Saturday, February 21, 2009
Friday, January 23, 2009
Microsoft launches ‘Schools of Government’ in East Africa
By Brenda Zulu
Effective ICT policy education will overcome challenges in public project rollouts.
In October 2008, Microsoft and the Eastern and Southern African Management Institute (ESAMI) signed a memorandum of understanding to develop and deliver a programme aimed at providing ICT policy training to government officials.
Delivering on this agreement, Microsoft and ESAMI are today launching the first session of the ‘Schools of Government’ initiative in Arusha, Tanzania. The first session will run for five days starting on Monday, 19th January.
Twenty-four trainers will undergo an ICT policy training programme that is based on a curriculum that was piloted in conjunction with the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), USC School of Public Policy in California and the Dubai School of Government in the United Arab Emirates.
“Microsoft Corporation has, for the past two years, worked to develop a programme that can be used worldwide to train government officials in IT-related policy and planning issues. We are pleased to announce that this programme has been officially launched in East Africa,” said Dr. Cheick Modibo Diarra, Microsoft’s chairman for Africa.
“Microsoft pioneered this program in Africa from 2007 with the intention to build the capability of African educational institutions by providing them with the tools to equip current and future government leaders, officials and policy makers with a modern education on technology policy trends and policies that enable the success of ICT projects and programs,” he says.
Technology is a key element that can help accelerate Africa’s growth and industrialisation - whether it is technology being used by government agencies to assist with the delivery of better civil services, or technology being used to transform education to benefit the people themselves.
However, World Bank data suggests that 50% of ICT projects in Africa fail and that this is typically due to a combination of poor initial design along with insufficient execution and maintenance capabilities.
“Good policy lays the foundation to overcome such problems - and considers critical factors that underline all infrastructure needs, in order to not only create successful and sustainable individual projects, but also projects which complement each other as part of a broader governmental system,” adds Dr. Diarra.
“The program curriculum is developed in English and the possibility of developing content in Portuguese for subsequent training in Lusophone countries, such as Mozambique and Angola, is being considered,” adds Professor Bonard Mwape, director general for ESAMI.
“The goal of this program is to put the building blocks in place for a sustainable, multi-year government training program on ICT policy for the whole of Africa.”
“This cannot be achieved by providing a limited number of workshops to government officials,” he adds. “Only by creating a structure and capacity within existing training institutions to conduct ongoing programs will this initiative bear the expected positive outcomes.”
The ESAMI programme follows on from a similar, highly-successful memorandum of understanding that was concluded between Microsoft and the Centre Africain d’Etudes Supérieures en Gestion (CESAG) earlier in 2008.
CESAG is an institution specialising in the delivery of government-related training and leadership capacity building across French-speaking Africa.
Along with a number of other citizenship programmes that are operated across Africa, Microsoft believes that this initiative addresses a huge challenge with regard to the reasons that ICT projects very rarely work in Africa.
“The steps to economic prosperity in Africa could almost be considered pieces of a grand puzzle, and effective ICT policy implementation training is one piece of this entire puzzle,” Dr. Diarra says.
“It cannot work on its own. Instead, it requires a number of other pieces in order to complete Microsoft’s vision of how it would like to help the people of Africa meet the economic and social demands of the 21st century.
“Other pieces of the puzzle will fall into place over time as initiatives like the Microsoft Leadership Lecture Series and the ICT Best Practices Forum gain momentum and begin attracting more interest from other African countries.”
Effective ICT policy education will overcome challenges in public project rollouts.
In October 2008, Microsoft and the Eastern and Southern African Management Institute (ESAMI) signed a memorandum of understanding to develop and deliver a programme aimed at providing ICT policy training to government officials.
Delivering on this agreement, Microsoft and ESAMI are today launching the first session of the ‘Schools of Government’ initiative in Arusha, Tanzania. The first session will run for five days starting on Monday, 19th January.
Twenty-four trainers will undergo an ICT policy training programme that is based on a curriculum that was piloted in conjunction with the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), USC School of Public Policy in California and the Dubai School of Government in the United Arab Emirates.
“Microsoft Corporation has, for the past two years, worked to develop a programme that can be used worldwide to train government officials in IT-related policy and planning issues. We are pleased to announce that this programme has been officially launched in East Africa,” said Dr. Cheick Modibo Diarra, Microsoft’s chairman for Africa.
“Microsoft pioneered this program in Africa from 2007 with the intention to build the capability of African educational institutions by providing them with the tools to equip current and future government leaders, officials and policy makers with a modern education on technology policy trends and policies that enable the success of ICT projects and programs,” he says.
Technology is a key element that can help accelerate Africa’s growth and industrialisation - whether it is technology being used by government agencies to assist with the delivery of better civil services, or technology being used to transform education to benefit the people themselves.
However, World Bank data suggests that 50% of ICT projects in Africa fail and that this is typically due to a combination of poor initial design along with insufficient execution and maintenance capabilities.
“Good policy lays the foundation to overcome such problems - and considers critical factors that underline all infrastructure needs, in order to not only create successful and sustainable individual projects, but also projects which complement each other as part of a broader governmental system,” adds Dr. Diarra.
“The program curriculum is developed in English and the possibility of developing content in Portuguese for subsequent training in Lusophone countries, such as Mozambique and Angola, is being considered,” adds Professor Bonard Mwape, director general for ESAMI.
“The goal of this program is to put the building blocks in place for a sustainable, multi-year government training program on ICT policy for the whole of Africa.”
“This cannot be achieved by providing a limited number of workshops to government officials,” he adds. “Only by creating a structure and capacity within existing training institutions to conduct ongoing programs will this initiative bear the expected positive outcomes.”
The ESAMI programme follows on from a similar, highly-successful memorandum of understanding that was concluded between Microsoft and the Centre Africain d’Etudes Supérieures en Gestion (CESAG) earlier in 2008.
CESAG is an institution specialising in the delivery of government-related training and leadership capacity building across French-speaking Africa.
