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Summer 2016 Issue 54 |
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GLOBAL:
Around the World in 20 News Stories Regulators hit the headlines in Latin America, its all-go in India,
U.S. operators focus on content, and the rumour mill turns in Europe.The
newswires have been relatively quiet in Total Telecom's part of the world
this week, doubtless due in part to the post-Mobile World Congress recovery
period. But further afield there was action aplenty in the telecoms space, so
join us for a whistlestop tour of this week's global news highlights. We begin in Latin America, where Telecom Italia finally appears
to have gained approval for the sale of its controlling stake in Telecom - Regulator OKs Telecom Italia's - - Telefonica gets World Bank loan to pay for spectrum in Asia-Pacific The Asia-Pacific region was busy as always, with - - RCom, Aircel to create 50:50 JV - Telco leadership changes in - Mobile operators merge in - True gets �2bn bank backing for - NBN denies claims it is falling behind targets Middle East and The big news in the MEA region was the failure of Vodacom's bid
to acquire South African fixed-line operator Neotel, despite having recently
reworked the deal. Vodacon blamed "regulatory complexities". There
were also results announcements from major players Ooredoo and MTN. - Vodacom, Neotel deal collapses - Currency issues hit Ooredoo's full-year financials - MTN full-year profit tumbles It has mostly been about content in - AT&T's DirecTV goes OTT - Verizon, Hearst form video JV - Deutsche Telekom to hang on to - Shaw closes C$1.6bn Wind buy Rumour and speculation abound in - Telecom Italia CEO's job under threat...from Vivendi - Frontrunners seen upping offer for - - EU consumers' broadband needs 'not fulfilled' (Click here for details
http://www.totaltele.com/view.aspx?ID=493047) From
http://www.totaltele.com/ Make
Internet More Accessible, Affordable and Open to Accelerate Development, says
New World Bank Report At least Biometric registration, authentication, and payments in Even while having the largest number of offline population in
the world, Making the internet accessible, open and safe for all Indians
must be a priority and is vital to close the digital divides, the WDR says. A
supportive policy environment involving smart spectrum management, strong
competition policy in the telecom and internet market, public-private
partnerships, and smart regulations can go a long way in expanding connectivity
and bridging digital divides in India, the report adds.But greater digital
adoption will not be enough. To get the most out of the digital technologies,
India also needs to strengthen the `analog foundations’ of its digital
economy – by strengthening regulations that ensure competition among
businesses, by adapting worker’s skills to the demands of the new economy,
and by ensuring that government institutions are accountable. “There is little doubt about the transformative potential of digital
technologies. However, they are not a shortcut to development, though they
can be an accelerator when used in the right way. Countries still have to
build the basic foundations of economic development, but now they can use the
internet to achieve them much faster – namely a favorable business climate,
strong human capital and good governance,” said Deepak Mishra, and Uwe
Deichmann, Co-directors of the report.Countries that are investing in both
digital technology and its analog complements will reap significant
dividends, while others are likely to fall behind. Technology without a
strong foundation risks creating divergent economic fortunes, higher
inequality and an intrusive state, the report concludes. From
http://www.worldbank.org/ Government officials, business leaders and experts have gathered
at the 2016 China Poverty Reduction International Forum in He hopes such platforms like the portal could facilitate
communications between various countries to share their policies and best
practices on poverty reduction. "I hope through our website, we can
share experience in poverty alleviation all over the country. Also we can
share and learn from the effective methods and successful experiments from
other countries. I just came back from From http://www.chinagate.cn/
ESET, a global pioneer in proactive protection for more than two
decades, on Wednesday released the ESET Japan Cyber-Savviness Report 2016
showing that while users in However, the Survey results also showed that overall, users in From
http://www.japantoday.com
SMEs will dominate the
Virtual Private Cloud (VPC) market in the coming years and this virtual
private cloud market is estimated to reach USD45.69 billion by 2022, according
to a recent study.Globally, BFSI and Telecom are the industry verticals which
are spending a lot on secure and cost-friendly cloud solutions, says
Infoholic Research LLP, a global ICT market research and consulting
organisation, in a study titled “Virtual Private Cloud: Trends &
Forecasts, 2016-2022.”“It is predicted that by 2022, Public and eCommerce
sectors will be spending a lot on cloud-based solutions. The growing
dependence of these sectors on Internet-based applications is one of the reasons
for cloud dependency,” said Tariq Shaik from Research Operations of Infoholic
Research.With growth predicted at a CAGR of 26.35 per cent during the period
2016-2022, the virtual private cloud market has huge opportunity in industry
verticals such as BFSI, transportation, telecom and hospitality. Further, it
will see significant growth in the coming years due to the growing need for
cost-friendly disaster recovery solutions. “The growing number of SMBs and
their dependence on cloud are driving the growth of the VPC market in the
emerging regions. The major contributors of the market will be countries such
as From
http://egov.eletsonline.com The federal
government has made the Geocoded National Address File (G-NAF) and
Administrative Boundaries datasets freely available through its open data
repository, data.gov.au. “With the release of the G-NAF, “The
previous licensing arrangements for accessing the G-NAF were highly
restrictive, preventing optimal collaboration and data sharing between
existing users,” a December Data.gov.au blog entry noted. “This resulted in
underutilisation of the data.” G-NAF is one of the most requested ubiquitous,
high-value datasets, the blog entry said. The government last year it would
open up G-NAF as part of its innovation agenda. Data held by the federal
government was deemed a “strategic national resource” under a policy
statement authorised by Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull as part of the
agenda. The policy committed the government to expanding public access to the
data it creates. Last year the government created a new Public Data Branch
within the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (DPMC). The Bureau of
Communications Research has concluded that open data could be worth up to $25
billion per year for From http://www.computerworld.com.au
Heightened interest
in cyber security issues has driven a large increase in the number of small
and medium businesses who are becoming more cyber aware. The latest MYOB
Business Monitor survey highlights that 70 percent of New Zealand SMEs now
register concerns with one or more cyber security risk areas, an increase of
10 percent in just six months, with awareness up across all categories. “This
is a hugely significant result and highlights the increasing appreciation
amongst small business owners of the importance of good cyber security
processes and working with trusted partners to make sure their data is
secure,” says James Scollay, General Manager, MYOB
New Zealand. “The increasingly high profile of cyber security has likely
served to increase general awareness of the damage that breaches can inflict
on a business’s operations and reputation. The good news is that local SMEs
are becoming savvier about their own security and not letting the fear of
cyber-crime from stopping them realising the benefits of doing business
online. It’s positive that SME operators are increasingly taking their data
and security so seriously." A report by
professional services firm PwC states that 59 percent of businesses that use
cloud services report that doing so has improved their information security
program. Scollay says there are a number of other easy but critical actions
small business owners can take to protect themselves online. “Make sure you
have up-to-date, high quality security software and apply all security
patches and updates from the provider," he explains. "Don’t use
simple or obvious passwords, use ones with a mix of letters and numbers - use
different passwords for your email, banking and system access, and be on the
lookout for fake emails that look like they come from trusted sources trying
to get you to click on links or download attachments. To reduce their
exposure to cyber security risk, SME operators can move more of their
operations to the cloud where the scale of the security offering is usually
fair greater than what they can manage on their own." The survey of more
than 1,000 SME operators conducted for MYOB by Colmar Brunton reveals that
the risk of hackers gaining access to data is the leading online security
issue, with 56 percent of SMEs highlighting concerns in this area, up from 42
percent in September. Losing access to data was also high on the awareness
list, concerning 50 percent of SMEs surveyed – up from 37 percent in
September. According to
findings, almost a fifth of business owners were concerned that the
Government might be spying on their data. When broken out into sectors, the
finance and insurance industry are the most concerned about hacking, with 76
percent highlighting this as their key concern – double that of September. As
Scollay explains, the primary sector also register high awareness with 61
percent of SMEs in the sector worried about losing access to their data and
28 percent concerned about data surveillance by local governments, up from
nine percent in September. Online
presence growing The MYOB
Digital Nation survey also highlighted that 51 percent of businesses now have
an online presence and as a result, were experiencing a range of benefits.
Over half (58 percent) had experienced an increase in customer inquiries
while 53 percent said customers were finding it easier to do business with
them. Furthermore, almost a third (31 percent) had seen revenue increase as a
result of being online. However, while an online profile is beneficial, cost
and connectivity issues are making it hard for SMEs to reap all the potential
opportunities of the digital economy. Over a third (38 percent) of businesses
surveyed said they were dissatisfied with the cost of their current data
plan, while 19 percent said government regulation was also an issue. Scollay
says access to "cost-effective, reliable internet infrastructure is an
absolute must for businesses", particularly when it comes to keeping
pace with ever-changing technology. “ “Internet
technology is making a fundamental difference to
many businesses in every part of the country. To make the most of the
opportunities available, we have to ensure there are as few barriers as
possible to them establishing an online presence." Satisfaction
with access and connectivity static Satisfaction
with internet access (speed and reliability) has remained static in the
latest MYOB Business Monitor, sitting at 40 percent in March 2016 and
September 2015. In addition, levels of dissatisfaction however have increased
slightly, up from 34 percent to 36 percent. On the whole, businesses in the
construction and trade sector were the most satisfied with their internet
access (55 percent), while dissatisfaction is highest in the primary sector
(44 percent). UFB uptake
still limited amongst SMEs While 63
percent of SME operators believe an Ultra Fast Broadband (UFB) connection
would positively benefit their business – up from 60 percent in September –
just 24 percent of local businesses report that they are utilising fibre
services. The most connected city is now Pace of
technology pleasing While 60
percent of businesses said they were happy with the pace technology was
moving, 17 percent believed it was too fast - 19 percent said it was moving
too slowly and needed further investment. Outside the major cities, in areas
such as the “And in
order to ensure that New Zealand SMEs stay up to date and in turn, drive the
country’s economy, it is important we focus on the roll out of UFB –
particularly into the regions – so that everyone has the same opportunities,
wherever they may be located. By making it easy as possible for businesses in
every sector to adopt the newest technologies, From http://www.computerworld.co.nz
Over 70 percent of Brits would consider an area’s broadband
service before buying a home and two-thirds of new home owners would not buy
a property if the broadband service was too poor in the area, according to a
survey by Vodafone From
http://www.telecompaper.com/
With consumers embracing new points of contact such as social
media and smartphone apps, and cloud and mobile technologies allowing for a
seamless omni-channel experience, the call centres of the past must give way
to the “contact centres” of today – yet companies aren’t keeping up,
according to a new report released today by Johannesburg, South Africa-based
global IT services provider Dimension Data Holdings plc. Instead, the
company’s 19th annual global contact centre benchmarking report found that
while the businesses surveyed paid more than adequate enough attention to
their telephone and e-mail capabilities, with 89.4 per cent of global
participants measuring the quality of their phone interactions, they severely
lagged behind in every other channel, such as social media and web chat.
Moreover, few respondents involved their contact centres in planning new
channels, assuming they took a multi-channel approach to customer service to
begin with – only 36.4 per cent could track customers across multiple
channels, 79.4 per cent admitted to having no “big picture” view of
cross-channel interaction, and 30.4 per cent couldn’t track the customer
journey at all. “While new technology may be digital and automated… it still
needs people — that all-important ‘human touch’ — to design, program, review,
and amend,” the report said. “This is the failure point for solution
approvals, process reviews, and performance management.” The solution,
Dimension emphasized in its summary of the report, is twofold: when applying
new technology to their customer service efforts, companies must focus on the
customer experience (abbreviated in the report as CX), which frequently
crosses channels whether they like it or not (below), and solicit more input
from their contact centres along the way. “Management disciplines perfected
on (the) phone now need to be applied to digital,” the report said, noting
that CX can be used both as a key measure of effectiveness and a way for
businesses to differentiate their services from the competition. To conduct
the survey, Dimension collected data from 1320 organizations across 14
industries in 81 countries, including From
http://www.itworldcanada.com/ The Internet is infiltrating all of our devices, from
thermostats to stoves. Yet, the technology seems to be more popular in other
countries than in the From
http://www.nextgov.com/ |
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AFRICA: Danilo Media, the President of the Dominican Republic and candidate
for re-election for the Dominican Liberation Party (PLD), has launched the
"Digital Republic" programme for 2016-2020, with the goal of
converting the country into the Caribbean's centre for new technologies,
reports El Nacional. The first measure will be to distribute free computers
to 950,000 students and teachers of the public education system from 2017.
The plan is also to accelerate internet access in the country from the
current 23.6 percent of the population to 70 percent over the next four
years, while at the same time reducing the cost of the broadband service by
30 percent. The proposal calls for the provision of free Wi-Fi at public
locations, including 5,600 schools, as well as in hospitals, parks and the
metro system in From
http://www.telecompaper.com/ Nearly 90% of CIOs are concerned that their current security
policies and procedures are putting them at risk of serious fines under new
European data protection laws, according to a new study from Egress Software
Technologies. The encryption services provider claimed that 87% of the IT
leaders it spoke to from companies with more than 1,000 employees were
worried their firm was at risk of fines of up to 4% of annual turnover,
according to strict new penalties levied by the European General Data
Protection Regulation (GDPR). In addition, over three-quarters (77%) of
respondents said they were frustrated that staff failed to use technology
like encryption made available to them to ensure they work more securely.
Egress CEO, Tony Pepper, claimed users often find ways to bypass security
measures and “take the risk” if they think these tools will slow down
business processes. “Another problem is that IT is often as resistant as users. As
the research shows, ease of deployment is a big driver for selecting what
technology gets prioritized and dealing with users is often a bit of a
headache,” he told Infosecurity. “This is creating a real barrier to
deployment. When asked to describe discussions they had had around deploying
encryption-based secure communication solutions – such as email encryption –
almost half of the respondents said they thought users would find it too
complicated and it’d create a help desk nightmare.” The study also appeared
to reveal that the series of high profile attacks publicized in the media
over the past year are having an effect on security policy. Some 49% of
respondents said they prioritize external threats, while just 20% focus
mainly on accidental breaches from within – despite the latter accounting for
the vast majority of incidents. Pepper argued that IT leaders must make security “invisible to
the user” so that it’s seamlessly integrated into the everyday tools they’re
used to using – but added that “technology is really just half the battle.”
“If you want people to adopt security you need to make them understand why –
the education piece is vital. This could be someone sending an email, but
equally it could be making them understand why they should not click on a
phishing email,” he argued. “This also includes having clear policies and
procedures around data, so that everyone knows exactly what level of
information assurance should be applied in each situation. There should be no
ambiguity.” From
http://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/ EU May Use
Competition Law to Spur Cross-border Selling Some EU-based online retailers are contractually prevented by
suppliers from selling to customers in other member states, according to a
survey ordered by the European Commission. It warned that such agreements may
be in breach of EU antitrust rules concerning the Single Market. The
Commission ordered the report in September 2015 amid concern that growth in
cross-border online trade is lagging behind the surge in internet sales seen
within many member states. The study forms part of a broader exploration of
issues affecting the EU Digital SIngle Market strategy, unveiled in May 2015.
Based on responses from over 1,400 online sellers, 68 percent of digital
content providers use some form of geo-blocking to filter out unwanted
foreign customers, compared to 38 percent of those selling consumer goods.
Geo-blocking mainly consisted of refusals to deliver to foreign addresses or
accept foreign payment cards, with IP address filtering used in only a
minority of cases. Most refusals to sell in other EU states reflect a unilateral
business decision by the retailer and are not affected by competition law.
However, 12 percent of retailers surveyed said contractual restrictions
prevented them from selling cross-border for at least one product category in
their catalogue. In the digital sector alone, 59 percent of responding
content providers said they are contractually required by suppliers to
geo-block. "Where geo-blocking occurs due to agreements, we need to take
a close look whether there is anti-competitive behaviour, which can be
addressed by EU competition tools," the report cited Margrethe Vestager
the EU Commissioner responsible for competition as saying. The Commission
plans to propose a legislative package in May to boost e-commerce across the
EU but the preliminary report on the e-commerce sector will not be put to
public consultation until mid-2016, with the final report scheduled for the
first quarter of 2017. A public consultation published in January found that
consumers overwhelmingly backed the Commissions proposals to limit
geo-blocking of digital content. From
http://www.telecompaper.com/ EU Parliament Approves Data Protection Legislation The European Parliament has
approved new data protection legislation in the EU, bringing to an end four years
of negotiations on reforming the data protection directive dating from 1995.
The General Data Protection Regulation introduces, among other things, a
'right to be forgotten', where personal data no longer in use or relevant
must be deleted, as well as the right to transfer personal data to a new
service provider. Organisations will need to obtain a 'clear and affirmative
consent' from individuals before processing their personal data, explain in
clear language their privacy policies and inform people when their data has
been hacked. National data protection regulators will also have more powers
of enforcement, including the ability to issue fines of up to 4 percent of a
company's global annual turnover. The legislation passed by parliament also
includes a Data Protection Directive governing the handling and transfer of
personal data by law enforcement authorities, including across EU borders. EU
states will have two years to transpose the new rules into their national
laws, with certain opt-outs in the From http://www.telecompaper.com/ New European
Law May Force Companies to Hire Data Privacy Expert If you want a job in Handling data pays.(International Association of Privacy
Professionals. 2015 Privacy Professionals Salary Survey) Companies will be allowed to outsource data-protection work, so
many consultancies and law firms have been building their privacy and data
protection practices. “They’ve seen this coming for a year,” Hughes says. The
role of data protection officer has become increasingly lucrative. The median
salary for a data protection officer has grown by about 50 percent between 2003 to 2015 to $ From
http://www.nextgov.com/ US, The US Department of Defense and Israeli Ministry of Defense have
entered an agreement to increase cyber-defense cooperation between the
nations. According to Army Technology, representatives discussed a number of
ways to further strengthen cooperation on a range of issues, and the deal
will see the Paul Fletcher, cybersecurity evangelist at Alert Logic, said:
“It’s possible that there has already been some collaboration between these
two military cyber-teams in the past, and this announcement is a way to
formalize the relationship and establish specific protocols for communication
and information sharing." “This cooperative partnership shows a
maturation of the strategy for the US DoD to partner with foreign governments
and acknowledgement of their technical contribution. This is especially
interesting to me, a veteran, because several years
ago the US DoD wouldn’t consider purchasing from any technology vendors from
any foreign country (this policy may have changed by now). To the point that
when Check Point Firewall-1 was the leading firewall technology, but the “Yes, this joint capability will certainly help fight
cyber-terrorism threats. It will help just from the perspective of adding
more highly skilled cybersecurity professionals in the fight against
cyber-terrorists. Only time will tell if this strategy will be more effective
than trying to install backdoors in technology.” The news follows an announcement
in February that the From
http://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/ Swiss Govt
Adopts Digital From
http://www.telecompaper.com/
UN Privacy
Chief Criticises The UN's Special Rapporteur on privacy matters to the Human Rights
Council has heavily criticised the From
http://www.telecompaper.com/
LATIN
AMERICA: From
http://www.telecompaper.com/
From
http://www.telecompaper.com/
Colombia's Ministry for Information
and Communications Technology, through the Computers for Schools programme,
has presented a global working plan to the ITU on the management of
technology waste.The document contains a proposal for the elimination or
proper reuse of waste generated by telecommunications and ICT equipment. The
plan proposes the adoption of minimum standards that should be met by
electronic waste management companies and alternatives for the reuse of
hazardous materials present in these wastes. The document also contemplates the
social and economic aspects such as job creation and training, the problems
caused by counterfeit electrical and electronic equipment, and business
opportunities from waste management.Colombia is considered one of the leading
countries in the region in handling electronic waste. From http://www.telecompaper.com/ NORTH
AMERICA: Just in time for International Women’s Day, the University of
California, Los Angeles (UCLA)’s Luskin Center for Innovation has released
“Rethinking Public, Private and Nonprofit Strategies to Advance Women in
Technology,” a 60-page report that articulates just how far the tech industry
still needs to go to address its gap in gender diversity – and how it can get
there.The report, which was co-sponsored by Cisco and Google, and co-authored
by Luskin researchers Rebecca Sadwick, Sophie Mako Tanaka, Rhianon Anderson,
Adina Farrukh, and Kiana Taheri, starts by providing a detailed analysis of
how women and minorities continue to be underrepresented at every stage of
the U.S. tech industry, from education to the boardroom.“Ironically, while
the tech industry epitomizes innovation and progress, it has some of the most
asymmetrical representations of women and minorities of any industry in the The report then goes on to outline how companies can address the
problem, using a set of guidelines established during a conference held on
April 30 last year, in which the Luskin Center gathered some 250 influential
leaders from the public, private and nonprofit sectors to discuss the tech
industry’s gender gap and what can be done about it.“As economists and researchers
can attest, gender disparity in one of the most profitable and
rapidly-growing fields is not simply a ‘women’s issue.'” the report says.
