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Customs Law Information Now Available Online at APEC
Asia-Pacific businesses now have increased access to information on customs laws and regulations in APEC Member Economies with the publishing of the APEC Customs 'Best Practices' Handbook. Prepared by Hong Kong, China for the APEC Sub-Committee on Customs Procedures (SCCP), the handbook provides essential information required by businesspeople involved in international trade. This includes contact details for reaching customs officials, lists of relevant websites and details on training programs for businesspeople. The Chair of the SCCP, Ms. Young-Ram Choi, said the handbook is an invaluable resource for businesspeople to avoid costs incurred by a lack of knowledge of procedures and regulations. "Access to accurate information on customs regulations can mean the difference between goods making a rapid transit through or costly delays at ports," Ms. Choi said at the conclusion of the meeting Korea. "Businesses need to be able to obtain information through websties or publications and often they need to be able to speak directly with a customs officer before they ship their goods. "The new guide has a summary of the information resources provided by each APEC Member Economy to make importing and exporting more transparent and efficient." Ms. Choi said the inclusion of APEC-wide customs information was part of efforts by the SCCP to implement the APEC Transparency Standards. These goals were established by APEC Leaders in 2002 as part of efforts to overcome corruption and to facilitate increased regional trade. The Transparency Standards were updated in 2003 to cover specific customs issues including the provision of information on tariffs and duties as well as details of customs contact points to receive quires relating to customs matters. The handbook was prepared by Hong Kong, China and presented to the Second SCCP Meeting for 2005 that is taking place in Gyeongju, Korea, on September 6-9. The handbook can be downloaded here. Additional details on the SCCP is available at www.sccp.org. The handbook also complements the APEC Tariff Database, an Internet based resource listing tariff schedules, concessions, prohibitions and other trade related information in APEC Member Economies.
From http://www.apecsec.org.sg/ 09/09/2005
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Workshop to Focus on Standards in Home Networking
Geneva ¡ª Home Networking ¡ª the linking of a wide range of different consumer electronic devices for applications such as entertainment, telecommunications, home automation systems and telemetry (remote control and monitoring systems) ¡ª is attracting a great deal of interest. Given the wide range of previously unrelated technologies involved, global standards that allow for the interoperability of disparate products are increasingly seen as key to the success of this new paradigm. So far, however, despite many initiatives, lack of standardization has continued to stifle market growth. Many believe consolidation of the various standardization efforts now underway is urgently needed for the potential benefits of home networking to become a reality. This workshop will bring together experts from around the world whose work is pushing the frontiers of this fast moving field. In addition to providing an overview of the today¡¯s different home networking technologies, the event will take a look at the standards that address access, services, performance, quality of service (QoS), electromagnetic interference and security issues. What: Opportunities and Challenges in Home Networking; When: 13-14 October, 2005; Where: Geneva, ITU Headquarters .
From http://www.itu.int/ 10/04/2005
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Internet Governance Agreement Reached in Tunis
An agreement on internet governance was reached at the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) in Tunis. The internet governance controversy in Tunis addressed the question of who manages a key part of its infrastructure - the domain name system (DNS), which relates to the rules that computers and networks use to find each other. These rules are currently managed by the California-based not-profit Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), under a Memorandum of Understanding with the US Commerce Department. The agreement kept most of the current status quo, but included the creation of the Internet Governance Forum (IGF), to be launched in 2006. The forum is intended to provide a discussion space for internet governance, involving governments, international agencies, civil society and the private sector.
From http://www.pstm.net/ 11/21/2005
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Government, Business and Community Sectors Need to Discuss Governance
Datuk Dr Mohamed Arif Nun, Chief Executive Officer of the Multimedia Development Corporation of Malaysia highlights the importance of dialogue. As the world becomes more globalised and ¡°flattened¡± through the development of ICT, direct connectivity between country-to-country (C2C), government-to-government (G2G) and people-to-people (P2P) is inevitable, and is shaping the world. No government can isolate itself and hopes to determine its path without being affected by what is happening in the other parts of the world, nor can it determine its part without direct consultation with its people. This is what GPPC is intending to address ¨C to bring the Government, Business and the Community sectors to discuss together the issues that are of direct concern to all regardless of our geographic location, economic, cultural or religious background as we move to a seamless world. From the Malaysian government agencies, the GPPC 2005 will be attended by officials from Ministry of Finance, MAMPU, PM Office, Ministry of Domestic Trade, MIGHT, MOSTI, MECW, MCMC, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Higher Education, and Ministry of Entrepreneur & Co-operative Development. As for the private sector, we have IBM, SKALI, Redhat, Microsoft, Ernst & Young, RedTone, Jaring, HP, HSBC, Scicom, Kompakar, e-Asia and many more. GPPC 2005 is the private sector built up for the World Summit on Information Society (WSIS) in November 2005 and ultimately the World Congress on IT (WCIT) to be held in 2008. Malaysia. Therefore, from the GPPC 2005, we will prepare a working paper comprising inputs and positions on relevant issues for the Malaysian government. At the same time, it is also a good opportunity for the Malaysia¡¯s public administration to have an understanding of the current ICT issues to facilitate effective formulation of policies. It is important that public policies are conducive and not obstacles to the growth and development of ICT. With that understanding, they would be able to plan and manage changes in the fast-paced ICT industry better. They would even have more opportunities to expose to new ideas, opportunities and trade in the global networked economy. MDC support the GPPC 2005 because firstly, we saw the potential and benefits the conference will bring towards our public services. Secondly, this is consistent with the MDC mandate given by the Government to promote and develop the ICT sector and selected services in Malaysia. With the MSC as the main catalyst, the growth and development of ICT and its use in all social-economic sectors will propel Malaysia to take its place among the developed nations of the world by 2020. MDC hope through the GPPC 2005, Malaysia¡¯s public sector and ICT industry will be have a better understanding regarding the growth potential of the digital economy and examine ICT public policy issues and explore the key policy concerns of ICT businesses.