Along with a number of other citizenship programmes that are operated across Africa, Microsoft believes that this initiative addresses a huge challenge with regard to the reasons that ICT projects very rarely work in Africa.
“The steps to economic prosperity in Africa could almost be considered pieces of a grand puzzle, and effective ICT policy implementation training is one piece of this entire puzzle,” Dr. Diarra says.
“It cannot work on its own. Instead, it requires a number of other pieces in order to complete Microsoft’s vision of how it would like to help the people of Africa meet the economic and social demands of the 21st century.
“Other pieces of the puzzle will fall into place over time as initiatives like the Microsoft Leadership Lecture Series and the ICT Best Practices Forum gain momentum and begin attracting more interest from other African countries.”
Monday, December 15, 2008
New global standard for fully networked
By Brenda Zulu
Industry applauds major breakthrough with revolutionary ITU technology
The first global standard offering an in-home, high-speed network capable of delivering room-to-room HDTV has been agreed by ITU.
In apress release from ITU the standard, published under the G.hn banner, promises high quality multimedia over power, coaxial, phone and other home network wiring. It will give up to 20 times the throughput of existing wireless technologies and three times that of existing wired technologies.
The specifications will be used by chip manufacturers to build transceivers that can be incorporated into set-top boxes, residential gateways, home computers, home audio systems, DVD players, TVs or any other device that might be connected to a network now or in the future. Experts say that silicon companies will immediately start incorporating the specifications into transceivers, implying that G.hn-compliant products could be on the market as early as 2010.
Joyce Putscher, Principal Analyst at market research firm In-Stat, said, "Service operators have been looking for an international standard that encompasses multiple existing-wire mediums for video distribution. G.hn meets that requirement and it seems clear that with significant industry backing from service providers, semiconductor and equipment vendors, and the fast rate at which the process is moving to achieve a standard, we will see first equipment by 2010."
"There’s a clear market need for a unified networking approach," said Malcolm Johnson, Director of ITU’s Telecommunication Standardization Bureau. "With G.hn, every wire in every home around the world can become part of a home entertainment network. This will enable seamless communication between computers, HDTVs and telephones over existing wires. I expect that this exciting new technology will also foster innovations such as energy efficient smart appliances, home automation and telemedicine devices."
Work on G.hn was started at the instigation of service providers looking to extend broadband and video services in the home. As well as its offer of greater speed, it may be bundled as complementary to Wi-Fi where G.hn offers greater coverage, extending, for example, to areas of a house where Wi-Fi does not reach.
The standard has achieved remarkable industry backing even before its publication. An industry group — the HomeGrid Forum — has been formed specifically to back G.hn. The goal of HomeGrid Forum is to market G.hn worldwide and to create a compliance and interoperability programme to ensure that products based on the standard will operate in any home around the world.
Other industry analysts backing the standard include Michael Wolf, Research Director at ABI Research. "If G.hn sees integration into carrier devices by 2010, we expect that some 42 million G.hn-compliant nodes will ship in 2013 in devices such as set-top boxes, residential gateways and other service provider CPE hardware," Wolf said.
"A single, unified technology for multimedia networks over power lines, coaxial cable, and phone lines has the potential to enable simple, easy-to-use networking devices in the home," said Kurt Scherf, analyst with market analyst firm Parks Associates. "We believe ITU’s work is an important step towards eliminating fragmentation in the industry and in achieving the vision of a networked home."
Recommendation ITU-T G.9960 focuses on the physical or PHY layer, giving the data bit rate and quality of service necessary for triple-play residential services as well as business-type services delivered over xDSL, PON, or other access technology. In step with ITU guidelines on new standards development, several power saving modes have been incorporated. Ongoing work is focused on the media access control (MAC) layer.
Industry applauds major breakthrough with revolutionary ITU technology
The first global standard offering an in-home, high-speed network capable of delivering room-to-room HDTV has been agreed by ITU.
In apress release from ITU the standard, published under the G.hn banner, promises high quality multimedia over power, coaxial, phone and other home network wiring. It will give up to 20 times the throughput of existing wireless technologies and three times that of existing wired technologies.
The specifications will be used by chip manufacturers to build transceivers that can be incorporated into set-top boxes, residential gateways, home computers, home audio systems, DVD players, TVs or any other device that might be connected to a network now or in the future. Experts say that silicon companies will immediately start incorporating the specifications into transceivers, implying that G.hn-compliant products could be on the market as early as 2010.
Joyce Putscher, Principal Analyst at market research firm In-Stat, said, "Service operators have been looking for an international standard that encompasses multiple existing-wire mediums for video distribution. G.hn meets that requirement and it seems clear that with significant industry backing from service providers, semiconductor and equipment vendors, and the fast rate at which the process is moving to achieve a standard, we will see first equipment by 2010."
"There’s a clear market need for a unified networking approach," said Malcolm Johnson, Director of ITU’s Telecommunication Standardization Bureau. "With G.hn, every wire in every home around the world can become part of a home entertainment network. This will enable seamless communication between computers, HDTVs and telephones over existing wires. I expect that this exciting new technology will also foster innovations such as energy efficient smart appliances, home automation and telemedicine devices."
Work on G.hn was started at the instigation of service providers looking to extend broadband and video services in the home. As well as its offer of greater speed, it may be bundled as complementary to Wi-Fi where G.hn offers greater coverage, extending, for example, to areas of a house where Wi-Fi does not reach.
The standard has achieved remarkable industry backing even before its publication. An industry group — the HomeGrid Forum — has been formed specifically to back G.hn. The goal of HomeGrid Forum is to market G.hn worldwide and to create a compliance and interoperability programme to ensure that products based on the standard will operate in any home around the world.
Other industry analysts backing the standard include Michael Wolf, Research Director at ABI Research. "If G.hn sees integration into carrier devices by 2010, we expect that some 42 million G.hn-compliant nodes will ship in 2013 in devices such as set-top boxes, residential gateways and other service provider CPE hardware," Wolf said.
