Information Policy

Internet Campaigning in Mexico: Making World Wide Waves

For the first time, the Internet is playing an important role in this year's elections by encouraging constituents to vote, providing them with election coverage, and helping them to get to know their candidates a little better. According to e-Mexico , the number of Internet users in Mexico will exceed 17 million by 2006. Most of the Internet users are you and so is the electorate: more than 40 percent of registered voters are under the age of 30.

http://www.politicsonline.com/content/main/specialreports/2006/mexico_elections/

EU Explores Tighter Broadband Regulation

BRUSSELS, Belgium -- The European Commission unveiled plans Thursday that would force telecommunications providers to share broadband infrastructure with rivals and unify regulations in the sector.

Viviane Reding, the European Union commissioner in charge of the EU's telecommunications policy, said the rules would encourage competition.

''We must open the markets when they are dominated by dominant players,'' she told reporters. ''We have seen in all our analysis, where the markets are opened, investments are done and prices go down for consumers.''

Many countries are dragging their heels in applying EU orders to open up their markets to competition, allowing historic telephone monopolies to remain dominant players with the power to determine who can access their networks.

As a result, phone companies like Deutsche Telekom AG and France Telecom control 80 percent of European broadband connections. In contrast, U.S. telephone companies account for only 38 percent of subscribers there.

Much is at stake. According to the EU head office, electronic communications, which include fixed voice telephony, mobile communications and broadband services, was a market worth $339 billion last year. And the European Commission sees digital technologies as a tool to stoke growth in the EU, whose economy grew by a modest 2 percent in 2005.

Reding's plans include setting up a single market for radio spectrum, replacing 25 different regulations covering use of the airwaves. She previously has proposed a single European telecom regulator that would coordinate national market watchdogs.

http://www.telecomdirectnews.com/do.php/130/18641?7649

Wikipedia 3.0: The End of Google?

The Semantic Web (or Web 3.0) promises to “organize the world’s information” in a dramatically more logical way than Google can ever achieve with their current engine design. This is specially true from the point of view of machine comprehension as opposed to human comprehension.The Semantic Web requires the use of a declarative ontological language like OWL to produce domain-specific ontologies that machines can use to reason about information and make new conclusions, not simply match keywords.

However, the Semantic Web, which is still in a development phase where researchers are trying to define the best and most usable design models, would require the participation of thousands of knowledgeable people over time to produce those domain-specific ontologies necessary for its functioning.

http://evolvingtrends.wordpress.com/2006/06/26/wikipedia-30-the-end-of-google/

WiFi Hotspots vs 3G/HSDPA vs WiMax

WiFi is now accepted as an everyday option for connectivity in the home and office environment and most notebook PCs nowadays are WiFi enabled as standard. We have also seen the steady march of WiFi hotspot coverage as service providers have built out their networks.

Looking at these developments, many would argue that we have already passed the famous “tipping point” for anytime, anywhere wireless access. Those responsible for the IT and communication strategies in businesses, however, will not always agree. They may now be deploying WiFi for local area networking, but things are a bit more complicated beyond that.

The WiFi hotspot market has developed in a highly fragmented manner, with many different players offering services. In the early days, this created some serious coverage issues. Not only was each of the networks limited in the number of locations supported, but exclusive deals between providers and premises owners (hotel chains, coffee shops, etc) meant competitors were actually blocking each other from closing coverage gaps.

Roaming agreements have improved things, but hunting for a compatible hotspot covered by your service agreement is still a game users often have to play. This has made many businesses reluctant to enter into contracts, so users end up accessing services on an ad hoc basis, buying an hour here, 24 hours there, etc. This is both inconvenient for the user and extremely expensive for the business.

It is against this background that cellular options must be considered. Mobile operators introduced connectivity for notebook users around four or five years ago with GPRS. As an overlay on the existing voice network, this provides the same extensive coverage, but only delivers speeds akin to a traditional dial-up modem. Nevertheless, GPRS is much more convenient than WiFi, with connectivity literally being a couple of clicks away from opening the notebook lid wherever you happen to be—none of that hunting for a compatible hotspot or messing around with credit cards or tokens.

The limited speed, however, makes GPRS painful to use for sending and receiving email attachments and accessing the Web. The introduction of 3G a couple of years ago was the first step towards fixing this. Based on a completely new network infrastructure, the 3G experience is somewhere between modem dial-up and entry-level broadband.

