Domestic software firms organize US roadshow

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippines’ software industry is organizing a month-long roadshow in the United States in July to showcase the local information technology (IT) sector’s products and services. Software industry group Philippine Software Industry Association (PSIA) has scheduled roadshows in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco and San Jose. Some of its members will also participate in the World BPO Forum in New Jersey scheduled at the end of July. “The objective behind the US roadshows is to further improve the image of our country in the international IT and software development scenes," said Winston Damarillo, PSIA chairman for international marketing, in a press statement. The PSIA is coordinating with the Department of Trade and Industry, including its commercial representative in New York to organize the roadshows, Damarillo added. “We hope to solidify the country’s stand as one of the major players in both of these fields, bringing with us a local team of progressive companies that will exhibit the industry-leading technologies and services our country now offers," he said. The US is a major market for the Philippine software companies which number nearly 400 as of 2007. According to the PSIA website, the local software industry has been providing offshore and outsourced software development services for more than two decades with the US as a major market, with a 45% share, followed by Japan, 24% and Europe, 24%. Among the Philippine software companies who will participate include Exist Global and Morph Labs, which are companies headed by Damarillo, Headstrong Philippines, Soluziona, and Pointwest Technologies, to name a few. The US roadshows are scheduled to kick off on July 17-18 in Los Angeles, California. It will culminate with the World BPO Forum in Jersey City, New Jersey on July 28-29. The forum is considered the largest offshoring and outsourcing (O&O) summit in the world. Major outsourcing service providers attend the forum to network and to discuss emerging trends and issues affecting the sector. - Veronica C. Silva, GMANews.TV