News

- Pioneering venture automates procurement process with over 30 high profile buyer companies

- Web portal eases COVID-19 disruptions for over 3,000 registered suppliers

A bold new venture seeks to revolutionise Sri Lanka’s tender and procurement system by automating the buyer-seller experience and easing the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The website www.greentape.lk is Sri Lanka’s online procuring platform that offers a certified and verified vendor base. The platform which aims to create a level playing field for procurement in the country was launched in November 2020. Within a short time span it is already serving a base of over 30 high profile buyer companies. 

They have successfully concluded more than 700 tenders amounting to some half a billion rupees in business for over 3,000 registered suppliers. The suppliers comprise a good cross-section from very small to large businesses and also businesses from overseas.

Green Tape is a multi-tenant cloud platform conceptualised, designed, developed and brought to market by Affno Virtual Market Ltd. (AVM). Buyer companies can enhance process and spend efficiency as well as institute an organisational change whilst sellers get easy and cost-effective access to these buyer companies.

AVM Chairman Nissanka Weerasekera, who is a pioneer in the tech institutional investor community in Sri Lanka, explained that procurement is the Cinderella of automation and productivity improvement in business. 

“Its relative immaturity compared to other corporate functions results in companies standing to lose considerably. The loss is not just financial but also reputational. And what’s worse, the loss is for the most part out of the view of business owners. As such, procurement remains the covert bane of business,” Weerasekera added.

“By attracting large volumes of B2B buyers and sellers to one place to transact, network effects would multiply the value of any one buyer or seller being present on the Platform, giving each buyer and seller far greater reach,” explained AVM’s Managing Director and Affno Group Co-founder Suren Kannangara. 

Effectively, buyer companies would be in a better position to get the best prices owing to their ability to attract and work with a larger number of suppliers; and suppliers would be able to grow their business faster and cost effectively by being able to easily access new buyer companies. 

The platform streamlines everything for buyers from tender creation, review and approval, to reaching the best suppliers, managing clarifications and submissions, and identifying the best bid. Among the buyer companies on-board are prominent groups such as Sunshine Holdings, Access Engineering and McLarens who have very large procurement functions and an elaborate process.

“They need to get multiple approvals and control costs. With such tedious requirements, they now find business easier and smoother with Green Tape. Also, for suppliers, it also dramatically simplifies the process, encouraging them to place greater value on the opportunity to serve the buyer companies’ needs. This ensures buyer companies get the best product at the best price,” added Kannangara. 

The initial registration to the platform is offered free of charge while for a nominal fee of Rs. 858 per month a supplier gets access to at least ten buyer companies. “We want to make the platform affordable and accessible to all suppliers irrespective of their size. With a simple, transparent and customisable system, we can reduce the inefficiencies and help buyers find suppliers, and suppliers find clients. Our aim is to make business smoother and to create opportunity,” said AVM Chief Operating Officer Amal Karunaratne.

Adapting to the new normal amid the current pandemic, Green Tape helps businesses to grow with faster onboarding mechanisms and submissions. Unique features of the system allow users to navigate with ease and allows convenient access to new partnerships and opportunities with minimal effort. 

Green Tape has set its objectives to streamline the current process of procuring with a more simplistic and transparent system that helps suppliers and buyers to reach out with the aim of creating more business opportunities.

AVM Chairman Nissanka Weerasekera

AVM Managing Director Suren Kannangara

Source: Daily FT Online

Affno has pioneered yet another landmark project in collaboration with the Attorney Generals Department of Sri Lanka. This system was developed exclusively for the use of Attorney General and the staff at Attorney General’s Department.

We have successfully implemented an E-diary & File management system for the Attorney General’s Department. The scope of the system is to digitize the legal case and file creation, updates, case assignment, calendaring, generating reports, legal file handling and tracking progress.

This system will have all the documents necessary for a lawyer at his finger tips on an online platform. While contributing to the reduction of paperwork, accessing the files from anywhere, whenever wanted and transferring files in a matter of seconds is an additional benefit we provide along with the ease to monitor ongoing and upcoming cases and files.

The goal is to completely transform the all-manual process into a simplified step by step action. The Attorney Generals Department has welcomed the global concept of digital government which represents a fundamental shift in the way governments around the world are embracing their mission. From setting measurable administrative goals to improving public service delivery, from making data-driven decisions to ensuring greater accountability and transparency within the public sector to building greater public trust, governmental departments are leveraging the power of information technologies in transformative ways.

This initiative provided by AFFNO will undoubtedly enhance the public service delivery provided by the Attorney General’s Department. We are delighted and pleased to be a part of such a wonderful initiative that would be rewarding beyond measure to every citizen in Sri Lanka.

Al Zayani Commercial Services (AZCS) organised their annual open day in Manama, the capital of the Kingdom of Bahrain. Affno Virtual Market, Affno’s subsidiary focused on e-procurement, sponsored the event which was held on the 19th of November in the Al Murjan Ballroom of the Movenpick Hotel.

The CEO of Affno Virtual Market, Ayesha Ratnayake was invited to address the event and stressed the benefits of strategic sourcing in cutting costs, limiting risks and maximising bottom line savings, highlighting the ways in which Affno e-Tender can support growth driven organisations. “Sourcing and procurement are on the top of today’s corporate agenda as these functions have evolved into a strategic function from an operational one. Modern corporations are now focusing on world-class procurement practices to keep up with today’s challenging environment and retain competitive advantage,” she emphasised.

Affno e-Tender offers digital transformation across the entire procurement spectrum for all types of spending across all industry sectors. Through 19 years of experience in the trade of transitioning organisations towards better operations, Affno’s strategic approach to building hyper-efficient digitised environments has been the key to providing companies with dramatic return on investment.

Affno takes pride in having been a partner to Al Zayani Commercial Services for over five years. Today AZCS represents technology products and services from internationally reputed companies and has implemented these solutions across nearly all business sectors of the Kingdom including ministries, banks and multinational organisations.

Affno’s state-of-the-art online Ship Registry Portal for the Department of Ports and Maritime Affairs at the Ministry of Transportation and Telecommunications in the Kingdom of Bahrain is a groundbreaking initiative for the Middle East. It provides a single point of access for ship owners to make use of all Ship Registry services – online, anywhere, anytime.

The portal has been nominated among hundreds of entries from across the Middle East to be showcased at the Dubai International Government Achievements Exhibition (DIGAE) in UAE, which recognises public sector excellence in the Gulf Region.

Under the Patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, the sixth edition of Dubai International Government Achievements Exhibition (DIGAE) will take place from April 9-11, 2018 at the Dubai World Trade Centre, organised by the General Secretariat of the Executive Council of Dubai, along with one of its key programmes, Dubai Government Excellence Programme. DIGAE is considered the benchmark for showcasing public sector excellence in the Gulf Region, where nominated authorities, institutions, departments and agencies are chosen from among the hundreds of government institutions across the Middle East to showcase the Region’s most effective programmes and innovative solutions. By demonstrating the most cutting-edge initiatives, the DIGAE aims to foster the next generation of high performing public services.

The Ship Registry Portal empowers ship owners to execute e-services such as registering vessels, securing licenses, obtaining endorsements for vessel officers and for all seamen on board, renewing expired certificates, transferring vessel ownership and more. The solution fully integrates with the Department's other core applications, external payment gateways and bulk messaging operators. Comprehensive reports and statistics are provided on Ship Registry activities, and management now has a bird's eye view of business process efficiency.

With the introduction of the portal, turnaround time has dramatically reduced from weeks to days, paper consumption is virtually nil, payments are processed instantly and queries answered immediately. Ship owners are empowered and Registry management have instant insight into Registry operations. New vessel registrations and license issuance have increased, and Affno's solution continues to support the Department’s growth.

The eight storey high, 12,000-square-metre M2M building will be home to some of Colombo’s most innovative workspaces, a restaurant, a cafe and an events pavilion. The building carries with it the vision of being a hub for creative collaboration and original thinking. Each floor has a character of its own, and is unique in layout and design.

Such an innovative building requires an equally innovative website. Therefore, Moot Manor, the owner of M2M, partnered with Affno to create an online presence that would do justice to its bold vision.

The M2M website brings to life the building’s tasteful, creative design, and showcases what it means to everyone involved in its development. Every floor of the building is showcased in an interactive floor plan, complete with 360 degree views. The website is video rich, showcasing conversations with the creators and illustrating the role they expect M2M to play in shaping Sri Lanka’s future. Importantly, the website is designed to generate leads, with a downloadable brochure and calls to action to get in touch to say hello or reserve a space.

Drawing inspiration from the gridded facade of the building, which was based on local weaving patterns, the website design incorporates colourful geometric lines marking a path through each page. With minimal written content and seamless resizing, the mobile-first design ensures the site offers an engaging experience on devices of every size.

With a history of over 18 years and business across 10 countries, Affno specialises in a unique combination of areas that have given the company unmatched technical and aesthetic expertise – Web Development, Mobile Innovation and Workplace Automation. Affno’s strategic approach allows the company to offer solutions which are not just effective, but have powerful transformational effects.

M2M is a project of Moot Manor. Lead Architects on the project are Netherlands-based architecture and urban design practice MVRDV, in collaboration with local architects ACS Integrated and PWA Architects. Completion of the building is slated for February 2019.

Affno’s website for Periceyl (Private) Limited showcases the full range of the company’s offering, neatly categorising the choice of foreign liquors, locally manufactured foreign liquors and arrack marketed by Periceyl. Against an elegant black backdrop, each beverage is attractively described with details on how it is crafted, its flavour, intensity, and even whether it has won awards internationally.

The company’s background and history are also showcased and career opportunities available at the organisation are detailed. A multimedia gallery highlights the marketing material of the organisation.

Meanwhile, a section on responsible drinking provides valuable advice on identifying limits, respecting oneself and others and travelling safely.

Users of the website are equipped in getting in touch with the company and a powerful search facility makes finding any item a breeze. The site is easily accessible from any device, adjusting seamlessly to suit any screen size.

With a history of over 18 years and business across 10 countries, Affno specialises in a unique combination of areas that have given the company unmatched technical and aesthetic expertise – Web Development, Mobile Innovation and Workplace Automation. Affno’s strategic approach allows the company to offer solutions which are not just effective, but have powerful transformational effects.

Periceyl (Pvt) Ltd. was incorporated in 1996 as a joint venture between the Pernod Ricard Group of France and DCSL (Distilleries Company of Sri Lanka). The company produces and distributes locally manufactured foreign liquor and arrack to hotels, restaurants, clubs, exclusive supermarket chains and licensed liquor shops. Today, Periceyl is fully owned by DCSL, which purchased the shares of the Pernod Ricard Group in 2007.

The Affno Ventures website uses the concept of the Tangram, an ancient transformation puzzle which can create a virtually endless number of forms, as a metaphor for the creative and strategic thinking that allows Affno Ventures to transform endless ideas into profitable digital businesses.

The tangram alters before the user’s eyes, the seven dancing shapes rearranging to form different animals, characters and objects. Meanwhile, the minimalistic design of the site uses just two colours while painting a picture of the company’s optimistic ideologies.

The website introduces Affno Ventures, its background, values and leadership, and invites visitors to get in touch to share their bright ideas. A detailed Careers section showcases the range of opportunities available and invites prospective candidates to apply online.

With a history of over 18 years and business across 10 countries, Affno specialises in a unique combination of areas that have given the company unmatched technical and aesthetic expertise – Web Development, Mobile Innovation and Workplace Automation. Affno’s strategic approach allows the company to offer solutions which are not just effective, but have powerful transformational effects.

Affno Ventures is a subsidiary of Affno and serves as an incubator to transform heroic ideas into profitable technology companies. The company generates ideas based on key market needs, researches and analyses these for potential and viability, and launches technological platforms strategically designed by experience architects to generate massive returns.

The Jetwing Symphony website was designed by Affno to invite participation in the company’s Initial Public Offering (IPO) while projecting the attractiveness and grandeur of the brand.

The website immediately immerses visitors in its beautiful properties dispersed across Sri Lanka with stunning, full-screen imagery that transports viewers to the locations of luxury they depict.

Visitors are invited to learn more about each of the properties under the Jetwing Symphony name, and the achievements that the organisation has garnered. Prospective investors were equipped with the facility to download a prospectus and contact Jetwing Symphony for more information.

As part of Affno’s 360-degree approach, an online campaign was launched along with the website which drew over 90,000 views in less than two weeks. Advertisements were run on the home page of the Colombo Stock Exchange website, websites for local investors, business and economy websites, and the Business sections of news websites, and the ads showed up on Google Search when visitors entered one of 500 shortlisted key terms.

Visitors spent an impressive four minutes interacting with the website, reflecting how engaged they were, and the website secured an impressive number of inquiries, contributing to the success of the IPO.

With a history of over 18 years and business across 10 countries, Affno specialises in a unique combination of areas that have given the company unmatched technical and aesthetic expertise – Web Development, Mobile Innovation and Workplace Automation. Affno’s strategic approach allows the company to offer solutions which are not just effective, but have powerful transformational effects.

Incorporated in 2007, Jetwing Symphony now serves as the Jetwing Group’s investment arm. Its current portfolio includes Jetwing Yala (Yala), Jetwing Kaduruketha (Wellawaya), Jetwing Lake (Dambulla), Jetwing Surf (Pottuvil Point) and Jetwing Colombo Seven (Colombo).

The Mercmarine Training website was designed to invite students to embark on a life at sea, inspiring them to seek out training opportunities at Mercmarine Training.

The website is designed to engage a youthful audience, with attractive full-screen imagery and skimmable content easily accessible via any mobile device. It also offers 360-degree tours of Mercmarine Training facilities, from the Navigation, Engine and Fire simulation rooms to the workshops, training stations and galley. By opting for real, authentic imagery over stock images, interviewing key personnel and actively studying the unique operations of the organisation, Affno sought to reliably project the Mercmarine Training offering.

The site navigation has been designed to make it easy to rapidly locate relevant courses based on the user’s level of education. Within a single click from the home page, O-Level and A-Level qualified candidates can view the courses applicable to them without getting distracted by irrelevant content.

The website takes care to visually depict life at the institute, with rich galleries organised by role. Course details, career trajectories and answers to common questions are provided, aiding prospective students in decision making.

With a history of over 18 years and business across 10 countries, Affno specialises in a unique combination of areas that have given the company unmatched technical and aesthetic expertise – Web Development, Mobile Innovation and Workplace Automation. Affno’s strategic approach allows the company to offer solutions which are not just effective, but have powerful transformational effects.

Mercmarine has been training seafarers in Shipboarding, Ship Management and Crew Management for the past 30 years. Mercmarine Training aims to impart academic knowledge of the techniques required by a seafarer, and provide practical training in the skills that come from long years of experience acquired at sea by professional seamen. The institute provides the latest equipment and a highly skilled faculty with long experience in all practical aspects of the shipping industry.

At Affno, sustainability is a passion. Therefore, when Friends of Wilpattu, a community of volunteers dedicated to the protection and preservation of Wilpattu National Park, requested Affno’s help in securing donations for actions to prevent poaching and enable animal mobility, Affno was quick to come on board.

Taking the initiative on as a CSR project, Affno developed a website for the community to educate the public about its cause. Understanding the importance of credibility, the website provides details on the Friends of Wilpattu team, their ongoing and completed projects, and short and long term plans for preservation.

The key reasons for the immediate next action required – to develop the South Wilpattu boundary – are provided upfront, from preventing poaching to distributing traffic across the park, and visitors are invited to learn more about these efforts.

With a history of over 18 years and business across 10 countries, Affno specialises in a unique combination of areas that have given the company unmatched technical and aesthetic expertise – Web Development, Mobile Innovation and Workplace Automation. Affno’s strategic approach allows the company to offer solutions which are not just effective, but have powerful transformational effects.

Friends of Wilpattu is a not-for-profit organisation comprising a diverse group of volunteers who contribute time and resources towards conserving, protecting and preserving Wilpattu National Park for current and future generations.

The new Havelock City website brings to life the theme of ‘space’ which accentuates the 18 acres of space residents of Havelock City can enjoy – space to live, space to breathe, space for retail, space in the heart of a bustling, metropolitan city.

Designed and developed by Affno (Pvt) Ltd., the new website (www.havelockcity.lk) uses full-screen imagery to immerse visitors in the prospect of luxury living in the heart of Colombo. Highlighting the Melford and Stratford Towers which are now available for sale, the website encourages viewers to explore and imagine a new lifestyle.

The information architecture has been carefully orchestrated to provide a visitor with all they would need to know, from the facilities that would be available to them as a resident to insights into the credibility of the developers, Overseas Realty (Ceylon) PLC. Recognising investors as a strategic audience group, a dedicated investor section is provided to meet all their needs. Meanwhile, the mobile-responsive design ensures the site is easily navigable by those browsing on the go.

While meeting information needs, the website is also designed to attract quality leads. It draws visitors to take action towards making a purchase by inviting them to download an e-brochure, study a floor plan or request a call from an agent.

Adopting a holistic approach, Affno launched an online media campaign consecutively which achieved 90% share of voice among targeted audience groups and continues to secure substantial leads.

With a history of over 17 years and business across 10 countries, Affno specialises in a unique combination of areas that have given the company unmatched technical and aesthetic expertise – Web Development, Mobile Innovation and Workplace Automation. Affno’s strategic approach allows the company to offer solutions which are not just effective, but have powerful transformational effects.

Havelock City is an elegant mixed-use development project offering 18 acres of residential, retail and commercial space in the heart of Colombo. Brought to life by Mireka Capital Land (Pvt) Ltd., Havelock City is a fully owned subsidiary of Overseas Realty (Ceylon) PLC the largest listed property company in Sri Lanka, and the developer and owner of the iconic World Trade Center, Colombo. The organization’s principal shareholder is the Singapore-based Shing Kwan Group.

