Information Policy

JM: ICT Project Allocated $352 Million

The Information and Communications Technology (ICT) project will be aided with the allocation of $352.3 million in the 2008/09 Estimates of Expenditure, now before the House of Representatives.

This project, aims to contribute to Jamaica's e-readiness and to support the development of the ICT sector, in order to increase competitiveness, diversify exports and expand productive employment.

The purpose of the project, is to promote enhanced efficiency and access, thereby reducing transaction costs and increasing ICT use in the Private/Public Sectors and Civil Society.

The project which was originally slated to end in March this year, has been further extended to conclude in June 2009.

Physical achievements up to December 2007 are: the procurement and operation of the Trade Board's on-line system infrastructure; the training of Government personnel in Spectrum Management; established computer facilities at the revenue centre to facilitate public accesses in the payment of taxes; established 11 community access points in marginalized communities; trained community access managers; procured database management software; completed consultancy for marketing and public education; developed and launched the e-Government website (www.e-jamaica.gov.jm) and established an e-Government tax portal; awarded contract to establish Public Key Infrastructure; and commenced the re-engineering of Government tax processes.

Expected physical targets for this fiscal year include the establishment of 30 community access points; completion of the re-engineering of Government revenue processes; acquire equipment to support Government revenue processes online; the revision of Government web standards and personnel trained in its implementation; training of Government staff in the use of new ICT e-Government equipment; procurement of equipment for Public Key Infrastructure; implementation of the Certification Authority; the initiation of Phase II of the online tax collection; conduct ICT training programme for legislators and the judiciary; the delivery of online help facilities to support e-Government online services; and the use of 'free and open source' software in Government ICT systems.

The project is funded by the Government and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).

http://www.egovnews.org/?p=3572

Medvedev sends officials to Internet

Dmitry Medvedev, president-elect of the Russian Federation, speaking to the internet public stated e-government development, overcoming the internet inequality between Moscow and the regions, expansion of the state agencies internet connection were the prime targets for the near future.

Dmitry Medvedev, president-elect of the Russian Federation outlined his vision of the Internet in Russia at the Russian Internet Forum opened April 3d in the Moscow Region. He pointed to the Russian language segment achievements in the global network and spoke about the prime targets as he saw them.

Dmitry Medvedev considers e-government development one of the key targets. ‘The point is to make the Russian officials accept e-documents like paper ones’, - he states.

http://www.egovnews.org/?p=3568

ICT Companies Clash as They Expand into New Fields

The major technology companies are increasingly competing in the same space with the mobile industry, a key undecided battleground.

Although nothing stands still in the high-tech world of the telecommunications industry, moves by some of the particularly large and successful companies that fall within the umbrella description of Information Communications and Technology (ICT) or simply "technology" within the global market have changed over the last year or so. Giants in their sector such as Microsoft, Google, and Nokia have been maxing out the main opportunities for organic expansion and increasingly looking into new related fields to maintain their rate of growth. Microsoft dominates the operating system market with somewhere around 95% of the market (Marketshare, Onestat.com). Google, subsequent to the acquisition of DoubleClick, controls more than 80% of third-party website adverts (source: Brad Smith, Microsoft's general counsel) and handles around 77% of search requests (source: MarketShare). Nokia has met its target for a 40% share in the global mobile handset market (source: Nokia/Global Insight). This combination of unassailable market share in their core business, effective cash generation, and acclimatisation to being high-growth businesses has led the newer companies such as Nokia and Google to do what Microsoft has been doing for many years and expand into a novel technology-related area—with the mobile industry being the main battleground. From its roots in the desktop operating system market, Microsoft expanded into all areas of software. Areas of success include IP TV, where it now competes with the likes of Motorola, which has built up a significant portfolio of video products, particularly through acquisitions in the last couple of years. Although suffering initial setbacks, its software-based solution is gaining momentum behind a number of major deployments. The opportunities emerging through broadband roll-out and convergence are bringing many companies into conflict as different business models face off in the video services. Phones One of the more elusive areas of success for Microsoft has been the push into mobile. In Smartphone operating systems Nokia has retained its dominance with the Symbian S60 operating system. It largely has achieved success through deals with manufactures such as HTC, largely an original design manufacturer (one that sells re-branded handsets, e.g., as a T-Mobile handset). Recently, however, it has made deals with major handset vendors. Likely spurred on by the high-profile efforts of Apple, it has also signalled an expansion of its intentions in the mobile handset space by acquiring handset designer and vendor Danger. This acquisition adds a more mainstream, consumer-centric java-based Smartphone platform as well as a handset design capability that will more directly compete with the branded handset vendors. Services Overall, the bid for Yahoo! is the latest in Microsoft's concerted efforts to step up competition in the online services (and advertising) space.This is particularly the case for mobile services. Unlike the desktop search and online services where Google dominates, the outcome of the battle for dominance of the mobile world is still fluid and will form a significant element of the reasoning for the bid by Microsoft. This is also likely a large part the reasoning behind the assertion by Yahoo! that it can wring more value out of Microsoft's acquisition attempts. It has gained significant carrier customers—who still largely control the gates to the mobile online world. A powerful presence in the mobile world could also be used to leverage improved share in the overall online services market. Google has also been stepping up its efforts in the mobile space, unveiling plans for its own "open" mobile platform towards the end of 2007. Although the industry maintains some wariness as to the final level of openness for the mobile platform, Google has gained a high profile for the efforts, which are mainly an attempt to ensure that its applications and services have a place in the mobile world. This will place Google in direct competition with Windows Mobile as well as tread on the toes of Nokia.