“There is a significant body of evidence showing that more diverse companies
are more profitable.”We spoke with some leaders in the Canadian technology
industry for their reaction to the report. Here are the eight guidelines the
report recommends that companies follow, along with some tips offered by
Canadian executives and organization leaders. Guideline 1: Use data to assess diversity “Once a company begins collecting data, transparency and public
accountability can further its efforts to augment diversity,” the researchers
write, citing eBay and Google as positive role models, as both companies
release their diversity data both internally and publicly to illustrate their
commitment to transparency, and thus, increasing diversity. Guideline 2: Provide female entrepreneurs with access to funding
models that reduce bias Female-run startups receive just three per cent of all venture
capital (VC) funding, the researchers found, noting that studies on
unconscious bias indicate that women who present content that is identical to
their male counterparts at traditional VC pitches are often viewed as less
competent and less innovative.Though venture capital firms with at least one
female partner are three times more likely to invest in companies with a
female CEO, more than 77 per cent of American VC firms have never had a
single female partner, the researchers found; moreover, the number of female
partners in venture capital firms has declined in the past decade, from 10
per cent in 1999 to six per cent in 2015.“Because women are disadvantaged by
traditional funding models, providing alternative access to capital can promote
their opportunity in tech entrepreneurship,” the researchers wrote. “Blind
applications and those that specifically target women for investment or
mentorship can counter the disadvantages women traditionally face within the
startup-funding pipeline.” Guideline 3: Focus on the hiring process to reduce subconscious
biases Studies show that women are often disadvantaged at every stage
of the hiring process, from resume to interview, the researchers said, thanks
to a mix of conscious and unconscious biases about their abilities.At
Microsoft Canada, removing unconscious bias is a key goal for the company’s
hiring managers, president and CEO Janet Kennedy told ITBusiness.ca.“We have
set targets for ourselves, both from a hiring and career development perspective,
to ensure we are driving diversity at all levels of leadership,” she said. “I
am proud that 50 per cent of my leadership team in Guideline 4: Standardize performance reviews Simply put: the impact of subconscious biases can be mitigated
by establishing clear criteria about whether specific job expectations were
met, the researchers wrote.“When performance review
criteria are not standardized to evaluate specific job functions, women are
more likely than men to be assessed based on their personalities rather than
actual job performance,” they note. Guideline 5: Increase quality mentorship This is an area which Jeff Gilchrist, Canadian lead for
international tech firm Avanade Inc., knows very well: His company, which
organizes an annual Women’s Day event of its own, has partnered with the
non-profit Aspire Foundation as part of its corporate citizenship program to
provide mentorship to more than 500 women.It has and continues to pay off, he
added, with several women hired into executive positions over the last 6
months.“The reality is… the more diversity you
accept into your organization, the stronger your organization is going to
be,” Gilchrist told ITBusiness.ca. “Diversity drives better solutions, better
results, better culture.”Gilchrist himself has been
mentoring a female employee since last September, meeting with her on a
monthly basis to discuss how future projects can provide the necessary
experience for her to eventually receive a promotion, while offering advice
on subjects such as communication with executives.“She’s expressed that her
goal is to be promoted, so we then talk about… the opportunity [she has] to
achieve A, B, and C this year. However we both know that in order for that to
happen, [she’s] going to have to juggle a couple of things for that to
occur,” he said. Guideline 6: Expand public-private partnerships This is another key goal for Microsoft, Kennedy said, with the
company using such in-house programs as YouthSpark and its CodeGeneration
movement to encourage young people, girls in particular, to embrace coding
and other STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) fields from an early
age.“Female representation in the tech sector is low and, from a geographical
perspective… lower in Even when gains are highlighted, Muzaffar said, they only
capture the tip of the iceberg, failing to mention the struggles faced by the
majority of women in entry-level and mid-managerial positions in the tech
industry, which can range from disparaging comments to being shut out of
meetings to full-on harassment.“Comparing the percentage growth of women in
CEO positions has limited applicability in actually understanding the reasons
behind and the importance of changing public policy, labour and employment
laws and business and corporate culture in the tech sector at large,” she
said.“We can improve the gains significantly by mandating pay equity issues,
hiring practices that support underrepresented populations, and by having
corporations that target women and marginalized people as customers actually
putting their company’s money towards supporting these demographics with
training, equal compensation, and leadership positions,” she added. Guideline 7: Build upon mandate-driven public policies In the UCLA report, the researchers note that public policies
can have a significant impact on equitable workplace policies, but they
require cooperation from the private sector to be effective. When British
Prime Minister David Cameron announced plans to promote name-blind job
applications, for example, he relied on partnerships with both the civil
sector and private companies that voluntarily agreed to implement them. Guideline 8: Commit to diversity at all levels of leadership As Avanade’s Gilchrist illustrates, diversity starts at the top:
When evaluating candidates for promotion, he said, the company’s hiring
managers don’t stop after considering their most qualified employees, but
evaluate a second list of female and minority employees who didn’t make the
cut, discussing how they can provide the right opportunities so that these
talented employees will be up for consideration the next time around.That,
not incidentally, is how he ended up with his mentee in the first place.“If
you do not start thinking and acting and considering this issue as an issue
that warrants management’s attention, you won’t change the paradigm,”
Gilchrist said. From
http://www.itbusiness.ca/ Microsoft Sweeping changes to education, government policy, and the
private sector alike will be needed if Canada’s IT industry is to have a
leading role in the rapidly evolving digital economy, according to a new
report prepared by the Information and Communications Technology Council
(ICTC), with support from Microsoft Canada.Titled “Digital Talent: Road to
2020 and Beyond,” the March 9 report outlines seven recommendations that ICTC
says will be essential to nurturing Canada’s digital workforce, and ensuring
it can meet the tech industry’s growing demand, with the report estimating
that Canada will need 182,000 skilled IT workers by 2019.“Unfortunately, the
domestic supply of ICT graduates and workers will be insufficient to meet
this demand,” the report says. “Engaging all available talent, including
women, youth, immigrants, Indigenous persons and persons with disabilities,
will be critical in mitigating the talent shortage. We also need to ensure
that new graduates have the practical knowledge and skills they need to enter
the workforce quickly and add value to Canadian businesses.” According to the report, Canada’s digital economy currently
employs approximately 1.15 million workers, contributes $74 billion annually
to the national GDP, and has grown at more than four times the rate of the
overall economy during the last two years.Yet even those numbers are a drop
in the bucket compared to the benefits gained when applying digital
technology to other industries: each one per cent increase in
technology-driven productivity yields an additional $8 billion for the
Canadian economy, says ICTC president and CEO NamirAnani, who inadvertently
began developing the report when he started collaborating with a group of
organizations including the CATAAlliance and CIO Association of Canada to
research the country’s rate of technological adoption.“We found that adoption
was not taking place,” Amani says. “It was an eye-opener… so we started to
look at the impediments… specifically the small companies with 20 employees
or below that represent 75 per cent of During a three-month period, ICTC researchers consulted with
industry, education, government, and professionals across Canada regarding
the problem, ultimately asking more than 500 individuals and organizations to
contribute potential solutions.Since “at the end of the day a strategy
without a base of action is not going to make a difference,” Amani says, ICTC
has also formed three national taskforces composed of industry, education,
and government leaders: Education and Skills; Industry Growth; and Diversity
and Inclusion.The result is a living strategy that will continue to evolve,
he says, with ICTC staff regularly meeting with members of each taskforce and
key stakeholders, including lead sponsor Microsoft Canada, to evaluate their
progress.“We’re at the cusp of a whole new digital transformation that’s much
bigger than has happened in the past,” he says. “This [national talent
strategy] represents an opportunity for us as a country to figure out how we
can seize that opportunity moving forward.” “I’m really pleased this conversation is happening,” Microsoft Pillar 1: Making computer science education mandatory from
Kindergarten through Grade 12 It’s hardly a new argument that if Canada wants to succeed in
the digital economy, it needs to build a stronger pipeline for talent –
starting at the elementary and secondary level with an increased focus on
science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) and IT courses, the report
says, noting that while many youth recognize the value of STEM, few end up
choosing it as a field of study. Pillar 2: Removing barriers to full participation in the ICT
field by women, immigrants, persons with disabilities, Indigenous peoples and
visible minorities Despite Pillar 3: Providing incentives such as tax credits to reduce the
financial burden on small and medium-sized businesses to upskill employees in
ICT Every $100,000 invested into training 10 mid-career IT
professionals in emerging technologies can potentially contribute $2.1
million to Canada’s GDP, according to ICTC, but with more than 75 per cent of
Canada’s tech workers employed by organizations with fewer than 10 employees
– and therefore limited resources to invest in talent – few have the
opportunity, a situation the report would like to see governments at all
levels change using mechanisms such as subsidies or tax credits. Pillar 4: Attracting and retaining global talent As Pillar 5: Strengthening Canadians’ digital literacy and related
skills Strong digital literacy not only increases one’s ability to
navigate an increasingly digital world, it also boosts technology
consumption, increasing demand for technology-related goods and creating a
culture that could attract more digital entrepreneurs and companies to
Canada, the report says, adding that governments, companies, and educators
alike should develop and expand the availability of free online technology
resources such as cyber-security advice, and provide their services through
digital means whenever possible. Pillar 6: Fostering digital entrepreneurship Pillar 7: Building labour mobility pathways to fill high demand
occupations With the tech industry rapidly expanding while traditional
economic powerhouses like manufacturing and oil and gas decline, there’s
never been a greater opportunity for governments and companies alike to
develop and take advantage of a deep, unused talent pool, perhaps by
prioritizing certain sectors, creating training programs, or extending
employment insurance benefits to include skills development. From
http://www.itbusiness.ca/ A new White House policy for optimizing energy-guzzling data
centers in the federal government would block agencies from budgeting any money toward new or expanding data centers
without approval from the federal chief information officer. The new Data
Center Optimization Initiative “supersedes” a 2010 effort to close down data
centers. The new policy emphasizes IT optimization in a bid to save more than
$1 billion over the next two years, according to a draft of the new policy
set to be published March New data centers are encouraged to achieve a PUE below 1.2. Agencies
are directed to include PUE requirements in any future procurements
involving data centers. The policy also mandates agencies “evaluate
consolidation or closure” for data centers that cannot cost effectively
achieve a PUE target of 1.5 or less, and recommends transitioning them to
cloud services or to shared services data centers.
Energy metering and PUE are not the only new metrics required by the new
policy. The Office of Management and Budget wants to see significant savings
stemming from the optimization effort. All told, the policy aims to reduce
governmentwide costs associated with physical data centers by at least 25
percent relative to fiscal 2016 IT spending data. In actual dollars, OMB
wants to save about $1.4 billion by the close of fiscal 2018. Further, agencies will no longer classify data centers as “core”
or “non-core,” but rather as “tiered” and “non-tiered.” DCOI defines tiered
data centers as those that use a separate physical space for IT
infrastructure, an uninterruptible power supply, an independent cooling
system and a backup power generator. While the new policy is heavy on
optimization, it still calls for closing of data centers that no longer
consume power or no longer house physical servers. Updated goals set out in
the new policy exceed agencies’ existing closure plans, calling for agencies
to close at least 25 percent of their tiered data centers governmentwide and
60 percent of non-tiered data centers. The target date for the closures is
the end of fiscal 2018. The new goals would result in the closure of more
than half -- 52 percent -- of the federal government’s overall data center
inventory, according to the memo. (Currently, agencies are on track to close
about 44 percent of the approximately 11,000 federal data centers.) The
public will have a 30-day comment period on the new draft policy. From
http://www.nextgov.com/ Watchdogs
Prep for Review of Agenciess’ IT Security Policies A Commerce Department watchdog is putting agency officials on
notice: His team will be poking around the agency’s policies for protecting
computer systems from cyberattacks. A Feb. 29 memo from Allen Crawley, the
assistant inspector general for systems acquisition and IT security, says the
IG’s office is kicking off an audit of the department’s IT security policies
and practices for systems that store personally identifiable information as
well as information of those involved in national security or intelligence activities.
The IG’s office sent the memo to Commerce Chief Information Officer Steve
Cooper and Catrina Purvis, the agency’s top privacy official and director of
the Office of Privacy and Open Government. Also copied on the memo were Rod
Turk, the agency’s chief information security officer, and a slew of IT
officials from Commerce’s bureaus. The IG plans to conduct fieldwork both inside the agency and at
contractor sites, according to the memo. The security review is required by
the Cybersecurity Act of 2015, which was included in the massive $1.1
trillion omnibus funding measure and approved by Congress late last year.
Along putting the Department of Homeland Security in charge of automated
cyberthreat information sharing and a host of other measures, the bill also
required agency IGs to probe how agencies handle security of sensitive
computer systems. Specifically, IGs are directed to examine whether agencies
use multifactor authentication to control access to sensitive systems, how
they conduct software inventories and what capabilities they use to monitor
and detect attempted exfiltration of data and other threats. Agency watchdogs
have until August to complete their security reviews and submit them to
Congress. The security of agency networks has been under scrutiny since
the Office of Personnel Management revealed last summer a massive data breach
involving sensitive background investigation files of some 21.5 million
federal employees, retirees and contractors. In the wake of the breach, the
White House ordered agencies to immediately tighten security as part of a
30-day “cybersecurity sprint.” During the exercise, the percentage of federal
employees required to use a smart card in addition to a password to log on
increased from about 43 percent to more than 72 percent during, according to
OMB. That percentage has continued to inch upward, officials say. From
http://www.nextgov.com/ Presidential
Report Puts Cities at the I’ve long complained that In other words, the nation and its cities should use technology
not only to upgrade and transform aging infrastructure, but to reshape the
way cities operate from top to bottom. Doing so will save energy, reduce
traffic and congestion, create more sustainable and competitive cities, and
bolster the innovation and competitiveness of the U.S. more broadly,
according to the report.In advancing its findings, the report focuses on
several dimensions of cities and technology.Transportation: The report
highlights efforts to develop driverless vehicles, or CAVs. These kinds of
developments, the report argues, not only pose significant money-saving
opportunities, but are also responsible for placing the nation “on the verge
of large-scale transformation.”Considering the cost of traffic collisions
($300 billion per year), vehicular congestion ($124 billion per year), and
related health-care incidents ($50-80 billion per year) in the Energy: From electric energy systems to electric vehicles, the
increasing “electrification” of our cities is helping to protect our
environment and benefit our economy in the long run, the report argues. The
report also focuses on the concept of “District Energy,” which uses
technology to coordinate the local production of energy with its local uses.
In 2015, three cities—Burlington, Vermont; Greensburg, Kansas; and Aspen,
Colorado—already declared themselves 100 percent renewable, the report
finds.Buildings and housing:
While nearly 67 percent of cities worldwide have committed to
green-building codes, only 12 U.S. cities rank among the leading cities for
environmental design. To fix this, the report recommends a number of changes,
including the integration of sensory technology that understands and responds
to changes in the environment. Water: With regard to our world’s most precious resource, the report
focuses on storm water systems as a means of improving water infrastructure
at the local level. Over in Most of all, the report makes the case for stronger involvement
of the federal government in the crucial nexus of cities and technology. Many
have argued that cities can solve their own problems, or even that mayors
should rule the world, but the report smartly recognizes that such massive
investments in infrastructure need the support of the federal government. To
that end, the report makes four specific recommendations.Invest in and
experiment with technology: First, the report recommends the creation of a
new Cities Innovation Technology Investment Initiative, or CITII, to
coordinate city-by-city efforts and enhance urban innovation across the
nation. At the outset, this initiative would select five districts—at least
two of which are low-income communities—to receive $30-40 million for
technology advancements. The initiative would also designate certain federal agencies as
“districts of experimentation” to test out new technologies. Finally, the
report recommends that the CITII develop training and certification programs
to turn new innovation into a means of job production.Set up innovation
laboratories: Next, the report recommends creating new “innovation
laboratories” within the Department of Housing and Urban Development to
assemble the same technological resources that many governmental agencies
have already.Focus on infrastructure and low-income communities: The report
recommends that cities develop “Urban Development Districts,” which would
receive funding from the Treasury to generate innovation in low-income
districts. Along these same lines, the authors support the approval of public
infrastructure bonds that would incentivize private investment in tech-based
urban innovation. Coordinate research: Finally, a new Urban Science Technology
Initiative should be created within the National Science and Technology
Council to coordinate federally funded research (both short- and long-term)
across these agencies.The report recognizes that cities are the key to both
developing and deploying new technology. Just as technology led to massive
advances in manufacturing—from automation and robotics to more efficient
supply chains and deliveries—so too does it promise to improve the
productivity of cities and urban infrastructure.The big problem, of course,
lies in our increasingly polarized and dysfunctional political system that
will make it hard, if not impossible, to do the kinds of things the report
outlines. Still, the report does much to show why we need to put cities at
the center of our strategy for innovation and economic competitiveness. From
http://www.nextgov.com/ White House
Offers Details on $3.1B IT Modernization Plan The White House has proposed legislation to create a $3.1
billion revolving fund for upgrading outdated federal IT systems. The
proposed fund is a central piece of President Barack Obama's effort to make
agencies more digitally savvy in his last months in office.Federal CIO Tony
Scott called the modernization fund "an important first step in changing
the way the federal government manages its IT portfolio."The proposal
received swift backing from Democrats on Capitol Hill, with House Minority Whip
Steny Hoyer saying he will introduce legislation to establish the fund when
lawmakers return from recess next week.The White House proposal calls for an
independent board of experts to help prioritize high-risk federal systems for
replacement. The board would look for multiple legacy systems that could be
replaced with a few common platforms, Scott wrote in an April 8 blog post. It is currently hard for agencies to take advantage of those
common platforms because they are "acting on their own with limited
insight into other agencies' operations," he wrote.Agencies would have
to repay money drawn from the fund, so the initial $3.1 billion in proposed
funding for fiscal 2017 would cover at least $12 billion in projects over 10
years, White House officials said.IT acquisition and development officials at
the General Services Administration would counsel agencies on their
modernization plans so that "every investment that receives funding
[would] benefit from centralized oversight and expertise," Scott wrote."The
ITMF model has a proven track record in the private sector of reducing
long-term costs," Hoyer said in a statement. "This bill will rapidly upgrade our federal IT systems that
are most in need of upgrading, either from being cybersecurity risks,
inefficient or costly to maintain," he added. "It will implement
the upgrades using the latest best practices from our innovation economy in A spokesman for Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) said the
congressman, a big backer of IT reform in the past, is reviewing the
legislative proposal and would not be able to comment by press time.Another
IT-focused lawmaker, Rep. Will Hurd (R-Texas), has said he supports the White
House's modernization efforts but it will be up to agencies to keep their
eyes on the ball. "This is going to be constantly an issue, and
[agencies] need to make sure they are prepared to do that," Hurd said in
February.Michael Daniel, Obama's top cybersecurity adviser, has previously
expressed confidence in Congress' willingness to support the ITMF. At a New
America event in February, Daniel said cybersecurity is a bipartisan issue
and predicted that there will be "very broad [congressional] support for
the goals that we're trying to achieve."The administration hopes the
ITMF will put agencies on a path to permanent modernization and keep them
from falling too far behind technological advancements. "Stable funding
allows for long-term thinking and shorter development times, rather than
costly one-off fixes," Scott wrote. From
https://fcw.com/ 4 Steps to
Consider When Creatibg a Cloud Strategy in 2016 Ever since the National Institute of Standards and Technology
published its definition of cloud computing, government agencies and industry
have worked together to diligently embrace and deploy cloud infrastructure
throughout government IT. We have seen a combination of public as well as
private clouds -- with some agencies emerging as providers to others within
the federal government. We have also witnessed different agencies pooling
cloud resources to create community clouds so they adhere to various regulatory
compliance mandates while saving time, money and resources. We can say with
confidence that government has made strides in the adoption of cloud
technologies. In fact, a recent report by Market Research Media projects
federal cloud spending to surpass $10 billion by 2020. The reasons for this growth are manifold. At its core, the cloud
helps agencies improve the services they provide while lowering the cost of
providing and maintaining the resulting applications and infrastructure.
Agencies can do this while providing an environment for innovation and better
engagement with end users. These results have become the rallying cry of CIOs
throughout the government. Expectations of end users and customers have
evolved as well. Driven by the consumerization of IT, contemporary users
expect iPad simplicity with Gmail reliability. Accordingly, federal CIOs are frequently finding that their
agencies are evolving into technology-focused agencies. The success of
digital services organizations within the Commerce Department, the General
Services Administration and other government arms amplifies this new reality.
The upside of this evolution is that IT can become a source of competitive
advantage and drive deep engagement with its constituencies and business
partners. To realize this potential, federal IT administrators implementing a
cloud strategy should consider the following steps: Start small by taking a
staged approach. Choose a small, user-focused application (a.k.a. system of
engagement) to build a proof point around both cloud and agile development
approaches. In the beginning, stay away from applications that require
wholesale change to existing data and application infrastructure. Embrace automation. Automation is the name of the game when it
comes to cloud. If virtual servers require human interaction to provision or
update, seek the tooling that can automate these practices. The same goes for
application deployment and scaling. Remember, as soon as a user has to log
into a server in the cloud, the value of that implementation is diminished.
The good news is these practices can be developed within existing data
centers using just a bit of new tooling to build Continuous Integration and
Continuous Deployment infrastructure. Consider containers. Containerization
can also play an important role in guiding automation and deployment
strategies. Containers provide a standardized interface around applications
for startup and shutdown and, when used appropriately, can provide
capabilities to move workloads between disparate cloud providers.
Orchestration engines like Kubernetes provide the ability to then manage
containers at scale. Develop an exit strategy. Jim Whitehurst, Red Hat’s CEO, once
said, “cloud has the potential to be the mother of all lock-in.” How true
that has turned out to be. When we begin to adopt cloud providers, we risk
trading our proprietary database or middleware lock-in for a much more
insidious lock-in potential. As we build applications in a cloud-provided
panacea, we have the potential to design solutions that can never feasibly
exist within any other cloud. With that in mind, developing a cloud exit
strategy becomes as important as having an entry strategy. In fact, they
should be developed hand in hand, to enable a valid and open alternative to
either bring applications back into the government data center, or migrate them to another cloud provider. Otherwise, federal
IT administrators run the risk of their projects costing millions of dollars
and headaches to relocate from one cloud provider to another. Just ask
Verizon customers impacted by the company’s recent decision to close cloud
centers about how much of a challenge this can be. To avoid this issue, stick to technologies that are open and
based on industry standards so all of the latest and greatest widgets can
easily be moved between cloud providers. Because of this heightened focus on
cloud technology, you might think we have reached a government cloud nirvana,
while we know the truth is anything but. Deployment of resources within data
centers can still take days, weeks, or even months in our virtualized world.
