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| Sunday, 10 November 2002 |
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Commitment: Key to Japanese IT market A few Sri Lankan companies are ready to export software to Japan while the others have to be patient, committed and understanding if they wish to enter the Japanese market as an exporter, IT Consultant - JETRO Tokyo Seijiro Kusafusa told a seminar on 'An open door to Japanese IT market' in Colombo recently. The value of the software market which is outsourced amounts to US$ 40.4 million and is still growing. The main countries which export software to Japan are China, India, Korea, Malaysia and Philippines. Mr Kusafusa was on a mission to India and Sri Lanka to identify potential software exporters to Japan. He said most software companies in India have adopted international standards to do the specifications as well as the software which is an advantage for them. Knowing the language, possessing technical skills and competitiveness are essential to penetrate the Japanese market. Most Japanese companies are reluctant to get the services of overseas companies due to language barriers, problems on specification, conditions of the contract, labour issues, distance as well as costs and competitiveness. But most companies with these barriers outsource software from other countries due to reasons such as budgetary cutbacks, understaffing and application of new technology. He recommended differentiation, localisation, partnership and marketing efforts as necessary tools for marketing the products in Japan. Japan, the second largest market for IT in the world, has many opportunities for outsourcing software. However, as the Japanese do not like to take risks, they go for the same technology and also for well-known software packages. At present the size of the market is around one trillion US dollars. Japan imports US$ 5.7 million worth of software while exports amount to one billion US dollars. Japan's GDP growth rate is 1.43 per cent while the information and communication industry is growing at a rate of 9.17 per cent. Resident Representative of JETRO in Colombo Yasuyuki Ishiga said that JETRO has a facility in Japan to help those setting up business in Japan. "We give the place for about three months for a person setting up business in Japan," he said. "JETRO Colombo is always willing to assist Sri Lankan businesses to enter the Japanese market and find business opportunities.'' The Japan External Trade Organisation (JETRO) was established by the Japanese government in 1958 as the nation's principal organisation for implementing trade policy on a comprehensive basis. JETRO has an extensive global network and is headquartered in Tokyo. It has 37 local offices and over 80 offices in 58 countries. JETRO Colombo was established in 1965 and is one of the first offices to be established in the South Asian region. (SG) |
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