Info

Information Society

ICT Unavoidable in West Africa's Development - Ecowas Parliament

As the world continues to develop at a faster pace in the 21st century, access information and Communications Technologies (ICTs) has become a critical tool in human advancement. Knowing this potential very well, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Parliament said the use of ICT is unavoidable in the developmental agenda of the West African sub-region, especially, in the area of education.

IT: New eGovernment Code approved

On 19 February 2010, the Italian Council of Ministers approved the new version of the eGovernment Code proposed by the Ministry of Public Administration (PA) and Innovation. Once the approval procedure has been completed, the new Code will be published as a legislative decree. This will launch the next step towards achieving a new, digital and simplified Administration within the next three years, in compliance with the E-Gov Plan 2012.

National Internet Declaration a basis for the country’s ICT strategy

On 9 February 2010, the Austrian Internet Declaration was presented and handed over to the Federal Chancellor Werner Faymann, and Minister of Finance Josef Pröll by the leading representatives of the Austrian Internet industry. Almost two years ago, the 'Austrian Internet Initiative' (Die Internetoffensive Österreich, in German) started a joint effort of the ICT stakeholders of Austria to develop a national ICT strategy. 400 experts, approximately 170 companies and organisations and more than 35 Chief Executive Officers (CEO) and executives of leading IT companies joined forces to create the 'Austrian Internet Declaration' as a basis for an ICT strategy for Austria.

Zimbabwe: Integr8 IT Targets Country

South Africa-based Information Technology giant Integr8 IT has entered into negotiations with a local company to invest in the country's information technology sector this year. Integr8 IT co-owner and founder Mr Rob Sussman said the company's strategy to expand to the rest of Africa is to go with local equity partners and make empowerment a key component to invest back into businesses and people.

Nigeria: ICT Hall of Fame - Ndukwe Unveils Success Strategies at NCC

The outgoing Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Dr. Ernest Ndukwe, has leaked his success strategies during his 10 years reign as NCC's frontline officer. Speaking at a special induction into the Nigeria Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Hall of Fame, organized by the Joint Action Committee on ICT Awareness and Development (JACITAD), last Saturday in Lagos, Ndukwe said that major strength of his administration throughout his stay at NCC as the chief executive officer, was the ability to consult widely.

Nigeria: Towards the Development of ICT in Country

The very positive stride recorded in the global development of Information Communications Technology has made human existence easier than could have been imagined. The developed countries of Europe and America have taken advantage of the numerous benefits of ICT to appreciably enhance their developmental profile particularly in the areas of human capacity building, knowledge acquisition and the creation of innumerable opportunities for the individual to optimize his potentials.

Africa: Over 70 Percent Commonwealth Nations Not Connected

For the Chief Executive Officer of Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation CTO, Dr Ekwow-Spio Garbrah, a major challenge facing the development of ICT in the commonwealth is that despite major advances, well over 70 percent of Commonwealth developing countries, especially the rural communities were still not connected to the information super-highway.

Nigeria: ICT Community Gathers for eWorld's Broadband Forum

The Nigerian IT community will tomorrow in Lagos converge for the much awaited Broadband forum organized by eWorld Magazine. The Managing Editor of eWorld, Aaron Ukodie said at the weekend that all is now set for the capacity building conference that will attract stakeholders in the Nigerian IT industry which has continued to be the toast of international community.

South Africa: Africa Still Lagging Behind in ICT

The International Telecommunications Union (ITU) says the prices for ICT services are falling worldwide but broadband Internet remains outside the reach of many people in poor countries. In its report entitled "Measuring the Information Society 2010" ITU said the ICT Development Index (IDI), which ranks 159 countries according to their ICT level, confirms that despite the recent economic downturn, the use of ICT services has continued to grow worldwide.

Zimbabwe: National ICT Strategic Plan Launched

Government has unveiled the National Information Communication strategic plan that will run from 2010 to 2014, and is expected to usher the country into the global information "super highway". Expectations are also high that the new strategic plan would transform Zimbabwe into a knowledge society and contribute significantly to the growth and development of the national economy.

Nigeria: ICT Training for 5,000 Youths Nationwide

THE National Directorate of Employment said it has registered 4,790 youths across the country for training in information and computer technology and other vocations that will make them be self-reliant. The State Coordinator of NDE, Mrs. Buchi Ojei, who made this known at the take-off of the programme in Enugu yesterday, explained that about 130 youths in the state would benefit from the scheme, which also include training in networking and computer repairs.