From http://www.pstm.net/ 08/30/2005
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Top Speakers from Asia, and Further Afield, Speaking at Government Technology Forum 05
Some of Asia, America, Africa and Europe's top government IT policymakers are set to gather at the PSTM Government Technology Forum 05 (5th October 2005, The Fullerton, Singapore). The PSTM Government Technology Forum 05 is a day of senior-level government roundtable discussions, held before an audience of public sector administrators. To attend for free click here to register for a free delegate pass. Speakers at the event include: Romi Barjaktarevic, Government Chief Information Officer, South Africa; Manju Hathotuwa, Chief Executive Officer, ICT Agency of Sri Lanka; Laurence Millar, Deputy Commissioner, State Services Commission, New Zealand; Tan Eng Pheng [pictured], Director of E-Government Planning & Management Division, Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore; Jantima Sirisaengtaksin, Chief Information Officer, Revenue Department, Thailand; Dr Muhammad Ghazie Ismail, Senior Vice President, Multimedia Development Corporation, Malaysia; Dr Cheok Beng Teck, Director of the CIO Officer, Ministry of Defence, Singapore; Lilia Guillermo, Deputy Commissioner, Bureau of Internal Revenue, The Philippines; Dr K. Jayakumar, Director IT, Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances, Government of India; Tom Wilson, Programme Directror, eProcurement Scotl@nd, Scottish Executive, United Kingdom; Sunil Abraham, Asia-Pacific Development Information Programme, United Nations Development Programme, India; Michael Mudd, Director of Public Policy (Asia Pacific), Computing Technology Industry Association. Delegate passes are available free to public sector employees through the generous support of the United Nations Development Programme, and the Computing Technology Industry Association, along with our valued sponsors Visa International, Borland, Genesys Telecommunications Laboratories, Mercury Interactive, SAP and NCS.
From http://www.pstm.net/ 09/01/2005
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The International Conference on e-Government (ICEG 2005)
The International Conference on e-Government (ICEG 2005)
Lord Elgin Hotel, Ottawa, Canada
27-28 October 2005
ICEG 2006: The 2nd International Conference on e-Government
University of Pittsburgh, USA
12-13 October 2006
This conference offers an opportunity to discuss the latest research and thinking in the field. Presentations will be made on a range of topics dealing with both the theory and practice of e-Government. As well as the main conference, three mini-track sessions will run on Connecting with e-Citizens, Evaluating e-Government and the use of Open Source Software in e-Government. A panel discussion of the second day, chaired by Stephen Chanasyk of the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing, Toronto, will look at Enterprise Collaboration across Jurisdictions.
From http://www.academic-conferences.org/ 10/01/2005
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Internet Cafes Go Global
South Korea¡¯s unique culture of Internet cafes, called ``PC Bang,¡¯¡¯ will be exported to neighboring regions by ValueSpace, which owns the country¡¯s top PC Bang franchise CyberPark. ValueSpace president Choi Yeun-wook revealed the firm¡¯s plan to make inroads into Japan and China next year. ``We will enter Japan in 2006 and China will follow after the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, a sports gala that will secure copyrights in the mainland,¡¯¡¯ the 40-year-old Choi said in an interview with the Korea Times. ``We aim to set up more than 7,000 affiliated PC Bang in Japan, China and Southeast Asian countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand in the long run.¡¯¡¯ Under its CyberPark franchise that debuted in 2002, ValueSpace today retains the highest number of PC Bang, amounting to roughly 250 across the country. Considering the PC Bang business was on the decline in 2002, it is a notable achievement for a start-up brand to become a leading franchise in just three years. PC Bang, sometimes dubbed local area network (LAN) gaming center, is a place where people can get access to the high-speed Internet for a fee of about 1,000 won ($1) an hour. In Korea, PC Bang arose in the mid 1990s and now up to 22,000 cyber cafes are tucked into every spare sliver of real estate, armed with top-of-the-line computers and high-bandwidth connectivity. They come in various sizes from a very small one equipped with less than 10 personal computers to mega-sized ones with hundreds of terminals. PC Bang is an important contributor to the economy, as it accounts for about one-fourth of the country¡¯s total desk top computer demand of 1 million units a year. It also helped the online gaming industry flourish in Korea by providing a business model to game developers, who found avid consumers at PC Bang-goers. PC Bang is starting to spring up in other nations. In China, the number of Internet cafes reaches roughly 120,000 and Japan is also poised to embrace the new culture. In this climate, Choi says this is a perfect time for Korean players to wade into the emerging markets on the back of their knack for running the business. `` PC Bang in Korea has gone through a three-stage development, and China and Japan are only now entering the second stage, when the number of PC Bang explodes. We can preempt the market based on our experience,¡¯¡¯ Choi said. He explained the first stage is when only risk-taking early adopters visit a rare PC Bang to surf the Web or check e-mail, while a rising penetration rate of the high-speed Internet and the explosion of multiplayer games mark the second period. ``Korea witnessed PC Bang mushroom and online game catch on beginning 1998, when the affordable broadband offerings were launched for household users,¡¯¡¯ Choi said. ``In the third phase, the market becomes overstuffed and PC Bang gets bigger and evolve into a cozy place since hyper-competition urges them to find differentiation factors.¡¯¡¯ China and Japan are propagating commercial broadband services, marking the onset of the second stage and will be sure to form huge markets for PC Bang franchise business, according to Choi. ``Over the long haul, Korea will be able to make a lucrative model of exporting game contents, the broadband network and PC Bang culture all at the same time,¡¯¡¯ he said. ValueSpace especially fixes its eyes on the potential-filled Chinese market, where PC Bang cannot start business without subscribing to a franchise. That contrasts to Korea, where about 10 percent of overall PC Bang signs up for such a franchise. ``Already, some franchise owners in China asked us to conduct joint businesses. They know our forte that we experienced what they will face in the future. For them, we possess a crystal ball for what will happen in their country later,¡¯¡¯ Choi said. (by Kim Tae-gyu)
