Making progress in the field of information technology is the most integral part for a country to survive. Information technology has covered almost all the government social and Defence related departments that are necessary for a country to meet the challenges of constantly growing world in the field of IT. Information technology refers to the use of computers, devices and their networking, creating IT infrastructure, securing and exchanging all type of electronic data. In simple words when two computer or devices communicate to each other to share some information then that is called information technology.
First time in Pakistan computer was installed in Karachi in 60’s. And now more than 1800 mainframe and minicomputers in both government and the private sector. It is estimated that Pakistan is importing almost 500,000 new computers per year. Information technology in Pakistan is used in some major fields of life like Education, Agricultural, Defence, Entertainment, Industrial area and agricultural fields.
Some significant milestones are achieved by Pakistan:
- NADRA (National Database and Registration Authority)
- Missile Technology
- Television Satellite
- Internet access all over Pakistan
Pakistan has launched a geo satellite to extend telecommunication-broadcasting to facilitate the remote areas in Pakistan and to communicate with other countries. Pakistan has developed world class IT institutions and universities for better learning of IT areas. Pakistan has brought notable improvements in services like bill payment, ATM, and other online banking and Applications processing forms. Fiber Optics connectivity has covered the almost 80 percent areas of Pakistan for better connectivity of internet because it is the most advanced and fastest internet cable to share data and information in a wide range.
In Ideas 2016 (Exhibition regarding the technology in warfare and advanced weapons) Pakistan has shown improvements in the field of Defence using IT facilities by improving the better radar systems. As well as Pakistan has been making day by day success in improving IT infrastructure by increasing the bandwidth of internet, making computer education necessary for primary level education, and by providing resources to IT companies and by arranging training sessions for IT Professionals.
Arfa Karim is one of the biggest names in the history of IT in Pakistan, Microsoft and as well as all over the world in the field of Information technology. The proud moment for Pakistan was when; she achieved the title of “The World’s youngest Microsoft Certified Professional since 2004-2006,” and praised as the brightest child of Pakistan and the pride of the state as well. Microsoft also held an additional exam to fit her programming abilities and she spent that too. At that juncture, she was invited by Bill Gates the Chairman of Microsoft, to visit Microsoft Headquarters. Arfa visited the Microsoft headquarters with her father Lieutenant Colonel (R) Amjad Karim Randhawa, got a chance to meet people working in Microsoft.
Another Pakistani-British child Ayan Qureshi becomes the youngest Microsoft certified professional at his sixth birthday when he passed Microsoft exam. He became the youngest MCP by displacing a Pakistani Student Mehroz Yawar who was the youngest Microsoft youngest child at the age of six-and-a-half. Ayyan is a little master in networking; he struggled for five months and got a successful result by networking between 2 computers, 2 laptops with one hub and a switch. And another 13 years old Pakistani girl “Umema Adil” has passed the Microsoft Certified Professional test and added her name to the list of world’s youngest certified professionals. When a country has such kind of talent in such young kids then it means that Pakistan is ready to compete with any country in the world in the field of computer technologies.
The future of Pakistan in IT field is very bright because Pakistan has the talent to make significant success in this area, to compete in today’s world of IT and this success will continue to grow in future.