Botswana: BTC Hosts ICT Conference

The BTC Group will be hosting the South African Telecommunication Association (SATA) 10th SADC Telecom Operators' Bilateral Meeting (STOBM) at the Gaborone International Convention Centre (GICC) this week. The Meeting brings together SATA members and their stakeholders in one place to discuss and agree on bilateral issues on Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs). This meeting creates an opportunity for operators to negotiate interconnect rates, network fraud and linkages and also agree on technical issues including infrastructure connectivity as well as quality of service issues.

IST-Africa 2010 Conference on the role of ICT for Africa’s Development, with a focus on the Joint Africa-EU Strategy

Hosted by the Government of South Africa in Durban from 19th to 21st May 2010, and supported by the European Commission (EC), IST-Africa 2010 will focus on the Role of Information Communications Technologies (ICT) for Africa’s Development and specifically on Applied ICT research topics addressing major societal and economic challenges, which is part of the EC’s ICT Theme of Framework Programme 7 (FP7). These issues will repeatedly be addressed in connection with the 8th Partnership of the Joint Africa-EU Strategy (JAES) on Science, Information Society and Space, which will be the core topic of several sessions.

Report on the impact of information- and communication technology (ICT) and new media on language learning

As a follow-up of the report of the High Level Group on Multilingualism, the European Commission initiated a study with the aim to investigate the impact on language learning of ICT and new media. The research deals with innovative learning methods as a complement to traditional face-to-face learning and teaching, both within and beyond the framework of formal education systems. The research presents an overview of formal and informal language learning in eight different European countries.

Bringing down walls and barriers in the digital world – priorities for the European Digital Agenda

Viviane Reding Member of the European Commission responsible for Information Society and Media Bringing down walls and barriers in the digital world – priorities for the European Digital Agenda 'Visby Agenda: Creating impact for an eUnion 2015' Visby/Gotland, 9 November 2009

Developing countries falling into 'broadband gap'

Limited access to broadband Internet is crippling the spread of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in the developing world and widening the already significant digital divide, a report has warned.

FCC upgrades online comment system

The Federal Communications Commission has completed a three-year upgrade of its Electronic Comments Filing System (ECFS) and has converted more than seven million pages of documents into text-searchable files, Bill Cline, director of the FCC's information reference center, said today.

Africa's Largest ICT Mall to Be Built in Abuja

The Management of the Computerize Nigeria Project (CNP) will launch the biggest ICT Mall in Africa, in Abuja, in the first quarter of 2010. This ambitious project which commenced last year, and is nearing completion, is designed to sustain the promotion of Digital knowledge Democracy as an ingredient in structuring Nigeria as a knowledge driven nation in the information and knowledge century.

Africans 'losing out' in North–South collaborations

African researchers are missing out on publications and career advancement because they are failing to negotiate joint ownership of data generated by international research collaborations, a meeting has heard. Elly Katabira, associate professor of medicine at Uganda's Makerere University College of Health Sciences, said that African researchers are often indifferent to data ownership

African MPs unite against climate change

African parliamentarians meeting in Nairobi ahead of the UN climate change conference in Copenhagen have vowed to voice a common position against the harsh environmental conditions brought by climate change.

Nigeria: Stakeholders Drum Support for Local Content Development

As the two day national workshop on the status and software development in Nigeria, stakeholders have called for improvement of local content in software development in Nigeria, as a critical element for realization of Vision 20:2020.

ITPPF Forum - State Commissioners Retool for Knowledge Economy With ICT

Efforts by the state government to retool for knowledge economy with Information Communication Technology for global competitiveness have started yielding results with the level of interest shown by Ministry of Science & Technology of many states government at the just concluded IT Public- Private Forum, (ITPPF) held in Kano State recently.

eChallenges e-2009

This is the nineteenth in a series of annual conferences supported by the European Commission, which bring together over 650 delegates from leading commercial, government and research organisations around the world to bridge the Digital Divide, by sharing knowledge, experience, lessons learnt and good practice.

UN endorses ITU School initiative

The UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has given his blessings to the International Telecommunications Union's (ITU) call to Member States to adopt school-based community broadband plans to bring ICT access to disadvantaged and vulnerable groups.

