SPECIAL FEATURE.

(From BusinessWorld (Philippines))

Byline: Gerard S. dela Pena

The seamless flow of information in cyberspace and the comfort and efficiency brought by computers in carrying out tasks from simple word processing to complicated payroll systems, for instance, have made information technology (IT) a viable source of income for most countries.

Whereas India was previously a poverty-stricken nation, analysts now predict that it will be the third richest country in the world in a matter of years due to its progressive IT industry, which generates approximately $21 billion annually, Dell Computer Corp. Chairman Michael Dell said in a speech delivered at the World Congress on IT in Austin, Texas last May.

Meanwhile, manufacturing giant China has also taken advantage of the IT boom by being the …