ISM eCommerce recently signed an agreement with the Board of Investment (BoI) for setting up a project to develop software and provide business process outsourcing (BPO) services for the export market. The total value of this investment is US $ 3 million.

ISM eCompany is a Rotterdambased full service and innovative e-commerce and e-learning firm. The company develops for both practices, globallyrenowned products (Sana and Easygenerator) and provides topnotch web-based solutions to its clients. ISM’s specialists work in the monumental Van Nelle design factory in Rotterdam, in Zhytomir, Ukraine, New York City and Singapore. Sri Lanka is their new location and will eventually employ 160 talented local IT specialists, serving the Asia Pacific hub.

The company delivers professional projects to customers like Royal Dutch Post (PostNL), Seiko Watches, Akzo Nobel, Heineken and Chelsea FC.

ISM founder Jan Kees de Jager said, “This investment has to secure our position in the growing Asia Pacific market. With Colombo as our home base, we think we have chosen a great strategic location - one of great spirit, vibrant business environment, enthusiastic people and magnificent scenery.”

He further stated, “By creating at least 160 new high-end technical support, we are convinced that this investment can bring huge advantages to Sri Lanka. We will invest heavily in education and knowledge transfer by training our new local employees by industry experts abroad as well as in Colombo.

It’s our aim to make them worldwide front runners in our field of expertise. Beside the employee training, we would also like to close university-corporate partnerships. This allows us to transfer our unique industry knowledge to an even wider young and eager student population,” he added.

Jan Kees de Jager LLM MSc, who founded the company in 1992, left the firm in 2006 to become a member of the Dutch government. First he served as the State Secretary of Finance and later he became the Finance Minister of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. He is now retired from active politics and returned to his firm as the strategic enabler of ISM’s international ambition and general counsellor.

Investment Promotion Minister Lakshman Yapa Abeywardana said, “IT has been given a very important role by the government since it is a sector where Sri Lanka has a strong competitive advantage, which can play a catalytic role in developing the nation.”

Chairman Dr. Lakshman Jayaweera signed the agreements on behalf of the BoI. Minister Abeywardana formally presented the investors with the BoI Certificates of Registration.