"A single, unified technology for multimedia networks over power lines, coaxial cable, and phone lines has the potential to enable simple, easy-to-use networking devices in the home," said Kurt Scherf, analyst with market analyst firm Parks Associates. "We believe ITU’s work is an important step towards eliminating fragmentation in the industry and in achieving the vision of a networked home."
Recommendation ITU-T G.9960 focuses on the physical or PHY layer, giving the data bit rate and quality of service necessary for triple-play residential services as well as business-type services delivered over xDSL, PON, or other access technology. In step with ITU guidelines on new standards development, several power saving modes have been incorporated. Ongoing work is focused on the media access control (MAC) layer.
Friday, December 05, 2008
TWAS, Microsoft, and the African Academy of Sciences (AAS) Announce Funding Programmes to Support Scientists in Africa .
By Brenda Zulu
TWAS, the academy of sciences of the developing world, Microsoft Research, and the African Academy of Science (AAS) announce the creation of the Microsoft Awards and Grants programme.
Microsoft Research, in partnership with TWAS (the academy of sciences for the developing world) and AAS (the African Academy of Sciences), will support two new programmes designed to recognize and assist scientists working in Africa in the field of computer science.
The Microsoft Award for Young Scientists will recognize young scientists in Africa whose research in computer science promises to have a positive impact in the developing world. Each year, three winners will be selected from different countries on the continent. Scientists who have received their most recent research degree within the past 10 years will be eligible. Each recipient will receive a euro €7,000 cash award.
Nominations may be made by members of national academies and senior academics. Winners will be chosen on the basis of their past achievements. The nomination and selection process will be administered by TWAS in collaboration with AAS.
The first winners of the prize will be announced in 2009. The award ceremonies will be held in Nairobi, Kenya, and organized by TWAS and AAS.
The Microsoft Grant for Scientific Meetings in Developing Countries aims to encourage the organization of international and regional scientific conferences and workshops in Africa. Microsoft will provide support in the form of travel grants for some principal speakers from abroad and/or participants from developing countries other than the country in which the event is held.
Applicants, who may be of any nationality, must be involved in the organization of international or regional scientific meetings to be held in Africa in the field of computer science. Selection will be undertaken by TWAS.
“To achieve the Millennium Development Goals, Africa must create knowledge- and skills-based wealth,” says Dr Cheick Modibo Diarra, Microsoft’s Chairman for Africa. “The prosperity of the continent is dependent on Africa’s small and medium enterprises relying on results from research and development. They can then develop locally relevant solutions and value-added opportunities that will lead to the accelerated industrialisation of Africa.”
Andrew Herbert, Managing Director of Microsoft Research Cambridge, adds: “Computer science has a key role to play in tackling some of the developing world’s greatest challenges, from education to infrastructure, and so it’s vital that we support and encourage the scientists and researchers who are working to address these issues.”
"TWAS and AAS are always eager to work with the private sector for the benefit of the developing world," observes Mohamed H.A. Hassan, executive director of TWAS and president of AAS. "We believe that this initiative will not only mark an important step forward for science in Africa, but will also serve as a valuable model for future partnerships between international organizations and for-profit companies."
more than 55 areas of computing and collaborate with leading academic, government and industry researchers to advance the state of the art in such areas as graphics, speech recognition, user-interface research, natural language processing, programming tools and methodologies, operating systems and networking, and the mathematical sciences. Microsoft Research currently employs more than 800 people in six labs located in Redmond, Wash.; Cambridge, Mass.; Silicon Valley, Calif.; Cambridge, England; Beijing, China; and Bangalore, India. Microsoft Research collaborates openly with colleges and universities worldwide to enhance the teaching and learning experience, inspire technological innovation, and broadly advance the field of computer science.
TWAS, the academy of sciences of the developing world, Microsoft Research, and the African Academy of Science (AAS) announce the creation of the Microsoft Awards and Grants programme.
Microsoft Research, in partnership with TWAS (the academy of sciences for the developing world) and AAS (the African Academy of Sciences), will support two new programmes designed to recognize and assist scientists working in Africa in the field of computer science.
The Microsoft Award for Young Scientists will recognize young scientists in Africa whose research in computer science promises to have a positive impact in the developing world. Each year, three winners will be selected from different countries on the continent. Scientists who have received their most recent research degree within the past 10 years will be eligible. Each recipient will receive a euro €7,000 cash award.
Nominations may be made by members of national academies and senior academics. Winners will be chosen on the basis of their past achievements. The nomination and selection process will be administered by TWAS in collaboration with AAS.
The first winners of the prize will be announced in 2009. The award ceremonies will be held in Nairobi, Kenya, and organized by TWAS and AAS.
The Microsoft Grant for Scientific Meetings in Developing Countries aims to encourage the organization of international and regional scientific conferences and workshops in Africa. Microsoft will provide support in the form of travel grants for some principal speakers from abroad and/or participants from developing countries other than the country in which the event is held.
Applicants, who may be of any nationality, must be involved in the organization of international or regional scientific meetings to be held in Africa in the field of computer science. Selection will be undertaken by TWAS.
“To achieve the Millennium Development Goals, Africa must create knowledge- and skills-based wealth,” says Dr Cheick Modibo Diarra, Microsoft’s Chairman for Africa. “The prosperity of the continent is dependent on Africa’s small and medium enterprises relying on results from research and development. They can then develop locally relevant solutions and value-added opportunities that will lead to the accelerated industrialisation of Africa.”
Andrew Herbert, Managing Director of Microsoft Research Cambridge, adds: “Computer science has a key role to play in tackling some of the developing world’s greatest challenges, from education to infrastructure, and so it’s vital that we support and encourage the scientists and researchers who are working to address these issues.”
