Information Policy

EU: Research proves innovative IT companies are the most successful

The close relationship between research, innovation and economic performance has been confirmed through a recent study by the UNU-MERIT research and training centre of the United Nations University (UNU) and Maastricht University in the Netherlands. The research team examined the production of information and communication technologies (ICTs) by small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) within the EU-25. The findings show that SMEs are involved in both hardware and software ICT production across the region, with innovative companies achieving above-average growth in sales.

The study shows that continuous innovators are most likely to be medium in size, and focused on EU and global markets rather than local and national ones. These successful businesses perceive their markets as fast growing and enjoy large research budgets. More importantly, continuous innovators are more likely to declare high or medium profitability growth. These SMEs are also keener to introduce multiple innovations, combining new ideas in product and services, as well as organisational, marketing and process innovation. The study demonstrates the link between highly innovative enterprises and better performance, confirming the conclusions found in the economic literature regarding the relevance of innovation strategies for competitiveness.

The relevance of knowledge and skills to successful business strategies for SMEs was demonstrated by identifying human resources as the main factor in success. The lack of financial capital was identified as a major obstacle to growth, particularly for smaller SMEs. A further barrier emerging from the study and directly influenced by European policies was the existence of "imperfect market conditions", especially according to larger SMEs. The study indicates that National Reform Reports regarding the Lisbon Strategy towards a knowledge economy do not directly address the promotion of the IT industry. Instead they concentrate on the regulatory framework. The main areas for action include e-government, broadband infrastructure and digital literacy.

According to the report, most countries of the EU-25 have specific policies for ICT SMEs, except for Lithuania, Malta and Poland. However, the Czech Republic, Greece and Cyprus only mention a national ICT innovation framework where SMEs are concerned, but do not appear to have specific measures in place. Most of the policy measures quoted fall into the traditional field of R&D and innovation policy, rather than industrial policy, while R&D funding and technical transfer and networking are the most diffused instruments. Policies for regional or technical clusters are scarce, as are policies targeting the main barriers identified by ICT SMEs i.e. a lack of human and financial resources.

Venture capital schemes are currently being implemented by those countries with an advanced and competitive ICT industry, including Denmark, Finland, Sweden and the UK. The Member States with a strong and competitive ICT industry enjoy a tradition of proactive policies for ICT SMEs development which are characterised by initiatives that promote continuity and regional development.

http://ec.europa.eu/research/headlines/news/article_07_11_28_en.html

East African Community Urged to Set Up Special E-Government Fund

According to information and communications technology experts, other factors hindering the development of e-government in local authorities in the region include research and data gaps, absence of policies and strategies for guiding e-government at the local levels in local authorities, lack of awareness, inadequate human resources and lack of strategic alliances and partnerships to improve and assure operational and responsive e-government.

http://allafrica.com/stories/200711260349.html

Laptop Security 24/7

With the proliferation of 3G networks in the United States and globally, more enterprises have started using these wide-area wireless networks to give mobile employees remote access to their intranets using a laptop. That access is a double-edged sword, since it provides return on investment advantages but also security risks.

Virtual private networks have been the principle way enterprise IT departments have kept their intranets secure from intruders. But what happens when the VPN isn’t being used? What if the laptop is stolen, or what happens when the mobile worker launches the browser without using a VPN?

One answer to that was provided earlier this year by Alcatel-Lucent, using technology out of Bell Labs originally under the Project Avros name but now called OmniAccess 3500 Nonstop Laptop Guardian. The technology was recently taken to market by Sprint Nextel with what the carrier calls SprintSecure Laptop Guardian. It uses a combination of hardware and software to not only provide security around-the-clock but also allow IT departments to manage the laptop itself with over-the-air updates.

The Alcatel-Lucent technology, now can be used with any wireless or wireline network, including 3G, Wi-Fi and LANs. Sprint is using it only for access via its EV-DO network.

http://www.wirelessweek.com/Article-Laptop_Security.aspx

Google To Offer Service To Store User Data

Google wants to offer consumers a new way to store their files on its hard drives, in a strategy that could accelerate a shift to Web-based computing and intensify the Internet company's competition with Microsoft Corp. Google is preparing a service that would let users store on its computers essentially all of the files they might keep on their personal-computer hard drives -- such as word-processing documents, digital music, video clips and images.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB119612660573504716.html

Results of the OECD online public consultation on the future of the Internet economy

The OECD recently invited public comments on issues such as convergence, innovation and trust, all of which will be discussed at the June 2008 OECD Ministerial Meeting on the Future of the Internet Economy. This consultation provided an opportunity for all interested stakeholders to contribute to the discussions from a wide range of viewpoints and expertise. Responses are now available on line.

http://www.oecd.org/document/15/0,3343,en_21571361_38415463_39414351_1_1_1_1,00.html

Internet could run out of capacity by 2010, study claims

Consumer and corporate use of the Internet could overload the current capacity and lead to brown-outs in two years unless backbone providers invest billions of dollars in new infrastructure, according to a study released Monday. A flood of new video and other Web content could overwhelm the Internet by 2010 unless backbone providers invest up to $137 billion in new capacity, more than double what service providers plan to invest, according to the study by Nemertes Research LLC, an independent analysis firm. In North America alone, backbone investments of $42 billion to $55 billion will be needed in the next three to five years to keep up with demand, Nemertes said.

http://computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9047939

The Future of E-commerce in Malaysia

Gladys Mirandah

E-commerce has evolved over the years from electronic funds transfers (EFT), comprising of online shopping and Internet banking, to electronic data interchange (EDI), comprising companies' transfer of documents such as purchase orders or invoices. Recent studies foresee a massive growth of e-commerce in the Asian region especially in Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Korea and Australia; possibly challenging Europe and United States.