Moving workloads between disparate cloud providers still proves to be
problematic at best and impossible at worst. And too often, cloud approaches
get boiled down to lowering the total cost of ownership of individual servers
or virtual machines, rather than laying a foundation for innovation. But rest
assured -- the future is bright, and the cloud offers the federal government
immense adaptability, agility, and efficiencies. It all depends on how
federal IT administrators choose to view the cloud, and the steps they take
to implement a cloud strategy. From
http://www.nextgov.com/ Why Law
Enforcement Agencies Need to Share Data From financial fraud to child pornography, crime-fighting
agencies increasingly rely on other organizations' data to get the job
done."The single hacker can do things that were never thought of years
ago," said Bruce Welsh, unit chief in the FBI's Cyber Division.In a
"growing and unsecure" cyber ecosystem, agencies need to share data
quickly and effectively with partner organizations, he said at IBM's
Government Analytics Forum on May 5.Jamie Holt, cybercrime unit chief at Immigration
and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations, said outside
tools proved crucial in Project VIC, an ambitious initiative to tackle child
pornography.After seizing 6 petabytes of data in 2015 -- the equivalent of 77
years of high-definition video -- Holt's 6,000 agents faced the daunting
challenge of combing through all that evidence. HSI ameliorated the backlog
with a tool that could pull out previously identified images, thereby cutting
a nine-month review backlog down to one month and reducing the number of
times agents had to view graphic images of abuse, Holt said. Even with a better internal data-wrangling scheme, HSI still
needs international help because abusers are often in one country, victims in
another and servers storing child pornography in a third, Holt added.Broad
cooperation is also crucial for dealing with financial crimes. Kenn Kern,
chief of staff of the Investigation Division at the New York County District
Attorney's Office, said his office doesn't have immediate access to every
American's personal data as some people suspect.He said he can't access
federal data without court orders, and he wouldn't want to."I don't want
everyone's data," he said. "It's too much to deal with."But
when he does need to get data from federal agencies or another law
enforcement outfit, that data must be ready to use. Vijay D'Souza, director of the Government Accountability
Office's Center for Enhanced Analytics, said fraudsters aren't always linked
to all their crimes because one jurisdiction uses their full name in records
while another relies on initials. Establishing information-sharing agreements
among agencies to reduce lag times and standardize data formats is a must, he
added.Linking criminals to their activities is especially tricky internationally,
but Kern said it is crucial. Trying to fight financial crime without quick,
effective data transfers between From
https://fcw.com/ Around the
World in 20 News Stories Regulators hit the headlines in Latin America, its all-go in
India, U.S. operators focus on content, and the rumour mill turns in
Europe.The newswires have been relatively quiet in Total Telecom's part of
the world this week, doubtless due in part to the post-Mobile World Congress
recovery period. But further afield there was action aplenty in the telecoms
space, so join us for a whistlestop tour of this week's global news
highlights. We begin in Latin America, where Telecom Italia finally appears
to have gained approval for the sale of its controlling stake in Telecom - Regulator OKs Telecom Italia's - - Telefonica gets World Bank loan to pay for spectrum in Asia-Pacific The Asia-Pacific region was busy as always, with - - RCom, Aircel to create 50:50 JV - Telco leadership changes in - Mobile operators merge in - True gets �2bn bank backing for - NBN denies claims it is falling behind targets Middle East and The big news in the MEA region was the failure of Vodacom's bid
to acquire South African fixed-line operator Neotel, despite having recently
reworked the deal. Vodacon blamed "regulatory complexities". There
were also results announcements from major players Ooredoo and MTN. - Vodacom, Neotel deal collapses - Currency issues hit Ooredoo's full-year financials - MTN full-year profit tumbles It has mostly been about content in - AT&T's DirecTV goes OTT - Verizon, Hearst form video JV - Deutsche Telekom to hang on to - Shaw closes C$1.6bn Wind buy Rumour and speculation abound in - Telecom Italia CEO's job under threat...from Vivendi - Frontrunners seen upping offer for - - EU consumers' broadband needs 'not fulfilled' (Click here for details
http://www.totaltele.com/view.aspx?ID=493047) From
http://www.totaltele.com/ Internet
Politics: Developed vs Developing It is not so convincing how the developed world looks at the
rest of the hemisphere with the same attitude of equality and control. On one
hand there are voices of equality where as in the other there is greed of
power and control that lures them with an unending fight of power vs power in
safeguarding their own survival. From the participation and development of
policies to running the concept of any kind of technology platform, the sense
of control and collaboration that catalyzes and leads the overall process. It
pushes the developing world aside in saying we have second rights to
technology and other aspect of internet development process. May be an abrupt
thought but most of us coming down from the third world scenario or
developing country feels different about what technology is all about. I think it does not matter in its use and operation but when it
comes to internet development process, then and there we feel reserved as
there seems to be a big discrimination of understanding technology and its policy
from unilateral side. If you look at the whole internet evolution process,
there seems to be a certain role and possibilities of investment done and
catered by few of the developed nations. Moving down the line the growth and
popularity of internet succeeded because of its freedom of choice and
adaptation ability that focused more towards the issue of cooperation and
coordination by the entire community and people. The dynamics of internet
created its own opportunity which doesn't needed any explanation but why the
developed nations are trying to control and create a mechanism of containing
it, is simply a question of amazement? From mass surveillance to the issues of cyber terrorism and
warfare and censorship things are not only getting out of control but it has
adopted and characterized the new development as its part of its development
process. Why are we scared and of what? With such insecurities, the
development of internet is moving toward the faster age of Information and
communication where its externalities are further coming up with prominent
features and capacity. Similarly, the WikiLeaks is yet another example that
showcases the weakness of not the evolution of the internet process but
highlights the weakness of the developed nation in procrastinating
the superiority complex. Likewise, today the Internet is moving towards
creating a history where it will be connecting the next billion of 4 billion
by the end of this year. But when it comes down to digital equity, still
today there are various aspect of differences that discriminate people at
regional and national level for their basic rights and privacy. Where are we and what are we doing
about it? Though there are basic standards that defines internet as the basic
right of every individual but when it comes down to practice even at surface
level there no existence of cooperation. My Question is why this
discrimination and what are we doing to ensure my digital rights coming down
at an individual level from Asia or Who is responsible? The long practice of favoritism and nepotism are still seen in
big Internet conferences like IGF and ICANN meeting where still today the
nominations are based on recommendations and power. The big platform have reservation
of Big developed nation in terms of decision making roles and leadership
where developing and least developed nations have been shadowed. Though the
concept of Multistakeholderism has been adopted, it radically differentiates
in terms of finding its own meaning and interpretation. Multistakeholderism
in absence of practice apprehends like a bait that
lures us to be part of the whole digital ecosystem but gives us no voice in
shouting out the real issues. We are limited within a cocoon where the developed
nation leads and governs in majority in view of the technical community's
recommendation. The so called practice may give voices to very few nations
but what about the rest? Who is going to represent them? For example Internet as a community of development is only possible when we
secure the right of every individual and create a uniform level of
cooperation and understanding. Though various aspect
of Multistakeholderism and collaborative leadership has been pushed, when it
comes to giving recognition and leadership, the developed world fails to
acknowledge reality limiting us to an option of adjustment. We have the voice
and we have the energy but do we have the choice? Please do not give us the
limited opportunities in fighting for the options as we are aware of how the
internet politics work. The politics that goes behind the scene are not just
limited in terms of appointment and funding options, but it goes on even in
the rights to voice and communicate where the developed countries have been
given the role of leadership and we have been suppressed of listening and
following the rest. Digital equality is a must, not just in terms of words
but in practice, to ensure all individuals from a developing, to a least
developed country, voice their part of the story. You cannot show a blind man
the road but you can give him the choice to follow the direction. Just like
that we need great leadership with better attitude who can entertain better
politics with better scope and role to develop internet as a tool of humanity
for betterment. By Shreedeep Rayamajhi, ICT4D Consultant. More blog posts
from Shreedeep Rayamajhi can also be read here. From
http://www.circleid.com/
Commission
Publishes Results of Two Public Consultations Under Digital Single Market
Strategy The Commission has today published two reports as part of its
preparatory work to create a Digital Single Market. The first one is related
to the public consultation on the review of the EU Satellite and Cable
Directive (Full report). The objectives of the consultation were to collect
views on how stakeholders evaluate the requirements of the Directive and on
the possibility of extending some of its principles in light of market and
technological developments as well as online practices. The Commission will
take account of the results of the public consultation in its ongoing work to
facilitate cross-border access to content in the EU. The second report
published today covers the public consultation on the technical measures
related to the end of roaming charges in the EU. A few days after a new
decrease in roaming charges, the Commission is fully working on the
preparation of the end of roaming charges set for June 2017. The results of
the public consultation will notably contribute to the review of wholesale
markets (i.e. the prices that operators charge each other for the use of
their networks) to be presented in the coming weeks. Vice-President Ansip, in charge of the Digital Single Market,
and Commissioner Oettinger, in charge of the Digital Economy and Society,
said: "We have now analysed almost all the contributions to the public
consultations that we have launched under the Digital Single Market Strategy.
One year after we presented our plans, we are on the right track to translate
them into concrete proposals. Our next set of initiatives should be on the
table at the end of the month. They will boost e-commerce in the EU and
contribute to creating the rights conditions for a thriving digital economy
and society, with modern rules for audiovisual media and policy directions in
the area of online platforms". From
https://ec.europa.eu/
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According to a 2015 survey by Amazon From http://www.chinagate.cn/
Gov't Reassures Foreign Companies on New
Internet Rules "Many international Internet companies have moved their
computer servers to the mainland so as to offer faster surfing experience to
local consumers," Dai said. "But wording in the draft rule is too
broad and vague to know whether these companies will be affected."
According to Dai, websites with servers deployed outside From http://www.chinagate.cn/
Rule of Law Crucial in Cyberspace: People's Daily A commentary in Saturday's People's Daily has defended From http://www.news.cn/ From http://www.gov.cn/
New Policy for Cross-border E-commerce May Be
Delayed New tariff policy for cross-border e-commerce may see some new
adjustments, which are scheduled to be unveiled in near term, the Shanghai Securities
News reported on Tuesday. The adjustments suggested that the new rules should
be postponed for one year. During the one-year transition period,
cross-border retailers could make preparation for new regulation. This comes
just one month after During the meeting, authorities made clear that the nation will
support cross-border e-commerce, with focus on B2B and exports. However, it
doesn't mean the development of B From http://www.chinagate.cn/
China will boost growth of the artificial intelligence (AI)
sector in the next three years, said a statement issued by the National
Development and Reform Commission on Monday. By 2018, From http://www.news.cn/
The government has started working in earnest on a mid- to
long-term plan for what it calls “a society with all 100-million plus people
dynamically engaged,” a plan conceived at the initiative of Prime Minister
Shinzo Abe and scheduled to be compiled in May. With its eye on the House of
Councillors election this summer, the government intends to set a course to
reform the nature of employment, with “equal pay for equal work” as the key
policy. It is also hastily mapping out measures to cope with the issue of
children on waiting lists for nursery schools, which is currently embroiled
in controversy triggered by an anonymous blog post. “My child has turned 1
year old, so I tried to get a job again,” said a woman who participated in a
“dialogue for realizing a society with all 100-million plus people
dynamically engaged” held in The dialogues were started in February to reflect people’s
opinions on a plan for realizing a dynamically engaged society. About 400
people participated in the fourth and final event on Saturday. Before the Saturday
dialogue, Kato inspected a nursery school in At the same time, measures to alleviate the wait to get into
child care facilities are suddenly attracting increasing attention due to an
anonymous blog titled, “Failed to get a place at a nursery school. From
http://the-japan-news.com
Govt to
Disclose Info on How Pension Assets Are Invested The government intends to disclose information on stocks and bonds
owned by the Government Pension Investment Fund (GPIF), which manages pension
reserves, and other information after a certain period of time. Currently,
the GPIF delegates investment management to trust banks and other
organizations. The latest decision on information disclosure is intended to
dispel public concern over arbitrary management of pension assets and other
matters, according to sources. The government submitted bills to the current
Diet session to revise relevant laws, and revise as early as The move to promote information disclosure was prompted by growing
distrust over how pension premiums collected from people are invested,
observers said. The GPIF is one of the world’s largest institutional
investors, managing and investing pension reserves worth about ¥140 trillion.
As of the end of 2015, 37 percent of GPIF’s holdings were in domestic bonds,
23 percent in domestic equities, 22 percent in foreign equities, 13 percent
in foreign bonds and the remaining portion in other financial instruments.
Actual investment management, such as the choice of equities to be bought and
sold, is delegated to outside bodies. Due to high stock prices resulting from
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s Abenomics economic policy package and other
factors, the accumulated profits of the GPIF since fiscal 2001, when it
started fully investing pension assets in markets, amounted to about ¥50
trillion as of the end of 2015. However, they have been affected by such
factors as falling stock prices since January 2016, and there is growing
distrust among the public over the management of pension reserves, including
their investment in stocks and other assets. The government judged it would
be necessary to disclose information to restore trust, according to the
sources. The government’s traditional stance was not to disclose information
on GPIF stock trading that involves a huge amount of funds because it could
influence stock prices and other matters if such information was disclosed.
However, if such information is disclosed a certain period of time after
trading, it is now widely believed that “it would be possible to avoid
influencing the markets,” a senior official at the welfare ministry said. The government has been reviewing the GPIF’s investment
principles since October 2014, and made it possible to invest up to nearly
half its pension reserves in domestic and foreign equities, which have large
price fluctuations. Public interest in the investment management of pension
reserves has been growing, so it is natural that the government decided to
disclose information. There has been much misguided criticism in the Diet
among opposition parties, including that companies close to the government
will be supported because their shares will be purchased by the GPIF.
Ensuring transparency will help dispel suspicions about arbitrary management
of pension reserves. With regard to the latest decision on information
disclosure, some feel it would be strategic to allow the GPIF to directly
decide on its own how pension reserves should be invested. Currently, the
GPIF delegates investment management to trust banks and other organizations.
However, if it starts trading equities and bonds on its own, it will become
necessary to disclose relevant information. Regarding direct investment
management by the GPIF, there is concern within economic circles and elsewhere
that the GPIF’s ownership of shares in companies could influence corporate
management. The government and the ruling parties intend to review the pros
and cons of the matter as early as 2020. They will surely be required to make
a careful decision. From
http://the-japan-news.com
Government
Council OK’s ‘Dynamic Engagement’ Draft Plan A government council agreed Wednesday on a draft plan to realize
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s pledge to render The wage gap between highly skilled, experienced nursery
staffers and female workers in other jobs will be narrowed. The gap currently
amounts to about ¥ From
http://the-japan-news.com
Korea's ICT ministry said Wednesday it has decided to put off a project
to launch another mobile carrier in the country, after its previous attempts
made no headway due to lack of financially qualified bidders. Since October
2010, the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Panning has opened bidding
seven times with the aim of setting up a new mobile carrier. At present, the
market is dominated by three players: SK Telecom, KT and LG Uplus. The
government's attempt is in line with its efforts to add more competition and
bring down network subscription fees, which can benefit consumers. "For
now, we will not receive further applications for a fourth mobile carrier, as
we are not likely to promote the project," a government official said.
"But this decision is not permanent." In January, the ministry announced
the result of the seventh bid for the program, where three firms filed
applications. There were no winners, as the ministry said all candidates
"lacked credibility and viability for their fund-raising plans."
Industry watchers also pointed out the government no longer needs to allow
another mobile carrier, as the rise of mobile virtual network operators
(MVNOs) already provide users with budget subscription plans. MVNOs refer to
mobile service providers that rent networks from the country's three
carriers. As this can reduce the cost of managing networks, the firms usually
sell budget subscription plans through low-end smartphones. SK Telecom
currently dominates From
http://www.koreaherald.com
Int'l
Standards for Health Care-Related IoT Devices to Be Unveiled The Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute(ETRI) said Wednesday that it will unveil
international standards for health care-related Internet of Things(IoT)
products in May. The Daejeon-based research institute, known for holding
the most From
http://world.kbs.co.kr
From
http://www.korea.net
Daegu Rises
as Nation's 'Smartest City' The city of From
http://www.korea.net
From
http://www.koreaherald.com
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The Indonesian government has finally released a regulation
requiring foreign over the top (OTT) mobile service providers to acquire
licences in the country. The new announcement, which will be followed by a
ministrial regulation in the near future, is aimed at protecting and
encouraging the development of local OTT internet applications. In a
statement, the Minister of Communications and Information Technology
Rudiantara said foreign service providers will have to register as a local
entity with sole ownership or establish a joint-venture with local partners.
This means giant tech companies like Google, Facebook, and Twitter could be
forced to procure additional investments. He also said that providers will be
given “reasonable” periods of time to comply with the new rules. He added
that all players, national and foreign, must adhere to the country’s laws
regarding content filtering, censorship, and national payment gateway usage.
Previously Rudiantara had said the government intended to resolve the
international OTT players first before the locally owned OTTs citing a
commitment to equality. In response to the new regulation, Product Manager
Maulana Muhammad of ruangguru.com, From
http://www.dealstreetasia.com/
Design 2025 has set out 15 recommendations under five strategic
thrusts. The first thrust aims to nurture design as a national competency to
prepare the next generation of From
http://news.xinhuanet.com/
The Defence Ministry on Monday approved the cyber strategies for
the national defence draft at a meeting chaired by Deputy Prime Minister and
Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwan. The ministry believes the cyber strategies
are needed in the advent of cyber threats as many countries use cyber as
military tools to gain advantages or to instigate unrest, said ministry
spokesman Maj-General Kongcheep Tantrawanit. "We need such strategies to
increase our cyber potential and help the military carry out its mission
effectively,'' he said. The proposed law aimed to give officials the liberty
to use cyber measures and limit the liberty of rivals or enemies from
interfering or attacking From
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/
Act Reduces
Thai Regulator’s Autonomy; DTAC Abstains from 900mhz Re-Auction From
https://www.telegeography.com/
Govt Urged
to Promote at Least Three $1-Billion Tech Start-Ups in Five Years For example, the industry believes it's necessary for Tax privileges for start-ups Due to unfavourable conditions in From
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/
A senior government official has expressed the hope that the country's
information and technology (IT) officials would join hands in implementing
Resolution From
http://vietnamnews.vn/
President
Backs Hi-Tech Plans to Offset Drought President Trương Tấn Sang yesterday asked residents of Lộc An
Commune of Lộc Ninh district in the southern From
http://vietnamnews.vn/
NA Discuss
Access to Information, Development Plans National Assembly deputies on March 24 agreed on the essentials
of a law on information access rights during their ongoing session in Socio-economic development discussed Earlier the same day, the National Assembly reviewed the implementation
of the socio-economic development tasks in 2015 and worked out future tasks
for the next five years. Over the past five years, the rate of inflation was
controlled, the macro economy stable, the Consumer Price Index reduced to 0.6
percent in 2015 from 18.13 percent in 2011, credit quality has gradually
improved, and exchange rate and foreign exchange reserves were basically
stable. Regarding the challenges facing From
http://english.vietnamnet.vn/
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An agreement was signed
between Excise & Taxation Department, National Bank of From
http://www.brecorder.com
Considering the recent
rise in cybercrime cases in the state, Uttar Pradesh government is planning
to make a separate cybercrime law for the state. Azam Khan, Parliamentary Affair
Minister, told that the Uttar Pradesh state government has instructed the
Ministry of Home Affairs to make a separate cybercrime law so that the rising
cases of cybercrime could be controlled.He said that he wants the law to be
made by consensus. There is a uncontrolled use of
abusive language and due to the lack of a strict law, nothing much could be
done against them. UP police department has developed a software which can
show all the details only on typing a special word, he added. It will help to
grab those who pass provoking and abusive comments on social media. He also
discussed the initiatives taken by the government to build cyber police
stations and controlling cybercrime in the state. From
http://egov.eletsonline.com PM Modi Orders Speedy
Execution of Digital Prime Minister Narendra Modi has ordered officials to quickly implement
the ‘housing for all’ scheme in order to provide broadband to all gram
panchayats and facilitate eGovernance. The order was issued while he reviewed
the progress of key infrastructure sectors in the country, including coal,
housing and ports, oil and gas, renewable energy and power, as also the
Digital India programme.According to an official statement, “The prime
minister was informed that progress of electrification of all unelectrified
villages is proceeding at a rapid pace. Out of the approximately 18,500
unelectrified villages, 6,000 have already been electrified.”Modi also took
special interest in renewable energy, notably on the progress in distribution
of LED bulbs across the country. Officials said that against the target of
175 GW of such energy capacity by 2022, 39.5 GW of installed capacity had
already been achieved. From
http://egov.eletsonline.com The project of
supporting female Information Technology (IT) graduates through internship
program was launched here at Hamdard University Main Campus at Madinat
al-Hikmah, From
http://www.brecorder.com |
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A strategic plan
for the development of the information and communication technologies sector
is being drafted by a commission operating under the National Confederation
of Entrepreneurs Organizations of Azerbaijan. Commission Chairman Ismail
Alakbarov told Trend that the strategic plan will take into account the
short-term and long-term goals for the development high-tech industry in From http://www.azernews.az/ |
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A new
Australian organisation aims to build a broader fight-back around digital
civil liberties. Digital Rights Watch officially launched today. The chair of
the organisation, Tim Singleton Norton, said that DRW isn’t intended as a
replacement for existing digital rights and privacy organisations. Instead
the intention is for it to act as an umbrella organisation that can link
together and amplify the efforts of different sectors affected by legislation
such as the data retention regime. “We’re trying to get all of those digital
space advocates and then link them up with human rights advocates, link them
with human rights lawyers, with the telcos and in general with the activism
sector, and do it in a way that actually connects them,” he said. “I guess
part of our remit is not to replace anything but to be a connector into the
sectors that have to date not been connected with these issues.” Singleton
Norton said that the organisation came out of a series of workshops held at
the end of 2015. A defining feature of the organisation will be reaching out
“beyond just the digital realm,” he said. “A lot of this space has been
focussed on a very niche tech industry and that’s meant it hasn’t reached a wider
audience of people who will actually be impacted by [legislation],” he said.
