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CHINA: N. China City to Become Largest Handset
Producer in Asia
By 2005, north China's port city Tianjin is expected to become the largest
handset producer in Asia Pacific Region with an annual production capacity
reaching 50 million units. The current production capacity in the city
is 23 million. At a news conference held here Thursday, the local government
revealed an ambitious blueprint for the handset production industry in
the city. According to the plan, the local government will adopt measures
to encourage the development of third-generation (3G) handsets, base stations
and chip production in the next few years. A total of 2.5 billion US dollars
will be invested in the field in the 2001-2005 period. In addition, the
government plans to set up more than 10 research centers involved in battery,
chip and outline design and to build more factories producing more than
30 varieties of components. At the news conference, the local government
also announced that an international handset procurement fair will be
held July 18-19. The fair aims to promote exchanges between handset production
companies and components producers. So far, a total of 28 handset producers,
and nearly 500 component producers, including Ericsson, Motorola, and
Panasonic, have decided to attend the fair.
From CRI 07/11/2003
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CHINA: Hong Kong - 2003 Annual Survey on Information
Technology Usage and Penetration in the Business Sector
The Census and Statistics Department announced today the commencement
of the 2003 Annual Survey on Information Technology Usage and Penetration
in the Business Sector. The survey aims to collect information relating
to information technology usage and penetration in the business sector,
which will be useful for reference in the development of information technology
strategy in Hong Kong. Information to be sought in the survey includes
general information of the establishment; personal computer usage; Internet
usage; Web site usage; electronic business and electronic commerce; budget
for information technology; and information technology security. The survey
is conducted under Part IIIA of the Census and Statistics Ordinance (Chapter
316). It has been notified in General Notice No. 1271 in the Government
of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Gazette of March 2, 2001.
In accordance with the provisions of the Ordinance, the collected information
relating to individual establishments will be kept in strict confidence.
Only aggregate information, which does not reveal details of individual
establishments, will be released. The Commissioner for Census and Statistics,
Mr Frederick Ho, appealed to the management of all selected establishments
to fulfill their social responsibilities by returning promptly the completed
questionnaire to the Census and Statistics Department. If necessary, officers
of the Census and Statistics Department will visit individual establishments
and assist them in completing the questionnaire. These officers will each
carry a Government Identity Card and a certificate for conducting the
survey, which are available for inspection. Any enquiry regarding the
survey may be directed to the Information Technology and Telecommunications
Statistics Section of the Census and Statistics Department at the telephone
number 2887 5204.
From http://www.info.gov.hk/ 05/05/2003
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Information Technologies Highlighted in Beijing's
SARS Hospital
Information technology has played an active role in treating SARS in
Xiaotangshan Hospital, a new hospital in Beijing devoted solely to SARS
patients, according to a leading official with the Beijing Information
Working Office. The information system operated in Xiaotangshan covers
six sub-systems including outpatient service, hospitalization, drugs,
logistics, administrative offices and consultation and assistance. With
the system, the hospital can input new cases into the database even before
the patients' arrival. Medical workers are thus able to assign wards as
well as work out therapies and medical care plans for the patients in
advance, which can ensure more timely and effective treatment after patients
arrive at the hospital. When the medical and video information about patients'
cases are put in the database, doctors can hold consultations on the rapyvia
sharing information in the system, which could largely reduce the possibility
of cross infection between medical staff, said the official. According
to the official, the information system can also be connected with the
city's SARS reporting system, which will favor the collection and classification
of case data. In addition, the system will also provide precious materials
and data for scientific research about SARS.
From Xinhua News Agency 05/11/2003
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Shanghai: City Keen on Zhangjiang High-tech
Park Development
The Zhangjiang High-tech Park is expected to become China's top-ranking
high-tech park by the end of 2005 and become renowned worldwide by 2010,
according to the fourth conference held by the park leaders yesterday.
The Zhangjiang High-tech Park has undergone rapid development since the
city focused on Zhangjiang development three years ago, introducing 476
projects, 5.4 times as many as the past seven years. The park has attracted
US$7.97 billion in investments, 7.7 times as much as the past seven years,
with US$6.57 billion in foreign investments. Fixed asset investments in
the park amounted to 24.45 billion yuan (US$2.94 billion) over the last
three years, output value reached 15.44 billion yuan and tax revenue reached
1.574 billion yuan, with 7.2 square kilometers of land developed. These
four figures are 7.7 times, 5.7 times, 1.8 times and 6.8 times greater
than in the past seven years respectively. The strategy focusing on Zhangjiang
development has yielded great achievements over the past three years,
said Mayor Han Zheng, a member of the leaders group. "It is a breakthrough,
but we should make further improvements," Han said. Zhangjiang High-tech
Park is expected to spur local economic growth by introducing advanced
technologies and projects to the integrated circuit, software development
and biopharmaceutical sectors, Han said. "Technological innovation is
the key factor to improve Zhangjiang's competitiveness," Han said. "Zhangjiang
is far behind the world's top high-tech parks, especially in technological
innovation, so we should introduce renowned research institutes from home
and abroad," Han added. All local departments should help Zhangjiang clear
obstacles to development, he said.
From http://www.shanghai.gov.cn/ 05/16/2003
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Digital Project Launched for Yellow River
Information technology will be used to manage the Yellow River, according
to a program ratified by the Ministry of Water Resources. The digital
program on the Yellow River was proposed by the Yellow River Water Resources
Committee in July 2001 and finalized in July 2002 after discussion and
study by relevant experts. The program will introduce an advanced geographical
information system and database technology to the Yellow River management,
according to the Yellow River Water Resources Committee. The first phase
of the program includes the construction of a rainstorm warning system
and a water quantity control system.
From Xinhua News Agency 05/17/2003
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Ebay Invests $Us150 Mln in Shanghai E-Commerce
Site
BEIJING - The US-based eBay internet auction service has invested $US150
million in Shanghai's biggest B2C generalist e-commerce website (www.eachnet.com).
The eBay service is now the biggest shareholder in the website, which
offers general items for sale which are similar to those sold on eBay.
In March last year, eBay, America's biggest e-commerce company, bought
33 per cent of eachnet's shares at a cost of $US30 million.
From http://www.asiapulse.com/ 06/17/2003
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Hong Kong: Cyberport Emerges from Blueprints
to Reality
Cyberport has emerged from the blueprints into reality at Telegraph Bay,
on Hong Kong Island's southwest shores. Two of its sprawling office towers
are already complete, while a third office tower, the 173-room Le Meridien
hotel and a high-tech shopping and entertainment complex are slated to
open by the end of the year. "We had this concept where we want to build
this beautiful campus on this beautiful location so that people in the
IT industry could form clusters together, because the IT industry consists
of not just software, but multimedia, digital entertainment, many of these
very creative industries," says Secretary for Commerce, Industry & Technology
Henry Tang.
Green and serene: A model of Cyberport with the CyberCentre in front; Betty
Fung is all smiles inside the Visitor's Centre; the campus-like environment
is unique in Hong Kong. "We needed a conducive environment that is more
than just an ordinary office building," Mr Tang said. "So we had this concept
to come up with this beautiful location where you can see this campus-like
structure so that companies would cluster here and have little breakout
areas like this beautiful piazza, with the fountains and cafe bars, so they
would be able to realise their potential and let their imagination run wild."
Cyberport Coordinator Betty Fung is also upbeat about the project, and with
good reason. "The Cyberport vision is to create a strategic cluster of about
100 IT and IT-related companies and also to recruit about 10,000 professionals
on the campus," Mrs Fung says. "Cyberport is part and parcel of our Digital
21 strategy to build Hong Kong as a leading digital city in the region,"
she added. "It is Hong Kong's flagship IT project. It is meant to be an
international IT centre and also to grow as a digital and IT centre in the
region."
Already it has attracted dozens of tenants. Among them are:
* SmartTrust, a mobile-services provider;
* DBTronix, a source for security solutions;
* Outblaze, a leader in messaging services;
* GXS International, offering electronic transaction solutions and supply-chain
management;
* Rainbow Technologies, a security solutions provider;
* ESRI, for geographical information systems and mapping solutions;
* HNH International, the company that controls Naxos, a leading classical
music label;
* Arctic Cooling, providers of noise-reduction technology;
* HK CSL, a mobile telecoms provider;
* Compuware Asia Pacific, offering software and services to optimise productivity;
* Suntek Computer Systems, providing solutions for the Web;
* Everbest Technology, a telecoms solutions service provider;
* telecoms company PCCW, a major stakeholder in Cyberport; and
* software giant Microsoft Hong Kong.
Campus-like environment unique in Hong Kong
"All my tenants told me
that they like Cyberport mostly because of the low-density, campus-like
environment, which is very unique in Hong Kong and gives them the impetus
for innovation and creativity," Mrs Fung said. "The second thing is they
look forward to this cluster, and the synergy unleashed by the IT-related
companies here in Cyberport." Microsoft Hong Kong's Managing Director Mark
Phibbs agreed that Cyberport had a number of advantages. "Number one, it
was more like a campus environment than what we had at our headquarters
in Redmond - which we think is very important for creativity, for people's
work environment," he said. "It gave us an opportunity to really build the
office we always wanted, with the advantage that it was assisting the Hong
Kong Government in terms of the knowledge-economy aspirations and together
with the fact that it provides all those facilities like wireless networking
that we'd been looking for. They were the key reasons." Most visitors to
Cyberport are impressed by the environment, Mrs Fung says, especially when
they walk on the landscaped podium, enjoy the sunshine and the relaxing
outdoor atmosphere. The complex occupies 24 hectares on Telegraph Bay, on
Hong Kong Island's southwest shores, with unobstructed views of the South
China Sea and Lantau Island.
Wireless communications, range of facilities simplify life
"Cyberport
is designed as a low-density campus-like environment. It has a wide range
of facilities meant to be self sufficient in all aspects of business operations,
entertainment, dining and shopping. People can just work in an outdoor environment
in the wireless LAN environment, and have a cup of coffee, work on their
laptop communicates with their office," Mrs Fung says. "We have plenty of
greening and landscaped areas. People can just jog or cycle in the environment
which is very comfortable and relaxing". Microsoft's Mark Phibbs could not
agree more. "If you think about our Redmond campus environment, many companies
started up around that environment and we play off each other to develop
better solutions, solve customer problems, so I hope this can be the thing
that can happen at Cyberport, as well," he said. Personally, he enjoys the
terrific seaview. "I also like the fact that it is more of a campus environment,
which I think is quite unique in Hong Kong."
Cutting-edge technologies spark further innovation
Cyberport's interiors are high-tech from floor to ceiling. It offers state-of-the-art
technologies to tenants - from the services in their offices to the shared
facilities found throughout the complex. These include an Internal Private
Network, Enhanced Connectivity Services (including Bandwidth on Demand,
SMATV, VSAT and Blockwiring), Wireless LAN, Smart Card System, and a Unified
Messaging Service. Tenants can take advantage of common facilities, too,
including Audio-Visual Systems, a Business Centre and Theatres, Central
Data Exchange, Cyberport Help Centre, Cyberportal, Digital Media Centre,
iResource Centre, Kiosk Network, and the Network Operations Centre. The
futuristic Visitor's Centre showcases cutting-edge technology applications
such as teleconferencing kiosks, funky interactive sound and light shows,
and screens you can navigate by pointing - no touch required. The highlight
of a Cyberport tour is the panoramic video show, which is screened in a
360-degree theatre. When visitors see this, Mrs Fung said, "they are really
impressed and say, 'Wow!'"
Occupancy rates soar, despite economic doldrums
Mrs Fung notes that Cyberport has been hugely successful in attracting IT
and IT-related companies to become tenants. The first building, Cyberport
2, completed in April last year, now has a 97% occupancy rate. The second
building, Cyberport 1, completed in November last year, is already about
half occupied. Part of the last office building, Cyberport 3, was finished
this spring and it already has a 25% takeup rate. "People come to see Cyberport
and realise that our vision was originally correct," says the Commerce,
Industry & Technology Secretary. "We now have world class IT companies that
are clustered here, we are forming clusters, and the tenancy is beginning
to build up without us having to discount it. So I think it is forming and
the applications are coming by themselves." Mr Tang is especially pleased
that many applicants are from overseas - which means they are bringing new
investment into Hong Kong. "So not only are we building the clusters that
we originally intended to, we are attracting new investments into Hong Kong
as well as new technology so that the local IT industry and overseas IT
industry can have this interaction and build on each other's strengths."
Future looks bright at Telegraph Bay
Cyberport has already attracted dozens of tenants who share its vision.
From babbling brooks, and a terraced lawn, to an IT street with shared multimedia
resources and business facilities, it holds the potential to drive innovation.
When the hotel and retail entertainment complex open at the end of this
year, Cyberport is expected to draw tourists, too. A robot showcase and
dinosaur museum will surely make it a hit with kids. Stay tuned.
From http://www3.news.gov.hk/06/26/2003
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Beijing to Set Up Base for Headquarters of High-tech
Enterprises
High-tech enterprises will soon be able to be able to set up their headquarters
in the Fengtai District of Beijing as construction on a large base for
such businesses began recently. As a major program of the Fengtai section
of the Zhongguancun Science and Technology Park, known as China's "Silicon
Valley", the headquarters base is built at a cost of 4.5 billion yuan
(549 million US dollars). Construction of a small airport and the first
part of the program has begun, covering an area of 200,000 square meters.
By December this year, 83 buildings will be completed for 83 high-tech
enterprises. The second part, consisting of 87 buildings,will begin construction
in the same month. The whole project will end in three to five years with
an area of 1.1 million square meters. The base is expected to bring a
total income of 40 billion yuan(4.9 billion US dollars) and a total tax
of 1.5 billion yuan (183 million US dollars) each year, said the developers.
To date, 15 high-tech enterprises have named their buildings inthe park.
More than 20 businesses are under negotiation. The China Construction
Bank Beijing Branch has supported the program with three billion yuan
(366 million US dollars), according to a developer, the Daofeng Scientific
& Business Park Construction Co., Ltd.
From Xinhuanet 07/02/2003
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Macao: PC Enters 64.9 Percent of Households
- Survey
Personal computer has entered 64.9 percent of households in Macao, according
to a survey conducted by the Macao University, which was a part of the
World Internet Project. The survey result available Wednesday was based
on random calls of 1,002 Macao residents aged between 18 to 74. It showed
that 71.2 percent of the surveyed people have access to Internet, and
46.2 percent of them can log on the Internet at home. Among the Internet
population, 55.2 percent were male, and 31 percent below the age of 24.
The averaged Internet hours were 9.8 hours per week. The survey also suggested
that although the use of PC and Internet is popular, Macao residents have
not yet developed a habit of Internet purchasing with only 11.4 percent
of Internet surfers having the experience of net purchasing, as compared
to 33 percent in the Chinese mainland and 20 percent in Hong Kong. The
Internet survey project initiated by the University of California, the
United States, has drawn interests from 20 experts from North American,
European and the Asia Pacific regions.
From Xinhua News Agency 07/10/2003
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30 Million Viewers to Tune into Digital TV
China is on track to sign up 30 million cable digital television subscribers
by 2005. But it still needs to do more to sell the technology to consumers
to fulfill its target. According to a five-year plan drawn up by the State
Administration of Radio, Film and Television, many cities in China will
broadcast digital television in two years' time. Under the plan, the nation
is divided into three parts, in addition to the four municipalities of
Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin and Chongqing. The eastern zone includes Guangdong,
Fujian, Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Shandong provinces, while the western zone
includes the Xinjiang Uygur, Tibet, Ningxia Hui and Inner Mongolia autonomous
regions and Qinghai, Gansu, Yunnan and Guizhou provinces. And the central
zone is composed of the remaining provinces and regions on the mainland.
Before the year 2005, all cities in the eastern zone, capital cities and
a few smaller cities in the central zone, and some capital cities in the
western zone will start cable digital broadcasting. Some 40 Chinese cities
and regions have already trialed digital television broadcasts, and more
small- and medium-sized cities have announced plans to start digital television
broadcasting in one or two years' time. However, there are still not enough
cable digital television subscribers in China. Many cable TV subscribers
still regard watching digital television as a "luxury," since it means
adding a decoding device, which costs at least 1,000 yuan (US$120.50),
so that their TV sets recognize the digital signal. "This extra cost has
turned the cable TV network into a bottleneck for digital television development,"
said Wang Xiaojie, an official with the State Administration of Radio,
Film and Television. The current cable network is able to transmit 40
to 50 channels at most, leaving no room for further development, she said.
Wang said digital television is a better solution, since it allows for
400 to 500 channels. When Beijing was hit by SARS and students were ordered
to stay home in May, there was only one TV channel available to them,
broadcasting one distance learning program after another for students
in different grades. "But with digital television, we can provide students
with one channel of learning programs per grade," said Wang. Starting
from this month, 33 cities around the country have been designated by
the administration to promote cable digital television on a large scale,
with the aim of attaching decoders to most TV sets. Guangzhou, capital
of South China's Guangdong Province, has announced it will provide new
cable digital television subscribers with the decoder for free. One of
the beneficiaries of this promotion is domestic TV set producers, because
programs broadcast digitally will be shown more clearly on a digital TV
set. "This is the third revolution in television's development history,"
Sun Guangrong, a senior manager of Xiamen Overseas Chinese Electronic
Co Ltd (Xoceco), told.
From China Daily 07/14/2003
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Beijing Cable Action Draws Increasing Criticism
Beijing cable TV subscribers will pay up to 50 percent more a month,
starting this month, to the city's only cable TV provider -- Beijing Gehua
CATV Network Co Ltd. The price rise of 6 yuan (72 US cents) has raised
the hackles of many Beijingers. "The public's voice should be heard before
the company raises the price, since it has a monopoly over the business,"
said a subscriber called Sang, 32, who works as a public servant. In the
past few days, the decision by Beijing Gehua CATV has drawn increasing
criticism on online forums. Having purchased cable TV networks in Beijing's
suburbs last year, Gehua announced at the beginning of July that it will
charge each cable TV subscriber 18 yuan (US$2.20) a month starting from
July, an increase of up to 50 percent. The price rise will earn the company
an extra 70 million yuan (US$8.4 million) in the latter half of this year.
The company said in its announcement that it had given subscribers more
TV channels and improved the quality of broadcasts by completing its optic
cable network in 2001. The old charges no longer covered the cost of maintaining
the optic cable network. "As our company will broadcast cable digital
television (in Beijing area) in the near future, it will be really hard
to cover all those costs if we do not raise the price," said a source
with the company, who preferred to remain anonymous. The unidentified
source stressed their price hike was legal, since it was approved by the
Prices Bureau of Beijing Municipality. However, many customers argue that
the fee increase contravened the State's Pricing Law and its regulations
on public hearings. At present, the State uses a multilevel pricing structure.
The prices of most products are decided by market forces. Public utilities
which provide essential goods or services, or companies that hold a monopoly,
can raise prices in line with market trends, subject to government approval.