From The Korea Times 09/11/2005
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IDC: PC Shipments Better Than Expected for '05
(IDG NEWS SERVICE) - While PC vendors aren't enjoying as much growth as last year, PC shipments this year should finish well above previous expectations for 2005, market research firm IDC said today. Strong consumer demand in Europe and Asia should allow PC vendors to ship about 110 million units in the last six months of the year, IDC said. If that projection holds true, PC vendors will have shipped 204.6 million units for the full year, a 14.1% improvement over 2004 shipment totals. Last year, PC vendors improved their worldwide shipment totals by 15.3% over 2003. Earlier this year, IDC forecast that full-year growth in 2005 would ease to 11.4% as both businesses and home buyers reached the end of a three-year spending spree on hardware. The growth in worldwide shipments to corporations is still expected to fall, from 16.3% in 2004 to a forecast of 11.7% for 2005. While the U.S. market has continued to mature, IDC said it underestimated the appetite for PCs in Western Europe and Asia when making its forecast earlier this year. Worldwide growth in consumer PC purchases is expected to be 18.3%, up from 13.5% last year, even though growth in consumer shipments to the U.S. has slacked off, from 8.9% in 2004 to a forecast of 7.3% this year. Laptop PCs continue to drive much of the worldwide demand for new systems, even in markets such as the U.S. and Japan, where notebook adoption is already very high, IDC said. Corporate IT departments led the trend toward notebooks over the past few years, but home users are now snapping up portable PCs at a faster rate, according to IDC's data. One sour note for vendors -- if not purchasers -- is that the growth in shipment value is not rising nearly as quickly as the shipments themselves, IDC said. Pricing is extremely competitive at the lower end of the PC market in the second half of the year, when many students around the world head back to school and gift givers start making out their holiday season shopping lists. IDC is still predicting that worldwide growth in PC shipments in 2006 will slip to just below 10%. (by Tom Krazit)
From http://www.computerworld.com/ 09/19/2005
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World Mayors Forum Boosts Awareness of Sustainable Urban Development
The Seoul World Mayors Forum 2005, held on September 30 and October 1 in the South Korean capital under the theme of "Sustainability and Revitalization," enhanced global awareness of sustainable urban development to mayors, government policymakers, urban planners and scholars from around the globe. Holding this year's Forum, sponsored by Metropolis (the World Association of the Major Metropolises) and the United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG), in Seoul was extremely timely as the city is one of the leaders in a paradigm shift from blind pursuit of economic development to sustainable development focusing on social and environmental values. Seoul's recent efforts have included the expansion of urban forests and other green areas as well as the restoration of an inner-city waterway. The opening of the restored waterway, Cheonggyecheon, on October 1, coincided with the Forum and allowed the visitors to take a first-hand look at Seoul's efforts to overcome various urban problems and revitalize the capital in an environment-friendly way. The Forum participants applauded the city's efforts on sustainable urban regeneration and rehabilitation as epitomized by the restoration of the Cheonggye stream, which had been paved over by a road since 1958. The rebirth of the 5.8-kilometer stream, which has entirely changed the face of one of the city's busiest commercial districts, was also praised by citizens as well as local and foreign media as an example of successful urban revitalization. Mayor Lee Myung-bak and other Seoul City officials shared their experiences in the Cheonggyecheon Restoration Project, which took more than two years and a budget of 386 billion won (US$375 million), with the Forum participants, as the project was one of the top items on the agenda. The "Overview of the Cheonggyecheon Restoration Project" was the theme of one of the two special sessions at the Seoul Forum. The mayors and experts also had three working sessions - on "Creation of Urban Waterfront," "Designing the Grand Project" and "Conflict Management, Leadership and Governance." In addition, the participating mayors held two roundtable discussions, in which they shared their concerns, ideas and experiences in meeting challenges faced by some of the world's leading cities. The Forum's two-day discussions led to the adoption of the "Seoul Declaration," where the participants called for urban development policies ensuring sustainable development and global inter-city cooperation. The declaration stressed international cooperation and common policy directives to help cities come up with better methods of balancing growth and environmental preservation. It also emphasized the need to improve efficiency in decision-making processes, refine conflict management and strengthen ties between cities and central government in order to meet the growing complexity of policy-making in civil administration. "We are in full agreement that we must create city alliances and cooperative networks in which diverse experiences and common policy directives in city development can be shared," the declaration said. By adopting the declaration in Seoul, a metropolis transforming itself from a symbol of development-first policy that led to numerous urban problems to a city that cherishes human and environmental values, the world's mayors sent out an opportune message to the world: It is never too late to tackle urban problems and make sustainability a top priority in cities' social, economic and environmental policies. In this sense, the Seoul Forum fulfilled its goal as it provided the stage for building a consensus on the need to establish a "caring society," which Mayor Lee said should be the vision of the Forum.
