Software designer

At 34, Enrico Roque is where he wants to be. He is assistant vice-president for Internet technologies, a strategic position at Active Business Solutions, Inc.

ABS has an ongoing joint software development project with Oracle Corp., the world’s second largest software company. Expected to be completed by November 2001, the new software products developed by the project have the potential of changing the way businesses use the Internet. These software products will be out in the Asian marketplace by the end of the year.

"Part of the engagement with Oracle is that we get to learn from this big software company with well-structured methodologies," Roque said, adding there are only a few successful original software companies in Asia that have developed their own products. "If you look at the Philippines and India, their IT businesses are mainly focused on producing programmers and sending them abroad for a body shop type of job."

Right track

Roque’s professional training as an electrical engineer has equipped him with the right tools for software development.

After graduating from the University of the Philippines, he worked as a systems engineer, designing hand-held computers and products for Software Breakthroughs, Inc. He was part of the original team that designed the hand-held computers for reading electric meters currently used by the Manila Electric Co.

Like many IT software professionals, Roque once thought of working abroad. He got as far as getting the go signal to work for a company based in New Jersey, USA, before he changed his mind.

"There are more opportunities in the local market for IT talents," Roque said. "What we need is the right environment to sharpen our skills. Government should push harder for the development of software in the country and not just concentrate on IT training."

Since joining ABS last year, Roque has been kept busy developing the software development projects for all the websites and back-end support systems and creating an integrated architecture for six companies under Yapster e-conglomerate.

"At ABS, we started out doing custom application development services which a lot of IT companies are doing. But we are gradually transforming ABS into a software development company," Roque said. "Instead of providing professional and programming services, ABS will move towards building its own Internet-based products such as web applications."

Roque is on the right track.