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GLOBE: Top
10 Network Security Threats Vendor researcher includes USB drives, smartphones as top
security risks. With cyber-threats becoming a daily headache for IT security
staff, it helps to have some advice, or at least know what to look out for.
One researcher of Fortinet, a network security software provider, offered his
observations on the top 10 threats that can harm networks from the inside and
ways to combat them. And according to him, the number of threats just keeps
growing. “The ways that the networks can be compromised five years ago
internally, certainly still exist. It’s just that today, that list is really
growing, and that’s why this is ongoing research,” said Derek Manky, a
project manager for cyber-security and threat research at Fortinet. Manky
said that the company has more than 100 researchers worldwide who monitor network
activity. “It’s really an ongoing case again of all this data that we’re
seeing worldwide, all this feedback we’re getting, all the new threats that
we’re seeing and how those threats can potentially affect systems,” he said. According to the researchers, the top 10 internal network
vulnerabilities are: 1.USB drives 2.laptops and netbooks 3.wireless access points 4.miscellaneous USB devices (digital
cameras, MP3 players, etc.) 5.employees borrowing others’ machines or devices 6.the Trojan Human (attackers who visit sites disguised as
employee personnel or contractors) 7.optical media (CDs, DVDs, etc.) 8.lack of employee alertness 9.smartphones 10.e-mail The list also includes advice for prevention and mitigation,
with tips like implementing asset control policies to handle removable media
threats and implementing an encrypted file system for sensitive data. Some
potential security threats such as smartphones can be dangerous in part
because people don’t see them as threats. And even though they can house
viruses, the devices can threaten networks in ways people may not think of.
“If you have any sort of confidential information and you have access to
that, even if the document doesn’t leave the quarantined area and you take a
picture of that with a smartphone, you can send that over [a] 3G network. You
can just keep it on the smartphone and walk out with it,” Manky said. But when it comes to locking down networks and implementing
security protocols, Manky said the government may be in a different position
than the private sector when it comes to enforcement. “They have a heavier
hand. They can enforce this and say, ‘OK, across all agencies, we are banning
this until we can think of what’s going on with this.’ So that is a good
thing in my view because if you can properly enforce something, and you can
take action on that, then it’s a step forward,” he said. But there could be
drawbacks. In addition to policy “turf wars,” Manky admits that different
sectors of government can cause confusion if they’re trying to enforce the
same thing but have different ideas on how to go about it. From
http://www.govtech.com/
09/20/2013 Trends in
Telecommunication Reform 2013: Transnational Aspects of Regulation in a
Networked Society The annual Trends in Telecommunication Reform publications are a
key part of the dialogue with the world's information and communications
technology (ICT) policy-makers and regulators to ensure that all citizens can
safely benefit from innovations taking place in the market leading to new
applications, services and businesses opportunities brought by a converged
digital environment. The 13th edition will examine transnational aspects of
regulation in a networked society and provide a sound understanding of the
digital ecosystem in place and the role of regulation. To fully participate
in today's networked society and be part of tomorrow's hyper-connected
digital world, policy makers and regulators need to adopt and implement
appropriate policies and means to further safe digital opportunities and
inclusion of all. Implementing their digital strategies requires them to
cooperate on national, regional and global scales to understand the changes
taking place in the market, and adopt innovative regulatory measures and
tools. From
http://www.itu.int/
10/28/2013 First
Interactive Information Superhighway to Help Bridge Digital Divide Ground-breaking new maps of the Global Information Superhighway,
which will help bridge the digital divide in Asia-Pacific, were today jointly
released by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and
the Pacific (ESCAP) and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). For
the first time ever, the ITU Interactive Terrestrial Transmission/ESCAP Asia
Pacific Information Superhighway Maps will show policy makers and investors
where the missing links in terrestrial transmission are across the region,
assisting ESCAP in its efforts to bring affordable information communication
technology (ICT) and broadband connectivity for all. Only 7 per cent of
people in the Asia Pacific region have fixed broadband access and it is the
most digitally divided region in the world, with Republic of Korea at 37.56
per cent fixed broadband penetration, compared to Myanmar with only 0.01 per
cent. In addressing today's Connect Asia Pacific Summit in Bangkok, Dr.
Noeleen Heyzer, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive
Secretary of ESCAP said the Information Super highway mapping will play an
important role in addressing this digital divide. "In Asia and the
Pacific, what we call the 'digital divide' is in fact an income divide, a
gender divide, an education divide and a knowledge divide," Dr. Heyzer
explained. "Together we must bridge the ICT divide by building a
seamless information and communication space in the region through the
Asia-Pacific Information Superhighway. Our efforts must be global in
ambition, regional in scope, and local in execution." ITU Secretary-General Hamadoun Touré noted that there has been
significant progress in the area of broadband connectivity. "The ITU
Interactive Terrestrial Transmission/ESCAP Asia-Pacific Information
Superhighway maps will demonstrate the current status of ICT connectivity
around the globe, empower network planners, policy-makers and regulators from
developing countries, while also industry with a powerful tool to assess
market opportunities." In closing, Dr. Heyzer stressed the importance of
public-private people partnerships, saying the full potential of ICTs will
only be realised if transformative technologies are accompanied by shared
values, shared commitment, and shared solidarity for inclusive and
sustainable development. The need to synchronise the deployment of
fibre-optic cables with the construction or maintenance of railways and roads
was also highlighted at today's launch, as up to 90 per cent of the costs of
laying out fibre are associated with civil-engineering work that is regularly
performed when roads or railways are constructed. The Asia-Pacific
Information Superhighway maps will feature the region's main transport
networks - the Asian Highway and the Trans-Asian Railways -as it is critical
that fibre-optic cables can be laid in coordination with the construction of
railways and roads to ensure appropriate cost savings. From
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/
11/18/2013 CHINA: E-Shoppers Biggest Gainers in Revised
Consumer Law Online shoppers can now return the goods unconditionally for
refunds within seven days of purchase but they have to shoulder logistics
cost, according to a revised consumer rights law that Chinese lawmakers
approved yesterday.It was the first time that the consumer rights and
interests law had been revised since it was adopted in 1993.The revision,
focused on better protecting the rights and interests of consumers, added
regulations on online shopping and tightened liabilities of businesses.One of
the main principles of the revision is to boost confidence of consumers, said
Jia Dongming, head of the civil law division under the Commission for
Legislative Affairs of the National People’s Congress Standing Committee, at
a press conference yesterday.“If people feel more secure and are more willing
to spend, business will see more revenue and profit and domestic demand will
expand. The whole country will benefit,” Jia said.The revised law will take
effect on March 15 next year, also World Consumer Rights Day.One of the
freshest elements of the revision is about e-commerce. The revised law for
the first time regulates merchandise and service transactions through the
Internet, television, phone and post.The new law allows e-shoppers to
unconditionally return goods for refunds within seven days of transaction but
requires them to pay logistics costs. It also lists products not suitable for
unconditional returns and refunds, such as digital products sold via
downloads, audio-visual goods with the packaging removed, bespoke products,
fresh and perishable goods, magazines, newspapers and software.Consumers can
seek compensation from online trading platforms if the platforms fail to
provide valid contact details for vendors using their networks. After compensating consumers, the platforms are entitled to
claim compensation from the vendors.Leaking personal information of consumers
has also emerged as a big problem.“This revision has
strict regulations on how operators should collect and use personal
information and what punishment offenders will receive,” said Liu Junchen,
deputy director of the State Administration for Industry and Commerce.The new
law requires business owners to obtain consumers’ consent and explicitly
explain the purpose, form and scope of information use before collecting and
using customers’ personal information. They are banned from leaking, selling
or illegally providing the information while being asked to adopt necessary
technical measures to ensure security of such data.The revised law endorses
higher compensation for consumers and imposes heavier fines on business
owners who violate consumer rights.If dealers deceive consumers or knowingly
sell substandard products, they should not only compensate consumers for
their losses, but also pay additional compensation equal to three times the
cost of the goods or service, up from double in the old version of the law. For serious cases in which consumers die or suffer serious
health problems due to faulty products knowingly sold by dealers, they shall
not only compensate consumers for economic and psychological losses but also
pay punitive damages up to a maximum of twice the amount of the loss,
according to the bill. Offenders will also be prosecuted.For instance, if a
consumer is killed because of faulty products, the death indemnity alone
would be estimated to be 491,300 yuan according to current standards, and
average total compensation would be at least 1.47 million yuan. The amount could
be higher in more affluent areas or lower in less-developed regions. From http://www.news.cn/
10/26/2013 S. KOREA:
Tops Global ICT List for 4th Year South Korea topped a global list of information and
communications technology (ICT) development for the fourth year in 2013,
bolstering its status as one of the world's most wired countries, data showed
Monday. South Korea ranked as the leading country for the fourth straight
year in the ICT Development Index, which measured 157 countries on ICT
access, use and skills, according to the recent data by the International
Telecommunications Union (ITU), a United Nations body specializing in ICT. From
http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr 10/07/2013 SINGAPORE:
Issuing Guidelines on Personal Data Protection Singapore’s Personal Data Protection Commission issued
guidelines this week to elaborate and provide interpretations on specific
requirements and obligations under the Personal Data Protection Act. PDPA,
that was first announced last October and to come into full effect from 2
July 2014, establishes a new general data protection law in Singapore, which
governs the collection, use and disclosure of individuals’ personal data by
organisation. Organisations are required to designate at least one Data
Protection Officer to oversee the organisation’s compliance with the act. The
guidelines provide interpretation of key terms. For example, ‘personal data’
is all types of data from which an individual can be identified, regardless
of whether such data is true or false or whether it is in electronic or other
form. The guidelines also elaborate on the Data Protection Provisions and
various obligations in the PDPA, for example, the obligation to obtain the
consent of an individual before collecting, using or disclosing his personal
data, and to notify the individual of the purpose of doing so. The national Do-Not-Call Registry will be set up by 2 January
2014, and organisations that wish to send specified messages - including
those of a marketing nature for commercial purposes - to an individual with a
Singapore telephone number must check with the registry to obtain consent of
the individual. The advisory guidelines elaborate on how the PDPA applies to
specific issues and domains. Data for research, collection of personal data
through Closed-Circuit Televisions, and use of National Registration Identity
Card (NRIC) numbers, are some of the topics highlighted in these guidelines.
As best practice, organisations should avoid over-collecting personal data
and consider suitable alternatives for their requirements (e.g. using an
individual’s unique membership number and date of birth instead of NRIC
number to verify his identity). “The Advisory Guidelines aim to provide
greater clarity to organisations and individuals on the provisions of the
PDPA. For businesses, it is important that they prepare in advance and review
their own operations and processes to comply with the provisions. The PDPC is
also working with sectoral regulators to develop sector-specific guidelines,
and will review the need to issue further guidelines to facilitate better
understanding of and compliance with the PDPA obligations,” said Leong Keng
Thai (pictured), Chairman of PDPC. From
http://www.futuregov.asia/
09/26/2013 Government
of India to Launch m-Governance System Government of India is planning to take the e-Governance
programme a step forward by launching a village level mobile governance
system for speedy delivery of services to the rural people. The National
Informatics Centre (NIC) will launch mobile governance (m-Governance) in the
State very soon. This was informed by acting Director General of NIC, CSR
Prabhu to Chief Secretary JK Mohapatra. Meanwhile, the Department of
Electronics and the Information Technology in the Ministry of Communications
and Information Technology has prepared a framework
for m-Governance to ensure inclusive delivery of public services in a
time-bound manner. Websites of all Government departments and agencies will
be made mobile compliant, using the ‘one web’ approach. Open standards will
be adopted for mobile applications for ensuring the inter-operability of
applications across various operating systems and devices as per the
Government policy on open standards for e-Governance, official sources said.
Uniform or single pre-designated numbers (long and short codes) will be used
for mobile-based services to ensure convenience. Government departments and
agencies are required to develop and deploy mobile applications for providing
their public services through mobile devices to the extent feasible on the
mobile platform, the sources said. Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare
department has already started monitoring paddy procurement, rice transfer
and delivery thorough m-Governance. From
http://egov.eletsonline.com
10/09/2013 U.S.: Data
Analysis and the Promise of Speedy Government Combining data with new analytics techniques can help
governments react nimbly and purposefully. In times of emergency, good
government means fast government, able to react nimbly and purposefully to
new conditions as they arise. Having speedy government tomorrow, though,
depends on preparation and prepositioning of critical resources today with
the understanding that seemingly random events often fit into actionable
patterns. By understanding these patterns now through clever combinations of
data and new modeling techniques, governments can improve their responses and
become more effective. In large cities, for example, must police officers
simply patrol hoping they will see a crime, or might they use data on
offenders, past crimes, neighborhood conditions and time of day to improve
surveillance? Hot-spot crime analysis has grown in popularity for just this
reason, giving patrols a way to focus their energies on specific areas that
have a higher propensity for crime. Recent advances continue to refine these
statistical methods, such as a new system developed for and in use by
Seattle, Los Angeles and Santa Cruz that feeds past and current crime trends
into the model used to predict earthquake aftershocks, adapting that model to
predict crime as well. Building a fully integrated system -- making different datasets
speak to each other and instilling a cooperative strategy across departments
-- is a lot of hard work. But being able to look at different phenomena at
once can pay off both during emergencies and in the day-to-day functioning of
a city. Chicago, for example, has been developing WindyGrid, a
predictive-analytics platform that has begun to reveal relationships such as
spikes in stolen trash bins when a block's streetlights go out. Those little
extra costs add up, and now the city knows what kind of actions need to be
taken while it works on a streetlight repair. WindyGrid's planned capacity
includes being able to preemptively react to a range of emergency situations
-- knowing when a water main is likely to break, for instance, or being able
to respond more quickly during a massive snowstorm. The goal is a preemptive
platform comprehensive enough to solve issues in areas ranging from infrastructure
to public safety while accessible enough that a city employee could simply
query the database when he or she has a hunch that might result in better
service and big savings. For decades, cities have worked to optimize their ambulance
response times by having drivers park in locations with a high incidence of
emergencies rather than wait in firehouses. In New York City, after an
initial brainstorming process where various theories about placement were
introduced, the data team was able to granularly measure 911 responses from
dial to arrival, which enabled systemic improvements to the entirety of the
response. More important, it demonstrates the iterative nature of this work,
from common-sense hypotheses to data-driven enhancements allowing in the end
a deep and comprehensive understanding of the entire 911 transaction. The timely presentation of data also can help citizens when
disaster hits. When Sandy hit the Northeast in 2012, governments and agencies
at all levels utilized Web-based GIS platforms to provide specific, timely
information. Citizens could act before the storm hit, making use of such
tools as New York City's online map of evacuation zones and shelters. Once
the storm hit, they could respond more intelligently, thanks to online tools
such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Check Your Home map, which
allowed evacuated residents to compare satellite photography and know whether
they needed to prepare to deal with damage or destruction of their homes. In
disasters the focus remains on getting information out as quickly as
possible, but we can expect to see more analytical tools being developed to
make this data go even farther, aiding in the allocation of resources and
concentration of efforts. Whether governments are responding to routine daily
service needs or to catastrophe, data and its sophisticated analysis hold the
keys to efficiency and resiliency. And as budgets become tighter, we need
that efficiency and focus more than ever. From
http://www.govtech.com/
09/20/2013 CANADA:
Rogers Hoping to See Mobile Commerce Everywhere in 2014 and Beyond Post to Twitter Post to Facebook Share on LinkedIn Share on
LinkedIn 1 CommentShare with Google+ Next year and beyond, mobile commerce
may soon become the preferred way to do transactions. At least, that’s the
hope for David Robinson, vice-president of emerging technologies at Rogers
Communications Inc. On Thursday, Robinson spoke to developers at AndroidTO, a
conference on all things Android. Rogers is hoping to give Canadians a wallet
from a wireless carrier using near field communication (NFC), Robinson said.
It has been segmenting its efforts to deliver mobile commerce to Canada,
pushing it into three phases, he added. Phase 1 was in 2012, when Rogers
worked on emulating an NFC SIM card that could go into mobile phones and act
as a payment method, without disrupting the network infrastructure. Phase 2
happened this year, when Rogers wanted to introduce this to consumers,
encouraging them to use mobile wallets with that card. And then there’s Phase
3, which Robinson describes as happening in “2014-plus” – when hopefully,
mobile will become the preferred commerce platform. “There will be lots of wallets, and there’s going to be lots of
user interfaces … But we believe the role for a carrier wallet is to do the
really nasty payment stuff because it’s hard,” he said. “And to push it, and
make it available and make it open with software development kits, that’s the
difference between what we used to do and what we’re doing today.” The quest
to bring NFC to Canada has already been in the works for about eight years,
Robinson said. As a member of the GSM Association, Rogers was working on the
“pay by mobile” initiative, with an objective of someday making every phone
in the world able to do a contactless payment transaction. In 2009, Rogers
launched its first NFC-enabled SIM card, which only worked for just one
handset. Still, Robinson called it an “absolute nightmare” to get it off the
ground, as the process required cooperation between 60 people in countries
around the world. Still, three years later, Rogers and major Canadian bank
CIBC announced they were launching Suretap, which runs SIM-based mobile
transactions on NFC-enabled smartphones. It’s now available for every device
that From
http://www.itbusiness.ca/
10/18/2013 Europe vs. Australia:
Whose E-Government Is Better? Over 150
government CIOs were kept at the edge of their seats as an intense debate on
“My e-government is better than yours” unfolded at the 10th annual FutureGov
Summit. At the beginning of ‘The Great Debate’, the audience was polled. 68
per cent of delegates thought that Australia’s e-government is better, versus
32 per cent who supported Europe. Peter Reichstadter, Head of Digital Austria
at Federal Chancellery and Graham Bell, CIO of City of London formed Team
Europe. Bell cited Europe’s success in rolling out enhanced citizen services
while reducing costs, particularly in the last four to five years when
austerity has pushed government to be more innovative. “Consistently
throughout all parts of London, residents’ satisfaction and view of the local
government has gone up from 40 per cent to almost 80 per cent,” he said.
While Australia had a head start in e-government, Reichstadter argued that
Europe has improved and surpassed its counterpart. He listed some of the more
impressive projects: “We managed to implement electronic ID cards for 1.3
million residents. Moreover, 25 per cent of the population
have voted online, 96 per cent have declared taxes online, and you can
establish a company online within 20 minutes.” Team Australia fought their
case strongly. The team made up of Kieran O’hea, Chief Digital Officer at the
City of Brisbane and Arthur Nastos, CIO, Department of Culture and the Arts,
Western Australia. According to O’hea, Brisbane has just launched the first
digital strategy in the world with an economic focus, targeting to doubling
the number of small medium enterprises. He added that in the Waseda
University e-government survey, Australia was in 14th place out of 55 in
2011, and moved up to 7th place in 2012. Australia scored 82 points, while
the average score of European countries was 66 points. The final debater
Nastos argued that Australia has a world class science and innovation sector.
“We are building the world’s largest telescope in Western Australia that will
generate more data than the internet. The telescope will create 1 zettabyte
of data per day, compared to the internet that generates 500 to 600 petabyte.
Think about the data and digital infrastructure required to handle that,” he
said. Nastos also reminded the audience that the Commonwealth Bank of
Australia was the first bank that allowed financial transaction through email
and social media. Both teams, with their well-prepared arguments peppered by
humourous anecdotes, kept the audience engaged in the 30-minute long debate.
At the end of the session, Team Europe won the hearts of the audience by
swaying the votes from the initial 32 per cent to 58 per cent, and emerged
winners. http://www.futuregov.asia/
10/30/2013 |
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EUROPE: EC
Outlines Plans for Telecom Single Market Reform The European Commission has released initial details of the
telecom reform package to be presented on 11 September. According to a brief
from Digital Agenda commissioner Neelie Kroes's office, the legislation aims
to enable a single market for telecom services in the EU, in order to
accelerate economic growth, create jobs and restore Europe's lead in mobile
technology. The proposal would see an increase in the EC's powers to coordinate
regulation of the sector, including the right to review national plans for
releasing and auctioning spectrum and the power to force national regulators
to withdraw rules that violate EU law. The legislation maintains the existing
caps on roaming prices, including the next planned reduction in 2014, and
would also require incoming calls when roaming in the EU to be free from
2014. To stimulate further reductions in roaming prices, the EC plans to
encourage operators to create EU-wide bundles. This would be helped by plans
to introduce a new cross-border 'passport', to allow operations across the EU
after the authorisation of just one national regulator. The EC also wants to
see the price of fixed-line calls to other EU countries decline, to the same
level as a domestic long-distance call. The proposal also continues the EC's efforts to standardise
wholesale broadband access regulation in the EU and introduces new criteria
for wholesale regulation, such as the need for all national decisions to
promote investment and for market analyses to consider competitive services
such as 'over-the-top' providers when planning new regulation. In addition,
the EC wants a full harmonisation of consumer protection rules, in order to
prevent the "endless tailoring" by national regulators. To
encourage the quicker release of spectrum, the EC wants common rules for
authorising the use of spectrum, and will also promote incentives to
encourage market players to release spectrum for mobile broadband. Licences
could also be revoked if not used, under the proposal. Operators would also
be allowed to share and trade spectrum, as part of efforts to encourage
infrastructure trading. The legislation also addresses the issue of 'net
neutrality' via a ban on blocking or throttling of competing services. In
addition, operators would need to be more transparent about the actual
broadband speeds provided and end their "misleading advertising".
However, they would still have the right to offer higher or guaranteed speeds
at an increased price to customers in need of a premium service. From
http://www.telecompaper.com/
09/09/2013 Lithuania:
Kroes Applauds Launch of National Digital Coalition Vice-President Neelie Kroes welcomed the commitment of the
Lithuania's government educational, library and digital and ICT sectors to
boost digital skills and jobs in Lithuania. Today, 11 partner organisations
and associations signed a Memorandum of Understanding officially launching
the Lithuanian National Digital Coalition in Vilnius at ICT 2013, Europe's
largest digital innovation event. The Lithuanian Coalition aims to reduce the
shortage of IT professionals, to encourage training programmes via a
life-long learning approach, and to augment awareness about the importance of
digital literacy and ICT skills. From
http://ec.europa.eu/
11/08/2013 LATIN
AMERICA: Brazil - Momentum Builds for Internet Rights Law Today, CDT joined 124 civil society organizations and
individuals from Brazil and around the world in a letter to Brazilian
President Dilma Rousseff, commending her for her strong support of open
Internet ideals and calling for the enactment of Brazil’s pending Bill of
Internet Rights (Marco Civil da Internet). Rousseff delivered a scathing
speech at the UN General Assembly this week that criticized the U.S.
government’s mass surveillance of the global communications infrastructure
and noted, “In the absence of the right to privacy, there can be no true
freedom of expression and opinion, and therefore no effective democracy.” In
her speech, Rousseff highlighted several key principles for Internet
governance and policy, which have informed domestic debates in Brazil’s
Internet Steering Committee (CGI.br). They include the principle that
Internet-related policy must be designed to support freedom of expression,
privacy of the individual, and respect for human rights; that governance be
open, democratic, and involve the participation of civil society, industry,
and government; and that network neutrality be preserved and restrictions on
Internet access for political, commercial, religious, or other reasons be
prohibited. Rousseff’s address to the General Assembly comes just before the
Brazilian Congress is set to once again take up the Marco Civil. The Marco
Civil guarantees core civil rights for Internet users, outlines strong
network neutrality provisions, and was developed through a participatory
process that involved a broad range of advocates, experts, law enforcement
officials, and industry representatives in Brazil. Since the revelations
about the US government’s surveillance activities, the bill has gained
momentum in Congress, and President Rousseff’s speech further strengthened
the bill’s prospects. As with any legislative process, it will be important
for advocates to keep a close eye on the Marco Civil’s text as it makes its
way through Congress. Rousseff has also supported an amendment to Marco Civil
that would require cloud service providers that serve Brazilians to store
their data in Brazil. These kinds of data localization requirements can
function as barriers to the free flow of information online, and would not
necessarily keep Brazilians’ data out of the NSA’s hands. One ambiguity in
Rousseff’s speech was her use of the term “multilateral” when referring to
Internet governance frameworks. “Multilateral” is often used to refer to
intergovernmental processes, though in at least one instance, Rousseff used
the term in the context of discussing open, democratic, and transparent
governance processes that involve the participation of civil society,
government, and the private sector. This phrasing comes from the CGI.br
Principles for the Governance and Use of the Internet, which have guided
Brazil’s domestic multistakeholder Internet policy development processes. However, Rousseff made repeated use of the word “multilateral”
throughout her speech, in some cases linking the term directly to frameworks
or systems in which the UN, an intergovernmental body, is referred to as the
“main pillar.” This usage points to a more government-centric interpretation
of the term and brings to the forefront the on-going discussions over the
role of governments in Internet governance, in which Brazil has been a
prominent player. CDT has long argued against inter-governmental Internet
governance and policy development, whether based at the UN or other
international venues, or at the national or regional level. The Internet has thrived
under decentralized and open governance that involves the direct
participation of human rights advocates, technical experts, industry,
academics, as well as governments. The Marco Civil presents an instructive
model not only of substantive protections for Internet users’ fundamental
rights, but also of the process for developing this kind of Internet-related
policy. We hope Brazil and other governments continue to champion this kind
of participatory policymaking framework and resist proposals that would
relegate non-government stakeholders to the sidelines. From
https://www.cdt.org/
09/27/2013 NORTH
AMERICA: Canada - How to Prepare for Anti-Spam Legislation Canada’s new Anti-Spam Legislation is coming. We don’t exactly
know when it will take effect, but when it does it will have a broad sweeping
impact on all organizations that use e-mail marketing, mobile marketing, and
other forms of digital communication. Since most organizations will fall
under this very large umbrella, it is important that everyone start paying
attention sooner rather than later. The legislation has not been finalized
yet as there are many concerns from the business community that need to be
addressed, in addition to several government bodies sorting out the finer
details. But, what we do know is the intent of the new regulations as well as
the currently proposed framework and that gives us enough information to
start taking action today. From
http://www.itbusiness.ca/
09/17/2013 California
Law Allows Minors to Erase Embarrassing Content from the Internet So, you’ve posted something stupid online. We’ve all been there.
Whether it’s an angry rant, an unfortunate phrasing or an embarrassing photo,
sometimes the Internet remembers the worst parts of your life. Or does it? A
new law passed in California compels web companies to take down a post if a
minor simply requests it. The law takes effect in 2015. The legislation has
its limitations, though. For starters, the legislation does nothing to
protect against bullying. The law only applies to posts published by the
youths themselves. It doesn’t apply to posts put up by other people or if the
image is copied and posted on another website. Additionally, adults cannot go
back and request the removal of something they posted as youths. The law also
forbids companies from marketing products that are illegal for minors to
purchase, such as tobacco and alcohol, to underage web users. It also
prohibits web companies from sharing minors’ identifying details with third
parties for marketing purposes. It’s an interesting idea, and some have even
compared it to juvenile offenders who have their records sealed or wiped when
they turn 18. Ethical and practical considerations around Internet privacy have been in an
especially bright spotlight in It’s virtually impossible to completely remove something from
the Internet, as Beyonce learned after unflattering photos of her Super Bowl
performance spread around the web. Her publicist asked Buzzfeed to take down
some of the photos, which only caused more of a stir, with the photos then
popping up on Gawker and Imgur. Sadly, it’s not just funny photos of
celebrities that live forever. Last week an ad for a dating website using
Parsons’ photo surfaced on Facebook. The social network apologized and the
offensive ad was removed. Photos live on smartphones, in text messages, on thousands
of sharing services and are often impossible to trace. The feasibility of
actually finding and deleting these images is almost negligible for most
people. Legal barriers also prevent similar legislation being from being
passed in Canada. Though the Parsons case resulted in stronger anti-bullying
laws in Nova Scotia, it could become difficult to balance one person’s
privacy with another’s right to freedom of expression when bullying and
outright attacks are less obvious. Where it is difficult for legislators,
though, some private companies are stepping in to address the need. Reputation.ca is a Toronto-based online reputation management
company that boasts it can both bury unwanted or embarrassing search results
and “promote positive results” for businesses and individuals. But you’d
better be ready to pay. The site charges $3,000 up front and $2,500 per month
for their “search engine reputation management services.” The website does
offer free advice, though for “helping your teen protect
their online reputation.” The advice is similar to what can be found on other
sites, telling parents to have a discussion about online safety with their
children. The advice, which includes reminders that everything posted on the
Internet is public and stays on the Internet, is useful for people of all
ages. Once it’s out there, it’s out there, so think twice before you click
“send.” From
http://o.canada.com/
09/24/2013 Access-to-information
Laws Need ‘Urgent' Reform, NDP Warns New Democrats are proposing key reforms to the federal Access to
Information Act, saying the system is in “crisis.” MP Pat Martin, who is also
chair of the House of Commons committee on access to information, accused
successive Liberal and Conservative ministers of breaking their promises to
fix the legislation. Martin told a news conference the NDP wants to give
Canada’s information watchdog the power to order departments and agencies to
comply with the law and release documents. Currently, the information
commissioner of Canada has only limited powers and must sometimes go to court
to challenge recalcitrant departments who refuse to turn over documents. The
party also says the commissioner, currently Suzanne Legault, should have the
power to examine cabinet documents. Under the law, the government can withhold documents deemed to
be cabinet confidences, and the commissioner has no power to review the
decision by inspecting the material. The NDP also wants the law to cover the
administrative records of the House of Commons and the Senate, though
constituency records and other documents within MPs’ offices would still be
off limits. “Freedom of information is a cornerstone of accountable
government – but our system is in crisis,” Martin said in a statement.
“Conservatives must honour their promises and work with us to fix Canada’s
broken access to information laws.” Two of the reforms proposed Monday by the
NDP were campaign planks in the Conservative platform for the 2006 election,
which brought the party to power. The “Stand up for Canada” platform booklet from the campaign
said a Conservative government would “give the information commissioner the
power to order the release of information.” The platform document also said
the party would “subject the exclusion of cabinet confidences to review by
the information commissioner.” The Conservatives did deliver on one related promise, that is, making Crown corporations subject to the
act, including the CBC and Canada Post. Legault, the current information
commissioner, has supported reforms that would give her limited order-making
powers for administrative matters, such as overdue responses. A report on her
wide-ranging review of the act is expected later this fall. The Access to
Information Act, which came into force in 1983 before the digital age, has
never had a top-to-bottom overhaul. From
The Canadian Press 11/18/2013 U.S.:
Lawmakers - Leaks Slowed Cybersecurity Legislation The disclosures of classified surveillance programs by former
National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden have further slowed the
already ponderous process of passing cybersecurity legislation, and also put
U.S. commercial networks at increased risk of attack, the bill's top sponsors
said Sept. 12. Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Mich.), chairman of the House Intelligence
Committee, said that "misperceptions" created by media reports
based on documents leaked by Snowden
have slowed efforts to
advance the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act (CISPA), which the
House passed in April. "We've had great conversations with the Senate.
They haven't given up on it. We think that [they] will make a few changes and
maybe, hopefully, get a bill sent to the president," Rogers said at the
Intelligence and National Security Alliance (INSA) conference in Washington,
D.C. Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger (D-Md.), ranking member on the committee,
sounded slightly more pessimistic, saying the bill was currently stalled in
the Senate. "We're trying to work on that," he said, appearing on
the same stage as Rogers. CISPA would create a framework for information
sharing on cyberthreats between industry and government. The bill is a
reworking of a 2011 version that drew considerable criticism from privacy
advocates. The latest iteration includes provisions designed to place
limits on what the government could do with personal information received as
part of threat reports from private industry. However, news reports of National
Security Agency programs designed to collect and retain bulk phone metadata
records from telecommunications carriers and details of Internet activity
from private firms have significantly reduced the appetite for new
cybersecurity legislation. Instead, some legislators on both sides of the
aisle are looking for ways to curb the authority of the NSA to collect
information. Rep. Justin Amash (R-Mich.) sponsored an amendment to the
Defense authorization bill that would have banned the NSA from storing bulk
phone metadata records. The proposal was narrowly defeated. Rep. Rush Holt
(D-N.J.) introduced legislation that would roll back some spying authorities
granted to the government under the Patriot Act and the Foreign Intelligence
Surveillance Act. Despite the relationships with commercial firms detailed in
news reports, the intelligence community still faces a gap when it comes to
observing cybersecurity threats faced by private networks, according to
senior officials who spoke at the INSA conference. "We need to have
partnerships with industry. We need to understand what is going on within not
just our own networks but the nation's networks," Rear Adm. Sean
Filipowski, director of intelligence at U.S. Cyber Command, told a panel at
the INSA conference. From
http://fcw.com/
09/12/2013 The Chicago
Tech Plan - Building a Model for Cities A first-ever comprehensive technology plan for Chicago is aimed
at using technology to increase social and economic opportunity. The City of
Chicago just released its first-ever comprehensive technology plan to provide
long-term strategies to enable communities with technology in order to
enhance social and economic opportunity. John Tolva, Chicago’s Chief
Technology Officer, unveiled the Chicago Technology Plan in an address this
month by opening with a quote from mid-20th century Chicago writer Nelson
Alger. “’Big-shot town, small-shot town, jet-propelled town—by old-world
hands with new world tools, built into a place whose heartbeat carries
farther than its shout.’ That’s
us – even if it’s from a long time ago,” said Tolva. “It’s time for the shout to catch up
with the heartbeat. It’s time for
us to actually tell the world what’s been going on here – and that’s the
Chicago Tech Plan.” Tolva’s opening makes it clear that Chicago wants others
to understand its successes and learn from its ideas. The 115-page document shows how the
“Chicago model” of tech policy works, and how it plans to expand going
forward. The Plan: An Overview The Tech Plan covers five broad strategies, and provides 28 targeted
initiatives to support them. These main strategies include building a
next-generation digital infrastructure, fostering tech education through
“smart communities,” and providing for efficient and open government, civic
innovation, and tech sector growth. Of these five strategies, the first two
provide an essential foundation for any place that seeks opportunity through
technology. The other three are
growth strategies that build on this foundation to foster positive outcomes.
The Plan is clear about these expected outcomes as well, with seven impact
areas listed. On the government
side, the Plan calls for reduced costs and improved services. Most goals, however, are geared
towards social and economic opportunities for Chicago’s residents. The plan
lists increased resident engagement, access, and skills, as well more jobs
and STEM professionals (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math), as top
objectives. “Technology is critical for both job creation and improving
quality of life for our residents,” Mayor Emanuel stated in a press release
with Tolva and Chief Information Officer Brenna Berman. “Both of these areas are top
priorities in the city of Chicago, and this framework will help us realize
our collective potential. I see the development of technology in Chicago as a
key area of focus for the future.” Building a Foundation The Plan’s foundational strategies boil down to two goals:
making sure everyone has access to the internet, and ensuring they know how
to use it. “After he took office, Mayor Emanuel told me, ‘I want Chicago to
be the Seoul, South Korea, of North America,” Tolva said during his
announcement of the Plan at Chicago’s City Club. Emanuel was referring to
Seoul’s reputation as one of the world’s top cities for broadband connectivity. Chicago’s already had some success
here: as part of Comcast’s Internet Essentials program, it has doubled the
number of low-income households receiving discounted high-speed broadband,
making it Comcast’s largest program in the nation. The city also sits at the convergence
of massive Internet trunk lines, making it a key node in the web’s worldwide
infrastructure. However, widespread connectivity can only go so far if
residents don’t have the skills to use it. For the past several years, Chicago has
run a program with federal stimulus funding called Smart Communities
(SC). The program works to
increase digital access and use by families and businesses in five low-income
neighborhoods. Operations include
computer training classes, family and business centers, and public computer
centers. To implement these SC operations, Chicago teamed up with the Smart
Chicago Collaborative and Local Initiative Support Corporation (LISC), and
received additional support from the MacArthur Foundation. While federal funds have largely ended
for the program, Chicago plans to build upon its original five neighborhoods
by making “every community a smart community,” expanding such services
citywide. Planning for Growth The next three broad strategies build upon the first two, and
unite several initiatives that have already been in progress. Early on in his
term, Emanuel called for open government initiatives and data-driven
innovation to be hallmarks of Chicago’s municipal tech policy. The Plan’s third major strategy encapsulates
these ongoing commitments, which have been managed by the City’s Department
of Innovation and Technology (DoIT).
DoIT’s Open Data Portal and predictive analytics platform have
transformed how the City uses data, and will continue to grow. While DoIT is
a key player for government-specific initiatives, much of the Plan goes
beyond the department’s mission and capabilities. In the past few years, Chicago’s
number of “civic hackers” has exploded, along with the city’s startup and
tech scene. The Plan’s fourth
initiative is meant for civic tech innovators to develop solutions to city
challenges with city data. This brings us to the Plan’s fifth strategy:
maintaining a growing startup and tech scene to ensure its place in the
Chicago economy. “What can the mayor’s office do to encourage tech sector
growth?” Tolva postured. “Half of
it is getting out of the way, but the other half of it is attracting and
retaining companies, and promoting a culture of entrepreneurialism.” Chicago’s Model Although its 115 pages make it appear complex, the Plan’s
essence is simple: Chicago is identifying its strongest tech assets, building
partnerships with them, and embracing a structure that favors cross-sector
collaboration over unilateral action.
The model is one that can be carried out by cities across the country.
To start, Chicago has many assets.
It is an intellectual and research hub, giving it a strong base for
talent. Chicago also has a
diverse business community and broad customer base. It even has favorable
physical and geographic features for technology, such as being a crossroads
for the Internet and having a favorable climate for data centers. These attributes, however, are unique to the city’s history and
geography, and are not particularly replicable. The key to Chicago’s model is a deep
coalition of organizations that are collaborating to improve the city. These include the city’s many
universities, research centers, corporations and nonprofits, as well as World
Business Chicago, the city’s main nonprofit arm for business attraction.
Chicago’s model also includes the civic-minded Smart Chicago Collaborative, a
startup that was founded in part by the City to improve lives in Chicago
through technology. While
operated and supported separately from the City, Smart Chicago has been a key
partner for many public initiatives.
Its efforts are visible throughout the Plan. Lastly, as an inclusive,
citywide roadmap, the Plan rallies businesses, nonprofits, and residents
alike to take part in its implementation. “This document is not the final
word, but the start of a rich, spirited, passionate discussion on how to
build a smarter Chicago. It invites everyone to use the Tech Plan as a
jumping off point for adding their voice to the conversation,” CIO Brenna
Berman said. Chicago hopes that by building on its technological strengths,
it can address its weaknesses over the long term—and with the help and input
of everyone involved, make Chicago a better city. This story was originally
published by Data-Smart City Solutions. From
http://www.govtech.com/
09/30/2013 Can
California Fix Its IT Planning Process? Often plagued by multi-year delays and multi-million dollar
budget overages, California IT projects are getting a makeover. The
California Department of Technology, formerly known as the California Technology
Agency, changed more than just its name on July 1. The department is now
changing how IT projects are planned and managed. A new methodology for
project planning has been outlined by the agency and the first phase was
implemented on Sept. 11, with three more phases on the way. The changes are
intended to avoid past problems the agency has had, including state IT
projects going over schedule and over budget, and some upgrade projects even
being abandoned before they are completed. State CIO Carlos Ramos called the
change an opportunity for collaboration, rather than a shift in strategy for
the department. “We’re going to take lessons learned on big systems projects
… and use it to remake everything from way we approve and initiate projects,
to our FSR [Feasibility Study Report] and SPR [Special Project Report]
processes, to the way we acquire our contracts for big systems integration
projects," Ramos said. "The idea would be to make the procurement
processes shorter, to reduce bureaucracy and foster greater competition when
we go out to bid.” Kari Gutierrez, deputy director of the California Department of
Technology’s Information Technology Project Oversight and Consulting
Division, said the state’s changes to IT project planning bode well from what
she’s seen. "I think where we’re going to see a big difference is in the
cost area, the procurement area," she said. "I think that as we get
better, we’re going to see better business requirements come out of this
process, then that leads to better proposals, better bids, better costs, not
having to re-do things.” Gutierrez added that the old way of doing things
meant that projects would always take a long time to complete and there would
often be a lot of retracing old steps and redoing things. If everything went
right on a project, it would take two years to complete, and in that time
technology and the state often moved on to other things. For example, she
said one of the biggest time-wasters in the old process were special project
reports. When bids on a project would come back much higher than outlined by
the agency’s original concept statement and Legislature-approved plan, a
special project report was needed to go back and fix all the things that were
apparently wrong in the original plan. Gutierrez explained that the new
process consists of four stages and is designed so that once a project moves
onto the next stage, there will be no need to go back, which will lead to
faster and cheaper project deployments. "By breaking up it up into
stages and gates, each component will prepare for the next stage,” she said.
“The intent is that departments don’t get too far down the path without
making sure they’re really ready. We’re not necessarily changing the order,
but we’re basically having departments as they’re moving through this, that
they’re doing it in a more focused way.” From
http://www.govtech.com/
10/11/2013 Massachusetts
to Launch Online Public Policy Simulator Outline.com will provide Massachusetts lawmakers and citizens
with a closer look at how policies may impact communities. On July 31, the
state of Massachusetts signed into law a new tax on software services that
was to raise revenue for transportation projects and education programs. Less
than two months later, after intense criticism from technology firms that
said the law would stifle innovation and cost jobs, lawmakers repealed the
tax. Estimating the financial impact of a new public policy is an uncertain
science at best, even for the most experienced government official. But is it
possible Massachusetts legislators could have avoided the software tax
fiasco? What if they had the online simulator called Outline.com, which can
project how proposed policy changes will affect the Commonwealth? We’ll never
know, for sure, but the Web-based application, which launches in January,
uses various metrics to clearly visualize every aspect of a citizen’s
relationship with the public sector. Using census numbers, IRS information
and other public and internal data streams, the application can provide a
user with a snapshot on how their policy ideas will play out before they are
even formally proposed. Outline.com builds off of Politify.us, an award-winning
application that simulated the impacts of the Obama and Romney economic plans
during the 2012 presidential campaign. Both applications were developed by
Nikita Bier, CEO of Outline.com and a graduate of the University of
California, Berkeley. Bier explained that his goal with Outline.com was to
create a program that makes government more agile and responsive toward what
people actually need and want. “Usually the way citizens think about things
is that they make these demands like ‘I want more education spending or lower
taxes’ and it is not very coherent because they don’t understand the
trade-offs in these demands,” Bier said. “So I think this is the kind of tool
that I think could be a channel for all of those issues.” For example, if a
sales tax hike is being considered, users of the application can zoom in on
different cities and examine the impact the bump would have. A slider
function allows someone to raise the tax in an area and calculate it against
the spending patterns of residents in a particular zip code. While the application is being developed for use by state
officials in Massachusetts, it will also be accessible to citizens. When a
person visits the site, they’d login with their Facebook or LinkedIn account
and the system would authenticate approximately where a person is located. If
the user has an idea regarding the state budget, they can adjust the
individual line items and calculate would happen across the region. The idea
can be saved and then promoted through social media or embedded into blogs.
Although the state and Outline.com are still working out the technical
details, Massachusetts will be able to view popular citizen-created budgets
and scenarios as well as comments from users. The hope is that the increased
activity leads to productive dialogue between the state and residents. Bier
felt because the Internet can make almost anything go viral quickly, the way
government operates could potentially be revolutionized by the application.
“There is this prospect of policy making being shortened from six-month
cycles to possibly weekly cycles,” he said. “Policies can be created in
shorter periods and implemented in shorter periods and government can behave
more like a private sector entity in a sense that it is highly responsive to
its environment.” Ongoing Development Work on Outline.com began in January and went through six
different interface designs before one was settled on. Bier said that he
hired some of the best user interface experts in the Bay Area to put forward
something that is usable by most everyone. Individuals concerned with just a
state budget can stay at a fairly simple level on the site. But if a user
wants to drill deeper into each state spending area, they can do that, and
see the impact in their local region. That led to challenges, however. Bier
recalled an early concern was how they would account for the financial
effects when one policy decision feeds into another. For example, if you
spend more on education, can you pay less for prison incarceration because
educated people likely to commit less crimes? The Outline.com development
team is busy trying to find a middle ground between trying to account for
those types of policy issues and having solid reasoning behind all the
forecast models the application will produce. Bier’s team has been working
with economists from President Obama’s cabinet and the Massachusetts
Institute of Technology to find out how policy issues get allocated across
different populations. Bier called it “the biggest area of ambiguity” but
said it was the most exciting part about Outline.com’s development because
it’ll ultimately lead to more rational decision making. If successful,
Massachusetts likely won’t be the only state deploying Outline.com in the
future. Bier said that 10 other states inquired about doing something
similar. From
http://www.govtech.com/
10/15/2013 New Cyber
Framework Draft Sharpens Focus on Implementation After a nearly two-week delay caused by the government shutdown,
the National Institute of Standards and Technology released the latest
version of its cybersecurity framework on Oct. 22, and it aims to better
secure U.S. companies and government agencies. The new draft, originally
slated for an Oct. 10 release, goes into significantly greater detail than
the version released Aug. 28, which laid out the framework's core,
implementation tiers and profile. Those three central pillars are designed to
provide industry and government with a common
cybersecurity taxonomy, establish goals and targets, identify and prioritize
opportunities for improvement, assess progress and improve communication among
stakeholders. In the latest draft, there is sharpened and expanded focus on
specific areas, including implementation logistics, privacy and civil
liberties. Furthermore, the cybersecurity workforce has been added as an area
in particular need of improvement. During a call with reporters on Oct. 22, NIST Director Patrick
Gallagher said areas that saw the most change between the two drafts were
identified in discussions with industry, government and academia, especially
those stemming from the most recent public meeting held in Dallas in
September. "The real focus following the last workshop in Dallas until
now had to do with clarifications, expanded sections, and privacy and civil
liberties considerations," Gallagher said. "There was always that
requirement in the executive order, and I think there was a real focus in
Dallas to bring that section out. There's additional guidance in the
framework on how to use it -- some structural issues in how to think about
the tiers and how to crosswalk between certain functional areas and
practices. So a lot [of changes are] around usability and the methodology and
practices surrounding civil liberties." Another change in the new draft
is the inclusion of the cybersecurity workforce as a key area for improvement,
an issue that was not mentioned in the previous draft. "While it is widely known that there is a shortage of
general cybersecurity experts, there is also a shortage of qualified
cybersecurity experts with an understanding of the specific challenges posed
to critical infrastructure," the latest draft states. "As the
critical infrastructure threat and technology landscape evolves, the
cybersecurity workforce must continue to adapt to design, develop, implement,
maintain and continuously improve the necessary practices within critical
infrastructure environments." The idea of continued evolution in the
document and the conversations surrounding it is a theme in the cybersecurity
framework -- something that officials have stressed over the course of the
year and that will continue to be a priority, Gallagher said. For example,
conformity and how it will be measured is still very much an evolving
subject, as is the governance structure. He said the public workshop in
Raleigh, N.C., in November will include discussion of options for an
industry-led governance structure in the framework. "This is not a once-through -- we are not done,"
Gallagher said. "Cyber threats are going to continue to evolve, [and]
cyber risk management has to therefore evolve with them. The framework must
be a living document, allowing for continuous improvement as technology and
threats change and as businesses mature. It must evolve to meet business
needs in real time." The final draft is due in February 2014, a year
after President Barack Obama directed NIST to establish the guidelines. From
http://fcw.com/
10/22/2013 Bill to
Bolster DHS Cyber Workforce Advances The House Homeland Security Committee on
Tuesday advanced legislation that would require the Homeland Security
Department to take additional measures to improve and assess the
cybersecurity workforce. The bill – the Homeland Security
Cybersecurity Boots on the Ground Act (H.R. 3107) -- sponsored by Rep. Yvette
Clarke, D-N.Y., requires DHS to enhance efforts to bolster the cybersecurity
workforce, in part by establishing occupations classifications and developing
a strategy to address identified gaps in the cyber workforce. “Across our
nation, businesses, colleges and universities are transforming their
organizations to include strong and robust security practices,” said
committee Chairman Michael McCaul, R-Texas. “It is essential that DHS is
hiring the best and brightest that this emerging field has to offer. The
department’s efforts to protect the homeland from an attack depend on
it.” More specifically, the legislation would: ■Require that DHS develop and issue comprehensive occupation
classifications for employees performing cybersecurity activities to be used
across the department and shared with other federal agencies. ■Require the DHS secretary, the department’s chief human capital
officer and chief information officer perform an assessment of the readiness
and capacity of the cyber workforce to include information on cybersecurity
jobs, hiring, attrition and training. ■Require the DHS secretary to develop a comprehensive workforce
strategy that includes a multiphased recruitment plan and a 10-year
projection of cyber workforce needs. ■Establish a process that verifies on an ongoing basis that
independent contractors employed in cybersecurity jobs at DHS receive initial
and recurrent information security training. From
http://www.nextgov.com/
10/29/2013 White House
Plans a Single FOIA Portal Across Government The White House plans to launch a single online portal where
journalists, researchers and other citizens can file Freedom of Information
Act requests, according to an early draft of commitments to the international
Open Government Partnership. A single FOIA portal could significantly reduce
the time FOIA requesters spend managing requests that cross multiple
agencies. It may also make it easier for agencies to forward requests within
the government and to publicize responsive documents so FOIA officers don’t
lose time digging for the same document twice. The governmentwide portal
could be based on FOIA Online, a year-old system that tracks FOIA requests
for the Commerce Department and the Environmental Protection Agency, though
the White House doesn’t mention the system by name. FOIA Online is the only
multi-agency online FOIA portal in government so far. The Republican and
Democratic leaders of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee
introduced legislation in March that would mandate a governmentwide FOIA
portal. That bill, which is awaiting action on the House floor, urges the
government to look closely at FOIA Online but leaves open the possibility of
building a new system from scratch. The White House also pledges in its draft Open Government
Partnership commitments to re-launch the governmentwide information trove
Data.gov to make it more user friendly, including by adding an index of all
agency data sets and launching special campaigns to unlock agricultural,
nutrition and disaster-related data. Another section of the draft promises to
reboot the government spending transparency site USASpending.gov based on
user feedback. U.S. officials unveiled the new commitments during an OGP
summit in London. The Center for Effective Government, a transparency group,
praised the commitments in a press release, saying they would “improve public
access to important government information.” A final draft of the commitments
will be made public in December, the White House said. This is the U.S.’s
second round of commitments to the OGP, a coalition of 60 nations committed
to improving government transparency that the U.S. cofounded in 2011. The
U.S. claimed in a March progress report that it had completed 24 of its 26
first-round commitments, including declassifying more national security
information and modernizing how the government manages electronic records. An
independent report, released earlier this month, was less sanguine, finding
the U.S. was only on schedule for about half its commitments and far behind
on some of them. From
http://www.nextgov.com/
10/31/2013 |
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CHINA: Internet Regulations Can Protect Human
Rights Human rights experts from China and abroad on Thursday called
for a sound environment for sustainable human rights development, saying the
Internet is a double-edged sword in the process."The Internet is
extremely important, as people from across the world can be in touch with
each other and learn from each other, but the Internet can also be a danger
for human rights," said Tom Zwart, director of the Netherlands School of
Human Rights Research.Zwart made the remarks at the sixth Beijing Forum on
Human Rights, which opened Thursday and gathered more than 100 officials,
foreign diplomats and human rights experts from the United Nations and 33
countries and regions."Unjustified rumors spreading over the Internet
are continuing to play a role that may damage people's reputations," he
added, saying that the Internet should have some regulations, and in fact
many countries do have regulations for online activities. Daniel Joyce, a lecturer at the Faculty of Law of the University
of New South Wales, said that creating a sound online environment is a
prerequisite and a part of the broader framework for human rights
protection.Experts said that better regulation of the Internet is conducive
to human rights protection."I think the Internet should have regulations
in the same way that speech has regulations," said Kate Westgarth,
former director of Chinese Affairs of the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office,
adding that one cannot have complete freedom of speech."People spreading
defamatory rumors on the Internet should bear the consequences, and people
who encourage riots have to be controlled," she said, adding that this
kind of control is also the protection of individuals.Westgarth's thoughts
were echoed by He Zhipeng, professor at the School of Law at Jilin University
in northeast China's Jilin Province. "It's very necessary to regulate the Internet, as unlimited
free expression, such as spreading rumors to incite terrorism and war, could
lead to great social chaos," she said.With the rapid development of
science and technology, experts also called on lawmakers across the world to
revise regulations quickly to deal with Internet-related issues and their
impact on society.The experts' ideas came as Chinese public security
authorities have launched campaigns to crack down on organized online
rumor-spreading, which has led to many arrests.People who post defamatory
comments online in China will face up to three years in prison if their
statements are widely reposted, according to a document released Monday by
the Supreme People's Court and the Supreme People's Procuratorate. The statement also stipulated that people will face defamation
charges if online rumors they post are viewed by more than 5,000 Internet
users or retweeted more than 500 times."Regulation on the Internet and
Internet freedom are not contradictory when regulation is for better
freedom," said Luo Yanhua, professor at the School of International
Studies at Peking University, adding that China's current crackdown campaign
on rumors is dedicated to protecting the freedom of the majority.Experts also
believe that authorities should strike a balance between cracking down on
online rumors and protecting freedom of speech on the Internet."A
balance has to be found, China is now discussing where to lay this balance,
but finding a right balance is a real universal challenge," Zwart said. From http://www.news.cn/
09/13/2013 China Prepares for Smart City Construction
Boom Li Wei, who took a vacation to escape her big city life, did not
expect her short stay in the small coastal city of Wanning on China's
tropical island of Hainan Province, to be so
"digital.""Download a film within two minutes, scan
two-dimensional codes with phones to learn about tropical plants, and make a
body-building plan at the hotel's smart health room -- It totally threw
me," Li said.Wanning, which strives to boost its tourist industry by
investing in making itself "smarter," is among 193 trial cities
that have been approved by China's urban planning authorities to develop into
"smart cities."The smart city program, initiated last November, is
part of the country's efforts to explore ways to foster a new type of
urbanization.Analysts believe that the program has presented a beautiful
picture for both the country's future urban life and the potential of its
economic growth. First created by IBM, the "smart cities" concept
promotes the use of new technologies such as the "Internet of
Things," which allows users to control and manipulate objects through
computers and cloud computing to boost information sharing and coordination
within a city.Such a concept is expected to generate changes in fields ranging
from transportation to the financial sector. With the help of data analysis,
big cities will be able to calculate traffic and make rational transportation
routes to ease any gridlock.In According to Guo, aside from the current 193 trial cities, many
other places have submitted applications for the smart city program,
indicating that more local governments have realized that the old path of
urbanization can not support sustainable development of the local
economy.More than 80 of the trial cities have signed smart city design plans
with the MHURD, which describe the tasks of local authorities regarding the
building of smart cities over the next three to five years. The signing
signals the start of actual construction.A report conducted by McKinsey
Global Institute showed that China's urban population will grow from 63
million in 2010 to reach 990 million in 2030, and cities with a population exceeding
1 million are likely to increase from 153 to 226 in the period."The
transfer of such a huge urban population means that many small towns and
villages will become cities, which requires local governments to increase
efforts in boosting city construction," said Wang Yukai, a professor at
the Chinese Academy of Governance. Official data showed that a few financial institutes, including
China Development Bank, the country's policy bank, have promised to loan no
less than 440 billion yuan (72 billion U.S.dollars) to fund the construction
of smart cities since the launch of the program.The program came as China's
growth got stuck in a protracted slowdown. Growth in the world's second
largest economy declined to 7.7 percent in the first quarter and 7.5 percent
in the second quarter."The investment in the sector will be huge,"
Wang said. He said that many industries, especially smart technology and
digital companies, will benefit from the program, but it is still early to
estimate the overall market size as the smart city concept is quite
new.Although the market generally viewed the program as a boost to the
economy, many worried that the rush may lead to blind construction.Wang
suggested that the government should make an overall plan and gradually establish
standards for smart city construction."Rome wasn't built in a day. The
construction of smart cities should be a gradual process," he said. From http://www.news.cn/
10/16/2013 E-Shoppers Biggest Gainers in Revised Consumer
Law Online shoppers can now return the goods unconditionally for
refunds within seven days of purchase but they have to shoulder logistics
cost, according to a revised consumer rights law that Chinese lawmakers
approved yesterday.It was the first time that the consumer rights and
interests law had been revised since it was adopted in 1993.The revision,
focused on better protecting the rights and interests of consumers, added
regulations on online shopping and tightened liabilities of businesses.One of
the main principles of the revision is to boost confidence of consumers, said
Jia Dongming, head of the civil law division under the Commission for
Legislative Affairs of the National People’s Congress Standing Committee, at
a press conference yesterday.“If people feel more secure and are more willing
to spend, business will see more revenue and profit and domestic demand will
expand. The whole country will benefit,” Jia said.The revised law will
take effect on March 15 next year, also World Consumer Rights Day.One of the
freshest elements of the revision is about e-commerce. The revised law for
the first time regulates merchandise and service transactions through the
Internet, television, phone and post.The new law allows e-shoppers to
unconditionally return goods for refunds within seven days of transaction but
requires them to pay logistics costs. It also lists products not suitable for
unconditional returns and refunds, such as digital products sold via
downloads, audio-visual goods with the packaging removed, bespoke products,
fresh and perishable goods, magazines, newspapers and software.Consumers can
seek compensation from online trading platforms if the platforms fail to
provide valid contact details for vendors using their networks. After compensating consumers, the platforms are entitled to
claim compensation from the vendors.Leaking personal information of consumers
has also emerged as a big problem.“This revision has
strict regulations on how operators should collect and use personal
information and what punishment offenders will receive,” said Liu Junchen,
deputy director of the State Administration for Industry and Commerce.The new
law requires business owners to obtain consumers’ consent and explicitly
explain the purpose, form and scope of information use before collecting and
using customers’ personal information. They are banned from leaking, selling
or illegally providing the information while being asked to adopt necessary
technical measures to ensure security of such data.The revised law endorses
higher compensation for consumers and imposes heavier fines on business
owners who violate consumer rights.If dealers deceive consumers or knowingly
sell substandard products, they should not only compensate consumers for
their losses, but also pay additional compensation equal to three times the
cost of the goods or service, up from double in the old version of the law. For serious cases in which consumers die or suffer serious
health problems due to faulty products knowingly sold by dealers, they shall
not only compensate consumers for economic and psychological losses but also
pay punitive damages up to a maximum of twice the amount of the loss,
according to the bill. Offenders will also be prosecuted.For instance, if a
consumer is killed because of faulty products, the death indemnity alone
would be estimated to be 491,300 yuan according to current standards, and
average total compensation would be at least 1.47 million yuan. The amount
could be higher in more affluent areas or lower in less-developed regions. From http://www.news.cn/
10/26/2013 JAPAN: Civil
Code Review Eyed for Consumers A Justice Ministry panel is set to start a major review of the
Civil Code this month, the first since the law was established in 1896, with
a view to enhancing consumer protection. Rules on the terms of contracts
between companies and consumers are among the possible revisions that the
Civil Code division of the Legislative Council is expected to consider
adding. The changes aim to prevent cases in which consumers find
themselves in trouble after concluding insurance contracts, subscribing to
mobile phone services or buying products online without fully understanding
terms and conditions. The forthcoming review is expected to cover about 260
points. An interim draft created by the panel in February called for
requiring that parties to a contract agree to usage terms and allow
opportunities for consumers to become aware of terms before signing
contracts. While a court verdict has nullified contracts that are deemed to
run counter to public order and morals, the Civil Code contains no clause on
acts of gaining excessive profit by exploiting weaknesses of contract
parties. The panel may thus consider a new rule that voids legal acts of
gaining excessive profit by exploiting poverty or lack of knowledge and experience.
It is hoped that such a rule will cause terms of contracts to be made
understandable to ordinary people. The panel aims to finalize its proposals
by January 2015. The ministry plans to submit a bill to revise the Civil Code
during an ordinary parliamentary session in that year. The government,
however, could face opposition from business circles. The Japan Association
of Corporate Executives (Keizai Doyukai) has expressed concern over possible
new rules, saying that there are few cases of contract-related issues between
businesses and consumers. From
http://the-japan-news.com 09/03/2013 Govt Info
Protection Legislation Must Not Hamper Media Freedom If the nation’s management of highly confidential national
security information is sloppy, the country will lose the confidence of its
allies and face difficulty sharing information with them. It is important to
forge a new legal framework for information protection. The government has
announced the outline of a bill legislating the
protection of government “special secrets” that is scheduled to be submitted
to an extraordinary Diet session this autumn. The planned bill, if passed,
will designate national security-related secrets requiring an especially high
level of confidentiality as special secrets. The proposed bill stipulates
harsh punishment, including imprisonment of up to 10 years, for officials
found to have leaked such secrets. The officials subject to the law will
include certain government officials and politicians in the three highest
ministerial ranks—minister, senior vice minister and parliamentary secretary.
The administration of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe considers the legislation
indispensable to establish an institution similar to the U.S. National
Security Council. The planned Japanese version of the NSC is supposed to act as a
control tower in running the nation’s diplomatic and
security policies. It will be in charge of managing key information from
relevant ministries and agencies in an integrated manner, while receiving
confidential information related to terrorism and military affairs from such
countries as the United States. Military threats from To ensure Japan’s peace and security under such circumstances,
it is of vital significance to beef up the nation’s information protection,
while boosting exchanges of information with such allies as the United
States. According to the bill’s outline, the concept of “special secrets”
will comprise information relevant to four fields: national defense,
diplomacy, prevention of spying activities and prevention of terrorist
activities. Relevant members of the Cabinet will designate special secrets. A special secret designation will remain for a maximum of five
years. Designation renewal will be possible, but will be lifted when deemed
unnecessary, according to the outline. The proposed information protection
can be considered reasonable to guarantee strict and adequate control of
sensitive information. Under the planned law, central government officials,
officers of prefectural police headquarters and employees of private-sector
businesses under contract with government ministries and agencies will be
subject to background checks if and when handling special secrets. These
checks will cover such things as overseas travel history and drinking habits.
Such “aptitude evaluation” of people handling special secrets will be
necessary to alleviate the risk of information leaks. The punishment of up to
10 years in prison for leaking of special secrets is considerably tougher
than the maximum one-year sentence for central government officials and the
maximum five-year sentence for members of the Self-Defense Forces who leak
classified data. What is feared in connection with the government-proposed
legislation is whether the heavy penalties against divulging secrets might
lead to restrictions on the freedom of the media. There could be such adverse
impacts as making government officials, out of fear of possible punishment,
hesitant to extend cooperation to news coverage. In addition, anybody who
attempts to get government employees to leak information to obtain special
secrets will also penalized under the planned
legislation. The government has explained that there would be “no problems
concerning the reasonable freedom of the media.” Depending on how the planned
law will actually be put into practice, however, there can be no denying that
there could arise the possibility of even ordinary
news gathering efforts leading to punishment for legitimate and earnest
attempts to gather information from government officials. Should the freedom
of the media fail to be secured, the public’s right to information could not
be protected. The government says a stipulation will be incorporated into the
bill to the effect that the people’s fundamental rights “shall not be
infringed upon unreasonably.” We wonder, however, if such a stipulation is
sufficient. Further, in-depth studies should be made in the process of making
preparations for the legislation. From
http://the-japan-news.com 09/07/2013 Japan Aims
to Develop Ultrafast Wireless Technology by 2020 Japan is aiming to develop a super-fast wireless system by the
2020 Tokyo Games that would allow a smartphone user to download three high-definition
movies in one second, an official said Friday. The technology, which is still
in its early stages, would use wireless semiconductors, the official of the
Internal Affairs and Communications Ministry told AFP. “The chips would use
very high frequency bands, called terahertz signals, which could move data at
a rate of 100 GB per second. And that would be as fast as downloading three
movies in a second,” he said. The ministry wants the technology in place in
time for the Tokyo Olympics, he said, adding subcontractors would be
recruited to take on the research. From
http://www.japantoday.com 09/14/2013 Japan
Prepares for New Law to Protect National Secrets Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's government has prepared a
new law that seeks tougher penalties for leaking classified information on
defense and diplomatic issues, which critics say would curtail press freedom
and curtail the public's right to know. Following are key points of the
legislation, which the government aims to pass in the current session of
parliament ending on December 6. The ruling Liberal Democratic Party and
junior coalition partner New Komeito jointly hold a majority in both chambers
of parliament. - The legislation aims to protect critical national secrets in
the fields of defense, diplomacy, counter-terrorism and counter-espionage
from leaks by introducing harsher punishments. - The bill comes when Japan,
facing with a rapidly growing China and unpredictable North Korea, is
expanding its defense ties with the United States, its closest ally. - Civil servants and others with access to classified
information would face up to 10 years in prison if they leak "special
secrets" designated under the law. That compares with the current
punishment of up to one year in prison for central government employees and
up to five years for defense officials or up to 10 years if the classified
defense information in question originates from the United States. - The bill
stipulates that freedom of the press and journalists' information-gathering
activities should be duly respected, and that reporters' news-gathering
activities are deemed proper conduct as long as they are aimed at serving the
common good, not in violation of laws and not "grossly
inappropriate". - If journalists have obtained "special
secrets" through improper means not allowed under the law, they would be
subject to up to five years in prison. - Heads of the administrative branch
such as cabinet ministers would have the power to designate classified
information that needs special protection under the law as "special
secrets". - The "special secret" status would remain valid for
five years and can be renewed at the end of the five-year period. Cabinet
approval would be necessary to keep the status for more than 30 years. From
http://news.yahoo.com
10/25/2013 SOUTH KOREA:
Future of Cyberspace to Be Discussed at Seoul Cyberspace Conference With the 2013 Seoul Conference on Cyberspace just 50 days away
to be held between October 17 and 18, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs held a
launching ceremony of its SNS supporters group called “Cybuddy” on August 28.
Cybuddy, a compound word from cyber and buddy, will provide information on
the Seoul conference in an easy and friendly way via social networking
services (SNS) for people all around the world. The supporters group consists
of around 100 Koreans and foreigners in their 20s residing in the nation who
will be involved in a variety of activities to promote the upcoming
conference. The supporters’ activities are expected to raise people’s
awareness of the cyber conference. At the ceremony, Korea.net talked to
Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se to learn more about the 2013 Seoul Conference
on Cyberspace. Q2. What does the Seoul conference mean to us? Seoul is the
third host of this conference following London and Hungary. This will offer a
chance for representatives from governments, international organizations,
civic groups, and enterprises from around 90 countries to look closely at the
current state of cyberspace and discuss ways to solve cyber-related issues. I
believe this will be a great opportunity to call our attention to the
importance of international cooperation in dealing with such issues and help
find ways to put in place future international regulations. Q3. The major
users are the young generation. Do you have anything to say to those young
cybernauts? In cyberspace, they are today’s driving force and tomorrow’s
future planners whose passions and creativity are the biggest force to shape
our future. Armed with high-level
knowledge about IT, our young generation has high potential to lead the
world. I call on them to be actively part of global efforts to make
cyberspace more trustful and peaceful. From
http://www.korea.net 08/29/2013 S. Korea
Committed to Help Developing Nations Foster Internet Economy South Korea is committed to joining the global efforts to help
developing countries foster an Internet economy, a senior Seoul diplomat said
Friday. "The Korean government hoped to provide the opportunity for
different stakeholders to share constructive ideas on how developing
countries can effectively foster an Internet economy and address growing
cyber threats," Vice Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul told an international
conference on cyberspace security. From
http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr 10/18/2013 Science
Ministry Increases ICT Investment The Korean government has declared its planned technology
investments for the next five years. It has announced that it will
provide an increased number of platforms for information and communications
technology-related (ICT) products and services and promote ICT
standardization, all with the aim of developing a creative economy. To
realize the plan, the central government will invest KRW 8.5 trillion into
ICT research and development (R&D) over the next five years. This
was announced at the recent 23rd ministerial meeting on October 23, where the
Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning (MSIP) confirmed its new mid- to
long-term ICT strategy, what it calls “ICT WAVE,” a series of planned
economic policies to be implemented over the next five years. The
ministry explained that “WAVE” is an acronym for “World’s best ICT,
Activating an R&D ecology, Vitalizing industry
and Enhancing life.” Those are the ministry’s four main goals for its new set
of policies. Deputy Prime Minister Hyun Oh-seok, who is also minister of
strategy and finance, made the announcement at the ministerial meeting. From
http://www.korea.net 10/31/2013 Seoul Forum
Calls for International Rules for Cyber Warfare As cyberspace is increasingly considered a viable new battle
field, security advisers and experts who attended a regional defense forum on
Tuesday discussed the need to establish an internationally acceptable code of
conduct in cyber warfare. The cyber issue took center stage in the three-day
Seoul Defense Dialogue, which brought together 180 senior military officials
and security experts from 23 nations to discuss security issues in the
Asia-Pacific region and ways to step up regional cooperation. From
http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr
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MALAYSIA:
ICT Roadmap to Focus on Cloud Cloud computing will remain a focus area in Malaysia’s ICT
roadmap in the next couple of years. This statement was made by Datuk
Badlisham Ghazali, CEO of Multimedia Development Corporation (MDEC) during
his opening address at the MSC Malaysia Cloud Conference held early this
week. “Its benefits in delivering economies of scale, shared computing
platforms, more cost effective investment into infrastructure and greater
human resources efficiencies, are things we can no longer ignore,” he said.
Ghazali told the local media that MDEC recognises the value and potential of
cloud computing in the improvement of core business processes; as such they
are working aggressively with various ICT industry players and stakeholders
to drive cloud adoption. The MSC Malaysia Cloud Initiative (MMCI), for
example, focuses on stepping up the development of Malaysia’s cloud
ecosystem. According to Ghazali, the programme enabled MSC Malaysia
Independent Software Vendors (ISVs) to deploy cloud software and services as
a utility, while catalysing demand by local enterprises for “Made in
Malaysia” cloud software and services. “There are more than 100 ISVs approved
under the MMCI, contributing close to RM16.1mil in revenue as of 2012. With
more ISVs coming on board in 2013, we expect this number to reach RM20mil by
year-end,” he added. From
http://www.futuregov.asia
10/10/2013 Philippines:
To Implement E-Court System in Major Cities Chief Justice Ma. Lourdes Sereno revealed yesterday, during her
first “Meet the Press” session, that the Supreme Court will be relying
heavily on technology to accomplish major reforms in the justice system. She
commented that more than half of litigation time is consumed by the filing of
pleadings, sending notifications to lawyers, prosecutors and other parties
before a single case is terminated or decided by the court. “We are trying to
find a system for electronic notices. Imagine if you are notified by SMS for
the case calendar, and we also received corresponding confirmation by email,
we will cut down the two months it takes for the postal return card to be
given back to the court,” Sereno said.
“However, the problem of decongestion and the problem of prolonged
litigation has to be solved by a menu of solutions; not a single solution is
sufficient,” she said. Sereno said the most important reform being considered
by the Supreme Court is the establishment of an electronic
court system (e-Court system) in major cities where there is an urgent need
to decongest the backlogs of cases. The e-Court system will improve the processes of capturing,
storing and accessing documents filed at the branch courts so as to avoid
duplicated data and repetition in the administrative processes. Additionally,
the new system would also help erase perceptions that “money is leaking in
the court system” because the cases will now be “raffled” off electronically and
the fees will be automatically assessed by the system. Its pilot trial was
launched at the Quezon City Regional Trial Court last month, and will serve
as a model once it is rolled out in all courts nationwide. “Technology will
get rid of redundant procedures to ensure that we can provide citizens with
quality justice within reasonable time,” she said. Furthermore, the Supreme
Court is also considering setting up electronic kiosks in major cities so
that lawyers and can simply scan their pleadings and mail it through for the
electronic filing system. “The beauty of electronic kiosks in major cities is
that the judge can identify which case should be given priority since the
system has an aging system for the detention time of a prisoner,” she said. From
http://www.futuregov.asia/
08/29/2013 Philippine
Post Introduces Electronic Postal Money Order The Philippine Postal Corporation (PhlPost), a state-owned
enterprise providing postal services in the Philippines, is making it easier
for citizens to send money anywhere in the country with its electronic postal
money order. The e-postal money order service is an electronic remittance
system that will facilitate fund transfers through an instant pay-out
process. Aside from its real time characteristic that allows faster
transmission, this service is also accessible and does not require
complicated identification processes. According to PhlPost, the postal
service will leverage its vast network of postal branches nationwide to
deliver the fastest, most affordable and hassle-free electronic money order
transaction. In addition, the service is also the new service can also
interface with Universal Postal Union-member countries, EUROGIRO members, and
duly licensed money remittance companies, local and foreign international
banks. Furthermore, PhlPost revealed plans to implement an electronic money
order facility that will cater both domestic and international remittances. From
http://www.futuregov.asia/
09/23/2013 The
Philippines Advocates Proposed Geospatial Data Infrastructure Plan The National Mapping and Resource Information Authority (NAMRIA)
successfully concluded its second round table discussion which aimed to
present and advocate the proposed Agency Geospatial Data Infrastructure Plan
(AGDI) to representatives from 28 government agencies. According to an
official statement, the AGDI plan will serve as a “cookbook” containing the
basic guidelines and procedures on how to prepare, develop, and implement an
Agency Node that that will be eventually and seamlessly linked to the
Philippine Geoportal. By doing so, government agencies and other relevant
stakeholders can easily access and share geospatial information and data in a
user-friendly interface. The proposed AGDI was created by the Policy,
Planning, Change Management, Monitoring and Institutionalisation team from
Geodata Systems Technologies Inc, and the Policy Framework Formulation and
Planning Technical Working Group of NAMRIA. The roundtable discussions was
focused on: jumpstarting the preparation of the AGID Plan, exploring how GIS
is currently being used in agencies and identifying any strategic concerns, defining
the timeline for the preparation of AGDI per agency, and finalising details
of the deployment of the agency’s geospatial data to the Philippine Geoportal
System through the agency’s node portal module. From
http://www.futuregov.asia/
11/22/2013 SINGAPORE:
Issuing Guidelines on Personal Data Protection Singapore’s Personal Data Protection Commission issued
guidelines this week to elaborate and provide interpretations on specific
requirements and obligations under the Personal Data Protection Act. PDPA,
that was first announced last October and to come into full effect from 2
July 2014, establishes a new general data protection law in Singapore, which
governs the collection, use and disclosure of individuals’ personal data by
organisation. Organisations are required to designate at least one Data
Protection Officer to oversee the organisation’s compliance with the act. The
guidelines provide interpretation of key terms. For example, ‘personal data’
is all types of data from which an individual can be identified, regardless
of whether such data is true or false or whether it is in electronic or other
form. The guidelines also elaborate on the Data Protection Provisions and
various obligations in the PDPA, for example, the obligation to obtain the
consent of an individual before collecting, using or disclosing his personal
data, and to notify the individual of the purpose of doing so. The national Do-Not-Call Registry will be set up by 2 January
2014, and organisations that wish to send specified messages - including
those of a marketing nature for commercial purposes - to an individual with a
Singapore telephone number must check with the registry to obtain consent of
the individual. The advisory guidelines elaborate on how the PDPA applies to specific
issues and domains. Data for research, collection of personal data through
Closed-Circuit Televisions, and use of National Registration Identity Card
(NRIC) numbers, are some of the topics highlighted in these guidelines. As
best practice, organisations should avoid over-collecting personal data and
consider suitable alternatives for their requirements (e.g. using an
individual’s unique membership number and date of birth instead of NRIC
number to verify his identity). “The Advisory Guidelines aim to provide
greater clarity to organisations and individuals on the provisions of the
PDPA. For businesses, it is important that they prepare in advance and review
their own operations and processes to comply with the provisions. The PDPC is
also working with sectoral regulators to develop sector-specific guidelines,
and will review the need to issue further guidelines to facilitate better
understanding of and compliance with the PDPA obligations,” said Leong Keng
Thai (pictured), Chairman of PDPC. From
http://www.futuregov.asia/
09/26/2013 Singapore
Plans Electricity Futures Market Launch by End-2014 The Singapore Exchange (SGX) said on Monday that it has been
preparing for the launch of Asia's first electricity futures market by the
end of 2014. "SGX is working closely with the EMA (Energy Market
Authority), Energy Market Company (EMC) and market participants to design the
futures products," it said in a statement, adding that the launch is
still subject to regulatory approval. The progress was also announced by S
Iswaran, minister in the Prime Minister's Office and second minister for home
affairs and second minister for trade and industry, at the Singapore
International Energy Week on Monday. The Energy Market Authority held a
public consultation last year on the development of an electricity futures
market in Singapore. It issued a request-for-interest paper in May this year,
setting out the proposed design of the futures market. Six companies showed
their interest. The minister said that the commercial discussions are in
progress for the development of the futures market, and that an industry
workgroup is in the process of developing the design of the electricity
futures contracts. "We hope that the electricity futures market will be
launched some time in the second half of 2014," he said. SGX is working
with the industry to launch a trial run next year so as to allow generation
companies to build up competencies and experience in trading and market
making. Iswaran said Singapore is considering the introduction of electricity
futures market to complement the spot market. "A futures market will
help large electricity consumers to better manage price volatility by
allowing them to secure longer- term prices," he said, adding that it
will also spur retail competition to the benefit of end-consumers. From
http://news.xinhuanet.com/
10/28/2013 THAILAND: To
Install Database to Track Rice Subsidy Scheme Thailand’s National Rice Policy Committee has approved the
implementation of a web-based database to manage the corruption-plagued
nationwide rice price scheme. A budget of THB 200 million (US$ 6.3 million)
has been set for the purchasing of infrastructure to be installed at
implementing agencies across the country. The rice pledging scheme was
implemented to benefit rice farmers in Thailand through a boost in the price
of rice. Under this scheme, the Government has implemented a policy to buy
rice from farmers at generous prices and store the rice in warehouses. Cutting
supply from one of the largest rice exporters, the move was to have raised
the global price of rice, allowing the Government to sell rice at a premium
in the world market. The scheme, however, exposes large amounts of rice
stored in warehouses across the country to the risk of contamination and
illegal diversion. Commerce Minister, Niwatthamrong Boonsongpaisarn, hopes
that this online system will help “prevent corruption in the rice pledging
scheme through effective tracking of the rice, and timely and effective data
processing and reporting”. The database will be supported by 200 computers
which will link the relevant agencies to the online database. The connected
agencies will then be able to verify documents, and access information on
volume of rice in the national stockpiles, locations of rice warehouses and
volume of rice released to the market. The Public Warehouse Organisation was
chosen to be the hub of data and information. Other organisations which will
be linked to the database are Bank of Agriculture and Agricultural
Cooperatives, Marketing Organisation of Farmers, Agricultural Futures
Exchange of Thailand, Commerce Ministry, Finance Ministry and Agriculture and
Cooperatives Ministry. The installation of the system is expected to be
completed in the next two months. From
http://www.futuregov.asia/
09/16/2013 VIETNAM:
Education Technology Programme Goes National After a successful pilot, Vietnam’s Ministry of Education and
Training (MOET) will expand its education technology programme across the
entire country, according to local media. The education technology programme
is currently being used in 37 provinces and cities nationwide for 200,000
first graders. Professor Ho Ngoc Dai, whose research guided the programme at
its inception 35 years ago, is pleased about the growing adoption of the
programme and the expansion nationwide. The benefits of the
programme and a successful pilot has prompted this decision, according
to Deputy Minister of Education Nguyen Vinh Hien. The programme was first
applied in 1978 at the Hanoi Experiment Secondary School under the
supervision of the Education Science Institute. It quickly expanded to other
schools from 1990, and reached 43 provinces and cities by 2000. While the
Ministry officially stopped the programme in 2001 in a bid to standardise
curriculum and textbooks nationwide, the programme continued to grow
organically. In 2008, for example, Lao Cai province in the north and Tay
Ninh, Kon Tum, Kien Giang, Dak Lak and An Giang in the south adopted the
programme. According to Nguyen An Ninh, Director of the Lao Cai Education
and Training Department, it was a “daring move” to adopt the programme at
that time as it was going against the instructions of MOET. Sometime between
2010 and 2011, MOET returned the autonomy to schools to decide on first grade
curriculum for teaching the Vietnamese language, as long as the Ministry was
kept informed. The education technology programme was first applied in four
districts of Muong Khuong, Simacai, Bao Yen and Bao Thang. It significantly
improved the learning of Vietnamese language by the ethnic minority students.