Ban Ki-moon endorses ITU Connect a School

ITU is encouraging its Member States to adopt school-based community broadband plans to bring ICT access to disadvantaged and vulnerable groups. The ITU effort was endorsed by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon at the ITU TELECOM WORLD Youth Forum, in the presence of ITU Secretary-General Dr Hamadoun Touré and the Director of the ITU Telecommunication Development Bureau (BDT), Sami Al Basheer.

28 European companies now commit to bring more women into the tech industry

Today the European Commission welcomed the growing commitment by Europe's tech companies to attract more women to the information and communication technologies (ICT) industry. Only six months after the European Commission launched a code of best practices for women in the ICT sector (IP/09/344) , the number of signatories committed to encourage young women to study and follow careers in the telecoms, technology and internet industries has grown from initially five to now 28 – a more than five fold increase.

UNESCO’s initiative to strengthen journalism schools in Africa gains momentum

UNESCO’s initiative to upgrade journalism schools in Africa to Centers of Excellence and Centers of Reference in journalism education is gaining momentum. Recently, UNESCO and the Science and Technology Commission of the African Union signed an agreement in support of 21 of those Centers, the first-ever journalism department at the University of Bangui in Central African Republic as opened in collaboration with one of the Centers (ESSTIC), international twinning arrangements were facilitated and study tours between the potential Centers of Excellence and internationally based Universities were organized.

ICT is Transforming the Continent Says Kagame

Despite being a 'late-comer' in embracing the use of Information Communication Technology, Africa has embraced ICT tools that have put the continent on the right development path. "Being late-comers in embracing, and indeed starting from a low base in creating information and communication technology sectors, ICT is nonetheless fundamentally transforming our nations and continent," Kagame told the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) 2009 Summit which opened in Geneva, Switzerland yesterday.

ICT is Transforming the Continent Says Kagame

Despite being a 'late-comer' in embracing the use of Information Communication Technology, Africa has embraced ICT tools that have put the continent on the right development path.

Africa Sets Sights On Broadband Access to Bridge Technology Gap

Kenya will be presenting a strategy to bridge the digital divide at the ITU Telecom World 2009 conference starting on Monday in Geneva, Switzerland.

Uganda: Rift as IT Authority is Set Up

The composition of the new National Information Technology Authority (Nita) board members and the appointment of its top officials have raised eyebrows in the Information and Communication Technology ministry with some officials citing conflict of interest and favouritism, Sunday Monitor has learnt.

National Judiciary Gets New Website

THE Chief Justice, Benjamin Odoki, on Tuesday launched the Judiciary website during a function at Grand Imperial Hotel in Kampala. He said the website would enable the judiciary challenge corruption through providing access to judicial information as one of its major functions. He said it was a major step in the use of information and communications technology to improve justice delivery.

ICT Buses Officially Launched in Rwanda

The Rwanda Development Board / Information Technology (RDB/IT) Thursday officially launched ICT buses in a bid to bridge the digital divide country-wide. The launch of national pilot project was officiated by the Minister of Commerce and Trade, Monique Nsanzabaganwa, at Kamonyi district head-quarters in the Southern Province.

Rwanda: ICT Buses Impacting Well Ahead of Official Launch

Kigali — Barely four months since RDB/IT introduced the two models of ICT buses, reports indicate that their impact in improving information technology is already being felt all over the country.

IT: A new project on the safe use of the Internet is launched

A new project, 'Don't loose your bearings!' (Non perdere la bussola), starting from the academic year 2009-2010, was presented on 16 September, in the conference room of the State Police, in Rome. Its primary objective is to teach children to responsibly use the Internet. This new project is the fruit of the collaboration of the Communications Police Service, a well known videosharing website and the Italian Ministry of Education, University and Research.

Nigeria: Challenges of a Telecom Sector Despite Achievements

Lagos — NIGERIAN telecommunications sector that is adjudged the fastest growing telecom market in the world is faced with challenges even as it tries to maintain sustainable regulatory standards for the industry.

The East African (Nairobi) Kenya: Bandwidth Bonus as UUNET Shifts From Satellite to Fibre Cable

Nairobi — Internet firm UUNET Kenya has completed its internal migration from satellite powered data solutions to the Seacom undersea cable. It has also doubled the bandwidth capacity of all its customers.

EU: Europe’s Digital Library doubles its size

The European multilingual digital library Europeana provides access to digitised books, maps, photographs, film clips and newspapers to all internet users. It was first launched in November 2008 (IP/08/1747) and has managed to double the size of its collections in less than one year disposing today of 4.6 million digitised objects, compared to 2 million items 9 months ago.

