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Web portal review
Website of BASIS lagging behind
The web
portal of Bangladesh Association of Software and Information Services, BASIS,
is one of the most ordinary websites of the country, but the software trade
body is obliged to provide extra ordinary services to the country˘s software
industry. As regular internet surfers we have to click on many websites either
for professional or personal purposes. The website of BASIS (www.basis.org.bd)
is important for every software and IT enabled service related people like
international and national companies, government offices, academicians,
journalists, donors, NGO etc. As IT
journalists we often visit the website for gathering information for preparing
writing-ups and stories on IT industry. We cannot point out any speciality of
the website and webpage designing mastery is totally absent. The white coloured
website with light blue options cannot claim it is a noticeable website in the
South Asia, even many websites of the country are many steps ahead of the
website and websites of some member companies of BASIS are attractive than the
web portal. Such poor web portal cannot be able to take credit to bring
outsourcing and other IT businesses here.
Webpage
designers of BASIS failed to show graphical tools over the website. Nice images
can draw attention of surfers that can also inject affection in the mind of
browsers. Informative contents can keep the surfers long time glued to a
website as well as enlightening the netizens with updated information. The software think-thank already crossed its infant stage because next
year it will be one decade old. Now its membership stands at 247, which are
software developers and IT enabled service providers. Their many member
companies are associated with multinational companies and internationally
certified staffs are also available in some of their member companies. They
claimed in the last Softexpo they are exporting software and IT services to 30
countries of the world. More than a dozen of its member firms are certified to
ISO 9001 quality assurance standard. Several firms also are on course to obtain
SEI - CMM level 3 certification. The mentioned claims and background of the software trade body proved
that they have enough experts and resources to develop a world class website
with containing many information, research papers, market analysis, video,
blogs etc. Software developers of BASIS often try to walk on the path of Indian
software industry. In fact, their dream is to take place in the international
software businesses like Indian software industry did. Replicating the website
of NASSCOM (www.nasscom.in) can be an easiest task and the website of Indian
software industry can be a nice model to be followed. Whenever we visit the
website of NASSCOM we see brilliant brains are playing role behind the building
of the website. Its well-designed options showed deftly creativity of the
webpage designers. Analytical contents represent brilliant thinking power of
their hi-tech analysts. Regular upgraded information of the website will give
you a full picture of Indian software industry. The option called ˇMedia Room˘ at the NASSCOM˘s website is 50 times
better than the website of BASIS. Highly professional persons related with the
media page to write contents of the website of Indian software trade body,
which frequently upgrades the surfers on the IT industry. The press contents of
BASIS are poorly written in a few lines, writing standard is below to the mark
and as surfers we see absence of professionalism at the website. Journalists
never get proper answers of their queries from the website. ˇNewsline˘ option of the website of NASSCOM will make you thrilled to
see Indian and world˘s IT domains. Stories and features like ˇWomen in IT˘ are
excellent and innovative, such website is fully capable to earn international
businesses. Versatile options of the website are so colourful and educative
that are even rare in many famous western websites. The website of BASIS can post worthy interviews of some software
pioneers of Vincent Fernandez is CEO of
Software Technology Park Limited, a Landscape of Indian
software industry is so big and should not be compared with BASIS˘s efficiency.
So now we can turn to the website of Pakistan
Software Houses Association for IT and ITES, P@SHA, (www.pasha.org.pk), to know
where the competence of BASIS lies. They have huge resources to read which need
many months to finish. Videos and PODCAST will extend your knowledge on Another website is Pakistan Software Export Board,
PSEB, (www.pseb.org.pk), whose parent is government of the country. Like us
they have many bureaucratic bottlenecks, but they built a western flavoured
website. Mistakenly you can think you are browsing a professional and
hyperactive website of USA. The home page of the website started by the quotations of international
software icons like Arthur I. Anderson, Attorney, Fish & Richardson P.C., Website of BASIS is not artistic
and rich with essential contents compare to three mentioned websites of the
software think-tanks of our neighbouring countries. Its option named ˇResource
Centre˘ preserves a simple write-up. You
may say after clicking on ˇBangladesh IT Industry˘, it keeps some important PDF
files, but the papers like ICT act 2006, Company act 1994, National IT policy,
Export Policy 2006-9 are not developed by BASIS. However, it is good that they
gathered the papers to post at the website. None of surfers can say the posted
papers are user friendly because many surfers think PDF file is a hassle to
download. ICT act 2006 posted in Bangla which is not readable for foreign
investors. Why are they not feeling any urgency to translate the paper for
international investors? A simple website, for example web portal of BASIS, can
be developed by a fresh graduate in computer science who is almost without job
experience. As the website mentioned the Web Portal is maintained by BASIS
Secretariat. Designed and developed by desme Bangladesh Ltd a subsidiary
of desme Inc. So far the secretariat has no any research wing to developed
mature contents and research materials. The website must be developed
professionally and rich website can earn much for its sustainability as well as
businesses. Recently new executive committee of BASIS has been
elected to run the national software trade body with the hope to increase the
growth of software industry. We hope the new committee will be able to develop
a mature and attractive web portal of international standard. The efforts and
coordination between hi-tech thinkers and webpage designers can produce a
magnificent website that can bring international businesses and facilitate
domestic IT industry. The Independent http://www.theindependent-bd.com 9 May 2008 * Shahidul K K Shuvra The Independent, Editorial
Department In-charge of IT and Science
pages Cell- 01715245459 8911919 (res) 8961925 (res) |
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