[Technology]

Reducing tax on computers, accessories:

FITIS lauds Govt's decision

"Computer literacy in Sri Lanka will increase with the Government's decision to reduce the import tax on personal computers and computer accessories," said President, Federation of Information Technology Industry Sri Lanka (FITIS), and Sri Lanka Computer Vendors' Association (SLCVA), Wasantha Weerakoon. "FITIS is very happy with the Government's decision to reduce import tax on computers and computer accessories.

This will boost the use of ICT in the country, resulting in its rapid growth and causing a boom in computer literacy.

In Singapore and Australia, computer literacy markedly increased after import taxes on computers and computer accessories were reduced in those countries.

Due to high import taxes, some vendors were compelled to smuggle computers and computer accessories to the country. Those malpractices will be minimised due to the reduction of import taxes.

Presently, microprocessors and many other hardware items are not manufactured in Sri Lanka.

A long process of research and development action is necessary to manufacture those items in Sri Lanka, and the initial financial outlay will be very high.

The decision taken by the government to reduce the import taxes on computers and computer accessories is a major step in the right direction.

However, the country needs a long-term plan to manufacture computers and other hardware in Sri Lanka," concluded Weerakoon.

Japanese manufacturer to pay $3.3m for software piracy

Business Software Alliance (BSA), the global trade association representing the software industry, recently announced that it had entered into a settlement agreement with a Japanese manufacturer based in Kansai for software licence infringement. The settlement amount of 315,205,272 Japanese yen (circa US$3.3 million), made this the largest ever settlement agreement for BSA worldwide.

The case, which originated from a report lodged with the BSA Japan software piracy hotline, resulted in a software audit being undertaken at the premises of the company. 3,913 copies of unlicensed software, including Adobe Illustrator, AutoCAD, FileMaker Pro, and Microsoft Office, belonging to BSA members were found.

President and Chief Executive Officer of BSA Robert Holleyman, said, "Software piracy remains a critical issue around the globe. Governments must remain vigilant in enforcing IP laws, and businesses must be equally as vigilant in managing their software assets carefully and legally.

I hope that this landmark case for BSA helps remind organisations worldwide, notably multi-national organisations, that their possible oversight, or indifference to software copyright, could lead to serious legal ramifications and financial risk."

Chair of BSA Japan, Sanae Matsuo, said, "We are disappointed to see that the world's largest settlement for software piracy in the workplace has resulted in Japan

This settlement simply highlights the continuing need to address software piracy.

Piracy prevents fair competition, and eliminating software piracy becomes even more critical in the current market climate where we are starting to see signs of economic recovery."

Shalini Ratwatte, BSA Consultant for Sri Lanka, stated: "In Sri Lanka, there are cases (much smaller than Japan) where foreign companies may assume that if their overseas parent companies are licensed, they are automatically covered under their parent company's licensing agreements. These companies may have to revisit their assumptions, as they run the risk of being non-compliant.

We will drive initiatives that are designed to assist organisations to realise better returns from their investments in information technology.

For example, in Singapore, we have launched a website called SAM 4 Biz (www.sam4biz.org) which provides software asset management (SAM) resources to private sector businesses, to assist them in their implementation of a SAM practice. In the long run, such programs will promote even greater productivity and efficiency in the private sector."

Meanwhile in Sri Lanka, the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Sri Lanka Police, with the assistance of the American Chamber of Commerce in Sri Lanka (AMCHAM) and the BSA, has just announced the establishment of a special anti piracy and counterfeit unit within the CID, to address crimes related to the infringement of intellectual property rights of innovators and original creations.

'IFS reach' for SMEs

IFS launched its 'IFS reach' solution last week, aimed at providing SMEs state-of-the-art Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solution.

With 'IFS reach' one could get an ERP solution that comes with simple to learn, easy to use modern interface.

"Sri Lanka is experiencing an economic boom, and it is the mid-market companies that will grow the most and fastest", IFS South Asia Sales and Marketing Manager Shiraz Lye said, "Traditionally, SMEs in Sri Lanka have focused more on developing their physical infrastructure such as buildings, plants, and human resources.