Being a company with a history of over 150 years, the Siddhalepa group’s story is not an unknown one. Affno used its 15-year partnership with this beloved household name as a perch to rebuild its website to serve the latest international web trends and meet the demands of an increasingly dynamic audience base.

Siddhalepa’s first website made it a pioneer in Sri Lanka’s e-commerce space. The new website provides a treasure trove of information on Ayurvedic remedies while allowing consumers to purchase their favourite Ayurvedic products with ease via the latest web technologies.

Fostering e-commerce, the mobile-responsive website is designed to draw in leads, highlighting featured products which are popular among visitors and inviting users to browse Siddhalepa’s product range without leaving the home page. Visitors can add products to their wish list, read product reviews, view similar products and compare products side by side before making the decision to purchase.

Repeat customers are encouraged to review products while sharing buttons invite users to share their favourite items with their friends via social media. The website also provides a herbal dictionary and herbal remedies for common ailments, along with recipes for wellbeing. In this way, the site endeavours to create a community around the Siddhalepa brand.

The website uses full-screen imagery in shades of green, brown and white to create a sense of relaxation and being grounded with nature. As an informational hub, the website immerses visitors in the concepts of Ayurveda and the heritage of Sri Lanka, highlighting the authentic goodness of Siddhalepa’s products.

The website is also interactive, with sections like ‘Ask our Doctor’ which encourages visitors to get insights from Siddhalepa’s gurus and ‘Healing with Siddhalepa’ which allows users to pinpoint their problem areas on a body map and view the corresponding solutions.

With a history of over 17 years and business across 10 countries, Affno specialises in a unique combination of areas that have given the company unmatched technical and aesthetic expertise – Web Development, Mobile Innovation and Workplace Automation. Affno’s strategic approach allows the company to offer solutions which are not just effective, but have powerful transformational effects.

Siddhalepa is the flagship brand of the Hettigoda Group, manufacturers of over 150 Ayurveda medicines, health care, beauty, skin, oral care, wellness and spa products. The Group was founded in Sri Lanka in 1937 by Kidney Specialist and Astrologer Dr. Hendrick de Silva Hettigoda. In 1994, Hettigoda Industries was the first ayurvedic drug manufacturing company in Asia to receive the prestigious international standards quality systems certificate for its preparations, the ISO 9002 certificate. Today it is certified with ISO 9001, 14001, 18001, 22000 and HACCP.

Founded in 1909, the Old Girls' Association (OGA) of Ladies' College is a prestigious organisation which strives to further the mission of Ladies College, Sri Lanka. The Executive Committee of the OGA sought to build an interactive website which engaged the OGA community and fostered stronger relationships and greater contribution.

The website equips OGA members in purchasing memorabilia such as house t-shirts, caps and aprons in the style of the Ladies’ College school uniform. Furthering the sense of nostalgia, past events conducted by the OGA are attractively showcased, complete with multimedia galleries.

Community members are also able to contribute to the OGA by making secure online donations.

The new website features an upcoming events calendar which highlights the latest events and activities of the OGA. Visitors can access downloadable newsletters from 2008 onwards and browse details on the history of the association, its constitution, current Executive Committee, President’s message, and Chapel Trust. And the LC Spotlight section further the pride of visiting ‘LC-ites’ who can view the accomplishments of their peers who gone on to speak at TED, help detect gravitational waves, receive recognition from the Queen, and break several glass ceilings.

With a history of over 18 years and business across 10 countries, Affno specialises in a unique combination of areas that have given the company unmatched technical and aesthetic expertise – Web Development, Mobile Innovation and Workplace Automation. Affno’s strategic approach allows the company to offer solutions which are not just effective, but have powerful transformational effects.

The Old Girls' Association of Ladies' College engages in activities that encourage the membership to come together in fellowship and solidarity, for the purpose of shouldering its collective responsibility towards its alma mater and the teachers and future students of Ladies College.

Mr. Saleh Tarradah, CEO of ST Consultants and Partner to Affno, wanted a website that would reflect the prestige of the ST Consultants brand, and turned to Affno to bring the brand online.

As credibility is a vital factor, the website introduces the profile of Mr. Saleh Tarradah as CEO and highlights the company’s participation at forums and conferences across the Gulf region, from Bahrain to Dubai. The achievements of the organisation are also highlighted, along with the specific services provided.

Highlighting the thought leadership of the organisation, a ‘Thoughts’ section addresses topics such as “Do we need to transform the municipal services?” and discusses approaches to improvement. This showcases the insight ST Consultants can bring to the table and gives visitors a flavour of the company’s areas of expertise.

With a history of over 18 years and business across 10 countries, Affno specialises in a unique combination of areas that have given the company unmatched technical and aesthetic expertise – Web Development, Mobile Innovation and Workplace Automation. Affno’s strategic approach allows the company to offer solutions which are not just effective, but have powerful transformational effects.

ST Consultants is a Bahrain based company established in August 2011 and headed by CEO Saleh Tarradah who has more than 30 years of technical and management experience in the private sector, including over 15 years’ experience as a General Manager and a member of Bahrain Telecommunications Company (Batelco) Executive Management Team.

One of Bahrain’s leading conglomerates, Mohammed Jalal & Sons (MJS) proudly launched its new website on 26th of December 2016 at Diplomat Hotel.

The new Mohammed Jalal & Sons (MJS) website, which targets an audience of investors, partners and potential employees, was developed by Affno Middle East WLL, and is uniquely user-friendly, with multi-path navigation enabling users to find the information they seek within one or two clicks. With comprehensive information communicating the strength and stability of the MJS Group, the website affirms the Group’s status in the digital age.

The site provides a number of customer-oriented features, including a quick contact form allowing visitors to rapidly get in touch with the company. Designed with today’s tech-ready audience in mind, the website is mobile-responsive, adapting to all manner of mobile and tablet devices. The backend of the website is equally efficient, allowing many functionalities including obtaining CVs uploaded by job applicants.

Mohammed Jalal & Sons (MJS), founded in 1947, has developed into one of the leading businesses in the Kingdom, representing many key sectors including construction, oil and gas, contracting, engineering, trading, IT solutions and services, food and beverage, travel, interior design, lifts and escalators, water purification, security services and more. MJS has further established a global presence in other regions including Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait, Oman and Qatar.

Affno, established in 2000 and having business in 10 countries, is a leading player in the digital sphere. The company engages in the development of high-end websites and knowledge management software, and continues to break new ground in e-Government and mobile applications.

MAS Linea Aqua recently partnered with Affno to offer clients around the world the opportunity to have custom-designed swimwear shipped to them from the comfort of their own home.

In the first phase of what promises to be a long and valuable partnership, local entrepreneurs Rum Punch Resortwear who fall under the many brands supported by Linea Aqua, have begun to promote and sell their swimwear to a global clientele. The tool designed by Affno allows users to customise and design swimwear and the site too is customised in order to attract the brand’s target audience by leveraging design elements like a bright, eye-catching colour scheme and mobile responsive design. The design is also focused on offering high usability which enables users’ to design and purchase their customised swimwear within a couple of clicks.

MAS Linea Aqua is a joint venture between Speedo International (UK), Brandot International (US) & MAS Holdings of Sri Lanka, and their vision is to become the most captivating swimwear brand in the world. At present they have grown from their origins in 2001 to become the driving strength behind some of the most prominent swimwear brands in the world. The company’s product capabilities range from high-performance competition swimwear to designer wear, leisure and children’s swimwear.

With a history of 17 years and business across 10 countries, Affno specialises in a unique combination of areas that have given the company unmatched technical and aesthetic expertise – Web Development, Mobile Innovation and Workplace Automation. Affno’s strategic approach allows the company to offer solutions which are not just effective, but have powerful transformational effects.

The partnership between the two entities not only suggests strong moves forward in terms of technology but will also keep the Sri Lankan flag flying high.

The Ministry of Transportation and Telecommunications in the Kingdom of Bahrain saw an opportunity to revitalise the image of Bahrain’s postal service. At a time when social media was fast becoming the preferred mode of communication, the postal system was becoming seen as increasingly staid. However, with the rise of e-commerce, the transfer of parcels by post was also on the rise. Affno stepped in to provide citizens with a revamped experience in interacting with the Bahrain postal system.

Affno developed a bilingual website (English and Arabic) for Bahrain Post, providing citizens with access to a number of e-services, including renewing a post office box, tracking and tracing a parcel and calculating mailing fees. The mobile responsive design ensured easy access to these e-services from any device, regardless of size or platform. The website also actively fostered the Bahrain Post image, giving a glimpse into its background and history as well as the latest press releases, photos, videos and publications. For a personal touch, a philately gallery was introduced to showcase the commemorative stamps that Bahrain has issued over the years and provide stamp collectors with details on how to obtain these unique creations.

With a history of over 17 years and business across 10 countries, Affno specialises in a unique combination of areas that have given the company unmatched technical and aesthetic expertise – Web Development, Mobile Innovation and Workplace Automation. Affno’s strategic approach allows the company to offer solutions which are not just effective, but have powerful transformational effects.

Bahrain Post is part of the Kingdom of Bahrain’s Ministry of Transportation and Telecommunication’s Land Transport and Postal Affairs, and provides domestic and international courier services for mail and parcel delivery via a network of 17 post offices. Bahrain is a member of the Arab Postal Union, the Universal Postal Union and the GCC Post Authority and is a founding member of the Gulf Postal Organisation.

With its strong focus on wellness and wellbeing, the Asiri Health website stands out in the healthcare industry. The website strives to project an attitude of wholeness and fulfillment, with an information architecture structured and styled with wellness in mind.

Designed and developed by Affno (Pvt) Ltd., the new site (www.asirihealth.com) epitomises Asiri’s theme of "Live More". It uses soothing colours and, throughout its pages, projects a lifestyle of health, vigour and vitality. Full-screen imagery of individuals enjoying life combined with an uncluttered layout make for a pleasant user experience that offers peace of mind. Asiri Health’s patient-oriented attitude is acutely portrayed, along with its advanced capabilities in medical technology

Valuing the needs of its patients, the website places its most used features - from viewing lab reports and making payments to booking consultations and checking the consultation room status - at the forefront. It further supports users in registering for awareness workshops, learning about an array of conditions and preparing for tests, making it an educational hub as well as a marketing channel.

A clean design and straightforward navigation provide users with ease of access to information at a time when they need it most, while the mobile-responsive design ensures that all services are available at their fingertips.

With a history of over 15 years and business across 10 countries, Affno specialises in a unique combination of areas that have given the company unmatched technical and aesthetic expertise – Web Development, Mobile Innovation and Workplace Automation. Affno’s strategic approach allows the company to offer solutions which are not just effective, but have powerful transformational effects.

Counting more than 30 years of excellence in healthcare, Asiri Health is a leading brand in private healthcare in Sri Lanka owned by the Softlogic Group. Asiri Health comprises Asiri Surgical Hospital, Asiri Medical Hospital, Asiri Central Hospital, Asiri Hospital Matara and Asiri Laboratory Services.

CEO of Affno, Suren Kannangara addresses the gathering at the Workshop.

Hatton National Bank PLC has just launched its brand new website. Designed and developed by Affno (Pvt) Ltd., the new site, which targets both individual and corporate customers, was designed to become a benchmark amongst websites in the banking sector.

The hallmark of any Affno website is user-friendliness, and the HNB website epitomises this quality. The site was designed to help that visitors find the information they want as quickly and easily as possible, presenting the most sought-after information and tools upfront and helping users quickly filter to find the content most relevant to their needs. Information is provided in an easy-to-skim manner so users can grasp key points quickly in a clutter-free environment. Users also have the option of downloading applications, contacting the bank in the manner of their choice, or saving information to view later.

Designed with today’s tech-ready audience in mind, the website is mobile-responsive, adapting to all manner of mobile and tablet devices. This gives users the benefit of loan calculators, maps, ATM locators and all other features on their mobiles.

Apart from its intuitive and feature-rich interface, the website uses the latest web trends to project HNB’s passion for innovation and transformation of banking in Sri Lanka. Making the site particularly engaging and mobile friendly, the design uses parallax scrolling and allows users to view all information on a product simply by swiping rather than navigating to several pages.

But Affno’s vision for HNB doesn’t stop there – this is only the first step in the bank’s web strategy. Further value-additions are set to follow (including social sign-in and a card reward finder), creating new avenues for individuals and corporations to interact and engage with the Bank.

Chammika Weerasinghe, Head of Marketing at HNB, commented: “HNB is one of Sri Lanka’s most visited banking websites and it's therefore essential that it connects with consumers to give them greater control and access to information so they can make informed financial decisions which suit their needs. Team HNB is excited to bring you a best-in-class banking experience.”

Suren Kannangara, CEO of Affno, commenting on the launch, said, “Affno has been partnering with HNB for over seven years, and it is a relationship we cherish. The site is built on the latest technologies and designed to provide the optimal user experience for HNB clients.”

Hatton National Bank is a premier private sector commercial bank in Sri Lanka with a long history of over 120 years. The Bank has been acknowledged globally by The Asian Banker as the Best Retail Bank in Sri Lanka for six consecutive years. A focus on cross-generation engagement and innovation in support of customer value puts Hatton National Bank in a league of its own.

With a history of over 15 years and business across 10 countries, Affno specialises in a unique combination of areas that have given the company unmatched technical and aesthetic expertise – Web Development, Mobile Innovation and Workplace Automation. Affno’s strategic approach allows the company to offer solutions which are not just effective, but have powerful transformational effects.

CEO of Affno, Suren Kannangara addresses the gathering at the Workshop.

One of Sri Lanka’s fastest growing banks, Nations Trust Bank has embarked on the next step in its journey of innovation with a brand new website. Designed and developed by Affno (Pvt) Ltd., the new website is a testament to the increasingly digital nature of our lives.

One of Sri Lanka’s fastest growing banks, Nations Trust Bank has embarked on the next step in its journey of innovation with a brand new website. Designed and developed by Affno (Pvt) Ltd., the new website is a testament to the increasingly digital nature of our lives.

The bank is replacing the traditional, brick-and-mortar model and going directly to the pockets of its customers with a mobile responsive website that connects users directly to the bank with services such as Internet banking, SMS banking and mobile banking, all whilst raising the bar for websites in the banking sector.

Designed with today’s tech-savvy audience in mind, this mobile responsive website not only adapts to all manner of mobile and tablet devices, but also gives users the benefit of its distinctive features which include lease and loan calculators, exchange rate calculators, branch and ATM locators and social sharing. Users are directed to take action through clear calls to action – they can apply online, download applications, locate a nearby branch or contact the bank via the site or with a call.

Streamlined navigation, carefully prioritised and categorised content, and easy access to popular pages such as bank promotions all make for a convenient and engaging user experience. Affno has further introduced an aesthetic transformation to the website, using the latest web trends such as a parallax design and mobile-friendly long-scrolling to engage customers.

The site recognises the different stages of an individual’s life and highlights the bank’s pivotal role at each stage – from educational progress to realising wedding plans to finding the perfect home, taking well-deserved vacations, investing, and meeting retirement needs. The website also hosts a dedicated section for small businesses and entrepreneurs.

Nations Trust Bank is a dynamic bank founded in 1999, with over 90 branches at present. The Bank has been acknowledged as one of the fastest growing banks in Sri Lanka, with a promising portfolio of financial products and services catering to the varying requirements of all customers. As a truly customer-centric financial institution with immediate appeal for young and sophisticated professionals, NTB has ensured rapid growth over the years while maintaining market stability.

With a history of over 15 years and business across 10 countries, Affno specialises in a unique combination of areas that have given the company unmatched technical and aesthetic expertise in Web Development, Mobile Innovation and Workplace Automation. Affno’s strategic approach allows the company to offer solutions which are not just effective, but have powerful transformational effects.

Furthering its reputation as an innovator in the insurance industry, Asian Alliance has partnered with Affno to introduce a product that is set to completely disrupt the insurance industry.

The Click2Claim web portal allows users to instantly generate a quotation for a brand new insurance policy simply by entering basic details about their vehicle, and then purchase that policy from Asian Alliance online. The disruptive power of the model lies in the fact that by giving users the option to buy insurance online, Asian Alliance is able to save on setting up brick-and-mortar branches – and these savings can be passed to the customer. The result? Customers enjoy some of the industry’s most competitive rates for insurance policies.

In bringing this product to market in a manner that would help it succeed, Affno played a key role. The site was designed with extensive educational information to give users the confidence to complete a purchase online – from testimonials of satisfied purchasers to clarity on policy terms. A logical and intuitive process flow and optimised data entry also mean that customers don’t need to enter more information than absolutely necessary and have all the guidance they need along the way. The interface is 100% accessible, through mobile, tablet or PC. Meanwhile, modern design trends including flat design, hero areas and simple colour schemes give the site a fresh and up-to-date feel.

Beyond obtaining quotations and buying insurance, users can also renew their policies via the Click2Claim portal or simply learn more about this new offering. In introducing this revolutionary new product, Asian Alliance hopes to dramatically expand its reach while giving greater value to its customers.

Asian Alliance Insurance PLC is part of the Softlogic Group, one of Sri Lanka's most diversified and fastest-growing conglomerates. The company is known for its game changing innovations oriented towards customer convenience, from the new Click2Claim app and Drive Thru insurance concept to its 365 Day Insurance and the industry’s first self-service Insurance Kiosk.

With a history of over 15 years and business across 10 countries, Affno specialises in a unique combination of areas that have given the company unmatched technical and aesthetic expertise – Web Development, Mobile Innovation and Workplace Automation. Affno’s strategic approach allows the company to offer solutions which are not just effective, but have powerful transformational effects.