"TWAS and AAS are always eager to work with the private sector for the benefit of the developing world," observes Mohamed H.A. Hassan, executive director of TWAS and president of AAS. "We believe that this initiative will not only mark an important step forward for science in Africa, but will also serve as a valuable model for future partnerships between international organizations and for-profit companies."
more than 55 areas of computing and collaborate with leading academic, government and industry researchers to advance the state of the art in such areas as graphics, speech recognition, user-interface research, natural language processing, programming tools and methodologies, operating systems and networking, and the mathematical sciences. Microsoft Research currently employs more than 800 people in six labs located in Redmond, Wash.; Cambridge, Mass.; Silicon Valley, Calif.; Cambridge, England; Beijing, China; and Bangalore, India. Microsoft Research collaborates openly with colleges and universities worldwide to enhance the teaching and learning experience, inspire technological innovation, and broadly advance the field of computer science.
Metropolitan Fibre Optic in Lusaka
By Brenda Zulu
There is digging going on in the City of Lusaka in readiness for the Metropolitan fiber optic. Just out of curiosity, I asked one of the diggers if they know what this fibre optic was all about and the answer was that they did not know it.
The Zambia Telecommunication Company (ZAMTEL) developments laying Optic fibre in the Metropolitan City of Lusaka will help to reduce the cost of using satellite. ZAMTEL is the company in Zambia which has signed a memorandum of understanding with the EASSy consortium to link Zambia to the international fibre optic network.
The National ICT Policy notes that in order to leapfrog the existing capacity and technology requirements for overhauling the existing telecommunications infrastructure, thereby laying a solid foundation for delivering current and future services ranging from digital Radio, Television, Internet, data and other multimedia services.
Fibre based Technology provides a comprehensive and reliable network for the country. The possibility of reducing telephone and internet costs can be achieved by interconnecting the proposed national Fibre Optic Network to the undersea cable running along the African coast connecting to Europe and Asia, some of the most active destinations for Zambia.
The ICT policy however says this requires implementation modalities in terms of network licensing, access conditions, management and operation of the backbone in the most optimal and beneficial manner to the entire country.
Zambia has in the recent past seen utility companies such as the Zambia Electricity Company (ZESCO) and the Copperbelt Energy Corporation (CEC) lay and commission the installation of optic fibre in their system to provide quality service.
ZAMTEL is currently installing the fibre network at a total cost of US 48 million while ZESCO spent 13 million to complete the optic fibre network that has covered 1,700 kilo metrs from Sesheke through to Livingstone and Lusaka through to Kabwe and the Copperbelt up to Solwezi.
There is digging going on in the City of Lusaka in readiness for the Metropolitan fiber optic. Just out of curiosity, I asked one of the diggers if they know what this fibre optic was all about and the answer was that they did not know it.
The Zambia Telecommunication Company (ZAMTEL) developments laying Optic fibre in the Metropolitan City of Lusaka will help to reduce the cost of using satellite. ZAMTEL is the company in Zambia which has signed a memorandum of understanding with the EASSy consortium to link Zambia to the international fibre optic network.
The National ICT Policy notes that in order to leapfrog the existing capacity and technology requirements for overhauling the existing telecommunications infrastructure, thereby laying a solid foundation for delivering current and future services ranging from digital Radio, Television, Internet, data and other multimedia services.
Fibre based Technology provides a comprehensive and reliable network for the country. The possibility of reducing telephone and internet costs can be achieved by interconnecting the proposed national Fibre Optic Network to the undersea cable running along the African coast connecting to Europe and Asia, some of the most active destinations for Zambia.
The ICT policy however says this requires implementation modalities in terms of network licensing, access conditions, management and operation of the backbone in the most optimal and beneficial manner to the entire country.
Zambia has in the recent past seen utility companies such as the Zambia Electricity Company (ZESCO) and the Copperbelt Energy Corporation (CEC) lay and commission the installation of optic fibre in their system to provide quality service.
ZAMTEL is currently installing the fibre network at a total cost of US 48 million while ZESCO spent 13 million to complete the optic fibre network that has covered 1,700 kilo metrs from Sesheke through to Livingstone and Lusaka through to Kabwe and the Copperbelt up to Solwezi.
DIVERSE VOICES THE KEY TO CONTINUED INTERNET DEVELOPMENT
By Brenda Zulu
As the main United Nations forum for discussing Internet-related issues opens its third annual meeting in Hyderabad, India this week, the head of one of the world's leading Internet organisations has called for ongoing commitment to multistakeholder processes for Internet development.
Speaking on the opening panel session of the Internet Governance Forum (IGF), Lynn St.Amour, President and CEO of the Internet Society (ISOC) reminded participants of the proven effectiveness of the existing model of Internet development. The "Internet model", as it is known, is characterised by distributed responsibility; collaborative decision making processes open to interested parties, in a framework of consensus-building practices; and the ability for innovation and evolution to take place at the user level.
"The Internet model underpins the incredible success of the Internet's evolution to date," said Ms St.Amour. "The Internet Society values the opportunity created by the IGF. We are encouraged to see the pursuit of issues in a multistakeholder engagement model. And we maintain that these outcomes would not have been possible in any of the traditional intergovernmental models."
The IGF was formed as an outcome of the World Summit for the Information Society (WSIS). But, as a series of more traditional UN events, issues of accreditation, intergovernmental protocols, and other formalities restricted the range of voices WSIS heard on crucial emerging issues.
In response, the UN Secretary-General established the IGF to run annually from 2006-2010 as a multistakeholder, non-duplicative, non-decision-making forum for dialogue.
At this midpoint for the IGF, Ms St.Amour reflected upon the process so far, saying that it has been "a learning experience for everyone." While the Internet community has always worked in open inclusive processes, this has not been a familiar model for all.
"Governments and intergovernmental organisations should value the IGF as an incredible opportunity," said Ms St.Amour. "Nothing in the IGF either binds governments to implementation in their sovereign territory, nor prevents them from taking the actions they believe are in the interests of their citizens. In fact, participating in IGF enriches their, and their citizens' decisions,"
There is evidence that understanding is building. In June this year, the OECD held a ministerial meeting on the future of the Internet Economy, in which ISOC played a leading role coordinating the inputs of many participants of the technical community, together with representatives of business and civil society.