Very little has been invested in information technology that could make the most out of operations, and make processes efficient and effective. Companies in this sector need to have streamlined back-end operations such as finance and the supply chain, to go out there and grab the opportunities and potential benefits in the market.

If your business processes are not streamlined and ready, you would not know what is going on in your organisation's operations and that's a very dangerous situation to be in."

From small software to an ERP

Lye said that the investment value of a large-scale ERP solution kept SMEs away from investing and had them turning to small software packages that worked as islands, without integrating the businesses' functions. In many instances the businesses out grew the software solution and the organisations were stuck or had to re-invest on more sophisticated solutions.

The initial capital they put in for software packages had to be written off.

"This was a complaint we received from several SMEs who approached us immediately after we launched 'IFS reach', he said "As these businesses grow, the small software they invested in becomes an impediment and they realise they need to invest more money and time on a new solution or an ERP". The "IFS reach" solution addresses these issues in an affordable package that can grow with the business and can seamlessly integrate the back-end operations of a business. "Most of the SMEs in Sri Lanka feel that ERPs are too big to invest in," he explained, "But" "IFS reach" caters to the mid-market needs in an affordable package.

It's no-frills ERP and like all no-frill products, the more you grow, the more you can add on to your software.Another unique factor the product offers is that project implementation would be completed in 100 days "IFS reach" adopts the company's new "Fast Track implementation Methodology".

The "Fast Track" implementation is possible as the product offering comes with Standard best business practices, added with crisp clear deliverables, and a lean project plan which has been tried and tested in many leading organisations in Europe, US and in India.

'IFS reach' also assures a fixed price, a fixed number of consultancy days, pre-defined activities and project plan and training. "With the agility of IFS, you can buy as you grow. And it's a convenient choice because IFS develops, implements, and supports the customer. It's one solution-one vendor choice", said Lye.

Vibration packs to replace batteries

A Japanese electronics firm has shown off a vibration-harvesting generator that could replace standard batteries. The Vibration Energy Cell batteries deliver power after a vigorous shake Brother Industries claim the devices could be used in place of AA or AAA batteries for some applications.At an event in Tokyo, the firm showed the device powering a TV remote control, a remote switch for a lamp and an LED torch. The mechanism works similarly to that of a bicycle light dynamo, only in this instance movement from a few shakes provides the energy to power. "Our Vibration Energy Cells generate electricity using a coil, a magnet, and condenser that charges electricity. These are all embedded in the battery,"Because of its low output this type of cell is designed to be used for things such as TV remote controls and LED devices, which consume low power and do not consume electrical power continuously."

Internet

Dell says some servers contain a virus

Dell said Wednesday that the motherboards for some of its servers were infected with malicious software that could give a cyber criminal access to information stored on the systems.

The company said in a statement that the issue only affected customers who have received replacement motherboards for four types of servers ? the PowerEdge R310, R410, R510 and T410 ? which is less than 1% of these models.

The statement added that the virus only causes damage when a customer has a specific configuration and is not running current anti-virus software.

Dell says that it has removed all the infected motherboards from its supply chain and that its current stock is virus-free.

The computer maker has been contacting infected customers in order to schedule changes.

A Dell spokeswoman says the company discovered the problem during a routine audit, and that it appeared to be the result of human error. When asked how a piece of malware could be installed in error, she said it wasn't clear, but pointed out that the malware is old and easily spotted by security programs.

If you are trying to do something [nefarious] this is not a very good way to do it, she said, adding that it would be practically impossible for this incident to result in data theft.

On Dell's online support forum, customers seemed to be taking the news with a mix of frustration and acceptance.

Obviously it causes me grave concern be informed of a vulnerability but not have all of the technical details, wrote one customer.

I'm a bit concerned as I received a new R410 2 weeks ago and am unsure what to look for regarding this vulnerability, wrote another.