From http://english.seoul.go.kr/ 10/19/2005
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Kids Around World Chat in Pictures
Children who speak different languages can be friends if they can find a way to communicate. A sample message in pictorial symbols, "I am wondering about what I should wear tomorrow," is displayed on a computer. A nonprofit organization in Tokyo will officially launch a project Sunday based on this notion, connecting children in different countries over the Internet through a language of pictograms. Using a special computer network and new software, 23 Japanese kids in Tokyo and 13 South Koreans in Seoul will send each other messages written in pictorial symbols and share their art and music. Sunday's exchange will take place at an office in Tokyo's Shibuya Ward and Kyoung Hee University in Seoul. Pangaea, a Tokyo-based NPO, has developed the computer software, which has a dictionary with 200 pictograms it calls "pictons." The pictons were designed by about 30 people, including students at Tama Art University in Tokyo. In the language, the symbol of a human face means 'I' and a heart shape means 'like." Together with another symbol of a TV game, the three pictorial symbols form the sentence, "I like TV games." In addition to sending pictorial messages, the system enables the children to introduce themselves through pictures and share their art and music online, according to the NPO. The NPO has tested the system already in a few public elementary and junior high schools in Tokyo's Shibuya Ward, according to Pangaea President Yumiko Mori. In January, computers will be set up at a private school in Kenya and a public facility for children in Austria. The group aims to increase the number of bases to 200 by 2008. Mori, a visiting scientist at the Media Laboratory at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, first had the idea of connecting children globally after seeing prejudice against Muslims and Arabs in the U.S. following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the U.S. If children have the opportunity to get to know people in other countries through the Internet, they will form personal bonds and not stereotype people, which will lead to peace in the world, Mori reckoned. "I thought children could overcome such barriers as language, culture and distance if I offered a universal playground for them," she said. (by Eriko Arita)
From The Japan Times 11/18/2005
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Mobile Content World Asia 2006
The leading entertainment and business content event in Asia, and the only place to meet and do business with the who¡¯s who of the content industry in Asia. A senior level CEO conference for the Asian mobile content industry with representations from global key content owners & developers. Mobile Content World Asia will feature regional updates on the current and future development & deployment of content. Participants will gather new ideas and information and form new relationships. This is where sponsors and exhibitors build new business relationships and generate revenue for their business. Mobile Content World Asia enables you to reach a carefully targeted audience of key executives with influential purchasing power in the mobile industry. This is an outstanding opportunity for world-class vendors to present their solutions to a targeted audience of decision makers from the industry. Time and venue: 4-6 April 2006, Suntec International Exhibition & Convention Centre, Singapore.
From http://www.terrapinn.com/ 10/11/2005
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Emergency Communications Asia 2005
Emergency Communications Asia 2005 brings together not just Chinese but the region's emergency communications experts and practitioners on a common platform to share their technical and operational expertise and to address the key communications issues facing both first responders and proprietors through case studies and first-hand experience. If you are serious about the state of emergency communications in Asia, this is your chance to meet and share with key industry decision-makers from Asia Pacific under one roof. Whether you are from the immediate first responder community, other government sectors or a proprietor looking to break into the lucrative Asia Pacific market, this is the only conference in the next 6 months. Time and venue: 8-9 December 2005, Inter-Continental Pudong, Shanghai, China.
