President has kicked off ‘Smart Sri Lanka’ at right time: Mobilian International CEO Ralph Simon

Saturday, 26 October 2013 07:26 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

President Mahinda Rajapaksa has introduced the next ICT strategy ‘Smart Sri Lanka’ at the right time and any business or socio-economic new phase has to be launched at the right time for it to bear maximum dividends, said Founder and CEO of Mobilian International Ralph Simon. Simon was participating at the World Summit Award 2013 conference kickoff on Thursday at The Kingsbury Hotel in Colombo. With peace restored to the country, Sri Lanka is currently at the right time for a new revamped phase of ICT development in Sri Lanka, Simon said. The father of mobile entertainment noted that for success in socioeconomic development, three things were required: (1) Passion (2)

Wild and crazy belief and (3) Work, Simon said with passionate conviction. Elaborating on this, Simon said: “Last evening during the keynote address at the inauguration of the WSA Global Congress, President Mahinda Rajapaksa said: ‘I want a global village that is meaningful to the people of Sri Lanka. I want ICT literacy to reach 75% by 2015’. Well this is a sure indication that the President is guiding the people to have all the qualities that are required to have success in achieving the goals the President has set before the people.” “The President has the passion, the belief and he has worked and is working towards the national objectives. This is contagious. These traits that the President has have been contagious and the people of Sri Lanka have them. That is why in such a short time Sri Lanka has achieved such speedy improvement in ICT literacy from 4% in 2004 to 40% now.” Referring to the special entrepreneurial talents that Sri Lankans have, Simon said: “Sri Lankans have an incredible intelligence to speedily finding any technological solution to a felt need. What I see as they seem to lack is confidence to tap venture capital support. There are many in the world both Sri Lankan and international who are prepared to support a new software that would fulfill a felt need. The need could be local or national or regional or international. Perhaps another area on which Sri Lankans should improve is to have confidence that they could become world businessmen.” Simon cited many examples from countries like Turkey, Norway, Sweden and Israel where a few people, often two, started an ICT-enabled business under difficult circumstances but became world businesses. Skype was one such, while Waze was another. The Mobilian International CEO urged all Sri Lankans to think big though beginning small.