Cameroon, Central African Republic, and Chad: Communications Infrastructure and Technology Project

The Central African Backbone (CAB) Program Project for the countries of Cameroon, the Central African Republic, and Chad aims to contribute to increase the geographical reach and usage of regional broadband network services and reduce their prices. There are four components to the project, the first component being enabling environment. The second component is the connectivity. The third component is the eGovernment and flagship Information and Communication Technology (ICT) applications. Finally, the fourth component is the project management.

Uganda: Makerere ICT Faculty Equip Women With Computer Skills

Kampala — Makerere University's Faculty of Computing and Information Technology (CIT) on Friday passed out over 300 women who excelled in a computer applications training programme in basic ICT skills for Ugandan Women Health Practitioners.

Citizenship agency launches interactive Web site

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has launched a revamped Web portal that agency officials say is more user-friendly, interactive and informative than its predecessor.

South Africa launches R7.6m info centre

ohannesburg ( IT News Africa) South Africa yesterday launched a R7.6 million Visitor Information Centre in Rustenburg 262 day ahead of 2010 FIFA World Cup

Six Techniques to Get More from the Web than Google Will Tell You

Google is great, but it can't always tell you what makes a website or source of research material authoritative. Professional librarians and researchers explain where to look online to find the professional, technical and industry expertise you need.

Rwanda: Information Officers Undergo Training

Communication officers in government institutions underwent training organized by the Ministry of Information in conjunction with the United Nations. This was in a bid to equip them with better communication skills. During the three-day training that took place at La Pallise, Nyandungu, the officials were urged to use the information in their possession to bridge the communication gap between people and the government.

IFAP Information Society Observatory successfully launched

Further to the adoption by UNESCO’s Executive Board, at its 180th session, of the Strategic Plan for the Information for All Programme (IFAP), UNESCO has assumed the task of assisting Member States in the formulation of national information policy frameworks, in particular within the framework of IFAP.

UNESCO Digital Library Majaliss opens up classical Arabic literature to public

The Arabic word ‘Majaliss’ means ‘a place of sitting’ used to describe various types of formal legislative assemblies in Islamic countries; it is also a common term used for a meeting, dialogue or exchange. UNESCO’s Digital Library Majaliss offers a modern platform for sharing digitised books of classical Arabic literature among a large and diverse public

U.S. $8 Billion Spent on ICT in Africa

Secretary General of International Telecommunications Union (ITU), Hamadoun Toure, said on Friday that $8 billion was invested in the development of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) in Africa in 2008.

ICT sector drives Egypt economy

REPORTS have revealed that Egypt’s overall economy expanded by 4.7 percent in the fiscal year through June, driven by the expansion of its ICT sector which grew by 14.6 percent. In the past year, Egypt has strengthened its position as one of the world’s fastest growing outsourcing destinations through a number of international Memorandum of Understandings and investment in the country’s ICT infrastructure and education.

Language teams wanted for FOSS "Africanisation" project

The African Network for Localisation (ANLoc) - Localise Software sub-project is excited to announce a call for language teams to localise software into TEN African languages.

Commission sets new information society challenge: Becoming literate in new media

The way we use media is changing, the volume of information enormous, demanding more of us than being able to read, write or use a computer. The European Commission today warned that Europeans young and old could miss out on the benefits of today's high-tech information society unless more is done to make them 'media literate' enough to access, analyse and evaluate images, sounds and texts and use traditional and new media to communicate and create media content. The Commission said EU countries and the media industry need to increase awareness of the many media messages people encounter, be they advertisements, movies or online content.

Google to digitize French national library

France’s national library has been forced to deny rumours that it has sold out to Google over digitization, and thus ended protracted resistance to perceived cultural imperialism. “Following a news item published Tuesday 18 August in La Tribune, the [Bibliothèque Nationale de France] wishes to clarify that it has not signed an agreement with Google for the digitization of its collection,” says the library.

IMF Helps 22 Countries Build Data Centres

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has increased the number of Sub Saharan African countries it is helping to build a reliable statistics systems from 15 to 22. Better statistics is expected to help in the formulation, implementation, and monitoring of sound macroeconomic policies and in making of prudent investment decisions.

