Searching for IT in Karachi

By Anthony Mitchell
www.EcommerceTimes.com
Part of the ECT News Network
02/22/05 5:00 AM PT

As U.S. firms attempt to follow the market into an increasingly saturated India, Indian firms are looking to lower their costs by coming to Pakistan, which is 30 percent cheaper than India for IT work and has an underutilized talent pool of English speakers and computer science graduates.

Establishing International Call Centers in Pakistan –The Challenge & an Opportunity

A Paper by Babar B. Jhumra,
Managing Partner, NBA Computers

As a Pakistani IT professional and a businessman, I would like to present Pakistan’s case to potential investors and top professionals abroad; as also to our own businessmen friends - from the point of view of entrepreneurship, profitability, venture success potentialities and some risks involved, in this, by now, the not-so-new industry.

The Call Center Phenomenon and what it means to Pakistan:
Pakistan, in spite of possessing all the where-with-all required by this industry, badly missed the bus until recently. Inspired by the dynamic and far-sighted leadership of President Pervez Musharraf and his distinguished team of learned experts, Pakistan woke up about three years back to try to take its share of advantages that the new technology offered.

Built-in Strengths of Pakistan as a potential IT Hub of South Asia:

• Low-cost of infrastructure setup for call center
• Availability of skilled human resource at low cost
• Advanced Infrastructure facilities and high bandwidth availability
• The language factor
• Legal framework and regulatory provisions
• Proactive government policies

For the complete Paper email me at: babar@nbacomputers.com or webmaster@nbacomputers.com

PTCL cuts bandwidth rates by 50% to attract investment

By Imran Ayub: Daily Times - Site Edition

KARACHI: Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) has cut bandwidth rates by almost 50 percent for technology firms – a move believed to attract foreign investment particularly in call centres.

The state-owned telecom decided to revise bandwidth tariff structure after ministry of IT and telecom announced broadband policy last month to spread affordable high speed Internet access and create enabling environment for efficient business transactions, a senior official said.

“The PTCL has cut its bandwidth rates from $3,950 per 2 mega bites per month to $2,000,” the official said. “The new rates would be effective from January 1. The decision is in line with government plans to encourage investors and grow Internet subscriber base across the country.”

He said the PTCL has also cut monthly copper rental for digital subscriber linkage (DSL) to Rs 250 per month from Rs 771 and similarly monthly primary rate interface (PRI) has also been brought down by 50 percent and domestic bandwidth rates by 25 percent of the existing prices to facilitate peering services.

Call Centres to create 15,000 jobs in Karachi

Business Recorder [Pakistan's First Financial Daily]:

KARACHI (February 01 2005): Various foreign and local investors would set up call centres in different parts of Karachi as part of their investment here in the first phase which would help provide jobs to up to 15,000 people. This was announced in an official statement issued here on Monday. It said the foreign and local investors met with the Sindh Minister for Information Technology Syed Mustafa Kamal in his office here on Monday.

They informed the Minister they would sat up call centres in different parts of Karachi within three months' time as first phase of their investment here. This would create job opportunities for 10,000 to 15,000 people.