Affno has been invited once again to present at the Arab ICT Forum. Following its previous appearance at the Arab ICT Forum in 2012, where Affno CEO Suren Kannangara delivered a talk on ‘Mobile as the Future – A Reality or Gimmick?’, Affno will now be presenting ‘Augmented Reality for Business & Government’. The talk will be held on Tuesday 21st October at 12.20pm.

The presentation will showcase how Augmented Reality is set to transform the world as we know it. It will highlight key uses of Augmented Reality (AR) in business, including in advertising, product demonstrations, publications and transactions, as well as the use of AR in government for improving education, healthcare, tourism, urban planning and more.

The presentation will be supplemented with live demonstrations of Affno’s own Augmented Reality applications which bring static objects to life with 3D simulations, video, animations and more.

This highly acclaimed talk was also delivered at the QITCOM Conference in Doha, Qatar alongside presentations by Kevin Eyres, the Former MD of LinkedIn Europe, and Jim McKelvey, the Co-founder of Square.

The Arab ICT Forum 2014 is collaboratively organised by the ICT committee of the Federation of Arab Engineers and the Bahrain Society of Engineers. The forum seeks to establish an enduring interaction and cooperation between the regional ICT leaders and professionals.

Affno presents a unique advantage by virtue of its three complementary offerings – Workplace Automation, Mobile Innovation and Web Development. The combination of these three areas is unique both regionally and globally and has enabled Affno to emerge as a leading specialist in eGovernment and mGovernment.

Visit Affno at Stand SR-05 in the Sheikh Rashid Hall, Dubai World Trade Centre between 12th and 16th October. Vice President Ravi Kannangara and Senior Marketing Manager Mafaz Ifharm will be present to discuss your needs in Mobile Innovation, Workplace Automation and Web Development.

Affno will once again be returning to participate in GITEX Technology Week, to be held from 12th to 16th October 2014 at the Dubai World Trade Centre, Dubai, UAE. Affno will showcase its latest innovations in the field of mobile, including a fresh array of exciting Augmented Reality applications.

Launched in 1981, GITEX Technology Week is the leading technology forum in the MEASA region, bringing together over 139,000 ICT professionals from 144 countries each year, as well as over 3,500 ICT companies from 54 countries. Over 80% of the world's top ICT brands participate every year.

The forum offers incredible exposure into the latest IT trends across the globe, both through knowledge sharing via conference programmes and practical experience with today’s most novel applications of IT.

We invite visitors to GITEX Technology Week to visit Affno at Stand SR-05 in the Sheikh Rashid Hall to discuss your latest initiatives in Mobile Innovation, Workplace Automation and Web Development. If you wish to reserve time to talk to us about how we can help you gain competitive edge, please contact us with your preferred time slot.

For more details about GITEX Technology Week, visit www.gitex.com.

The e-Tender Workshop conducted by Affno in partnership with Al Zayani Commercial Services (AZCS) was a resounding success.

The Workshop was kicked off with an introduction by President of Al Zayani Commercial Services, Afnan Al Zayani. Country Manager for Bahrain, Kevin Kumarasinghe then conducted the workshop, educating attendees on the need for and the value of online procurement.

Well attended by business leaders across several industries, the Workshop was accompanied by demos of the e-Tender system and provided a solid understanding of the best practices in online tendering.

With a history of 14 years and business across nine countries, Affno specialises in a unique combination of areas that have given the company unmatched technical and aesthetic expertise - Workplace Automation, Mobile Innovation and Web Development. Affno has earned a reputation as an eGovernment specialist and won several international awards. Its vision is to establish the Middle East as a global icon for innovation.

Established in 1980, Al Zayani Commercial Services W.L.L. today represents technology products and services from internationally reputed companies all over the world through a network of business associates, joint ventures and contacts. Al Zayani Commercial Services' customer base covers ministries, banks, multinational organisations, institutes, and the business sector of the Kingdom of Bahrain.

Internationally award-winning technology company, Affno, in partnership with Al Zayani Commercial Services, is conducting an e-Tender Workshop to guide Bahrain's Directors and CEOs in making the switch from the inefficient manual means of procurement to leveraging on the reach, cost-efficiency and productivity of online tendering.

The e-Tender Workshop is a power-packed lecture on the value of introducing online tendering to your organisation, and what to expect from a top class e-Tender system. Together with demos and case studies, the Workshop will provide a solid understanding of the best practices in online tendering.

Free to attend, the programme will take place at The Gulf Hotel in Manama (Falcon 5 & 6) on 17th June 2014 from 11 am to 1 pm. Call 17297676 ext. 101 now to reserve your place.

With a history of 14 years and business across nine countries, Affno specialises in a unique combination of areas that have given the company unmatched technical and aesthetic expertise - Workplace Automation, Mobile Innovation and Web Development. Affno has earned a reputation as an eGovernment specialist and won several international awards. Its vision is to establish the Middle East as a global icon for innovation.

Established in 1980, Al Zayani Commercial Services W.L.L. today represents technology products and services from internationally reputed companies all over the world through a network of business associates, joint ventures and contacts. Al Zayani Commercial Services' customer base covers ministries, banks, multinational organisations, institutes, and the business sector of the Kingdom of Bahrain.

Affno was invited to deliver a presentation at the esteemed QITCOM 2014 Conference held in Doha, Qatar. QITCOM 2014 is an ICT conference, exhibition, awards show and more aimed at reflecting the growth potential of the Middle East's ICT sector. Other speakers at the conference included Kevin Eyres, the Former MD of LinkedIn Europe, and Jim McKelvey, the Co-founder of Square.

The subject of Affno's presentation, which took place on 28th May at the Qatar National Convention Centre, was 'Augmented Reality for Business & Government'. Affno's Marketing Manager Ayesha Ratnayake delivered the presentation, showcasing how Augmented Reality can transform the world as we know it. It highlighted key uses of Augmented Reality (AR) in business, including in advertising, product demonstrations, publications and transactions, as well as the use of AR in government for improving education, healthcare, tourism, urban planning and more.

The presentation was supplemented with live demonstrations of Affno's own Augmented Reality applications which bring static objects to life with 3D simulations, video, animations and more.

In its third edition, QITCOM once again connected forward-thinking businesses, innovators and industry leaders to consumers, entrepreneurs, students, and enthusiasts of Information and Communications Technology.

Affno presents a unique advantage by virtue of its three complementary offerings - Workplace Automation, Mobile Innovation and Web Development. The combination of these three areas is unique both regionally and globally and has enabled Affno to emerge as a leading specialist in eGovernment and mGovernment.

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On the invitation of the State of Qatar, Affno participated at QITCOM 2014 at the Qatar National Convention Centre from 26th to 28th May 2014. Affno's Augmented Reality mobile applications stole the show at the QITCOM exhibition, which featured the best of ICT across Qatar.

Affno demonstrated how mobile applications making use of Augmented Reality, NFC and accelerometer functionality can be used in the fields of Education, Road Development, Traffic Contravention Management, Retail, Restaurants, and more. Alongside these innovative applications, the company also showcased its award-winning Workplace Automation software designed to transform the way governments and organisations operate.

QITCOM 2014 is an ICT conference, exhibition, awards show and more aimed at reflecting the growth potential of the region's ICT sector. In its third edition, QITCOM once again connected forward-thinking businesses, innovators and industry leaders to consumers, entrepreneurs, students, and enthusiasts of Information and Communications Technology.

Affno presents a unique advantage by virtue of its three complementary offerings - Workplace Automation, Mobile Innovation and Web Development. The combination of these three areas is unique both regionally and globally and has enabled Affno to emerge as a leading specialist in eGovernment and mGovernment.

Affno has already made its mark in the Middle East with its internationally award-wining mobile initiative for the Bahrain eGovernment Authority, as well as its web solutions for Emirates Airline and the Qatar Financial Centre Regulatory Authority. Affno has also undertaken large-scale process automation projects to transform the Ports and Maritime division of the Kingdom of Bahrain's Ministry of Transportation, and most recently, the Bahrain Chamber of Dispute Resolution. CEO of Affno, Suren Kannangara, discussing Affno's growth plans, expressed the following: "We are eager to spring out of our hub in Bahrain and use our position to develop the Middle East as a global icon of innovation."

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Internationally award-winning software company Affno will be making its presence felt in Qatar, showcasing its groundbreaking mobile and software solutions at QITCOM 2014.

QITCOM 2014 is an ICT conference, exhibition, awards show and more aimed at reflecting the growth potential of the region's ICT sector. In its third edition, QITCOM will once again connect forward-thinking businesses, innovators and industry leaders to consumers, entrepreneurs, students, and enthusiasts of Information and Communications Technology.

Affno will be demonstrating its Augmented Reality applications which push the boundaries of technological possibility. Alongside these, the company will also showcase Workplace Automation software designed to transform the way governments and organisations operate. Visit Affno's stall (E44) at the Qatar National Convention Centre on 26th to 28th May 2014. If you wish to reserve time to talk to us about your organisation's latest technological initiatives, please contact us with your preferred time slot.

Affno presents a unique advantage by virtue of its three complementary offerings – Workplace Automation, Mobile Innovation and Web Development. The combination of these three areas is unique both regionally and globally and has enabled Affno to emerge as a leading specialist in eGovernment and mGovernment.

Affno has already made its mark in the Middle East with its internationally award-wining mobile initiative for the Bahrain eGovernment Authority, as well as its web solutions for Emirates Airline and the Qatar Financial Centre Regulatory Authority. We have also undertaken large-scale process automation projects to transform the Ports and Maritime division of the Kingdom of Bahrain's Ministry of Transportation, and most recently, the Bahrain Chamber of Dispute Resolution. CEO of Affno, Suren Kannangara, discussing Affno's growth plans, expressed the following: "We are eager to spring out of our hub in Bahrain and use our position to develop the Middle East as a global icon of innovation."

Affno asked the question 'Can you believe your eyes?' at the Bahrain International eGovernment Forum, where it was the Diamond Sponsor for the third consecutive year. The e-government specialist drew large crowds by showcasing a number of Augmented Reality mobile applications which blurred the boundary between the real and virtual worlds.

Affno's applications allowed users to direct their smartphone cameras at real-life objects, and watch virtual models and information appear in response.

One example demonstrated how a three-dimensional building would manifest once the phone was directed at an empty square of grass. The building could then be viewed from all angles. Another application allowed users to interact with a restaurant menu – pointing the device camera at images of food items and then directly ordering them with a few taps of the mobile. The app uses the GPS functionality of the phone to identify the location to which the items should be delivered. The most popular application by far was one which allowed users to interact with a model car to view a 3D simulation of the car in different colours, and more details about it.

Affno anticipates this revolutionary technology transforming the way governments and businesses interact with their constituents. Try out Augmented Reality for yourself at www.affno.com/augmentedreality.

Affno presents a unique advantage by virtue of its three complementary offerings - Workplace Automation, Mobile Innovation and Web Development. The combination of these three areas is unique both regionally and globally and has enabled Affno to emerge as a leading specialist in eGovernment and mGovernment. Affno Middle East W.L.L., incorporated in the Kingdom of Bahrain, was launched on 8th April 2012 at the Bahrain International eGovernment Forum 2012.

The Bahrain International eGovernment Forum is a highly anticipated annual forum which has cemented its place as one of the leading ICT events in the Middle Eastern region. The forum shares productive technological ideas, exhibits innovations and provides a platform to highlight the latest technological trends and practices. It features an exhibition, speeches and workshops on several hot topics such as Smart Cities, Big Data, Gamification and the Internet of Things.

Internationally award-winning software company, Affno will be the Diamond Sponsor of the Bahrain International eGovernment Forum for the third consecutive year.

Affno Middle East W.L.L., incorporated in the Kingdom of Bahrain, was launched on 8th April 2012 at the Bahrain International eGovernment Forum 2012. In 2014, Affno returns to the forum once again to showcase its latest Augmented Reality mobile applications. Affno is also proud to be the sponsor of the Mobile Apps Workshop which will be a key part of the forum.

Visit Affno's stall (S13) at the Oasis Lounge and Paddock of the Bahrain International Circuit on 22nd and 23rd April 2014. Affno's Augmented Reality applications push the boundaries of technological possibility and demonstrate new and exciting capabilities that will transform the way governments and organisations interact with their constituents.

Affno presents a unique advantage by virtue of its three complementary offerings - Workplace Automation, Mobile Innovation and Web Development. The combination of these three areas is unique both regionally and globally and has enabled Affno to emerge as a leading specialist in eGovernment and mGovernment.

Affno has already made an impact on Bahrain's governmental, corporate and social environment through its e-initiatives with the Bahrain eGovernment Authority, the Ports and Maritime division of the Ministry of Transportation, the Bahrain Institute of Banking and Finance (BIBF), and many more reputed entities.

The Bahrain International eGovernment Forum is a highly anticipated annual forum which has cemented its place as one of the leading ICT events in the Middle Eastern region. The forum shares productive technological ideas, exhibits innovations and provides a platform to highlight the latest technological trends and practices. It will feature an exhibition, speeches and workshops on several hot topics such as Smart Cities, Big Data, Gamification and the Internet of Things. Learn more at www.egovforum.bh.

Affno Middle East W.L.L will be showcasing its mobile innovations at the iTECH Gulf Forum & Exhibition 2014. Affno will be demonstrating Augmented Reality, which overlays interactive virtual elements over the real environment, using its custom-designed application. To experience the possibilities of this new technology and discuss your company's ideas for mobile, software and web initiatives, visit Affno at stall B9 at the Gulf Convention Centre, Gulf Hotel, Manama, Bahrain on 9th and 10th April 2014.

With a history of 14 years and business across nine countries, Affno specialises in a unique combination of areas that have given the company unmatched technical and aesthetic expertise - Mobile Innovation, Workplace Automation and Web Development. Affno has earned a reputation as an eGovernment specialist and won several international awards. Its vision is to establish the Middle East as a global icon for innovation.

Affno conducted a workshop on 'Innovating in the Mobile Age' on 28th January 2014 at the Bahrain Society of Engineers (BSE).

Organised by ST Consultants in partnership with the ICT Committee of the Federation of Arab Engineers, the workshop covered the why, what and how of going mobile. It addressed the need for today's organisations to enter the mobile sphere, the means of developing an effective mobile strategy, and how to make best use of the mobile tools available to provide maximum value to all stakeholders. The tools explored ranged from the mobile-friendly website and basic mobile application to Location Based Services, Near Field Communication, mobile payments, messaging campaigns and Augmented Reality.

Affno also shared a demonstration of Affno's Augmented Reality applications, which amazed participants by manifesting interactive 3D simulations before their eyes and activating static images with high-definition videos. Download Affno's Augmented Reality application www.affno.com/augmentedreality to try it for yourself.

The session concluded with a case study highlighting the global acclaim achieved by the eGovernment Authority of Bahrain following careful implementation of its mobile strategy. The take-home message was 'If mobile can elevate a nation, there's no reason why it can't elevate your brand'. For more information, explore Affno's Mobile Innovation division at www.affno.com.

Affno's new website for City School of Architecture (CSA) - www.csacolombo.edu.lk - was launched on 17th December 2013 at the Dutch Burgher Union. The new site, which targets an audience of students, parents, alumni, professionals and institutions, was designed to become a benchmark amongst websites in the educational sector.

Leveraging on the creativity inherent to the field of architecture, the CSA website was designed to be visually engaging. The website uses large immersive imagery to give audiences a feel for what being a student of CSA is like. Throughout its pages, the site strives to project the passion that the individuals at CSA have for their field and ignite that same enthusiasm in all visitors.

The website delivers up-to-date, valuable information to existing and prospective students, highlighting the school's design culture, activities, programmes and accreditations. It also serves to showcase CSA as an accomplished, creative and valuable partner to foreign architectural institutions.

Designed with today's tech-ready audience in mind, the website is mobile-responsive, adapting to all manner of mobile and tablet devices. This gives users the benefits of registration information, downloadable course details, news and events, and all other features on their mobiles as well.

But Affno's vision for CSA doesn't stop there – this is only the first step in the school's digital strategy. A comprehensive student portal and social media strategy will follow, creating new avenues for students to interact and engage with the school.

With a history of over 13 years and business across 9 countries, Affno specialises in a unique combination of areas that have given the company unmatched technical and aesthetic expertise - Mobile Innovation, Workplace Automation and Web Development. Affno has earned a reputation as an eGovernment specialist and won numerous international awards.

CEO of Affno, Suren Kannangara addresses the gathering at the Workshop.

Internationally award-winning technology company Affno Middle East WLL conducted a workshop on 30th October to guide Bahrain's corporate leaders on developing an effective web and mobile presence and seamlessly integrating it into corporate strategy.

Organised by ST Consultants, the 90-minute power-packed programme entitled 'The Year of Digital Business' took place at the Crowne Plaza in Manama. It shared valuable jewels Affno has learnt over the years, including how to develop a strategy-driven website that is able to drive conversions rather than performing as an online brochure. Chris Carston, the Marketing and Communications Manager of the Bahrain Institute of Banking and Finance (BIBF) also delivered a case study highlighting BIBF's vision and how its web strategy is helping the institution achieve it.

The workshop divulged industry secrets for making social media and online advertising deliver an incredible ROI, and covered practical concerns such as how many people to hire for social media, how much to invest in online advertising and how to continuously produce great online content.

The programme also addressed how to use the Internet to create organisational efficiency via both web and mobile, and included comprehensive coverage of the mobile domain. Participants learnt how to develop an effective mobile strategy and how to make best use of the vast array of mobile technologies available for engaging audiences. They also gained an in-depth understanding of the Windows 8 interface from Eduardo Ortega, Microsoft's Regional Technical Evangelist for Windows Platforms, who shared valuable insights on the possibilities offered by this new platform.