From http://www.terrapinn.com/ 10/15/2005
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A Productive and Fruitful 2nd APIRA International Conference Held in Seoul, Korea
From August 25 to 26, the second Asia-Pacific Internet Research Alliance (APIRA) international conference and member meeting, with the title of "Expanding Application of Internet Statistics, Comparable Measurement, Diverse Analysis and Regional Cooperation" was successfully held at Coex Conference Center in Seoul, Korea. The meeting was hosted by National Internet Development Agency of Korea (NIDA, formerly KRNIC) and sponsored by Ministry of Information and Communication, Korea (MIC). During the conference, leaders and people in charge from governmental organizations such as MIC, NIDA from Korea, MII from China and MCMC from Malaysia were all presented. On the APIRA board meeting, Mr. Cho Chan Hyeong, the director of Statistics and Policy Research Team of NIDA, Korea, was elected as the 1st chair of APIRA board. In the mean time, Mr. Cheong Weng Hin, professor of University of Macau, was also elected as the deputy chair. It has also been decided that the next APIRA member meeting (the 3rd one) will be held by TWNIC. APIRA was founded in September 2003 in Beijing, China. It is a spontaneously organized and non-profit, regional academic organization. It is aimed for enhancing communication and comparison in Asia-Pacific region on the Internet information; deepening the research on statistical methodologies and techniques of the internet information; facilitating the cooperation among Asia-Pacific countries and regions on the Internet information survey and research; boosting the regional development of the Internet searches. Since its foundation, APIRA has been one of the most extensively influential organizations in Asia Pacific region in the field of Internet statistics. In August 2004, the 1st APIRA member meeting was jointed held in Macao and Hong Kong China. After the 1st meeting, the 1st APIRA joint statistical survey on the Internet development among APIRA regular members was successfully carried out at the end of year 2004. In addition to the current seven members of APIRA, China Internet Network Information Center (CNNIC), National Internet Development Agency of Korea (NIDA, formerly KRNIC), Access Media International, Japan (AMI), Taiwan Network Information Center (TWNIC), City University of Hong Kong, University of Macau and All China Strategic Research (ACSR), an organization from Malaysia was approved as APIRA member in the meeting. Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) has been accepted as the regular member of APIRA. Scholars, experts and professionals from Korea, Chinese mainland, Chinese Macao and Taiwan, Japan, Malaysia and local audience from public sector and private sector, as well as professors and students from local universities have all attended the conference. Mr. Wang Enhai from CNNIC, the Secretary-general of APIRA summarized the work and achievements by APIRA by that time in the opening ceremony. He also described the future work for APIRA in recent years. The conference contained two sessions: Country/Regional report session and Theme Paper session. In the Country/Regional report session, delegates from different countries/regions presented their survey methodologies and latest research achievements on Internet usage of their own countries/regions. Speakers from CNNIC described the latest Internet development and usage situation in Chinese mainland, by comparing and analyzing data of previous years. Mr. Cheong Weng Hin from Macao cross-analyzed relevant data of the Internet development in Macao from the year 2001 to the year 2004. TWNIC representatives also presented the latest Internet development trends in their local region. It is the very first year for MCMC to have conducted their survey on Internet usage. Representatives from MCMC introduced their survey methodology and questionnaires they adapted to the survey. By means of questions and answers at the presentation, all participants shared information with others and benefited from learning experience from others in the field of Internet statistical survey. Beside the country/regional reports, representatives from MIC introduced Korean national information strategy "IT 839 Strategy" in the next decades on the conference. The aim of the strategy is to realize u-Korea (ubiquitous Korea) in the near future, ensuring the obtaining of information at anytime and anywhere in Korea. The current Internet development situation was also presented by representatives from NIDA. All of the participants were very impressive with the world-leading development of Broadband in Korea. In the Theme Paper session, Japanese speakers described the latest development of E-commerce in Japan. Comparisons among Japan, Korea and China were also made in the filed of E-commerce by Japanese delegates. Besides, other issues were also covered on the meeting, such as Internet economy, measurements on the development of Internet and information society, Internet security, Internet host statistics and indicators of the behaviors of Internet users. At the end of the conference, representatives from NIDA gave a presentation about the comparison results based on the outcome of the 1st APIRA joint statistical survey in different countries/regions in AP region conducted at the end of year 2004. From the comparisons, basically, the Internet development situation was unbalanced among different countries/regions in AP region.
