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SLASSCOM Chairman and IFS Executive Vice President (VP) and Chief Operating Officer (COO) Ranil Rajapakse[/caption]
Approximately 90% of IT-BPM (information technology and business process management) companies in Sri Lanka were ready to ensure zero to minimal impact to their regular operations during the Covid-19 pandemic, according to the Sri Lanka Association of Software and Service Companies (SLASSCOM).
In a media release, SLASSCOM Chairman and IFS Executive Vice President (VP) and Chief Operating Officer (COO) Ranil Rajapakse said that several companies in the sector have risen to the occasion and adapted their business and work models to cope with the global disruptions caused by the pandemic.
He highlighted companies such as digital advancement company Mitra Innovation, which moved 100% of its staff to WFH (work from home) and used the crisis to develop new products for remote and accessible healthcare; management consulting firm Stax Inc, which switched to remote working within a week of the outbreak; IT offshoring/outsourcing provider CMS, which continued to provide bespoke remote IT teams to SME (small and medium enterprise) clients globally; and research, analytics, and business intelligence provider Acuity Knowledge Partners, which was able to leverage its BCP (business continuity planning) to transition to WFH completely without any lags, with minimal disruption to their global client-dependent operations.
Rajapakse added that while no one could have predicted the Covid-19 crisis or the measures that would be necessary to effectively combat it, the IT-BPM sector, thanks to its very nature, already had some WFH protocols in place, making it easier for the sector to adapt.
However, the statement added that some companies, like Bistec Global, went beyond simply adapting to the new work paradigm, offering free IT support and consultancy to any business that required it to set up their own WFH operations. Similarly, Sixer Video pledged to allow companies to use their platform free of charge to continue with virtual interviews and keep their recruitment processes running.
These were important because, despite the support and resilience of the industry, its stakeholders still faced a challenge when it came to remote working for all their employees, since the WFH protocols were not universal.
Sri Lanka’s telecommunications companies also stepped in to assist companies by boosting bandwidth and enabling VPNs (virtual private networks) and other required services for sensitive businesses to remain operational, remotely.
SLASSCOM said it liaised with companies across the board within the sector to provide and connect them with all the support they needed to keep their operations ongoing without interruptions.
"Companies that continue to make wise investments in upskilling talent, IT modernisation, and digital transformation during the period of inevitable demand deceleration will emerge stronger and better positioned for growth and to serve their customers better in a post-Covid-19, new norm,” Rajapakse said.
Over the past decade, Sri Lanka has grown into a premier destination for IT and BPM businesses. Both start-ups and larger companies of foreign and local origin have set up shop in Sri Lanka to cater to growing global demand.
– Uwin Lugoda
SLASSCOM Chairman and IFS Executive Vice President (VP) and Chief Operating Officer (COO) Ranil Rajapakse[/caption]
Approximately 90% of IT-BPM (information technology and business process management) companies in Sri Lanka were ready to ensure zero to minimal impact to their regular operations during the Covid-19 pandemic, according to the Sri Lanka Association of Software and Service Companies (SLASSCOM).
In a media release, SLASSCOM Chairman and IFS Executive Vice President (VP) and Chief Operating Officer (COO) Ranil Rajapakse said that several companies in the sector have risen to the occasion and adapted their business and work models to cope with the global disruptions caused by the pandemic.
He highlighted companies such as digital advancement company Mitra Innovation, which moved 100% of its staff to WFH (work from home) and used the crisis to develop new products for remote and accessible healthcare; management consulting firm Stax Inc, which switched to remote working within a week of the outbreak; IT offshoring/outsourcing provider CMS, which continued to provide bespoke remote IT teams to SME (small and medium enterprise) clients globally; and research, analytics, and business intelligence provider Acuity Knowledge Partners, which was able to leverage its BCP (business continuity planning) to transition to WFH completely without any lags, with minimal disruption to their global client-dependent operations.
Rajapakse added that while no one could have predicted the Covid-19 crisis or the measures that would be necessary to effectively combat it, the IT-BPM sector, thanks to its very nature, already had some WFH protocols in place, making it easier for the sector to adapt.
However, the statement added that some companies, like Bistec Global, went beyond simply adapting to the new work paradigm, offering free IT support and consultancy to any business that required it to set up their own WFH operations. Similarly, Sixer Video pledged to allow companies to use their platform free of charge to continue with virtual interviews and keep their recruitment processes running.
These were important because, despite the support and resilience of the industry, its stakeholders still faced a challenge when it came to remote working for all their employees, since the WFH protocols were not universal.
Sri Lanka’s telecommunications companies also stepped in to assist companies by boosting bandwidth and enabling VPNs (virtual private networks) and other required services for sensitive businesses to remain operational, remotely.
SLASSCOM said it liaised with companies across the board within the sector to provide and connect them with all the support they needed to keep their operations ongoing without interruptions.
"Companies that continue to make wise investments in upskilling talent, IT modernisation, and digital transformation during the period of inevitable demand deceleration will emerge stronger and better positioned for growth and to serve their customers better in a post-Covid-19, new norm,” Rajapakse said.
Over the past decade, Sri Lanka has grown into a premier destination for IT and BPM businesses. Both start-ups and larger companies of foreign and local origin have set up shop in Sri Lanka to cater to growing global demand.
– Uwin Lugoda