Singleton Norton said that 2015 was a “pretty horrific year”, citing the
introduction of the data retention scheme, the government’s National Facial
Biometric Matching Capability and the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade
agreement inching closer. “All of these things came through so rapidly and
with very little public debate,” he said. He said that although there have
been some strong advocates on issues such as data retention,
ultimately the government has managed to push through legislation with
minimal public backlash. “In many
ways the formation of the organisation is a little bit late in some
instances,” Singleton Norton said. “We’ve seen all of this legislation go through
but that was also a catalyst — ‘We need a coordinated approach to this so
that it doesn’t get worse and then we can roll back some of that horrendous
legislation’.” The organisation has a range of what Singleton Norton
describes as ‘foundation partners’ — organisations and individuals that have
endorsed the general idea of the organisation and have contributed to its
formation in some capacity or another. Among them are Choice, Thoughtworks,
the NSW Council for Civil Liberties, the Australian Privacy Foundation, human
rights lawyer Julian Burnside, broadcaster Mary Kostakidis, and iiNet founder
Michael Malone. “Most of them are backing the concept, the policy agenda and
the kind of outlook of our plan,” Singleton Norton said. “The Privacy
Foundation has already said that they’re very willing to work with us on
advocacy and policy development when it relates to privacy, whereas
Thoughtworks are providing a lot of the back-end support.” The nascent
organisation is already forming international links, Singleton Norton said,
including with Fight for the Future in the From http://www.computerworld.com.au
Government
Releases Disability Communications Consultation Paper The federal
government has released a consultation paper aimed at improving communication
options for Australians with disability and ensuring the sustainability of
the National Relay Service (NRS). The consultation paper - Communications
accessibility: 2016 and beyond - canvasses the growing range of
communications options available for Australians with a disability. The paper
seeks feedback on ways to improve the delivery of the NRS, which helps people
who are deaf or have a speech or hearing impairment to make and receive phone
calls. The government says nearly half a million successful connections were
made to the NRS in 2014-15 and use has continued to grow this financial year,
with advances in technology improving the range of accessible services
available in Australia. According to the government, smartphone and tablet
devices now offer high levels of accessibility with a growing number of text
and video based communication options, such as live chat, messaging, email
and video calls. And, this
has created more real-time and independent options for people with disability
to communicate with friends, family and businesses without requiring
specialised equipment. The government says that promoting and enabling
adoption of these improved accessible service options will provide
substantial opportunities to improve the overall quality of life for people
with disability. And, use of alternative service options will also assist in
maintaining the sustainability of the NRS as a safety net communication
option for Australians who are deaf, hearing and/or speech impaired, through
spreading the demand for accessible services across a wide array of options. From http://www.itwire.com
Australian
Federal Budget 2016: NBN Still Needs to Raise Money What does “NBN Co
Limited — Equity Agreement” “The
Australian Government has entered into an Equity Funding Agreement with NBN
Co Limited (nbn). The Agreement formalises the Australian Government's
intention to provide equity to fund the roll‑out of the National Broadband
Network, with such funding being conditional on the annual appropriation
processes. In addition, it commits the Australian Government, in the event of
a termination of the National Broadband Network roll‑out, to provide
sufficient funds to nbn to meet its costs arising from that termination.
Although the nbn Equity Funding Agreement will end in 2019, the Commonwealth
would retain obligations to meet nbn's costs arising from a termination of
the roll‑out. As at 29 February 2016, nbn's termination liabilities were
estimated at $9.4 billion.” “Optus
financial guarantee” “The
Australian Government has provided a guarantee in respect of the NBN Co
Limited's financial obligations to Optus Networks Pty Ltd, Optus Internet Pty
Limited, Optus Vision Media Pty Limited and SingTel Optus Pty Ltd
(collectively, Optus) under the Optus HFC Subscriber Agreement (Guarantee).
An amended version of that Agreement came into effect on 19 September 2015
and the Guarantee continues to apply to that Agreement. The Agreement extends
for the period of the National Broadband Network roll‑out in Optus Hybrid
Fibre Coaxial areas. As at 29 February 2016 it is estimated that the
Australian Government's liability under the Guarantee will not exceed $50
million. There is a low risk that a claim would be made under the Guarantee.
The Guarantee will terminate in 2021.” “Telstra
Financial Guarantee” “The Australian
Government has provided a guarantee to Telstra Corporation Limited (Telstra)
in respect of NBN Co Limited's (nbn) financial obligations to Telstra under
the Definitive Agreements. The Agreements were amended on 14 December 2014.
The Guarantee was not amended at that time and it continues in force in
accordance with its terms in respect of the amended Definitive Agreements.
The liabilities under the agreements between Telstra and nbn arise
progressively during the roll‑out of the National Broadband Network as
Telstra's infrastructure is accessed and Telstra's customers are disconnected
from its copper and Hybrid Fibre Coaxial cable networks. The Australian
Government is only liable in the event nbn does not pay an amount when due
under the Definitive Agreements. As at 29 February 2016, nbn had generated
liabilities covered by the guarantee estimated at $4.3 billion. The guarantee
will terminate when nbn achieves specified credit ratings for a period of two
continuous years and either: # the
company is capitalised by the Commonwealth to the agreed amount; or # the
Communications Minister declares, under the National Broadband Network
Companies Act 2011, that, in his or her opinion, the National Broadband
Network should be treated as built and fully operational. “Termination
of the funding agreement with OPEL Network Pty Ltd” “As at 31
March 2016, the Australian Government is a party to legal action brought by
OPEL Networks Pty Ltd (in Liquidation) (OPEL) and Optus Networks Pty Ltd
(Optus) in relation to an agreement under the Broadband Connect
Infrastructure Programme. OPEL is a joint venture between Optus and Elders
Telecommunications Infrastructure Pty Ltd. The outcome of that litigation is
unknown as the proceedings are ongoing.” In the section entitled: ‘Statement
8: Statement of Risks (continued) Contingent liabilities — unquantifiable’ in
the ‘Communications and the Arts’ section, Australins are told about ‘NBN Co
Limited - Board Members’ Insolvency Indemnity.” This section says: “The
Australian Government has provided each Director of NBN Co Limited (nbn) with
an indemnity against liability as a result of the Government failing to meet
its funding obligations to nbn. “The
liabilities covered by this indemnity would be no greater than those covered
by the nbn Equity Agreement, with the exception of any legal expenses
incurred by individual Directors arising from this indemnity.” In ‘Statement
6: Debt Statement, Assets and Liabilities (continued) - The Australian
Government's major assets and liabilities’, the section entitled ‘National
Broadband Network’ states: “The National Broadband Network (NBN) will deliver
fast, affordable broadband to all Australians. The Government has instructed
NBN Co Limited (nbn) to complete the NBN using a multi‑technology mix
(including fibre to the premises, fibre to the node, hybrid fibre coaxial
cable, and wireless and satellite technologies), to ensure the NBN is
delivered as soon as possible and at least cost to taxpayers. The Government
will provide $8.8 billion in equity to nbn in 2016‑17, including $0.4 billion
moved from 2015‑16. The Government's equity contributions are capped at $29.5
billion.” From http://www.itwire.com
Telcos across New Zealand have welcomed Government plans to
streamline consenting rules to help speed up the installation of the
Ultra-Fast Broadband (UFB) rollout, as part of the first phase of its Land
Access Reforms to reduce delays and frustrations with getting properties
connected to UFB. As reported by Computerworld New TCF On the whole, the telecommunications industry supports the
changes, which will “remove a barrier” to connecting to the UFB network.
According to TCF CEO, Geoff Thorn, the current requirement to get consent
from all property owners is slowing down the installation process and
creating frustration for consumers who are actively seeking to upgrade to
UFB. As such, Thorn believes the proposed changes are a positive step forward
and will help reduce the time required for consumers to get their fibre
connection with the changes also estimated to save the industry costs of
between $18 and $40 million over the next four years. “The demand for UFB has
been growing at an unprecedented rate,” Thorn adds. “Clearly, consumers want
access to fast broadband. However, many New Zealanders need to get their
neighbour’s consent in order to take the UFB connection down a shared
driveway, or right of way. At the moment, if a neighbour simply doesn’t
respond to the request for consent, the consumer wanting the connection
misses out. Broadband connections are no longer a ‘nice to have’. Thorn says network operators are using a range of
technologies to provide the fibre connection to the consumer’s premises.
“Many of these technologies have a low impact on the shared land,” he adds.
“Consequently, the TCF supports the idea that the industry should be able to
get on with constructing these low impact installations, after providing
advanced notice to all property owners.” For Thorn, it’s also important for
consumers to understand that connecting fibre to their home or office is a
construction job. “A job which requires careful planning and qualified
installers,” he adds. “The very high demand for connections means that there
will always be some delay. “To place the size of the task for the industry
into perspective, the number of UFB connections is currently about twice the
number of new connections the electricity industry is doing, and it is
increasing rapidly as consumers understand the benefits of fibre.” MyRepublic The Government’s announcement has also been welcomed by
MyRepublic, who believe the move demonstrates an “important step” toward
ensuring all New Zealanders are able to enjoy the vastly superior internet
experience provided by fibre broadband. “This improvement is an important
step to address some of these challenges around consent, and ensures
consumers who are currently affected by delays, can be connected in a timely
and simple process, whilst still respecting the rights of property owners,”
says Vaughan Baker, Managing Director, MyRepublic.
“A pragmatic consents process is a critical step in the right direction in
creating balance and addressing some of the issues experienced to date during
the fibre roll out and we applaud the Government for taking action. But we’re
not there yet, we’re far from it. In At present, Baker says MyRepublic is in discussion with
Chorus and the LFCs, as well as their subcontractors, on ways the experience
of the MyRepublic Group in the APAC region can be leveraged in the country’s
local build. “These changes mean more New Zealanders will be able to connect
to this world class fibre broadband network,” Baker adds. “MyRepublic will
continue to be at the forefront of helping customers take advantage of the
fibre revolution, and delivering an awesome internet experience to all
kiwis.” Ultrafast Fibre Ultrafast Fibre CEO, William Hamilton, says the changes will
help people to connect and access the benefits of fibre faster. “We support
the Minister’s initiative to help make the UFB installation process as
efficient and as quick as possible,” he says. “Our team has been working
closely with the industry and officials to get these changes in place - using
our own experiences and the voice of the customer to get the message across.
We believe this legislative change will have a positive impact for many end
users and also for our business.” From http://www.computerworld.co.nz PAPUA NEW UNITED
Nations experts on information and technology are here to provide technical
and strategic advice to Parliament and the Bougainville House of
Representatives. Gerry Kessell-Haak from From The
National |
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The Egyptian government has appointed Asmaa Mahmoud Hosni Ahmed
as the Information Technology Industry Development Agency (ITIDA) CEO for a
year, effective 03 April. Hosni has around 22 years' experience in ICT and in
developing strategies, implementing projects and managing companies. She has
20 years of experience in establishing a 50-50 partnership with the Orascom
group in From
http://www.telecompaper.com/ EUROPE: Many countries have taken out the human equation through
automation – saving money and improving public service in the process –
through introducing electronic government platforms.The United Nations ranked
Ukraine ranked 87th out of 193 countries in its e-government survey in 2014.
That is far behind Justice Ministry leads To get registered as a private entrepreneur in Created by volunteers Pressure to remove the bureaucratic obstacles to delivering
government services in Ukraine came largely from the ground up, from civil
society.But with no coherent state strategy for implementing e-government,
the country has at least two platforms that claim to offer similar
functions.DmytroDubilet, the project manager of iGov – a new state
administrative services portal – said his initiative started with a Facebook
post. Dubilet called on other information technology specialists to volunteer
to make the delivery of state administrative services more convenient and
efficient. More than 100 people responded to the call, and they are now
actively developing the project after the portal launched in June 2015.Developed
on open source software, iGov cost the state nothing. “If we built the
project on a commercial footing it would cost millions of hryvnias every
month,” Dubilet said. As of now, 20 percent of the government’s services are
available on iGov. The plan is to add all 1,000 of them to the platform by
the end of 2016. Some services are provided entirely remotely, such as
applications for subsidies. For others, citizens still need to fill in an
application, pay a fee, and schedule a visit to a government agency to
receive the certificate they require.As electronic signatures are not widely
used in Ukraine and not all ministries recognize them, the problem of
verification was solved with the help of bank IDs – nine Ukrainian banks have
joined in the project.Currently, the online provision of state services is
spread unevenly through Ukraine, with Dnipropetrovsk Oblast taking the
lead.While earlier volunteers were asking government agencies to use their
platform, now the central and municipal administrative bodies are coming to
the iGov developers with requests to make their services available on the
platform.As no big portal can survive on the enthusiasm of volunteers
forever, iGov’s founder is now looking for grants, and has hired the
project’s first full-time staff. Dubilet said that after iGov is finished and
removed from the volunteers’ shoulders, keeping it going should cost the
state less than Hr 100,000 per month. He said that the Economy Ministry will
audit the portal before taking over responsibility for it. One stop shop Apart from the volunteer initiative iGov, the Economy Ministry
has its own online government services pilot project -- poslugy.gov.ua.
According to At the same time, Ukrainian law does not forbid government
agencies and local authorities from providing their services separately on
their own websites, just as the Justice Ministry does. The problem with
making government services available online in Ukraine is that everything
that has already been achieved will need to be re-done, says OlehLevchenko,
e-governance expert from the non-governmental Reanimation Package of
Reforms.He doubts that the biggest portal, iGov, will become a centralized
e-government platform, because it is a non-government initiative. There is
also the question of the security of the personal data stored on
iGov."It’s not enough to have the will and an electronic program. It is
important to make officials work with it," Levchenko told the Kyiv Post. As for government initiatives, the problem with the online
services of the Justice Ministry is that they are being introduced without a
coherent strategy, Levchenko said. Thus, when other ministries go online,
additional challenges will arise in efficiently connecting those systems. On the other hand, before introducing e-government, From
http://www.kyivpost.com/ NORTH
AMERICA: IT procurement remains a complex issue. It seems like we have
been talking about how to better the process for many years now, with no real
results. But thankfully, the National Association of State Chief Information
Officers (NASCIO) recently developed and released a five-step process, Call
To Action: Recommendations for Improved State IT Procurement, that guides
state leaders to improve their IT procurement process.Meredith Ward, Senior
Policy Analyst at NASCIO, and Doug Robinson, Executive Director at NASCIO,
sat down with Emily Jarvis on GovLoop’s State and Local Spotlight to discuss
the call to action and what it all entails. emily-snl-badge-02-300x300“CIOs
still don’t understand why the process takes so long. In general, it takes 18
months for the IT procurement cycle to begin and end. And although there is a
good reason, a good purpose for the protections put in place, laws do not get
updated overnight,” Ward said.In their recent interview, Ward and Robinson
detailed five steps they believe will improve IT procurement in state
government. 1) Remove unlimited liability clauses in state terms and
conditions: The report noted, “As state CIOs continue to deploy IT solutions,
it is important to recognize the fiscal benefits of transforming the
procurement process to meet the needs of a smaller workforce, budget
constraints, and consolidation efforts. States who
have eliminated unlimited liability have also experienced an increased
innovative and competitive contract culture.”“It is not the norm in the
marketplace, but it is the provision for states,” Robinson said. Large,
multinational corporations do not want to put their assets and their company
at risk with an unlimited liability. When limitations are put in place,
competition among the vendors is encouraged, which leads to a healthier
procurement system. 2) Introduce more flexible terms and conditions: Ward and
Robinson explained that the role of procurement officials is to level the
playing field, to reduce the risk to state government and its taxpayers.
Additionally, procurement officials should promote healthy competition within
the state, but sometimes these two roles can cause friction with one
another.That may explain why some states continue to be unwilling to waiver
on their terms and conditions. Robinson referred to these terms as
“absolutes,” and explained that they lead to companies’ refusal to accept the
standard terms and conditions because they are too onerous. Instead, NASCIO
hopes to instill the mentality that the more flexible terms are, the more agile and adaptive an agency can be in their
IT adoption. 3) Don’t require performance bonds from vendors: Investopedia
defines a performance bond as “a bond issued to one party of a contract as a
guarantee against the failure of the other party to meet obligations
specified in the contract.” The website uses a construction project as an
example and explains that “if the contractor fails to construct the building
according to the specifications laid out by the contract, the client is
guaranteed compensation for any monetary loss.”Not only are performance bonds
becoming harder and harder to obtain, but they also hinder progress and diversity
among potential contractors. “Small companies, in particular, find that they
have to post a performance bond just to do the work, which is a financial
hardship for them,” Robinson said. “It doesn’t improve or motivate the
company to do a good job simply because they are concerned about forfeiting
their bond.” 4) Leverage enterprise architecture for improved IT procurement:
Robinson defined enterprise architecture as “a roadmap for rationalizing your
IT investment” and a way to “make sure that everything you do fits into the
big picture, the big vision.” States need to remember the ultimate reason for
procuring IT services and solutions. Robinson even recommended that, “Every
solicitation coming out of state government that involves information technology
should have a provision that states in the request for a proposal that
respondents must agree to comply with the state’s enterprise architecture.” 5) Improve the Negotiations Process: “This is probably the
hardest one,” Robinson said. The way state government is set up, states only get to interact with the potential reward
recipient. The second or third candidates are removed from the process, which
means there is very little room for negotiation or leveraging, Ward
explained. Therefore, the negotiation process must change. “As technology
changes, services change and we have to continue to be agile and adaptive to
what needs to happen,” she concluded.Bottom line: state IT procurement
systems must become more agile and smooth. Otherwise, we will continue to see
statistics like 47 percent of state CIOs expressed negative outlooks on IT
procurement processes. From
https://www.govloop.com/ 6
Ideas to Help Government Realize Open Data's Transformative Power Government thinks open data is an add-on that boosts
transparency, but it’s more than that. Most open data portals don’t look like
labors of love. They look like abandoned last-minute science fair projects,
pie charts sagging because someone didn’t use enough glue stick. The current
open data movement is more than a decade old, but some are still asking why
they should even bother. “Right now, it is irrational for almost anybody who
works in government to open data. It makes no sense,” Waldo Jaquith said.
“Most people, it’s not in their job description to open data — they’re just
the CIO. So if he fails to open data, worst case, nothing bad happens. But if
he does open some data and it has PII [personally identifying information],
then his worst case is that he’s hauled before a legislative subcommittee,
grilled, humiliated and fired.” Though perhaps it’s not immediately apparent,
Jaquith is the director of U.S. Open Data and one of the movement’s most
active advocates. But he’s also a realist. Open data is struggling to gain
financial and spiritual backing. Open data may fizzle out within the next two
years, said Jaquith, and a glance at government’s attitude toward the entire
“open” concept supports that timeline. The people who are really into open data — like Jaquith — aren’t
the fad-following type. Open data’s disciples believe in it because they’ve
seen that just a little prodding in the right spots can make a big
difference. In 2014, Jaquith bought a temporary license for Open+Data+portal1. RECONSIDER YOUR DATA'S PURPOSE Open data isn’t just about transparency and economic
development. If it were, those things would have happened by now. People
still largely don’t know what their governments are doing and no one’s
frequenting their city’s open data portal to find out — they read the news.
Open data portals haven’t stopped corruption; the unscrupulous simply reroute
their activities around the spotlight. And if anyone’s using open data to
build groundbreaking apps that improve the world and generate industry,
they’re doing a great job keeping it a secret. For government, open data is
about working smarter. “I’m tired of the argument of ‘Oh, it will unlock
value to the private sector,’” Jaquith said. “That’s nice. I hope people make
billions of dollars off of that. But nobody in any government is going to
spend any real amount of time on all the work that goes into opening all the
data sets on a sustainable, complete basis because some stranger somewhere
might get rich.” Open data’s most basic advantage is that it makes life easier
for government workers. Information that’s requested regularly can be put
online, freeing workers to do other tasks. At its best, open data uncovers
interjurisdictional insights that save money and improve operations. And no
matter how tenuous, peripheral bonuses like transparency and economic
development are still there too. Governments aren’t gaining the benefits of
open data today because there’s not been a rigorous effort to integrate the concept
of openness into public-sector work. One unnamed city that ranks respectably
in the U.S. City Open Data Census has more than 1,000 records on its open
data portal. But only 132 of those records are data sets and 86 of those data
sets are pieces of a single budget that have been split apart. This is a
common practice across the public sector and one that reveals intent. For the
most part, governments aren’t publishing their data because they know it’s a
useful resource that ought to be easily accessible, well curated, neat and
current so that it can be used by all. It’s because 1,000 sounds better than
50 when an official is giving a speech or addressing stakeholders, and
they’re not the ones who have to use it. 2. CONSUME YOUR OWN OPEN DATA Governments use data. Open data portals are designed for
displaying and sharing information in an organized way. Therefore,
governments should use a tool designed for the thing they’re trying to do.
