Community
During the year 2007, SLT lent support to a number of very important events within the sphere of telecommunications.
SANOG IX - January 2007
SLT hosted the 9th Networking Conference of the South Asian Network Operators Group in January 2007, in Colombo.
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SLT hosted the 9th networking conference of the South Asian Network Operators Group in
January 2007. |
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This event consisted of workshops, tutorials and a conference which provided the ideal forum for vendors and engineers involved in networking, to discuss new technologies and products whilst sharing experiences for the benefit of the telecom community.
A truly eminent international panel of instructors were on hand to lead proceedings.
The event also saw the participation of many of Sri Lanka’s leading companies, drawn from almost every industrial discipline.
SANOG IX, providing data operators in the South Asian region as it did, with an opportunity to discuss operational issues and technologies, was an important success in the modern context. The sharing of such knowledge on IP technologies and services has become more important than ever before.
SANOG is South Asia’s largest networking event.
International Conference on Industrial and Information Systems (ICIIS 2007)
SLT was the Principal Sponsor of ICIIS 2007. This is the second occasion on which the Company has done so, the first being the ICIIS held in 2006.
The objective of this Conference is to provide a common forum for academics and industrial experts to meet in discussion that leads to solutions and/or the opening of interesting avenues of collaboration for research. Typically they are drawn from areas such as Communication Information Engineering, Electronics, Instrumentation and Computer Systems, Robotics and Motion Control and Power Systems and High Voltage Engineering.
Topicality, international scope and beneficial spin offs for Sri Lanka were some of the motivators that attracted our sponsorship.
South Asian Broadband Congress
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SLT was a partner sponsor of the
first ever South Asian Broadband Congress and Expo held in
Colombo in 2007. |
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The first ever South Asian Broadband (SABB) Congress and Expo was held in 2007 in Colombo. SLT was partner sponsor of the event.
The main aims of this meet was to provide a forum where telecom operators and Internet service providers could meet and share their experiences whilst also promoting the benefits of Broadband technology to end users.
Many leading companies seized the opportunity to feature some of their leading edge products/services at the exhibition. SLT showcased its own Broadband services at a dedicated stall.
Working with professional audiences
During 2007, SLT also had opportunities to lend its support to selected projects from other professional spheres. By so doing, the Company played a role in facilitating enhancement of standards in key areas of life, beyond the scope of telecommunications.
CIMA Business Leaders’ Summit
SLT was the strategic partner for the CIMA Business Leaders’ Summit which took place at the BMICH in June 2007.
Based on the theme ‘Good to Great’ and inspired by Jim Collins’ book of the same name, it sought to explore whether there were universally applicable characteristics that distinguished great companies from good ones and mediocre ones. If there were such characteristics, the forum sought to verify whether such characteristics could be applied to individuals, business sectors or even nations.
SLT - Principal Sponsor of 7th Annual Conference of CIM
SLT has continued to support the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) Sri Lanka over a number of years, through its role as Principal Sponsor of CIM’s annual conference.
The very topical themes selected by CIM each year, with the conference in 2007 revolving around ‘The Evolution of the Retail Industry in Sri Lanka’, plus the fact that this conference is one of the premier events in Sri Lanka’s professional calendar, are factors SLT can identify with and support.
The international flavour that is lent to proceedings by the presence of luminaries from overseas, is also worthy of support, as it benefits the advancement of our own national and business standards quite significantly.
SLT - Platinum Sponsor of the Chillies 2007
The Chillies is Sri Lanka’s premier Advertising Awards and Marcom event, recognising and rewarding outstanding work put forth by the advertising/ Marcom industry each year.
SLT identifies with the role played by the organisers, who are themselves a mix of ad agency personnel and clients, in raising the bar of creative excellence whilst reaching for greater diversity, dynamism and world class execution.
‘Communication Beyond Voice’ an Event for Media Professionals
The Company hosted a three-day intensive and interactive workshop for media professionals on the theme ‘Communication Beyond Voice’, at Habarana during the year under review.
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"Communications Beyond Voice" a 3-day event hosted by SLT for
media professionals. |
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This event introduced media professionals to the convergence in technology and the role it plays in keeping us abreast of the rapid, cutting edge change that is taking place in the global telecom field.
Participants were afforded a practical experience of the latest technology deployed in the field of telecommunications. Such experience provided invaluable awareness and opportunities for further development of the ICT knowledge of media professionals.
SLT - Theme Attraction Sponsor EDEX 2008
The BMICH, Colombo played host to EDEX 2008 an exhibition that took place in January 2008.
EDEX 2008 brought together the student and the industry at a forum where 130 local educational institutions and over 350 foreign universities were represented.
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| SLT's theme attraction, "experience the digital lifestyle" at EDEX 2008. It was SLT's endeavour to link Sri Lankan youth with choices, options and opportunities in post secondary education, skills development, vocational and technical training leading to gainful employment. |
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It was the Company’s endeavour to link Sri Lankan youth with choices, options and opportunities in postsecondary education, skills development, vocational and technical training leading to gainful employment, through EDEX which was the single largest platform fulfilling this need.
The joint SLT-Mobitel stall at this exhibition offered visitors such features as the use of uploading photos/videos/ music files, photo/music/video sharing, creative writing and blogging, video blogging, net radio, social utility networks such as Facebook and chatting mechanisms such as SLTnet Messenger, Google Chat, iChat and MSN Messenger. It also featured Mobitel 3.5G and the use of mobile telephony on a GSM network, broadband services, as well as wireless fidelity (WIFI). Working with blogs; visitors could write, compose poems, upload videos onto social networks like YouTube, create digital art, make their own music or relax while listening to radio channels from around the world. They could also visit the Mobitel corner for a one of a kind experience - the first 3.5G HSPA technology in South Asia.
