APPLICATIONS OF

ICT IN

SRI LANKAN SOCIETY

Information & Communication
Technology
IT1000
Group Details:

Name Registration No.

J.V.G.D. Ranjimalie 2016/A/3413

G.G.I.A. Pathiraja 2016/A/3388

K.W.D. Samurdhi 2016/A/3429

K.M.H. Perera 2016/A/3394

W.R.M.A.I. Prasanna 2016/A/3403

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 Table of Contents

Table of Contents ......................................................................................................ii

Introduction ............................................................................................................... 1

What is ICT? ......................................................................................................... 1

Impact of ICT in Sri Lanka ................................................................................... 1

1.Scope of ICT in Education ..................................................................................... 2

SchoolNet (www.schoolnet.lk) ......................................................................... 2

Intel Skoool Project ........................................................................................... 3

2.Scope of ICT in Health Sector ............................................................................... 5

ICT for Agriculture, How it Works? ..................................................................... 8

What is E-Agriculture? ..................................................................................... 8

How ICT affects Agriculture?........................................................................... 9

4.Scope of ICT in Transportation Sector ................................................................ 11

5. Scope of ICT in Entertainment Sector ............................................................ 13

5. Scope of ICT in Business Sector ..................................................................... 15

ICT in a business environment? .......................................................................... 15

ICT in a business environment is use basically for Recording Data, storing data,
manipulating data and Retrieving data ................................................................ 15
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6. Scope of ICT in Industries .............................................................................. 16

7. Scope of ICT in Administration ...................................................................... 17

E-Governance:..................................................................................................... 17

E-Government: .................................................................................................... 17

E-Administration:................................................................................................ 17

8. Scope of ICT in Engineering Sector ............................................................... 18

9. Scope of ICT in Banking Sector ..................................................................... 19

10. Scope of ICT in Security & defence Sectors ............................................... 20

Impacts on Military and defence ......................................................................... 20

Impacts on security ............................................................................................. 21

11. Scope of ICT in Tele-Communication Sector .............................................. 22

12. Conclusion ................................................................................................... 23

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 Introduction
What is ICT?

ICT is an umbrella term that includes all technologies for the communication of
information. ICT can be defined as the use of hardware and software for efficient
management of information. ICT refers to the forms of technology that are used to
transmit, store, create, share or exchange particular task.

Impact of ICT in Sri Lanka

Information & Communication Technology (ICT) is one of the fastest growing

sectors in Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka has been quick to adopt new information technology.
With the development of the Information & Communication Technology. We can see
many different fields in the society use Information & Communication Technology for
day to day activities.

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 1.Scope of ICT in Education
Information and communication technology (ICT) can complement, enrich and
transform education for the better.

Schools use a diverse set of ICT tools to communicate, create, disseminate, store,
and manage information. In some contexts, ICT has also become integral to the teaching-
learning interaction, through such approaches as replacing chalkboards with interactive
digital whiteboards, giving access for students to computer labs, giving access to learning
platforms etc.

Over the last decade, government of Sri Lanka has set up approx. several e learning
platforms such as,

SchoolNet (www.schoolnet.lk)

In 2006, Ministry of Education has established a Wide Area Computer Network

connecting schools and other education related offices with a centralized Network
Operation Center.

Who are in SchoolNet ?

• Schools (Approx. 1500 schools)

• Computer Resource Centers
• Provincial ICT Centers
• National Colleges of Education
• Provincial Education Offices

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Intel Skoool Project

– Hosted at SchoolNet – Encouraging teachers and students to develop ICT based

teaching/learning materials through nationwide competitions.

Intel Skoool Project - www.skoool.lk

Launched in 2007

• Localized to Sinhala & Tamil languages by University of Moratuwa

• Over 100,000 hits per month

• School teachers encouraged to use during regular teaching

More over ICT has impacts on Education such as,

 Television broadcast is one of the best communication media to educate students,

farmers, sportsman.
 The difficult experiments, advance surgery for medical students etc. can be viewed.
 The man power problem, the human mistakes can be avoided by on-line examination.
 Ability to access teaching materials and experts from all over the world.
 Distance Education facility :
 Affordability & geography have been barriers to access.
 ICT has enhanced the quality of distance education.

