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PSEB promotes the image of the Pakistan IT industry in key markets abroad, enables trade interaction with international parties, and facilitates the entry of multi-national development and support centres in Pakistan

Strategy

In conjunction with stakeholders like PASHA, the industry association, PSEB has developed a vision and strategic roadmap to fast track IT industry growth.
 

PSEB has contracted Gartner to conduct a study on "Strategic Review of the Pakistani IT Industry". The final report sent by Gartner has been approved by acceptance committee members from MoIT, PASHA and PSEB with minor suggestions. The report will be published in due course of time. Apart from conducting SWOT analysis of Pakistan IT industry and providing recommendatory measures, Gartner has ranked Pakistan among Leaders and Challengers in the study report.

Office Space Provision

PSEB plans to build IT Parks in different cities and currently operates over 721,000 square feet of Software Technology Parks (STP) in ten buildings across the country.
 

	In the last fiscal year 2007-08, PSEB launched its first state of the art National IT / Knowledge Park Project through international tender process for providing affordable and quality IT enabled work space to local and international ICT companies. Around 15 acres of land at prime location in Islamabad has been acquired by PSEB for this IT Park to nourish the rapidly growing Pakistani IT Sector. An International Consortium has been selected as “Preferred Bidder / Developer” after the evaluation of their proposal.
	Payment of land measuring approximately 33 acres at Chak Shahzad Islamabad and 6 acres at JIAP, Karachi for the establishment of state of the art IT Parks has been released. The process for land acquisition for Chak Shahzad is in progress. Also, negotiations are currently underway for finalizing the lease agreement between CAA and PSEB for land at JIAP, Karachi after which the land would be acquired there. Partial payment for the land measuring 6 acres at AIIAP, Lahore for the development of IT Park has also been released and the request for balance amount has been submitted to MoIT. Land would be acquired at AIIAP after paying the balance amount.
	To sustain the current growth of Pakistan IT industry, PSEB converts suitable public and private sector buildings into IT parks by investing in telecom and related infrastructure facilities to address immediate demand for IT enabled office space across the country. Recently, PSEB has signed contract with M/s Shaheen Foundation and converted one of its prominent building ‘Shaheen Complex’ located at Egerton Road, Lahore into an IT Park. The state of the art nine-story Shaheen Complex of 360,000 square feet of the total covered area, with two basements having a total office space of 217,000 square feet and equipped with high speed fiber connectivity with redundancy and entails the most modern and top of the line civic amenities such as backup power supply, express lifts, access control and close circuit TV (CCTV) for vigilant security monitoring, centralized heating, ventilation and air conditioning, fully integrated fire detection and voice evacuation system, ample car parking and other civil defense essentials. PSEB has offered 150,000 square feet of contemporary office space at Shaheen Complex Lahore to the local and international IT & ITeS companies at affordable rent of Rs.80/- per square foot. w.e.f. 15th of February 2009 on first come first serve basis. Chief of the Air Staff and Chairman Shaheen Foundation Air Chief Marshal Tanvir Mahmood Ahmed NI (M), S BT inaugurated Shaheen Complex, Lahore

PSEB Issued Letter of Intent (LOI) to the international selected consortium for the establishment of first national IT Park on Build Operate Transfer (BOT) model and negotiations for concession agreement are underway.

Industry HC

PSEB works with the Higher Education Commission (HEC) to increase the influx of quality graduates into the industry, facilitates matching of graduates with IT companies, provides on-going trainings and certifications to professionals, and undertakes research to benchmark IT professionals and graduates in the country.
 

	In fiscal year 07-08, 312 professionals participated in PSEB-sponsored trainings, 572 interns were placed in the IT Industry and approval of Apprenticeship Program was granted to 07 companies for the induction of 738 apprentices.
	To date, in the current fiscal year, one thousand and twenty five interns have been placed under the “Internships Phase-III” project.
	To date, in the current fiscal year, eight IT companies have been selected for PSEB’s “Specialized Training Program”.
	To date seven new companies’ have been successfully approved by National ICT R&D fund under the project PSEB IT Apprenticeship program, for the induction of 738 apprentices the IT and ITeS Services
	For the induction of approximately 650 apprentices, 03 batches of Apprenticeship Proposals, comprising of 10 companies have been submitted to the ICT R&D Fund for approval.
	The 5th Batch of Apprenticeship Proposals, for the induction of 378 apprentices, comprising of 05 companies, has been short listed by PSEB for submission to the ICT R&D Fund.

Public Policy

PSEB facilitates the creation of a public policy environment including taxes, tariffs, trade, and intellectual property protection to enable the growth of the IT industry.   
 

PSEB has issued "Recommendatory Guidelines" to Pakistani IT/ITeS companies for Adoption of Model Clauses for Transfer of Personal Data from the EU to Third Countries & Binding Corporate Rules for International Transfers of Personal Data. It is envisioned that adoption of these measures would help Pakistani IT and IT enabled businesses in improving their legal coverage in exporting their services and enter into relationships for outsourcing of personal data from the EU to Pakistan.

Industry Finance

Company Capability Development

PSEB sponsors quality and information security certification of IT companies in order to enhance their international competitiveness. 
 

In the last fiscal year, 07-08, under PSEB-sponsored programs, fifteen CMMi L2 rating and five ISO 27001 certifications were obtained. Two companies became SEI transition partner and three individuals became SCAMPI appraisers. Pakistan now has over 110 ISO-certified IT companies, over 200 ISO 9001 IT lead auditors and will have over 25 CMMi rated companies by the end of the current year making it a world leader in this category.

Currently, there is one CMMi L5 company, one CMM L5 company, three CMMi L3 companies, sixteen CMMi L2 companies, five ISO 27001 certified companies, four SEI Transition Partner companies and three SCAMPI appraisers. In the current fiscal year, 08-09, four companies for CMMi L2 ratings, two companies for CMMi L5 ratings and seven companies for ISO 27001 certifications are in process.

Facilitation

PSEB facilitates IT companies in their interaction with various Government agencies and also launches programs in areas of strategic importance where the private sector is shy of investing. In the last year, the Open Source Centre has conducted twenty six workshops, training over four hundred and fifty people, facilitated one migration, and published internationally recognizing training toolkits..
 

	In the last fiscal year 07-08, visa processing was facilitated for one hundred and fourteen individuals. Foreign currency remittance NOCs for purchase of software were processed and issued to seven companies, and corporate advisory services have been provided to numerous companies and individuals.
	To date, in the current fiscal year, visa processing was facilitated for twenty eight individuals and corporate advisory services have been provided to numerous companies and individuals.
	Twenty seven new IT companies were registered with PSEB in this reporting period with Twenty three new call centres. Thirty two IT companies and eleven call centres have renewed their registrations.
	In the last fiscal year 07-08, the Open Source Resource Center (OSRC) conducted forty training workshops and awareness-raising seminars, trained over eight hundred and sixty people, facilitated four computer network migrations, and published a new, downloadable training toolkit on Asterisk Open Source PBX. It also sponsored and presented at two national conferences on open source technologies, and published two articles on open source.
	OSRC has conducted five days training workshops on LAMP at Foundation University Institute of Management and Computer Sciences Rawalpindi 02 – 06 February 2009.
	In FY 07-08, under PSEB’s Industry Automation project, 55 SME units across 5 verticals were automated using ERP software developed under the project; AutoPlus, the ERP for automotive parts and accessories vertical was launched; Microsoft formed partnership with the IT companies for the marketing and sales of the products developed under the project.

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