Sri Lanka’s business elite assemble for Android Business Forum

Monday, 26 March 2012 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Members of Sri Lanka’s business elite gathered at the Cinnamon Grand for Etisalat’s Android Business Forum, a workshop that focused on the application of the platform in a professional context. Etisalat who pioneered Android Forums in the country put a corporate spin on the concept as the evening’s presentations outlined ways in which Android can maximise business potential. The event was aimed at senior management in Sri Lanka’s businesses.

Microimage CEO (one of Sri Lanka’s leading mobile technology developers), Harsha Purasinghe, and Etisalat’s CEO, Dumindra Ratnayaka, were the two speakers at the event. Purasinghe spoke on the way that Android has changed the face of human resource management, the broadcast media and publishing; citing the launch of Book Hub, Sri Lanka’s first ebook reader and online book store as a prime example.

Ratnayaka’s presentation focused on the way that smart phones have changed the personal and professional lives of executives on the go. He also spoke on the ability of applications to target niche segments and niche needs, allowing application developers to design solutions that cater to very specific customer needs.

On Etisalat’s role in promoting Android in Sri Lanka Ratnayaka said, “We are the flag bearer’s of Android in Sri Lanka, not because it’s our brand, it’s Google’s, but because for businessmen, developers, IT entrepreneurs and everyday Sri Lankans, Android is an innovation that will improve lives. That is why it has been such a global success, and ultimately that is what our business is about, bringing meaningful innovations to Sri Lanka that improves the lives of people.

Etisalat’s Android Businesses Forum is the fourth Android event that they have hosted the third this year. They opened the year with two forums, one aimed at developers and one aimed and new users. The forums have been a vehicle through which the public has been able to envision the capability of Android in Sri Lanka and localise its technological offering. “The Android OS and smart phone technology is something that has come to Sri Lanka from other countries, but for it to realise its full potential, local developers have to understand it and apply it to addressing local needs and issues. The Android Forums are our way of empowering Sri Lankans with the right knowledge framework to achieve this,” Ratnayaka elaborated.

As one of the most powerful players in Sri Lanka’s telecommunications industry, Etisalat continues to discover new horizons and explore new possibilities in the domain. Etisalat further offers Sri Lanka’s most cutting edge Internet solutions with the launch if it’s 3.75G technology. Standing at the top of the ladder in innovation, quality and customer service, they have surpassed four million subscribers in a record time since their launch and Etisalat remains dedicated to increasing its subscriber base and taking the company to greater heights.