From http://www.cnnic.net.cn/ 10/19/2005
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Beijing Reception to Promote ITU TELECOM WORLD 2006
More than 300 business leaders, professionals from the information and communications technology industry and media representatives on the Mainland and from overseas attended a reception held in Beijing last night (October 21) to launch the full Mainland marketing activities for the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) TELECOM WORLD 2006. The Vice-Minister of Information Industry of the Central People's Government, Mr Jiang Yaoping, and Hong Kong's Secretary for Commerce, Industry and Technology, Mr John Tsang, officiated at the event. Speaking at the reception, Mr Tsang said that since Hong Kong was awarded the right to host the TELECOM WORLD 2006, a series of promotional activities had been launched in support of the ITU's marketing efforts, riding on major international information and communications technology events. "We are making steady progress in our preparation. We are pleased to note that a large number of overseas and Mainland industry leaders have already indicated their interest in taking part in the event," Mr Tsang said. "We expect to see a strong turnout of Chinese companies at TELECOM WORLD 2006. We also expect a strong contingent of Mainland media as well in covering and disseminating news of the event." Mr Tsang also took the opportunity to brief guests on the enormous business opportunities to be brought about by ITU TELECOM WORLD 2006, and invited them to Hong Kong to participate in the prestigious international event. The reception was jointly hosted by the Ministry of Information Industry (MII) of the Central People's Government and the Commerce, Industry and Technology Bureau, and sponsored by Hong Kong's Information Services Department. Earlier in Beijing, Mr Tsang visited the exhibition booth set up by the Hong Kong Government at the PT/WIRELESS & NETWORKS COMM CHINA 2005 to promote the ITU TELECOM WORLD 2006. PT/WIRELESS & NETWORKS COMM CHINA 2005, held from October 18 to 22, is sponsored by the MII and the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade. It is one of the largest exhibitions in information and telecommunications products and services in Asia. The ITU TELECOM WORLD 2006 will be held from December 4 to 8, 2006 in Hong Kong. It is the first time the event will have been held outside Geneva, where the ITU is based. Organised by the ITU, a United Nations special agency, ITU TELECOM WORLD is the most prominent global telecommunications event held every three to four years. Hong Kong previously hosted two ITU regional events - ITU Telecom Asia 2000 and ITU Telecom Asia 2002. The event comprises two parts - the exhibition and the forum. The exhibition enables industry players to showcase their latest equipment, services or technologies, while the forum provides a platform for participants to debate critical issues on policies and regulation, key technologies, business applications and environment. It is estimated that the ITU TELECOM WORLD 2006 will attract an estimated 100,000 overseas visitors, generating about $1.2 billion of direct economic benefit to Hong Kong.
From http://www.info.gov.hk/ 10/22/2005
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VoIP World Asia 2005
VoIP World Asia 2005 is the leading conference in Asia dedicated to considering the costs and benefits of VoIP and the capability of the technology to provide clear and crisp conversation at a lower cost structure. Certainly an event not to be missed! 29th November - 1st December 2005, Sheraton Hotel, Singapore.
From http://www.terrapinn.com/ 10/24/2005
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Mobile TV Networks by Mid-2006
MOBILE phone giant Nokia expects mobile TV networks using its chosen standard to be up and running by the middle of next year, allowing people to watch live TV broadcasts on their mobile phones. The system - Digital Video Broadcast-Handheld (DVB-H) -is being tested in about 40 pilots worldwide and general manager of Nokia's Multimedia division Nokia's Anssi Vanjoki said he expects networks to go live in the first half of 2006. This is, of course, speculative because there are certain regulatory elements as well," Mr Vanjoki said. Nokia said it would make the technology a regular feature on its multimedia mobiles, allowing users to watch broadcasters' programs directly rather than rebroadcast by telecom firms. Mobile operators and broadcasters are hoping flat-rate TV services or pay-per-view broadcasts will bring in revenue from people who cannot bear to miss a goal or the latest episode of their favorite soap opera while out and about. Many mobile firms have offered subscribers selected TV programs through existing third-generation (3G) networks, but analysts say regulating TV broadcasts direct to mobiles and agreements on licensing rights are likely to take time before becoming widespread. One of the targets in sight for mobile operators is the soccer World Cup, which start in Germany next June. Korea already has mobile TV broadcasts using a rival technology developed there, Digital Media Broadcast (DMB), which has been offered on handsets from Samsung Electronics the third-placed handset maker. Mr Vanjoki expected Switzerland, Indonesia, Thailand, Germany and Russia to be among the first to set up mobile TV networks using DVB-H. "We think DMB is going to be Korea-based from here to eternity. The advantage of DVB-H is so clear that that is the technology we're going to follow," he said. "We're not following any other track." Italian phone operator Telecom Italia Mobile - a unit of Telecom Italia - and media group Mediaset said last month they would start live mobile TV next year using DVB-H standard. "We will roll this out across our product portfolio and certainly, by the end of this decade, we will be in a position to ship more than 75 million devices enabled with DVB-H," Richard Sharp, of Nokia's Multimedia division, told the conference. Nokia earlier launched the N92 handset, intended for mobile TV broadcasts, and which is expected to go onto the shelves next year.
From Reuters 11/03/2005
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International Workshop Opens on Electromagnetic Waves
An international workshop on electromagnetic waves opened in Seoul on Monday (Nov. 7) with some 60 experts from seven countries and relevant international organizations in attendance. The two-day workshop, organized by the Ministry of Information and Communication, was also participated in by the United States, Japan, the EU, Australia, South Africa, the World Health Organization and the International Commission on Non-Ionized Radiation Protection (ICNIRP). Experts and policy planners will present the surveys of the electromagnetic waves¡¯ impact in mobile phone use on health and the status of various countries¡¯ health protection criteria related to the waves. The workshop originated from an agreement to hold a bilateral meeting on the study of the impact mobile phones has on health every year during the 1996 Korea-Japan communication ministers¡¯ meeting. The gathering was joined in by the EU in 1999, by the United States in 2001, and then expanded to embrace other countries later. Among the prestigious experts are C. Ohkubo, a WHO research project, vice ICNIRP chairman M. Hietanen, and Robert Cleveland of the U.S. Federal Communications Commission.