“Once the ethnic minority students have better Vietnamese language skills, it
better facilitates the learning of other subjects,” commented Trieu Thi Hoa
Dao, Headmaster of the Trinh Tuong Primary School No. 1 in Bat Xat, a rural
district of Lao Cai province. Kien Giang, a province with 1.7 million population, now applies the education technology programme
at 62 primary schools, while Nam Dinh, a province in northern From
http://www.futuregov.asia/ 09/30/2013 |
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Bangladesh:
Govt Inks Protocol of Cooperation with Aga Khan Development Network Bangladesh government and Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) on
Monday signed a protocol of cooperation for development in different fields
including education, health, economy and environment. Foreign Minister Dr
Dipu Moni and visiting AKDN chairman Prince Karim Aga Khan signed the protocol
for their respective side at the Prime Minister’s Office. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina
witnessed the signing of the protocol. Under the protocol, the AKDN will work
for the development of health, education, economy and environment through its
10 organizations. The AKDN in phases will invest in the fields of tourism,
health, technical education and other service sectors mainly to help meet the
internal demand of Bangladesh. Ambassador at-Large M Ziauddin, PM’s Media
Advisor Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury, Principal Secretary Shaikh Md Wahid-Uz-Zaman,
Foreign Secretary Shahidul Haque and Press Secretary Abul Kalam Azad were,
among others, present. Earlier, Prince Karim Aga Khan made a courtesy call on
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at the PMO. Briefing reporters after the
meeting, PM’s Press Secretary Abul Kalam Azad informed that Prince Karim Aga
Khan told the Prime Minister that his organization will provide assistance in
education sector, higher education for nurses, and the development of jute
sector. The Aga Khan also praised Bangladesh’s tremendous development in
different sectors including health, education, social safety net and women
empowerment under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Prime
Minister Sheikh Hasina appreciated the commendable work of Prince Karim Aga
Khan on social, economic and cultural development across Africa, Middle East,
and Central and South Asia. She also praised his leadership and dedication to
the well-being of the Muslims, and helping them to overcome the challenges of
tumultuous historical changes. Hasina said the Aga Khan’s organization (AKDN)
should avail the excellent investment opportunities that Bangladesh offers to
potential investors, especially in the fields of ICT, agro-processing
industries and other related fields. From
http://unbconnect.com
09/16/2013 5 ICT Recommendations Could Yield Tangible
Outcomes Five recommendations
developed under ICC initiative, including implementation of duty-free and
quota-free market access for exports from least-developed countries, could
achieve tangible outcomes by the end of 2013, to harvest gains from the WTO’s
Doha Development Round. “Conclude a trade facilitation agreement, phase out
agricultural export subsidies, renounce food export restrictions and expand
trade in IT products and encourage growth of e-commerce worldwide are other
four recommendations developed for Bali WTO Ministerial Meeting,” said a news
bulletin of the International Chamber of Commerce-Bangladesh (ICC,B) released
on Thursday. With more than 3,000 agreements on investment already in place,
it is time to move towards a single multilateral framework to facilitate
cross-border investment, which will encourage to economic growth and job creation.
The WTO (World Trade Organization) 9th Biannual Ministerial Conference is
taking place in Bali, on December 3-6. The race to agree on a
deal at the Bali Conference is not only an opportunity to slash the cost of
shipping goods around the world, it also represents what many experts see as
the last chance to restore confidence in WTO’s ability to reform global trade
rules. If there is no deal in Bali, the risk for the WTO is that major
trading powers, which are already spending much more energy on bilateral
deals than on the push for a global agreement, would give up for good. Some
experts say that these could foster the growth of rival trading blocs and
deepen divisions, the opposite of what the WTO was meant to achieve, it said.
For the past 60 years, trade has been a driver of growth and employment. This
engine of the world economy is threatened by the stalemate in multilateral
trade negotiations. The increase in trade and investment restrictions fueled
by the global economic downturn is damaging the business climate and
prospects for recovery, precisely when global trade and investment
liberalization could provide a debt-free and much-needed boost to world
economic growth. Trade facilitation is a
series of measures whereby countries reduce red tape and simplify customs and
other procedures for handling goods at borders. An agreement on trade
facilitation should significantly reduce costs, speed up and streamline
administrative and other official procedures as well as create a more
transparent, predictable and efficient environment for cross-border trade. A
WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement would, thus, add significant momentum to
these initiatives, leading to even greater reductions in trade costs. Several
hundred business leaders and trade experts at the ICC World Trade Agenda
Summit held in Doha on 22 April this year, considered a set of
recommendations finalized by ICC on behalf of global business for WTO Member
Countries to salvage parts of on-going Doha trade negotiations that could
heighten global GDP by US$960 billion. It was observed that by simplifying
customs procedures – through trade facilitation measures – alone, member
countries would deliver global job gains of 21 million, with developing
countries gaining more than 18 million jobs and developed countries
increasing their workforce by three million. It is estimated that the payoff
from liberalizing trade in services could generate world trade gains of
US$1.1 trillion, which would translate into global employment gains of nine
million jobs. ICC is committed to a strong and effective WTO, one whose
members collectively negotiate the lowering of trade barriers and the
strengthening of global trade rules. ICC’s World Trade Agenda initiative
includes a longer-term proposal that governments should begin discussions
towards a multilateral framework on investment. From http://unbconnect.com 10/15/2013 New ICT Law
Aimed at Gagging Oppn Voice BNP Criticising the government for passing the Information and
Communication Technology (Amendment) Bill, 2013, opposition BNP on Wednesday
alleged that the law is aimed at suppressing the opposition and other
critics. “The government has made the ICT law to gag the voice and opinions
of the opposition and thus reestablish one-party Baksal rule,” said BNP
acting secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi. The BNP leader came up with the
allegation at a press briefing at BNP’s Nayapaltan central office. On October
6, parliament passed the unassailable bill, ‘Information and Communication
Technology (Amendment) Bill, 2013’, providing harsher punishments for the
abuse of information technology. According to the amended bill, the jail term
for the abuse of the ICT Act has been extended to minimum seven years and
maximum 14 years against maximum 10 years of the ‘ICT Act 2006’. Besides, the
police have been given the authority to arrest anyone without arrest warrant,
and the offence is termed nonbailable. As per the amended law, permission will not be required from the
Home Ministry to file any case against such offender, which was mandatory in
the previous law. Terming the law a fascist one, Rizvi said the government
will harass people using the law in the name of maintaining law and order.
Rizvi also demanded the immediate release of National University teacher
Wahiduzzaman reportedly arrested under the law for posting a status on
Facebook defaming the family members of the Prime Minister. He also alleged
that the government is harassing Barrister Fakhrul Islam, the counsel for the
condemned convict BNP standing committee member Salauddin Quader Chowdhury,
over the leak of the verdict of the International Crimes Tribunal-1.
Mentioning that the government also harassing Khulna divisional BNP leader
Moshiur Rahman by filing a ‘false’ case against him, Rizvi said the BNP
leaders are being harassed to resist the opposition’s movement seeking
restoration of the caretaker government system. “But the government won’t be
able to resist us by resorting to harassment, attack and filing false cases
against opposition leaders and activists,” he added. From
http://unbconnect.com
10/15/2013 INDIA:
Telecom Commission Approves Plan to Give Free Tablets and Mobiles Telecom
Commission ,the highest decision-making body in Department of Telecom (DoT),
recently approved a proposal to give free mobiles to families in villages and
tablet PCs to students in government schools that could cost the exchequer
nearly Rs 10,000 crore. The scheme is expected to benefit 2.5 crore
individuals in rural households while the free tablet programme would cover
90 lakh students in 11th and 12th classes. It is to be jointly funded by the
Department of Telecom and Universal Services Obligations Fund (USOF) – a fund
to facilitate telecom services in rural areas. The project is proposed to be
implemented through state-run BSNL which will float tenders for sourcing of
mobile phones and tablets. The tablets will cost around Rs 4,972.5 crore, of
which the USOF will fund 60 per cent and the remaining amount will be
provided by DoT. Similarly, the mobile phone scheme, meant for mainly MGNREGA
workers, is estimated to cost the government Rs 4,850 crore. The mobile
phones and tablet PCs are proposed to come with a warranty of three years.
Both the schemes are expected to start after March 2014. General elections
are due to be conducted before May. The tablet PC will be distributed in
three phases where is first phase 15 lakh students will be covered, 35 lakh
in second phase and 40 lakh in third phase. Under the proposed scheme,
students will get tablets for duration of their studies at the school they
are enrolled with. The mobile phone scheme is proposed to cover 25 lakh
beneficiaries in first year, 50 lakh in second, 75 lakh in third and 1 crore
in fourth year. The mobile phone scheme, meant for mainly MGNREGA workers is
likely to be completed over period of six years. From
http://egov.eletsonline.com
09/11/2013 Government
Plans to Fund Electronics Startups to Encourage Local Manufacturing The government is finalising plans to fund and formulate
technology startups that specialise in electronics as it seeks to encourage
local manufacturing and limit import of electronic merchandise. Electronic
imports is
country’s second-biggest foreign exchange-drainer after oil.
International Institute of Information Technology, Bangalore and Delhi
University are being roped in for housing such incubators, as told by a senior
government official. “Promoting startup incubators is an important part of
the policy,” said Ajay Kumar, joint secretary, Department of Electronics and
Information Technology. The latest move comes in the wake of government’s
earlier initiatives such as the National Electronics Policy 2012 and the Rs
10,000-crore Electronic Development Fund announced earlier this year. While
the government has not decided on how much money will be earmarked for the
startup incubators, Kumar said it will it likely to draw from the Rs
10,000-crore fund. “We are expecting the approval to come in a few weeks,”
said S Sadagopan, director at the IIIT-B, which is expecting to support 10
electronic product startups in a year. “We will be putting in Rs 50 lakh on
an average per company. This comes to Rs 5 crore per year for the incubator.
We are expecting part-funding from Karnataka state government and the central
government.” India imported electronic goods worth $32 billion (Rs 2 lakh
crore) in 2012-13, and that amount is projected to cross $300 billion by
2020, when it would have overtaken crude oil as the biggest item on India’s
import bill. Industry observers said that the incubator and funding
assistance by government is a step in the right direction, especially as
electronics-focused startups face high initial investment. From
http://egov.eletsonline.com
09/17/2013 Punjab to
Implement E-District Project Punjab Government is planning to replicate its e-District
project in the entire state within eight to ten months. The project was
earlier successfully tested in two districts of the state. The project aims
to target high volume delivered at the district level and to undertake
back-end computerization to enable the delivery of citizen services through
common service centres in a systematic way. It further aims to integrate
multiple applications, faster processing of public cases/appeals/grievances,
dissemination of information as per public requirement and redesign the
processes for the core services to be delivered through the Common Service
Centers. Under the e-district roll out, system integrators will be
responsible for providing a comprehensive solution towards supply,
installation, development, integration, commissioning, and maintenance of
application and computing infrastructure pertaining to e-district in the
state. The government is going to provide 47 citizen centric services like
issuance of caste certificate, birth certificate, residence certificate etc
through these e-districts. Wipro has been entrusted as a consultant for the
project. The total project cost for the project is around Rs 55 crore which
would be funded through central government and in case of any variation, the
state government will fund rest of the project cost. From
http://egov.eletsonline.com
10/01/2013 Telecom
Department Accepts TRAI’s Floor Price Plan The Telecom Department has accepted the sector regulator’s
proposal slashing the floor price of 2G spectrum by 37 percent, but has
sought suggestions on the base price for bandwidth in the 800 Mhz band,
indicating that it doesn’t agree with the recommendations of no auction in
that band. The news will bring cheer to a debt-laden telecom industry which
has been clamoring for a reduction in the price of airwaves. Most of the
mobile phone operators had abstained from the last two rounds of auctions,
citing exorbitant prices. Apart from the suggested cuts in the base price for
spectrum in the 1800 Mhz band, Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI)
had also suggested a 60 percent cut in the reserve price of airwaves in the
900 Mhz band for three circles where licences are coming up for renewal next
year. From
http://egov.eletsonline.com
10/01/2013 |
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AZERBAIJAN:
New State ICT Development Program Developed A new state ICT development program covering the period
2013-2015 has been developed, Azerbaijani Communications and Information
Technologies Minister Ali Abbasov told journalists in Baku on August 23.
"In the nearest future the program will be submitted to the government
for consideration and approval," Abbasov said. The minister also cited
the main objectives of the program. "The main problem to be solved is
granting Internet access to everyone and telecommunication services. To
achieve this we are planning to install broadband communication services in
every household by means of the Fiber-to-Home technology. The State Oil Fund
will allocate 450 million manats for the implementation of this task in 2013,
2014 and 2015. As a result, we will have 30 Mbit/s Internet access in the
countryside and 100 Mbit/s in the cities, the Internet connectivity level
will be increased to 85 percent already by 2017," Abbasov said. He said
that the mobile access to the Internet will also be developed.
"Currently such services based on LTE (4G) technology are provided only
by one mobile network operator servicing 45-51 percent of mobile users, but
soon two other mobile network operators will start to provide 4G
services," Abbasov said. The new program is continuation of the state
program on developing the ICT sector in Azerbaijan in 2010-2012. The program
is aimed to create the e-government, develop methods of management by means
of implementing modern information and communication technologies in state
bodies, provide e-services, as well as take comprehensive measures to provide
simplified and free access of citizens and organizations to such services.
The e-government project, which mostly covers the public sector, is an
integral part of the broad "electronic Azerbaijan" idea. The
e-government targets to reduce poverty, promote the
population's prosperity and address the issues reflected in the state program
on poverty reduction and sustainable development in 2008-2015. 2013 was
declared the Year of ICT in From
http://www.azernews.az/
08/23/2013 Azerbaijan
to Enact 14 New ICT Standards Adoption of 14 new national standards in information and
communication technologies is expected in Azerbaijan, Deputy Communications
and IT Minister Elmir Velizade told media on September 10. According to
Velizade, ICT Technical Committee established under the Ministry is engaged
in the preparation of standards in the ICT sector and localization of
international standards into the Azerbaijani language. "At present, around
30 standards have been passed in the ICT sector in Azerbaijan, including
information security standards, standards on the creation of information
technologies, terminology, and others. Work in this direction
continues," he said. Among the latest standards, which are to be adopted
in Azerbaijan, are those for biometric technologies, for digital television
in the development of software products and standards on terminology.
International standards serve as a basis for their preparation, Velizade
said. Work to develop the ICT sector in Azerbaijan is underway in accordance
with the action plan for the ICT Year, which was announced in Azerbaijan in
2013. Velizade also said the work on organizing the activity of the State
Fund for ICT Development is drawing to a close. According to him, the fund
will finance projects of new companies, as well as projects of companies
which already have a foothold in the Azerbaijani market, and ICT projects
implemented abroad. The State Fund was established to implement the state policy
on development and support of small enterprises in the scientific and
technical fields and defines three ways of financing - investments, grants
and credits. Each Azerbaijani citizen may avail of the advantages of the ICT
Fund's financing. The initial financing volume for 2013 is 15 million manats
(over $19 million). From
http://www.azernews.az/ 09/11/2013 Azerbaijani
Mobile E-Signature to Be Presented at World Congress Unlike other technologies, it does not require a card reader.
The system is based on a special Sim-card called "Asan Imza", which
a user can obtain from the mobile operator. The card keeps the private access
keys and applications for identification and signatures. According to Krimpe,
"ASAN Imza" is the first step towards the creation in Azerbaijan of
a "ubiquitous government", which is a part of the "electronic
government". The certificate for the e-signature "Asan Imza"
is issued by the certification service center "ASAN" of the
Azerbaijani Ministry of Taxes in cooperation with ASAN Service and the ICT
Ministry. In May, Krimpe noted an interest of representatives from major
companies of France, Belgium, Morocco and India in the Azerbaijani experience
in the use of mobile e-signatures. Currently, mobile e-signature systems are
used in six countries. However, Azerbaijan is implementing this project based
on a modern model which has not been used elsewhere before, Krimpe said. The
Ministry of Taxes started applying mobile digital signature services in the
country for the first time in early May. The new platform of the mobile
signature center is integrated with the platforms of all the three cellular
operators of Azerbaijan. A mobile digital signature may be used on personal
and portable computers as well as tablet PCs. From
http://www.azernews.az/ 09/17/2013 Azerbaijan
to Introduce IMEI Code Check over SMS The Azerbaijan ICT Ministry plans to introduce the opportunity
to check the IMEI code of a mobile handsets by
sending a SMS to a premium telephone number, reports Trend. The service is
planned to launch mid-October. Testing of the service is currently being
carried out. Over 13 million handsets have been registered in the IMEI
database in Azerbaijan. From
http://www.telecompaper.com/
09/30/2013 Great Britain Discusses
Cooperation Directions on ICT Sphere with Azerbaijan Azerbaijan's
ICT Minister Ali Abbasov met with Ambassador of the United Kingdom of the
Great Britain and Northern Ireland to Azerbaijan Irfan Siddig. Noting the
mutual interest in development of ICT sphere between our countries, the
minister spoke about the relations established with British Telecom. He
expressed hope that new ambassador will contribute to development of these
relations. Assessing announcement of ICT sector a priority direction by
Azerbaijani President as a step counted for future, Siddig said they are
interested in enhancement of mutual relations in ICT sphere. The ambassador
noted that he would continue his efforts to expand mutual relations between
our countries. From http://www.news.az/ 10/03/2013 ICT
Achievements and Goals Mulled in Azerbaijan Azerbaijan's achievements and future goals in the Communications
and Information Technologies sector in nine months of 2013 have been
discussed in a board meeting of the ICT Ministry, the ICT ministry's official
website said. ICT Minister Ali Abbasov spoke about the tasks set for this
period, underlining the dynamic development and growth rate of non-oil sector
due to successful economic reforms carried out in the field of ICT in
Azerbaijan. "The World Economic Forum's report "Global Information
Technology 2013" Azerbaijan ranked Azerbaijan 56th improving its last
year's results by five positions on the Networked Readiness Index among 144
countries of the world," he emphasized. According to the report,
Azerbaijan ranks the eight in "Government's success in supporting
ICT", ninth for "The importance of ICT in future outlook of the
Government", and 20th in "Internet access". A report on the
work done in the field in the none-month period in Azerbaijan showed the 10.5
percent growth of the ICT sector as compared to the same period of the last
year. Abbasov also spoke about future targets. Speaking about the UN General
Assembly resolutions supporting the initiative of Azerbaijan on establishment
of the Eurasian Connectivity Alliance (EuraCA) and the Trans-Eurasia
Information Superhighway (TASIM), Abbasov gave relevant instructions to
accelerate the execution of the Action Plan of the ICT year in the country as
well as the expansion of digital TV broadcasting, management and protection
of frequency resources, to increase the volume of regulation, licensing, and
strengthening of information security. Abbasov also instructed increasing and
accelerating e-services, introduction of broadband Internet services
throughout the country, improving the quality of services, enhancing the
preparations for conference and exhibition Bakutel, increasing the number of
unconventional services in the postal sector, and exploring opportunities to
connect this area to the system of micro-credit. He tasked the ministry's
associations and enterprises to carry out new reforms on good governance
arrangements in accordance with the requirements of the market economy, and to
improve the social well-being of employees, to keep the focus on training of
highly qualified personnel and to eliminate existing shortages and
shortcomings. From
http://www.azernews.az/
10/14/2013 Azerbaijani
Communication Ministry Announces Plan of Events Within Bakutel-2013
Exhibition and Conference The nineteenth Azerbaijan International Exhibition
"Telecommunications and Information Technologies" BakuTel 2013 will
be held in the "Baku Expo Center" exhibition center on December
2-5, the Azerbaijani Communication and IT Ministry said today. Several events are planned to be held
within Bakutel- 2013. It will be officially supported by Azerbaijani
Communication and IT Ministry, the International Telecommunication Union
(ITU), the UN, Regional Commonwealth in the Field of Communications, the
National Confederation of Entrepreneurs (Employers) of Azerbaijan, Azerbaijan
Export and Investment Promotion Fund (AZPROMO). According to the schedule of events,
the conference on Global Cyber Security Cooperation: Challenges and Visions)
will be held on December 2-3; a meeting of the Azerbaijan- Iraq
intergovernmental commission, as well as the Azerbaijan- Argentina ICT Forum
on December 3-4. Azerbaijan -US
ICT forum will be held on December 2-3, the first virtual conference of the
World Azerbaijanis on December 5.
A conference on national start-up support in Azerbaijan will be held
on December 2-5, annual forum of main telecommunications operators of TASIM
consortium on December 2. The
Azerbaijani First National Forum on Internet Governance on "Internet as
an engine of regional development and advancement" will be held on
December 2-5. The event
associated with the establishment of the Specialists' Center on Partnership
of Public and Private sectors of ICT in Azerbaijan will be held on December
2. A "SPECA Project Working
Group on developing the economy based on knowledge" of the United
Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific will be held
on December 3-5. The traditional
sectors of Bakutel exhibition, which has been held annually since 1995,
include telecommunications and networks, broadband communication and
technologies, cable and wireless communication, satellite communication and
technology, TV and radio broadcasting equipment and technologies, software
and automation systems, IT and office technology, security systems, banking
technologies and services, e-government and e-education. From
http://www.hispanicbusiness.com/ 10/31/2013 Start Date
of Broadband Internet Development Project Announced in Azerbaijan The implementation of the broadband Internet development project
("Fiber to the House") in Azerbaijan will start by late 2013, the
Azerbaijani Communications and IT Ministry told Trend on Thursday. According
to the ministry, a project that will initially cover 2014-2016, was approved
by the Azerbaijani Cabinet of Ministers. The Azerbaijani State Oil Fund plans
to allocate 103 million manat to implement the project at the initial stage.
"Fiber to the House" is estimated at more than 450 million manat.
The project is considered to be highly profitable. Around 30-35 per cent of
its total cost will be financed through reinvestments beginning from the
second year of its implementation. According to the ministry's plans, all
settlements of Azerbaijan will be provided with high-speed Internet until
2017. The ultimate goal of the project is to provide the whole country,
including remote rural settlements with high-speed Internet in the range of
10-100 Mbit / s and bring the number of broadband Internet users up to 85
percent. This will allow Azerbaijan to reach the level of the world developed
countries by 2017. At present, around 70 per cent of the population uses the
Internet in Azerbaijan. The penetration rate of broadband Internet among the
population is 50 percent. The official exchange rate is 0.7845 AZN/USD on
Nov. 1. From
http://en.trend.az/ 11/01/2013 ICT Development
Strategy Submitted to Azerbaijani Gov't The
Azerbaijan Communications and Information Technologies Ministry submitted a
new strategy for the ICT development in 2013-2020 to the government. The news
was announced by Isfandiyar Aliyev, Head of Strategic Development Department
at the Ministry on November 12. Adoption of the new document is expected by
the year-end, he said. The new national strategy aims to increase the share
of the ICT sector, and reveal organizational and economic mechanisms for
implementing the upcoming projects. The strategy will be accompanied by
public programs. It includes the basis of the ICT sector funding, which
contributes to the rational use of funds for the development of projects in
various sectors, and increases the transparency and the goal of their use.
The national strategy also aims to solve the "digital divide"
problem between the center and the regions of the country. Implementing the
broadband infrastructure development and satellite systems will play an
essential part in overcoming this gap. The previous 2003-2012 strategy
implementation, which defined the main objectives for previous years
including transition to the information society, has been already completed.
A large number of state programs and laws, including the state program
"Electronic Azerbaijan", that enabled a large number of events,
were approved in the past. The new program is aimed at creating e-government,
developing methods of management by means of implementing modern information and
communication technologies in state bodies, providing e-services, and taking
comprehensive measures to provide simplified and free access to such services
for citizens and organizations. The
e-government project, which mostly covers the public sector, is an integral
part of the broad "Electronic Azerbaijan" project, which aims to
reduce poverty and promote the population's prosperity. 2013 was declared the
Year of ICT in Azerbaijan and the ICT University was established under a
presidential order on February 2. Some 142.6 million manats ($182 million)
were invested in Azerbaijan's ICT and postal communication sectors in the
first nine months of 2013. During the mentioned period, fiber-optic cables
with a total length of 673.3 kilometers were laid out in the country. In the
frame of a project on developing broadband internet in Azerbaijan
(Fiber-to-the-Home) high-speed internet access is expected to cover all areas
of Azerbaijan by 2017. The ultimate goal of the project, which will cover a
period of up to 2018, is to supply the entire country, including its distant
rural areas, with high-speed internet with the range of 10-100 Mbit/s, and
raise the number of high-speed internet users to 85 percent, which will allow
Azerbaijan to reach the level of the developed countries by 2017. Azerbaijan
currently leads the way among the Commonwealth of Independent States in terms
of internet penetration among individual users, and in terms of broadband
internet penetration among individual users. From
http://www.azernews.az/ 11/14/2013 |
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AUSTRALIA:
Opposition Unveils New ICT Action Plan Australia’s
Shadow Minister for Communications and Broadband, Mr Malcolm Turnbull, has
unveiled a new road-map for ICT reforms, while placing the administration’s
annual AU$ 6 billion spending effort under closer scrutiny. These ICT
reforms, jointly released with Shadow Minister for Finance and Deregulation,
Mr Andrew Robb, are highlighted in the Coalition’s Policy for E-Government
and the Digital Economy September 2013. This document clarifies the
Opposition’s views on ICT procurement and technologies-of-choice. This action
plans comes just five days before Australians go to the polls on Saturday 7th
September. Delivering
value for money Among the
changes, the Coalition is proposing an “aggressive reform agenda to ensure
value for money in ICT procurement.” The focus is on transparency of
expenditure as well as better services for taxpayers. “This is critical if we
are to address Australia’s recent and alarming deterioration in global
rankings with regard to our digital competitiveness and innovation.” To
improve “lagging productivity and generate secure, highly-skilled and
well-paid jobs, the Coalition will require virtually all government services
and public interactions to be available digitally by 2017 on an opt-in basis.
This is backed by hard-copy access to documentation. The Coalition, under the
leadership of Mr Tony Abbott, plans to improve the “transparency of
government ICT spending.” This incorporates launching a US-style online
‘dashboard’ so taxpayers can assess the performance and progress of major
projects. Australia’s public sector accounts for about a third of GDP. Many
programmes are difficult to implement without a cost-effective use of
technology. Coalition’s
ICT road-map If elected,
the Coalition will require agencies to trial next-generation tele-presence
systems from 2014. Other plans include trialing an opt-in “digital
pigeonhole” from 2014 for Australians who want to go ‘paperless.’ This
incorporates a free, secure digital inbox for communication from at levels of
government. The Coalition is seeking “leadership” that encourages standards
in areas including online identity verification and mobile payments. It also
encourages agencies to use cloud services and operate their IT functions more
efficiently. The Coalition’s road-map factors in developing a “National
Digital Economy Strategy.” This will be done in close consultation with
States and Territories, recognising that states play a key role to deliver
public services. Fast-tracking
broadband services The
Coalition plans to builds on an April 2013 commitment delivering the National
Broadband Network (NBN) “sooner, cheaper for taxpayers and more affordably
for consumers.” The Opposition notes that: “Labor’s costly, delayed plan to
upgrade broadband has dominated the public policy digital agenda for the past
six years.” Many Australians were “misled into thinking that unless we get
Labor’s NBN we cannot be a successful, sophisticated 21st century economy.
That is not true. Nevertheless, broadband – particularly achieving universal
access as soon as possible – does matter. That is why the Coalition will
upgrade broadband for households and businesses with poor connectivity as
soon as possible.” ICT spending
figures Among the
statistics, whole-of-government spending in 2011-12 topped AU $5.97 billion.
ICT spending rose by 13 per cent through to 2011-12. At the federal level,
spending is dominated by a handful of intensive users. These portfolio
agencies include the Australian Taxation Office, Human Services, Centrelink,
Medicare, Defence, Health, Immigration and Customs. Eighteen agencies with
annual ICT budgets ranging from AU $35 million to AU $1 billion account for
85 per cent of whole-of-government ICT spending. The other 88 agencies
covered by a Financial Management and Accountability Act (1997) accounted for
the remaining 15 per cent. Approximately 68 per cent of expenditure in
2011-12 was on ‘business as usual’ ICT. The Australian government hires
13,900 IT staff (about 7 per cent of all Australian Public Service staff). In
2011-12, 20 per cent of ICT staff were ‘external,’ that is contractors. Combined,
hardware and software accounts for about a third of costs. Labour accounted
for about half of overall costs. From http://www.futuregov.asia
09/02/2013 The
Coalition today released its national ICT plan, ahead of the election it is
widely expected to win on 7 September. Shadow communications minister Malcolm
Turnbull and shadow finance minister Andrew Robb joined forces in Melbourne
to launch the policy for e-government and the digital economy, which they
described was part of an "aggressive reform agenda." “This has been
a passion of mine for a very long time - it’s not just a question of saving
money,” Turnbull said at a press conference at the York Butter Factory. “It
is about including each of the state and federal governments with the private
sector – a much more 'open-minded ... and receptive to new ideas'
approach." Turnbull and Robb said the Coalition will aim to improve
transparency around government technology expenditure, encourage agencies to
use cloud services and providing Australians with a free digital mailbox to
receive communication from all levels of government. The Coalition also said
it will create a US-style online dashboard that enables taxpayers taxpayers
can assess the performance and progress of major projects, after years of
hounding the Labor government for a cost/benefit analysis of its NBN. A
Liberal/National government would also trial an opt-in ‘digital pigeonhole’
from 2014, for the growing number of Australians who want to go ‘paperless’,
in what it describes as a free, secure digital inbox for communication from
all levels of Government. The full list released today reads as follows: # Require
virtually all Government services and public interactions to be available
digitally (as well as in hard-copy) by 2017 on an opt-in basis; # Improve
the transparency of Government ICT spending with the establishment of a
US-style online ‘dashboard’ so taxpayers can assess the performance and
progress of major projects; # Require
Government agencies to trial next generation tele-presence systems from 2014; Trial an
opt-in ‘digital pigeonhole’ from 2014 for the growing number of Australians
who want to go ‘paperless’ – a free, secure digital inbox for communication
from all levels of Government; # Provide
leadership encouraging standards in areas such as online identity
verification and mobile payments vital to the growth of the digital economy;
and # Encourage
Government agencies to use cloud services and operate their IT functions more
efficiently. # The
opposition also again highlighted its NBN plan, which said it would deliver
fast broadband to Australians sooner and at a lower cost. "The
plan builds on the Coalition’s commitment in April to deliver the National
Broadband Network sooner, cheaper for taxpayers and more affordably for
consumers," the parties said in a statement. From http://www.itwire.com
09/02/2013 South
Australia Launches Open Data Initiative South
Australia now requires all government agencies to ensure that their data is
available to the public, as the State Government launches a series of
initiatives to kickstart its open data programme. South Australian Premier,
Jay Weatherill, noted, “We want South Australia to be vibrant and innovative
so we are opening up our data to industry, community groups, digital
entrepreneurs and start-up companies. This will create an enormous economic
benefit to the state through the development of smartphone and web-based
applications and will enable informed investment decision making.” The
Premier has officially launched the South Australian Government’s open data
portal – data.sa. “As the custodian of a significant amount of data, the
State Government can help to fuel a boom in the local digital marketplace,
but it’s equally important that industry and community groups release their
data too,” he added. The Office of the Chief Information Officer is to lead
an Open Data Action Plan to guide agencies in classifying, licensing and
releasing their data, while maintaining highest standards of privacy,
security and integrity. The
Government also launched its inaugural open data challenge, Unleashed. It
brought together more than 100 digital entrepreneurs to use government data
to create new applications, visualisation tools and websites. The Premier has
extended this challenge to be an annual event. “Unleashed now will take place
annually and I’m confident that even more digital entrepreneurs will use open
data to create exciting new ways to benefit their community,” he said. South
Australia’s open data initiatives are a leading force in the development of
an open data policy at a national level through the Council of the Australian
Federation, an intergovernmental forum for State and Territory leaders. There
are currently 229 open data sets on the data.sa portal, provided by agencies
across the Government. The Premier remarked, “We already have among the
highest number of data sets openly licensed in Australia. Opening our data to
all means that we can work together to design policy and projects that will
benefit our citizens.” From http://www.futuregov.asia
09/09/2013 Australian
Information Commissioner Releases Mobile Privacy Guide Addressing
privacy concerns among smartphone users, the Office of the Australian
Information Commissioner (OAIC) has recommended that app developers take a
‘privacy by design’ approach starting from the early stages of app
development. Around six in 10 Australians cite concerns about the way
personal information would be used for not using a smartphone app. In
response, the OAIC on Monday came out with the ‘Mobile privacy: A better practice
guide for mobile app developers’. Australian Privacy Commissioner, Timothy
Pilgrim, says the mobile app development industry presents potential benefits
to users, but also serious risks to the handling of personal data. To make
sure the app is privacy-friendly, developers should embed privacy protection
in the app design starting right from early development, Pilgrim suggests.
The Guide also recommends that developers use brief privacy notices in place
of lengthy ones which are difficult to read on a small screen. “People are
increasingly expecting transparency about how their personal information is
handled. It’s important to get informed consent from people so they can
decide whether or not to install an app,” Pilgrim says. “Informed
consent requires that users be told about the privacy implications of an app
in a way they can understand. App developers should make it easy by using
things like a privacy dashboard and in-text notices where you tell users what
will happen with their information in real time,” he adds. Pilgrim
recommended that mobile app developers operating in the Australian market be
aware of how Australian privacy regulations apply, in order to avoid risks of
violating the law. “It is ultimately in an app developer’s best interest to
build strong privacy protections into their product. The mobile apps that
take privacy seriously will be the ones that stand out from the crowd and
gain user trust and loyalty,” he concludes. From http://www.futuregov.asia
10/02/2013 NEW ZEALAND:
Bill to Ban Software Patents Finally Passed Five years
after it was first introduced, New Zealand has finally passed a law banning
software patents in the country. The bill passed the New Zealand parliament
on Wednesday on its third reading. In an indication of how far things have
shifted, the vote was 117 for to 4 against. Back in 2009, when a vote was
taken for allowing unlimited software patents in the country, there were 107
votes for and only 14 against. The country decided in 2010 to keep its
existing bill, which effectively meant that software could not be patented.
But then there was a back-flip two years later, and
altered the law to only partially ban the practice. This led to speculation
that the changes had been made to accommodate the US as New Zealand is
involved in negotiations with Washington and eight other countries to sign a
treaty known as the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement. Now it looks like
things have been finally laid to rest. Commerce Minister Craig Foss welcomed
the passing of the bill. "This
Bill is marks a significant step towards driving innovation in New Zealand,
it replaces sixty year-old legislation and introduces a patent system suited
for the 21st century,” he was quoted as saying in a media release. The head
of the Institute of IT Professionals, Paul Matthews, said: "We are
delighted to see the new Patents Act (2013) has passed the committee stage
and third reading with near unanimous support in Parliament. I would like to
congratulate Minister Craig Foss for listening to concerns from the IT
industry and ensuring that software patents are excluded." In a media
release, Matthews added: "As Labour ICT spokesperson Clare Curran said
in Parliament today (Wednesday), this is a historic day for Intellectual
Property in New Zealand. It's also a breakthrough day where old law met
modern technology and came out on the side of New Zealand's software
innovators". From http://www.itwire.com 08/29/2013 New
Zealand Unveils Draft Intelligent Transport Systems Action Plan Transport Minister Gerry Brownlee released yesterday the draft
version of the Intelligent Transport Systems Action Plan which builds on the
discussions Ministry officials had with relevant stakeholders earlier this
year. The action plan explains the government’s strategic context and
leadership role. It takes a high level multimodal, multi-agency approach to
the introduction of new intelligent transport system technologies. While New
Zealand is already leveraging some intelligent transport systems, the
Minister said it is important to introduce a coordinated way of integrating
them so as to get the greatest benefit for New Zealand. “Traffic control
centres in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch rely heavily on technology
to gather information on traffic conditions, adjust traffic signals and
provide real-time information for travellers in order to operate the network
efficiently. These systems deliver real-time congestion information to road
users, and are increasing the carrying capacity of the Auckland motorway
system by using motorway ramp signals.” He added that the Ministry of
Transport will be leading the public consultation to emphasise the
government’s strategic aims and identify and remove barriers to the
introduction of the intelligent transport systems. Information about the
draft Intelligent Transport Systems Action Plan consultation can be found on
the Ministry of Transport’s website. Submissions close on Friday 17 January
2014. From
http://www.futuregov.asia
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CIOs See Big
Data as Internet-like Innovation Platform for Government 27.09.2013 kl 19:11 | CIO (US)Tweet Government IT leaders
envision open, machine-readable data sets from across departments and
agencies offering a testbed for innovative new applications and services the
feds would never create on their own. When the Obama administration launched
its open data initiative in 2009, federal agencies naturally responded by
simply posting various nonsensitive information sets up on the government's
new online portal, Data.gov. Now, more than four years later, the government
is moving into the next phase of the process and trying to make that data
more usable, an effort that includes taking inventory of the departments' and
agencies' assets, shifting to machine-readable formats, and, ultimately,
layering APIs on top to make the data more accessible to developers and
researchers. "We all talk about big data, but really the issue for
delivering on government missions is not just collecting data, but it's
really transforming data into information products, developing knowledge out
of that data," Simon Szykman, CIO at the Department of Commerce, said
here at a government IT conference. In the more forward-looking corners of the government, officials
envision marshaling the government's data assets into a platform that could
serve as a seedbed for innovation and development in the private sector and
academia, inviting parallels to the government's role in the early days of
the Internet and supercomputing. Sharing more of our data, the benefit from
doing that is not just the transparency issue. It's really creating new ways
in which the data that we produce and disseminate can be used by others in
ways that we may not have anticipated " --Simon Szykman, CIO at the
Department of Commerce. "Across the federal
government we have a very diverse but also coordinated set of activities that
focus on the foundations of big data, and the foundations of how we move
forward in creating the core technologies that can support all the
activities," said Fen Zhao, staff associate at the National Science
Foundation's Directorate for Computer and Information Science and
Engineering. A Platform for Innovation "We want to build a platform on which you can do a lot of
these great new innovative things, and build a platform just like the
Internet -- we had ARPAET, NSFNET, and built the foundational technologies
that will enable the creation of the Internet and what everybody else will do
with it," Zhao added. From
http://news.idg.no/
09/27/2013 AFRICA:
Botswana - State of the Nation: Khama Explains E-Government Initiatives The President of the Republic of Botswana, President Lieutenant
General Seretse Khama Ian Khama, gave his State of the Nation Address and a
lot of practitioners in the ICT sector waited for their share of information
on the state of affairs in the ICT sector. According to the President, the
government had surpassed its expectations in providing modern technologies in
many ways than one. Khama explained that “since 2008 there has been an
explosion in the use of ICT by Batswana, with domestic internet
subscriptions, mostly on mobile devices, rising from just over 250 thousand
at the end of 2011 to nearly 1 million by August 2013, meaning that at least
half of our citizens are now active online. Given this transformation
Government recognises the need to accelerate the rollout of e-Government
through expanded online services.” Efforts were made by the government to
curtail some very long queues in most government departments. Said Khama:
“Concern about long queues for some services provided through ICT systems
such as Civil and National Registration as well as Transport Permits and
Drivers licenses are being addressed, while Births and Deaths registration
system has been stabilized, with the backlog of certificates being
drastically reduced. As a way of ensuring that all births and deaths are
registered at the earliest possible time, on-site Births and Deaths
registration centres continue to be rolled out to cover all hospitals.” He also explained that further computerisation of critical
functions of Civil and National Registration was at development stage. “The
Project aims at automating the critical functions of Civil and National
Registration and linking them to other systems. One of the objectives is to
introduce a more secure electronic identity card (e-id) for authentication
and facilitation of public e-services.” In relation to BOCRA, the President
said: “As part of our overarching commitment to rationalise parastatals, the
Botswana Communications Regulatory Authority (BOCRA) was formed in April 2013
as a converged regulator overseeing telecommunications, Internet and
associated online technologies, broadcasting, and postal services.” He said further progress has been
achieved in separation of assets and the privatisation of BTC. “This exercise
has so far resulted in the formation of two companies being the Botswana
Fibre Networks (BoFiNet), responsible for managing wholesale services, and
Botswana Telecommunications Limited, for retail services.” Government efforts
also saw the reduction of internet charges all made possible courtesy of new
technologies. “With the completion of the West African submarine cable system
(WACS), at a cost of over P 300 million (USD 37.5 million), in addition to
the East African cable (EASSy), wholesale internet tariffs have been reduced
by up to 59%, with resulting retail price reductions, a trend which should continue. To further improve our global competitiveness, our licensing
framework is being adjusted to introduce a new license category for wholesale
operators to facilitate competition and innovation. We have further developed
a National Broadband Strategy to facilitate universal access to high capacity
communications infrastructure.” He said efforts continue to be made to ensure
that communities are provided with access to communications services. “The
Nteletsa-I resuscitation project was completed in March 2013. This initiative
brought mobile voice, data and internet connectivity to some 177 villages. To
further benefit from the existing Nteletsa infrastructure we are retooling
the Kitsong Centres by introducing more products to improve their
utilisation.” To further connect the nation, free internet facilities are
being provided at 39 public libraries and village reading rooms, while
another 33 are to be connected through wireless technology. With the support
of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation some 45,000 members of the public
have also been trained in basic computer skills through the Sesigo e-public
libraries project. In addition, nine libraries have been completed through
our partnership with the Robert and Sara Rothschild Family Foundation, while two
more libraries are scheduled for completion at Gweta and Nata by April 2014. In order to address the issue of long queues at its front
offices, the Department of Road Transport and Safety has joined hands with
Botswana Post to provide renewal of vehicle licenses at all the 122 post
offices. “Government is currently negotiating with Botswana Post to offer
additional services such as the online renewal of vehicle licenses.”
Accordingly, Khama said his government remains committed to enhancing an
enabling environment for business. “Progress in our efforts was most recently
reflected in our improved ranking in the annual IFC/World Bank ‘Doing
Business Index’, where we moved up 11 places since last year to 56 in the
world out of 189. In this regard, the Cabinet Sub-Committee on Doing Business
and Global Competitiveness has been busy overseeing a number of initiatives.
These include: Introduction of e-Government legislation, such as the
e-Communication and Transactions Bill, the Data Protection Bill and the e-Evidence
Bill; Establishment of Regulatory Impact Assessment system, Commencement of
routine inspections by Local Authorities three months prior to expiry of
trading licenses; Establishing an online system for name search and
registration, Introduction of an integrated taxpayer management system Introduction of e-filing and e-payment
system, Implementation of the Point Based System to attract and retain
skilled expatriates, while ensuring local skills transfer; and Amendment of
the Town and Country Planning Act to facilitate the decentralisation of the
Planning Board’s functions to Councils so as to reduce delays in the approval
of planning and building permits.” From
http://www.biztechafrica.com/
11/11/2013 EUROPE:
German Parliament Choose Encrypted Phones Politicians from From
http://gigaom.com/
11/22/2013 Italy:
Only 19% Use E-Government – OECD Italy continues to lag behind the rest of the world in the
uptake of online public services, with only Chile registering worse
e-government uptake indicators. The OECD’s Government at a Glance report
surveyed 20 of the world’s major economies and found that only 19 percent of
Italians use the internet to interact with public authorities and use
resources available online, compared with an OECD average of 50 percent. In
fact, the figures in most EU countries are more than double the Italian rate,
headed by France (61 percent) and followed by Germany (51 percent), Spain (45
percent) and the UK (45 percent). In terms of e-procurement, Italy also
registered some of the lowest indicators, with only 15 percent of Italian
companies using electronic channels to access tender documents and
specifications, against a figure of 43 percent in Ireland and an OECD average
of 25 percent. From
http://www.telecompaper.com/
11/25/2013 LATIN
AMERICA: Cubans Skirt Internet Censorship Most Cubans remain cut off from the internet but are still using
creating ways to access and spread information online, a dissident blogger
told journalists from around the Americas Sunday. Yoani Sanchez gave a
largely grim report of the state of the press in Cuba at a meeting of the
Inter American Press Association in Denver. She said President Raul Castro's
regime has been aggressive in arresting and beating people who speak out
against the government and has failed to document those actions, as his
brother Fidel did. However, she said neither is better than the other.
"They play the good and the bad policeman but in the end they are two
policemen," she said to applause. While over 200 internet cafes opened
on the island nation this year, she said the cost of using the slow and
censored service for just an hour is about $5 - about a third of the average
Cuban's monthly salary. Despite that, she said people are sharing information
on thumb drives and can use their cellphones to text and post messages to
Twitter blindly, which she compared to sending a message in a bottle since
she doesn't know who is reading what she wrote. She joked that when Cuba is free, the country will have to build
a monument to the thumb drive, which she said has done more to help the
country than many of the people now honoured by statues there. Sanchez said
those and other methods of "extreme creativity" to deal with
limited internet access aren't surprising in a nation where people were
forced to come up with a way to make the spicy ground beef dish picadillo
without meat. "We do the same with information," she said. At 38,
Sanchez is among the second generation of Cubans born under communism. She
has taken advantage of a new reform ending a longtime requirement that all
Cubans obtain permission to travel abroad. Under the old rules, government
critics were routinely denied exit visas. Earlier this year, she also visited
more than a dozen countries in Europe and the Americas and gave speeches
criticising Cuba's Communist-led government. Her travels have helped her pick
up more Twitter followers but she remains less well known at home. From
http://www.3news.co.nz/
11/26/2013 NORTH
AMERICA: U.S. - Why We Should Build a National Internet System Under the
National Highway System Earlier this month, The Daily Yonder, a well-named site about
life in rural America, brought us this unsettling map of broadband availability,
or lack thereof, in the country's remote counties. Truth is,
the connectivity of From
http://www.nextgov.com/
08/22/2013 Expanding
Federal Telework Could Save $12 Billion a Year Expanding federal telework programs doesn't just help federal
employees and managers; it also could benefit taxpayers by as much as $12
billion per year, according to a new report. Released last week by Global
Workplace Analytics and the Telework Research Network, the report estimated
that well-implemented federal telework programs could save taxpayers between
$6 billion and $12 billion per year. Those figures were calculated based on a
set of assumptions about the impact of telework on real estate, absenteeism,
turnover, productivity, transit subsidies, continuity of operations and
health care. The report estimated savings based on default assumptions from
GWA’s Federal Telework Savings Calculator, which is continually updated based
on more than 4,000 case studies and articles. The GWA research drew from the
Office of Personnel Management’s annual telework status report, the latest of
which includes data from 2011, less than one year after the 2010 Telework
Enhancement Act was passed. “Since additional employees will presumably have
become eligible and begun to telework since that time, our savings estimates may
be understated,” the GWA report said. More specifically, if 88 percent of the 32 percent of employees
OPM deemed eligible to telework in 2011 did so two days per week, the
government would save roughly $6 billion per year. This breaks down to real
estate savings of up to 30 percent, productivity increases of 12.5 percent, a
4 percent decrease in turnover, and a 3-day average decrease in absenteeism.
On the high end, where 45 percent of federal employees were deemed eligible
to telework, and 88 percent of them did so 2.5 days per week, agencies could
save roughly $12 billion per year, the study found. This breaks down to real
estate savings of 50 percent, productivity increases of 15 percent, a 10
percent decrease in turnover and a 6-day decrease in absenteeism. Both of
those scenarios also would result in transit cost savings based on the
frequency of telework, as well as continuity of operations savings of at
least 1 day per year and a 1 percent decrease in health care costs, the study
found. A report released by the Government Accountability Office in July
found that agency leadership had not committed to implementing and tracking
telework’s progress, despite the requirements of the 2010 Telework
Enhancement Act. Most agencies lacked the technological capabilities and
leadership to effectively monitor telework statistics, GAO found. The Telework Research Network is offering a lite version of its
Federal Telework Savings Calculator to agencies at no charge during the 2014
telework data call, hoping to provide a tool to effectively measure and
report telework progress and cost savings out to OPM and Congress. Mobile
Work Exchange last week also unveiled a return-on-investment calculator that
can help agencies more effectively measure and track telework’s benefits and
cost savings. “Unless there is a common framework for measuring success
across government – a way to benchmark performance – agencies will be
operating in the blind,” the report stated. “Without goals, standards and
consistent methods of measuring success, telework risks becoming just another
failed experiment and government risks falling behind the rest of the world.”
From
http://www.nextgov.com/
09/09/2013 Agencies
Can Learn from Stimulus' Data Transparency Even opponents of the $840 billion economic stimulus program
launched in 2009 have found reason to cheer the activities of the Recovery
Accountability and Transparency Board, which was created to track every
dollar spent. "The whole Recovery.gov effort has been a great success.
I’m taking no positive shots at how they spent their money, because I don't
think it created jobs. But it accounted for funding in a more transparent way
than ever before, and did so on a small budget," Rep. Darrell Issa
(R-Calif.), said at an event hosted by the Data Transparency Coalition on
Sept. 10. The General Accountability Office has released a report documenting
the lessons the Office of Management and Budget and cabinet agencies could
learn from the experience of the board. It's timely, in light of the Data
Accountability and Transparency (DATA) Act currently wending its way through
Congress, and with a recent OMB memo advising changes to the way government
publishes financial data. GAO recommended adopting the Recovery Accountability and
Transparency Board practice of using single government-wide identifiers to
track contracts, grants, loans, and awards, and standardizing data reporting
requirements. "The availability of standardized data ... allowed the
Recovery Board to use data analytics and predictive analysis to detect,
prevent, and remediate the fraudulent use of Recovery Act funds," GAO
wrote. Input from multiple sources was key in
developing data reporting standards, the GAO found. Weekly calls between OMB,
the board, and state and local officials helped to establish reporting
practices. "Without a systematic approach for receiving and processing
recipients’ input ... issues that could affect recipients’ ability to meet
new reporting requirements could go unaddressed, compromising the ability of
recipients to provide accurate data," GAO cautioned. Finally, GAO suggested that legislation rather than executive
order would be preferable in clarifying lines of authority for creating reporting
standards and implementing them across government. "[T]ransitions and
inconsistent leadership, which can occur as administrations change, can
weaken the effectiveness of any collaborative efforts, and result in a lack
of continuity," the report said. There is significant overlap between
the DATA Act and a June memo from the Office of Federal Financial Management
on financial data reporting. The Obama administration also included plans to
move the USASpending.gov apparatus from OMB to the Treasury, as envisioned by
the DATA Act, in its 2014 budget. If some form of the DATA Act passes the
House, as is expected, and moves in the Senate, where it was introduced by
Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.), it would go a long way toward fulfilling the
guidance of the GAO on financial data transparency. From
http://fcw.com/
09/13/2013 U.S.
Government Networks Not Ready for Cloud, Big Data Majority of United States federal networks are not prepared to
handle cloud and big data initiatives, according to recent survey. U.S.
government IT network MeriTalk, a survey commissioned by networking vendor
Brocade Communications Systems, found that 59 per cent of federal IT workers
believe their organizations lack the network capacity to handle looming big
data and cloud workloads. The survey identified three IT transitions that
will most likely overwhelm federal networks: cloud computing, big data,
security, mobility, and data center consolidation. The surge in traffic from
these five will boost network load by as much as 79 per cent, according to
the survey authors’ estimates. As many as 84 per cent of the 200 respondents
said that if all five initiatives were to be deployed today, their networks
would be a risk of a network bottleneck. Only 12 per cent of the respondents
said that their networks are completely prepared to meet the demands of the
big five. Government agencies need to step up preparations for meeting these
demands, said Anthony Robbins, vice-president of Brocade’s federal division. From
http://www.itworldcanada.com/
09/19/2013 Data
Analysis and the Promise of Speedy Government Combining data with new analytics techniques can help
governments react nimbly and purposefully. In times of emergency, good
government means fast government, able to react nimbly and purposefully to
new conditions as they arise. Having speedy government tomorrow, though,
depends on preparation and prepositioning of critical resources today with
the understanding that seemingly random events often fit into actionable
patterns. By understanding these patterns now through clever combinations of
data and new modeling techniques, governments can improve their responses and
become more effective. In large cities, for example, must police officers
simply patrol hoping they will see a crime, or might they use data on
offenders, past crimes, neighborhood conditions and time of day to improve
surveillance? Hot-spot crime analysis has grown in popularity for just this
reason, giving patrols a way to focus their energies on specific areas that
have a higher propensity for crime. Recent advances continue to refine these
statistical methods, such as a new system developed for and in use by
Seattle, Los Angeles and Santa Cruz that feeds past and current crime trends
into the model used to predict earthquake aftershocks, adapting that model to
predict crime as well. Building a fully integrated system -- making different datasets
speak to each other and instilling a cooperative strategy across departments
-- is a lot of hard work. But being able to look at different phenomena at
once can pay off both during emergencies and in the day-to-day functioning of
a city. Chicago, for example, has been developing WindyGrid, a
predictive-analytics platform that has begun to reveal relationships such as
spikes in stolen trash bins when a block's streetlights go out. Those little
extra costs add up, and now the city knows what kind of actions need to be
taken while it works on a streetlight repair. WindyGrid's planned capacity
includes being able to preemptively react to a range of emergency situations
-- knowing when a water main is likely to break, for instance, or being able
to respond more quickly during a massive snowstorm. The goal is a preemptive
platform comprehensive enough to solve issues in areas ranging from
infrastructure to public safety while accessible enough that a city employee
could simply query the database when he or she has a hunch that might result
in better service and big savings. For decades, cities have worked to optimize their ambulance
response times by having drivers park in locations with a high incidence of
emergencies rather than wait in firehouses. In New York City, after an
initial brainstorming process where various theories about placement were
introduced, the data team was able to granularly measure 911 responses from
dial to arrival, which enabled systemic improvements to the entirety of the
response. More important, it demonstrates the iterative nature of this work,
from common-sense hypotheses to data-driven enhancements allowing in the end
a deep and comprehensive understanding of the entire 911 transaction. The timely presentation of data also can help citizens when
disaster hits. When Sandy hit the Northeast in 2012, governments and agencies
at all levels utilized Web-based GIS platforms to provide specific, timely
information. Citizens could act before the storm hit, making use of such
tools as New York City's online map of evacuation zones and shelters. Once
the storm hit, they could respond more intelligently, thanks to online tools
such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Check Your Home map, which
allowed evacuated residents to compare satellite photography and know whether
they needed to prepare to deal with damage or destruction of their homes. In
disasters the focus remains on getting information out as quickly as
possible, but we can expect to see more analytical tools being developed to
make this data go even farther, aiding in the allocation of resources and
concentration of efforts. Whether governments are responding to routine daily
service needs or to catastrophe, data and its sophisticated analysis hold the
keys to efficiency and resiliency. And as budgets become tighter, we need
that efficiency and focus more than ever. From
http://www.govtech.com/
09/20/2013 8
Stats for Leaders - From the Retirement Gap to Cloud Spending Eight statistics every government leader should know. I love
hearing about the latest trends in technology, but sometimes it’s hard to
separate hype from reality. So how do you decide what to focus on?
Personally, when I’m faced with that situation, I turn to recent studies and
statistics. That’s why I pulled together eight key statistics every
government leader should know and what it means for his or her job. 1. We Live Online — According to the Pew Research Center’s
Internet and American Life Project, 85 percent of adults use the Internet.
Even more dramatic is who’s using it: 98 percent of 18- to 29-year-olds, 83
percent of 50- to 64-year-olds, and 56 percent of
those 65 and older. To me, this shows a dramatic shift in which people are
prioritizing government services to be online for almost every demographic. 2. Cellphones Are Everywhere — As of this summer, 91 percent of
adults had cellphones (up from 73 percent in 2006), while smartphone adoption
rates are growing even faster. As of summer 2013, 51 percent of adults have
smartphones, an increase from 35 percent only two years earlier. This is
being shown in mobile Internet traffic, which has gone from less than 1
percent of Internet traffic in 2009 to 15 percent in May 2013. Government
needs to move to a mobile-first approach to services using these new devices. 3. Mobile Commerce Is on the Rise — Mobile commerce is rapidly
rising, with four out of five consumers using smartphones to shop, according
to Internet analytics company comScore. And a number of consumers are going
mobile only. Twenty-five percent of consumers engage in online shopping only
via mobile devices, Prosper Mobile Insights reported. Governments need to
start moving quickly to mobile commerce (not just e-commerce). 4. Retirements Are Real — At the federal level, by 2016, more
than a third of the workforce will be eligible to retire, according to the
Government Accountability Office. This includes nearly 60 percent of senior
executives and almost half of top managers. The situation is even worse at
the state and local level. Succession planning needed to start yesterday. 5. Interest in Public Service Is Waning — To solve the
retirement gap, we need new blood. And the biggest group missing in
government is the millennials. By next year, millennials will account for 36
percent of the U.S. workforce, and by 2025, they will make up 75 percent of
the global workplace. Yet as of 2011, only 6 percent are interested in a
career in public service, down from an all-time high of 10.2 percent in 2009,
according to the Partnership for Public Service. Government agencies need to
work hard to recruit millennials since they aren’t currently looking on
government agency job pages. 6. Demographic Changes — According to Pew Research, Hispanics
are the largest minority group, making up 16 percent of the U.S. population.
By 2020, they will make up 19 percent and will represent 23 percent of the
population by 2030. In addition, Asians will increase to 6 percent of the
overall U.S. population by 2020. Government agencies will need to make sure
their services reflect the cultural norms and languages of these communities,
while also including them in outreach efforts. 7. Cloud Is Here — As a technology leader, all trends point to
the cloud. IDC predicts that public cloud spending will increase from $40
billion in 2012 to $100 billion in 2016. The move to the cloud has real
implications in terms of ensuring that your employees have the right skills
as it requires different procurement, technical deployments and vendor
management. 8. Rise of the Baby Boomers — The 65 and older population grew
18 percent from 2000 to 2011 and is only expected to
increase as the oldest baby boomers have already started to retire. Think
about ways to leverage the baby boomers: Can you engage them as volunteers in
your programs? Can you make your town friendly to baby boomers so they retire
in your district? Use these statistics to start planning for your agency’s future.
The only constant is change, and government agencies need to be adapting to
the changing landscape. From
http://www.govtech.com/
10/23/2013 How
to Build an Effective Government Website You might not know it from all the negative publicity
surrounding the rollout of HealthCare.gov, but it really is possible for
federal officials to create a searchable, public facing website that
integrates complex government data sets from disparate sources and computer
systems. Just ask the folks at the Recovery Accountability and Transparency
Board, the organization created in 2009 to track $840 billion in federal
stimulus spending. Based on its success, it was later tapped to do the same
for disaster relief spending following Hurricane Sandy in 2012. The Recovery
Board executive staff will discuss how they did it at Nextgov Prime Nov. 20.
Shawn Kingsberry, chief technology officer; Veda Woods, chief information
security officer; and Hermanth Setty, chief technology officer, will talk
about how they created the architecture on a very tight timeline to
effectively track spending. Their experience speaks directly to the
challenges agencies will likely face if Congress passes the 2013 Digital
Accountability and Transparency Act, which aims to create a single website
for citizens to track federal spending. “Americans should be able to go to
one place to see information about federal spending,” Earl Devaney, the
former chairman of the Recovery Accountability and Transparency Board, said
Monday in remarks at the executive leadership conference sponsored by
ACT-IAC, a public-private technology group. The Data Act, introduced by Sen.
Mark Warner, D-Va., (S. 994) and Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., (H.R. 2061) in
May, has a good chance of becoming law next year, Devaney said. All the more
reason you should join us at Prime next month. From
http://www.nextgov.com/
10/29/2013 US Federal Agencies Prepare Networks for Future IT
Solutions As US Federal Agencies plan to fully deploy
the ‘big five’ technologies in the next two years, they are gearing up their
networks for the resulting additional capacity and complexity in order to
avoid network bottlenecks. According to a report, based on a survey of 200
Federal network managers and underwritten by network solutions provider,
Brocade, the implementation of the ‘big five’ – mobility, security, big data,
cloud computing and data centre consolidation – will have significant impact
on existing network capacity. As these initiatives are implemented, the
agencies should pay attention to security risks, bandwidth limitation,
network latency and storage limitations, states the report. Network managers
expect agencies’ total network load to increase by 79 per cent on average as
a result of these five technologies. 59 per cent of them feel that if these
were fully deployed today, they would be at or exceed the networks’
capacities. Some of the agencies have already begun to
strengthen the foundation of their networks. 43 per cent of the network
managers have taken steps to improve security, while 46 per cent have plans
to do the same. Agencies have also taken steps to improve network policies,
increase bandwidth, increase openness and adherence to open standards, and
reduce network latency. In the next two years, network managers expect to
modernise almost half of the infrastructure at their agencies. Infrastructure
requirements of 12 per cent of the agencies are ready for the ‘big five’. 45
per cent of the agencies are using the budget process to prioritise and pace
the implementation of each initiative. Network managers request clear
prioritisation from the leadership, standardised documentation of
infrastructure requirements, structured coordination of all initiatives,
wider consultation with leadership and more ownership. Given the direction of
government IT today, it is evident that networks are one of the main pillars
of IT delivery in government agencies. It is important to ensure that
networks are robust enough to handle increasing traffic and modernised to
open standards. From http://www.futuregov.asia/ 10/29/2013 Federal
CIO Urges Bold Vision for Government IT Federal CIO Steven VanRoekel calls Obamacare site's launch
something "to be proud of" and urges government IT community to
view bugs as a "teachable moment." Federal CIO Steven VanRoekel, in
one of his first public appearances since May, urged government and industry
IT officials on Tuesday to look beyond the tactical elements of IT projects
and embrace a more strategic and modular approach. VanRoekel also outlined
the Obama administration's IT priorities for fiscal year 2014 and responded
to criticisms of the problem-plagued Healthcare.gov launch, urging the IT
community to view what went wrong as a "teachable moment" for government.
VanRoekel's priorities for fiscal 2014 -- innovating, delivering federal IT
systems that meet agency needs, and protecting those systems -- carry over
themes from 2013, but he placed new emphasis on people as a fourth pillar of
his agenda. Following furloughs of federal workers during the partial
government shutdown and amid continued sequestration and budget uncertainty,
VanRoekel acknowledged that "it's really hard to attract and retain
talent." But he also said the opportunity for government IT pros to make
a difference on a large scale remains a compelling reason to consider public
service. He said the administration plans to devote more attention to
training and redeploying IT workers, such as email administrators whose jobs
are being eliminated as agencies consolidate email systems. Programs such as
the president's Innovation Fellows, which attracts entrepreneurs to
government to address specific challenges, will also continue to play a role
in bringing talented people to government IT efforts, VanRoekel said,
speaking at the American Council for Technology-Industry Advisory Council
Executive Leadership Conference in Williamsburg, Va. VanRoekel said agency IT efforts must become more
customer-centric, recalling when President Obama asked during a meeting:
"How come I can't track a passport application the way I can track a
package on Amazon.com?" And he urged audience members, mostly federal IT
pros, to share their successes with one another. "If you're doing
something great in customer service, let's scale it," VanRoekel said. At
the same time, he invited the executives in the audience to inform his office
about IT issues that need more attention. VanRoekel also emphasized the
importance of "marrying usability and modularity" as a way to buy
and deliver IT services more efficiently. He lauded Department of Homeland
Security deputy CIO Margie Graves for DHS's build-once, use-often reference
architecture for mobile services and devices, an approach he said typifies
the government goal of delivering better services at lower cost. He reiterated the need for agencies to tackle IT programs in
smaller, more modular chunks. "Monolithic failure cannot be the norm for
government," he said, without referring specifically to the
Healthcare.gov registration exchange, which didn't follow that prescription.
"Agencies must use modular development to reduce risk." VanRoekel
did address some of the criticisms leveled at the Healthcare.gov rollout on
Oct. 1. What "doesn't get a lot of coverage is the boldness"
Healthcare.gov demonstrated, he said, pointing to the integration of so many
legacy systems and the creation of a site that "operates on an Internet
scale." VanRoekel argued that the government's willingness to tackle
something on such a scale, with such "incredible complexity," is
"something to be proud of" despite Healthcare.gov's initial
failings. VanRoekel recounted his experience working at Microsoft when a
major software product launch he oversaw was recalled because of unforeseen
problems. "The key thing here is to ask, 'What can we learn from
this?'" he said. He noted how the Department of Veterans Affairs used
the loss of a laptop containing the records of 26 million veterans as an
opportunity to review and overhaul its IT organization, giving the VA CIO singular
responsibility for IT policies across the department. Looking longer term,
VanRoekel reiterated his vision for federal agency IT, one where departments
and agencies take on more centralized operation of commodity IT services such
as email and core enterprise systems. "I want the CIO at FAA to wake up
and go to bed thinking about flight safety," he said, and "not
wondering about email or where am I with commodity contracts." VanRoekel
also said that protecting federal networks and other critical infrastructure
against cyber threats remains a core IT priority of the Obama administration.
He noted that of the $80 billion budgeted for IT in the president's 2014 budget, $13 billion is set aside for cybersecurity. He
also pointed to the growing number of cloud services and applications granted
cloud security authorizations under the Federal Risk and Authorization
Management Program (FedRAMP). In closing, VanRoekel urged his federal
colleagues to "own the future we want to see" and to embrace the
notion of continual improvement. From
http://www.informationweek.com/
10/30/2013 Lessons
from Los Angeles: Powering Up Data-Driven Government This is the first interview in a two-part series about Los
Angeles’ efforts at data driven government. In April, Los Angeles joined New
York, Chicago and other major American cities by launching a mobile app
version of its 311 call center for non-emergency city services. The app’s
main goal is to give citizens an easier, 21st century way to report potholes
on their streets and graffiti on their walls. The app’s back end will also
make it easier to track service requests from cradle to grave and to gather
better data about where city officials should devote scare resources. Nextgov
spoke about the new app with Eduardo Magos, programmer analyst with LA’s
Information Technology Agency and MyLA311 project manager Jennifer Ba?os in
September. The transcript below is edited for length and clarity. The second
half of the interview, focused on LA’s plans to use data to drive more city
decisions, will be published tomorrow on Nextgov. How and when did you decide the city needed a 311 mobile app? Magos: We wanted to have mobile for a long time. We wanted to
have a centralized way of tracking all service requests from cradle to grave,
but that’s always been difficult to achieve because there are so many
departments and bureaus providing services in the city of LA. Some guys are
doing sanitation work, others are doing graffiti removal or tree trimming and
they’ve all got different internal systems. To really get mobile to work, you
need some way to reach across all these siloed systems. Now we’re at a place
where the price you pay for the sort of software that does that is more
attainable. So are you using technology that reaches across all those legacy
back-end systems or are you updating the back-end systems themselves? Magos: It's going to be a hybrid. We’re starting with our public
works department because they get the most service requests based on
statistics from the 311 call center. We looked at that data going back 10
years and our most popular requests are potholes, tree trimming, illegal
dumping and scheduling bulky item pickup. So we went to public works and
said, ‘Let us see your systems.’ If it was sort of an antiquated system, we
invited them to join in on our CRM and rebuild on a more modern
infrastructure. If they had a legacy system they wanted to keep that did
something more than work- order management -- for instance, some of them did
inventory management -- then we handled that with Web service integration. How did you settle on what the final product would look like? Magos: The idea behind the phone version of 311 is that people
don’t have to keep track of 13, 14, 15 city phone numbers. You don’t have to
care how we’re organized bureaucratically, you just submit the request for
service and we’ll figure out whether it goes to transportation, sanitation,
street services or wherever. We looked at the apps that were out there. A lot
of cities have just gone with City Sourced or SeeClickFix, two groups that
are making generic offerings for cities and they all do service request
intake well. But we’ve always had a vision for a larger portal, a way of
interacting with the city that isn’t just service requests. We wanted it to
be a place where you can do bill pay and where you can catch up on the latest
city tweets and get the latest information. What distinguishes LA’s app from other city’s 311 apps? Magos: We wanted to create an app that didn’t look like a
government app. We were looking more at things like Yelp and some of the more
popular private apps. We wanted something more colorful and friendly. We
liked the idea of bringing social to the front. Even for people who don’t
like Twitter or don’t know about it, they might see some value in recent
tweets cycling through. We didn’t see that in other 311 apps. Some of them
have Twitter feeds, but they’re three links in. We also did some simple
things like changing the image of Los Angeles when you open the app. We have
six photos that we cycle through now, and we can and will change those over time.
We're a huge city and there no one picture that’s going to be the perfect
representation of us. Tell me about your process for getting the city agencies and
bureaus on board. Ba?os: We’re not there yet. That
challenge is coming. Our plan is to not focus on twisting arms, but on
cooperation and showing how our solutions can benefit their constituents. Did it help to launch the app first so the bureaus could see
what they were getting into? Ba?os: Yes. The app is successful, and
we’re hoping that will demonstrate our credibility. Magos: We also have strong support from the mayor’s office,
which is sending out memos to department heads saying, ‘I really want this to
happen, this is my vision, please help make this happen.’ A system that
offers unified reporting, dashboard views, single point of entry across
different channels sounds great to citizens. It sounds great from a tech
standpoint. But it doesn’t sound great from inside a department doing the
work. They say, ‘Our system works for us so why would we want to change
anything?’ Technology also helps because the expectation with data and APIs
[application programming interfaces that can stream data directly from one
computer to another] has grown to the point where it seems ridiculous if you
don’t have a way to share data. It’s become a big enough deal that
departments can hardly stand against it anymore, and
that timing makes it easier. Departments want to have Android and iOS apps
and they don’t have resources to build their own, so they do want to piggyback
off us. We want to keep managing this so its remains useful for citizens,
though. We don’t want it to become a kitchen sink that does everything so no
one uses it. We have a vision that we want to stick with, and we can partner
with other departments on their own apps. You were going through a mayoral
election as you were preparing for launch. Did that affect things? Ba?os: The reason this was implemented
early is because our former mayor [Antonio Villaraigosa] mandated ‘I want
this to happen before I leave office,’ so we had three months to launch it. Magos: That meant almost every service inside the first launch
of the app was already available, embedded in a department website. So we
were able to review all of those, look at how they were taking information
and what information they needed. Then we tried to simplify that interface
because we don’t want to ask a million questions. What kind of personal
information are you taking for online bill payments and how have citizens
responded to that? Are they concerned about security? Magos: Right now you can just pay water bills, and the
department of water and power handles all the billing. If you get to that
part of the app you’re pretty much in a water and power system, even though
it’s surfaced through the app. So if people are comfortable paying bills
through that website, it’s really the same thing. Paying parking tickets is
another high-demand service, so when we add the department of transportation,
we’ll use their third-party billing company in the same way, so we’re not
handling the actual storing of credit cards. We’re trying to let the pros do
the billing. What are some lessons you’ve learned from this process? Magos: The most obvious lesson learned is that people expect
government apps to be as good as what they’re downloading elsewhere. There
are no grace points. It's ‘you guys suck if you can’t do the most amazing
thing. If you’re not on par with Google, you’re really slacking.’ So there’s
a lot of catch-up trying to stay current and relevant. Ba?os: Also, because it’s a mobile app,
they expect it to be working 24 hours a day. People can be out at 1 a.m. and
submitting a service request, and if a server’s not working they don’t like
that. What devices does the app operate on now? Magos: Right now it’s on all iPhones and iPads but only down to
the 3G. We’re on most Android platforms from Gingerbread up. Eventually,
we'll have a responsive Web version [which means you can visit a mobile
version of the website on any device], and that will authenticate who you are
and remember your history -- things like that. How are downloads progressing? Magos: We have about 15,500 total downloads. About two-thirds on
iOS and about one-third on Android. Downloads have increased every month
except August, when we took a dip. That was because the new [city] council
members came on in July and they were tweeting about the app, so there was a
lot of awareness and we saw a spike then. We’ve had about 14,700 service
requests. The most popular ones are graffiti removal, illegal dumping and
bulky item pickups. Are there any changes you need to make based on user experience? Magos: One thing we have to do is introduce a little more
bureaucracy back into the app. One compromise we made with the departments is
people often had a number of fields to fill out for a service request, and we
wanted just one text box. The idea was we didn’t want them to have a huge
survey to fill out. But the departments did want them to fill out a survey
because it makes their lives easier if they know, for instance, what type of
paint the graffiti is and what it’s on . . . that tells them what type of
chemicals they need to bring. What we settled on was a box with a smart label
that changes for different requests. It says, ‘Tell us what you can about the
graffiti, is it on a wall, etc.’ We found that most people who really want to
get the problem fixed will read this box and put in the right information.
But there are a few places where in the next release we need to add in a
special field and not let them submit until that field’s filled out because
we don’t want crews wasting gas and time if they don’t have the information
they need. It’s a balance between making the app user-friendly and
nonbureaucratic with a slick interface versus a government that needs to get
work done and needs to collect data -- and the more data they have the better
they can do their work. From
http://www.nextgov.com/
11/14/2013 |
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Recent machinations in China suggest the Chinese telecommunications
companies may be near the end of monopolizing their sector.Xu Kunlin,
director of the bureau of price supervision and anti-monopoly at the National
Development and Reform Commission, revealed to local media that the
commission has been urging China Telecom and China Unicom to continue to
rectify their monopolistic activities and end their oligopoly in the
broadband sector within five years.In 2011, National Development and Reform
Commission announced an anti-monopoly investigation against China Telecom and
China Unico, due to their suspected monopolistic behaviors in the Internet
access market. After that, China Telecom and China Unicom both published
announcements admitting that they have problems in price management and large
pricing differences when providing access service to Internet service
providers. Both companies promised to further lower their broadband fee
levels.Xu said that China Telecom and China Unicom have increased their
broadband capacity from the formerly planned 10G to 100G. In the future, the
commission will continue to urge the two companies to make additional
rectifications and improvements over the coming five
years.Xu added that anti-monopoly investigation will not treat Chinese
enterprises and foreign ones differently. As long as there are monopolistic
behaviors, the commission will take actions in accordance to the law. From http://www.chinatechnews.com/
10/14/2013 Chinese Government
Websites Still Weak The influence of Chinese government official websites is still
weak partly due to lack of public interaction and technical problems,
according to a recent report.While new media such as Weibo (a Twitter clone),
Weixin (WeChat in English) go from strength to strength, official government
websites have few visitors and little influence, according the China
Information Industry Association and the State Information Center.The
research was based on about 100 central and provincial government websites and
more than 400 at the city level.Launched in 1999, the Government Online
Project has managed to connect all ministerial departments and provincial
governments, 99 percent of city and 85 percent of county governments,
allowing the public to acquire information and procure government services
via the Internet. However, some local governments do not publicize information in
a timely manner and even keep silent on some issues. Some websites do not
release important information, while the released information is often not
important. The timeliness of information release needs improvement, said Lei
Qiang of the National Academy of Governance.Professor Shi Cengzhi at Peking
University said government should integrate their websites with Weibo and
Weixin and respond to the public appropriately and quickly.The State Council
issued a circular in October, promising to improve information transparency
and better respond to the people's concerns.Information should be active,
timely, comprehensive and accurate, said the circular, describing
transparency as an important measure of government credibility, safeguarding
the people's rights to know, participate in and supervise government. From http://www.news.cn/
11/07/2013 Chinese Municipalities
Heeding Central Government's Cloud Computing Push Local Chinese governments are moving services to the cloud, and
Inspur Group is making gains in this area.Inspur Group and the municipal
government of Jinan just signed an agreement for the joint construction of an
administrative cloud computing center, making it the first comprehensive
service outsourcing e-government cloud platform in China.Financial terms of
the contract were not released.Prior to this, the General Office of the State
Council of China issued guidance about the government's purchase of services
from outside organizations. The guidance encourages governments at all levels
to buy services from these types of organizations.Before the cooperation
between the two parties, a few government application platforms have already
been running in Under the agreement signed by Inspur Group and municipal
government of From http://www.chinatechnews.com/
11/19/2013 From
http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr 09/10/2013 S. Korean
Military to From
http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr 10/22/2013 South Korea's policies and efforts to enable publicly-available
government data to be easily accessible still has a long way to go with the
country coming in 12th among the surveyed 77 nations, data showed on
Wednesday. The so-called Open Government Data Barometer ranked From
http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr
11/20/2013 |
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MALAYSIA:
ICT Agencies Reorganised to Streamline Functions Malaysia’s national ICT agencies have been reorganised to
integrate activities and better coordinate the country’s ICT agenda. The
Communications and Multimedia Ministry (KKMM), yesterday, took over the
Multimedia Development Corporation (MDeC) and Malaysian Network Information
Centre (MYNIC) from the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation
(MOSTI). KKMM has said that the streamlining of the ICT agencies under one
ministry was to allow more effective execution of functions and
implementation of powers entrusted to the Communications and Multimedia
Minister. KKMM will now also develop, implement and monitor the National ICT
Policy. Communication and Multimedia Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek
shared that this transfer would continue to strengthen and enhance the role
of the country’s ICT sector. “Certainly, the role of the two bodies will be
enhanced because how we coordinate our resources is also an important aspect.
“One of the two things which we should look at in the ICT sector is
infrastructure, which has to be built fast. After we have the infrastructure,
it is then the content which is also a huge industry and has to be developed
accordingly,” he added. MDeC is the nodal agency to ensure the success of the
Multimedia Super Corridor, a national initiative to attract global leading
ICT companies while also strengthening the local ICT industry. MYNIC is the
sole administrator of the .my national level domain name, managing the
internet identity of Malaysian agencies and individuals. KKMM will now
coordinate and optimise the issue of content development grants provided by
MDeC, Communication and Multimedia Commission (SKMM) and National Film
Development Corporation (FINAS). Science, Technology and Innovation Minister,
Datuk Dr. Ewon Ebin,k expressed confidence that the change will strengthen
the Malaysian ICT ecosystem, including more comprehensive use of ICT by
people and organisations. From
http://www.futuregov.asia/
Malaysia
Launches Geospatial Services Portal The Malaysian Centre for Geospatial Data Infrastructure
(MacGDI), an agency under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment,
announced recently the launch of MyGOS (Malaysia Geospatial Online Service),
which serves as a single integrated portal for crucial geospatial services
and information. Following its mandate to facilitate an environment whereby
government agencies and private organisations can seamlessly access and share
geospatial data, MyGOS provides users with an intuitive workspace to work
collaboratively. It allows users to create groups and invite others to work
together on projects, and to share maps, data, and other content.