Ten Districts to Benefit From $9.2 Million Rural ICT Fund

Ten districts in northern Uganda will benefit from a $9.2m ICT fund provided under the second phase of the energy for rural transformation (ERT) project. The money will be channeled through Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) who will oversee the extension of last mile broadband to trading centres and remote institutions in 16 sub counties in the 10 districts.

Nigeria: FG to Enforce Compulsory ICT Training in Schools

Minister of State for Education, Aishatu Jibril, said on Monday that government would enforce compulsory ICT training at all levels of education.

Rwanda: The Move Towards Developing a Paperless Environment to Support ICT Based Economy

ICT has been designated as a key component in the country's economic transformation, with various accompanying systems under development being key to this journey. The transformation is expected to be fast tracked by embracing the move to a paperless environment within Rwanda.

Rwanda: ICT Development on High Speed

Moving Rwanda's economy from an agricultural based one to knowledge based one is part of the major plans that have to be achieved by the year 2020. This called for intense input especially from the ICT sector which has gained much support and government backing to make this goal a reality.

UNESCO Audiovisual E-Platform renewed

The UNESCO Audiovisual E-Platform has been redesigned and improved to include new and more dynamic functionalities, and to increase the number of audiovisual productions from all regions of the world.

Hungarian Information Society Report 2009 published

The 'Blue Book', the annual report on the development of Hungarian Information Society during the past year, has been published for the fourth time. It reveals that in 2008, the development of the Information Society failed to become a priority and a strategic area for the promotion of the socio-economic competitiveness of the country.

Nigeria: Ndukwe Lists Benefits of Ict in Economic Development

Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC), Ernest Ndukwe, at the weekend, said Nigeria must embrace Information and Communication Technology if she must achieve her vision 2020. The Federal Government had said that Nigeria was working towards becoming one of the top twenty economies of the world by the year 2020.

OAU Dons Speak On School's ICT Leading Role

Three Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife professors, Timi Kuku, Dean Faculty of Technology, J.A Osunade, Head, Department Of Agricultural Engineering and Dr. Osunade, Director, Information Technology and Communication, have spoken on the school's technology foundation, which has nurtured several graduates, who are now leading developments in the Information Communications and Technology (ICT) development in Nigeria. They spoke ahead of the scheduled plan to recognise and award about 10 graduates of the university who are leading ICT governance and enterprise in the country.

Kenya: No Price Cut Soon, Just Faster Speeds, Internet Firms Say

It was expected that with the switching on of the Seacom fibre-optic submarine cable connecting East Africa to the rest of the world, broadband speeds would improve and Internet costs would reduce at the same time. Consumers are already experiencing faster connectivity, but this is not applying to costs.

Rwanda fights to keep region’s ICT hub

Rwanda's Information and Communication Technology (ICT) penetration level is second lowest in the region, with only three Internet users per 100 inhabitants and 15.5 mobile subscribers per 100 inhabitants. According to a senior research fellow at the Institute of Policy Analysis and Research, Dr Felicien Usengumukiza, Rwanda’s ICT vision is also threatened by strong ICT competition in the EAC region with each member state aiming to be the region’s ICT hub, the East African reported.

Uganda: NRM to Launch Modern Information Centre

RUMOURS wafting from the National Resistance Movement (NRM) headquarters has it that the party will soon launch a modern information and communication centre, the first of its kind in Uganda. This according to sources will be the first fully fledged political party publicity office in the country. It will be the nerve centre from where the party will know what the supporters want by regularly talking to every one of them via radio, TV, newspapers, phone, Internet and email.

Zimbabwe: ICT Equipment Retailers Resort to Lowering Prices

Harare — LAST months's scrapping of duty on information and technology equipment has landed retailers with stockpiles of imported gadgets. Finance Minister Tendai Biti announced the new policy on ICT-related equipment -- computers, telephone, cellphone handsets and printers, among them -- in a bid to encourage use of latest technologies. He was presenting his mid-term fiscal policy review in July.

Namibia: Hard Facts on Software

Windhoek — We have packed our goods and they are now ready do deliver, or are they? Over the last couple of articles we followed goods into the warehouse and out the other end, and today we explore how to get the documentation ready for delivery.

DOD to review use of social-media technology

Deputy Defense Secretary William Lynn has ordered a review to detail the threats and benefits associated with using social-networking tools. The review, which is due Aug. 31, should examine what policies and processes are needed to ensure emerging Internet capabilities are used effectively, according to a memo issued July 31.