E-commerce has its numerous advantages. For instance, it overcomes geographical limitations to allow market expansion; decreases administrative, marketing and logistics costs; increases efficiency and provides a competitive environment to improve quality of service. However, there are some concerns that need to be addressed, particularly, privacy issues, legal issues such as copyright infringement, protection of patent rights, domain name disputes and preservation of trade secrets as well as issues pertaining to the validity and enforcement of agreements made online.

Governments and regulatory bodies throughout Asia have recognized the prospects of e-commerce and policies have been designed to amend the existing laws to deal with the emerging legal issues post by e-commerce transactions. To attract new online business opportunities and increase the competency of e-commerce in the Asian region, it is important for international businessmen and their legal advisors to be familiar with the e-commerce laws, policies and regulations throughout Asia.

To date, some of the legislations that have been conceded in Asia include: Australia"s Electronic Transactions Act 1999; Broadcasting Services Amendment (On-Line Services) Act 1999; Privacy (Private Sector) Bill and the Copyright Amendment (Digital Agenda) Bill 1999; South Korea's Electronic Transaction Basic Act; Singapore's Electronic Transaction Act 1998; Hong Kong Electronic Transactions Ordinance 2000; Japan's Draft Bill Concerning Electronic Signatures and Certification Authorities and the Law Partially Amending the Trade Mark Law; the Philippines' Electronic Commerce Act; and India's Information Technology Act 2000.

Malaysia was one of the pioneers amongst Asian countries to establish a new federal ministry, Ministry of Energy, Communications and Multimedia. The main function of this Ministry is to spearhead and promote the growth of information and communication technology (ICT) with the support of several agencies, including the Malaysian Institute of Microelectronic Systems (MIMOS) established in 1984, Multimedia Development Corporation (MDC) established in 1996, and Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (or MCMC) established in 1998.

These agencies contribute to e-commerce by developing their own agenda. For instance, the Multimedia Development Corporation has been working on a National Electronic Commerce Masterplan designed to facilitate the growth of e-commerce in Malaysia. The four key elements in this Masterplan are to boost confidence in on-line trading, prepare a regulatory framework, build a critical mass of Internet users and introduce an electronic payment system.

Amongst the legislations that have been passed in Malaysia are Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission Act 1998; Communications and Multimedia Act 1998; Digital Signature Act 1997; Computer Crimes Act 1997; and Telemedicine Act 1997. These legislations have been amended over the years in attempts to better address emerging e-commerce issues.

In lieu with the importance of e-commerce, the Malaysian Government has allocated RM 12.9 billion for the Ninth Malaysia Plan (2006-2010). On a broader perspective, Malaysia is participating in Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation's (APEC) to contribute in the efforts of introducing e-commerce laws, policies and regulations to facilitate e-commerce transactions internationally.

The future of e-commerce in Malaysia and the Asia region is bright. Governments and regulatory bodies are collaborating on a wider platform to ensure e-commerce law, policy and regulations are enforced to provide a guideline for traders to systematically utilize e-commerce and in tandem ensure protection for e-commerce users.

http://www.ibls.com/internet_law_news_portal_view.aspx?s=latestnews&id=1917

Google U.S. Web Search Share Jumps To 58.5 Percent

Google enjoyed one of its biggest monthly gains in U.S. Web search market share in October, building on consistent gains over the past two years, according to industry data out on Wednesday. Market research firm ComScore said Google's core Web search properties captured 58.5 percent of the U.S. market in October, up from 57.0 percent in September.

http://www.news.com/2100-1038_3-6219821.html

EU Phone Firms Fight Network Plans

European commission plans to force the EU's telecoms operators to follow BT's lead and separate their networks from the rest of their business will endanger investment required to create fibre networks, leading operators claimed yesterday. Viviane Reding, EU media and IT commissioner, recently proposed the BT Openreach example as the model for all operators. But Alfredo Acebal, chairman of the European Telecommunications Network Operators Association (ETNO) and an executive at Spain's Telefónica, warned that Reding's plans would jeopardise EU efforts to catch up with the US, Japan and others and raise broadband speeds to 50MB a second by 2010.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2007/nov/23/telecoms.europeanunion

Syria Blocks Facebook In Internet Crackdown

Syrian users of Facebook said on Friday the authorities had blocked access to the social network Web site as part of a crackdown on political activism on the Internet. There was no comment form the government, which has intensified a campaign against bloggers, virtual opinion forums, and independent media sites in recent months.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/23/AR2007112301259.html