Affno enjoyed a fruitful week showcasing its latest innovations at GITEX Technology Week from 20th to 24th October 2013 at the Dubai World Trade Centre, UAE. A part of the Bahrain Pavillion, Affno's stall attracted the interest of those seeking exciting mobile, software and web solutions.

Affno's Augmented Reality application drew special attention as it brought Affno's corporate brochure to life with 3D simulations, video and interactive feedback forms. Visitors to the stall were able to engage with Affno's printed publication in a way they had never thought possible, and uptake of the application was high.

GITEX Technology Week is the leading technology forum in the MEASA region, bringing together over 139,000 ICT professionals from 144 countries each year, as well as over 3,500 ICT companies from 54 countries. Over 80% of the world's top ICT brands participate every year.

The forum offers incredible exposure into the latest IT trends across the globe, both through knowledge sharing via conference programmes and practical experience with today's most novel applications of IT.

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"The impact of technology is only going to get bigger. No business will remain untouched by its influence on customers' lives. Organisations must understand and make use of the web and mobile mediums to create a positive disruption - before it's too late." - Suren Kannangara, Affno CEO

Affno, an internationally award-winning technology company, has joined hands with the world-renowned Microsoft to guide Bahrain's Directors and CEOs in leveraging web and mobile to make an impact, see real conversions and achieve competitive edge internationally.

'The Year of Digital Business' is a 90-minute power-packed lecture on developing an effective web and mobile presence and seamlessly integrating it into corporate strategy. It is aimed at the Boardroom. Free to attend, the programme will take place at the Crowne Plaza in Manama, on 30th October from 6.30 pm to 9.00 pm.

The lecture, organised by ST Consultants, will share valuable jewels Affno and Microsoft have learnt over the years, from ideating tools for brand building to creating organisational efficiency through web and mobile applications. It offers a comprehensive guide to capturing valuable space in 2013's digital marketplace.

With a history of over 13 years and business across 9 countries, Affno specialises in a unique combination of areas that have given the company unmatched technical and aesthetic expertise - Mobile Innovation, Workplace Automation and Web Development. Affno has earned a reputation as an eGovernment specialist and won numerous international awards. Its vision is to establish the Middle East as a global icon for innovation.

Founded by Bill Gates and Paul Allen, Microsoft Corporation is an American multinational software corporation that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of technology products and services. Microsoft is the world's largest software maker measured by revenues, and one of the world's most valuable companies.

Affno is happy to announce its participation in GITEX Technology Week, to be held from 20th to 24th October 2013 at the Dubai World Trade Centre, Dubai, UAE. We will be showcasing our latest innovations in the field of mobile, including an Augmented Reality application which will bring our corporate brochure to life before your eyes.

GITEX Technology Week is the leading technology forum in the MEASA region, bringing together over 139,000 ICT professionals from 144 countries each year, as well as over 3,500 ICT companies from 54 countries. Over 80% of the world's top ICT brands participate every year.

The forum offers incredible exposure into the latest IT trends across the globe, both through knowledge sharing via conference programmes and practical experience with today's most novel applications of IT.

We invite visitors to GITEX Technology Week to drop in at Affno's stall (SR-B30) at the Sheikh Rashid Hall. If you wish to reserve time to talk to us about how we can help you gain competitive edge in today's challenging digital environment, please contact us with your preferred time slot.

For more details about GITEX Technology Week, visit www.gitex.com.

Internationally award-winning software company Affno is changing the face of reporting across Bahrain's higher education sector.

Affno has developed a reporting system which will supply the Higher Education Council (HEC) of the Ministry of Education with up-to-date student, faculty and programme information. This system, which will be implemented across all tertiary education institutions in Bahrain, will provide valuable insights into the health of the sector. It will furnish the HEC with comprehensive data on the popularity of different programmes, trends in students' academic choices, and even deficiencies in the educational system. The software also allows the HEC to publish reports instantly, enabling the Council to submit all the necessary information to UNESCO and other authorities in a timely manner.

In order to educate higher education institutions on how to use the system, Affno conducted a training session on 13th June 2013 at the Gulf Hotel in Manama. Two members of each institution were present and given a walk through of the information entry process, which will soon become a part of their daily operations.

Affno presents a unique advantage by virtue of its three complementary offerings - Workplace Automation, Mobile Innovation and Web Development. The combination of these three areas is unique both regionally and globally and has equipped Affno with an exceptional level of aesthetic and functional expertise, enabling the company to emerge as a leader in e-government and m-government.

One of Bahrain’s leading conglomerates, Mohammed Jalal & Sons (MJS) proudly launched its new website on 26th of December 2016 at Diplomat Hotel.

The new Mohammed Jalal & Sons (MJS) website, which targets an audience of investors, partners and potential employees, was developed by Affno Middle East WLL, and is uniquely user-friendly, with multi-path navigation enabling users to find the information they seek within one or two clicks. With comprehensive information communicating the strength and stability of the MJS Group, the website affirms the Group’s status in the digital age.

The site provides a number of customer-oriented features, including a quick contact form allowing visitors to rapidly get in touch with the company. Designed with today’s tech-ready audience in mind, the website is mobile-responsive, adapting to all manner of mobile and tablet devices. The backend of the website is equally efficient, allowing many functionalities including obtaining CVs uploaded by job applicants.

The website was designed to be visually engaging using large immersive imagery to give audiences a feel for MJS operations. Throughout its pages, the website strives to project the vision and mission of MJS and ignite enthusiasm in all visitors.

Mohammed Jalal & Sons (MJS), founded in 1947, has developed into one of the leading businesses in the Kingdom, representing many key sectors including construction, oil and gas, contracting, engineering, trading, IT solutions and services, food and beverage, travel, interior design, lifts and escalators, water purification, security services and more. MJS has further established a global presence in other regions including Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait, Oman and Qatar.

Affno, established in 2000 and having business in 10 countries, is a leading player in the digital sphere. The company engages in the development of high-end websites and knowledge management software, and continues to break new ground in e-Government and mobile applications.

Affno will be making its presence felt in Oman, showcasing our groundbreaking mobile,web and software solutions at the SLTE exhibition held at the Al Falaj Hotel Muscat in the Sultanate of Oman from the 12th to 14th February 2013.

Affno has already made its mark in the Middle East with its internationally award-wining mobile initiative for the Bahrain eGovernment Authority, as well as its web solutions for Emirates Airline, the Kingdom University, the Bahrain Institute of Banking and Finance and the Qatar Financial Centre Regulatory Authority. We have also undertaken large-scale process automation projects to transform the Ports and Maritime division of the Kingdom of Bahrain's Ministry of Transportation, and most recently, the Bahrain Chamber of Dispute Resolution. Affno Middle East WLL, incorporated in the Kingdom of Bahrain, was launched on 8th April 2012 at the Bahrain International eGovernment Forum.

CEO of Affno, Suren Kannangara, discussing the company's growth plans,expressed the following: "We are eager to spring out of our hub in Bahrain and use our position to develop the Middle East as a global icon of innovation."

We invite you to visit our stall (No. 27) at the Al Falaj Hotel between 12th and 14th February 2013. If you wish to reserve time to talk to us about your organisation's latest technological initiatives, please contact us with your preferred time slot.

Affno to Automate the Bahrain Chamber for Dispute Resolution

Award-winning company Affno Middle East WLL has been selected to introduce its revolutionary software solutions at the Bahrain Chamber for Dispute Resolution (BCDR-AAA).

The BCDR-AAA is the key arbitration authority within the Kingdom of Bahrain, designed to provide alternative dispute resolution solutions that are more time and cost effective than traditional court procedures.

Affno's solution will reengineer and automate procedures, maximising efficiency, creating transparency and ensuring all activities occur according to protocol. The system will store case documents digitally, electronically schedule meetings and even manage access rights to deny or allow visitors access to the building.

James MacPherson, CEO of the BCDR-AAA said: "We are constantly looking for ways to develop the service we provide our clients. The efficiency of processes and software is key to ensure that arbitration and mediation cases administered by and held at the Chamber are resolved in a timely and cost effective manner. Affno will help us to enhance our offerings and we are delighted to welcome them on board."

Affno's experience in the legal sector, transforming both private and public enterprises, will serve the company well as it converts the BCDR-AAA into a hi-tech entity with streamlined, digitised operations.

Affno has already made an impact on Bahrain's governmental, corporate and social environment through its e-initiatives with the Bahrain eGovernment Authority, the Ports and Maritime division of the Ministry of Transportation, the Bahrain Institute of Business and Finance (BIBF), and many more reputed entities.

Affno is happy to announce its participation in GITEX Technology Week, to be held from 14th to 18th October 2012 at the Dubai World Trade Centre, Dubai, UAE.

GITEX Technology Week is the leading technology forum in the MEASA region, bringing together over 38,000 ICT professionals from 144 countries each year, as well as over 3,500 ICT companies from 77 countries.

The forum offers incredible exposure into the latest IT trends across the globe, both through knowledge sharing via conference programmes and practical experience with today's most novel applications of IT.

We invite visitors to GITEX Technology Week to drop in at Affno's stall (S1-G6) at the Sheikh Saeed Hall. If you wish to reserve time to talk to us about your organisation's latest IT initiatives, please Contact Us with your preferred time slot.

Visit www.gitex.com for more details.

Training session held for ship owners to demonstrate new system's streamlined ship registry process.

The General Organisation of Sea Ports (GOP) is undergoing preparations ahead of the expected launch of its new online ship registry portal. As part of these steps, the GOP held a training session for all shipowners registered in the Kingdom of Bahrain in order to introduce them to the GOP's new Ship Registry Portal (SRP). The training session was designed to prepare shipowners for the launch of the new Portal, introducing them to the system and explaining how it will simplify and streamline the ship registry and associated services process. The training programme was held at the GOP headquarters and was conducted by Affno Middle East.

The new Ship Registry Portal (SRP) will be available around the clock providing all Ship Registry eServices online, creating a more simple and convenient interactive platform for shipowners to complete necessary procedures. . A simple application form is available through the GOP, and all shipowners are urged to become registered users of the new system prior to its launch in order to become familiar with the portal and ease the transition period.

Registered customers will be able to submit eService applications online, as well as track the status of applications and make online payments through a secure transaction channel using their credit cards. It will also include an exclusive auto notification system which will send notices and updates to the GOP's customers using a simple easy-to-use SMS interface or by emails. Ship owners will also benefit from quicker responses and tracking services as all their eService requests will be processed through a digital workflow within the Ship Registry.

Commenting on the importance of the training session in educating shipowners about the system's benefits, GOP Director General, Mr. Hassan Ali Al Majed said: "We are continuously striving to demonstrate professional excellence within the shipping industry in addition to providing high quality services to meet the growing needs of our customers. The launch of the new Ship Registry Portal will mark the achievement of one of our main strategic objectives for 2011-2016.. With the new SRP, we will be able to provide our customers with an easy-to-use and convenient system for interacting with the Ship Registry, reaffirming the Kingdom of Bahrain's position as a leader in the shipping industry."

Chief Executive officer of Affno Middle East, Mr. Suren Kannangara said: "The new Ship Registry Portal for the General Organisation of Sea Ports is unique in the Gulf region, and we believe it will be extremely beneficial to ship owners as it will allow them to conduct their business online through the portal. The training for the ship owners was a resounding success, and was readily welcomed by all who attended as a well executed initiative. This ground breaking new Portal, once launched, will position the GOP- and for that matter, Bahrain - as a pioneer in the region, and will highlight their commitment to streamlining operations and simplifying processes for the maritime industry."

Suren Kannangara, CEO of Affno with H.H. Shaikh Mohammed bin Mubarak Al Khalifa, Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Supreme Committee of ICT and Mohammed Ali Al Qaed, CEO of the eGovernment Authority of Bahrain. Affno Middle East WLL, incorporated in the Kingdom of Bahrain, was launched on 8th April at the Bahrain International eGovernment Forum 2012. Affno was also a Diamond Sponsor of the Forum.

The internationally award-winning software company Affno has chosen the Kingdom of Bahrain as its hub for the MENA region. Affno presents a unique offering by virtue of its three complementary divisions - mGovernment and mBusiness Software, High Performance Workplace Software and Digital Agency.

Affno Middle East WLL, incorporated in the Kingdom of Bahrain, was launched on 8th April at the Bahrain International eGovernment Forum 2012. The company was a Diamond Sponsor of the Forum, held at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Manama, Bahrain from 8th to 11th April.

Affno has already established itself in the Middle East with an mGovernment solution for the eGovernment Authority of Bahrain which played a part in catapulting the Kingdom 29 places up the ranks of the UN eGovernment Readiness Index. As a result, the Kingdom of Bahrain achieved the 13th position globally, 3rd position in Asia and 1st position in the MENA region. The solution also topped 420 entries from 160 countries at the World Summit Awards for Mobile Content and was adjudged the Winner in the category of m-Government. Affno's Digital Agency has also made its mark in the Region with its groundbreaking work for the websites of Emirates Airline and Bahrain Institute of Banking and Finance.

Affno will be setting up a fully-fledged operation in Bahrain to serve the MENA region and will be recruiting software architects, software engineers and project managers to its visionary team. The company has recognised Bahrain as offering an ease of doing business and cost-effectiveness which stands out in the region. CEO of Affno, Suren Kannangara, expressed the company's growth plans: "Affno intends to expand its operations to include Qatar and Saudi Arabia. We are eager to spring out of our hub in Bahrain and use our position to develop the Middle East as a global icon of innovation."

Commenting on the launch, Affno's Country Manager for Bahrain, Kevin Kumarasinghe said: "Over our two-year test marketing phase, we have recognised significant demand for our products and services in the region."

The Bahrain Institute of Banking and Finance (BIBF) launched its new website at a press conference on Sunday, 15th January 2012. Mr. Garry Muriwai, the Director of BIBF, and Mr. Suren Kannangara, CEO of Affno - the firm which designed and developed the website, were both present at the event.

BIBF, a leading Middle Eastern provider of academic and professional development programmes in business, now benefits from a website which allows them to compete effectively in the international market. The new site, which targets an audience of students, professionals and corporations, was designed to become a benchmark amongst websites in the educational sector. It delivers a comprehensive understanding of the Institute's programmes, operations, affiliations, and much more.

The site succeeds in distilling the complex matrix of courses into a complete and user-friendly course catalogue, while streamlining information search through single-page presentation. It categorises the information needs of different target audiences and presents courses centre-wise, thus facilitating cross-selling and up-selling by exposing prospects to courses relevant to their academic interests. With testimonials, e-registration facilities and an online student handbook, the site serves as an all-in-one resource for those seeking development at BIBF.

Affno, established in 2000, is one of Sri Lanka's leading players in the digital sphere. The company engages in the development of high-end websites and knowledge management software, and continues to break new ground in e-Government and mobile applications.

BIBF provides the financial sector, other organisations and individuals with world-class education and training solutions to meet changing marketplace requirements. With over 300 programmes on offer, BIBF services the entire Bahrain Banking and Insurance sector as well as hundreds of international organisations.

Suren Kannangara, CEO of Affno with H.H. Shaikh Mohammed bin Mubarak Al Khalifa, Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Supreme Committee of ICT and Mohammed Ali Al Qaed, CEO of the eGovernment Authority of Bahrain. Affno Middle East WLL, incorporated in the Kingdom of Bahrain, was launched on 8th April at the Bahrain International eGovernment Forum 2012. Affno was also a Diamond Sponsor of the Forum.

The internationally award-winning software company Affno has chosen the Kingdom of Bahrain as its hub for the MENA region. Affno presents a unique offering by virtue of its three complementary divisions - mGovernment and mBusiness Software, High Performance Workplace Software and Digital Agency.

Affno Middle East WLL, incorporated in the Kingdom of Bahrain, was launched on 8th April at the Bahrain International eGovernment Forum 2012. The company was a Diamond Sponsor of the Forum, held at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Manama, Bahrain from 8th to 11th April.

Affno has already established itself in the Middle East with an mGovernment solution for the eGovernment Authority of Bahrain which played a part in catapulting the Kingdom 29 places up the ranks of the UN eGovernment Readiness Index. As a result, the Kingdom of Bahrain achieved the 13th position globally, 3rd position in Asia and 1st position in the MENA region. The solution also topped 420 entries from 160 countries at the World Summit Awards for Mobile Content and was adjudged the Winner in the category of m-Government. Affno's Digital Agency has also made its mark in the Region with its groundbreaking work for the websites of Emirates Airline and Bahrain Institute of Banking and Finance.

Affno will be setting up a fully-fledged operation in Bahrain to serve the MENA region and will be recruiting software architects, software engineers and project managers to its visionary team. The company has recognised Bahrain as offering an ease of doing business and cost-effectiveness which stands out in the region. CEO of Affno, Suren Kannangara, expressed the company's growth plans: "Affno intends to expand its operations to include Qatar and Saudi Arabia. We are eager to spring out of our hub in Bahrain and use our position to develop the Middle East as a global icon of innovation."

Commenting on the launch, Affno's Country Manager for Bahrain, Kevin Kumarasinghe said: "Over our two-year test marketing phase, we have recognised significant demand for our products and services in the region."

General Organisation of Sea Ports (GOP) yesterday announced that it has awarded a contract to build and set up an online portal for the ship registry. It was awarded to Affno and Third Wave International, Affno's Middle East partner based in Bahrain.

This new portal is part of the GOP's initiative in its groundwork to prepare Bahrain's ship registry as an open one thereby facilitating ships to sail under the Bahraini flag.

The new portal will facilitate GOP's customers anywhere in the world to have easy access to the different automated services provided by the registry. It will include an exclusive automatic notification system, which will send notices and updates to the GOP's customers using a simple, easy-to-use SMS interface or by emails.

