Exploring the feasibility of a software engineering centre in Sri Lanka

Abstract

The software industry is becoming more complex due to the rapid change of development tools and technology platforms. Most countries gain competitive advantage by adopting these technologies quickly and make their software industry competitive in the international market. Globally recognized software firms use state of the art technology tools and platforms to design, develop and test their software solutions to ensure the ultimate product is of high quality. Sri Lanka has the potential to tap the software export market if the government can provide the required infrastructure and incentives to local software firms. Lack of government support and inadequate access to the state of the art technology tools are key barriers for the development of small and medium scale software firms. This research project aims to analyze some of the current problems of the software industry in Sri Lanka as experienced by software firms. It further extends to estimate the demand for services, which may help small and medium software firms and individuals to use state of the art technology tools and platforms when offered at areasonable price. Based on the demand estimate the researcher aims to explore the feasibility of a software engineering centre and conceptualize the service delivery model. The proposed centre aims to provide services to small and medium software firms and individuals who practice software development as a profession so that they may achieve the standards of world class software enterprises. A proposal for a sustainable business model based on the conceptual model is an important part of this project.