Senator Kern Spencer, state minister in the Ministry of Industry, Technology, Energy & Commerce, has applauded the directors of Bits & Bytes Technology Limited on the bold step they took to launch their own Information and Technology (IT) company and urged the young professionals to continue on their innovative path.

Bits & Bytes is a new player in the software development and consultancy business. The company was formed in October 2005, out of the idea to create an electronic ticketing system for parties and events using cellular phones.

(From left) Senator Kern Spencer, CEO of Bits & Bytes Damian Daley, president of the Young Entrepreneurs Association Aldain Reid, and Microsoft ambassador Richard Shaw, share in a discussion at the official launch of software company, Bits & Bytes, at the Courtleigh hotel in Kingston.

This led to further collaboration with Cable & Wireless Jamaica, and the company took advantage of Cricket World Cup 2007 by developing CWJ's rate card website for media representatives covering the tournament. Since then, they have gone on to develop a number of interesting business solutions that will change the way business is transacted in Jamaica.

"Yours is the type of business venture that will move Jamaica towards the desired state of development as we move towards a knowledge-based society," said Spencer in his keynote address at the software company's official launch, held at the Courtleigh Hotel in Kingston two weeks ago. "Computer programmers and software developers are now even more critical to our country's development than in the past...this is indeed a step in the right direction as more of our companies need to be adopting opportunities and technologies that allow for greater convergence of the existing technologies."

Spencer noted that the Bits and Bytes team is appropriately poised to be a market leader in this regard, by providing the relevant consultancy services to other companies, which will aid them in moving ahead. As government continues its drive towards greater productivity,

"I am excited about the potential of Bits and Bytes, and look forward to what you will become in the near future as you continue to turn out exciting programmes and compatible technologies," said the senator.

In his address Spencer used the platform to outline his ministry's initiatives to encourage the growth of young IT entrepreneurs. The Government, through the Central Information Technology Office (CITO), has launched the Free and Open Source Software initiative, which allows software developers autonomy over the technologies. Akin to the originality that has been demonstrated by Bits and Bytes, Free and Open Source Software allows users to move beyond passively utilising the technologies, but puts the user literally in the driving seat to manipulate and create new software technologies that can be applied to other non-traditional Information and Communications Technology (ICT) subject areas, such as the natural sciences.

In addition, the senator introduced E-Powering Jamaica, a National Information and Communications Technology Strategy, which is to be implemented by 2012.
The major goals of this National policy are to:

- Encourage increased use of online business to business and business to consumer transactions;
- Build a unique ICT industry while promoting and encouraging ICT entrepreneurship;
- Provide support for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and non governmental organisations (NGOs) in taking greater advantage of ICTs for increased efficiency;
- Measure the use of ICTs and the ICT industry on the national economy.

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