TECHNOLOGY

Fujitsu laptops launched

by Mohammed NAALIR

Sala Enterprises has introduced Fujitsu Laptops with the latest intel processors to the market at a ceremony in Colombo recently.

Fujitsu PC Asia Pacific, one of the world's leading brands of computers along with Sala Enterprises, ranked among the best in the computer and communication fields, unveiled five latest Lifebook and that feature the second generation Intel Core processor.

This array of enhanced Lifebook is specially designed to deliver an unparalleled user experience that includes solid computing performance, excellent media and graphic capabilities, and greater energy efficiency.

The new range of Lifebook - S Series (Lifebook SH761), P Series (Lifebook P771), A Series (Lifebook AH531), L Series (Lifebook LH531), and B Series BH531) are the models incorporated with the second generation Intel CoreTM processor.

Product Marketing Manager, Fujitsu PC Asia Pacific Ltd Edmund Lim, said "We are now entering a multimedia-centric world where users demand for instant access to stunning and immersive visual, web and gaming experiences-often times all at once.

Our latest Lifebook line up with versatile built-in-processors, will meet the varied preferences.

While we increase the power levels to achieve performance gains for high-intensity dynamic workloads".

Microsoft Imagine Cup 2011 attracts highest number of Local entries

It is that all-important time of the year again, when the entire IT student community in Sri Lanka sharpen their skills and wait to participate in a hugely anticipated event that comes around once a year.

Fervour to participate in the Microsoft Imagine Cup has reached fever pitch as IT undergraduates draw on their skills and talent to think up 'big ideas' based on the Imagine Cup 2011 theme - 'Think Big. Think Global'.

This year's Imagine Cup theme encourages participants to "imagine a world where technology solves some of the toughest problems".

From the look of the flurry of activity among the IT student populace, the competition is heating up as they prepare to emerge with a winning concept that will propel them onto the global Microsoft Imagine Cup competition stage and along with it open opportunities that could benefit their future career progression.

The first round of the local competition was concluded on March 17 after a host of internal rounds out of which 14 teams were selected to compete in the semi-finals.

These included four teams from the University of Colombo, School of Computing, four teams from University of Moratuwa, three teams from SLIIT, two teams from IIT and one from the University of Peradeniya.

The semi-final round was concluded on March 29 from where six teams have emerged as finalists, waiting to show their skills at the grand finale on April 27 at the Civil Engineering Faculty Auditorium of the University of Moratuwa.

The finalist teams are: Vishwa and Sentinels 2.0 from University of Moratuwa, Titan from University of Colombo School of Computing (UCSC), MISL Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT), Perasoft University of Peradeniya and CR-Coderz from Informatics Institute of Technology (IIT).

Over the past few years, Sri Lankan IT students have fared comparably well with their counterparts from around the world, after witnessing the benefits by winning the competition, students target participation in the Imagine Cup as a key stepping stone in their career.

Not surprisingly, the competition is attracting record number of entries from around the country.

The winners of this year's Imagine Cup competition will represent Sri Lanka at the Grand Finale of the Global Imagine Cup Competition to be held in New York this summer.

This year, a breakthrough record of 52 finalist teams, the highest ever in the history of Imagine Cup in Sri Lanka after the previous record of 28 teams in 2009, has been achieved, which reflects the increasing levels of sophistication of students' entries and the growing popularity of the challenge.

Wellington Perera, Director of Developer Platform Evangelism, Microsoft Sri Lanka, said "We are excited by the fact that students have responded from across the country and from newer institutions, which mirrors the nationwide popularity that Imagine Cup has achieved.

We are hopeful that some of these big and bold ideas will win on the international stage in New York, and provide greater impetus for students to consider the challenging opportunity that participation in the Imagine Cup offers.

The competition was conceptualized not merely to make students think out of the box, but also to bring home to the industry and teachers of IT the multi-layered benefits that such a vital challenge brings to the student community and perhaps even influence their future career choices, simultaneously building vital soft skills such as qualities of leadership, teamwork, tenacity and so on.

All the proposals we received this year were equally competitive and challenging.

It was great to see a vivid range of solutions coming from a diverse set of students."

As one of the students to advance to the second round of the Imagine Cup IT Challenge 2011 and a Semi-finalist in the Software Design Category, Malin De Silva, (a student of the Faculty of IT, University of Moratuwa), said "Having been the first student from Sri Lanka to advance to the second round of Imagine Cup from the IT Challenge 2011 as well as a competitor for the Local Software Design competition, I believe this year competition would provide some excellent Sri Lankan products that could compete in the real world.

I appreciate the theme this year which makes us think of humanity, compassion towards people affected by problems which is not done in most other competitions."

Currently, all eyes are on the Sri Lanka finals to be held later this month, as the winners on this stage will be heading off to New York to showcase their concepts and designs in the presence of a global audience.