ICT Ministers Quizzed Over $10 Million Project

Kampala — MPS on the information and communication technology committee yesterday grilled ministers and officials from the information and communication technology (ICT) ministry over the botched $10m national IT project. The project, aimed at establishing IT centres in selected districts and eventually wiring the entire country, has been rendered ineffective by incompetence, the MPs noted.

Public consultation on post-i2010: priorities for new strategy for European information society (2010-2015)

The objective of the consultation is to help prepare a new EU strategy for the information society, as the current i2010 strategy is coming to a close this year. All citizens and organisations are welcome to contribute to this consultation. Closing date of the consultation is 9 October 2009. Please note that you are not obliged to answer all questions; you may focus on the areas of interest to you. You can write your replies in any of the official EU languages.

Digital economy can lift Europe out of crisis, says Commission report

The European Commission's Digital Competitiveness report published today shows that Europe's digital sector has made strong progress since 2005: 56% of Europeans now regularly use the internet, 80% of them via a high-speed connection (compared to only one third in 2004), making Europe the world leader in broadband internet. Europe is the world's first truly mobile continent with more mobile subscribers than citizens (a take up rate of 119%). Europe can advance even further as a generation of "digitally savvy" young Europeans becomes a strong market driver for growth and innovation. Building on the potential of the digital economy is essential for Europe's sustainable recovery from the economic crisis. Today the Commission has asked the public what future strategy the EU should adopt to make the digital economy run at full speed.

South Africa: Politicians Face Off With Supporters On Facebook

FORGET branch meetings! Robust debates now take place on political parties' group pages on social networking websites like Facebook. Unlike branch meetings where party members discuss issues among themselves, on Facebook they are able to speak directly to their leaders .

Digital Learning Comes to Kenyan Schools in 2010

Eleven Form One subjects will from January 2010 be taught in digital format. This will also apply to Mathematics and Science in classes Four and Five till the entire system is transformed. The Kenya Institute of Education has prepared the new digital formats in readiness for 2010 rollout.

Uganda: Makerere to Train Burundians in IT

Kampala — BURUNDI has become the first African country to benefit from Makerere University's multimillion-dollar computing and information technology centre.

Web 2.0 enables transparency goals

Government can achieve goals with minimal effort thanks to new technology tools. The Obama administration has made significant progress toward transparency through the launch of the Data.gov and Recovery.gov Web sites and the Open Government Initiative. Although those initiatives present promising opportunities for increased transparency, federal agencies must balance the need for openness with legal and privacy concerns.

Nigeria: IT Professionals Test Run E-Voting At NCS Conference

At the just concluded Nigeria Computer Society (NCS) Annual General Meeting, AGM, held in Abuja, the Nigerian IT Professionals have successfully implemented the electronic voting (e-Voting) process which was automated and conducted electronically and exclusively by Nigerian IT Professionals. With this development, it is evident enough that with real_time electronic_voting is possible for the 2011 National Election is possible if all hands are on deck, especially from the government.

GAO: Details needed on electronic records system

The National Archives and Records Administration’s (NARA) current spending plan for its next generation Electronic Records Archive, (ERA), estimated to cost more than $550 million, doesn't have enough details and the agency doesn’t have a contingency plan for the system or a fully functional backup and restoration process, according to congressional investigators. The Government Accountability Office found methodological weaknesses during a review of NARA's fiscal 2009 spending plan for the program that could limit its ability to keep tabs on the project NARA calls the “Archives of the Future.” However, GAO said in a report released July 24 that the expenditure plan did satisfy legislative requirements.

IT: Digital communications in the Public Administration – Pilot launched in Parma

On 6 July 2009, the Prefecture and the Province of Parma officially launched a pilot project whose objective is to digitise 60 % of the volume of the information exchanged between public authorities by the end of the year 2009. Three months earlier, in March 2009, the Prefecture, the Province and the municipalities of Parma signed a memorandum of intent under which they committed to taking actions aimed at implementing a full digital dialogue between the public entities - Prefecture, Province and municipalities. The parties thus hope to make the procedures and the decision making process faster, more efficient and more cost effective.

Rwanda: National ICT Coverage Now at 90 Percent

Rwanda's Information, Communication and Technology (ICT) industry is growing with the composite network coverage now estimated to be at 90 percent according to official documents. This means that almost the whole country is now covered with ICT. Documents that track the progress of ICT industry under the Economic Development and Poverty Reduction Strategy (EDPRS) also indicate that the number of mobile phone users has now hit 1,322,637.