Google achieved a victory of sorts with the implementation of rules for the 700 MHz spectrum auction that ensured "open access". It was recently reported that, as suspected, Google was largely posturing to achieve this outcome, bidding up the spectrum to ensure open access was applied—a move that surely will not be appreciated by its mobile carrier clients. These moves are essentially intended to ensure that customers can gain access to Google services without carriers' approval. Pushes by Microsoft and Google to enable the use of unused spectrum or "white spaces" also bring these technology companies into a certain level of conflict with the interests of the carriers.

Nokia has also sought to leverage its position in the hardware market to move into online, mobile services—to some success and also a degree of consternation from the carriers that have sought to maintain control or at least dominate the value chain for value-added services. The acquisition of NAVTEQ was a major buy into mapping and enhancements to location-based services. The recent acquisition of Trolltech was also billed as an opportunity for Nokia to accelerate its cross-platform software strategy for mobile devices and desktop applications, and develop its internet services business.

Outlook and Implications

The major technology companies are increasingly offering a number of competing products and services as consolidation and organic expansion occur. Although the long-term strategic objectives are clear, the concept of "collaborative competition" appears to be an inescapable reality. IP and other standards developments, together with the relative strengths of the competing companies involved, offer opportunities that it seems must be pursued as the limitations of proprietary approaches have been noted.

http://communicationsdirectnews.com/do.php/150/30089?7649

Google, U.N. unveil project to map movement of refugees

Google has unveiled a new feature for its popular mapping programs that shines a spotlight on the movement of refugees around the world. The maps will aid humanitarian operations as well as help inform the public about the millions who have fled their homes because of violence or hardship, according to the office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, which is working with Google on the project.

http://www.siliconvalley.com/news/ci_8851455?nclick_check=1

Thailand: ICT ministry forms 3G body

Thai newspaper The Nation reports that the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Ministry has formed a working committee to speed up the country’s development of 3G mobile services, with the aim of seeing commercial UMTS networks launched this year. The committee will coordinate with the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) according to a ministry source, with committee members due to begin meeting this week, and will make monthly progress reports to the ministry. Last week NTC secretary general Suranan Wongvithayakamjorn said the regulator would award 3G licences in the 2GHz frequency band this August.

http://www.telegeography.com/cu/article.php?article_id=22568&email=text

Keeping patchwork of telecoms regulations will cost EU billions of Euros

Europe’s economy could benefit by as much as 1,300 billion Euros over the next 20 years with the development of seamless pan-European electronic communications services, according to a new study released by Indepen Consulting.

http://www.btplc.com/news/articles/showarticle.cfm?articleid=%7b2f555100-3b39-463a-9381-35edbaf6db3f%7d

EU's Super-Regulator Plans Derailed

The European Union (EU)'s plans to create a super telecoms regulator for the region moved closer to abandonment as a key parliamentarian questioned its workability. The U.K.-based Financial Times newspaper reports that Pilar del Castillo, a Spanish conservative Member of the European Parliament (MEP), and the official charged with steering the proposal through the EU legislature, said the plan adds unnecessary red tape and would be too remote from the local markets it seeks to regulate. Castillo further dismissed the notion of a one-size-fits-all approach, arguing that it is not clear that Europe has a single market problem of the size and nature to justify a radical change in the institutional set-up.

