ICT History in Sri Lanka
The History of ICT in Sri Lanka’ is a project conceived by LK Domain Registry with the objective of documenting for posterity the milestones reached by inspirational individuals, their tireless efforts, and momentous events that contributed towards the implementation of ICT in Sri Lanka.
The innovation and dedication that laid the foundation for this revolution hail back to the early 1960s. A history spanning five decades is described through videos of these pioneers and write-ups sprinkled with personal reflections, nostalgic memories, and rare insights into the history of ICT in Sri Lanka. Documents supplied by interviewees, a gallery of photographs and updates add to the site’s informational and research appeal.
Books published under this initiative
How ICT was enabled in Local Languages
– written by Aruni Goonetilleke
The book covers the initiatives made from the 1970s up to 2020, by state sector organisations such as the Council for Information Technology (CINTEC), its successor ICTA, the University of Colombo School of Computing (UCSC), the University of Moratuwa, the Sri Lanka Standards Institution and the Natural Resources, Energy and Science Authority of Sri Lanka (NARESA), etc., and by private sector organisations and by individuals. Aruni made every effort to find and interview specific individuals who worked in the areas of ICT and local languages. There individuals were consulted to ascertain the work they did in enabling the use of ICT in Sinhala and Tamil and the outcome was comprehensively recorded and included in the book. Documents collected and knowledge acquired by Aruni while working on this area at CINTEC and at ICTA were extensively used. Numerous individuals generously contributed interesting photographs, all of which have been included in the book. The book is presented in an easily readable style, with a visually pleasing and attractive design for both the cover and its contents.
The book was launched in July 2020 by the LK Domain Registry.
The APEX Body Story - CINTEC
– written by Aruni Goonetilleke
This book is a historical record of the way in which the Government sector entered the ICT arena. The Computer and Information Technology Council of Sri Lanka (CINTEC), the first Government apex body on ICT, was established in 1984. The drafting of the very first National Computer Policy in Sri Lanka, the enactment of the Computer and Information Technology Act No 10 of 1984 through which CINTEC was set up, operational planning and implementation, overcoming the initial impediments and the work that CINTEC carried for nearly 20 years until its closure in 2003 are aptly described in this book.
The book was launched in March 2023 by the LK Domain Registry.