Software in Tunisia Faouzi ZAGHBIB Chairman, Tunisian IT Chamber

ICT environment … for 9 million people  Telecom infrastructure : 1 fix operator/fix, 2 GSM operators, 15% connected to fix, 37% connected to GSM, OF backbone, variety of technologies (FR, ADSL, RNIS, LS), good country coverage, 10% using internet, 1.5% have an addresses registered locally (target : 10%/2006), …  Investment : registration process, founding, tax franchising (ICT manpower, Export, Off-Shore companies),  Legal environment : for ICT (telecoms regulation, e-sign, e-certif, e-pay, security, intellectual property protection, personal liberty protection), general codes (trade, employment, tax, public tenders, …)  ICT public initiatives: zero tax/HDW, family PC founding, e-Dinar, e-gov (taxes, social insurance, e-healthRDV, UVT, EduNet), 6 technical parks, incubators, 23 remote work centers, continuous cost reduction

Tunisian ICT private sector  265 engineering & services companies  410 distributors & resellers  12 ISP (6 private)  8 development centers serving multinational co  18 call centers (oversea support)

Tunisian ICT manpower  ICT specialists (7000 serving in the private sector)  students following ICT carriers  ICT education generalized to all specialties at universities  All secondary schools equipped with ICT Labs & connected to internet  Primary school

CNS-SSII members business  IS & IT Consultancy  Software engineering  Networks engineering  IT Systems integration  IT Security  Multimedia services engineering  e-services

CNS-SSII market structure  70% of the business done with public sector & companies controlled by the State : Public services: budgeting, tax, customs, health, social insurance, utilities, … Telecom public operator Transportation main operators Industry : chemicals, energy, …  Private market : Enterprise : RH, ERP, finance, distribution, CRM, e-business, business-intelligence, … 60%Banking, 75%Insurance Tourism

Tunisian ICT development plan  Invest US$ 1,5 billion (35% software & services)  Create jobs for ICT graduates  ICT sector contribution to GDB : 7,8% (achieved : 3.5%/2004)  Export US$ 155 millions (achieved : 50 m/2003)

Challenges to develop local market  Developing telecom infrastructure increases content demand, investment, revenues and potentials  Increase IT demand (e-services, content management, e-commerce, …) & associated services (consultancy, integration, training, …)  Accelerate privatization process: telecoms, internet  Increase competitiveness : Yearly ICT Benchmarking : infrastructure, legal environment, access to market, costs, competition Insure good practices

Tunisian performances  4-6% GDB growth since 12 years  Recognized economical performance : WEF Davos/2003  Foreign investment during 2003 : 12% in ICT sector, 17% yearly growth  45% GDB coming from foreign trade  80% Export made with Western Europe (hard competition, quality standards, rules, …)  Education performance : high coverage, good quality  ICT sector is doing well

Challenges to push business w/region  Awareness : Private ICT sector : Who is doing what Market demands / Opportunities Legal environment Practices : who, haw, how long it takes,…  Build networking  Start partnership for local market / tenders : consortium, distribution agreement, support/training  Support regional initiatives : legal env, projects  Multiply business meetings  Capitalize on success stories

Tunisia … a business partner