But the Holy Grail of wireless notebook connectivity is a good Web browser experience, particularly as organisations are starting to look beyond email to allow wireless access into corporate portals and applications. The connectivity speeds and latency (network round-trip time) of 3G are still not quite up to dealing with this level of interactivity routinely.

Enter HSDPA, the latest evolution in cellular networks. This delivers three to four times the speed of 3G with significantly lower latency, which translates to a much snappier “broadband-like” experience. As an upgrade to existing 3G networks, HSDPA uses radio spectrum much more effectively and efficiently, providing better in-building coverage and unlocking 3 to 4 times more capacity from the network to minimise the chances of congestion. With no new network build required, HSDPA can be rolled out relatively quickly by mobile operators, so we can expect to see useful levels of coverage within the 2006/7 timeframe.

Regarding coverage in general, this is an important issue, but comparing WiFi and cellular can be confusing. While both have been targeted at similar geographic areas—cities, commercial areas, transport hubs, and so on—3G achieves greater effective coverage by reaching into the spaces between WiFi hotspots, including private offices, for example. The difference in coverage is even greater in suburban areas where hotspot density is generally relatively low. These are considerations if connectivity is required on client sites and in other locations which are unlikely to have public WiFi access.

HSDPA coverage is currently quite limited but will ultimately assume the same footprint as 3G, which in itself will continue to grow. In the meantime, cellular connectivity will follow a step down model, with the user moving from HSDPA, through 3G, to GPRS as they roam further away from urban centres. On some networks, there will be a fourth level of service provided by EDGE, which sits between 3G and GPRS in terms of performance. Network-aware connection utilities sitting on the notebook itself will generally manage the step up and step down process, maintaining the high cellular convenience factor.

With the current state of play, WiFi is still the preferred option from both a cost and performance perspective for power users who frequently consume a significant amount of bandwidth in predefined public locations, provided access is covered by a suitable contract with sensible tariffs. For general purpose access, however, 3G/HSDPA provides better coverage, a higher level of convenience and could actually reduce costs significantly if users are currently buying WiFi access on an ad hoc basis.

The other option we haven't mentioned yet is WiMax, which is currently targeted at high-speed wireless access in fixed locations, e.g. to provide broadband services to buildings that are too far away from the nearest exchange to receive a DSL connection. A mobile incarnation of WiMax is likely to emerge over time, but one of the industry experts in this area, Dean Bubley of Disruptive Analysis, expects it to be well into 2008 before equipment and services are generally available in the mainstream. Even then, Bubley says there are still unanswered questions around coverage about how effective WiMax will be for in-building use, something which is likely to vary from country to country depending on the spectrum allocated by the local regulator.

Meanwhile, WiMax is probably a distraction for those with immediate user demands who need to put a more coherent wireless remote access strategy in place. In the short to medium term at least, it is a case of understanding individual user requirements and blending WiFi and cellular options accordingly.

http://www.it-director.com/article.php?id=13347

EU: Making digital content in Europe more accessible and user friendly

The eContentplus programme focuses on stimulating the development of digital content for services in areas of public interest - geographic information, cultural, scientific and educational content.

http://europa.eu.int/information_society/doc/factsheets/019-econtentplus-en.pdf

US: White House Sets Guidelines For Laptop Security

The Bush administration is giving federal civilian agencies 45 days to implement new measures to protect the security of personal information that agencies hold on millions of employees and citizens. The new security guidelines cap a month marked by data thefts or disclosures at five different agencies that compromised Social Security numbers and other private data on millions of people.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/06/27/AR2006062700540.html

EU: Europe spends €11.9 bn yearly on eGovernment – could boost EU25 GDP to €166 bn by 2010

According to the eGovernment Economics Project (eGEP), an EU-initiative funded under the European Commission Modinis programme and managed by the eGovernment unit in DG Information Society and Media, the economic impact of eGovernment across the EU is huge, but so far poorly understood.

In 2004 the ICT expenditure of general public administration alone (not including verticals such as education, health, defence, etc) for EU25 reached €36.5 billion, with the largest markets being the UK, Germany, France, Italy and Spain, respectively. Measured per capita and/or as a percentage of GDP, ICT expenditure is highest in the Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland and Sweden), with the UK catching up, while a second group (France, Germany, Netherlands, Austria, Belgium) lags behind, and Italy and Spain have the smallest budgets.

eGovernment expenditure in the same period totalled €11.9 billion. eGovernment expenditure is highest in the Nordic countries, with the UK right behind, both when measured per capita and as a percentage of GDP.

