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TECH NEWS

Nation's first Software and ITES directory launched

Saad Hammadi
TO increase local software trade and exposure beyond the boundary, Bangladesh Association of Software and Information Services (Basis) launched country's first directory on software and IT enabled services on Wednesday.
Science and ICT Minister Moyeen Khan unleashed the ITES directory at an event held at the IDB Bhaban auditorium in the presence of Katalyst, the Swiss organisation working for the industry and rural business development, who partnered the publication.
Yet at its' childhood, as Peter Roggekamp, directing general manager of Katalyst, mentioned, the country has taken major initiatives like this to jump steps forward in order to secure its position in the global market.
The purpose for the directory is to brace the ITES businesses as this would represent them in the international market. The first issue, being highly praised by industry leaders and the minister himself wears a featured layout carrying profiles of companies. Unlike the
directories of yellow pages, this one gives complete information about a company under the subheads of products and services offered, key competencies, technology focus, representative clients and projects, foreign collaboration and key executive profile alongside its
detailed contact information.
Software and ITES firms operating in the international field have been able to achieve a success in their market growth every year and more recently by 122% in comparison to the period last year.
"I am so glad to see this one book that may dispel that lack of communication with the rest of the world," said Khan while speaking at the launch. "I believe our office at the Silicon Valley should take up the assignment of disseminating the book. This single directory can contribute to the IT business for Bangladesh as a kit from where anybody would be able to make an assessment of the professional capacity of our organisations working in this area and make contacts with them for further collaboration", he continued, requesting Basis to upload the directory as a database to the website which would be the best way to disseminate its information.
He also mentioned the directory as one of the major items to be displayed at the showcase to be held at Bahrain on the forthcoming Asian IT ministers'summit.
The minister also said that it is not wise to compare ourselves with neighboring countries like India in the volume of trade or export, on the contrary we should focus on the quality of work.
TI M Nurul Kabir, vice president, Basis, told StarTech that they have asked the government to allocate
two percent of the Annual Development Programme (ADP), which could provide an opportunity for the development of IT sector and make the industry vibrant. Continuous visibility of the market sector is important, which we are not able to sustain at present. Export Promotion Bureau and ICT business promotion council jointly took an initiative of promoting market for the ITES but failed to continue after one single event due to the high costs of such event management.
The software and ITES directory encapsulating 152 companies from both member and non member companies of Basis has been priced at Taka 150, which also includes a digital version in CD. Basis has made the enlistment in the directory free of costforthe companies.
Sarwar Alam, president and TIM Nurul Kabir, vice president of BASIS, AKM Fahim Mashroor, CEO of Bdjobs and former presidents of Bangladesh Computer Samity (BCS) Abdullah H Kafi and Sabur Khan were also present at the event along with other noted ICT personnel of the nation.