But before final decisions are made, public hearings are required. Zhou
Hanhua, a law scholar with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said
hearings should have been held on the price of cable TV.
From China Daily 07/15/2003
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Shanghai: Local Surfing Project in Progress
From March to June this year, 27,074 Shanghai residents have completed
free Internet training, and the city has established 366 training centers
- part of the city's project of a "Million Families Surfing the Web,"
the Shanghai government said in a press briefing yesterday. It vows to
train to 100,000 residents by the end of the year. Meanwhile, Shanghai
will hold a contest in which mothers from 35 to 60 can enter an Internet
surfing competition next month.
From http://www.shanghai.gov.cn/ 07/20/2003
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Telephone Users in China Number 472mln by End
of June
The number of telephone users in China rose to 472 million by the end
of June, according to statistics from the Chinese Ministry of Information
Industry on Wednesday. To date, the number of fixed phone users is 237.6
million whilethe number of mobile phone users has reached 234.47 million.
According to the ministry, every 100 Chinese have 19.4 fixed telephones
and 18.3 mobile phones on average. The total income of China's post and
telecommunications sector during the first six months of 2003 reached
246.4 billion yuan (about 29.7 billion US dollars), an increase of 11.5
percent. The income of the country's postal service in the first half
year was 26.42 billion yuan (nearly 3.2 billion US dollars), up 6.8 percent,
and that for the telecommunications service was 219.97 billion yuan (26.5
billion US dollars), up 12.1 percent.
From http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/ 07/23/2003
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JAPAN: Qualified IT Staff Still Thin on Ground
At least one in four major Japanese companies lack qualified information-technology
staff despite the high unemployment rate amid the sluggish economy, according
to a Kyodo News survey released Tuesday. Most of the companies called
on the government to take further measures to train IT personnel, saying
such steps are needed to keep up with international competition. The demand
for IT workers at major companies suggests the situation is even worse
at small and midsize firms. Training competent IT personnel poses an immediate
challenge for Japan, especially as it aims to become a global IT leader
and also because it needs to promote industrial structural reform and
recover its international competitiveness. The survey questionnaires were
sent to executives at 150 major companies in April, and 135 firms responded.
Sixty-five firms, or 48 percent, said they have enough IT personnel, while
36 companies, or 27 percent, said they need more. None of the firms had
a glut of IT workers. Two major electronic firms said they need at least
1,000 more IT workers. Seven other firms said they lack between 100 and
1,000 qualified employees. Most companies found government strategy on
training IT workers to be inadequate, with 86 firms, or 64 percent, saying
it needs to be improved. Only 19 firms, or 14 percent, said it was sufficient.
From The Japan Times 05/07/2003
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Schoolboy Hacks 140 Internet Sites to Protest
War
A 15-year-old boy is facing charges for hacking into 140 Internet sites
in 23 countries to protest against the U.S.-led war in Iraq, police said
Tuesday. The first-year high school student from Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture,
has admitted to the allegations. "I did it to make the United States take
a look at itself and realize what they have done in their selfish war,"
he reportedly told police. However, he also acknowledged that he originally
started doing it for kicks. "It was like a game. I wanted to show my abilities
to hackers around the world." Police said the specific case for which
the youth, whose name is being withheld, was arrested concerns an illegal
access he made from his home computer into a server in Tokyo's Setagaya-ku
on March 28. He used the server to launch attacks on American, British
and Japanese websites, posting antiwar messages. He reportedly started
hacking into websites in November last year but a majority of the 140
attacks he carried out occurred after the U.S.-led forces launched attacks
on Iraq. Police sent documents to prosecutors Tuesday accusing the youth
of breaking laws prohibiting illegal accesses.
From Mainichi Shimbun 06/10/2003
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Central Tokyo Reborn: Redeveloped Areas Bursting
with Cosmopolitan Verve
Central Tokyo is enjoying a renaissance as massive redevelopment projects
transform little-used sections of town into shopping and entertainment hotspots.
These major projects, several of which have recently been completed, each
have their own unique attractions, but all have one thing in common: The
resulting complexes incorporate not only office space but everything people
need to live, work, and enjoy themselves in the twenty-first century, including
modern residences, state-of-the-art international business facilities, and
a plethora of entertainment options. The creation of these diverse new districts
is further invigorating Japan's already thriving capital.
A High-Rise Cosmopolitan City in Roppongi
The latest example of large-scale redevelopment is Roppongi Hills, which
opened on April 25. Roppongi has long had a strong international flavor
thanks to the presence of so many embassies and other diplomatic and consular
facilities in the area. The many restaurants, boutiques, and art galleries
in Roppongi, meanwhile, make it a hub of information and trends. And, of
course, the source of Roppongi's reputation as a place that never sleeps
is the myriad of clubs, discotheques, and bars that are packed with patrons
well into the small hours.
Roppongi Hills is a multi-purpose city within a city. Besides office space,
the newly completed complex includes a tower complete with an art gallery,
a library, and an observation deck; a nine-screen cinema complex with seating
for 2,100 people; a hotel complex containing the Grand Hyatt Tokyo and numerous
first-class restaurants; an event arena and garden complete with a circular
stage; four residential apartment buildings (total 800 units) that boast
a highly sought after city-center location; and the headquarters of a major
TV station. The centerpiece of this complex is the Roppongi Hills Mori Tower,
which, at 54 floors and 238 meters high, is already one of Tokyo's newest
landmarks.
Green spaces and environmental considerations have been built into the design
of Roppongi Hills. About 50% of the complex's total area consists of gardens,
pavilions, and other open spaces. One feature that is a particularly pleasant
surprise in the heart of the city is the Mohri Garden, an authentic Japanese
garden complete with a pond and trees.
Minoru Mori, president and CEO of Mori Building Co., describes Roppongi
Hills as "a high-rise, compact city combining facilities for working, living,
playing, and studying." The range of facilities available in this complex
is truly stunning. Unlike past redevelopment projects where the emphasis
was on office space, Roppongi Hills gives equal status to the cultural and
residential facilities, shops, and restaurants. During the 2003 Golden Week
holidays in late April and early May, Roppongi Hills drew some 2.65 million
visitors, who came to shop, to dine, and just to look around. One thing
is certain: Roppongi Hills has leapt to fame as a new Tokyo landmark. It
is set to establish itself as one of the must-see attractions for visitors
from elsewhere in Japan and abroad.
Business, Boutiques, and Academia in One Building
Before Roppongi Hills started making headlines, another construction project
that drew attention for changing the Tokyo landscape was the newly renovated
Marunouchi Building, which opened in September of last year. The Marunouchi
Building was originally constructed in 1923 and was an office building symbolizing
the Marunouchi district, Japan's business hub. The new, 37-story Marunouchi
Building, which stands about 180 meters tall, is also predominantly an office
complex, but one thing that sets the new edifice apart from its predecessor
is the large number of shops and eateries it contains.
With about 140 shops and restaurants, Tokyoites and visitors alike have
been drawn to the new Marunouchi Building as an attractive place to spend
time. The developers have been extremely selective about the commercial
tenants, so the building is an excellent place to find designer boutiques
and sample some of the best cuisine in Tokyo.
Another defining feature of the new Marunouchi Building is that the office
tenants include three prestigious universities, which have each established
a presence in the building in order to be near the top-class companies that
have offices there. One of the academic tenants is Japanese (a satellite
office of the University of Tokyo's Faculty of Economics), one American
(Harvard Business School's Japan Research Office), and one Swedish (the
Tokyo office of the European Institute of Japanese Studies, part of the
Stockholm School of Economics). The Marunouchi district used to be synonymous
with businesspeople in offices, but the diverse attractions of the new Marunouchi
building are drawing a wide range of visitors, including shoppers, tourists,
working women, and students.
More Redevelopment Projects to Follow
Yet another huge multi-use complex, the Shiodome Shiosite, opened in December
2002 in the Shiodome waterfront area of downtown Tokyo. The complex, built
on the site of a disused train switchyard, includes the Caretta Shiodome
(site is Japanese only) building, where Japan's largest advertising agency,
Dentsu Inc., has its headquarters.
And an office complex known as Shinagawa Grand Commons opened at the east
exit of JR Shinagawa railway station in April. Some well-known companies
that were formerly based in the Marunouchi district have relocated their
offices to this site.
Among the areas due for large-scale redevelopment is land formerly occupied
by the Defense Agency in Roppongi and the Nihonbashi district. These many
ambitious projects are not only changing the capital's skyline; they are
enriching the lifestyles of those who live in and around Tokyo by expanding
the city's horizons, broadening the range of dining, shopping, and entertainment
options, and providing exciting new opportunities for exchange and dialogue
among businesspeople, residents, visitors, and others.
From http://jin.jcic.or.jp/ 06/19/2003
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Kansai Science City
Located on Keihanna Hill, Kansai Science City is now being developed
as an international base for innovative cultural and scientific research
activities in interdisciplinary fields.Cultural and research facilities
are to be dispersed in twelve clusters. HUD is in charge of 60% of the
total development area, where approximately 37,000 people are in residence
(as of March,1994) and many high-level cultural and scientific research
facilities are conglomerating in the area.
From http://www.udc.go.jp/ 07/01/2003
TOPˇü
Objectives of the Construction of Kansai Science
City
Kansai Science City is constructed under the Kansai Science City Construction
Act with the following objectives: Creation and exchange of various cultures,
Promotion of new and innovative science and technology, and Construction
of a pilot model city for the 21st century, by fully utilizing the historical
and rich cultural, scientific and technological assets of the Kinki area.
Kansai Science City is also considered as one of Japan's national projects
aimed at constructing a stronghold for the development and production
of creative, international, interdisciplinary and cross-industrial culture,
science and technology for the 21st century, and at contributing to the
development of culture, science and technology for Kinki area, as well
as of Japan and the world.
From http://www.mlit.go.jp/ 07/01/2003
TOPˇü
Japan Sees Broadband Users Tripling by 2007
A government report released this week names Japan as the upcoming broadband
giant. The report states that Japan will be one of the world's most wired
nations by 2007 as low fees boost demand for broadband services. The Telecommunications
Ministry said in an annual white paper that 60 million Japanese -- nearly
half the population -- will be surfing the Net on high-speed broadband
networks by 2007. This compares with about 20 million now. Although Japan
leads the world in Internet-enabled mobile phones, for many years it has
lagged other advanced nations in fixed-line Internet connections, partly
due to a lack of competition and some of the world's highest connection
charges. Japan had also lagged far behind South Korea in adopting high-speed
Internet connections, but has caught up quickly since service provider
Softbank Corp launched a cut-price ADSL (asymmetric digital subscriber
line) service in late 2001.
From http://www.carriersworld.com/ 07/07/2003
TOPˇü
Kitakyushu E-PORT Project
The "Kitakyushu e-PORT Project" aims at building an informational port,
i.e., e-PORT, and providing IT services as utility services which can
be used easily and conveniently like electricity, water and gas service.
The City of Kitakyushu hopes that the project becomes the 3rd port following
the New Hibiki Port (Seaport) and a new Kitakyushu airport (Airport) which
are under construction in Kitakyushu City. Since the services not only
reduce IT cost but release the users from the management business of a
complicated computer system, it is expected that operating reform and
new enterprise deployment become easy for the e-PORT users. And the e-PORT
is going to lead to creation of IT businesses and expansion of regional
economy. By the "Kitakyushu e-PORT Project", the city aims at next-generation
IT industrial promotion, and it tackles the project to advance a citizen
life, corporate activities and administration services.
From http://www.city.kitakyushu.jp/ 07/14/2003
TOPˇü
Kitakyushu Science and Research Park
We intend to become center of academic research in Asia.
*The geographical advantage of being close to rapidly developing countries
in Asia
*Education and research concerning the latest scientific technology
*Accumulation of universities with science and engineering fuculties and
research institutes representing Japan and overseas
We intend to realize the production of new industries and further development
of the technology .
*Promotion of an advanced information base and industrial infrastructure
.
*Coodination of collaboration between industry and academia by promoting
joint research by universities and businesses
*Financial assistance for research and development to support joint researches
*Formation of an international nucleus for SoC design
Unified operations of the Sience and Research Park
*Unified operations of the Sience and Research Park by Kitakyushu Foundation
for the Advancement of Industry,Science and Technology
*Promoting partnerships and exchages by joint use of facilities
*Education and development through Cooperation & Competition
The campus is friendly to nature and environment.
*Incorporating efforts to use natural forms of energy
*Inclusion of a graywater system to reuse rainwater and treated water
*Inclusion of a new,efficient energy system
From http://www.ksrp.or.jp/ 07/14/2003
TOPˇü
SOUTH KOREA: Local e-Biz Environment Ranked
16th in World
Research by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) says South Korea ranks
16th in the world for its e-business environment. According to the EIU
e-readiness survey for 2003, South Korea ranked 16th among the world's
60 largest economies, scoring 7.8 points out of a total 10 points, up
from 21st (7.11 points) in 2002. Sweden deposed the U.S. and topped the
list with 8.67 points. Although the country outstripped Japan (in 24th
place), it lagged behind Australia and countries in Northern Europe and
North America, such as Sweden, Denmark, the Netherlands and the U.K.,
that claimed the top nine spots, as well as Singapore (12th) and Hong
Kong (13th). The EIU e-readiness rankings, now in their fourth year, provide
an established benchmark for countries to compare and assess their e-business
environments, suggesting areas in which government policy and funds can
be focused. The EIU assesses the e-readiness of countries in six categories.
Each category is given a score out of 10 and weighted according to its
importance in the evaluation model. Connectivity and technology infrastructure
account for 25 percent of the score and business environment for 20 percent.
The regulatory environment, competition policy and openness to trade and
investment, consumer and business adoption are given a weight of 20 percent,
while the legal and policy environments contribute 15 percent to the overall
score, social and cultural infrastructure 15 percent, and supporting e-services
5 percent. South Korea earned relatively poor scores in connectivity environment
and technology infrastructure (7.1) and business environment (7.4). Singapore
received the highest points in the connectivity environment category with,
trailed by Sweden with 7.9 and Hong Kong with 7.8. The Netherlands and
Canada topped the business environment category with 8.7. In the case
of consumer and business adoption, South Korea earned relatively high
score of 8.5, whereas Sweden received 9.1, Austria 8.8, and the Netherlands,
the U.S. and the U.K. 8.6. South Korea received 8.1 points for legal and
policy environment, another 8.1 for social and cultural infrastructure
and 8.5 for supporting e-services. But most of developed countries such
as Sweden, the U.S., and Switzerland received scores of between 8.5 and
9.3 in all three categories, while Hong Kong and Singapore received marks
comparable to those of South Korea. "South Korea needs to work on improving
the local business environment, social and cultural infrastructure, legal
and policy environment and supporting systems for e-services, while further
promoting domestic consumers and businesses to adopt e-business," an official
from the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Energy said. "There must have
been a flaw in the EIU e-readiness research. South Korea boasts of one
of the world's fastest high speed Internet and telecom infrastructures
and the highest Internet, PC and mobile phone penetration rates, which
the OECD has already recognized. It is absurd that South Korea earned
7.1 in connectivity," he added. He explained that the EIU may had limited
access to the local e-business industry since a large number of e-business
websites do not provide English services, thus leaving their research
flawed. Meanwhile, the EIU said South Korea appears to be making the fastest
progress of all and the saturation in densely populated urban commercial
and residential districts with cheap telephone and broadband networks
puts South Korea in a unique position to exploit e-commerce.
From http://www.korea.net/ 05/01/2003
TOPˇü
Cyberbank to Roll Out Multimedia PDA Models
Korea's personal digital assistant market has long drawn interest among
investors and hardware makers; however, the trouble is that the market
has yet to enjoy a full-fledged boom. The overall economy is in tatters,
hurt by slowing exports and the severe acute respiratory syndrome. The
mobile service operators are also struggling to jack up the number of
new subscribers amid deteriorating consumer sentiment. "The PDA industry
at large will face a make-or-break period later this year," said Cho Young-sun,
chief executive of Cyberbank Corp. Cyberbank is one of the largest PDA
makers in Korea, with its reputation well known among foreign technology
giants like Microsoft Corp. One of its early models built on the Windows
operating system was displayed at Microsoft headquarters. But domestically
the situation is not favorable. The Korean government has yet to confirm
a much-needed generous handset subsidy limit for multimedia PDAs, and
consumers are slow to embrace PDA phones, even though analysts and tech
experts praise the cutting-edge technologies deployed by mainstream PDA
makers. "Innovative Cyberbank PDA models will debut in the second half
of this year, and we hope the mass market will respond to the new products
positively," Cho said. Cyberbank is currently providing its flagship PDA
phone models to SK Telecom, KTF and LG Telecom. The venture firm also
supplied 10,000 units to fixed-line telecom giant KT(Korea Telecom) in
January for Nespot wireless local area network service. The Korean government
is keen to promote wireless LAN services in a bid to spur the sales of
multimedia PDA phones and other mobile gadgets. Cyberbank has already
rolled out PDA phone models equipped with cdma2000 1x technology, allowing
subscribers to access the Web freely. But the cdma2000 PDA phones are
classified as mobile handsets, which means manufacturers cannot offer
any subsidies under the current regulations. "The handset subsidy is a
crucial issue for the PDA industry. Once the domestic market takes off,
major PDA makers will be able to enter overseas markets with solid business
models and better products," Cho said. The Ministry of Information and
Communication has explored various options to loosen up handset subsidies
as the mobile phone and PDA markets confront a slowdown. Under the current
regulations on handset subsidy, carriers are allowed to offer up to a
20 percent discount for PDA phones on the condition that subscribers sign
up for subscription programs. But PDA makers like Cyberbank said the discount
limit should be 50 percent to kick start the embattled market. The portion
of PDA phones in the global market was less than 1 percent in 2001, but
the figure is expected to rise to 10 percent in 2005. The domestic market
was estimated at 250,000 units in 2002, and is expected to grow to 700,000-800,000
units this year. In a series of consumer surveys, Korean PDA users tend
to view the optimal price for mainstream PDAs as 300,000 won, which is
roughly half the price of key models available on the market. Cho said
Cyberbank will focus on smart phones when it unveils its new models in
the second half. "We've tried PDA phones of different sizes and functionalities,
but the size should be smaller than today's PDAs since people do not want
bulky handsets," Cho said. The new models will utilize a wide array of
functionalities including MP3 player, camcorders, digital cameras and
better displays, Cho said. Cyberbank's current flagship lineup is POZ.