Even putting aside the “open” concept, public-sector offices around the
nation would benefit hugely from having a common, shared pool of data they
can draw upon when they need reliable information. Putting the data online is
the most practical way to do that — and it also happens to meet the political
dictates of transparency — but government should be doing this for its own
sake. “The most common mistake I see governments make with open data is
thinking that publication is the end of the activity, rather than beginning
of the activity,” said Dan O’Neil, executive director of the Smart Chicago
Collaborative. “Because publishing data can be, if we live in a perfect
world, simply a prefatory step to allowing residents to talk about how data
affects their lives and helps them live better. But usually, what happens is
they publish data and they run as fast as they can in the other direction.” 3. PLAN BEYOND TECHNOLOGY Open data has outgrown the novelty phase, and that means it
needs organizational and policy support to survive. It needs comprehensive
planning and believers who will act. People wouldn’t be giving up much if
they abandoned open data today, O’Neil said, because open data hasn’t done
much. The tragedy of giving up now, he said, would purely be a loss of
prospect, because open data could change the world if the focus were shifted
away from technology and toward the needs of the people. An organization
called City Bureau is attempting to encourage young non-white people to
become reporters in an attempt to restore balance to journalistic coverage on
the south and west sides of “That’s where it’s at,” O’Neil said. “Getting data that isn’t
open and making it open and then having an actual community strategy around
analyzing not just the data, but the social justice issues around the general
milieu.” Government needs to do the same if open data is to find meaning.
Just putting data online and hoping for the best isn’t wrong, but it doesn’t
do much. Open data needs a clear plan, and it needs to come from a wide
patronage within government. “The most common mistake is focusing on the
project over the practice,” said Will 4. AUTOMATE SLOWLY 5. COLLABORATE ON THE CREATION OF PUBLISHING STANDARDS Government has a hard time following publishing standards today
because not many exist. The President’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing
is developing some standards for police data, Data.gov is working toward a
standard that will let companies like Uber publish their ride data meaningfully,
and programs like Bloomberg’s What Works Cities initiative are positioned to
develop standards across city lines. Comprehensive and accessible publishing
rules would reduce the work required of freeing data sets, and it would solve
many of today’s data sharing and comprehension snags. 6. TRUST YOUR EXPERTS The public isn’t qualified to tell the government how it should
be using its data, because the public doesn’t understand government. Most
people think “the government” means the president or Congress. No one
understands the challenges of government better than those who run it and
those are the people who should guide the use of public-sector data. Drew Mingl, The city listens to the people who use data most to guide its
efforts: journalists, researchers, officials and technology staff, Ross said.
This feedback ensures the city’s doing more than fulfilling a political
mandate, he said. From
http://www.govtech.com/ The
12 Countries That Have Plugged the Most Stuff into the Internet of Things The Internet is infiltrating all of our devices, from
thermostats to stoves. Yet, the technology seems to be more popular in other
countries than in the From
http://www.nextgov.com/ Obama’s
Cyber Commission Looks to Next Administration and Beyond President Barack Obama's new cybersecurity commission has grand
ambitions that include shaping how American society approaches Internet
security under the next administration and beyond."Consider your
recommendations as a down payment for the next administration, for the next
decade," Lisa Monaco, the White House's top counterterrorism adviser,
told the inaugural meeting of the Commission on Enhancing National
Cybersecurity. "Think of your audience as society as a whole, not only
the federal government."The commission, which Obama established by
executive order in February, has until Dec. 1 to deliver recommendations in a
range of areas, including identity management, the cybersecurity of the
Internet of Things, training the federal workforce and educating the
public.The commission's executive director is Kiersten Todt, a newly hired
Commerce Department official and former risk management consultant. Tom
Donilon, Obama's former national security adviser, and Sam Palmisano, former
CEO of IBM, are also helping oversee the group. The 10 other members of the
commission include retired Gen. Keith Alexander, former director of the
National Security Agency; Patrick Gallagher, former head of Commerce's
National Institute of Standards and Technology; and executives from Microsoft
and Uber. The commission's immediate task is to refine the scope of its
work, Todt told FCW after the three-hour public meeting. How the group
defines the issues will in part determine how successful the initiative is,
she added.The commission has lined up five public workshops, starting with
one next month in New York City, to field ideas for addressing vexing
national challenges. The July meeting, set for "We have a culture of bureaucratic stasis, if you will,
that does not incentivize cybersecurity," From
https://fcw.com/ Durable
Cost Savings in Government IT The Overcoming the fears In our work helping federal organizations reduce IT spending, we
encounter familiar sentiments in response to newer, cutting-edge IT work
styles. The following are some examples of actual quotes we have heard: - "Individual organizations purchase their own hardware; we
don't question their requirements for premium software." - "We're not sure if there's a government precedent for
cloud-based software, and we assume it conflicts with our security
needs." - "We buy and maintain excess surge hardware and software
capacity in case our needs increase one day." - "Our employees have always had their own dedicated desks
and computing devices." Unfortunately, the typical governmental budget process is by its
nature inefficient: Individual departments and agencies purchase their own
hardware, probe little into the premium requirements or the alternatives
common in the private sector that could benefit the government, and, on the
whole, end up spending far more than if they had worked together.However,
many commercial best practices common in the private sector today offer
government CIOs a number of potential cost-reduction opportunities,
including: shared desks; kiosks; Wi-Fi-connected phones; a single end-user
hardware configuration baseline for 80 percent of users, refreshed every
three years; and low-cost, cloud-based software.Implementing some of these
practices would in turn lead to reduced costs elsewhere, including reduced
real-estate footprints, smaller local data centers and a smaller, more
limited catalog of assets to maintain. Those are transformational changes
that would come with limited to no impact on performance results. The impetus for leadership Private-sector CIOs maintain a pulse on user needs, helping
prevent unneeded purchases or over-estimating technical requirements. They
challenge user needs and optimize IT costs in two key ways: - Demand management: forecasting and managing what users should
have versus what they desire - Specification rationalization: matching product specifications
to actual user requirements However, government purchasers are often given incentives that
run counter to optimizing IT expenditures. In particular, exhausting agency
IT budgets before the end of the fiscal year to avoid future budget cuts
serves to exacerbate an already-complex IT installation base, and to bring on
a new cycle of maintenance costs.Ultimately, what's more important than
picking the right IT assets is aligning IT leadership on key priorities, and
instilling a transformational mindset across the organization that will lead
to sustainable cost efficiency. In many government organizations, CIOs are
responsible for user needs, but a clear framework of responsibilities is
required to provide valuable procurement data to decision makers and
purchasers. Strong IT leaders need to coordinate visibility into data-driven
optimization opportunities across organizational subcomponents to implement
effective enterprise-wide decisions. This capability is sorely needed where existing efforts, such as
the Federal Procurement Data System, often fall short in assisting
procurement decision making. Quite often the FPDS data is incomplete, or it
does not provide enough visibility into individual purchasing decisions. For
example, NAICS codes titled "Computer Systems Design Services," and
product service codes called "IT And Telecom -- IT Strategy and
Architecture," offer little information about what the money is actually
spent on. However, a clearer
understanding of expenditures would result if mapping to commodity categories
was added to the FPDS database. Government agencies can overcome this by
building off the successes of increasing IT oversight. A proven, repeatable
approach for assessing IT functions and unearthing or substantiating data
surrounding IT operations and procedures can help identify areas of value.
Our approach to IT transformation gathers the necessary data by looking at an
IT program through six lenses that provide a fact-based, transparent view of
IT operations. 1. Operating Model Optimization -- Determine whether the
organization is structurally set up to be efficient and whether it has the
right level of governance to gain a better understanding of the weaknesses
and strengths of the IT organizational, operating, and governance models. 2. Service Management Optimization -- Look carefully at how well
the business architecture, the IT architecture, and IT service delivery
processes are standardized and harmonized to simplify IT landscape. 3. Technology Foresight/Lifecycle Management -- Improving
technology foresight can give IT Executives the ability to look beyond
today's solutions and see promising technologies being introduced that may be
incorporated effectively into the IT operations. 4. Complexity Management -- Simplify the IT environment by
isolating opportunities to rationalize existing applications and
infrastructure, which will reduce IT costs, (including invoice, funding,
budget process, data standards, etc.) and reduce complexity both by looking
at specific IT operations and taking an enterprise view. 5. Sourcing -- A thorough assessment of sourcing practices will
point to ways IT can more effectively establish and manage vendor contracts
as well as manage IT demand. 6. Off-shoring/Outsourcing -- Get an enhanced perspective about
how to optimize the balance between in-house and contracted delivery of IT
services, when to use government employees to handle projects and when it
should leverage outsourced contractors and suppliers for cost and performance
benefits. These lenses provide a fact-based transparent view of IT
operations, showing where a program stands today and which aspects need minor
adjustments or major overhauls to improve departments' cost efficiency in
supporting the missions of its component agencies. In our experience, this
approach can uncover cost savings ranging between five and 15 percent for
each lens.The above model gives CIOs of both departments and their
subcomponents the ability to make an immediate, lasting impact by working
collaboratively. Given that federal departments typically comprise many
agencies and offices with individual purchasers, the agency and department
CIOs should compare pricing information for the same products across
subcomponents. The CIO's power in this case is that he or she can orchestrate
greater department-wide visibility into pricing. Our research has found that
the same product can sell for up to 35 percent more when sold separately as
subcomponents from individual value-added resellers. Consolidating purchases to two or three VARs within each
department can give subcomponent CIOs the leverage to apply greater pressure
to optimize prices. CIOs can also reduce premium software purchases (for
example, "Pro" or "Ultimate" versions) by evaluating
individual requirements for permanent access to such software, rather than
expensive enterprise-wide deployments.With federal budgets declining, CIOs
need to feel there is an incentive to spend less, rather than facing fears
they could face future budget cuts if they don't spend everything. For
example, senior executives could allow for money saved from the budget to be
reinvested into a "technology mission innovation fund" that allows
CIOs to experiment with tools that could create new value down the
line.Reduced inventories -- starting at the General Services Administration
-- could also yield valuable results. For example, when investigating network
equipment we found that the GSA provided nearly 100 different buying options
for a single type of switch equipment. Choice is good, but confusing
purchasers is not. Furthermore, GSA is uniquely positioned to set up a
first-of-its-kind eBay-like platform to facilitate equipment exchanges among
departments, allowing purchasers to realize more competitive prices for new
purchases from an OEM, and the seller an opportunity to re-monetize their
unused or under-utilized equipment. CIOs hold the key to cost-efficient government IT When speaking with purchasing officials, we often hear about a
fear of the unknown when it comes to government IT, particularly around
cybersecurity and the cloud. However, we believe that for CIOs there is a
prime opportunity to take the lead in promoting transformational best
practices to combat myths about end-user and enterprise equipment. IT
decision makers can aggressively take advantage of services from cloud
service providers vetted through FedRAMP to provide a framework for ongoing
security assessment and authorization. This will enable their agencies to
have access to secure, reliable, cost-efficient, and trustworthy cloud
services. CIOs are charged with providing the organization's resources to
enable organizational capabilities. As leaders, they need to challenge, and when
needed carefully push back on, IT demand in order to use budget resources
more efficiently and, where warranted, transition their organizations to a
low-footprint IT vision. By making data-driven decisions, they can empower
purchasers with knowledge about cost-optimized solutions. Otherwise, simply
refreshing IT inventories while costs continue to grow could ultimately
cripple their organization. From
https://fcw.com/ Modern
Cloud for a Modern Government There is no doubt that the move to cloud computing is here. But
many organizations still struggle with an essential question: What is the best way to get
there?Public service agencies, including those in government, education, and
healthcare are always looking for lower-cost and more flexible ways to
improve the efficiency, flexibility, operational agility and integrity of
their systems. Cloud computing has come to be recognized as both a business
and deployment model that enables public sector organizations to achieve
these aspirations. Public Sector organizations are facing increased public
expectation to access services quickly and conveniently, when and where it
suits them. By developing an agency culture that puts citizens’ needs first
forces government leaders to plan and design services focused on specific
user tasks, and using digital
technology to drive improved services at lower costs. Today’s modern agencies are consistent
in their approach as they move toward the cloud, and often start by examining
two important components: Business Drivers: - Improving citizen services and experiences: Many governments are looking for ways
to improved, more integrated and targeted services to their constituents,
while reducing the long-term cost of delivery. - Overcoming budget cuts and rising costs: In the current
economic climate governments are often faced with declining tax revenue and
other income sources, while overall costs are generally rising. - Innovation demands: Agencies are being asked to provide
increasingly personalized solutions across disparate lines of business. And
they’re being asked to deliver these innovations more quickly than ever. IT Drivers - Reducing escalating operational costs. Agencies want
technology that can reduce costs such as maintenance, power, cooling, floor
space and staff. - Enabling process improvement. Deliver functionality that
provides improvements in overall costs and effectiveness of government
processes. - Improving service levels: Modern agencies require improved IT
performance, availability, security and compliance. Providing smaller
upgrades over time can be less disruptive and costly. Government Journey to Cloud If you’re reading this blog then you most likely have already
started the journey. Hopefully,
you have a complete plan that takes into account short- and long-term
objectives. The most successful early cloud adopters were able to mix rapid uptake
with thoughtful, long-term planning.
Cloud computing should be tackled as a strategic plan within your
organization to ensure there is the right level of support and business
alignment to be successful. I recommend this approach: 1 Define the business objectives. Examine the current
environment and determine how to cut costs, deliver better services and be
positioned to grow. 2 Define the cloud strategy. Evaluate transaction, program and policy
services that are candidates based on the strategic intent and which
organizations will be targeted. 3 Create the roadmap. Set strategic direction for cloud adoption
within your organization.
Establish a framework within which any single project can contribute
to the overall goal, allowing multiple projects to progress in parallel yet
remain coordinated in pursuit of a common target that provides value greater
than the sum of the individual projects. 4 Deploy cloud services. Determine the first components of the
new operating model. Core decisions on the operating model impact the
business case and implementation strategy. 5 Achieve new operational efficiencies. Start leveraging new
business capabilities to drive process improvement and help users do their
job more efficiently. Moving to cloud does not mean that agencies must replace every
single system. Cloud is
complementary to existing IT infrastructure. The goal should be to identify
which functions and systems could be more efficient in the cloud and would
provide the greatest return on investment, and deliver the most business
value to users. It is an
iterative process,Everyone’s journey to cloud is
slightly different and is typically based on their business and technology
environment. Certain steps inevitably will be more challenging than
others. Learn from your peers by
reading about their successes and challenges. The new GovLoop cloud guide
offers a variety federal and state & local examples
of agencies successfully making the journey. Creating a blueprint and gaining
upfront support is a key part of ensuring you make it across the finish line. From
https://www.govloop.com/ |
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In this year’s government work report delivered by Premier Li Keqiang
on March 5, several issues concerning the Internet were mentioned, such as
flexible production processes, introduction of e-commerce in rural areas and
cross-border e-commerce. Although many of the issues are not new to the
public, they all have new meaning and concepts for guiding this year’s work.
The report encourages enterprises to use flexible and custom-tailored
production processes, which means that the Internet will continue to play an
important role in balancing the supply and demand of goods. The Internet will
provide customer information to manufacturers, a new business model of C This concept is in line with Alibaba founder Jack Ma’s idea from
eWTO in August 2015, which is to achieve global trade through e-commerce to
achieve a “free and equal global trade”. In addition, proper use of idle
resources was also stressed. The document decided to stimulate the
second-hand car market, which can be linked with the Premier’s idea of a
sharing economy that drives economic growth and innovation by sharing and
coordinating. Development of a sharing economy will promote the efficient use
of resources, and more people will take part and benefit. And stimulating the
second-hand car market also will help fully use the idle resources and push
the upgrades in consumption mode. As mass entrepreneurship and innovation has
been widespread in industries, the government is paying more attention to the
national strategy this year. It said that platforms will be created for crowd
innovation, crowd support, crowd-sourcing, and crowd-funding, and mechanisms
will be built to encourage new types of business startups and
innovation-making through cooperation between enterprises, institutions of
higher learning, research institutes, and makers. Besides implementing the
“Internet Plus” action plan, the government decided to carry out the
“Internet Plus government services” model and promote better information
sharing and streamline government procedures, which means that the government
has realized that upgrades of government functions are key for the
implementation of this plan. From http://www.gov.cn/
Chinese Police Launch
Mobile App to Find Missing Children Chinese police on Sunday launched a mobile app to encourage
witnesses to report the whereabouts of missing or trafficked children. More
than 5,000 anti-trafficking police will provide updates to the app on
receiving new reports of missing children, according to a statement from the
criminal investigation bureau of the Ministry of Public Security. Users near
where the child disappeared will receive push notifications, including photos
and descriptions. The scope of these push notifications will be expanded over
time. Information will be available to the public at the platform's official
Sina Weibo account. Police will cooperate with new media outlets and mobile
apps to encourage the public to help in anti-trafficking work. From http://www.news.cn/ S. Korea, From
http://www.korea.net
President to
Form Science, Technology Council President Park Geun-hye announced on March 17 that her
administration will establish a presidential strategic council on science and
technology so as to considerably boost the nation's R&D
productivity. In a meeting at Cheong Wa Dae on the themes of artificial
intelligence and an information society, she ordered her administration to
outline the establishment of a new control body that would oversee investment
into R&D. The meeting was attended by about 20 businesspeople and experts
from the artificial intelligence and software sectors. From
http://www.korea.net/
From
http://www.korea.net
Major newspapers across The Nigerian government needs to "take a full advantage of
the Korean Government’s gesture in taking new initiatives," the minister
said. The partnership will "impact the way our people are governed and
propel From
http://www.korea.net
Over the next five years the Korean government plans to
establish cooperation centers in Africa, the Middle East, Southeast Asia,
Central Asia, Central America and From
http://www.korea.net
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From
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/
Government
to Call for S$2.8b of ICT Tenders in FY2016 GOVERNMENT TO UP DATA CENTRE CAPACITY The focus on infrastructure is to better support the data and
digital services needs of a Digital Government in a Smart Nation, IDA said.
For instance, increased data centre virtualisation will allow the Government
to modernise its hosting of ICT applications and ensure faster time to production
for new services, it said. Ms Poh also mentioned that there will be an
increase in data centre capacity, including the replacement of some of these
Government data centres that are reaching their end-of-life. WiFi will also
be extended to more areas within Government schools to support smart
learning. There is currently WiFi in common areas within schools, but the
Government is looking to make WiFi more pervasive in areas such as
classrooms, she said. The agency will also continue to invest in cybersecurity,
with a bulk tender for IT security services to be call in this fiscal year,
the agency said. “We want to empower SMES NOT LEFT OUT IDA was keen to stress that small- and medium-sized enterprises
(SMEs) will not lose out in this infrastructure-heavy round of ICT expenditure.
It noted that in FY15, SMEs accounted for more than half of the total
contracted value of ICT tenders, and this financial year will be more of the
same. About eight in 10 project tenders that will be called are valued at S$5
million and under, which means these are opportunities for SMEs to target,
the agency said. To help more local tech companies take up such ICT projects,
IDA launched the Accreditation@IDA scheme in 2014, and this provides an
independent third-party evaluation of early-stage growth technology by
promising Singapore-based companies. It said that 13 companies, including
Hope Technik and V-Key, have been accredited and this means Government
agencies must buy from these vendors put in the "green lane" and
not treat them as just another procurement option, said Ms Poh. To date,
S$3.3 million in contracts have been awarded to these 13 companies, and the
value is small to begin with as there is no need for a tender process or a
Request for Proposal, she said. There are another 35 projects in the
pipeline, and a "large number" of companies that have initiated the
accreditation process, although not all will succeed, she added. From
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/
THE INFORMATION and Communications Technology Ministry will sign
a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on May 28 with 12 parties to jointly
promote the incubation of potential digital start-up businesses, ICT Minister
Uttama Savanayana said. The participating parties include Advanced Info
Service, Total Access Communication, True Corp, Bangkok Bank, Siam Commercial
Bank, Krungthai Bank, as well as several universities such as Chulalongkorn. Bt The ministry has set aside Bt300 million to launch the project,
which will be open to applicants in the fourth quarter this year, so they can
be trained to develop their own digital start-ups in many sectors.
Applications can be submitted at the ministry, which will then pass them on
to different training venues in line with their proposal. For instance, those
interested in developing a start-up in the health and tourism arena will be
sent to From
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/
From
http://vietnamnews.vn/
Deputy
Minister Urges Wider Use of IT in Business, State Offices Application and development of information and telecommunications
significantly contributed to national socio-economic growth during the 2011 –
2015 period, especially in “However, the functions of information and communications’
networks and equipment haven’t been fully used to increase efficiency in
managing and operating State offices and enterprises. In addition, national
database and information systems – the foundation for e-Government – have been
deployed slowly,” Tâm added. He also pointed out that human resource skills
in information and telecommunications were limited in both State offices and
the business community. This year, the ministry will submit a review,
amendments and additions to provisions in the Information and Communications
Law as well as complete guidance for the Network Information Security Law,
which will begin operation in July. “To remain in the leading position, Agreements signed to boost IT in Also on March 11, the HCM City Computer Association signed a
co-operation agreement with the municipal Department of Information and
Communications to improve development of the city’s information technology
sector. HCA also signed co-operation agreements with Panasonic, Sao Bắc Đầu Technologies Group, Luxoft Vietnam, Mắt Bão
Joint Stock Company, VinaCIS Corp, ROBO and others at a meeting of the city’s
IT industry the same day. According to HCA, the agreements will enable IT
firms to access quality management programmes and participate in investment
promotion programmes both in and outside Việt From
http://vietnamnews.vn/
Hotline
Opens to Prevent Corruption in Land Use Certificate Issuance A hotline has been set up to receive feedback from people and
businesses on the difficulties they may encounter while registering for land
use certificates or “red books.”The hotline was set up by the Ministry of
Natural Resources and Environment.Complaints can be made on the hotline
number 043.795.7889, via email at cucksqlsdd@gmail.com or through a letter to
the ministry’s General Department of Land Management at 10 TônThấtThuyết
Street, Nam TừLiêm District, HàNội.In particular, the ministry will deal with
complaints on the long delays and corrupt practices by officials of the local
land registration agencies while issuing land use certificates.The decision
to set up a hotline was made following the release of the latest survey on
Provincial Governance and Public Administration Performance Index (PAPI)
earlier this month. Some 14,000 citizens across the country from different
demographic groups were polled for the index.According to the report, the
number of people who had paid bribes to receive the “red book” quickly had
increased tremendously.Compared to 2014, there had
been a noticeable spike in the bribes paid for land use rights certificates.