“eGEP estimates the intangible cost of organisational change for eGovernment (in 2004) at €4 billion. This would bring the total figure towards €16 billion for EU25.” says Cristiano Codagnone, Project Manager of eGEP.

Presenting a groundbreaking economic model of eGovernment impact, eGEP finds that eGovernment significantly improves public sector labour productivity, yielding better services, cost savings, and GDP growth. Scenarios show that future eGovernment research and pilot programmes (2005-2010) could boost EU25 GDP up to 1.54 percent, or about €166 bn.

Only five Member States currently measure impact (DK, FR, DE, NL, and UK).To achieve greater impact, eGEP recommends Member States and regions to derive their own metrics from a measurement framework built around three value drivers: efficiency, democracy, and effectiveness. Metrics for the public value potentially generated by eGovernment should not be limited to quantitative, financial impact. Qualitative impact, such as users’ satisfaction, is crucial.

http://ec.europa.eu/idabc/en/document/5664/194

European Institute for E-Learning (EIfEL)

EIfEL (European Institute for E-Learning) is an independent, not-for-profit European professional association whose mission is to support organisations, communities and individuals in building a knowledge economy and a learning society through innovative and reflective practice, continuing professional development and the use of knowledge, information and learning technologies. EIfEL is leading the Europortfolio consortium and is a founding member of EFQUEL the European Foundation for Quality in E-Learning.

http://www.eife-l.org/

Best Practices for .EU Landrush

With more than a million new .eu domains expected by the end of this year, .eu is expected to be the most important new domain extension since .com. With a relatively low entry cost, and only a local presence requirement, this new extension will undoubtedly be the next major target for domain speculators looking to drive traffic to pay-per-click sites, or divert traffic to competitive offerings.

During the Sunrise phases, the demand for .eu exceeded that of all previous TLD releases at launch, and it is now expected to become the second largest domain extension behind .com. In fact, some experts are projecting that ultimately 60% of .com domains will be registered in the .eu space.

http://markmonitor.com/resources/docs/product-doteu_landrush-US.pdf

FOSS in Islamic countries

By: Katim S. Touray

The promise of free and open source software (FOSS) in Islamic countries rests on issues such as helping build capacity. FOSS also provides greater flexibility, especially in terms of customization for local needs. In addition, FOSS can reduce the cost of deploying information and communications technologies (ICT) by permitting unlimited and free distribution of software, thus making it more affordable than comparable proprietary products. FOSS's security benefits take on added importance in the wake of recent reports that computers with Windows XP have been sending information, daily and without the knowledge of their owners, to Microsoft. Finally, FOSS will free Islamic countries from boycotts ad sanctions imposed by other countries and owners of proprietary software.

Islamic countries represent fertile ground for the growth of ICT in general and FOSS in particular. According to some estimates, Islam is the fastest growing monotheistic religion in the world, and estimates of the global population of Muslims range from 900 million to 1.3 billion, according to Wikipedia. According to the CIA, Muslims account for around 20% of the total population of the world. But the importance of Islam and Muslims depends on more than their numbers would suggest, especially when many people stereotype Muslims as terrorists or rich Arabs.

Despite the variety of Muslim beliefs and sects around the world, many countries identify strongly enough with Islam to join the Organization of Islamic Conferences (OIC). The 56 OIC member countries (many of whom have significant non-Muslim populations) are diverse, and vary from Bangladesh and Malaysia in Asia, to Saudi Arabia in the Middle East, Suriname in South America, and Nigeria, Senegal, and Uganda in Africa.

The OIC and its various organs, such as its Standing Committee on Scientific and Technological Cooperation (COMSTECH), and the Islamic Academy of Science (IAS), among other activities, promote ICT development in its member countries. Toward this end, the IAS issued in 2000 the Tunis Declaration, which expressed concerns about IT development in OIC members, and made proposals to address these concerns. Among these proposals were the revamping of national IT policies, promotion of optimal use of computers at educational institutions, increasing resources for developing an adequate human resource base, promotion of the development of IT industry in OIC countries, and introduction of IT into national infrastructures, including e-government. Other OIC meetings and summits following the Tunis Declaration have also called for greater attention and effort in developing ICT in OIC countries.