Wall Street Journal

NASSCOM chief to visit Sri Lanka

Chairman of NASSCOM, Harsh Manglik will be visiting Sri Lanka on August 9 as chief guest of the Business Leaders Forum jointly organised by the American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) and Sri Lanka Association of Software and Service Companies (SLASSCOM).

National Association of Software and Service Companies (NASSCOM) is the premier trade body and the Chamber of Commerce for the IT/BPO industry in India.

Harsh Manglik is responsible for representing the Indian IT/BPO software and services industry to multiple stakeholders. His key responsibility areas include enhancing India's leadership position in the global offshore IT-BPO and work towards further growing the market by enabling industry to tap into emerging opportunity areas and to strengthen the domestic market in India.

As Accenture's senior leader in India, he is responsible for all Accenture activities in India and for the strategic direction, growth and development of its businesses based in this geography. He is also a member of Accenture's Executive Leadership Team.

Before Accenture, Manglik was worldwide Vice President, Symantec Corporation. Earlier in his career, Manglik worked with IBM for nearly 10 years and held US, Asia Pacific and global leadership responsibilities. He also served as an executive at Pratt & Whitney/United Technologies Corporation. Earlier, Manglik was a consultant with Booz Allen Hamilton. He started his career as a Management Trainee with Metal Box India.

He has over 30-years of global business and consulting experience, gained in several world class firms, spanning many domains including aerospace, automotive, electronics, telecom and IT services.

He has been an active participant in collaboration between industry and academia.

He is a member of Carnegie Mellon University's Presidential Committee on India.

He previously served on the Founding Operating Committee at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) for the "Leaders for Manufacturing" graduate program.

The Business Leaders forum is focused on the theme Innovation and Sustainability and sponsored by Latitude 655, a next generation IT services company focused on innovative products and services. Please reach AmCham (www.amcham.lk) on 2336073/4 regarding further details about the forum and enrollment.

SriLankan pioneers messaging solution from Microsoft

Electronic-mail (e-mail) forms the basis of the corporate-wide communication platform for SriLankan Airlines (SLA), via which the company shares business information and collaborates globally, connecting all 44 destinations to which SriLankan flies.

This platform integrates key business applications such as Internet booking, E-ticketing, online check-in, loyalty member management, contact center operations, accounting and revenue management. E-mail is a key enabler for the airline to provide a world class service.

By deploying Microsoft Exchange Server 2010, SLA is now geared to step up its service quality, putting it far ahead of the competition.

A need to address the demands of its users and address the evolving needs of information management, information systems governance and compliance prompted SLA to upgrade its existing Exchange Server environment.

The solution was designed with Microsoft to cater to more than 5000 users with an expected growth.

"We realise high availability and better managed mailboxes with very little maintenance and administration, are the main factors we need to achieve from the new e-mail system - based on past experience", said Chief Network Engineer, SLA Jeevani Jayalath, "Exchange Server 2010 is more reliable, this means that administrators have fewer issues to resolve and end users have a much better experience," she said.

Head of Information Technology SLA Kamal Nanayakkara said, "This was made possible as a result of the decision taken last year to embark on Server Consolidation and Application Virtualization at the data centre, a project successfully accomplished a few months back emphasising the contributions of these efforts towards reducing SLA's carbon footprint and cost of ownership while bringing-in greater flexibility and sustainability."

Country Manager Microsoft Sri Lanka Sriyan de Silva Wijeyeratne said "This upgrade is the first of many planned collaborations between SLA and Microsoft which will take place.

We look forward to continuing our work with the airline's far thinking team to bring about solutions and changes that will ensure that our national carrier remains at the peak of its game."

Facebook hits 500m user milestone

Social network giant Facebook has registered its 500 millionth member, the firm has announced.

The site, which launched in 2004, has gained around 100 million new users in the last six months.

Facebook said the number was "an important milestone" and added that it was "humbled and inspired" by the stories of its users, which it is asking people to share on the site.

