ISLAMABAD, Aug 29: Pakistan Software Export Board on Friday joined hands with Shaheen Foundation for the establishment of a new state-of-the-art IT Park measuring 360,000 square feet.

Operational from November 2008, the facility would be one of the largest IT Parks in the country with redundant connectivity, power backups and top-of-the-line civic amenities.

To be constructed in Lahore, the park would be used for international branding of Pakistan's IT Industry and could house more than 30 medium-sized IT companies at affordable rents. PTCL, being the strategic partner of PSEB would provide networking and communication infrastructure facilities for the park.

Talib Baloch, MD PSEB and Air Vice-Marshal (retired) Arshad Rashid Sethi, MD Shaheen Foundation signed the MoU in PSEB head office here. The nine-storey building with two basements measuring 360,000 sq ft of covered space would provide 216,000 sq feet of contemporary rentable office space in prime location of Lahore.

Approximately 70 per cent of this space would be allocated to IT companies while rest would be provided to telecom companies, banks and other allied businesses. Equipped with optical fiber, the park would also provide multiple high speed connectivity with additional redundancy through satellite. The IT Park entailed the most modern and quality civic amenities such as backup power supply, ample car parking; access control and close circuit TV (CCTV) for vigilant security monitoring, centralised heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC), fully integrated fire detection and voice evacuation system, and other civil defence essentials.

Complimenting the establishment of this park, Hifz-ur-Rehman, Federal Secretary IT and Telecom said, “I appreciate the efforts of PSEB, Shaheen Foundation and PTCL in assisting the IT sector. This is indeed a landmark achievement and great opportunity for IT companies in Lahore.”

PSEB MD Talib Baloch said, “I hope this park will solve the problem of much-needed office space for the growing IT industry. I am delighted to share that with the declaration of this park the total available space managed by PSEB will increase considerably. PSEB is making best efforts to acquire more buildings to expand the available IT space for the sector.”