National Software Industry Development: Considerations for Government Planners

Abstract

Software presents an unusual set of problems for policy makers. As a major global industry, it has been successfully targeted by a growing number of countries for its potential to generate export revenue. At the same time, it is an essential, high‐risk, and increasingly expensive component of Information and Communications Technology (ICT)‐related programs to increase government effectiveness and to bring local firms in other industries up to globally competitive performance levels. This paper outlines the range of considerations specific to software within ICT planning and discusses government's role in accelerating and shaping that growth in support of social and economic priorities. We draw on the experience of both developed and emerging economies to argue that government should take an active role in software industry development, and to lay out the full range of possible government actions (both policies and programs). Every country's path seems to be different – the best course of action will depend on the resources available (including infrastructure and human resources), on the state of the global software industry at that specific time, and on the country's unique situation, such as languages spoken, regional or cultural ties with major markets, a tradition of entrepreneurship, or an expatriate business community.

Factors Impacting on the Current Level of Open Innovation and ICT Entrepreneurship in Africa

“…Foster et al (2010) note that ICT micro-enterprises leverage both social and business networks in their day to day business operations. Tessler et al (2003) note the strategic importance of developing indigenous software development capacity. They emphasise the opportunities to create high value employment for engineers in software services, and educated non-engineers with appropriate language skills in ICTenabled services businesses.…”

“…Foster and Heeks (2010) note gaps in the literature related to the development role and potential of ICT micro-enterprises. Tessler et al (2003) This study bridges this existing knowledge gap in an African context by identifying factors impacting on the evolution of mechanisms supporting open innovation and ICT entrepreneurship in Africa. This study is part of a series of papers based on longitudinal research focused on innovation ecosystems in Africa (Cunningham et al, 2014(Cunningham et al, , 2015a(Cunningham et al, , 2015b.…”

Política de software y servicios de TI en Brasil: condicionantes sociales, políticos y económicos

“…Su trayectoria de desarrollo se expresa en un modelo específico y de difícil emulación por parte de otros paí-ses. Cada modelo se compone de un conjunto de elementos heterogéneos, como instituciones gubernamentales, academia y mercado, y las interacción entre ellos (Schware, 1992;Roselino, 2006;Tessler, Barr y Hanna, 2003).…”

“…Como consecuencia, los avances técnicos y científicos e incrementos de productividad en esta industria tendrían gran potencial de expandirse hacia otros sectores de la economía nacional, garantizando la innovación en la industria de software y servicios de ti con un efecto multiplicador e importancia estratégica para el desarrollo económico y social del país (Schware, 1992;Tessler, Barr y Hanna, 2003;Sein y Harindranath, 2004;mcti, 2012b).…”

Investigation of the Radio Frequency Identification Assimilation Process in China: A Stage‐based Model Perspective

“…Furthermore, external factors including internal resistance and external influence are also found to significantly influence organizational preparedness. Tessler et al (2003) study the role of government in accelerating software development in both developed and emerging economies. They find that every country's path seems to be different, but the best action will depend on the resources available (including infrastructure and human resources).…”