While some critics have labeled the IGF a "talk-shop", Ms. St.Amour argued that such statements miss the point.
"Without the regular intergovernmental constraints, the IGF has emerged as unique forum where ideas can be explored and tested by stakeholders, on an equal footing, unburdened by the constraints of intergovernmental procedures and negotiations."
"Ideas can be explored and tested by stakeholders, on an equal footing, unburdened by binding decision-making processes and intergovernmental procedures and negotiations," she said.
But Ms St.Amour also cautioned that the value of the IGF remains dependent on the commitment and support of its participants.
"The value comes from those of us here, those who follow remotely, and most importantly those who come away from this meeting and say 'yes, I can use that back home' - that is what makes the IGF worthwhile," she said.
The Third IGF meeting runs from 3-6 December at the Hyderabad International Convention Centre.
As the main United Nations forum for discussing Internet-related issues opens its third annual meeting in Hyderabad, India this week, the head of one of the world's leading Internet organisations has called for ongoing commitment to multistakeholder processes for Internet development.
Speaking on the opening panel session of the Internet Governance Forum (IGF), Lynn St.Amour, President and CEO of the Internet Society (ISOC) reminded participants of the proven effectiveness of the existing model of Internet development. The "Internet model", as it is known, is characterised by distributed responsibility; collaborative decision making processes open to interested parties, in a framework of consensus-building practices; and the ability for innovation and evolution to take place at the user level.
"The Internet model underpins the incredible success of the Internet's evolution to date," said Ms St.Amour. "The Internet Society values the opportunity created by the IGF. We are encouraged to see the pursuit of issues in a multistakeholder engagement model. And we maintain that these outcomes would not have been possible in any of the traditional intergovernmental models."
The IGF was formed as an outcome of the World Summit for the Information Society (WSIS). But, as a series of more traditional UN events, issues of accreditation, intergovernmental protocols, and other formalities restricted the range of voices WSIS heard on crucial emerging issues.
In response, the UN Secretary-General established the IGF to run annually from 2006-2010 as a multistakeholder, non-duplicative, non-decision-making forum for dialogue.
At this midpoint for the IGF, Ms St.Amour reflected upon the process so far, saying that it has been "a learning experience for everyone." While the Internet community has always worked in open inclusive processes, this has not been a familiar model for all.
"Governments and intergovernmental organisations should value the IGF as an incredible opportunity," said Ms St.Amour. "Nothing in the IGF either binds governments to implementation in their sovereign territory, nor prevents them from taking the actions they believe are in the interests of their citizens. In fact, participating in IGF enriches their, and their citizens' decisions,"
There is evidence that understanding is building. In June this year, the OECD held a ministerial meeting on the future of the Internet Economy, in which ISOC played a leading role coordinating the inputs of many participants of the technical community, together with representatives of business and civil society.
While some critics have labeled the IGF a "talk-shop", Ms. St.Amour argued that such statements miss the point.
"Without the regular intergovernmental constraints, the IGF has emerged as unique forum where ideas can be explored and tested by stakeholders, on an equal footing, unburdened by the constraints of intergovernmental procedures and negotiations."
"Ideas can be explored and tested by stakeholders, on an equal footing, unburdened by binding decision-making processes and intergovernmental procedures and negotiations," she said.
But Ms St.Amour also cautioned that the value of the IGF remains dependent on the commitment and support of its participants.
"The value comes from those of us here, those who follow remotely, and most importantly those who come away from this meeting and say 'yes, I can use that back home' - that is what makes the IGF worthwhile," she said.
The Third IGF meeting runs from 3-6 December at the Hyderabad International Convention Centre.
IXPs can play a role in developing Internet
By Brenda Zulu
Participants at the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) have been reminded of the crucial role that Internet Exchange Points (IXPs) can play in developing Internet services and bringing a wide range of benefits to industry and users alike.
The IGF is currently holding its third, annual meeting this week, bringing together stakeholders from governments, regulators, business, civil society, and the technical community to discuss a wide-ranging agenda of Internet-related issues. The IGF was established by the United Nations as part of the mandate of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS).
During the workshop "The role of Internet Exchange Points in creating Internet capacity and bringing autonomy to developing nations," leading technical experts explained the many technical and policy considerations that surround the formation and impact of IXPs.
Michuki Mwangi, Senior Education Manager at the Internet Society (ISOC) explained how Internet Service Providers can, by participating at exchange point facilities, enjoy immediate and ongoing benefits in network performance, quality of service, better access to all local content, and greatly reduced international transit costs.
International transit costs can be prohibitive barriers to the delivery and expansion of services, particularly in developing countries. But peering at an IXP means that interconnected ISPs can keep all their local Internet traffic within the local networks, avoiding the international fees.
As an example, Sebastian Bellagamba, ISOC's Regional Bureau Manager for Latin America, explained that the experience in Argentina is that "between 35 and 38 percent of the Internet traffic goes through the local links once the IXP is established".
These savings can be substantial, allowing lower cost of access for the local community. The performance benefits from avoiding the lag in international connections also improves most aspects of the Internet experience for users.
ISOC has an active programme of supporting IXP development and, among many activities, has produced a range of information detailing the technical, policy, and regulatory considerations involved in establishing successful IXPs.
Participants at the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) have been reminded of the crucial role that Internet Exchange Points (IXPs) can play in developing Internet services and bringing a wide range of benefits to industry and users alike.
The IGF is currently holding its third, annual meeting this week, bringing together stakeholders from governments, regulators, business, civil society, and the technical community to discuss a wide-ranging agenda of Internet-related issues. The IGF was established by the United Nations as part of the mandate of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS).
During the workshop "The role of Internet Exchange Points in creating Internet capacity and bringing autonomy to developing nations," leading technical experts explained the many technical and policy considerations that surround the formation and impact of IXPs.
