Pakistan IT exports touch $1bn benchmark

[Naveed Yaseen]

KARACHI: The country’s Information Technology (IT) exports have marked one billion dollar benchmark in fiscal year 2007-08, a research commissioned by Pakistan Software Export Board reported Monday.

According to this research, the country’s IT and related industry has witnessed $2 billion increase in its worth, maintaining 50 percent handsome growth rate in 2007-08.

President Pakistan Software Houses Association (P@SHA), Jehan Ara said Pakistan produces approximately 20,000 IT graduates annually for pursuing their right fields of interest in the industry.

However, Jehan Ara said the size of the industry was much higher to attain $2.8 billion level with the exports $1.8 billion to various countries. Currently over 110,000 IT professionals are working in IT sector and there is a lot more potential for quality IT HR, she added. IT industry needs people with different skill sets, in addition to computer science graduates, also requires business analysts, domain specialists, project managers, senior management, marketing professionals, call center professionals, animations, interface designers etc. staff report

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp...2008_pg5_7