Following are the six largest distance learning universities are located in developing
countries;

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- Turkey
- Indonesia
- China
- India
- Thailand
- Korea
 Distance education facilitated by ICT has mainly been applied to tertiary education.
 ICT has enabled cross-border education.
 CAL (Computer Aided Learning)
 CAT (Computer Aided Teaching)
 E-learning
 M-learning
 LMS (Learning Management System)

 Ability consult to many experts by video conferencing.
 Using VLE/Virtual Learning Environments for distance education.
 Using video trainings.
 Using digital educational contents;
 E-books
 Animations
 Video clips
 LCD projectors can be used for effective training.
 It has the ability to perform impossible experiments by using stimulations.
- Some of the impossible experiments in the field of medicine, engineering and industry
can be performed easily with the help of ICT.
 Possibility for students to have individual learning.
 Using ICT tools to enhance the productivity of the studies;
 Using computers to prepare short notes, study time tables.
 The curriculum, information about text books, reference books and
references are available using ICT.

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 2.Scope of ICT in Health Sector

Information and communications technologies (ICTs) can play a critical role in

improving health care for individuals and communities. By providing new and more
efficient ways of accessing, communicating, and storing information, ICTs can help
bridge the information divides that have emerged in the health sector in developing
countries—between health professionals and the communities they serve and between
the producers of health research and the practitioners who need it. Through the
development of databases and other applications, ICTs also provide the capacity to
improve health system efficiencies and prevent medical errors.

 All most all health care services use following technologies to take care of their
patients.
 MRI Scanners
 CT Scanners
 US Scanners
 EEG Machines
 ECG Machines

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 Channeling doctors over the internet;
 E-channeling

 Using tele medicine;

 The use of medicinal exchanged from one site to another via electronic
communications to improve a patient’s clinical health status.
 Patient information is more easily accessible for doctors now that data is
stored electronically.

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  Surgeries

 Patient monitoring

Computers are used in hospitals to monitor critically ill patients in intensive care
units. The patient has sensors attached to him which detect changes in heart rate, pulse
rate, blood pressure, breathing and brain activity. If any of these fall below a present level
the computer sounds an alarm and alerts the medical staff. The data is also logged and
used to analyses the changes in a patient’s condition over a period of time.

 Organ transplants

Computerized databases are used to help match patients who are waiting for organ
transplants such as a new kidney, liver or heart, with suitable organs from donors.

Each of the above mentioned examples demonstrates how information and

communications technologies (ICTs) can play a critical role in improving health care for
individuals and communities. By providing new and more efficient ways of accessing,
communicating, and storing information, ICTs can help bridge the information divides
that have emerged in the health sector in developing countries

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 3.Scope of ICT in Agricultural Sector
ICT for Agriculture, How it Works?

Information and communication technology in agriculture (ICT in agriculture), also

known as e-agriculture, is developing and applying innovative ways to use ICTs in the
rural domain, with a primary focus on agriculture.

ICT in agriculture offers a wide range of solutions to some agricultural challenges. It

is seen as an emerging field focusing on the enhancement of agricultural and rural
development through improved information and communication processes

What is E-Agriculture?

E-agriculture continues to evolve in scope as new ICT applications continue to be

harnessed in the agriculture sector. More specifically, e-agriculture involves the
conceptualization, design, development, evaluation and application of innovative ways
to use ICTs in the rural domain, with a primary focus on agriculture. Provisions of
standards, norms, methodologies, and tools as well as development of individual and
institutional capacities, and policy support are all key components of e-agriculture.

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 How ICT affects Agriculture?

 Use of GIS in Agriculture Geographic information systems, or GIS, are

extensively used in agriculture, especially in precision farming.
GIS is used in decision making such as what to plant and where to plant using
historical data and sampling. Function of GIS

• Digital Mapping

• Analysis of the soil

 Use of GPS in Agriculture in agriculture, the use of the Global Positioning

System provides benefits in
• Geo-fencing

• Map-making

• Surveying

 RFID Technology

RFID has been used for years in animal identification and tracking, being a common
practice in many farms. Also it has been used in the food chain for traceability control.
The implementation of sensors in tags, make possible to monitor the cold chain of
perishable food products and the development of new applications in fields like
environmental monitoring, irrigation, specialty crops and farm machinery.

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 Using computerized agricultural equipment;
 Computerized feeders for diary cows.
 Computerized milk processing systems.
 Computer controlled green houses.
 Using internet & e-mail to disseminate information;
 Research information.
 Market prices.
 Agricultural instructions.
 Managing & analyzing information of research & experiments.