Additionally, a fully integrated financial system, which will issue invoices and facilitate online payment, will also be available. This portal is expected to be ready by September.

"The signing of the agreement is a significant milestone for us and is in keeping with the GOP's preparations to set up Bahrain's open ship registry," said GOP director general Hassan Ali Al Majed.

"We are looking forward to working with Affno and Third Wave International, who will be setting up and building the automated portal in partnership with the registry.

"We are confident that this contract will help us build an effective portal that meets the highest international standards, and which will facilitate interaction of our prospective and existing customers worldwide with the services we offer. We continuously strive to utilise the latest technologies in all our projects, which allow us to stay on the cutting edge of our industry."

Affno and Third Wave International will train the Ship Registry and IT staff in addition to GOP customers and help them get acquainted with the system and its operation.

Bahrain's eGovernment Authority (eGA) has clinched a major award at the World Summit Award (WSA) - Mobile Content in the M-Government and participation category held in Abu Dhabi.

The WSA - Mobile Content is the first event of its kind to link the mobile community in more than 160 countries and is organized to recognize and promote the world's best in mobile content and innovative applications.

The award was presented to eGA chief executive Mohammad Al Qaed by WSA board chairman, Peter Bruck, at a gala event held at Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Center.

The mobile portal (www.bahrain.bh/mobile), one of the eGA's main service delivery channels, was declared the first of its type in the region to offer a variety of round-the-clock services to miniseries provided over WAP or by SMS.

In addition, all eGA services, which have reached 51 services so far, are made available in Arabic and English, said its top official.

"With the rapid developments in mobile phones and their networks, and the new orientation towards the usages and applications of mobile, we were honored by receiving a global recognition from the World Summit Award - Mobile Content,' said an elated Qaed after bagging the award.

'This is clear evidence that the Kingdom has been successful in introducing a unique portal with varied and accessible eGovernment services,' he noted.

Al Qaed thanked the Supreme Council for Information Communication Technology (SCICT), headed by Sheikh Mohammed bin Mubarak Al Khalifa, Deputy Prime Minister, for its support.

The mobile portal contains highly exclusive and secure services giving high penetration and accessibility. The Mobile Portal was ranked top regionally according to the United Nations' Report on mobile contents and technology applications.

Lauding the Kingdom's eGA achievement, WSA chief Peter Bruck said Bahrain was the only country in the Middle East that had so far been able to link ministries and services in one mobile portal.

He pointed out that the winners were selected from 400 entries received from all over the world based on their distinguished and unique projects.

The evaluation was done on the basis of the following eight categories - m-Business and Commerce, m-Government and Participation, m-Learning and Education, m-Entertainment and Lifestyle, m-Tourism and Culture, m-Media and News, m-Environment and Health, and m-Inclusion and Empowerment.

Al Qaed said the mobile portal was launched as part of the current National strategy for eGovernment to offer eServices through various channels. It currently offers 51 government services with 4 more to be launched, making a total of 55 eservices by the end of 2010.

"Offering mobile eGovernment services is intended to make life easier for citizens and users by making services available from anywhere and at anytime,' the eGA chief said.

The portal distinctively offers a variety of key eServices including e-payment services, enquires, information, examination results, complaints and others.

The ceremony was attended by several top executives including Ahmed Al Bawardi, secretary-general of Executive Council of Abu Dhabi; Shaikha Lubna Al Qasimi, UAE Minister of Economic and Planning and the chairman of Securities Authority; Rashed Lahej Al Mansoori, director general of Abu Dhabi Systems and Information Centre; Ivo Ivanovski , Macedonia Minister of Information Society and Dr Talal Abu Gazala, chairman of Global Strategic Alliance for ICT and Development (GAID).-TradeArabia News Service

Affno's CEO, Suren Kannangara was a speaker on the inaugural day in the Connected Government Summit held in Mombasa, Kenya. Suren focussed on common problems and gave a 7-point list on how to overcome them. The summit was organised by the ICT Board of Kenya.

The Government of Bahrain conferred an official recognition on Affno and placed on record the Kingdom's gratitude for Affno's contribution. The presentation was made at an official dinner organised by the eGovernment Authority on the 13th of January 2010 at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Manama. The occasion was to celebrate Bahrain's Ranking in the United Nations E-Government Development Index 2010. His Excellency Sheikh Ahmed Bin Ateyatallah Al Khalifa - Minister of Cabinet Affairs, presented the memento in the presence of Mohammed Ali Al Qaed, Chief Executive Officer of the eGovernment Authority. Kevin Kumarasinghe - Affno's Country Manager for Bahrain received the memento on Affno's behalf.

The official memento signed by His Excellency Sheikh Ahmed Bin Ateyatallah Al Khalifa - Minister of Cabinet Affairs, reads: 'In recognition of your continuous efforts and active participation as strategic partners with the eGovernment Authority and dedication in helping the Kingdom of Bahrain achieving first place amongst the Middle East and Arab States, the third in Asia, and the thirteenth globally, in the United Nations eGovernment Index 2010. We are pleased to extend our sincere gratitude and deep appreciation, and wishing you further success in serving our Nation."

Affno is a leader in e-Government software with several high profile deployments in diverse regions. Affno is also one of the most awarded companies by the British Computer Society. Its products have won several prestigious awards for quality. Affno Mobile Portal Manager & Affno Mobile Messaging Manager products have been deployed at the eGovernment Authority in Bahrain for its national mobile portal. These products are being integrated with the requisite Government Ministries and other organisations to provide a host of e-Government Services to citizens via the mobile phone. 33 services were integrated by the end of December 2009 and they are becoming increasingly popular among citizens. Affno is represented in the Kingdom of Bahrain by Third Wave International S.P.C.

Bahrain's Cabinet Affairs Minister and Supreme Committee for Information and Communication Technology member Shaikh Ahmed bin Ateyatala Al Khalifa and e-Government Authority (eGA) chief executive officer Mohammed Al Qaed yesterday launched the mobile portal for e-Government services designed, built and maintained by Affno.

The launch took place at a Press conference at the Ritz-Carlton Bahrain, ahead of the Bahrain International e-Government Forum 2009 to be held at the Bahrain International Exhibition Centre from tomorrow until Wednesday under the patronage of Deputy Prime Minister of Bahrain Shaikh Mohammed bin Mubarak Al Khalifa, who is also chairman of the supreme committee.

Affno Mobile Portal Manager and Affno Mobile Messaging Manager products have been deployed in this project. These products have been highly customised in line with Bahrain e-Government Authority's specific requirements. The eGA will offer 200 basic services through the e-Government mobile portal.

Shaikh Ahmed said that, by offering e-Government services through multiple easy-to-access delivery channels, everyone is included, regardless of education, income, gender, age or nationality, with the aim to achieve quality and integration with a focus on customer satisfaction. "These must also be of the highest quality standards and effectiveness to facilitate transparency, efficiency and economic growth", he added.

Shaikh Ahmed also pointed out that according to the latest figures, mobile penetration in Bahrain stands at 119 per cent, which is considered to be very high. "We have ensured that we offer e-services to people through this popular channel which they are very familiar with so that they gain maximum ease of use and benefit. The mobile portal would allow anyone with a mobile phone to communicate with all government entities and avail of their services", he added.

The initial phase of the mobile portal will include 11 basic government services, with 39 more to be rolled out by year's end, taking the total to 50. The key services include enquiries regarding electricity bills and traffic contraventions, daily price index, flight information, school examination results and registration of complaints to government bodies.

Mr Al Qaed said the launch of the two channels was another step towards facilitating public access to government services. "These channels are innovative methods to benefit from government services and deliver them to our customer base which bridges the gap between government and the general public, in line with Vision 2030."

The eGovernment Authority of Bahrain (eGA) signed an agreement with Affno, a leading provider of e-Government solutions, to build and manage a Mobile Portal that would deliver 50 e-Government services in Bahrain. Affno's selection followed a highly competitive tender process where several leading players from around the world competed for this highly prestigious contract.

Mr. Mohammed Al Qaed, CEO of the eGovernment Authority of Bahrain expressed his confidence in the partnership, commenting, "As one of the world's leading providers of total eGovernment solutions, I am certain that Affno will complete the Mobile Portal according to the highest standards and quality possible."

"Launching the Mobile Portal is a critical milestone for us as we work towards achieving our vision of ensuring the effective delivery of government services to Bahrain's citizens, residents, businesses, and visitors," he continued. "The new channel will complement the eGovernment National Portal www.bahrain.bh and extend the reach of eServices to a much broader base of users, in accordance with the goals and objectives of the Bahrain Vision 2030."

Suren Kannangara, CEO of Affno, pointed out that mobile phone penetration is considerably larger than PC penetration in many countries in the world especially in regions such as the Middle East and North Africa. Thus, "using the mobile phone as a channel of providing e-services to citizens would be very effective in these countries'', he opined.

Through the Mobile Portal, anyone with a mobile phone – regardless of its make or model - will be able interact with the various Government entities and use their services using a simple easy-to-use SMS interface. Those with mobile phones equipped with an internet browser will be able to access a version of the eGovernment National Portal designed specifically for use in mobile devices. The Mobile Portal will provide 10 basic government services initially, upon its launch in June, and 50 by the end of the year.

Some of the key eServices which will be available via the Mobile Portal include electricity bill and traffic fine inquires, daily price index, airport flight and arrival information, school examination results, and complaint submissions to various Government organizations.

Mobile Government is one of the four main channels – eGovernment National Portal, National Call Center, Common Service Centers, and Mobile Portal - through which Government services will be offered in order to provide comprehensive and convenient multi-channel access to government services to everyone.

Affno showcased their e-Government expertise at the recently concluded GITEX TECHNOLOGY WEEK held at the Dubai World Trade Centre. The exhibition was opened by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the UAE Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai. Regarded as one of the world's top three trade exhibitions, GITEX attracted more than 130,000 visitors and 3,300 companies from 83 countries.

A special feature at this year's event was providing one of the most comprehensive updates on major e-Government projects and initiatives from across the GCC region. The Ministry of Justice, the Prime Minister's Office, and the Ministry of Interior Naturalisation and Residency Administration - Dubai, all participated for the first time. A delegation of 16 government bodies from Bahrain also attended.

Other government departments from within the Middle East such as The Abu Dhabi Police Authority and Ministry of Labour and Knowledge Oasis Muscat were also in attendance.

Suren Kannangara CEO of Affno commented "It is very easy to get diluted in the hive of activity and merge into the background in an exhibition such as GITEX which is dominated by all the global giants in the IT field. I am happy to report that Affno despite its modest presence at GITEX made a significant impact among e-Government officials in the Middle East and North African region. Our unique suite of products for e-Government applications plus our extensive track record in e-Government deployments were keys to attracting interest"."On a general note, a key feature in this year's exhibition was a tremendous amount of interest demonstrated in the cost, efficiency and performance benefits of software", he added.

Research conducted by economic and financial analysts Global Insight shows that the Middle East will spend US$ 73 billion on ICT in 2008, and US$ 95 billion by 2011 - a rise of 30 percent. The UAE is also showing no signs of slowing down, spending US$ 11.4 billion on ICT this year, a figure that is set to rise to US$ 14.8 billion by 2011.

Solicitor General, Additional Solicitors General, State Attorney, Deputy Solicitors General, Senior State Counsel, Senior Assistant State Attorneys, Ms. Sharmalie Gunawardene of the Legal and Judicial Reform Project, Dr. Vijith Kannangara and Mr. Suren Kannangara from Affno, Mr. Ajith Abeywardene, Project Manager, E-wis, Ladies and Gentlemen.

The words I speak are couched in a profound sense of accomplishment amalgamated appropriately with a sense of satisfaction. The Attorney General’s Department Computerization Project represents a significant and daring leap into the futuristic sphere of information technology. We may now claim that this Department has assumed a futuristic disposition whilst retaining its traditional and orthodox ways which is tantamount to an almost utopian blend indeed. This Department has accomplished greatness despite the absence of the lap of technological luxury. Its presence, I trust, will serve to take us to greater heights. In the words of an individual who has been a vital strand to this venture, Mr. Suren Kannangara, CEO of Affno, “the software system implemented by Affno will create a tangible and significant difference in the work of the Attorney General’s Department”. I trust that this system will only serve to compliment the hallowed portals of this Department and its ethos of perseverance and determination.

I believe, we have a reason to be content and delighted, for the technology we have absorbed into the threshold of this Department has been the subject of critique of exalted and prestigious institutions in the league of the British Computer Society which have held this system in high esteem. Therefore, to utter the declaring that we have before us a solution to meet our administrative needs.

I must specifically thank the host of individuals whose assistance without which, a project of this magnitude would have been but a mere figment of our imagination. I must therefore acknowledge the contribution made by all the individuals who made this project a reality especially Suren Kannangara and Roshan Jayawardhana who were responsible to ensure the receipt of a gold award for their system. I must also thank E-wis for the role played in the automation project. I am particularly delighted to acknowledge the contribution of the Officers of this Department for having cast every individual lump of clay and thus creating this monument. All know that we alone cannot achieve this without the concurrence of the Judicial system. My grateful thanks to the Legal and Judicial Reforms Project for not only making this system a reality but also for the many important projects that you have implemented in the entire Legal and Judicial system.

We must take cognizance of the fact that we happen to be one of the very few Government Departments to have such modern technological assistance. It is inevitable that we would find ourselves consequently basking in an aura of conspicuousness. Although, such a disposition does not take us by surprise, we must keep in mind that the status quo represents a healthy exposition, for we may henceforth serve as role-models of quintessential Government administration.

The proof of the pudding is of course in the eating. I believe, it now only remains for us to begin employing this system. In order to facilitate this, the preliminary step is to ensure that all active case files are scanned in. I believe this process has been augmented now and I trust all material would be scanned and merged into the system by the 14th of December. Thereafter, I am told that Affno would be conducting a series of refresher training programmes from the 17th to the 20th of December. Come 1st January 2008, we would all be carrying out our work digitally by employing digital case files, and resorting to the use of tangible files only in relation to court attendance.

I have no doubt that this software system would introduce considerable ease, efficiency and a heightened sense of security towards the work of every officer. Inevitably it would entail a considerable degree of acclimatization for most of us perhaps more so for some of us in particular! Regardless, this represents the future and the preliminary step of the great journey that lies in the path of this Department, and we would tread forth in a bold and perseverant fashion.

All this should translate to greater efficiencies in our Department. As we go along, workloads will increase and backlogs may swell. However, with this system, I trust we may claim that backlogs are now a thing of the past.

The technological achievements of our Department should arguably be felt by every other Government Department, the Judiciary, the Executive and the Legislature. Speedy conclusion of cases would serve as a medium to improve public confidence that justice prevails.

I expect officers to take full advantage of this technological facility. When we work for an institution it is important for us to sail with the wind. Therefore, even if there are a few of you who might be threatened by the change it is essential that you adapt to such change. We will no doubt encounter a few impediments in the process, but we should strive to solve such issues and make this a system that will truly assist us to simplify our work.

Officers also make use of this system to share your knowledge by sharing pleadings, judgments and written submissions. Let’s work together, to be a role model for the country.

In conclusion, I congratulate Affno and wish them well in their future endeavours.

Affno won the Gold Award in the E-Government Category at the National Best Quality Software Awards held recently. This was the third consecutive year in which Affno won Gold in this prestigious and important category. Here are excerpts of an interview CEO of Affno Suren Kannangara had with Surekha Galagoda - Business Editor of the ‘Sunday Observer’.

Question: What is Affno's experience with E-Government projects?
Answer: Affno has won several E-Government projects in Sri Lanka as well as in the region in countries such as Tanzania and Mauritius.

The World Bank has funded most of these projects. The Information, Communication and Technology Agency (ICTA) has managed the majority of the projects in Sri Lanka.

The latest Gold Award that Affno won for E-Government was for the Legal Case Files Management project implemented at the Attorney General's Department. This particular project was managed by the Legal and Judicial Reforms Project.

Digital repository

Question: Can you explain about the E-Government project which Affno did for the Attorney General's Department?
Answer: The Attorney General's Department functions as the Legal Advisor to the Government and upper guardian of the Law.

They advise the Government including all its departments and institutions as well as represent them in criminal prosecutions and civil matters.

The Attorney General's Department would examine draft legislation for constitutionality and assist in matters pertaining to negotiation of international treaties, bilateral treaties and trade agreements. There are over 200 Attorneys attached to the AG's Department and some 25,000 new case files are opened each year.

Their wide range of work involves the collaboration of Attorneys in different teams on different jobs at the same time.

Affno's solution enables all case files to be accommodated in a digital repository and access made easier, faster, on a need basis and more secure.

The existing processes were adopted into a digital workflow. Some of the processes were also greatly simplified with minimum or no impact to the established way in which the department was functioning. In fact, the department was given a full digital workflow that integrated perfectly with their way of working and their culture rather than necessitating them to change their ways radically.

Hitherto impossible levels of management have also been enabled through the system. For instance, the Attorney General or the Solicitor General can personally check the macro status of all jobs at any given time and drill down to the grass roots level of any particular job if needed.

Similarly, the different levels of management can do the same at their respective levels.

Increasing demands

Question: What has been your experience of introducing this sort of latest technology to Government Departments?
Answer: Very positive. What we have consistently found is that some of the best brains in most fields are in the Government Departments. The quality of the individuals at top level is, I would say, even better than the quality that one would encounter in the private sector.

However, most of these Departments are bursting at their seams because their systems and infrastructure have in most cases not kept up with the increasing demands placed on these departments. This and perhaps political interference are what largely makes Government Departments not as effective as they should be.

There is of course always the problem of mixed computer literacy. Moreover, even though we may see computers on every table in the private sector, this is a common problem in our part of the world.