Michuki Mwangi, Senior Education Manager at the Internet Society (ISOC) explained how Internet Service Providers can, by participating at exchange point facilities, enjoy immediate and ongoing benefits in network performance, quality of service, better access to all local content, and greatly reduced international transit costs.
International transit costs can be prohibitive barriers to the delivery and expansion of services, particularly in developing countries. But peering at an IXP means that interconnected ISPs can keep all their local Internet traffic within the local networks, avoiding the international fees.
As an example, Sebastian Bellagamba, ISOC's Regional Bureau Manager for Latin America, explained that the experience in Argentina is that "between 35 and 38 percent of the Internet traffic goes through the local links once the IXP is established".
These savings can be substantial, allowing lower cost of access for the local community. The performance benefits from avoiding the lag in international connections also improves most aspects of the Internet experience for users.
ISOC has an active programme of supporting IXP development and, among many activities, has produced a range of information detailing the technical, policy, and regulatory considerations involved in establishing successful IXPs.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
African governments provide ICT infrastructure - Microsoft
By Brenda Zulu
African governments need to have a supportive legal environment to eliminate barriers to meaningful use of computers in African schools.
Lack of infrastructure and adequate power supplies, limited Internet connectivity and education resources and the need for more awareness and policy support for education initiatives are all barriers to the meaningful use of computers in African schools.
“To ensure that the ICT industry flourishes and that local populations have access to technology, African governments must have a supportive legal environment in place and appropriate investments in this sector,” said Richard Kiplagat, Global Strategic Accounts Manager for Microsoft West, East, Central Africa & The Indian Ocean in an interview.
He said a national ICT strategy can be developed by identifying priority areas and the bodies responsible for the strategy implementation.
“In some cases, a new Ministry of ICT must be created to reinforce the government structure in these areas. ICT national strategies are most effective when drawn up in line with countries' broader development and poverty reduction goals," he said.
Kiplagat explained that Technology on its own was no guarantee of the desired result of fostering education, and there are a number of factors which limit the use of computers in African schools, however these can be overcome through government action and policies and public-private sector cooperation.
“Through public private partnership we aim to help address these issues where possible. For example, to help address the lack of ICT skills by teachers and in teacher training Microsoft operates the Partners in Learning program. Through 'Train the trainer' workshops, teachers receive ICT training they can in turn give to colleagues to spread the benefits of ICT through tailored curriculum developed by Microsoft,” explained Kiplagat.
He added that Partners in Learning provide grants and reduced software licenses to schools and students. The program is already in place in 15 African countries and to date has trained 200,000 teachers and reached 21 million students, many of whom were able to discover and use ICTs for the first time.
In partnership with governments, local NGOS and development organizations, Microsoft has also aimed to establish programs to address these needs.
In terms of access to PCs, Microsoft worked with the UN Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) to establish a local PC refurbishment center in Uganda to make available cheap, quality computers to small businesses. Computers are available for one third of the original price and loaded with full Microsoft Office software. More than 10,000 PCs will be made available in Uganda in 2009 through this refurbisher.
Kiplagat said to address the lack of access to electricity, in Mozambique Microsoft also worked with UNIDO to open in March 2008 the first solar-powered ICT Business Information Center. The Center provides access to ICT resources such as computers and the Internet, as well as training for micro, small and medium sized enterprises while relying solely on renewable energy technologies like solar power.
To ensure relevance of software, Microsoft maintains a language localization program to create its software in local languages, and has already created some in several languages across the continent with assistance from local communities. The local language program has enabled populations to have access to software in their own language. For example, Windows Vista and Office 2007 will be available soon in 12 African languages: Afrikaans, Amharic (Ethiopia), Hausa (Nigeria), Igbo (Nigeria), IsiXhosa (South Africa), IsiZulu (South Africa), Kiswahili (East Africa), Kinyarwanda (Rwanda), Sesotho Sa Leboa (South Africa), Tswana (Botswana, SA), Wolof (Senegal, West Africa), and Yoruba (West Africa).
Kiplagat said "Microsoft was the lead partner in one of the five e-Schools consortiums, as part of a broader program implemented in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and private sector partners Cisco, Intel, Smartboard, Computainer, Fujitsu-Siemens Computers, Mecer, Lexmark, UTI, MRCSA, Mindset, Multichoice Africa, WorldSpace and HNR technologies.
He explained that in the 8 countries allocated to the Microsoft consortium (Kenya, Lesotho, Mauritius, Senegal, Mozambique, Rwanda, Nigeria, and Cameroon), Information and Communication Technology (ICT) solutions were implemented in 25 pilot schools. Together with the other consortiums, it was hoped that the broad impact of a successful NEPAD eSchools initiative would be the application of ICT in Education in the estimated 600,000 schools across Africa.
He said the aim of the project was to enable African schools to participate in the global information society by connecting schools across the continent through a satellite network distributing educational content on a continual basis. Schools receive a computer lab, software, teacher training, networking and connectivity, as well as maintenance and IT support, which are supported by Microsoft in its consortium."
African governments need to have a supportive legal environment to eliminate barriers to meaningful use of computers in African schools.
Lack of infrastructure and adequate power supplies, limited Internet connectivity and education resources and the need for more awareness and policy support for education initiatives are all barriers to the meaningful use of computers in African schools.
“To ensure that the ICT industry flourishes and that local populations have access to technology, African governments must have a supportive legal environment in place and appropriate investments in this sector,” said Richard Kiplagat, Global Strategic Accounts Manager for Microsoft West, East, Central Africa & The Indian Ocean in an interview.
He said a national ICT strategy can be developed by identifying priority areas and the bodies responsible for the strategy implementation.
“In some cases, a new Ministry of ICT must be created to reinforce the government structure in these areas. ICT national strategies are most effective when drawn up in line with countries' broader development and poverty reduction goals," he said.
Kiplagat explained that Technology on its own was no guarantee of the desired result of fostering education, and there are a number of factors which limit the use of computers in African schools, however these can be overcome through government action and policies and public-private sector cooperation.
