Jordan depends on imports from foreign countries, specifically the US and Europe, to fulfill the country's demand on computer hardware and software. There is a lack of technical skills and expertise to design and develop hardware components and software packages locally. However, there are some software development companies which provide mostly Arabic-based software packages primarily for processing and accounting usage.
Hardware:
There is high competition between distributors and resellers of hardware components in the local market with more than 100 companies selling PC hardware. Inspite of this high competition prices to the local customer remain very high in comparison with the prices of such products in neighboring countries.
The local market's demand on computer components (storage devices, CPU's and chips) had increased by approximately 60% from 1991 to 1994. Demand is still growing in Jordan with the largest end-user being the Government of Jordan.
| Product | Price Range in Jordanian Dinars |
|---|---|
| CPU + monitor | 1200-2500 |
| 8 speed CD ROM, sound blaster & 2 speakers | 190-220 |
| Printer | 260-330 |
| External & Internal Modems | 220-330 |
| Year | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total market size | 30 | 35 | 40 |
| Total local production | 5 | 6 | 9 |
| Total exports | 3 | 4 | 6 |
| Total imports | 28 | 33 | 37 |
Jordanian software companies face several problems in operating in the local market. Some of these problems are:
| Year | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total market | 10 | 12 | 15 |
| Total local production | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| Total exports | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| Total imports | 9 | 11 | 14 |
One of the most prominent software companies in Jordan is ProgressSoft which has recently made its presence felt in the region. This Jordan-based company develops state-of-the art software products that run with any operating system under any platform. Examples are its Arabic/Latin document archiving and management systems software and its Arabic/Latin processing software. ProgressSoft exports software products to Middle Eastern countries like Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
There is a lack of statistics on the number of PC users in the Jordanian markets, as well as on the number of hardware and software companies. Yet, it is known that computer users are mainly concentrated in Amman. The rest of the country suffers from poor infrastructure, lack of connectivity, and lower income levels than in the Amman area.