We are mindful of this situation and take steps so that this problem does not become an issue in making our E-Government solutions work. The design of our solutions takes this in to account and we also employ a wide range of comprehensive training for the users.

Better business

Question:How would E-Government projects in Departments such as the AG's Department help ordinary citizens?
Answer: Certain E-Government projects enable citizens to interact with the Government Department through the Internet for instance. There is no question about how citizens derive value in such instances.

Even in instances such as the AG's Department where the E-Government Solution is not for enabling citizens to interact with the Department via the Internet but for making the Department more efficient internally, citizens derive value indirectly.

Not only citizens; when pivotal Government Departments such as the AG's Department is made more efficient with technology, value is delivered across the board.

The improvements in the AG's Department has a direct bearing on the efficiency of the President and Parliament as draft legislation can be executed faster. Even the Judiciary can become more efficient when its biggest client is better organised. The police would be able to conclude criminal, drug related, terrorism related cases faster.

This in turn would give ordinary citizens more confidence that justice would prevail. All Ministries, Local Bodies and Government Departments would be able to get their legal advice, contracts and cases executed faster and they in turn would become more efficient in what they do for the citizens and the country.

So the impact would be felt by every one of the 20 million citizens in all 22 districts. The medium to long-term impact on the citizens would be a feeling that the rule of law and justice prevails in the country. The Government would not only improve its ability to do business better with the rest of the world but more importantly, the country would be able to improve its image in the eyes of the world.

Comprehensive study

Question:What are the critical success factors for E-Government projects?
Answer: A comprehensive study is paramount. One has to not only understand the business and the processes of the organisation thoroughly but also understand the culture of the organisation very well.

The software design has to be tailored to cater to the subtle nuances that are peculiar to each organisation. In our part of the world, giving local language capabilities is also an important factor for success. Finally, painstaking and patient training over a long period of time is most important.

Question:What is the cost of E-Government projects?
Answer: Affno's solution for the AG's Department as well as for all other E-Government projects has been completely web based needing only ordinary PC's for the users. In Government organisations that are widely dispersed across the country, regional branches are connected with little or no additional cost, except for the cost of PCs and internet access.

The software is deployed on a central server. This makes the maintenance very cost effective as opposed to a system where the software has to be deployed at the client's end as well. The product is built on open standards. Therefore, it can run on any hardware and operating system.

Affno, Sri Lanka’s leading software engineering Company with a suite of Knowledge Management software products were recognised in an unprecedented manner by being decorated with the overall Gold in addition to two category Golds plus a special award from CIMA at the National Best Quality Software Awards ceremony held last week.

The gala dinner function is the premier annual event that recognises excellence in the IT Industry. A large distinguished gathering consisting of the crème de la crème of the IT Industry graced the occasion. The Guest of Honour was Cliff Lineker, BCS – UK Head of Professional Products.

Affno’s groundbreaking XMAN product won the overall Gold in addition to the Gold in the General Applications category and the special CIMA Award for the best Financial Application. Affno’s e-Government solution for the Attorney General’s Department of the Government of Sri Lanka won the Gold in the prestigious E-Government category. Affno carried away three of the five Golds given to the Industry that night and became the most awarded software company in the history of the National Best Quality Software Awards. Over the years, Affno has won 11 metals including seven Golds at this prestigious event.

Suren Kannangara Affno’s CEO, commenting on the awards won by his company said, ‘I am proud to lead such a talented and dedicated team. These awards are the result of many person-years of investment and we are all very proud of this glorious endorsement by the Industry. These awards will also help us in our international marketing. We are in the process of stepping up our foray overseas as we now have a solid suite of innovative, proven and stable products that have a great potential in many other markets.

Dr. Gihan Wickramanayake – Chairman, BCS Sri Lanka Section and member of the Senior Faculty of the University of Colombo commented that he had been involved in this awards scheme since its inception in 1998. He was happy to note the key role these awards have played in gaining well-deserved recognition both in Sri Lanka and internationally for the best Sri Lankan software products.

Suresh Hettiarachchi, Chairman NBQSA 2007 said that these awards while providing market opportunities also set rigorous standards of excellence for Software Products from Sri Lanka. “This annual event hailed as a model, is increasingly drawing interest from software product development companies in the region as well”, he added.

Affno, Sri Lanka’s leading software engineering company with a suite of Knowledge Management software products, has become the most awarded software company in the history of the National Best Quality Software Awards (NBQSA) after its achievements at the latest awards ceremony.

Held for the 9th year, these awards are organised by the British Computer Society (BCS), with the support of the Sri Lanka Association for Software Industry (SLASI), the Software Exporters Association (SEA), the Infotel Society and the Universities of Colombo and Moratuwa.

Affno said in a statement it first entered this keenly contested competition five years ago and since then have won 11 medals of which seven have been golds. In addition, Affno have been the recipient of the special award given at this event by organisations such as MTV, The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka and the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants.

The NBQSA recognizes and honours significant technological developments and innovation within Sri Lanka’s software industry. Affno set this record at the gala dinner last week where the 2007 awards were presented amidst a large and distinguished gathering representing the cream of Sri Lanka’s software industry. There Affno won the Overall Gold in addition to winning the Gold in the E-Government category for the third consecutive year as well as the Gold in the General Applications category, which was the second most keenly contested category this year. The special award presented by the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) was also made to Affno this year. Commenting on his company’s success, Affno’s CEO, Suren Kannangara said, “We are yet a relatively young company. We just completed seven years of existence and are now a team of nearly 80 professionals.

"Our products that are winning awards now are the result of many person-years of intense research and development.”

Affno Ltd was the overall Gold Champions at the National Best Quality Software Awards for 2007 and grabbed two more Gold Awards in the E-Government and Services Applications and General Applications categories.

Second place went to Sampath Bank Ltd for its product; Sampath Mobile Cash and third place went to Epic Lanka Ltd for its product; the POS Banking System.

The ICT Personality of the year was awarded to the late Prof. V. K. Samaranayake who was the Chairman of the Information and Communication Technology Agency (ICTA) and the Lifetime Achiever’s Award was presented to R. B. Ekanayake. The winners for the Tertiary Student Project were SLIIT for their Trip Wire project while Silver also went to SLIIT and bronze went to the University of Moratuwa. For In-House Application the Gold Award went to Sri Lanka Insurance, Silver to HNB E-Leasing and bronze went again to Sri Lanka Insurance. For Education and Training there was only a Certificate of Participation which went to Gateway Services, while in the Communication Applications category the Silver went to Wavenet International Ltd, Bronze went to Lanka Bell for SMS Gateway and the Merit award went to E-Ticket. In the Media and Entertainment Applications there was only a Certificate of Participants that was given to E Future Ltd for Round Table.

In the Industrial Applications the Bronze went to XL Lanka Ltd and the Certificate of Participation to Epic Lanka Ltd. while Healthcare Applications award was given to E-Futures Ltd. The award for the Research and Development Application was presented to Wavenet International Ltd while Affno bagged the Gold Award for E-Government and Services Application and Bronze went to hSenid Software International. The Merit certificate went to the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) while the Certificate of Participation went to DMS Software Technology Ltd. Epic Lanka won the bronze award in the Security Applications.

Sampath Bank grabbed the Gold in the Financial Applications category, while Epic Lanka grabbed silver and HNB Cash Express took the Bronze. In the General Applications the Gold once again went to Affno while ESPI Solutions went with Silver and E-Future took the bronze. The Dialog Award went to Wavenet International Ltd for their OMNI STV and the Microsoft Award went to SLIIT.

“This event gives opportunities for individuals and companies to showcase their products and obtain well deserved recognition”, BCS Sri Lanka Section Chairman Dr. Gihan Wikramanayake stated. Through this annual event many individuals and companies have already obtained well deserved recognition locally as well as internationally.

In the meantime 10 companies were also nominated for the Asia Pacific ICT Awards 2007 (APICTA) which will be held in Singapore from November 26 - 29. The event was initiated to increase ICT awareness in the international community and assist in bridging the digital divide. The nominees include Wavenet International Ltd, Lanka Bell, Affno Ltd, hSenid Software International, Sampath Bank, Epic Lanka Ltd, HNB, EP Solutions Ltd and E-Future.

“ICT has the quality to improve livelihoods”, USAID Mission Director Rebecca Cohn said. USAID uses the ICT sector as an important sector and as a tool for so many purposes and the government of Sri Lanka should put on place the policies that will help the firm grow.

Affno, Sri Lanka’s most admired web based software products company; Com Bank, widely hailed as Sri Lanka’s Best Bank and Sasianet, one of Sri Lanka’s leading developers of software solutions for the financial services industry reigned in the Financial Applications category at The National Best Quality Software Awards (NBQSA) 2006.

This year’s awards attracted a record 36 products developed by 28 companies. These competed in 11 categories. All contenders received either certificates of merit or certificates of participation. However, Awards were restricted this year, reflecting more stringent judging, as NBQSA firmly establishes it self as the premier awards scheme that recognizes quality and development in Sri Lanka’s software industry.

The winners were announced at the Gala National Best Quality Software Awards Dinner recently where Prof Tissa Vitarana, Minister for Science and Technology presided. Several other dignitaries including Prof V. K. Samaranayake, Chairman of the Sri Lanka Information and Communications Technology Agency also graced the occasion.

Of the categories, Financial Applications was the most keenly contested category with almost a third of all entries being in it. This was also one of the few categories where all three awards were presented. Viz. Gold, Silver and Bronze. Only six Golds were awarded across all categories this year whilst the Silver and Bronze awards were also restricted. A cross section of companies ranging from some of the giants of Sri Lanka’s software industry to medium size and smaller software companies as well as Banks competed in the financial applications category. The Award winners and recipients of certificates in this category were as follows:

The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka also presented a special award for the best Financial Application. Affno’s Retail Stock Market Booster won this award. The Affno Retail Stock Market Booster also won the Overall Silver covering all eleven categories and was also one of the products nominated for the Asia Pacific ICT Awards to be held in Macau later this year.

The National Best Quality Software Awards was organized by the British Computer Society (BCS), with the support of the Sri Lanka Association for Software Industry (SLASI), the Software Exporters Association (SEA), the Infotel Society and Universities of Colombo and Moratuwa.

Affno, Sri Lanka’s leading software engineering company for web based software products won 2 Gold Awards and the Silver for the Best Overall Product, vindicating the Company’s excellent growth over the year. The blue riband National Awards for Best Quality Software in Sri Lanka was held on the 20th October, against a glittering backdrop of entertainment and a stellar turnout of Sri Lanka’s elite ICT fraternity.

Held for the 9th year, these awards are organised by the British Computer Society (BCS), with the support of the Sri Lanka Association for Software Industry (SLASI), the Software Exporters Association (SEA), the Infotel Society and the Universities of Colombo and Moratuwa.

Affno said in a statement it first entered this keenly contested competition five years ago and since then have won 11 medals of which seven have been golds. In addition, Affno have been the recipient of the special award given at this event by organisations such as MTV, The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka and the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants.

The NBQSA recognizes and honours significant technological developments and innovation within Sri Lanka’s software industry. Affno set this record at the gala dinner last week where the 2007 awards were presented amidst a large and distinguished gathering representing the cream of Sri Lanka’s software industry. There Affno won the Overall Gold in addition to winning the Gold in the E-Government category for the third consecutive year as well as the Gold in the General Applications category, which was the second most keenly contested category this year. The special award presented by the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) was also made to Affno this year. Commenting on his company’s success, Affno’s CEO, Suren Kannangara said, “We are yet a relatively young company. We just completed seven years of existence and are now a team of nearly 80 professionals Our products that are winning awards now are the result of many person-years of intense research and development.”.

www.parliament.lk

The new website of the Parliament was launched at the Parliamentary Complex by Honourable Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickramanayake today.

The new website of the Parliament is developed as a part of the Parliament modernization programme which aims at making its legislative, representative and oversight functions more effective and efficient.

The website in its final phase will be launched in all three languages in its static as well as dynamic content. The website will offer current information on parliamentary proceedings and activities including important documents such as Hansard, Order Paper (agenda of the Parliament for the day), Order Book (Notices for future activities), Parliamentary Calendar, Published Reports of Committees etc.

The Members of Parliament will have an exclusive domain where each Member will be provided with information relevant to him/her. Through the public domain members of the public will be provided with the opportunity to communicate with the Parliament Information Service through the website.

The Directory of Members will provide the public with contact particulars enabling them to communicate with their Members with ease. It is expected that the website will provide the opportunity to enhance the participation of the public in the democratic process there by strengthening the public confidence in democratic institutions and democratic governance.

The development of the new website for Parliament was sponsored by the Information and Communication Technology Agency of Sri Lanka through its e-Sri Lanka Project launched with the assistance of the World Bank. The construction of the website was undertaken by Affno (Pvt) Ltd under the guidance of a Committee headed by Mr.Dhammika Dasanayake Deputy Secretary General of Parliament comprising technical experts from Parliament, ICTA and Affno.

Affno, Sri Lanka’s leading web based software engineering company renowned for its knowledge management product, was awarded the top government tender to automate the Ministry of Public Administration & Home Affairs.

Affno teamed up with Hsenid, celebrated for its Human Resource Management Software and eWIS, a top hardware provide in the country on this bid, Affno said in a statement.

An agreement to this effect between the ministry and Affno was signed last week.

The solution will be used to speed up and simplify the day-to-day work of the ministry, managing internal and external communications, processing documents, expediting operational tasks and automating the flow of work through the ministry. It will also provide a human resources database for the nation’s sprawling civil service. Once operative, the database will expedite personnel management and simplify procedures relating to recruitment, assignment, remuneration, transfers, leave and so on.

The Ministry of Public Administration & Home Affairs will soon become the first government ministry to computerize its operations and procedures. This is being done, a spokesman said, in order to ‘better ensure an efficient and effective public service and a sound regional administrative system’ in keeping with the mission of the Ministry.

The initiative for this project comes from the government’s Information & Communications Technology Agency (ICTA), which managed a keenly contested tender before awarding the contract to Affno and its partners.

According to ICTA officials, the Ministry of Public Administration & Home Affairs project is viewed as being especially important since, if successful, it will provide a blueprint for the computerization and automation of other government ministries. “We are setting the standard for everything that will come after us,” noted Ravi Kannangara, Affno’s Vice President. ‘But of course, it also puts us on the inside track when it comes to future e-government initiatives in Sri Lanka.’

Affno, Sri Lanka 's leading software engineering company for web based software products, won a Gold Award for their eTender product at the National Best Quality Software Awards 2005. Of the eight categories, Affno's product competed in the category with the highest number of contenders. The winners were announced at the Gala National Best Quality Software Awards Dinner held in Colombo recently.

Prof. V.K. Samaranayake, Chairman of ICTA presented the trophy to Suren Kannangara, Affno's CEO amidst a large gathering consisting of the most prominent personalities of Sri Lanka 's ICT industry and academia. Adding an element of surprise to the show, Affno was also presented the special MTV Channel-1 Award by Director of MTV, Mano Wickramanayake. Affno was also selected to participate in the Asia Pacific ICT Awards (APICTA) to be held in Australia later this year.

The National Best Quality Software Awards recognizes and honours significant technological developments and innovation in Sri Lanka 's software industry. Five-year old Affno is renowned for their innovative suit of software products focused on knowledge management. They were the winners of the Gold Award for eGovernment last year, and won this year's Gold Award for their eTender product. Senior officials of Sri Lanka Telecom (SLT), Affno's first customer for this product also graced the occasion. Among the criteria for judging was the market potential for the product. Experts believe that the Affno eTender system will become a standard requirement in almost every public sector organisation in Sri Lanka very soon.

Affno's eTender product has completely revolutionized the tender procedure at SLT. Now SLT has the choice of calling for 'sealed' tenders or opening up a tender for on-line bidding similar to an on-line auction. Within just a few months of going live with Affno's eTender product, SLT has already successfully published some 40 tenders through the system of which 10 were for on-line bidding. Being completely web based, the system enables tenders published to reach a worldwide audience. SLT has made policy decision to conduct 100% of their tenders exclusively through the eTender system. This will make the tender process more transparent. It would also make it more effective as suppliers from anywhere in the world can participate in tenders giving SLT a much better choice. Efficiency of the tender process is also greatly enhanced as it will eliminate time consuming linear processes and replace them with paperless and concurrent processes. SLT estimates that the tender publishing cycle which took days previously has now been reduced to a few hours. Added to all this, the Affno eTender system brings enormous cost effectiveness as well. SLT estimates that the cost savings are so much that its investment on the system would be recouped within a few months. Contrary to the norm of resisting change to established ways of doing things, users of the eTender product at SLT have embraced it wholeheartedly as a much better and easier way of conducting their 3,500 odd tenders per year.

The National Best Quality Software Awards was organized by British Computer Society (BCS) with the support of Sri Lanka Association for Software Industry (SLASI), Software Exporters Association (SEA), Infotel Society (INFOTEL), University of Colombo and University of Moratuwa.

Sri Lanka Telecom (SLT), for the first time in Sri Lanka , launched a web based e-procurement system facilitating complete automation of the processes enabling paperless transactions relating to procurement of material and services.

This latest initiative is aimed at increasing transparency, reducing cost of doing business, reducing duplicity, bringing out more efficient purchasing process and increasing the ability to capture strategic information on procurement including purchasing patterns.

SLTs web site provides suppliers with up-to-date information they need to provide quality goods at competitive bidding practices. The eTENDER initiative provides a vehicle to deliver more focused governance over the procurement system, thereby leading to improved quality of service. Implementation will also benefit both SLT and the suppliers.

SLTs eTENDER system will increase the exposure in open tenders to the whole world and the system will enhance the competitive bidding practices adopted by SLT which at present have limited access by local suppliers for most of the goods.

