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Published on March 24, 2008

After two decades in the software outsourcing business, Soft Square 1999 can safely claim it took the right direction.

Today, the company generates about Bt200 million of revenue from the software outsourcing business and expects that figure to grow 15 per cent this year.

Software outsourcing is an attractive choice. One of the reasons for this is the small size of the software market in Thailand. It is widely believed that software outsourcing is an opportunity which can provide the necessary impetus to local software companies to expand their business and, more importantly, get recognition for the Thai software industry's expertise on the world stage.

Soft Square 1999 has about 400 full-time professional programmers while 200 people have been placed on contract in 27 companies by the firm.

"Our strength lies in our ability to provide comprehensive services such as design, planning, development, consultancy and maintenance. These services require a huge degree of professionalism, and we believe we have the most professional programmers in the business, many of whom have been with us for a long time," Ramade Silapapom, the company's managing director, said.

The company provides software outsourcing to local as well as global clients.

Its customers comprise about 500 to 600 companies across industries such as retail, manufacturing (textile and apparel), the finance and banking sector, and state-run enterprises.

The company's revenue is divided between the domestic and global market at a 55:45 ratio.

Soft Square 1999 is focused on two main outsourcing services - application-based outsourcing and skill-based outsourcing.

In its application-based outsourcing business, it provides software development services such as software design, development, implementation and training.

The company's skill-based outsourcing business provides software professionals with expertise in different areas of the software process development - including software testing, coding, programming, software engineering, system analysis and project management - to help customers execute software development in their organisations.

Ramade said the global software industry is lacking in skilled human resources in most development processes. This presents huge opportunities for software companies across the world, especially in developing countries such as Thailand.

Soft Square 1999 has so far provided software development services to retail giant Carrefour in eight countries across Asia. Apart from software development, it has also provided implementation and training services to Carrefour's staff.

"We have provided software development services to Carrefour for more than ten years," Ramade said.

Asina Pornwasin

The Nation