From http://www.mic.go.kr/ 11/21/2005
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Korean Phone Makers¡¯ Global Market Share Plummets
The worldwide market share of Korea¡¯s two largest mobile phone manufacturers declined in the third quarter, data show. Market researcher Gartner on Tuesday said Samsung Electronics¡¯ share of the global mobile phone market fell to 12.5 percent in the third quarter, from 12.8 percent in the second. LG Electronics¡¯ market share came in at 6.5 percent, the same as the previous quarter but down 0.2 percentage points from the same period last year. As a result, Sony Ericsson overtook LG to capture fourth place in the third quarter; its market share increased to 6.7 percent in the last quarter from 6.2 percent in the second. The world's biggest mobile phone maker Nokia, meanwhile, saw its market share rise to 32.6 percent in the third quarter from 31 percent a year earlier. The Finnish firm sold 67 million cell phones in the July-September period, up 28 percent from 52.2 million on-year. U.S. firm Motorola trails Nokia, but its share jumped to 18.7 percent in the last quarter from 13.5 percent in the second thanks to the growing popularity of its slim RAZR phone.
From http://english.chosun.com/ 11/23/2005
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CHINA: Beijing Pursues Winning Strategy of Internet Censorship and Development
Speaking Freely is an Asia Times Online feature that allows guest writers to have their say. Please click here if you are interested in contributing. The Internet, long proclaimed a conduit for democratization, is meeting its match in China. While Western libertarians believe China is fighting a losing battle as protestors and dissidents increasingly organize online, the Chinese leadership is betting its dual strategy of censorship and development will ultimately succeed. The Internet provides an unprecedented ability to create, access and exchange information. Unlike other mass communication mediums, cyberspace allows for the multi-directional and (theoretically) borderless free flow of information. These characteristics imply that it cannot be controlled like traditional forms of media. Or can it? Technological libertarians maintain that autocratic leaders face a zero-sum dilemma: embrace information technology and sacrifice political power, or suppress it and pay the economic price. The Chinese leadership, however, appears undeterred. From modest beginnings of about 2,000 Internet users in 1993, the number has surged to more than 94 million in 2005, the second-largest population online after the United States. China also boasts the world's largest number of mobile phone subscribers, the second-largest personal computer market and the third-largest number of personal computer users. Contrary to popular thinking, Chinese leaders do not need to block all Internet content in order to reap major economic and political benefits. An OpenNet Initiative report on Chinese Internet filtering revealed a sophisticated system of control combining technological checks and social persuasion. Access to some websites is intermittently blocked while others may be accessible but filter certain keyword searches. Provincial and local governments hire employees to scan e-mail and chat rooms for sensitive discussions. Self-censorship is "encouraged" with myriad regulations placing responsibility on the user, from Internet content (ICPs) and Internet service providers (ISPs), cybercafes and website creators, down to the individual subscriber. Businesses are pressured to endorse a self-regulation pledge. Even foreign companies like Yahoo! have signed in order to gain access to China's burgeoning IT market. China's experiment in Internet management is literally paying off. Information technology is driving China's development - from military modernization to domestic business competitiveness on a global scale. E-commerce is exploding in China; it's expected to reach $6.5 billion by 2007. The political advantages may be even greater. On one hand, e-government is improving the efficiency and effectiveness of central administration. On the other, the Internet may be used to promote the party line. In July, to counter the Pentagon's report on the People's Liberation Army, the Chinese government posted a censored version of the document and organized online chats with military analysts. Nationalistic sentiments have also found voice online during such incidents as the 1999 North Atlantic Treaty Organization bombing of the Chinese Embassy in Belgrade and the anti-Japanese demonstrations in April. Such protests can divert attention from thorny domestic issues. Some potentially damaging local news stories circulated online have forced the central government to be more forthright with information - often with positive results. From greater access to educational and cultural cyber content, to online dating, chatting, shopping and games, the Chinese are enamored with the Internet. Few want to chance participation in politically risky behavior such as browsing dissident websites or posting controversial messages in chat rooms. A study funded by the New York City-based Markle Foundation found a majority of respondents said when the Internet provides more opportunities for citizens to criticize government policies, they trusted online content, and supported some Internet restrictions. So far the Chinese government is staying one step ahead of the game. China Telecom has enlisted China's Huawei Technologies, US companies Cisco Systems and Juniper Networks, France's Alcatel and Sweden's Ericsson to upgrade its backbone network ChinaNet, the country's largest and most extensive. Called the ChinaNet Next Carrying Network or CN2, the system will connect more than 200 cities with China's international access network, further establishing domestic mechanisms of control. China is not alone. Although the Internet developed without much regulation, governments around the world are adapting and cyberspace monitoring is increasing. Singapore implemented the world's first Internet censorship regulations in 1995. Now China is serving as an archetype for other countries that wish to restrict online usage while reaping its benefits. From Australia to Zimbabwe, Saudi Arabia to Vietnam, governments have been establishing more Internet controls. OpenNet Initiative studies have revealed infrastructure and regulations akin to China's in place in countries such as Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Kyrgyzstan. Utah recently passed a filtering law targeting content harmful to minors. Not all filtering and surveillance is inappropriate, but it does raise questions over the fine line between legitimate and illegitimate controls. Consider e-mail authentification programs currently under development in the US. Ostensibly being created to combat spam, they will permit the identification and tracking of e-mail senders. How might China and other like-minded governments adapt such technology? China's experience challenges the view that the Internet is an irrepressible instrument for democracy. Yet while the Chinese government is successfully harnessing information technology to maintain its political monopoly, the Internet is also contributing to China's political transformation. It remains a positive force for economic development, improved quality of life and better governance. (by Tamara Renee Shie)
From http://www.atimes.com/ 08/30/2005
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New Securities Law Emphasizes Information Disclosure
The new Securities Law will require that initial public offering (IPO) issuers release information on their application of market listings before the application is approved, chief of the law's amending group said here Friday. Zhou Zhengqing, a member of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislature, told a law conference that the requirement is aimed at broadening the channels for public supervision and prevent IPO issuers from obtaining listing qualifications through cheating. Zhou, former head of the China Securities Regulatory Commission, said the new law requires major shareholders, board directors, supervisors and senior managers bear legal responsibility for the accuracy and integrity of information about listed companies.
