any other government to uplift the country's educational standards, President Mahinda Rajapaksa said.

Software Quality Assurance (SQA) has always been a lucrative industry that has been gaining momentum over the past few years and is becoming a strong contender in the IT/ITES sector. As projected by Gartner, independent application testing as a separate business segment is said to see a growth of 30% to 45% since 2009 while Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) is predicted to increase by 17% beyond 2012.

Air travel for pets, while not new, is still evolving. And while hundreds of thousands of pets fly around the globe each year, the loss of any four-legged or two legged family member during travel is a reminder that choosing a professional and caring relocation service is the best way to assure the safety of your pet.

The inaugural Bachelor of Science Degree in Applied Accounting offered by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka (CA Sri Lanka) will commence in June this year.

“The Software Engineering Degree at IIT emphasized on teaching it’s students high-quality software systems with an emphasis on professionalism. The knowledge and the skills learnt during my first two years of study were crucial to me and the experiences gained during my 3rd year in the industry enhanced the benefits I gained from my final year. In addition, IIT’s Software Engineering degree specifically provides with the appropriate skills for the majority of technical jobs in the software industry. IIT Graduates have today obtained higher positions in local blue chip and multinational companies and also in government bodies. They are frequently complimented on their professional approach to Software Engineering & Business Management. This is the esteem of the Institute and the confidence it had amongst employers” were the thoughts profiled by Nuwan Bandara, former student of IIT.

Sri Lanka has a massive mismatch in the demand and supply in higher education opportunities available in the country. “A total of 6705 students obtained 3As in the commerce stream but only about 4000 students got opportunity to enter university, thereby creating a massive gap in the higher education opportunities in our country,” noted Minister of Higher Education, S. B. Dissanayake.

New Sri Lankan deals website, dealfinder.lk, launched this month, to aggregate (combine) all the up-to-date promotional deals and offers available locally in one place, according to a statement by website developer Edge.