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Thursday, February 16, 2006
Cebu must shun image of being a leisure place
Cebu has to change the notion of companies in Japan that the province is merely a place for leisure.
As more information technology (IT) services companies in Japan are expected to seek contracts with overseas organizations in the next three years, Philippine National IT Standards Foundation Inc. president Ma. Corazon Akol said Cebu has to let Japanese firms know it has a competitive IT industry.
She said the country, and Cebu, in particular, can take advantage of the anticipated move of Japanese IT companies.
Requirement
“That (Japanese IT firms seeking contracts overseas) creates a big requirement for IT engineers, which the Philippines can take advantage of,” she said.
Almost 90 percent of companies in Japan chose China, then India followed closely by Korea for IT-related outsourcing contracts.
“These IT services companies think of quality, 68 percent, and cost, with 27 percent, as important in terms of programming,” she said.
With this, she said, the Philippines should strive more to compete with Vietnam as the next choice after China, India and Korea.
“When the Japanese go to Vietnam, they think of work. (But) when they go to Cebu, what comes to their mind is only leisure.
That perception should be changed. They should know that we also have very competitive IT industry here,” Akol said.
Information technology and related services worldwide is a $750-billion industry.
Japan’s IT Industry is $130 billon, second to the United States with $360 billion in 2003, Akol said.
Contribution
The Philippines’ IT service industry contributes only $.76 billion to the economy.
Custom software takes 48 percent of Japan’s IT service market share; software products, 10 percent; data processing, 17 percent; operation outsourcing, 12 percent; database services, two percent; and research, two percent.
Akol said there is a need for offshore software development in Japan whose own IT industry is hampered by increasing personnel expenses and constant shortage of software engineers.
She encouraged Cebu’s IT professionals and industry players, who attended the seminar on offshore development business for the Japanese IT market at the Cebu City Marriott Hotel earlier this week, to concentrate on human resource development.
She urged them to secure a PhilNITS certification, which ensures a work force of competitive IT professionals and help Filipinos access the Japanese market.
She also revealed that the Information Technology Professionals Examination Council was formed last year.
The council is composed of Japan, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam, which agreed to set common standards of certification and a target of 10,000 examinees in three years. (ALC)
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (February 16, 2006 issue)
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