The company has sold 45,000 units so far since the formal launch in September
2002. The company posted 18 billion won in revenue in the first quarter
of this year, and its target is 100 billion won in revenue for 2003. "Our
view is that people will accept PDAs only when their size is just slightly
bigger than that of normal mobile handsets," Cho said. To that end, the
LCD screen for new PDA models will become smaller - from today's 3.5-inch
display to a 2.8-inch display. Normal mobile handsets come with 2.2-inch
screens. Cyberbank is competing with Samsung Electronics, CellVic (formerly
Jtel), and HP Korea in the PDA market. (by Yang Sung-jin)
From http://www.seoulnow.net/ 05/06/2003
TOPˇü
Credit Card Use Crashes in 2003
Koreans' use of their credit cards fell during the first three months
of this year, as local card issuers reduced credit ceilings for their
customers amid soaring delinquencies, the Financial Supervisory Service
said yesterday. According to the financial watchdog, cardholders at nine
local non-bank credit card issuers spent a provisional 116.3 trillion
won ($96.4 billion) with their plastic, including credit purchases and
cash advances, during the first quarter of 2003, down 13.7 percent from
three months earlier. The quarterly drop in card usage followed years
of explosive growth driven by tax incentives and aggressive marketing
which caused concerns over mounting consumer defaults. The supervisory
body attributed the drop to the fact that card issuers lowered credit
ceilings and consumers reduced their spending amid an economic slump.
Card usage at LG Card Co., the country's No. 1 card company, totaled 35.7
trillion won in the first quarter, marking a decline of 8.5 percent from
the previous quarter, according to the regulatory agency. Samsung Card
Co. saw a 9.2 percent drop in its cardholders' plastic usage, falling
to 34.5 trillion won during the same period. Cardholders of Shinhan Card
Co. whipped out their plastic to spend 5.4 trillion won during the January
to March period, down 36.2 percent from the fourth quarter of 2002. Kookmin
Credit Card Co. saw card usage slide 21.7 percent on the quarter to 20
trillion won, the watchdog said. Other card issuers, including Hyundai,
Lotte and Woori, also saw 9 percent to 14 percent drops in their customers'
plastic usage. (by Kim Hyun-chul)
From http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/ 05/07/2003
TOPˇü
Systematic Preliminary Evaluation of Local R&D;
Project
R&D; Support Center attached to Daejeon Development Research Institute
was established on April, 2003 to maximize the local economic power by
promoting an educational-industrial project. Attached to Daejeon Development
Research Institute on last April 24, R&D; Support Center has embarked on
its project to activate the local economy. R&D; Support Center is focused
on evaluating and planning the educational-industrial project supported
by Daejeon Metropolitan City and the government, to effectively promote
it. In the past each university, company or research institute took the
charge of developing a new technical solution through R&D; supported by
the government or the city, however it has turned out to be lacking in
a preliminary evacuation and inspection. Daejeon R&D; Support Center has
been established at the national expense to cope with the necessity that
each self-governing body should play a leading role in promoting the R$D
project of university, research institute, and industry. "We have felt
keenly the necessity of R$D support center, but enough fund and manpower
has not been supplied.", said Ph. Dr Lim Sung-bok at Daejeon Development
Research Institute. "Now, investing the national subsidy of 8.4 billion
won, we will run varied supporting project such as finding and evaluating
a new business." Evaluation Function: Development of pricing model to
evaluate how all the research institutes, universities, and companies,
which have participated in R&D; project, operate effectively. Planning
Function: Finding technical and management problems of an industry as
well as interchange problems among industry, research institute, and university
to fix them. Feedback & Database: KCCI and Korea Bank have performed the
task of regional survey, but its output was not satisfactory due to insufficient
fund and manpower. R&D; Support Center will investigate a new technology
and the network related to information on manpower, equipment, and cooperation,
in order to accumulate database.
From http://www.metro.daejeon.kr/ 05/12/2003
TOPˇü
Daejeon, A New Mecca of Media Industry
A film that covers youngsters dreaming of a special Christians is produced
in Yuseung district. In this comedy film, 3 young heres will show funny
and warm-hearted episodes about Christians on 'a bath house street' in
Yuseong. They will start filming 'Happy Ero Christmas' on May 22 started,
being expected to be released in the coming winter. The film is directed
by Lee Gun-dong, a native of Daejeon, and starred by famous Korea movie
actors. Having produced many box-office films such as 'Going Home' and
'Pairan', Tube Pictures is taking another step toward a hit movie. Tube
Pictures(President, Hwang Woo-hyun) is planning to have a press conference
on the film. The SFX town is established in EXPO park. Promoting CT(Cultural
Technology) industry of high value added and environmental-friendly advantage
based on the state-of-the-art science technology of Daeduk Valley, Daejeon
has started on preparations for the establishment. Accordingly, raising
the capital of 11 billion Won, Daejeon will complete the design, and start
construction work by end of this year to complete it by 2004. Especially
including varied advanced equipments, which are developed by ETRI and
KAIST, the facilities are also expected to contribute to development of
digital industry as well as upbringing experts. The SFX Town will be located
at CP cluster in EXPO Park on a scale of three floors and one underground,
and also equipped with varied advanced hardwares that can realize digitalized
CG for all the media fields including broadcasting, movie, animation,
etc. In addition, it will be well equipped with a miniature set, motion
control system, blue screen. Now it can perform any hi-tech digital operation
without relying on foreign countries, making Daejeon a new mecca of media
industry.
From http://www.metro.daejeon.kr/ 05/19/2003
TOPˇü
E-Commerce Deals Top W170 Trillion
Electronic commerce transactions reached 170 trillion won ($141 billion)
last year, which represents 13 percent of the country's total business
transactions estimated at 1,359 trillion won, the Ministry of Commerce,
Industry and Energy said the day before yesterday. The comparable figures
for 2001 and 200 are 118.9 trillion won and 57.5 trillion won, respectively,
representing 9.1 percent and 4.5 percent of the country's business deals.
Last year, business-to-business transactions surged to 155 trillion won,
from 109 trillion won in 2001 and 52.3 trillion won in 2000. Business-to-consumer
deals climbed to 5 trillion won, from 2.6 trillion won and 700 billion
won in 2000. (by Yoo Soh-jung)
From http://www.seoulnow.net/ 06/03/2003
TOPˇü
Online Translation Service Available for Businessmen
Internet users are now able to surf China's Web sites without knowledge
of the nation's language. Beginning this week, Konan Technology provides
local Web surfers with an automatic Chinese to Korean translation solution
through the Internet search portal Empas. For example, if a user enters
"Buddhism" in Korean at the local portal site Empas, the system offered
by Konan retrieves Chinese Web documents containing "Buddhism" and automatically
translates them to Korean. "Through the online translation, we are trying
to offer updated and accurate information on China to domestic enterprises
and students," Koo Ja-kap, president and chief operating officer of the
company, said. He said, "Our automatic online translation service will
help Korean companies save time in gathering information on the Chinese
market. This should help them hone their international competitiveness."
Businessmen and students have shown interest in Konan's translation service.
Koo said, "Our translation services, including Chinese to Korean and Japanese
to Korean, are characterized by the best natural language process technology
powered by quality vocabulary data." The company provides the most precise
translation results empowered by the transplantation of a 200,000-word
basic vocabulary, 20,000 current terminologies and 280,000 proper nouns.
It also provides caption translation for digital broadcast stations, automatic
email translation, multi-language translation for online community sites
and an automatic translation solution for post-PC devices. Konan is also
a developer of Konan-DoCruzer, a large volume and super quick search engine
used by Empas. In the near future, the company will offer a Korean-Japanese-Chinese
cross language search system. "The triple-language service will make it
possible to simultaneously search Korean, Japanese and Chinese documents
with one query," Koo said. The company's state-of-the-art technology comes
from a "digital archive," which refers to the technology to digitize various
materials and information, store them electronically and provide them
in a usable format. Recently, it refers mainly to the technology to manage
multimedia materials and information. According to the schedule, transformation
to an overall digital broadcast system will be complete by 2005. Broadcast
companies are beginning to digitize their transmission systems followed
by the digital archive systems in order to finally digitize the whole
broadcast system. The digital archive system will store a huge amount
of multimedia assets in the main server and manage them to conveniently
search and transmit content quickly, which will entirely reform the overall
workflow of producing multimedia content.
From http://www.korea.net/ 06/04/2003
TOPˇü
Online Booksellers Biting the Dust
The current economic slump and the tight regulation of book discount
rates appear to have taken a toll on the once prosperous online bookstore
market with companies reporting severe drops in sales and scrambling to
find ways to escape the downturn. The nation's largest online bookseller
Yes24 posted 8.4 billion won in sales in May, down nearly 30 percent over
the same period last year. Aladdin, another major player in the business,
sustained a 10 percent downturn during the same period. The situation
is even worse for smaller competitors. The online version of the Coex
Mall's bookstore Bandibooks reported a 50 percent fall in sales since
March and is seriously considering shutting down its Internet operations.
Morning365, which built its reputation on a free and effective delivery
network at major subway stations, has started charging delivery fees,
an indicator that the company is in a difficult financial situation. The
recent slide is linked to the new law that went into effect in May, which
limits the discount rate to 10 percent for new books. The restriction,
pushed for years by the offline book market, came as bad news for the
online booksellers whose sales rely heavily on new books. The online businesses
had been enjoying a considerable advantage in price, offering up to a
30 percent discount before the new law was enforced. "The revised regulation
that reduced the discount rates apparently dealt us a heavy blow," said
an official from Yes24 in a recent press interview. "Now we are having
a hard time convincing consumers that we provide books at a cheaper price
than most." Online booksellers are working hard to fight their way out
of the mess. Most of them are offering huge discounts for the books unregulated
by the new law and are seeking other ways, such as mileage service, to
restore their price advantage. Yes24 started a new service that allows
free access to the first 20 pages of a new book and is even considering
advancing into the offline market. Despite these efforts, not many industry
insiders anticipate a quick rebound with the recent downturn in the economy.
(by Kim Tong-hyung)
From http://www.seoulnow.net/ 06/17/2003
TOPˇü
Korea Records a Surge in Patents for Safe e-Commerce
Korea recorded some 560 patent applications for e-commerce payment systems
over the past three years, KIPO, the Korean Intellectual Property Office,
reported on Thursday (June 19). The figure represents a large increase
from the 1990s when the application level hovered just above 40 cases.
The agency attributed the increase to the expansion of e-commerce activities
that Korea saw in recent years. In 2002, the nation posted a total of
170 trillion won ($140 billion) worth of e-commerce businesses, up from
118 trillion won of 2001. The patent trends of recent years have been
for improving information protection technologies and enhancing commercial
reliability, two crucial factors for safe e-commerce transactions, the
KIPO said.
From Korean Intellectual Property Office 06/20/2003
TOPˇü
Online One-Price Shops Boom Amid Sluggish Economy
One-price shops, which sell a variety of goods at a uniform price, are
expanding their presence in cyberspace, targeting domestic consumers struggling
with dwindling income in times of a protracted economic slump. Online
shopping service Lotte.com said the day before yesterday that it launched
an all 9,000 won ($7.50) shopping section on its Web page. The online
retailer is offering diverse household items - such as upscale cooking
utensils, hair dryers, electric toothbrushes, coffee makers and radio
cassettes - at heavily discounted prices of 9,000 won each. Another Internet-based
shopping service Nate.com opened a similarly themed "1,000 Won House,"
selling a range of products at a mere 1,000 won. "The sluggish domestic
economy triggered brisk demand for low-priced but high-quality goods,"
explained a product planning team manager at Lotte.com. He noted that
price-sensitive consumers feel "satisfied" when they buy goods at less
than 10,000 won. (by Kim Sung-mi )
From http://www.seoulnow.net/ 06/27/2003
TOPˇü
Seoul Lags in Hub Qualities
In a recent study, the chief executives of financial institutions in
the Asia-Pacific area ranked Seoul six among eight major cities in Northeast
Asia in terms of its suitability as a financial hub, behind cities such
as Shanghai and Beijing and above only Taipei and Sydney. According to
a report by the Seoul office of the consulting firm McKinsey & Company
at the request of the Seoul Metropolitan Government, the CEOs put Hong
Kong and Singapore as the top two financial hub cities, Tokyo and Shanghai
as the next two, and Beijing and Seoul at fifth and sixth. The consulting
firm surveyed the CEOs of the top 15 financial institutions in Asia-Pacific
region for the report. The CEOs said that Seoul had the potential for
winning the competition with new hub cities like Shanghai over the next
two or three years. But they pointed to a series of problems Seoul has
to deal with: opaque markets; inflexible labor market; excessive regulations
on the financial industry; high taxation and lack of English skills. Seoul
should swiftly make dramatic changes within two years not to be left behind,
the CEOs said. The CEOs said that Seoul's legal and regulation standards
reached only 25 percent of global standard. They said they didn't understand
how a minister could order that investments be made in a certain company
or industry due to political considerations. They criticized that while
Seoul has advocated a free market system, it has also provided bailout
packages to bankrupt companies. They emphasized that Seoul should "stop
talking and get going." The CEOs recommended remedies such as easing regulations,
streamlining the legal system, lower taxation, flexible labor market,
free currency trade, opening up the legal market, improving infrastructure
like traffic and urban planning and encouraging more use of English. (by
Shin Hyeong-jun)
From http://srch.chosun.com/ 07/23/2003
TOPˇü
Seoul City Opens Integrated Web Site
Seoul City has opened today its integrated Web site (http://www.seoul.go.kr),
designed to provide a one-stop guide to locals and expatriates by establishing
an e-Seoul. Visitors had been confused by the availability of numerous
homepages with different domain names, which were operated by almost all
the bureaus and divisions of the city government and its affiliate offices.
The government had operated a total of 77 Web sites in Korean and 20 in
English. The new site focused on information accessibility and city promotion.
Its simple Web design is also user-friendly. The city's homepage has integrated
the contents, application programs and hardware systems. Total services
in foreign languages including English, Japanese and Chinese will be available
by the end of this year. As of today, 20 homepages in foreign languages
have an integrated interface only. The government hopes the new homepage
will contribute to the improvement of administrative services and to the
decline in operation costs. For more information, please contact the Internet
Policy Team, Information System Planning Division by sending e-mail to
info@seoul.go.kr or calling at (+82-2) 3707-9207.
From http://english.seoul.go.kr/ 07/25/2003
TOPˇü
KAZAKHSTAN: Free Internet Access Summer Camp
in Kzylorda
Kzylorda free internet access centre started its work on the project
''Summer internet camp'' as per a programme of the International Research
and Exchange (IREX) council. In accordance with the project a group of
4 persons has undergone a 5 day training course in IT and internet access
in Kzylorda camp ''Arai Sunrise''. Also on the basis of the new oblast
IT and new educational technologies centre 6 children from Kazalinsk district
have been trained. KZ-today correspondent has been advised by Yelena Sidorkina,
assistant to the administrator of Kzylorda free internet access centre,
that after the course the children received certificates. During the summer
period more than 40 children are planned to be trained.
From http://www.gazeta.kz/ 07/16/2003
TOPˇü |
|
| |
INDONESIA: Electronics Manufacturers See
Strong Prospects
The country's electronic goods manufacturers have started producing digital
electronic items even though demand is still relatively low because they
expect that consumer purchasing power will soon recover in line with the
improvement of macroeconomic indicators. Electronics companies are also
now in tough competition to bring their technology to Indonesia in anticipation
of robust demand for digital electronics in the near future. In addition,
they are also planning to make Indonesia their production base for the
regional market, which is now imposing import tariffs of below five percent
on electronic goods under the Association of Southeast Asia Nations (ASEAN)
free trade area (AFTA) scheme. Electronics executives Lee Kang Kyun of
PT Samsung Electronic Indonesia and Sung Kyun of LG Electronic Indonesia
agreed that demand for digital electronics would soon rise sharply in
Indonesia. "I am optimistic enough to say demand will follow the latest
trends, in which people will soon move away from their old electronics
products to digital ones," Lee told The Jakarta Post over the weekend.
He said that his headquarters in Korea had agreed to make Indonesia a
production base for high-tech products, which would be exported to ASEAN
countries and Australia. Samsung currently markets digital electronic
items, including Digital Video Disk (DVD) players, projection TVs, plasma
TVs and LCD TVs. Samsung has produced about one million DVD players since
the company set up a plant in January 2002 in Cibitung, West Java. A year
later in January 2003, Samsung brought its projection TV technology to
Indonesia. It produces some 1,500 TV sets every month. Starting in June,
the company then produced plasma TVs from its Cibitung plant. "We have
so far produced 150 items," Lee, Samsung's marketing director, said. "We
shall also market imported home theater products here, starting this month,
but we hope to produce such products here soon," he said. However, he
declined to state the total value of Samsung's investment here. The company
is expected to book US$300 million from domestic sales in 2003, compared
with last year's $170 million, while export sales are predicted to increase
to $850 million in 2003 from $800 million last year. "Sales of digital
products will still contribute about 20 percent to this year's total revenue,"
he said. Meanwhile, LG Electronic said that the company would also bring
its technologies to Indonesia for the production of digital electronic
items. "Digital products are the future of electronics. We have to follow
the trend," Sung, LG's marketing director told the Post. He predicted
people would move from Video Compact Disc (VCD) players to DVD players
this year as prices were expected to continue falling. "We hope to control
some 20 percent of Indonesia's DVD market this year," he added. LG has
produced slim-type DVD players priced at about Rp 800,000 per item since
January 2003 at its Cibitung plant. The company is expected to start producing
projection TVs here next month so that the company can reduce its prices.
"As of now, we still import both projection TVs and plasma TVs from Korea,"
he said. He said that the price of digital TVs was still high. Sixty-inch
plasma TVs, for example, were sold here at $18,000 per item. LG predicted
its sales would reach some $300 million this year, as compared with $200
million in 2002. Both companies admitted that their move to introduce
high-tech electronic products in Indonesia was a result of the government's
decision to cut luxury taxes on electronic products last January. However,
they still urged the government to provide a further tax stimulus to encourage
more electronic companies to invest in the country. "Luxury taxes of 10
percent to 40 percent on such digital products are still high and we therefore
hope the government can reduce them," Lee said. The giant electronic companies
planned to set up manufacturing plants here in the mid-1990s, hoping to
benefit from the country's cheap labor costs and huge market potential,
but shelved their plans due to an unfavorable tax climate and rampant
smuggling. "This made Indonesia lag far behind other countries in the
digital electronics industry," Lee said. (By Adianto P Simamora)
From http://www.thejakartapost.com/ 07/14/2003
TOPˇü
BURMA: Broadband Internet Outlet Launched in
Perlis
The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) launched
its first communications community development programme (CCDP) for the
State at Kampung Sentua in Utan Aji near here yesterday in conjunction
with the World Telecommunication Day 2003. CCDP, developed by MCMC, will
enable the local community to receive broadband Internet access via satellite
technology. It will be later extended to five other state constituencies.
The programme, launched by Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim, involved
the installation of Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT), a satellite access
solution that provides broadband connectivity, and two public payphones.The
launch also incorporated the establishment of Kedai. Kom, a communications
outlet operated by the local community, providing a focal point for communications
and multimedia access. Five computer sets with Internet connection was
placed in the shop. "The MCMC has embarked on a RM90 million programme
to encourage usage of communications and multimedia-based services to
communities in the country with limited access to communication networks
and services," said MCMC chairman Tan Sri Nuraizah Abdul Hamid. The objective
was to ensure every Malaysian had the access to use the services to enhance
their knowledge and socio-economic requirements, she said. She said the
launch was timely to coincide with Raja of Perlis' 60th birthday and in
line with World Telecommunication Day 2003 theme `Helping All Of The World's
People To Communicate'. Launching the programme, Shahidan warned the users
not to abuse the facilities. "We want the community to embrace the information
and communications technology and make it part of their lives," he said.