Although the latest opinion will not have fully destroyed the idea of a super-regulator, it is a big blow to EU communications commissioner Vivian Reding's plans and is an indication that they may no longer succeed. Instead, the consensus emerging from different sources suggests the idea of an advisory body, made of the 27 national regulators, may be adopted.

http://communicationsdirectnews.com/do.php/130/29974

Africa: Making Communication Cheaper, Faster And More Transparent

One of the key indicators of good governance is the extent to which citizens are able to participate in decision-making in a country.

In the past, citizens in many countries have only had access to information through their elected representatives. But with the growth of the internet and other informational tools, this is rapidly changing.

Today, the internet is not only making businesses more efficient through e-commerce, but also enabling more citizens to participate in governance by giving them direct access to information.

Like e-commerce, e-governance - also known as electronic governance - aims to improve efficiency of the delivery of services by making communication cheaper, faster and more transparent, according to 'Growth and Success through e-governance', a new book published by the Commonwealth Secretariat.

The book, edited by Devindra Ramnarine and RoseMarie-Rita Endeley, highlights the experiences of Malta and Cyprus in implementing e-governance initiatives and the lessons that can be learned.

The publication explains major concerns associated with e-governance and gives recommendations on ways to improve e-governance.

http://allafrica.com/stories/200803260963.html

The Changing World Of Information Technology: New Futures

By Thomas B. Riley

This essay concentrates on the evolution of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in government. It also assesses the wider changes in society due to the emergence of these technologies. The last two decades have created a tsunami of change around the world as the Internet brought people together over distance and time. The implications of these changes have yet to be fully fathomed or understood. We continue to live during an evolutionary period with newer and newer technologies emerging into the marketplace and changing the way we conduct our lives.

Some governments around the world have been catalysts of change by making online services widely available in their jurisdictions. The first stage of this change was the emergence of e-government programs in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

E-Governance and e-government have been concepts embraced by the majority of governments around the world seeking more economical and swifter ways to provide services to their citizenry. The application of the terms e-Governance and e-government over the past decade and a half has contributed to the growth of online services and programs from government departments. Following are definitions of these concepts.

E-Governance - is the movement of governments online to electronically deliver their services and programs, provide government information, and interact with the citizen. e-Governance is, essentially, the application of proven governance principles that drives the public service. This is the formation of new relationships, and includes the private sector along with citizens and other levels of government. Successful and innovative applications of e-Governance across government departments and agencies determine the success of the development of e-government programs.

E-government - constitutes the way public sector institutions use technology to apply public administration principles and conduct the business of government. This is government using new tools to enhance the delivery of existing services. The degree of application of e-government programs very much depends on the amount of personnel and financial resources a government has to implement programs. The degree of application of online services will vary widely between developed, medium developed and developing countries.

Technologies have had a serious impact in our lives. How far will we go and what will be the impacts on our collective societies? This is just one important question of our time that we need to address.

Since 1854 (deployment of the telegraph) Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) have been providing electronic messaging to more and more people.

The marketplace was the first to exploit this capability, beginning with financial and news services. Later entertainment and workplace services were offered for sale. In the last decade, people have had the capacity to "reach out and touch someone" over far greater distances and in much less time than with surface or even airmail. The result has been the continuing spread of a social psychology of connectivity and immediacy over the Internet as well as new information and communication technologies. Thus it is important to assess the current status and impact of information technologies in government and in society overall.

The application of a smorgasbord of government IT programs has resulted in enhanced services to the citizenry on the public side, and efficiencies and speed of service within the government side of the equation. The emergence of these programs has resulted in society now taking IT programs and applications for granted. Many countries, especially Canada in 2003, dropped the e-Government term as departments and agencies moved on to new challenges. In many respects, online government services are now taken for granted.

