Jordan Times
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Kingdom’s growing IT sector
recognised in software launch
By Taylor Luck
AMMAN - Thousands of IT developers and professionals converged on the capital on
Tuesday for the regional launch of Microsoft Windows Server 2008, Visual Studio
2008 and SQL Server 2008, which the corporation expects will become part of the
next generation of IT infrastructure and application platform technology.
With over 2,000 IT experts in attendance, the software launch was the largest
exposition of its kind in the region to date, according to organisers.
Joseph Landes, Microsoft worldwide director of Windows server product
management, said Jordan was the perfect location for the regional launch, noting
the rising importance of the sector in the Middle East.
He also highlighted the new programme’s security features and warned against
rising piracy, which is listed at 62 per cent for the Kingdom.
“Piracy of any kind is no good,” he said, stressing that the practice hurts the
sector and local vendors trying to sell software and other applications.
Zeid Shubailat, Microsoft Jordan Country Manager, noted the Kingdom had made
great strides in legislation and enforcement of intellectual property rights,
and that this allowed the IT sector to grow.
“The theme of the event is to celebrate the work of IT professionals and
developers, which too often go unnoticed in large companies,” Ihsan Anabtawi,
Microsoft Jordan marketing manager, told The Jordan Times.
More than 16,000 people work in this field in the Kingdom, with 65-70 per cent
directly or indirectly involved with Microsoft, according to Anabtawi.
The conference was designed to provide developers and entrepreneurs with support
and to familiarise them with new technology meant to enhance the sector.
Nearly 80 per cent of budgets in the IT industry are spent on maintenance,
whereas only 20 per cent is allocated for new capabilities and innovation, he
noted.
The new Microsoft programmes are a first step in the creation of a self-managing
system, which will be self-repairing and able to adjust to changes on its own.
This would help the Jordanian IT sector put more funds into innovation and
services and lower maintenance costs, he noted.
Jordan has spent the last decade building a strong IT sector to attract foreign
investment.
The one-day conference featured open labs, and forums on different topics
pertinent to the sector like business practices and technology application.