(by T Thant)
From http://www.emedia.com.my 05/18/2003
TOPˇü
Improved Internet Technology in Store for Local
Users
KUALA LUMPUR - MIMOS Bhd, Maxis Communications Bhd and NTT MSC Sdn Bhd
signed a memorandum of understanding here yesterday to work at improving
Internet technology for its Malaysian users.The three parties will cooperate
in providing a high performance, scalable Internet working solutions through
the Internet Protocol Version 6, or IPv6. The primary objective behind
the collaboration called My6, is to conduct a trial exploring Next Generation
IP services in Malaysia.MIMOS president and chief executive officer, Tengku
Azzman Shariffadeen said, "MIMOS and Jaring have forseen the great potential
of IPv6 and we have been experimenting with it since 1999." "Now we are
extending our knowledge with Maxis and NTT to leverage on our strength
and expertise to accelerate the development of the Next Generation Protocol,"
he added. Internet Protocol Version 6, IPv6, designed by the Internet
Engineering Task Force (IETF) to replace the current version of Internet
Protocol Version 4 is an improved version.Besides addressing certain problems
in IPv4, this new version has a larger address range, upgraded routing
efficiency and quality of service (QoS), network auto-configuration, in-built
security extensions and mobility support. Maxis Multimedia's chief executive
officer, Datuk Jamaludin Ibrahim said," It is our aim to integrate the
IPv6 protocol into our respective products and services." He said Maxis
offered its consumers the convenience of being "always connected" from
their mobile terminals and devices by means of unlimited supply of IP
addresses. "In the future it is possible to switch on or off the air-conditioner
and other home equipment from mobile phones," he said when asked on the
potential of IPv6."We hope our customers will enjoy the advantages of
becoming an early adopter of IPv6 at a reasonable and affordable price,"
NTT MSC's president and chief executive officer, Hiromitsu Honda said.
Meanwhile its director, Numajiri Takashi said NTT MSC has been offering
the latest IPv6 commercial services under 'Arcnet6' since September last
year. - Bernama
From http://www.sarawaktribune.com.my/ 06/04/2003
TOPˇü
PHILIPPINES: No Gender Equality in ICT, Says
Women's Group
LIKE in any other field in society where gender equality is an issue,
women's access to and control over information and communication technology
(ICT) has become a concern. According to Anna Fionah Bojos, a Cebu-based
researcher for Women's Hub Organization, ICT is supposed to be gender-blind
because a computer would not know if it is a man or woman using it. However,
this is not happening. And in fact, women are being discriminated upon.
Bojos said the challenges facing women today are unequal control and access
to the ICT community; computer illiteracy because of limited access to
education, training and skill development; sex-segregated labor, lack
of representation from decision-making bodies and the realty that there
are few women leaders in ICT. Association for Progressive Communications
Women's Networking Support Program reported: "In the ICT industry, labor
is highly sex-segregatedˇ There is a digital gender gap with women under-represented
in new technology employment in both developed Polarization It further
reported that pay polarization within ICT is often gender-based. "On average,
women are paid 30-40 percent less than men for comparable work," it said.
ICT is defined as innovations in microelectronics, computing (hardware
and software), telecommunications and opto-electronics microprocessors,
semiconductors, fiber optics that enable the processing and storage of
enormous amounts of information, along with rapid distribution of information
through communication networks. To find out if work discrimination exists
among ICT businesses in Cebu City, Women's Hub is currently conducting
a study, in the form of a survey, on the matter. A similar study is also
being done in Manila and Davao. Metro Cebu is the haven of more than 80
ICT companies, some 30 of which would be surveyed, Bojos said. Her group
began distributing the survey questionnaires to ICT companies last March.
There are two sets of questionnaires. The first set is to be answered
by the company, while the other one is for the women employees of the
company, Bojos said. Aside from the women employees, 120 women in Metro
Cebu would also be surveyed. The results of the survey, she said, would
be used in coming up with policies in ICT companies. Women's Hub Organization
is a non-government organization of information technology women practitioners
working for greater access and use of ICT for community empowerment. Jima
Jimenea/UP Masscom intern
From http://www.sunstar.com.ph/ 05/01/2003
TOPˇü
Cebu Branch Launches First Internet Cafe in
Jollibee System
JOLLIBEE Mango's I-Net caf¨¦, the newest and first Internet caf¨¦ to be
launched in Jollibee's system nationwide, is now ready for its patrons.
Vierna Camo?as, store manager of the Jollibee outlet on Gen. Maxilom Ave.
(the former Mango Ave.), said the five brand-new computer units, which
are powered by a high-speed Internet connection through Mosaic Communications,
can be used by patrons for free. "Every two months, our promo for the
free use of Internet service changes. This month, we have the Dine and
Bee Online where patrons earn points when buying food items here in the
store," she said. For each P100 food purchase from Jollibee Mango, customers
get a card and earn one point. If they reach three points, they get to
avail themselves of an hour of free Internet access, she said. Camo?as
said that since the launch of I-Net in the last week of March, the store
had been able to release 9,000 cards. The Internet caf¨¦ launching also
coincided with Jollibee Mango's 10th anniversary. The branch opened last
Oct. 23, 1992. Jollibee Mango, the first outlet of the fastfood chain
in Cebu, was also the first Jollibee store in Cebu to open an outdoor
caf¨¦ in the summer of 2000.
From http://www.sunstar.com.ph/ 05/09/2003
TOPˇü
1T More Public Schools to Get Computers: DTI
ANOTHER 1,000 public high schools in the country will receive personal
computers (PCs) from the government through the Department of Trade and
Industry (DTI) this year. According to DTI Assistant Secretary Armin Raquel-Santos,
the DTI has already finalized "a deal" for the second tranche of DTI's
"PCs for Public Schools" project. He said the same number of computers
would be distributed to the 1,000 selected high schools. Some 300 local
government units would also be beneficiaries of the project's second phase.
Last year, 66 public non-science high schools in Central Visayas received
20 personal computers each under the program, which was funded by the
Japanese government. Through a P600-million grant from Japan, the government
was able to purchase 20,000 computers last year for the "PCs for Public
High Schools" project. Of the 3,956 public high schools nationwide, only
about 1,134 currently have access to IT. (by Jessica B. Natad)
From http://www.sunstar.com.ph/ 05/15/2003
TOPˇü
Globe Telecom Creates Wireless Internet Zone
GLOBE Telecom has launched its GlobeQuest Wireless Internet Zone (WIZ),
a new technology that allows connection to the Internet using a wireless
fidelity (Wifi)-enabled laptop, personal digital assistant or handheld
product. During a press conference yesterday at Cebu City Marriott Hotel,
Globe assistant vice president for wireline data group Jesus Romero said
WIZ has initially been installed at City Sports Club Cebu, making the
area a hotspot. Hotspots are areas equipped with wireless LAN (local area
network). Romero said that before the end of May, Waterfront Cebu City
Hotel, Ayala Center Cebu and Mactan-Cebu International Airport would also
officially become hotspots. Globe, with its WIZ technology, also aims
to make places like gasoline stations, hospitals, malls, and other places
hotspots so people in these areas can connect to the Internet with their
mobile devices. Also yesterday, as part of its drive to provide its hotels
with the latest technology to cater to the needs of customers Cebu City
Marriott Hotel (CCMH), together with GlobeQuest, Globe Telecom's Internet
technology division, launched its wireless broadband service. According
to CCMH general manager Christiane Wasfy, Marriott is the first in the
city to have Globe's Broadband Internet Zone (BIZ) installation. She said
broadband generally means fast digital access to the Internet or the ability
to take in multiple channels through one connection. "We are in a time
where communication is fast changing and people are getting more dependent
on the services of the Internet," Wasfy said. "And to ensure that our
guests keep up with the latest technology, Marriott has chosen to offer
our guests the fastest Internet service, which is the broadband connection,"
she added. Wasfy said the Marriott Hotels in the world are required to
have the high-speed Internet service, and the Marriott Hotel in Cebu is
among the first hotels in the country to have the new service. Romero
also said that through BIZ, Marriott guests could avail themselves of
the hotel's value-added services such as wireless Internet and mobile
office applications, video conferencing, video and audio streaming, and
virtual LAN applications. He said Globe invested at least $100,000 for
the BIZ project, but it expects to get its investment back or make a reasonable
profit in three years' time. (by Arvy E. Lopez)
From http://www.sunstar.com.ph/ 05/27/2003
TOPˇü
New Intel Chip Tech Launched in Cebu
INTEL Philippines Corp. yesterday launched their latest technology offering,
the Intel Centrino, a processor and chipset designed from scratch for
wireless mobile connectivity. The Intel Centrino comes with built-in WiFi
connectivity to let users connect to the Internet through the 802.11b
wireless band, Intel Microelectronics Phils. Inc. president Ricardo Banaag
said. The processor not only consumes less power, it also consumes it
smartly: its technology adjusts power use depending on the type of processing
power needed by the computer application. Battery life For a mobile computer
to sport an Intel Centrino logo, it must have a minimum of five hours
of battery life, compared to about four hours for a mobile computer using
a Pentium III processor or three hours for one using a Pentium 4 processor.
A MobileMark 2002 benchmark also showed that Intel Centrino offers a 41
percent faster performance on multi-tasking office productivity applications
compared to a Pentium III, 1.2 GHz processor, and 15 percent compared
to a Pentium 4, 2.4Ghz processor. Banaag said Intel is working with manufacturers
of wireless products and corporate users like hotels and airports to standardize
wireless connectivity. Intel has described the "unwiring" of gadgets as
the tipping point in mobile computing. Author Malcolm Gladwell describes
a tipping point as the point where the line in a graph shoots up. In mobile
computing, the unwiring of gadgets is seen as the point where mobile computer
usage is expected to increase dramatically. Banaag said companies can
get a 20 percent increase in productivity of its workers if it deploys
wireless computers. He said there is also a 29 percent drop in the total
cost of ownership of mobile computers if it has wireless connectivity.
Banaag said Intel has replaced the units of its admin and secretarial
workforce with wireless laptops and notebooks to increase their productivity.
Intel chief executive officer Craig Barrett said that unwiring PC will
fundamentally change the way people use their computers, allowing them
to communicate, be productive or be entertained wherever and whenever
they want. "Our focus on integrating all the elements of mobility allows
Intel Centrino mobile technology to deliver an outstanding wireless computing
experience. This also marks the first time we've put a combination of
technologies under a single brand," he said. Hotspots WiFi ready computers
connect to the Internet through so-called hotspots, an area where high-speed
wireless access to the Internet is available. Globe has fielded four Wireless
Internet Zones (Wiz) access points at Ayala Center. The company, according
to Globe wireline data group head Roy Perez, plans to add more Wiz hotspots
in public places in Cebu. Perez said in yesterday's briefing that it is
easier and cheaper to roll out WiFi hotspots than 3G, the third generation
high-speed connection for mobile phones. (by Arvy E. Lopez with Max T.
Limpag)
From http://www.sunstar.com.ph/ 06/06/2003
TOPˇü
Antonio: IT as Commodity
Today, no one would dispute that information technology has become the
backbone of commerce. It underpins the operations of individual companies,
ties together far-flung supply chains, and, increasingly, links businesses
to the customers they serve. As IT's power and presence have expanded,
companies have come to view it as a resource ever more critical to their
success, a fact clearly reflected in their spending habits. But the veneration
of IT goes much deeper than money spent on it. It is evident as well in
the shifting attitudes of top managers. Twenty years ago, most executives
looked down on computers as proletarian tools-glorified typewriters and
calculators-best relegated to low level employees like secretaries, analysts
and technicians. It was the rare executive who would let his fingers touch
a keyboard, much less incorporate information technology into his strategic
thinking. Today, that has changed completely. Chief executives now routinely
talk about the strategic value of information technology, about how they
can use IT to gain a competitive edge, about the "digitization" of their
business models. Most have appointed chief information officers to their
senior management teams, and many have hired strategy consulting firms
to provide fresh ideas on how to leverage their IT investments for differentiation
and advantage. Behind the change in thinking lies a simple assumption:
that as IT's potency and ubiquity have increased, so too has its strategic
value. It's a reasonable assumption, even an intuitive one. But it's mistaken.
What makes a resource truly strategic-what gives it the capacity to be
the basis for a sustained competitive advantage-is not ubiquity but scarcity.
You only gain an edge over rivals by having or doing something that they
can't have or do. By now, the core functions of IT-data storage, data
processing, and data transport-have become available and affordable to
all. Their very power and presence have begun to transform them from potentially
strategic resources into commodity factors of production. They are becoming
costs of doing business that must be paid by all but provide distinction
to none. IT is best seen as the latest in a series of broadly adopted
technologies that have reshaped industry over the past two centuries-from
the steam engine and the railroad to the telegraph and the telephone to
the electric generator and the internal combustion engine. For a brief
period, as they were being built into the infrastructure of commerce,
all these technologies opened opportunities for forward-looking companies
to gain real advantages. But as their availability increased and their
cost decreased-as they became ubiquitous-they became commodity inputs.
From a strategic standpoint, they became invisible; they no longer mattered.
That is exactly what is happening to information technology today, and
the implications for corporate IT management are profound.
From http://www.sunstar.com.ph/ 06/16/2003
TOPˇü
SINGAPORE: Online Shopping Catches On--Net Banking
Slow to Take Off
Singaporeans seem to be more comfortable shopping online than doing their
banking over the Internet - probably because cyberspace plastic spending
is in small amounts, bankers say. The volume and number of online credit
card transactions by OCBC credit card holders jumped more than 300 per
cent in March and April compared with February, the bank told BT over
the weekend. OCBC's head of credit cards, Gan Ai Im, said the average
size of these transactions did not exceed $100 and there was a noticeable
increase in payments of fees and charges. 'This trend is very likely to
continue,' Ms Gan said. Andy Chan, managing director of credit card services
at DBS, said the bank is seeing more consumers become comfortable with
using plastic online. While he did not have the latest data, he said that
from 2000 to the end of last year, DBS credit card spending online increased
125 per cent in dollar volume and 523 per cent in terms of the number
of transactions. OCBC and DBS have issued about half a million credit
cards each. According to Francis Hsu, head of credit cards at United Overseas
Bank, the rise in online credit card spending should be seen in perspective.
'It is from a very small base,' he said, accounting for no more than 3
per cent of total card billing. 'The average transaction size is small.
It's still mainly for buying of books from Amazon.com or CDs. You want
to buy a handphone or television, you go to the shop.' UOB is the biggest
local credit card player with more than 800,000 cards issued. Still, there
is an obvious difference between the sharp increase in shopping online
and the slow response to Internet banking. Despite local banks having
spent tens of millions of dollars on Internet banking, Singaporeans are
more conservative here. As if to prove the point, consumers have avoided
going to bank branches because of Sars - yet there has been no increase
in online banking. The distrust of online banking has been a headache
for local banks, which have no choice but to continue to invest in it
while at the same time boosting resources to maintain personal contact
through physical branches and a larger sales force. The three local banks
don't provide specific figures on Internet banking. But in 2002, DBS,
United Overseas and OCBC spent $228 million, $199 million and $170 million
respectively on technology, some of which would have gone on Internet
banking. In the first two weeks of last month, at the height of Sars-infection
fears, branch traffic slumped about 20 per cent, according to DBS and
UOB. DBS has 87 branches and UOB has 63. DBS says that since then, branch
traffic has recovered quite a bit, to a 4 per cent decline. OCBC Bank,
which also has 63 branches, says it too saw a drop in branch traffic in
the first two weeks of April, but the situation is improving. One would
have thought that with people staying home, they might spend more time
on the Internet, surfing or chatting - but that hasn't extended to banking.
The barriers that stop people from using the Internet to bank still seem
to be intact - a fact borne out by a 2001 survey, the fourth in a row,
by consultants McKinsey & Co. McKinsey found that consumers here had become
even more, not less, risk-averse towards innovation in banking technology.
Said a marketing specialist: 'When dealing with money, people need to
feel comfortable and (in online banking) there's not a tangible feel and
trust to the whole process.' Although banks have poured money into making
their online systems more secure than Fort Knox, repeated hacking incidents,
mostly unrelated to banks, have not raised the comfort level. 'The Internet
is not localised, it's all connected,' the specialist noted. DBS, with
its four million customers, boasts the greatest Internet access with about
450,000 online customers. The bank records about 4 million online transactions
worth $600 million monthly. But Edmund Koh, DBS's head of consumer banking,
says that even a shock like Sars hasn't encouraged people to make a sudden
switch to the Internet. During the first two weeks in April, DBS's online
transactions were flat and value per transaction value wasn't up either.
Mr Chan: 'To be fair, retail transaction is different from banking transaction.
You do perhaps 4 banking transactions a month; it's quite static.' During
the height of Sars fears, people who avoided going out still had to buy
their groceries, pay various bills and charges, so shopping online was
one alternative. One IT executive said most online shopping is less than
$100 and the security risk perception is small against transferring funds
from one account to another which could expose your whole account. 'Nobody
in their right mind transfers tens of dollars online,' he said. Mr Koh
points out that sales of loans or investment products also require face-to-face
contact. 'You typically need face-to-face closure,' he said. OCBC, which
has 140,000 online customers, also did not detect any significant shift
in Internet-banking patterns after the Sars outbreak. 'Having said that,
it is still too early to say that the trend will not change, given that
the Sars outbreak only hit Singapore towards the end of March 2003,' a
bank spokeswoman said. On investing more in interactive channels, OCBC
said customer use is rising steadily and the bank recognises the value
and importance of electronic channels when it comes to providing simple
and convenient services or products. Most bank customers who use the Internet
do so for information and simple transactions. According to Coreen Kwan,
OCBC's head of consumer sales and services: 'Online is mainly for information
and requests for meetings.' By meetings, she means customers who want
to know more after reading about specific products or loans. At DBS, Mr
Koh said: 'We are keen to promote (electronic) channels as part of continued
customer service.' UOB, too, says that as part of its strategy to provide
better service and greater convenience, it will continue to enhance and
develop alternative banking channels such as self-service machines, phone-banking
and Internet banking. UOB noted that in March, Internet banking rose 10
per cent from February, along with branch traffic (up 16 per cent), ATM
(up 30 per cent) and phone-banking (up 5 per cent). But the bank attributed
the higher usage to February being a shorter month. Part of the determination
of local banks to develop Internet banking could stem from seeing relatively
higher acceptance by customers of foreign banks. Sophia Tong, Citibank's
public affairs director for consumer bank, said the bank has seen a 'visible
increase' in online traffic during the Sars period. Citibank has four
branches. Nicholas Winsor, HSBC's head of personal financial services,
says that as the bank's business is in a growth phase, it is seeing increased
traffic through branches, mobile sales, telephone and Internet channels.
