The Information Technology Industry Development Agency (ITIDA) has participated in the recent regular meeting of the Global Technology and Business Services Council (GT&BSC), conducted to follow up on the progress made by its member organizations.

The meeting agenda included reviewing the efforts exerted to support and ensure business continuity and to deliver a global response to the challenges and changes brought about by Coronavirus (COVID-19), and forming a clear vision on the future of the sector.

GT&BSC, which ITIDA joined last July as a founding member, is an alliance of 12 international associations representing the technology and business services sector across the Balkans, Czech Republic, Egypt, Germany, Hungary, India, Malaysia, Poland, Romania, Russia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, United Kingdom (UK), United States (U.S.) and Ukraine.

According to a former statement by the Council, the technology and business services sector was integral to supporting businesses across the world as they addressed the challenges of adapting to changes caused by COVID-19, demonstrating remarkable agility, commitment and resilience in responding to the crisis, ensuring business continuity for global clients and prioritizing safety of all employees.

The sector was central to the rapid deployment of work from home models and digital transformations, providing critical support and “essential services” to various sectors including governments, through highly skilled professionals around the world.

The Council explained that the technology and business services sector has a great strategic value, given the importance of its eco-system, at a global level, as more than 10 million employees around the world, with diverse skills, high flexibility, transparency and team spirit, work in this sector.

The Global Technology and Business Services Council has an ambitious program of work, with immediate next steps, including holding an international summit to discuss the new directives amid the current challenges, and conducting a global body of research to better understand the industry’s global state and prepare a report showing directions of further development.

This is in addition to initiating discussions with all stakeholders to share the best technological models and applications adopted to face COVID-19, as well as enhancing the sector's role in the global economy and the future opportunities it provides.

Founding members of the GT&BSC include: ABSL, covering Poland, Romania, Czech Republic and Hungary; AIBEST, covering Bulgaria and the Balkans; ASTRA, covering Russia and Belarus; BPESA, in South Africa; GSA, in the UK; IAOP, in the U.S.; ITIDA, in Egypt; ITUKRAINE, in Ukraine; NASSCOM, in India; OM MALAYSIA, in Malaysia; and SLASSCOM in Sri Lanka.