Broadband Opportunity Calls in Africa

Johannesburg — AFRICA's paucity of fixed-line phone networks has created a huge opportunity for mobile operators to step in and fill the gap for broadband services in a market that could be worth 6bn by 2011. Calculations by telecoms advisory firm Delta Partners suggest that revenue from mobile broadband could boom from 1bn today to hit 6bn in the Middle East and Africa, with Africa contributing most of that growth

Web 2.0 increases demand for data visualization tools

Government database and Web services developers are facing increasing pressure to find new and more effective ways to represent and present complex data patterns graphically.

Rwanda: Kigali City to Go Wireless By September

Internet users in Kigali City will soon be utilising fast speed mobile wireless Internet called WiBro.RDB Deputy CEO in charge of IT, Nkubito Bakuramutsa said yesterday that the WiBro technology that will enable users to access uninterrupted Internet from any part of the city, will be deployed by the end of September.

IP Africa '09 to Provide Convergence Insight

IP Africa '09 takes place at the Sandton Convention Centre, Johannesburg, South Africa from 30 September to 1 October 2009. The event covers four areas; mobility and wireless, unified communications, virtualisation and the underlying network infrastructure and security. It aims to attract CIO's and decision-makers investing in technology and solutions.

Nigeria: ICT, Key to Achieving Seven Point Agenda, Vision 2020 Dreams

Last week, the Digital Bridge Institute, organised a programme hinging on ICT for development. The three day seminar was unique in the sense that it was structured to unlock the key barring Non Governmental organisations and indeed the civil society from accessing the fund necessary to carry out projects that can encourage a robust Nigerian economy

ICTs in Social Activism

This week the MacArthur Foundation in conjunction with the Harvard University (yes, that same Harvard our state governors wanted to go to for capacity building) and the Digital Bridge Institute (DBI) held a workshop on Enhancing Civil Society Use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in Nigeria. The aim of the workshop, which held at the DBI Abuja campus, was to sensitise NGOs in Nigeria on new ICT tools they could use to enhance their work.

Anticipated Web 3.0 jibes with open-government goals

Whereas Web 2.0 is about connecting people through social-networking applications, Web 3.0 will be about connecting information in new ways that people will find more useful and relevant. It'll be a boon for government transparency, but it won't be happening soon.

ICT Partners Sought

THE Infrastructure Development Bank of Zimbabwe and Africom Continental are seeking partners to complete the broadband link between Harare and Mutare as efforts towards firmly establishing the country as the region's information technology hub intensify.

Trust, but verify, Web 2.0 sources

Have you ever thought about who controls popular applications such as Facebook and Twitter that facilitate informal social networking and information sharing? They belong to private companies, and the government does not always have contracts with them to govern their use of information. Their software resides outside of the government. Informal communications among government employees, or between these employees and contractors or ordinary citizens, can have many benefits. But there are also pitfalls, particularly for those relatively new to the culture of social technologies.

Namibia: ICT Summit on Knowledge Sharing and Future

STAKEHOLDERS in the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector have gathered to find ICT-based solutions to the problems created by the global economic crisis. The Telecom Namibia ICT Summit 2009 is "Telecom's most innovative platform for knowledge sharing and partnership building among Namibian industry players as well as with their foreign partners," according to Telecom Namibia MD, Frans Ndoroma. He also noted that the summit would provide opportunities for businesses to collaborate and benefit mutually.

Egypt to get digital science library

Egyptian research could get a higher profile with the creation of a digital library, part of a range of measures aiming to enhance the availability of scientific information.

Fujitsu introduces new global storage portfolio

Fujitsu, has introduced its new global storage portfolio under the ETERNUS brand name, which it said provides customers with a comprehensive range of storage arrays and data protection solutions for every type of business. The company said this underlines its new worldwide focus and is aimed at providing its growing customer base with class-leading versatile, high-availability ETERNUS storage systems.

Twittering your way to improved governance

San Francisco is setting the US standard for using technology to improve accountability. The Mayor recently announced the launch of a 311 Call Center through Twitter. San Francisco's latest attempt to utilize technology for improved services is an excellent example of how one can use Web 2.0 at the municipal level for achieving improved governance, and going beyond the simple provision of services, even if it is just to provide a stronger feedback loop between the government and the citizens. Of course it is too early to declare victory, as we still need to see if these laudable objectives will actually be implemented.