'We have not seen anything out of the ordinary, although the Internet
continues to prove a convenient way for our customers to access their
bank accounts and conduct their banking transactions,' he said. 'Over
the past 12 months, we have seen penetration rates rise to about 12 per
cent.' 'We've never been dependent on branch traffic distribution to the
extent of our rivals,' he noted. HSBC has 11 branches here.
From http://it.asia1.com.sg/ 05/06/2003
TOPˇü
E-learning's Progress
Within the corporate environment, the Ministry of Defence and some of
the bigger organisations here have been using computer-based training
for many years, according to the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore.
The finance and banking sectors have been very active in adopting e-learning.
But generally, corporate users of e-learning tend to be multinationals
with a history of employee training. They typically have more than 150
employees and have the financial resources for implementation. The first
portals offering e-learning started to appear in Singapore in 1998. At
that time, companies mainly used standard or off-the-shelf courses offered
by these e-learning portals. It is only in the last two to three years
that the companies have started to implement Learning Manage ment Systems
with customised e-learning content to meet the specific needs of employees.
More recently, blended e-learning courses incorporating online and classroom-based
learning have taken off in Singapore. Virtual classrooms which allow for
real-time learner and instructor interaction are also becoming popular.
According to Frost and Sullivan, e-learning courses range from simple
orientation programmes and product information modules to direct marketing
and emotional intelligence to IT related courses. Course duration typically
ranges from 30 minutes to 12 months with 60-hour courses being the most
common. Delivery is usually asynchronous with 'live' collaboration windows.
Coaches are usually available to handle course feedback and to play a
facilitator role. Companies which are part of a global operation often
implement similar modules across their global offices to realise economies
of scale.
From http://it.asia1.com.sg/ 05/10/2003
TOPˇü
More S'pore Firms Take to E-Learning
E-learning has become a powerful new tool in the arsenal of manpower
train ing departments of several Singapore companies as they train staff
to keep them on the cutting edge of competitive skills. According to a
Frost & Sullivan survey, Singapore's e-learning market is expected to
touch US$106.43 million by 2005. Out of this, corporate users will spend
as much as US$57 million on e-learning. This would make them the biggest
spenders in e-learning ahead of academic and government users. The Frost
& Sullivan report adds that companies spend on the average about 20-50
per cent of their training budget on e-learning. Disk drive maker Seagate
extensively uses e-learning for training its staff. Seagate initiated
a single global source to manage employee learning called 'myLearning'
in March 2002. According to Seagate officials, the company is currently
accelerating the adoption of e-learning with the launch of the Six Sigma
e-learning for technicians and supervisors. Due to be launched in July
2003, this automated delivery of Six Sigma modules and syllabus online
will allow employees to expand their knowledge base online at their own
pace, according to Seagate. Chuah Chong Lim, Seagate's executive director
and Six Sigma process leader (Far East), says: 'Web-enabling our learning
process allows us to empower our employees with the right tools and knowledge
so that they can be responsible and accountable in every aspect of their
work.' Banking giant Standard Chartered embarked on a phased roll-out
of e-learning solutions in February 2002 with the launch of its global
online HR management and learning management system known as Peoplewise.
Currently, its e-learning courses are hosted on the bank's intranet and
completed within a training environment during office hours. The bank
is now looking into the viability of access via the Internet, which would
give learners access after office hours. According to Ang Bee Leng, head,
organisation learning, Standard Chartered, Singapore, 'e-learning has
been incorporated in Standard Chartered's organisational learning approach
as it maximises learning effectiveness.' NTUC Income is also into corporate
e-learning in a big way. James Kang, CIO, NTUC Income Insurance Cooperative
Ltd, says the company has found that the average cost of e-learning was
around 30 per cent below traditional learning programmes. NTUC Income
is currently working to make e-learning available to the other cooperatives
around the world at affordable rates. There will be over a hundred topics
covering various management disci plines and personal development. NTUC
Income will be inviting suitable e-learning providers to collaborate on
this project. Fuji Xerox started its e-learning programme in 2000 as a
regional initiative for Fuji Xerox, spearheaded by Fuji Xerox Asia Pacific
(FXAP). Fuji Xerox Singapore (FXS) adopted the same e-learning platform
under FXAP, where staff of FXS could log-on to the internal network to
access up to 900 titles of courseware, ranging from IT skills to soft
skills such as time management or people management for instance. In March
2003, FXS embarked on its own video interface for e-learning (Vitel e-learning).
The programme, Vitel, targets FXS' team of customer service engineers
(CSE) responsible for machine and service maintenance, as well as customer
relations officers (CRO) responsible for customer product training. Commenting
on the benefits of corporate e-learning programmes, Lo Yoong Khong, deputy
director, manpower development, Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore,
said: 'With the anytime or on-demand access provided by e-learning, staff
can acquire new knowledge and skills at their convenience without disrupting
job schedules or compromising workplace productivity.' Mr Lo and his team
promote e-learning adoption in Singapore, and also work with content and
solution providers to develop Singapore's e-learning industry. IDA has
been a big backer of corporate e-learning programmes here. At present,
some blended e-learning courses, combining online and classroom learning,
are supported under the Critical Infocomm Technology Resource Programme
(Citrep), the e-Business Savviness Programme (ESBP) and the Strategic
Manpower Conversion Programme (e-learning). These programmes are managed
by the National Infocomm Competency Centre and participants get a portion
of their training fees subsidised by IDA or the Ministry of Manpower.
IDA also introduced the e-Learning Early Adopters Programme (eLEAP) in
July 2002 to fund the infrastructure costs of local companies that wanted
to embark on e-learning. The programme, which recently expired, attracted
over 50 applications since its launch and created some good reference
cases of e-learning adoption in Singapore.
From http://it.asia1.com.sg/ 05/10/2003
TOPˇü
Information Glut Spurs S'pore's External Storage
Market
Singapore companies' use of storage devices attached directly to computers
is dropping dramatically as they embrace network storage solutions in
an effort to manage ever-growing volumes of information, latest research
figures show. Traditionally, storage has been mainly Direct Attached Storage
(DAS), referring to the devices attached directly to a computer. The increased
use of network storage solutions is 'a response to the massive need for
distributed storage in the installed base and the increasing difficulty
of managing it', says research group International Data Corporation (IDC).
The dominant forms are Storage Area Networks (SAN) and Network-Attached
Storage (NAS). In Singapore, the external storage market less SAN/NAS
- principally DAS - is expected to shrink from US$36.31 million in 2002
to US$7.31 million in 2007, giving a negative compound annual growth rate
(CAGR) of -27.4 per cent, IDC predicts. Network Attached Storage will
be the main beneficiary from this fall, rising at a CAGR of 33.2 per cent
from US$7.81 million in 2002 to US$32.75 million. SAN is expected to grow
a more modest 2.7 per cent a year from US$43.43 million in 2002 to US$49.62
million in 2007. Network storage gives companies the flexibility of modifying
storage systems within a very short time without the need for long-term
planning. It allows for separate purchase decisions for storage and server
capacities and also makes the data stored available to multiple users
both within and outside the organisation. This approach also allows for
more centralised storage management while at the same time allowing a
link up between storage resources scattered over large geographical locations.
Martin Wijaya, senior analyst, storage, IDC Asia-Pacific, explains: 'Although
DAS is easier to deploy, managing a big collection of it over time is
a big task, thus increasing the total cost of ownership (TCO) significantly.
'The main benefit of deploying networked storage, be it either SAN or
NAS, is the attractive lower TCO over time from the management and backup
aspects.' Steve Faris, general manager, network storage solutions, Datacraft
Asia, takes the argument further. He explains that organisations initially
saw network storage as a way to lower costs by using networks to optimise
expensive storage resources. But he points out: 'In the past, the majority
of costs were in the storage hardware itself. The cost per megabyte of
storage was measured in dollars per megabyte. Today, the cost of these
hardware resources has dropped dramatically, and continues to do so,'
he says. Mr Faris adds that the cost of the storage hardware itself is
measured in cents per megabyte, comprising less and less of the overall
TCO. However, he adds, even then it was not unusual to see storage costs
alone taking up between 20 and 50 per cent of overall new capital purchases.
'Thus, buyers are still interested in the ability of network storage to
improve the efficiency of their storage hardware usage.' Today, one of
the main drivers of network storage is the move to standardise the components
and design of datacentres and of the computing infrastructure in general,
he says. 'Organisations are increasingly migrating to open standards and
using standardised, repeatable componentry to build and deliver corporate
computing infrastructure.' Network storage helps in this effort by separating
the server and storage infrastructure. The advantage is that companies
can thus buy servers and storage separately and at different times, thus
allowing IT purchasers to select best-of-breed components at each level.
IDC's Martin Wijaya sums up: 'In the long run, the return on investment
(ROI) is higher given the lower TCO.'
From http://it.asia1.com.sg/ 05/27/2003
TOPˇü
Shoppers' Paradise? It's Just A Click Away
Less than a quarter of Singaporeans do their shopping on the Net because
they're afraid of giving out credit card details online. Well, I can safely
say that these guys don't know what they're missing. I'm a big fan of
shopping online. My only fear is that my pay cheque can't keep up with
my spending. I'm sorry, but Singapore isn't a shopping paradise, despite
all we've been told. The real shopping paradise is cyberspace. It's the
best mall ever devised. The best thing about the Great World Wide Web
mall is that you can find so many things out there that you could not
possibly get here - assuming you had the time and inclination to go looking
for them here. In just the past two weeks, I've managed to buy all manner
of useless items through the Internet. There's that paella dish from Tienda.com.
Books on Moroccan cooking and music from Amazon. A triathlon race suit
from Tri-zone.com. A couple of T-shirts - my personal favourites, they
feature a likeness of Mohammed Said Al-Sahaf, former Iraqi information
minister (he's now on administrative leave, according to the shirts),
and one of his famous quotes: 'There Are No American Infidels In Baghdad.
Never!' - from CafePress.com. And that's just over the past two weeks.
You can see why this stuff gets addictive. You'd never find anything of
the sort here. Which is precisely why many of those who haven't started
shopping at online malls yet should do so. The wealth of choice is amazing.
You can get everything from Idiazabal cheese used in tapas (Tienda.com)
to movie posters (posters-for-sale.com). Part of the reason shopping at
Singapore outlets online hasn't taken off here is the fact that our local
retailers' attempts at selling on the Net are pathetic. Not that they're
much better at offline sales, mind you. When was the last time you met
a salesman who knew more about a product he is selling than you do, anyway?
Take Metro, for example. It has an online presence, to be sure, for which
it should be applauded. But a cursory check of the men's section at the
online store reveals that you can get two sorts of goods there - accessories
and underwear. At Amazon's men's section, by contrast, you can get everything
from T-shirts to suits, and brands from Adidas to Land's End. And, yes,
underwear too. Cold Storage's online store is probably a better example
for how to go about selling on the Net. I remember trying out their online
store years ago. The site took forever to load and, more importantly,
featured a paltry selection of groceries - mainly tissue paper and detergents.
Now, though, the online store is vastly improved. You can, for example,
get about 20 types of salmon, from your garden variety fillets to the
smoked stuff with herbs. Everything from booze to organic food is available
now, making it a huge improvement over what it used to be. So some retailers
at least are taking advantage of this channel. Many don't, and that's
not doing us online shoppers any good. But it is unfair to just blame
retailers for this sad state of affairs. The fault lies more with the
75 per cent of Internet users here who don't want to venture out into
the malls in cyberspace. Without a demand for it here, who can blame retailers
for not choosing to go the whole hog online? This state of affairs is
one of the little things that keeps us from being mentioned as a truly
wired city, the way South Korea is. While the Koreans are watching soap
operas and buying just about everything else online, we're using the Internet
to pass on dumb jokes and chat with each other across the room on Internet
Messenger. It says a lot about the way we've failed to take full advantage
of the Internet.
From http://it.asia1.com.sg/ 06/04/2003
TOPˇü
S'pore Aims for Piece of The Growing IT Outsourcing
Business
If you think infotech outsourcing - a fast-growing business for a good
number of Singapore companies - is just a passing fad, think again. As
early as next year, more than 80 per cent of US executive boardrooms will
have discussed offshore outsourcing, and more than 40 per cent of US enterprises
will have completed some sort of pilot project, or will be sourcing IT
services through a global delivery model. This is a major conclusion of
a study that has just been released by research house Gartner Inc. It
reports that by next year, all US enterprises will need to consider global
delivery sourcing as one of their top strategic sourcing options. Singapore
also wants to attract some of that business to its shores. A slew of companies
including MNCs and local firms - such as National Computer Systems, IBM
Corp, Electronic Data Systems, HP and Accenture - have facilities and
expertise to offer IT outsourcing services here. 'We believe Singapore
is naturally a good location for critical data management and higher value-added
IT outsourcing services,' Ling Keok Tong, the Infocomm Development Authority
of Singapore's deputy director of information infrastructure development,
told BT. 'We have the key infrastructure that this demands: an international
submarine cable capacity exceeding 21 terabits per second, 20 data centres
offering a wide host of value-added services, and the presence of major
IT outsourcing firms.' According to Partha Iyengar, Gartner's vice-president
for software research, the sourcing of IT work from anywhere in the world
at the best prevailing prices is now becoming mainstream for application-related
services. 'Early adopters are actively exploring beyond application-related
services, including business process outsourcing (BPO), call centres and
infrastructure services,' he added. A recent survey by research house
International Data Corp (IDC) found 42 per cent of all active outsourcing
engagements in the US now have an offshore component. And 63 per cent
of the sourcing advisers surveyed by IDC identified 'offshore labour supply'
as the top reason for companies that seek to lower IT costs. 'The increased
use of offshore services will continue to put considerable downward pressure
on prices throughout the next several years,' said Traci Gere, group vice-president
of IDC's US services research group. 'This trend has only just begun.
But its impact will both deepen in segments where it is currently seen
and broaden to segments where it is not yet felt.' Singapore companies
and government agencies are also outsourcing IT services when it makes
business sense. Examples include the Registry of Companies' eBizcore,
DBS Bank outsourcing its back-end IT operations and the Department of
Statistics' Census 2000 survey. The Supreme Court and the Land Transport
Authority too have outsourced IT services in their Technology Court and
online COE bidding system respectively. Singapore's market for IT services
is set to top US$1.3 billion this year, up 11.5 per cent from last year,
IDC said. By 2006, this market will hit US$1.86 billion. Across 14 key
countries in the Asia-Pacific outside of Japan, IDC says the IT services
market will be worth US$32 billion by 2006, a doubling from last year.
'Large outsourcing contracts in the region are still given out by companies
in Australia,' said Phil Hassey, IDC's research manager for Asia-Pacific
outsourcing research. 'However, in the past 12 months banks in Malaysia,
Singapore and Thailand all signed the largest and most groundbreaking
outsourcing deals in their respective countries.' Globally, IT services
revenue hit US$556 billion last year, up 2.8 per cent from 2001, Gartner
said. This year, growth is expected to be higher, at 6.2 per cent, with
revenues crossing US$591 billion. IDC said the total value of the top
100 outsourcing contracts crossed US$228 billion in 2001, with most of
the deals running for five to 10 years each. The firm tracked the top
outsourcing mega-deals between 1997 and 2001 and found that three sectors
- government, manufacturing and financial services - outsourced the most.
The top three companies in the IT outsourcing game are IBM, EDS, and HP.
IBM, through its IBM Global Services, leads with US$36 billion in revenues
last year and 175,000 staff. Last year, it signed US$18 billion in new
contracts. EDS booked US$24.4 billion in outsourcing contract last year
and employs 138,000 people worldwide. HP has signed more than 200 managed
services contracts in the last 12 months in financial services, telecoms,
manufacturing and government sectors.
From http://it.asia1.com.sg/ 06/26/2003
TOPˇü
S'pore Widens Reach of Online Public Services
The Government announced on Tuesday a S$1.3-billion (US$743-million)
plan to upgrade its online public services in a bid to further boost Singapore's
tech-savvy status. Deputy Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong launched the
new three-year programme, dubbed e-Government Action Plan II (eGAPII),
to ensure Singapore keeps its Internet edge over its rivals in the region.
eGAPII aims to deliver more one-stop, integrated services to meet the
needs of the public and businesses, DPM Lee said. By 2006, eGAPII should
increase the number of people who communicated online with the Government
to 90 per cent, up from the current 75 per cent who did so at least once
in the past year. DPM Lee said the target would be achieved through a
two-pronged approach of heightening e-services awareness through publicity
and promotions, and providing different channels of access, such as mobile
phones, and more access points, such as supermarkets and public libraries.
eGAPII's predecessor, eGAPI, cost S$1.5 billion and provides 1,600 public
services online today.
From http://straitstimes.asia1.com.sg/ 07/15/20003
TOPˇü
THAILAND: e-City Costs High
A government project to transform Chiang Mai, Phuket and Khon Kaen into
e-cities will cost billions of baht, the ICT minister said. "For Chiang
Mai, the National Economic and Social Development Board (NESDB) expects
that the government has to spend Bt1 billion on the project," ICT Minister
Surapong Suebwonglee said. The NESDB was estimating the budget needed
for the other two cities, he said.If things go as planned, Chiang Mai
would become the first upcountry e-city by October, he said. "I'll try
my best to speed up the projects in the three provinces. "All state agencies
in e-cities will use information technology to run their branch operations
and provide online public services. The ICT Ministry's telecom agencies
- TOT Corp Plc and the Communications Authority of Thailand (CAT) - have
also played a role in seeing the projects materialise. "The CAT has already
spent Bt50 million on building an IT facility in Chiang Mai to support
the plan, as well as Bt50 million in Khon Kaen and Bt100 million in Phuket,"
he said.Surapong was in Chiang Mai for the opening of TOT's first modern
look store, which soon will serve the e-city project by allowing people
to request government services, for example, the issuance of an identification
card or house registration documents.
From http://www.nationmultimedia.com/ 06/09/2003
TOPˇü
Thailand to Link 7,300 More Schools to Internet
A multi-pronged plan to bring information technology (IT) to the masses
is set to transform the Thai capital from the 'dark ages' of IT to a modern
wired city by the end of the year. The government's 924-million-baht (S$39-million)
programme will add 7,300 schools, from the present 200, and scores of
public libraries to the Internet. This plan dovetails with a separate
private-sector initiative that is in the pipeline. Under it, service provider
CS Loxinfo will install 100 broadband access 'hotspots' at shopping malls
in the capital next month to enable people to use the Internet through
wireless 'Wi-Fi' technology. According to the Ministry of Education, 80
per cent of primary schools in Thailand will be able to connect to the
Internet by the end of next year. And by the end of this year, all secondary
schools will be linked to the Internet. The ministry plans to have all
required books available in the CD-ROM format as well in the future. The
CS Loxinfo initiative will involve an investment of 200,000 baht per 'hotspot'
and the company will initially sell starter kits. Charges for using the
service will be a high three baht per minute, but the company says that
when it hits a customer base of 10,000, it may reduce the rates. There
is currently no free wireless Internet service available to the public
in Bangkok - a factor that Bangkok Post IT columnist James Hein wrote
'put Bangkok in the wireless equivalent of the dark ages' compared with
cities like Singapore. But CS Loxinfo hopes to change that eventually
with its 'Wi-Fi' initiative that it plans to extend to the country's major
airports, hotels and malls. Thailand has about 4.5 million Internet subscribers,
with the number growing by around 40 per cent a year, according to the
National Statistical Office. Turning the country into a competitive 'knowledge
society' with wide use of IT and e-governance is a key thrust area of
the government.