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 4.Scope of ICT in Transportation
Sector
Public Transport must be the backbone of mobility in large urban areas. An efficient
Public Transport service is of course based on several factors, but technology is gaining
more and more importance. In particular ICT systems can play an important role in
qualifying the service as they can have different and synergic functions, being at the same
moment:

- A powerful tool for managing the service from the organizational point of view
- A comprehensive real time information provider to travelers

Specific ICT systems to manage the Public Transport operation are today technologies
available on the market. We can really say that they contemporarily have two faces: the
first addressed to the inner of the Public Transport operator, for the management of all
the processes related to service execution, the second addressed to the users, for
delivering them the relevant information.

 Air Traffic Controlling.

 Colour Light Systems.
 Cargo Operation.
 GPS (Global Position System)
 Booking System;
 Reservation of seats:
- Highway bus
- Train
 Google Map.

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  CCTV Camera.
 Speedometers.
 Auto pilot.
 Radar System.

 E-ticketing system

Another important component of an ICT system for Public Transport Management is the
e-ticketing system. It provides travellers the possibility to buy paperless tickets mainly
based RFID or magnetic cards support for season tickets or even single trip tickets.

The purchase of tickets can also be provided with additional media such as

- SMS
- App for smart-phones.

Sometime mixed paper-paperless solutions are adopted.

RFID / magnetic cards and tickets can be often bought by vending machines making part
of the overall e-ticketing system, located in important places to access the PT service.

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 5.Scope of ICT in Entertainment Sector

ICT has impacted entertainment and leisure by enhancing the different ways in
which we casually spend our time. With the use of these technologies, they ways in which
we can entertain ourselves has dramatically increased.

The development of these technologies has meant that many people stay inside,
watch TV, play online games etc. ICT provides a variety of entertainment and leisure
activities that can be accessed easily from the comfort of one's home. One can watch
movies and listen to music directly from the Internet. ICT also supports playing games
over the Internet during leisure time. Entertainment material can be stored using ICT
products like compact discs and memory cards for future use. ICT has improved the
quality of entertainment and leisure activities by developing better graphics for music
and movies.

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  Computer games.
Computer games are a quickly growing market just like all other forms of
video games. However, computer games offer a very wide array of possibilities.
Computers have access to many peripheral devices such as keyboards, mouses,
joysticks, controllers and more. Computer games also are highly customizable
because computers can manipulate game files. Examples of this would be
creating new levels, characters or graphic files for specific games. In fact,
computers are absolutely necessary for programming any sort of new video game.

 Availability of Song libraries;

- Sarigama
- Hiru.lk
- M-entertainment;
- Maharaja
 Availability of films & video platforms.
- Youtube
- Baiscope.lk
- Sinhala films.com
 Social media;
 Facebook
 Instagram
 Twitter
 Linkedin

 Online Shopping

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 5.Scope of ICT in Business Sector

Bill Gates in his book ‘Business @ the speed of thought ‘likened the way
businesses are carried out in this generation like digital nervous system. At the click of a
botton,the response rate is unimaginable.(Bill,1999).

ICT in a business environment?

ICT in a business environment is use basically for Recording Data, storing data,
manipulating data and Retrieving data

Accordingly following are some major uses of ICT in business world:

 Administration- Invoices, Communication, Emails

 Business, Finance and Accounting- Business Plans, Financial forecasting, Auditing,
Market Analysis, Research, Recording Transactions
 Communications- email, instant messages, mobile phones
 Helps employees & managers have information at the fingertips;
 Business letters
 Reports
 Memos
 Sales figure spreadsheets
 Customer databases
 Maintains business records
 Help keep update records on employees, competitors & customers.
 Provides effective communication.

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6. Scope of ICT in Industries
 ICT is most often used in mass production, as computer control makes it possible to
produce many identical items very quickly.
 But ICT is also useful in small batch & even one-off work, as computer control enables
complicated shapes to be produced more accurately than by hand.
 The unique application of ICT in business processes such as;
 Design
 Engineering
 Manufacturing
 Purchasing
 Physical distribution
 Production management
 Supply chain management

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 7. Scope of ICT in Administration
E-Governance:

The delivery of a citizen- centric and transparent government is only possible

through the extensive use of technology and by leveraging digital government Not only
would it impact citizen service delivery, it would also provide the much needed impetus
to the economic growth given its focus on key social and industry sectors

“E- Governance” Good governance is fundamental and e-governance is

instrumental. Good governance dictates the design and shape of e-tools or e- governance
for improving governance outcomes and processes. e- Governance can be an effective
and efficient tool for good governance if and only if the process reforms have been
carried out. With process re-e

E-Government:

This applies to inter-organizational relationships, and includes policy

coordination, policy implementation and public service delivery.