‘Waves of Change - Waves of Hope’
SLT was one of the Principal Sri Lankan Corporate Sponsors of the 8th International Congress on AIDS in Asia and the Pacific (ICAAP) held in Sri Lanka in August 2007.
Themed as ‘Waves of Change - Waves of Hope’, the Congress sought to enhance local, regional and global response to HIV/AIDS through a meaningful exchange of instances of expertise, experiences, progress, lessons learnt, challenges faced and successes achieved in HIV/AIDS programmes.
Donation to Cancer Hospital, Maharagama
Although many of the instances of SLT’s involvement and support in this segment of our report may seem to reflect only a corporate response, this is not always so.An apt illustration of how all our people get involved is to be found in the initiatives of our Sales Division, which raised a donation for the Cancer Hospital, Maharagama, through personal contribution.
This is an annual feature. This year, our staff donated dry rations and clothing for 100 patients as well.
Sports
SLT and the NOA
SLT partnered the National Olympic Academy (NOA) to impart better training to sports leaders and to facilitate a more streamlined operating approach by the sports movement as a whole.
This sponsorship illustrates SLT’s commitment to develop and strengthen relationships through sport, through participation of sports persons from across the land.
Such training ensures that our sportsmen and women can expect to have a trained and competent supportive administrative structure backing them at all times.
General Assembly National Olympic Committee
The Company sponsored the 36th Junior National Badminton Championships for the second consecutive year in May 2007.
Yet again, this is a project that fits with our aims to build a healthy and talented younger generation, where sports can inculcate the values of teamwork, fair competition, healthy rivalry and so many more formative qualities that stay with them into their adult years.
SLT has a strong tradition of fostering sports in Sri Lanka, sponsoring the South Asian Games in Colombo last year and the Sri Lankan contingent to the 15th Asian Games in Doha, also last year.
Education
The Company has, for some years now, consciously played a supportive role in the sphere of education. There are many reasons for this. We are firmly of the view that whatever we can do in improving the upcoming generation in terms of learning and self improvement, we will do. We have a national take on this issue, recognising the fact that these young people will one day be at the helm of affairs in the country and will require education and skills of the highest order, to contribute to the Nation.
Education
Spreading the Wealth of Knowledge
SLT has been involved with the Asia Foundation’s ‘Books for Asia’ programme since 2003.
In the year under review, SLT in association with the Asia Foundation distributed over 100,000 books around the country. Beneficiaries were schools, universities, libraries of professional bodies among others. The books were on a wide variety of subjects.
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SLT in association with the Asia Foundation distributed 100,000 books around the country. An
annual programme since 2003. |
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Among several significant benefits from this activity is the fact that it will undoubtedly enhance the proficiency and skill levels of school children, university students, professionals and others. It also allows our Company to play a catalytic role in addressing the needs of primary, secondary tertiary and professional education in this country.
We themed this activity ‘Spreading the Wealth of Knowledge’.
This joint effort of SLT and the Asia Foundation gathers books free of charge from American publishers and brings them into Sri Lanka, to be distributed across the island. The Company’s sponsorship has been invaluable in assisting the Asia Foundation carry out this programme.
Benefiting institutions include, universities, affiliated universities, teacher training colleges, primary and secondary schools, professional institutions and public libraries.
As at the end of 2007 100,000 books worth approximately Rs. 275 million were distributed across the country.
SLT is, by far, the largest donor to this project.
SLT Invests in ICoRN Lab University of Peradeniya
In a futuristic step, SLT set up the innovative Information and Communication Research Network (ICoRN) Laboratory at the University of Peradeniya in February 2007.
A key objective of this initiative was to build a strong relationship between the university network and the industry thus creating synergies for the benefit of many.
The broad vision for this project is to provide a platform for researchers from a wide variety of disciplines to come together to engage in research and development activities.
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ICoRN Lab - University of Peradeniya -donated by SLT, enables graduates to
meet the growing demand of rapiddevelopment of technology
and industry. |
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This step is also in consonance with our own views of the importance of creating a network, which will help to enhance ICT research and development in Sri Lanka, thereby opening up a number of avenues for global socio-economic development.
The key here is to address the growing need for innovation and development in ICT to match rising world expectations. Rapid development of technology and industry can exert pressure on our graduates to meet the growing demands of the corporate sector - demands which they could find difficult to meet, due to lack of exposure. The new Lab provides answers to these and like questions.
Young Computer Scientists Competition - 2007
SLT was the main sponsor of the 6th Young Computer Scientist Competition held during the year in review.
The event was conducted by the Sri Lanka Association for the Software Industry (SLASI), with the support of the Ministry of Education and the Information and Communication Technology Agency (ICTA).
The event showcases the computing talents of school children, encouraging them to develop these talents further. It also recognises innovation and inventiveness in the use of this medium.
Career Fairs - the Universities of Peradeniya and Moratuwa
SLT was the event sponsor for two career fairs, one organised by the Engineering Faculty of the University of Moratuwa and the other by the University of Peradeniya.
One of the key aims of these events was to enhance industry-university interaction, towards lucrative employment opportunities for students.
SLT too could identify talented students for recruitment to the Company. |