From http://it.asia1.com.sg/ 06/16/2003
TOPˇü
VIETNAM: Boutique IT Firm Taps Incentives Offered
by Govt
Three years ago when battered economies grappled with the aftershock
of the dot.com crash, five guys did something most companies would have
thought silly. They pulled US$45,000 (S$77,000) together and bought an
information technology (IT) company in Vietnam called Sutrix Media. It
was not long before others realised it was not such a crazy thing to do,
after all. 'When we started, we were one of some 20 IT firms in Ho Chi
Minh, but now there are over 200,' said Mr Shane Wall, 40, an Australian,
who is part of Sutrix Media's multi-national management team. His partners
are a Briton, an Asian-American, a New Zealander and two Canadians. Their
boutique IT firm offers web design, software development and language
application services. 'I was using IT to develop new methods of accessing
information for the navy,' said Mr Wall, who had spent 21 years in the
Australian navy before he was roped in to design multiple language translation
applications for Sutrix Media. 'With the IT industry in Vietnam opening
up, we wanted a piece of the pie.' Like other potential investors, Sutrix
Media was well aware of Vietnam's layers of bureaucracy, a legal system
of loopholes, crumbling infrastructure and exorbitant operational costs,
from pricey office rentals to high telecommunication charges. That did
not scare off Mr Wall and company. 'On the contrary, the government has
been very helpful in pushing the whole IT sector ahead,' he said. 'Our
direct competitors are foreign firms, that like us have entered the market
to tap the benefits set up by the authorities for the IT industry.' These
include a three-year corporate tax holiday and an exemption from tariffs
on the hardware IT firms import as long as they are not trading in the
hardware itself, he said. These incentives make for significant savings,
especially when the firm is a new start-up. Increasingly, falling operating
costs over the years are also attractive reasons to continue doing business
in Vietnam. 'For example, there are now six service providers we can choose
from,' said Mr Wall. Continuously competitive prices lower the overall
costs that arise largely from manpower, rent and telecommunication charges,
he added. A key element of doing business in Vietnam is to understand
and respect Vietnamese business culture. He said: 'Things can get done
without businesses paying additional coffee money, but it is still part
of the economic environment in Vietnam. We can moralise all we want about
the practice, but what do you call the weekend golf trips offered by multinationals
abroad?' On their part, he said, the government has understood that the
IT industry is characteristically fluid and fast-moving, and has reacted
by loosening up on some bureaucratic controls. Until just three years
ago, all content produced had to be screened by the Ministry of Culture
and Information. So, big files were cut in several CDs and sent for approval.
That is no longer required. Mr Wall said: 'The authorities realised we
are not producing physical goods here. Now, approval is given via e-mail,
at a click.' Another incentive for Sutrix Media in continuing its operations,
that have seen a 20 to 25 per cent rise in revenue per year since its
inception, is also the increasingly technically proficient local work
force. 'Staff members who simply obeyed instructions are a thing of the
past. Now they contribute alternative solutions. They challenge the management,'
he said. The Sutrix team of 18 Vietnamese permanent and part-time workers
has already produced websites for multinational companies like British
Petroleum, Mercedes-Benz (Vietnam), Citibank (Vietnam), France Telecom
and BMG. Although it now depends on repeat foreign clients for 60 per
cent of its revenue, Sutrix is optimistic that the Vietnamese market will
mature to pay for quality IT services. 'It is a matter of time before
they view IT services as an investment rather than just a cost,' said
Mr Wall. 'And when they do, we'll be here. Sutrix Media is in Vietnam
for the long haul.'
From http://it.asia1.com.sg/ 05/24/2003
TOPˇü
Viet Nam's First E-Market, Vnet, Is Online for
Business
Viet Nam's first e-market was launched by the Vnet Joint Stock Company
in Ha Noi last Saturday. Vnet director Duong Anh Duc said the company
has already attracted hundreds of businesses from the northern provinces
to offer over 3,000 goods for sale at the Vnet E-market. The goods and
services available at the VNet website, www.vnnet.com.vn, include office,
computer and home furniture, electronics, food and handicrafts. "One of
our main objectives is to develop Vnet E-market into a nationwide online
market, supplying products to consumers throughout Viet Nam," Duc said.
Vnet spent two years setting up the enterprise, and conducted comprehensive
surveys of 2,000 firms in northern provinces and cities. Director of Viet
Nam Trade Promotion Agency under Ministry of Trade, Ngo Van Thoan, said
the launch of Vnet E-market is a milestone for the development of e-commerce
in Viet Nam, even though it falls far behind other countries. Thoan said
that Vnet faces immediate challenges due to the absence of a legal framework
for e-commerce, poor infrastructure, low consumer awareness, and lack
of qualified personnel. To provide incentives for consumers to buy online,
Vnet has asked participating companies to reduce their prices by 10 per
cent, as well as coordinating with cafe owners to promote the e-market
to their internet customers. The company has joined with the Bank for
Foreign Trade of Viet Nam and the Viet Nam Software Development Company
to set-up a secure e-payment system for customers wanting to pay online.
For Vnet to be successful, it will be reliant on the active participation
of enterprises and on-line customers, along with its reliable technology,
Duc said. Vnet has established six branches in provinces and cities of
Ha Noi, Hai Phong, Hai Duong, Hung Yen, Nam Dinh and Thai Nguyen to enable
customers based in these regions to deliver goods. Vnet expects to have
branches across the country by 2004, with the time frame for delivering
goods ranging from two to 24 hours.
From http://vietnamnews.vnagency.com.vn/ 06/02/2003
TOPˇü
Hanoi Capital Mobilization Up 22.8%
Hanoi branch of State Bank of Vietnam sources held that by June 2003,
the capital mobilized by credit institutions in Hanoi had totaled VND136,100b,
up 22.8% against the year-on-year period. Capital mobilized in VND made
up VND83,700b, representing 45.2% with the speed of mobilizing far exceeding
that in foreign currencies. Capital mobilized by commercial banks accounted
for 75.6%, joint-stock commercial banks for 9%, the remaining percentage
belonged to joint-venture banks and foreign banks branches.
From http://www.bvom.com/ 07/02/2003
TOPˇü
Prospects of E-commerce in Vietnam
Nowadays, thanks to the high level of development of information technology
(IT), we can think of staying at home and just pressing a button to get
what we wish to buy. Or, to put it in a more exact way, information technology
will help us carry out commercial transactions, get a service or implement
other forms of economic activities without having to make much effort.
Many IT experts speculate that the recognition and application of E-commerce
will bring about swift changes to Vietnam's society. Two years ago, E-commerce
was still a new concept in Vietnam, but today enterprises and State managerial
institutions have familiarised themselves with this advanced commercial
pattern. This is good news. However, a number of experts hold that E-commerce
in Vietnam, to a large extent, exists in mind only. As for telecommunications
infrastructure, the number of telephone subscribers in the country is
three million, being one of the ten countries in the world that has the
highest rate of development in the number of telephones. Despite all this,
the number of Internet users is still low. Up till now, there have been
78,000 Internet subscribers. The major reason is the expensive Internet
rate which is seen as very high in comparison with the average income.
Also, there has been little legal basis for E-commerce activities as well
as for payments to be done through the network. That explains why E-commerce
has not grown fast in Vietnam recently. In 1998, the first electronic
supermarket of Vietnam appeared with a website on the Internet, but it
was short-lived. Commodities displayed at the supermarket were poor and
transactions and payments were mainly carried out in a conventional way.
Few of the people entering the supermarket were really prompted by their
need to buy something. The failure was due to various factors, the most
important ones of which were its novelty and the psychological barrier
of buyers who preferred to "see by their own eyes and touch by their own
hands" what they wanted to buy. It will take time break this type of barrier.
In addition, commodities on the Vietnamese market are plentiful, diversified
and multi-standard, and consumers can only rest assured while purchasing
by themselves. Usually, our customers have time and they want to make
a careful choice. Therefore, E-commerce will actually become significant
once an industrial style of life is well-established. The above-mentioned
fact does not prevent us from pursuing E-commerce. The government has
made a decision to set up the Department of Trade Promotion under the
Ministry of Trade and allocated VND 1 billion for the implementation of
an 'E-commerce technique' project which consists of 14 sub-projects aimed
at preparing for E-commerce in terms of public awareness, legal basis,
technological basis, confidentiality, electronic payment, industrial standardisation,
protection of customers' interests, national security, State administration,
management of human resources etc, which have been assigned to a number
of relevant organisations for the implementation. According to Mr Tran
Quang Nha, an expert of the Ministry of Trade, "this project is just the
first sketch on an E-commerce canvass." In parallel with the above-mentioned
project, the Department of Trade Promotion is designing a website for
introduction, advertisement and, if possible, transactions on a pilot
scale. As for the payment, the traditional commercial way can be temporarily
applied. A number of enterprises are now showing their interest in, and
making use of, Internet to introduce their products and look for business
partners. Six hundred Vietnamese enterprises have launched their own website
to advertise their products . However, the efficiency brought about by
the website is constrained to the extension of information. There are
rare cases like the one of Phat Thanh Co, Ltd in Ho Chi Minh City. The
company has exported two containers of plastic products to the Netherlands
with a contractual value of US $100,000 thanks to a customer who happened
to access its website on Internet. Of the enterprises that have carefully
prepared for E-commerce is An Dan Trading Company (Gami Group). This is
one of the leading companies that has applied information technology into
business. It has four websites: www.vnmotors.com.vn for cars and motorbikes;
www.gamitravel.com.vn for tourism; www.gamifineart.com.vn for art works;
and www.nhaxinh.com.vn for real assets and property. Anyone who has the
demand can register his/her membership and introduce his property to be
put on sale or lease. The information that customers access on the Internet
is regularly updated in respect of the property market, customers' taste
and tendency, and recommendations on sale and purchase. In addition, An
Dan company also co-operates with VP Bank to sell commodities on installment,
and with a housing company for house auctions. Since the first launch
of the property website on the Internet on July 2000, there have been
more than 50 houses put up for sale. However, the website only conveys
the information, all the sale and purchase have to be done in a conventional
way. Mr Vu Hong Nam, assistant to the general director of An Dan company,
explains that although the immediate outcome is yet to be desired, the
company wishes to lay the foundation for development in the 21st century.
Payment through the Internet is given first priority by all enterprises
at present. This matter is seen as one of the major obstacles that impedes
the development of E-commerce in Vietnam. With regard to this matter,
local banks are now carrying out preparation for making payments this
way. At present, nine branches of the Bank of Agriculture and Rural Development
are carrying out transfers through the electronic network, and the branch
of Vietcombank in Hanoi has launched a retail banking system since October
20, 2000. The system is able to meet various demands of customers (exchange,
cash receipt, payment, etc.) over the counter, monitor capital; pay salaries
and execute automatic transfers. Based on direct operations of the network
and the central management of database, a customer can open an account
at only one of its branches to carry out transactions with all other branches.
At the same time, the customer is kept updated of information on his own
bank account. After a recent software writing contest, there is another
interesting contest for designing the most impressive website, co-sponsored
by VASC, a software company, the Dien dan Doanh nghiep (Business Forum)
and the Post and Telecommunications Magazine. The major aim of the contest
is to focus the attention of enterprises and society on E-commerce. It
is a long way from a perception to a real E-commerce for the success of
which a complete legal basis is necessarily required. Only when this matter
is settled, will E-commerce create a real opportunity for the development
of our country.
From http://www.bvom.com/ 07/04/2003
TOPˇü |
|
| |
Bangladesh Has World's Lowest Teledensity:
ITU
Bangladesh's teledensity is one of the lowest in South Asia as well as
in the world, according to statistics of the International Telecomm-unication
Union (ITU). Only 0.63 of 100 people enjoyed the communication facility,
the latest statistics presented at a seminar yesterday marking World Telecommunication
Day 2003 showed. The 2002 data placed Bangladesh at slot number 21st from
the bottom on the list of 196 ITU member states with 0.51 teledensity,
way down from the Maldives with 10.27, Sri Lanka with 4.66 and India with
3.98. Then the figures for Bhutan were 2.84, Pakistan 2.48, Nepal 1.41
and Myanmar 0.61. Bangladesh remained only ahead of war-raged Afghanistan
in the Asian region. Globally, the US topped the list with 65.89 and United
Kingdom with 58.74, Japan with 58.58, Korea with 48.86, Malaysia with
19.79 and China with 16.69 were other world leaders. Currently Bangladesh
has 9,20,000 fixed telephone lines of which 8,95,000 have been installed
by the state-owned Bangladesh Telegraph and Telephone Board (BTTB) and
25,000 by Sheba and the Bangladesh Rural Telecom Authority (BRTA). The
number of cellular phones provided by four operators in foreign joint
ventures stands at 12,64,000. BTTB has 7,70,000 lines in urban areas where
Dhaka alone has 4,56,000 lines. The teledensity remained poor as the government
allocated only a small fraction of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in
telecommunications, Fazlur Rahman, former chairman of the BTTB and an
official of the Association of Telecom Operators in Bangladesh (ATOB),
told the seminar. The spending pales in comparison with that of other
SAARC countries, he added. The government allocated around Tk 1,800 crore
for the telecom sector in the 2002-03 fiscal while it had earned around
Tk 1,580 crore from BTTB alone in the 2001-02 fiscal. The BTTB, which
went completely digital in urban area last month, still has 37.5 per cent
analogue telephones in rural areas. In Internet use, Bangladesh's position
in South Asia was 2nd with 1.53 Internet user per 1,000 people against
0.21 by Myanmar, the lowest in the region. The Maldives again topped the
list with 53.76, followed by India with 15.91, Bhutan with 14.46, Sri
Lanka with 10.56, Pakistan with 3.45 and Nepal with 2.64.
From http://www.dailystarnews.com/ 05/18/2003
TOPˇü
BHUTAN: ATM Service to Start in July
Consultants from India have arrived in Thimphu to help Bhutan national
bank (BNB) set up the automatic teller machine (ATM), a service, which
the bank had planned to launch in March this year. Although BNB has already
installed two automatic teller machines (ATM) in the branch offices in
Thimphu and Phuentsholing, there was a need to develop the ATM interface
(software), as "the messages sent by the software to the ATM couldn't
be deciphered," according to BNB banking division head, LP Giri. The bank
is also waiting for the ATM cards, which have been sent for printing to
India, as it cannot be done here. The cards are expected to arrive by
the end of June, just before the ATM is actually put to use. "If everything
goes as planned the service will be launched in the first week of July,"
BNB deputy managing director (DMD), Karma said. BNB has about 11,000 clients
bank wide and they want to ensure that the service is accessible to them
all irrespective of their cash balance. Clients must have more than Nu
100 in the savings account to make a withdrawal. "It's a huge investment
but we see it as a convenience for our customers," DMD Karma told Kuensel.
To encourage the use of the ATM, BNB has decided to reduce the cost of
the ATM card from Nu 1,500 to Nu 300 as an annual fee. The ATM will be
closed for about three hours a day to allow closing the entire day's transactions.
"The closing hours will be fixed at a particular time when the customers
would least visit the bank to withdraw their money," said DMD Karma. The
introduction of the teller machines will, however, not lead to the retrenchment
of the human tellers. The maximum amount of money a customer can withdraw
from the ATM is just Nu 20,000. To withdraw more than that a customer
has to turn to the human tellers. "We will not have to recruit additional
people and we are not going to reduce the counters," said DMD Karma. (By
Samten Wangchuk)
From http://www.kuenselonline.com/ 06/03/2003
TOPˇü
INDIA: Telemedicine-Taking the Best Health Care
to the Poor
What does one do when the patient cannot go to the doctor? Simple...
the doctor goes to the patient. Today, thanks to the wonders of technology,
specialists, singly or in a group, can do virtual visit of a patient thousands
of miles away, see him, talk to him, examine him (virtually) and prescribe
the latest, the best and the most appropriate of treatment. This, in a
nutshell, is telemedicine. Telemedicine can be defined as "the use of
advanced telecommunication technologies to exchange health information
and provide health-care services across geographic, time, social and cultural
barriers". Telemedicine gives access to specialized health care, where
little or none is available. In cases where quick medical response and
specialist care are needed, as in emergency cases, this can mean the difference
between life and death. "Telemedicine also has the potential to improve
the delivery of health care, by bringing a wider range of (medical and
paramedical) services, to underserved communities and individuals in both
urban and rural areas." How this is brought about, other than the technology
involved, is quite simple. Using computers and modern technology, the
case history, clinical parameters, investigations (X-Rays, ECGs, blood
reports, ultrasound scans, etc.) and other medically-relevant information
of a patient in a remote village, inaccessible region or war-zone are
securely and confidentially transmitted to specialists in a super-specialist
medical centre. These specialists study the reports and transmit back
a course of action or treatment regimen for the patient to follow. If
necessary, the specialist can sit in front of a two-way communication
TV screen and talk to the patient -- face to face. Thereafter, regular
review of the patient can be carried out in a similar fashion. In a typical
case, a peripheral telemedicine site would be manned by a village GP who
would, in addition to his practice, be equipped with a computer, video
conferencing equipment, an X-Ray scanner, ECG capture machine and a digital
microscope. As and when the GP comes across an emergency or complicated
case, he will capture all the relevant medical data and type in the case
history into the computer. All this medical information will be converted
to an Electronic Medical Record (EMR) and be transferred through a telephone,
ISDN, broadband to satellite link to the relevant specialist who will
then advise on a relevant course of action. The advantages of Telemedicine
are many. For instance, the ability for the most distant and the poorest
of patients to access high-quality medicare; saving time and availability
of specialists for immediate diagnosis; follow-up of patients in different
regions by a single specialist, increasing his availability, multifold;
reduction in cost of medicare to the patient. A study carried out by the
Apollo Hospitals Group in 2001-2002 has shown that telemedicine consultations
reduced by 85 per cent the need for patients to travel to a distant super-specialty
centre. On the flipside, telemedicine has been considered to be expensive
and too futuristic to be practical, specially in poor countries. But if
we think for a moment, so was the mobile phone, just a few years back.