The UK currently has around 26m Facebook users.

Stuart Miles of tech blog Pocket Lint said its success was down to "word of mouth".

"There are so many people online and so many people wanting to share with each other's friends - it's like a snowball," he told BBC News. "It started off small, rolled and rolled, then all of a sudden not just your immediate circle of friends are on it but loads of people are, and they're all evangelising about why you should be on it too.

"The next milestone, which will probably be 750m, won't take as long - the more you have the more it spreads, like that snowball."

However, the site has also had its share of problems.

It recently came under fire for making repeated changes to its privacy settings and thousands of people threatened to boycott it in May 2010.

But influential blogger Robert Scoble told the BBC that, despite the controversy, most people were not put off.

"There is no expectation of privacy there," he said. "Privacy stuff does not resonate with 'normal' people." As Facebook has grown, many of its competitors have shrunk or disappeared. MySpace, owned by News Corp, was once the poster child of social networking.

However, Facebook raced past it in 2008.

MySpace currently has around 65 million unique users. "MySpace is aimed at kids and they have limited access to computers," said Miles. Another competitor, Bebo, has also faced difficulty.

In June this year its owner, AOL, sold the site just two years after it bought it for $850m.

Courtesy BBC

Soft starter for CPC

Rocho Projects (Pvt) Limited, an associate Company of Rotax (Pvt) Ltd, and a constituent of the Roche Group of Companies, has installed the first medium voltage solid state Soft Starter, in Sri Lanka for the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC). This pioneer application was designed and successfully installed at the CPC refinery in Sapugaskande late last year.

This landmark turnkey installation project was carried out by Rotax Limited in collaboration with their principals from Solcon Industries Ltd., a reputed company in Israel specialising in the designing and manufacture of such sophisticated starter devices and systems for various applications such as marine, off shore and gas, naval, industrial, chillers and compressors, a media release from the company said.

The release said supply authorities around the world are becoming alarmed at the energy which is being wasted and the current power demand due to direct on line, star-delta and auto transformer starters.

Computers, electronic instrumentation and communications are suffering as a result of such starting methods which cause voltage dips in the supply line as the motor draws excessively high current during starting.

Electronic Soft Starters are a device for controlling the acceleration and/or the deceleration of AC motors.

Soft Starters deliver the exact amount of power required by the motor for a smooth ramp up (start), run (full rpm) and ramp down (stop).

This action provides a smooth, step-less acceleration and deceleration, not only providing energy management but extending motor life.

Soft Starters eliminate the high current that can occur at the transition from star do delta and transients associated with star/delta starting, the release said.

PCH goes public

PC House Limited (PCH) announced its Initial Public Offering, after having received approval from the Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) to reach out to the public for equity funding. The approval will enable PCH to issue 57,233,334 shares at Rs. 11/- each, to raise a total of Rs. 629,566,674/- which will amount to 25% of the total equity of the company.

Chairman PCH, S. H. M. Rishan said, "PCH will be the sole listed IT company in the CSE upon successful completion of the IPO. Participation in our IPO will be an opportunity for the investing public.

As a powerhouse in the realm of IT, PCH is at the forefront of bringing all emerging technologies to the country and we are confident that this IPO will be well received by the public and fuel a new chapter in our company."

The PCH IPO will propel industry growth by leveraging on the strong performance of the country's capital markets.

PCH is a leading IT solutions provider offering consumers and various institutions (corporate, SME and public sector) the best in computers, accessories and IT-based solutions, with an innovative product portfolio and unparalleled after sales service through an islandwide branch network.

PCH's widespread network comprises 13 regional offices in the country, including one in Jaffna, along with 14 state-of-the-art stores in Colombo. Copies of the prospectus can be obtained at any of PCH's Offices throughout the Island, at all NDB Bank branches, and at the NDB Investment Bank office.

It could also be downloaded from the websites of PCH (www.pch.lk), NDB Investment Bank (www.ndbib.com) and the Colombo Stock Exchange (www.cse.lk).