Prospective tenderers can download the tender document free of charge within a few minutes after publishing in the web site, thereby reducing the actual process to minutes. In global tenders, the tender document can be downloaded by the foreign principle within few minutes after notification.

Many Sri Lankan businesses don't really understand how to make the Internet work for them, according to Suren Kannangara, CEO of Affno, Sri Lanka 's leading web development company which has developed www.lankaorix.com, a web site for the LOLC Group.

"This job was different-a lot more rewarding because the client really understood what he wanted," he said.

The new site raises the online standard for Sri Lanka companies, is innovative, has a user-friendly design which instantly makes visitors feel welcome and is just like walking into the LOLC Group offices in person, according to a statement issued by Affno.

From a home page designed to function like the reception area of a well-run office, a mouse click or two takes you to the specific information or transaction you're looking for. There are no complex menus, no multi-page click-throughs or no time-wasting flash animations. It's all clear, simple, direct and businesslike.

Ishara Nanayakkara , LOLC Group's deputy chairman agrees that lankaorix.com raises the standard for Sri Lankan companies online.

It's exactly what we were looking for,' he said in the statement. 'This is an excellent site. In the end, we won't have just one site but a complex of them, one for every company in the Group,' he explains.

"A new era is opening up," says Affno's Kannangara. 'Now that Sri Lankans are starting to spend more time on the Internet, seeking information and doing business, the quality of local company web sites is being forced to improve. Affno has always believed in setting the standard and raising its game'.

Affno, Sri Lanka’s leading software engineering companies for web based software, has won the contract to build Colombo Stock Exchange’s (CSE) Web Trading Software system (WTS) beating 17 other contenders from around the world including leading US, European, Indian and Sri Lanka companies.

CSE employed a rigorous evaluation process spanning over six months to select the software partner to build what would become Sri Lanka’s largest software system in terms of concurrent users.

TThe system will initially have to cater to an estimated 10,000 concurrent users and have the capacity to scale up to cater to an exponential growth in this number.

It appointed an evaluation committee comprising senior members of the Exchange, senior faculty members of ICT faculty of the University of Moratuwa and heads of CSE’s IT and Marketing Departments. Given the mission critical nature of the proposed software system, key among the evaluation criteria was the quality of design and engineering standards.

The next important criterion was a demonstration of an in-depth understanding of the workings of a Stock Exchange from every angle from technological to customer to broker, market scenarios and market development.

Affno’s selection also marks an important milestone in Sri Lanka’s software industry. The entire product will be designed, developed, tested and maintained by Affno making it a 100% Sri Lankan product.

Suren Kannangara, the head of Affno, one of the leading software engineering companies in Sri Lanka, in an interview with the Daily Financial Times shares key insights on quality software solutions, the pitfalls and the cost of low quality work and how the Company has differentiated itself from the rest in offering reliable and quality solutions. Following are excerpts

Q: Today everyone is conscious of costs. Do you find that clients shop around for the best bargain when it comes to software?

A: When clients outsource components of their software development this may be partly true. But when it comes to commissioning a total bespoke software development or to buying a highly customised software product, very rarely would a client go for the lowest price. And the fact is that there’s no cheap way of delivering quality in such cases. There is a price for quality and there’s a price for the lack of it. In the case of the former, one might end up spending a little extra money. But in the case of the latter, one might pay the price of losing everything because the software is not capable of doing what it was meant to do.

Q: What does one mean by quality of software?

A: In a very basic sense it means that the software works and is bug free. But that’s not all. Quality is really about meeting client requirements. It is also about enabling users to learn and start using the software quickly. Quality would also mean easy modification and adaptability of the software to changing needs as the client organization grows and evolves.

Q: How do you ensure that you deliver quality?

A: If I take Affno as an example, we have an Affno process of software design and development that we follow for all our projects. It starts with a detailed study with the client. Here we get totally immersed in the client’s problem or opportunity. We study their existing systems and hardware to ensure that prior investments made by the client are maximised. We also ascertain the skill levels of the people, who will use the software. We then go through a process to ensure that the client also understands how the new system will fit in to their organization, how it will be used and how it will benefit them. We also follow internationally accepted coding standards and quality assurance systems. However coding is only one aspect of the process. Being involved in the full spectrum from conceptualisation to design, development, testing and deployment we require a combination of both left brain and right brain work… thus delivering quality in our type of Software Company is both a Science and an Art. The relationship with the client does not end on successful deployment of the software. In fact we encourage clients to look in their software development as ongoing continuously improving projects and encourage a long term partnership. The nuances of a client’s problem or opportunity can be appreciated only if you let them unfurl over a period of time. To build such relationships you have to earn a reputation of being reliable and dependable.

Q: What are the reasons for failures?

A: It could be primarily for one of two reasons. The first is a lack of an in-depth understanding of the client organization and the users. For instance this happens with some software sourced from overseas because software doesn’t always cross geographical boundaries very well. Sri Lanka may be a victim of a relatively high percentage of failures of this type. And in these instances, chances are that the client may have also paid an exorbitant price. The second reason is the lack of proper development and quality assurance standards. In these instances chances are that clients would have gone for one of the lowest bidders, although it may not always be so.

Q: Is Sri Lanka Competitive in terms of its cost structure?

A: Not really. Also our productivity is not known to be the best. For instance the large number of holidays doesn’t help. We cannot as a country sustain a positioning that is based on price because there will always be another country that could do it cheaper. Also if we say that we want to build a position based on price, we are indirectly telling ourselves that we choose to remain a poor country. We need to compete on delivering end-to-end solutions, with a significant design component and top class quality. We at Affno have found time and again that people are willing to pay a premium for quality.

Sri Lanka's pioneering e-market place, www.srilankabusiness.com, the web portal of the Export Development Board (EDB), which was opened in September, has made good progress in channelling orders for a range of products for the small and medium sector. The site has also facilitated land sales for the establishment of a tourist complex deep south.

Orders on the basis of online transactions from September have netted $ 1000 (Rs.1 million) while the orders on the website based promotions for 2003 have netted a total of $ 117,000 (Rs. 11.7 million). The EDB believes that there are further prospects for growth.

Advisor to TradenetSL and Managing Director of Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology Dr. Lalith Gamage told the Daily Mirror FT yesterday that the aim of the portal was to develop the SME sector where it would yield a monthly income of $ 1 million. He said that the portal has been listed in all the major internet search engines and that it was listed within the first ten of all the trade sites in the world which, would enable the Sri Lankan exporters to gain access to international markets without much expenditure on promotions or participating at trade fairs.

The EDB which is at the forefront of developing and promoting the country's products and services for export has played a lead role in leveraging the Internet for delivering a range e-based services to the business community. These services which have been a big boon to the Small and Medium Enterprises sector in particular have yielded a multitude of trade opportunities.

Web advertisements designed by the TradenetSL Division and hosted on the EDB site have brought in regular orders for coco peat & coir twine from Germany and Pakistan to a small scale manufacturer of coir products where the monthly orders are valued at $ 2000 each and there are around three orders per month, EDB's Deputy Director Chitrangani Mubarak said.

The service has also led to successful land deals. Sea side properties in Hambantota and Tangalle were successfully sold to investors in the UK and HongKong. These sites are soon to be developed as holiday resorts brining in further foreign exchange earnings to the country and providing employment opportunities to the villagers in the area, The value of the transactions range between $ 25,000 to $ 50,000.

The portal also enabled a novel export item, audio musical files - "midi files" to find its niche in the world market. Midi files are exported as file attachments by e-mail or, as diskettes and CDs. This is done at a personal and individual level where the exporter receives the equivalent of Rs. 100 per melody where the exporters earnings are over Rs. 60,000 per month.

Some of the more unusual and unique items seeking export markets through www.srilankabusiness.com are midi files from Paranamana Midi Creations, recorded Bana from Ashoka Record Bar and health stones from Ran Lanka Gems and Jewellery.

Paranamana Midi Creation is a micro enterprise from Sri Lanka who has successfully developed a niche market for a unique export item - midi files. Midi files are music files, which the company exports as attachments to standard e-mail messages. The EDB is now seeking to further expand the opportunities for this type of venture by providing a facility for customers to make purchase online by keying in their credit card details and down load the midi file of their choice.

There is a promising market among Sri Lankans living abroad for religious sermons while the use of gemstones for curing various ailments is becoming popular not only amongst Sri Lankans but also in some overseas markets. www.srilankabusiness.com provides an ideal platform to capture this small but exclusive market.

Today the site enjoys an average hit rate of 1000 hits per day and the total volume of transactions taken place so far is about US $ 1000. Some of the products that have been successfully traded are Samahan and Sudhantha toothpaste from Link Natural products and porcelain tableware from Dankotuwa Porcelain. The portal is being aggressively promoted in foreign markets through Sri Lanka's missions overseas, at international trade events and through strategic linkages with other e-market places of international repute.

The portal also brought in joint venture with a Belgian company for fruit juice processing.Trade inquiries via e mails have yielded rich dividends with weekly orders totaling US$4500 for a small scale exporter of sea food and where a US$ 20,000 monthly order for seafood to Lebanon is also under negotiation. Regular orders to Canada, USA and Russia for a garment manufacturing company have also been clinched.

www.srilankabusiness.com is the EDB's latest initiative in showcasing the country's products and services in the world market. The site is developed by Sri Lanka's leading software engineering company - Affno. This pioneering trading platform has brought together in one-place suppliers, buyers, shippers, logistic and finance together with market and product information. The system is empowered with highly secured software that enables online purchase and is open to buyers from anywhere in the world who can connect a computer to the Internet.

The interest in the Colombo Stock Market by investors has led to an overwhelming hit rate on the Colombo Stock Exchange web site www.cse.lk. Since the live information content was launched on August 12 2003, there were 3.5 million hits for the first three weeks and for September 2003 this increased to 6.5 million hits.

The rise in the number of hits and people accessing the site prompted the Colombo Stock Exchange to increase its capacity of web servers on a priority basis.

The web server capacities were increased on October 20, 2003 and the Colombo Stock Exchange is at present working with its web technology providers Affno (Pvt) Ltd and the web hosting company Sri Lanka Telecom (SLT) to further increase its web server capacities in order to meet the future increased demand.

During September 2003 on an average the Colombo Stock Exchange web site received 216,667 hits. The average visit length per person is approx 47 minutes.

The scope and the range of the website is that approximately 44% is Sri Lankan in origin while the balance of approximately 56% comes from all over the world.

The most active international visitor country is the United States. Visitors from the United States account for 31% of the total number of visitors, followed by the United Kingdom, the United Arab Emirates and Australia. The USA contingent is also responsible for the most downloads from the website - approximately 64% of total downloads.

Approximately 20% of visitors to the section of the site where files can be downloaded over the period of the analysis have chosen to utilise the Colombo Stock Exchange brochure's Sinhala version. This suggests that there exists a strong Sinhala literate customer base for the services that the website offers.

The Colombo Stock Exchange is planning to introduce the daily share price list on the web in Sinhala and Tamil as well. These downloads are popular as active content is stored in the Colombo Stock Exchange website comprising downloadable versions of the profile of listed companies, the Sinhala language option of the Colombo Stock Exchange brochure, the Colombo Stock Exchange fact book, trading and market statistics, the Colombo Stock Exchange annual report 2002, and the listing rules and other regulations of the Colombo Stock Exchange.

The Colombo Stock Exchange - www.cse.lk - is a company limited by guarantee and established under the Companies Act No. 17 of 1982. The Colombo Stock Exchange took over the Stock Market in 1985 from the Colombo Share Brokers Association. It currently has a membership of 15 institutions, all of which are licensed to operate as stockbrokers.

Since it commenced operations the Colombo Stock Exchange has initiated a number of measures to improve the market's infrastructure and regulatory framework to facilitate an orderly and fair market.

To date, the exchange has 240 listed companies, representing 20 business sectors with a market capitalisation of over 335 billion rupees (over US $ 3.4 billion), which correspond to approximately 12% of the country's GDP.

The Colombo Stock Exchange is also a member of the World Federation of Exchanges (WFE) and a member of the South Asian Federation of Exchanges (SAFE). It has recently also been highlighted by Fortune Magazine in its September edition as the second best Emerging Markets stock exchange in the world.

Suren Kannangara, CEO of Affno, explains how the Internet has transformed personal and professional lives. Brian Tissera reports.

Q: In what ways do you feel that the Internet has affected people’s living and working conditions?

A: I would say that the Internet has been a major factor in widening horizons. Today, people can acquire new knowledge – fast and without expense. Even formal distance-education is a reality now. And it gets better by the day with the use of a broader bandwidth with products such as Asynchronised Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL), where the current speed of 56 kilobytes per second could be increased to 512 kilobytes soon – even eventually going up to two megabytes. This will serve as a cost-effective alternative to the present system of using lease lines and satellite connections, which is expensive. The Internet has also enabled people separated by great distances to keep in touch.

Q: How has the Internet affected business transactions?

A: The Internet has helped businesses reach consumers directly without having to go through a series of middlemen. This has caused a drastic change in trading patterns. Manufacturing organisations that use this method of direct selling have been found to be successful, and to possess a marked advantage over those who use traditional means of trading through agents and trading houses. The larger the number of parties between the producer and the consumer, the higher the cost.

Together with concepts such as supply chain management, the Internet has also enabled businesses to reduce costs of inventories drastically and also offer a much greater degree of customisation in a cost effective manner. This is possible because the Internet enables businesses to concurrently interact with a vast number of suppliers and customers. The Internet is at the heart of many new revolutionary business models hitherto unimaginable.

Q: Does trading via the Net entail certain dangers?

A: It must be clearly understood that the Internet is only a channel of communication. As a buyer or a seller, one must establish safeguards such as checking on the creditworthiness and reputation of the supplier. Similarly, prospective clients part with their money only if they know their supplier, and if an element of trust has been built up between the two parties. The Internet is not a foolproof method of trading – it is a new and speedy means of communication.

Q: How could the Internet be used to improve trade, and consequently boost economic growth?

A: In Sri Lanka, we have many industries that have no relationship whatsoever with the end consumer. This is because the manufacturers do not enjoy economies of scale to market their produce and build brands internationally. To increase our national wealth, we must aspire to obtaining the maximum price for our produce. This can only be done by developing a relationship directly with the end customer.

The Internet is ideal for acquiring and building relationships with Business-to-Business (B2B) customers. Even in the case of mass consumers, Sri Lankan companies have the opportunity to build international brands in a cost-effective manner today.

However, this is easier said than done. First and foremost, our products must be exceptional and offer a genuine differentiation. We also need to keep to delivery dates and make names for ourselves as reliable suppliers. It is no doubt a laborious and expensive exercise, but it is more practicable at a national level.

Whether one trades via the Internet or not, one has to compete on cost to survive in the global marketplace. Moreover, one has to be able to streamline processes to bring in greater efficiencies. Today, there are cost-effective solutions for businesses to manage all their document and data in a foolproof and efficient manner.

Likewise, there are cost-effective solutions to enable people to collaborate and work together. There are also solutions that can enable the monitoring of progress – from the grass-roots level, without upsetting the hierarchy – by simply getting the relevant information on time and being able to respond instantly. Such measures will help our businesses to get their houses in order, so as to face global competition effectively.

Q: With instant information being available on the Internet, will the print media be affected negatively?

A: Just as much as TV didn’t kill radio and video didn’t kill cinema, I don’t think that the Internet will kill the print media. The only thing that will happen is that the print media will become more focused. Perhaps it may not enjoy the same circulation figures, but it remains unmatched as a relaxing read. This means that the quality of writing and presentation of the print medium will improve, whilst the Internet’s main focus will be on speed.

Q: How do you respond to the abuse of the Internet, especially in the case on online pornography?

A: Real dangers of the Internet exist and cannot be eliminated completely. The danger of pornography is very real, and I believe it is the duty of parents to explain to their children the danger of logging onto certain channels. It is better to prevent such problems by explaining the dangers involved, rather than try to block it by means of filtering or other technical devices – because it cannot be done with total success.

In a bid to boost exports, the Export Development Board (EDB) last night unveiled a secure and comprehensive electronic platform through which Lankan firms could market and sell goods online.

The eMarket place or Sri Lanka's official gateway to the business world is through a trade portal hosted on the www.srilankabusiness.com.

Among the many benefits afforded to Sri Lankan enterprises are the facilities to sell online through an Internet Payment Gateway provided by HSBC, a bank of international repute, and deliver worldwide via a cost effective delivery mechanism through Capitol Air Express International (Danzas), a market leader in global logistics. The site is developed by Sri Lanka's leading software engineering company - Affno.

EDB said this official trade portal could in time become the switchboard for all trades done with Sri Lanka.

It was ceremonially unveiled by the Minister of Enterprise Development, Industrial Policy and Investment Promotion, Prof. G.L. Peiris, last night. EDB Chairman R. Sivaratnam, top exporters and business leaders were present.

The objective of the portal is to enable large and small enterprises to vie for international exposure and find new markets and buyers in a very cost effective manner. They are further assisted by the credibility accruing from State patronage. EDB was of the view that even the largest enterprises in the Country could hardly afford the costs of international marketing and this Trade Portal would prove useful to over 95% of Sri Lankan enterprises seeking overseas markets.

E.M. Donald originally an aquarium fish exporter, told the launch how he had got a breakthrough in sea food exports by having his details on the EDB's web portal. Today he is shipping export orders worth US $4,500 weekly to the US, Japan and Netherlands.

