Pakistan’s IT exports in hot waters, up 19 percent only: Daily Times

By Muhammad Yasir

KARACHI: The country's exports of Information Technology (IT) and its related services have registered a modest growth of 19 percent compared with last fiscal year. This is the lowest exports growth rate since 2004 because the exports have been witnessing 50 percent growth consecutively for the last five years.

As per statistics obtained from Pakistan Software Export Board (PSEB), the country's IT and IT-enabled services exports have touched $201 million despite its plunging demand in the international markets as compared with $169 million exports in 2007-08.

However, the country has missed its exports target of $255 million as the global economic recession has affected its offshore demand in the second half of 2008-09.

Managing Director Pakistan Software Export Board (PSEB), Talib Baluch, said the achievement of growth in exports is quite good for the industry in the scenario when global downturn has exerted its impacts on IT and other industries worldwide.

He said IT industry has started feeling the pinch of global economic slowdown as offshore demand of our exports has been declining in the first half of 2008-09, however, he added the country's exports will take time to rebound, most likely with the recovery of its demand in global economies.

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Pakistan ranks 4th in broadband Internet growth: Daily Times

By Muhammad Yasir

KARACHI: Pakistan is ranked fourth in terms of broadband Internet growth in the world, as the subscriber base of broadband Internet has been increasing rapidly with the total base crossing 170,000 in the country.The rankings are released by Point Topic Global broadband analysis, a global research centre. According to the statistics, there are around 382. 4 million broadband subscribers worldwide by the end of August 2008 as compared with 317 million in August 2007, showing 17 percent growth.

Regional Broadband trend revealed that Western Europe has the largest share of broadband users with 26 percent followed by North America at 22 percent. South and East Asia regional is in the third place with 22 percent share.In Pakistan operators are offering wide range of technologies like DSL, Cable, FTTH and WiMax.

They have added 25,500 new broadband connections in the financial year 2007-08, which is around 150 percent increase compared to the previous financial year, Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) statistics reported.The Internet Protocol (IP) traffic through high-speed access link has become the success factor that have made rapid the transfer of online information and communication services, data, voice and video footage. The easy way of communication owing to highly competitive market of service providers has been penetrating in the country with modest acceleration in the metropolis.

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Pakistan outsourcing soars: IT Examiner

Now number three RentACoder

By Aharon Etengoff @ Thursday, November 06, 2008 7:40 AM

Pakistan has reportedly attained a number three ranking on RentACoder. According to E-Commerce Times, the online outsourcing marketplace currently lists India and the US as the top two outsourcing destinations.

"With the Pakistani Rupee depreciating and the Indian Rupee appreciating, costs are 25 to 40 percent cheaper," explained Imran Aftab of TenPearls, a business intelligence and software development company in Herndon, Va.Aftab also noted that the quality of services offered by a relatively untapped Pakistani labour force was "much higher compared to what is available in the saturated Indian market...This provides better value for customers."

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