“Through public private partnership we aim to help address these issues where possible. For example, to help address the lack of ICT skills by teachers and in teacher training Microsoft operates the Partners in Learning program. Through 'Train the trainer' workshops, teachers receive ICT training they can in turn give to colleagues to spread the benefits of ICT through tailored curriculum developed by Microsoft,” explained Kiplagat.
He added that Partners in Learning provide grants and reduced software licenses to schools and students. The program is already in place in 15 African countries and to date has trained 200,000 teachers and reached 21 million students, many of whom were able to discover and use ICTs for the first time.
In partnership with governments, local NGOS and development organizations, Microsoft has also aimed to establish programs to address these needs.
In terms of access to PCs, Microsoft worked with the UN Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) to establish a local PC refurbishment center in Uganda to make available cheap, quality computers to small businesses. Computers are available for one third of the original price and loaded with full Microsoft Office software. More than 10,000 PCs will be made available in Uganda in 2009 through this refurbisher.
Kiplagat said to address the lack of access to electricity, in Mozambique Microsoft also worked with UNIDO to open in March 2008 the first solar-powered ICT Business Information Center. The Center provides access to ICT resources such as computers and the Internet, as well as training for micro, small and medium sized enterprises while relying solely on renewable energy technologies like solar power.
To ensure relevance of software, Microsoft maintains a language localization program to create its software in local languages, and has already created some in several languages across the continent with assistance from local communities. The local language program has enabled populations to have access to software in their own language. For example, Windows Vista and Office 2007 will be available soon in 12 African languages: Afrikaans, Amharic (Ethiopia), Hausa (Nigeria), Igbo (Nigeria), IsiXhosa (South Africa), IsiZulu (South Africa), Kiswahili (East Africa), Kinyarwanda (Rwanda), Sesotho Sa Leboa (South Africa), Tswana (Botswana, SA), Wolof (Senegal, West Africa), and Yoruba (West Africa).
Kiplagat said "Microsoft was the lead partner in one of the five e-Schools consortiums, as part of a broader program implemented in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and private sector partners Cisco, Intel, Smartboard, Computainer, Fujitsu-Siemens Computers, Mecer, Lexmark, UTI, MRCSA, Mindset, Multichoice Africa, WorldSpace and HNR technologies.
He explained that in the 8 countries allocated to the Microsoft consortium (Kenya, Lesotho, Mauritius, Senegal, Mozambique, Rwanda, Nigeria, and Cameroon), Information and Communication Technology (ICT) solutions were implemented in 25 pilot schools. Together with the other consortiums, it was hoped that the broad impact of a successful NEPAD eSchools initiative would be the application of ICT in Education in the estimated 600,000 schools across Africa.
He said the aim of the project was to enable African schools to participate in the global information society by connecting schools across the continent through a satellite network distributing educational content on a continual basis. Schools receive a computer lab, software, teacher training, networking and connectivity, as well as maintenance and IT support, which are supported by Microsoft in its consortium."
Zambia Schools Get 2000 Computers
By Kelly Kilpatrick - Guest article
According to news reports, Computer Aid International has donated 2000 computers to the Ministry of Education.
Education Minister Professor Geoffrey Lungwangwa said the provision of quality education requires the application of information communication technology (ICT), especially computers.
The growth of ICT is helping facilitate educational opportunities that will promote economic development for the region and strengthen Zambia's infrastructure. Programs such as these make it possible for Zambian students to experience a world outside their own and explore new horizons.
As part of the Fifth National Development Plan, the education ministry adopted the use of ICTs many levels to help facilitate education. The computers improve the quality of education for the students and increase equality and efficiency of the educational experience.
The computers were donated by British Charity Computer Aid International as part of their international efforts to bridge the digital divide. The group believes strongly that information technology skills are crucial to an individual's success (and even survival) in the information age.
While this is another step in the right direction, we've still got a long way to go. According to the International Telecommunication Union, less than 1.5% of the population of Zambia owned a computer and just over 4% had Internet access. Compare that to Namibia or Zimbabwe where more than 10% of households have a computer and you see we still have much work to do.
It's not just about having computers in the classroom. Our teachers still lack their own computer skills. Interestingly, it may be ICTs that help them strengthen their computer skills—through distance learning. ICTs can be used for teacher professional development without requiring they leave their classrooms.
And finally, we must continue to seek foreign investment for our ICT initiatives. Zambia currently still relies too heavily on public finding for its initiatives. Our government simply does not have the money to make the swift progress Zambia needs to increase its educational stamina.
By-line:
This post was contributed by Kelly Kilpatrick, who writes on the subject of high speed internet deals. She invites your feedback at kellykilpatrick24@gmail.com
According to news reports, Computer Aid International has donated 2000 computers to the Ministry of Education.
Education Minister Professor Geoffrey Lungwangwa said the provision of quality education requires the application of information communication technology (ICT), especially computers.
The growth of ICT is helping facilitate educational opportunities that will promote economic development for the region and strengthen Zambia's infrastructure. Programs such as these make it possible for Zambian students to experience a world outside their own and explore new horizons.
As part of the Fifth National Development Plan, the education ministry adopted the use of ICTs many levels to help facilitate education. The computers improve the quality of education for the students and increase equality and efficiency of the educational experience.
The computers were donated by British Charity Computer Aid International as part of their international efforts to bridge the digital divide. The group believes strongly that information technology skills are crucial to an individual's success (and even survival) in the information age.
While this is another step in the right direction, we've still got a long way to go. According to the International Telecommunication Union, less than 1.5% of the population of Zambia owned a computer and just over 4% had Internet access. Compare that to Namibia or Zimbabwe where more than 10% of households have a computer and you see we still have much work to do.
It's not just about having computers in the classroom. Our teachers still lack their own computer skills. Interestingly, it may be ICTs that help them strengthen their computer skills—through distance learning. ICTs can be used for teacher professional development without requiring they leave their classrooms.