With an estimated world population of 500mn. accessing the Internet the business potential of this type of venture could be quite significant. EDB plans to promote the Portal extensively using online and offline advertising, public relations and through leveraging Sri Lankan missions overseas. The portal has been launched with all the requisite country and sector information. Popular Sri Lankan products and services have been grouped into 18 sectors from Apparel to Wood and Wooden Products. Several enterprises have already signed up and carry their basic contact information. Signing up of new enterprises and expanding the breath and depth of information carried by each enterprise will be an ongoing exercise. With time EDB hopes that every enterprise will be profiled in the portal. Enterprises have the freedom to use the Portal to whatever extent they feel fitting. From using it as a simple channel for generating enquiries or traffic to their own web sites through to the actual selling and collecting of payments.

With a view to promoting the use of ICT in international trade the EDB is offering this facility to the business community at very special introductory price. Enterprises can set them selves up for on-line trading for as little as Rs. 15,000/-. All the requisite security software and management tools of a sophisticated online trading portal have been built in for this purpose. The EDB has played a lead role in leveraging the Internet for delivering a range of e-based services to the business community since 1999 when it launched the Cyber Trader. www.srilankabusiness.com represents a major leap from this pioneering effort. The development of this Trade Portal will be on-going and will constitute a major part of EDB's focus for the future. This portal will also provide the gateway for the launch of many other e-services to Sri Lankan enterprises. The EDB also expects this initiative to open up avenues for new types of businesses paving the way for improved employment opportunities. This could be very significant in the light of the Government's target of creating two million new jobs over the next few years.

In keeping with the Government's vision of an e-Sri Lanka where "the dividends of ICT are taken to every village, to every citizen and to every business" the EDB has even provided for the rural entrepreneur through the establishment of regional e-commerce centres.

SMEs in rural areas that are unable to access the Internet due to the lack of a personal computer or a telephone line will now be able to do so through these regional centres. Five centres are presently in operation in Galle, Hambantota, Matara, Kandy and Kurunegala while three more - in Kalutara, Matale and Ratnapura are in the pipeline.

EDB said that Sri Lanka is on the threshold of a new wave of social and economic development with the Government targeting a sustained economic growth of 8 to 10 percent over the next few years. SMEs who contribute significantly to the economic development of the Country will have a major role to play in this endeavour and www.srilankabusiness.com will play an important role in assisting them to find export markets.

Prof. G.L. Peiris, the walking encyclopedia, the man with the photographic memory, the highly articulate off the cuff speech maker, the quintessential master of knowledge...Little wonder then that he called on Affno to learn about the Affno Knowledge Suite showcased at the IMEXPRO 2003 international import and export fair at the Exhibition and Convention Centre early this week. 'Affno' incidentally means 'to bring knowledge' coined by combining the Latin word 'afferre' which means 'to bring' and the Greek word 'gignoskein' from which the word 'knowledge' has originated.

Deer Park Hotel and Affno brought honour to Sri Lanka by clinching the highest award for the best tourism website in the PATA region. PATA - as it is popularly known, is an abbreviation for the Pacific Asia Travel Association, which covers an extensive region, spanning the Indian sub-continent, Australia, the Far East and North America.

PATA officials explaining the significance of a PATA Gold said that "The PATA Gold Award recognises exceptional achievements in a variety of endeavours, bringing acclaim to the best the region's travel industry has to offer. Not only do the winning projects set industry standards for excellence and innovation, but they also serve as examples for others to follow". This coveted award for the best website has been previously won only by the likes of the Hong Kong Tourism Board with mega million dollar budgets. The Deer Park Hotel website was selected for its technical quality, effectiveness, ease of access, creativity / design, information content, promotional value and results generated.

Delighted by the prestigious accolade, Dr. T.N. Jinasena, Managing Director of the Jinasena Group of Companies, who own and manage the hotel said, "There are over 100,000 hotels throughout the world, all of which operate on a level playing field. This website however, has now propelled us above the rest of our competition."

The Deer Park is a chalet-style luxury jungle resort designed to give its guests the ultimate jungle/village life experience, whilst being cosseted in luxury. The Hotel comprises of 88 chalets, including luxury suites and is situated on a 12-acre extent of land.

Speaking of the Internet with relation to tourism, Affno's CEO Suren Kannangara said, "It is more important now than ever before for the Sri Lankan tourism industry to invest in travel and tourism e-business initiatives if Sri Lanka wants to remain attractive and competitive today and into the future".

He quoted the following statistics in support of his claim, "While the global travel industry took a strong hit in the wake of September 11, the Internet as a channel for booking travel is not only growing stronger, but actually becoming the method of choice for many consumers and businesses for both bookings and information".

"The fate of Sri Lankan tourism too could have been a lot different despite July 24th and September 11th, if our tourism industry had its e-business infrastructure properly in place. Also travel and tourism during 2001 was one of the few industries to continue investment and expansion on the Internet against a background of over correction in the high-tech stocks. And the World Tourism Organisation Business Council (WTOBC) suggests that the Internet may account for one in every four travel purchases in the main generating markets within the next five years", Mr. Kannangara added.

The Employment and Labour Ministry on Wednesday launched a new web portal to formulate a national productivity policy with the objective of seeking the people's participation in the country's future national productivity.

The web portal was ceremonially opened by Employment and Labour Minster Mahinda Samarasinghe at a ceremony held at Hotel Hilton in Colombo amidst a large gathering of parliamentarians, Government and private sector officials and businessmen. The website was developed by Affno (Pvt) Ltd.

Minister Samarasinghe also paid a glowing tribute to US Ambassador Ashley Wills and USAID Mission Director Ms. Vicki Moore for their painstaking effort focussed towards the establishment of a website which the public can send in their suggestions and comments on a range of topics pertaining to the future development activities in the country.

"The newly launched website is a major initiative in terms of transparency and people participation in the preparation of a national policy and is a clear indication of democracy in practice", Minister Samarasinghe said.

"The site is in all three languages, therefore people from all communities at all levels living here or abroad can access to the website and share their opinions"

"At present our productivity levels are considered to be lower than those of other Asian nations such as Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand and many East Asian national attained their high productivity levels through systematic planning at a micro level, therefore we also have identified the need for a new productivity policy", Minister Samarasinghe added.

US Ambassador Ashley Wills said that he was impressed by the effort that has gone into developing the website and also reiterated that the portal would not only encourage people to participate with their ideas but also keep people informed throughout the policy formation process enabling people's participation at even this stage.

The Ministry of Employment and Labour launched a web portal this evening at a ceremony presided by minister Mahinda Samarasinghe and attended by a cross section of diplomats, government officials and leaders of the private sector and the trade union movement. www.slnep.org is a portal for capturing ideas, views and opinions from the public for the purpose of creating a consensus based national employment policy (NEP) for Sri Lanka.

The ministry has recognized the need to capture a wide range of views on the contents of the policy, as the policy will be directly relevant to the country’s citizenry. In order to do so the ministry has taken a bold step towards the establishment of this web portal, through which the public can send in their suggestion and comments on a range of topics. The web portal is a major initiative in terms of transparency and people participation in the preparation of a national policy, and is a clear indication of democracy in practice. The site is in all three languages thereby ensuring that people from all communities and at all levels can share their opinions.

Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe speaking on the occasion urged the audience to give the country the benefit of their thoughts and ideas by logging onto the web portal. The minister added that this might probably be the first time that such a step has been taken to collect views from the public though a web portal for formulation of a national policy. “We put together a tri-partite advisory committee devoid of any political affiliations for the formulation of the NEP. The Committee comprises of representation of trade unions from various political parties, a cross section of employers, academics and young people." Asite Talwatte, senior partner Ernst and Young said that “by obtaining a larger number of viewpoints it will be possible to develop a comprehensive employment policy that meets the needs of both employers and employees.” The minister thanked the Norwegian Government for sponsoring all the costs related to the formulation of the NEP.

Charitha Ratwatte - Secretary to the Treasury speaking on the occasion said that “We cannot underestimate the popularity of the Internet in Sri Lanka and this initiative will prove to be a definite winner. Efforts such as this will play an important role in the exponential growth of this medium". Ratwatte added that information and communication technology was the last chance for Sri Lanka and that the treasury was committed to providing incentives to entrepreneurs who have ideas to narrow the digital divide.

John Westborg - Norwegian ambassador speaking on the occasion congratulated the ministry on its initiative. He said that politicians and governments cannot provide employment and can only facilitate this process. “The need of the hour is to provide gainful employment”, he added.

The Sri Lanka government is actively pursuing rapid economic growth and in this context it is essential that the country’s employment policy be aligned to its development goals. The policy will reflect modern thinking in order to maintain Sri Lanka’s competitiveness in the global economy. The ministry has actively sought out the opinions and participation of a cross section of the public for the development of this policy, and members of the private sector are also represented on the policy formulation committee. In addition and Young - Sri Lanka, were commissioned to coordinate an initial study to obtain a cross section of employer and employee views to aid in the development of the NEP.

Mr. Bradmon Weerakoon, Secretary to the Prime Minister also graced the occasion. The website was developed by Affno, a leading software engineering company, which focuses on building e-business solutions.

Sri Lanka's Annual Report Company, Smart Media presented a preview of its intranet and extranet built by Affno - the software engineering company specializing in e-business.

Smart Media's CEO Rochelle Kannangara, making the presentation at the recently concluded National Conference of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka (ICASL) said that the Company's latest high tech investment would be launched by June this year.

Explaining the rationale for their high-tech software investment, Kannangara said that every year Smart Media tries to see how they can add more value to clients. "It is this constant search for ways in which to add value that led us to realize that we can reduce some of the pressure our clients experience during the production of an annual report. In essence this new software system would act like an intelligent project manager for our clients.

"Once schedules are agreed upon the system will automatically track the progress and show the client graphically the status of each task. So the client can take timely action if any task is running behind schedule. Likewise a large team from the client's end gets involved in the annual report production process.

"It is not uncommon for the Chairman, CEO CFO, head of marketing, head of human resources and many others to get involved in the process at some point or the other. So the individual charged with the responsibility of bringing out the Annual Report can co-ordinate and track the work of the entire team giving them various levels of access to the report in development.

"The system will all the while maintain a comprehensive log of who did what so that everyone is held accountable. Stringent security measures similar to those used in electronic banking have been employed. Any text change, comment or remark made by the client will be channeled automatically to the relevant people at Smart Media through the system.

"At Smart Media we work in teams. So different people work in different teams on different projects concurrently. This system will greatly facilitate this process and makes the teamwork a lot more productive. There's also a comprehensive document management system that enables Smart Media to store and retrieve information in a more efficient and responsible manner".

Affno's CEO Suren Kannangara commenting on the design of software said that Smart Media had a very good system working very well for them and there was really no need to change it. So what Affno did was to study their existing system and build the software for it, which simply enhances the whole operation at Smart Media giving it a turbo boost as it were, rather than impose any new systems on them.

The software design objectives were to enhance customer satisfaction, reduce operating costs and provide a comprehensive knowledge repository. He added that the intranet and document management software systems are Affno's own patent pending software products and hence enable Affno to build truly customized software solutions.

Ranel T. Wijesinha, outgoing President of the ICASL and current President of the Confederation of Asian and Pacific Accountants (CAPA) said that all over the world the production of an annual report is considered to be a major time consuming task which impacts on day-to-day running of business. It is therefore commendable to see Sri Lankan Smart Media having seemed to perfect the 'recipe' for producing annual reports, which is evident by their world class work for a large cross section of clients. Their new software system will no doubt add tremendous value to companies who are increasingly pressed by demands of greater transparency and timeliness in reporting.

The new President of ICASL, Asite Talwatte commented that this software system is a great example of how any company, no matter what its size, can benefit immensely if their software investments are focused to specific objectives and meticulously executed. This technology enables corporate CEO's and CFO's to interactively contribute to enhancing the value chain of the annual report production process. "We are also fortunate to have world-class software engineering companies of the calibre of Affno in Sri Lanka to bring such technology into our market place", he added.

The Sri Lanka Export Development Board (EDB) has commissioned Affno to build Sri Lanka's official trade portal. This will represent a step change in EDB's previous pioneering initiative - Trade Net. The new trade portal will be more than a showcase for Sri Lankan companies with the government's endorsement and patronage, but also a place to sell their products on-line.

Dr. Lalith Gamage, Executive Director of EDB and Managing Director/CEO of the Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT), explaining the rationale for a government endorsed trade portal said, "Small and medium scale enterprises (SME's) will play a vital role as the Sri Lankan economy moves forward. Even in the United States the economy is not dependent on the General Electrics and Microsofts but rather on the enormous number of SME's. Our objective is not just to provide another channel for Sri Lankan companies to market their products but also to get them engaged in the idea of e-business and demonstrate to them the power of the Internet. We plan to set up and manage the portal in a manner that will provide synergies to the vast and diverse number of Sri Lankan manufacturers from producers of food products to clothing to commodities, components, electrical and electronic products and a whole host of others".

Affno's CEO Suren Kannangara said his company was happy to be entrusted with the prestigious task of building Sri Lanka's official country gateway for business.

The trade portal will enable each participating company (referred to as member companies) to advertise their products on the portal. Visitors would find these companies or their products in one of several ways. To enable this Affno will be building advanced search features and also grouping the companies into logical groupings depending on the complimentary nature of their products.

Dimo's passenger car division made history again when it launched its customer support website by Affno. www.dimoauto.com is an on-line interface between the vehicle owners and the company. Owners can book a service, order spares, check the status of a job and make payments online.

Dimo, one of the longest standing Mercedes Benz agents in the world, have been trailblazers in Sri Lanka's automobile industry. Meeting and exceeding customer expectations has not been just a fancy cliché at Dimo, it said.

"Over the years it has consistently invested to hold true to its guiding principle. Dimo has always maintained up-to-date repair and service facilities from fully automated engine testing equipment to environment controlled paint booths," it said.

Dimo even has a state of the art automobile training school to train apprentices.

"From these major investments to 24-hour roadside assistance and 24-hour spare part delivery we have been relentless in their efforts in exceeding customer expectations," the company added.

"Providing an online interface for our vehicle owners was an obvious step for Dimo," the company's CEO Ranjith Pandithage said.

Explaining the situation of their customer needs, he added, "Most of our vehicle owners send their vehicles for service or repairs through their drivers. Although the owners are quite concerned about their vehicles, their busy schedules do not permit them the time to personally be available to monitor the progress. This is the overall rationale for this Internet investment. This facility will enable them to have access to the status of the service or repairs carried out on their vehicles without them having to spend much time".

Dimo Director Gahanath Pandithage explaining the functionalities of the system said: "Many of our customers own multiple vehicles. They can come online and register their vehicles as the first step. Thereafter every time they visit the site, they will find that the site is customized for them. At a glance they would be able to find out everything about the service and repair history of all their vehicles." He said that this information is invaluable especially for the corporate customers who manage fleets.

Not only can a customer book a service online, the system will now send him a SMS (Short Message Service) alert when the job is done. The customer will have the billing details too on the SMS and will be able to pay online as well, so that the driver can simply come and drive back the vehicle.

Web portal development specialist Affno's CEO Suren Kannangara said: "We have also built back-end manager tools to enable the Dimo staff to easily integrate with the Internet system."

"The key to our solution was to provide a cost effective and scalable system enabling Dimo to make full use of their existing back office systems and add functionalities and automation in stages," he added.

Global banking giant HSBC has selected Sri Lankan e-business integrator Affno as its long-term web development Company, after a detailed selection process in the Indian Sub-Continent and beyond.

HSBC widely acclaimed as the bank that introduced the ATM machine and electronic banking to Sri Lanka, is taking another major step with the Internet. It is Web re-launching its Internet presence worldwide. The first phase of this globally coordinated plan will come online later in the year and HSBC Sri Lanka will keep abreast of the Group's global roll out program.

HSBC Sri Lanka Deputy CEO Sarath Piyaratne said that the Bank is confident that Affno can help HSBC to build innovative Internet solutions tailored for Sri Lanka by integrating them effectively with the global Internet tools that HSBC group has invested in.

Affno's CEO Suren Kannangara said that his company was happy to be associated with HSBC in building exciting software tools for banking and about the prospects that lay ahead through this new appointment.

The British Publisher Euromoney's prestigious Corporate Location Magazine's rating of BOI Sri Lanka website in the 20th position is an achievement that Sri Lanka can be proud of.

Gillian Drury who assesses the best of the Investment Promotion Agency websites in the world conducts the survey annually. BOI Lanka's website designed and built by Affno has been rated above France (24), California (26), Costa Rica (31), Scotland (32) and Hong Kong (36) whilst India failed to make it to the top 50 this year.

Commenting on BOI Sri Lanka's ranking Gillian Drury says, "This is a very good, no-nonsense site for busy executives who like instant solutions."

Drury particularly comments on the effective use of drop down menu lists for each navigation bar option enabling trouble-free fact-finding.

"Useful information is backed up with statistics and business links. Investment and approval application forms are both available online. Costs are up-to-date and comprehensive: they include registration air cargo per item, permit and ID card costs", adds Drury.

On making it to the global top 50, Suren Kannangara Affno's CEO said, "We are happy and proud that our client's website has been hailed among the best in the world. Looking ahead, we hope this becomes a source of inspiration to the many private sector companies, banks and government organizations in Sri Lanka who are still lagging far behind even in terms of basic standards leave alone coming anything close to world class." he added.

Suren says that our companies need not be overwhelmed by the complexity of building an e-business. " You can take a step at a time as vividly demonstrated by BOI. A well thought-out, skillfully executed and regularly updated informational website is the first step. Promoting its presence to a targeted audience is the next. Thereafter the various e-business functionalities could be included in stages", he adds.

It's not too late for the Sri Lankan companies who need to catch up. Drury says that many of the sites reviewed have lost sight of their main purpose - to attract investment projects. To do this effectively they need to tailor their features to the needs of executives responsible for site selection. Out of date statistics or data that has been sourced in-house, does not fool anyone and sends out the wrong signals to the business world, he added.