MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine Software Industry Association (PSIA) is confident of delivering a 30 percent growth in revenues this year as major players continued to work toward sustained development of intellectual property and software production.
PSIA said it sees revenues of the software development industry hitting $1.5 billion this year from $1.16 billion last year. Likewise, the group sees a 33 percent jump in the number of software engineers and information technology professionals employed to 80,000 from 60,000.
PSIA president Joey Gurango said homegrown ‘technopreneurs’ are making waves in the software industry and continue to steer the local IT and software development industry.
“You only get big or bigger in software services. Change happens so quickly. There are always new opportunities around the corner,†he stressed.
Gurango, who is chief executive officer of Gurango Software Corp., said PSIA member e-Button was hired on the spot in a recent trade mission in Singapore when a delegate requested them to develop an emergency response mobile application similar to 911 in the United States.
Another milestone is that of software firm Ideyatech Inc. which developed the eCourt program of the Supreme Court serving as an electronic end-to-end case management system that responds to the country’s need for an automated and modernized judicial system.
“There are unlimited business opportunities in the Philippine software and IT services industry. Technopreneurs should have the ability to seize the moment. We are so excited for the the birth of more start-up companies, and globally successful innovations that PSIA will foster in the next 25 years,†Gurango added.
“We are privileged to be guided by experienced technopreneurs that continuously help us refine and improve our innovations,†said Honeylyn Balingcasag of Codetoki, an online learning platform that helps IT students and fresh graduates build their portfolio according to the requirements of their potential employers.
Dale Dennis David, founder of Pickld and creative director of mobile apps and game developer Team O.P.S, said many start-ups would experience difficulty taking their business to the next level.
Having a technopreneur mentor, David explained, would help them move forward, by providing access to expertise and capital, among others.
“We lack a Cinderella story in the Philippines. And for that, you need a big idea, a good execution team, and the support of a community or network. The Philippines has all the necessary ingredients, thanks to PSIA,†he added.
Companies like ICPA, Taguto, and Codetoki are receiving valuable expert mentorship from the Software Products Incubation Group (SPrInG.PH), a project of PSIA which began in August 2011 and was co-founded by the CEOs of Gurango, BlastAsia, Computer Professionals and Seer Technologies.
SPrInG.PH supports members through the development of business plans and product pitching to foreign venture capital. The group also sets up marketing subsidies for companies with market-ready products, and establishes partnerships with software vendors, infrastructure providers, communications providers and groups.
To highlight the local industry’s capability in product development and software services, PSIA will be featuring sessions on technopreneurship and start-ups in its upcoming Softcon.ph, the first Philippine software conference where software megatrends would be discussed and presented to industry players and stakeholders.