Prospects

Software development represents the ultimate attainment for developing countries which for almost three decades have endeavoured to create Information Services Sectors to earn foreign exchange and provide employment for their citizens. Software for export presents several challenges for these countries yet about 50 of them have ventured into the arena.

These two Caribbean countries, Jamaica and Barbados, have as joint venture partners or in global software teams, contributed as developers to the global software outsourcing movement. In the process they have had to improve their educational and training programmes for IT personnel. Companies in the Information Services Sector have influenced curriculum changes at the various institutions for the development of software engineers. They have actually taught courses at these institutions and have afforded job attachments for students within their companies. Recent university graduates have also benefited from stints in the clients' North American software factories. The impact on human skills development for IT utilization has been considerable. One notes the adoption of system development tools and methodologies and the adherence to programming standards which have been evident in the production of domestic software. Some domestic companies now feel compelled to adopt best practices in their systems planning and have even opted to modify existing procedures so that best practices software can be acquired globally.

In the pursuit of the dream of software for export there has been a heightened interest in strategic national IT planning. Also closer public-private sector cooperation about IT utilization has ensued.

One unfortunate feature however has been the veil of secrecy that surrounds organization in the sector. This has not only affected the assessment of real financial contribution to the economy but has limited access to information on critical issues about the general operations of these companies. The true picture about the sustainability of individual companies and of the sector itself is difficult to determine. There still continues to be too heavy a reliance on anecdotal evidence as one seeks to evaluate the true contribution of IT companies to the local economy.

However government's investments agencies in both countries continue to market these as good locations for the establishment of near-shore operations. With the growth of electronic commerce and of networked organizations the prospects for these countries and similar small developing countries seem bright once the correct training, legal and telecommunications infrastructures are put in place.