Online services from government at all levels have changed the ways societies have operated: everything from paying taxes online, to looking up a bus schedule, to using Google, to finding a government department or agency, or to find a friend or any other of the thousands of actions people do online. The world of twenty years ago now seems ancient and antiquated given the way our new technologies allow us as individuals to interact in the world today. This is particularly true of any living individual 22 or under who has grown up with the Internet and the plethora of IT communication devices now available. To this current generation the Internet and concomitant information and communication technologies are simply a part of ordinary life.

These changes have resulted in challenges for government agencies, the corporate world and citizens at large. The technologies have brought instant communications, making connections around the world, bringing the world to our computers or Blackberries, iPods or Personal Digital Assistants (PDA). The capacity now exists for people to seamlessly reach out to friends and relatives through email and websites such as MySpace, You Tube and Facebook. These have been the moving forces that have concentrated on youth who take online activities for granted. Our technologies are becoming legion and all-pervasive to those who have the funds to pay and the wherewithal to utilize these ever evolving ICTs. But this is just the beginning of change that will continue in the next decade as our society evolves into new ways of thinking and acting.

The true change has been convenience. For example, people no longer have to wait in long lineups in government departments for services. But the reality of this change has now been articulated in hundreds of articles and books. As the saying goes the change is now "old hat." What is important at this stage of change is to assess where our society is going and how technologies will continue to change our way of life. Blackberries and Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs), for example, make it possible to perform any number of tasks, from phone calls, to text messages, to schedulers, to address books, to accessing websites. We are a people in constant motion seamlessly driven by these evolving technologies. Change is rapid and has been embraced in throughout societies around the world. It is currently estimated that 94% of countries around the world have some form of access to online services.

Recent events confirm that technology evolutions are not nearing an end. There will be more evolutions in society overall. From an economic standpoint, it is crucial that new technologies evolve into the marketplace, given that the vast majority of our populations around the world rely on information and communication technologies. In the process our culture will change. Our mores will evolve into different dimensions in just a few years. This is a time of rapid change and perhaps the fastest in all of our history.

This is not to ignore the fact that our ever-growing, pervasive online and offline technologies are causing disturbing social problems. One prime example is that of drivers who create text messages on their handheld mobiles while driving. Recently, newspapers in different countries have reported on drivers who have died in fatal accidents because they were trying to send a message from their mobiles. Other cases have been of drivers who, while talking on their mobiles or trying to create text messages, have killed pedestrians or smashed into other cars killing their drivers. The incidents are probably low compared to total numbers but do illustrate that every new technology has both its negative and positive side.

Other serious side effects of these new technologies include data theft, privacy violations of individuals' personal information, identity theft, hacking, theft of websites, criminal scams, spams and a host of other anti-social behavioral attitudes. In conclusion, it is imperative to state that there are many people in all countries who do not have the financial means or necessary skills to use and fully gain the benefits of these technologies. In fact, recent statistics on online access around the world suggest that there are now a billion people who use the Internet.

This is a challenge now to bring all people into these networks of networks.

http://www.rileyis.com

OECD Resources on Policy Issues related to Internet Governance

This site, www.oecd.org/InternetGovernance, presents the OECD's contributions in several critical public policy areas related to the Internet; such as security, privacy, telecommunication policy, universal access, consumer protection, e-commerce, and broader information economy issues. It provides links to the relevant OECD resources on public policy issues related to Internet governance. The OECD prepared a report as an input to the United Nations Working Group on Internet Governance in 2005, available as a user-friendly e-book or as a PDF document. This report i) presents an overview of the major benefits that the developments of the Internet and ICTs provide to both OECD economies and non-OECD countries’ economies; ii) briefly reviews the evolution of the Internet and the parallel evolution of Internet governance from the 1960s until today; iii) provides the OECD’s perspective on the factors that were instrumental to the successful development of the Internet; and iv) finally, provides information on the relevant work conducted by the OECD on policy issues related to Internet governance as per the “Internet governance” public policy areas identified by the U.N. Working Group on Internet Governance.

http://www.oecd.org/document/21/0,3343,en_21571361_34590630_34591253_1_1_1_1,00.html

via http://www.technewsreview.com.au