Computer Hardware and Software
A few industrial production firms own mainframes. Foolad-e Mobarake va Petro Shemee (Mobarek Steel and Petro Chemical) company is the primary user of mainframes. However, mainframes are not widely used.
MAJOR IT PLAYERS
At present, at least six Iranian firms are engaged in manufacturing computers in the domestic market, while almost 500 firms are active in software production. Government policies restricting computer and software imports have enabled the Iranian firms to flourish in the field of computer software. These 500 computer firms that emerged in Tehran and the provinces after the computer industry initially flourished are now directing their efforts toward manufacturing diverse software which is mostly needed by domestic markets. 16
Hardware Productions
Software Productions
MARKETPLACE
Private firms face their own problems. Unhealthy competitions among those involved in this field severely affected the place and position of some firms and have even made the customers diffident. This situation prompted the Plan and Budget Organization to monitor the activities of these firms. To this end, the Organization requires the computer firms to obtain work permits and licensing before starting their operations.
The High Council of Data Processing has been vested with the task of classifying and categorizing the computer firms. This Council was very strict in issuing permits for establishing firms or assessing the quality of services rendered. At times problems arose between the Council and the firms. But now the work of the council has reached fruition. In line with its duty, the Council annually dispenses with many computer firms due to various violations.
The firms that are so dispensed with by the Council often continue their activities under the cover of carrying out other tasks. But state-owned institutions are not allowed to engage in transactions with them or to call on them to render services. This gives these firms only one alternative: to sell software. This apparently brings greater income for them and also reduces their contact with governmental organization.
The collective efforts of the managers of the computer firms in Tehran and the provinces resulted in establishment of the Association of Computer Services Firms(ACSF) in 1995. The Associations aims at resolving issues of the member firms, enhancing the quality of the services and the items manufactured by the firms, preventing unhealthy competition, and engaging in negotiations with relevant officials to remove "set-backs" along the way of setting up and running the firms activities. In addition, the Association sorts out differences among the firms. The Articles of Association of the ACSF aims at extensive cooperation with government institutions. This can facilitate collective efforts to establish a specialized data bank in the country. Other goals include cooperation with government organizations to set up research centers and to create a center to survey the transfer of advanced data processing to the country.
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Author: Sepideh Khazai
Last Update: June 6, 1997
This pages's URL is: http://gurukul.ucc.american.edu/initeb/sk4484a/computer.htm