Calspence Oracle PartnerNetwork Gold Level Partner

Calspence Technologies has become a Gold level member of Oracle PartnerNetwork (OPN). Calspence will market; implement and support Oracle Content Management to help customers enhance business efficiencies, reduce expenses and be more profitable.

Calspence Technologies is a joint venture between Aitken Spence PLC and California Software Company Limited (Calsoft), providing Systems Integration services with focus on Oracle Content Management, the Oracle E-Business Suite, Oracle's Siebel Customer Relationship Management, and strategic Information and Communication Technology investments.

Areas that they target include Financial Services, Commercial, Manufacturing, Plantations, and Telecommunications industries.

Aitken Spence, the holding company for Calspence is one of Sri Lanka's leading and most respected corporate entities with a diversified portfolio of businesses in Hotels, Services, Logistic Solutions and Strategic Investments. Calsoft is a product engineering and enterprise solutions company with a strong background in development and implementation with presence in 12 global locations.

Deputy Chairman and Group Managing Director of Aitken Spence PLC J.M.S. Brito said, "We have identified Information and Communications Technology as a key area of focus and a thrust industry.

Seeing the potential that Calspence has to offer to the market with the absence of a strong Systems Integrator in the country, we will continue with our strategic investments in this area. As a Gold level member of OPN, we are confident of offering exceptional solutions to the market", he said.

With its OPN Gold status, Calspence receives the benefit of being able to start developing specialisations that will allow them to grow their business, increase their expertise, reach higher levels of customer retention, and create differentiation in the marketplace. Gold members also become eligible to resell all Oracle Technology products and can apply to resell Oracle Applications and Industry Solutions.

In addition, they will have access to Oracle account representatives and My Oracle Support updates for all products, discounts on training, limited free assessment/exam vouchers, reduced rates on the purchase of Oracle licences for internal use, discounts on advances customer services amongst other benefits.

"We see a strong synergy between Oracle Content Management and the key focus and collaboration efforts of Calspence from a go-to-market perspective. Having the best-of-breed solution from Oracle, we will enhance our ability to provide our valued enterprise clients with solid, proven, scalable and cost effective solutions", said General Manager of Calspence Technologies Dr. Vickum Senanayake.

A few of the projects which signifies Calspence's success in the short span of time, are the implementations of Oracle eBusiness Suite (EBS), Oracle Content Management, the development of a financial shared services centre, and development of web-based content management systems for the travels, services and manufacturing sectors.

ABC Trade & Investments awards for best sales in SA

ABC Trade & Investments (Pvt) Ltd (ABC T&I) was awarded for top DVD sales in verbatim storage media during 2010, in the annual verbatim distribution meet in Kathmandu, Nepal recently.

ABC Trade & Investments (Pvt) was also awarded the second place for CD-R and memory products for 2010. These awards made ABC T&I the best achievers for 2010 on Verbatim products in South Asia.

Verbatim Corporation, a Mitsubishi chemical media company is an international organisation that develops and markets innovative, high-quality products for storing, moving and using digital content.

Known for its leadership in the removable storage media and related accessories markets, the company provides, unique technologies and products that are sought after and broadly distributed worldwide. Verbatim brand media is marketed in North America, Europe, Latin America and other parts of the world.

In Japan, media is sold under the Mitsubishi brand.

The authorised distributor in Sri Lanka ABC T&I has been presented this prestigious award for their excellent sales growth during 2010.

ABC Trade & Investments (Pvt) Ltd., with its diversified business interests and with its core concentration in the IT & Office Automation industry is the distributor for a range of products including printer consumables, storage media, networking, computer peripherals and a range of other prime IT equipment. The company is the authorised distributor for Print-Rite, Verbatim, Mitsubishi, Manhattan and Fluke Network and Kodak brands.

Verbatim branded products with its colourful packing display and features of durability are able to rewrite over 1,000 times on CD/DVD - RW, videoGard protection against fingerprints, smudges, stronger UV protection, scratch resistant and more technologies under the optical media.

Under the non-optical media, Verbatim has the water resistance USB drive, shock proof mobile hard drive, memory cards and many more products.

Nokia E7 to be launched

The Nokia E7 will be launched soon in the Sri Lankan market.

Featuring a lavish four-inch Amoled display, the device is complemented by a full Qwerty keyboard and a tilt screen primed for optimal viewing.

Nokia E7 enables direct, secure and real-time access to corporate systems, plus easy synchronisation with work inbox, calendar, contacts and tasks.

Additionally quick access to private email accounts from the same view is also possible.

Viewing and editing Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint documents using the Quick office application is possible apart from viewing PDF files with Adobe Reader. Real-time business email with Mail for Exchange with no additional hardware.

Easy presentation capabilities are also available via HDMI TV out. Accessing the internet through a fast 3G or Wi-Fi network or you could use your phone as a modem by connecting to a compatible computer.

