IT revolution has changed the
life style of people in every part of the world. The effective use of IT is an
The government of Pakistan is taking all steps to make Pakistan an IT super power by adopting IT as a national program so as to enable personal and national growth. The country’s current IT policy and action plans intend to involve all walks of life, e.g., industry and commerce, banking and insurance, finance, revenue, communication, media, human resource development, and defense etc.
essential element of competing in
a fast-paced, knowledge based economy. The government, in the IT sector, is
making sizeable investments and a huge chunk of
this budget is meant for human resource development and
provision of enabling infrastructure.
Pakistan is on the wake of its
progress. At the time of inception of Pakistan in
1947, there was no base of Information Technology in the country. The process of
computerization in Pakistan started in 1957, when a company named ‘Packages Ltd.” started using
computer for its work. It is considered the first company in
Pakistan, which started using
computer. In 1960 an IBM
main frame computer was installed in PIA for flight
reservation and by 1967, there were about 17 mainframes working throughout Pakistan in
different organi -zations. In 1964, Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA)
took the lead and established its computer center
in WAPDA house, Lahore by installing IBM-360 mainframe computer. Then after
main commercial banks, Quaid-e-Azam university Islamabad, UET Lahore, PIA
Karachi also acquired IBM mainframes computers. In software development side in
1977, the first private software company “Systems Private Limited” was formed by
“Packages Limited” in Lahore. In 1980s, the personal computers brought a revolution
not only in the world but also in computing environment of Pakistan. The technology was miniaturized
and desktop computers were introduced having cheapest technology.
Software is Information Technology’s Achilles heel. Software Industry in
Pakistan has developed a lot during last ten years. The computer software can be grouped into two types i.e Systems Software and Application Software . In Pakistan system software for micro, mini and mainframes comes largely of the packaged variety from the vendors who supply hardware to the companies or in some case these software are imported directly from the producing firms, which all are based in developed
countries. Except one or two Urdu versions of a typing software, most of the operating systems and languages/packages are being imported from developed countries. As far as application/business software development is concerned, there are lot of development activities in Pakistan. According to conservative estimates, there are about 660 software houses based in Pakistan which are busy in developing and exporting software to the developed world in areas as diverse as database management, Internet applications, e-Commerce, CAD/CAM management systems, etc. The fields in which these companies
are involved are virtually unlimited.
Pakistan has developed a lot during last ten years. The computer software can be grouped into two types i.e Systems Software and Application Software . In Pakistan system software for micro, mini and mainframes comes largely of the packaged variety from the vendors who supply hardware to the companies or in some case these software are imported directly from the producing firms, which all are based in developed
countries. Except one or two Urdu versions of a typing software, most of the operating systems and languages/packages are being imported from developed countries. As far as application/business software development is concerned, there are lot of development activities in Pakistan. According to conservative estimates, there are about 660 software houses based in Pakistan which are busy in developing and exporting software to the developed world in areas as diverse as database management, Internet applications, e-Commerce, CAD/CAM management systems, etc. The fields in which these companies
are involved are virtually unlimited.
Since the declaration of the IT sector as an industry, the Government is giving significant benefits to this industry to promote investment and it has positive results. And with all efforts of the
government and private concerns, though the use of Pakistani business software is increasing both in local and foreign market but still the industry is tended to consolidate into a few large multinational companies, which are having most of the software industry.
government and private concerns, though the use of Pakistani business software is increasing both in local and foreign market but still the industry is tended to consolidate into a few large multinational companies, which are having most of the software industry.