From Xinhua News Agency 09/10/2005
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China Vows Battle on Internet Crimes
China yesterday told an international conference it will safeguard information and network security and crack down on cyber crimes. "China has included information security as a crucial point in the country's blueprint for the development of its information industry between 2006 and 2020," said Yang Xueshan, vice director of the Information Technology Office of the State Council. "To safeguard information safety involves a complicated systems engineering project," he told an international anti-virus conference that opened yesterday in Tianjin, with business and government representatives. Yang said network security is increasingly important in China, which had 103 million Internet users as of June 30, ranking second after the United States. "First of all, we need to set up a sound and effective mechanism to fight and prevent computer viruses and enhance information and network security." He said international cooperation is crucial. "Cyberspace is transnational, so is the fight against computer viruses, which calls for concerted efforts from worldwide specialists, governments, businesses and the general public." China has vowed an intensified crackdown on Internet frauds, thefts and other cyber crimes that endanger network security. "China will take an active part in international exchanges and cooperation to fight Internet-related crimes," said Gu Jianguo, a national official in charge of network and information security. China has improved its network and information security, with the infection rate of computer viruses slightly down from the previous years, Gu said. In 2004, the National Computer Network Emergency Response Technical Team/Coordination Center received 64,686 incident reports, nearly five times that of the previous year.
From http://english.eastday.com/ 11/18/2005
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SOUTH KOREA: Internet Users Want Legal File-Sharing
Internet users call for the freedom to share personal music files as a local court deliberates on alleged copyright infringements by Soribada, a peer-to-peer (P2P) local music network. Their demand sparks controversy over the copyright violations. The ruling will come after the nation¡¯s music industry lodged both criminal and civil suits against Soribada, which has more than one million users who share online music file services for free. The Copyright Protection Center filed a criminal suit against 36 users for online copyright violations from January to July. The center has cleared 810,000 illegal postings on the Internet and ordered 36 Web sites to shut down for copyright infringement over the past seven months. However, online music files are being distributed among Internet users who have paid fees when they use it as background music on their personal homepage, blog, or personal cafes on portal sites. Even if Internet users enjoy online music files legally purchased with proper fees, they can be still used for other purposes, causing a problem in determining the legitimacy of sharing the files. A center official said that dozens of online music broadcasting sites are providing illegal links to hundreds of Internet users of personal broadcasting Web sites. ``So we¡¯re considering that we can apply the case to those individual music Web sites,¡¯¡¯ he said. The Korean Association of Phonogram Producers (KAPP) argued that although Soribada began partially providing music files with charges from last year, it still continues to violate the copyright. Along with the KAPP, the Korea Music Copyright Association and the Federation of Korean Art Performers¡¯ Organizations have already accused Soribada of selling music without the proper legal rights through the ``Soribada 3¡¯¡¯ Premium Service. However, an official of Soribada said that there is no such case against a P2P file-sharing provider in other countries. Internet users also called on the government to legalize the file sharing services as an information sharing service which is common for Internet users, demanding free access to the rights of information. However, a heated debate is expected to emerge as the government strengthens a crackdown on illegal users, accusing the music file-sharing provider of being an illegal Web site. The KAPP accused the online music file-sharing provider, which allows subscribers to search one another¡¯s computers for songs and download them for free, of subsequently damaging music sales last September. An appellate court will hand down a ruling on its application for provisional disposition for music sales on the P2P file sharing Web sites by the end of this month. The Supreme Court is also scheduled to rule on Soribada in both civil and criminal suits filed by the music industry. (by Chung Ah-young)
From The Korea Times 08/30/2005
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Loose Laws Irk Internet Shoppers
A 38-year-old housewife, Song Su-mi, recently bought an adhesive ¡®Eve's Bra' from a well-known Internet auction site. The manufacturer described the bra as being made of German medical-grade silicone rubber, which adheres easily to the skin and allows women to wear low-backed dresses without a strap across the back. Ms. Song ordered the garment but later learned that it was made of domestic resin silicone, a lower-quality product for the purpose. Auction, G-Market and Daum-Onket also advertised the same product until early this month; other online markets acted more quickly, stopping sales and offering refunds on request. But when Ms. Son |
