Assessing the Software Industry in Egypt

During the 1960s, computing was introduced for the first time in Egypt. However, the use and applications was limited to the government and the public sector. It was only during the early 1980s that the introduction and diffusion of computing was widespread due to the personal computer evolution worldwide. The introduction of personal computers had different implications on organizational development and growth and was coupled with other developments in the information technology industry that relate to hardware penetration, software development, and the build-up of the telecommunications infrastructure. This chapter demonstrates the current status of information technology in Egypt with a focus on the assessment of the software industry as a major building block of the information technology industry and a possible active contributor to business and socioeconomic development at large.