Sun Microsystems to invest in Pakistan

Society Pakistan & World Affairs
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KARACHI: Sun Microsystems - the US IT giant - plans to invest in Pakistan in partnership with private and public organisations for what the company said to “bring about the fruits of IT to the common man”.

The Sun Microsystems’ officials revealed investment design on Wednesday in a meeting with Awais Ahmed Khan Leghari, Federal Minister for IT and Telecom at Islamabad.

“We look at Pakistan as a potential market and are ready to enter it in partnership with private and public organisations,” an IT ministry statement quoted Philip Roy, Regional Sales Manager, Sun Microsystems as saying.

He said the company had been able to develop a broad range of services and open source solutions that suited the Pakistani environment.

The statement said the Sun delegation showed keen interest in investing in the country’s IT sector, particularly the e-government programme, in the backdrop of a booming economy and easily available skilled workforce.

Roy also assured the availability of fund for research and development. The company allocates US $2 billion annually for research and development from its US $12 billion turnover every year.

Incorporated in February 1982 with four employees, the Sun Microsystems has established itself as a leading provider of industrial-strength hardware, software, and services that contribute to its network. With offices in 170 countries and over US $18.25 billion assets, the Sun is one of the global leaders in network computing solutions.

Philip Roy of Sun said the company believed in dedication and commitment to excellence and these virtues could be learnt by Pakistani professionals.

“Our company would offer its Pakistani counterparts a platform to exhibit their talent and skills and then penetrate the international market along with their products produced locally in Pakistan,” he added.

The Minister highlighted the government’s efforts to promote the IT and telecom sectors, with particular focus on the launching of e-government programme in the public sector.

“Our government is encouraging private-public partnerships and there are plenty of opportunities for the Sun Microsystems to benefit from the incentives and opportunities Pakistan offers,” Awais told the Sun delegation.

He offered generous help and resources to companies and individuals seeking to use IT as an enabler to improve efficiency in public services.

“We are willing to finance any such project … however, we want that the end product should involve applications produced mostly by the local software industry,” the ministry statement quoted Leghari as saying.

The minister hoped partnerships with Sun Microsystems would help IT firms in Pakistan develop software solutions not only to meet the local requirements but elsewhere in the world.

IT sector seems to be picking up. First it was MS in the news, now Sun. :jhanda:

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IT firms keen to invest in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: A high-level delegation from Sun Microsystems, one of the world’s largest IT manufacturers, on Wednesday met with Information Technology Minister Awais Leghari and other high-ranking ministry officials to explore ways to launch joint ventures in Pakistan’s IT sector. Led by Philip Roy, the regional sales manager of the company in Gulf countries, Pakistan and Afghanistan, the delegation showed keen interest to invest in Pakistan’s IT sector, especially in the e-government programme. “We look at Pakistan as a potential market and are open to entering any partnership with private and public sector organisations to bring the benefits of IT to the common people,” a press statement quoted Mr Philip Roy as telling Mr Leghari. Mr Roy said his company had been able to develop a broad range of services and open source solutions that could ideally fit in the Pakistani environment given their success in other countries of the region. He said his company was also willing to support research and development in Pakistani universities as part of its research and development fund that was given $20 million annually out of the company’s $12 billion turnover every year. He said his company believed in dedication and commitment to excellence and these virtues could also be learnt by Pakistani professionals as they would team up with the 35,000 strong workforce of the Sun Microsystems in any prospective mutual partnerships. Mr Leghari highlighted the government efforts to promote the IT and telecom sectors, with particular focus on launching the e-government programme in the public sector. He said the government was actively encouraging private-public partnerships and there were plenty of opportunities for Sun Microsystems to benefit from the incentives and opportunities Pakistan offered. He said the ministry was also ready to provide any help or resources to companies and individuals seeking to use IT as an enabler to improve efficiency in public services. —Staff Report
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=story_15-1-2004_pg10_3

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:k:

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Brilliant news! Musharraf's policies on all fronts have been helping to portray Pakistan as a country which is increasingly attractive to outside investment.... inshallah this will continue on and on from here!

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:k:

Bill Gate$ also met with Musharraf yesterday

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[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by mAd_ScIeNtIsT: *
Brilliant news! Musharraf's policies on all fronts have been helping to portray Pakistan as a country which is increasingly attractive to outside investment.... inshallah this will continue on and on from here!
[/QUOTE]

Yes, and that is why most people in Pakistan will continue to support these policies, as they know that only if they are sustained can Pakistan truly change for the better.