The estimated number of respondents who paid bribes to get a land use rights
certificate increased to more than 44 per cent in 2015, up from 24 per cent
in 2014, according to the report.More than 22 per cent of those surveyed said
they had to wait for more than 100 days to get the land use rights paperwork
they had requested for - instead of the 30 days as mandated by the
law.Besides the hotline and the email, Minister TrầnHồngHà had also asked the
General Department of Land Management to work with the people’s committees of
the different localities to identify cases of violations and have appropriate
punishment in line with regulations. From
http://vietnamnews.vn/ |
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The National Assembly
Standing Committee on Ministry of Information Technology and
Telecommunication (MoIT) approved a total outlay of Rs 2.56 billion under the
Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) for fiscal year 2016-17 against Rs
922.804 million earmarked for the current financial year. The standing
committee meeting, chaired by Captain Muhammad Safdar (r), thoroughly
discussed the proposals prepared for fiscal year 2016-17, in respect to MoIT
and its attached departments and sent to the Committee on Information
Technology for consideration and recommendations. The proposed layout
of PSDP for fiscal year 2016-17 is Rs 2.56 billion for 20 schemes relating to
IT & Telecom sectors include 11 old/ongoing and nine new projects. The
ministry proposed Rs 1.33 billion for 9 new schemes: (i) IT capacity building
of federal government employees (NITB)-Rs 20 million, (ii) replication of
e-health services at federally administrative hospitals (NITB)-Rs 20 million,
(iii) research studies and up-gradations for ICT industry- Rs 51 million,
(iv) IT industry support programs (PSEB)-Rs 37.264 million, (v) expansion of
broadband internet services in AJ&K Phase-II (SCO)-Rs 44.4 million, (vi)
expansion of broadband internet services in GB Phase-II (SCO)-Rs 32.5
million, (vii) replacement of GSM network of AJ&K -Rs 580 million, (viii)
provision of seamless GSM coverage along KKH for proposed Gwadar-Kashghar
economic corridor in Gilgit-Baltistan GB (SCO)-Rs 489 million and (ix)
feasibility study and consultancy for development of Information Technology
(IT) park at Karachi-Rs 58.287 million. From
http://www.brecorder.com
MyGov, an interactive
platform created to ensure effective, participative governance, is now active
on Facebook. Coming under DeitY, Ministry of Communications & IT,
Government of India, this is a platform where citizens can participate in
governance by giving their views and opinions on various important issues of
the country.The platform comprises various sections, including Do, Discuss,
Poll, Blog and Talk, offering citizens the opportunities to participate and
express their ideas and views.According to Prime Minister Narendra Modi,
“MyGov is a technology-driven medium that will provide citizens an opportunity
to contribute towards good governance.”Speaking exclusively to eGov recently,
Guarav Dwivedi, MyGov CEO, said- “MyGov is an innovative platform to build a
partnership between citizens and the government with the help of technology
for overall growth and development of From http://egov.eletsonline.com Govt to Digitise Post Offices, Allocates Rs.4,909cr The Government of India
has decided to digitalise 1.5 lakh post offices across India, including 1.3
lakh post offices in rural areas.A budget of Rs 4,909 crore has been allocated
for this project, which would be completed by March 2017.A special emphasis
has been laid on rural post offices, called Gramin Daak Sewak post offices,
so that the advantages of Digital India are spread far and wide. As per
reports, BharatNet project, which aims to connect all villages with broadband
Internet would be the backbone of this special digitalisation drive.Setting
up of a centralised data center, connecting all post offices with intranet,
advanced disaster management and data recovery systems are some of the
processes which would be implemented to make India Post one of the most
technologically advanced platforms in the world. Ravi Shankar Prasad, Telecom
and IT Minister, informed that Telecommunication Consultant India Limited
(TCIL) shall be the provider of handheld devices, while RICOH India Limited
would provide the technology.Besides, a contract has been given to Infosys to
be ‘Rural System Integrator’.A special mobile app would also be launched,
which would enable India Post’s payment banking as well. From
http://egov.eletsonline.com Kerala
Revenue Dept to Go E-way by Mar End The Revenue Department in
Ernakulam collectorate will be the first to benefit from the eGovernance
project of the Kerala State IT Mission (KSITM). The paperless eOffice will be
ready by March-end.The eOffice venture backed by the features of
accountability and faster decision-making is in its final stages of Phase
1.As per an official, “The process of e-tendering has been finished.
Recruitments of resource persons to train the officials are now being carried
out.”Though the election code of conduct has been implemented in the State,
the officials are hoping that it will not interfere with the venture. “The
initiative has no direct link with the public as this would reform the
administerial set up only,” said the official.Some of the features include
easy retrievability of electronic data, knowing the status of the files
instantly, easy access and storage of large and latest information. From
http://egov.eletsonline.com Kerala Revenue Dept to
Go Paperless by March-end The Revenue Department in Ernakulam collectorate will be the
first to benefit from the eGovernance project of the Kerala State IT Mission
(KSITM). The paperless eOffice will be ready by March-end.The eOffice venture
backed by the features of accountability and faster decision-making is in its
final stages of Phase 1.As per an official, “The process of e-tendering has
been finished. Recruitments of resource persons to train the officials are
now being carried out.”Though the election code of conduct has been
implemented in the State, the officials are hoping that it will not interfere
with the venture. “The initiative has no direct link with the public as this
would reform the administerial set up only,” said the official.Some of the
features include easy retrievability of electronic data, knowing the status
of the files instantly, easy access and storage of large and latest
information. From http://pib.nic.in These communication technologies will help in reducing wait time
for communication between the supervisors and the officers by providing
direct contact. It will also enable the police to send photos, video clips or
documents related to any crime. The latest happenings in an area can also be
informed or discussed in WhatsApp or Facebook Groups. The written
communication, online, will reduce the time spent in gathering and also can
be a better proof than verbal communication. The initiative has been welcomed
by the people of From
http://egov.eletsonline.com Taking eGovernance to
Level Next With a view to giving fur- ther push to the digital initiatives in
the State, so as to bring more gov- ernment services to the citizens’
doorsteps, the Government has under- taken several projects in different
areas, which are in various stages of implementation. They include: AGRISNET
is a mission mode project under National e-Governance Plan of Government of The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has cleared creation
of a ‘National Optical Fibre Network’ (NOFN) with an investment of Rs 20, 000
crore that would provide broadband connectivity to all village panchayats in
three years. The Telecom Commission (DoT) decision- making arm has approved
the project that will be funded through the Universal Service Obli- gation
(USO) Fund. The funding for the broad- band network will come from the USO
fund; the USO fund has a balance of Rs 16,000 crore. A World Bank study
revealed that a 10 per cent increase in broadband connectivity helps in
pushing the GDP growth by 1.4 per cent. Once completed, the optic fibre
network will help bring various electronic and Internet-based initiatives of
the government to the people living in the remotest corner of the country. In
State of NOFN will help the government implement its various eGovernance
initiatives such as e-health, e-banking and e-education,facilitating
inclusive growth. NOFN will enable effective and faster implementation
of various mission mode e-governance projects as well as delivery of a whole
range of electronic services by the private sector to citizens in rural
areas. Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion (DIPP), Ministry Of
Commerce & Industry, Government of India is currently implement- ing the
eBiz Mission Mode Project under the National eGovernance Plan (NeGP) in the
coun- try. The project envisions transforming the business environment by
provid- ing efficient, convenient, transparent and integrated electronic
services online through a single window to the investor, industries and
businesses in the areas of information on forms and procedures, licences
payments and compliances through- out the life cycle of a business or
industry. The core theme of eBiz lies in radical shift in the Government
Service Delivery approach, from being department-centric to customer-centric.
Initially 24 services have been offered to various departments in the First
Phase of project. The Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion (DIPP),
Ministry of Commerce & Industry, is currently implementing the eBiz
Mission Mode Project under the National e-Governance Plan (NeGP). The
Core theme of eBiz lies in radi- cal shift in the Governments’ services
delivery approach from being department-centric to customer-centric. Project
will facilitate single window delivery of services to investors and
businesses throughout the business life cycle. The DIPP has decided to extend
this project to “eGovernance in Municipalities” is a
unique initiative of the government of The Apex Committee for the National eGovernance Plan (NeGP)
chaired by Cabinet Secretary has approved the inclusion of Health as a
Mission Mode Project (MMP) under the NeGP. ICT for programme management has
been undertaken by the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare in the Mother
and Child Tracking System (MCTS) programme and the Ministry envisages a more
comprehensive use of ICT including for Hospital Information Systems, supply chain
management for drugs and vaccines, providing ICT tools to ASHA and ANM
workers, programme management of National Rural Health Mission (NRHM), etc.
through this MMP. The Ministry of Health & Family Welfare is the nodal
Ministry for the design, development and implementation of the MMP.
Currently, a study to identify the priorities and scope of the MMP is
underway. The Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) is an important
social safety net for the poor. To improve efficiency and effectiveness
of the entire system, the Department of Food & Public Distribution,
Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, GoI, has embarked
upon an eGovernance initiative involving computerisation of TPDS. For
achieving end-to-end Computerisation of TPDS, the Department of Food
& Public Distribution, Government of India has identified 4 key
components which are required to be implemented in all the States/UTs as
below: 1.
Creation & Management of digitised
Beneficiary Database 2.
Supply-Chain Management of TPDS commodities
from Food Corporation of India (FCI) till Fair Price Shops (FPS) 3.
Sale of TPDS commodities at Fair Price Shops
including identification and authentication of beneficiaries and recording of
transactions. 4.
Transparency and Grievance Redressal Mechanism
For PDS For PDS Punjab is the torch bearer in initiating the Biometric
based Authentication Services with Food and Civil Supplies Department
established as the state level Authentication User Agency (AUA). Authentication
Service Agency (ASA) setup has also been completed. State is working on the
PDS project using this Aadhaar authentication framework through PoS devices
at Fair Price Shops to address issues of inefficiency, wastage and pilferage.
The digitisation of Ration Card data has been completed and field
verification and seeding of Aadhaar to Ration Cards is being done on ground
leveraging technology as well as administrative proficiency. From
http://egov.eletsonline.com ‘Faceless, Paperless,
Cashless’ Recruitment Process for Govt Jobs! In a bid to make the life of government job seekers easier, the
Central Government is working on an online recruitment plan, media reports
suggest. From buying the job application form until final selection,
candidates have to stand in various queues, including the serpentine ones for
making payment for the examination fee. Moreover, it is a common practice to
pay ‘convenience fee’ to lower rung police officials for getting the process
of police verification expedited. Keeping these very hassles of government
job aspirants in mind, the government is trying to put a system in place
wherein candidates will be able to complete the entire recruitment process
online, of course barring the exercise of appearing in a written test. The
move is in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Digital India programme,
though various states need to come onboard for the plan to become a
successful model for hassle-free recruitment. A group of secretaries, who
came up with the proposal, term it a “faceless, paperless and cashless”
experience for government recruitments, as the candidates will not be
required to come face-to-face with any government official right from
applying until joining the job. According to the proposal, all government
vacancies will be put up on a common portal and applications will be invited
online. Applicants would be able to certify their applications with eSign, an
online electronic signature service that enables an Aadhaar card holder to
digitally sign a document. This will do away with the need of physically
signing application forms and queuing up at offices to submit them. The new
system will also allow payment of exam fee online through a universal payment
interface. The candidates will be able to upload their certificates into a
digital locker, which will allow the government access these documents
online. The Secretaries in the Ministry of Personnel are doing a weekly review
of the recommendations of the group of Secretaries to ensure the earliest
possible implementation of the plan. This has been taken up with all
secretaries at the Centre and Chief Secretaries of states, according to a
Department of Personnel & Training spokesperson. From
http://egov.eletsonline.com
DIPP
Launches Dedicated Portal, Mobile App for Startups To help young entrepreneurs avail all the government incentives directly
and for giving a huge push to Startup From
http://egov.eletsonline.com Govt’s ‘Mother App’ to
Bring 200+ Services on One Platform The Government of India is about to launch a master application,
called ‘mother of all apps’, which will consolidate 200+ services offered by
the Central, State and local governments, on a single platform. The app,
conceptualised by the Union Ministry of Communications and Information
Technology under the National e-Governance Division (NeGD), has been termed
as Unified Mobile Application for New-age Governance or UMANG. Considering
the massive use of smartphones across the country, this app has the potential
to transfer the power of information directly to the end-user. “Everyone is
carrying a smartphone and using Internet on mobile. So, we want to reach the
citizens directly,” an official from NeGD said. The government has already
invited bids from private players to develop and deploy this massive
platform. NeGD has a plan to make 50 major services available for the people
by the end of this year itself. Also, 70 to 80 more new services are
planned to be brought on to UMANG, in the coming years. The services to be introduced in UMANG include National
scholarship, Healthcare applications, Passport Seva, Women Safety (Nirbhaya),
E-Post, Crime and criminal tracking, Network and systems, Commercial
tax/GST, Income tax, CBSE/State education boards, E-Municipality, IRCTC, Utility
bills, Mother and child tracking, Public distribution system, Transport –
Vahan/Sarathi, e-Court, m-Kisan, Land records, PF/NPS. All these services
would be made available in 13 languages. Those who doesn’t have a smartphone,
can access the same via feature phone using SMS based menu and a toll free
number. Aadhar Card, PayGov and DigiLocker shall also be included within this
platform, thereby making it even more powerful. The integration of state and
central departments into this platform are the biggest
challenge for the officials, as bureaucratic challenges & politics may
retard the process. The Government will select a partner agency which would
look after the development, implementation, enhancement and operations &
maintenance of the UMANG platform for a period of 3 years with a possibility
of extension to another 2 years and again for 2 years subject to mutually
agreed terms and conditions. Major Central / State government services are
expected to be provided through UMANG. From
http://egov.eletsonline.com
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Slow Internet
connection in From http://www.azernews.az/ From http://en.trend.az/ Nursultan Nazarbayev, the
president of From http://www.telecompaper.com/ On March 23, Prosecutor General's office of the The site also features the pages of regional and equated
prosecutors ' offices, which for convenience have been combined in one unit.
Now, in addition to information about the structure of bodies of Prosecutor's
offices of the Republic of Uzbekistan, it is possible to find information
about regional news, reviews on activity of the regional and equated
prosecutors ' offices, as well as analytical information about the state of
prosecutorial supervision.
Visitors of the block "Online services" are presented the
opportunity to get acquainted with the schedules for reception of citizens,
as at the attorney General's office, so at regional and equal to them
Prosecutor's offices, contact details of responsible persons for organizing
the reception. In addition, any entity, whether legal or natural, can “Submit
application” or a complaint through the Internet reception. In addition, the site provides the
opportunity to obtain free legal advice.
Among new important sections, it is necessary to mention the
"Documents", which contains the draft laws, normative and legal
acts worked out by the attorney General's office, "New laws", which
contains information about the changes in legislation and clarification of
existing legislation in various spheres of public relations. Visitors can
express their views, suggestions on outstanding bills through feedback. The central place in the "Press
center" is given to news on the activity of bodies of the Procurator on
the protection of the rights of citizens, entities of entrepreneurial
activity, combating crime and corruption. A separate block “Library” contains
releases of information programs, videos prepared by the attorney General's
office, as well as a photo gallery. From http://technologies.uzreport.uz/ Center
"Electronic government" Launches Two Channels in Telegram The Center
"Electronic government" has launched two channels in Telegram
messenger: Egov Business for entrepreneurs and Egov News for the public.
These channels allow quickly and in real-time to receive news about projects
and initiatives of the "Electronic government", the new online
services provided to the business and population of the state. In addition,
users can get information on how to become a business entity, file an appeal
to the state body, and much more. From http://technologies.uzreport.uz/ Uzbek
Ministry Hosts Meeting with Telecommunication Standardization Bureau On April 13, the Ministry for development of information
technologies and communications hosted a meeting with the Director of the
Telecommunication Standardization Bureau of the International
Telecommunication Union (ITU) Lee Che Soub, who arrived in From http://technologies.uzreport.uz/ STC Launches
Portal of Electronic Tax Services The State
Tax Committee of the A separate
group has information about services operating in the test mode. Another
innovation is the separate personal offices for all categories of taxpayers,
including the personal office of an individual entrepreneur, which did not
exist before. In addition, taxpayers now have the opportunity to evaluate and
comment on each service, while tax authorities study the opinion of taxpayers
and respond promptly to suggestions and comments. As of today, the tax
authorities provide 26 types of electronic state services. 10 new services
are provided in test mode. Services are available to all taxpayers,
regardless of their category and location. According to the press service of
the STC, during the upcoming month the portal my.soliq.uz will work in test
mode, in order to identify and solve the existing shortcomings and add new
features. From http://technologies.uzreport.uz/ |
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The federal government
has made the Geocoded National Address File (G-NAF) and Administrative
Boundaries datasets freely available through its open data repository,
data.gov.au. “With the release of the G-NAF, “The
previous licensing arrangements for accessing the G-NAF were highly
restrictive, preventing optimal collaboration and data sharing between
existing users,” a December Data.gov.au blog entry noted. “This resulted in
underutilisation of the data.” G-NAF is one of the most requested ubiquitous,
high-value datasets, the blog entry said. The government last year it would
open up G-NAF as part of its innovation agenda. Data held by the federal
government was deemed a “strategic national resource” under a policy
statement authorised by Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull as part of the
agenda. The policy committed the government to expanding public access to the
data it creates. Last year the government created a new Public Data Branch
within the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (DPMC). The Bureau of
Communications Research has concluded that open data could be worth up to $25
billion per year for From http://www.computerworld.com.au
GovCMS
Adoption Doubles Expectations in First Year The
Australian Federal government has adopted an open source Drupal CMS system.
With 58 sites launched already, the system demonstrates that rapid development
speeds time to market for digital government initiatives. Acquia, a digital
experience company, has announced govCMS marked its first full year of
operation by more than double the number of government agencies and
institutions participating than initially estimated. “The govCMS project is
truly is a global example of digital transformation and best practice on an
outstanding scale. We’re proud to support the govCMS team in exceeding its
goals well ahead of time. We would also like to acknowledge the hard work of
our teams both locally and globally, and our partners, who have collaborated
with the Australian Government to deliver this exceptional transformation
project,” said Graham Sowden, General Manager, Asia Pacific & Japan, at
Acquia. As it enters
its second year, govCMS today supports 58 government sites for 28 agencies,
including the Department of Human Services, Australian Taxation Office,
Department of Social Services, Department of Communications, the Australian
Financial Security Authority, the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority,
and more. govCMS is the cloud-based, Drupal-powered
initiative offered to local, state, and national public institutions. Built
on the Acquia Platform, govCMS enables the Government’s commitment to open source
innovation, the use of shared, cloud-based services, and its commitment to
unify and transform the digital connection between millions of Australian
citizens and their government. The govCMS team has an ethos that the adoption
of govCMS should reflect the quality of the service, and as a result, the
service is not mandated. Those that do adopt govCMS benefit from a
standardized procurement model and achieve compliance for Web Content
Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) and other compliance requirements. Government
agencies have launched govCMS sites on a pace of more than one per week since
the Department of Finance officially launched govCMS last March, doubling
estimates for first-year adoption outlined in an earlier Department of
Finance commissioned study. There are 16 additional sites currently in
development on the govCMS platform. Last month, govCMS also announced a
‘Government as an API’ service with Acquia Content Hub, to help government
agencies to create Content Once, and Publish Everywhere (COPE). govCMS was made available for download as a open source
Drupal distribution in July 2015, and since then has been downloaded more
than 8,000 times. An active developer community is collaborating on the
project on Drupal.org and at GitHub, where community discussion and input on
govCMS has more than doubled in the past four months. While Acquia manages
the govCMS platform and delivers application level support, the value-add
activities such as design work, site-builds and migration services are wholly
performed by Australian owned small businesses. From http://www.itwire.com
IP
Systems Needs Reform, No More Geoblocking of Internet: Productivity
Commission Australians should
be allowed to circumvent geoblocking which imposes restrictions on accessing
services like Netflix under current intellectual property laws, the
Productivity Commission has recommended. In its draft report released on
Friday the commission recommends that action must be taken to “rebalance” the
existing IP laws with a new system that balances the interests of rights
holders and users. The commission says that while a good system balances the
interests of rights holders and users, The
commission’s recommendations have drawn a tick of approval from Internet To correct
these imbalances, it suggests that Laurie
Patton applauded the commission’s report. “We have consistently argued that
geoblocking is fundamentally wrong and that it has resulted in unfair
price-gouging of Australian consumers for decades,” Patton said.
