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Information technology and the future
Mehmood-Ul-Hassan Khan
Information Technology (IT) is not a choice but a necessity. It is an integral part of our strategy to survive and, hopefully, to prosper in a complicated world. The government is taking every possible step to institutionalise the traditions of IT in all the sectors in the country. Recently an Information Technology Commerce Network (ITCN) Asia 2002 Conference has been staged in the city of Karachi. The main focus of that conference was to attract foreign investment in the IT sector.
It was emphasised that 'exporting software and IT services' is what the domestic IT companies and software houses should take advantage of the situation. It was said that this is high time to make concrete efforts in the Middle East and European countries and divert the direction of investment to Pakistan. Pakistani entrepreneurs should also focus the bilateral relations to attract the investment or promote the IT exports.
The term Information Technology today encompasses a wide range of areas and covers the whole gamut of hardware, software and networking products and services, and is considered essential in assisting an organisation attain its objectives and goals. The IT revolution is the fastest emerging revolution seen by the human race. In Pakistan, Information Technology is fast becoming a necessity. With the shrinking global scenario, Pakistan urgently needs to revolutionise its Information Technology infrastructure. From students to entrepreneurs and from teachers to researchers it seems to have opened new vistas. IT is supposed to be the fast track way out of current economic shambles. According to World Bank, IT can also be used for the elimination of poverty.
Governor of State Bank of Pakistan has shared the same views and predicted that IT revolution would decrease the poverty-gap in Pakistan. Government of Pakistan is taking every possible step to institutionalise the traditions !
of IT in the country. In this regard many integrated steps are taking with the will to boast the export capacity of Pakistan with the help of software and IT systems.
The Information Technology revolution has given us a vision of the future in which we can use technological tools to enhance our civil society, enrich our lives by tapping the broader social benefits of the Internet, and move beyond the digital divide to digital
opportunity.
According to latest figures, by September 1999, 200 million people
around
the world are connected to the Internet. Information Technology
has taken
over many a function earlier requiring human activities and int.
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