Furthermore, users can also create public groups so that they can share data
outside of their organisation. Information available in the portal include:
The 1Malaysia map, Air Pollutant Index and Management System, 2013 General
Election, hotspots, Malaysian standard geographic information, MyGeoName, and
Road Networks. From
http://www.futuregov.asia/
PHILIPPINES:
Police Chief Engages Netizens on Twitter The Philippine National Police Chief, Director General Alan
Purisima has been engaging netizens with his personal Twitter account
@alanlpurisima. Officially launched in mid July this year, the account serves
as a response to the fast growing social media demands of citizens. Purisima
sees Twitter as an opportunity to build stronger ties with the Filipino
digital community. The Philippines is currently ranked 10th globally among
users of this social networking site, with an estimated 9.5 million users in
2012. To-date, Purisima has 3620 followers and has published 112 tweets since
19 July, with his first tweet “Serbisyong Makatotohanan Para Sa Bayan”, which
means to provide honest or reliable services to citizens. While the Twitter
account serves as a way to reach the Chief in a more direct and personal
manner, the Police reminds the public that it should not be mistaken for
@ireportangkrimen, the agency’s official Twitter account where complaints and
issues concerning public safety and law enforcement can be aired. According to Senior Superintendent Reuben Theodore Sindac, Chief
of the Public Information Office, the creation of the Chief’s personal
Twitter account is also an additional effort to expand ‘Serbisyong
Makatotohanan’ even in the digital realm. The Twitter account is also an
added channel where the Chief can further realise his brainchild strategic
focus of ‘Competence, Organisational Development, Excellence and
Professionalism: C.O.D.E-P 2013 and Beyond’. “This also manifests the
responsiveness of the Philippine National Police to the ever growing need for
socially relevant information on matters of public interest,” said Purisima.
“As the most prominent symbol of government presence in every nook and cranny
of the entire country, the Police finds it
imperative to provide more effective ways to link-up with the people through
this social network.” From
http://www.futuregov.asia/
Philippine
Province Institutionalises E-Scorecard Tool for Performance Management The provincial government of Surigao Del Norte, located at the
northernmost part of Mindanao island, has institutionalised the use of the
Local Government Performance Management System (LGPMS), a web-based
e-scorecard tool that is used to determine the level of performance and
development of local government units. The LGPMS is managed by the Department
of Interior and Local Government’s (DILG) Bureau of Local Government
Supervision. It is a web-based system that has the ability to produce
information on the state of local governance performance, and the state of
local development, using governance and development indicators. Mary Jane V.
Catulay of DILG Surigao del Norte presented the LGPMS results for CY 2012
which highlighted the province’s performance indicators with excellent
results. She also identified several weak points, and gave emphasis on
drafting measures to enhance its performance. Based on the report, the province
of Surigao del Norte had a slight decrease in performance which Catulay
attributed to the changes in administration. The province regained its
strength and got an overall performance rating of From
http://www.futuregov.asia/
The
Philippines Adds Feedback Mechanism to Transparency Website The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has added a new
feature on the electronic Transparency and Accountability Initiative for Lump
Sum Funds (e-TAILS) website which will allow citizens to give feedback on how
lawmakers spend their Priority Development Assistance Funds (PDAF). e-TAILS is a management information system programme that
keeps track of government lump sum spending. It aims to help the government,
citizens, and other relevant stakeholders not only accurately monitor PDAF
releases, but also allow people to scrutinise how their money is allocated
and spent by their elected officials. According to DBM, the new feature
allows citizens to post comments and upload photos or videos as feedback on
PDAF-funded projects. “We’re keeping pace with an audience that uses the
internet as their main information resource. More important, however, is the
fact that we’re also giving concerned citizens an interactive online venue
where they can give honest feedback on PDAF projects,” Budget Secretary
Florencio Abad said in an official statement. Meanwhile, DBM Undersecretary
and Chief Information Officer Richard Moya noted that the new feature in the
eTAILS website further strengthens DBM’s commitment to increase citizen
awareness and engagement, specifically with respect to PDAF use and
management. From
http://www.futuregov.asia/
The
Philippines to Launch National Open Data Portal The Philippine government will be launching the national open
data portal, data.gov.ph, by end of November which will serve as a repository
for public national government datasets that can be easily accessed by the
public. Maria Teresita Semana, Director III, Policy, Planning, Research &
Information at the Commission on Higher Educations (CHED), told FutureGov
that the initiative is being led by President Aquino, through the
Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Office
(PCDSPO), World Bank, and the Department of Budget and Management (DBM).
“What President Aquino, the PCDSPO and DBM did was to appoint an open data
champion for each government agency. The role entails the management of data
sets and leading the agency’s open data initiatives.” In the case of the
Commission on Higher Education, Semana was appointed as the agency’s open
data champion. She shares that the most exciting part of her job is
identifying what kind of data sets would be of great interest to the
citizens. “The government is the single largest source of big data;
however we cannot simply publish all of that in the portal. CHED for example,
handles all the data of 2318 higher education institutions and 110 State
Universities and Colleges. So if you think about it, how do we make big data
more meaningful and useful to citizens?” “We have data on enrolment,
education key performance indicators, budgeting, graduates, and school
facilities. By making them available on the open data portal would allow
students to see which courses are oversubscribed and which programmes fit the
requirements of the industry. By doing so, they are
able to confidently decide what course or programme they should pursue in
college.” Likewise, industry stakeholders can also study whether the present
supply of graduates and labour force can meet the emerging needs of various
industries. “Data is power. The more we leverage it, the more we are able to
sustainably plan for our future,” she says. From
http://www.futuregov.asia/
SINGAPORE:
Government Websites Undergoing Planned Maintenance, Says IDA SINGAPORE: The Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA)
said it has been carrying out planned maintenance of government websites on
Saturday. In a statement issued on Saturday afternoon, it said such planned
maintenance is usually done during the weekends and public holidays when
website traffic is expected to be low. It added that the work today has taken
longer than expected due to technical difficulties. "Maintenance of the
websites is progressively being completed. We apologise for the inconvenience
caused," the statements said. The statement followed reports from users
that they had difficulty accessing a number of government websites on
Saturday afternoon. From
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/
Singapore
Government Strengthens Network Resiliency As the telecom regulator, the Infocomm Development Authority of
Singapore (IDA) will continue to ensure that operators put in place measures
to enhance the resiliency and robustness of their networks, especially for
key services. Mr Leong Keng Thai (pictured), Director-General Telecoms, IDA,
said this at a briefing on network resiliency in Singapore, in the wake of a
fire at SingTel’s exchange building in Bukit Panjang in early October. The
incident damaged fibre cables, disrupting mobile, broadband and pay-TV
services for several days. Leong noted that there is already diversity in
Singapore’s telecom networks, and this contributes to their resiliency. “We
have multiple operators, multiple networks, different technology platforms
providing a variety of services from fixed lines to mobile lines that
businesses and consumers can choose from depending on their needs,” he said.
For example, different operators offer different core and access networks
using different technology platforms such as copper (ADSL), coaxial cables,
optical fibre, wireless, and mobile. There is also physical diversity with
different exchanges located all over Singapore, and a mesh architecture where
exchanges are inter-linked and connected with spare capacity to enable a
switch to another connection when one goes down. However, there is always room for improvement to enhance the
resiliency especially at the different levels: operators, service providers
as well as end users, said Mr Leong. Resiliency refers to the network’s
ability to adapt and continue functioning when faced with incidents that
could impact service delivery, while robustness refers to the ability to
withstand such incidents. Ultimately, resiliency planning is a balance
between risk management and cost, to operators and end users. At the network
level, operators or service providers must have built-in redundancies –
backup equipment and resources that can be activated in the event that the
primary systems go down – and spare capacity in their network. End users, especially
business end users who operate critical operations, can also take action at
their end to enhance service resiliency based on their needs. For example,
they can buy services from different service providers with network
infrastructure, or buy services from the same service provider that could
provide different network diversities to the user such as different cable
routing or exchange diversity. This should be part of their overall business
continuity planning, just like they would do for essential utilities such as
power and water, said Mr Leong. He also pointed out that resiliency does not mean zero incident,
as accidents do happen. It also does not necessarily mean automatic failover
– that is, having a spare set of equipment and wires or cables to provide
services when an outage happens - which will add to business costs and have
implications for end users as well. “What’s critical is that when incidents
happen, operators must do all they can to ensure swift service recovery and
take measures to prevent similar incidents from happening again,” said Leong.
During incidents such as outages at a national level, all operators need to
pull together their resources and work towards restoring services in the
shortest possible time. IDA will be reviewing the Telecom Resiliency Code to
ensure its relevance with today’s telecommunication service and market. The
Telecom Resiliency Code requires licensees to take proactive measures to
ensure that there is sufficient redundancy and resiliency in their telecommunication
networks to prevent the occurrence of service incidents, otherwise they may
face hefty financial penalties. Following every service disruption, the operators will have to
inform IDA of the rectification measures that they will be putting in place
to strengthen the resiliency and robustness of their networks and ensure that
similar incidents do not recur. IDA may also require operators to make
changes to their rectification plans if necessary. IDA will also be
implementing a new audit framework to review the resiliency of the mobile
networks and will be working closely with the mobile operators to enhance
resiliency and minimise possible disruptions to consumers and businesses. In
its continuing review of Singapore’s telecommunications infrastructure, it
will be looking closely at how resiliency is being implemented in all
critical parts of Singapore’s infocomm infrastructure. The findings will be
captured in the new audit framework. From
http://www.futuregov.asia/
VIETNAM:
Province Streamlines Online Engagement Department of Information and Communications of Nghe An province (population 3 million) in Ho Quang Thanh, Director of Information and Communications said,
“Government units are required to maintain their own portals and developing
human resource capacity to plan, manage and upgrade their portals. They are
also responsible for providing the public with information and sharing
administrative procedures online.” The public agencies are to establish an
editor responsible for content development and management. Each unit will be
provided with an account to operate their portal. The Department will provide
guidance to new units on account management and operation, and content
management. It is also working with other government agencies to review
information security and assess the functionality of the portals. Ho has
proposed the establishment of specialised agencies by the provincial and
district governments to update the portals, by November this year. In the
coming months, the Department will work to ensure all independent government
websites are integrated under the Nghe An portal and
complete remaining administrative procedures. From
http://www.futuregov.asia/
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INDIA:
Finance Minister Launches IRDA’s Insurance Repository System Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram recently launched the
IRDA’s Insurance Repository System (IRS). Meanwhile, the Insurance Regulatory
and Development Authority (IRDA) said the insurance repository system set up
by the regulator will be the first of its kind in the world. IRDA recently
said five companies have been given the status of insurance repositories and
provided with a licence that will be valid till July 31, 2014. The five
companies are: NSDL Database Management Limited, Central Insurance Repository
Limited, SHCIL Projects Limited, CAMS Repository Services Limited and Karvy
Insurance Repository Limited. According to IRDA, the objective of creating an
insurance repository is to provide policy holders the facility to keep
insurance policies in electronic form. It is also to undertake changes,
modifications and revisions in the insurance policy with speed and accuracy
in order to bring about efficiency, transparency and cost reduction in the
issuance and maintenance of insurance policies. The repository will issue a
unique code number to all policy holders, and their policies will come under
that number. It maintains the history of the policy details such as claims,
nominees, beneficiaries and other data. From
http://egov.eletsonline.com
Centre
Approves E-Governance Projects for Jharkhand The Working Group of the Union ministry of Communications and
Information Technology has approved two projects for Jharkhand as a part of
India’s e-Delivery of public services. The projects, namely Rapid Replication
of Human Resource Management System (HRMS) – Manav Sampada and Rapid
Replication of e-Pass (scholarship application), will be implemented in
Jharkhand within a period of two and half years at an estimated expenditure
of Rs 11.36 crore and Rs 4.91 crore, respectively. The decision was taken
during the working group meeting of the department of electronics and
information technology held under the chairmanship of Additional Secretary
Rajiv Gouba recently. Manav Sampada-HRMS application developed by National
Informatics Centre, Himachal Pradesh ensures manpower planning, recruitments,
postings, promotion; transfer based on employee skill sets. It currently
provides complete HR solutions for more than 2.35 lakh employees of 146
government departments posted in 27,918 offices of the government of Himachal
Pradesh,” he said. Some of its major modules relate to online creation of
appointment, transfer, promotion, dismissal, termination, penalty, online
submission of annual property return and online assessment and storage of
ACRs, e-service books, employee telephone directories, various services to
citizens such as staff strength at particular institution and grievances, he
added. The second project named e-Pass application promoted by the Centre of
Good Governance, Hyderabad, is a platform for filing application for
scholarships, approval and disbursement in online mode. The Government of
Andhra Pradesh, is providing financial assistance to
25 lakh students belonging to the Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe, Backward
Class, disabled, and economically backward class students under this scheme.
In Jharkhand, scholarships are currently disbursed through an online process
called e-Kalyan. The rollout of ePass application will bring many new
features into its fold. For the first time, it will include within its ambit
Classes of VII-X for online processing and disbursement of scholarships. From
http://egov.eletsonline.com
Government
of India to Launch m-Governance System Government of India is planning to take the e-Governance
programme a step forward by launching a village level mobile governance
system for speedy delivery of services to the rural people. The National
Informatics Centre (NIC) will launch mobile governance (m-Governance) in the
State very soon. This was informed by acting Director General of NIC, CSR
Prabhu to Chief Secretary JK Mohapatra. Meanwhile, the Department of
Electronics and the Information Technology in the Ministry of Communications
and Information Technology has prepared a framework
for m-Governance to ensure inclusive delivery of public services in a
time-bound manner. Websites of all Government departments and agencies will
be made mobile compliant, using the ‘one web’ approach. Open standards will
be adopted for mobile applications for ensuring the inter-operability of
applications across various operating systems and devices as per the
Government policy on open standards for e-Governance, official sources said.
Uniform or single pre-designated numbers (long and short codes) will be used
for mobile-based services to ensure convenience. Government departments and
agencies are required to develop and deploy mobile applications for providing
their public services through mobile devices to the extent feasible on the
mobile platform, the sources said. Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare
department has already started monitoring paddy procurement, rice transfer
and delivery thorough m-Governance. From
http://egov.eletsonline.com
Chief
Minister of Meghalaya Launches e-CST in the State Dr. Mukul Sangma, Meghalaya Chief Minister launched the e-CST
Service of the Taxation Department. In his brief speech, Dr. Mukul Sangma
lauded the effort of the Taxation Department for having moved a step ahead in
upholding the objectives of e-governance. He said that it is the endeavor of
the Government to ensure that the Taxation Department also leverage upon the
new technology which will not only ease the problems of the people but will
also ensure efficiency in the delivery of services. It may be mentioned here
that the main objective of the e-CST project is to replace the manual system
of issuing of the statutory CST forms such as Form C, Form E-I, Form E-II,
Form F and Form H by the electronic system. C-Form and other statutory forms
that are currently issued in hard copy to dealers and sent in hard copy to
accepting dealers can be electronically issued. Electronic request and issuance of forms under CST Act through
the online portal of the Taxation Department will encompass broad sets of
functionality like enrollment of CST dealers with the Taxation Department for
conducting inter-state trade, online request for C-Forms, provision of
transaction ID to the applicant, verification of C-Forms documents. The
strength of this e-service is the simplification of cross verification
process with Taxation Departments across the country, clean audit trail of
subsequent verification, service delivery at the doorstep, reduces the
requirement of physical interaction, increases revenue inflow and it is a
robust and secured system making falsification and duplication impossible. From
http://egov.eletsonline.com
India
Crosses 1 Billion Egovernance Transactions India crosses 1 billion egovernance transactions so far this
year. “It is an important milestone for India’s egovernance initiative,” said
J Satyanarayana, secretary in the department of electronics and information
technology. “With better accessibility and more projects getting completed,
this number should keep rising.” Among states, Gujarat topped the list with
around 389 million transactions while online payment for utility and
government services was the most used government service with about 258
million transactions clocked in the year. India is in the middle of
implementing a large-scale e-governance programme which includes a vast
information technology network to facilitate speedy delivery of public
services. The most important of these are 31 ‘mission mode’ projects being
implemented by the central governments and states. Technology researcher
Gartner estimates that government will spend Rs 36,800 crore on IT products
and services in 2013. The most high-profile e-governance scheme is the unique
identity project Aadhaar being implemented by former Infosys CEO Nandan
Nilekani. The biometric-linked scheme is targeting to enroll 600 million
people by 2014. A year ago, the country successfully commissioned an
e-passport project where digitisation of applications and internal files
vastly improved the time taken to issue new passports. “Reaching a billion transactions with just about 100 million
internet users is a commendable achievement and we should celebrate it,” said
Sunil Abraham, executive director of Centre for Internet and Society. “egovernance is a tough area to work in, not just in From
http://egov.eletsonline.com
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AZERBAIJAN: Local Executive Authorities Join
E-Government Portal Local executive authorities has joined e-government portal in
Azerbaijan, ICT Minister Ali Abbasov told reporters, APA reports. Abbasov
noted that at present, all executive authorities have joined e-government
portal. In general, cases of portal access and utilize are increasing. To him, over 300,000 e-services
have been purchased from e-government portal in 8 months of this year. The
approximate purchase time took 4-5 minutes. These figures are growing
steadily. From
http://en.apa.az/
Foreign Ministry Joins E-Government Portal The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry joined the e-government portal, it was announced on October 31. The news was
announced by the Information Computing Centre (ICC) of the Communications and
Information Technologies Ministry of Azerbaijan in an interview with Trend.
As the ICC said, the Foreign Ministry's e-service on reception of documents
and applications for the accreditation of foreign journalists is currently
integrated into the portal. The service is designed for international media
representatives who will be able to pre-submit documents required for
accreditation at the Foreign Ministry. The service is provided free of
charge. Most of the government agencies are now available online, which
definitely reduces red tape and bribery. According to Azerbaijan's ICT
Ministry, currently 43 state bodies offer 426 approved e-services, with
nearly 250 of them available online, and the number of users is increasing
day by day. This became possible in early 2012 after the launch of the state
electronic government portal, www.e-gov.az, which combines all the government
agencies. Over 150,000 users used some 270,000 services at the Web portal in
the first half of 2013. The services provided by the electronic government
vary drastically and data publically disclosed by the ICT Ministry every
month shows that the e-government is attractive to the people of all
generations, as the most widely used services of the e-government portal
pertain to insurance and social security issues. The development of
e-services in the country positively changes the relations between citizens
and state bodies. From
http://www.azernews.az/ UZBEKISTAN: Boosting E-Government Uzbekistan's Cabinet of Ministers adopted a resolution on the
establishment of Center for development of e-government and Center for
Information Security under the State Committee for Communication,
Informatization and Telecommunication Technologies. Under the resolution, the
main objectives and activities of the first center are developing strategy
for development of e-government, as well as those based on the analysis of
global trends and experience of foreign countries, providing a unified
technological approach in the formation of the system. The center will also
monitor the evaluation of the status and effectiveness of implementation and
development of information and communication technologies within the system
and make proposals to improve the regulatory framework for effective
implementation of e-government system. The Center for Information Security
will also engage in ensuring security of information systems and resources of
state agencies, identifying and analyzing threats, as well as developing
solutions to improve the security of the e-government system. From
http://www.azernews.az/ |
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AUSTRALIA:
GovCFO Forum Spotlights Governance Reforms In a show of
support, finance chiefs from leading international and Australian agencies
are converging this December at the industry’s flagship GovCFO Forum
Australia 2013. This 3rd regional event, being held Monday 2nd December at
the Canberra Convention Centre, galvanises finance heads as well as
technology experts presently from the UK, Denmark, Singapore, and New
Zealand. The CFOs of Australian commonwealth, state and local agencies are
also represented. These officials are drawn from portfolio agencies covering
taxation, human services, finance, ICT, and the environment. With governance
high on the agenda, the GovCFO Forum Australia offers a first-hand look at
how core agencies are delivering on fiscal reforms. This dedicated gathering
also offers a fresh look at technologies that are helping design, deliver and
manage budgets during fiscally-prudent times. UK shared
services reforms Among the
international experts, London-based shared services advocate, Mr Paul
Marriner, UK Government Shared Services Cabinet Office shares insights about
the UK government’s shared services reforms. Drawing on a two-year stint with
the UK Cabinet Office, Mr Marriner shares news about the role of shared
services, and why cost-sharing arrangements are high on the government’s
agenda. Managing
cost at the grass-roots Financing
front-line services at a local level is explored by Mr Duncan Whitfield,
president Society of London Treasurers UK. Mr Whitfield, also director of
corporate and financial services, London Borough of Southwark, explains how
this council is delivering cost-control measures, while supporting
grass-roots’ services. Digitation and budget management is showcased during a
case study presentation by Mr Siggi Brandt Kristoffersen, deputy director of
services at the Municipality of Copenhagen. This presentation explores the
co-relation between digitisation, citizen service delivery, and innovations
in business modelling. Governance
agenda The broader
governance agenda is tracked by CFOs from Singapore and New Zealand. Among
these, Mr Ho Tuck Chuen, Jurong Town Corporation (JTC), Singapore, and Ms
Sara Brownlie, Department of Prime Minister & Cabinet, State Services
Commission & Treasury, New Zealand will lead a series of discussions at
the forum. The changing role of CFOs, and closer integration with CIOs, is
explored. Discussions feature updates by agencies with large budgets, and a
mandate to deliver savings across different portfolios. Building a shared
agenda between CFOs and CIOs comes up for discussion, including cost-control
measures, good governance, and transparency. Among the Australian CFOs in
attendance are Ms Frances Cawthra, Australian Taxation Office, Ms Ann
Fleischer Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Mr
Atillio Martinello Australian Maritime Safety Authority, Mr Zane Edwards,
Department of Human Services, Ms Jacqui Myers Geoscience Australia, and Dr
Maxine Cooper ACT Auditor-General’s Office. Commonwealth-state
partnerships In other
news, Ms Lynn Wood, chairman, Financial Reporting Council, offers a
perspective about drivers for cost-effective Commonwealth-State relations,
and strategies to eliminate duplication involving Commonwealth-State
operations. Forum delegates gain fresh insights about governments’ financial
management agenda, while ensuring that financing remains sustainable, and is
built around fiscally-sound policies. Among the discussions, the role of
independent reporting comes up for discussion. The delivery of stewardship
during tough economic times is also covered. Risk management
An
interactive debate, “Government a risky business?” offers different
perspectives about risk management, the maturity of public sector risk
models, and whether a CFO is best-placed to manage risk. Tackling risk and
economic volatility is explored, including steps to minimise waste and
improve productivity across government. Technology
showcase The GovCFO
Forum Australia is complemented by a series of highly-popular Interactive
Discussion Tables. These discussions, led by public sector leaders and technology
experts, offer a chance to participate during in-depth conversations
throughout the day, while sharing the direct experiences of delegates. These
discussions are complemented by a dedicated technology showcase, supported by
industry partners. These include lead sponsor, Visa, a leading global
payments company. Additional sponsors include the cloud, big data, and
security solutions provider, EMC, and an enterprise resource planning and
financial management solutions company, Unit4. Delegates will assess
cost-savings from ICT platforms that encompass shared services,
e-procurement, cloud computing, procure-to-pay, mobile banking, financial
management information systems, analytics, and information security
solutions. From http://www.futuregov.asia
Europe vs. Australia: Whose E-Government Is
Better? Over 150
government CIOs were kept at the edge of their seats as an intense debate on
“My e-government is better than yours” unfolded at the 10th annual FutureGov
Summit. At the beginning of ‘The Great Debate’, the audience was polled. 68
per cent of delegates thought that Australia’s e-government is better, versus
32 per cent who supported Europe. Peter Reichstadter, Head of Digital Austria
at Federal Chancellery and Graham Bell, CIO of City of London formed Team
Europe. Bell cited Europe’s success in rolling out enhanced citizen services
while reducing costs, particularly in the last four to five years when
austerity has pushed government to be more innovative. “Consistently
throughout all parts of London, residents’ satisfaction and view of the local
government has gone up from 40 per cent to almost 80 per cent,” he said.
While Australia had a head start in e-government, Reichstadter argued that
Europe has improved and surpassed its counterpart. He listed some of the more
impressive projects: “We managed to implement electronic ID cards for 1.3
million residents. Moreover, 25 per cent of the population
have voted online, 96 per cent have declared taxes online, and you can
establish a company online within 20 minutes.” Team Australia fought their
case strongly. The team made up of Kieran O’hea, Chief Digital Officer at the
City of Brisbane and Arthur Nastos, CIO, Department of Culture and the Arts,
Western Australia. According to O’hea, Brisbane has just launched the first
digital strategy in the world with an economic focus, targeting to doubling
the number of small medium enterprises. He added that in the Waseda
University e-government survey, Australia was in 14th place out of http://www.futuregov.asia/
Australia Sets Stage
for ICT Reforms in New Year Under moves to revitalise the Commonwealth’s policy agenda, the
Australian government is understood to be establishing an ICT advisory board
that refines the blueprint for reforms in the New Year. Details about this
board are not yet available, however, support future policy formulation
involving the administration’s technology, communications, financial
management, and service delivery portfolios. The Coalition government has set
its sights on wide-spread ICT and financial management reforms, as outlined
last week by Australian Treasurer Mr Joe Hockey Finance Reportcard. The
Commonwealth’s ICT strategy, developed by the Department of Finance, comes up
for review, setting new performance and auditing benchmarks involving public
sector performance. These moves are designed to ensure the administration
lives within its means, while managing budgets and services in a
cost-conscious environment. An end-of-the year report-card about public
sector innovation is being explored at next month’s flagship 4th Annual
FutureGov Summit Australia. This summit, being held 2-3 December at Canberra’s Convention
Centre, is expected to offer some clarity about future policy directions.
Among the presentations, the Australian Government CIO, Mr Glenn Archer
Australian Government Information Management Office (AGIMO) shares insights
into the use of ICT to drive the future of government. This presentation
explores strategies that align and develop common approaches for technology
spend. Delivering on the public sector’s ICT strategy also comes up for
discussion. In another address, the Commonwealth’s Minister for
Communications Mr Malcolm Turnbull offers updates about a new communications
strategy, delivering nationwide high-speed, fast-access services. Mr
Turnbull’s opening presentation sets the stage for two days of informed
discussion and debate, galvanising more than 40 Australian and international
speakers. The FutureGov Australia summit is complemented by a co-located 3rd
Regional GovCFO Forum being held Monday 2 December. This forum features the
finance chiefs of lead agencies, in Australia and internationally. Combined, the two gatherings explore technology and financial
management innovation, in a post-election year. Broadly, the incoming
administration seeks to align spending programmes with a closer scrutiny of
government spending. The Coalition’s roadmap was outlined earlier in a Policy
Action Plan. This document canvasses an “aggressive reform agenda to ensure
value for money in ICT procurement.” The focus is on transparency of
expenditure, as well as better services for taxpayers, and every dollar
spent. The Coalition, under the leadership of Prime Minister Mr Tony Abbott,
plans to improve the transparency of government ICT spending. This
incorporates launching a US-style online dashboard so taxpayers can assess
the performance and progress of major projects, among other changes.
Australia’s public sector accounts for about a third of GDP. Many programmes
are difficult to implement without a cost-effective use of technology. The
administration is examining key sectors of policy, while managing the cost of
running government. From
http://www.futuregov.asia
Australian State Makes
Data Open by Default New South Wales (NSW), “Importantly, it will support the development of new apps using
government data to improve access to services like public transport’s
real-time updates.” To support these collaborative initiatives, the NSW
Government is implementing an open access licensing framework to make it
easier for agencies and those who use the data to understand and apply open
licenses. “AusGOAL, the Australian Government’s’ Open Access Licensing
Framework, provides a system by which Government can make appropriate
licensing decisions to allow the reuse of data and information in new and
innovative ways by the community,” highlighted the Minister. In conjunction
with the Open Data Policy, the next online competition for apps4nsw was
launched. apps4nsw was the first State Government
apps competition in From
http://www.futuregov.asia
NEW ZEALAND: Preparing to Trial Online Voting
in 2016 The New
Zealand Ministry of Local Government is to trial online voting at the 2016
local authority elections. Minister for Local Government, Chris Tremain,
noted, “Online transactions are the way of the future and the Government is
committed to rolling out digital services for New Zealanders.” “Voter turnout
in local body elections is traditionally low and we need to look at other
ways to encourage people to become involved in the democratic process. Online
voting will be more convenient and appeal to young voters. It will also make
it easier for people with disabilities to vote,” added the Minister. The
Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) will be forming a working body to
consider the options, costs and security issues involved in online voting.
The body will consist of government and local agency officials, and
information technology experts. The Ministry looks to have robust regulations
in place, in order to gain voters’ trust and confidence in the online voting
system. The working group will be looking to systems used in public elections
by other countries and assessing their security and technology to mitigate
risk. The Government’s online identity verification service, RealMe, will be
used to provide security to the voting system. Electoral enrolment details
can now be updated online using a RealMe verified identity, according to the
recently introduce Electoral Amendment Bill. “There is a high level of
interest from the sector in online voting with organisations like the Porirua
City Council and the Manawatu District Council volunteering to take part in
the trial. Once the working party reports its findings, the next step will be
to formulate a plan to implement online voting in local body elections,” the
Minister informed. From http://www.futuregov.asia
New Zealand
Creates Government Chief Privacy Officer Role State
Services Minister Jonathan Coleman and Internal Affairs Minister Chris
Tremain announced the creation of a Government Chief Privacy Officer (GCPO)
role as additional support to the Government Chief Information Officer (GCIO)
in leading various initiatives on privacy and security across the government.
According to an official statement, the GCPO role will lead an
all-of-government approach to privacy and will be responsible for providing
leadership, assurance and advice on privacy issues, support to agencies to
meet their privacy responsibilities, and co-ordinated engagement with the
Privacy Commissioner. The GCIO is leading a two year programme to ensure New
Zealanders have trust and confidence that their information is secure by
improving information privacy and security practices in government. “Ninety-eight
per cent of agencies now have accountability for privacy and security at
senior executive level, compared to 21 per cent a year ago. While significant
progress has been made, on-going work is required to ensure improvement is
system-wide and sustained,” says Tremain. “Maintaining privacy and security
for personal information remains a key focus for the Government, and
Ministers expect agencies to account for the security and privacy of their
data.” From http://www.futuregov.asia
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Global
2013 Smartphone Sales to Hit 1 Billion: Survey Global smartphone sales are expected to top one billion in 2013,
driven by low-cost handsets and gains in emerging markets, a research firm
says. International Data Corp said it sees the smartphone market growing 40%
this year, and will likely grow to 1.7 billion annually by 2017. Overall
mobile phone sales will grow 7.4%, rebounding from a nearly flat year in
2012, IDC said. Total mobile handset sales are expected to be some 1.8 billion,
with more than half of that in the smartphone segment. Smartphone growth is
the result of a variety of factors, including steep device subsidies from
carriers, especially in mature economic markets, as well as a growing array
of sub-$200 smartphones. “Two years ago, the worldwide smartphone market
flirted with shipping half a billion units for the first time—to double that
in just two years highlights the ubiquity that smartphones have achieved,”
said Ramon Llamas, IDC’s mobile research manager. “The smartphone has gone
from being a cutting-edge communications tool to becoming an essential
component in the everyday lives of billions of consumers.” By 2017,
smartphones are expected to take over nearly all sales in the most developed
economies, according to IDC’s Kevin Restivo. “Aggressive carrier subsidies of
handsets, falling prices, higher consumer awareness, and a vast array of
devices will mean almost all phones shipped to the developed world will be
‘smart,’” he said. “However, smartphone shipment volume will be dominated by
emerging markets, such as China, even though the percentage of smartphones to
feature phones won’t be as high.” Llamas said the Google Android system will
remain the top platform, followed by Apple’s iOS. “What remains to be seen is
how Windows Phone and BlackBerry’s respective futures will play out pending
their recent announcements,” said Llamas. “Windows Phone has inched ahead of
BlackBerry during the first half of 2013, and we believe that will extend
into the future. However, overall shipments will continue to trail those of
Android and iOS.” The IDC forecast indicates Windows Phone market share will
increase to 10.2% by 2017 from 3.9% this year, while Android’s share will
slip to 68% from this year’s 75%. Apple meanwhile is expected to see modest
gains to 17.9% from 16.9%, IDC said. A Kantar Worldpanel ComTech report
released Wednesday indicated that Android still dominated the U.S. market
despite its share slipping more than 7% to 51.1% in the second quarter of
this year. Meanwhile, Apple’s iOS grew nearly eight percent to claim 43.4% of
the U.S. market, according to Kantar. “However, with Microsoft’s acquisition
of Nokia, we may see a larger proportion of consumers choosing a Windows
device over iOS or Android, replicating the strength seen in Europe and
Mexico,” Kantar said in its report. From
http://www.japantoday.com/
ASIA:
The Combined eCommerce Spending of Australia, China, India, Japan, and South
Korea Will Reach $854 Billion by 2018 Recently published Forrester Research Online Retail Forecast,
2013 To 2018 (Asia Pacific) reveals some interesting insights on the
evolution of online retail spending and the online buyer populations across
Australia, China, India, Japan, and South Korea. The forecast details online
spend for each of the following categories: computer hardware and software;
consumer electronics; beauty and cosmetics; media (books, music, and videos);
apparel and accessories; footwear; and appliances (personal and home). Each country is at one of three different stages of eCommerce
adoption: Nascent: In the nascent stage, online buyers form a very small
share of the total online population, with only a small percentage of
Internet users purchasing online; India is one example. Although the retail
opportunity is huge in India, we believe that India is still at least eight
years behind China in terms of eCommerce adoption because of infrastructure
issues and only minimal government support. Ascending: In the ascending stage, online buyer penetration
increases much faster. If it takes 10 years for online buyer penetration to
increase from 5% to 25% of the total online population in the nascent stage,
it can grow from 25% to 50% in half that time during the ascending stage —
driving faster growth in online retail spending. China is in the ascending
stage. As a result, the number of online buyers in China will surpass the
total population of the US by the end of next year. Mature: eCommerce in Japan, Australia, and South Korea is now
(relatively) mature. Although the opportunity for growth still exists, it is
constrained by the tailing off of growth in the number of online buyers. The drivers for eCommerce growth differ from country to country,
driven by: Growth in the number of online buyers. The large populations of
China and India are fueling the growth in the number of online buyers. As
buyers' online tenure increases, their comfort with online purchasing will
increase as well. Online wallet shift. We see the shift in wallet share to
online mostly in developed economies, such as Australia, Japan, and South
Korea — they have a mature online buyer population and consumers are already
comfortable purchasing items in different categories online. The online
wallet shift will continue as consumers expand the number of categories they
purchase online. Despite the global economic slowdown, the combined online
retail spending of the five Asia Pacific countries grew nearly fivefold
during the past four years because of these growth drivers —and they will
continue to drive future growth. We expect the combined online retail
spending of Australia, China, India, Japan, and South Korea to more than
double over the next five years, reaching $854 billion by 2018. From
http://www.i-policy.org/
EUROPE:
ICT Spending in Retail Sector to Reach �75bn by 2017 Expected to experience second highest growth rate in all
vertical markets. ICT retail spending in Europe is expected to increase at a
compound average growth rate of 5% reaching �75bn by 2017, according to a
report from Frost & Sullivan. The region is expected to experience the
second highest growth rate of all vertical markets, driven by the wholesale
and distribution sector. The sector spent about �59bn on ICT products and
services across Europe in 2012. Frost & Sullivan ICT research analyst
Shuba Ramkumar said that implementation of M "One of the biggest areas for growth in M From
http://www.cbronline.com/
Estonia
Leads the Way on Safer Internet Transactions Prime minister calls for safer and easier online services. From
http://www.europeanvoice.com/
Hungary’s
Mobile Internet Base Topped Hungarian market regulator the National Media and
Telecommunications Authority (NMHH) has published its latest ‘flash report’
on the country’s mobile internet market, noting that there were a total of
over 3.824 million mobile internet users at 30 September 2013, up from 3.343
million at 31 March and 3.179 million at the start of the year. Of these,
over 2.989 million were designated as ‘active’ (i.e. subscriptions with data
transfer), compared to 2.504 million at end-March and 2.399 million at
end-2012. Further, the watchdog reported that mobile internet users
transferred 2.528 million GB of data last month, up slightly from 2.520
million GB in March, but down from 2.587 million gigabytes in December 2012.
The average amount of data transferred per user was 0.87GB, down from 1.08GB
in December. In terms of total mobile internet subscribers, T-Mobile Hungary
continues to lead the pack with a market share of 45.10% (1.725 million),
down from 45.55% (1.522 million) in March, while second spot was taken by
Telenor Hungary with 29.64% (1.134 million), up from 28.51% (952,823), and
Vodafone Hungary with 25.26% (966,147), slightly down from 25.95% (867,308)
six months earlier. From
http://www.telegeography.com/
Italy:
Telecom Italia to Reorganise Domestic Operations – Report Telecom Italia is considering a reorganization of its domestic
units under a plan that would create separate companies for its consumer and
business services, a person with knowledge of the matter told Bloomberg. The
carrier may create a holding company called Telecom Italia Services for some
of its activities, including the network operator company Opac SpA, retail
customers, business clients and customer services. Details of the plan are
still being worked out and no final decision has been made. The company's top
managers plan to present the proposal to directors at a board meeting on 19
September. Creating separate companies would allow them to have their own
balance sheets and reduce costs. From
http://www.telecompaper.com/
Polish
E-Commerce Picture Soon to Emerge Poland based e-businesses will compare their results against
their competitors without disclosing any sensitive information. In future,
they will also get similar data from abroad. The world’s first e-commerce
research of such accuracy – gemiusShopMonitor – has been launched. Analysis
of data coming from analytical tools or comparing current data with
historical ones is something that e-shop owners must do daily. Soon, online
entrepreneurs will be able to broaden their analysis with aggregated data for
the entire e-commerce market. The research company Gemius has developed
gemiusShopMonitor, a tool enabling e-stores to compare their performance
against aggregated data concerning competition. – Polish e-commerce needs a point of reference - to boost its
growth, but also to strengthen the barriers against global corporations –
explains Mateusz Gordon, International E-commerce Segment Manager,
responsible in Gemius for developing the new tool. – Such point of reference
may be an aggregated picture of a market with division into particular
industries, enabling comparison of one company with others, hence improving
sales process – he adds. According to Gordon, the new tool will help
e-businesses understand the market trends, and with the alerts signalling
drops in the shop’s efficiency from a given source, quicker reaction to
negative developments becomes possible. – Let’s imagine an owner of an online pharmacy, who has observed
a seven-percent increase in sales of dietary supplements with the price
exceeding PLN 50, the source of which is traffic generated from a blog
related to the store. Thanks to gemiusShopMonitor, the owner can check if the
7 percent result is satisfactory when compared to the competitors’ results.
His analysis has never been contextualised to such a degree before – he sums
up. Paweł Fornalski, President of IAI-Shop.com, points out to the fact that
gemiusShopMonitor is a tool greatly needed by the market. – The prevailing
standard in shop analysis is Google Analytics. This is a wonderful solution,
but suffers two disadvantages. Firstly, it is universal, so a lot of knowledge
is necessary on how to configure it, in order to obtain the data one needs.
The other, yet equally important, drawback is the Google’s engagement in
delivering traffic and in selling advertisements. The lack of transparency as
to how Google uses the Analytics’ information is a sound argument for providing shops with
freedom of choice rather than limit them to one tool only. Stores should have
an alternative and this is the reason why we have decided to integrate our
platform with the new Gemius tool – says Paweł Fornalski. GemiusShopMonitor is the first e-commerce research in the world
that can boast such accuracy. Apart from the typical data generated through
web analytics, the new product caters for the specificity of particular
branches of industry, providing the client companies with reports tailored to
their needs. The largest service dealing with professional internet sales –
IAI-Shop.com – is engaged in the project. Gemius declares that the next step
to be undertaken after ShopMonitor is implemented,
will be the provision of aggregated data on foreign markets to Polish
entrepreneurs – thus giving them a tool for comparing e-shops from other
countries. At present, the company is running a pilot research among e-shops
of selected industries, i.e. fragrance, pharmaceutical and tourism. From
https://www.gemius.com/
Slovakia:
Mobile Marketing Looking for Its Niche THE GROWING use of smartphones poses new challenges for advertisers
and marketing and advertising companies and the potential mobile marketing
prospects have not yet been fully tapped. Much like elsewhere, forecasts for
Slovakia predict dynamic growth of mobile marketing, which will depend on the
technological development and willingness of people to use new technologies.
Mobile industry consultant Tomi T. Ahonen estimates that the share of
advertising on mobile devices makes up just 3 percent of total advertising
globally. He expects that the interest of companies in advertising via
devices like mobile phone or tablets will increase in the coming years as the
ratio of time and attention users pay to these devices is now
disproportionate to the lack of advertising. “Let’s say that after five or 10
years from now the share of mobile advertising will be close to eight to 10
percent,” said Ahonen at the Mobile Marketing 2013 conference in Bratislava
on September 19, as cited by the TASR newswire. The Interactive Advertising Bureau Slovakia (IAB) estimated in
April that the total market for internet advertising in Slovakia accounted
for �64.6 million in 2012, a 43-percent increase. The IAB estimates total
investments in advertising at �300 million, with online ads comprising 22
percent. In terms of mobile advertising, the IAB estimates that just 1
percent of total advertising investments went into mobile advertising. The
IAB expects growth in 2013. Gemius, a consulting company providing data and
consulting for online advertising campaigns, estimated that 3 percent of online
advertisements in central and eastern Europe were displayed on tablet and
phone screens during 2012. Lithuania leads with 4.6 percent, while Slovakia
is above the regional average with 3.4 percent. Data points to growth Tamas Acs, who works in digital advertising for Gemius,
emphasised on the company’s website that the growing interest in mobile
advertising is justified by Gemius data. Mobile devices are used more and
more for surfing the internet, which is a strong signal for marketers.
According to Peter Seyfert, executive director of media agency OMD Slovakia,
the current usage of smartphones and tablets in Slovakia for marketing and
advertising is relatively low, but with high growth dynamics. “The increasing
penetration of the mobile and high-speed internet as well as penetration of
smartphones makes mobile marketing a firm part of marketing activities,”
Seyfert told The Slovak Spectator. Peter Tóth of Orange Slovensko, the
biggest mobile operator in Slovakia, confirmed that smartphone usage in Slovakia
is growing very rapidly. For Orange Slovensko they are already about 70
percent of the total sale of mobile devices. Zoznam, one of the most visited Slovak web portals and search
engines, confirms that the visit rate from mobile devices keeps growing.
Since the visit rate of some magazines within the Zoznam’s portfolio from
mobile devices reaches almost 40 percent, it sees this as a huge space for
mobile marketing. “Most advertisers know about mobile advertising, but just a
few clients can take in and effectively incorporate it into the total media
mix,” Pavel Zajcev, commercial director of Zoznam, told The Slovak Spectator.
“Simultaneously this is a challenge also for creative and media agencies.
Campaigns for mobile devices require special attention and innovative
solutions.” In respect to localised advertising Seyfert points out that not
all smartphone users use all their functions. “Geolocation in marketing
stands and falls on usage of the GPS module, wi-fi, the mobile internet or
Bluetooth and often on the need to have installed applications, for example
of Foursquare or TripAdvisor,” said Seyfert. “Another aspect related to this
is the need of a high concentration and movement of potential clients or
tourists in the given locality.” Mobile ads pros and
cons Mobile marketing and advertising typically use short messages,
multimedia and telemarketing. While these can be used on devices lacking
internet access, smartphones open the door to internet advertising as well.
Factors like the size of the screen, internet connection speed and other
technological parameters dictate how successful campaigns might be. Mobile
marketing has the advantage of being targeted, fast and precise. Campaigns
can be well timed and often result in high levels of conversion among the
audience addressed. Seyfert added that since the mobile penetration exceeds
100 percent in Slovakia, mass reach is no problem. On the other hand, Tóth
pointed out that mobile marketing can mean interference into the privacy of
the user. “Marketing in Slovakia, similarly to abroad, is still just looking
for ways to use the potential of smartphones, and along with this, to use the
balance between the needs of advertisers, marketing companies and the privacy
of users,” said Tóth. According to Seyfert, further development of mobile marketing
and advertising will depend on the technological developments, as internet
penetration is about 70 percent and the penetration of smartphones is more
than 40 percent. In the future, he expects that more people will connect to
the web from mobile devices, rather than desktop computers. Martin Mác,
executive director of Zoznam, expects that the interest of advisers in mobile
advertising will grow along with the number of visits on websites from mobile
devices. The growing penetration of smartphones as well as availability of
data services will influence the development of mobile advertising in
Slovakia. “However, the suitable usage of this attractive space and creation
of new formats, which will not only mimic the established forms of ads for
desktop devices, will be of key importance,” Mác said. According to Mác, an
inevitable precondition for development [of mobile advertising] is the
creation of interesting and attractive content for mobile devices. “There are
still ... companies that want to communicate their products or services also
via mobile devices, but do not have their websites adapted to this type of
user,” said Mác. “In such a case is, of course, mobile advertisement
useless.” From
http://www.i-policy.org/
U.K.:
End of Financial Crisis Allows Investment Firms to Boost Cloud Budgets Investment firms are to increase spending on cloud computing as
budget constraints begin to lift in the wake of the global financial crisis.
As part of the 'Cloud in the Capital Markets: A Progress Report', Ovum spoke
to 380 capital market firms across major geographical regions, comprising of
buy-side, sell-side, and corporate banking companies. The survey showed that
across all three sectors, 67 percent had plans to increase investment in IT
infrastructure in the next year as budgets are freed up for IT infrastructure
projects. Much of this spending is likely to be aimed at setting up private
clouds, said Ovum senior analyst, financial services technology, Rik Turner.
"You would expect an increased investment in infrastructure coming out
of a period of re-organisation, head-count reduction, and budget constraints
in the wake of the global financial crisis. But the question becomes are they
spending it on dedicated infrastructure for applications, or are they
reorganising their internal IT infrastructure for cloud-based delivery,"
said Turner. "A lot of the big investment banks have been doing this recently,
and essentially they are going towards private clouds. The move is more
mature in some areas than others, but all of them are on that journey." The research also highlighted the extent of acceptance of cloud
services among the 100 sell-side respondents, such as investment banks and
agency brokers. The results showed that the majority were either considering,
planning, trialling, or had already deployed cloud services within their
organisation. For example, 85 percent were at some stage of implementation of
cloud services for market data provision, 83 percent for risk analytics, and
84 percent for post-trade services. Turner said that running risk analytics
in the cloud is one area which has clear benefits for sell-side firms.
"Risk is an obvious area because you need very short term and much
larger requirements of hardware. It is easier to reach into the cloud and
provision 200 servers to run a humungous Monte Carlo simulation for pricing
and risk, and then immediately tear it down and put it back into to the pool,
as opposed to going to the IT department and getting them to provision 200
servers for two weeks." From
http://news.idg.no/
NORTH
AMERICA: Canada - Government Eyes $50 Million Savings in Email Transformation
The federal government’s IT consolidation program being
undertaken by Shared Services Canada expects to save some $50 million by
improving the way government offices handle email. Shared Services Canada generated
savings “almost immediately” by taking a government-wide approach to
integrating the government’s IT infrastructure, said Diane Finley, minister
of public works and government services, in her speech at the Government and
Technology Exhibition and Conference (GTEC) yesterday in Ottawa. “Email
transformation will result in $ 50 million of taxpayers’ dollars saved,” she
said. Shared Services Canada was created in 2011with a mandate to transform
how the government manages its IT infrastructure in areas such as email
delivery, data centres and telecommunications services of 43 federal
departments and agencies. No specific numbers were provided on how much money
has been saved by Shared Services Canada so far. In operation for a little
more than a year now, the program also aims to reduce federal government data
centres form 300 to fewer than 20 and reduce 3,000 overlapping computer
networks. From
http://www.itworldcanada.com/
Rogers
Hoping to See Mobile Commerce Everywhere in 2014 and Beyond Post to Twitter Post to Facebook Share on LinkedIn Share on
LinkedIn 1 CommentShare with Google+ Next year and beyond, mobile commerce
may soon become the preferred way to do transactions. At least, that’s the
hope for David Robinson, vice-president of emerging technologies at Rogers
Communications Inc. On Thursday, Robinson spoke to developers at AndroidTO, a
conference on all things Android. Rogers is hoping to give Canadians a wallet
from a wireless carrier using near field communication (NFC), Robinson said.
It has been segmenting its efforts to deliver mobile commerce to Canada,
pushing it into three phases, he added. Phase 1 was in 2012, when Rogers
worked on emulating an NFC SIM card that could go into mobile phones and act
as a payment method, without disrupting the network infrastructure. Phase 2
happened this year, when Rogers wanted to introduce this to consumers,
encouraging them to use mobile wallets with that card. And then there’s Phase
3, which Robinson describes as happening in “2014-plus” – when hopefully,
mobile will become the preferred commerce platform. “There will be lots of wallets, and there’s going to be lots of
user interfaces … But we believe the role for a carrier wallet is to do the
really nasty payment stuff because it’s hard,” he said. “And to push it, and
make it available and make it open with software development kits, that’s the
difference between what we used to do and what we’re doing today.” The quest
to bring NFC to Canada has already been in the works for about eight years,
Robinson said. As a member of the GSM Association, Rogers was working on the
“pay by mobile” initiative, with an objective of someday making every phone
in the world able to do a contactless payment transaction. In 2009, Rogers
launched its first NFC-enabled SIM card, which only worked for just one
handset. Still, Robinson called it an “absolute nightmare” to get it off the
ground, as the process required cooperation between 60 people in countries
around the world. Still, three years later, Rogers and major Canadian bank
CIBC announced they were launching Suretap, which runs SIM-based mobile
transactions on NFC-enabled smartphones. It’s now available for every device
that From
http://www.itbusiness.ca/
U.S.: Leaked
Documents Clarify Classified IT Spending Classified IT spending appears to be significantly higher than
has been indicated in recent budget requests, according to documents
disclosed by former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden and
published in the Washington Post. President Barack Obama's budget request for
2014 included at least $5.4 billion in classified IT spending. This is the
difference between the overall $39.6 billion request for Defense Department
IT funds, and the $34.1 billion request published in the summary on the IT
Dashboard maintained by the Office of Management and Budget. On the leaked
classified budget documents covering 2013, the leading intelligence agencies
received $4.7 billion for enterprise IT expenditures. But a tally of
mission-related classified IT spending exploded that figure to more than $8
billion. (See table below.) (The comparison between 2013 allocations and the
2014 request is relevant because government-wide, IT spending is largely
flat.) Outside of enterprise spending, the big buckets for intelligence
community IT money are computer network operations and cryptanalytic IT at
the National Security Agency, at $1 billion and $247 million respectively.
Computer network operations at the Central Intelligence Agency cost $685
million. This tally doesn't include categories of spending that have IT
components, including telecommunications intercept infrastructure, drone
aircraft and other surveillance technology. From
http://fcw.com/
California
to Publish Elected Officials' Finances Online New legislation paves the way for an electronic database of all
financial disclosure information from elected officials throughout the state.
Californians soon will have another way to keep an eye on their elected
leaders. Gov. Jerry Brown signed a bill on Tues., Oct. 8 authorizing the
state Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) to build an electronic
database where hundreds of thousands of public officials will file their
financial disclosure reports. Elected officials at all levels of government,
from local council members to the governor himself, are required by law to
file annual reports revealing details of their personal finances. Included in
the filings is information on investments and gifts that they receive.
Intended as a tool to hold politicians accountable for potential conflicts of
interest, these reports are open to the public, but they currently aren't
easy to get. Most reports are filed via hard copy forms housed at any number
of government buildings throughout the state. Once the new database is
established, financial disclosure information will be available to the public
on a single website. "This landmark bill will revolutionize the ability
to hold public officials accountable across the state," FPPC Chairwoman
Ann Ravel told the Los Angeles Times. Gov. Brown also signed a piece of
legislation granting the FPPC additional authority to enforce current
conflict-of-interest laws, according to the Times. From
http://www.govtech.com/
Agencies
Could Save Nearly $6 Billion from IT Consolidation There are about 200 opportunities for federal agencies to
consolidate information technology services that could add up to $5.8 billion
in savings by the end of 2015, according to a report released Wednesday by
the Government Accountability Office. That’s more than double the $2.5
billion in potential savings federal Chief Information Officer Steven
VanRoekel has said would come from his program to overhaul and consolidate
agencies’ IT portfolios known as PortfolioStat. The GAO report criticized
agencies for failing to plan adequately to consolidate their IT portfolios
and for failing to report sufficiently on those plans to the White House.
VanRoekel revamped the 20-month old PortfolioStat program in March. During
its first year, PortfolioStat focused primarily on changing how federal
agencies purchase IT commodities such as Internet and mobile phone service.
During its second year, the program is expanding to focus on streamlining
technology operations and ensuring agency-level CIOs have sufficient
authority, VanRoekel said. Version two of PortfolioStat also rolls in the
government’s four-year-old data center consolidation initiative and refocuses
that project on making data center operations cheaper and more energy
efficient rather than simply shuttering as many data centers as possible. From
http://www.nextgov.com/
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CHINA: To Combat
Illegal Online Drug Sales The Chinese government launched a five-month campaign on Tuesday
to combat illegal online pharmaceutical sales, the latest in a spate of
efforts to clean up online activities.The campaign will primarily focus on
websites that have obtained Internet drug sale licenses but were found to
have been involved in the promotion or sale of fake drugs, according to
department authorities.The campaign was jointly launched by China Food and
Drug Administration, the State Internet Information Office, the Ministry of
Industry and Information Technology, the Ministry of Public Security and the
State Administration for Industry and Commerce, according to a statement
issued by the departments.Vendors who market drugs on the Internet without
obtaining business licenses and those selling fake drugs will also be
targeted during the campaign, the statement said.Drugs for the treatment of
tumors, sexual dysfunction, diabetes and high blood pressure have been listed
as "major targets," according to the statement, adding that the
campaign will also crack down on producers of counterfeit drugs.Regulations
relevant to online drug sales will be revised, and drug producers, traders
and consumers are encouraged to provide tips in order to regulate online drug
sales, it added. From http://www.news.cn/
Amid the fierce competition among online retailers in China,
total transactions in the Internet retail marketplace jumped 47.3 percent
year-on-year to 754.2 billion yuan ($123.2 billion) in the first half of this
year, according to a report released on Monday.Online retail transactions
accounted for 6.8 percent of all the retail sales in China during the same
period, according to the report by the China e-Business Research Center, a
Hangzhou-based independent research firm.Online shopping is expected to
contribute 7 percent of China's retail sales by the end of this year, with
the total turnover of online shopping reaching 1.74 trillion yuan in 2013,
said the report.Tmall.com, a leading business-to-customer online platform
owned by China's e-commerce giant Alibaba Group, is the biggest winner in the
first half of this year by securing 50.4 percent of the market share in
Web-based retail business.JD.com, another online retailer, slightly increased
its market share to 20.7 percent, taking second place. The online business sector of Suning Commerce Group Co Ltd, a
leading home appliance retailer, made significant progress in the first half
of the year.The company's market share increased 54 percent year-on-year,
securing a total of 5.7 percent of China's online shopping market between
January and June.Despite that booming growth, online retailers still feel a
certain chill. Liu Qiangdong, the founder and chief executive officer of
JD.com, a leading online retailer in China, said "it is difficult to
sell", speaking at the company's open platform conference in late July.
His speech was echoed by a lot of seated vendors, who sell their products via
JD.com.Mao Ajing, an e-commerce analyst with the Beijing-based research firm
Analysys International, said with the maturity of the online shopping market
in China, the extremely high records in sales, which were set by Web
platforms in the previous two years, are unlikely to happen again. According to a previous media report, as much as 19.1 billion
yuan, a record-high, was spent on a 24-hour shopping bonanza at Taobao.com
and Tmall.com - both owned by Alibaba Group - on Nov 11 last year, a date
known as Single's Day in China."The growth rate of the online retail
business in China was about 60 percent in 2011. It will be difficult for the
market to keep a similar momentum this year because online shoppers are
becoming more rational," Mao said.Her company expects the growth rate of
the online shopping market in the second half of this year to increase by 5
percentage points compared with the figure in the first half of this year.
However, the overall growth rate of the online retail market in China is
still estimated to be below 50 percent, she said.China's State Council issued
guidance in mid-August to boost information-sector consumption, aiming to
make the industry a new economic powerhouse for China.According to the
guidance, the transactions of e-commerce, which is a major part of the
information sector, are forecast to total 18 trillion yuan, with online
retail transactions reaching 3 trillion yuan by 2015. From http://www.news.cn/
Internet Firms Urged to
Establish Content Review System Chinese Internet companies offering cultural content were urged
on Tuesday to set up their own review systems, as part of efforts to ensure
legitimacy of content.The content of online music and game companies will no
longer be reviewed and filed in advance by relevant government departments
starting from December 1, according to a Ministry of Culture
statement.Previously, such content was largely reviewed or managed by
relevant government departments, the statement said."With the rapid
development of Internet techniques, traditional online Internet content
review systems have lagged behind the requirement of market
development," an official with the ministry said.The establishment of a
self-review mechanism and strengthening the company's self-judgement capacity
in terms of choosing Internet content is the best option for authorities to
regulate the Internet cultural market, the official said.The ministry also
urged companies to ensure reviewers are independent.The provincial cultural
departments or relevant associations will provide the reviewers with
training, according to the statement. From http://www.news.cn/
China's Online Shopping
Transactions Boom China saw surging online shopping in the second quarter of 2013
with transactions totaling 437.13 billion yuan (about 70.8 billion U.S.
dollars), showed new data on Sunday.The figure was a 24.2-percent quarter-to-quarter
increase, and a 45.3 percent year-on-year increase, according to a research
report released by iResearch, China's leading Internet industry research
company.According to the National Bureau of Statistics, total retail sales of
consumer goods amounted to 6.03 trillion yuan nationwide in the period.This
indicates that online shopping now accounts for about 7.3 percent of consumer
retail in China.In the second quarter, China's E-commerce giants initiated
several rounds of collective price wars to stimulate consumption.According to
the iResearch report, the price war has developed from a means of competition
into a market tool used by E-commerce companies to tap and stimulate
customers' purchasing desire.Customers' online shopping behavior will become
more and more rational with declining sensitivity on the price war, it added,
suggesting that E-commerce companies gain core competence by improving their
sales platform and supply chain. From http://www.news.cn/
China-made Smartphones
Take 60% Market Share China's domestically-produced smartphones have boomed in sales
and recorded more than 60 percent market share at the end of June.About 130
million domestically-produced smartphones were sold in the first half of
2013, up 115 percent from the same period in 2012.The leading brands in sales
included Lenovo, Coolpad, Huawei and ZTE.China's smallphones will see a peak
sales season from 2013 to 2015 with around 2 trillion yuan (324.15 billion
U.S. dollars) in sales volume, said a report from CCID Consulting Co., Ltd.,
a leading domestic research and consulting company.Meanwhile, domestic
smartphone producers should improve their innovation capacity further, and
their profit margins still lagged far behind those of the global brands, the
report said. From http://www.news.cn/
Financial Pilot Zone
Seeking Web Firms Interbet companies are being targeted with the establishment of
Shanghai’s first financial pilot zone in the Bund area, officials said
yesterday.The Bund Financial Innovation Pilot Zone being created by Huangpu
District government will offer preferential policies to attract businesses
such as e-commerce companies and online trading platforms, officials said
yesterday.The zone aims to support the city’s pilot free trade zone in the
Pudong New Area across the Huangpu River, said Wu Cheng, the district’s
deputy director.“More financial enterprises from across the world will set up
bases in Shanghai due to the free trade zone and we hope some will choose the
financial zone in Huangpu,” Wu said.Wu was speaking as the district
government and Shanghai Financial Institute jointly established the China
Internet Financial Research Center and the China Private Financial Research
Center for the financial zone yesterday. Some 40 Internet financial enterprises have applied to move into
the zone.Three have reached initial agreements to have a base in the new
zone, said Wu.“These enterprises will be allowed for
the first time to use ‘the Bund’ in their companies’ names, as one of the
major preferential policies,” said Jiang Xizhou, director of Huangpu’s the
Financial Services Office.Previously, use of “the Bund” in a company name was
strictly limited, Jiang said.As a further incentive, innovation awards with
the top sum of 500,000 yuan (US$ 81,692) will be presented to outstanding
enterprises.The government will also subsidize rent office decorating and
offer subsidies and accommodation to talents attracted to the zone.Huangpu is
home to 116 headquarters and 2,500 foreign companies with investment of 25
billion yuan.By 2015, Huangpu aims to have another 50 multinational companies
basing their regional headquarters there. From http://www.news.cn/
Tmall.com, JD.com,
Suning.com Top Chinese B During the first half of 2013, the trading scale of China's
Internet retailing market increased by 47.3% year-on-year to CNY754.2
billion, accounting for 6.8% of the total retail sales of consumer goods in
the country.The report published by China e-Business Research Center predicts
that for the entire year of 2013, the trading scale of online shopping will
reach CNY1.741 trillion.The statistics show that by the end of June 2013,
Tmall.com, with market share of 50.4%, ranked first in the Chinese B All other B From http://www.news.cn/
China's Internet Retail
Sales Reached CNY1.3 Trillion China's Internet consumption maintained rapid growth and the
3,000 retail enterprises monitored by China's Ministry of Commerce realized a
year-on-year increase of 34.7% in the Internet sales sector from January to
September 2013.Mofcom predicted that during the first three quarters of 2013,
the Internet consumer retail sales would reach CNY1.3 trillion, which is
equal to that of the entire year of 2012. During the same period, the sales
of department stores, supermarkets, and specialty stores increased by 11.1%,
8.4%, and 6.9%, respectively.According to statistics provided by the Mofcom,
during the first nine months of 2013, large- and medium-sized distribution
companies maintained stable sales and the 3,000 retail enterprises monitored
by Mofcom achieved a sales increase of 8.9% year-on-year, which was 0.7
percentage points higher than the same period of 2012.At the same time,
demand for automotive, communication, and consumer preservation products
declined. During the first nine months of 2013, the sales of automobiles
increased by 2.1% year-on-year, which was 4.3 percentage points lower than
the same period of last year; and the sales of communication products
increased by 4.7% year-on-year, which was six percentage points lower. From http://www.chinatechnews.com/
China's Online Sales
Rank 2nd in World China's online sales have amounted to US$126 billion, ranking
second in the world, next only to the U.S., a market report said
yesterday.According to the White Paper of E-Commerce in China released by
Jones Lang LaSalle, by the end of 2012, China had 564 million Internet users,
ranking No From http://www.news.cn/
2.2 Mln Chinese Working
for E-Commerce More than 2.2 million Chinese are working for the country's
rapidly expanding electronic commerce industry as of June, the People's Daily
reported Sunday.The e-commerce sector also helped to create more than 16
million jobs in other industrial sectors, the newspaper quoted statistics
released by the China Enterprise Evaluation Association and the China Gold
& Silver Trade Center.China's online commerce has experienced rapid
growth in recent years, with its total revenue expanding from 25.8 billion
yuan(4.2 billion U.S. dollars) in 2006 to 780 billion in From http://www.news.cn/
Alibaba to Boost Mobile
E-Commerce China's e-commerce giant Alibaba Group announced on Tuesday that
the company will invest heavily to help e-retailers boost their business on
mobile devices.Alibaba will soon launch an online platform that is specially
designed for mobile e-commerce and the company will give free Ali-yun OS
mobile phones to all of its more than 7 million e-retailers on Taobao.com,
one of Alibaba's online marketplaces.According to Alibaba's press release,
the company is expected to invest at least 500 million yuan ($82 million) on
the project by the end of December. The project is part of Alibaba's new
strategy named "ALL IN", which was announced by the company's chief
executive officer Lu Zhaoxi in October as an attempt to boost Alibaba's
wireless sector."We hope all of Alibaba's e-retailers will participate
in the campaign and move quickly into the era of mobile Internet," said
Lu.Taobao and Tmall, Alibaba's two main platforms, topped 35 billion yuan in
sales in the 24-hour China's online shopping festival on Nov 11. About 5.35
billion yuan worth of goods were purchased by online shoppers through their
mobile phones, said the company. From http://www.news.cn/ China to Further
Stimulate E-Commerce China will encourage more e-commerce to try to bring online
retail sales up to 10 percent of the total retail sales of consumer goods,
according to the Ministry of Commerce (MOC) on Thursday.China will expand
e-commerce, with a focus on key areas including retail, cross-border trade,
agricultural products and the service sector.By 2015, e-commerce transactions
are expected to exceed 18 trillion yuan (2.93 trillion U.S. dollars).By then,
exports and imports via e-commerce could amount to at least a 10-percent
share of total trade. Online retail sales will account for at least 10
percent of annual sales of consumer goods.The ministry will provide policy
and financial support for manufacturers and foreign enterprises conducting
cross-border e-commerce, particularly the small and medium
businesses.Domestic e-commerce will be encouraged to look outward, including
establishing overseas agencies, improving offshore warehouse logistics and
customer service, and cooperating with foreign counterparts.The MOC also
called on local authorities to attract more private investment into the
e-commerce sector. From http://www.news.cn/
JAPAN:
Safety Key in Online Drug Sales The government’s new policy regarding the lifting of the ban on
online sales of general over-the-counter (OTC) drugs should help regulate
online sales, which are currently being conducted without any rules in place.
The Supreme Court ruled in January that the health ministry’s ordinance
banning Internet sales is illegal, and since that ruling, there has been an
explosion of unregulated OTC drug sales online. Beginning next spring, when
the system will be put into place, about 11,400 OTC drugs will be available
online under certain rules. Anyone interested will be able to purchase drugs
with more ease, but the increased risk of cases of harmful side effects is a
concern. How to ensure safety with online purchases will be an issue for the
new system to handle. The new system will set up certain restrictions on the
online sales system. For example, when people want to buy medication online,
they first browse the websites of distributors and choose. They must send their
gender, age, symptoms and any chronic diseases they may have via e-mail to a
pharmacist designated by the distributor. In particular, when a person wants to buy a drug classified as
Category 1—a group of drugs considered to have a high risk of side effects—a
pharmacist will issue instructions and warnings to the person regarding the
use of such a drug in a reply e-mail. The drug will not be sent until the
buyer replies via e-mail to the pharmacist that they understand the necessary
precautions. The aim is to ensure for the buyer the same amount of safety
that they receive under the current system when purchasing Category 1 drugs
in person from a pharmacist or other qualified member. About 99.8 percent of
all OTC drugs will be available online, with the exception of five powerful
drugs in Category 1 and 23 drugs for which three years have not yet passed
since they were switched from prescription drugs. Drugs categorized as
powerful drugs contain highly toxic components, and the risk assessment of
the 23 drugs has not been settled for general sales. Though drug distributors
strongly demanded a complete removal of the ban, Health, Labor and Welfare
Minister Norihisa Tamura said at a press conference on Wednesday: “I
understand the convenience of Internet sales. But we followed specialists’
advice that the safety of such drugs can be better checked when sold over the
counter.” The new rules also require distributors to retain sales records
of drugs, so they can respond to inquiries if a buyer develops symptoms such
as serious side effects. There will always be those who suffer side effects
from medication. There have been about 250 cases per year of people suffering
side effects, including severe cases such as fulminant hepatitis and
anaphylactic shock, and there have been 24 fatal cases from fiscal 2007 to
2011. Though new rules will be set up to try to prevent such incidences from
occurring, there is a limit to how well sales are monitored. “It’s already
all we can do to check information provided by external sources. We don’t
have time to discover violations on our own,” said an official at a local
government in charge of the online drug sales supervision. A distributor is
allowed to conduct online sales only when it has a brick-and-mortar store.
The prefectural government of the distributor’s physical location is in
charge of watching the stores’ online sales, but local governments generally
do not have officials specialized in monitoring online sales. In early
October, a distributor in Kashiwa, Chiba Prefecture, was found to have sold
expired drugs online for at a cheaper rate. The store had not acquired a
sales license as required by the Pharmaceutical Affairs Law. “There will
surely be a drastic increase in the need for monitoring sales, but we don’t
know if we can increase the number of staff who will do the monitoring,” said
a Tokyo metropolitan government official. From
http://the-japan-news.com SOUTH
KOREA: Financial Firms Ramp Up Measures Against Cyber Fraud Financial companies in South Korea will step up their
identification process for online users in a broad move to prevent cyber
fraud, which is becoming a rampant problem here, the financial regulator said
Monday. All financial companies, including banks, insurers, brokerage firms
and savings banks, must have their online users identify themselves through
either a text message or an automated response system, starting from Sept.
26, according to the Financial Supervisory Service (FSS). From
http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr S.
Korea's Smartphone Market Growth Forecast to Turn Negative This Year Growth in the South Korean market for smartphones is expected to
turn negative this year due to market saturation, a report showed Monday.
According to the report compiled by Strategy Analytics, the local market for
smartphones is expected to decline 14 percent to around 26.3 million units
for the year, from last year's 30.7 million units. From http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr Online
Community Focuses on Entrepreneurs, Inventions A new online community, Creative Economy Town, is going strong. It is
a place where entrepreneurs can propose their new ideas or technologies and
receive feedback on how to commercialize them. Launched on September 30 by
the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning (MSIP),
the Korean
Intellectual Property Office (KIPO) and the Korea
Institute of Science and Technology Information (KISTI), the
website (www.creativekorea.or.kr) is a venue for
exchange and cooperation, aimed at developing the creative industries. It is
a community where individuals and companies can propose their ideas and seek
advice from various professionals, so-called mentors, helping them to refine
their creations. In the process of mentoring, the future entrepreneurs can
further develop their ideas as they learn how to seek investment. Mentors
from various fields guide the new entrepreneurs through the entire process of
commercialization, including the development of ideas, filing patents,
producing prototypes and marketing their products. Those whose ideas are
selected can also get financial support to file patents and make prototypes. “Innovation means adding a significant level of efficiency to an
existing activity or business, while commercial viability exists, when there
is enough market demand,” said Ko Yong-gi, a mentor and CEO of the crowd
funding company OpenTrade. “Many innovative designs need to be discussed and
debated at the idea-development stage.” He added that innovative and
marketable ideas can be discovered when there is a serious need, but that
ideas backed only by technology can only lead to mere inventions. “The market
is cold and challenging,” said Lee Yun-bin, a public technology research
chief at the Korea Institute of S&T Evaluation and Planning. “Various
factors, including ideas, funds and organization, need to be satisfied in
order to raise the chance of success. Ideas sprouting from a full
understanding of the consumer’s needs can reduce the
time and effort required to commercialize new ideas.” From
http://www.korea.net S. Korea's
IT Exports Jump 11.6 Pct in Oct. South Korea's exports of information technology (IT) products
rose 11.6 percent from a year earlier in October, data showed Monday,
apparently due to the rising global demand for mobile devices. Outbound
shipments of IT products reached US$16.23 billion last month, marking the
highest amount since the $15.15 billion tallied in May, according to the
Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning. From
http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr
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PHILIPPINES:
Financial Management Automation to Cost US$ Department of Budget and Management (DBM) of the Philippines is
to spend PHP 4 billion (US$ 91 million) during the initial phase of the
end-to-end digitisation of its financial management system. The project,
Philippine Government Financial Transaction Digitisation, aims at minimising
corruption in the government. Chief Information Officer of DBM, Richard Moya,
said, “The Philippine government has been leveraging technology and
innovation as a key enabler of its good governance agenda. We are currently
rolling out ICT systems to transform Philippine Public Financial Management
(PFM), and the digitisation of government financial transactions is part of
the PFM reforms of the administration.” The initial phase is to be rolled out
in three components - Government Human Resource Management Information
System-National Payroll System (GHRIS-NPS), Government Integrated Financial
Management Information Systems (GIFMIS) and Cashless Purchase Card (CPC). DBM recently released a tender notice for the core GIFMIS
component, which we wrote about here. The system is to provide transparency
throughout the whole financial management cycle and is to be fully
operational by 2016. The GHRIS-NPS is a web-based
software that will automate all human resource management functions of the
central government. The NPS is a key application within the GHRIS-NPS system
that is to assist the government in payroll processing by enabling
standardisation, transparency, collaboration and centralisation. It is to be
rolled out in phases from 2013 to 2015. The third component, CPC, allows the
government to record and collate data on transactions made on the Card,
generating comprehensive customised reports that can be used for online
accounting, reporting or auditing. The Government is currently developing the
PFM Competency Framework to support capacity development across all oversight
and spending agencies. The Framework will define qualifications, knowledge
and skills required for effective public financial management. From
http://www.futuregov.asia/
The
Philippines to Launch Online Tax Payment for Self-Employed Individuals by
2014 Starting April 2014, self-employed individuals and small
business owners no longer have to queue up for long hours at the Bureau of Internal
Revenue’s (BIR) offices to file and pay taxes, thanks to the agency’s new
online tax payment facility. According to BIR Commissioner Kim Henares, the
move stemmed from the agency’s goal to get more people in the tax net and
increase tax collections. “We recognize that there’s a big amount of tax that
needs to be collected. So I think the assumption that we have is that there’s
still a lot of people who are not paying the right taxes. First, either
they’re not registered, or those registered and filed are still not paying
the right amount of taxes.” “Right now, with the help of the Department of
Budget and Management, we’re building our IT capability to allow the
electronic filing of various returns such as: capital gains tax, donors tax,
estate tax so they can file online and the BIR will deliver the certificate
electronically and submit it directly to the Registry of Deeds so they don’t
need to come to our office,” the commissioner said. Henares added that the
BIR is hoping to implement an e-notarisation system since most government
documents have yet to be notarised. From
http://www.futuregov.asia/
Philippine
Electronics, Semiconductor Industry Reports Double Digit Decline The Philippine electronics and semiconductors industry recorded
a decline of 10 percent to 12 percent in the first three quarters, due to
lackluster performance. Export of electronics in the first eight months
sustained 13 percent decline to 13.66 billion U.S. dollars from 15.7 billion
dollars in 2012, Semiconductor and Electronics Industries of the Philippines
(Seipi) Executive Director Dan Lachica said in a briefing during the 12th
CEO's Forum and 114th General Membership Meeting at Solaire Entertainment
City in Paranaque City on Monday. The semiconductor subsector,
which comprise 76 percent of industry export, posted a decline of
11.62 percent to 10.44 billion U.S. dollars from 11.84 billion dollars in the
same period in 2012, he said. Despite the contraction in electronics and
semiconductor output, automotive and consumer electronics posted growth of
324 percent and 19.66 percent, respectively. Automotive electronics exports
went up to 362.75 million U.S. dollars from 85.45 million dollars in 2012,
while consumer electronics generated 198.42 million dollars from 165.82
million dollars in 2012. Forecast for semiconductor will remain bleak in 2014
due to foreseen continuation of price cuts, but industry is expecting to
rebound targeting for a modest 5 percent growth on the continuing strength in
the automotive and consumer electronics subsectors and incremental output for
new investments. From
http://news.xinhuanet.com/
SINGAPORE:
eCitizen Portal Sees 65 Per Cent Growth in Traffic Since Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA) launched
the revamped eCitizen portal last September, it has garnered a 65 per cent
increase in visitorship and improved the success rate of searches by up to
three times. The eCitizen portal, which was first launched in 1999 to provide
access to government e-services, now has 70 topics, which include articles
and quick guides to government services, as well as links to 410 e-services
offered by 61 agencies. The latest revamp was undertaken to improve the
content as well as presentation and navigation of the website. “When we
reviewed the previous eCitizen, we found that the old way of categorising
information was no longer relevant due to the changing needs of the citizens.
Since the portal was last revamped in 2004, it is timely to refresh the
portal to respond to the new environment that we operate in and to embrace
opportunities availed through new technologies,” said Ms Ong Seok Leng,
Senior Director, eGovernment Group, IDA. In coming up with the new look for
the web site, a user-centred design (UCD) approach was adopted, placing the
user at the centre of all design decisions. Research activities were carried
out with users of the eCitizen Portal to understand their needs and the
obstacles they faced when using the old portal. The eCitizen team also sought
expert opinion on current trends with other government web sites and search
providers such as Google and Amazon. One of the key findings that emerged in the research stage of
the UCD approach was that users tended to use the search function as their
starting point at the eCitizen portal. This was to become one of the key
design principles behind the new eCitizen portal, with the search bar
prominently positioned in the centre of the homepage. Searches were also made
more accurate by observing how users used this feature, which then sifted out
the different search terms that were applied in relation to a topic. For
example, the eCitizen team found that users preferred using acronyms and
abbreviations such as GPCL and IVF as search terms instead of “Government
Paid Childcare Leave” and “in vitro fertilisation”. The ability to support
searches using acronyms was thus introduced. At the same time, different
weightage was attached to different content, enabling the portal to
prioritise the search results to display the most relevant hits on top of the
rest. Content was another key area of focus for the eCitizen team. The team
was guided by a simple principle – to make eCitizen the first-stop portal for
users to find government related information and services. Hence more
cross-agency topics were introduced to offer users a quick reference to
trusted and credible whole-of-government information. Examples of these
topics include: •‘Buying a new HDB Flat: A first-timer’s guide’ which
incorporates information from the Housing and Development Board (HDB) and the
Central Provident Fund Board (CPF), •‘Government Paid Maternity Leave’ with information from
Ministry of Social and Family Development, Ministry of Manpower and CPF, and •‘Singapore citizenship: your privileges and rights’ with
information from Elections Department of Singapore, Ministry of Foreign
Affairs, Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore, Ministry of Health, Ministry
of Education, HDB and CPF. Another enhancement was the introduction of infographics and
videos to present information more clearly, especially in situations where it
is more cumbersome to convey the information through text. The use of
different modes of expression also allows the eCitizen portal to convey
content in a way that resonates with different users. For example,
infographics are used to explain the process of getting a motorcycle licence
while a video explains the school admissions process for Singapore residents From
http://www.futuregov.asia/
THAILAND:
Roping in Bank to Develop Online Tax Payment Thailand’s Excise Department is looking to attract all
businesses online as it develops a new complete online excise tax payment
system. On October 1, Chumpol Rimsakorn from the Excise Department signed an
agreement with Peter Foo Moo Tan, President and CEO of United Overseas Bank,
Thailand. The two organisations have agreed to develop an online network to
facilitate the payment of excise taxes by businesses and to improve
effectiveness and stability of the Department’s management. Rimsakorn
believes that such an online system covering every step of the tax payment
procedure is likely to attract 100 per cent of large businesses. 70 per cent
of businesses, especially automakers, are already paying their taxes online,
according to him. As of the end of September, the Department collected THB
432 billion (US$ 13.8 billion) in excise tax this year, which is already five
per cent higher than the target. In 2014, it aims to collect THB 466 billion
(US$ 15 billion), Rimsakorn revealed. From
http://www.futuregov.asia VIETNAM:
Purchasing Chinese Goods Online Booming Like anywhere else in the world, the use of the Internet and
e-commerce has flourished in Vietnam, especially in the capital Hanoi. In
fact, for the past few years, the Vietnamese people have been purchasing
goods online, including products from abroad. With rapid development of
commodity production with various designs and the growth of online websites,
more and more Vietnamese people choose to buy Chinese commodities online.