Today, even the errand boy carries one! The simple truth is that the improvement
in quality of medicare and its availability to the masses is not only
morally and socially right, but also makes sound financial sense. Telemedicine
is a powerful tool that leverages information technology and telecommunication
to provide doctors the power to provide faster, better and more accurate
diagnosis, treatment and prognosis, to the poorest of the poor in the
most distant corners of the earth, relegating geographical barriers to
books of history. (by Dr Prathap C Reddy, chairman, Apollo Hospitals Group)
From http://www.hindustantimes.com/ 05/19/2003
TOPˇü
Delhi Tops Teledensity List, Punjab Comes Second
Reforms in the telecommunications sector have started showing results
as tele-density in the country has gone up to five per cent at the end
of March 2003 compared to 3.64 per cent in March 2001. According to official
figures, Delhi stood on top with 26.85 per cent tele-density followed
by 11.60 per cent in Punjab and 11.13 per cent in Kerala. Despite this
encouraging trend, rural India continues to be backward in the telecommunications
sector as the telephone connections remain at 1.49 per cent compared to
15.16 per cent in the urban areas. States having less than five per cent
tele-density are Uttaranchal (3.95), West Bengal (3.72), Rajasthan (3.40),
Madhya Pradesh (2.88), North-East (2.70), Orissa (2.22) and Uttar Pradesh
(2.13). Four states having less than two per cent tele-density are Assam
with 1.94, Jharkhand 1.57, Chhatisgarh 1.39 and Bihar with lowest at 1.32.
The new telecom policy (NTP '99) had laid special emphasis on providing
telecommunication services to rural areas and providing reliable media
to all exchanges. The targets set were to make available telephone on
demand by 2002 and to achieve tele-density of seven per cent by 2005 and
15 by 2010, an official statement said.
From http://www.hindustantimes.com/ 05/23/2003
TOPˇü
Smart Card Market to Touch $22 Mn by 2005: Frost
& Sullivan
Driven by factors such as huge appeal for banking and retail applications
and large-scale penetration of Internet and e-commerce, India's smart
card market is set to touch $21.7 million by 2005, according to international
consultant Frost and Sullivan. "The smart card market is projected to
hit $21.7 million by 2005. Currently the Indian smart card market is used
in applications in telecom, banking, transportation, healthcare and Government
sectors. Other applications such as university and electronic access control
systems are gaining acceptance," Frost and Sullivan industry analyst -
IT Practice, Gaurav Dua said. Identifying key drivers for smart card market
growth in India, Dua said these would include factors such as increasing
use in mobile phones as SIM cards, attraction of players to the potential
market size, lack of proper national identification scheme and huge appeal
for banking and retail application. "Other factors like increasing pilot
projects by State Government and penetration of Internet and e-commerce
in large and medium sized cities would also fuel the growth," he said.
Dua, however, cautioned that low purchasing power, low technology awareness
and cultural shifts, delay in approval standards and poor infrastructure
would pose major hurdles for smart card market in the country.
From http://www.hindustantimes.com/ 06/12/2003
TOPˇü
Govt Allows E-Air Tickets
The government has allowed travel agents to issue e-mail tickets to airline
passengers. When a passenger produces the e-mail, which lists the PNR,
credit card details and itinerary, at the airline counter, a boarding
pass is issued against it. While travellers don't have to worry about
losing their tickets or wait for the travel agent to deliver, airlines
save on ticket costs. The system is a pilot project in Delhi, with BA
and Lufthansa implementing it. By June, Singapore Airlines, Air France
and Swiss may get on board. Among domestic airlines, Air Sahara has signed
an MoU to implement it.
From http://www.hindustantimes.com/ 06/13/2003
TOPˇü
Indian Railways to Provide Broadband Internet
on Rails: Nitish
Railtel Corporation of India, the communication arm of the Indian Railways,
is planning to set-up cyber cafes at over 200 major railway stations across
the country by the year-end, Railway Minister Nitish Kumar said on Thursday.
"The first cyber cafe will be inaugurated on Friday at New Delhi Railway
Station. Based on the feedback of the users, we are intending to extend
to over 200 important stations in the country in the first phase by the
end of this year," Kumar told reporters at the commissioning of the "optic
fibre communication link on Bangalore-Secunderabad, Secunderabad-Vijayawada-Chennai
and Chennai-Ooty-Bangalore" here. He said the cyber cafes would be extended
to all railway stations in the country, based on the initial success.
Stating that Railtel had set a target of laying optic fibre cable for
over 40,000 km in the country, Kumar said nearly 21,000 km of it had already
been laid. The railways would also experiment by providing broadband Internet
access on moving train, the first such instance in the world, he said.
The service would be launched on a train this year. Kumar said Railtel
had a total bandwidth of 622 Mbps (1890 channels) of which, the railways
requirement would be 30 channels, and the rest would be commercially exploited.
He said the Railtel infrastructure would also be used around five km from
a railway station in villages and towns, besides using it for e-governance,
tele-education and telemedicine applications.
From http://www.hindustantimes.com/ 06/26/2003
TOPˇü
India Ranks Ahead of China in Network, E-Commerce
Readiness
The Chinese success stories notwithstanding, the country is yet to catch
up with India in international ranking on parameters like network and
e-commerce readiness. While India ranks 37th (amongst the 82 countries
surveyed) on the networked readiness index, which is a measure of the
preparedness of nations for the networked world, China ranks 43. Both
the countries, however, have risen up the rungs since the last survey.
In 2001-02, while India ranked 54 on the index, China held the 64th rank
under the survey, which had included 75 countries. The index has been
put together by Center for International Development at Harvard University,
and for the second time, forms a part of the Global Information Technology
Report. The report, released by the World Economic Forum, assesses the
capacity of 82 countries to exploit the opportunities offered by information
technology, communications and technology (ICT) sector. Interestingly,
India scores over China in both the market opportunity and regulatory
subindices with 28th and 16th position respectively while the latter holds
the 50th and 52nd position. However, at 70th position, India rates low
on the infrastructure subindex as compared to China, which is at the 53rd
position. The low communications and technology penetration in India (see
box) has been attributed to high cost of access devices and government
regulations. The country has taken so long to open the telecom sector
and it has in a way inhibited the expansion of reach and enhancement of
quality of telecom services by public sector enterprises.
From http://www.hindustantimes.com/ 07/03/2003
TOPˇü
SRI LANKA: BASL Website
The Website of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka will be launched on June
28. The launching ceremony will take place at 10.15 a.m. at the monthly
Bar Council meeting. The Website will be launched by Attorney General
K.C. Kamalasabayson, PC at the BASL Auditorium in Hulfsdorp, states a
BASL press release. The Website contains information regarding the legal
system of Sri Lanka, historical development of the judicial process, current
changes in the law, the history and the functions of the BASL and other
relevant legal information. All contact details are available on the site.
The site will provide an easy access to practising lawyers, law students,
researchers and member of the public to educate themselves about the latest
changes in the law. According to the press release made by the Secretary
of the BASL it is interested to load unreported judgment of the Supreme
Court and the Court of Appeal on a periodical basis. The Secretary thanked
the Executive Committee of the Bar Association, the Technology Committee,
the Special Projects Committee of the BASL and Manilal Fernando, Attorney-at-Law.
The Website is being maintained by Messrs Lanka Com (Pvt) Ltd. The Website
of BASL could be accessed by logging into www.slbar.org
From http://www.dailynews.lk/ 06/24/2003
TOPˇü
MALDIVES: Special Website on SARS Set Up on Haveeru
Online
MALE (HNS) - Haveeru Daily has launched a special section on Severe Acute
Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) on the online edition of the newspaper. Latest
local and international news and reports are available on the web site,
which can be accessed at www.haveeru.com.mv/sars/. Haveeru Daily has received
numerous feedbacks from the readers, especially Maldivians living overseas,
requesting more information on SARS and especially how the Maldives is
dealing with the issue. There are no reported cases in Maldives, although
three Maldivians who recently returned from China had been quarantined.
From http://www.haveeru.com.mv/ 05/01/2003
TOPˇü
PAKISTAN: E-trading
KARACHI: The Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry
(FPCCI) has started Global Business Exchange (GBX) of World Chambers Network
(WCN). GBX is a joint project of International Chamber of Commerce (ICC),
Paris Chamber of Commerce (PCC) and the G-77 Chambers of Commerce of 134
developing countries, the FPCCI statement said here on Wednesday. It offers
to its members a priceless opportunity to do business on-line via the
World Chambers Network. Being a part of the WCN, the FPCCI is a gateway
to success for many small and medium size companies.-APP
From http://www.dawn.com/ 06/05/2003
TOPˇü
Lahore: New Tax Forms on CBR Website
LAHORE: New income tax forms for individuals are already available on
the Central Board of Revenue's website. This was stated by income tax
regional commissioner Qudratullah during a visit to the Lahore Chamber
of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) here on Wednesday. He said the IT return
forms for other taxpayers would shortly be made available on the web.
He, however, clarified that there was not much change in the forms. He
did not agree with a suggestion that traders could not maintain documentation
of their business and said there was not a single business which did not
have rudimentary documentation. About change in the attitude of the tax
officials, he said it very much depended on the prevailing social values.
He said the department was computerizing data of taxpayers. The commissioner
presented a shield to LCCI president Yawar Irfan Khan as a momento for
acknowledging the cooperation extended by the business community in achieving
the revenue target of the last fiscal year. "It is for the first time
that tax collectors have given a shield to taxpayers," the commissioner
said. He hailed the attitude of the business community for paying taxes.
"The department on its part also tried that all matters relating to payment
of taxes should be settled amicably without causing any dispute."
From http://www.dawn.com/ 07/17/2003
TOPˇü |
|
| |
AUSTRALIA: Cyber-Crime Threatens
Business, Says Minister
Cyber-crime represented a serious threat to Australian business and more
needed to be done to understand it, a conference was told yesterday. Queensland
Innovation Minister Paul Lucas told the AusCERT Asia-Pacific IT Security
Conference on the Gold Coast today cyber-crime was estimated to be costing
$1.5 trillion a year. Mr Lucas said while exact figures of the level of
crime were not available, Australia's Computer Emergency Response Team
(AusCERT) was notified of almost 27,000 separate incidents in the first
quarter of 2002. He also cited an Ernst and Young survey which found 64
per cent of Australian firms experienced an e-security attack in the six
months to November 2002. "There's still a level of nervousness in business
and the general community about the security of doing business over the
internet, with two out of five users saying they do not want to provide
credit card details over the net," Mr Lucas said. "With this in mind,
it's no wonder that e-security is one of the hot IT growth industries."
Mr Lucas said the e-security industry was growing at 60 per cent every
year and this was set to increase with the rise in cyber-terrorism. "Cyber-terrorism
is a real threat, as it has huge potential to wreak havoc in databases
and computer networks around the world with politically-motivated cyber-terrorism
compounding the problem of computer hackers," Mr Lucas said. Queensland
experienced a cyber-terror event in 2001 when a man was found guilty of
using his car as a mobile pirate command centre to sabotage the computer
controlling a Sunshine Coast sewage treatment plant. "The man triggered
the release of about 800,000 litres of untreated sewage into Maroochydore's
creeks, killing fish and creating an offensive odour," Mr Lucas said.
Queensland had now become home to the largest e-security research community
in the southern hemisphere, with 190 firms based in the state, he said.
From http://www.theage.com.au/ 05/12/2003
TOPˇü
Melbourne in Running to Be ID Firm's Regional
HQ
German biometrics company Viisage-ZN - which claims 80 per cent of the
world's face-recognition technology market - will set up its Asia-Pacific
headquarters in Australia. The $70 million company, which is the biometric
supplier to the $2 billion Australian smartcard subsidiary G&D; Australasia,
will locate its headquarters in Melbourne or Brisbane within the next
few months. G&D; employs 150 in Australia and has contracts with the federal
Health Insurance Commission, ANZ, Vodafone and Telstra. The managing director
of Viisage-ZN, Marcel Yon, said the company had chosen Australia ahead
of Singapore because Australia was among the leaders in developing biometrics.
"This country is a tremendous innovator," Mr Yon said. "This part of the
world is an early mover and shaker in this." Viisage-ZN is negotiating
four major projects with Federal and State Governments in Australia and
has a pilot program with a government authority. The company has also
run tests for Australian Customs, which announced a tender in April for
work on the national roll-out of its biometric SmartGate passenger system,
which has been tested at Sydney airport since November. Viisage-ZN's face-recognition
technology - which draws on a database of 13 million faces - can search
500,000 faces in a second. In the United States, the company supplies
smartcard drivers' licences to seven states and has hundreds of installations
in Germany, Canada, Russia and Africa. At the Hanover Zoo, the company's
facial-recognition system provides identification to 60,000 subscribers
and screens 10,000 people a day. Despite broad criticism of the technology's
general accuracy, Viisage claims close to a 100 per cent accuracy rate.
(by Sue Cant)
From http://www.theage.com.au/ 05/12/2003
TOPˇü
Fingerprint Access Technology Tested in Sydney
An office without security IDs, swipe cards, passwords and network log-ins
is at your fingertips. French company Sagem is testing a fingerprint access
system at a number of Australian sites. MorphoAccess is currently used
only for door entry, but Sagem Australasia said fingerprints would soon
replace conventional methods of identification including computer log-ins.
"Today we have the technologies," Sagem Australasia managing director
Nicolas Wolff said. "The system will automatically analyse the finger
... compare it against the information in the system and open web based
applications, your network or any other professional access you need.
"Maybe early 2004 we'll be able to start implementing these virtual access
controls." The technology could also be used to further secure credit
card banking, virtual shopping and mobile phones, Mr Wolff said. The scanner,
which looks like an EFTPOS machine, marks about 60 points of the fingertip
and compares it to those previously stored on a database. Depending on
the level of access granted to the particular fingerprint a worker can
gain access to a certain room, floor or even several buildings. The fingerprint
access system has been trialled by a range of Australian business, government
and education operations including the Australian Department of Foreign
Affairs and Trade (DFAT). DFAT has now joined both Interpol and the FBI
in deciding to keep the system. Accounting giant Ernst and Young's national
director of e-commerce, Mark Runnalls tested the system for seven weeks.
Mr Runnalls said a small number of employees were initially hesitant about
having their fingerprints registered on a database. "It's a lesson with
any sort of technology implementation, you have to explain to people what
you are using it for and how you intend to protect their information,"
he said. However the time saved, ease of access, increased security and
future benefits of the system were all very positive, he said. Mr Wolff
said 2003 marked 100 years of fingerprinting in Australia.
From http://www.theage.com.au/ 05/15/2003
TOPˇü
Sydney Developer Unveils Web-Based Storage System
Sydney-based web developer Paul Knapp has unveiled a web-based storage
system, with some differences, a system which he has chosen to call Membox.
Membox offers a personal information repository, managed through an internet-connected
web interface. Each individual record in a Membox is known as a Mem. There
is a search and categorisation functionality to manage them. Each Membox
user is issued with a "Mem Address", similar to an email address and they
can send Mems to each other. These arrive in their Memboxes ready-formatted.
Knapp said his concept differed from ordinary online storage because "you
can define field (templates), conduct searches, and categorise by templates.
You can also mail them to each other which is a big advantage. I don't
think there's a storage product that currently offers all this fuctionality
without any programming." He acknowledged that the system was, for the
moment, based on a proprietary format but said that later versions would
allow XML exports. Asked whether people would not have a problem storing
personal data in a location which could well disappear one fine morning,
he said: "People still trust Yahoo!, Hotmail, Amazon, their local bank
and countless other third-parties to store their information. Why select
one example from hundreds? I have an idea for a future release which people
can store locally if necessary." Membox offers 2mb storage free. Bigger
Memboxes cost from $US25 upwards. A standalone version of Membox which
users can install on their own server is planned for later this year.
Membox is built on Lotus Domino 6 and can run on both Unix and Windows.
From http://www.theage.com.au/ 06/03/2003
TOPˇü
NEW ZEALAND: Smart Cards Raise Cost of Eftpos
To combat credit card fraud, the country's retailers are being forced
to upgrade eftpos terminals to a new international standard. If they don't,
they could be liable for the cost of any fraud - as could banks. The move
has the country's only eftpos manufacturer, listed technology firm Cadmus
Technology, rubbing its hands with glee. But some say it's going to take
years for New Zealand to become fully compliant and it's going to hit
the country's large retailers in the pocket. Driven by security concerns
as fraudsters became more techno-savvy, international credit card agencies
Europay, Mastercard and Visa started work on the so-called EMV standard
several years ago. It relates to new, so-called smart cards with embedded
microchips. Chip cards can store more information than magnetic strip
cards and can't be copied so easily by crooks. While major card companies
haven't set a date for banks to phase out magnetic cards, after January
2006 retailers and banks will be liable for the cost of fraudulent transactions
when non-chip card compliant terminals are used to process cards with
a magnetic strip and a microchip. Visa's Asia-Pacific board had set a
2003 target for all new eftpos machines in the region but given Australasian
banks' reluctance to introduce smart card technology, New Zealand is already
behind, said one banking source. Australia mandated that from February
all eftpos machines sold or rented must be capable of reading chip cards.
ETSL (Electronic Transaction Services Limited), New Zealand's largest
eftpos network owned by four banks, has set August this year as the start
of its roll out. ANZ, the only Australasian bank to launch a chip card
and New Zealand's other network owner, has been supplying EMV compliant
eftpos terminals since the end of 2001 through its subsidiary Eftpos NZ.
But uptake has been slow - less than 9000 machines in its database of
30,000, accounting for less than 40% of the country's total rental market.
Cadmus Technology gained EMV compliant certification for its new machines
two months ago. Though it has only just started to replace machines in
New Zealand it expects a surge in sales - potentially boosting its languishing
share price. "There's something like 35 million terminals worldwide, most
non-compliant and the market's growing at about 15% to 20% a year," said
managing director Ian Bailey. "The new standard has to be good for compliant
manufacturers and we're one of the first." Cadmus supplies about 30% of
the New Zealand market, while sales abroad have grown to about 15,000
terminals a year. The only other eftpos terminal supplier, listed firm
Provenco will issue EMV compliant machines from June. For those who rent
eftpos terminals the upgrades mean little more than a few dollars a week
on their rental bill, averaging about $12 to $15 a week. But for those
who own their machines, such as supermarket chain Progressive Enterprises
and retailers Briscoes and Farmers, the upgrade will cost thousands as
each terminal retails for about $1000. (by Lesley Springall)
From http://www.stuff.co.nz/ 05/18/2003
TOPˇü
E-farming Sprouts Roots
People looking for a Fieldays fix without getting their gumboots muddy
will soon be able to log on to a virtual version of the annual event at
Mystery Creek, near Hamilton. Fieldays and Telecom have announced a $1
million sponsorship deal to fund and jointly develop a Virtual Fieldays
website. The site will be launched during the real event at Mystery Creek,
from June 11 to 14. The launch will be the first step in developing an
online agricultural marketplace to allow suppliers to showcase products
and buy and sell all year round. The theme for Fieldays 2003 will be e-farming.
"E-farming is going to be a critical source of competitive advantage for
New Zealand farmers over the next 10 years," said Fieldays chief executive
Barry Quayle. It was vital for Telecom to be involved, he said. Telecom
will run a version of the high-tech "Shed" it built for the America's
Cup at the Fieldays. The site will target farmers with the latest communications
wizardry. Telecom joins ANZ Rural as one of the event's two major sponsors.