The Nokia E7 also features a built-in GPS, compass and the largest selection of free maps.

Ovi Maps is more efficient than competitive offering, with no separate license.

Nokia E7 users can also hold business meetings over the phone with multi-party conference calling.

The E7 features 16 GB worth of internal storage, 256 MB RAM, 1 GB ROM, 680 MHz ARM 11 processor, Broadcom BCM2727 GPU, featuring the Symbian 3 OS. A powerful 8 MP camera clinches the deal. Preloaded with several applications that a professional might need, further apps can be downloaded at the Ovi Store.

For Alienware:

Softlogic Information Technologies appointed authorised distributor

Softlogic Information Technologies (Pvt) Ltd., one of the premier IT companies in Sri Lanka and a pioneering subsidiary of Softlogic Holdings ventured into a distributor partnership with the premier gaming brand Alienware at a recently held event in Colombo. PC Gamers in Sri Lanka now have five new ways to level up with a fleet of high-performance gaming rigs from Alienware, including four overclocked liquid-cooled desktop systems and the most powerful 15-inch gaming laptop in the universe.

The gaming market in Sri Lanka is emerging as a growing market and is expected to develop by 25% year over year, a company spokesperson said.

Jointly developed by the Dell and Alienware teams, and featuring the latest technologies for maximum performance, aggressive designs and unmatched customisation and personalization through Alienware's exclusive Command Centre software suite, these systems represent a new era in PC gaming. Alienware Corporation manufactures high-performance computer desktop and mobile systems and leading-edge professional systems.

Alienware offers unique and award-winning products that incorporate state-of-the-art components, innovative engineering and design, and unprecedented customer service.

"With the post-war economic growth and opening of the market for businesses across the board in Sri Lanka, Dell now has a direct presence in the country, supporting the ICT industry with numerous solutions, product offerings and services.

With this development we have opted to launch many consumer related products, of which 'Alienware' is the much awaited gaming PC that will be introduced to Sri Lanka through our premier partner, Softlogic.

We believe Dell's Alienware PCs will bring in a whole new experience to our gaming community", said Shermal Jayatilaka, Country Manager Dell Sri Lanka.

Introduced in Sri Lanka the powerful Alienware M15x laptop to expand the Alienware arsenal and reaffirm Dell's position as visionary and designer of the industry's most coveted gaming systems.

Roshan Rasool, Director / CEO Softlogic Information Technologies (Pvt) Ltd commenting about the tie up reiterated the pioneering and innovativeness in the information technology industry in Sri Lanka, "We are pleased to represent Dell Alienware as the authorised distributor in Sri Lanka. Alienware products are the leading gaming products in the world. The wide range of products introduced will provide the ideal gaming experience for our gaming community locally".

Dell, one of the global giants in the IT industry, has recognised Sri Lanka as a strong emerging market for information technology in the Asian region. In 1993 they chose Softlogic, which established their operations in 1991, as their sole authorised dealer in Sri Lanka.

Virtusa recognised for HR excellence

Virtusa Corporation (NASDAQ: VRTU), a global IT services company that offers a broad spectrum of business consulting and outsourcing services, has been certified by the Corporate Research Foundation (CRF) Institute as one of Britain's Top Employers for 2011, scoring exceptionally well in the categories of Secondary Benefits and Working Conditions and Career Development.

Now in its 11th year, Britain's top employers use international standards and independent research done by the CRF Institute to identify those companies excelling in HR management. Virtusa was recognised for its outstanding HR policies and exceptional working conditions. Companies were assessed based on key HR-related areas including Primary Benefits, Secondary Benefits and Working Conditions, Training and Development, Career Development, and Company Culture.

"The happiness and well-being of our team members are critical to the success of Virtusa as a company," said Chairman and CEO of Virtusa, Kris Canekeratne.

"We founded Virtusa based on a spirit of innovation and it is very gratifying to see our team members continue to demonstrate creativity as they develop solutions that help our clients achieve their business goals and objectives. Our values are clear: we believe in the pursuit of excellence, integrity, respect and leadership.

These values form the nucleus of our high-performance culture and our ability to create competitive advantage for our clients. Our team members put their hearts and souls into creating excellence and we are honoured to be recognised for creating a conducive work environment."

"The combination of an ageing workforce, economic recovery, and staff shortages in certain industries is making employers increasingly aware of the importance of selecting and retaining the right people, and ensuring they come to work everyday feeling motivated and engaged," said CEO of the CRF Institute Steven Veenendaal.

"This year's award winners have put the welfare of their employees at the top of their list of priorities and are doing exceptionally well in offering their employees the best working conditions. You will see that translated in the long-term sustainability of these companies."CRF was founded in 1991 as a joint initiative of academics, business journalists, trade associations, researchers and international publishers, with a mission of offering independent HR assessment and recognition.