Duong Thu Hien, 27, has been in purchasing Chinese goods online for the past
seven years. She often receives orders from Vietnamese people for Chinese
goods and then she orders for them on Chinese online sales sites. China's
Taobao, Alibaba and Paipai are among the most browsed websites for Hien in
her line of business. Hien's customers range from individuals to shop-owners
in Vietnam. They will search for products on these Chinese websites, copy a
hyperlink of the products they need and send to Hien for her to make the
orders. Fashion items including clothes, shoes, bags, eyeglasses and
cosmetics, are among the most ordered products from China, said Hien. After making the orders on Chinese sites, Hien will contact her
partners in China to do the payment. Most of her contacts in China are
Vietnamese students or people who can speak Chinese. Payments can be made by
cash or through bank accounts, Hien said. After receiving order from the
suppliers, the contacts in China will send goods to China's Guangzhou and
from there, the goods will be shipped to Vietnam. Customers must deposit from
70 percent or even 100 percent of the value of their orders, Hien said,
adding that they can get the goods that they ordered after seven to 10 days.
After arriving in Vietnam, the products will be sold at shops or again posted
on Vietnamese online sites for sale. According to Hien, the number of orders
has increased sharply in the past four years as Vietnamese, especially young
people, prefer to purchase goods online because it is cheaper and they can
choose from a variety of designs through the websites. Like Hien, Nguyen Hai,
a Hanoi resident, has also got familiar with Chinese online shopping websites
for around four years. At first, Hai bought Chinese products online, mostly
fitness and gym equipments, and resold them in Vietnam for a profit. Hai said
that it is quite easy for him to purchase Chinese goods online, just click on
the products, make payment and receive the ordered goods a few days later. But he then found that the profit was not too high so he decided
to turn to another way to make bigger profit. Hai found products online
through Chinese websites, including Taobao, then directly contacts the
manufacturers in China and proposes to make a modification in the designs to
suit to the needs of his Vietnamese customers. Hai said that this way of
doing business is more effective and more profitable. According to the report
of Vietnam e-commerce association based on a survey conducted by the Global
Payment Technology Company VISA in Vietnam in 2012, among 36 percent of 87
million Vietnamese people using internet, 71 percent had done online
shopping. With the estimated purchasing value of 30 U.S. dollars per person
per year, the total value of e-commerce within Vietnam under
Business-to-Customer (B From
http://news.xinhuanet.com/
Vietnam’s
Capital Enhances E-Tax Filing Service Marking significant progress in Vietnam’s e-government services,
more than 80,000 businesses (75 per cent) in Vietnam’s capital, Hanoi, have
declared their taxes online this year. The city tax department is also roping
in banking outlets to further enhance delivery of its online tax filing
service. Previously, almost 100,000 city businesses had to physically submit
their tax returns at the Hanoi Tax Department office every month, resulting
in huge pressure on the tax officials and administrative resources.
Hanoi-based businesses made e-tax transactions worth VND 683.7 billion (US$
32.4 million) last year, indicating a successful pilot of the General
Department of Taxation’s (GDT) e-tax service. The initiative has since shown
breakthrough progress in spearing administrative reform in the Hanoi Tax
Department, the Ministry of Information and Communications (MIC) has said.
Trinh Thi Lan, a representative of the Hanoi Tax Department noted that “in
the first 7 months of this year, transactions worth VND 1209.5 billion (US$
57.3 million)” were completed using the e-tax service. The Hanoi Tax
Department is also working with commercial banks to expand electronic payment
of taxes, and also assisting taxpayers to calculate and file tax through the
e-tax portal. The GDT aims to have all commercial banks providing for e-tax
by 2015. Up till July this year, taxes could be paid at 150 bank branches and
37 State Treasury offices. Although application of IT in tax administration
reform has shown positive results in saving time and money for tax payers,
much work remains to be done to bring the service at par with international
standards. The MIC quoted figures showing that Vietnamese businesses now
spend more than 800 hours on tax-related activities, around three times the
world average of 267 hours. GDT is continuing to enhance tax administration
in the country as it expects to expand the e-tax facility to four other
provinces – Ho Chi Minh City, Bac Ninh, Dong Nai and Nghe An – by the end of
this year. From
http://www.futuregov.asia/
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INDIA:
Maharashtra Transport Corporation Adopts GPS and Wi-FI Systems The Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) has
been making significant efforts to adopt latest technology —with GPS and
Wi-Fi systems installed in AC buses and senior officers will now monitor
movement of every bus in the state by connecting with regional and works
managers through video-conferencing.“The video conferencing was conducted for
the first time and it has helped in the day-to-day functioning and in serving
passengers more efficiently,” said MSRTC public relations officer Mukund
Dhus. The video conferencing was also used to discuss guidelines for safe
travel of passengers, the problems faced at the depot level, and to give
instructions to improve the load factor, the frequency and maintenance of
buses in the fleet. The corporation owns close to 17,000 buses which plies
across the state. The state transport body has also installed Wi Fi in some
of its AC buses and will also connect all buses with GPS facility. Recently
all the departmental heads at the headquarters were given necessary training
for using computers and have now been given laptops with a data card. From
http://egov.eletsonline.com
TRAI
Releases Consultation Paper on Mobile Banking for Financial Inclusion Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has released a
Consultation Paper on ‘USSD-based Mobile Banking Services for Financial
Inclusion’. Significantly large regions and populations are still unbanked/
under-banked in the country. As per the Census 2011, only 54.4 percent of
rural households had access to banking services. The fact that a large number
of mobile subscribers in rural areas do not have access to banking facilities
presents an opportunity for leveraging the mobile telephone to achieve the
goal of financial inclusion. Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD)
appears to be one of the most promising modes for mobile banking for
financial inclusion. In order to identify and address the various issues
related to USSD-based mobile banking for financial inclusion, the Authority
has issued the Consultation Paper. The consultation paper on ‘USSD-based
Mobile Banking Services for Financial Inclusion’ has been uploaded on TRAI’s
website (www.trai.gov.in). From
http://egov.eletsonline.com
Tata
Communications to Install 15,000 ATMs in the Next 3 Years The Tata group company, Tata Communications Payment Solution,
has got RBI clearance to install 15,000 ATMs in the next three years,
two-third of which will be in smaller towns. The company will roll out three
machines in the rural belt and From
http://egov.eletsonline.com
‘E-Wallet’
Scheme by IRCTC Ensures Easy Ticket Booking Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation has launched e-wallet, a user-friendly scheme aimed at
making purchase of e-tickets easier. The e-wallet is a rolling deposit scheme
wherein the customers will have an account with the IRCTC and deposit money
to be used in future for booking e-tickets from its website (www.irctc.co.in).
Since the customer’s money is already deposited with the IRCTC, he is not
transferred to the bank’s server for payment. This way precious time is saved
and the chances of money deduction and not getting ticket are also nullified.
The scheme has got good response since its launch in the second week of this
month. About 4,000 registration have been made for
the scheme since the launch. From
http://egov.eletsonline.com
PAKISTAN:
More Than 300 ATMs Installed, Dozens of Bank Branches Added to Online Branch
Network ISLAMABAD: More than 300 ATMs were installed and dozens of bank
branches added to the online branch network in the country in the fourth
quarter of Financial Year 2013. According to Payment Systems Review of 4th
Quarter (April to June) FY13 released by the State Bank of Pakistan, the
installation of 300 ATMs brought the total number to 6,757. Altogether, 67
more bank branches were added to the online branch network which makes a
total of 10,013 branches that are now offering RTOB services out of 10,581
total bank branches across the country. The Review said that, compared with
the preceding quarter, number of plastic cards (credit cards, debit cards,
ATM only cards, smart cards, Islamic credit cards) issued to customers
increased by 2.53 percent in the fourth quarter of FY13, thus bringing the
total number of plastic cards issued to 22.32 million customers. In
comparison with other plastic cards, ATM only cards shown
the highest growth rate of about 4.56 percent, although debit cards have the
highest percentage share in overall plastic cards which is more than 90
percent. Transactions through debit cards also increased both in volume and
value. According to the Review, the volume of overall e-banking transactions
during the quarter also depicted a growth of 6.42 percent which is equal to
87.49 million transactions. Of all the e-banking transactions, mobile
transactions showed the highest percentage increase as compared to the
previous quarter of current fiscal year. These transactions increased by 18.05 percent in terms of volume
reaching to 1.32 million as compared to 1.12 million in the preceding
quarter. The value of mobile transactions again showed the highest percentage
increase as compared to the previous quarter as the value increased by 34.35
percent reaching to Rs. 9.9 billion as compared to Rs. 7.3 billion in the
preceding quarter. The Review said that in terms of volume of overall
e-banking transactions, ATM transactions have a major share of 63.70 percent
and average value per transaction stands at Rs. 10,007. In comparison with
the number of transactions reported in the third quarter of the current
fiscal year, the overall volume of ATM transactions increased by 8.00 percent
and the value increased by 8.02 percent. During the quarter 559 more Point of
Sale machines were installed by various banks across the country. During this
quarter, the recorded volume and value of large value payments through RTGS
was 134,738 and Rs.41.72 trillion respectively. This showed a 11.02 percent increase in the volume and 5.88 percent in
the value as compared to the figures reported in the third quarter of current
fiscal year. The major portion for the increased number of overall PRISM
transactions in this quarter was contributed by IBFT which increased by From
http://www.brecorder.com
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AZERBAIJAN:
Science Development Fund Under President of Azerbaijan to Finance ICT
Projects The Science Development Fund under the President of Azerbaijan
has allocated one million manats for financing competitive projects in the
sphere of information and communication technologies (ICT), the Fund's
Executive Director Elchin Babayev said on Thursday at a conference in Baku.
According to Babayev, the competition is being held jointly with Azerbaijan's
Ministry of Communications and Information Technologies. This is included in
the plan of events approved in From
http://en.trend.az/
Deputy
Minister: Telecommunications Satellite Starts Bringing Revenues to Azerbaijan The Azerbaijani telecommunications satellite - Azerspace- 1
started to bring revenues, Azerbaijani Deputy Minister of Communications and
Information Technologies Iltimas Mammadov said in the Youth Association's
office of the New Azerbaijan Party on Thursday. According to Mammadov, the
Azerbaijani satellite was put into orbit in early 2013. "A new source of
income is very important for Azerbaijan in terms of redirecting the oil
capital for the development of other sectors of the economy," he added.
"ICT field was chosen as a priority [ after the
oil sector ] by national leader Heydar Aliyev and in subsequent years.
Special attention was paid to the development of this sphere in subsequent
years. The importance is attached to the development of broadband
infrastructure throughout the country today. According to the broadband
internet development project, to be implemented in 2013-2015, Internet speed
in remote villages of the country will hit 10 Mbits / s and regional centers
- 30 Mbit / s, in Baku - 100 Mbit / s. "Most of the needs of the
population in ICT have been met and the work is underway," he added.
Rector of Caucasus University Ahmet Sanic, rector of the Baku Higher
Petroleum School Elmar Gasimov and chairman of the Youth Association of the
ruling party Seymur Orujov also attended the meeting. "Azerbaijan pays
special attention to the development of the ICT sector," Orujov added.
"Increasing the level of students' knowledge in this area will impact
the intensive development of the sphere in the future." Rector of the
Baku Higher Petroleum School congratulated the students and stressed the
dynamic development of the ICT sector in Azerbaijan. According to Gasimov,
today the ICT field and engineering is of particular importance for
Azerbaijan. "The construction of large industrial complexes in
Azerbaijan increases the need for specialized personnel in the sphere,"
Gasimov added. "Students in Azerbaijan show great interest in IT-
engineering. Opening of new universities in Azerbaijan is one of the
important actions taken by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in turning oil
capital into human capital." At the end of the event, students were
awarded with a three-year package of free use of electronic services and
other gifts and certificates of the Youth Association. From
http://en.trend.az/
Ministry
of Communications: Azerbaijani IT-companies to Receive Tax and Customs
Preferences In the next two months tax and customs benefits will be granted
to the companies involved in the ICT sector in Azerbaijan, a report of
Azerbaijani Ministry of Communications and Information Technologies said on
Friday. "Relieving them from
taxes and customs duties will improve the profitability and efficiency of
business in the ICT sector," the statement said. Earlier Azerbaijani Minister of
Communications and Information Technologies Ali Abbasov said that the
Ministry has prepared proposals to reduce customs duties on imports of the
high-tech products. According to
the Minister, the customs duty for the import of computers is three percent,
while the duty on import of parts for production of computers is 10-15
percent of the cost. "Due to
the dynamic growth of the automation process of the various state
institutions there is a high level of imports of high-tech products in the
country," Abbasov said. In
addition, the development of the ICT sector in Azerbaijan and increasing its
competitiveness requires optimization of the tax legislation in this area and
issuing preferential credits. From
http://www.turkishweekly.net/
Debt
of the Telecommunications Sector of Azerbaijan - AZN 639.6 Million According to the State Statistics Committee, in 2012 the
negative balance of receivables and payables difference of ICT sector made
AZN 238.6 million against AZN 160.5 million and was not covered by the
operators’ profit. In 2012 the
profit of ICT sector was estimated at the level of AZN 193.7 million against
AZN 242.4 million a year before.
At any rate, by 1 January 2013 accounts payable in the sector made AZN
639.6 million and accounts receivable – AZN 401million against AZN 512.4
million and AZN 351.9 million respectively a year before. Over the last year the sector raised
main funding cost from AZN 1.546 bn up to AZN 1.731 bn and the volume of
provided services from AZN 1.236 bn up to AZN 1.420 bn. As a result, for AZN
1 of main funding cost only AZN 0.82 services are provided. In 2012 added value in the sector
increased from AZN 786.7 million up to AZN 869.4 million and investment
volume decreased from AZN 408.7 million to AZN 307.3 million. From
http://abc.az/
Azerbaijani
Government Prepares to Sue Mobile Operators ICT Ministry has started preparation works to sue mobile
operators due to delay of application of Mobile Number Portability
System. “At present, the most
interesting question for all is the introduction of Mobile Number Portability
System. Unfortunately, application of this system has already been delayed
for a year. As to the promise of mobile operators, the system had to be
applied from October 1. However, it still did not take place,” ICT Minister
Ali Abbasov said. To him,
the ministry has already started the trials in this regard: “Whether the
application of this system will start from October 1 or after, a centralized
system that it needs is ready. This system must be realizes by the end of
this year, if not, then this issue will probably be the most controversial
question among this year's events”. The minister added that this problem does
not concern only Azerbaijan, but also the CIS countries: “Russia intends to
apply this system. Moldova and Georgia have already applied the system”. From
http://en.apa.az/
Bakcell Has
Ended Core Network Unification Azerbaijan’s mobile operator Bakcell continues making
investments in its network to provide the best data and voice services
experience for its customers. The Company informs that in cooperation with
Huawei, a leading global information and communications technology (ICT)
solutions provider, Bakcell has successfully finalized its core network
unification project. Unification
of the voice network domain started by the end of 2012, and as of August of
2013 all voice traffic is served by brand new, high capacity and fully
redundant switching equipment.
New Unified Core network based on the Advanced Telecom Computing
Architecture platform, which is designed to be a mature and robust platform
for next-generation telecom equipment, brings large capacity and high
flexibility to Bakcell to meet customers’ expectations and provide the best
service for its customers. New Unified Network is fully compatible with LTE
technologies and ready for the future evolution towards Voice over LTE. “Our
strategy is to deploy the best network technologies to deliver the best
network experience to Bakcell customers. In order to improve our top-ranking
experience to customers and provide best in class service availability and
quality, we are implementing a series of projects this year. Core network
unification is one of these projects and makes Bakcell’s Network the most
advanced in the Azerbaijani market and demonstrates that our network systems
are ready for any future technology deployment,” Bakcell’s chief technology
officer Yigit Berktash said. Bakcell has also implemented future proof
pooling technology and built a complete reliable geographically redundant
network. Pooling technology allows automatic traffic among all switching network
elements and ensures service availability in disaster scenarios. Earlier this
year, Bakcell has implemented modernization of the whole transmission
network, to extend capacity and migrate to the MPLS-TP technology using
Huawei OSN series equipment. From
http://abc.az/ Kyrgyzstan,
Kazakhstan Discuss e-Contracting Co-operation From
http://centralasiaonline.com/ |
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AUSTRALIA:
New Government “Open for Business” Australian
Prime Minister Hon Tony Abbott says his administration is now “open for
business,” while seeking closer ties with the private sector. With a new
cabinet to be announced next week, the federal AU$6 billion spending
programme also comes up for closer scrutiny. Plans involve including private
sector advisers on a new ICT advisory board. Among the developments, the
Department of Treasury and Finance and the Australian Government Information
Management Office are expected to conduct an audit of ICT spend over the last
three years. Earlier, the Coalition outlined its ICT Action Plan. This plan
lays the foundations for procurement reforms, and technologies-of-choice at
the federal level. Big data
strategy The
Coalition’s ICT agenda involves a review and finalisation of a big data
strategy during 2013-2014. This strategy focuses on improving the quality of
data. The reach of the government’s Data.gov.au is also expected to be
expanded. Plans involve improving the quality of data to open up information
access, and deliver services, as and when needed. Three designated agencies
with high-volume transactions will trial next-generation tele-presence
services. This incorporates web-browsing capabilities, in real-time. Secure cloud
services Plans to
migrate secure government data to the cloud are preceded by a series of
trials. These trials test the viability of hosted data centre services, while
tackling privacy and data sovereignty concerns. Under steps to create a
digitally networked economy, the administration is exploring common standards
that enable public and private sector stakeholders to “speak the same
language.” These standards lay the groundwork for internationally-accepted
communications protocols. Mobile
communications A 2015
timeline involves a closer look at mobile services. Agencies will report on
services that are not available using mobile communications channels, while
opening up access to mobile services. By 2017, more correspondence will go
digital, together with hard copy documents as back-up. Moreover, government
interactions that reach Compact with
business A new
“compact with business” sees the Coalition offering business a “seat at the
table.” Policy planners will take a different strategy to building, and
nurturing relationships with the business community. Moves are under-way to
strengthen engagement with the Asian region. This enhances business
opportunities, and broadens the focus beyond mining to include agriculture
and services. Educational ties are being expanded with the Asian region,
while boosting Asian language studies in schools. Government financial
management reforms come under the spotlight at the GovCFO Forum Australia
2013 being held Monday 2 December in Canberra. From http://www.futuregov.asia/
Australian
Mobile Advertising Market to Reach $682 Million in 2018 Australia's
mobile advertising market is predicted to grow strongly at a CAGR of 39% from
2013 to 2018, with expenditure reaching $682 million in 2018. By that time,
70% of overall mobile advertising spend will be served on tablets, whilst 30%
of adverts are expected to be served on smartphones. Frost & Sullivan'
says that 50% of companies plan to increase their mobile advertising budget
substantially compared to the prior year. 79% reported intentions to increase
mobile advertising expenditure by more than 10%.Over the last 12 months there
has been very high growth in mobile advertising expenditure, fuelled by
strong growth in consumer media consumption on smartphones, but especially
tablets. It is now increasingly being seen as an important part of the
overall advertising strategy of both media agencies and brands. "In the
last 12 months, the Australian mobile advertising market grew strongly across
all industries. " Banking & finance and
automotive continue to lead the market, though retail is also seeing strong
adoption" said Phil Harpur, Senior Research Manager, Australia & New
Zealand, Frost & Sullivan. Harpur
elaborated, "Local mobile ad networks, such as Big Mobile, and global mobile
ad networks such as InMobi and AdMob are expanding their business models
within Australia. This momentum is expected to continue into 2014, assisted
by the advancement of mobile-specific advertising campaigns, optimised for
both smartphones and tablets." Mobile advertising ad rates have remained
stable over the past year. "Rich media mobile ad inventory is growing as
a proportion of overall mobile ad inventory and has experienced upward
pricing pressure. The majority of new inventory is now being produced using
rich media. The mobile video advertising market remains underdeveloped,
though there is evidence of innovation such as video mobile ads embedded
within banner ads. Mobile search advertising continues to grow strongly in
line with the growing usage of mobile search, which has increased
substantially over the past few years," Harpur explained. "The
high mobile usage of both smartphone and tablets has led to an oversupply of
inventory spots. A major challenge for the industry moving forward is how to
drive value in mobile and tablet advertising in light of the burgeoning
supply of inventory via better targeting techniques" Harpur stated.
"Higher demand is now coming for premium mobile ad solutions, which are
now seen as an essential part of an integrated advertising campaign covering
both offline channels, such as TV and print, and online channels, both mobile
and non-mobile," finished Harpur. From http://www.cellular-news.com
PAPUA NEW GUINEA: Govt to Control Mobile SIM
Cards The proposed regulation on the compulsory registration of mobile
phone Subscriber Identification Modules (SIM) card is expected to come into
effect next year. Communication and Information Technology Minister Jimmy
Miringtoro said in a ministerial statement in parliament yesterday that the
regulation was intended to address uncontrolled sale of pre-activated SIM
cards, the use of mobile phones in carrying out illegal activities and for mobile
phone operators to eliminate “anonymous” or “pseudo-anonymous” mobile users.
“This regulation should go a long way in assisting law enforcement
activities, public safety and protecting national security.” He said the
National Information and Communication Authority had completed public
consultations on the draft regulation for the compulsory registration of SIM
cards. Miringtoro briefed parliament on the steps taken by the Authority to
promote competition in the market in the last 18 months. It included: * Undertaking a public inquiry into retail mobile services; * NICTA’s pre-competitive stance resulting in mobile phone
operators reviewing the interconnection agreements which resulted in new
interconnection rates; * licensing of additional operators and service providers to
promote competition; * granting of additional spectrum rights to Digicel and Telikom;
* improving competition through regulation of wholesale prices
and the establishment of appropriate pricing principles Act; and, * Numbering resources are adequate to meet the growing demand
for mobile services. He said the authority and the department were implementing the
rural communication project through a US$15 million (K30 million) seed
capital from the World Bank. He said the project would involve the provision
of voice telephony services to rural areas and would be awarded through a
competitive and public bidding process. From
THE NATIONAL/PACNEWS |
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ASIA:
E-Health Records No Cure-all for Healthcare Challenges Computerworld Hong KongTweet Spending on healthcare IT is set to
surge as governments around the world seek to reduce healthcare costs amidst
aging population growth and also driven by a demand for healthcare systems
integration, noted a report by research firm Markets and Markets. Spending on
healthcare IT is set to surge as governments around the world seek to reduce
healthcare costs amidst aging population growth and also driven by a demand
for healthcare systems integration, noted a report by research firm Markets
and Markets. The report forecasted that global healthcare IT spending will rise from 2012's US$40.4 billion to US$56.7 billion by
2017. In Asia there is a major focus among countries like The integration of systems and patient data across key
institutions and healthcare providers is seen as a key enabler for driving up
the quality of healthcare delivery. Dr William Hersh, Professor and Chair,
Department of Medical Informatics & Clinical Epidemiology (DMICE), Oregon
Health & Science University, spoke recently in Singapore on the area
using operational e-health record (EHR) data. He noted that there has been
substantial investment in the US with up to US$27 billion to adopt EHR
systems. "The Health Information Exchange--a system in the US that
allows for sharing of patient data across platforms and geographies, similar
to the systems in Hong Kong and Singapore--have afforded healthcare
authorities a unique bird's-eye view of patients who get their care in
different places," said Hersh. Eyes on the prize While this rush to implement EHR systems gathers pace, some
observers warn against placing too much importance on the concept of a
national e-health record at the risk of losing sight of the end goal. "I
don't actually buy the idea that Singapore or Hong Kong is leading the region
in strategic e-health delivery," said Matt Hector-Taylor, CEO of health
software provider, HSA Global in New Zealand. The focus in New Zealand has
been more about building standard interfaces to enable a variety of parties
to access, read and update patient information across different systems while
enabling a new approach to healthcare that pushes health delivery away from
hospitals and out to the wider healthcare community. Hector-Taylor, who spoke
during an interview at the HIMSS Asia Pacific 2013 conference / Greater China
eHealth Forum held recently in Hong Kong, is not convinced that the national
EHR concept is core to the overall strategy of improving and transforming
healthcare. "The fact that these countries will get these EHR systems
live within budget and on time is commendable and we want to see it work and
generate value, but these systems in themselves are not going to deliver
better healthcare," he said. "The question is: are these EHR
systems actually changing any practices around healthcare?"
Hector-Taylor noted the technology in these systems is great but if these
systems do not actually change the way people receive healthcare, or enable a
cheaper and better method of healthcare, then what have they achieved? He
added that there are clear use-cases for a national EHR with scenarios of
patients moving from region to region or appearing in a hospital that has no
prior record of treatment in that area. "But does that scenario really
transform healthcare?" Health practice rethink Most observers including Hector-Taylor agree that there will be
benefits from implementing EHR systems. But the critical elements are the
transactional pieces around a patient receiving better healthcare -- will the
patient when dealing with multiple touchpoints actually get better, cheaper
care as a result? That is the question that must be answered. "There
needs to be a thorough rethinking of new workflows and practices -- right now
I still see a separation of workflow and health practice from the information
and systems that are being developed," he said. Stephen Lieber,
President & CEO of HIMSS agreed that starting the journey to better
healthcare with a focus on delivering an EHR platform and just "seeing
where it takes you" would not deliver the right goal. "By focusing
on real healthcare-oriented goals and metrics--such as patient satisfaction,
speed of treatments--and working backwards from there, there is a better
chance of making real progress," he said. Without commenting on specific
countries, Lieber noted that the risk for some markets is the fear of
trailing other parts of the world in developing systems. "A catchup
mentality can be adopted rather than a strategic mentality aimed at
delivering a more strategic goal around improving healthcare." HSA Global is working with institutions in New Zealand,
Australia and Singapore to rethink healthcare delivery around the idea of
continuous and community care. This involves not just standardizing data and
systems but also rethinking workflows, the roles of individuals and
institutions that interact with patients. Australia is one market that also
has seen lots of attention on leading adoption of EHR systems but
Hector-Taylor again casts doubt on the real value. "Rather than upset
anyone by not proposing any changes to workflows or healthcare structure,
Australia has simply said it will digitize all patient data," he said.
"That simply takes a manual mess and turns it into a digital mess and
quite possibly not even a comprehensive digital mess." From
http://news.idg.no/
EUROPE:
Data Protection Essential to Digital Economy, Say EU Leaders European Union leaders have given themselves room for maneuver
in implementing new data protection laws, while pledging to introduce them in
a timely fashion. All 28 leaders of the E.U. member states discussed issues
of data protection, mass surveillance and the digital economy at a meeting
that continued late into the night on Thursday. They agreed that there is a
strong need for an improved, robust digital economy in Europe and that
artificial barriers between member states must be removed to create the
so-called "digital single market." However, the meeting was dragged
out with discussion on the subject of alleged illegal snooping by the U.S.
National Security Agency, among others. Allegations that the NSA hacked
German Chancellor Angela Merkel's mobile phone gave impetus to this debate.
Also on the agenda was the overhaul of Europe's data protection laws,
although these would not have had any impact on any alleged spying. The new
data protection regulation got the thumbs-up in a key committee vote in the
European Parliament on Monday and negotiations with the E.U. member states
were expected to begin soon. Early leaked drafts of the council conclusions indicated that
the leaders would agree on the new data protection laws in early 2014; this
was then amended to "by 2015," giving the leaders some extra months
to finalize the text. Part of the council conclusions reads: "It is
important to foster the trust of citizens and businesses in the digital
economy. The timely adoption of a strong E.U. General Data Protection
framework and the Cyber-security Directive is essential for the completion of
the Digital Single Market by 2015." Despite media reports that this was
a significant alteration in timeframe, members of the European Parliament and
the European Commission who must also approve the regulation said that this
was not a significant change. The Commission's Digital Agenda spokesman Ryan
Heath said on Friday: "This gives a good push for 2014. We want to see
the European Parliament vote before the Parliament elections in May and then
to wrap up between the Commission, the Council and the Parliament in rest of
2014." "We stressed that we have to speed up the work, but it is a
complex task. It's not only related to the already difficult issues of
protecting privacy, but it is also an impact on business," said E.U.
President Herman Van Rompuy. British Prime Minister David Cameron argued for removing a date
altogether, according to sources familiar with the proceedings. The U.K. is
concerned that the regulation will have a negative effect on businesses. He
did not comment on the council meeting outcome, leaving on Friday without
speaking to the press. The text of the regulation that was approved by the
parliamentary committee this week includes a "right to erasure"
clause that would limit Internet companies' access to users' private data,
with fines for those who break the rules. The conclusions were welcomed by
politicians and businesses alike. Jan Philipp Albrecht, the member of the
European Parliament charged with seeing the regulation through, said he was
happy that the importance of the regulation had been stressed. "Now it
is up to the ministers to do their homework and get this negotiated
soon," he said. Meanwhile Liam Benham, IBM Europe vice president, said
in an email on Friday: "We welcome the decision by EU leaders to
prioritise quality over speed in their discussion on the data protection
regulation." But he added: "The current proposal contains major
defects that not only would undermine Europe's competitiveness, but would
also fail to deliver the sort of online privacy we all want to see." From
http://news.idg.no/
Ministerial
Conference in Belgrade to Discuss How to Further Protect Freedom of
Expression and Internet Freedom in Europe Ministers responsible for Media and Information Society from the
47 Council of Europe member states will meet in Belgrade on 7 and 8 November
to discuss how to improve the protection of freedom of expression in Europe.
The conference “Freedom of expression and democracy in the digital age:
opportunities, rights, responsibilities” is organised by the Council of
Europe in cooperation with the Ministry of Culture and Information of the
Republic of Serbia. Participants will discuss the opportunities and
challenges to freedom of expression and other human rights in respect of the
Internet, for example the implications that access to the Internet has for
effectively exercising these rights, and the risks stemming from insufficient
protection of privacy online. The conference will tackle the persistent
problem of violence against journalists, and explore ways to prevent their
intimidation and harassment. Participants will also consider the rights and
responsibilities of journalists, bloggers, whistle-blowers and human rights
activists, and action to promote pluralism, diversity and quality in the
changing media landscape. On the second day, the conference will focus on how to deal with
the growing phenomenon of hate speech online at national and international
level. The Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe Nils
Muižnieks, the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the
right to freedom of opinion of the United Nations Frank La Rue, the OSCE
representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatovic, and the director
general of the European Broadcasting Corporation Ingrid Deltenre La Rue will
be among the guest speakers. Representatives from civil society, media,
business and other stakeholders will also participate in the conference.
Prime Minister of the Republic of Serbia Ivica Dačić and Council of Europe
Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland will open the conference at 9.00 on 7
November. On the last day of the conference the ministers are expected to
adopt a political declaration and several resolutions mapping out the future
work of the Council of Europe in the field of freedom of expression. Practical information: The conference, which
will be held at the Metropol Palace Hotel, is open to the press The ministerial conference will be webcast on the Conference
website. Media representatives are invited to send accreditation requests
before 5 November, 4 pm to zpovrenovic@kultura.gov.rs On 8 November, just after the closure, a press conference will
be held at 13:30 at the Parliament of Serbia with Philippe Boillat, Council
of Europe Director General of Human Rights and Rule of Law, Ivan Tasovac,
Serbian Minister of Culture and Information, and Nebojsa Stefanovic,
President of the Serbian Parliament.
From
http://www.i-policy.org/
European
Parliament LIBE Committee Fails Europe on Data Protection IAB Europe, the voice of digital business in Europe, today
responded to the outcome of the vote yesterday evening in the European
Parliament’s LIBE Committee, which is leading the legislative process for a
new Regulation on Data Protection. Kimon Zorbas, Vice President of IAB
Europe, said: “The LIBE Committee missed a critical opportunity to strike the
right balance between the protection of European citizens’ fundamental rights
to privacy and the promotion of innovation and growth. The European
Parliament vote demonstrates just how detached Brussels is from commercial
reality in Europe today.” Pseudonymous data - a method for collecting data in
a way that protects the privacy of users – is now included in the draft
Regulation but remains unworkable in its proposed form. “We welcome the
inclusion of pseudonymous data but the final Regulation must fine tune the
principle if it is to be effective,” outlined Zorbas. “Online industry wants Europe to adopt
Germany’s approach to dealing with this type of data. Instead we see new,
immature and half-baked concepts, like “reasonable consumer expectations”
that create legal uncertainty and ambiguity leading to overly complex privacy
policies - the very thing legislators wanted to avoid,” he continued.
Explicit consent, pseudonymous data and profiling are key provisions that
have been mishandled by the European Parliament. “The adopted draft text is
riddled with inconsistencies which we hope to be corrected by the Trialogue
with the Council and European Commission," stated Zorbas. “The LIBE
Committee agreed that explicit consent would be required in most
circumstances which will be nearly impossible to obtain for most European B2B
companies or any fledgling small or medium sized digital enterprise,"
warned Zorbas. The online business sector fully supports the responsible
management of privacy for European citizens, however
the provisions in the current draft are unworkable in practice. "In
their overly zealous response the European Parliament sets us on track for a
repeat of the ePrivacy Directive," said Zorbas. From
http://www.iabeurope.eu/
Estonian
Government Sets Priorities for IT Society Development On November 14th, Estonian government agreed on the development
plan of Estonia’s ICT sector. The plan focuses on using IT to improve the
well-being of citizens, increase the economic competitiveness of Estonian
companies and make the public sector more efficient. Some of the priorities
stated are focusing on further high-speed internet development for rural
areas, enabling better control over private data usage, cross-border services
and joint PKI development in EU and incease of usage of the digital signature
in the EU. The goal is also to become the heart and a think-tank for digital
society development and also create a virtual residence - to make the secure
ID-card and e-services also available for non-residents. From
http://bit.ly/ U.
K.: Mobile network EE are launching From
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/
NORTH
AMERICA: Canada - Recognizing Women in IT - A Paradoxical Co-existence of
Celebration and Discomfort Last Thursday I had the privilege to attend the 2013 CDN’s Women
in the IT Channel Recognition lunch. This was the third annual event for women
in the industry – indeed a lovely celebration, attended by over 100 women
from the industry. Lots of
great networking and engaging learning for all of us from the workshop
sessions, panel discussion and luncheon speakers. A couple of things I noticed
about the event – first, was the edging toward mid-life average age in the
room. Of course this is a
celebration of achievement and as such the honourees and panel have careers
with achievements that by definition are mid-life. That said – wouldn’t it be
inspiring to have more young women at the event in future? The other thing I noticed, is the co-existence of celebration and discomfort
for some with the idea of a women’s celebration. Why this co-existence? Let me start with the discomfort. I think it stems from not
wanting to be “singled out” as women in a male-dominated industry. In a conversation with one of the 2013
CDN’s Women in the IT Channel Award recipients, she built a career based on
her technical education, navigating and working with many men as peers,
colleagues and now subordinates.
Perhaps as she notes, she’s been “head’s down” about doing her work
well, and not really noticing the broader industry – but the recognition in
the award really brought it to her awareness. In my observation, when women
are pioneers in a field, we mostly just get on with the work, not drawing
attention to the fact that we’re women.
And so a “women’s” event is both a welcome recognition, and still a
bit of a discomfort. And that’s
ok – it’s just where we are, at this moment in history. Which
brings me to the celebration.
Anne Sado, of To encourage more women to take on leadership, we must
acknowledge the courage of those women in the room, and those in the industry
who have taken on leadership roles.
We can learn from their paths.
And we celebrate their achievements as a stepping stone toward a day
when the “GAP” will close. Even
if it’s a little uncomfortable, it’s worth celebrating! Kudos to IT
World/Computer Dealer News and industry sponsors for recognizing the need and
creating the celebration. And so
to the next generation, let’s encourage our companies, industry partners,
clients to fund a place for these young women to join the celebration next
year! From
http://www.itbusiness.ca/
Montreal
Subway to Get Wireless Service Four Canadian carriers are coming together in a $50 million,
seven-year project that will see the deployment of wireless communications
service in Montreal’s subway network. The plan to provide wireless service to
Société de transport de Montréal (STM) customers,
includes The subway serves some 900,000 commuters each day but the underground
system does not have any wireless service. That is about to change, according
to the STM. “While travelling on the metro, Montreal public transit clients
will be able to browse the Web, watch videos, download music, make and
receive calls and more,” an STM statement said. “In fact, From
http://www.itworldcanada.com/
Where
Organizations Are Using Cloud Solutions One of the easiest ways for a vendor to show a technology is
catching on is to do a survey. Recently two companies offering cloud
solutions released polls from their communities showing where the cloud is
popular. Spiceworks, which makes a free vendor sponsored Web-based network
management and help desk solutions, said 70 per cent of the 600 of global IT
professionals that responded to its survey are using cloud-based Web hosting
applications. Another three per cent are planning to use a Web hosting
service in the next six months. Sixty per cent of respondents said they are
using cloud-based security applications, while 30 per cent are using backup
apps. While online backup solutions showed the lowest adoption rates, the
company said in a release, 13 per cent of respondents said they plan to
implement an offering in the next six months. Of those who have or plan to
deploy a cloud-based backup solution, nearly 75 per cent have already or will
back up more than 100 gigabytes of data to the cloud. One-third of
respondents have or plan to back up more than 1
terabyte of data to the cloud. On the other hand, just under 60 per
cent of respondents who aren’t using a cloud-based backup solution said
“heavy bandwidth requirements” were a concern, followed by 48 per cent who
said “risk of data loss/security breach” was barrier to adoption. Of those
using cloud-based security solutions, anti-spam solutions are used by 41 per
cent of respondents, followed by content filtering at 27 per cent and
anti-virus at 22 per cent. The roughly 40 per cent who don’t use cloud-based
security said the “lack of control over solution components,” “risk of
relying on third parties to deliver critical services,” and “bandwidth
requirements” were the primary barriers to adoption. The survey was sent to
people registered with the Spiceworks Community, which the company says
numbers 2.6 million. Sixty eight per cent of respondents were from North
America and 32 per cent from Europe, the middle east and Asia. The majority
of those surveyed work in organizations with less than 1,000 employees. From
http://www.itworldcanada.com/
New York Has
Free Wi-Fi Hotspots, So Why Is Toronto Lagging Behind? New York is getting free Wi-Fi hotspots, so why doesn’t Canada’s
largest city, Toronto, pursue internet freedom as well? It only makes sense,
especially since many now view internet access as a human rights issue.
Recently, New York City’s Mayor, Michael Bloomberg, revealed the city is set
to launch 10 free Wi-Fi hot spots spread across New York’s five boroughs.
Free Wi-Fi areas were chosen because of high foot traffic and a mix of residential,
commercial and retail spaces. The project cost $4.3 million, with $3.4
million from private investors and $900,000 coming from the City of New York.
“It’s going to mean that the information and power of the Web will be
available in public spaces,” said Bloomberg during a press conference.
Toronto city councillor Josh Matlow wants the city of Toronto to offer
similar free Wi-Fi access. Matlow’s request is currently being reviewed by
Toronto’s government management committee and the report regarding the
possibility of free Wi-Fi is due by March 2014. The pilot program would create a free Wi-Fi hotspot in Toronto’s
Nathan Philips Square by the end of 2014. Another free Wi-Fi related project,
launched approximately seven years ago through a partnership with Toronto
Hydro, never really lived up to its potential. It ultimately failed when the
once-free hotspot turned into a paid service that isn’t much cheaper than
pay-for-use telecommunications offerings from big companies like Rogers and
Bell. Free Wi-Fi in Toronto would be especially helpful for tourists trying
to find their way around the city and for residents who can’t afford hefty
mobile or home internet fees. Torontonians looking to avoid going over
restrictive Canadian data caps, especially on their smartphones, might also
find access to free Wi-Fi useful. “It’s a public service, it also can
contribute to narrowing an equity gap … this also provides opportunity for
tourists,” said Matlow in an interview with the Toronto Sun. Rogers already
offers a program called “Connected for Success,” which offers broadband
internet access to Toronto Community Housing (TCH) properties. According to Rogers, only 20 per cent
of TCH residents have access to the internet. Canadians pay some of the highest prices for what is arguably
the slowest internet in the developed world. It’s no wonder people who rely
on Toronto’s social safety net to afford housing don’t have internet access.
In the private sector, Wireless Toronto, a private company dedicated to
offering free Wi-Fi to Torontonians in specific geographical locations, gives
free Wi-Fi access to businesses and organizations if they meet specific
criteria. It only costs $ From
http://o.canada.com/
Ottawa to
Reduce Domestic — Not Foreign — Wireless Roaming Rates Post to Twitter Post
to Facebook Share on LinkedIn Share with Google+ 3 Comments Howard Solomon After stating in the throne speech that Canadians pay some of
the highest wireless rates in the developed world, the Harper government says
it will “take steps” to reduce the cost cellular subscribers pay for roaming
on networks within Canada. That may mean savings for someone with a So going after domestic roaming charges “is a great thing,” he
said. “And I think its a major irritant to have to
pay $50 (in roaming fees) for three calls, as I did last time I was in Industry Canada leaves carriers to negotiate roaming rates with
each other. That’s not much concern to incumbents like Bell Mobility, Rogers
Communications and Telus, who have large national networks. In 2008, when new entrants Wind
Mobile, Mobilicity, Public Mobile, Videotron and Eastlink won spectrum,
Industry Canada ordered incumbent carriers to negotiate roaming agreements
with them because they were just starting: Without the ability to roam, their
subscribers would have faced tiny networks. In a statement Telus said that
roaming rates need to be “high enough to encourage new companies to build
their own infrastructure rather than renting from established carriers
indefinitely, while allowing established carriers such as Telus to make
continued investment in rural areas.” “Telus regularly works with new entrants that approach us and
want to roam on our networks, and we are always able to reach commercially
agreeable terms,” the statement said. “This past March, the government
revised and reissued its domestic roaming rules, and thus far they appear to
be fair and balanced rules which should be given the chance to work.
Mandating artificially low domestic roaming rates will actually discourage
network investment by both established and newer wireless carriers.” Wind The speech also said the government will “continue enhancing
high speed broadband networks for rural Canadians.” Again, there was no
detail on how it will do that. Until now it has been funding rural carriers
to expand or upgrade their networks through a special fund as part of the
recession stimulus package. The deadline for applying for funds in that
program has passed. It also has provisions obliging carriers that win frequencies
that cover rural areas in next year’s 700 MHz spectrum auction to not linger
too long in bringing higher-speed service there. In a statement the Canadian
Cable Systems Alliance (CCSA), which represents rural cable and Internet
service providers, congratulated Ottawa on its commitment “to choice and
competition for rural Canadian telecom, Internet and broadcasting consumers.”
One thing missing from the throne speech was anything dealing with the Harper
government’s long-promised national digital policy that would deal with
broadband needs of the future in a wider way than just the underserved rural
areas. From
http://www.itworldcanada.com/
National
Movement Targets Lack of Women, Minorities in Computing In recent years, new organizations have popped up around the
country with the common goal of showing women and minorities that computer
science isn't just for people who look like Bill Gates. One major stereotype
about technology is that it is mostly a field for geeky white men. To some
degree, the stereotype has become a self-fulfilling prophecy, as statistics
show that women and certain minority groups are not pursuing technology in
school, and even when they do, they don’t necessarily pursue careers in
technical fields. To that point, a nationwide movement has formed dedicated
to engaging those who have been left behind involved in the increasingly
relevant field of computer science. Where Are the Women? Women dominate in U.S. universities, with 57 percent of all
undergraduate degrees going to women. It’s not that women aren’t technically
minded either, as 52 percent of all math and science undergraduate degrees
are attained by women. But in computer and information science, women
represent only 18 percent of all undergraduate degrees. And the trend starts
early in a woman’s educational career, as females represent 56 percent of
high school Advanced Placement (AP) test-takers, but only 19 percent of AP
Computer Science test-takers. There are broader problems perpetuated by
American educational institutions, like the fact that most high schools don't
require any kind of computer classes, or make any distinction between
computer literacy classes and computer science classes. But these issues
aren’t keeping white males out of computer science, so there must be other
factors at work. Cultural perceptions about technology play a big role in
keeping women and minorities out of computer science, said Joanne Cohoon, a professor
at the University of Virginia who specializes in sociological issues around
computing and gender. Cohoon is also the senior social science researcher at
the National Center for Women in Information Technology (NCWIT) and the
principal investigator for the Tapestry Workshops. Technology is viewed as a masculine endeavor and women are not
appreciated for being technical, Cohoon said. These stereotypes, reinforced
by pop culture, affect how people think about themselves and their own
capabilties, and in turn, create educational environments where white men are
welcomed and everyone else, though technically allowed to participate, is
excluded. It’s hard for students to participate in an environment if they’re
surrounded by people who don’t look like them and they can’t relate to,
Cohoon said. Kyla McMullen, an assistant professor at the Human-Centered
Computing Division at Clemson University in South Carolina, experienced some
of the things Cohoon mentioned as she earned her Ph.D. in computer science from
the University of Michigan in 2012, the first black woman to do so. McMullen
recalled being a struggling student and feeling grateful to have access to
the Meyerhoff Scholars Program, an undergraduate scholarship program for
minorities, which gave her a support network and much-needed guidance at the
time. But not everyone was supportive, she said. Her graduate department
chair once advised her to drop out and pursue a subject she might be better
suited to, like education, she recalled. Breaking Down Stereotypes Ph.D. in hand, McMullen is now trying to change the image of
computer science. The mostly female and non-white division of Clemson's
School of Computing is featured in a documentary Web series called Lab Daze,
a marketing tool conceived by Department Chair Juan Gilbert. People should
see that there are all kinds of people in computer science, she said. The
U.S. Department of Labor estimated that between 2010 and 2020, there will be
more than 1.4 million computing-related job openings nationally, and at
current graduation rates, only about 30 percent of those jobs can be filled.
“When I think about careers and computer programming, I think of people like
my Dad, always sitting at the laptops, looking at all these different
websites, just working a lot,” said a young girl from Austin, Texas,
interviewed by NCWIT for a 2012 survey. Seth Reichelson, a computer science teacher at Lake Brantley
High School in Altamonte Springs, Fla., was invited to the White House and
recognized for his ability to get girls and minorities into his computer
science classes. In 2012, Reichelson’s students alone constituted more than 1
percent of all students in the country who took the AP computer science exam
and many of them were female. But it wasn’t always like that, Reichelson
said. Having taught physics, engineering and computer science for 17 years,
Reichelson recalled years of having just a couple of girls in each of his
computer science classes, and he never thought anything of it. Reichelson
changed his approach after receiving an email from a program called the
Tapestry Workshops, which he now tours with. The Tapestry Workshops travels
the country educating teachers on how to recruit and retain female and
minority students in computer science. Even today, Reichelson said, he must
fight old habits that would lead him back to a mostly male classroom. Quality Content and
Role Models Inspire “First you have to have good content,” he said. “No good content
means no students at all.” The teacher also needs to
create an inclusive atmosphere, he said. “So, you have to watch out for what
examples you choose, you have to watch out for the language you use, you have
to be gender neutral,” he said. “Even as far down as what your classroom
looks like.” Students need to feel they belong somewhere or they won’t want
to participate, he said. Starting early and showing girls and minorities that
this is a real option for them is important, he said. That’s why programs
like the Tapestry Workshops and Black Girls Code and iUrban Teen Tech exist.
Black Girls Code hosts events around the country in an attempt to revive
interest in computer science among females, focusing on non-white students.
“Our goal and our mission,” said founder Kimberly Bryant, “is to teach girls
of color between the ages of 7 and 17 about computer programming and
technology and giving them resources and skills and access to mentors that
will allow them to move from a position of being only consumers of technology
and becoming next generation creators and leaders in technology.” A program called iUrban Teen Tech is focused on bringing tech
education to black and Latino males, the two groups at the highest risk for
dropping out of school. Through interactive workshops, technology summits,
classes, and trips to industry, students get exposure to the world of
technology development. The idea, said founder Deena Pierott, is to show
students that careers in technology are accessible to them. Launched in 2011
on the campus of Washington State University in Vancouver, Wash., iUrban Teen
Tech has since been expanded to the University of Portland, and is now
broadening its reach into Seattle and Los Angeles. There are many factors to
consider when it comes to keeping students interested in science, technology,
engineering, and mathematics (STEM), Portland Chief Technology Officer Ben
Berry said. Students first need access and exposure to what’s available;
parents need to support their interest; students’ peers must accept their
choice to be involved with technology; they need to feel inspired to continue
participating; and they need role models who can show them the way. The
country needs more mentors for black and Latino students, Berry said. His own
success in a technology-based career comes from seeing his father, the first
black student to graduate in aeronautical engineering at USC, assume a
position of authority in a STEM field. Seeing his father's success showed him
that this was a kind of position that was possible for him, too. From
http://www.govtech.com/
U.S.:
Looking for Innovation on Disaster Communication The White House's Office of Science and Technology Policy played
host recently to a brainstorming session designed to generate ideas for using
technology in disaster relief and recovery that included participants from
the public and private sectors and non-profits. It was the latest in a series
of "innovation jams" convened by OSTP in order to fast-track
solutions to knotty problems. One key problem facing first responders is how
to cope with the fire hose of information coming from mainstream media and
personal accounts on social media. The Federal Emergency Management
Association maintains a small digital engagement team to monitor social media
for trends that might indicate need, but it's nothing like a virtual 911. The
American Red Cross has trained about 160 digital volunteers that can exchange
information across social networks in times of crisis, a service launched in
the wake of Hurricane Irene in 2011. According to Wendy Harman, director of
information management at the American Red Cross, adding digital volunteers
is a slow process because the organization's social media staff is stretched
thin and it's hard to find time for training. Harman, who was at the OSTP event, collaborated on a project
that has the potential to help organize digital information in a crisis. The
group developed a rapid prototype of a system that automatically identifies
and tags information related to a particular disaster, whether it comes from
news organizations or social media feeds. The idea is to give responders on
the ground a picture of what's happening. Such an idea is useful, Harman
said, because of the problem of trying to provide structure to the
unstructured data flow of social media. The Red Cross does some of the same
work in their digital center. "We're not an individual response
organization, but we can pick up trends and see gaps in service," she
said. Molly Turner, director of public policy at the online vacation rental
network Airbnb, said the session was more like a San Francisco hackathon than
a government event. "It was very informal, with the least amount of
talking-at I've ever received." Senior officials from FEMA, the
Department of Energy, and the Department of Health and Human Services participated
in brainstorming sessions. "They provided Play-Doh, origami, toothpicks,
and glue," Turner said. "They knew that some people like to
visualize and physically prototype things as they brainstorm." From
http://fcw.com/
How
Technology Is Changing Citizen Engagement in Austin A famously argumentative city, technology is having a serious
impact on how citizens interact with local government in Austin, Texas. The
unofficial motto of Austin, Texas, may be “Keep Austin Weird.” But surely “Oh, and One More Thing ...” deserves space on its T-shirts
too. The city is famously argumentative. It took residents almost three
decades to come to terms on a new airport after the Federal Aviation
Administration advanced the idea in 1971. A water treatment plant first
proposed in the 1970s sparked such a drawn-out battle that, although
construction finally began in 2009, it is still not finished. Mass transit,
highway projects, a new city hall—all are grist for robust public consideration.
“Local government is close to citizens generally, but in Austin it’s really
close,” says assistant director of planning Garner Stoll. “Austin folks have
a long history of being blunt and outspoken.” So it seemed like the blink of
an eye when Austin needed only three years to arrive at a new comprehensive
plan, approved last year. Especially since the planning effort, known as
Imagine Austin, reached far beyond the usual crowd of community players. Criticized initially for a public engagement process that roped
in the usual land-use participants, the city’s planning department got
creative. It developed “meetings in a box” that allowed groups in the
community to use their own meetings to discuss questions that planners wanted
asked. It worked with African-American pastors and the Asian Chamber of
Commerce and took out ads on Spanish-language television network Univision to
attract participants who didn’t usually show up at official city gatherings.
It held countless workshops and four different series of community forums. It
used social media to reach younger residents, and developed an online site,
SpeakUpAustin, to solicit ideas and encourage public feedback on them. The
response was gratifying. Some 18,000 people wound up getting involved in the
plan. It was a public-participation enthusiast’s dream. Except for one thing.
“When you have 10 people,” says Stoll, “they can discuss things in depth to
their heart’s content. But if you have 18,000, you have to figure out how to
manage those numbers. We hadn’t really thought about the consequences of
having that many people involved. It’s like, what does happen when the dog
catches the bus?” This is not an idle question. Citizen engagement is coming of
age. Local governments are experimenting as never before, pushed by the
excruciating decisions that come with tight budgets, the ubiquity of social
media and the development of new online deliberation tools. Behind it is a recognition that the time-worn public hearing may not be
the best and is certainly not the only way to interact with the public.
There’s so much interest, in fact, that the International City/County
Management Association’s new Center for Management Strategies—which focuses
on what its director, Cheryl Hilvert, calls “emerging and trending practices”—has
chosen citizen engagement as the first subject it will help members navigate.
“There are opportunities to involve the community,” Hilvert says, “in a whole
gamut of ways we haven’t traditionally done.” Some cities are involving
residents more fully in budgeting decisions—sometimes through “budget
challenges,” which are mostly designed to help residents understand the
complexities of what city officials have to face, but also through the
interactive processes required by priority-based budgeting and participatory
budgeting. Many of them are turning to startups like Peak Democracy and
MindMixer to develop websites that let residents weigh in on issues
confronting their cities. The open data movement is seeking to harness the
creativity and talents of citizen-technologists to create applications that,
in ways big and small, improve residents’ quality of life. A number of cities—among them Philadelphia; Kansas City, Mo.;
and San Francisco—have created “chief innovation officers” whose job
descriptions include spearheading open data efforts and exploring new
frontiers of engagement. Just as Austin has done, cities are beginning to
create staff positions focused on helping their agencies deepen and broaden
engagement efforts. In what may be a sign of things to come, one candidate
for secretary of state in California next year—Pete Peterson, director of
Pepperdine University’s Davenport Institute for Public Engagement and Civic
Leadership—is running a campaign based explicitly on using the office to promote
civic engagement and civic health statewide. Community engagement isn’t new,
of course. Groups like the National Civic League and Public Agenda have been
plowing this ground for decades. More recently groups pushing “study circles”
and “deliberative democracy” have joined them. St. Paul, Minn., and Dayton,
Ohio, for example, long ago developed formal structures for encouraging
citizen participation. But local governments across the country now seem to
be at a tipping point. “We’re in a period of great ferment,” says James
Svara, a political scientist at Arizona State University who studies public
engagement efforts. “Governments are trying all these things, and eventually
it will become a standard practice and we’ll see a new consensus about what
it all means.” For the moment, though, it is anything but a standard practice.
To put it in Garner Stoll’s terms, they’re just setting out now to solve the
problem of the dog and the bus. Right off the bat, two things should be made
clear. The first is that “engagement” is in the eye of the beholder. As
Swarthmore College political scientist Ben Berger put it in a paper on the
subject a few years ago, “Like other buzzwords, civic engagement means so
many things to so many people that it clarifies almost nothing.” The second
is that there is a wide spectrum of public participation. The International
Association for Public Participation, known as IAP2, says that spectrum runs
from a bare minimum of informing the public about problems and alternative
solutions, to collaborating with them and empowering citizens to make the
final decisions. Countless city officials still think that giving residents
three minutes at the microphone makes for citizen engagement. They are “stuck
in the check-box era,” says Larry Schooler, Austin’s civic engagement
consultant—a city staff position—and president of IAP2 USA. “They develop a
policy and put it out for comment but are not willing to incorporate those
comments into the policy.” City officials are, in fact, of two minds on the subject. This
became abundantly clear in the study “Testing the Waters,” released earlier
this year by the nonprofit group Public Agenda and the Davenport Institute.
Surveying 900 local officials in California, the study found that on the one
hand, a full 88 percent of respondents said that the public already has
“ample opportunity” to participate in local decision-making and that they
considered typical public meetings to be effective. On the other, the vast
majority also believed the public to be too busy to participate, too
disengaged or ignorant to understand the issues facing their communities, and
too angry and distrustful of local officials to be reliable partners.
Three-fourths of the local officials surveyed believed that public meetings
are dominated by people with narrow agendas. Nearly two-thirds said that
public hearings “typically attract complainers and ‘professional citizens’”
and don’t give the broad public a voice. Only half said that their typical
meetings “generate thoughtful discussion among ordinary residents.” Yet like
it or not, city officials are being pushed to expand their engagement
horizons—and not just because dire budgets are forcing them to go to the
public for help or because citizens are demanding it. They are also, says
Pepperdine’s Peterson, confronting well organized lobbying efforts on a range
of issues. “The deeper engaged groups are louder than ever and better
organized,” he says. Some city managers, he suggests, want to expand public
engagement “to involve people who are more moderate or might have a
common-sense perspective on these issues.” They are also coming to believe that part of their distaste for
what they’ve seen of public engagement in the past—the harangues, the parade
of the same dozen faces at every public meeting, the angry exchanges with
frustrated citizens—may stem not from the fact of public engagement, but from
the public hearing model. “In our training sessions,” Peterson says, “we’ve
heard public-sector officials say, ‘Wait, this three-minutes-at-a-microphone
is enabling the behavior and inviting the kind of participation we’ve been
seeking to avoid.’ That means the people aren’t necessarily the problem.
Maybe it’s the process that needs changing.” For many cities, new online
applications offer an easy way to explore this idea. One of the earliest
cities to do so was Omaha, Neb. A few years ago it created an online site,
Engage Omaha, to provoke its residents to share their thoughts. The city
happens to be home to MindMixer, one of the small crop
of public engagement startups that are transforming how governments interact
with their citizens. “When I first got to city hall,” says Aida Amoura, who was
communications director for former Omaha Mayor Jim Suttle, “they were afraid
of public forums because the administration had been burned by them. I’d been
thinking that there’s got to be a way to reach out to people who want to be
involved in their community, where it’s not the same 20 people who always
come in to complain.” It was around this time that she met Nick Bowden and
Nathan Preheim, MindMixer’s founders, who were hoping Meanwhile, other cities are forging ahead with online tools,
using them to stoke conversations on everything from broad community visions
to specific challenges. St. Paul, for instance, has been using its Open St.
Paul site—this one powered by another leading engagement startup, Peak
Democracy—to gauge citizen sentiment on bringing streetcars back to the city,
and to solicit thoughts on how to make its recycling program more effective.
For the most part, these are baby steps. Cities are simply using technology
to enhance, but not fundamentally change, the input local governments get
from their citizens. “We’re definitely in the infancy of shaping how these
technologies intermediate interaction between a government and its people,”
says Jay Nath, San Francisco’s chief innovation officer. San Francisco has
taken a broad view of how to use its ImproveSF site, mounting “challenges”
for citizens to tackle. Its first venture asked people to create a new visual
identity for the city’s transportation agency, and though the agency is happy
with the result, Nath says it’s not something he’d do again. “What we learned
is that the process should not be used to crowdsource efforts that we could
pay for,” he says. “Instead, we should be focused on challenges that enlist
people from the community in thinking about them and in solving them.” Toward that end, his office asked citizens to help design a new
public library card. “Our library,” he says, “wanted a creative way to enroll
more students and adults in building the library community.” The challenge
drew thousands of responses, and even expanded to an effort that asked people
to come up with ideas to improve access to fresh food in the Tenderloin, a
low-income central-city neighborhood. “It’s really about harnessing the
capacity to do good in our community,” Nath says.
“These emerging technologies give us a great way to do that. They allow
people from a geographic distance and with different time constraints and
with different backgrounds to collaborate.” For any local government
interested simply in engaging more people, there is plenty to learn. Not
least, says Austin’s Larry Schooler, is how to frame things in a way that
compels people to turn out. “If you say, ‘We want to talk about bonds,’
people yawn,” he says. “But you’ll get a different reaction if you say, ‘We
have $1.5 billion in capital needs but only $400 million in money, so how do
we spend it?’” This suggests what may be most intriguing about current
citizen engagement efforts: They offer the prospect of rewriting the
relationship between citizens and government. As Svara, the political scientist, puts it, new forms of collaboration “involve a
level of communication and a type of communication that is different from
what we’ve known in the past.” Perhaps nowhere has this been tested more fully than in But those issues can be dealt with on the next go-round, Keen
says, by more narrowly defining the projects that will be eligible for
funding. More important, he says, the budgeting process brought the city some
crucial benefits, and he now counts himself a guarded supporter. “Our staff
was engaging with ordinary members of the public at a level we don’t
typically get to,” he says. “Traffic engineers were engaging with residents
who asked for information about what does it cost to fill potholes, or how
far would this amount of money go for paving or for new streetlights. It
created a forum for a conversation that typically doesn’t happen between the
city staff and the community.” The result, Marti Brown believes, is that the
process has changed the relationship between city staff and residents. “City staff are used to the public being angry, and in this
process they were curious, patient and good listeners,” she says. “It’s
increased the public’s understanding of how government works.” The biggest
payoff for communities may, in fact, lie in changing how public conversations
work. That is what Austin is exploring now. After a time-consuming effort to distill the thoughts of 18,000
people and use them to shape the city’s priorities for the next few decades,
city officials are convinced that they have a comprehensive plan that
reflects the city’s enduring concerns. “We were following the idea of a plan
driven by the values of residents—not staff or consultants or city council or
the planning commission,” Garner Stoll says. “The problem with following only
the values of your elected officials is they will change. This plan needed to
have continuity.” The challenge, of course, is what the city does with what
it learned. Toward that end, City Manager Marc Ott has been driving a
five-part process to implement Imagine Austin, including wide-ranging efforts
to simplify and align the city’s land development regulations and to continue
reaching out to residents. Ott has also created a series of teams, made up of
staff from a mix of departments, to make sure the city’s departments are
talking to one another about how best to pursue the eight overarching
priorities produced by the plan, such as keeping the city compact and
connected, investing in the city’s creative economy and keeping housing
affordable. The result, he argues, will be a city that has a “collective
understanding of who we are as a community and how
we see ourselves growing over time.” When city officials propose a bond
program or put together its annual operating budget or consider
transportation investments, “people will understand better and be better able
to participate,” Ott says, “because that understanding and those
conversations will be based upon the set of shared values that are embodied
in Imagine Austin.” Ott doesn’t say this, but it’s hard to avoid one other
thought. If he’s right, perhaps the real payoff of Imagine Austin will be
that the next time the city undertakes a big project,
it won’t take three decades to get it done. From
http://www.govtech.com/
How Social
Media Is Becoming Separated from the Internet Social media has become so significant that people who are just
now getting on the Internet are more frequently accessing it via a single
site, Facebook. Facebook serves an important function in that it can make
Internet usage more relevant, by allowing interaction with a certain number
of people rather than having to use the wider Internet that lacks context.
This way, many Internet users remain herded within individual social
networks, often referred to as “walled gardens,” instead of venturing out
into the open Internet. What does this mean for government executives who
have a mandate to interact with the public thorough their .gov websites? Will
people only find information on important government programs if it is posted
in Facebook or other social networks? Certainly it is not possible to
recreate everything on social media, or to require anyone to join a social
media platform to get taxpayer-supported information. The risk is that large sections
of government information will essentially become invisible to the average
online citizen. Social networks are going to have more and more influence
over how people search for things, because people want their networks to
approve the results they get. Government executives must consider that even
when people are accessing the wider web via Google, its results are factoring
in whether a site has credibility in social media. This means a .gov property
with few social media connections will be harder to find. Some international audiences are also more likely to search for
information in Facebook because it can be a more relevant starting point than
the larger Internet, much of which is in English. Sites like Facebook and
Twitter can more accessible, because their content is a reflection of
people’s real lives. Even while Facebook’s basic platform remains English,
people will converse with their friends in their language of choice inside
the frame. With these changes, how can a .gov site hope to keep up? Government
departments and agencies are increasingly starting to examine their entire
digital footprint. As a government executive, it is part of your fiduciary
responsibility to put publicly available information and resources on the
relatively neutral territory of a dot gov, but that’s only one piece of the
puzzle. It’s important to stand back from your digital properties and ask: Do
people find this information understandable and useful? Do they recommend it
in social media? You have to make sure the message is getting out to people
where they are. From an
appearance and performance standpoint content has to play nicely with social
media. Is your .gov created with responsive resign? Does it perform equally
well across a variety of devices? Future communications campaigns will need
to look at social media as more than just an outreach component, and will
need to design the message so that people using only social media can find
the information. For instance, this means using hashtags to join conversations
that are already going on about your topic. Campaigns need to join a
conversation where it is, rather than expecting people to come to them. From
http://www.govexec.com/
This Time,
Citizens Collect Feds’ Communications Metadata As recently as August, a Verizon glitch exposed government
officials' text message histories in a way that would have allowed anyone to
discern their inner circles, according to security researchers. The
vulnerability was fixed after a non-government customer pointed out the
danger to the company this summer. Attackers could simply type their target's
phone number into a URL to see a spreadsheet of text message contacts,
timestamps and dates, according to researchers. The content of the messages
was not visible. "This was a very basic Web application security flaw
that was trivial to exploit. All you need is a browser, no special hacking
tool," said Johannes B. Ullrich, dean of research for the SANS
Technology Institute. According to a report by Kaspersky Lab on Monday,
"Modifying the digits at the end, which represent the subscriber’s phone
number, would grant the attacker access to whatever account he chose.”
Verizon Communications, as of September, was the largest telecommunications
supplier to the federal government. Verizon officials said no government
users, or any other users, were affected by the bug. "No customer
information was impacted," company spokesman Kevin Irland said.
"Verizon takes customer privacy seriously. As soon as this was brought to the
attention of our security teams, we addressed it." Ullrich, however, said customer data must have been impacted,
unless Verizon checked every Web log to rule out the possibility that an
outsider had viewed the user’s information. Irland did not respond when asked
whether the company examined all communication records. Verizon would not be
the first mobile carrier to accidentally display customer data. "Sadly,
these authentication bypass flaws are very common," Ullrich said. This
error somewhat resembles one triggered on AT&T’s site in 2010, leading to
the exposure of personal information belonging to about 120,000 iPad owners,
according to Kaspersky researchers. Andrew Auernheimer, nicknamed “Weev,”
shared the data with the media, was convicted of data theft and other crimes,
and now is serving more than three years in prison. Compared to the AT&T
iPad situation, Ullrich said, "I think the Verizon leak was worse, maybe
they just got lucky that nobody exploited it." From
http://www.nextgov.com/
Bringing
Women and Minorities to IT The Iron Sheik is a professional wrestler, now mostly retired at
the age of 71, who achieved a level of fame playing the bad guy in the ring
alongside personas like the Ultimate Warrior and Hulk Hogan. If you’re a man,
there’s a good chance you already knew that. If you’re a woman, there’s a
good chance you didn’t know that and you probably didn’t want to know,
either. While the WWE claims that 35 percent of its fans are female, the
largely male fan base illustrates a clear difference between the minds of men
and women. The failure of educational institutions to realize and acknowledge
differences like this could be part of the reason that finding a woman in a
computer science class can be like finding a parking space at the mall on
Saturday. Women earn 57 percent of all undergraduate degrees in the country,
and 52 percent of all math and science undergraduate degrees. But in computer
and information science, women represent only 18 percent of all undergraduate
degrees. And the trend starts early: Females constitute 56 percent of all
high school Advanced Placement (AP) test-takers, but represent only 19
percent of AP computer science test-takers. There’s growing evidence that this gender gap is hurting the
nation’s economy. The U.S. Department of Labor estimates that between 2010
and 2020, there will be more than 1.4 million computing-related job openings
nationally, but at current graduation rates, only 30 percent of those
positions can be filled. While opinions may differ on how to lure more
students into STEM fields, limiting the country’s talent pool by failing to
address this lack of diversity is a poor strategy for success in a
competitive global market. Women and minorities not pursuing computer science
can largely be attributed to stereotypes around technology, said Joanne
Cohoon, a University of Virginia professor who specializes in sociological
issues around computing and gender. Cohoon also is the senior social science
researcher at the National Center for Women and Information Technology and
the principal investigator for the Tapestry Workshops, which educate teachers
around the country on how to recruit and retain female and minority students
in computer science. “As a culture, we think that being masculine is related to being
technical,” she said. “And we don’t think very much of women being technical.
I think you find that even when women go into technical fields like
engineering, they go into the disciplines that are most closely aligned with
feminine stereotypes like biomedical engineering.” There’s no evil intent on
behalf of any group to exclude any other group, Cohoon said — many Americans
just can’t help but to go along with the modes of thinking that have become
cultural norms. Seth Reichelson, a computer science teacher at Lake Brantley
High School in Altamonte Springs, Fla., said he once was part of the problem.
“When I look back at the things I used to do to get students in my class, I’m
embarrassed by how bad it was,” said Reichelson, who has been teaching
physics, engineering and computer science for 17 years. For many of those years, he never gave any thought to the fact
that there were typically only three or four girls in each of his computer
classes. “It was almost like I was trying to scare the girls away,” he said,
recalling an incident from 2005. “Our school was the Knights, and they told
us to paint a giant shield for the computer programming club. We painted the
Iron Sheik, the Iranian strongman, topless, and he had Java tattoos all over
his body. It was like ... AP computer science: Iron Sheik. I still think it’s funny, but not a lot of girls looked up and said, ‘I
can picture myself in there.’” These days, Reichelson’s getting everyone
interested in what he’s selling. So much so, he was invited to the White
House and recognized for his ability to attract girls and minorities to his
computer science classes. In 2012, Reichelson’s students alone made up more than 1 percent
of all students in the country who took the AP computer science exam, and
many of them were female. One secret to Reichelson’s success, he said, is
putting students first. He contends that many teachers are more concerned
about their own pass rates than student achievement; therefore, they lead
students out of classes if they think the students may fail. Talking to
Reichelson, it’s easy to see why he’s popular with students. He comes off as
passionate, engaged and open — a natural teacher. But if Reichelson
inadvertently kept girls out of computer science, physics and engineering for
so many years, then good teachers, average teachers and bad teachers are
likely doing the same or worse. In recent years, a movement has grown around
the country. There are now many organizations dedicated to expanding the pool
of computer science students beyond white and Asian males. Reichelson changed
his approach after receiving an email from the Tapestry Workshops, which he
now tours with. Even today, Reichelson said he must fight old habits that
would lead him back to a mostly male classroom. “First you have to have good content,” he said. “No good content
means no students at all.” Teachers also need to
create an inclusive atmosphere. Students need to feel they belong or they
won’t want to participate. “You have to watch out for what examples you
choose. You have to watch out for the language you use; you have to be gender
neutral,” Reichelson said. “Even as far down as what your classroom looks
like.” Despite the hurdles, there may not be a better career right now than
computer science for women seeking a four-year degree. “There are so many
scholarships and job opportunities for girls, it’s ridiculous,” he said. “If
you’re a girl majoring in computer science, you can pretty much write your
own ticket with any company.” Kyla McMullen agreed that it’s good to be a
woman in computer science. McMullen found herself in the media spotlight when
it was discovered that by earning her Ph.D. in computer science in 2012, she
became the first black woman at the University of Michigan to do so. Getting
a doctorate is difficult, she said, but the difficulty level is increased for
women and minorities in computer science because the institution isn’t
designed with them in mind. Like many college students away from home for the first time,
McMullen faced resistance on the path to achieving her goals. Lack of sleep,
difficult classes and a big workload put her in the same boat as many other
college students, but she had the added challenge of being in the minority in
her major. She began to doubt herself, she said, but the Meyerhoff Scholars
Program, an undergraduate scholarship program for minorities, gave her a
support network and much-needed guidance. Her love of computer science
combined with personal resolve led to her eventual graduation. In graduate
school, things got even tougher. McMullen failed her qualifying exam the
first time, failed a test early on and was put on academic probation. No
longer an undergrad, she didn’t have her scholarship to lean on and had to
build her own support network — but the people around her weren’t always
supportive. McMullen once visited the graduate department chair for help
during an especially difficult time, and he suggested she give up on computer
science and pursue a subject she might be better suited to, like education. Similar incidents would happen periodically, she said. A
graduate school liaison whose job it was to help students once told her,
“I’ve never taught one of you before,” McMullen recalled. That McMullen even
had the opportunity to be the first anything in 2012 is a testament to the
institutional design flaws in higher education. With racial and gender issues
on top of the challenges inherent in achieving an advanced technical degree,
it’s no wonder McMullen was alone at the top. Now an assistant professor at
the Human-Centered Computing Division at Clemson University in South
Carolina, McMullen is doing her part to change the face of computing. The
mostly female and non-white division at the School of Computing is featured
in a documentary Web series called Lab Daze, a marketing tool conceived by
Department Chair Juan Gilbert. The effort is aimed at addressing computer
science’s image problem. “We’re just trying to give people a different picture of what
computer science looks like and what people who study computer science might
look like,” McMullen said. It’s important for people to see other people who
look like them doing things in computer science if it’s going to become part
of their world, she added. And that kind of role modeling and mentorship must
start at a young age. “If nobody tells you about [these programs] then you
may pick a career that you might be good at — history or English or something
— but you might even be a better computer scientist,” she said. There are
many factors to consider when it comes to keeping students interested in
science, technology, engineering and mathematics, said Portland, Ore., Chief
Technology Officer Ben Berry. It takes a multifaceted effort: Students need
to be exposed to what’s available, feel inspired to continue participating
and have role models to help show the way. In addition, parents need to
support their child’s interest and students’ peers must accept their choice
to be involved with technology. “We need more mentors,” Berry said. “I truly believe I was
driven to a STEM career because my father was in science and technology as
the first black to graduate in aeronautical engineering at USC. Because he
worked in the aerospace industry, I got to see him being effective in STEM
roles of authority and accountability. Therefore, I was exposed to multiple
technologies and I knew that these roles were possible. If we never see
people that look like us and sound like us in these jobs, then we start to
think these jobs aren’t for us.” The good news is that progress is being
made. Programs like the Tapestry Workshops are taking the right approach,
Cohoon said, addressing issues of confidence, role modeling and the in-group,
out-group dynamic. Historically interest in computer science has fluctuated
year by year, but the overall trend is toward growing interest, Cohoon said,
although she’s still concerned about diversity and the ability to meet
overall demand. “Students want to go into this, but we don’t have the
capacity,” she said. In many ways, educational institutions are still geared
as if today’s job market is the same as it was in the 1950s. The educational
infrastructure required to support the number of technical jobs needed simply
doesn’t exist, she said. Online courses like those offered by Kahn Academy
and MITx could provide some relief, but the issue of bringing women and
minorities into the fold will require constant vigilance, Cohoon said. “If we
have this pervasive cultural issue that is steering women away from
computing, then we have to take action in order to draw them back.” From
http://www.govtech.com/
Who Gets
Their News from Twitter? A new Pew Research Center study highlights Twitter's value as a
source of breaking news. Twitter news consumers are standing out as younger,
more mobile and more educated in a new report by the Pew Research Center.
Nearly one in 10 U.S. adults get news through Twitter, compared with 30
percent of Americans who get news on Facebook, and according to the report,
this population segment carries some other interesting distinctions as well.
According to this study, 45 percent of Twitter news consumers are 18 to 29
years old -- more than twice their percentage of the overall population
overall (21 percent). This young demographic also outpaces young adults’
representation among Facebook news consumers, where 34 percent are 18 to 29
years old. Another distinction of this particular consumer is their mobility.
Mobile devices are essential to this sector of consumer, as 85 percent of
Twitter news consumers access news from mobile
devices, compared with 65 percent of Facebook news consumers. These
consumers' level of education is also higher than average. Those who get
their news on Twitter tend to be more educated than the general population
and than Facebook news consumers. Four in 10 have at least a bachelor’s
degree, compared with 30 percent of Facebook news consumers and 29 percent of
the total population. A Twitter conversation analysis also revealed some
interesting tendencies. The Pew Research Center tracked and analyzed Twitter
conversations surrounding 10 major news events that occurred between May 2011
and October 2013, on a wide range of topics -- from the Florida trial of
George Zimmerman to the Supreme Court hearings on same-sex marriage. This
analysis revealed three common characteristics. The first underscores Twitter's usefulness in passing along
breaking news. While opinion is definitely expressed by Twitter users, the
study noted that even on polarizing issues, like the verdict in the Zimmerman
case, 39 percent of posts just passed along the verdict without adding
personal opinion. The second characteristic shows that opinion on an issue,
and consequently the focus of Twitter conversation, can change drastically in
a very short time. For example, in the two weeks after the March 2013 Supreme
Court hearings regarding gay marriage, 55 percent of tweets related to the
issue opposed the idea, where just 32 percent supported it. Yet, in the month
that followed, supportive tweets for same-sex marriage were up to 46 percent,
while the opposition dropped to 26 percent. The third trait revealed by the
study is that while Twitter sentiment can and sometimes does match public
opinion, it is not a reliable method of tracking the sentiments of the
general population. For example, Republican candidate Ron Paul dominated
positive Twitter sentiment in the period leading up to the presidential
primary election in 2012, with 55 percent positive and only 15 percent
negative, and yet he failed to secure the nomination of the Republican party.
This report is based first on a survey of more than 5,000 U.S. adults
(including 736 Twitter users and 3,268 Facebook users) and, second, on an
analysis of Twitter conversations surrounding major news events spanning
nearly three years. Twitter posts were analyzed for the information shared,
sentiments expressed and ebb and flow of interest. From
http://www.govtech.com/
White House
- 20 Percent of Americans Won't Make It Through Health Care Website The White House says 20 percent of Americans won't make it
through the website to buy health insurance through new exchanges. The Obama
administration is scrambling to fix the malfunctioning website by Nov. 30.
