Financial Times

Information Communications Technology

Sri Lanka's IT industry checks its pulse, future
Survey of workforce involved by SLICTA
Household study of use of computers and literacy levels, report ready

By Akhry Ameer
Sri Lanka's IT industry is bracing itself for two major study on the number working in the industry and the number of actual users including those at home.

The National Information Technology (IT) Workforce Survey commissioned by the Sri Lanka Information and Communications Technology Association (SLICTA) is the first in the industry to understand this key area that otherwise has only been approximated so far.

In another IT related survey study to be released shortly the Department of Census and Statistics is preparing a study on the level computer literacy within Sri Lankan society. The household survey focusing on use of computers and information communication tools in households has been conducted since January 2004. The statistics covering close to 15 different indicators cover the computer literacy of citizens aged between 5 years and 70 years and includes aspects such as use of information and communication appliances, land and cellular phones, computers, e-mail and internet facilities in households.

The workforce survey will study the current marketplace for ICT workers and with the aim of attributing elements of overall size, geographical distribution and organizational distribution of the local IT workforce.

Until now no specific study has been carried out in the field of IT that is widely regarded as a key contributor to the economy. "We don't have a proper figure. Some say it's around 4000. This time we want to be certain," explained T.I. Jamaldeen, Programme Specialist of the USAID-funded The Competitiveness Initiative that will provide lead assistance to the survey.

The survey by SLICTA that acts as the apex body representing the largest membership of ICT related trade associations and professional bodies, will also cover several other areas such as the predicted demand for ICT workers in 2005 and its shortfall, and attempt to determine the employment growth areas by IT skills set. Accordingly, the report will identify types of education and training that would be needed.

Further the study to be concluded next month includes an analysis of specific approaches towards retention of IT workers and the starting salaries for benchmarked IT skills such as software developers, network administrators, etc. In addition, the knowledge level of information security of these workers would be assessed in relation to the requisites for each relevant job.

The survey information is to be compiled through one-to-one interviews with 450 to 500 hiring managers from IT, Non-IT companies and government institutions.

At least 100 training institutes including state universities will also form part of this sample as the study seeks to obtain a clearer understanding of the current supply of IT graduates and diploma holders.

The sample further covers some IT enabled services companies that provide business process outsourcing and call-centre support to overseas clients. IT enabled services of late has been the biggest consumer of the local workforce fuelled by the establishment of large companies such as HSBC, Astron, Office Tiger, that provide outsourced services to external clients and their respective group of companies.

In the more technical areas of software development companies such as Virtusa and Industrial and Financial Systems have been commanding workforces of over 400 personnel.

SLICTA has obtained the services of MG Consultants, Colombo to conduct the survey including administering the questionnaire, conduct interviews, data collection and tabulation. A local consultant has also been hired to design and develop the survey instrument guided by SLICTA's steering committee on human resources. The consultant will also work with the research company to prepare the final report due in January.

SLICTA as an apex body comprises representatives from the Association of Computer Training Organizations (ACTOS), British Computer Society - Sri Lanka Section (BCS SLS), Computer Society of Sri Lanka (CSSL), Information Systems Audit and Control Association - Sri Lanka Chapter (ISACA SL), Licensed Internet Service Providers Association (LISPA), Software Exporters Association (SEA), Sri Lanka Association for the Software Industry (SLASI), Sri Lanka Computer Vendors Association (SLCVA) and, Telecom Providers Association (TPA).

Point of View
I would like to make a few comments on the feature in your issue of 3/10/2004 by Akhry Ameer entitled "New laws to stop computer dumping". There are several misleading and /or simplistic statements in this article, which deals with an issue that is much more complex than the writer makes it out to be.

Let me state at the outset that I am not an importer of computers, new or used. I have been in the IT servicing business for many years and have experience of both hardware and software from the 80's to date.

Mr Ameer appears to think that only old computers cause pollution. Even new ones do, being made of the same materials. To say that new computers have a longer lifespan than old ones may seem reasonable. But is this really so in a country like Sri Lanka? Consider the following :

There are two categories of new computers: Branded machines and assembled ones. Branded machines (eg IBM) may cost up to 100% more than the equivalent assembled unit. Therefore most of the new machines in this country are assembled ones. In general these are less reliable than branded machines and very many tend to breakdown as soon as they are a few weeks out of guarantee. Ask any repair shop how many hard disks fail even within guarantee.

There is only one category of imported used computer: Branded. So if we are comparing a used IBM with a new IBM it is correct to say the new computer will last longer. But a used IBM may last a lot longer than a "new" assembled machine. Which of course is one reason why they are exported: they are still working. But they are past their intended lifespan, true. Why is this ? Is it because the electronic components have failed or are about to fail? In just five years? No!!

Take a monitor for example. It is much like a TV. But a TV runs happily for fifteen years and a monitor has to be thrown out in five. The key is in the software. Manufacturers keep upgrading their software and the hardware has to keep up with it. So in the final analysis Bill Gates dictates what computer we buy and when.

Do we in Sri Lanka need to join this rat-race ? Cannot we continue to use Windows 95 or 98 as long as possible ? I have seen many government institutions using Pentium 4 machines largely as word processors. They could buy six used P1's for the same price and do six times as much work! Not everybody is interested in graphics-intensive high-end applications. What most people want is to write a few documents, keep some records, browse the Net and send a few e-mails. Any computer with a speed over 100Mhz can do this. I might add that similar reasons are trotted out to stop the import of used cars. X.D.Pereira, Kadawata

Reporter's Note:
Our report was based on the initiatives being made by the Central Environment Authority (CEA). The CEA is of the opinion that used items once imported are left with a shorter life span and the responsibility of disposing them falls on Sri Lanka. However, a new item has a longer life span and doesn't cause unecessary wastage and cost of disposal to the country. Further, as these items are imported in bulk all of them do not necessarily work.

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