(by Liam Dann)
From http://www.nzherald.co.nz/ 05/19/2003
TOPˇü
Card Spurs Online Buying
Supermarket group Progressive Enterprises has reported a surge of interest
in its Internet grocery service following the launch of its combined Woolworths
and Foodtown loyalty scheme, One Card. General manager of online services
Richard Harrison says the number of people registering to purchase groceries
online has jumped three-fold since the launch of the loyalty scheme last
month. Progressive has also experienced its best-ever sales week for online
purchases, outside the traditionally busy Christmas holiday period. Mr
Harrison attributes the new custom to people accessing the company's website
to apply online for a One Card, and then clicking through to the Internet
shopping option. Progressive operates an online store which offers nationwide
delivery under both its Woolworths and Foodtown brands. The growth in
custom comes despite a decision by Progressive not to offer One Card discounts
for groceries bought online. The non-availability of the discounts effectively
adds up to 5 per cent to the price of a typical online shopping trip -
coming on top of fixed delivery charges, starting at $9.50 in Wellington.
However, online customers are still eligible for One Card reward points,
as in Woolworths and Foodtown physical stores. Mr Harrison says the decision
not to offer One Card discounts online is an "economic one", reflecting
the convenience of the channel and the fact the company's delivery charges
do not cover the cost of packing and delivery, which has to be subsidised
from "notoriously low margins" prevalent in the supermarket sector. The
company is unlikely to revise that stand, given there appears to have
been no adverse effect on online sales. Progressive will focus instead
on reducing delivery charges, he says. Mr Harrison says the company offers
some "specials" which are available online and in-store and occasionally
also offers specific specials only to online customers. (by Tom Pullar-Strecker)
From http://www.stuff.co.nz/ 06/02/2003
TOPˇü
One-Stop Shop for Business
The Government is launching a one-stop website portal so businesses can
access important regulatory information. The website, www.biz.org.nz,
cost $309,000 to develop and will be launched next Tuesday in Auckland.
Small Business Minister John Tamihere said yesterday the development of
the portal was a key recommendation of the ministerial panel on business
compliance costs, which reported in July 2001. Of the 162 panel recommendations
the Government agreed to 131 in whole or in part. Tamihere said more than
80 per cent of the proposals had either been, or were being, implemented.
The website being launched next week would give businesses "one-stop"
access to services across the Government, including Inland Revenue, the
Department of Labour, ACC and the Companies Office. The site includes
guides to regulation, downloadable forms, and advice on establishing a
business. Other initiatives included: * Changes relating to the Resource
Management Act including limited notification provisions designed to curb
vexatious objections. * More funding for the Environment Court, which
has resulted in "significant" reductions in case backlogs - down from
3000 a year ago to less than 2000 now. * Work on tax simplification for
small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and a discussion document that
will be released later this year addressing issues the panel raised. *
Appointing an advisory group drawn from the business community to advise
the Government on issues affecting small businesses, including compliance
costs. * Organizing an "SME summit" next February, as well as regional
summits, to help define the needs of businesses and the Government's role.
Business NZ chief executive Simon Carlaw said the list of achievements
released by Tamihere was "commendable, but short". "It should also be
remembered this is the edited version of compliance costs - 15 per cent
of the panel's recommendations were ruled out of contention in 2001 because
they conflicted with Government policy." He said businesses asked the
panel for substantial changes to tax, RMA, ACC and employment relations
policies, but many requests were culled. "It's in these areas that the
disincentives to employ are found. "Spending money to set up websites
and advisory groups is okay, but it doesn't address many fundamental disincentives
that deter small businesses from growing bigger." (by Kevin Taylor)
From http://www.nzherald.co.nz/ 07/02/2003
TOPˇü
Online Identity Plan Carries High Cost, Little
Gain: Expert
An electronic-identity expert has panned a Government plan to create
a single identity database for access to Government services online. Daryl
Webb, director of specialist online authentication firm Digital Identity,
said the technology was available but would mean privacy trade-offs and
an enormous logistical cost in ensuring the accuracy of the data initially
and over time. He said at the outset people would need their identity
confirmed in person, similar to the way passports and driver's licences
are issued, and for the new driver's licences that process took 12 months.
"How is the Government going to do this without it costing a ridiculous
amount of money?" Outgoing E-government Unit head Brendon Boyle said there
would need to be some sort of enrolment process, but that depended on
the design work due for completion early next year, and the number of
potential users was not known. Webb said a major issue was that people
had a tendency to create false identities. "I may be happy to tell the
electoral commission where I live, but I may not have wanted other Government
departments to know." Webb said those who used the system would have to
remember passwords, so a call centre would be needed to help people get
and change passwords. Boyle said there would obviously have to be a process
to manage and update passwords, but that had yet to be determined. The
authentication system is part of providing Government services online
and ultimately "transforming" Government by being able to draw services
more easily from each department to meet the needs of an individual. But
Webb said Government staff would end up needing to be more relationship
than transaction focused, and therefore more expensive to hire. "The money
saved by being electronic will be eaten up in part, or in whole, or even
more, because of the increase in servicing on a relationship basis." Boyle
said each department would have to weigh such considerations as part of
their particular business case for electronic services. Webb said the
real gain to be made came from the re-engineering of social services,
and departments needed to be careful about getting carried away with technology.
"I would say it is the revisiting of how things are done that is the true
enabler." But despite the risk, society would end up taking a Government-led
"suck it and see" approach, he said. "With a system like this there will
be some early adopters who see some real benefits. "We'll see a chunk
of people who are laggards because of significant privacy concerns and
will hang out a lot longer, but [they] will join eventually as long as
this is reasonably effectively implemented." (by Richard Wood)
From http://www.nzherald.co.nz/ 07/15/2003
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BURMA: Workshop on "IT Beyond Tomorrow"
IT Advancement Unit and Computer Services Department together with K.K.I.P.
Communications Sdn. Bhd will be organizing a workshop on "IT Beyond Tomorrow"
with the objective to keep the key management and IT personnel in Sabah
State Government abreast of the latest global and national IT direction.
The workshop will be held on the 31 July 2003 at Magellan Wing, Sutera
Harbour Resort & Spa, Kota Kinabalu.
From http://www.sabah.gov.my/ 07/23/2003
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PHILIPPINES: Communications Expo Returns to
Cebu
CEBU will soon host Communications & Automation Cebu 2003-6th International
Telecommunications, Broadcast, Electronics, Visual Communications and
Office Automation Equipment and Services Exhibition. This will no doubt
be the most comprehensive information communications technology event
ever held in Cebu. A total of 130 exhibitors from all over the world are
expected to participate in this event," said Jing Lagandaon, deputy managing
director of Global-Link Marketing & Management Services Inc., organizer
of the event. This year's expo, which will include pavilions on computer
and information technology, safety and security, is co-organized by the
Cebu Computer Society, headed by past president Jimmy Flores and president
Jigger Escario. There are already confirmed exhibitors for the June 26-28
affair, which will be held at the Cebu City Marriott Hotel ballroom. Among
them are Smartronix (which sells uninterrupted power supply and computer
accessories), Micro Acoustics-Pioneer (audio/video equipment), Big Pix
Graphics (digital printing machines), Multistiq Inc. (architectural signage
and environmental graphics), Chase Pacific (point-of-sale systems), and
All Visuals & Lights Systems (AVLS). AVLS is a leading supplier of multimedia
projectors, plasma monitors, document cameras, visual presenters, slide
and overhead projectors, digital cameras and system integrators. Among
the brands it carries are Optoma, NEC, Epson, Canon, Fujitsu, Delta and
Lumens. Last year, the show attracted over 4,200 trade buyers, resulting
in sales of P12 million. Inquiries may be directed to Studio 7 Designs.
From http://www.sunstar.com.ph/ 05/22/2003
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ICT Show Exhibit Opens on Friday
TWENTY-FOUR companies have confirmed joining the Information Communication
Technology (ICT) show at Ayala Center Cebu on June 13-15, as part of the
celebration of Cebu Business Month. The ICT show and exhibit and the 3rd
Cebu Web Awards will showcase participating companies who are into the
information technology business. They exhibitors businesses into computer
hardware, software development and internet service providers. In a press
conference held at the Aboitiz Hall of the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and
Industry yesterday, the chairman for web awards, engineer Malee Bigornia,
said that the Information Communication Technology show this year is centered
on multimedia development. Talents He also said that the ICT show and
the 3rd Web Awards will greatly help the development of young kids, who
are now taught to use the web in their schools. "The ICT show will greatly
encourage and motivate young kids and practitioners to showcase their
talents in web designing and development of computer graphics," Bigornia
said. "This ICT show and exhibit is also an added feature for the ongoing
business month. The active media can also join. For the first time, this
exhibit is not only for Cebu but is now open for neighboring provinces
as well," he added. The Chairman for the Information and Communication
Show 2003, Ms. Melanie Ng, further said that since Cebu can produce talents
who have the capability in information technology, more companies who
are into the IT business will invest in Cebu. This, she said, will generate
more jobs for Cebuanos. IT vendors, she said, are also focusing more attention
on Cebu to support its industry. Growth Organizers said the event is an
opportunity to explore new business undertakings or expand existing network
and linkages. It is also one of Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry's
(CCCI) contribution in promoting information technology to enhance growth
and competitiveness of business and to bring out Cebu's creativity and
innovation in web design, animation, and multi-media. Aboitiz Transport
Group, Interdotner, ICTUS Communication, Rhine Marketing, Lexmark, Globe,
Cebu City Government, Cebu Holdings Inc., A5TRX, Technical Education Skills
Development Authority-VII, Enabling Solutions, Department of Science and
Technology, R2 Convergence, Performance Advantage System International,
Nu Tech/Primary Software, NG KHAI Development, Wired System, HPS Software,
CBX Corporation, CANON, MDR, Esprint Software Inc., Thinking Tools, and
Silicon Valley are joining the exhibit which will be opened this Friday
at 4 in the afternoon. (by Lalaine Go, STC masscom intern)
From http://www.sunstar.com.ph/ 06/10/2003
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e-PLDT To Set Up Wireless Hotspots
THE information technology (IT) arm of Philippine Long Distance Telephone
Co. (PLDT) will soon establish IT infrastructure in Cebu that will boost
the area's IT capacity. E-PLDT business solutions will install hotspot
infrastructure in business establishments and public places in Cebu by
the third quarter of the year, said e-PLDT business solutions-global business
management head Jose Rode Narbota. A hotspot is an area that provides
its clients with high-speed Internet access over a wireless local area
network via wireless fidelity (Wifi)-a facility to connect a computer
to the Internet without using telephone lines. The clients, however, must
bring their own wireless device such as the 802.11-enabled laptop or personal
digital assistant in hotspots such as offices, coffee shops, hotel lobbies
or airports. Permit As regards reports that the National Telecommunications
Commission (NTC) is questioning the legality of PLDT's and Globe's offering
of wireless Internet access, NTC 7 chief operating officer Jesus Laureno
said: "We are not yet questioning their (PLDT and Globe) operation in
Cebu because it is still within the one-month period allowed by NTC 7
in their test permits." He said PLDT and Globe applied for test permits
to test the capability of the infrastructure for the service in Cebu last
July 9. Both firms have until Aug. 9 to renew or upgrade their permits
so they can offer the service commercially. Globe public relations head
Jones Campos also said offering the wireless Internet access service was
questionable only in Manila because of the 2.4-gigahertz frequency band
used by Wifi, which is already being used by the Manila Electric Co. Last
month, PLDT rival Globe Telecom, through its IT arm GlobeQuest, introduced
hotspots in Cebu in partnership with business establishments like Ayala
Center Cebu, City Sports Club Cebu and Cebu City Marriott Hotel. Business
welcomed the development in Cebu. Cebu Holdings Inc. president Rene Almedras
said hotspots would enhance Cebu's capacity to attract tourists and investors.
But Internet cafes are not pleased. "This will eat up a portion of our
market. We (Internet cafes) are already so many in Cebu. The market is
already saturated, plus the hotspots ... patay na mi ini," according to
an Internet caf¨¦ owner. (This will kill our business). E-PLDT's Narbota
said his company had made the service available in Metro Manila and Boracay.
It is now identifying establishments in Cebu to be its partners in installing
hotspots. (by Jessica B. Natad)
From http://www.sunstar.com.ph/ 07/15/2003
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THAILAND: Computer Games Aim to Educate Young
The Thailand Research Fund (TRF) plans to finance the development of
a series of computer and Internet-based games to educate young people
about the environment and technology. The first game, "City I Love to
Live In", is intended to teach the young about the problems of air pollution
and encourage them to participate in campaigns to make their city more
liveable. The popularity of the game is not expected to rival that of
Ragnarok, the Internet-based fantasy game that has hooked tens of thousands
of teenagers. But it would be an alternative that promotes creativity
and environmental consciousness, officials at the government agency said.
"Let's Surf the Web," would follow, said the TRF's associate professor
Suchada Chinajit, to encourage children to surf healthy websites that
teach them how to think critically and to be able to protect themselves
in cyberspace. The two recreational activities were part of a TRF strategy
to promote the development of games that offer fun and knowledge, Suchada
said. Dr Suwannee Asawakunchai of King Mongkut Institute of Technology,
Thon Buri, who is working on the air-quality management game, said it
involved basic knowledge, designs for a liveable city and drills on how
pollution affects city living and every resident in a community. Players
of "City I Love to Live In" will have to learn about sources of pollution,
pollution levels, and the impact on people and the environment. They can
choose materials to be used for building houses and other residential
units, offices, factories, roads, vehicles, and other structures like
school buildings, temples and ponds. Players will do the town planning
themselves to determine the number of houses, roads, vehicles and trees
that are suitable for a city area. Graphs will show the players the levels
of carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons and dust particles caused by different
types of city development. Players can also choose the population size
, amount of traffic and pollution level they are willing to allow. The
game is a way of passing on the findings of three research projects. The
first of these is Dr Naret Chuasuwan's study on sources of pollution in
Bangkok, including exhaust fumes from vehicles, factory emissions and
fumes from garbage incineration. The second is assistant professor Dr
Nanthawan Wijitwatakan's study of fatality and morbidity rates as they
affect the economy of Bangkok. And the third is Dr Sammon Chomchai's study
on the relationship between sizes of particles and the heart rates of
the aged, as well as their general effect on their health. The TRF was
considering the possibility of integrating "City I Love to Live In" into
the schoolnet or on other websites, Suchada said.
From http://www.nationmultimedia.com/ 07/07/2003
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Thaksin to Preside Over ICT Expo Next Month
Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra will next month preside over his first
telecom fair since taking office. His decision to attend ICT Expo 2003,
to be held at Central Plaza Lat Phrao from August 2-4, was confirmed yesterday
by Information and Communica-tions Technology (ICT) Minister Surapong
Suebwonglee. Thaksin, the founder of Shin Corp, which owns a large slice
of Thailand's biggest mobile-network operator Advanced Info Service (AIS),
has shunned telecom fairs since becoming PM to avoid criticism. The highlights
of the fair will be the sale of special-priced handsets and the relaunch
of low-cost laptop PCs under the ICT's computer project. The ICT received
more than 170,000 orders for low-cost laptop and desktop computers when
it previously ran the programme in May and last month. The ministry has
decided to sell only laptop PCs for the relaunch due to poor desktop sales
the first time around, the result of disappointing specifications. The
new batch of the laptops is expected to have better performance. Surapong
said local telecom firms and foreign suppliers, including AIS, Total Access
Communications, TA Orange, TT&T;, Motorola, and Siemens, would parade their
latest technology at the fair "so people do not have to go abroad to see
the novel technology''. E-government projects will also be showcased,
he said.
From http://www.nationmultimedia.com/ 2003/07/08
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TOT Training for Tambons
TOT Corp has inaugurated a nationwide Internet training programme for
2,000 Tambon Administration Organisations (TAOs) and students. The computer
training will cover some 6,000 tambons, with two people selected per tambon,
according to TOT deputy managing director Kitti Phiantham. The project
will run over two and a half months and cost around 29 million baht, he
said, adding that TOT has outsourced Interactive Communication to run
the courses. The project will train some 2,000 people during the first
stage and has already started in Chiang Mai. ICT Minister Dr Surapong
Suebwonglee noted that it was the government's policy to support the use
of computers and the Internet to minimise the knowledge gap between urban
and rural citizens. To boost Internet usage here, the minister recently
ordered the Communications Authority of Thailand (CAT) to introduce a
one-baht per hour Internet service for access to domestic web sites. (by
Sasiwimon Boonruang)
From http://www.bangkokpost.com/ 07/16/2003
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VIETNAM: IT Forum Showcases The Best of Wares
The Viet Nam Information Technology Forum and Viet Nam Computerworld
Expo was an opportunity for domestic enterprises to improve themselves,
Deputy Post and Telematics Minister Mai Liem Truc said on Wednesday. It
gave those enterprises looking for new technology the chance to improve
their product quality and competitive edge in the face of the country's
fast economic integration, he said. The forum expo, or VITF&VCW; 2003,
is the country's biggest IT event and is in its eighth year. The deputy
minister was speaking at the opening also attended by International Data
Group (IDG) president Patrick McGovern and Viet Nam Chamber of Commerce
and Industry chairman Vu Tien Loc. McGovern said that leading IT companies
and experts would find the event an ideal place to exchange experiences
and advanced technology as well as outline their own competition strategy.
Some 160 IT companies with almost half of them represented by domestic
enterprises showcased their latest achievements in 260 display booths
in the event. Wireless Internet access hotspots technology will be introduced
at this year's event for first time. Mai Phuong, a 3rd grade student of
the HCM City's Natural Science University said: "I am attracted to the
exhibition by free Internet access, massive IT information and new products
and the chance to meet with other high-tech addicts. "Earlier, the Ha
Noi-headquartered Corporation for Financing and Promoting Technology,
FPT, kept its place as Viet Nam's top IT company when it won seven of
the 10 categories at the HCM City Computer Association, HCA, awards at
a ceremony in HCM City on Tuesday night. These included the highly-prized
gold medal for the highest-turnover software unit and a gold medal for
software export. Its other wins were: top hardware distributor, top software
servicer, top software exporter, a first-place finish in the ranking of
the Top Five IT companies and top software company, Last year, the company
ranked first with six HCA prizes. Samsung Vina and CMS three prizes each.
Both won a gold medal for highest-turnover hardware unit and a place in
the Top 5 IT companies. CMS gained first place in the top five Vietnamese
trademark computer manufacturers, with turnover of VND78 billion (US$5
million).Samsung Vina was named Viet Nam's Top IT Company for hardware
manufacture ($12.5 million).Other well-known IT companies such as the
Viet Nam Datacommunications Company (VDC), Robo, T&H;, Mekong Green and
Aptech also took home two prizes each.
From http://vietnamnews.vnagency.com.vn/ 07/10/2003
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Global Communications Technology Praised for Role in Slowing the Early Spread of the SARS Epidemic 