But White House spokesman Jay Carney says there will still be From
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/
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CHINA: Building Largest
Network for Infectious Disease Reporting China has built the world's largest reporting network for
infectious diseases and public health emergencies to ensure timely and
accurate monitoring and treatment, a senior health official said
Wednesday.All disease control and prevention centers and 98 percent of
medical institutions above county level as well as 94 percent of local health
agencies have set up systems for real-time reporting on infectious diseases
to the national Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), said Li Bin,
head of the National Health and Family Planning Commission.Li made the
comments at the on-going bimonthly session of the National People's Congress
(NPC) Standing Committee which runs from Monday to Friday.It now takes four
hours for local agencies to detect epidemics and report them to the CDC,
compared with five days before the network was established, Li said. To strengthen monitoring and early warning, 3,486 state-level
stations have been set up to monitor 28 infectious diseases, including
cholera and flu as well four disease carriers including mosquitos, mice, flies
and black beatles, he said.The reporting on student absence due to sickness
in middle and primary schools has also been enhanced to curb epidemic
diseases.Stations for surveillance of infectious diseases for people entering
and exiting the country have been built in 285 ports open to foreign
countries and 168 healthcare centers for international travel.The NPC
Standing Committee is scheduled to hold a special inquiry on the
implementation of the Law on Prevention and Treatment of Infectious Diseases,
which was passed in 1989 and revised in 2004. From http://www.news.cn/
Real Name Registration
Starts for Mobile Phone Network China's mobile phone users have to register using their real
names starting from Sunday, reports China news.com.Starting on September 1,
all new mobile phone users and those looking to change internet providers
have to register their real names in order to use these services. Customers
who did not register before have to provide accurate personal information if
they switch mobile phone plans.The Ministry of Industry and Information
Technology stated that, if mobile networks operators do not cooperate with
the new mobile phone identification policy, they will be fined anywhere from
10,000 yuan (US$ 1636) to 30,000 yuan (US$ 4910). China's three largest
mobile phone network operators, China Mobile, China Unicom and Telecom, have
stated that they are in full compliance with the new rule. They've also taken
measures to encourage users who did not register their full information in
the past to do so now.The three operators also pledge that the personal
information their customers provide will be secure.Many small agents that
sell mobile phone cards without registration have started to dump large
amounts of phone cards in light of the rule's implementation. From http://www.news.cn/
Open Networking
Foundation Chooses Chinese Certified Testing Lab The Open Networking Foundation says the Beijing Internet
Institute will be ONF's first international certified conformance testing lab
in Asia.The certified testing lab establishes conformance testing in China
and provides SDN technical testing services to global clients. BII's testing
lab in China evaluates vendors' networking products for interoperability,
conformance, function, and performance. The company will expand its
evaluation services by partnering with ONF to test SDN and OpenFlow
conformance. The lab will also offer organizations the opportunity to receive
OpenFlow certification of their products.BII is also now a member of ONF to
foster deployment and commercialization of SDN and the OpenFlow protocol
among China's service provider, data center, and enterprise markets.Launched
in 2011 by Deutsche Telekom, Facebook, Google, Microsoft, Verizon, and Yahoo,
the Open Networking Foundation is a non-profit organization with more than
100 members whose mission is to accelerate the adoption of open SDN and the
OpenFlow protocol. From http://www.chinatechnews.com/
Chinese Agency Will
Blacklist and Police Mobile Apps If mobile app developers thought getting past Apple's censors
and bizarre policies was hard enough, now they have to contend with the
Chinese government for vetting of their applications.Wang Minghua, director
general of the operations department of the National Computer Network Emergency
Response Technical Team Coordination Center of China and secretary general of
the network and information security working committee, revealed that CNCERT
is formulating mobile Internet malware blacklist regulations and mobile
Internet application self-discipline whitelist regulations.The first batch of
companies on the whitelist reportedly include Qihoo 360, Tencent, NQ Mobile,
Baidu, Kingsoft, An Guan Jia, Lenovo, Trend Micro, Eversec, Rising, and
Antiy.CNCERT is a national network security emergency response organization
under the leadership of Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of
China. Wang said China needs to proactively eliminate mobile malware, so
CNCERT is formulating these regulations. Based on the blacklist, security manufacturers, telecom
operators, and app stores will be able to block vicious software from the
very beginning.To this end, MIIT has launched two major platforms to identify
bad apps: a mobile Internet malware public reportiung platform and an app
store reporting platform. So far, 34 mainstream app stores have implemented
regular app reports, and about seven million applications have been
tested.Wang also said CNCERT will guide and supervise the establishment and
implementation of the whitelist and it has the final reviewing authority over
the whitelist. The process of the whitelist will include registration,
recommendation, examination, publication, filing for record, and
supervision.In addition, CNCERT will open a reporting channel. If the members
on the whitelist are reported for violations, they will be removed from the
list. If the violation is serious, they will not be allowed to join the
whitelist again. From http://www.chinatechnews.com/
100 Websites Pledge
Healthy, Positive Content One hundred websites and news portals pledged to create a
healthy and positive cyber environment for minors here on Sunday.They called
on all Internet media organizations to advocate the Chinese dream, which is
characterized by national prosperity and rejuvenation as well as citizens
living a happy life.Their calls also include setting up examples from which
youth can learn, eliminating harmful information on the Internet and offering
online services such as psychological counseling, legal assistance and
poverty reduction.They announced the pledge amid an Internet-cleaning
campaign jointly initiated by the State Internet Information Office, the
Ministry of Education, the Central Committee of the Communist Youth League of
China and the All-China Women's Federation on Sept. 16. The campaign is targeted at creating a positive and healthy
Internet culture for the good of youngsters.The 100 participating websites
include such big names as people.com, xinhuanet.com, sina.com, sohu.com,
baidu.com and qq.com.Zhao Guochen, the deputy editor of qq.com, believes
stricter content management is imperative. Zhao said qq.com's editorial team
blocked any content they deemed vulgar, particularly in qq's education and
children's channels, and they impose rigorous supervision over such
material.The clean-up campaign also came against the backdrop of an
increasing young population hooked on the Internet.According to a recent
survey conducted by the China Youth Association for Network Development, over
24 million young people are addicted to the Internet, and another 18 million
show such an inclination.Li Zhanjiang, vice president of Beijing Anding
Hospital, a hospital specializing in mental health, said it was predicted
that harm caused by Internet addiction will be no less than addiction to
heroin. Without effective interventions, web addiction will impede young
people's healthy growth.Wang Jisheng, a psychology professor with the Chinese
Academy of Sciences, argued that the Internet itself should not take all the
blame for youngsters' cyber addiction. The Internet is supposed to enrich
Chinese students' rote-learning-centered education, but it has not been used
properly.As China's school system still attaches great importance to
students' exam performance, overloaded students tend to seek a vent for their
pressure, Wang said, so once they get to know the kaleidoscopic information
on the Internet, they often lose self control.According to statistics
reported by the China Internet Network Information Center, as of June 2013,
China had 591 million web users, including 320 million under 30, or 54
percent of the total. From http://www.news.cn/
Big-Data-Based Reform
to Facilitate Economic Restructuring "Big data offers more insight into a company's credit and
risk, thus reducing the company's financing costs and enhancing a bank's
willingness," Zhang said.Meanwhile, as information consumption
increases, consumers' growing diversified needs ask for more comprehensive
and innovative financial services."Big data offers more insight into
consumers' consumption habits, which allows targeted financial products and
services, thus spurring domestic consumption," said Tan Yaling, head of
the China Forex Investment Research Institute.Real-time monitoring and risk
analysis of financial data will also aid the sector's risk control especially
as China steps up its efforts to liberalize interest rates, Tan
added.Internet finance has become a hot topic after the State Council in
August unveiled plans to boost information consumption with the bid to
facilitate domestic consumption and economic restructuring. Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba has partnered with China
Minsheng Banking Corp., Ltd., the largest private bank in the country, to
capitalize on their strengths in consumer data analysis, direct selling and
IT services following the State Council's call for private capital to aid
cash-strained small businesses.Despite its value, big data also poses
challenges to financial reforms as tiny mistakes may cause big problems, said
Chen Bingcai, vice director of the department of policy-making consultation
with the Chinese Academy of Governance, a state think tank."The bottom
line for the use of big data is to keep financial reform safe and stable, and
to serve the real economy," Chen added. From http://www.news.cn/
Mobile Apps Issued to
Popularize First-Aid Knowledge The Red Cross Society of China (RCSC) on Sunday released a set
of mobile phone application to popularize first-aid knowledge and skill in
China.The application, developed by the International Federation of Red Cross
and Red Crescent Societies, has been introduced to many countries including
China, said Zhao Baige, executive vice-president of the RCSC, at the
unveiling ceremony.Mobile phone users can learn knowledge on first-aid, emergency
and disaster-prevention, methods for self-rescue and mutual-rescue through
the application, especially when people are in critical conditions, according
to Zhao."The Red Cross Society of China has trained more than 3 million
first-aid rescuers annually over the past five years. However, the popularity
rate of first-aid knowledge in China is about one percent," said Zhao,
adding that the ratio falls far behind developed countries.Mobile phone users
can also learn emergency disposal methods of 21 common injuries such as
bleeding and heart attack via downloading such application, the official
said.The British Red Cross Society firstly developed such software in 2011
and it has been downloaded over one million times in Britain and the United
States since its initial release.The International Federation of Red Cross
and Red Crescent Societies launched the research project in May 2013, and
China has joined the project and become one of the 17 pilot countries in this
field. From http://www.news.cn/
Digital China Networks
Rolls Out Data Center Offerings Digital China Networks, a subsidiary of Digital China Group, has
unveiled its cloud data center product series.The new products include
high-end switches, load balancing products, and wireless control
applications. DCN is not only the name of the company, but it is also the
brand name of this new product series. It is the only business under Digital
China that has its own brand.DCN's major business focus is data center
networks, and it provides switches and solutions for data centers in
education, government, and carrier fields in China. At present, it is the
solution provider of Digital China's intelligent city data center.DCN
originated from Lenovo and it was built on the foundation of the former
Lenovo network business team. It started as a product agency and gradually
developed its own brand of products. DCN focuses on the data communications
field with full lines, including switches, wireless routers, security,
application delivery, voice and IP surveillance. From http://www.chinatechnews.com/
JAPAN:
MPD to Increase Cybercrime Cops In response to a sharp increase in online crime, the
Metropolitan Police Department said Friday it would increase the number of
special cybercrime investigators to 260, adding 60 to its current force, by
autumn next year. The MPD found it necessary to strengthen its investigative
capabilities on the force, which is tasked with initial investigations for
such crimes as child pornography and online banking fraud, including illegal
money transfers. The lack of knowledge of cybercrime became apparent in a
case last year in which four men were erroneously arrested over threatening
messages sent via remotely controlled PCs. That prompted the MPD to beef up
the number of cybercrime investigators. From
http://the-japan-news.com Fujitsu
to Begin Talks on Using ICT for Management of Resources and Environment in
Vietnam Fujitsu Limited and Vietnam’s Ministry Of Natural Resources and
Environment will begin talks on using ICT to enable more sophisticated
management of Vietnam’s natural resources and environment. After having
entered into a basic agreement on the start of the talks, from October,
Fujitsu and Vietnam will hold workshops to consider specific uses of ICT for
the sophisticated management of eight areas of natural resources and the
environment: land, water resources, geology and mineral resources,
environment, hydrometeorology, survey and mapping, ocean and islands, and
remote sensing. The aim of these talks is for the parties to identify issues
for applying IT in Vietnam’s management of resources and the environment and,
leveraging Fujitsu’s technological expertise, jointly develop advanced
solutions that are tailored to Vietnam’s policies, customs, and current
resources. From
http://www.japantoday.com SOUTH
KOREA: Digital Map Allows Clearer View of Korea A new digital map has been developed with higher than ever
resolution of the Korean Peninsula. The National Geographic Information Institute (NGII)
under the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport(MOLIT)
created a digital map of From
http://www.korea.net S. Korea to
Build Healthcare Information Systems in Saudi Arabia South Korea will build healthcare information systems in Saudi
Arabia and train doctors from the kingdom, officials said Monday, a lucrative
deal that could help boost medical cooperation with other Middle East
countries. The deal signed between Health Minister Jin Young and his Saudi
Arabian counterpart on Sunday in Riyadh calls for South Korea to set up a
Hospital Information System (HIS) in hospitals and public health clinics
across the oil-rich country, the health ministry officials said. From
http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/ Gov't
Expands Sales Network for MVNOs The government said Thursday that it will allow virtual mobile
phone firms to sell their low-cost service plans at post offices, in a bid to
lower mobile rates and household communication bills. So-called mobile
virtual network operators (MVNOs) borrow networks from existing mobile
carriers at wholesale prices, thus offering their services at cheaper rates
compared with those offered by local mobile operators. They can offer cheaper
mobile rates as they don't need to build their own mobile networks, a huge
barrier for new players to enter the market. From
http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr E-Government
Forum Discusses ‘Smart Society’ Seoul played host to an e-government forum on October 22 and 23,
marking the second year in a row that the city’s organizers held a conference
on online governance. The Global e-Government Forum 2013,
with the motto “Smart Government & Smart Society: Openness, Sharing,
Communication and Collaboration,” served as a venue to share strategies and
examples from around the world on how to build a new form of administrative
paradigm based on e-government systems. The forum was hosted by Korea’s Ministry of Security and Public
Administration (MOSPA). Among those in attendance included
approximately 1,000 dignitaries from 20 nations, including ministers and vice
ministers, and representatives from the United Nations, the Organisation for
Economic-Cooperation and Development, the World Bank and the United Nations
Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). The forum was divided into two
tracks. Track one focused on government and track two on international
organizations. From
http://www.korea.net Forest,
National Park Data Goes Online There is now a new way to access information about Korea’s forests and national
parks with only a few clicks of the mouse. The Korea Forest Service (KFS)
has launched a new homepage that will be a clearing house for a wide variety
of forest, hiking and park information. The KFS has joined the Korean
government’s Data Portal Service. The Data Portal Service (www.data.go.kr)
is the Korean government’s way to democratize information. It’s a warehouse
of everything you’d want to know about Korea, from birth rate to when the
next bus will arrive. As part of this service, the new KFS site will
offer to the public information on such topics as: mountain hiking trails;
forest paths; an illustrated guide to the peninsula’s flora; and, a
standardized list of all flora that are known to exist on the peninsula. The
website provides digital maps, recommends trails along some of the more
popular mountains and offers up tourist destinations and eateries in the
neighborhood. It has information about more than 500 species of animal that
live in Korean forests. Most data is accessible to the public and even
available for for-profit uses, too. “This can be a good seed for the creative
industries,” said a representative from the KFS. “New jobs and new industries
will possibly be created, especially in such areas as forest welfare and
education.” In addition to those listed above, the KFS plans to
publicize 14 additional types of data by the end of the year and will
consider unveiling a further 58 categories of data by 2017. From
http://www.korea.net The Use of
Public Data Leads the Creative Economy The Korean government is implementing new plans that will
realize its new vision for the creative industries and which will achieve
“Government 3.0.” These efforts center around the
opening of public data in a way to create more jobs and new industries. This
will provide support for those who plan to launch start-up businesses based
on this government-collected data. The central government currently makes as
many as 3,395 different types of data available to the public. On October 31,
it announced its plans to publicly release a total of 9,470 types
of data by 2017. To do this, the government is using what’s called “Big
Data.” Big data is a collection of data sets. It often refers to the
technology used to “read” those data sets, technology that can efficiently
process large quantities of complex data. This would have been difficult to
process using traditional database management tools. The concept also
includes data produced in real time through online platforms such as social
networking services (SNS) and global positioning systems (GPS). In many
countries, the analysis of big data has been well-recognized for its
effectiveness and efficiency. A number of corporations, including Google and
Amazon, have already been providing researchers and developers with big data
platforms through which they can collect, store, manage and analyze data. From
http://www.korea.net/ MONGOLIA:
Self-Service Machines to Improve State Services The New Government for Changes has placed self-service State
Services machine in 17 locations around Ulaanbaatar. Prior to the
availability of the self-service machines, citizens paid 5,000 MNT for civil
inquiries. The new machines charge only 500 MNT to 1,000 MNT for all state
service references. Below is a short interview with R.Otgontulga, an
information technology expert working with the Prime Minister. -How many
state services can the machine provide citizens? What’s the average number of
users per day? -Currently, 10 different state services are available from the
machine. Each day 600 to 700 citizens use the machines. Most of them are
requesting official residence statements and passport references.
-The General Authority for State registration charged 5,000 MNT for
these references, but now citizens only have to pay 1,000 MNT to receive them
from the machine. Is there an exact estimation of how much money citizens are
saving thanks to the machines? -Yes we studied the savings. It’s been a few
months since we started using the self-service machines. The money saved by
citizens is over 600 million MNT according to one method of calculating the
benefits of the machines. -Can you give us details about the 10 available
state services? -Citizens can take references on birth registration,
passports, residency statements, and official marital statements. Also,
taxation status reference, newspaper subscriptions, payment for electricity
fees, submitting complaints and petitions are also available. -Are any new
services planned to be provided through the machine? -Yes. Before, citizens
had to visit many places to receive the abovementioned services. But the
machines are saving both money and time for citizens. Payment services for
internet access fees and real estate references will be added to the
machine’s services. -Will you make more machines available? -After monitoring
the perks of the machine, we have decided to place 230 machines in locations nationwide. From
http://ubpost.mongolnews.mn
10/23/2013 |
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INDONESIA:
Promoting GIS for Food Security The Geospatial Information Agency (In Bahasa Indonesia: Badan
Informasi Geospatial or BIG) promoted the use of GIS during the recent annual
National Social Solidarity Expo and Awards, organised by the Ministry of
Social Affairs. The event aims to bring together concerned stakeholders from
the public and private sector to discuss challenges and opportunities in
poverty reduction programmes and other social welfare activities. One of the
key topics discussed during the event was Food Security. According to
official reports, it has been a challenge for Indonesia to attain food security
due to several factors such as climate change and shrinking agricultural
land. A spokesperson from the Ministry of Agriculture noted that while
plantation land is abundant in Indonesia, there are not enough farmlands
across the country to produce enough for 240 million people. To address this
issue, BIG presented how GIS can be used to determine the level of food
security in Indonesia and study certain geographic attributes affecting the
the crops. The result of this activity are thematic
maps that allows users to analyse spatial relationships between select
variables thereby enabling farmers to enhance their crop yield. Experts from
BIG also added that leveraging GIS for food security analysis can also be
used to determine food insecure hotspots, especially during times of natural
disasters, by doing so would allow local authorities to plan intervention in
affected areas. From
http://www.futuregov.asia/
11/06/2013 MALAYSIA:
State to Launch Digital Maps of Rural Roads by 2014 The state of Johor Bahru is embarking on an initiative to
digitally map out 5,000 kilometres of rural roads, a first of its kind in
Malaysia. The project, which was estimated to cost at about RM300,000
(US$90,900), is a joint effort between Infra Desa Johor Sdn Bhd (IDJSB), a
state-owned company that is responsible for the maintenance of rural roads,
and Universiti Teknologi Malaysia’s (UTM) Faculty of Geoinformation and Real
Estate. The latter will provide consulting expertise in order to fully
maximise the GIS and mapping applications for the project. According to
Menteri Besar (State Chief Executive) Datul Mohamed Khaled Nordin, the
availability of the digital map would allow the state government to better
plan for the development and maintenance of roads. “With this system, we will
also be more effective in awarding tenders for the maintenance as we will be
able to have better information on which roads are in need of repairs or upgrade,”
said Khaled. The State chief executive revealed that the project is expected
to be completed by mid-2014. Furthermore, the map would also be available for
mobile navigation and GPS device. From
http://www.futuregov.asia/
09/06/2013 Malaysia
Launches Emergency Services App for the Physically Impaired For people with speech and hearing impairments, emergency
services are now just a click away thanks to a new mobile application called
“SaveMe 999”. Developed by the Malaysian Emergency Response Services (MERS),
the new mobile app uses the Global Position System (GPS) feature of
smartphone s to identify the location of the caller. To use the application,
users will be required to fill in their personal particulars such as name,
details of disability and their next-of-kin’s contact details. Meanwhile, to
report an emergency, the user is required to click on the type of emergency
being reported and may choose to upload a photo of the incident as reference.
The information will then be forwarded to one of the response agencies such
as the Royal Malaysian Police, Fire and Rescue Department, Health Ministry,
Civil Defence Department and Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency for
immediate action. The user will then receive an SMS notification when the
report has been successfully submitted to the 999 service. Communication and
Multimedia Minister Ahmad Shabery Cheek revealed that Telekom Malaysia, the
government’s private sector arm who helped build the SaveMe 999, is now
looking at developing a similar application for the visually impaired. The
“SaveME 999” application can be downloaded free of charge and is available on
Android, iOS and Windows platforms. From
http://www.futuregov.asia/a
09/11/2013 Malaysia
Enables Rural Residents to Access Online Services The Malaysian Government is enabling rural residents to access
e-government services as it launched a Community Broadband Centre (CBC)
yesterday in Malaysia’s easternmost state, Sabah, to bridge the digital
divide between urban and rural areas. Broadband penetration rate in Sabah is
55 per cent as of August 2013. Communications and Multimedia Minister, Datuk
Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek, said that providing ICT facilities to rural
residents is a priority for the Government. He highlighted that this CBC is
an important step towards closing the gap in internet connectivity so that
residents are able to access government’s online services. “The benefits that
can be gained from ICT and broadband services include reducing time wastage,
energy and cost. More so, it can also become an enabler in the economic
development of the society,” Ahmad Shabery added. The CBC is a collaborative
initiative by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC)
and South Korea’s largest telecommunications company, SK Telecom (SKT). It is
modelled after the successful national broadband initiative by MCMC,
1Malaysia Internet Centre (PI1M), to deepen household broadband penetration
in selected urban areas. The CBC offers technology such as “Giga Wi-fi,
M-caching server and self-switching controller” which would allow residents
even 40km away to gain access to fast internet, according to the Government.
The CBC is open from Monday to Saturday 8:30 am to 4:30 pm covering eight
villages in the area. From
http://www.futuregov.asia/
09/18/2013 Malaysian
E-Learning Network to Be Completed This Year Malaysia’s virtual education network, 1BestariNet, is to connect
all 10,000 primary and secondary public schools across the country by the end
of this year, announced Deputy Education Minister, P. Kamalanathan.
1BestariNet aims to provide schools with an integrated solution for teaching,
learning, collaboration and administrative functions through an intranet
virtual classroom and social space for schools. The schools are being
provided with access to 4G network which will allow them to connect to a
web-based Virtual Learning Environment (VLE). The project is an initiative of
the Ministry of Education, implemented in partnership with Malaysian company,
YTL Communications. 85 per cent of the schools in Malaysia have been
connected through the network so far, and the remaining 15 per cent, mostly
in Sarawak state, are in the process of installing the system, informed the
Minister. The VLE is a cloud-based
platform providing students and teachers with flexibility and mobility as
they can access information saved on the cloud from anywhere and at any time.
It allows students to access resources and electronic assignments, and collaborate and share knowledge. The communication
features and streamlining of administrative procedures on the platform allow
teaching and support staff to be more efficient. The 4G network has content
filters built-in which will ensure a safe learning environment for students.
Launching the 1BestariNet VLE at Dato’ Sri Amar Diraja Secondary School
(pictured above), the Minister assured, “So far, there have been no major
problems in implementing the programme, and it is expected to be completed on
schedule.” Upon completion the system can be used more than 5 million
students, 4 million caregivers and 450,000 teachers across the country. From
http://www.futuregov.asia/
09/24/2013 PHILIPPINES:
Province to Use GIS for Forest Management The German Technical Cooperation – Manila, the social
development agency in the Philippines on behalf of the German Government,
will be conducting capacity building workshop on the use of GIS in forest
management. GIS continues to evolve according to the needs of the users. Since
it is capable of handling large amounts of data and create new information
about our environment, decision makers can leverage it to arrive at
well-informed decisions related to soil and water conservation, wildlife
conservation and many others. The workshop will be given to the Local
Government Units located in Easter Samar which include: Guiuan, Llorente,
Can-avid and the City of Borongan, which are now being considered as
“Eco-towns”. Eastern Samar is one of three provinces on Samar Island, the second
largest island in the Visayas, the region between Luzon Island to the north
and Mindanao Island to the south. According to Samson C. Nerves,
Officer-in-Charge at the Provincial Planning and Development Office (PPDO),
the capacity building workshop will support GIZ’s climate change adaptation
and biodiversity programs. Meanwhile, Dr. Bernd Markus Liss, GIZ Program
Manager, said the his agency will be providing the LGU’s with the trainings,
hard, and the GIS tools to make sure goals for project are met. From
http://www.futuregov.asia/
08/30/2013 The
Philippines Launches Call Centre for Farmers The Agricultural Training Institute (ATI), an agency under the
Department of Agriculture, established the Farmer’s Contact Centre (FCC) to
provide farmers with information that can help them improve their farming
techniques. According to Rogelio Evangelista, ATI Centre director for Region
I, the FCC is an alternative delivery channel for farm and business advisory
services and serves as a help desk that caters to queries on farming and
fishing technologies. Additionally, it aims to maximise the use of
information and technology to attain a modernised agricultural and fisheries
sector. Evangelista likened FCC to a call centre that provides calls and SMS,
and e-mail services to farmers. It focuses on creating an electronic and
interactive bridge where farmers, fishers and other stakeholders talk and
transact to enhance productivity, profitability and global competitiveness.
”We aim to make farmers not just farmers but as agri-preneurs. Farming will
be a business and they could still have other income,” Evangelista said.
During a recent stakeholder’s workshop which consisted of technical staffs
from DA agencies, media practitioners, non-government agencies and local
government units, plans are underway to improve and develop existing
e-delivery channels so that every farmer can leverage information
communication technologies in their work. From
http://www.futuregov.asia/
09/05/2013 Philippine:
Mobile Education for 1 Million Philippine Out-of-school Youths The Philippines Department of Education (DepEd) and the
Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) will be
partnering local mobile network operators to provide mobile learning to up to
1 million Filipino out-of-school youths. The initiative, called mEducation,
aims to provide these youths - particularly those in underserved areas and
geographically isolated communities - with additional opportunities to access
education, including technical vocational learning, via mobile devices. The
National Statistics Office of the Philippines reported that there were at
least 6.24 million out-of-school youths in the country in 2011. “I am happy
about the level of collaboration happening in the mEducation market in the
Philippines,” commented Mario Deriquito (pictured), DepEd Undersecretary for
Partnerships and External Linkages. “From a government perspective,
supporting out-of-school youths is a priority for 2014 and beyond. We welcome
the support that can be facilitated by mobile education because we believe
it’s a flexible medium that can help us tackle a lot of the challenges we
face in the education and training sector in our country. Given that many of
the efforts to assist out-of-school youths will be localised, mobile
technology provides us with a tool that can help unify and coordinate this
work even from a distance.” “The From
http://www.futuregov.asia/
09/26/2013 Philippine
Province Rolls Out Telehealth Devices in 'Doctor-Less' Islands Residents of Bantayan and Camotes islands no longer have to
travel by boat to Cebu to consult medical specialists, all thanks to a
telehealth device developed by the Department of Science and Technology,
University of the Philippines-Manila National Telehealth Centre and the
Department of Health. Bantayan and Camotes islands are a group of islands
under the jurisdiction of Cebu province, located in the Visayas. Dubbed as
the RxBox, the portable device was specifically designed to cater to the
needs of ‘doctor-less’ areas. The device contains medical tools for taking a
patient’s electrocardiogram or ECG, heart rate, blood, pulse rate and blood
oxygenation. The device also has a tele-consultation feature allowing
clinical experts located in the Philippine General Hospital in Manila to
virtually inspect patients or assist rural doctors on how to better manage or
treat their patients. Furthermore, audio signals from a patient’s heart,
lungs, and the abdomen can also be transmitted to clinical experts for them
to diagnose the status of the patient from the health unit. According to Cebu
Governor Hilario Davide III, RxBox is perfect for the two islands because
they don’t have doctors to analyse results of laboratory tests. “By having it
in place, sick residents no longer have to ride a boat to Cebu thereby saving
time, money and any untoward effects travelling might do to their health,” he
said. From
http://www.futuregov.asia/
11/07/2013 SINGAPORE:
Library Uses Analytics and Big Data Technology to Ease Users’ Search National Library Board (NLB) used data mining and text analytics
techniques, as well as big data technologies, to connect its structured and
unstructured content so the most relevant information can be pushed to users
automatically on its web sites and portals. “With so much data available, how
can busy users find the right bits of information? For example, a typical
search on an Internet search engine returns thousands of results. A user has
to sieve through articles after articles until he finds what he needs,”
explains Lim Chee Kiam (pictured), Senior Solution Architect at NLB. “Instead
of having users repeat the tedious search and sieve process, we should push
the most relevant information packages to them. To do this, we must connect
our content.” Connecting Structured
Data The group of 25 public libraries and one National Library houses
over a million physical titles, which generate over 30 million loans a year.
Using data mining techniques on past loan transactions and bibliography
records of books, the library successfully connected their titles and
launched a title recommendation service on its websites and portals since
2009. “Besides showing the book
that you’ve searched for, a section on the side shows you a list of books
other patrons who have borrowed this book also borrowed. Collaborative
filtering mines the reading patterns within hundreds of millions of loan
records in the last three years to make recommendations,” he elaborated. The system also rely on content-based filtering using
bibliographic records and generates another list of recommended books, under
‘similar titles you may also enjoy’. Because fiction titles are more
frequently loaned, the system can generate recommendations for 89 per cent of
the fiction titles, compared to only 53 per cent of non fiction titles. NLB
is currently working on title recommendations on new arrivals. Once rolled
out, when a patron is looking at a particular title, he or she will be able
to see if there are related new arrivals of interest. Connecting Unstructured
Data Unstructured data makes up a huge and growing portion of content
that NLB holds. It has successfully used text analytics on Infopedia (a micro
site with less than 2000 articles), the Singapore Memory portal, and 58,000
newspaper articles on NewspaperSG. “The results were very promising.
Interestingly, when we organise the recommended articles in a chronological
order, we can discover the progression of an event and see how the story
unfolds,” said Lim. Lim’s team is now working on using text analytics on the
above collection and 6 million newspaper articles. “This gave us our first
real scalability issue. The processing ran for more than a week before we ran
out of disk storage,” he recounted. Processing the older issues of the
newspapers surfaced another challenge. Newspaper microfilms were digitised by
using Optical Character Recognition software, but errors were common. There
errors introduced ‘noise’ into the data set, and also significantly increased
the complexity of the computation, leading to lengthy processing and the need
for huge amount of intermediate disk storage. “To address this issue, we tuned the parameters for the text
analytics algorithm to ignore infrequent word tokens. We also set up a full
Apache Hadoop cluster with 13 virtual serves on three virtual machine hosts
so that we have a reliable, scalable and distributed computing platform,”
continued Lim. While the team has successfully reduced the time needed to
process the data, they are still working towards processing the 6 million
articles. Looking ahead, Lim hopes to enrich the content with semantic
information so that content becomes connected semantically instead of just
textually. He also wants to enrich the content with language translations to
explore the possibilities of connecting content in different languages,
particularly useful given that Singapore has four official languages. From
http://www.futuregov.asia/
09/11/2013 Singapore to
Get National Social Service Database Singapore will soon have a national database for the social
service sector, announced Social and Family Development Minister, Chan Chun
Sing, today. Through this, the Government aims to facilitate unhindered
delivery of social services to those in need, even if they were to move from
one part of the city to another, shared the Minister. However, the initiative
does not solely focus on developing a more client-focused experience and
reducing workload, he said. It will also enable the Government to gather and
analyse the data to better plan the way forward for social services. Looking
at the patterns of travel and movement of people could help the Government to
plan its future capabilities. He added that the Government is already using
data to gauge areas where case loads are high to plan the locations of social
service offices. From
http://www.futuregov.asia/
09/19/2013 Singapore
Seniors to Remain Digitally Connected Sim Ann, Minister of State of Singapore Ministry of
Communications and Information and Ministry of Education speaks on the
infocomm initiatives that are helping senior residents stay technologically
connected to improve their quality of life. According to Sim, seniors account for
over 50 per cent of the borrowers for iPads at Bedok and Bukit Merah Public
Libraries, as part of the National Library Board’s eDevice loan service. With
the iPads, they can access more than 3 million eBooks, as well as e-magazines
and e-newspapers from around the world, and 130 eDatabases for online news
and other information. To
encourage more seniors to discover the brand new experiences using infocomm
skills, the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore or IDA has put in
place a suite of infocomm initiatives. IDA has placed 124 Silver Infocomm
Hotspots (SIHs) at community clubs, public libraries, self-help group centres
and Residents’ Committees island-wide for seniors to access the internet and
e-services. Sim announced the introduction of two new infocomm courses, as
part of the Silver Infocomm Curriculum. These courses will be conducted at
the 12 Silver Infocomm Junctions (SIJs) island-wide such as Woodlands
Regional Library. “Our seniors will learn to perform tasks such as managing
their CPF accounts and applying for passports online. It is exciting that
they will also learn how to use cloud-enabled services like Dropbox to send
and share photographs with their families and friends! Besides these,
existing workshops also teach them to use their smartphones on the iOS and
Android platforms,” she said. Since 2007, more than 77,000 training slots have been filled at
the SIJs and many of the seniors who have benefitted from these infocomm
courses and workshops have volunteered as course trainers. Sim cited an
inspiring example of Lam Tuck Choy, a 57-year-old volunteer and certified IT
trainer at the Organisation for Senior Volunteers or RSVP. Lam uses social
networking tools such as Whatsapp to stay connected with his children and
accesses his emails on his smartphone and tablet. Till today, he continues to
upgrade his infocomm skills by taking courses, including learning how to use
tablets such as the Microsoft Surface. To encourage more seniors to pick up
infocomm skills, a new project which is a tripartite collaboration between
IDA, RSVP and the Council for Third Age (C3A) called Silver IT Care will be
launched in October. RSVP will set up a dedicated IT helpdesk to help their
peers who require assistance in solving technical infocomm problems, such as
software and hardware issues. This helpdesk will be managed by senior
volunteers and 20 seniors have been trained so far as call agents. “The
Government remains committed to equipping seniors with IT knowledge and
skills to improve their quality of life, as they remain connected in today’s
digital age and lead an active lifestyle. We cannot do this alone – we need
to continue partnering community groups and individuals to achieve this goal together.
We encourage seniors with IT skills and knowledge to continue in stepping
forward to help their peers in their ICT journey,” concluded Sim. From
http://www.futuregov.asia/ 10/01/2013 E-Medication
Management to Improve Patient Safety in Singapore Changi General Hospital Singapore (CGH)’s Closed Loop Medication
Management (CLMM) system with QR code uses IT to improve patient safety. At
key points in the medication process, QR codes are used instead of
conventional barcodes to match and verify the doctors’ prescriptions, drugs
and patient data. Eastern Health Alliance Group CEO, Mr TK Udairam, said:
“The CLMM system with QR code enables us to deliver safer care through the
administration of the right drugs and right dosage to the right patient at
the right time. “It has also substantially increased productivity and staff
satisfaction by improving inventory management and enabling our healthcare
professionals such as nurses more time for direct patient care” Integrated
Health Information Systems (IHiS), the Health Ministry’s IT arm, CEO, Dr
Chong Yoke Sin, said: “CGH is one of the first in Southeast Asia to use QR
code technology for medication management. QR codes can contain more information,
and thus provide more checks for the medication process”. QR codes can hold several hundred times more data than
conventional barcodes. They can also be scanned from any angle, and be
printed on very narrow spaces. The CLMM system relieves nurses of
administrative work in the medication process, improving their productivity.
Pharmacy staff are able to view real-time drug consumption levels, and thus
stock only what is needed. With the system, CGH expects to reduce by half
potential errors in medicine supply, and achieve 30 per cent cost savings in
drug inventory. Data from the system also provides quality information for
clinical analytics to improve patient outcomes. In the CLMM system, doctors
enter prescriptions directly into the electronic medical records system.
Pharmacists review the prescriptions online, and then send them to robot
packaging machines. The robots automatically dispense the unit dose
medication with QR code. This eliminates human errors in drug dispensing. At
the wards, before serving medicine to the patient, the nurse scans the QR
code on the patient’s wristband and on the drugs to ensure they match. From
http://www.futuregov.asia/
10/31/2013 Singapore
Library Rolls Out Unified Communications in the Cloud Singapore’s National Library Board (NLB) rolled out unified
communication in a private cloud to improve productivity and collaboration
internally and with stakeholders. NLB’s employees are scattered across
Singapore at its network of 21 public libraries, three regional libraries and
one national library. “The new integrated platform gives us an edge in
communication. It saves time and allows staff to collaborate effectively,”
said Ramachandran Narayanan, Deputy Director, Technology
& Innovation at NLB. “We now have virtual teams - made up of staff and
sometimes partners - that easily share knowledge and expertise to make better
and faster decisions regardless of work location.” Most conventional
communication and conferencing solutions operate in silos, such as enterprise
telephony, contact centre, desktop conferencing and more. Unified
communications offers an integrated solution and support media-rich
collaboration. “The communication experience is significantly enhanced and is
made possible by the the high bandwidth available in Singapore,” said
Narayanan. Besides voice and video feed, staff can collaborate by sharing
slides and materials while on the call. The solution is also integrated to productivity tools such as
Microsoft Outlook. NLB considered public cloud services such as Skype and
Cisco WebEx. However, as a statutory board with security restrictions, it
decided to use a virtualised private cloud. “The selected solution is secure,
scalable, easy to use and interoperable so we won’t be tied down to one
vendor,” he added. Instead of using IP phones that tend to be expensive and
desk-bound, NLB staff can now make and answer calls using ‘softphones’.
Softphones are software programmes installed on devices that allow you make
calls over the internet. “Employees who are mobile can use the softphone from
any company-issued device, whether it is a PC, iPad or smartphone. At the
moment we do not allow staff to use personal devices due to security
concerns,” commented Narayanan. The initial pilot was conducted in the
technical division. Besides scheduled training, Narayanan’s team conducted
weekly clinics to address issues and find out roadblocks of why staff are not using the system. Management support is also
key during the roll-out. Senior staff would
encourage virtual meetings instead of travelling across town. From
http://www.futuregov.asia/
11/19/2013 THAILAND:
Pushing Implementation of E-Court The Government of Thailand is pushing for the implementation of
an e-court. Yesterday (August 29), it held a seminar to discuss the important
role of an electronic court in promoting economic growth. E-courts serve as an
IT system for judicial management for acquiring, accumulating and sharing
content produced in pre-trial investigation and judicial examinations. The Thai Government sees the use of an
e-court as not only beneficial for the efficiency of its judicial system, but
also for developing a better business and investment environment. Director of
the Electronic Transaction Development Agency (ETDA), Surangkana Wayuparb,
says that the development of ICT systems is crucial for the economic
development of the country. Thailand has not yet reached its full potential
in terms of ICT systems, and is thus, lagging behind in terms of attracting
international investors. With the upcoming transition to the ASEAN Economic
Community, the Thai Government sees this as a key item on the national
agenda. Thailand is ranked 18th on World Bank’s Doing Business 2013 Report. From
http://www.futuregov.asia/
08/30/2013 Thai
Education Ministry Improves Network to Support Students Thailand Ministry of Education signed a Memorandum of
Understanding with the state-owned telecommunications company, TOT Public
Company Limited, to improve the internet network service under the MOENet
project last week. MOENet is a network providing internet service to 3100
education institutions locally. The project aims to support teaching and
learning, develop and reinforce the nation’s education foundation, and
increase the ministry’s efficiency. According to Permanent Secretary Panita
Kambhu Na Ayutthaya (pictured), the ministry has been focusing on
student-centred learning by distributing education opportunities equally
throughout the country. The enhancement of high-speed internet will further
facilitate this process across the organisations and institutes under the
ministry. TOT wi-fi high speed internet system will be installed at the
ministry to magnify the internet gateway to the speed of 8/10 gbps. Speed of
internet circuit leaded line or DSL/VPM of education institutes located
within 4 kilometres will also be increased to 8-10 mbps. From
http://www.futuregov.asia/
09/16/2013 VIETNAM:
Having 131.6 Mln Mobile Phone Subscribers in 2012 - White Book Vietnam had 131.6 million mobile phone and 9.5 million landline
subscribers by the end of 2012, according to the Vietnam's Information and
Communication Information (ICT) White Book 2013. Released by the Vietnam's
Ministry of Information and Communication (MIC) on Monday, the publication
showed that although the development of telephone and internet subscribers
slowed down due to market saturation, the number of mobile and internet users
posted growth rates of 3.42 percent and 2.46 percent over 2011, respectively.
Notably, the number of fixed broadband internet subscribers increased 24.74
percent to nearly 4.8 million subscribers in 2012 while the number of 3G
subscribers dropped from 16 million to 15.7 million. The number of pay TV
subscribers has almost doubled over 2011, bringing the total revenue of pay
TV to 200 million U.S. dollars. In 2012, the country's ICT sector earned 25.5
billion U.S. dollars, an increase of 86.3 percent year-on-year, while postal
services pocketed nearly 274 million U.S. dollars, said the publication. The
Vietnam's ICT White Book provides information and data in the fields of ICT
infrastructure, information technology, post and telecommunications, ICT
human resources and information security. From
http://news.xinhuanet.com/
09/17/2013 Vietnam
Health Ministry Invests US$4.7mil on Electronic Medical Record In an exclusive interview with FutureGov, Chi Thanh Luong,
Deputy Director General, Department of Health IT, Ministry of Health (MOH),
Vietnam reveals his team’s biggest project worth VND100 billion (US$4.7
million). The Electronic Health Medical (EMR) initiative targets to digitise
patients’ health data at the 40 hospitals under the ministry. These hospitals
are the biggest among the 1000 hospitals across the country. “Our leaders
have pumped VND 20 billion (approx US$1 million) into the project this year
to kick off EMR and has since benefitted six hospitals,” says Thanh. The key
challenges facing the team are the lack of policy and IT engineers who are
specialised in health technology. He noted: “the government needs to issue
the necessary policy governing roles, privacy, security of sensitive patient
information and more.” Being a young team that was formed only a year ago,
the Department of Health IT is under pressure to show success for this EMR
initiative. Than believes the infrastructure, technology-savvy population,
and cheap internet costs provide strong support to the initiative. Thanh is
attending the 10th annual FutureGov Summit to share his experience and learn
from over 150 government counterparts as they discuss how innovative
solutions for modernising citizen and patient services. From
http://www.futuregov.asia/
10/24/2013 Hospitals
Invest in IT Services Many hospitals in Viet Nam are transforming their IT services by
upgrading to more expensive, smarter systems to improve their services and
quality. Stronger demand from consumers, who have become more aware about
quality healthcare services, has prompted the trend. More sophisticated IT
applications are important, hospital representatives said, because of the
shortage of human resources and infrastructure. With more investment in IT,
hospitals hope they can move from a volume-based business to a value-based
business.In addition, these investments allow doctors to focus more on
people, not paperwork. IT in Viet Nam in recent years has been used to
develop e-hospitals, build and develop strong clinic data systems and manage
financial matters. Sai Gon International Hospital, a major one in HCM City,
is one of many hospitals nationwide, like the Dong Nai International Hospital
and the Psychiatry Hospital in the city's District 8, that have invested a
great deal in developing e-hospital systems. Le Thanh Binh, head of the
hospital's IT Department, told Viet Nam News that it began using IT in 2009
and has invested more in advanced e-systems, with a total of VND2 billion
(US$95,000) this year. Several months ago, the hospital began to apply a new information
management solution, including data warehouse IBM DB2 and business analytics
IBM Cognos, which have helped the hospital to manage an increasing volume of
data that can be analysed to offer actionable insights. "The initial
time was so difficult because everything was new. Now, however, it has gone
well. The information and code of every patient will be sent immediately to
every department and faculty right after they come to the check-in
counter," he said. "It has helped us save 70-80 per cent of time
that we spent when we did work manually," he told Viet Nam News. FV
Hospital's ICT Director Tran Phuong Dong also said that thanks to IT
solutions his hospital could now manage patients and avoid financial losses
much better. "An integrated IT system that connects all information will
help hospital do that," he said. Experts from the IT sector believe that
investments in IT would help lower risks. "There will be no more
inaccurate test results. Any inaccurate information related to patients and
financial matters will be reported soon to managers so they can fix them
immediately." The affirmation was made by Nguyen Thanh Binh, CEO of BSM
Software Corporation, which has provided IT solutions for many hospitals in
Viet Nam. Nguyen Phuc Dung, IBM's Client Technical Professional, said that
both hospitals and patients benefited from modern IT solutions.
"Hospitals can easily manage all data as well as treatment history of
their patients. Meanwhile, the patient can easily find their own information
even when they stay at home. Also, they can use these data when they move to
another hospital," he said. Profits that IT brings to hospitals can
clearly be seen. However, not all of the hospitals can apply IT in the most
effective way. Their study showed that the application of IT in hospitals is
still widespread and many hospitals have applied it but not in an effective
manner, Dung said. He explained that hospitals had set up IT systems randomly
in an uncoordinated way, and thus it was difficult for their staff and doctors
to have a unified view. To effectively apply IT solutions, it is necessary to
have an integrated system to connect everything, he said. He also added that
to save costs, hospitals must find experienced companies and work with local
solution developers who could help them avoid risks and problems that other
hospitals have faced. From
http://vietnamnews.vn/
11/18/2013 |
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BANGLADESH:
Govt Plans to Provide Specialised IT Training to 10,000 Graduates The government has planned to provide specialised IT training
(Top- Up IT Training) to 10,000 science, computer science and engineering
(CSE) and Electrical & Electronic Engineering (EEE) graduates through
teachers of 75 universities to build IT service professionals. Official sources said Leveraging
ICT for Growth, Employment and Governance (LICT) project of Bangladesh
Computer Council (BCC) under the Ministry of Information and Communication
Technology (MoICT) has started the process to appoint foreign a consulting
firm which, in collaboration with reputed universities of the world, will
prepare the curriculum and manual for making the Top-Up IT training a
world-class one. As part of the plan, Bangladesh University Grant Commission
(UGC) has requested the Vice Chancellors of 75 universities — 34 public, 26
private and 15 Institutes of Information and Technology (IIT) — to send
teachers of CSE or EEE departments of their respective universities and IIT
to attend a daylong workshop to be held on Saturday (Nov 16) at the UGC
auditorium, he said. Some 150 teachers are expected to attend the workshop
for discussing in details various issues relating to Top-Up IT training,
including computer lab facilities with tentative budget required for
conducting the training for six to nine months. LICT Project Director Md
Rezaul Karim said the LICT project contains three types of training for
building 34,000 IT professionals and Top-Up IT training is one that would
create 10,000 IT service professionals. The university teachers will provide
six to nine months to 10,000 science, computer science and engineering (CSE)
& Electrical and Electronic Engineering (EEE) graduates from universities
and colleges, he said adding that the training curriculum will be made as per
IT and ITES industries’ demand, and the trainees will be selected through a
competitive recruitment process. The World Bank is providing 70 million US
dollars for implementing the Leveraging ICT for growth, Employment and
Governance project that started its journey in January this year. According
to a WB study, the project, if implemented, would create some 34,000 direct
and 120,000 indirect jobs in the country. From
http://unbconnect.com
11/13/2013 INDIA:
Railway to Develop Common Rail Electronic Direct Fuel Injection System Transport Research Development Standard Organisation (RDSO), the
research wing of Indian Railways in the process of developing a highly fuel
efficient and Common Rail Electronic Direct Fuel Injection (CReDI) system. On
diesel locomotives, however, this technology is beginning to be implemented
world over recently. Indian Railways has taken a global lead in starting
development of the CReDI for its fleet of diesel locomotives. For this
purpose, an Indian manufacturer has established a joint venture with a
reputed firm from Switzerland for design and development of the system under
overall supervision of RDSO. Final testing of the system will be done at the
large bore engine laboratory of RDSO. Fuel savings in the range of 3 to 4 per
cent and emissions reductions by about 20-30 percent are expected. Once the
systems are implemented on the complete fleet of locomotives, savings will be
about Rs. 500-600 crore annually. In the long-term, complete manufacture,
assembly and testing of the CReDI system shall be done in India placing India
among the few countries possessing design and manufacturing capabilities for
such sophisticated systems for large bore engines like locomotives, marine,
trucks and battle tanks etc. Besides Railways many other Industries of India
stand to gain from these developments. Use of Common Rail systems has
resulted in increasing the population of diesel passengers’ cars in Europe by
more than 50%. European emissions laws are considered to be one of the most
stringent across the globe. From
http://egov.eletsonline.com
09/03/2013 Government
of India Decides to Launch DBTL in 235 More Districts Government of India has decided to extend the Direct Benefit
Transfer for LPG (DBTL) Scheme in 235 more districts by 1.1.14 in phases
depending on Aadhaar penetration. With this roll out almost half the country,
covering 289 districts, will get covered by DBTL by January 2014. The DBTL
scheme has already been launched so far in 54 districts of the country
covering 21.9 million LPG consumers and Rs.222 crore subsidy
has been transferred through 5.3 million transactions into the bank accounts
of the LPG consumers so far. As per the DBTL scheme, cash subsidy is
transferred for the LPG cylinders directly into the bank accounts of the LPG
consumers while the sale happens at the market price. In order to avail
transfer of cash subsidy into the bank account, Aadhaar number of the LPG
consumer has to be linked to the LPG consumer number and bank account of the
LPG consumer for which a three months grace period from date of launch is
being provided. During the grace period all consumers continue to get LPG
cylinders at subsidized rate. After the grace period is over, all LPG
consumers have to pay for LPG cylinders at market rate. Linkage via Aadhaar
number is required for the transfer of cash subsidy. Thus, only those who
have linked their Aadhaar numbers to both their bank account and LPG consumer
number will be able to receive cash subsidy in their bank accounts. After the
grace period is over, consumers will receive cash subsidy as and when they
link their Aadhaar numbers for the balance entitlement. All LPG consumers of
the 289 districts are advised to obtain Aadhaar number and link it to their
LPG consumer number and to their bank accounts if they wish to avail of the
LPG subsidy at the earliest. Aadhaar number is not required to avail LPG
cylinders at non-subsidized rate.LPG consumers not desirous
of availing subsidy on LPG are not required to furnish their Aadhaar numbers. From
http://egov.eletsonline.com
09/04/2013 All
India Radio Launches Free News SMS Service All India Radio launched a free SMS service to provide important
news to subscribers and keep them updated with the latest happenings around.
The service was launched by Information and Broadcasting Minister, Manish
Tewari. The service was launched on a pilot scale about six months back. It is already
been subscribed by two lakh people at present. Manish Tewari said that All
India Radio (AIR) has an extremely diverse correspondent base which is able
to gather news stories from the extremely remote corners of the country and
bring them to mainstream in real time, and also expressed hope that the data
base of SMS subscribers will go up from the current two lakh to five lakh by
the end of this month. The resource generated through such public utility
scheme will enable the News Services Division of AIR to bear the cost
incurred towards generating such SMSs. AIR has already procured a public
service message from HRD Ministry which is being tagged along with the news
headlines of the day. People willing to subscribe to the service can SMS AIR
NEWS space name to 08082080820’. They can also give a missed call to the said
number to subscribe to the service. From
http://egov.eletsonline.com
09/10/2013 IRCTC
Launches New APP for Booking e-Ticket Indian Railway Catering & Tourism Corporation Ltd. (IRCTC)
has launched a new application (App) for Windows Phone and Windows 8 devices
so as to facilitate the users with a new channel of booking e-tickets in
addition to the existing portal. This new IRCTC-App, which has been launched
in collaboration with Microsoft, provides anytime, anywhere access to IRCTC
services. With this alternative channel of booking, the passengers will have
an additional convenience and better experience of booking e-ticket. The app
has been made available exclusively for Windows devices. The users of Windows
Phone, Windows 8 Desktop/Tab can download, completely free this application
as per their requirement from the Windows Phone Store and Windows Store
respectively. Using this new app one can plan a trip, make railway
reservations, check the PNR status and perform all the tasks already
available on the IRCTC web site. The App will provide the users an enhanced
experience of all IRCTC website services and will in fact offer a few
exclusive services to the App users. The new and exciting features for the
App-users will include Visual maps of train routes, Windows Phone live tiles
(lighting up as train tickets) and access to saved traveler profiles from
multiple devices are just a few to mention. This application will help a wide
number of users as Windows is a widely familiar platform. It offers the best
in class, security required while handling personal and financial data of
customers. The move meets the objective of IRCTC among others to focus
relentlessly on enhancing customer experience. From
http://egov.eletsonline.com
09/16/2013 New Website
to Track Delhi’s Missing Children The Department of Women and Child Development launched a new
website to track Delhi’s missing children. The Zonal Integrated Police
Network (ZIPNET) would be closed soon as the new website will take over the
responsibility to track missing children. A national website to track
children (www.trackthemissingchild.gov.in) has been launched and will work in
a full-fledged manner, so that there is integrated detail to track missing
children,” said Premoday Khakha, assistant director, Integrated Child
Protection Scheme (ICPS). “As soon as the child goes missing, all relevant
child protection stakeholders should be alerted for fast-tracking the case,”
Nina Nayak, member, NCPCR, said, underlining the need for convergence between
different authorities in the state. As per figures corroborated by CRY and
Alliance for People’s Rights, between January 2012 and Dec 31, 2012, around
4,364 children went missing in Delhi. From
http://egov.eletsonline.com
09/17/2013 Railway
Switches to e-Auction for Scrap Disposal Indian railways has switched
over to 100 percent e-Auction for disposal of scrap eliminating the need for
physical presence of purchasers. Indian Railways disposes scrap worth Rs3500
crore every year. Till recently, scrap disposal by Indian railways was being
carried out through public auctions requiring physical presence of purchasers
for bidding. The e-auction system has been developed in-house by the ministry
of railways. In this auction system, electronic bidding system has been
designed to enable participation in auction through the internet using
digital certificate (DSC). No physical presence of purchaser is required for
biding. Now a purchaser can participate in e-auction organised by all zonal
authorities of the Indian railway by getting registered on ‘ireps.gov.in’.
The e-auction module includes e-payment facility. No cash handling is
required by purchasers and railways’ cashiers. The bidding process is
completely transparent. It will increase the number of participants in
various auctions and will curtain the role of middlemen. Till date about 1200
purchasers have got themselves registered for participation in e-auction of
scrap. The railways has already auctioned scrap
material worth more than Rs1000 crore through new auction facility so far. From
http://egov.eletsonline.com
09/18/2013 Narendra
Modi Launches Gujarat Police’s Ambitious Project eGujCop The Government of Gujarat launched its most ambitious
information technology project eGujCop. It is system which will connect all
of Gujarat Police’s 1,000 police stations and other departments with the Home
Department through the electronic platform. Chief Minister Narendra Modi
inaugurated the project at Bhaskarcharya Institute for Space Sciences and
Geo-Informatics (BISAG) in Gandhinagar. The programme, running under the
Information Technology Enabled System (ITES), has been designed to bring a
simple, fast, transparent and effective connection between the police
departments converting the procedures online through a specially designed
database. “The project, established at a cost of Rs 150 crore, has been
acknowledged by the Centre as a successful model. The project will bring a
paradigm shift in the functioning of the police department, reducing their
workload through the e-Document system. In a way, eGujCop could prove more
effective than even AK-47.”as said by Narendra Modi.
The system links over 1,000 physical entities, including police stations,
jails, home guards, the forensic science lab, the Prohibition and
Anti-Corruption Bureau, with data about police and other security personnel,
as well as a databank of criminals. Modi also said the technology should
instill fear among the criminals. It should also strengthen the morale of the
police force. According to Additional Chief Secretary (Home) S K Nanda, “The
eGujCop Project would function in three stages beginning with the conversion
of database and records into e-files. The project will later head to
converting the FIR into e-FIRs, when police officers will lodge complaints
directly on the computer and begin investigation. “This advanced system would
facilitate and expedite investigations and hence reduce crime rate eventually,”
he added. “It will bring transparency in registration of cases,” Nanda added. From
http://egov.eletsonline.com
09/20/2013 India Post
Launches Instant Money Transfer from UAE to India India Post today announced launch of instant money transfer
service in partnership with UAE’s Emirates Post Group. “India Post
(Department of Posts) has signed an agreement with Wall Street Exchange (a
company of the Emirates Post Group of UAE) for launch of an International
Electronic Money Transfer service through ‘Instant Cash’ product of the
Emirates Post Group,” a DoP’s official statement said. ‘Instant Cash’ is a
wholly owned subsidiary of the Emirates Post Group, and its services are
available in 59 countries through more than 60,000 locations. “Recipients
will be able to receive their payment at any of the identified 17,500 post
offices by producing the unique transaction number along with their identity
and KYC documents. Money will be available for payment immediately,” the
statement said. The service was launched in the country this week by DoP,
with Secretary P Gopinath receiving the first payment from United Arab
Emirates at a function organised by India Post for signing the tie-up between
the Department of Posts and the Emirates Post Group, the statement said. The
service will be rolled out nationally in a phased manner and will be made
available at about 17,500 post offices across India by next month. “This new
service has its own significance going by the fact that globally, India is
the largest recipient of remittances with over $70 billion annually, half of
which come from the Gulf,” the statement said. The money transfer service
will be provided through the International Financial System (IFS) of
Universal Postal Union. From
http://egov.eletsonline.com
10/16/2013 Passport
Seva Mobile App Now on Windows & Apple Platforms Encouraged by public response to its Passport Sewa mobile app
for Android phones, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has now launched
the application for Windows and Apple iOS platforms. The app provides
passport-related information on the smartphones. The MEA had released the
android version of the app in March this year. This is an extended service of
the Passport Seva Project, executed in Public-Private-Partnership mode with
IT services major Tata Consultancy Services (TCS). mPassport
Seva provides a wide variety of services such as status tracking, locating a
passport office and other general information, TCS said in a release. The
application provides information on various steps involved to obtain a
passport related service and related phone numbers in case of queries or
concerns, it added. The users will also be able to search for a Passport Seva
Kendra (PSK) or District Passport Cell (DPC) in a district where a passport
application can be submitted. This can also be searched based on PIN code.
For certain states and districts, the users can search for police stations as
well. Citizens residing overseas who apply for a passport service in Indian
Missions/Posts abroad can also utilise this facility for searching address
and other relevant information. The fee calculator feature of the app enables
users to find out the applicable fee based on the service and mode of
submission. Users can track the status of their passport applications by
providing the file number and date of birth. In case the passport has been
dispatched, delivery status can also be tracked. From
http://egov.eletsonline.com
11/06/2013 Colombia
Installs ICT Kiosks in 286 Remote Municipalities The president of Colombia, Juan Manuel Santos, has put into
operation 500 kiosks in remote areas with more than 100 inhabitants in 286
municipalities. The project required an investment of more than COP 551
billion. The kiosks are part of the government’s Digital Lives project which
aims to promote the use and development of ICT in rural and remote areas of
the country. The kiosks provide internet access and other services like
phone, fax, scan and copy. Users will receive free training in the use of
ICT. From
http://egov.eletsonline.com
11/20/2013 EPFO Made
Simple with Technology The Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation(EPFO) has launched
Online Transfer Claim Portal(OTCP) to take care of 13 lakhs transfer claims,
normally received during the year. Two other softwares are also have been launched-
one which allows change of name of an employee and another which allows
calculation of interest as well as of penal damages to be recovered from
defaulting employers. The launching of these
software will help in reducing the grievances as well as help in recovery of
thousands of crores pending for years. EPFO settled 10,21,922
claims during the month of October, 2013. This number is 28 percent higher
than the claims settled in the month of September, 2013. 72 percent of these
claims were settled within 10 days while remaining 28 percent were settled
within 30 days. Number of complaints in Central Public Grievances Redressal
System(CPGRAM) has come down to less than 100 no. of grievances in Employees
Provident Fund internet Grievance System(EPFiGMS) which has been activated
lately have also got reduced from more than 25,000 to less than 5,500. expressed his happiness over the fact that 108 offices out
of 123 offices of EPFO do not have a single complaint pending for more than
30 days. K.K. Jalan, central provident fund commissioner informed that the
EPFO got a receipt of 5,689 crores as remittances during the month of
October, 2013 through 4.86 lakh establishments, which filed electronic
challans cum return. He was also happy to note that a
annual account updation software which was launched in September, 2013 has
resulted into updation of 8.21 crores annual accounts till October, 2013. The
initiative helped them to bag Financial Inclusion and Payments System Award,
2013. From
http://egov.eletsonline.com
11/20/2013 NEPAL:
Telecom Testing Wi-Fi Service in Public Areas With plans to provide Wi-Fi services in public areas, Nepal
Telecom is testing its Wi-Max technology in several spots around Kathmandu.
During the three month testing period, the company is providing free Wi-Fi in
the selected areas. At present, Nepal Telecom is testing the technology at
areas within the International Airport, Teaching Hospital, Sahid Gangalal Heart
Centre, Bir Hospital and Basantapur Durbar Square. Several of the company’s
offices are also trying out. The Wi-Fi has a bandwidth of 4MBps, on shared
basis. “We began testing it over six weeks ago,” says Subash Chandra Shah,
the Project Manager of WiMax Division at NT. “So far, the technology has
worked smoothly and we haven’t received any complaints.” Once the project is
fully tested, NT subscribers will be able to use Wi-Fi in their phone in
several public areas. The subscribers will have to send a SMS request for
permission to use the service, and will be charged accordingly. “We plan to
expand the service quickly,” says Shah. “Our next target is to launch the
service in domestic airports across the nation.” WiMax stands for Worldwide
Interoperability for Microwave Access , and enables
highspeed wireless access. From
http://www.nepalnews.com
09/10/2013 |
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AZERBAIJAN:
The Center of Internet in the Region – Official What steps does the government take in order
to ensure freedom of internet in the country? The
government in Azerbaijan has provided all opportunities for citizens to have
a free access to information. There is a free internet in the country. There
are thousands of free bloggers on an internet space of Azerbaijan. There are
tens of online radios, online TVs, hundreds of e-newspapers and e-magazines.
Social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram are extremely
popular among the population. Social networks have become an integral part of
our lives. It has also become a space of political discussions and exchange
of view. Internet has already become a part of daily lives of people in
Azerbaijan. The state is the first providing a free internet access for every
citizen. Electronic democracy is ensured at the highest level possible in
Azerbaijan and the country, as in a number of countries, takes no measures to
limit the internet. Already 70% of country’s population is internet users and
this figure grows even more every passing year. Azerbaijani President has
instructed to provide broadband internet in remote areas and now the
government takes measures at a faster pace to ensure easier access to
internet for citizens. If we draw analogies, we can see that Azerbaijan has
lower internet tariffs than any other state in the region. The average price
of broadband internet made up 2.5% of average monthly income of population by
2012 which means that the target of the World Telecommunication Union to make
this figure less than 5% by 2015 has already been reached. What I want to
emphasize is that the policies pursued by the President are aimed at developing
ICT as much as possible. As a result, the ongoing trend of lowering internet
tariffs will make internet accessible for more and more people. For an
instance, prices on per 1 Mbit/s. of internet dropped about 1,200 times over
the last 10 years. Besides, it eliminated internet dependence of the country
on transit countries. The fact that the market of internet services in
Azerbaijan grew four times over the last five years shows this field is a
priority for the state. We can have a clear picture of it once we take into
account the fact that 2013 was announced the Year of ICT in Azerbaijan,
University of Information Technologies was founded to produce qualified
workers, internet infrastructure was modernized at a fast pace and there was
constant enlargements in network of fiber-optic cable. Today Azerbaijan has
positioned itself as a center of internet in the region. It is no coincidence
that Baku has hosted VII Internet Governance Forum. In what ways internet is used in public
administration? Azerbaijani government sees internet not only
as a space of an exchange of information, but also as an opportunity to
ensure open and transparent activities of the government and involve citizens
with administration processes. The project of e-government, platforms created
on the Facebook page of Mr. President for state agencies to answer the
questions of citizens periodically and forming a system of turnover of
e-documents in the country serves exactly this mission. The growing usage of
e-documents in the service field is another proof that a citizen of
Azerbaijan stands at the center of all the measures taken. This will has a
decisive role in growing number of ASAN xidmət offices nationwide which
broadly uses online opportunities and that the President shows himself as an
example to ensure citizens benefit from e-services too a greater degree.
Unfortunately, some organizations noted for close relations with Armenian lobbying
organizations try to harm the image of the country disseminating slander
based on unrealistic and fake figures. Such organizations which just fulfill
an order are unable to distort the reality. Their activities are exposed
through obvious facts and will be exposed further. Can internet be an indicator of transparency
in the elections? Already candidates for president and their
campaigning teams conduct a large campaign through social networking
websites. Even posts made by individuals on Facebook and Twitter are
published on pages of newspapers. This shows how internet is free in
Azerbaijan. At the same time, the fact that webcams have been installed in
about 1,000 polling stations and there is a free access for everybody to get
familiar with the process of elections whether they are at home or abroad is a online control over transparent elections and striking
example of open society and internet transparency in From
http://www.news.az/
09/18/2013 Over
$180 Mln Invested in ICT, Postal Sector This Year Some 142.6 million manats ($182 million) were invested in
Azerbaijan's information and communication technologies and postal
communication sectors in January-September 2013, the ICT Ministry said.
According to the ministry, this amount exceeds the figure posted for the same
period of 2012 by 22 percent and makes up 1.2 percent of the total volume of
investments made in the country's economy. The bulk of investments made by
enterprises and entities of the ministry amounted to 39,867,400 manats (some
$50,903,204), the ministry said. Some 31 new automatic telephone exchanges
were commissioned in Azerbaijan in the nine-month period. Moreover, 11 post
offices, including two in the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, were built.
During the mentioned period, fiber-optic cables with a total length of 673.3
kilometers were laid, with 546.9 km of these laid by Aztelekom Production
Association, 41.4 km by Baku Telephone Communication and some 85 km by
privately owned companies. During this period Aztelekom's numbering capacity
was increased to 3,056 units. The figure for Baku Telephone Communication
also increased to 12,064. Currently, in Azerbaijan the total number of phones
per 100 people is 18.65 units. In Baku this figure is 37.7 and in the
country's regions it is 11.61, and in rural areas it is 7.21. According to
the ministry, the mobile phone penetration in the country remained at the
same level of 110 percent. According to the ministry, a project on developing
broadband internet in Azerbaijan, Fiber-to-the-Home, which will cover a
period up to 2018, will be presented to the Presidential Administration in
the coming days. This year some 103 million manats ($131.5 million) are expected
to be allocated from the Azerbaijani state oil fund SOFAZ for the project's
implementation. Funding of the project through SOFAZ will be continued next
year. The ministry plans to provide all areas of Azerbaijan with high-speed
internet access by 2017. At present, 70 percent of Azerbaijan's population
uses the internet and the penetration rate of broadband internet among the
population is 50 percent. The ultimate goal of the project is to supply the
entire country including its distant rural areas with high-speed internet
within the range of 10-100 Mbit/s, as well as bring the number of high-speed
internet users to 85 percent. This will allow Azerbaijan to reach the level
of developed world countries by 2017. According to the ministry, in the
nine-month period of the ICT Year in Azerbaijan 10.5 percent growth of the
ICT sector as compared to the same period of last year was recorded. The
World Economic Forum's report "Global Information Technology 2013"
ranked Azerbaijan 56th, improving its last year's results by five points on
the Networked Readiness Index among 144 world countries. According to the
report, Azerbaijan ranks eighth in "Government's success in supporting
ICT", ninth for "The importance of ICT in future outlook of the
government", and 20th in "Internet access". From
http://www.azernews.az/ 10/17/2013 |
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Digitised
Public Service: How Do We Include Everyone? Siggi
Kristoffersen, Deputy Director of Citizen Service, Municipality of
Copenhagen, Denmark, writes about the key factors crucial for effectively
managing change from traditional to digital services, while ensuring that
this transformation is inclusive and cost-effective. Digitisation brings
great new possibilities for the public service provider. If the change
process is handled right, there is a potential service leap from traditional
face-to-face interaction with the citizens to new forms of self-service and
citizen empowerment. This leap can help bridge the increasing gap between
what the average citizen expects and what the public servant is actually able
to provide. For every citizen moved from traditional to digital service, the
cost reduction is so substantial that it can easily finance further
investments in optimising services - digital and others. An important part of
this change management is empowering citizens that currently do not
understand or have access to the modern digital world. Empowering the most
able in society to use self-services is a first step as it enables us to
channel our efforts to the groups in society that are in great danger of
missing out on the digital revolution. As public
servants, our responsibility here is not only or primarily the design and
implementation of new services or the handling of cutbacks in service
personnel that follow. More importantly, our long-term success is measured by
our ability to reallocate and reinvest resources to those citizen groups
which are lagging behind in digitisation. Digitisation gives us a unique
chance to rethink the way we interact with citizens and to give the service
experience a welcome makeover. If we do it right, it also has the potential
to ease access for the most vulnerable groups in society. If we do not, there
is a substantial risk that we are adding a digital barrier to the barriers
that are already there. So first things first - as the main element in the
underlying business case is moving as large a group as possible as fast as
possible to digital self-service, it is pivotal to get a very precise
understanding of the number of citizen interactions on the various contact
channels (self-service, telephone, face-to-face, email and letter). These
numbers are to be a central part of your business intelligence as the success
of the change process can be monitored here. When we established this
information back in 2009, among other things we found out that 27 per cent of
Copenhageners preferred to contact us by mail or email. And also that we used
more than 51 per cent of our resources to provide services to this group of
citizens. Out of this
came a determined effort to reduce written communication with the citizens as
much as possible. And for every single interaction per email or letter
replaced by digital self-service we save US$ 21.2 that is reinvested in
better citizen services. The reinvestment strategy is made able by a clever
approach to cutbacks and business cases in the local government; as a general
rule an internal bank hands out investments up front to all projects with
ROIs of 16 per cent minimum. This makes it possible to finance and implement
digital solutions first, then work hard to actually change the citizen
contact pattern, and as a final step to reorganise resources and move
personnel to where they are needed more. What is crucial from a change
perspective is that it gives us time to make things work before cutting the
budgets. All too often the process is reversed and we are forced to reduce
spending without investing in our organisation or being able to update the
service to what is expected of us. Finally,
nothing happens without the political will to change the relations between
citizens and public sector, and to set ambitious goals. The Danish National
Parliament has passed legislation stating that 80 per cent of all
interactions on a long list of service areas must become digital
self-services by the end of 2015. This sends a very clear signal about what
to expect from both public service providers and from the citizens. And also
tells us that it is of utmost importance that we finish digitisation of the
vast majority as fast as possible. From 2015 onward, we will need all the
resources we can muster to ensure that we leave no one behind in this digital
revolution. From http://www.futuregov.asia
11/18/2013 AUSTRALIA:
New Online Community Engagement for Gold Coast Health Consumers Australia’s
Gold Coast Health consumer engagement programme is about to expand to include
an online opt-in health information service. The new ‘email news feed’ will
give past patients and their family an opportunity to keep in touch with our
health service and up to date with information that is important to them.
There will be general and specialist information available by health service
or disease type to offer staff a potential audience of several thousand
people as the programme rolls out over time. This new information channel
could supply patients with a variety of information including new and
emerging research in their area of interest, new or changing services, or more
general ‘what’s new in Gold Coast Health’. The ultimate goal is to build
awareness of the services we provide, empower health consumers to get
involved in their healthcare and build their capacity to make better informed
decisions about their health. Gold Coast Health provides acute and sub-acute
health services to the Gold Coast community. The Gold Coast Hospital and
Health Service is now a locally controlled statutory authority under the
state government. The Board oversees the management of an A$850 million
(US$792 million) annual budget to deliver a full range of public health
services across the Gold Coast Hospital, Robina Hospital and Carrara Health
Centre, plus many community health facilities. The
objectives of its community and consumer engagement programme laid out in its
2013-15 strategy include: # Improve
patient safety outcomes through consumer involvement # Build a
better understanding of expectation among patients, the community, health
providers and health services # Grow
community confidence and awareness of services provided by Gold Coast Health # Develop
community partnerships to create new opportunities for information sharing # Expand our
engagement activities and highlight the benefits of community engagement to
staff and the community # Gold Coast
Health has recently opened its new A$1.76 billion (US$1.64 billion) Gold
Coast University Hospital. From http://www.futuregov.asia
10/01/2013 Australian
University Trials Online Clinic to Reduce Suicide Rate Researchers
at Australian National University’s Centre for Mental Health Research are
currently trialling an online self-help programme to prevent suicide
incidents. The programme, called Healthy Thinking, offers round the clock
access to support and information to help sufferers of mental health, with a
focus on suicide prevention. Suicidality, when a person has suicidal thinking
or behaviour, affects some 400,000 Australian adults, while suicide remains
the leading cause of death for Australian males aged 15 to 44 years. The
programme is a world-first, originally established in the Netherlands by Dr
Bregje van Spijker (pictured). Now a Research Fellow at the Australian
National University, Spijker is hoping the success of the Dutch roll-out can
be replicated in Australia. “One of the major issues with having suicidal thoughts is many people find it difficult to talk
about those thoughts with other people,” Dr van Spijker said. “A lot of
people look online for many health related issues, so we thought people might
also go online looking for suicide prevention information. “Even if they are
a bit reluctant to actually go and see someone face-to-face, at least the
online programme can offer them the option of doing something about their
feelings. “We are hoping that the programme will help people at least cope
better with their suicidality, even if they are just able to talk to someone
about their feelings and thoughts for the first time, would be good.” From http://www.futuregov.asia
10/11/2013 First
Australian City to Give Free Wifi Across Business District The City of Perth is proud to become the first and only
Australian capital city giving people free blanket WiFi internet access
across its Central Business District (CBD) area. Officially launched on
Wednesday (6 November), ‘Perth WiFi’ provides blanket internet coverage to
the Perth CBD public. This means users can freely move around the city while
staying connected to the internet and do not need to rely on random
‘hotspots’. City of Perth Lord Mayor Lisa Scaffidi, who has been a staunch
champion of the need for free public WiFi said Perth’s new free internet
service is a key initiative that all major and capital city local governments
must support to be truly modern and vitally connected. “Blanket WiFi coverage
is the next step forward from the current standard of wireless internet
hotspots used in other Australian cities,” Scaffidi said. “Our free WiFi
service will provide much to local businesses and
tourists – allowing visitors to access their emails, social media accounts,
maps and web sites wherever they are in the CBD - and allow visitors to post
pictures of From
http://www.futuregov.asia
11/08/2013 NEW ZEALAND:
Reviewing Use of Online Citizen Services More and
more New Zealanders are seeking public services online, according to the
Kiwis Count Channels Report 2013, say State Services Minister, Jonathan
Coleman, and Internal Affairs Minister, Chris Tremain. Prepared by the New
Zealand State Services Commission, the report draws from the experience of
2226 New Zealanders who completed the 2012 Kiwis Count survey on public
satisfaction with government services. Minister Coleman said, “This report
finds the internet is now the preferred channel for Kiwis looking for
information on public services or dealing with public services. New
Zealanders want digital access to public services which is simple and user
friendly. The findings in this report will assist agencies developing their
strategies to increase online uptake.” The Kiwis Count Channels 2013 report
found that 85 per cent of New Zealanders looked for information about a
public service online and 90 per cent interacted with public services online.
In the last 12 months, 91 per cent of residents have used the internet and 66
per cent used it to deal with public services. Minister
Tremain added, “Delivering better public services is a key priority for the
Government and it is about improving New Zealanders’ interactions with
government in a digital environment. Being able to conduct more business with
government online makes things easier and quicker for people, and also
benefits the economy.” The New Zealand Government’s target states that, on average,
70 per cent of residents’ most common transactions with the Government will
be completed in a digital environment by 2017. This currently stands at 41
per cent, having gone up from 29.9 per cent in the last one year. This index
aggregates ten key public services available online including applying for a
passport, filing an individual tax return, applying for financial assistance,
paying for vehicle licences and applying for overseas visas. The Kiwis Count
Channels Report 2013 revealed that although the internet is now the preferred
channel for interacting with public services, the change has been gradual
rather transformational and there is still substantial preference for other
channels. “While this report is encouraging and shows good progress is being
made, there is still work to be done, and more government services need to be
integrated online”, concluded the Minister for State Services. From http://www.futuregov.asia
08/28/2013 New Zealand
Improves Health Care Delivery with New Patient Identification System Since the
new National Health Index (NHI) system was rolled out in May, about 35
healthcare organisations, who’ve worked closely with the Ministry of Health
during its pilot trial, said they experienced significant improvements in the
quality of patient care delivery. The NHI is a unique identifier that is
assigned to every person who uses health and disability support services in
New Zealand. It is stored on the NHI system along with the person’s
demographic details. The new NHI system replaces a 20 years old version that
had become increasingly difficult to update and maintain. Through the new
system, individuals’ details are checked 80,000 times a day to ensure they are
up-to-date and accurate. Since its launch the Ministry of Health has seen a
reduction in the number of duplicate NHI numbers created and improvements in
data quality, availability and response times. “Having accurate information
about patients is critical to ensure the right health information is matched
to the right person,” said Health Minister Tony Ryall. “This can make a real
difference to patient care. For example, if a 45-year-old woman is admitted
to hospital with an infection, clinical staff can quickly and accurately
identify her from anyone else with the same name and immediately view a
medical warning that she is allergic to penicillin.” Each day the NHI
database processes around 380,000 transactions by authorised health
professionals and support staff. These include identifying a patient
correctly so they can receive hospital treatment or updating addresses to
send reminders to women who are due for a mammogram. From http://www.futuregov.asia
08/30/2013 New Zealand
Building Shared Online Engagement Service New
Zealand’s Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) is building a new Government
Online Engagement Service (GOES) in order to improve efficiency of the
government’s interactions with citizens and stakeholders to inform policy and
decision-making processes. The GOES will be a shared online engagement
service that standardises and automates key elements of engagement
management, communication and contribution analysis, allowing agencies to
identify appropriate engagement methods and share expertise on digital
engagement practices. Nadia Webster, Senior Advisor for Government
Information Services at DIA, says, “Many New Zealand public agencies have
begun experimenting with online channels for engagement. However, the
approach so far has largely been to replicate paper-based processes such as
posting downloadable PDF discussion documents and request formal written
submissions by email.” Webster
added that due to the lack of a single comprehensive online consultation and
engagement service for the New Zealand Government, agencies are duplicating
investment in digital engagement channels and have disproportionate access to
online engagement expertise. Moreover, more New Zealanders are now seeking
user-friendly public services online as FutureGov wrote about here. The Kiwis
Count Channels Report 2013 found that the internet is the preferred channel
for citizens looking for information on or dealing with public services. The
New Zealand Government’s strategic thinking emphasises user-centric service
and information delivery, sharing solutions, reusing common technology and
delivering better services at low cost. It has also committed to providing
more open and transparent governance. Addressing this situation, DIA formed a
cross-agency working group to build a service vision for creating a shared
approach to online engagement and improving the efficiency of the
government’s use of the digital channel for communication and information
exchange. “The GOES
project aims to provide a single source all-of-government online engagement
service that assists agencies with the end-to-end management of the
engagement process and improves the service delivery to participants,” said
Webster. The project is currently in Phase 1 (August 2013 – January 2014)
where DIA has established a ‘Community of Practice’ to gather the knowledge
of engagement practitioners to co-create best practice online engagement
guidance. It is also outlining the user-centric design of the base GOES
platform, (known as Minimal Viable Product or MVP GOES platform). DIA is
currently securing commitment from key agencies to GOES when it is delivered,
as it prepares for Phases 2 and 3, where they will build the MVP GOES platform.
It will undergo several rounds of launching and refining based on user
feedback, before deciding the product roadmap and future steps. From http://www.futuregov.asia
09/05/2013 National Telehealth
System for New Zealand in 2014 New Zealand
is to get a new national telehealth system allowing residents to receive
health and injury advice via phone or the web, announced Health Minister,
Tony Ryall. Aiming for a more comprehensive telehealth system, the Minister
noted, “Not only are we planning to expand the ways
people receive advice, we are also looking at having a wider range of health
professionals available for people to talk to, such as pharmacists.” The
Ministry of Health will fund nine phone advice lines, including Healthline,
Poisonline, Quitline and Depression helpline. In addition to these, New
Zealanders will be able to receive advice via text, online chat, email and
mobile applications. The new service will prioritise improving quality of
health and injury advice. Currently, there are a number of health advice
lines being operated independently, handling around 2 million calls annually.