FOSS in OIC countries

Given the potential and actual benefits of FOSS in Islamic countries, it is not surprising that many OIC countries have jumped on the global FOSS bandwagon, and in the process, are benefiting immensely. In Asia, for example, in OIC countries such as Malaysia and Indonesia, government agencies, the private sector, non-governmental organizations, and individuals are increasingly adopting FOSS. Examples of organizations promoting FOSS in Malaysia include PIKOM and the Malaysian Open Source Group. In addition, government agencies such as the Malaysian Administrative Modernization and Management Planning Unit (MAMPU), and MIMOS Berhad, all promote FOSS in Malaysia.

The Middle East is another region where FOSS is gaining impressive ground. From Saudi Arabia to Iran, many organizations, government agencies, and people are pushing for more use of FOSS. The Iran FOSS community is centered on linuxiran.org, a Web site that lists several FOSS projects, such as FarsiKDE, and a Farsi translation of the Free Software Foundation Web site. There also is a Farsi live CD based on Knoppix, one of the most popular live CDs, and Debian-derived.

FOSS use is also on the increase in many OIC countries in Africa. Nigeria and Uganda, for example, have active FOSS user groups and various projects promoting FOSS use. A Nigerian company, Leapsoft, has released Wazobia Linux, a distribution localized in Nigeria's three main languages, while Uganda has a Linux localization project and hosts the East African Center for Open Source Software (EACOSS), the first specialized FOSS training center in the region.

The way forward

The foregoing paints an exciting picture of a vibrant and lively FOSS movement in OIC countries. There is no doubt that FOSS will continue to make gains in these countries, even though there are many problems, such as inadequate capacity and infrastructure, as both I, in an earlier article, and Jon "maddog" Hall of Linux International have pointed out. Despite these problems, FOSS will continue to grow in OIC countries and benefit them for a long time to come.

The OIC countries and other stakeholders should adopt a number of strategies for promoting the use of FOSS in member countries.

First, OIC countries must develop FOSS policies that will stimulate not only use of FOSS, but also help increase capacity to develop FOSS applications. Given the immense benefits that FOSS provides, especially to OIC countries, it is unfortunate that few if any of them have an official FOSS policy.

Networking is another important strategy in promoting FOSS in OIC countries. The numerous FOSS users in OIC countries should share experiences and knowledge about FOSS in particular and IT in general. The Malaysian government's experience of migrating to Linux, and the FarsiKDE experience, are good examples of what can be shared between OIC countries.

In the same vein, there should be greater cooperation and collaboration between FOSS organizations and user groups in OIC countries. Conferences such as the upcoming conference in Malaysia on ICT and the Muslim World can help strengthen networking, and facilitate the sharing of experience between OIC countries.

OIC countries must also invest in FOSS capacity-building and advocacy programs. The ultimate goal would be for OIC countries to be sources of FOSS programs and packages, and not just end users. Toward this end, FOSS program development camps and workshops should be organized regularly, along the lines of Africa Source and Asia Source. FOSS should also be introduced in IT training programs and institutions to increase the number of people in OIC countries who can use FOSS applications such as OpenOffice.org and Linux, and who can develop FOSS packages.

FOSS enthusiasts and advocates in OIC countries also need more resources to increase advocacy for and awareness of FOSS and its benefits. In this regard, the media (both traditional and new) should be leveraged to increase awareness about FOSS. Other programs, such as exhibitions, displays, and install fests, can also be effective advocacy tools. Recently, a student group at the International Islamic University of Malaysia organized a FOSS carnival, FOSSCAR 2006, to promote and build capacity in FOSS.

Finally, the OIC should provide institutional support for the promotion of FOSS in its member countries. Such support can start in a variety of ways, such as supporting FOSS groups in OIC countries, and under the auspices of existing OIC organs and agencies. Ultimately, there should be a specialized OIC agency, or a unit of one of its agencies, to promote FOSS in member countries. Such an entity would provide much-needed leadership and coordination of efforts and resources for the promotion of FOSS in OIC countries, and help members not only benefit from FOSS, but also become valued citizens of the global FOSS community.

http://business.newsforge.com/business/06/06/14/1843200.shtml?tid=150&tid=132&tid=138&tid=3