Innovation a first-world advantage no more--O&B Chief

Wednesday, 27 January 2010 00:00

O&B CEO Calen Legaspi spoke on "Software Development Trends & What They Mean for the Third World" at the Innovation Summit 2010 organized by John Clements and Harvard Business Publishing last January 27 at the Asian Institute of Management Conference Center.

The event gathered around fifty CEOs and other C-level executives from top companies in the Philippines. Legaspi represented the Philippine Software Industry Association (PSIA) at this event being one of its Directors.

Legaspi, guest speaker for the IT industry breakout session, discussed current trends in software development and provided interesting insights on how these trends will deliver trickle-down effects that local businesses can take advantage of. He explained that, "software can now be built incredibly fast, and incredibly cheap. Software is becoming more and more powerful since it can reach out not just servers, PCs and mobile phones but soon such things as household appliances, clothes, and even livestock. Even the marketing and distribution of software is becoming cheaper and cheaper because of microsegmentation and SaaS."

"This means that the first world will no longer have an advantage in innovation. We are already seeing an increase in software innovation and technopreneurship in the third world. This trend will only accelerate as the power of software increases and the cost of building software decreases."

Legaspi concluded his talk by saying that, "in order for the Philippines to take part of this wave of innovation and technopreneurship, communities should be developed where both business people and technologists will be able to interact with one another. This will allow for an exchange of ideas between the people who know the needs of certain markets with the people who can create the products that meet those needs."

He then joined the panel with Intel Country Manager Ricky Banaag and Yahoo Philippines General Manager Jack Madrid to field questions from the audience on such topics as internet security, interoperability and internet marketing.