Software Industry
This has been a relatively a late entrant in our ICT market. Even today there are only a few firms that provide dedicated software services and even fewer that have adopted any form of quality standards. However like any learning curve, more and more firms are coming into this fray; systematic procedures and practices are being implemented so that quality software houses are being produced.
The basic clientele for the software houses has usually been the corporate houses .i.e. the institutional market. That being so it naturally follows that most of the software are database related.
While few years back, visual basic was the predominant choice for programmers of late there has been a gradual shift to use other tools to provide better service to the customer. Furthermore with the passage of time firms have also realized the importance and benefits of installing an ICT system in a company. The fact that computer penetration is high in the metropolitan cities has helped in the sense that computer literacy among personnel has increased. Hence they are more likely than ever before to adopt a new computer software system.
It is true that the growth of the ICT sector is being hampered by the lack of proper telecommunication infrastructure, Bangladeshi companies continue to make the best out of what is being given to them. With the infrastructure situation improving, the software market is bound to increase.
One of the prime indicator or growth factor for the software industry is technical people. Similarly in order to retain and groom these technical personnel these firms need to earn on an increasing scale. To date that has been proved to be quite difficult. However in recent times, with the growth of the ICT training sector, availability of skill people has been enhanced. Also more and more software business houses are soliciting order from outside. Hence it is expected that within a decade software will form a predominant part of our economy.