And finally, we must continue to seek foreign investment for our ICT initiatives. Zambia currently still relies too heavily on public finding for its initiatives. Our government simply does not have the money to make the swift progress Zambia needs to increase its educational stamina.
By-line:
This post was contributed by Kelly Kilpatrick, who writes on the subject of high speed internet deals. She invites your feedback at kellykilpatrick24@gmail.com
Thursday, October 23, 2008
ZAMPOST “Stay Connected”
By Brenda Zulu
The government has urged the nation of Zambia to stay connected by utilizing modern postal services that are earmarked for lunch soon.
Minister of Communications and Transport Dora Siliya in a speech on the launch of the 2008 World Post Day reminded the nation of the vital link to people’s lives that Zampost plays especially in rural areas.
Siliya said the World Post Day Celebrations theme was “Stay Connected”; to emphasis the pivotal role that communication plays in the social, economic and structural development of the world economy.
“We live in a society where access to information lies at the heart of most human activity. Information about goods and services is increasingly driving global business, and the Postal systems finds itself providing that most important link to the global market as long as we stay connected,” said Siliya.
She observed that some Postal enterprises have realized the importance of the need to reform by using new technologies and have embarked on implementing measures designed to improve the quality of service and to expand the product and service portfolio.
She informed Zambians that Zamposts was implementing the theme for this years and had partnered with the Zambia Telecommunications corporation limited (ZAMTEL) by installing the Wide Area Network (WAN) to link all Posts Offices throughout the country. She said implementation of the project was at an estimated cost of USD 700 000 and that it had already stated and was expected to be completed by the end of this year.
Siliya observed that the Wide Area Network will bring many benefits not only to Zamposts but to the general populance through improved connectivity, wider internet access, automation of counter operations, operational efficiency through better financial monitoring and control, cost reductions and new business opportunities.
She said Zampost was acquiring more computers to ensure that counter services in all Post Offices wre efficient and effective.
“This initiative is expected to greatly improve service delivery and will minimize the long queues we are accustomed to see at post offices,” said Saliya.
She added that Zampost was taking full advantage of WAN comprising of 119 fully fledged post offices, 46 sub post offices and 58 postal agencies to expand its product set with new value added products and services such as more tarck and trace facilities, hybrid mail, post shops, automated teller machines, point of sale devices, banking services and Electronic Post (e-post).
She said the services combine both hardcopy and electronic express mail delivery and that customers will be able to send messages via e mail for physical delivery to post boxes and physical address.
She said her ministry was mandated to ensure that information and communication technology related services such as telecommunications and internet services were available to all the Zambian people including rural areas.
She observed that in this regard Post Offices have been identified as key institutions which will play a major role in achieving that national vision 2030.
“Despite predications of their demise not so long ago, postal services are alive and well and now more relevant than ever. E-mail and the Internet have not replaced them, but have interested created new opportunities. We live at a time where the different means of communication complement each other. The postal sector provides a precious service, not only to anyone who buys or sells online, but also to people not yet able to make full use of the new technologies and for whom a the mail is a vital and inter-regional trade, the development gap between postal services around the world needs to be narrowed so that businesses and individuals can benefit more from them,” said Edouard Dayan, Director general of the UPU.
The government has urged the nation of Zambia to stay connected by utilizing modern postal services that are earmarked for lunch soon.
Minister of Communications and Transport Dora Siliya in a speech on the launch of the 2008 World Post Day reminded the nation of the vital link to people’s lives that Zampost plays especially in rural areas.
Siliya said the World Post Day Celebrations theme was “Stay Connected”; to emphasis the pivotal role that communication plays in the social, economic and structural development of the world economy.
“We live in a society where access to information lies at the heart of most human activity. Information about goods and services is increasingly driving global business, and the Postal systems finds itself providing that most important link to the global market as long as we stay connected,” said Siliya.
She observed that some Postal enterprises have realized the importance of the need to reform by using new technologies and have embarked on implementing measures designed to improve the quality of service and to expand the product and service portfolio.
She informed Zambians that Zamposts was implementing the theme for this years and had partnered with the Zambia Telecommunications corporation limited (ZAMTEL) by installing the Wide Area Network (WAN) to link all Posts Offices throughout the country. She said implementation of the project was at an estimated cost of USD 700 000 and that it had already stated and was expected to be completed by the end of this year.
Siliya observed that the Wide Area Network will bring many benefits not only to Zamposts but to the general populance through improved connectivity, wider internet access, automation of counter operations, operational efficiency through better financial monitoring and control, cost reductions and new business opportunities.
She said Zampost was acquiring more computers to ensure that counter services in all Post Offices wre efficient and effective.
“This initiative is expected to greatly improve service delivery and will minimize the long queues we are accustomed to see at post offices,” said Saliya.
She added that Zampost was taking full advantage of WAN comprising of 119 fully fledged post offices, 46 sub post offices and 58 postal agencies to expand its product set with new value added products and services such as more tarck and trace facilities, hybrid mail, post shops, automated teller machines, point of sale devices, banking services and Electronic Post (e-post).
She said the services combine both hardcopy and electronic express mail delivery and that customers will be able to send messages via e mail for physical delivery to post boxes and physical address.
She said her ministry was mandated to ensure that information and communication technology related services such as telecommunications and internet services were available to all the Zambian people including rural areas.
She observed that in this regard Post Offices have been identified as key institutions which will play a major role in achieving that national vision 2030.
“Despite predications of their demise not so long ago, postal services are alive and well and now more relevant than ever. E-mail and the Internet have not replaced them, but have interested created new opportunities. We live at a time where the different means of communication complement each other. The postal sector provides a precious service, not only to anyone who buys or sells online, but also to people not yet able to make full use of the new technologies and for whom a the mail is a vital and inter-regional trade, the development gap between postal services around the world needs to be narrowed so that businesses and individuals can benefit more from them,” said Edouard Dayan, Director general of the UPU.
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