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Thursday, February 19, 2004
Cebu software development firms reap awards at E-Services fair
By Cherry T. Lim
CEBU has once again proven that it is a software force to beat after two homegrown companies romped off with awards at the recently concluded Philippines 4th DTI-Citem E-Services IT Outsourcing Conference and Exhibition held at Edsa Shangri-La Plaza Manila.
Primary Software Development Corp.’s “3D Verve-Assemblage” software won the Best Product/Service Award in the education category, while E*Sprint Software took home the grand prize and first runner-up honors in the Best Product Award for its government and banking software, respectively.
According to Primary Software, the criteria for selection were as follows: Filipino innovation 40 percent, market potential 40 percent, and presentation 20 percent.
In a statement, it said Grace Dimaranan, assistant executive director of the
Animation Council of the Philippines, called “3D Verve-Assemblage” the first Filipino-made 3D modeling software/game engine she had ever seen, as almost all software used in 3D graphics design, animation and game development are foreign-made and expensive.
Games
The idea for the product started two years ago when out of his passion for 3D (three-dimensional) games, 18-year-old Christopher Brian Jurado, a senior computer science student of the University of the Philippines Cebu College, wrote the codes during his free hours.
For his school thesis project, he created a software game called “Critical Damage,” a 3D third person network game similar to the popular Half-life/Counterstrike, which was also presented at the show.
Christopher is the son of Mike Jurado, president and chief executive officer of Primary Software, who said 3D Verve-Assemblage can work as a small scale 3D computer aided designing software for creating objects like furniture, accessories, buildings, cars, space ships and robots.
Schools
The winning software could also be used by schools and universities as the medium for teaching 3D graphics and game software development methodologies. For businesses, it can be used for creative product designing.
On the other hand, E*Sprint Software, developer of a wide range of solutions for all types of small and large-scale businesses and government institutions, submitted two entries.
The Local Government System (LGS) was presented by E*Sprint product manager of LGS Loveme Salazar, and the e*Banker System was presented by product manager Sherlyn dela Peña.
Governance
The LGS, an integrated software solution that enhances governance through the proper use of information, covers revenue generation, including the business permit, tax collection, real property, local civil registry, barangay supervision and payroll needs of every local government unit, E*Sprint said in a separate statement.
As for the e*Banker System, it is an advanced client/server solution designed to cater to small to medium-sized banks, cooperatives and lending institutions. It is intended to include the broad methods used under the microfinance/micro-enterprise program (i.e. ASA and Grameen Replication).
The system is capable of processing bulk accounts under one transaction using its Multiple Payment facility and the One-time Auto-Debit Facility.
The e*Banker system is compliant with the reporting requirements of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas and the Cooperative Development Authority.
E*Sprint is not a first-time winner. At last year’s fair, Sprint Rush Hour Payroll and DTR was adjudged overall 3rd runner-up in the best product category.
Primary Software also took runner-up honors for its “Server Database Protector” software in the “Best Product Award/Service” contest at the 2001 fair.
Other Cebu firms have made it as finalists.
Showcase
E-Services Philippines 2004, organized by the Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (Citem), an attached agency of the Department of Trade and Industry, is the country’s biggest annual showcase of information technology capabilities.
Mike Jurado used the recent victory to urge local businesses to patronize locally made software to help the software development industry grow.
“A critical mass of quality local software producers and business consumers should be everyone’s goal ... This is the best long-term approach of attracting foreign investments and creating jobs,” he said.
(February 19, 2004 issue)
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