Rotterdam- based IT company to set up BPO in Sri Lanka
View(s):ISM eCommerce, a Dutch company founded by a former finance minister, has signed an agreement with the Board of Investment (BOI) of Sri Lanka to develop software and provide Business Processing Outsourcing (BPO) services for the export market.
The total value of this investment is US$ 3 million, according to a BOI media release.
ISM eCompany is a full service and innovative e-commerce and e-learning firm, which develops for both practices, globally renowned products (Sana and Easygenerator) and provide top notch web based solutions to their clients.
Its specialists work in the Van Nelle design factory in Rotterdam, in Zhytomir, Ukraine, New York City and Singapore. “Sri Lanka is their new location and will eventually employ 160 talented local IT specialists, serving the Asia Pacific Hub. The company delivers professional projects to customers like Royal Dutch Post (PostNL), Seiko Watches, Akzo Nobel, Heineken and Chelsea FC,” the statement said.
ISM Founder Jan Kees de Jager said that “this investment has to secure our position in the growing Asia Pacific market. With Colombo as our home base we think we have chosen a great strategic location. One of great spirit, vibrant business environment, enthusiastic people and magnificent sceneries”.
He said the company will invest heavily in education and knowledge transfer, by training new local employees by industry experts abroad as well as in Colombo.
“It’s our aim to make them world-wide front runners in our field of expertise. Beside the employee training, we would also like to close university-corporate partnerships. This allows us to transfer our unique industry knowledge to an even wider young and eager student population,” he added.
Mr. de Jager founded the company in 1992, left the firm in 2006 to become a member of the Dutch Government. First he served as the State Secretary of Finance and later he became the Minister of Finance of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. He is now retired from active politics and returned to his firm as strategic enabler of ISM’s international ambition and as general counselor.