“However, the current services are not connected, each with their own call
centre, phone number and system for triaging calls. And some are too small to
invest in new technology, such as text and online-chat,” said the Minister. In 2011, the
National Government committed to develop a more comprehensive telehealth
system for New Zealanders, establishing the New Zealand Telehealth Forum and
completing its first telehealth pilot. “By making the service even more
comprehensive and helpful, we expect the new telehealth service will help
reduce the pressure on after-hours primary care, ambulance services and
emergency departments,” he remarked. The Government will issue a Request for
Information for the new telehealth service, later this month on the
Government Electronic Tender Service. Following which, a formal request for
proposal will be issued in February 2014. The new service will not include
New Zealand’s emergency phone line 111 or Plunketline, the service for
parenting and childcare advice. The Health Ministry anticipates the national
telehealth service to be up and running by end of 2014. From http://www.futuregov.asia
09/13/2013 New Zealand Introduces
New Common Web Platform Internal
Affairs Minister Chris Tremain introduced the new Common Web Platform (CWP)
which government agencies can now access to control and maintain the “look
and feel” of their respective websites. The CWP is a shared web platform
developed for government agencies by Wellington ICT company, SilverStripe and
hosted by another New Zealand company, Revera, through Infrastructure as a
Service, another All-of-Government service. Apart from being a web hosting
solution, the CWP allows agencies to control the several functionalities
which include: the look and feel of their websites, suppliers of professional
services to manage and develop their websites, content, the website’s code
and customised integration with other websites. “The CWP is part of the ICT
Strategy and Action Plan to 2017, announced in June, calling for shared
investments, pooled resources and reduced duplication across different
departments,” says Minister Tremain. “In terms of procurement there are
potential savings of $50,000 per web project. On its own it’s not a big
amount but when spread over the whole of government we’re looking at
estimated savings of over $1 million dollars a year. This all-of-government
web services contract is part of the drive for Better Public Services. The
deal maximises web technologies and makes it easier for New Zealanders to
interact with government online.” From http://www.futuregov.asia
09/16/2013 New Zealand Launches
Health Advice Mobile App Residents of
New Zealand can now access health advice for free with the new Healthline
Symptom Checker mobile app. This new app, available in the iTunes store, is
offered by the Ministry of Health to compliment its Healthline national
telephone triage and health service, providing an alternative and convenient
channel to access health information. Explaining the features of the app,
Health Minister, Tony Ryall, said, “People can enter their symptoms by either
selecting the area on a body map or searching by name from a list, such as
leg injury. They will then be provided with suggested courses of action.” The
course of action would be suggested based on the type of illness/injury and
the severity of the symptoms. Advice provided by the app could range from
information to manage the condition at home, visiting a doctor within 24
hours or even calling an ambulance. The Minister added, “When you download
the symptom checker you can add your General Physician’s phone number. If the
suggested course of action is phone your doctor you can do it with a push of
a button through the phone app.” This app was developed by Medibank, an
Australian private health insurance provider, and was adapted from an
Australian version of the app. The Ministry of Health recently announced that
the country will have a new national telehealth system by the end of 2014,
aiming for a more comprehensive and an improved quality of service. From http://www.futuregov.asia
09/25/2013 New Zealand’s Automated
Customs Service Successful New Zealand
Customs’ automated passenger processing system continues enabling efficient
service delivery, supported by the increasing use of e-passports in the
Oceania region. SmartGate was introduced in 2009 in Auckland, Wellington and
Christchurch, and has since been used by 6.7 million passengers. Reaching
targets set by the Government for 2015, it already processes 60,000 people a
week. It uses information in e-passports and facial recognition technology to
perform customs and immigration checks, improving border security by allowing
Customs to focus on high-risk travellers. Customs Minister, Maurice
Williamson, shares, “This technology has delivered on the Government’s vision
for an improved trans-Tasman traveller experience, and this experience
continues to be extended to other travellers too.” In 2012, the eligible age
for SmartGate users was brought down from 18 to 16 years. Recently, the
service has been opened up to US and UK e-passport holders on departures. In
the future, the Government may consider opening it up to other nationalities
and further reducing the eligibility age. “The next milestone will be seven
million passengers having used the technology, and I’m told this will be
reached by the end of the year,” adds the Minister. From http://www.futuregov.asia
10/10/2013 New Zealand to Spend
US$ 175m on E-Learning Network The first 21
schools in New Zealand to be connected to a national managed e-learning
network by the end of the year have been announced by Associate Education
Minister, Nikki Kaye. “This Government has committed NZ$ 211 million (US$ 175
million), over the next eight years, to deliver a funded package of fast,
high-quality connections with uncapped data to schools. This is critical to
ensuring young people can achieve their full potential in an increasingly
digital world,” said the Minister. Network for Learning (N4L), a
government-owned company, is building the managed network to serve more than
2500 schools in New Zealand and create an environment that facilitates the
adoption of digital learning. The managed network will connect schools
through a secure data network, and offer higher levels of service quality and
support than ever before. The network will also enable schools to have faster
and more stable connections to the internet. The network will be run on the
best mix of ultra-fast, rural and remote broadband available in the country.
It will reduce ICT complexity and costs for schools as the internet
connection will no longer be supported by the schools, but managed centrally. The service
will be delivered to schools as an N4L package including access to the
managed network with quality fast connections, uncapped data, online content
filtering and network security services. The network is being rolled out to
schools progressively, “balanced and timed to each school’s needs”, informs
the Minister. The first three schools to be connected are Massey Primary
School, Waimate High School and Mt. Aspiring College. “There has been an
overwhelming response to the managed network with more than 1700 schools
registering interest since it was announced in August this year,” she added.
A total of 700 schools are to be connected by the end of 2014, and all
schools will be invited to connect by 2016. N4L is also designing a portal
which will become available to schools in early 2014, establishing an online
community of teachers, students and education professionals. The portal will
provide schools with a safe and collaborative platform to share trusted
educational services and content. “Combined with the investment in fibre
connections to schools and the School Network Upgrade Programme (SNUP), the
Government’s commitment to fund schools into the managed network represents a
total investment of more than NZ$ 700 million (US$ 581 million) in digital
infrastructure. “By 2016 schools, teachers and students right across New
Zealand will be taking full advantage of the opportunities provided by
digital technology,” the Minister added. From http://www.futuregov.asia
10/11//2013 NZ Teachers Engage
Students with Technology From
publishing reviews on the World Cup to collaborating on papers, technology is
giving http://www.futuregov.asia/
11/04/2013 |
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Top
10 Network Security Threats Vendor researcher includes USB drives, smartphones as top
security risks. With cyber-threats becoming a daily headache for IT security
staff, it helps to have some advice, or at least know what to look out for.
One researcher of Fortinet, a network security software provider, offered his
observations on the top 10 threats that can harm networks from the inside and
ways to combat them. And according to him, the number of threats just keeps
growing. “The ways that the networks can be compromised five years ago
internally, certainly still exist. It’s just that today, that list is really
growing, and that’s why this is ongoing research,” said Derek Manky, a
project manager for cyber-security and threat research at Fortinet. Manky
said that the company has more than 100 researchers worldwide who monitor
network activity. “It’s really an ongoing case again of all this data that
we’re seeing worldwide, all this feedback we’re getting, all the new threats
that we’re seeing and how those threats can potentially affect systems,” he
said. According to the researchers, the top 10 internal network
vulnerabilities are: 1.USB drives 2.laptops and netbooks 3.wireless access points 4.miscellaneous USB devices (digital
cameras, MP3 players, etc.) 5.employees borrowing others’ machines or devices 6.the Trojan Human (attackers who visit sites disguised as
employee personnel or contractors) 7.optical media (CDs, DVDs, etc.) 8.lack of employee alertness 9.smartphones 10.e-mail The list also includes advice for prevention and mitigation,
with tips like implementing asset control policies to handle removable media
threats and implementing an encrypted file system for sensitive data. Some
potential security threats such as smartphones can be dangerous in part
because people don’t see them as threats. And even though they can house
viruses, the devices can threaten networks in ways people may not think of.
“If you have any sort of confidential information and you have access to that,
even if the document doesn’t leave the quarantined area and you take a
picture of that with a smartphone, you can send that over [a] 3G network. You
can just keep it on the smartphone and walk out with it,” Manky said. But when it comes to locking down networks and implementing
security protocols, Manky said the government may be in a different position
than the private sector when it comes to enforcement. “They have a heavier
hand. They can enforce this and say, ‘OK, across all agencies, we are banning
this until we can think of what’s going on with this.’ So that is a good
thing in my view because if you can properly enforce something, and you can
take action on that, then it’s a step forward,” he said. But there could be
drawbacks. In addition to policy “turf wars,” Manky admits that different
sectors of government can cause confusion if they’re trying to enforce the
same thing but have different ideas on how to go about it. From
http://www.govtech.com/
09/20/2013 Oversharing
Information Can Lead to Disaster Online Criminals use a variety of tools and tactics when selecting
victims and conducting attacks. But information is the key to any malicious
campaign, and the more personal it is, the more value it holds. When one goes
about their daily life online, how much information is too much, and what
should be protected? The topic of privacy is often interwoven with security,
especially when it comes to awareness programs and operational security
(OpSec). Online, it's hard not to share information, because inevitably
you'll leave pieces of data about yourself behind as you surf the Web. Some
of the information left behind you can control. Some of it you cannot, but
OpSec in the context of privacy deals with the types of information you can
control directly. Recently, in a post on ITworld, privacy expert Dan Tynan
discussed how Box.com allowed a complete stranger to delete his files.
However, while the story discusses the risks of trusting sensitive
information to the Cloud, Tynan raised his own risk profile by sharing
information that may seem harmless and useless at first glance, but acts like
a target to criminals on the hunt. Last month, the CSO editorial staff was targeted by a phishing
campaign. We covered the details of the incident here and here, but the
interesting thing behind it was how focused it was, and how the use of a
spoofed domain allowed it to bypass the company's spam filter. Earlier this
month, the same thing happened again. An email claiming to be from the Xerox
WorkCentre offered a .ZIP file to each of the CSO editors, which was promptly
ignored. The scam was simple; it claimed to be a scan from the Xerox machine,
and offered us our newly scanned document in the form of an attachment. One
of the key reasons the message was ignored was the attachment itself, but the
fact that it was addressed to CXO Media addresses that didn't exist only
added to its fishy nature. As was the case in September, this email also
leveraged aexp.com to bypass our spam filters, taking advantage of the fact
that American Express is a commonly whitelisted domain. From
http://news.idg.no/
10/24/2013 EUROPE:
Romania - Council of Europe Sets Up Cybercrime Programme Office The Council of Europe will set up a Programme Office on
Cybercrime in Bucharest (Romania) to manage its global capacity building
activities in this area. A Memorandum of Understanding to this effect was
signed today in Bucharest by Minister of Foreign Affairs of Romania Titus
Corlăţean and Council of Europe Deputy Secretary General Gabriella
Battaini-Dragoni. Prime Minister Victor Ponta had made the offer to host such
an office in Bucharest during meetings with the Council of Europe Secretary
General Thorbjørn Jagland in March and April this year. The international
community has reached broad agreement on capacity building as an effective
approach to address the challenge of cybercrime. The establishment of the
Office will allow the Council of Europe to respond to growing requests for
support in an effective manner. From
http://www.i-policy.org/
10/15/2013 Russia:
Internet-Freedom Watchdog Reports 83k ‘Unlawful’ Website Blacklistings In the year since an Internet blacklist was activated by
Russia’s communication watchdog Roskomnadzor, more than 83,000 websites have
been blocked without appropriate legal justification, head of the
‘RosKomSvoboda” NGO Artyom Kozlyuk. The Internet-freedom NGO head says that
the unlawful blocks made up 98% all of sites blacklisted since the registry’s
activation. The cause for blocking resources that were not in violation of
the law was their sharing of the same net addresses as the banned sites. The
NGO reports that the blocking reached its peak in October :
320 IP addresses were added to the blacklist, which hosted 35.5 thousand
domains. The deputy head of the telecommunications ministry earlier told
Digit.ru that the law abiding owners of internet portals shouldn’t use shared
IP addresses. “Buy your own IP address, and there’s no reason to worry. Or,
if you decided to use a shared IP – check who your neighbors are,” Deputy
Minister Aleksei Volin said. The blacklist was activated on November 1 2012.
Since the activation, the telecom regulator has received more than 70,000
applications to block internet resources. More than half of those websites
were implicated for allegedly giving out info about drugs, 30% - child porn
resources, and 15% - websites promoting or providing information about
suicide. After the applications were processed, more than 14,000 resources
were blocked. Most of the web
hosts complied with the regulator and deleted the information. The regulator reports that only 4% of
the websites refused to delete the prohibited content. Currently, the blacklist contains
approximately 3,400 resources. A Russian law aimed at protecting children
from “information harmful to their health and development,” which became
effective in September 2012, stipulates that an automated register of domain
names should be kept for purposes of identifying websites that contain
prohibited information, in particular, child pornography, ways of committing
suicide, and instruction on making drugs. From
http://rapsinews.com/
11/11/2013 UK:
Progress Made on Internet Filters, Says Government Internet service providers have made progress in their bid to
protect children from pornography, according to the government. Sky has
joined TalkTalk by launching family-friendly filters which customers are
asked at the point of signing up if they want to use them. BT and Virgin are
set to introduce something similar within the next two months. The filters
block pornographic websites and can be switched off. The government wants
internet service providers (ISPs) to filter legal pornography and other adult
subjects "by default". Earlier this week, Sky launched Sky
Broadband Shield which requires new customers to choose which filters they
want, as part of the sign-up process. The 13 rating is pre-selected so customers who do not want this filter applied, need to
deselect it. Existing customers can change their preferences if they access
their account on Sky's website. 'Blacklisted' TalkTalk said its Home Safe product offers numerous filters
which do not just block pornography, but also other types of content parents
may not want their children to see such as self harm and violence. Customers
can choose which filter they want activated. It said since it launched last
year, about a third had signed up which correlates with the number of
customers that have children in the home. The government said by the end of
next year, 20 million homes - 95% of all homes in Britain with an existing
internet connection - will be required to choose whether to switch on a whole
home family friendly internet filter. Other measures to be introduced include: ISPs to launch a £25m internet safety campaign over three years
to inform parents how to protect their children online. The Brownies to have
a computer skills and safety badge while the Girl Guides will work with
TalkTalk to teach girls about how to stay safe online. ISPs to work to
prevent the over-blocking of charities, such as those that offer advice to
victims of sexual abuse. Prime Minister David Cameron said: "As a dad,
it is very simple: I want to know my children are protected when they go onto
the internet. "A family-friendly filter gives
me the tool to do that and so this is a really important step forward by the
Internet Service Providers. "As I said in July, we all need to work together, both to
prevent children from accessing pornography and educate them about keeping
safe online, and I will continue to ensure this happens." On Monday, the
prime minister will hold an internet safety meeting with firms including
Google and Microsoft who have been under pressure to do more to block child
abuse images on the internet. Mr Cameron has previously said access to online
pornography was "corroding childhood" and has called for
"horrific" internet search terms to be blacklisted, meaning they
would bring up no results on search websites. Last year, a public
consultation found that 35% of parents wanted an automatic bar on pornography
however ministers rejected the plans, saying the move was not widely
supported. From
http://www.bbc.co.uk/
11/18/2013 NORTH
AMERICA: Canada - Federal Web Site Hits Back at Wireless Critics There is no loophole that will let a big foreign carrier come
here and take over the cellular industry, says government. Until now the
wireless war has been duelling spokesmen. Now it’s fighting Web sites. Tired
of being outnumbered by its critics, which include
CEOs of major telecommunications companies, a union, some academics and
industry consultants, the Harper government has launched a public relations
offensive. One part of it will see Industry Minister James Moore being
interviewed by general news and technology reporters. But the government also
launched on Friday a Web site called “Consumers First“
sponsored by the Conservative Party of Canada with arguments rebutting
critics and asking supporters to sign up. Bell, Rogers and Telus have a
similar Web site called “Fair For Canada.” Both sites ask supporters to sign
up, leading to the prospect that in a few weeks number will be available to
show which side has the most backers. While Consumers First isn’t officially
a government Web site, it leads with a quote from the prime minister, constantly
refers to “our government,” says “our actions have seen clear results” and
asks readers “are you with us?” Highlighting the site are squares with two big numbers: –20 per cent (it explains that since 2008 — when an auction for
wireless spectrum allowed new carriers including Mobilicity, Public Mobile,
Videoton and Wind Mobile to get into the market — the price of wireless
service has dropped by almost that much) –and 25 per cent (the increase in the number of jobs in the
wireless industry, an apparent rebuttal to the Communications and
Paperworkers Union, which alleges that if Verizon Communications enters the
market jobs will be lost. The site also tries to counter what it says are four myths
opponents are firing at it. Arguably the most important is that there is a
“loophole” in the rules for January’s auction of spectrum in the 700 MHz band
that will allow Verizon (or any large foreign carrier that is an auction
bidder). Critics say when the government set up auction rules favouring new
carriers it didn’t think a company the size of Verizon would take advantage
of them — and put carriers like Bell [TSX: BCE], Telus and Rogers at a
disadvantage. Verizon has been considering buying Wind, and possibly
Mobilicity, in time for the auction. It had to make a decision by Sept. 17.
According to the Globe and Mail, it has put off a decision to buy a small
carrier until after the auction. Meanwhile it may be a bidder on its own.
But, the website says, “there is no loophole. Our government is supporting
increased competition in our wireless sector, which is intended to produce
more choice and lower prices. Canada’s wireless industry is currently
dominated by Canadian companies. The Canadian incumbents already hold 90 per
cent of the telecommunications market and own 85 per cent of the wireless
spectrum in Canada. Other myths the government rebuts include –”Canadians already have some of the lowest cell phone bills in
the world.” ”Fact: Canada is ranked among the ten most expensive countries
for wireless services in virtually every category by the Organization for
Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). The web site doesn’t say but the
OECD report figures are 12 months old. –”Canada’s roaming rates are competitive with other countries.”
“Fact: Canada has among the highest roaming rates in the world. It says the
source is a 2011 OECD report, which would have used 2010 figures. “Foreign entrants
cannot enter into Canada and “take over” the Canadian telecom market,” says
the site. “Foreign entrants are allowed to invest in companies that hold less
than 10 per cent of the Canadian market. A foreign entrant cannot simply “buy
up” other Canadian wireless companies to grow beyond the 10 per cent limit;
they must grow their company by competing and adding to their subscribers.” From
http://www.itworldcanada.com/
08/16/2013 Cyber
Attacks a Growing Problem for Canadian Universities Coders like to tell a joke. There are two types of people, it
goes: those who have been hacked, and those who are
about to be hacked. The quip is telling: cyber attacks, from Nigerian email scams
to sophisticated Chinese phishing operations, are a fact of life online.
Whether you’re a teenager with a laptop or a big bank with complicated
servers, you likely are not immune to hacking. Postsecondary institutions are
particularly — and increasingly — targeted by hackers, IT specialists,
intelligence agencies and universities say. Now, with cyber attacks on the
rise, schools are trying to protect not only valuable research in fields like
biochemistry and engineering, but the vaunted culture of openness that makes
universities unique. It’s not clear exactly how many hacking attempts
Canadian universities face on any given day; few, if any, schools keep track
of that number. U.S. universities are more forthright, and if their example
is any indication, the problem may be very large indeed. Bill Mellon of the
University of Wisconsin said the school saw as many as 100,000 daily hacking
attempts from China alone. Whatever the figure, most Canadian universities
agree that the number of serious hacking attempts is growing. “The sophistication of the attacks is increasing, and the number
of attackers,” said Jason Testart, director of information security services
at University of Waterloo. “We are seeing increases in the attempts to get
into our systems,” said McMaster University spokesperson Andrea Farquhar.
“Some of those are very determined. I don’t think we’re alone in that.”
McMaster recently doubled the number of employees focused on cyber security
from two to four to combat the growing wave of attacks. But universities are
often coy, if not downright secretive, about hacking. The University of
Toronto turned down an interview request, instead sending general answers by
email. McMaster refused to let their IT specialists speak to the Star. McGill
University declined several requests for comment over the course of months.
When they did talk about the issue, most schools were reluctant to disclose
what sorts of research was targeted by hackers, or whether the attacks had
been successful. “You’re laying out your vulnerabilities, potentially” by talking
about what is targeted, said Lori MacMullen, executive director of the
Canadian University Council of Chief Information Officers. U of T’s
information security director, Martin Loeffler, was more
blunt. “As such information might encourage or facilitate attacks
against the university, we don’t disclose data on successful or unsuccessful
attacks,” he said in an email. Often, it’s simply impossible to tell whether
research or student information has been compromised or stolen. For one
thing, when a hacker steals research, unlike when a carjacker steals a BMW,
they can leave the original intact. And hackers often take pains to avoid
being detected. “They aren’t the sort of people who would go into a
university network, steal it and then publicize it,” said Ronald Deibert, a
cyber-security researcher at U of T. That means it’s often impossible to tell
something as basic as the country where a hacking attempt originated. Sometimes hacks come from botnets, fleets of computers on the
Internet deployed by a puppet master. Cyber-security staff at universities
can find themselves playing whack-a-mole with IP addresses from around the
world. “Let’s say they’re looking for a specific vulnerability — one minute
you’re seeing traffic from Germany, the next minute, anywhere: China, South
Africa, Japan, the U.S.,” said Waterloo’s Testart. It is occasionally
possible to trace the origin of cyber attacks, however, and American schools
say that certain countries are associated with particular types of online
theft. “Typically, Russian intrusions have targeted personally identifiable
information . . . used for identity theft,” said Tracy Mitrano, director of
IT policy at Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y. Chinese hackers, meanwhile, tend
to probe for engineering and biochemistry research. Canadian schools conduct
sensitive, marketable research, too, of course. In 2010, the last year with
available data, Canadian universities were granted 398 patents. Hackers have
taken note, according to CSIS, the spy agency. “Because Canada is a leader in many areas of science and
technology, Canadian research institutions — public and private — make for
attractive targets,” CSIS spokesperson Tahera Mufti wrote in an email. “Cyber
attackers and other hostile actors are always looking to steal intellectual
property, often to give foreign companies a competitive edge over Canadian
ones.” Mitrano said hackers target a wide range of scientific research,
“Everything from semiconductor performance to the physical ware in computers,
to any software, in biology — my goodness — genomics, medical research.”
Sometimes the targets are less ambitious: Testart said he had detected
Chinese scholars trying to infiltrate Waterloo’s network to access academic
journal subscriptions. “They’re looking for usernames and passwords,” he
said. Despite the growing volume of hacks aimed at universities, many of them
are reluctant to concede that the online threats faced by post-secondary
schools are unique. “The Internet threats we face are really no different
from any other organization — they’re trying to get at data,” said Testart. But the wide-open, diffuse nature of universities makes them
harder to protect against hackers than corporations or government agencies.
Unlike a bank, say, universities are comprised of thousands of faculty and
students logging on to the school’s servers with laptops from coffee shops or
their living rooms. That means hackers can infiltrate any one of those IP
addresses and burrow into university networks when the user logs on. “You’re
only as good as your weakest link, and the hackers try to identify that
weakest link,” said Sumon Acharjee, chief information officer at Sheridan
College. In that way, the sheer size of universities can be a liability. “If
you’re in the Skydome and it’s full, you have a better chance of
pickpocketing than if you’re in a park and there are only a couple of
people,” Acharjee said. What’s more, not only do universities’ own members
provide “on-ramps” for hackers, so do academics around the world
collaborating with their counterparts in Canada. “If you get a researcher who is doing research on energy or
agriculture, any kind of research, they’re sitting on your campus and doing
their research, but they’re collaborating with researchers all over the
world,” said MacMullen. “So they’re collecting data, sharing data, they’re
moving data back and forth and doing all kinds of wonderful things.” For
research to go smoothly, she said, “you may need to allow researchers from
another university access to your network.” Government ministries, for
example, can erect firewalls that prevent employees or outside users from
accessing their networks unless the computer is in a government office.
Universities couldn’t do that without thwarting the kind of information
sharing that’s at the core of their mission. That natural porousness means
that some of the people charged with patrolling universities’ digital borders
have learned to accept a degree of risk. “There are so many threats, you can’t
get 100 per cent of everything,” said Waterloo’s Testart. “There might be
something that’ll slip through your defences. You can’t build Fort Knox.” From
http://www.thestar.com/
09/22/2013 U.S.:
Obamacare Data Hub Security Review Blasted An Obamacare network that will transmit patient health,
financial and other personal information between federal agencies and state
health care marketplaces completed a requisite security test earlier than
anticipated but the work was not provided to an internal watchdog. On
Wednesday afternoon, Kay Daly, Health and Human Services Department assistant
inspector general, told lawmakers at a House hearing that a system security
plan and risk assessment filed on July 16 was not made available to her
office during a recent audit. The Data Services Hub, which is slated to open
Oct.1, will verify personal information, when a patient visits a government
website to enroll in health insurance plans. The July review was part of an
independent security test completed August 23, a week ahead of the expected
finish date. Former Social Security Administration Commissioner Michael
Astrue noted that the review was due on July 15, and the IG audit report was
from Aug. 2. "There must have been a draft at that point," Astrue,
who observed the hub's development until he left government in Janauary,
testified at the same hearing. "I'm just not used to the idea that the
inspector general comes in and asks for things and you say, 'No.'" The House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Cybersecurity,
Infrastructure Protection and Security Technologies hearing called for the
session. Lawmakers have voiced concerns that the network could become a
treasure map for hackers. Unauthorized users could use the information
transmitted through the hub to determine a patient’s eligibility for
enrollment – including income, citizenship, and immigration status data – to
commit identity theft or alter health records, health information technology
experts say. Steve Parente, a University of Minnesota health data academic
who testified at the hearing, echoed concerns about the availability of the
security assessment plan, which was developed by one of many contractors
working on the project. "I personally find it unconscionable that this
contractor is not at least going to have an executive summary that actually
talks about . . .the safeguards that have been put
in for vulnerability tests, for the white-hat types of operations that are
supposed to be put in to place to make sure that all potential compromises
have been taken into consideration" before HHS allows the hub to
operate, Parente said. HHS senior leaders on Sept. 6 authorized the hub to operate,
department officials said on Wednesday. Responding to criticisms about the IG
audit, Daly said it is hard to evaluate technology that is still being built.
"We were provided the data that we had requested -- if it had been
created. That's one of the challenges," she said. "You're doing
something that doesn't exist yet." HHS officials in a fact sheet
released on Wednesday stressed that the hub is not a databank of personal
information, but rather a conduit to separate federal and state databases
that store the information. This setup, they said, eliminates doorways for
hackers that would have existed otherwise. An alternative arrangement --
agency databases communicating separately with one another -- would have
amounted to hundreds of separately installed connections, officials said. The
network will connect to databases maintained by the Centers for Medicare and
Medicaid Services, Social Security Administration, Internal Revenue Service,
Office of Personnel Management, departments of Homeland Security, Veterans
Affairs and Health and Human Services, among others. "It is important to point out that the hub will not retain
or store personally identifiable information. Rather, the hub is a routing
system that CMS is using to verify data against information contained in
already existing, secure and trusted federal and state databases," CMS
Administrator Marilyn Tavenner wrote in a Sept. 11 letter to Committee
Ranking Democrat Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss. Going forward, HHS officials
will require that systems accessing the hub use sensors and software to
identify abnormal network behavior and unauthorized system changes, according
to the fact sheet. Government officials also will continue monitoring
security by conducting automated vulnerability and active Web application
scans; tracking system configurations; and hiring professional hackers to
find weaknesses through "penetration testing." From
http://www.nextgov.com/
09/12/2013 Experts
Praise Pentagon's March to Security Standards Consolidation of the Defense Department's 15,000 networks
expected to cut costs, as well as improve security against Edward
Snowden-like leaks. The Pentagon's decision to move its thousands of networks
under a single security architecture is the right
strategy to bolster defenses against hackers and malicious insiders, experts
say. The massive consolidation of the Defense Department's 15,000 networks
into a "joint information environment" is expected to cut costs, as
well as improve security against Edward Snowden-like leaks, National Defense
magazine reported. The former contractor took thousands of documents from the
National Security Agency and distributed them to the media, which is driving
a national debate on NSA surveillance of Americans. Thwarting hackers is also
behind the Pentagon's move to have all four branches of the military, defense
agencies and overseas commands use the same network and security systems. The
expected benefits include killing redundancies and making it easier to detect
hacker-induced anomalies. The transition away from the Pentagon's current mishmash of
technology unique to the various government entities is expected to take
years. However, experts contacted by CSOonline said the outcome will likely
justify the time and expense. "The better security comes from the lack
of complexity," Ron Gula, chief executive and technical officer of
Tenable Network Security, said. Consolidating networks and standardizing
systems mean less technology to monitor while making it easier to see when
something has been compromised, Gula said. The Pentagon has already started
the transition. The U.S. European Command based in Removing silos of technology spread throughout the Defense
Department will make it much easier to monitor events across computer
systems, Brazil said. In addition, performance data gathered from the systems
will be easier to analyze for unusual occurrences.?'?
Sharing information across all entities will also be easier, because everyone
will be able to understand the data, since it will come from the same
systems. Brazil said. For catching Snowden-like leakers, the Pentagon plans
to standardize on identity access management technology used for fixed
computers and mobile devices, Hawkins told National Defense. In addition,
workers and contractors would be subject to "no notice inspections"
to ensure they are complying with security standards. No security architecture
is bulletproof, particularly against the highly sophisticated,
state-sponsored hackers the Defense Department is battling from countries
like China. Experts acknowledged that breaching a standardized network could
enable intruders to travel much deeper than they would if they had invaded a
system unique to one agency. However, having the same systems throughout means security pros
will know the potential entry points. With different systems, those
weaknesses are much more difficult to tract and monitor. "I'd rather
defend against a few knowns than defend against all the unknowns," Gula
said. The most difficult barrier the Pentagon is likely to face is the army
of employees comfortable with the old computer systems, but who now have to
march to something new. "People as a species don't like change,"
Gula said. "They don't like to learn new things." The Pentagon also
will struggle to find enough experts to make the technical changes,
administer the new systems and train employees to use them. "That
remains one of the bigger challenges," Brazil said. Pentagon officials
told National Defense that the transition will not require additional funding
from Congress, but would come out of the Defense Department's cybersecurity
budget. From
http://news.idg.no/
09/20/2013 Governors
Urge Action to Thwart Cyberattacks, Computer Hacking The National Governors Association is gearing up to prevent
cyberattacks like denial-of-service, phishing scams and malware in a call to
action paper released Thurs., Sept. 26. Prominent on the website of South
Carolina Gov. Nikki R. Haley is a banner and button that says: “S.C. Dept. of
Revenue Cyberattack: Cyberattack Info.” South Carolina learned firsthand the
havoc a hacker can have on state-owned computer systems when last October approximately
3.8 million Social Security numbers, 387,000 credit and debit card numbers
and 657,000 business tax filings were exposed in a security breach at the
state Department of Revenue. This is the type of cyberattack governors are
gearing up to prevent. “Every day, states are exposed to phishing scams,
malware, denial-of-service attacks, and other common tactics employed by
cyberattackers,” according to a call-to-action paper released Thursday by the
National Governors Association. Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder, a Republican, was
in Washington to launch the NGA bipartisan effort, led also by Maryland Gov.
Martin O’Malley, a Democrat. “As governors, we are directly responsible for ensuring the
security of a wide array of state-owned assets and personally identifiable
information such as tax records, driver’s licenses and birth records,” Snyder
said in a statement. “We also play a critical role in ensuring that
private-sector assets within our states are secure,”
the former president of Gateway computers said. As Stateline has reported,
Michigan has been a leader on this front, enlisting the help of everyone from
the major utility companies to the state police to launch a multi-pronged
pre-emptive strike. Cyberattacks on the state of Michigan’s computer systems
have increased to about 500,000 a day, The Detroit News reported. In its
six-page paper, NGA urges governors to look at what their peers are doing. The report highlights: - Michigan requires security awareness training for all state
employees, and launched with universities and the private sector a
state-of-the-art Michigan Cyber Range research center. - Maryland leverages the cybersecurity capabilities of the
Warfare Squadron to support its cybersecurity assessments, including having
state agencies participate in Internet training exercises that simulate
cyberattacks. - Minnesota’s chief information security officer works closely
with the governor, a Technology Advisory Committee, and other agency leaders. - California Cybersecurity Task Force is a new state-led
collaboration between state and private-sector IT officials. - Delaware state employees conduct cybersecurity presentations
for elementary school students and host video and poster contests to
reinforce the importance of Internet safety practices. A 2012 survey of state chief information security officers found
that only 24 percent were “very confident” that their state assets are
protected against external threats, while only 32 percent said their staff
have the required cybersecurity competency. Those findings were part of a
2012 report about cybersecurity from Deloitte and the National Association of
State Chief Information Officers that also estimated that government agencies
had lost more than 94 million citizen records since 2009. The average cost
per lost or breached record is $194. While NGA’s paper doesn’t specifically
mention the South Carolina case, it notes, “Several recent attacks reveal
that states which fail to put in place a strong governance structure are at a
distinct disadvantage.” From
http://www.govtech.com/
09/26/2013 Data
Leakage - Rogue IT Problems and Solutions Is sensitive data finding its way onto home networks? Is
confidential data leaking onto unprotected mobile devices? Are unauthorized
cloud services being used as a convenient and cheap way to store data? Is
rogue IT threatening to cause a major breach? Is your government or business
suffering because employees are deliberately violating cybersecurity
policies? According to a recent survey from uSamp, sponsored by harmon.ie: ·Mobile ‘rogue IT’ costing US organizations almost $2B. ·Over 40% of workers ignore corporate document policies by using
unsanctioned cloud services to get work done; ·1 in 2 experience tangible damage as a result. ·41% of workers used an unsanctioned cloud service for document
storage/sync within the last 6 months, despite the fact that 87% of these
workers knew their company had a policies forbidding such practices. In fact,
according to the survey, technology leaders worry more about rogue IT issues
than malware or viruses or overseas cyberattacks hitting their networks. Historical perspective from around the world Lest you think that these numbers are totally new or completely
different, a Cisco survey performed back in 2008 yielded similar concerns
about data leakage. Despite the fact that cloud computing and smartphones
were just emerging five years ago, employee misuse of sensitive data was
already widespread. (Side note: in most cases, staff ignoring or violating
policies is not with malicious intent, but rather indicates a desire to take
short cuts or utilize tools that allow them to get their work done faster.) Some of the findings from the 2008 Cisco report included: ·63 percent of employees admit to using a work computer for
personal use every day, and 83 percent admit to using a work computer for
personal use at least sometimes. ·70 percent of IT professionals believe the use of unauthorized
programs resulted in as many as half of their companies' data loss incidents.
This belief was most common in the United States (74 percent), Brazil (75
percent), and India (79 percent). ·46 percent of employees admitted to transferring files between
work and personal computers when working from home. ·13 percent of those who work from home admit that they cannot
connect to their corporate networks, so they send business email to
customers, partners, and co-workers via their personal email. Let’s be clear – I am not talking about implementing a secure
Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) program with Mobile Device Management (MDM).
Neither am I condemning secure cloud offerings or
hybrid or personal cloud services that offer our customers new and exciting
capabilities. These surveys and articles are pointing out deliberate attempts
to violate corporate or government policies and go around or not use such
programs. What’s to be done? So what can be done to help? Here are a few possible solutions
which are offered from this Forbes article on the same subject: Marty Hodgett, CIO of Symantec suggests that companies set up a
sandbox environment for new mobile technologies so that IT can evaluate them
according to employee requirements. If the requirements and mobile device
pass the evaluation, then allow them to be used in the workplace. Bob Egan of Forbes warns IT departments to, “Treat mobile devices
and resident applications as hostile – secure the data when at rest and in
transit.” Egan also recognizes that employees, “feel
a lot of anxiety to do things faster and better because of mobile. Without
the mobile access to the right tools, employees feel relegated to second
class company citizens.” Guru Michael Krigsman of the Wall Street Journal and
ZDNet suggests, “IT must create policies that balance security with
flexibility. The right policies encourage workers to use devices and software
that adhere to security standards while providing the right level of
flexibility to the employee. Balanced approaches are the solution to
increasing security awareness and ensuring the buy-in from employees. The
Forbes article also offers excellent advice from several other industry
experts. Final Thoughts and Upcoming NASCIO Conference Session Combatting what many technology leaders call “rogue IT” is
difficult. The term itself can even be misleading, because one person’s rogue
IT is some customer’s easy to use technology solution. Indeed, the very point
of many new technology offerings is to streamline processes and enable new
end-user tasks that were difficult to perform before. Facebook, Twitter,
Google+ and other social media tools are great examples of helpful new online
services that people like. The challenge is to stop the data leakage in the
process, which means we must offer workable solutions that our customers want
to use. Our service offerings must be easy enough to use that our clients
will not need to “go rogue.” For one practical example of potential solutions: I will be
moderating a breakout session on cloud computing at the NASCIO 2013 Annual
Conference this week in Philadelphia called: The Working Cloud – Overcoming Obstacles. This session will
cover examples and cases where Cloud has been deployed and is operating
successfully. There will be a review of the key obstacles (contracting, data,
security, backup/recovery, cultural change) to using Cloud in the states with
a panel discussion of how Cloud has been made to work and how obstacles have
been overcome. The first part
will cover some facts around the growth and use of Cloud, while the panel
discussion will discuss specific examples of implementations and use. The panelists will be: - Steve Nichols, Chief Technology Officer, State of Georgia - Elayne Starkey, Chief Security Officer, State of Delaware - Karen Robinson, Chief Information Officer, State of Texas - Ed Valencia, Deputy Commissioner and Chief Technology Officer,
State of Minnesota Please plan to join us on Monday, if you'll be at the NASCIO
conference. We will be discussing this data leakage topic and more. Most
important, take another look at your overall approach to stop data leakage.
The adoption of your IT offerings in the cloud and with mobile devices will
say a lot about your probablity of success. From
http://www.govtech.com/
10/12/2013 Life was much simpler in the days of flip phones and Wi-Fi-free
coffee shops. Back then the biggest worries were scams involving people using
a mobile device to surreptitiously make international phone calls or using
unfamiliar computers to send important information. As technology has
changed, however, so too have the threats. Now a lost smartphone can result
in a major network compromise, and laptops left in taxis or dropped thumb
drives can trigger data-breach notification requirements — assuming, of
course, that the IT department knows whether devices carried by employees are
connected to the agency’s network or contain sensitive or classified
information. And the problem is only getting worse. Trend Micro’s 2013 second-quarter
Security Roundup report identified a dramatic increase in the amount of
malware aimed at mobile devices that use the Android operating system. The
report shows that the number of malicious and high-risk Android applications
had grown to 718,000 in the second quarter of 2013, up from 509,000 in the
previous quarter. Trend Micro expects the total number of malicious
applications to exceed 1 million by year’s end. McAfee, in contrast, identified a much smaller but still
eye-popping number of mobile malware threats. For the first quarter of 2013,
it identified 50,926 pieces of mobile malware. In contrast, for all of 2011,
the company gathered only 792 samples. Most of the mobile malware was aimed
at Android devices. (McAfee’s malware figures were lower due to the different
way it categorized mobile malware.) The types of threats are evolving as
well. Kaspersky Lab recently identified mobile malware that is designed to
leap to desktop devices. And the threats don’t just come from mobile malware.
Security researchers recently identified malware installed in USB ports that
issues malicious commands to mobile devices plugged in for recharging. And
then there are the concerns about connecting to unsecured public Wi-Fi
signals, which can easily be monitored for valuable information. This list of
threats is far from complete or static. But it illustrates that mobile
devices pose a serious cybersecurity threat to IT enterprises, and as other
devices are locked down, attacks involving mobile malware will only increase.
All of this is compounded by the “bring your own device” revolution, which
has given employees access to company or agency networks via their personal
devices. Admitting that we have a security problem is the first step to
mitigation. By recognizing the threats posed by mobile devices,
administrators can now turn to security measures. Obviously, every agency is
going to need a specialized approach, but some basic security steps would
include: ?Develop and implement a
specific BYOD policy to manage personal devices connected to the agency’s
networks. ?Lock down agency-issued
laptops and other mobile devices so that only certain programs can be
downloaded and only specific information (if any) can be removed from the
device. ?Institute policies regarding
connecting to networks when traveling. ?Enforce strict policies
regarding the carrying or use of mobile devices when traveling overseas,
especially in areas where thefts of mobile devices or deliberate breaches are
commonplace. ?Inventory mobile devices
regularly; knowing which devices should be connected to a network will help
administrators manage the security process. Mobile devices must be treated with the same responsibility and
security measures as any other electronic device. Although they can
dramatically increase efficiency and even employee satisfaction, they are yet
another threat vector to worry about. Failure to do so could lead to unwanted
results. From
http://fcw.com/
10/25/2013 CDM Contracts Could Open Door to More Efficient
Security Monitoring Federal officials and technologists who
pushed to advance continuous monitoring cybersecurity capabilities are hoping
the awarding of 17 continuous diagnostics and mitigation contracts this
summer is the beginning of more efficient -- and less expensive -- IT
operations for federal, state and local agencies. "CDM can change the
way government does security," said Mark Weatherford, former deputy
undersecretary for cybersecurity at the Department of Homeland Security.
Weatherford joined a group of current and ex-DHS officials at an Oct. 29
Chertoff Group event who said the blanket purchase agreements awarded this
past summer to 17 vendors could allow agencies to save billions in labor
costs, as well as provide better security information. DHS is preparing to
issue task orders for services under the BPAs, choosing which tools and
capabilities it wants to deploy, said Streufert. It will provide continuous
monitoring as a service for other federal, state and local agencies, looking
to put a common set of technical tools in place incorporating national and
industry standards to help detect network anomalies in real-time, speeding
the ability respond to problems. Although the overall CDM program is overseen
by the General Services Administration, the BPAs were established on behalf
of the DHS Office of Cybersecurity and Communications Continuous Diagnostics
and Mitigation Program. The program, according to GSA, brings an enterprise
approach to continuous diagnostics and allows consistent application of best
practices. From http://fcw.com/
10/29/2013 Los
Angeles Creates Command Center to Combat Cyberattacks Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti set up a new command center
Wednesday to minimize the threat that hackers, terrorists or foreign enemies
will disrupt computer water, power, transportation and public safety systems.
In an executive directive creating the Cyber Intrusion Command Center,
Garcetti cited Obama administration warnings that computer attacks aimed at
critical infrastructure could cause panic and destruction and effectively
paralyze the nation. Working with the FBI and U.S. Secret Service, the
command center will serve as a "rapid reaction force" to
cyberattacks, Garcetti said. "The command center will identify and
investigate cyberthreats to city assets, ensure any intrusion is immediately
addressed, and will constantly work to reduce security risks and prevent
unauthorized access," he said. "It will also plan for continuity
for recovery in case of a severe attack on our city." The city's
computer networks offer attractive targets to attackers. Its harbor and
international airport are among the busiest in the world, and both are widely
seen as vulnerable to terrorist strikes. And the L.A. Department of Water and
Power is America's largest municipal utility, with a vast network of electricity
plants and water lines that extend far beyond the city's borders. As Garcetti has often pointed out, much of the technology used
by the city is outdated, a problem he has promised to fix. The most glaring
troubles include frequent breakdowns in the computer systems that connect 911
callers to Fire Department rescuers, which delays emergency responses. The
city's technology networks are a complicated patchwork of systems. The DWP,
airport and harbor agencies each run their own networks,
separate from the Information Technology Agency that oversees most of the
city's other computer systems. Garcetti said the new command center would
serve as an "umbrella" to coordinate security. He announced the
plan at the Police Department's emergency command center downtown, where he
appeared before a wall of monitors showing live city traffic scenes, cable TV
news and maps of the city. At his side were Police Chief Charlie Beck, and
FBI and Secret Service officials. "One of my top priorities is to make
sure that we bring our city government into the digital age," Garcetti
said. "New technology can make City Hall run cheaper, faster, more
efficiently. But if we don't do it right ... critical city services that we
provide are vulnerable through viruses, hacking, privacy invasions and
security breaches." From
http://www.govtech.com/
10/31/2013 Obama
Administration Was Warned About Healthcare.gov Website Problems The bug-ridden Affordable Care Act website was launched on Oct.
1 despite warnings as early as three months beforehand that it might not be
ready. The Obama administration rolled out the bug-ridden Affordable Care Act
website on Oct. 1 despite warnings as early as three months beforehand that
it might not be ready. The Government Accountability Office reported in June
that the $400 million effort by 55 contractors would run out of time to be
fully tested. Despite assurances given by officials with prime contractor CGI
Federal and the government, fundamental tests critical to the website's
success were not scheduled until just before going live, the GAO warned. The
office predicted "a potential for implementation challenges going
forward." By August, the inspector general for the federal Department of
Health and Human Services -- the agency in charge of implementing the health
care program -- sounded alarms, federal records reviewed by the
Tribune-Review show. Key testing to assure the website's success was two
months behind, the inspector general warned, and a full assessment of the
site's central Hub that interacts with federal and state agencies may not be
completed "by the initial opening enrollment period." Marilyn Tavenner, the HHS official in charge of the online
insurance marketplace, responded that she was "confident the Hub will be
operationally secure and it will have an authority to operate prior to Oct.
1, 2013." Cheryl Campbell, a senior vice president at CGI Federal, and
Michael Finkel, an executive vice president at Quality Software Solutions
Inc., responsible for the Hub system, told a House subcommittee on Sept. 10
that they met key milestones and were "confident" the website would
be ready. Contractors and government officials kept marching toward the
deadline, relentlessly, confidently and -- many on both sides of the
political aisle now say -- foolishly. The Hub turned out to be the key
component under scrutiny as government officials and contractors scramble to
fix the Web site. The Hub is designed to coordinate information by agencies
as disparate as the Internal Revenue Service, Social Security, the Peace
Corps and Homeland Security. It would verify consumers' identity, residence,
income and more, then determine health insurance
plans for which they would be eligible and at what price, based on income and
federal subsidies. Two contractors during congressional testimony last month
pointed fingers at others and at the government for inadequate testing. HHS
Secretary Kathleen Sebelius countered that some contractors didn't bring
their "A-Team" to the project. Much of the attention has been on
the prime contractor, CGI Federal, which won a $197 million contract to build
the site. The government has paid $112 million to CGI as of last week,
according to government records and the company. Sixteen firms were
prequalified to bid on the project. Four followed through with bids when
details became known, records show. Some critics say CGI won favor because
one of its vice presidents is a college friend of first lady Michelle Obama.
A CGI spokesperson insisted that CGI Vice President Toni Townes-Whitley,
whose name went viral on the Web, had "no role in the Affordable Health Act,
either in procurement or implementation." Townes-Whitley and Michelle
Obama graduated from Princeton University in 1985. Records show
Townes-Whitley twice visited the White House: for a Christmas Party with 676
others in 2010 and with a group of 302 in December 2011. She met with
officials in the Old Executive Office Building six times between December
2010 and June. The purpose of those meetings is unclear. The White House has
not responded to Trib queries. Campaign contributions show company executives favored
Republican candidates during the last general election. The top contributions
were $147,700 to the Republican Governors Association and $35,000 to the
Democratic Governors Association, according to OpenSecrets.org, a
clearinghouse for information on lobbying and political contributions.
Townes-Whitley, one of about 50 vice presidents, donated $1,500 to the Obama
campaign, records show. Hers was the largest among a total $2,000 given to
the president's re-election by CGI Federal employees. Other individuals at
CGI Federal gave Republican Mitt Romney $5,500. CGI and its subsidiaries,
including U.S.-based CGI Federal, employs 72,000
people in 40 countries. Annual revenue exceeds $10 billion. Hub system
creator Quality Software Solutions also is under fire. Through March, it
received contracts worth $55 million, according to the GAO. The business is a subsidiary of UnitedHealth Group, whose
campaign contributions in the last general election leaned almost 2-to-1
Republican, records show. The biggest donations were $1.05 million to the
Republican Governors Association and $650,000 to the Democratic Governors
Association. President Obama got $106,536, compared with $95,931 to GOP
challenger Romney. The main responsibility for testing on the website fell to
Tavenner, who heads the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. She
apologized to Congress, saying "the initial consumer experience of
HealthCare.gov has not lived up to the expectations of the American people
and is not acceptable." Sebelius also apologized: "Hold me
responsible for the debacle. I'm responsible." Obama has said there is
"no excuse for these problems" and pledged they will be fixed.
Quality Software, now in control of the project, will work with Google,
Oracle and Linux software company Red Hat. From
http://www.govtech.com/
11/06/2013 Big Data Is
a Good Place for Hackers to Hide As departments increasingly try parsing mammoth streams of Web
activity to detect cyber threats, expect attackers to fight back by gaming the big data analytics, according to a new
cybersecurity report by Georgia Tech researchers. Even U.S. spies could be
fooled. "Government agencies, such as the National Security Agency,
collect and process information to look for threats to national
security," states the report, which was released Wednesday. "As the
use of such big data analytics spreads, attackers will have to find ways to
hide from statistical analysis and anomaly detection." The researchers
project that agencies will face the problem of big data manipulation in the
next five to 10 years. An attacker could program fake malicious operations to
exhaust the energy of security analysts, or slowly create a wide variance in
some metrics to make it look like odd network behavior is normal, they
hypothesized. "Defending against such attacks requires that defenders be
able to detect very slow changes in the data and be able to flag such changes
as suspicious," the report states. To hear more tips, join us at Nextgov
Prime in Washington on Nov. 20-21, where I'll be discussing some of the
trends we're seeing in data breaches and the implications for federal
networks. Registration is free for federal employees. From
http://www.nextgov.com/
11/07/2013 US Spying
Bad for the Internet – Google Search giant Google on Wednesday warned that U.S. spying
operations risk fracturing the open Internet into a “splinter net” that could
hurt American business. In the first public testimony before Congress by a
major technology company since former National Security Agency contractor
Edward Snowden disclosed top secret surveillance programs, Google said it
should be allowed to provide the public more information about government
demands for user data. “The current lack of transparency about the nature of
government surveillance in democratic countries undermines the freedom and
the trust most citizens cherish, it also has a negative impact on our
economic growth and security and on the promise of an Internet as a platform
for openness and free expression,” Richard Salgado, Google's law enforcement
and information security director, said. Members of Congress are grappling with what changes to make to
U.S. surveillance programs and laws after the Snowden leaks, which were
published in June. The Senate Judiciary subcommittee hearing was on
legislation proposed by Democratic Senator Al Franken of Minnesota that would
provide more transparency. Franken said the “Surveillance Transparency Act of
2013” would require NSA to disclose publicly how many people have their data
collected and estimate how many were Americans. It would also allow internet
and phone companies to inform the public about the orders for data collection
from the government and the number of users whose information has been
produced in response to those orders. “Right now, as a result of those gags,
many people think that American internet companies are giving up far more
information to the government than they likely are,” Franken said. Robert
Litt, general counsel for the Office of the Director of National
Intelligence, said requiring NSA to compile those statistics would be an
intensive task that would take resources away from the mission of uncovering
terrorism plots. “I think those thousand mathematicians have other things that
they can be doing in protecting the nation ... rather than trying to go
through and count U.S. persons,” Litt said. “If you impose upon them some
sort of obligation to identify U.S. persons, they're going to take an email
address that may be, you know, Joe at hotmail.com. And they're going to have
to dig down and say, 'what else can we find out about Joe at hotmail.com?'“ he said. “And that's going to require learning more
about that person than NSA otherwise would learn.” Google officials have
expressed outrage and called for reform after a Washington Post report late
last month said that the NSA had tapped directly into communications links
used by Google and Yahoo Inc to move huge amounts of email and other user
information among overseas data centers. Salgado said the leaks about NSA
operations have led to “a real concern” inside and outside the United States
about the role of government and the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court,
which decides in secret on legal issues about electronic surveillance
efforts. The fallout could result in greater internet restrictions that
could hurt U.S. economic interests and some proposals could in effect create
a “splinter net” by putting up internet barriers, he said. While he did not
mention any specific proposal, a government plan in Brazil would force global
internet companies to store data on Brazilian users inside that country. “You
can certainly look at the reaction, both inside the United States and outside
of the United States to these disclosures, to see the potential of the closing
of the markets through data location requirements” and similar restrictions,
Salgado told Reuters after the hearing. “That's bad for all of the American companies, and frankly bad for the Internet generally,” he
said. “This is a very real business issue, but it is also a very real issue
for the people who are considering using the cloud and for those who
currently use the cloud and may have their trust in it rocked by the
disclosures,” Salgado told Reuters. President Barack Obama's administration has defended the NSA
programs and the secrecy around them as necessary in fighting terrorism and
groups such as al Qaeda. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy, a
Vermont Democrat who has proposed legislation for restrictions on NSA
programs, said reforms were necessary, “especially when NSA handled things so
carelessly they let a 29-year-old subcontractor walk off with all their
secrets and, so far as I know, nobody has been even reprimanded for that.”
Salgado, in his testimony, quoted reports that U.S. companies may lose
billions of dollars in revenue as non-American users of the Internet grow
wary of services based in the United States. From
http://www.iol.co.za/
11/19/2013 |
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CHINA: Thousands Seized
in Crackdown on Online Crimes Chinese police have captured 2,120 suspects involved in online
drug-related crimes and confiscated 268 kilograms of narcotics in a special
crackdown, the Ministry of Public Security announced Sunday."Further
investigations into these crimes are still underway," said a statement
from the ministry, adding that 11 drug making workshops were also destroyed
and 7.93 tonnes of precursor chemicals were confiscated in the
operation.According to the ministry, cases involved in the crackdown occurred
in multiple province-level regions and were characterized by "highly
covert criminal methods, tight-knit organizations and having seriously harmed
Internet security and social order."In one specific case uncovered by
police in east China's Jiangsu Province, a huge number of drug abusers were
asked to perform drug-taking in front of a web cam via an online video
website.The case led to the arrest of 651 suspects in 29 province-level
regions."The Internet has been used as a 'schoolroom' for drug crimes
and a market for drug deals by criminals in recent years," said the
statement, adding that the police will strengthen Internet patrol and
continue the crackdown on online drug-related crimes. From http://www.news.cn/
09/01/2013 China Closes Over 270
Illegal Websites Chinese government has closed 274 illegal websites containing
pornographic and violent contents since mid July, said the State Internet
Information Office here Tuesday.The authorities also fined more than 300 websites
for illegal operations, said a statement from the office.Several government
agencies jointly launched the campaign in mid July to reduce children's
access to potentially harmful information during the summer vacation, the
statement said.A large number of the websites were not registered or
registered with false information while a few of them disguised themselves
through stealing domain names and servers of some deserted websites, the
statement said.Besides spreading pornography and violence, some websites were
also caught spreading false medical information. From http://www.news.cn/
09/03/2013 Online Whistleblowers
to Be Protected from Attacks The government will protect people who use the Internet to
report corruption from retribution and attacks, a senior official said
yesterday. In a webcast on the new website of the Party’s anti-corruption
watchdog, the agency’s secretary general, Cui Shaopeng, said: “Many Internet
users have said ‘if I report a case then how will I be protected?’ They fear
that if they do report then they will be subject to revenge attacks.”Cui
added: “I can tell everyone in a responsible way, all reports logged on the
Central Commission for Discipline Inspection’s website will receive legal
protection, and we will severely deal with revenge attacks. Our attitude is
very clear on this.”He said anyone taking revenge against online
whistleblowers would be severely punished. Cui said they wanted people to provide
their real names and contact details, and such reports would be given
priority.“ At the same time, we hope people can submit responsible reports,
not lodge false accusations and not use gossip or hearsay to report on real
issues.”The Party’s anti-graft agency will report corruption cases in a
timely manner on its website and will possibly open a microblog amid efforts
for transparency. The agency and the Ministry of Supervision jointly opened
the official website, www.ccdi.gov.cn, on September 2.A section of the
website will report cases being investigated by disciplinary authorities at
all levels, especially serious ones handled by the CCDI’s supervision
department, Cui said. The website is smartphone and tablet friendly, Cui
said, and mobile application services will be introduced so the public can
get access more easily.“The website is preparing to
open an official microblog and WeChat service when the situation is ripe,” he
said. The website will carry interviews concerning the supervision department’s
key work or if there are public concerns. The department’s senior officials, members of the Party’s
Central Committee and experts will be invited for interviews, he added. The
website will not carry any advertising or seek sponsors. Also, there are no
branches in local areas, Cui said.“It has been
reported that some fake journalists or websites are operating illegally under
the name of our website,” Cui said. “We welcome netizens reporting such
behavior and we will investigate the cases.”The website consists of 10
sections, including an online forum where the public can leave their opinions
and proposals as well as ask questions about anti-corruption work. There is
also a section for tip-offs about corruption cases. The website will publish
the latest information of important meetings, campaigns and investigations. From http://www.news.cn/
09/13/2013 Chinese DM Urges
Stronger Information Security The Chinese Defense Ministry said on Thursday that the military
should enhance its information security following the allegations of U.S.
eavesdropping on close European allies.The alleged surveillance by the United
States has rung alarm bells and reminded the Chinese military to step up its
information security, said Defense Ministry spokesman Yang Yujun at a monthly
press briefing.When asked whether the Chinese military has been monitored,
Yang said, "As the United States can monitor its allies, what they will
do to a non-ally country such as China can be easily imagined."The
Chinese military has a set of strict regulations on information security,
said Yang, but he added that this work should be honed.The United States is
under fire after revelations that the National Security Agency (NSA) and
other U.S. intelligence agencies have monitored emails and phone calls of
European leaders including German Chancellor Angela Merkel.Reports also
alleged the U.S. side monitored phone calls between millions of French and
Spanish citizens, although NSA chief Keith Alexander denied the allegation on
Tuesday at a House of Representatives hearing. From http://www.news.cn/
10/31/2013 Kovurt VPN Promises Big
Cyber Monday 2013 Deals for Internet Privacy Fans Maintaining privacy on your phone or laptop is now easier and
cheaper with a one-day opportunity to get a 50% discount on a VPN
subscription from Kovurt.com.This year's Cyber Monday falls on December 2,
2013, and the technicians and privacy advocates at Kovurt.com are ramping up
to offer an unbeatable deal for new users. All annual subscriptions for
either mobile or professional subscriptions have a 50% discount all day
December 2, from 0:01 until 24:00, Hong Kong time (+8 GMT).By using the
discount code "cybermonday2013" at checkout on December 2, any new
user gets an immediate 50% discount on a virtual private network (VPN)
subscription. This discount code can only be used on December 2, 2013.As "An Internet Privacy Fix", Kovurt's
VPN acts as a tunnel between a user's smartphone or laptop and Kovurt's
servers. When a user activates the Kovurt tunnel, they receive immediate
privacy on their local networks. Any type of e-commerce, banking, or social
networking activity is kept secure and private from prying eyes on the user's
local network. Kovurt also allows users to view social media or online videos
that they may other wise have banned or blocked from their locations. For
example, Facebook is blocked in China, but a user in Shanghai using Kovurt
can easily access Facebook or other social media websites. Likewise, if a
user in France wants to view a Netflix movie from the U.S., the user only
needs to use Kovurt to access that Netflix movie.Kovurt's VPN service is
still in beta, but the company has been selling its personal VPN services to
individual users for the past year. Kovurt also rolled out an iOS app
targeted at users in Asia earlier this year. From http://www.chinatechnews.com/
11/09/2013 CPC Orders Crackdown on
Internet Crimes The Communist Party of China (CPC) has reiterated its resolve to
strengthen public opinion guidance and crack down on Internet crimes in a key
decision publicized on Friday.China will improve the mechanism set for
preventing and cracking down on crimes related to the Internet and better
handle emergencies in cyberspace in order to form an online public opinion
that is positively guided and administrated in accordance with the law,
according to the full text of the decision issued by the CPC.The decision was
approved at the Third Plenary Session of the 18th CPC Central Committee that
closed on Tuesday.While actively popularizing the Internet, China will
reinforce its overall administration over cyberspace in accordance with the
law and accelerate formation of a sound Internet management system to ensure
national Internet and information security, the decision said.The nation will
also institutionalize releases of news and raise the occupational standards
for practising as a qualified journalist, it said.The decision also called
for an integration of traditional and new media and orderly news
communication. From http://www.news.cn/
11/15/2013 Xi Stresses Cyber
Security, Leadership President Xi Jinping has called for strong Internet management
to ensure cyber security.Concerted efforts should be made to manage the
Internet regarding technology, content, security and crime, he said.Xi cited the
rapid growth of social networking services and instant messaging tools which
spread fast with a "large influence, extensive coverage and strong
social mobilization capabilities."Facing these challenges, "the
salient problem in front of us is how to strengthen the legal construction
concerning Internet and guide public opinion to guarantee order online, state
security and social stability," Xi said.Entrusted by the Political
Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, Xi, general
secretary of the CPC Central Committee, explained the commitee's decision on
major issues concerning comprehensively deepening reforms to the Third
Plenary Session of the 18th CPC Central Committee, which ran through Nov. 9
to 12. Xi's explanation of the decision was published in full text on
Friday.The Third Plenary Session of the 18th CPC Central Committee called for
active use, scientific development and lawful management of the Internet to
ensure its safety, Xi said, adding that the leadership of Internet administration
should be improved."Internet and information safety is a new,
comprehensive challenge facing us as it concerns state security and social
stability," Xi said."With rapid development of Internet
technologies and applications, the current management system shows obvious
shortcomings, such as multi-sectoral management, overlapping functions,
unclear rights and liabilities and inefficiency," the president
said.Meanwhile, with Internet's increasingly stronger media nature, online
media administration and industry regulation cannot keep up with the rapid
change of situation, he said. From http://www.news.cn/
11/15/2013 JAPAN:
To Upgrade Its Cyberdefense Capabilities Civil servants from across Japan recently gathered at Japan's
Interior Ministry to receive their first training session on how to defend
themselves against a cyber assault. Japan has no central agency tasked with
defending the nation in cyberspace, and technicians from Japan's key
ministries have been brought in to test their skills. Officials say the
threat from hackers is rising and upping Japan's game is increasingly urgent.
The country's Cabinet Secretariat, which staffs a small 24/7 cyber
surveillance team, says it detected 1,080,000 potential attacks against the
government's networks in 2012, for an average of about 3,000 potential
attacks daily. That was nearly double the 660,000 incidents logged in
2011. “There has been a spike in the number of targeted cyber attacks on
the Japanese government, so increasing our ability to deal with them is a
matter of urgency,” said Satoshi Murakami, an analyst at the Interior
Ministry. Now Japan's defense ministry is adding cyberspace to the realm of
national defense, joining sea, air and land. The ministry is seeking a budget
increase to reorganize its loosely-spread technicians into a centralized
force of 100 cyber analysts. From
http://www.voanews.com/
09/30/2013 Japan-U.S.
Security Talks Likely to Highlight Tokyo's Cyber-Defense Gaps Top U.S. security officials meet their Japanese counterparts on
Thursday as concerns are growing that the hosts can not protect themselves
from malicious internet hackers. Cybersecurity is on the agenda when the
military and diplomatic chiefs of the two countries hold their first joint
meeting in Japan. But even Japanese officials acknowledge they can not keep
up with the proliferating threat of attacks on computer networks from private
or state-sponsored hackers. “Cyber attacks are getting more and more
sophisticated, and sometimes we cannot defend against them using the systems
we currently have in place,” said Kazunori Kimura, the Defense Ministry’s
director of cyber-defense planning. “I don’t have enough people, equipment or
money to do the job,” Kimura told Reuters TV. “Attacks using viruses have
become increasingly difficult to detect.” Attacks so far appear mostly to
have allowed intruders to snoop and steal files, experts say. But the attacks
could become more dangerous, paralyzing essential computer or communications
systems. Japan’s lack of effective cyber-defense overhangs Thursday’s
meeting of Secretary of State John Kerry and Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel
with their counterparts, Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida and Defense Minister
Itsunori Onodera. The “2+2” meeting aims to set a framework for revising the
treaty allies’ security guidelines to “update and renovate them” in line with
“new challenges” that have arisen in the more than 15 years since the Cold
War-era agreement was first revised, said a senior State Department official.
This includes co-operation in space and cyberspace, where the two sides are
seeking agreement on “enhanced information security,” the official told
reporters en route to Tokyo. The Japan-U.S. Security Consultative Committee
Meeting comes at a delicate time for both countries’ relations with China, a
country often accused of being a leading proponent of internet hacking. U.S.
relations with China have been strained by Washington’s accusations that
Beijing engages in cyber-theft of trade secrets. China rejects the
accusations and is itself angered by revelations by fugitive former U.S. spy
agency contractor Edward Snowden of U.S. electronic surveillance activities
in China and Hong Kong. At the same time, relations between Japan and China are at their
lowest ebb in years over disputed islands in the East China Sea controlled by
Japan. Japan suffered well publicised cyberattacks in the past, such as
breaches of parliament and military contractor Mitsubishi Heavy Industries
Ltd in 2011. In fact, attacks on the Japanese government are continuing
constantly. Government networks were hit by some 3,000 potential attacks a
day in 2012, more than double the number of previous year, says the Cabinet
Secretariat, which staffs a small, 24-hour cyber-surveillance team. “The
Defense Ministry gets hacked every day, but all they do is watch and then
after the fact simply report that there has been an attack,” said an outside
contractor for the ministry, who declined to be identified because of the
sensitivity of discussing the issue. Partly this is a result of Japanese laws
that do not allow victims to “hack back” at cyber-attackers. “We can’t even
investigate who is doing the hacking,” said Itsuro Nishimoto, chief technical
officer at LAC Co, a Tokyo-based IT security firm that says it monitors 750
clients, including government entities and businesses. But the outside contractor said the problem runs much deeper.
“There’s no one at the Defense Ministry who understands cyberspace,” he told
Reuters TV. “It’s more than a problem of money or staff - they just don’t
have any interest in it.” Japan has taken some steps to beef up its
cyber-defense, such as setting up a Cyber Security Group in the Defense
Ministry, expected to be operational next year. The ministry and Japan’s
military “are developing intrusion-prevention systems and improving security
and analysis devices for cyber-defense,” according to this year’s defense
white paper, although it says further enhancements are needed to keep up with
the escalating threat. The Defense Ministry is seeking a budget increase to
centralise its loose array of about 100 cyber analysts. But so far it only
monitors its own internal network, which safeguards secrets from ballistic
missile defense to joint technology development with the United States.
Japan’s friends are wary. “We’ve got some concerns about Japan’s
cybersecurity,” said a British official involved in cybersecurity. London and
Tokyo recently signed a joint weapons-development treaty. “Japan has the
structures in place - it’s very good at that,” the official said. “But it
needs more situational awareness. It has zero capability.” From
http://www.japantoday.com/ 10/03/2013 Japan
Needs 80,000 EXTRA Info-Security Bods to Stay Safe Japan has an 80,000 shortfall in infosec professionals, and
needs to provide extra training for more than half of those currently in the
industry, if it’s to protect key IT systems from attack, according to the
government. A government panel of information security experts met back in
June to draw up a long term plan to address Japan’s chronic shortage of
trained infosec pros, according to Kyodo news agency.
The panel apparently concluded that aside from the 80,000 new recruits, some
160,000 of the 265,000 currently in the industry need additional training to
bring them up to speed on the latest threats. The strategy calls for a review
of the current qualification system for info-security professionals as well
as an update to university and other courses in the field. The aim is
apparently not only to boost numbers but to find “manpower with outstanding
abilities” – which is easier said than done, especially when budgets are
tight and graduates continue to favour other careers. One way Japan is trying to overcome the shortage is through
hacking competitions and training camps, according to Kyodo. The
Information-Technology Promotion Agency, overseen by the Ministry of Economy,
Trade and Industry, is responsible for these and has also apparently been
given budget to hire a dozen info-security grads every year. It’s unclear how
the government plans to encourage the tens of thousands more needed into the
industry. Cyber security skills shortages and gaps are endemic pretty much
all over the developed world. Certifications body ISC2 interviewed over
12,000 members to compile its sixth annualGlobal Workforce study, published in
February. Some 56 per cent said there is a workforce shortage, compared to 2
per cent that believe there is a surplus, with "security analysts"
(47 per cent) most in demand. In the UK, the National Audit Office said in
its Landscape Review report earlier this year that “it could take up to 20
years to address the skills gap at all levels of education”. From
http://www.theregister.co.uk
10/09/2013 Bill
Aims to Safeguard N-Plant Security Info Information on how nuclear power plants are guarded by police
and security officers should be designated as state secrets under the
proposed confidentiality bill, according to Masako Mori, minister in charge
of the bill. “If we make police security plans available to the public, such
information could reach terrorists,” Mori said Friday in a meeting of a House
of Representatives special committee on national security, where full
deliberations on the government-sponsored bill kicked off. Mori said that
information on how nuclear plants are guarded falls under the category of
terrorism prevention cited in the list attached to the bill under areas
designated as state secrets. However, information on Trans-Pacific
Partnership free trade negotiations will not be designated as state secrets
because it does not fall under any area in the list, he said. The
controversial bill calls for tougher penalties on government officials and
others who leak designated state secrets, but leaves designation of secrets
to top officials of government agencies. As the bill stipulates that freedom
of the press and news gathering should be given due consideration, New
Komeito lawmaker Yoshinori Oguchi asked in the committee meeting whether the
provision covers news gathering by political party newspapers. Mori said she
believes their news gathering is press coverage in principle because they
inform an indefinitely large number of people of facts. New Komeito, the
junior coalition partner of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, issues a
party paper called the Komei Shimbun. The government wants the state secret
protection bill to be enacted during the current Diet session ending Dec. 6. From
http://the-japan-news.com 11/10/2013 SOUTH KOREA:
Online Banking Scams Cause 2.3 Bln Won in Damage in H1 - Data The damage from online banking fraud in South Korea is estimated
at some 2.3 billion won (US$2.09 million) in the first half of the year,
already surpassing last year's total, data showed Wednesday. Financial firms
here reported a total of 224 online banking fraud cases to the Financial
Supervisory Services (FSS) in the January-June period, according to the data
compiled by the FSS document submitted to parliament. From
http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr 09/11/2013 Hacking
Attempts Against Foreign Ministry Triple from 2009 A report says hacking attempts targeting South Korea’s Foreign
Ministry and South Korean missions abroad grew nearly three-fold during the
past five years. Saenuri Party Representative Won Yoo-chul got the report
from the Foreign Ministry. He said the number of hacking attempts against the
ministry and South Korean missions abroad numbered nearly eleven-thousand-900
between 2009 and this August. The report said hacking attempts numbered
around 13-hundred in 2009 and surged to some 36-hundred this August. The
hacking included attempts to break into the ministry and missions’ Web site,
seizing e-mail accounts, collecting data through Internet networks, infecting
computers with malicious codes and staging distributed denial-of-service or
DDoS attacks. The report also found the endurance period had expired
for most of the firewalls and virtual private networks
of the Foreign Ministry and overseas missions. Won stressed such
systems must be comprehensively inspected. He also said the related workforce
and budgets need to be supplemented, noting information security is becoming
a serious issue amid the possibility of North Korea’s cyber attacks and
suspicions the U.S. National Security Agency bugged the South Korean embassy
in Washington. From
http://world.kbs.co.kr 09/18/2013 More Than
100,000 Cases of Cybercrime Occur in S. Korea Every Year South Korea has seen over 100,000 cases of cybercrime every year
since 2010, a lawmaker said Friday citing government data. According to Kang
Dong-won, an independent lawmaker, the number of cybercrimes in the country,
including hacking and distributed denial-of-service attack, was 108,223 in
2012, 116,961 in 2011 and 122,902 in 2010. From
http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr 10/04/2013 Defense
Ministry Probes Cyber Command's Alleged Online Smear Campaign South Korea's defense ministry said Tuesday it has launched an
investigation into allegations that its Cyber Warfare Command posted online
messages in favor of the ruling camp during last year's presidential
campaign, shedding light on the secretive unit. The ministry established the
400-member special unit under its wing in 2010 to expand its warfare
capability on cyber space and counter threats from North Korea, which is
believed to have trained professional hackers and attacked the South Korean
government's and companies' websites. From
http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr 10/15/2013 South Korea
Counts Its Cyber War Losses South Korea has come up with a number (over $800 million) for
the cost of dealing with North Korean cyber attacks over the past four years.
The list the government complied is quite detailed. The latest attacks (in
March and June) accounted for 93 percent of the cost. South Korea has been
subjected to a growing number of Cyber War attacks since 2009, and the high
cost of the latest ones shows that the North Koreans are getting better and
that South Korea is not keeping up. But the South Koreans are making some
progress. Earlier this year several teams of security researchers concluded
that nearly all these attacks were the work of one group of 10-50 people
called DarkSeoul. Given the extent of the attacks, the amount of work
required to carry them out, and the lack of an economic component (no money
was being stolen) it appeared that a national government was responsible.
That coincides with earlier conclusions that North Korean, not Chinese,
hackers were definitely responsible for several recent attacks on South
Korean networks. The most compelling bit of evidence came from a March
20th incident where a North Korean hacker’s error briefly made it possible
to trace back to where he was operating from. The location was in the North
Korean capital at an IP address belonging to the North Korean government.
Actually, very few North Korean IP addresses belong to private individuals
and fewer still have access to anything outside North Korea. Details of DarkSeoul were uncovered using pattern analysis of
the hacker code left behind in damaged networks. There were patterns
indicating the work of individual programmers and indications that there was
only one organization involved in nearly all the attacks conducted since
2009. There was a lot of work involved in building all the software and
assembling the resources (hacked South Korean PCs, as well as hardware and
network time required by the DarkSeoul team), and all this had to be paid for
by someone. The likely culprit was North Korea, which has threatened Cyber
War attacks but not taken credit for them. This is typical of most North
Korean attacks, both conventional and now over the Internet. Long
believed to be nonexistent, North Korean cyberwarriors apparently do exist
and are not the creation of South Korean intelligence agencies trying to
obtain more money to upgrade government Information War defenses. North Korea
has had personnel working on Internet issues for over 20 years, and their
Mirim College program trained over a thousand Internet engineers and hackers.
North Korea has a unit devoted to Internet based warfare and this unit is
increasingly active. Since the late 1980s, Mirim College in North Korea has been
known as a facility that specialized in training electronic warfare
specialists. But by the late 1990s, the school was found to be teaching
students how to hack the Internet and other types of networks. Originally
named after the district of Pyongyang it was in, the college eventually moved
and expanded. It had several name changes but its official name was always
“Military Camp 144 of the Korean People's Army.” Students wore military
uniforms and security on the school grounds was strict. Each year 120
students were accepted (from the elite high schools or as transfers from the
best universities). Students stayed for 5 years. The school contained 5
departments: electronic engineering, command automation (hacking),
programming, technical reconnaissance (electronic warfare), and computer
science. There's also a graduate school, with a 3 year course (resulting in
the equivalent of a Master’s Degree) for a hundred or so students. It was long thought that those Mirim College grads were hard at
work maintaining the government intranet, not plotting Cyber War against the
south. Moreover, North Korea has been providing programming services to South
Korean firms. Not a lot, but the work was competent and cheap. So it was
known that there was some software engineering capability north of the DMZ.
It was believed that this was being used to raise money for the government up
there, not form a major Internet crime operation. But now there is the
growing evidence of North Korean hackers at work in several areas of illegal
activity. The Cyber War attacks apparently began around 2005, quietly and
nothing too ambitious. But year-by-year, the attacks increased in frequency,
intensity, and boldness. By 2009, the North Korean hackers were apparently
ready for making major assaults on South Korea's extensive Internet
infrastructure, as well as systems (utilities, especially) that are kept off
the Internet. The recently (2011) deceased North Korean leader Kim Jong Il had
always been a big fan of PCs and electronic gadgets in general. He not only
founded Mirim but backed it consistently. The only form of displeasure from
Kim was suspicions that those who graduated from 1986 through the early 1990s
had been tainted by visits (until 1991) by Russian electronic warfare experts.
Some Mirim students also went to Russia to study for a semester or two. All
these students were suspected of having become spies for the Russians, and
most, if not all, were purged from the Internet hacking program. Thus, it
wasn't until the end of the 1990s that there were a sufficient number of
trusted Internet experts that could be used to begin building a Cyber War
organization. South Korea has to be wary because they have become more
dependent on the web than any other on the planet, with the exception of the
United States. As in the past, if the north is to start any new kind of
mischief, they try it out on South Korea first. While many of the first
serious attacks in 2009 were more annoying than anything else, they revealed
a new threat out there, and one that not only got worse but turned out to be
from the usual suspects. From
http://www.strategypage.com 10/23/2013 Seoul
Defense Dialogue to Discuss N. Korea, Cyber Security South Korea on Monday launched a multilateral senior-level forum
to discuss security issues in Asia Pacific, including North Korea and growing
cyber threat, the defense ministry said Monday. The Seoul Defense Dialogue brings
together 180 vice defense ministers, senior military officials and security
advisers from 23 nations, including the United States and Japan, the ministry
said. Representatives from the United Nations, the North Atlantic Treaty
Organization (NATO) and the European Union will also attend the three-day
forum to discuss regional security issues as well as international
non-proliferation efforts and cyberspace security. From
http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr 11/11/2013 NORTH KOREA:
'Thousands' of Cyber Attacks on South - Ministry Data North Korea has staged thousands of cyber attacks against the
South in recent years, causing financial losses of around $805 million, a
Seoul lawmaker said Tuesday citing government data. "A lot of data
related to our national infrastructure, including chemical storage facilities
and information relating to personal financial dealings have been
stolen," ruling party MP Chung Hee-Soo said. Using information provided
by the Defense Ministry's cyber warfare unit, Chung told parliament that the
South Korean military alone had been the target of 6,392 North Korean cyber
attacks of varying scale since 2010. The included website intrusions, malware
deployments and the use of virus-carrying e-mails. "Our military's cyber
warfare ability to fend off such attacks...is incomparable to the North's,
which is known to be one of the world's best," Chung said. North Korea
is believed to run an elite cyber war unit of 3,000 personnel, while the
South has only 400 specialised staff. As well as military institutions,
recent high-profile cyber attacks have targeted commercial banks, government
agencies, TV broadcasters and media websites. The resulting financial damage
since 2009 amounts to some 860 billion won ($805 million), Chung said. North
Korea has denied any involvement and accused Seoul of fabricating the
incidents to fan cross-border tension. From
http://my.news.yahoo.com
10/15/2013 In Cyberarms
Race, North Korea Emerging as a Power, Not a Pushover Often dismissed as a laggard in the global cyberarms race, North
Korea has long been seen as a chronic cyber-superpower wannabe. Its poverty,
minimal Internet access, and paucity of malicious software to its credit
together have indicated that the "hermit kingdom" has just not yet
arrived. But that equation is changing. While the North's nuclear ambitions
and maltreatment of its citizens absorb diplomatic bandwidth, a four-year
cyberattack-and-espionage campaign targeting South Korean banks, news media,
telecoms, and military think tanks has revealed North Korean cyberwarfare
capabilities to be far more potent than previously believed, US experts say
and new analyses show. What's more, say American cyberwarfare and North Korea
experts, the North's advancing capabilities show a dangerous potential to
slide into real-world conflict. "Over the past four years the North has
seriously intensified its cyberwarfare development efforts at South Korea's
expense," says Alexandre Mansourov, a visiting scholar at the US-Korea
Institute at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. "The [Korean
People's Army] is basically planning for a future cyberwar and has been
hacking to collect intelligence and prepare to disrupt information and
communications, surveillance, and reconnaissance systems of its enemies:
South Korea, the US, and Japan." Analyses of these attacks, while falling short of "smoking
gun" proof, leave little doubt North Korea is not only behind major
attacks against the South – but that its capabilities are much broader than
previously believed, Dr. Mansourov and others say. As a result, these experts
are boosting their estimates of the sophistication and pace of the North's
cybermilitary development – and of its threat to the United States. Most
revealing is the new linkage between the North and four years of increasingly
threatening attacks on South Korea, analyzed by leading cybersecurity firms
in the past five months. The attacks have cost the South more than $750
million, South Korean lawmakers said this month, citing Defense Ministry
data. The first major attack, on July 4, 2009, began with a modest
distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) bombardment – with millions of requests
per second (tiny compared with today's attacks) clogging Korean and US
government and financial websites for days. The attacks appeared to emanate
from 435 different servers in 61 countries around the world – including
in South Korea itself. But a second attack on March 4, 2011, went beyond basic DDoS by
launching malicious software that wiped hard drives on systems at one of the
South's biggest banks, leaving 30 million customers without ATM services for
days. Initial investigations suggested that the North was responsible, but
were ultimately inconclusive. Clarity began to emerge this past spring
following the biggest attack. It began at 2 p.m. on March 20 with several
South Korean banks and media outlets hammered by a massive malware attack
erupting from inside their own networks. In minutes, a cyberweapon dubbed
"DarkSeoul" infected and wiped clean the critical master boot
records of 32,000 computers, wrecking them and crippling those organizations
for days – one of the most costly and destructive cyberattacks the world has
seen. The digital trail initially led to a cybergang called the "WhoIs
Team" – its skull calling card digitally tattooed on the computer hard
drives of South Korean banks. Adding to the confusion, another group – the
"New Romantic Cyber Army Team" – also claimed responsibility. But US cybersecurity company McAfee saw something else.