“International experience has found site-blocking is more effective as a PR
stunt than a real solution. You close them down and they reappear in no time
on another site and/or with another name – it’s called ‘whack-a-mole’. What’s
more, anyone with a modicum of technical knowledge can always find a way to
access what they want, lawfully or unlawfully. So we are going to
inconvenience ISP’s and probably see everyone’s Internet access fees increase
as a consequence of the costs of implementing site-blocking, all for a bit of
PR?” Patton says IA believes that the best way to reduce unlawful downloading
is to make content available and easily accessible at reasonable prices
comparable with similar markets overseas. “It would be
in the best interests of content creators if we all accepted that the main
reason why most people unlawfully download is that they can’t get what they
want through legitimate channels. There is ample research evidence that
people are willing to pay if they can get the content they’re after. Some
surveys have shown that the people who ‘pirate’ are also among the most
active legal downloaders. We maintain that it is time to accept the
pointlessness of current strategies to deal with unlawful downloading of
video and audio content. We commend the Productivity Commission on its very
sensible recommendation to dump geoblocking." From http://www.itwire.com
Governments
Are Realising the Potential of Big Data Governments
are starting to realise that big data is an important asset, according to New
South Wales Minister for Innovation and Better Regulation Victor Dominello, but
that inaccessible data buried in bureaucracy is of little value, as it cannot
be fully utilised to inform government policy. The state minister used his
time at the CeBIT Australia 2016 Conference to paint a positive future for
public data, saying that governments are now realising that its value should
be considered in the same way as that of physical assets. "Government
spending in Citing
research from IBM, Dominello said that 90 percent of the world's data has
been created in the past two years; that every day, the world generates 2.5
quintillion bytes of data; and that the individual digital footprints of
citizens around the world is growing exponentially, thanks to the likes of
social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook. "I think it's also
fair to say that like most governments, we've been behind the eight-ball when
it comes to harnessing the value of data until now," he said. "I
speak not as an expert in the field of data analytics, but as someone who
understands the decision-making processes of government and appreciates the
value of big data." According to Dominello, open data is an index of
democracy. He said the more willing the government is to open up data to its
citizens, the stronger Dominello
said that one of his proudest achievements since taking on the innovation
portfolio was the creation of the whole-of-government Data Analytics Centre
(DAC). "Over the last eight months, the centre has been, in many ways, a
startup within government," he said. "Through its actions, the DAC
has changed the culture within government. We've seen a noticeable shift away
from the silo mentality that previously existed." The DAC was first
announced in August last year, with Dominello saying previously that big data
can be analysed to find better ways to spend state money, preventing billions
of dollars in unnecessary spending. Comparing the NSW centre to those around
the world, Dominello said the DAC is revolutionary, as it has the legislative
power behind it to demand data on social priorities from government agencies
and departments, as well as local councils. In order to make the analytics
centre work, Dominello had to introduce the Data Sharing Government Sector
Bill [PDF], requiring each of the agencies and state-owned amenities to give
his department their data within 14 days. Last month, Dominello unveiled the
members of the advisory board that was formed to support the DAC. Chaired by
Tim Thurman, who is currently the CIO of the Australian Securities Exchange
(ASX), the board will advise the government on priorities and key
partnerships across industry, government, and research sectors that should be
forged to ensure outcomes are delivered. Following Malcolm Turnbull's AU$1.1
billion innovation initiative, Dominello revealed in February that he had
pencilled in May as the date for unveiling the state's first innovation
policy. Although tight-lipped on the content of the agenda, Dominello did say
the policy will have a key focus on data analytics and how to utilise it to
cut state costs. "One of the things we're doing is around
commercialisation -- how we can invest in the NSW economy in the data age --
and a lot of that will be around what powerful formulas we have that can
include social outcomes where governments are spending more than they need
to," he said. Also speaking on Monday, NSW Premier Mike Baird said he
believes the state will shape the economic future of the country, saying his
government is aiming to ensure From http://www.zdnet.com
As part of
the project 19 separate standard form contracts from 7 different companies
were reviewed. "The majority of telco companies had made real efforts to
comply with the provisions before they were introduced. However, we did
identify 66 terms that we considered potentially unfair. Many of the terms
were common across the contracts, particularly those that limited the
liability of the company, allowed the company to unilaterally vary the
contract or made the customer responsible for unauthorised charges," Ms
Rawlings said. In some instances the companies were able to provide
information to the Commission to show that the term was necessary to protect
the legitimate business interests of the company. In all other cases, the
companies accepted the Commission view and have amended or agreed to amend
the terms concerned. "This is a great outcome for From http://www.cellular-news.com
Govt Reveals Further
Reforms to Speed Up Apartment UFB Connections Apartment
residents are set to reap the benefits of connecting more quickly to faster broadband
under new changes proposed by Communications Minister Amy Adams. Adams has
announced the second phase of Land Access Reforms, making it easier for those
living in apartment complexes to connect to Ultra-Fast Broadband (UFB) -
these follow on from changes announced last month to improve access to stand
alone properties with shared access. “Of all UFB orders, one in seven can get
held up by the need to obtain permission from other owners,” In these
instances, “While this
proposal has some attractive elements, further information about the likely
ways in which this would be used is needed before this could be progressed so
no action on this proposal will be included with the immediate set of
reforms,” From http://www.computerworld.co.nz
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The European Commission has released the text of the proposed
'Privacy Shield' agreed with the From
http://www.telecompaper.com/ Commonwealth
Telecoms Organisation Clears 4-year Plan The Council of the Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation (CTO)
has approved a strategic plan for the period 2016 – 2020. Secretary-General
Shola Taylor said that this new Strategic Plan is the result of wide and
thorough consultations with all stakeholders, including employees for the
first time. The plan includes the introduction of Member Action Plans to be
effective from April this year, as the main mechanism to respond to members'
needs. Member Account Managers have been appointed from existing staff to
maintain regular engagement with each member of the organisation,
supplementing the dedicated membership division. Another change is the
introduction of the Affiliate Membership option open to governments of
non-Commonwealth countries, as well as Academia Membership to encourage
universities and tertiary educational institutions. It will also adopt the unit of membership contribution to
consolidate previously separate membership financial contribution scales into
a single, simpler and fairer system. The new plan is structured around six goals
and 26 strategic objectives. The Member Action Plans define
clear programmes and activities for each member. The membership fee structure
will provide flexibility, recognise members' ability to pay and enable
membership annual fees to cover the core budget of the organisation. The plan
also covers the development and distribution of the secretary-general's
quarterly reports, an e-Commonwealth magazine for members, and raising funds
for development activities to support members through the Development
Assistance Programme. From
http://www.telecompaper.com/ German
Digital Display Ad Market Grows 6.3% in 2015 - BVDW The German digital display advertising market grew by 6.3
percent in 2015 to reach EUR 1.68 billion, according to industry group BVDW.
Mobile display advertising accounted for net sales of EUR 204 million, up 53
percent from a year earlier. The digital display ad market is forecast to
grow by 6.3 percent in 2016 to reach EUR 1.78 billion. From
http://www.telecompaper.com/ French Digital Advertising Spend Jumps 5.9% in 2015 -
Study Net spending on digital advertising
in From http://www.telecompaper.com/ The number of fixed broadband subscriptions in From
http://www.telecompaper.com/ Italy to
Allocate EUR 65 mln to Smart City Projects From
http://www.telecompaper.com/ Dutch ICT
Sector Invests over EUR 4.3 Billion in 2015 The Dutch telecom and ICT sector invested EUR 4.3 billion last
year, according to industry group Nederland ICT. For the second consecutive
year, investments in expanding and upgrading fixed and mobile infrastructure
exceeded EUR 4 billion. The investment per capita is almost twice that of From
http://www.telecompaper.com/ The Russian government will allocate RUB 5 billion to supporting
Russian software companies on the international market. This is part of
economic stimulus plans approved by Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev,
Comnews.ru reported. According to the Ministry of Communications, the
government will choose at least eight competitive projects to promote on
international markets. They will need to attract co-financing in order to
receive the state funds. As a result, revenue from the export of Russian
software is expected to grow to USD 30 million in 2017 and USD 40 million in
2018, while also leading to savings for state procurement. Funding for the
programme will come from the recent spectrum auction. From
http://www.telecompaper.com/ The Russian Ministry of Communications and Mass Media announced
that 1,189 public internet access points were launched under the federal
programme on the elimination of the digital divide in 65 regions in 2015.
Around 22,000 kilometres of fibre-optic lines were built to improve internet
access. From
http://www.telecompaper.com/
Russian IT
Market Contracts 40% in 2015 The Russian IT market contracted by 40 percent in 2015, reports
Cnews.ru citing a study from IDC. The value of the market dropped to USD 17.4
billion from
USD 29.3 billion in 2014. This includes sales of PCs, smartphones, software
and servers. The market also dropped by 40 percent year-on-year in the fourth
quarter of 2015. IDC forecast that the Russian IT market will decline by 16
percent this year. The development is in line with the drop in oil prices. From http://www.telecompaper.com/ Russian
Telecom Services Market Hits RUB 1.71 tr in 2015 The Russian telecommunications service market volume totaled RUB
1.71 trillion in 2015, reports Tdaily.ru citing NikolyNikifirov, the Minister
of Communications and Mass Media. The size of the market totaled RUB 1.65
billion in 2014. From
http://www.telecompaper.com/
EU Ready to
Block Commission will approach national regulators seeking backing for
O2/3UK tie-up veto this week, sources say.The European Commission is
reportedly on the verge of blocking CK Hutchison's plan to acquire O The CMA called for Hutchison to be required to sell off one of
the networks or to hive off enough spectrum and infrastructure to facilitate
the creation of a new fourth mobile network operator.Naturally, Hutchison
objected vehemently to the suggestion, insisting there would be no taker for
such a remedy and that it would undermine the economic rationale of the
merger.Hutchison has proposed a number of remedies of its own, including
price freezes, network investment and a series of network capacity deals with
Sky, Virgin, Tesco Mobile and UK Broadband.Late last week Reuters reported
that Hutch believes those measures to be sufficient and will not improve upon
them in order to win over Brussels. It is, however, working on a legal
challenge, should the European Commission not rule in its favour, the
newswire said. From
http://www.totaltele.com/ LATIN
AMERICA: Internet accesses (fixed and From
http://www.telecompaper.com/
NORTH
AMERICA: With consumers embracing new points of contact such as social
media and smartphone apps, and cloud and mobile technologies allowing for a
seamless omni-channel experience, the call centres of the past must give way
to the “contact centres” of today – yet companies aren’t keeping up,
according to a new report released today by Johannesburg, South Africa-based
global IT services provider Dimension Data Holdings plc. Instead, the
company’s 19th annual global contact centre benchmarking report found that
while the businesses surveyed paid more than adequate enough attention to
their telephone and e-mail capabilities, with 89.4 per cent of global
participants measuring the quality of their phone interactions, they severely
lagged behind in every other channel, such as social media and web chat.
Moreover, few respondents involved their contact centres in planning new
channels, assuming they took a multi-channel approach to customer service to
begin with – only 36.4 per cent could track customers across multiple
channels, 79.4 per cent admitted to having no “big picture” view of
cross-channel interaction, and 30.4 per cent couldn’t track the customer
journey at all. “While new technology may be digital and automated… it still
needs people — that all-important ‘human touch’ — to design, program, review,
and amend,” the report said. “This is the failure point for solution
approvals, process reviews, and performance management.” The solution,
Dimension emphasized in its summary of the report, is twofold: when applying
new technology to their customer service efforts, companies must focus on the
customer experience (abbreviated in the report as CX), which frequently
crosses channels whether they like it or not (below), and solicit more input
from their contact centres along the way. “Management disciplines perfected
on (the) phone now need to be applied to digital,” the report said, noting
that CX can be used both as a key measure of effectiveness and a way for
businesses to differentiate their services from the competition. To conduct
the survey, Dimension collected data from 1320 organizations across 14
industries in 81 countries, including From
http://www.itworldcanada.com/ The White House is preparing to send Congress new legislation
that dives further into the revolving $3.1 billion IT modernization
fund."I know they are preparing to transmit legislation to the
Hill," said Sean Casey, a policy adviser at the Office of Management and
Budget, during a MeriTalk event on the Federal IT Acquisition Reform Act.
"Obviously [Federal CIO] Tony Scott testified about it and
advocated" for the IT modernization fund.Casey said further discussions
would take place if Congress decides to enact the measure.The Obama
administration proposed the fund to serve as a mechanism for agencies to
upgrade legacy IT to more modern, cloud-based systems. Savings agencies
achieve on the back end would be repaid into the fund. It is envisioned that
the fund could address $12 billion in modernization projects over the course
of 10 years. The fund recently failed to pass as an
amendment to the fiscal 2017 budget resolution in the House Budget
Committee.Lawmakers have raised concerns about the amount of money
that has already been allocated for IT modernization efforts and have
questioned why an additional $3 billion is needed."You need to look at
each agency individually, and you also need to look at those funds and ensure
the way that those funds will come out, and you need to really make sure
Congress is on board with what they are being used for," David Powner,
director of IT management issues at the Government Accountability Office,
told the audience. He added that it's important to have the right process in
place to manage the funds.As OMB proceeds with its guidance on the fund,
Sens. Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) and Tom Udall (D-N.M.) are refreshing the language
in their Cloud Infrastructure Transition Act of 2015. The legislation would
give new authority to the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program
to speed accreditation of commercial cloud providers, establish a framework
for the federal CIO to set up working capital funds for IT modernization and
task agencies with strict reporting requirements designed to expose their
reliance on obsolete technology. Former House staffer Rich Beutel, who helped draft FITARA, has
been advising current Senate staffers on the cloud bill. Beutel, who now
leads consulting firm Cyrrus Analytics, told FCW he hopes lawmakers will
release something next week to position the bill for markup by the Senate
Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. There's not much time
left on the legislative calendar before the election season makes substantive
action difficult.Beutel was not aware of the timing of legislation coming
from the administration on IT modernization but said he hoped the bills could
move in parallel to emphasize to Congress the need for updating legacy IT
systems. If the White House delivers a bill alongside the Senate measure, it
would be "instrumental in aligning the stars" for Congress in a
"very tough fiscal environment," he added. From
https://fcw.com/ FCC Approves
Low-Income Internet Subsidy to Bridge Digital Divide Although the subsidy is less than $ In another broadband-related action, the FCC voted along party
lines to start a formal rule-making process for new restrictions on how
Internet service providers could use the personal information of their
customers.High-speed Internet is available in 95 percent of households with
annual incomes of more than $150,000, the FCC said. But nearly half of
households with incomes of less than $ She cited a Pew Research Center study that found 5 million
households out of the 29 million with school-aged children lack high-speed
Internet access.“There was a time when broadband access was a luxury. No
more,” she said. “And nothing demonstrates this as clearly as with
education.”The program is funded by a small monthly fee on consumers’ phone
bills, and spent about $1.5 billion last year to provide services to 13
million Americans. Recipients get the monthly subsidy, which is paid to their
telecom provider, and can use it to offset the cost of one land-line or
wireless phone line.Households would be limited to one subsidy.Lifeline has
been the subject of controversy as it has grown dramatically in recent
years.The program’s spending ballooned from $809 million in 2005 to a peak of
$2.2 billion in 2012, causing Republican critics to criticize it as
“Obamaphone” because much of the growth occurred during President Obama’s
administration. They have pushed for a limit on Lifeline spending each year. The
FCC on Thursday set a $2.25 billion annual budget, indexed to
inflation.Republican Commissioners Ajit Pai and Mike O’Rielly, who voted
against the proposal, said the budget is not a hard cap that limits spending.
Wheeler admitted that it was possible for the FCC to approve spending above
the budget level.The FCC also took steps to eliminate waste, fraud and abuse
of the program, including taking eligibility determinations away from the
companies and giving it to an independent third-party administrator.The
changes build on reforms enacted by the FCC in 2012, such as creating a
database to prevent multiple phone companies from receiving subsidies for the
same subscriber. Lifeline spending has decreased the last few years, and public
interest and civil rights groups have pushed for Lifeline subsides to be used
for broadband service.More than 15,000 people signed a petition organized by
Demand Progress to expand Lifeline “to help narrow the digital divide.”On
Thursday, Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders of Wheeler said the delay was because “the deliberative process was
in full swing.”After the meeting, Clyburn said she was not pressured by
Wheeler to back out of the deal. And Wheeler said suggestions that he
pressured her were “balderdash.”Clyburn said she opposes a cap on the
program’s spending but “negotiated in good faith to have a budget mechanism
in place that ensures millions of new households will have the opportunity to
afford advanced telecommunications services.”But she said that “upon further
deliberation, I concluded that such a mechanism could not fully achieve my
vision of a 21st century Lifeline program.”Under the rules proposed by
Wheeler to restrict use of personal information, cable and wireless companies
that offer broadband service would in most cases need permission from
customers to use or share the data collected about them as they access the
Internet. The new regulations would apply only to broadband providers and
not to individual websites or social networks. For that reason, Internet
service providers oppose the proposed rules.“Our
digital footprints are hardly in sand; they are effectively in wet cement,”
Rosenworcel said.“The market incentives to keep our
data and slice and dice it to inform economic activity are enormous,” she
said. “They are only going to grow.”Pai and O’Rielly voted against launching
the rule-making process, saying broadband providers should be regulated more
strictly than search engines and other companies that collect consumer data
on the Internet.“When it comes to privacy, the principle of parity makes
sense,” Pai said. “There is no good reason to single out ISPs — new entrants
in the online advertising space — for disparate treatment.” From
//www.govtech.com/ Amazon Web
Services Launches 2016 City on a Cloud Innovation Challenge In a bid to highlight its cloud services to governments, Amazon
is offering $ In a blog post, AWS listed three standout examples of previous
winners. In 2014, the From
http://www.govtech.com/ Global ABI Research lists lack of standards, harmonised spectrum, and
use cases among obstacles to However, there are still several big challenges to overcome
before the benefits of From
http://www.totaltele.com/ Mobile
Games Market Forecast to Grow 21% This Year The global games market is forecast to grow 8.5 percent to an
estimated USD 99.6 billion in 2016, according to Newzoo’s latest report,
written four months into the year. For the first time, mobile gaming will
take a larger share than PC with USD 36.9 billion, up 21.3 percent. APAC
continues to dominate worldwide, accounting for 46.6 percent of the market
and up 10.7 percent on 2015. From
http://www.telecompaper.com/ APEC Video
Contest: SMEs Using To raise awareness of the potential for mobile technology to enable
small businesses, APEC has launched a mobile video competition inviting small
business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs to share their stories about how
they have used mobile internet technologies to develop and grow commercial
ideas. “Encouraging the engagement of small businesses in international trade
is high on APEC's agenda,” said APEC Secretariat Executive Director Alan
Bollard. “Mobile technology is a powerful tool to support the growth of
micro, small and medium enterprises which make up more than 97 per cent of
all businesses in the Asia-Pacific.”The creator of the winning one-minute
mobile video submission will be awarded a trip to Lima, Peru to meet with
CEOs at the APEC CEO Summit on 17-19 November and their video will be
screened during APEC Economic Leaders’ Week.“For many people in the region,
mobiles are their one and only computer,” said Barbara Navarro, director of
policy strategy and operations for the region at Google, which is partnering
with APEC to support the initiative. “Mobiles have changed the way we live
our lives — and they are also helping small businesses in the region to find
new customers and grow,” she concluded. From
http://www.apec.org/ |
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I have been most impressed with From http://www.gov.cn/
Great Potential in From http://www.news.cn/ E-commerce Tax No
Trouble for Tourists: Ministry As a new tax on imported goods went into effect on Friday,
Chinese travelers who buy abroad have expressed concern for the possible
trouble. However, the Ministry of Finance said the fears stemmed from
confusion. "The new policy targets e-commerce, not individual outbound
tourists," People's Daily quoted an
unidentified ministry official as saying. According to the authority, the
rules for tourists returning from abroad remain unchanged, with purchases up
to the value of 5,000 yuan (US$770) exempt from duties. The new tax relates
only to e-commerce platforms that allow consumers to order imported goods
online to be delivered through postal services. The policy is aimed at
creating a more level playing field for cross-border e-commerce sites and
brick-and-mortar stores that sell imported goods. It means overseas retail
goods bought online are no longer treated as personal postal articles, which
enjoy tax rate lower than that on other imported goods. Instead, those
overseas purchases will be charged in the same way as any other imported
goods. Cross-border e-commerce has boomed with the surge in demand for
higher-quality products among Tariffs are currently all set at zero, with a 30 percent
discount on import VAT and consumption tax for purchases up to 2,000 yuan,
and only if a consumer's annual gross transactions are under 20,000 yuan.
