SI Global Solutions and Dell Technologies have reaffirmed their commitment to accelerating digital transformation in Pakistan, building on a 10-year partnership.
The companies outlined their priorities at a recent Karachi event titled “Powering Possibilities Technologies”. Discussions focused on technology adoption, artificial intelligence, data storage and policies that could help Pakistan develop its own technology industry.
SI Global Solutions CEO Dr Noman A. Said urged Pakistan to become a developer and exporter of technology. He said the country needed to move beyond its position as primarily a technology consumer.
Call for R&D and procurement reforms
Said called for research and development to become a national priority. Funding alone would not suffice, he argued. Procurement policies must also give locally developed technologies opportunities to demonstrate their capabilities at scale.
“Our public procurement rules also need to evolve. Technology cannot always be procured purely on the basis of the lowest price or traditional qualification criteria. Procurement should recognise innovation, local intellectual property, R&D investment, cybersecurity, lifecycle value and technology transfer.”
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He cited Singapore’s sustained investment in research, industry collaboration and commercialisation as an example of building a globally competitive technology ecosystem.
Singapore’s RIE2030 programme provides relevant context. The government has committed S$37 billion to its five-year research, innovation and enterprise plan.
Said also pointed to Malaysia’s mechanisms for prioritising qualified local R&D products in government procurement. Malaysia’s official MySTI programme offers recognised local research products and services priority access to government purchasing opportunities.
AI and storage demand reshape business needs
Dell Technologies Country Manager Naveed Siraj, the chief guest, said technology adoption continued to grow across Pakistan.
However, rapid technological advances made selecting suitable solutions increasingly important. Businesses needed products that matched their requirements, he said.
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Siraj stressed the need for alignment between government policies and technology adoption at the local level. Such coordination would help businesses benefit from emerging technologies and new business models, particularly as AI becomes more influential.
He said demand for data storage was rising both globally and in Pakistan. AI had become essential for processing raw data and turning it into structured information that supported better business decisions.
His remarks linked growing infrastructure requirements with businesses’ need to extract useful information from their data.
Dell plans further expansion in Pakistan
Siraj said Dell Technologies had operated in Pakistan since 1989 and continued to maintain its presence in the country.
He said the company would scale up operations through dedicated partners such as SI Global Solutions.
Dell was preparing to introduce new solutions, devices and applications in Pakistan, he added. The aim was to give local users access to globally standardised technology and empower businesses and individuals.
Partners of both companies attended the event, which highlighted their continuing collaboration and plans to support Pakistan’s digital development.
