Armenpress

ARMENIAN IT SECTOR EXPANDS TO $84 MILLION

YEREVAN, JANUARY 5, ARMENPRESS: Armenian
economists estimate that the share of information
technology industry in the overall GDP in 2006 will
constitute 2 percent. Armenia IT sector which experts
say is the most advanced in the region, has expanded
to $83.7 million in 2006, but nevertheless it is
beginning to experience a shortage of skilled labor.
Vahagn Movsisian, head of the Armenian Development
Agency (ADA), says some 150 companies, 105 are local
ones, are working actively in this sector. In 2006
such IT giants as Microsoft, Ericsson and Sonics
entered the Armenian market, while Intel launched a
workshop here for assembling of laptops.
He said Armenian IT companies have to shift from
chips designing to software designing. He said
negotiations with IBM will continue in 2007 in an
effort to bring this company to Armenia.