"Operation Troy," as McAfee dubbed the attack in a June report, was
actually the culmination of a "secret, long-term," and
"sophisticated" four-year campaign by just one cyberattacker – not
the two cybergangs. "Operation Troy had a focus from the beginning to
gather intelligence on South Korean military targets," McAfee
investigators reported. "We have also linked other high-profile public
campaigns conducted over the years against South Korea to Operation Troy,
suggesting that a single group is responsible." Which group? South
Korean fingers jabbed at North Korea. While McAfee never publicly named a
culprit, its officials said privately that Pyongyang was behind the four
years of increasingly sophisticated attacks. The McAfee analysis was not the
last to track the attacks back to North Korea's doorstep. The same month,
cybersecurity giant Symantec issued its own report linking the four years of
cyberattacks to a single actor amid not-so-veiled references –
"regardless of whether the gang is working on behalf of North Korea or
not." In September, researchers at Kaspersky Lab announced discovery
of an extensive cyberespionage campaign against six South Korean military think
tanks. Far from being a primitive hack, the "Kimsuky" campaign,
named after a snippet of malicious code, was "extraordinary in its
execution and logistics," wrote Dmitry Tarakanov, a researcher at the
Moscow-based firm, who said digital tracks led to the North. "Taking
into account the profiles of the targeted organizations ... one might easily
suspect that the attackers might be from North Korea," Mr. Tarakanov
wrote. "The targets almost perfectly fall into their sphere of interest."
Together, the Operation Troy and Kimsuky findings roused cyber experts to
upgrade their estimates of the North's capabilities. Just three years ago,
James Lewis, an expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies
(CSIS) in Washington, was deeply skeptical of the North as a serious
cyberthreat to South Korea or US forces in the Pacific. At the time, he
dismissed it in an essay titled “Speak Loudly and Carry a Small Stick: The
North Korean Cyber Menace.” "McAfee and Kaspersky are really the first
credible reports we've seen about North Korea's cyberwar capability,"
Mr. Lewis now says. "The North has obtained the ability to penetrate
South Korean systems and potentially cause serious disruption." While
still a league away from being a global "cyber-superpower," the North
today is flexing its muscles and transforming itself into a potent force, he
says. "They have improved considerably their cyberattack capabilities
and could pose a threat to US institutions," he says. "Maybe not
our military or, say, the Federal Reserve. But are there US targets they
could disrupt? Yes, there are." WHY THE NORTH LOVES CYBER -Driving the North’s quest for
cyberwarfare capability are a combination of the practical and the strategic,
experts say. Critical for a poor nation with rich adversaries, such weapons
are: • Cheap to deploy and cost effective. Cyberattacks depend on malicious
software which can be developed or purchased for far less than aircraft or
other conventional military hardware. Cyberattacks can be deployed frequently
to harass the South at a tiny fraction of the cost of actually deploying
troops and tanks – and with more directly impact on the public. • A strategic
counterbalance. Cyberattack systems are seen as a core “asymmetric” warfare
strategy vital if the North’s less technologically capable forces are to
survive any future fight with the combined forces of South Korea and the US.
• Anonymous. Difficulty attributing cyberattacks makes it easier to avoid
sanctions and retaliatory strikes. Another driver is Pyongyang's top-down push. Development began
around 1999, about the time Kim Jong-il launched the North's own fiber-optic,
computer hardware, and commercial software industries. Together, these
provide expertise that can be tapped for a cyberarmy. The pace of cyberarmy-building
picked up in 2009, accelerating again after Kim Jong-un took power in 2011.
He is said to be a computer and Internet aficionado who presses for
cyberforce development and tactics. "They actually consider it to be an
'asymmetric' fifth front in any multi-front warfare against their
enemies," says Mansourov. Indeed, North Korea's ongoing attacks on South
Korea appear to be a kind of cyber-sword sharpening – refining capabilities
and testing defenses – far different from most of today's much more subtle
and better-cloaked cyberconflicts, some experts say. "Most nations are
not trying to take down the servers of other countries – or at least they are
trying hard to hide it," says Bruce Bechtol Jr., associate professor of
political science at Angelo State University in San Angelo, Texas, and author
of several books on North Korea's military. "But North Korea's main
thing seems to be taking down servers, conducting damaging operations, and
instilling fear." SOUTH KOREA ADVANCES -At the same time, North Korea's own
vulnerability to being hacked is real, despite its outdated reputation as a
nearly nondigital nation with few targets of significance. Growth in the
North's fiber-optic cable systems, Internet and intranet-connected national
networks, and even a flowering of mobile smart phones among the nation's
elite – all are potential targets for US intelligence agencies or the South's
own cyberforces, Mansourov notes. Indeed, South Korea is ramping up its own
cybermilitary. In June, during joint military exercises between the US and
South Korea, the North was struck by a two-day outage of all its internal
websites. The state news agency decried “concentrated and persistent virus
attacks,” insisting that the US and South Korea “will have to take
responsibility for the whole consequences.” "Cyberattacks on the South
do not occur in a vacuum," Mansourov says. "Every instance of a
North Korean attack is likely something prompted by the actions of us or our
allies." Some say the cyber tit for tat could get out of hand and slide
toward more serious reprisals. North Korea's capability "poses an important 'wild card'
threat, not only to the United States but also to the region and broader
international stability," testified Frank Cilluffo, codirector of the
Cyber Center for National and Economic Security at George Washington
University, in Congress after the March attacks. "North Korea's
cyber-development is almost just a new harassment mechanism for them, a
low-cost, asymmetric method to harass its neighbor in the south," says
Matt Rhoades, director of the cyberspace and security program at the Truman
National Security Project, a Washington think tank. Such harassment, he
warns, is a "slippery slope that could, through miscalculation, lead to
real escalation." Digital attacks attributed to the North are still
often characterized as "unsophisticated." Yet hackers for
cyber-superpowers such as China typically use the least advanced approach
needed for an attack to succeed – saving the most sophisticated for when it
counts most. So even if North Korea under Kim Jong-un is not yet a
cyber-superpower, its aggressive pace of development puts it squarely on that
path, Lewis at CSIS and others say. "North Korea will do its best to keep its actual
capabilities secretive," writes Ryo Hinata-Yamaguchi, a Japanese
researcher who analyzed North Korea's intentions as a fellow at the CSIS
Pacific Forum, in an e-mail interview. Today's attacks are "merely to
show frustration towards South Korea.... If North Korea were to get serious,
they would directly hit [the South's] military networks, government,
financial, transportation." For the North, lobbing moderately damaging
cyberweapons and DDoS attacks southward may be more about testing the South’s
cyber-defenses – while perhaps winning valuable concessions from the South,
too, several experts say. “That’s just the North negotiating with us,” Lewis
says he was told by South Korean officials after the 2011 attack. Others,
too, reject the notion that the North is a laggard, even if it's not yet able
to deploy anything as sophisticated or dangerous as Stuxnet, which targeted
Iran's nuclear fuel facility at Natanz in 2009. "This idea that's been
out there for a while, that the North Koreans are an incompetent or
unsophisticated cyberthreat, is really laughable," says Peter Hayes,
executive director of the Nautilus Institute, an Asia-Pacific security think
tank in Berkeley, Calif. "They've got very high-level programmers, very
sophisticated. You have an extremely competent cyberadversary in North
Korea." BUILDING THE NORTH'S CYBERARMY -Besides selecting industry
experts for its cyberarmy, the North annually plucks hundreds of its best and
brightest to be trained at elite universities in Pyongyang. Russian teachers
are brought in, while others are sent to Russia and China for advanced
training, defectors say. Eventually those recruits funnel into the North's
two cyberwarfare units. One is the State Security Agency's communications
monitoring and computer hacking group. Others enter Unit 121 of the
Reconnaissance General Bureau of the Korean People's Army, the North's elite
cyberfighting force, experts say. Key elements of Unit 121 operate out of
bases in China, including a luxury hotel in the heart of Shenyang, capital of
Liaoning Province, which borders North Korea, experts say. Beyond merely
pulling itself up by its bootstraps, the North relies especially heavily on
China for help in developing and extending its cyberwarfare capability, they
say. "The North is using China as one of their major bases for their
cyber-operations, and uses servers in China to conduct DDoS and other
cyberattacks on South Korea," Mansourov says. "They [Unit 121] are
believed to have conducted hacking operations from inside China that falsify
classified data and disrupt US and South Korean systems." While Russia provides key assistance, China's help goes much
deeper. It includes regular upgrades to the high-speed Internet lines flowing
into the North as well as supplying Pyongyang with high-end Chinese-made
servers, routers, and other network hardware, experts say. "China plays
a major role in supporting the North's cyber-operations," says Steve
Sin, a former senior analyst at the Open Source Intelligence Branch of the
Directorate of Intelligence at US Forces Korea and author of a 2009 study of
North Korea's cyber-capability. "If nothing else, China's government is
complicit in what North Korea is doing, because they could just shut down or
throttle back its Internet connection, but they're not." China's Internet
services and other infrastructure make the North's hacking far more effective
than it otherwise would be. It would be far easier to identify attacks from
the North if they emerged over the few Internet lines flowing out of that
country into China, these experts say. And that's one big reason launching cyberattacks directly from
within the North is forbidden, defectors claim. Deniability is critical in
order to avoid United Nations sanctions or US bombs. Instead, North Korea's
cyber-espionage, DDoS, and hacking attacks are done by Unit 121 and covert
cells around the globe, including in the US, South Asia, Europe, and South
Korea, defectors say. Overall, the arrangement leaves China in an excellent
position to deny knowledge of any cyberattacks by the North on other nations,
experts say. “ “The Chinese are probably quite pleased with North Korea’s
cyber-saber rattling,” Dr. Lee adds. “It’s really no threat to them and
strengthens their hand with respect to Washington.” The Chinese embassy in
Washington did not respond to requests for comment on allegations that it
aids North Korea’s cybermilitary development and operations. But in the
just-detected “Kimsuky” cyberespionage campaign against six
military-connected think tanks in South Korea, Kaspersky investigators
tracked the digital footprints of the cyberspies to 10 IP-addresses (internet
computer identifiers) inside Jilin and Liaoning, Chinese provinces that
border North Korea. Did those IP addresses belong to cyberspies of the elite
Unit 121 enjoying life at a hotel in Shenyang between hacking attacks on the
South? Even though IP addresses can be spoofed, “no other IP-addresses have
been uncovered that would point to the attackers’ activity,” writes Mr.
Tarakanov, the Kaspersky cyber-sleuth of the Kimsuky cyberspying on the
South’s think tanks. While there is still no conclusive proof recent attacks
were North Korean, evidence indicates Pyongyang is building a capability that
poses a serious and rising threat to the South and the US, experts say.
"We in the US tend to dismiss these smaller powers, like North
Korea," says Mr. Sin. "But there's a danger that comes with that:
How many conflicts have we lost to a smaller guy? You know, we kind of
dismiss it – and it still comes and bites you." From
http://news.yahoo.com
10/19/2013 |
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INDONESIA:
To Step Up Cyber Security Policy Indonesia’s Minister of Communication and Information Technology
has raised the importance of including cyber security in the national
security strategy to protect more than 55 million internet users in the
country. Minister Tifatul Sembiring, said, “The country needs to be wary of
cyber security threats. In order to protect the citizens from internet
threats, the Government should include cyber security under its national
security police.” The Minister highlighted the rapid rise of internet access
in the archipelago providing necessity for the Government to escalate cyber
security in its national policy. Indonesia has one of the highest internet
penetration rates in Southeast Asia, and in 2010, it grew by 30 million
users. The high internet use leads to higher risk of cyber crimes. This is
coupled with the spread of malware viruses, which has now reached 5.5
billion, he informed. He added that strengthening of cyber security would
also help further Indonesia’s economic development. Bearing this in mind, the
Ministry of Communication and Information Technology (KOMINFO) has been
developing programmes and building human resource capability in order to
minimise and face threats from cyber crime, the Minister assured. From
http://www.futuregov.asia/
09/09/2013 Indonesian
ICT Ministry and Police Sign Cybersecurity Mou Indonesia’s Ministry of Communications and Information
Technology (KOMINFO) is collaborating with Indonesian National Police to
enforce law and security in communications and IT. A Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) was signed between Minister of Communications and IT,
Tifatul Sembiring, and Chief of Police, Timur Pradopo on behalf of newly
appointed National Police Security Chief, Badrodin Haiti, in Jakarta
yesterday. Chief Timur said, “Advances in ICT have removed restrictions of
distance, space and time, supporting people in their daily activities. It has
increased productivity and efficiency, which in turn improve the welfare of
people.” However, Timur also warned of the dangers posed by the ICT sector,
driven by easy access to information which is often misused by people. He
highlighted, “The other side of ICT advancement poses threats in the form of
cybercrime such as credit card fraud, hacking, cyberfraud, terrorism and
spread of destructive information.” The agreement between the Police and
KOMINFO will lead to a more effective, comprehensive and integrated strategy
to fight all kinds of crime that use ICT as their main propellant, he noted.
The two agencies will cooperate to exchange information, improve human
resources and coordinate operations. Timur also expects this cooperation to
percolate to the lower government levels in order to allow implementation of
cybersecurity measures at the ground-level. From
http://www.futuregov.asia/
09/17/2013 Indonesia
to Beef Up Information Security Following Wiretapping Activities A senior Indonesian official said on Thursday that an evaluation
on information security in ministries and government agencies would be
implemented following the revelation of wiretapping activities by Australia
and the United States. "Our ministry would undertake talks with
ministries and agencies annually as an effort to evaluate information
security standard," Indonesian Information and Communication Minister Tifatul
Sembiring said on the sidelines of his meeting with officials of
telecommunication operator firms here. Besides the plan to evaluate
information security, the minister also plans to improve alertness of state
officials in their casual conversations with foreign officials so as to make
them aware on issues that should not be talked about with their counterparts.
Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has issued order to halt
military and information exchange cooperation with Australia until the latter
apologizes on the spying move conducted against Indonesia. The president has
sent official letter to Australian Premier Tony Abbott, asking an official
explanation for the phone tapping activities. The Indonesian president added
that he was irked by such an illegal activity as it was conducted when the
relations between the two countries was very close. Australia tapped the cell
phones of Indonesian president, first lady, vice president and several other
senior officials in August 2009, Australian and British media reported
recently. Previously Indonesia reportedly lodged strong protests following
reports on wiretapping activities conducted by Australia and the United
States through their embassies in Jakarta. From
http://news.xinhuanet.com/
11/21/2013 SINGAPORE:
Hackers Try to Bring Down Singapore Gov't Websites: Authority The Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore confirmed that
hackers had attempted to bring down government websites on Tuesday, local
media reported on Saturday. International hackers organization Anynomous had
called for a protest to be mounted on Tuesday in protest against the
government 's new website licensing rules, though few people turned up. The
Infocomm Development Authority disclosed the attacks on Friday, after two
webpages on the websites of the Istana and the Prime Minister's Office were
affected by apparent members of Anonymous known for their trademark Guy
Fawkes masks. James Kang, assistant chief executive of the Infocomm
Development Authority, said that the intrusions did not compromise the
integrity of the websites in any way, and the main web pages are all running.
The hacker, or hackers, only managed to exploit a
vulnerability in the embedded search bar on the Prime Minister's
Office site that helps users to search for items within the site. "Data
was not compromised, the site was not down and users were not affected,"
Kang said. The attacks were designed to make the webpages look like the
hackers had gained access into the sites when they had merely overlaid images
over the webpages. "We detected the exploits within 15 minutes and
disabled the search bars within the hour," Kang said. Kang said that
many government websites encountered unusual spikes in traffic throughout the
day on Tuesday as hackers attempted to bring them down through
"distributed denial of service attacks (DDoS)," he told a press
conference. DDoS is a technique to take down a site by overwhelming it with
huge amounts of Internet traffic. Separately, security software firm Trend
Micro said its analysis showed the Prime Minister's Office site "remains
intact, with visits unaffected." "The Singapore government will
continue to be on heightened vigilance," said Kang, adding that it includes
the checking and fixing of vulnerabilities. While this is in progress, access
to government websites may experience intermittent problems, he said.
Apparent members of Anonymous recently uploaded a video message threatening
to attack the Internet infrastructure of the Singapore government, urging it
to reconsider a regulatory framework that requires influential news portals
to be licensed. The websites of local daily Straits Times and a secondary
airport were hacked. Lee said on Wednesday that Singapore authorities will
"spare no effort" to track down culprits who launch cyber-attacks
even though they think they can hide behind the internet's veil of anonymity.
He acknowledged that no cyber security precautions are perfect, but the
government is making efforts to boost the systems to reduce vulnerability. From
http://news.xinhuanet.com/
11/09/2013 Singapore
Government Launches New Cloud Security Standard In order to build confidence in cloud adoption, the Singapore
government has launched a new cloud security standard to provide greater
clarity on levels of security offered by cloud service providers, said Steve
Leonard, Executive Deputy Chairman, Infocomm Development Authority of
Singapore this morning (13 November). Dubbed the Multi-Tier Cloud Security
Standard for Singapore (MTCS), the new standard is aimed at spurring the
adoption of cloud. MTCS, the first cloud security standard that covers
multiple tiers, will be able to better spell out the levels of security that
cloud service providers can offer to users. “Cloud relies on security and
trust. While the adoption of cloud is accelerating, security is becoming the
number one concern,” he said. MTS has three different tiers of security with
‘Tier 1’ being the base level and ‘Tier 3’ being the most stringent. “Going
forward, government-related cloud procurement will be expecting one of these
standards to be achieved,” added Leonard. Data plays a significant role in
Singapore’s aspiration to be a smart nation, he continued. Volume, velocity
and value of information are three key areas when thinking about data. He
cited an example of a big health initiative IDA is working on with Ministry
of Health. The country is facing an increasingly ageing population and a rise
in chronic diseases. Data can be collected using flexible and lightweight
sensors that can help reduce strain on the health infrastructure and improve
quality of life. Leonard concluded with a call to action to build up local
technology, good use cases, train local talents, as Singapore moves towards
becoming a smart nation. Leonard was giving the opening keynote address at
Cloud Expo Asia Singapore. From
http://www.futuregov.asia/
11/13/2013 Singapore’s
Research Agency Achieves World Standard in Infosecurity Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) in
Singapore was formally presented with the ISO 27001 certification last Friday
for its Data Centre Matrix. FutureGov was invited to attend the award
ceremony at its office. The certification specifies an Information Security
Management System (ISMS), a suite of activities around the management of
information security risks. It is an overarching management framework through
which the organisation identifies, analyses and
addresses its information security risks. The ISMS ensures that the security
arrangements are fine-tuned to keep pace with changes to the security
threats, vulnerabilities and business impacts. Besides being awarded the ISO
27001 certification by TÜV SÜD PSB, A*STAR also won the ‘Information
Security’ award in this year’s FutureGov Awards, which attracted 650
nominations and 83 finalists over the region. “We want to thank all our
ecosystem of partners and the Data Centre team who have worked very hard to
achieve this certification. We will continue to work hard to better
facilitate our researchers and work towards our vision of an
innovation-driven Singapore. We are in the process of upgrading our data
centre with an innovative storage system and enhancing our super computing
facility,” said Dr John Kan, CIO of A*STAR. “Congratulations to A*STAR for this achieving the ISO 270001
certification and winning the FutureGov Award. By being ISO 27001 certified,
the agency is tested and proven to have addressed its organisation’s
information security risks and threats. It has successfully designed and
implemented a coherent and comprehensive suite of information security
controls,” said Richard Hong, CEO of TÜV SÜD PSB, a service provider for a
comprehensive and integrated suite of product testing, inspection and
certification services. “With the advent of new technologies, we are going to
be exposed to more vulnerabilities and threats. Having our processes and
systems tested is challenging but important, so we are very pleased that this
team has put themselves forward to be audited. We will continue to push
forward for more of our systems and processes to be tested for compliance
with worldwide standards,” commented Suresh Sachi, Deputy Managing Director
of A*STAR. From
http://www.futuregov.asia/
11/19/2013 THAILAND:
Police and E-Transaction Agency Sign Cybersecurity MoU The Royal Thai Police and Electronic Transactions Development
Agency (ETDA) of Thailand are to collaborate to develop human resource
capabilities, and transfer and disseminate knowledge on cybersecurity, in
order to improve security of electronic transactions. The two organisations signed
a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), pushing for a mechanism to protect
against and deal with cybersecurity risks. The agencies recognise the rise of
digital forensics for protecting the cyberspace, and the importance of
developing human resource capability and technical knowledge. The agreement, lasting for five years,
includes dissemination of information on cybersecurity risks to the public,
exchange of technical know-how, and facilitation of training sessions and
seminars. The two agencies are also looking to jointly work on the
verification of digital evidence, development of digital evidence
authentication standards, and contribute to the development of technical
knowledge on digital evidence and authentication. Both agencies are to take turns hosting
a joint biannual meeting to prepare and update the annual work plan and
monitor the progress of projects implemented under this agreement. The Police and ETDA expressed hope
that this agreement will enable citizens and businesses to engage in secure
and safe electronic transactions. From
http://www.futuregov.asia/
09/20/2013 Thai Police
Monitors Threats Through Instant Messaging App With the intention to monitor and prevent crime, Thai Royal
Police has requested for access to chat records of users from LINE, an
instant communication application for free calls and messages. According to
Police Major-General Pisit Paoin (pictured), Chief of the Technology Crime
Suppression Division, who spoke to media last month, the police will be
screening for anti-monarchy advocates, or perpetrators and suspects of crimes
such as arms trading, prostitution and drug dealing. Prime Minister Yingluck
Shinawatra commented that the government does not intend to limit people’s
freedom, and any monitoring will target individuals rather than the general
public. Paoin clarified that the agency is only interested in threats to
national security: “We are monitoring only those who break the law. If you’re
using Line and social media to break the law, then you see us, the police”.
LINE, launched in June 2011, has 230 million registered users as of last
month, with 18 million in Thailand. According to local media The Nation, LINE
declined to have received any official request from the Thai Royal Police. On
the other hand, Paoin said that police have already contacted the company,
and will follow up with the request. A week before, Paoin’s division opened
an investigation into four people for allegedly posting rumours on Facebook
of a possible military coup and threatened to charge any users who ‘liked’
the postings. The Police has since discouraged users
to ‘like’ such posts because it could perpetuate false statements. From
http://www.futuregov.asia/
09/23/2013 VIETNAM:
Information Security Poses Big Challenge - Minister Information security poses a big challenge to Vietnam as the
country has been ranked among the top 20 countries in terms of internet user
number, an official said here Thursday. Answering deputies' questions during
the ongoing National Assembly meeting, Nguyen Bac Son, Vietnam's Minister of
Information and Communication, said most of the technology equipments in
Vietnam are imported, which increases the threat to the national information
and network security. From March to June 2013, some 260,000 computers in
Vietnam have been infected by Distributed Denial of Service (DDOS) malicious
code, a kind of attack attempts to exhaust the victim's resource, Son said.
During the past years, the country has boosted the application of information
technology. However, the minister said many of the internet users in Vietnam
do not have enough knowledge to protect themselves from risks. Vietnam in
2011 issued the Circular 27 on coordination of internet incident response
activities, including the establishment of Vietnam Computer Emergency
Response Team to regularly participate in rescue activities nationwide, as
well as asking for international supports. According to the minister, the
investment for information security in Vietnam accounted for only five
percent of the total investment on information technology, while only six
percent of agencies have emergency response teams. According to Vietnam
Internet Network Center, as of June 2013, the number of Vietnamese internet
users reached 31 million, or over 30 percent of the country's population, of
which 4.3 million are landline broadband subscribers. From
http://news.xinhuanet.com/
11/22/2013 |
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INDIA:
Must Gear Up to Cyber-Terrorism Bangalore: Development in any fields has its own pros and cons.
Like for instance, development in information technology has given rise to
more number of cyber attacks like hacking, phishing, espionage, financial
theft, etc. A country like India has seen a growing number of cyber assaults;
government departments particularly defence establishments, coming under
attack. It has also witnessed many such attacks and the misuse of social
media and Internet that brought home the threat of cyber-terrorism. The cyber
security experts said the country is poorly equipped to handle as the cyber
crime cells in the country does not function actively as it should be,
reports Rediff. Since 2001, most of the Indian cyber crime cells have been
established and got four complaints on an average, per day. Altogether around
15000 complaints have been registered since the last decade. But, around 85
percent of such cases have resulted in exonerations or the police itself have
closed the cases for lack of evidence from the Internet service providers. From
http://www.siliconindia.com
11/13/2013 BSNL
to Roll Out Rs 4,771 Crore Cable Network for Defence Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd will roll out an
4,771-crore optic fibre cable network for the army and navy by February next
year. A 60,000-km optic fibre network is at the heart of the 13,334-crore
alternate communications backbone that BSNL will build for the army and naval
forces over the next two years. Purchase orders for optic fibre cable gear
will be placed in two months, the note showed. In an internal presentation to
the telecom department, BSNL has indicated it will also roll out a
2,611-crore IP or ‘internet protocol’ network for the defence ministry by
next June. This apart, it will place orders for 1,300 crore
. In an April 15 memo to DoT, the defence ministry had complained that
while it had already vacated 40 MHz of airwaves back in 2009 for commercial
wireless telephony, BSNL had failed to build the alternate communications
backbone within 36 months. The project deadline has since been extended to
July 2015. From
http://egov.eletsonline.com
11/20/2013 MALDIVES:
Security Forces Ramps Up TV Stations Security Police and military personnel have been deployed around private
stations, DhiTV and VTV along with the state-run TVM. Military spokesperson
Colonel Abdu Raheem said following the arson attack on Raajje TV, security
measures have been beefed up in high security areas in Male. Officials of
Raajje TV had said all broadcast and transmission equipment along with
computer systems had been fully burnt and destroyed. Station owner Akram
Kamaludeen estimated the damage to be over US$1 million. But he insisted that
the station was trying to set up at another location and would be on air
soon. Eyewitness reports indicate that a group of six people had attacked and
injured the security guard of the building with a sharp object before
entering the building to set the fire. From
http://www.haveeru.com.mv
10/07/2013 |
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AZERBAIJAN:
Information System Providing Address Register Approved Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has signed a decree approving
the Regulation "On the information system conducting the address
register of Azerbaijan". According to the document, the Cabinet of
Ministers of Azerbaijan should within two months approve the Technical
Regulations of the mechanism of input data into the information system and
the use of these data, prepare proposals to bring the acts of the President
of the Republic of Azerbaijan and regulations of the Cabinet of Ministers of
Azerbaijan in line with this Decree, 1news.az reports, citing the president's
official website. The Cabinet of Ministers is also tasked to address
financial issues related to the organization and maintenance of the
information system. The State Property Committee was instructed to take other
necessary measures for the organization and management of the delivery
system. From
http://news.az/
11/02/2013 |
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ITU Unveils
New Solution to Secure Government Websites The
International Telecommunication Union (ITU), a specialised agency of the
United Nations focused on issues that concern ICT, unveiled the newest
addition to its website security toolset as part of ongoing efforts to help
its 193 member states evaluate and secure their government websites.
According to an official statement, many government institutions don’t have
enough resources to prioritise information risks and this is why government
websites often become the victims of hackers. ImmuniWeb® SaaS from High-Tech
Bridge, the newest addition to ITU’s security toolset, will enable
governments to evaluate the state of their web security in a fast, simple and
affordable manner. The unique hybrid service combines a cutting-edge web security
scanner for automated vulnerability assessment, and an accurate manual web
application penetration test performed in parallel by security experts. “This
new solution will assist member states, in particular developing and least
developed countries, to use these tools to improve the security of their
websites and counter cyber threats and related vulnerabilities,” said ITU
Secretary-General Dr Hamadoun I. Touré. From http://www.futuregov.asia
11/20/2013 AUSTRALIA:
Fighting Crime with “World-First” Facial Recognition Technology In a project
being canvassed as a “world-first,” the University of Queensland is
developing facial recognition technology that enables smart phone and tablet
consumers to use their face as a “password” for credit card transactions and
on-line banking. This facial recognition technology is also showcased at
FutureGov Forum Queensland being held 17th September in Brisbane. It helps
map the face with more precision, while using a single photo for different
settings. This project is being led by Professor Brian Lovell, Director of
Engineering Programmes at the University of Queensland (UQ), School of
Information Technology and Electrical Engineering. Professor Lovell notes
that banking passwords and PIN numbers can be easily forgotten or stolen.
These gaps potentially breach security at all levels of transactions. UQ
researchers hope to tackle security concerns with facial recognition
software, to be prototyped within a year. Plans are under-way to also
commercialise this technology for on-line banking and shopping. Future apps
incorporate airports, and other high-traffic places. Face in the
crowd A smile,
frown or bad hair day is often enough to stump even the best face recognition
systems in busy public areas, says Professor Lovell. The UQ software offers
the ability to identify faces in “real-time.” This identification is possible
under different lighting conditions. Built-in precision helps map different
facial expressions, such as smiles and frowns. “There are many systems out
there,” observes Professor Lovell. “But their typical failing is that they
work in a lab, but don’t scale well to crowded airports and train stations.” Single photo
features The UQ’s
“claim to fame” with its technology is the ability to slot in a single photo.
This single photo then recognises the same person, under different lighting
and facial expressions. “If you take a reasonably good photo of a person, it
would recognise them even if half the face was in shadow,” adds Professor
Lovell. The UQ software, developed by PhD students over five years, has been
trialled successfully on still images and video. This software is being
enhanced to recognise several faces at a time, and from different angles. This
means people do not have to stand straight-on to the camera for “mug shots.” Apps for
airports and public places Australian
passport photo guidelines insist on closed mouths in pictures because the
system is sensitive to photos showing teeth. The UQ system is more robust and
can detect faces, whatever the expression. The UQ software, when fully
commercialised can be installed at airports, shopping centres, or other
public places. This offering will help identify threats in public spaces, also ensuring appearances are no longer deceptive
to face recognition software. Identity management under the spotlight at
FutureGov Forum Queensland during a session featuring the University of
Queensland and Australia Post. From http://www.futuregov.asia
09/04/2013 Australian
Prudential Regulator Releases Guidance on Managing Data Risk The
Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) recently released in its
prudential practice guide on the management of data risk for all its
regulated institutions. APRA is the prudential regulator of the Australian
financial services industry. It oversees banks, credit unions, building
societies, general insurance and reinsurance companies, life insurance,
friendly societies, and most members of the superannuation industry. The
Prudential Practice Guide CPG 235 Managing Data Risk (CPG 235) is a
cross-industry guide designed to assist authorised deposit-taking
institutions, general insurance industry, life insurance industry and the
superannuation industry in appropriately managing their data risk and is
targeted at those areas where APRA has identified weaknesses through its
supervisory activities. According to APRA, the management of data risk is
crucial for the said institutions because it can affect their ability to meet
financial and other obligations to beneficiaries. “The risks associated with
the use of data, including data application, retention, storage and security,
have become more significant with increasing automation and the criticality
of data to decision-making,” the agency said. With the release of the CPG
235, the agency hopes that the Boards and senior management of APRA’s
regulated finance institutions can incorporate it in their overall resilience
strategy. From http://www.futuregov.asia
09/09/2013 50%
of Australians Don't Believe Malware Is a Threat Despite the high-profile escalation of the cybersecurity
landscape globally, as many as 50% of all Australians don’t believe that
malware—PC-based or otherwise—is a threat to them. The Australian
Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) surveyed the population of Oz
regarding its perceived likelihood of experiencing malware infections, and
found that 43% to 50% believe that harmful software or malware was an
unlikely risk to their computer. Only about one third (28% to 33%) believe
that it is a likely risk, and a substantial minority (22% to 25%) gave a
neutral response or said they did not know if there was a risk. The study
found that perceptions of likely risk from malware increased with the age of
internet users, and risk was regarded as more likely by people who speak
languages other than English at home. The perceptions seem to influence
online activities as well: the risk of their computers being infected by
malware was perceived as ‘highly unlikely’ by more internet users who did not
make online financial transactions compared to those who did. Presumably, if
one felt that a malware infection were highly
likely, one wouldn’t engage in online finance. Yet, almost three-quarters of Australian adults (74%) – or 88%
of internet users – reported making online financial transactions which
included online banking, shopping or paying bills. Australians aged 18–34
years were more likely to make online financial transactions (91%) than the
65 years and over age group (43%). Survey respondents were asked about four
different examples of harmful software or malware. The examples given were
software that “allows others to use your computer to send out spam or
redirect you to fake websites”, “allows others to steal your personal or
financial information”, “allows others to identify the
websites you have visited and access your emails” and “affects the way
your computer operates”. The findings indicate a potentially large issue
considering the penetration of internet use in the country. The study found
that 86% of Australian adults used the internet for personal purposes.
Personal internet users comprised almost all of the 18–24 age group (99%) and usage declined with age. People aged 65
years and over were least likely to be internet users (60%). The good news is that the research indicates that most adult
internet users were active in protecting their home computers and laptops
from harmful software and viruses. Only 10% reported that their home computer
or laptop does not have protective software, and a further 8% said that it is
not regularly updated. Almost a fifth though reported that operating systems
are not kept up-to-date (19%). Key reasons mentioned for not having
protections were: having a computer brand that does not get infections (15%);
having no need of protections (12%); and not knowing how to install antivirus
protection or how to update computer software (9%). Aside from antivirus
software, other methods of minimizing risks from harmful software were in use
on a fairly widespread level, indicating some maturity in threat prevention
know-how. These included not clicking on email links from unknown senders
(82% of internet users with home computers or laptops), immediately deleting
emails from unknown sources (82%), not visiting certain websites (79%),
keeping browsers up-to-date (78%) and keeping program software up-to-date
(76%). Internet users were considerably less certain about whether
their mobile phone and other mobile devices are protected against harmful
software. Just over half (52%) of adults who usually used a mobile device
(for financial transactions or social networking) said that their devices are
protected. Almost a quarter reported that it was not protected (24%) and the
same proportion said they did not know (24%). Key reasons for believing
mobile devices are protected from harmful software were: believing that the
device operating system has built-in protections (36% of people who said
their device is protected) the installation of protective software themselves
(29%); a lack of any problems or infections (8%); and no reason/did not know
(10%). The ACMA has rolled out several initiatives to educate the public
about online risk, notably the Australian Internet Security Initiative (AISI),
under which participating internet service providers (ISPs) and universities
are notified of malware infections affecting their customers; and the ACMA’s
Cybersmart program, which helps children and families to use the internet
safely and securely. From
http://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/
10/03/2013 Australia Targets Tax
Crime Through Global Data-Sharing Initiative The
Australian government’s peak tax collection agency Australian Taxation Office
has rolled out a global data-sharing initiative that enables participants to
target, track and tackle off-shore tax dodges. This initiative, supported by
the Australian Treasurer Mr Joe Hockey, ramps up the monitoring of off-shore
tax shelters. This programme features expanded data-exchange between
participating countries, including the UK, US and regional counterparts. This
month, Mr Hockey initiated further discussions about off-shore tax havens at
the G20 finance ministers meeting in Washington DC. The Australian government
is expanding its scrutiny of multinational firms that shift profits to low-tax
environments, while limiting their host-country tax obligations. The next G20
global meeting is being held in Brisbane (Queensland) during 15-16 November
2014 under the auspices of the Australian government’s Department of Prime
Minister & Cabinet. Financial challenges Current tax
investigations and data-sharing is being canvassed as the “largest of its
kind in history,” according to the ATO’s Deputy Commissioner of Serious
Non-Compliance, Mr Greg Williams. This programme highlights advances in
multilateral coordination, while making global tax evasion a key item on the
international agenda. The ATO is taking a “whole-of-government” approach to
managing tax crime, according to a position paper, Targeting Tax Crime.
During 2013-2014, the agency’s tax haven-related compliance activity will
include 680 targeted reviews, 115 audits, and 50,000 letters. This initiative
is supported by data mining, data matching and risk-profiling techniques.
Legislative reforms, court rulings and increased international cooperation
are part of the arsenal to tackle tax evasion. Regionally, the ATO is taking
a “lead role,” while complementing strong international action, on various
fronts. Initiatives include sharing data with over 15 jurisdictions in the
Asia-Pacific region. In the New Year, details will be shared about specific
tax haven-related compliance activities. Data mining Among its
technology investments, the ATO uses data-mining tools to better understand
relationships between individuals, trusts, partnerships and companies within
a group. This information-mining capability enables staff to focus on
targeted groups and key decision-makers. Tools are available to more readily
detect income, assets and compliance irregularities. Starting in June 2014,
the ATO gains additional funding to expand and improve its ICT systems and
capabilities. It will focus compliance activities on companies that use
techniques to shift profits offshore, or avoid tax obligations. Better
data-sharing enables revenue-collection agencies to build detailed profiles
of individuals, groups and entities. Profile matching A recent
Compliance in Focus 2013-2014 report foreshadows an expanded use of data and
information-matching activities. Presently, more than 1,300 large or
multinational businesses operate in Australia. Each company has an estimated
AU$ 250 million annual turnover or more. Most large and multinational
businesses comply with tax laws, notes the ATO report. But some actively
source opportunities to exploit vulnerabilities in laws. Moreover, different
countries have different tax systems. These create opportunities for
multinationals to shift profits to jurisdictions, where they are taxed more
lightly, as a result, eroding host-countries’ tax base. In other news, Ms
Frances Cawthra, the ATO’s Chief Financial Officer, shares compliance
management insights at the 3rd Regional GovCFO Forum Australia being held
Monday 2 December 2013 in Canberra. From http://www.futuregov.asia
10/22/2013 IT Culture
of Caution in Governments Crucial for Security Cyber security attacks are evolving to get more sophisticated
and targeted. Currently, 250,000 malware alerts are created a day and 30,000
websites are compromised a day, globally, according to Sophos Labs. Targeted
cyber attacks looking to steal personal identity information (PII) are on the
rise as criminals target employees as their gateway to the organisation. IT
security and data protection provider, Sophos, engages with governments in
Asia Pacific not just as a provider of security software, but also as an
educator, explains Rob Forsyth, APAC Director of Sophos. He believes that
information sharing and education is key to
maintaining strong cyber defences for government organisations. The
Australian Crime Commission reported in 2013 that the overall cost of cyber
and major technology-enabled crime to the Australian economy is estimated to
be US$1.7 billion per year, with major cyber intrusions cost organisations an
average of US$ 2 million per incident. One such cyber attack targeted to
steal PII from employees of the Department of Defence earlier this year. The
scam involved targeted emails advising that a childcare centre was to open
soon and would only accept children whose parents worked in the Russell
complex in Canberra. The Russell complex is where the Defence Signals
Directorate (DSD), Australian Security Intelligence Organisation, Defence
Intelligence Organisation and otherDefence Force and Department of Defence
agencies are located. The childcare application asked for information such as
employee numbers, tax file number and official business cards - information
that is normally not requested. “The DSD began to analyse who this
advertisement was being run by and identified it to a location to the north
of Australia. They were clearly attempting to get information from employees
of Department of Defence,” shared Forsyth. The “keys to the kingdom” for
security is with an organisation’s staff, Forsyth believes. “The answer to
security is not just about IT systems, but also about having good staff. Staff
education is my personal mantra,” he says . Even the rise of social media threatens government security
today. Forsyth talked about cases of criminals using fake LinkedIn profiles
to target an organisation’s employees and attempting to get personal
information which could eventually enable them access to the organisation
itself. “Are organisations communicating with their own employees about what
security issues this could create?” asks Forsyth. What governments can do is
create a good IT culture of caution within their organisation, he advocates.
This includes educating staff, organising human resource and encrypting
trophy data. Government agencies should ensure mandatory password hygiene and
internally publicise audit oversight, making it known to the staff that
security action is being taken. They should also regularly review logs and
actively counsel staff. “30 per cent of companies currently don’t have a plan
in case of a cyber breach.” It is crucial to have an
cyber security action plan which governments could perhaps share amongst each
other, he suggests. In September this year, Sophos was given the inaugural
Partnership Award by Australia’s Queensland Police Service in recognition of
its efforts to raise greater awareness about fraud and cybercrime in the
government and communities. http://www.futuregov.asia/ 11/11/2013 Australian Commissioner
on Privacy and Freedom of Information The
importance of information issues within and outside of government has risen
dramatically in the last three years, says Australia’s Information
Commissioner, Professor John McMillan. The Australian Government is
increasingly aware of their responsibility to make Government information
available to the public. At the same time, there is an increasing public
awareness of the right to privacy, which can be seen through the introduction
of privacy reforms due to commence on 12 March 2014. Professor McMillan
shares with FutureGov his thoughts on changes in the sphere of information
policy, privacy and freedom of information (FOI), and how the Australian
Government and Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) have
kept pace with these. Balancing information management, freedom and
privacy Although the
OAIC was established in 2010, Australia has had a FOI Act and a Privacy Act
since 1982 and 1988, respectively. “Privacy and freedom of information are
compatible objectives that must be balanced in a broader setting of
responsible information management. At the same time, government information
must be valued and managed as a national resource to be shared with business
and the community. These are just two reasons why it makes sense to bring the
functions within one office,” said Professor McMillan. The OAIC brings these
two areas together along with a general responsibility for providing
information policy advice to the Australian Government. Reflecting these
three responsibilities, the Office has three Commissioners for Information
Policy, Privacy and FOI, respectively. As an independent statutory office,
the OAIC has a range of regulatory functions across the three areas of responsibilities,
balancing them in a coherent setting of promoting responsible information
management. In the
1970s, Professor McMillan was a founding member of the Freedom of Information
Campaign Committee which led the public campaign for enactment of the FOI
Act. As the inaugural Information Commissioner, he is now involved in all
three areas of information management and is for promoting Australia’s
information policy agenda. This states that the Government’s default position
is that Government-held information is a national resource. Underlying this
transformation is the objective to “change the culture of government from
information control to information sharing”, promoting strong engagement with
the eight Principles on Open Public Sector Information: “FOI issues are now a
concern at a much higher level — at the executive level — in agencies,” he
says. Government information as a national resource An important
positive outcome of the OAIC’s work over the last three years has been
recognition across government of the importance of information issues. “For
example, a key message we convey from the FOI Act is that government
information is now a national resource. This concept that government should
be open by default has been recognised and embraced. Equally, we’ve
successfully encouraged agencies to better describe government information as
public sector information,” McMillan explained. To support their ongoing
education around embedding open access to information, in the last year the
OAIC also surveyed 190 government agencies on how they manage information. Engaged community and political leadership The last 12
months have been an extraordinarily busy time for the OAIC — an indication of
how engaged and sensitised people have become to information issues, claims
Professor McMillan. The Office has seen an increase in complaints and review
applications by about 15 per cent a year. In light of the major privacy
reforms underway, the OAIC is seeing an increased interest in all its areas
of responsibility, not just FOI: “With major reforms of the Privacy Act,
there has been higher degree of awareness of just how significant these
reforms are in the digital age.” Political leadership on both sides in
Australia strongly support the need for digital innovation and this aligns
very well with the theme of the OAIC’s work. At the same time, there is a
strong emphasis in government on budgetary efficiency and reform of
government structures. “Budgetary
restrictions and reducing staffing numbers require a strong focus on
prioritisation of work to meet performance benchmarks,” says Professor
McMillan. Having begun dialogue with the new Government, Professor McMillan
hopes there will be strong alignment between the new Government’s program and
the core messages of the Office, focused on transparency, privacy protection,
and valuing information. Professor McMillan will be speaking at FutureGov
Summit Australia in Canberra on 2-3 December 2013 on re-thinking the
government’s role with open data. From http://www.futuregov.asia
11/22/2013 |
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Electricity
Information 2013 - With 2012 Data: Developments and Trends Electricity Information 2013 provides a comprehensive review of
historical and current market trends in the OECD electricity sector,
including 2012 preliminary data. An introduction, notes, definitions and
auxiliary information are provided in Part I. Part II of the publication
provides an overview of the world electricity developments in 2011, covering
world electricity and heat production, input fuel mix, supply and
consumption, and electricity imports and exports. A greater focus is given to
the 34 OECD countries with more detailed information covering production,
installed capacity, input energy mix to electricity and heat production,
consumption, electricity trades, input fuel prices and end-user electricity
prices. Part III of the publication provides a corresponding statistical
overview of developments in the world and OECD electricity and heat market
for 2011, as well as monthly OECD production and trade electricity data for
2012. Part IV provides, in tabular form, detailed and comprehensive
statistical coverage of the power and heat industry developments for each of
the OECD member countries and for OECD and IEA regional aggregates. It
provides comprehensive statistical details on overall energy consumption,
economic indicators, electricity and heat production by energy form and plant
type, electricity imports and exports, sectoral energy and electricity
consumption as well as prices for electricity and electricity input fuels for
each country and regional aggregate. From
http://www.researchandmarkets.com/
08/23/2013 Connecting
to Work: How ICTs Are Expanding Job Opportunities Worldwide When Gopal Maharjan, a young engineering graduate in Nepal,
started looking for a job in Kathmandu he did not get a great response. Then
he heard about online jobs with CloudFactory, a “microwork” platform. He and
some friends formed a group and applied online. They were accepted and given
part-time jobs doing work such as digitizing old, hand-written data, tracking
supermarket receipts, or even medical transcription. The group meets
regularly with CloudFactory staff to share questions about their work and
learn. “Economically, this job is a lot of help,” says Gopal. “Now I don’t
have to feel odd in front of my friends who are working, as I have a source
of income as well. My family is also very supportive of the job, as they feel
that I am being productive and not wasting my time.” Across the globe,
information and communication technologies (ICTs) are transforming the world
of work, creating new job opportunities and making labor markets more
innovative, inclusive, and global.
According to a new World Bank policy note, “Connecting to
Work: How Information and
Communication Technologies Could Help Expand Employment Opportunities,” three
trends are driving the increase in ICT-related jobs worldwide: •Greater connectivity – more than 120 countries now have over 80
percent market penetration of mobile telephones. •Digitization of more aspects of work – today, telecommuting and
outsourcing have become standard business practices
globally. •More globalized skills – India and the Philippines have become
major outsourcing hubs thanks to their English language skills, and other
countries are targeting the sector for future growth. “ICTs are influencing employment both as an industry that
creates jobs and as a tool that empowers workers to access new forms of work,
in new and more flexible ways,” says Chris Vein, World Bank Chief Innovation
Officer for Global ICT Development. “The emerging ICT-enabled employment
opportunities matter because countries around the world are looking to create
more good jobs, which have positive economic and social implications for
workers and for society.” ICTs are providing new avenues for job creation
that could help tackle global unemployment. Take the mobile phone
applications industry: A firm that provides a digital application to the
Apple app store, for example, gains access to over 500 million app store
account holders. ICTs connect people to jobs. Online employment marketplaces are
helping an estimated 12 million people worldwide find work by connecting them
with employers globally. Babajob in India, Duma and M-Kazi in Kenya, and
Souktel in the Middle East and North Africa are examples of job search
services using internet-based and mobile tools. Such services are making
labor markets more inclusive; for instance, Souktel targets low-income
communities. ICTs also enable new, more flexible forms of employment and
work: •Online contracting uses ICT to increase access to work
opportunities worldwide, mainly for smaller employers. Popular services include oDesk and
Elance. In 2012, about 2.5 million jobs were posted on these services, for
tasks ranging from writing to customer service to software development. •Microwork platforms like CloudFactory, MobileWorks or
Samasource break down large business processes into smaller discrete tasks –
such as data entry and verification, copy-writing, or graphic design – and
distribute them to workers across geographic boundaries. Analysts suggest the
market size is about US$1 billion today and could grow to US$5 billion by
2018. ICTs create opportunities, but also pose new challenges for
workers and employers. Many ICT-enabled jobs are temporary or contract-based,
for example, leading to a separation of work from social safety nets such as
health insurance or pensions. But, for young people especially, they offer a
way into more formal careers, as well as providing a supplementary income.
“The potential gains from ICT-enabled work are not without risks and challenges,
but the implications of ICT for work are inevitable and will benefit those
students, workers, firms, and governments who prepare for them,” explains
Siddhartha Raja, World Bank ICT Policy Specialist and lead author of the
policy note. To maximize the positive impact of ICTs on employment, the note
recommends that policymakers pay attention to five enabling systems, adapting
the mix as needed to the country context: •Human capital systems: A labor pool with appropriate ICT
skills, and the awareness and soft skills that give competitive advantage in
the labor market. •Infrastructure systems: Ubiquitous connectivity to ICT; access
to electricity and transport; infrastructure to support innovation and
adoption of technology by SMEs. •Social systems: Networks of trust and recognition for workers
and employers, social safety nets, and measures to minimize possible negative
outcomes of ICT-enabled employment. •Financial systems: Efficient and accountable systems to ensure
timely payments; and access to finance to support innovation and
entrepreneurship. •Regulatory systems: An enabling environment that creates
employment opportunities and increases labor market flexibility while
protecting the rights of workers. From
http://www.worldbank.org/
09/10/2013 ICTs
Are Creating New Jobs and Making Labor Markets More Innovative, Inclusive,
and Global – World Bank Study Information and communication technologies (ICTs) are
transforming the world of work, creating new job opportunities and making
labor markets more innovative, inclusive, and global, says a new policy note
released today by the World Bank. “ICTs are influencing employment both as an
industry that creates jobs and as a tool that empowers workers to access new
forms of work, in new and more flexible ways,” said Chris Vein, World Bank
Chief Innovation Officer for Global ICT Development. “The emerging
ICT-enabled employment opportunities matter because countries around the
world are looking to create more good jobs, which have positive economic and
social implications for workers and for society.” The new policy note, “Connecting to Work: How Information and Communication
Technologies Could Help Expand Employment Opportunities,” identifies three
global drivers responsible for the increase in ICT-related jobs
worldwide: •Greater connectivity – more than 120 countries now have over 80
percent market penetration of mobile telephones •Digitization of more aspects of work – today, telecommuting and
outsourcing have become standard business practices globally •More globalized skills – India and the Philippines have become
major outsourcing hubs thanks to their English language skills, and other
countries are targeting the sector for future growth. ICTs are providing new avenues for job creation that could help
tackle global unemployment. For
instance, the development of the mobile phone applications industry has
created new opportunities for small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). A firm
that provides a digital application to the Apple app store, for example,
gains access to over 500 million app store account holders. ICTs connect
people to jobs. Online employment
marketplaces are helping an estimated 12 million people worldwide find work
by connecting them with employers globally. Babajob in India, Duma and M-Kazi in
Kenya, and Souktel in the Middle East and North Africa are examples of job
search services using internet-based and mobile tools. Such services empower workers by making
labor markets more transparent and inclusive; for instance, Souktel targets
low-income and marginalized communities. ICTs also support innovation that has created new, more flexible
forms of employment and work: •Online contracting uses ICT to increase access to work
opportunities worldwide, mainly for smaller employers. Popular services include oDesk and
Elance. In 2012, about 2.5
million jobs were posted on these services, for tasks ranging from writing to
customer service to software development. •Microwork platforms break down large business processes into
smaller discrete tasks – such as data entry and verification, copy-writing,
or graphic design – and distribute them to workers across geographic
boundaries. The platforms include
CloudFactory, MobileWorks, and Samasource. Analysts suggest the market size is
about US$1 billion today and could grow to about US$5 billion by 2018. ICTs create opportunities, but also pose new challenges for
workers and employers. By
enabling new forms of work, ICT also changes the structure of jobs, the way
people develop their career, and the way they work. Many ICT-enabled jobs are temporary or
contract-based, for example, leading to a separation of work from social safety
nets such as health insurance or pensions. But, for young people especially,
they offer a way into more formal careers, as well as providing a
supplementary income. “The potential gains from ICT-enabled work are not
without risks and challenges, but the implications of ICT for work are inevitable
and will benefit those students, workers, firms, and governments who prepare
for them. Our aim in this note is
to help governments consider how they can prepare for these changes and
expand ICT-related employment opportunities,” explained Siddhartha Raja,
World Bank ICT Policy Specialist and co-author of the policy note. To maximize the positive impact of ICTs on employment, the note
recommends that policymakers pay attention to five enabling systems, adapting
the mix as needed to the country context: •Human capital systems: A labor pool with appropriate ICT
skills, and the awareness and soft skills that give competitive advantage in
the labor market. •Infrastructure systems: Ubiquitous connectivity to ICT; access
to electricity and transport; infrastructure to support innovation and
adoption of technology by SMEs.•Social systems:
Networks of trust and recognition for workers and employers, social safety
nets, and measures to minimize possible negative outcomes of ICT-enabled
employment.•Financial systems: Efficient and accountable systems to ensure
timely payments; and access to finance to support innovation and
entrepreneurship. •Regulatory systems: An enabling environment that creates
employment opportunities and increases labor market flexibility while
protecting the rights of workers. From
http://www.worldbank.org/
09/10/2013 UN
Study Finds 200 Mln Fewer Women Online Than Men There are currently 200 million fewer women online than men, and
the gap could grow to 350 million within the next three years if action is
not taken, according to a report released by the UN Broadband Commission
Working Group on Broadband and Gender. The report shows that around the
world, women are coming online later and more slowly than men. Of the world’s
2.8 billion internet users, 1.3 billion are women, compared with 1.5 billion
men. While the gap between male and female users is relatively small in OECD
nations, it widens rapidly in the developing world, where expensive, ‘high
status’ ICTs like computers are often reserved for use by men. In sub-Saharan
From
http://www.telecompaper.com/
09/23/2013 It's time to recognise female excellence in ICT once again. And
there's no better way than through the second annual ARN Women in ICT Awards
(WIICTA) which hit the ground running on October 8 when nominations open.
They close a fortnight later on October 22. It's time to recognise female
excellence in ICT once again. And there's no better way than through the
second annual ARN Women in ICT Awards (WIICTA) which hit the ground running
on October 8 when nominations open. They close a fortnight later on October
22. WIICTA will be presented at a lavish luncheon in Sydney at the Ivy
Ballroom on Wednesday November 27. Last year, the inaugural awards were
launched with resounding success and more than 120 ICT professionals attended
the event. This year, there are six awards that recognise and celebrate
female excellence in the ICT channel, rewarding professional achievements and
outstanding results in the industry. They recognise the very best in the
channel, celebrating the achievements of a talented crop of female front
runners who have made it through to become influential figures in Australia's
ICT industry. The awards also recognise the 'rising stars' in the industry,
women who are quickly growing in stature in the ICT industry. This year, the
WIICTA awards will have a similar nomination process to 2012, whereby the
nominee can either self-nominate or be nominated by a coworker, colleague or
manager. Latest news and slideshows on Apple From October 8, the nominations page will be listed under the
WIICTA button which can be found on the homepage of the website. Alternately
you can to nominations page on the website. To nominate simply fill in the
two or three criteria listed for each award. With the standout success of
last year's awards, ARN is looking forward, once again, to congratulating and
applauding a talented group of professionals. The 2013 Judging Panel has been
selected and is comprised of three women from the ARN Hall of Fame, key
senior executive managers from companies who have a strong ethos of gender
diversity and some winners from the 2012 WIICTA. The Judging Panel is: Pip
Marlow (Microsoft); Maree Lowe (ASI Solutions); Wendy O'Keeffe (Westcon
Group); Sara Adams; Kellie Reeves (Dimension Data); Mark Whittard (Toshiba);
Duncan Bennet (VMware); Brenton Smith (Symantec); Margrith Appleby (HP);
Andrea Della Mattea (Insight); Michelle Zamora (IBM); and Dominic Whitehand
(WhiteGold Solutions). The awards are as follows: Achievement -- The Achievement award recognises the candidate
showing outstanding commitment to the ICT industry through continuous career
development and professional achievements. The candidate will have risen to a
senior ICT role, earned a reputation as an esteemed thought-leader and
recognised as a leader in the industry, and may also act as a role
model/mentor to other aspiring female managers. Rising Star -- The Rising Star award recognises the candidate
with a commitment to continuous career advancement and a proven desire to
reach the next level of professional development. The candidate is growing
quickly in importance in the ICT field, demonstrating outstanding business
acumen and professional integrity. Entrepreneur -- The Entrepreneur award recognises the candidate
who has achieved outstanding results in the ICT industry; an enterprising
individual who has achieved success through risk-taking and initiative, often
shattering the status quo in business in order to set up new ventures,
products or new services. Innovation -- The Innovation award recognises the candidate who
is a stand-out in delivering 'big picture' ideas and vision in the ICT
industry, thereby responding to change and discovering unique and challenging
business opportunities. The candidate will show a proven track record of finding
new and better ways of doing business, continually pushing the envelope in
the ICT industry. Technical -- The Technical award recognises the candidate who
has excelled in the IT and engineering segment of the market, demonstrating a
proven depth of knowledge and abilities. The candidate will demonstrate
excellence in problem-solving and decision-making skills, and an exemplary
level of accomplishment in job performance. Community -- The Community award recognises the candidate with
exemplary service to the ICT sector, through philanthropic initiatives and
efforts to foster a positive working environment for women in IT. The
goodwill ambassador will be actively making a difference in the IT community,
working towards the advancement of women in ICT, and going above and beyond
to give back to the community. Happy WIICTA awards season and stay tuned for
more details on the event. From
http://news.idg.no/
09/27/2013 Cloud
to Become Bulk of New IT Spend by 2016: Gartner As Cloud computing continues to chug along, Gartner forecasts
2016 to be a defining year for Cloud as private begins to give way to hybrid,
making Cloud the bulk of new IT spend. The analyst firm said in Australia,
Cloud services revenue is projected to have a five-year compound annual
growth rate (CAGR) of 15.3 per cent from 2012 to 2017 across all segments of
the market. Cloud Storage - Comparison of 30 Services Segments such as software-as-a-service (SaaS) and
infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS) have higher projected CAGR of 23.6 and
24.5 per cent, respectively. "Cloud computing continues to grow at rates
much higher than IT spending generally," Gartner research director, Ed
Anderson, said. "Growth in Cloud services is being driven by new IT
computing scenarios being deployed using Cloud models, as well as the
migration of traditional IT services to Cloud service alternatives."
Gartner 'fellow', David Mitchell Smith, said, "Inherent dualities in the
Cloud computing phenomenon are spawning divergent strategies for Cloud
computing success. The public Cloud, hybrid Clouds and private Clouds now dot
the landscape of IT-based solutions." Smith also claims that while the
majority of midsize and large enterprises will deploy private Cloud services
over the next few years, it will only be used for specific services. As a result, enterprises need to build their Cloud computing
strategies by breaking down into two primary IT-centric work streams, two
supporting IT work streams, and a strategic business work stream. Gartner
identifies the two primary work streams as: the enterprise as a consumer of
Cloud services; the enterprise as a provider of Cloud services. When the
enterprise is a consumer, the focus is on IT-related capabilities delivered
as a service, whereas when the enterprise is a provider, this shifts to the
hardware, software and processes used to implement a Cloud service. The
supporting enterprise work streams are securing, managing and governing Cloud
services, and building solutions based on Cloud services. Gartner said there must be software, appliances or services in
place to facilitate the consumption and use of Cloud service, where solutions
may use any combination of infrastructure, platform, software, information or
business process services. The business work stream offers the opportunity to
use Cloud delivery models to provide services to customers and business
partners. According to Gartner, this represents an evolution of the enterprise's
market-facing website and business-to-business (B2B) initiatives such as EDI.
"Using global-class thinking to address global-class problems, the focus
should always be outward, not inward in adopting Cloud computing," Smith
added. "Adoption of Cloud computing happens in stages. The types of
applications and workloads to be moved can indicate which stage of adoption
is most appropriate." From
http://news.idg.no/
10/25/2013 Trends
in Telecommunication Reform 2013: Transnational Aspects of Regulation in a
Networked Society The annual Trends in Telecommunication Reform publications are a
key part of the dialogue with the world's information and communications
technology (ICT) policy-makers and regulators to ensure that all citizens can
safely benefit from innovations taking place in the market leading to new
applications, services and businesses opportunities brought by a converged
digital environment. The 13th edition will examine transnational aspects of
regulation in a networked society and provide a sound understanding of the
digital ecosystem in place and the role of regulation. To fully participate
in today's networked society and be part of tomorrow's hyper-connected
digital world, policy makers and regulators need to adopt and implement
appropriate policies and means to further safe digital opportunities and
inclusion of all. Implementing their digital strategies requires them to
cooperate on national, regional and global scales to understand the changes
taking place in the market, and adopt innovative regulatory measures and
tools. From
http://www.itu.int/
10/28/2013 Demand
for Data Experts to Double by 2017 The demand for big data experts in large companies is expected
to more than double by 2017 to 69,000, according to a study sponsored by data
analytics specialists SAS. In 2013, there were 31,000 people employed as big
data specialists at firms employing more than 100 staff, and the number is
set to increase by an average of 49 percent each year, the survey carried out
by sector skills council e-skills UK found. "The challenge that we are
facing is that six out of 10 companies last year had problems hiring the technical
skills they needed," said Karen Price, CEO of e-skills UK. Skills in demand As part of the study, E-skills UK analysed data from IT Jobs
Watch to identify the top big data roles and skills that were in demand,
splitting them into IT-focused roles and data-focused roles. It found that
the top five IT roles in demand were developer, architect, consultant,
analyst and administrator. The skills required of these IT posts included
agile software development, scrum and SOA. Furthermore, technology skills in
Oracle, Java, SQL, Linux and JavaScript were also in demand. Meanwhile, the
top data-focused roles were business intelligence consultant, data architect,
business analyst, business intelligence architect
and business intelligence analyst. Process skills required for these roles
included business intelligence, NoSQL, data warehouse and big data; while
experience of Oracle BI EE, MongoDB, MySQL, Hadoop, Informatica and Amazon
EC2 were most important. Missed opportunities However, as there is with the overall IT industry, there is a
shortage of skills to fill the roles, e-skills UK found. Part of the problem
is that students are not aware of the opportunities available to them outside
the traditional banking use cases. "Students don't realise big data goes
beyond working for Goldman Sachs and risk models," said Professor Philip
Treleaven, from the University College of London, who added that the use of
big data was also in demand in other, interesting sectors such as retail,
healthcare and sports. SAS' CEO Dr Jim Goodnight highlighted the earning
potential of people with big data skills. He revealed that last year, all 81
graduates from one of SAS's business analytics courses in the US "all
received a minimum of three job offers each, offering between $80,000 (￡50,000) and $120,000 (￡75,000)." Four hundred people have applied to the programme
this year, he added. Educating the masses in big data In addition, the number of users of big data will increase, the
study found, from 382,000 this year to 644,000 in 2017. These include
employees outside the IT and data teams, who use specific big data tools such
as dashboards, market analysis and key performance indicator data. The
report, Big Data Analytics: Adoption and Employment Trends, is based on
information supplied by 541 SMEs and more than 500 firms with 100 or more
staff across the UK. From
http://news.idg.no/
11/09/2013 World
Bank and Russia Engage on ICT Knowledge Exchange The World Bank and the Ministry of Telecom and Mass
Communications of the Russian Federation today jointly organized the Russia
ICT Day Forum, a high-level seminar on the development and use of information
and communication technologies (ICTs) on all levels of the Russian
government. The main goal of the event was to raise awareness of the
landscape of Russia’s ICT policies and industry evolution and facilitate
knowledge exchange and sharing of best practices between the Russia’s
policymakers, representatives of international organizations, the world’s
largest IT companies and ICT experts, and US government officials. The forum
consisted of four sessions featuring the status and growth trajectory of
Russia’s ICT infrastructure, information society, e-Government, and IT
industry. The high-level Russian delegation led by the Federal Minister of
Telecom and Mass Communications of the Russian Federation Nikolai Nikiforov
included federal officials, chief information officers of the government
administration, and regional chief information officers. “This forum created a unique discussion platform and presented
an opportunity to interact with the world-renowned experts and to benchmark
Russia’s ICT development vis-à-vis other states,” said Nikolai Nikiforov,
Minister of Telecom and Mass Communications of the Russian Federation. “Our
delegation today is represented by top eight federal agencies and top ten
regions of Russia, which are mostly advanced in adoption of the ICT. We have
brought to the table Russia’s experience and latest achievements in
developing an information society, creating electronic state services and
building e-government. ICTs are reshaping our lives; we are lucky to live in
the period of the technological revolution as it opens up tremendous
opportunities.” The Russia ICT Day has been organized as part of the World
Bank partnership with the Russian Federation to further advance IT industry
and information society in Russia by pursuing e-government development, open
government data, provision of incentives for IT industry development in the
country, and improvement of ICT skills among the population. A big component
of this initiative is to ensure exchange of best practices and learning from
the cutting-edge experience of other countries. Further advancement of ICTs
in Russia will contribute to improving country’s competitiveness and
investment climate, as well as job creation in the ICT industry and beyond,
therefore contributing to the goal of improving shared prosperity for the
Russia’s population. “We are pleased to facilitate the global knowledge transfer with
the Russian Federation," said Mr. Bertrand Badré, Managing Director and
World Bank Group Chief Financial Officer. “During my recent trip to Russia,
we discussed how ICT plays a significant role if we are to achieve the World
Bank Group's twin goals of ending extreme poverty and boosting shared
prosperity. An event like today is unique. It enables mutually beneficial
interaction, where the Bank Group, the public and private sector can share
experiences and further innovation for development.” The scale and extent of
ICTs in Russia is considerable, yet not always known outside its borders.
There are 76 million Internet users whose number is constantly growing
through rapidly-expanding fast-speed fiber-optic connections. E-commerce
peaked at US$12 billion in 2012 and is foreseen to increase threefold by
2015, reflecting a growing demand from the country’s burgeoning middle class.
Despite the challenges of its larger population and vast geography, Russia’s
e-Government performance is already at the level of the average for European
Union member states. Local ICT industry boasts world-leading software brands,
fuelled by over 60,000 graduates in science, engineering and mathematics each
year. From
http://www.worldbank.org/
11/14/2013 AFRICA:
Malawi Internet Freedom Report Internet and mobile phone services were first introduced in
Malawi in the late 1990's, though after decades of flagging economic
development, the impact of information and communication technologies (ICTs)
has been limited for most Malawians compared to other countries in
sub-Saharan Africa. Penetration rates for digital media tools remain well
below average for the region due primarily to poor infrastructure and the
high cost of access. Nevertheless, the development of Malawi's ICT sector has
become a government priority under President Joyce Banda, who in her
inaugural state of the nation address in May 2012 set out a vision for
deploying ICTs as a catalyst for economic development.(1)
Banda came to power in April 2012 following the death of former President
Bingu wa Mutharika, who was known for his heavy-handed approach towards the
opposition and restrictions against fundamental freedoms, including digital
media freedoms. In 2011, the Malawi Communication Regulatory Authority (MACRA)
under the Mutharika government introduced a Consolidated ICT Regulatory
Management System that became locally known as the "spy machine,"
which ostensibly aimed to monitor the performance of mobile phone companies
to improve quality of service. The courts placed an injunction on the system
in late 2012, but in June 2013, parliament gave MACRA its endorsement to
install the machine, despite the court's ruling. The government does not
systematically block or filter internet content in Malawi; however, during
violent anti-government protests in July 2011, MACRA reportedly ordered
internet service providers (ISPs) to block certain opposition news and social
media websites, among other media tools. No such blocks have occurred under
President Banda, though a controversial E-Bill was introduced in October 2012
that aims to implement a legal framework for regulating ICTs. Criticized for
its potential to limit internet freedom, the draft E-Bill would require
editors of online public communications services to reveal their personal
information and allow the government to appoint "cyber inspectors"
to monitor online activity in the public domain From
http://www.bizcommunity.com/
10/14/2013 The Ministry of Information Technology and Communications
launched the drafting process of the Digital Moldova 2020 Strategy – a policy
document that shall provide the necessary conditions to build a modern
Information Society in the Republic of Moldova. This framework document
defines the interaction between private and public partners aimed to ensure
economic growth based on knowledge and governance efficiency by increasing
the use of ICT tools, to exploit the benefits offered by Information Society
for citizens’ convenience and well being. This policy document is meant to
ensure the fulfilment of objectives for Information Society development,
based on the “Digital Agenda for Europe 2020”, as well as other successful
international practices in this field. The project was initiated as a sectorial
continuation of the National Development Strategy “Moldova 2020”, a
multi-sectorial sustainability and synergy on horizontal level. Today, ICT is
the fastest growing domain. It also has the strongest impact on the growth of
other sectors of national economy. The vision and objectives of the Digital
Moldova 2020 Strategy had been formulated with the assistance of national and
international experts and were presented on May 17th, 2012 during the high
level thematic session within the framework of “ICT Moldova 2012” Summit. The
Government announced the development of the ICT sector as a priority, since
it represents an irreplaceable democracy element, it
ensures the transparency of the governance process and a favorable investment
climate. According to the vision of Digital Moldova 2020 Strategy, until 2020
about 80% of public services will be electronic and 60% of citizens will use
digital signature. Four thematic groups have been created in this regard:
Infrastructure and access, Content and services, Knowledge and abilities,
Competitiveness based on ICT. The representatives of State Chancellery,
ministries, development partners, Academy of Science of Moldova and private
sector have been invited to participate in public debates regarding this
draft. From
http://www.mtic.gov.md/
10/22/2013 UPC
Poland to Test 500 Mbps Internet Soon, Plans for 2014 UPC Poland has revealed its plans for 2014, reports Rpkom.pl.
They include internet at 500 Mbps, free hotspots and the platform Horizon,
which will allow subscribers to watch a whole programme on any screen.
According to Ewelina Rabsztyn, Head of Programming at UPC, today in the cable
market, competition no longer comes from the number of channels offered, but
increasingly from additional services, such as VoD and catch-up TV. By the
end of the year, only 9 percent of the operator's customers will be using
analogue services and the same percentage will have old SD decoders. This
means that digital TV and HD decoders are becoming standard. UPC aims to
provide the fastest internet service available. Orange Poland offers a 300
Mbps service, but only on a very narrow scope in Warsaw. At UPC, 70 percent
of customers using the internet enjoy a speed of at least 30 Mbps. According
to Artur Dominiak, Director of Customer Value Management at UPC, in 2014, the
operator expects to provide the same percentage of customers with a service
of at least 60 Mbps. Internet at a rate of 250 Mbps is currently used by 5
percent of UPC's internet customers, in spite of the high price of
approximately PLN 100. UPC strongly believes that it may offer ever higher
speeds. Therefore at the turn of October and November, the operator plans to
test connections providing a service at 500 Mbps in four locations: Pultusk,
Lukow, Warsaw and Krakow. After evaluating demand, the service will become commercially
available to 2.5 million households in 2014. According to Grzegorz Esz,
Marketing Director at UPC Poland, two thirds of clients today choose packaged
services, usually including internet and TV. It is not true that customers
would watch TV less because of using the internet. Market surveys show that
over the last two years, the share of people watching TV for more than two hours
a day increased from 55 percent to 59 percent. Multimedia services are
becoming more and more popular, so UPC plans to launch the multimedia service
Horizon, allowing users to view content on several devices: TV, computer,
tablet or smartphone. There will be two stages of the platform launch: first,
the application will be available and then the switch of decoder will follow.
UPC plans to offer a new quality of service similar to those of ipla or TVN
Player. UPC would like to offer more content than in linear TV. Another new
service that the operator plans to launch in 2014 is an offering similar to
Fon (in Netia) or Orange FunSpot: mutual free hotspot sharing by UPC clients.
UPC has currently suspended its plans to launch a MVNO, although it has not given
up these plans completely. From
http://www.telecompaper.com/
10/27/2013 LATIN
AMERICA: Brazil - The New Internet Freedom Champion? Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff recently delivered a speech
before the United Nations General Assembly that was very well received among
Internet freedom advocates. In her speech, President Rousseff criticized the
United States for spying and also mentioned that Brazil “will present
proposals for the establishment of a civilian multilateral framework for the
governance and use of the Internet and to ensure the effective protection of
data that travels through the web.” Her words are, without a doubt, a very
good starting point for Brazil if it wants to be the new international leader
that guarantees Internet freedom. However, it is necessary that Brazil take
concrete actions in support of Rousseff’s words. For instance, if Another action that Brazil could take to support the President’s
speech is to implement domestic public policies and to push laws that
guarantee freedom online, particularly freedom of expression. The situation
in Brazil up to date is not encouraging. Reports by International NGOs –such
as the recent Freedom on the Net report published by Freedom House that
indicates that Brazil is a “partial free” country– or reports by private
companies –such as the Google Transparency Report that shows that Brazil is
one of the countries with the most requests to take down content from the
Internet- shows that there is lots to do at the domestic level to improve
Internet liberties. The bill known as the “marco civil” or “civil framework”
for the Internet, that could improve the situation for better freedom online
is still pending before the Brazilian Congress, though the President stated
in her speech that she supports and will continue to support the initiative. Finally, Brazil should assure it would work for an Internet
governance approach that will not damage Internet infrastructure, and more
importantly, will not impose risks on basic human rights. Last week's
announcement that Brazil will host a global Internet governance summit next
year could be positive, but it is not yet clear what Brazil's position on
this issue will be: Earlier this year, Brazil signed the ITU treaty in Dubai
that was criticized by advocates and experts as a document that could
undermine Internet freedom. Brazil should distance itself from these
initiatives. Speeches delivered within the framework of inter-governmental
organizations, like the UN, should be taken seriously. But while very
important, they are only words if they are not followed by concrete actions
in the right direction adopted by all branches of government. A true champion
does not stop at words. This article was authored by Eduardo Bertoni,
Director of the CELE, the Center for Studies on
Freedom of Expression at University of Palermo School of Law in From
http://advocacy.globalvoicesonline.org/ 10/15/2013 Brazil
to Host Conference on Internet Governance Brazil, a main target of cyber surveillance by U.S. intelligence
agencies, will host an international conference on internet governance in
April, government officials said Monday. Government authorities, business
representatives, and nongovernmental organizations are expected to gather in
the From
http://news.xinhuanet.com/
11/19/2013 NORTH
AMERICA: Canada - IT Talent Crunch Burdens CIOs - Report It’s a good time to be in the Canadian IT sector job market
these days, according to a recent survey conducted by technology hiring firm
Robert Half Technology. And if you happen to be in the networking, database
and help desk field, you’re doubly lucky. The survey found that recruiting
remains a challenge for 35 per cent of CIOs. “We’re seeing strong demand for
networking administrators, help desk professionals and database managers these
days,” said Megan Slabinski, Canadian president of Robert Half. “The shift
from hardware to cloud based infrastructure and services and the big data
trend is fueling the demand.” The just released Robert Half Technology Hiring
Forecast and Local Trend Report indicated that 80 per cent of Canadian chief
information officers (CIOs) will be expanding their hiring teams in the
fourth quarter of 2013. No less than 69 per cent of CIOs plan to hire only
for open IT roles, 22 per cent expect to put their hiring plans on hold and
only one per cent intends to reduce their hiring staff in the last quarter of
the year. The data was collected from more than 270 telephone interviews
of a random sampling of CIOs of Canadian firms with 100 or more employees.
“They are just not finding enough IT professionals in the skill-level and
experience level that their companies need,” said Slabinski. Part of the
problem, she said may be that companies are setting the bar to high. For
example, the typical requirement that many companies post are new hires
should have at least three to five years of experience. “It’s going to be
hard to find these candidates because three to five years ago, the IT
industry was in a downturn and many new hires were let go and no new talent
were brought to the market,” said Slabinski. ”Hiring officers and CIOs would
need to adjust their expectations.” Some companies she said have reacted
quickly. “I’ve seen a few who are looking to hire new graduates and provide
them with additional training and mentorship. I think this is the way to go,”
Slabinski said. From
http://www.itworldcanada.com/
09/19/2013 Organizations
Hope Mobile Leads to Improved Productivity – Study Improved productivity is the biggest reason organizations are
spending on mobile and wireless technologies, according to a survey of
Canadian technology decision-makers conducted by IT World Canada with the
Strategy Institute. Forty-three per cent of respondents cited that as the
biggest driver for their mobile investments, the study showed, far ahead of
the second driver, increased use of hand-held devices by staff (15.4 per
cent). Third was improved customer service (9.2 per cent). The survey will be
discussed at the institute’s Mobile Enterprise Strategies conference next
week — Oct. 23-24 — in Toronto. IT World Canada is a sponsor. Scheduled
speakers include Attila Barta, head of architecture at BMO Financial Group,
David Wallace, CIO of the University of Waterloo, Laurie Boulden, a program
analyst at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, David Del Giudice, chief
architect for enterprise information systems at Canadian biopharmaceutical
company AstraZeneca and Sergio Jerez Rico, mobile and e-government director
for the city of Barcelona. Others who will speak come from the city of London, Ont., and
Toronto’s SickKids Hospital, and GE Capital. Conference co-chairs are
Nicholas McQuire, CIO of the Global Enterprise Mobility Alliance, and Larry
Klimczyk, a mobility consultant and community board member of the Enterprise
Mobility Network. Thirteen case studies will be presented. Himania Dureja,
the institute’s director of operations and marketing, said in an interview
the conference was organized because many companies who want to expand mobile
technologies face conflicts – staff want to bring their own devices into the
enterprise, which raises security and operational problems. At the same time
organizations see mobility as a growing opportunity. Speakers will share
their challenges and success, she said, with the goal of giving attendees
tips on what works and doesn’t. From
http://www.itworldcanada.com/
10/18/2013 U.S.: Best
of the Web & Digital Government Achievement Awards 2013 - Winners
Announced The Center for Digital Government Presents the 2013 Best of the
Web and Digital Government Achievement Awards to U.S. Government Websites and
Applications. Republic’s Center for Digital Government announced the winners
of the 2013 Best of the Web and Digital Government Achievement Awards. In its
18th year, the annual Best of the Web (BOW) awards recognize city, county and
state governments for outstanding portals and websites based on innovation,
functionality, productivity and performance. This year’s first-place BOW winners
are Tennessee, Austin, Texas and Alameda County, Calif. The Digital
Government Achievement Awards (DGAA), which highlight
outstanding agency and department websites and applications, presented 57
awards in 10 categories this year. “As technology continues to evolve,
governments are finding innovative ways of utilizing new technologies to
transform operations and engage with citizens,” said Todd Sander, executive
director of the Center for Digital Government. “This year’s winners have
demonstrated the ability to adapt to the changing technology landscape, while
creating first-class public and business services. Congratulations to this
year’s winners for their remarkable achievements!” 2013 BEST OF THE WEB AWARDS State Portal Category: 1st Place: Tennessee
2nd Place: Utah 3rd Place: California
4th Place: South Carolina 5th Place: Maine Finalists: Arkansas Hawaii Mississippi Nebraska Rhode Island Texas
County Portal Category: 1st Place: County of Alameda, Calif. 2nd Place: County of Maui, Hawaii 3rd Place: County of Orange, Calif. 4th Place: County of Sacramento, Calif. 5th Place: Stearns County, Minn. Finalists: Baltimore County, Md. Chesterfield County, Va. Martin County, Fla. Monroe County, N.Y.
