Sri Lanka-Vietnam IT co-operation agreement commences

Monday, 2 December 2019 00:20 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

FITIS Chairman Abbas Kamrudeen and VINASA Vice Chairman and Chief Judge of APICTA 2019 Lu Thanh Long at the signing of the MOU. Representatives of other countries, FITIS Software Chapter President Prasad Hettiarachchi and FITIS CEO Aruna Alwis also pictured

The Federation of Information Technology Industry Sri Lanka (FITIS), the apex body for ICT industry in Sri Lanka, and Vietnam Software and IT Services (VINASA) signed an MOU at the opening ceremony of APICTA Awards 2019 in Vietnam, where 19 member countries in the ASEAN region witnessed the landmark initiative of promoting IT co-operation between Sri Lanka and Vietnam.

FITIS was set up in 1996 with the purpose of giving a much-needed focal point for the ICT industry in Sri Lanka. FITIS works towards shaping and leading the strategic direction of the country’s ICT industry. Its member chapters include Software, Hardware, Education and Training, Communication, Office Automation, Digital Services and Professional, with a cumulative membership of over 200 active business firms in the ICT industry. FITIS is committed to fostering a healthy growth of the industry, focusing on resolving policy issues, lobbying with state authorities, co-operating and aligning with regional and global industry bodies, and promoting harmony and innovation within the ICT industry.

Vietnam Software and IT Services Association (VINASA) represents the Vietnamese software and IT services industry, with the aim of strengthening co-operation and support and protecting the rights of its members. VINASA members are mostly leading businesses in Vietnam operating in the field of software and IT services such as VNPT, Mobilefone, Viettel, FPT, CMC, CSC, TMA, Harvey Nash, Global Cybersoft and NEC. By June 2018, VINASA had over 360 member enterprises, mostly in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and some other provinces. They account for 65% of the country›s developers and create 70% of the value of software products in Vietnam. FITIS Chairman Abbas Kamrudeen said, “The Vietnam IT industry has been developing rapidly, becoming important infrastructure for socio-economic development in the ASEAN region. Joining hands with VINASA will establish areas of co-operation between Sri Lanka and Vietnam in furthering and supporting the interests of the membership and development of the ICT industry in each country.” FITIS CEO Aruna Alwis said, “This MOU will support our plans in digital transformation. I believe Sri Lanka lags behind in embracing digital, be it the private sector, public sector or as individual citizens. The activities we are looking to initiate this year are to encourage digital adoption within key industries by providing expert consultation to organisations that require support, creatie a platform to recognise digital initiatives, increase ICT literacy levels within all sections of the population, support and assist in expediting e-Government initiatives, work with the Government to increase smartphone and internet penetration and provide digital advisory and consultancy for export companies by linking tech companies with our exporters. As part of creating a platform to recognise digital initiatives, we will embark on a Digital Transformation awards to recognise companies and industries that embrace digital tools and systems in ways that fundamentally reshape their organisation and the customer experience.”