IT OV E RV IE W
their use of the supporting programmes of the educational process. The initiative will be directed in the first stage towards strengthening the capacity of teachers in public and private schools who have graduation certificates from the training project for civil servants. In addition to working with the concerned authorities to make the Internet easily available in university, ITA will support students with tools and software to help in their learning.
Online business picking up The e-commerce revolution in Oman is making an upward move steadily over the past couple of years. Businesses are operating online and customers have started trusting the cyber world.
via their National ID and/or Residents Cards in a safe and secure manner. Security issues aside, the retailing component of e commerce in Oman is certainly seeing a new growth phase. Online retailing has its own set of advantages – time saving and economical being the key words. Sites like Omanbay have slowly been springing up wherein people auction/sell wares via a secure e-platform quite a deal, considering the hassle involved in running around in stores and standing in never-ending checkout queues. Consumers, domestic and international, have started recognizing the convenience of shopping online.
B2B and B2C
Banking, retailing, trading stocks - even something as commonplace as booking movie tickets falls under this category. A few years back, e-commerce in Oman was limited to online banking and bill payments. Today however, the cyber infrastructure of Oman is improving and the mindset towards the technology, particularly among laymen, is changing. Fears of security breaches and financial scams no longer hinder the cyber world movement.
marketing have
Day to day services are being carried out online via secure systems and people are beginning to enjoy the effortlessness of it all. The most successful have been the banks in using the Internet portal to connect with and provide a plethora of services for their customers.
recognize them
Electronic banking has now become the popular choice of customers. Not only individuals, but businesses have been reaping benefits of electronic banking. And ever since the launch of the e-Payment Gateway by ITA, there have been a rapid adoption of e-services by businesses and individuals alike. A breakthrough in terms of online transactions has been the development of the e purse. Residents of Oman can now pay for Government-related transactions 8 OER Dossier COMEX 2010 Special
also started making waves online. E-marketing has its own strategic advantages and companies
websites and view properties available online. Major real estate firms across the Sultanate have opened up their websites with detailed listings of available options. Movie goers can now book tickets with just a click of the mouse, and even decide which seat they would prefer. Thus it goes to show that the e-commerce arena in Oman has not only targeted businessmen but also the youth. Business to business transactions too, have fared well by shifting some of their operations online have resulted in greater ROIs. Today tenders are submitted online (e-tenders), procurement is done online and even e-registrations are the order of the day. Online operations not only streamlines but also economises business process and reduces margins for errors. eSourcing has been gaining popularity among key businesses in the country and many specialized solution providers have sprung up giving a positive impetus to e-commerce in Oman. B2B and B2C marketing have also started making waves online. E-marketing has its own strategic advantages and companies recognize them. However, e-marketing is still at a rather nascent stage and it is yet to have a positive impact on businesses, since conventional marketing and advertising still remains the preferred choice.
Leading mobile service providers have been providing basic services, like e-recharge for a while now. This has now shifted to paying bills online and purchasing/downloading software from their websites.
Security issues are very vital for potential e-commerce initiatives. However, with positive measures being taken by regulating authorities, business owners as well as customers can be assured that taking businesses online is the way of the future and can be done in a safe, secure and profitable manner.
However, although many businesses are now offering online services, the response to online retailing has been rather lukewarm.
Thus the prevailing future trend of eCommerce will be the growth of Internet sales, both here in Oman and worldwide.
Perhaps socio-economic factors play a significant role in the retail trends of any country. Experts, nonetheless are positive and predict tremendous growth in e-retailing. Real estate brokerage has also gone digital. Potential buyers and renters can now visit
Oman’s IT sector has not been directly affected by the economic downturn. Based on Oman’s annual budgets during 20052010, all of the IT projects planned for have proceeded on schedule.