E-Administration:

This applies to intra-organizational relationships, and includes policy development,

organizational activities and knowledge management.

 Delivering government services.

 Exchange of information.
 Communication transactions.
 Integration of various stand-alone system.
 Services between government to citizen (G2C)
 Services between government to business (G2B)

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 8.Scope of ICT in Engineering Sector
 Using CAD (Computer Aided Designing) to design, analysis & optimize designs.

One of the major uses of computer technology in engineering is with CAD

software. Computer aided design software is the application of computer technology
for the purposes of design. This industrial art is now widely used in many traditional
industries, such as automobile manufacturing, shipbuilding, aerospace, prosthetics,
architectural projects and even special effects in movies

- Construction plans.
- Designing vehicles & machines.

 Using CAM (Computer Aided Manufacturing) to create 3D models.

 Using robotics in manufacturing plants.

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 9.Scope of ICT in Banking Sector
In the banking sector, the speed of revolution in bank processes via ICT is such that
people are wondering whether robots will not take over the banking operations soonest.

Even in Sri-Lanka Banking sector is diversely improving with the latest

technologies coming up such as,

 Use of Internet for banking transactions.

 E-banking
 Using ATM (Automated Teller Machines)
 Using networking to inter-connect branches.
 Using electronic payment methods in e-commerce.
 Credit card
 Pay pal
 Using internet to retrieve financial information’s:
 Currency exchange rate
 Stock market

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 10. Scope of ICT in Security &
defence Sectors

Impacts on Military and defence

Defense industry is one of the vital economic units in most nations. It produces weapons
and special equipment of war. Some nations have developed their defense industry to
the extend of exporting the equipment to others. In general, defense industry’s outputs
can be categorized into two – hardware and software, just like the ICT industry’s.

ICT had transformed the industry from producing dumb bombs to smart weapons,
– people-centric to network-centric battlefields management, – aftermath combat review
to real-time combat surveillance, – land and sea to air and outer space superiority, –
hardware-based to software-based force multipliers.
Examples of hardware output from defense industry are:

 Ships such as patrol craft, corvette, frigate, destroyer, multi-purposes

support ship, and air craft carrier.
 Aircraft such as utility and attack helicopter, fighter, interceptor, bomber.

 Land-based weapon platforms such as heavy battle tank (MBT), infantry fighting
vehicle (IFV), tactical vehicle, and etc.

 Logistic equipment in term of all-terrain vehicle (ATV), lorry, four-wheel drive

(4WD) and etc.
 Arms – small and big caliber guns such as assault rifle, artillery pieces, bombs,
and missiles.

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Examples of software output from defense industry are:
 Various types of radar for land, sea, and air usage.
 Optronic (optical electronics) system.
 Telecommunication system for all levels (Sections, Platoons,
Companies,Regiments, Brigades, Divisions, as well as Corps)
 Electronic countermeasures equipment.
 Battlefield Management System (BMS)

Impacts on security

 Using computers to analyze crimes.

 To track the Criminals through maintenance of database Information Technology
 Using anti-virus for devices Using robotics to remove land mines.
 Using computerized air defense systems.
 Nuclear plant operation.
 Missile guidance.
 Signal operation.
 Security camera.

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 11. Scope of ICT in Tele-Communication
Sector

ICT has had mainly a positive effect on the way we communicate, as it has made
it easier and cheaper. So many different ways of communicating without meeting face to
face, a lot of people tend to us communicate over the internet or by testing as this is now
easier than arranging to meet up. CT has had a big impact on the way we communicate
in our everyday life. It has effected how the majority of organizations and people now
communicate. S&S, email, chat and digital voice and mobile video phones have now
become the way to communicate. because of ICT and these communication devices it is
now possible to Keep in touch with people anywhere.

 Land & mobile phone operation.

 Internet.
 Fax.
 Social M

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 12. Conclusion
The ongoing computing and communications revolution has numerous economic and
social impacts on modern society. After that the ICT industry has come a long way to its
current shape where it is playing a very dominant role in our every sphere of life.

ICT has made revolutionary changes in the fields of health, education,

transportation, banking, military and defence securities and telecommunication etc. the
facts discussed throughout in the document show where we stand today compared to
what it was half a century back. But as we know nothing in this world is purely good as
everything has its pros and cons.

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