Pinellas County, Fla. Wake County, N.C. City Portal Category: 1st Place: City of Austin, Texas 2nd Place: City of Riverside, Calif. 3rd Place: City of Raleigh, N.C. 4th Place: City of Tampa, Fla. 5th Place: City of Denver, Colo. Finalists: City of Chesapeake, Va. City of Los Angeles, Calif. City of Palo Alto, Calif. City of Santa Monica, Calif. District of Columbia Virginia Beach, Va. 2013 DIGITAL GOVERNMENT ACHIEVEMENT AWARD WINNERS Driving Digital Government City government category Winners: Austin Infrastructure Management, Mapping, Planning and
Coordination Tool (IMMPACT) Louisville Statistics, our Improvement Journey NYC TXT-2-Work Honorable Mention: SPARK Mobile Application League, Gilbert, Ariz. Driving Digital Government County government category Winners: Open Data Initiative and Alameda County Apps Challenge (ACApps) Los Angeles County Annual Report 1 to 1, One Person, One Device, Mecklenburg County, N.C. eCommerce Expansion, Mandatory e-Filing for Civil Matters in Orange County, Calif. Honorable Mention: Pierce County, Wash.’s Mobile Internship Program Driving Digital Government State government category Winners: California Industrial Relations Workers’ Comp Lien Fee
Collection System Nebraska Handicap Parking Permit Application and Management
System Office of Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin's Appointments Suite of
Services Honorable Mentions: MassVetsAdvisor.org - A One-Stop Shop for Veteran Benefits New York State Department of Health METRIX Project and
Health.data.ny.gov Driving Digital Government Federal government category Winner: EPA's Developer Central, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Government-to-business category Winners: California Board of Equalization Electronic Registration Project Delaware Veterans Services Directory Hawaii Maintains Sustainable Fisheries with Electronic Fishing
Trip Reporting Kansas Courts Mobile Searches New Jersey Alcotest Inquiry System Oregon Secretary of State Business Xpress Aviation Shared Use Operating Environment, Sacramento County
Airport System, Calif. Honorable Mentions: Indiana PIMS - Economic Development Corporation Project
Information Management System Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration Pre-Employment
Screening Program, U.S. Department of Transportation Government-to-citizen Local government category Winners: Bexar County Clerk and District Clerk Federated Records Search Street Bump Network, Boston, Mass. CalWIN Consortium's Expanded Access Program - Portal and Mobile
Access for Citizens myInspections City of Dallas Building Inspector Companion Multnomah County, Ore. Library Website MyPermitNow Permitting Software, San Marcos, Texas Honorable Mentions: 7-20 Response Applications for Victim Support and the Community,
Aurora, Colo. Angel Voice Assistance and Utilities Outreach Solution,
Avondale, Ariz. Streamlining Public Assistance Reporting For Ongoing
Eligibility, Los Angeles County, Calif. DPSS Government-to-citizen State government category Winners: California Enhanced 9-1-1 Grant Project Getting Hitched in Hawaii Made Easy Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles’ myBMV Website and Mobile
Applications INSPECT – Indiana’s Prescription Drug Monitoring Program Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks
Licensing Suite Tennessee Department of Transportation Smartway Application Utah’s myCase Honorable Mentions: California Visitor Processing Appointment Scheduling System
(VPASS) Montana’s Prescription Drug Registry Government-to-citizen Federal government category Winner: Paying for College, U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Government-to-government category Winners: Allegheny County, Penn.
Jail Collaborative IT Application Arkansas Centralized Electronic Network of Sex Offender
Registries (CENSOR) Martin County, Fla. Broadband Network NYC DOT Superstorm Sandy Responsive Web App - Interactive Map of
Damages NYS Digital Signage Network Broadcasts Critical Law Enforcement
Information Oklahoma Office of Management and Enterprise Services’
Legislative Analysis Honorable Mention: Rockland County, NY GIS Emergency Application Government internal category Winners: Arkansas State Jobs Applicant Tracking Module California Rail Safety and Security Information Management
System (RSSIMS) California’s Emergency Call Tracking System (ECaTS) Multnomah County, Ore. Multco Commons Honorable Mention: City of Austin Enterprise Security System City of Dallas Budget Bid Online Ranking System From
http://www.govtech.com/
09/03/2013 Analysis:
The Internet of Things Will Save the U.S. from the Great Stagnation I know the coffee’s ready because the light in the Quartz
kitchen is purple, not pink. The light knows the coffee is ready is because
there are sensors—heat and pressure—taped to the coffee maker. This is the
Internet of things. It will save us all from economic ruin. Or at least
that’s what a new estimate from innovation guru Michael Mandel says. He
figures (pdf) that the “Internet of things”—the increasing number of machines
equipped with internet-connected sensors—will expand the US economy by $600
billion and $1.4 trillion in 2025, roughly the equivalent of boosting GDP by
2 percent to 5 percent over the intervening time period. That could be the
difference between so-so growth to the kind of stable growth that drives down
debt and unemployment. More broadly, the argument he’s making is a reply to
economists like Robert Gordon and Tyler Cowen who fear that the big gains in
productivity that supported an expanding middle class and the modern welfare
state won’t be replicated anytime soon. This has major social
repercussions—namely a scenario known as the great stagnation. The Internet,
for all the ways its changed our lives, has offered its gains largely in the
form of consumer surplus—free stuff on the Internet you used to pay for, in
short—that is great and important but not necessarily money in your pocket.
Today’s Internet of things is limited to consumer surplus, like Quartz’s
coffee pot monitor or our weather bulb. But the future Internet of things
will be a different beast, because by definition it takes the Internet out of
the world of abstraction and into industries—manufacturing, energy,
transportation—where productivity gains would have a more tangible impact. From
http://www.nextgov.com/
09/17/2013 2013 State
CIO Survey - An Enterprise View of IT Leading IT representatives from 54 anonymously contributing
states and territories shared what their organizations are going through,
where they succeed and where they struggle. The fourth annual survey of state
chief information officers was released on Oct. 14, and surprisingly,
cybersecurity, the cloud and social media are not the big news. The report
includes data from 54 anonymously contributing states and territories. Run by
the National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO),
TechAmerica, and Grant Thonton, the survey report offers results on 42
multiple-choice and open-ended questions, covering a wide range of CIO
responsibilities. “While CIOs continue to face a wide variety of challenges
in the effective delivery of technology services, the reforms they are
driving consistently embrace a common philosophy: adopt an enterprise vision,
drive enterprise thinking, and implement enterprise solutions,” the report
states. The report also showed a rise in integration across the enterprise
and across jurisdictions to the point that such occurrences are “becoming the
norm rather than exception.” The report showed that almost everyone surveyed
recognized the importance of cybersecurity and that states were executing
cyberinitiatives to varying extents, with varying degrees of success.
Likewise, social media was found to no longer be a new trend, but an
established medium, most commonly used for planning during emergencies and
disasters, and citizen engagement. As for the cloud, 68 percent of
respondents reported either having or planning on implementing cloud-based
services. IT Project and Portfolio Management Formal oversight practices are nearly ubiquitous, the report
states, but generally not considered very effective. These practices were
found to be more effective, however, when enforced consistently throughout
the state. Survey Question: How effective are your state’s practices for
oversight of large IT projects? 52% Somewhat effective 31% Effective 13% Very effective 4% No formal project oversight practices Survey Question: Do you use a formal IT enterprise portfolio
management process to support decisions regarding planned initiatives,
projects, or ongoing IT services such as application support? 63% Yes 28% No 7% Other 2% Do not know Procurement The biggest problems with procurement,
according to respondents, is the length of time it takes and its
risk-averse nature, which can stifle innovation. The most desired reforms are
better training, more opportunities for negotiation, and the development of
standards for cloud services. Survey Question: To what extent do you believe that the contract
terms and conditions used by your state to procure IT goods and services are
effective in sharing risk between the state and vendors? 48% Somewhat effective 33% Effective 9% Very effective 6% Don’t know/Does not apply 4% Very ineffective Survey Question: Do you use a formal IT enterprise portfolio
management process to support decisions regarding planned initiatives,
projects, or ongoing IT services such as application support? 49% Somewhat ineffective 32% Effective 11% Very ineffective 8% Very effective Survey Question: How satisfied are you with the current system
of IT procurement in your state? 43% Satisfied 40% Somewhat dissatisfied 11% Very dissatisfied 6% Very satisfied Identity and Access Management (IAM) Almost half of states have an IAM model implemented, and many of
these models include citizens. Survey Question: Has your state attempted to extend its IAM
solution to identify and authenticate constituents seeking to access state
services? 46% No 26% Yes, as a stand-alone capability 12% Other 10% Yes, following the National Strategy for Trusted Identities
in Cyberspace (NSTIC) federated ecosystem framework Disaster Recovery As natural disasters and emergencies strike major cities and
threaten government data and business continuity, disaster recovery becomes
an area of increased focus, the report states. Survey Question: What is the CIO’s role in helping the state
respond and recover from a natural or man-made disaster? 93% Coordinate with other state officials 85% Maintain a robust, reliable and secure infrastructure 85% Restore communication services 70% Assist in developing delivery work around processes while
disaster recovery/business continuity implementations occur 68% Update state website with status reports, alerts and
notifications 51% Provide portable communication services 45% Coordinate business process analysis in support of service
restoration 19% Role of CIO is unclear or not well defined 4% Other Survey Question: Please characterize the general approach to IT
disaster recovery and business continuity in state government. 64% Federated – a mix of agency and CIO organization
responsibility for disaster recovery/business continuity 21% Decentralized – agencies responsible for their own disaster
recovery/business continuity 13% Enterprise – CIO delivering all disaster recovery/business
continuity services 2% Other Survey Question: How often is the state’s IT disaster
recovery/business continuity plan reviewed and updated? 39% Annually 22% Other 19% Continually 14% Semiannually 6% Biannually 0% Quarterly Business Intelligence (BI)/Business Analytics (BA) Although almost one-third of CIOs consider BI and BA essential
today, the majority of those respondents believe that states are not yet
ready to derive full value from that technology, the report states. However,
more than 75 percent of CIO respondents said it will be essential in the
future. Survey Question: Where within state government is BI/BA being
used effectively with positive outcomes? 61% Human services 59% Health-care services 52% Finance and administration/procurement 52% Revenue 41% Transportation 39% K-12 Education 36% Labor/unemployment 34% Justice-law enforcement, courts, corrections 30% Economic development 25% Higher education 21% Office of the Governor 18% Environmental protection/natural resources 11% Agriculture 11% Emergency management/homeland security 11% Occupation, professions, licensing 9% Recreation and tourism 7% Other 5% Regulator-insurance, utilities 2% Military affairs The complete 24-page survey report, titled The Enterprise
Imperative: Leading Through Governance, Portfolio Management, and
Collaboration, can be downloaded. From
http://www.govtech.com/
10/17/2013 |
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CHINA: 4G Issues Still
to Be Ironed Out Some of the 1,300 Shanghai residents who tested the new 4G
service, which provides mobile users Internet access 20 to 50 times faster
than the current 3G network, offered varied opinions. The faster speed is
great but limited data traffic and the lack of device offerings are
drawbacks, they say."I like the feeling of flying (the speed) because I
hate waiting," said Wei Zhong, an IT website editor, who uses the MiFi
(a portable device transferring 4G signals to Wi-Fi), to share 4G signals for
computers, iPad and several smartphones. The new service may debut officially
sometime around the beginning of next year as Shanghai Mobile, the local arm
of China Mobile, wants to garner more feedback. The 4G trial in the world's
biggest mobile phone market is a prelude to the adoption of the most advanced
mobile technology, creating a multibillion-dollar market for
telecommunications equipment and handsets. After building a trial 4G network
in 15 cities last year, China Mobile, the world's biggest wireless carrier,
said recently that it would expand it to 100 cities this year, with 200,000 base
stations covering 500 million people. Shanghai Mobile has built 1,000 base stations — 700 outdoors and
300 indoors — to cover the Inner Ring region. It will cover the whole city by
the end of this year, according to Xu Da, Shanghai Mobile's general manager.
Shanghai Mobile has said it would seek up to 5,000 users to test 4G products
including MiFi routers, data cards and family-used routers based on TD-LTE
(time division-long term evolution) technology, a domestic 4G technology. For
the next step, China Mobile will increase the variety of models and widen the
4G coverage. Shanghai Daily also tested 4G devices for almost a month on
speed, data package, coverage and device features. The tested gadgets
included a 4G MiFi made by Alcatel-Lucent Shanghai Bell, a 4G SIM card
provided by Shanghai Mobile, an iPhone 5, an iPad and several laptop
computers. From http://www.news.cn/
09/02/2013 Scientists Achieve
Internet Access Through Lightbulbs Successful experiments by Chinese scientists have indicated the
possibility of the country's netizens getting online through signals sent by
lightbulbs (LiFi), instead of WiFi.Four computers under a one-watt LED
lightbulb may connect to the Internet under the principle that light can be
used as a carrier instead of traditional radio frequencies, as in WiFi, said
Chi Nan, an information technology professor with Shanghai's Fudan
University, on Thursday.A lightbulb with embedded microchips can produce data
rates as fast as 150 megabits per second, which is speedier than the average
broadband connection in China, said Chi, who leads a LiFi research team
including scientists from the Shanghai Institute of Technical Physics of the
Chinese Academy of Sciences.With LiFi cost-effective as well as efficient,
netizens should be excited to view 10 sample LiFi kits that will be on
display at the China International Industry Fair that will kick off on Nov. 5
in Shanghai. The current wireless signal transmission equipment is expensive
and low in efficiency, said Chi."As for cell phones, millions of base
stations have been established around the world to strengthen the signal but
most of the energy is consumed on their cooling systems," she explained.
"The energy utilization rate is only 5 percent."Compared with base
stations, the number of lightbulbs that can be used is practically limitless.
Meanwhile, Chinese people are replacing the old-fashioned incandescent bulbs
with LED lightbulbs at a fast pace."Wherever there is an LED lightbulb,
there is an Internet signal," said Chi. "Turn off the light and
there is no signal."However, there is still a long way to go to make
LiFi a commercial success."If the light is blocked, then the signal will
be cut off," said Chi.More importantly, according to the scientist, the
development of a series of key related pieces of technology, including light
communication controls as well as microchip design and manufacturing, is
still in an experimental period.The term LiFi was coined by Harald Haas from
the University of Edinburgh in the UK and refers to a type of visible light
communication technology that delivers a networked, mobile, high-speed
communication solution in a similar manner as WiFi. From http://www.news.cn/
10/17/2013 New Broadband and 3G
Users Push China Telecom to New Highs Chinese telecom operator China Telecom published its financial
report for the first three quarters of 2013.According to the report, China
Telecom's operating revenue reached CNY238.186 billion during the first three
quarters of 2013, a year-on-year increase of 13.4%; its operating revenue
excluding mobile device sales was CNY210.081 billion, a year-on-year increase
of 9.7%; and its net profit attributable to shareholders was CNY14.714
billion, a year-on-year increase of 17.1%.The number of China Telecom's
mobile users reached 181 million by the end of the third quarter of 2013,
including 96.48 million 3G users. During the reporting period, it achieved a
net increase of 20.52 million users; meanwhile, its fixed-line phone users
decreased by 5.07 million. Its fixed-line broadband users reached 98.04
million, representing a net increase of 7.92 million.The company also
revealed that from January to September 2013, China Telecom's mobile device
sales were CNY28.105 billion, a year-on-year increase of 52.7%; its operating
expense increased by 35.5% year-on-year; its earnings before interest, taxes,
depreciation and amortization were CNY74.704 billion, a year-on-year increase
of 36.2%; and its EBITDA rate was 35.6%, which was 7 percentage points higher
than the same period of last year. From http://www.chinatechnews.com/
11/04/2013 JAPAN:
‘K’ Supercomputer Reads World’s Clouds A Japanese research team has simulated global atmospheric
conditions with the world’s greatest precision using the “K” supercomputer,
the team said Friday. The Riken research institute and the University of
Tokyo, among other researchers, said the calculations by the K supercomputer,
which can replicate the inner structure of each cumulonimbus cloud, are
expected to greatly contribute to resolving how typhoons and local torrential
rains occur. In the latest experiment, the researchers partitioned the Earth
into 870-square-meter horizontal lattices and calculated atmospheric
conditions in each grid to see how the conditions affect the other grid
spaces on the K supercomputer, according to Riken. In a previous experiment
using supercomputers, calculations using 3.5-square-kilometer lattices were
the best researchers could achieve. The researchers also narrowed the
vertical dimensions down to about 400 meters from the previous 800 meters.
The researchers learned if they used actual weather data, the K supercomputer
was able to replicate locations where a powerful ascending air current
develops inside cumulonimbus clouds, among other weather conditions, in
addition to detailed forms of the clouds. From
http://the-japan-news.com 09/22/2013 SOUTH
KOREA: Gov't Unveils New R&D Strategy in ICT Area The Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning has presented a
new five-year research and development strategy in the information and
communication technology (ICT) field. The strategy was devised after
more than four months of related discussion between around 120 ICT
experts.The experts suggested ten key technologies and 15 key services for
the ministry to pursue under the mid-term plan. The ten key technologies
cover areas such as hologram, big data and smart network. The 15 key services
include disaster forecast services and digital business support for small
businesses.The ministry plans to draw up a final version of the plan within
this month after gathering opinions at a public hearing. From
http://world.kbs.co.kr/ 10/01/2013 S.
Korea Tops Global ICT List for 4th Year South Korea topped a global list of information and
communications technology (ICT) development for the fourth year in 2013,
bolstering its status as one of the world's most wired countries, data showed
Monday. South Korea ranked as the leading country for the fourth straight
year in the ICT Development Index, which measured 157 countries on ICT
access, use and skills, according to the recent data by the International
Telecommunications Union (ITU), a United Nations body specializing in ICT. From
http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr 10/07/2013 Korea Tops
Global IT Competitiveness 2012: ITU Korea topped the Information and Communications Technology (ICT)
Development Index (IDI), as compiled by the International Telecommunication
Union (ITU), for the third year running. The ITU ranks global ICT development
and progress. Korea ranked second in 2009 when the IDI began and has ranked
first in the index since 2010, according to Korea’s Ministry of Science, ICT
& Future Planning. Korea achieved a score of 8.57, according to the
ITU, which announced the index in its “Measuring the Information Society
(MIS)” report on October 7 in Geneva, Switzerland. Sweden and Iceland ranked
second and third, with scores of 8.45 and 8.36, respectively. The index
compares, analyzes and assesses ICT development across 157
countries. “Korea continues to lead the world in ICT development,” said
the ITU in the report. The IDI is composed of three subindices: ICT access,
use and skills. In the IDI subindices, Korea topped the ICT skills category
and ranked second in ICT use. From
http://www.korea.net 10/15/2013 First
Korea-Latin America IT Forum Held in Seoul Representatives from Latin America and the Caribbean arrived in
Seoul for the first Ministerial Forum for Broadband Development in Latin
America and the Caribbean on October 15. Over 70 ministers and
vice-ministers from 11 countries took part in the forum, as well as
representatives and experts from information and communications technology
(ICT) firms. Korea shared with the participants its ICT development policies
and there were discussions on how the two sides could cooperate to expand
broadband service in Latin America. In recent years, Korea and Latin
America have maintained a very cooperative partnership. In addition to
Korea’s training programs, offered to Latin America in the hopes of
developing ICT experts, Korea has provided policy consultants to help with
broadband, information security, radio wave control and other aspects of
ICT. During the forum, the two sides agreed that broadband can play a
critical role in promoting social integration and improving productivity.
Participants agreed to launch an ICT Education Center early next year to
train public officials from Latin America. At the forum’s close, the
government representatives released the Seoul Declaration, agreeing to hold
the ministerial forum once every two years. From
http://www.korea.net 10/18/2013 President at
Cyberspace Conference: ‘World Should Close the Digital Divide’ How can we have both “security” and “openness” in cyberspace at
the same time? To find ways to make that happen, world leaders showed
up in Seoul on October 17 and discussed pending cyberspace issues, including
the growing rate of cyber crime and the emerging breaches of Internet
security. Attending the Seoul Conference on Cyberspace 2013 at COEX, they
shared their thoughts on how to free cyberspace from any kind of security
infringement, while at the same time keeping it accessible to everyone around
the world. The two-day convention started with an opening ceremony attended
by some 1,600 representatives from 87 countries, including Korean President
Park Geun-hye, British Foreign Secretary William Jefferson Hague and
Hungarian Foreign Minister Janos Martonyi, along with leaders from
international bodies, such as the Secretary General of the International
Telecommunication Union (ITU) Hamadoun Touré. In her congratulatory remarks, President Park Geun-hye hoped
that the Seoul conference would contribute to the sharing of various
experiences and visions. The conference will lead to global prosperity
through an open and secure Internet, she said, and would also take us in the
direction of a creative economy. The Korean leader called digital
marginalization and the digital divide,
still-prevalent issues that keep more than 4 billion people worldwide off the
Internet while others enjoy its benefits, “important tasks that should be
dealt with immediately.” In this regard, the international community
should come up with more practical countermeasures against the widening gap,
the president said, with the hope that this conference will help more diverse
and creative entrepreneurs build better information and communications
technology (ICT) capability in developing nations. “The more the
Internet develops, the more cyberspace crimes --such as the leaking of
personal information, spam and malicious code-- pose a threat to our
security,” President Park said. “A concerted effort should be made to put
international regulations and principles in place which will help tackle such
threats, prevalent in cyberspace, while ensuring maximum Internet
accessibility.” From
http://www.korea.net 10/18/2013 S. Korea to
Spend 8.5 Tln Won for ICT-Related R&D for 5 Yrs South Korea plans to spend a total of 8.5 trillion won (US$8.1
billion) over the next five years to promote research and development of the
information and communications technology (ICT) sector, a key segment for the
so-called creative economy preached by the Park Geun-hye administration.
Under the plans unveiled by the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning,
the ICT sector is expected to generate production worth 12.9 trillion won and
create some 180,000 jobs. From
http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr
10/23/2013 S Korea,
U.S. Deepen Ties on ICT Sector South Korea and the United States held an inaugural round of
high-profile talks Wednesday aimed at promoting bilateral cooperation in the
information and communication technology (ICT) field. The ICT Policy Forum is
a fruit of summit talks between South Korean President Park Geun-hye and U.S.
President Barack Obama in Washington in May. From
http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr 11/14/2013 Korea, US to
Cooperate in Creative Industries & IT Korea and the United States agreed to cooperate on policies to
develop the creative industries, one of Korea’s main policy objectives, at
the inaugural Korea-U.S. ICT Policy Forum held in Washington, D.C., on
November 12 and 13. Among participants present at the forum were Korean
Vice Minister Yoon Jong-lok of the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning (MISP) as
well as other officials from the Ministry of Security and Public
Administration, theKorea Communications Commission, the Korea
Internet and Security Agency and the Korea
Association for IT Promotion. On the American side were Deputy
Assistant Secretary of State and U.S. Coordinator for International
Communications and Information Policy Daniel A. Sepulveda and other
government officials. The two nations discussed ways in which to
support: information and communications technology (ICT) industries; the
exchange of human resources; policies that would help private sector Internet
services and joint research into related subjects; cooperation on regulations
for mobile and optical communications; and finally, collaboration at the
International Telecommunication Union. The two agreed on the common understanding that developing the
creative industries would be beneficial for both sides and agreed to
cooperate with each other to achieve those goals. As an example, the Global Start-up Centrein Korea and Up Global
from the U.S. signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to co-host the
Korea-America Startup Summit and to share information about startup-related
events, startup-promotion programs and education for future entrepreneurs.
The Global Start-up Centre is a state-affiliated organization in charge of
supporting startup companies and Up Global is a non-profit organization
dedicated to supporting entrepreneurship. The two sides also discussed
ways to protect key ICT infrastructure, such as communications and financial systems,
from potential cyberattacks. In order to more effectively respond to
cyberattacks, the Korea Internet and Security Agency, part of the MISP, and
the U.S.’s Office of Cyber Security & Communications, within the
Department of Homeland Security, agreed to soon sign an MOU to jointly deal
with cyberattacks, promote human exchanges and to share related
information. From
http://www.korea.net
11/20/2013 |
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First
Interactive Information Superhighway to Help Bridge Digital Divide Ground-breaking new maps of the Global Information Superhighway,
which will help bridge the digital divide in Asia-Pacific, were today jointly
released by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and
the Pacific (ESCAP) and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). For
the first time ever, the ITU Interactive Terrestrial Transmission/ESCAP Asia
Pacific Information Superhighway Maps will show policy makers and investors
where the missing links in terrestrial transmission are across the region,
assisting ESCAP in its efforts to bring affordable information communication
technology (ICT) and broadband connectivity for all. Only 7 per cent of
people in the Asia Pacific region have fixed broadband access and it is the
most digitally divided region in the world, with Republic of Korea at 37.56
per cent fixed broadband penetration, compared to Myanmar with only 0.01 per
cent. In addressing today's Connect Asia Pacific Summit in Bangkok, Dr.
Noeleen Heyzer, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive
Secretary of ESCAP said the Information Super highway mapping will play an
important role in addressing this digital divide. "In Asia and the
Pacific, what we call the 'digital divide' is in fact an income divide, a
gender divide, an education divide and a knowledge divide," Dr. Heyzer
explained. "Together we must bridge the ICT divide by building a
seamless information and communication space in the region through the
Asia-Pacific Information Superhighway. Our efforts must be global in
ambition, regional in scope, and local in execution." ITU Secretary-General Hamadoun Touré noted that there has been
significant progress in the area of broadband connectivity. "The ITU
Interactive Terrestrial Transmission/ESCAP Asia-Pacific Information
Superhighway maps will demonstrate the current status of ICT connectivity
around the globe, empower network planners, policy-makers and regulators from
developing countries, while also industry with a powerful tool to assess
market opportunities." In closing, Dr. Heyzer stressed the importance of
public-private people partnerships, saying the full potential of ICTs will
only be realised if transformative technologies are accompanied by shared
values, shared commitment, and shared solidarity for inclusive and
sustainable development. The need to synchronise the deployment of
fibre-optic cables with the construction or maintenance of railways and roads
was also highlighted at today's launch, as up to 90 per cent of the costs of
laying out fibre are associated with civil-engineering work that is regularly
performed when roads or railways are constructed. The Asia-Pacific
Information Superhighway maps will feature the region's main transport
networks - the Asian Highway and the Trans-Asian Railways -as it is critical
that fibre-optic cables can be laid in coordination with the construction of
railways and roads to ensure appropriate cost savings. From
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/
11/18/2013 Indonesia
and India to Cooperate on ICT in Education and Health Representatives of business organisations from India and
Indonesia have agreed to cooperate to develop and expand ICT application in
the Indonesian education and health sectors. Didie Soewondo, Deputy Chairman
of Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KADIN), said, “India has a
comparative advantage in education, including human resources. India’s
information and communications technology in education is sophisticated, and
Indonesia could gain much from the cooperation.” President of Federation of
Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), Naina Lal Kidwai, added
that India would also be able to contribute by transferring ICT knowledge in
the healthcare sector. Kidwai remarked that cooperation under the present
conditions would prove beneficial to both countries. “Indonesia’s Internet
penetration level is higher than India’s. Meanwhile, some 12 million people
work in the ICT sector in India,” she said. However, she added that for
cooperation in these sectors to advance smoothly, the countries would have to
further cooperation on other fronts, such as making it easier for Indian
nationals to obtain Indonesian work visas. From
http://www.futuregov.asia/
09/06/2013 PHILIPPINES:
Water Resource Board to Develop E-Records Management System The National Water Resources Board (NWRB) has released last week
a tender notice for the development of an electronic records management
system in a bid to address challenges posed by paper-based record keeping.
NWRB is the lead government agency in the Philippine water sector, conferred
with policy-making, regulatory and quasi-judicial functions. It is
responsible for ensuring the optimum exploitation, use, development,
conservation and protection of the country’s water resource, consistent with
the principles of Integrated Water Resource Management. Gilbert Verana, an
Information Systems Analyst at NWRB, told FutureGov that when employees need
certain documents or records, they simply go to the archives section to
retrieve the manila folder where it is filed. Days later, employees would
return it either damaged or missing several important pages. The project,
which costs about Php 4,000,000 (USD 92,000), will facilitate quick access to
the right information, prevent damages to documents caused by constant
handling, and ensure seamless and secure access for select authorised
personnel. Furthermore, once the system is in place, policy makers can easily
access authoritative data and confidently arrive at well-informed decisions
needed for the sustainable development of the country’s water resource. From
http://www.futuregov.asia/
10/07/2013 SINGAPORE:
Launching Real-Time Lightning Mobile App National Environment Agency (NEA) in Singapore rolled out a
real-time lightning information service, accessible on its ‘Lightning@SG’
mobile application and web site. The app, available on iPhone and Android
devices, provides residents with the current lightning situation in From
http://www.futuregov.asia/
10/09/2013 3D
Technology to Tackle Singapore's Urban Planning Challenges Eric Wittner, a lead software engineer at global geospatial
giant Esri, will advise hundreds of IT professionals on how they can use
cutting-edge 3D technology to overcome the city’s urban development
challenges – at the Esri Asia Pacific User Conference (APUC) next month. The
technology, known as CityEngine, draws on Geographic Information System (GIS)
and 3D software to enable urban planners to visualise how cities will look in
future. Mr Wittner said CityEngine was revolutionising the way cities were
being planned and operated right across the world. “This new generation of
smart 3D GIS technology enables us to represent, design, build and develop
with clarity and understanding,” Mr Wittner said. “Urban planners essentially
use the technology to generate digital cities that actually exist, or will be
developed – effectively giving them a glimpse into the future. “The
technology transforms 2D town planning data into interactive 3D city models
that can help solve problems, such as accommodating an increase in demand for
new housing. “CityEngine has a range of advanced features that has already
made it a powerful tool in the transformation of major cities in China, the
U.S. and Europe. “For example, the city models created have been used to
assess heat island effects of yet unbuilt developments, as well as visualise
their impact on the existing skyline from multiple points of view. “The good
news is cities across the Asia Pacific are amongst the most advanced in the
world when it comes to using GIS technology for planning, and many –
including Singapore – are already starting to use this technology to underpin
their sustainable development initiatives.” Mr Wittner said a key advantage
of the technology – which is also widely used in architecture, simulation,
game development and film production – is it gives urban designers the tools
to construct ‘what-if’ scenarios. “As population rates boom, planners are
being forced to make cities denser and incorporate more mass transit system
capabilities,” Mr Wittner said. “Smart 3D solutions such as CityEngine can
produce a ‘real life’ visualisation of how a city would look before and after
urban developments, such as light rail infrastructure or higher residential
buildings, to show the impacts on a range of areas including carbon
footprints and water usage. “Multiple scenarios can be played out to see what would happen
if certain development paths were taken or not taken – which helps to refine
decision-making and choose the most successful path forward. “This approach
also helps improve community and stakeholder engagement – as the results can
be shown before development takes place, to gauge response and feedback.”
APUC 2013 Technical Director Kellie Persson said as one of the world’s
leading financial centres – and fastest growing cities – Singapore was the
ideal location for Mr Wittner to reveal all that’s possible with the new
technology platform. “With a population of five million and a limited land
area of 710 square kilometres, Singapore faces unique challenges in its urban
design,” Ms Persson said. “Given its small size, careful planning is critical
for the economic growth and the development of the country in years to come.
“The new generation of 3D GIS technology means, for the first time, we can do
more than just speculate on the alternate future of Singapore – we can now
accurately depict, visualise, and assess its outlook to find the best
possible design.” Hosted by Esri Singapore, APUC 2013 will run from November
12-14 at the Suntec Singapore International Convention and Exhibition Centre. From
http://www.futuregov.asia/
10/22/2013 Smart City
Collaboration Between Singapore and China Singapore and China embarked on a new ‘Smart City Twinning’
initiative last week, with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding on
the Strategic Collaboration on Smart City Development between the Infocomm
Development Authority of Singapore (IDA), International Enterprise (IE)
Singapore and Suzhou Industrial Park Administrative Committee (SIPAC). The
Sino-Singapore Suzhou Industrial Park (SIP) is one of the pioneers in smart
city building with a reputation for openness to change and innovation as its
key engine for growth, making it an attractive city to pilot and trial smart
and sustainable solutions. Under the twinning smart city partnership, IDA, IE
Singapore and SIPAC will identify a suitable district in Singapore and SIP
for pilots and trials of smart cities. An open and innovative procurement
model such as Singapore’s “Call for Collaboration” methodology will be
adopted, providing Singaporean and Chinese enterprises a platform to demonstrate
their capabilities in smart city technology. Governments of both countries
will also have the opportunity to test out these innovative solutions before
considering them for deployment in other cities or districts. Mr Steve Leonard, Executive Deputy Chairman of IDA, said:
“Singapore and China share a common vision of developing ‘smart’ cities that
are great places to work and to live. IT is the backbone of any smart city,
and the amount of data being created every day continues to explode.” “As a
result, it becomes even more critical that we focus on innovations in how we Capture, Move and Interpret that data in ways that allow
us to improve the lives of our citizens. I am delighted that we can work with
SIPAC to identify opportunities that build on the experience of our local
companies to further develop the Suzhou Industrial Park. Through the
‘twinning’ approach between Singapore and Suzhou Industrial Park, IDA looks
forward to inspiring our local ‘tech talent’ to tackle important issues on a
different scale,” Leonard added. The partnership opens up more direct
opportunities for both infocomm industries to collaborate in Singapore and
China’s smart city development. Local enterprises in different sectors can
look forward to collaboration opportunities in Intelligent Transport, Smart
Education and Smart Environment Management. Other areas of cooperation in the application of advanced
technologies, including Cloud Computing, Mobile Internet and the ‘Internet of
Things’ for smart city building, will also be accelerated. This joint
collaboration will build a collection of leading and unique solutions that
can be showcased to other cities in China. Mr Yew Sung Pei, Assistant Chief
Executive Officer of IE Singapore, said: “19 years into the partnership with
China, Singapore continues to fine-tune our value proposition and relevance
to the development of SIP. China’s latest plan to develop over 190 smart city
pilots will bring immense opportunities to Singapore companies to provide
solutions for wide-ranging sectors such as transport, education, environment,
e-government and healthcare. With SIP’s conducive
environment and From
http://www.futuregov.asia/
10/28/2013 Singapore,
UAE Sign Agreement on ICT Collaboration The Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA) and
Telecommunications and Regulatory Authority of the UAE (TRA) signed a
Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that will see greater collaboration in the
field of telecommunications and ICT in the public and private sectors.
According to an official statement from IDA Singapore, the MOU will further
promote knowledge sharing of ICT in government and economic sectors for
trade, investment, business and technology ventures between UAE and
Singapore’s industries. In particular, the coordination of Next Generation
Nationwide Broadband Network is one key area of ICT adoption between IDA
Singapore and TRA. Under the MOU, Key areas of co-operation include the
collaborative exchange of information relevant to eGovernment and ICT,
co-guidance and co-consultation on preliminary processes related to future
enhancements and joint research and analysis of information on new and
existing technologies and development of systems and tools. “The ICT sector in the UAE has witnessed tremendous growth in
recent years and is widely recognised for its innovative contribution to the
global technology arena. With their unwavering support, the UAE leadership
has identified all efforts to advance ICT capacity as a national priority and
strengthening ties with international stakeholders at this point as part of
this is essential. Working alongside IDA Singapore will prove invaluable as
both the UAE and Singapore look to develop their knowledge economies, cement
their competitive position and align their ICT infrastructure to keep pace
with the demands of the modern era.” said H.E. Mohamed Nasser Al Ghanim,
Director General of the TRA. Meanwhile, Leong Keng Thai, Director General
(Telecoms & Post) of IDA Singapore said, “Singapore sees ICT as a
strategic enabler for national competitiveness and our vision is to create a
smart nation, powered by ICT. We look forward to exchanging knowledge and
experience with our UAE counterparts in the field of ICT and e-government.
This partnership of sharing good practices will further accelerate our
respective country’s development of a knowledge-based economy through ICT.” From
http://www.futuregov.asia/
11/20/2013 VIETNAM:
Sci-Technology Vital for Agriculture National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung yesterday declared
the necessity of boosting the development and application of science and
technology in agricultural production to raise the value of the country's
produce. Hung, who has long supported technological advancement in the
sector, was speaking at a conference on the subject attended by relevant
ministers and over 150 leading experts. He stated that science and technology
have not been effectively utilised to develop agriculture in rural areas, and
called on the participants to identify measures to end the shortcomings.
Nguyen Van Bo, director of the Viet Nam Agriculture Science Institute said
there was a serious lack of scientists with agricultural expertise. He argued
that it was necessary to create favourable conditions for scientists to
dedicate their careers to a specific area of research, rather than having
them change every five years or so. Each scientific or research centre should
employ and finance about 20 experts in different areas of study and support
them to realise their ideas, he said, adding that these institutes should be
given the freedom to allocate finances and recruit well-qualified scientists
as they saw fit. Dang Kim Son, director of the Institute of Policy and Strategy
for Agriculture and Rural Development (Ipsard) agreed with Bo and said
State-owned science centres had yet to be granted the right to decide their
own staff, financial resources and research topics, leading to the failure in
attracting scientists to aid the agricultural sector. Nguyen Xuan Dung,
chairman of the National Assembly Committee for Science, Technology and
Environment said the delay in applying solid technological theory to
agricultural production had lessened its effect. Son called on leaders to do
more to encourage economic sectors to participate in science and technology
research and attract young people to work in rural areas. Dung agreed and
said labourers in agricultural sector receive lower wages than others – often
as little as VND 50,000 (US$2.3) per day, lowering the attraction of work in
this field. Hung said it was necessary to apply science and technology to all
agricultural production processes and form close relations between
researchers, enterprises and farmers. However, it was not all doom and gloom
and experts did acknowledge that technological advancements had reinvigorated
cultivation, formed new breeds and seeds of crops and improved post-harvest
processing techniques. Last year the agriculture sector earned more than $27
billion, equivalent to one-fifth of the export turnover. From
http://vietnamnews.vn/
09/04/2013 Vietnam
Partners with South Korea to Build Land Management Database Nguyen Minh Quang, Minister of Natural Resources and Environment
(MONRE) signed two agreements with South Korea’s Ministry of Land,
Infrastructure, and Transport as part of ongoing efforts to support the
expansion of various development activities. For the past years, the two
ministries have conducted bilateral projects whereby decision makers from
both sides can discuss and share their best practices and technology
applications to improve the implementation and management of their respective
projects. The first Memorandum of
cooperation is on the creation of a space and land management database for
the wide-ranging fields of geodesy, topography maps, remote sensing and land
management. The second one is signed to replace the last Memorandum of
Understanding which was signed on 19 April 2011. According to MONRE Deputy
Minister Nguyen Manh Hien, the agreement will focus on supporting research
efforts, software and technology development, technical support and building
up the capacity building trainings for human resources to address the skills
gap in the area. From
http://www.futuregov.asia/
09/11/2013 |
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India,
Japan to Collaborate in ICT India and Japan have decided to set up a working group to
identify specific areas in information and communication technology (ICT)
where they can collaborate - in areas such as cyber security. Masahiro
Yoshizaki, vice minister for policy coordination, ministry of internal
affairs and communications, Japan, and Anil Kaushal, member of Telecom
Commission of India, signed a joint statement Thursday, which said the thrust
area would be development of technology and standards. "We wish to cover
many topics in ICT under this partnership. The working group will implement
the intent of the joint statement," Kondo Masanori, Director for
International Cooperation Affairs, Ministry of Internal Affairs and
Communications, Japan, told IANS in an interview. Masanori said each country
has its own expertise and they are looking at a mutual collaboration.
"Basically we have identified three key areas of specific work - cyber
security, disaster management and capacity building," added Kaushal.
Masanori said Japan would look forward to Indian collaboration in combating
cyber attacks. "Every day there are numerous cyber attacks. We are
looking forward to combating those." Talking separately to IANS, Kaushal
said Japan is much ahead in broadband technology compared to India. "We
have much to learn from them." There are over 50 Japanese companies in India in the ICT filed.
Some renowned names include Fujitsu India, Olympus (India), Ricoh India,
Panasonic Industrial Asia, Sony India and Sumitomo Electric Industries. There
are also many Indian companies operating in Japan, mostly in software
development. Both the countries are keen on private sector collaboration as
well, he said. Talking about the importance of ICT in disaster management,
Masanori said India has evinced interest to learn disaster mitigation through
ICT from Japan. " The Indian government is keen
to adopt our disaster mitigation strategy through ICT. We are also ready to
cooperate and share." Japan, which is very prone to earthquake, manages
to mitigate natural disaster to an extent using ICT. It collects data through
censor-linked function, do data analysis and sends out alert to people.
"Data dissemination is very important. We have to build the entire
eco-system." Kaushal said it is important for India to learn disaster
management, especially after the Uttarakhand floods in which thousands died.
The two countries will also look forward to mutually beneficial collaboration
on international platforms like the International Telecommunication Union and
the Asia Pacific Telecommunity. From
http://www.sify.com
10/06/2013 Jammu
& Kashmir to Have National Optical Fibre Network Jammu & Kashmir is all set to launch National Optical Fibre
Network (NOFN) in order to transform all the Panchayats by way of extending
broad-band connectivity to these grass root level democratic institutions.
Under this plan, around 4000 kilometers long optical fibre will be laid
across the State in order to reduce the connectivity gap between the block
headquarters and Panchayats. Disclosing that BSNL has carried out survey for
the start of work on this ambitious plan, which will go a long way in
transforming the Panchayats, sources said, “under the plan optical fibre
network connectivity will be extended beyond block headquarters to the
Panchayats across the State”. “Even those blocks which at present don’t have
connectivity with the District Headquarters would also be covered under the
plan”, sources added. To reduce the connectivity gap between the block
headquarters and Panchayats a target of laying around 4000 kilometer optical
fibre by December 2015 has been fixed for the BSNL. However, 1100 kilometer
optical fibre will be laid by March 2014. At present OFC (Optical Fibre Cable) connectivity is available
in all the district headquarters and 90% block headquarters and under NOFN
connectivity is being provided to the Panchayats by utilizing existing fibres
of BSNL and laying incremental fibre up to Panchayats. The NOFN will also
play a significant role in knowledge dissemination through the Panchayats,
delivery of citizen services and developmental planning. The stage is set for
the establishment of National Optical Fibre Network (NOFN) in Jammu and
Kashmir in order to transform all the Panchayats by way of extending
broad-band connectivity to these grass root level democratic institutions.
Under this plan, around 4000 kilometers long optical fibre will be laid across
the State in order to reduce the connectivity gap between the block
headquarters and Panchayats. Official sources told EXCELSIOR that
preparations for establishment of National Optical Fibre Network in the State
have been made and within next one or two months Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited
will start work on the ground for laying of optical fibre network on behalf
of Bharat Broadband Network Limited (BBNL)— a
Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) set up by the Union Government for
establishment, management and operation of NOFN. Disclosing that BSNL has carried out survey for the start of
work on this ambitious plan, which will go a long way in transforming the
Panchayats, sources said, “under the plan optical fibre network connectivity
will be extended beyond block headquarters to the Panchayats across the
State”. “Even those blocks which at present don’t have connectivity with the
District Headquarters would also be covered under the plan”, sources added.
In response to a question, sources said that to reduce the connectivity gap
between the block headquarters and Panchayats a target of laying around 4000
kilometer optical fibre by December 2015 has been fixed for the BSNL.
However, 1100 kilometer optical fibre will be laid by March 2014. “At present
OFC (Optical Fibre Cable) connectivity is available in all the district
headquarters and 90% block headquarters and under NOFN connectivity is being
provided to the Panchayats by utilizing existing fibres of BSNL and laying
incremental fibre up to Panchayats”, sources said, adding “after
implementation non-discriminatory access to the NOFN will be provided to all
the service providers. These service providers will use NOFN network for
launch of various services in rural areas”. Replying to another question, sources said, “various categories
of applications like e-health, e-education and e-governance etc. can be
provided by these service providers. The NOFN has the potential to transform
many aspects of rural people’s lives including video, data, internet, telephone services in areas such as education,
business, entertainment, environment and health households”. About the
broadband, which is a tool for improving the life of people by providing
affordable and equitable access to information and knowledge, sources said,
“under the NOFN the Panchayats will get broadband speed of up to 100 Mbps”,
adding “the broadband connectivity will help the Panchayats in maintaining
village records, updating of citizen databases. It will also help in
intra-village, intra-district sharing of practices and resources
communication with block and district”. The NOFN will also play a significant
role in knowledge dissemination through the Panchayats, delivery of citizen
services and developmental planning. From
http://egov.eletsonline.com
10/16/2013 Wireless
Subscriber Base Increases in India Total wireless subscriber base in the country has increased from
873.36 million 2013 to 874.88 million. This is a monthly growth of 0.17%. The
share of urban wireless subscribers has increased from 59.80% to 60.10%
whereas share of rural wireless subscribers has decreased from 40.20% to
39.90%. The overall wireless Teledensity in India has reached 71.13 from
71.08 of previous month. As per the latest telecom subscription data (as on
31st July 2013) released by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI),
wireless subscription in urban areas increased from 522.27 million in June
2013 to 525.78 million at the end of July 2013. On the contrary, the wireless
subscription in rural areas decreased from 351.10 million to 349.09 million
during the same period. The urban wireless Teledensity has increased from
139.16 to 139.87whereas rural Teledensity has decreased from 41.14to 40.88.
Private operators hold 88.30% of the wireless market share (based on
subscriber base) where as BSNL and MTNL, the two PSU operators, hold only
11.70% market share. From
http://egov.eletsonline.com
10/16/2013 Raghuram Rajan, Governor, Reserve Bank of India recently
launched the revamped real time gross settlement (RTGS) system to facilitate
real-time settlements of payments online. The new system would enhance
efficiency of the country’s financial markets. “The new RTGS system is a
great example of what we are capable of when we put our minds to it. With its
advanced liquidity and queue management features, the new RTGS system is
expected to significantly improve the efficiency of financial markets,” Rajan
said at the launch event in Mumbai. Banks make use of the RTGS system to
settle inter-bank transfers of huge funds for their own accounts and those of
their customers. The new system will have additional functions including— advance liquidity features,
facility to accept future value dated transactions, options to process
multi-currency transactions, etc, which the apex bank will notify as and when
they are ready for use, the RBI said in a statement. From
http://egov.eletsonline.com
10/22/2013 Government
to Open 10 New Technology Parks within a Year New Delhi: The government has set a target of opening 10 new software
technology parks in the country within a year, Telecom and IT Minister Kapil
Sibal said. It is also considering providing marketing support to the
companies housed in them by setting up a dedicated office in the US. "We
have STPI scheme and I commit that in the next one year we will have 10 such
technology parks. The first is going to be operative in Punjab very soon.
"Many of these centres are going to be in fairly remote areas, for
example in Tezpur in North East, Darbhanga ( From
http://www.siliconindia.com
11/14/2013 SRI LANKA: A
New Online Application System to Start a Project Minister of Investment Promotion, Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena,
inaugurated a new online application system which is now operational.
Investors can apply online to start projects in the Section 17 category,
which are projects that operate under the BOI law and represent about 90% of
all applications received. The development of a new online application system
has opened Sri Lanka to the outside world. investors
in any location can access this application system and apply to start a
project in From
http://www.priu.gov.lk
09/20/2013 Sri Lanka
Telecom Broadband Customers Top 350,000 Broadband customers of Sri Lanka Telecom, the islands sole
wireline operator, topped 350,000 by June 2013, the firm said amid an expansion
of its fibre optic network capacity. Sri Lanka Telecom has been boosting its
fibre-optic network using 57,000 new lines of which 20,000 had already been
connected to new customers during the last six months. Broadband subscribers
were up 19.6 percent to 357,000 by June 2013 from 301,032 in a year earlier,
an official said. The company was building its fibre to the cabinet (FTTC)
network where fibre optic cables are brought to a distribution point within
two kilometres of a home. The firm has a large copper wire last mile network
which can carry high speed data in the interim. The firm said under its i-Sri Lanka the firm wanted to provide 90 percent of
their fixed access customers, speeds of up to 20Megabits per second.
"Such high Broadband performance delivery caters to the growing demand
for home and office Wi-Fi, where multiple users can enjoy reliable
uninterrupted broadband connectivity at home and office..." the firm
said. Sri Lanka Telecom offers 'triple play' with voice, data and television
through its PEOTv service. From
http://www.lankabusinessonline.com
09/20/2013 Sri Lanka’s
Telecom Sector Shows Vigorous Growth-Research & Markets The generally improving market environment has seen Sri lanka’s
telecom sector well positioned for continuing vigorous growth, a leading
market research report states. The already modern and progressive
telecommunications sector is certainly high on the list of priorities for
further expansion and development. This also fits well with the government’s
wider agenda for national development, the report of Research and Markets
says. Research and Markets is the world's leading source for international
market research reports and market data. Sri Lanka’s telecom sector
experiencing a major ‘pause’ in its development trajectory. With the end of
the war in 2009 Sri Lanka entered what is referred to as a ‘post-conflict’
phase. By 2012/2013 there were positive signs of a general improvement in the
country’s social and economic well-being. And the telecom sector in
particular is starting to build a fresh momentum. A good start has been made
on the expansion and provision of infrastructure that is capable of providing
a sophisticated level of telecommunications service to the population
throughout the whole country. Extending infrastructure into the North and
Eastern provinces, those parts of the country most affected by the
long-running war is being given high priority. It is well recognized that the
growth and development of any country’s telecom sector is necessary to
provide, among other things, an impetus for national economic activity.
Nevertheless, much still needs to be done to complete the build-out of the
necessary national infrastructure. After a five-year period of strong growth the fixed-line
subscriber market flattened out and then entered into a decline. Considerable
uncertainty hangs over this segment of the telecom market. The widespread
application of the Wireless Local Loop (WLL) platform has been one positive
element in a struggling sector. There was a large concentration of fixed
services in the capital Colombo, which has a penetration of 35%. In the
meantime, the country’s mobile telephone services have continued on a
positive growth path. As an effective and efficient alternative to the
fixed-line networks, with their earlier problems in meeting the demand for
telephone services, the mobile phone quickly became a popular and essential
service. The Sri Lankan mobile market was still growing at an annual rate of
around 50% in 2009 in as it headed towards the 60% penetration mark. However,
since then subscriber growth has moderated to less than 10% per annum. From
http://www.priu.gov.lk
10/29/2013 PAKISTAN: IT Services Export Fetch US$ 1.250bn
in Last Five Years ISLAMABAD: The exports of Information Technology services have
contributed US $ 1.250 billion to national kitty during last five years. The year-wise
break-up showed that during 2008-09 the IT exports were US $ 201.903, in
2009-10 US $ 204.763 million, in 2010-11 US $ 235.334 million, in 2011-12 US
$ 273.814 million and and these exports touched 333.511 million mark in
2012-13. According to Ministry of Information Technology and
Telecommunications which quoted State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) data here on
Saturday, there are over 100 countries that are presently procuring IT
services from Pakistan. United States is the major destination for exports of
IT services from Pakistan accounting for over 40 percent of the exports. The
other major countries procuring IT services from Pakistan in order of exports
are United Arab Emirates (UAE), United Kingdom (UK), Netherlands, China,
Bahrain, Singapore, Canada, Germany, Norway, Saudi Arabia, Japan, Thailand,
Malaysia, Switzerland, Australia, Denmark, Sweden, Ireland and South Korea. The Ministry has also set targets for exports of IT services for
next five years which include US $ 414.389 million for 2013-14, US $ 530.418
million for 2014-15, US $ 689.543 for 2015-1630, 910.197 million for 2016-17
and 1,229.738 million for 2017-18. The total target for next five years is US
$ 3,774.285 million. There are 17 private enterprises in Pakistan which have
achieved target of annual exports of IT services, exceeding one million US
Dollars, an export data reported to Pakistan Software Export Board (PSEB) by
its member companies said. With regard to steps being taken to attract
foreign manufacturing companies of telecom sector for establishing
manufacturing facilities in the country, the Ministry said provision of local
manufacturing is incorporated in new policy directive for introduction of
Next Generation Mobile Services in Pakistan. The licensees of these services will
encourage and facilitate local manufacturing, assembling and development of
telecom equipment, applications, transfer of technology and Research &
Innovation in Pakistan. A provision regarding promotion of local
manufacturing of telecom equipment in Pakistan, from part of the revenue
generated by international incoming traffic, has been included in the policy
directive of International Clearing House (ICH) Exchange. From
http://www.brecorder.com
11/09/2013 |
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AZERBAIJAN:
Density of Internet to Reach 85% in the Coming Years This year, the State Oil Fund of Azerbaijan has allocated about
450 mln to ICT Ministry for 2013-2015. ICT Minister Ali Abbasov told
reporters that these funds will be spent on organization of broadband
internet infrastructure under optic system for all homes in the entire
country. ‘If this project is properly implemented, in 2017, Azerbaijani
villages will be provided with 30 Mbit / sec internet, cities – 100 Mbit /
sec. Density of internet users will reach 85%. And this will be approximately
at the same level with the developed countries’, added the minister. From
http://www.news.az/ 08/23/2013 Azerbaijan's
ICT Sector Grows More Than Six Times – Minister Annual growth rates of the sphere of information and information
technology was 20%-25% over the last 10 years. The statement came from
Communications and Information Technology Minister of Azerbaijan Ali Abbasov
in his interview with official website of the ruling New Azerbaijan Party.
This sphere expanded every three years with its volume growing more than six
times exceeding $2bn, the minister said. “In addition, the share of the
income from private sector increased from 67.4% up to 80%,” Abbasov added. A
total of $2.5bn has been invested in ICT sector of Azerbaijan over 10 years,
the minister noted. From
http://www.news.az/
08/29/2013 Azerbaijan
Enhances Relations with U.S. in Communications and ICT Fields Azerbaijani Minister of Communications and Information
Technologies Ali Abbasov visited New York, the United States on September
3-5. The Ministry told “APA-Economics” that the Minister's visit to the
United States was marked by significant events. Minister Ali Abbasov
addressed to the 98th plenary meeting held within the 67th session of the UN
General Assembly on September 4. Azerbaijan’s role in the UN projects and
further initiatives were discussed in bilateral meetings with UN
Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs Wu Hongbo and
Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme Helen Clark. The
Minister and U.S. Coordinator for International Communications and
Information Policy Ambassador Daniel Sepulveda discussed the enhancement of
relations in communications and ICT fields between Azerbaijan and the US. The
minister had bilateral business meetings with Vice-President of ITT Exelis,
retired Major General Merser and President of Futron Corporation Shakil
Qureshi. Azerbaijani night was organized at "UN Plaza Hotel" on the
initiative of the Ministry of Communications and Information Technologies on
September 4. Representatives of diplomatic corps accredited to the United
Nations, Azerbaijani and local Diasporas attended the event. Permanent
Representative of Azerbaijan to the UN Agshin Mehdiyev addressed to the event
and meetings. The draft resolution on the establishment of Eurasian
Communications Alliance put up for discussion in the UN General Assembly on
the joint initiative of Ministry of Communication and Information
Technologies and Foreign Affairs was unanimously adopted by all United
Nations member states. Permanent Representative of Azerbaijan to the UN
Agshin Mehdiyev presented the draft resolution to the members of the assembly.
General Assembly President Vuk Jeremic and United Nations
Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs Wu Hongbo made
speeches and supported the initiative of Azerbaijan during the discussion of
the resolution. From
http://www.news.az/
09/09/2013 Passage
of UN Resolution Shows Azerbaijan’s Far-sighted Approach to ICT Growth Is
Backed in World: Official The passage of a resolution on the establishment of Eurasian
Connectivity Alliance, which was initiated by Azerbaijan and supported by
most of the UN member countries at the 67th session of the UN General Assembly,
is a graphic example that the far-sighted approach of Azerbaijan to the
development of information and communication technologies and its efforts
aimed at the development of regional telecommunication infrastructure are
supported in the international arena, Foreign Ministry spokesman Elman
Abdullayev said on September 10. According to him, the result of Azerbaijan's
increasing authority in the international arena and successful diplomatic
activity as well as respect and confidence towards the country is that the
initiatives put forward by Azerbaijan are supported by an absolute majority
in the international arena. Abdullayev said the resolution indicates that the
international community actively supports the activity of the Eurasian
Connectivity Alliance, which plays the role of a platform between governments
and serves for the development of interregional cooperation as well as the
branching out of telecommunication transit routes. Earlier Deputy Minister of
Communications and Information Technologies Elmir Velizade told journalists
that the resolution adopted by the UN General Assembly is directly related to
the implementation of the TASIM project. According to him, discussions at the
UN showed that the establishment of the organization as well as the
implementation of the Trans-Eurasian Information Super Highway (TASIM)
project is fully in line with the processes ongoing in the world. "Firstly, it envisages the strengthening of
telecommunication infrastructure and its further development as well as the
creation of new opportunities and simplification of citizens' access to the
field of information. Therefore, there is a need for such projects.
Azerbaijan's initiative on the TASIM project has been supported by the UN for
the third time, which is a positive aspect," the deputy minister said.
The resolution on establishing the Eurasian Connectivity Alliance and the
construction of TASIM was passed at the UNGA on September 4. The initiative
envisages enhancing trans-regional cooperation in information and
communication technologies, helping governments respond better to the needs
and challenges in that sector, attracting the private sector's interest and
facilitating knowledge-sharing in this field. Azerbaijan put forward the
initiative of creating the Eurasian Connectivity Alliance in August this year
and the main goal of this alliance is to accelerate the implementation of the
TASIM project. TASIM is a project of regional importance, which aims to lay a
transnational fiber-optic line covering the countries of Eurasia from Western
Europe to Eastern Asia. The project envisions the creation of a major transit
link from Frankfurt, Germany to Hong Kong. The line will combine major
centers of information exchange in Europe and Asia. The line will stretch
through China, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey to Germany. A
reserve North transit line will pass through the territory of Russia, Ukraine
and Poland. On December 21, 2009 a resolution supported by representatives of
30 countries was passed at the 64th plenary meeting of the UNGA for the
creation of the TASIM superhighway. TASIM is a long-term initiative and will be implemented in two
stages. During the first phase leading regional countries and operators will
create major Internet transit infrastructure, linking the West and East. The
process is planned to be finalized in late 2013. In the second phase of the
project, TASIM is expected to provide the Eurasian countries that do not have
direct access to open sea, including Central Asian states, with Internet
connection at affordable rates. According to the plan, new fiber-optic lines
will be constructed, while the existing lines will be upgraded and linked to
the TASIM network. The TASIM project will contribute to creating an open
information society in the region, increasing the speed of Internet
connection and promoting the development of Internet services, which, in
turn, will lead to economic development, economic diversification and
increased competition. From
http://www.azernews.az/
09/11/2013 ICT Grant Competitions to
Start This Year The
supervisory board of From http://www.azernews.az/ Azerbaijan’s
ICT Sector Has Grown 20%-25% in Past 10 Years Azerbaijan’s ICT sector has doubled in every three years
recording a 20%-25% increase in the last 10 years, the Ministry of
Communication and Information Technologies has said in its annual report.The
report says that over the past five years, Azerbaijan’s internet market
quadrupled, while IT production tripled.“The incomes from ICT sector rose
from 1.4% to 2.7%.”“In general, ICT revenues have surged 20% in the past five
years,” the report said, AzerTAc reports. From
http://www.news.az/ 10/01/2013 Azerbaijan,
UK to Expand ICT Cooperation The newly appointed British ambassador to Azerbaijan, Irfan
Siddig, has said work on the participation of UK representatives at the
International Telecommunications and Information Technologies Exhibition,
Bakutel 2013, and conferences on cyber security will be accelerated. In a
meeting with Siddig, Azerbaijani Communications and Information Technologies
Minister Ali Abbasov noted the mutual interest in the development of the ICT
sector between the two countries and informed Siddig that UK consulting
companies were involved in launching the Azerspace satellite into the orbit.
Azerspace-1, the first national satellite, was launched in February 2013. It
covers Eastern Europe, the Caucasus, Central Asia and North Africa. Abbasov
also spoke about the established links with British Telecommunications, a
major UK telecommunications provider. Speaking about the reforms and projects
implemented in the frame of the ongoing ICT Year in Azerbaijan, Abbasov cited
favorable conditions for further expansion of cooperation between the UK and
Azerbaijan in this field. Siddig for his part said that in general, during
his diplomatic tenure, he would continue efforts to expand ties between the
two countries. He praised the ICT Year as a priority area aimed to the future
and expressed the UK interest in expanding bilateral relations in this sector
following firm cooperation in the energy sector. Azerbaijan achieved 10.5
percent growth in the ICT sector in the first half of 2013 compared to the
same period of last year. In total, some 71.2 million manats have been
invested in the domestic ICT sector. Azerbaijan and the UK have benefitted
from close bilateral partnership and cooperation since 1992, in the framework
of international organizations such as the United Nations, OSCE, Council of
Europe, and NATO. The relations have covered a wide range of issues -- from
high-level political dialogue to growing trade and investment links, as well
as strengthening cultural and humanitarian ties. From
http://www.azernews.az/
10/04/2013 Azerbaijan Improves Its ICT Ranking Azerbaijan ranks 61st among 157
countries on the index of information and communication technologies
development this year, according to the 2013 report prepared under the
auspices of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). Azerbaijan
ranked 68th in the ITU report for 2012. The Measuring the Information Society
report takes into account the level of access to the latest technologies,
their use and ICT skills. According to the report, the first 30 rankings are
held by the countries with high incomes, which shows
a strong relationship between the income and the progress in the ICT sector.
Neighboring Russia as well as Belarus ranked 40th and 41st respectively,
while Moldova is 65th, and Ukraine 68th; Georgia ranked 71st and Armenia
74th. The report points out that usage of the mobile broadband internet
through smartphones and tablet PCs has now become the fastest growing segment
of the world market. There is also an overall worldwide increasing demand for
ICT products and services, along with continuously falling prices for mobile
services and broadband connection, as well as unprecedented growth of the 3G
technology implementation. Over 250 million people connected to the Internet over the
past year, the report said. Almost 40 percent of the world population will
use the Internet by the end of 2013. The Republic of Korea is the leader in
the ICT development sector for the third year running. It is followed by
Sweden, Iceland, Denmark, Finland and Norway. The top ten countries include
the Netherlands, Britain, Luxembourg and Hong Kong (China). Authors of the
report expect some 6.8 billion users of cellular communication by the
year-end, which is almost equal to the population of the planet. The internet
will be available for 2.7 billion people. However, 1.1 billion households, or
4.4 billion people, will still have no access to the Internet by the end of
2013. Azerbaijan is developing its ICT sector, especially after 2013 was
announced the ICT Year in the country. ICT plays one of the leading roles in
the non-oil sector of the country's economy and the budget revenues it
generates have been increasing year-on-year. An ICT high technology park is
being constructed in Azerbaijan, and its creation is a priority for the
development of the ICT industry. The high-tech park is supposed to be a
territory with all the necessary conditions for the development of new and
high technologies and researches. The park envisages the involvement of local
and foreign ICT companies. In June, the government passed a decision making
participants of the high-tech parks tax and customs duty-exempt for seven years,
which will drive the development of this sector. From http://www.azernews.az/ 10/09/2013 Azerbaijan’s
Revenues from ICT Sector Increase by over 10 Per Cent Revenues from the ICT sector and postal services amounted to
1196.8 million manat in January-September 2013, which is by 10.5 per cent
more than in the same period of 2012, according to a report of the Ministry
of Communications and Information Technologies of Azerbaijan, published on
Saturday on the results of the first nine months. "The specific weight
of Information and Communication Technologies sector in Azerbaijan's GDP
amounted to 1.8 per cent," the report said. The real growth rate for the
last period on the country's telecommunications sector was 6.7 per cent, IT
sector grew by 1.6 times, and the postal sector by eight per cent. During the
board meeting the Azerbaijani Minister of Communications and Information
Technologies Ali Abbasov told about the projects reflected in the action plan
in the field of information and communication technologies for 2013, which
was declared the year of ICT in Azerbaijan. Official exchange rate on October
12 is 0.7843 AZN/USD. From
http://en.trend.az/
10/12/2013 Azerbaijan,
U.S. to Discuss ICT Prospects San Jose (California, USA) will host a workshop for Silicon
Valley companies on October 28. It will be dedicated to the prospects for cooperation
with Azerbaijan in the field of ICT, the US-Azerbaijan Chamber of Commerce
(USACC) said today. 'The event which is part of a USACC trade mission in ICT,
will be aimed at analysing and assessing the prospects of the dynamically
developing market of information and communication technologies in
Azerbaijan, as well as urging the American companies working in Silicon
Valley, to use the chance to contribute towards the development of this
market in the country', a statement said. Moreover, the opportunities and
prospects of making Azerbaijan's investments in Silicon Valley companies will
be discussed within the workshop. From
http://en.trend.az/
10/17/2013 Azerbaijan’s
ICT Achievements to Be Presented in Thailand An Azerbaijani delegation led by Information and Communications
Technologies Minister Ali Abbasov will visit Bangkok, Thailand to attend the
ITU Telecom World - 2013,AzerTag state news agency reported. Azerbaijan`s 150
square meters stand will highlight the country`s latest achievements and
promising projects. As part of the visit, Abbasov will hold a number of
bilateral meetings with his foreign counterparts. The Azerbaijani delegation
will also hold an event on Azerbaijan and make presentations on the country`s
international projects. ITU Telecom World 2013 is the platform for high-level
debate, innovation showcasing and networking for the global ICT community. It
is the one conversation that matters, with the people that matter, with the
power to make a real difference in the world. Expert speakers from industry
and government, from regulation and innovation will attend the event. Debates
on the radical transformation of the ICT industry, on policies, strategies,
markets and models - and the importance of collaboration across sectors and
borders will be held as part of the exhibition. From
http://www.azernews.az/
10/17/2013 Azercell
Becomes Telecom Partner of International Conference AICT2013 The 7th International Conference on Application of Information
and Communication Technologies (AICT2013) started today in Baku, a message
from the Azercell Telecom Company said. The primary objective of the
international conference AICT-2013 is to bring together scientists and
engineers from different countries to encourage discussion and opinion
exchange between them.
Scientists, specializing in area of ICT application in education and training,
science, managements, security, health care systems, state institutions,
communication take part in this conference. They will be discussing topics
like modern developments in ICT application, cyber security problems,
business, ICT in governance and economy, networks and equipment and many
others. There will also be series of summits and symposiums on a range of
related topics. AICT 2013 is
co-organized with the technical support of the Ministry of Communication and
Information Technologies of Azerbaijan, Ministry of Education of Azerbaijan,
several state and private universities, as well as Information Technology
Internationalization Research Center (Korea) and Institute of Electrical and
Electronics Engineers (IEEE). Azercell Telecom is acting as a telecom partner of this
prestigious event. The company believes this conference will support
Azerbaijan's role as a leader of ICT in the region. Azercell has been
supportive in implementation of various ICT related projects aimed at
increase of scientific research capacity in the country. Up to date, the
Company supported a number of international conventions, scientific and
academic conferences. But Azercell's contribution to ICT development is not
limited to its support to conferences: the Company also promotes development
of local scientific capacity. Azercell was the first company in Azerbaijan
that introduced Barama Innovation Center that stimulates ICT contribution to
science development. Moreover, Azercell Telecom is the author of a range of
projects in the area of information-communication technologies. Azercell
Telecom LLC was founded in 1996 and since the first years sustains a leading
position on the market. Azercell introduced number of technological
innovations in Azerbaijan: GSM technology, GPRS/EDGE, 24/7 Customer Care,
full-time operating Azercell Express offices and others. With 53% share of From
http://www.hispanicbusiness.com/
10/23/2013 Azerbaijan,
Hungary Discuss IT Cooperation Azerbaijan's Communications and Information Technology Minister paid
an official visit to Hungary, Azerbaijani Embassy in Hungary reported on
November 9. Ali Abbasov visited the country at the invitation of Hungarian
Economic Development Minister Zsuzsanna Németh. During the two-day visit,
Abbasov visited the University of Pannonia in Veszprém, which is specializing
in IT. University Principal Professor Ferenc Friedler gave Abbasov an account
of the university's history and its main areas of teaching and research. At a
meeting with the University's administration and faculty deans, Abbasov
discussed using the University's experiences and capabilities at the
University of Information Technologies in Baku. Abbasov also spoke to the
University's students and teachers, and gave a lecture on "Directions
for Global Development of Information and Communication Technologies".
After the lecture, the Minister answered the questions raised by University
staff. By the decision of the Scientific Council of the University of
Pannonia that praised the merits of the Azerbaijani minister, Ali Abbasov was
awarded the University's commemorative medal by Ferenc Friedler. Abbasov also
met Hungarian Minister of Economic Development Zsuzsanna Németh, and the two
sides exchanged views on key aspects of bilateral relations and cooperation
in the field of information technology. The sides decided to prepare a report
about the main areas of cooperation for the next meeting of the
Azerbaijan-Hungary inter-parliamentary economic committee in Baku. Abbasov
invited his Hungarian counterpart to the international BakuTel exhibition,
held in Baku in early December. During the visit, Abbasov also visited the
Wigner Research Centre for Physics in Budapest, which is considered one of
the main centers of information technology in Europe. The center's Director General
Peter Levai informed the Azerbaijani Minister about the operating principles
and possibilities of the think tank. Hungary recognized Azerbaijan's
independence in 1991, and diplomatic relations between the two countries were
established in April 1992. The Azerbaijani-Hungarian relations are at a high
level and based on friendship and mutual interests, paving the way for the
development of cooperation in economics and other fields. Azerbaijan and
Hungary also have great opportunities for expanding economic cooperation,
establishing relations between the players of the securities market, and
exchanging experience and knowledge in this sector. From
http://www.azernews.az/
11/11/2013 UZBEKISTAN:
Information Technology Business Is Booming The information technology (IT) sector is booming at an
unprecedented rate in Uzbekistan. Information technology specialists train in
Tashkent September 12. Uzbekistan is addressing a shortage of IT specialists.
[Maksim Yeniseyev] In the first six months of 2013, the market for computer
programming has more than doubled – now attaining 230% of the size it reached
last year, the State Committee for Statistics reported. Developing the market for computing
services could turn Uzbekistan into a high-tech country, specialists
say. "In the long term, Uzbekistan
could well become the regional hub for the software industry," German
Stimban, chief engineer of the BePro programmers' centre, said. "It is
strategically important to master science-heavy programming. We have the pre-requisites, ... we only have to build on them." Tremendous promise, but work needed To
build on that, Stimban said, the country needs an overarching approach to
improving things in the sector.
"Making a good product requires scrupulous work from an entire
group of specialists ... market scientists, analysts, designers, ergonomics
specialists, programmers and information security specialists," he
said. Another improvement
concerns taking advantage of the trend in creating small, convenient
programmes and widgets and selling them through software stores such as
AndroidMarket, he added. Demand
for IT expertise is expanding not only in Uzbekistan but worldwide, said
Alisher Elmuradov, director of the SmartLab internet lab. "Programming
could raise large amounts of foreign currency for government coffers and
provide jobs for youth," he said of Uzbekistan's prospects for the future. However, Uzbekistan's IT training lags behind the rest of the
world, observers say. "Uzbek programmers have tremendous
potential," Elmuradov said. "The most urgent problem is the present
higher education system pertaining to programming. It is 15 years behind what
the market requires. … Universities are graduating 'semi-specialists,' who
still need considerable training after they leave school." "The
nucleus of specialists in Uzbekistan now is self-taught," Elmuradov
said, as he called for creation of a university with an IT curriculum that
would produce world-class graduates and would improve consistency in
training. Another problem is the lack of an Uzbek-language textbook for
writing modern system software and only a few Russian-language ones, Arkady
Merkulov, a freelance programmer from Tashkent, said. Challenges recognised, and plans exist
to address them Steps have been taken to address some of those concerns, said
Sherzod Shermatov, deputy chairman of the State Committee for Communication,
Informatisation and Telecommunication Technologies. Plans include creating
new textbooks and upgrading education in university programming departments,
Shermatov said, and the authorities are devising strategies to spark more
interest in programming. "At the present time, officials are suggesting
ways to stimulate Uzbekistan's software producers," Shermatov said.
"These include tax and customs duty breaks for software producers. This
proposal is currently under discussion." Additionally, the Smartlab and
Brand.Uz companies created the Ginza Programming School in Tashkent to fill
the educational gap between college graduates and professional
programmers. "We are sponsoring Ginza independently," Elmuradov
said. "We are devoting our own time to it and providing the premises. We
decided to act ourselves to educate specialists and see how they do with real
work. It doesn't cost them anything ... we simply want these specialists to
be on the market. We have worked out a curriculum and held competitions.
There are five to seven applicants for every place." "We are now
teaching software writers for the iOS and Android systems," he said.
"We have 10 students altogether. We started with 20, but 10 couldn't
keep up. If everything works out, we shall seek support for our project and
develop it in the provinces, because young people are showing great interest.
The IT field has its own appeal." Other objectives Ginza’s next aim is
to train professional project managers, without whom further development of
the software market would be difficult. "Project management is the main
profession in the IT business," Elmuradov said. "Specialists of
this sort are not being trained anywhere in Uzbekistan. But without them
connecting the programmer to the client, business can't develop."
Meanwhile, in early September, Uzbekistan adopted a programme to accelerate
the introduction of computer technologies in education. In every district and
city, one public school will become an IT school. Soon, workers will install
electronic inter-active boards and other modern equipment in these
schools. They also will host
training sessions for teachers from other schools, the Public Education
Ministry said. From
http://centralasiaonline.com/
09/26/2013 |
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AUSTRALIA:
IIA Action Call on ‘Deterioration’ in Digital Competitveness The Internet
Industry Association (IIA) says it is now time for action by whichever party
wins government at Saturday’s election to address Australia’s “recent and
alarming deterioration” in global rankings on digital competitiveness and
innovation. Welcoming yesterday’s release of the Coalition’s Plan for the
Digital Economy and E-Government, the AIIA said it now “calls time” for an
incoming government to take action. “We are pleased to see that the Coalition
has now publicly released its policy and announced the need for immediate
action to address Australia’s recent and alarming deterioration in global
rankings with regard to our digital competitiveness and innovation,” said
Peter Lee, CEO of the IIA. The IIA recently called on both the government and
opposition to announce clear policy that supports the non-mining sector and
invests in Australia's economic future, focusing on reforms that encourage
innovation, diversity and long-term sustainability. “To the
Labor Government’s credit it did launch its National Digital Economy Strategy
(NDES) back in May 2011 and recently updated the NDES in June this year.
However, while the Government’s updated strategy puts forward 24 key
initiatives across eight digital economy goals and seven key enablers
underpinning Australia's digital capabilities, many of the actions appear
superficial or have not yet materialised into anything that’s measurable or
clearly shows the benefits of exactly what’s been delivered since the
Government first launched its NDES more than two years ago. While both sides
of politics appear commitment and understand the importance of embracing the
Digital Revolution, now is the time to take action or get left behind in a
competitive global economy,” Lee said. Lee said the IIA was encouraged to see
that the Coalition’s Plan recognises that government’s role is to lead by
example and to put in place the “unexciting” but essential frameworks that
assist and provide incentives for open and competitive markets that will
drive ongoing innovation and growth. “We also
welcome a more cooperative approach with the states, territories and private
sector in order to reduce duplication, save costs and expedite positive and
more aligned outcomes.” Providing more transparency on the outcomes and
effectiveness of government investment such as, the creation of a ‘dashboard’
publishing key metrics on Government ICT performance and progress on major
new investments, was also welcomed by the IIA. “Australia is now pivoting at
a critical stage for its future prosperity and standing as a globally
recognised, creditable and competitive digital nation. While the Australian
public has its own choice to make on 7 September, an incoming government has
no choice but to take immediate action to implement effective and sustainable
digital economic strategies,” Lee concluded. From http://www.itwire.com 09/04/2013 Data
Centre Technology Spending to Hit $1.77b: Report Australian organisations are forecast to spend $1.77 billion on
data centre technology in 2013 as companies look to upgrade old facilities or
invest in new data centres, according to Gartner research. Australian
organisations are forecast to spend $1.77 billion on data centre technology
in 2013 as companies look to upgrade old facilities or invest in new data
centres, according to Gartner research. The analyst firm found there are
currently 64,521 data centres in Australia. However, the majority (53,087) are
classed as a single site while 11,095 are computer rooms. In addition, 243
facilities are classified as midsized data centres, 85 as enterprise data
centres and 10 as large facilities. Gartner Australia managing vice president
Matthew Boon said that many companies have almost or have already run out of
space so a major focus is what their data centre will look like in the next
10 to 20 years. "One of the biggest trends we are seeing in Australia is
a shift towards converged infrastructure where servers, storage and
networking are converged into a single environment. This is having an impact
on the sort of data centres organisations are building and how they power or
cool the facilities." He added converged infrastructure could promise
greater efficiencies and a more effective way of managing IT in general, but
it comes with a cost up front to plan for the future. "What we are
seeing is a potential out of sequence replacement cycle as well, fuelled by
the impact of the slowdown during the global financial crisis." From
http://news.idg.no/
09/30/2013 Complaints About
Australian Telecoms Services Falls to 5-Year Low Consumer
complaints to Australia's Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman (TIO) have
fallen to a five-year low in 2012-13, according to the TIO annual report. The
TIO received 158,652 new complaints about landline, mobile and internet
issues in the 2012-13 financial year -- an 18.1
decrease on the previous year. There was a 25.6 decrease in the number of
complaints received about mobile phones -- or more than 31,000 fewer
complaints. Mobile phone complaints accounted for 57 percent of new TIO
complaints. Landline complaints decreased 9.3 percent to 33,940, while
internet complaints increased marginally (1.9 percent) to 31,431. Billing and
payment issues, customer service complaints and overall fault concerns all
reduced in 2012-13. "This is the second successive year we have seen
telco complaints decrease, and complaints to the TIO are at their lowest
since 2008-09," Ombudsman Simon Cohen said. "A clear commitment
from telcos to do better by their customers, an improved industry code and a
focus on compliance are paying dividends." The decrease
in complaints was also recorded despite a 58 percent increase in consumer
awareness of the TIO. Aided awareness of the Ombudsman's office had increased
from 36 percent in 2008 to 57 percent in 2012. In a note of caution, the
Ombudsman reported that more than half of the complaints made to the TIO in
2012-13 included customer service issues, and the vast majority of these were
resolved quickly by referral to senior complaints handlers within service
providers. "The high number of simple complaints resolved by TIO
referral demonstrates ongoing opportunities for telcos to improve how they
deal with customer complaints," said Mr Cohen. Coverage-related concerns
-- about reduced or no reception, poor voice quality and dropped calls --
remained the main reasons consumers complained about their mobile services.
In 2012-13, 25,770 consumers made a complaint about these issues, a 13.5
percent decrease when compared to 2011-12. Coverage was an issue in 28.2
percent of new complaints about mobile services. From http://www.cellular-news.com
10/23/2013 |
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