Operators of bonded areas, part of the e-commerce chain, also expressed
concern about the tax change－as it came
into effect only about two weeks after it was announced, some areas said they
did not have enough time to clear inventories. Shoppers also have complained
they must now pay higher taxes on low-priced overseas products. Previously,
these were subject to only a 10 percent parcel tax, but now are subject to a
tax between 11.9 and 32.9 percent. However, analysts noted that some luxury
items, such as cosmetics priced up to 2,000 yuan, now have a lower tax, as
the previous parcel tax was 50 percent. Fitch Ratings said in its latest
report that From http://www.chinagate.cn/
Global Industry Body
Says China has always been at the forefront of new technologies,
especially now in "In working with our members and considering how we are
going to treat From http://www.chinagate.cn/
Lenovo Spinoffs
Business Dedicated to Online Authentication China's tech giant Lenovo has created a firm dedicated to
providing online authentication solutions that aim to push China's cyberspace
security amid increasing risks of hacking, data breaches and identity theft,
the company announced yesterday at a symposium on trusted identity in
cyberspace. Online Biometric Authentication Ltd, a subsidiary of the Lenovo
Capital & Incubator Group (LCIG) under the Chinese PC and smartphone
manufacturer, will work together with all stakeholders in the field to
address the authentication problem and push application of international
standards across the ecosystem, revealed Henry (Haixin) Chai, CEO of the new
company. " President Xi Jinping has called for the comprehensive detection
of internet risks to ensure online security at a symposium on cybersecurity
on April 19, calling for the establishment of a system to protect information
infrastructure in industries including finance, energy, telecommunications
and transportation. "Many businesses and government agencies around the
world have a shared interest in improving online authentication to address
the password problem," said Brett McDowell, executive director of the
FIDO Alliance. "But the problem is too big to solve single handedly, and
we must collaborate on a global scale." Tan Tieniu, vice president of
the From http://www.chinagate.cn/
Lenovo Commits US$500
Mln to Investment Fund Global PC and smartphone juggernaut Lenovo will beef up
investment on next-generation smart devices, core technologies, universal
connections of different devices, and a database center based on cloud
infrastructure, CEO Yang Yuanqing revealed on May 4. "We're setting up
the Lenovo Capital and Incubator Group (LCIG) to nurture a smart ecosystem by
investing in and incubating innovations and new technologies in areas of
future importance," said Yang at the launching ceremony of LCIG this
Wednesday, when the company introduced a US$500 million investment fund. The
launch of LCIG is one of Lenovo's latest structural changes to drive stronger
innovation, more customer-oriented products and fast growth, according to the
company's official news release last month. The newly structured group, which
was formerly known as the Ecosystem and Cloud Services Group, has incubated
over 10 firms in fields like internet applications, cloud services and online
authentication with the help of Lenovo's global resources and external
capital support. The US$500 million investment fund will mainly focus on
cloud computing plus big data, artificial intelligence (AI) plus robotics,
Internet of Things (IoT) and consumption upgrading, said George (Zhiqiang)
He, senior vice president at Lenovo and president of LCIG. The first project
incubated under LCIG was SHAREit, a popular cross-platform file transfer tool
that now boasts 520 million users worldwide and ranks as the most downloaded
app on Google Play in 36 countries and regions. LCIG's investment roadmap
also includes smart healthcare, augmented and virtual reality (AR and VR)
smart glasses, financial services and telecommunications. From http://www.chinagate.cn/
Internet and E-commerce
Help Reduce Poverty in Government officials, business leaders and experts have gathered
at the 2016 China Poverty Reduction International Forum in He hopes such platforms like the portal could facilitate
communications between various countries to share their policies and best
practices on poverty reduction. "I hope through our website, we can
share experience in poverty alleviation all over the country. Also we can
share and learn from the effective methods and successful experiments from
other countries. I just came back from From http://www.chinagate.cn/
Chinese Online Consumption Soars over Past
Five Years: Report Online shopping in From http://www.gov.cn/
Mobile carrier LG Uplus on Wednesday rolled out a home security
service, called IoT Caps, which incorporates Internet of Things technology. The
mobile carrier partnered with security firm ADT Caps and digital door lock
maker Gateman in August last year to develop the smart home security service,
which allows users to remotely monitor their houses with smartphones and
notify security guards when strangers trespass on private property. Running
on LG Uplus’ telecom networks, the Internet of Things security solution
enables users to remotely lock doors and sends alerts to users when doors are
damaged or opened by force. Upon receiving such alerts, users can then ask
the security firm to dispatch security officers to their houses. “By
combining telecommunications and security services, LG Uplus and its partners
have created a new service that can provide differentiated value for
customers,” said Ahn Sung-jun, senior vice president of LG Uplus’ Internet of
Things service unit. From
http://www.koreaherald.com
KT
Aims for Home IoT Leadership South Korean telecom carrier KT said Thursday that it aims to
become a major force in the nascent Internet of Things market with its
creative health care services that incorporate an element of fun. “With
the IoT market getting bigger and bigger, it should be supported by related
infrastructure. Based on its widespread telecom and IPTV network, KT aims to
become No. From
http://www.koreaherald.com
Online
Banking Transactions at Record High in 2015 From
http://www.koreaherald.com
Online
Markets Move to Service Sales Online shopping operators are turning to personalized services
as they try to differentiate themselves in the teeming industry, taking care of
small errands like shoe polishing to more extensive services that include
interior remodeling, industry watchers said Monday. Further blurring the
online-offline boundary, these operators are taking broader steps by putting
together an array of services instead of specializing in a single category
like food delivery and cab hailing. Prices range from 6,000 won ($5) for a
shoe shine to 40,000 won for a car wash. 11st Street started running
"Life Plus" on its mobile application last week, offering visiting
services for car washing, house cleaning, laundry pickup, custom shoes and
shirts, and home interior. Customers can place their orders online and
receive the services when and where they want. They are entitled to the same
discounts, coupons and payment tools as people shopping for goods. Some of
the services are not yet available nationwide, but 11st Street plans to fix
that soon and add more choices. From
http://www.koreaherald.com
From
http://www.korea.net
Foreigners Made More Online Purchases in 2015 South Korea’s online sales to foreign customers nearly tripled
last year from a year earlier on the back of rising demand from Chinese
consumers, a report showed Thursday. South Korean retailers sold an estimated
$130 million worth of goods to overseas customers through their websites, up
from $44.6 million the previous year, according to the report by the
state-run Korea Development Institute. E-commerce exports have been on a
sharp rise since 2010, when it posted $2.1 million. The KDI report showed
that 42.2 percent of the online sales to overseas customers was to Chinese consumers, while 21.1 percent was from
Singapore-based shoppers and 17.1 percent from the From
http://www.koreaherald.com
Government
to Invest W100b to Develop Supercomputers The Korean government has rolled up its sleeves to develop more
advanced supercomputing systems than AlphaGo after the artificial
intelligence by Google’s DeepMind defeated the nation‘s human Go master last
month. Behind the learning and calculation prowess of AlphaGo are supercomputing
systems made of more than 1,400 central processing and graphic processing
units and application software. The Ministry of Science, ICT and Future
Planning announced Monday a plan to invest a total of 100 billion won ($87.2
million) -- approximately 10 billion won a year -- for the next 10 years to
develop high-performance computers, or supercomputers, which will incorporate
up-to-date systems and application software. The ICT Ministry will first
develop a supercomputer that can manage 1 petaflop per second (a quadrillion
calculations per second) in the first phase of the state-run project from
this year through 2020, and then a supercomputer that can perform 30
quadrillion calculations, or faster, from 2021 to 2025. From
http://www.koreaherald.com
South Korea's exports of information communication technology
(ICT) products fell for the seventh consecutive month in March as weak global
demand and a Chinese slowdown weighed heavily on the country's key
industries, government data showed Wednesday. Outbound shipments of ICT
products reached $13.97 billion last month, down 5 percent from $14.7 billion
tallied a year before, according to the data compiled by the Ministry of
Trade, Industry and Energy. ICT exports extended their losing streak to seven
straight months, falling since they slipped 1.6 percent on-year in October
last year. Exports of ICT goods accounted for 32.5 percent of the country's
$42.98 billion worth of shipments abroad over the cited period. Imports rose 4.5 percent on-year to $8.01 billion last month, with
the country logging a surplus of $5.96 billion in the sector. "ICT
exports fell due to a slump in global demand and a slowdown in From
http://www.koreaherald.com
Digital Payment Drives Out ATMs As bank consumers embrace digital payment methods, they are
gradually turning their backs on automated teller machines, as cash machines
on the street here have fallen to decline. From
http://www.koreaherald.com
KT
Brings LTE Service to the Office for First Time Korean network operator KT Corp. has become the first in the world
to install Long-Term Evolution network service in office surroundings to pave
the way for smoother and safer communication. The service allows employees
and customers to utilize the intranet of a firm through mobile devices in a
secure manner, as it is operated separately from existing LTE networks used
for noncorporate mobile subscribers. Businesses can choose to make the
service available nationwide or only in designated workplaces. KT said this
service -- called LTE service for enterprise -- will serve as an ideal mobile
office for companies in a range of sectors including logistics, retail, sales
and finance. “This particular LTE service tailored to companies will help
improve the mobile network environment at workplace and reduce costs stemming
from network services for companies,” said Lee Moon-hwan, executive vice
president of KT, at a press conference in From
http://www.koreaherald.com
LG
to Lead Global LG Electronics said Tuesday it has joined a global car
infotainment system alliance, the GENIVI Alliance, as a board
member. The GENIVI Alliance is a group of 150 tech firms and car
manufacturers committed to setting technical standards for Linux-based car
infotainment software GENIVI. The in-vehicle infotainment system has gained
traction in recent years as global carmakers,
including Jaguar Land Rover, BMW, Renault-Nissan and Volvo have adopted the
software. The 12-member board of the global organization includes Jaguar Land
Rover, BMW and Intel. LG will work for the next two years as a board
member to establish a set of IVI standards and the policies of the
organization.The company said it would strengthen the ties with global
carmakers and tech firms in developing the IVI platform down the road. “The
selection of LGE as a board member of GENIVI Alliance indicates that the
company has gained considerable ground in the global automotive component
market,” said Kim Jin-yong, head of the tech firm’s in-vehicle infotainment
division, in a press release. From
http://www.koreaherald.com
Tech
Giants Lock Horns over Korean Cloud Market Tech giants from home and abroad are battling to garner a larger
slice of the Korean market for cloud computing solutions, industry watchers
said Monday, as local demand for the services is expected to grow sharply
down the road. The Korean market for cloud computing solutions is expected to
reach $1.2 billion in 2019, up from the $540 million posted in 2014,
according to the data compiled by industry tracker Gartner. Cloud computing
solutions allow users to access their photos, documents and other content saved
on servers through smartphones and PCs. The service has been gaining
popularity around the globe, especially at the office, as it cuts down on
costs. In January, From
http://www.koreaherald.com
Gov't
to Launch Program to Support SaaS Firms The government will launch a program to support companies in the
service market of SaaS or "Software as a Service." The
Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning said on Sunday that it will
launch the program this month to provide comprehensive state support for the
SaaS firms interested in starting up a business to advancing to foreign markets. Entities
subject to the support program include domestic small- and medium-sized
software firms or software developers. The ministry will select 33 teams to
provide support funds of three-point-65 billion won. The selected teams
will receive consulting services from leading SaaS firms as well as support
from the K-ICT cloud innovation center. Those interested companies or
developers may apply at the Web site of the National IT Industry Promotion
Agency from May fourth to June third. From
http://world.kbs.co.kr
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April 6, 2016: From
http://www.dealstreetasia.com/
President
Joko Widodo Launches Online Marketplace for Farmers Indonesian President Joko Widodo has launched an online
marketing system (e-commerce) for agricultural products, in an effort to cut
the long distribution chains from farmers to consumers. The agricultural
e-commerce is part of the ‘Synergized-Actions for the People Economy’, a
program that synergizes three ministries – the Communication and Information
Ministry, the Trade Ministry, and the Ministry of Small and Medium
Enterprises – that was inaugurated by the president on Monday. Communications
and Information Minister Rudiantara said e-commerce would assist farmers in
marketing their agricultural products, as well as maintaining food supply and
price stability. “It will make the prices cheaper,” he said, as quoted by a
local media. Rudiantara admitted that it will be a challenge to get farmers,
who have not been exposed to digital technology, to convert to using a smarphone
and mobile apps. However, the government has committed to carry out a massive
socialisation to support the program. Teaming up with several Indonesian
startups, the government introduced five Android-based applications – Petani,
a free SMS-based consultation feature for farmers, Limkilo, PantauHarga, and
TaniHub. The startups involved are 8villages, TaniHub, and Code4Nation. Apart from the agricultural e-commerce, the government has also
launched Nurbaya Initiative, a programme to help farmers and related small
businesses set up online shopping platforms and distribute free domains
throughout the industry. Meanwhile, Trade Minister Thomas Lembong said his
ministry had expected that the online system would benefit both farmers and
consumers. He announced an optimistic projection that the farmers would see a
15 per cent increase in their agricultural product profit margins. As for the
consumers, he continued, they would see at least a 15 percent decline in the
prices of agricultural products. “To see the more exact impact, we will
conduct periodic evaluations,” he said. Widodo has launced the program at the
From
http://www.dealstreetasia.com/
GOOGLE With business leverage for business, the company will help SME
advertisers reach consumers through the mobile platform as they search, watch
videos, browse sites and use apps.
Google will also help measure and optimise every moment on both the
Web and apps and deliver on consumer needs at the right moment. Consumer
Barometer has reported that at 57 per cent, mobile is the country's primary
computing platform. From
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/
Drive
Targets Pirated Software A “SAFE Software, Safe Nation” campaign was launched yesterday
in order simultaneously to reduce the use of illegal and unlicensed software
and address the constantly evolving cybersecurity threat. The campaign is led
by the Economic Crime Division (ECD), the Department of Intellectual Property
(DIP) and the Association of the Thai Software Industry. Together, these
organisations seek to gain greater cooperation from the public and private
sectors to enhance security. Police will crack down on corporate users and
sellers of illegal software. "Using legal software is one of the first
steps in improving cybersecurity," said ECD deputy commander Pol Colonel
Kittisak Plathong. "And in addition to this there must be awareness
about how to improve security. There must be training and information for
people to protect themselves." For years, the government has increased
its efforts to reduce the use of illegal and unlicensed software among the
business community and consumers. The decline of unlicensed software in "We need greater reductions in the use of illegal and unlicensed
software. The rate of 71 per cent is still well above the Asia-Pacific
average of 62 per cent," Kittisak said. "High levels of pirated
software in From
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/
E-Commerce
Set for Fast Growth E-COMMERCE IN Southeast Asia is small compared with the size of
the population and depth of smartphone penetration, but the market looks like
growing rapidly in the years ahead, according to a report released yesterday.
Online retail represents a US$6-billion (Bt209 billion) market in Southeast
Asia, but with online sales below 4 per cent of total retail, the region
still lags well behind developed markets and even other developing markets.
These are the findings from a report by Bain & Company and Google,
"Can Southeast Asia Live Up to Its E-commerce Potential?", which
includes a survey of more than 6,000 consumers across Thailand and five other
countries - Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam.
While this does not yet match the pace of Those that recognise its early potential in spite of persistent
complexities will reap the rewards.
While 100 million consumers in From
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/
Telecom
Sector Leads with Bt AS DIGITAL media play a significant role in marketing and communications,
both international and local brands are allocating more advertising money to
digital channels. UK-based BusinessInsider.com reported recently that
Unilever, a global FMCG (fast-moving consumer goods) giant, spent about 20
per cent of its overall marketing budget in 2014 on digital, up from 17 per
cent in 2013. "From our
point of view, this was a good initiative by the FMCG giant. However, digital
advertising spend by Unilever (Thai) Holdings has [been less aggressive]
because Thai digital consumers are in the developing process," Siwat
Chawareewong, president of the Digital Advertising Association ( "The key online marketing strategies aim to communicate
with target consumers via social media like Facebook, Line and Instagram. On
top of that, the|company will use an interactive online platform via
www.letwonderout.com," Punthree said. TOA Paint ( From
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/
Telecom
Licence Fees, Tax Hikes Fund Stimulus THE The research house has maintained its forecast for GDP growth at
3 per cent this year after the government launched more economic stimulus
packages. The government recently announced five stimulus measures. The first
is a supplementary budget of Bt56.28 billion within the 2016 fiscal budget,
resulting in Bt39.40 billion in funds to inject into the economic system. The
second measure is the Bt70-billion Pracha Rath residential project. Pimonwan
said project financing for developers that want to build Pracha Rath
residences will contribute more to GDP than mortgages because there is still
existing inventory to be sold, while project financing is for new residential
developments. KResearch sees about Bt20 billion in project
financing this year. Under the
Bt70-billion Pracha Rath scheme, Bt30 billion is for project financing.
Krungthai Bank, the Government Housing Bank and the Government Savings Bank
are the lenders. The remaining Bt40 billion is for low-income borrowers. GH
Bank and GSB oversee this lending. The other measures are tax incentives for
Songkran spending, the new round of the Village Fund scheme and the
registration of low-income citizens to target aid to them. The five measures
are expected to contribute Bt60 billion to Bt80 billion, or 0.4-0.6
percentage point, to GDP growth. This should offset factors that will hurt
GDP - drought, lower exports and delayed private investment. The drought
should end this quarter but if the situation drags on to next quarter, prices
of agricultural products and consumption will be more affected and that will
increase pressure on GDP growth, Pimonwan said. From
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/
Thailand‘s military government will bring forward the re-auction
of a fourth-generation ( From
http://www.dealstreetasia.com/
Banks, Govt
Push New National E-Payment System BANKS AND other institutions are working with the government to
establish a national electronic or e-payment system for the “any ID” funds
transfer scheme to reduce the use of cash and facilitate the distribution of
public welfare benefits. "We're developing our IT system to accommodate
the 'any ID' money transfers where a registered ID, which can be a national
ID or mobile phone number, is used as a reference," Teeranun Srihong,
president of Kasikornbank, said yesterday. "In cooperation with other
commercial banks via the Thai Bankers' Association, 'any ID' money transfer
processes and conditions for registration are being established with a high
level of system security," he said. Punnamas Vichitkulwongsa, a member
of the government's subcommittee on national e-payments, said more than 90
per cent of all transactions in For the government, e-payments will also make the distribution
of public welfare funds to low-income people more efficient since they only
need a 13-digit ID number to access the money. Non-banking enterprises such
as telecoms and public transport firms will also be involved in the e-payment
system using mobile phone and mass transit services as the starting point.
Finance Minister Apisak Tantivorawong said earlier that the first phase of
the national e-payment system would go live in July, allowing people to
transfer funds by using their ID cards, mobile numbers or email addresses.
The system will increase tax collection efficiency and facilitate budget
allocation to help low-income earners and reduce economic inequality, he
said. The government is finalising the criteria for low-income groups, which
may include those who earn no more than Bt300 per day or who have bank
deposits of no more than Bt30,000. When the system
is fully implemented in 2018, low-income people will be able to use their ID
cards to buy low-priced products subsidised by the government and avail of
other benefits. Companies registering to use the system will enjoy incentives
such as paying a lower tax rates, he said. Teeranun said KBank is developing
its computer systems to link to the central database and allow payment via
its channels. "Guidelines have been established for the development of
comprehensive systems such as e-invoicing, e-supply chain, e-logistics, to
assist customers in business management," he said, referring to e-tax
payments. "We need to upgrade the electronic channels to better serve
customers, while also equipping them with knowledge on the benefits,
convenience and safety of electronic transactions to encourage their
migration to e-payment use." Ascend's Punnamas said the national
e-payment system promises to advance the country's infrastructure for the
digital economy by five to 10 years. "We will gain from increased
transparency, cost efficiency and tax collections," he said. From
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/
Agency
Focused on Helping More SMEs Get into Online Trading WITH THE GROWING emergence of online trading, the Business
Development Department is focusing on a plan to encourage small and
medium-sized enterprises to do more e-commerce business this year.
Director-general Pongpun Geara-viriyapun said her agency would send teams of
officials to each province to help train SMEs on how to do business online,
as the e-business channel entailed a low investment cost and could create
quick returns for enterprises. This month and next, the department will start
by dispatching a task force to Hat Yai in Songkhla and to Chaiyaphum, Ranong,
Chon Buri and Phetchaburi provinces. The training
programme will include a session on online trading in theory, and practice in
how to design their own website, so that each SME can get its online
operations up and running quickly, and at a minimum cost, she said. The
department has also |provided a central webpage, www.thaicommercestore.com,
for SMEs to sell their products online. The agency will also support SMEs in
the selling of their products via the websites of leading department-store
and supermarket chains, including Central and Tesco Lotus, she added.
Moreover, for strong online SME traders, the department will help them go
international by introducing them to foreign traders via www.thaitrade.com,
as well as supporting them in regard to using international online trading
websites such as Alibaba.com. To ensure that online traders are reliable
operators, Pongpun suggested that such enterprises register their businesses
with the department so that they can be verified as trustworthy among
e-shoppers. From
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/
THE PENETRATION of fast-moving consumer goods (FMCGs) purchased
via online and e-commerce channels is expected to increase to about 15 to 20
per cent of Thai households by 2019, says Kantar Worldpanel, a leading market
research firm. "Online shopping in FMCG categories in According to the latest research by Kantar Worldpanel, average
spending per trip at hypermarkets and supermarkets is Bt257, while consumers commonly
spend Bt95 per trip at convenience stores and Bt51 per trip at mom-and-pop
shops. However, shopping frequency via online channels is 2.3 times a year,
which is considerably lower than the frequency at hypermarkets/supermarkets,
which is about 26 times annually. "The latest findings suggest that
online shopping has high potential for brands. The key is that the brands
should encourage consumers to increase their shopping frequencies via online
channels," Ellis stressed. Meanwhile, leading retailers in the Kingdom
are putting more emphasis on developing their assets and facilities to
support their e-commerce. Retail giant Central Group recently announced the
acquisition of Zalora - a leading online shopping site in From
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/
E-commerce will bring big opportunities for online exports as
key export markets of Việt After five years of using online exports, the enterprise has
invested time and efforts in uploading product information, images,
certificates and payment and customer feedback. Hằng also asked management
agencies and e-commerce websites to tighten management on information and
quality so that enterprises could feel secure when making transactions. Speaking
on how to create an impression with partners, Trần Xuân Thủy, country manager
of Alibaba to Việt From
http://vietnamnews.vn/
E-Wallet
Firm Wins US$28 Million Investment from Foreign Investors M_Services JSC, the company that sells MoMo or Mobile Money service,
has raised US$25 million from Standard Chartered Private Equity (SCPE) and $3
million from global investment bank Goldman Sachs. But the company has not
divulged how much stake it has sold to them or the price of the shares. Phạm
Thanh Đức, the company’s CEO, said “We are very pleased to announce Standard
Chartered Private Equity has become MoMo’s strategic investor together with
our existing shareholder and strategic investor Goldman Sachs, who previously
invested $ From
http://vietnamnews.vn/
E-Commerce
Sales Surge 37% to $4 Billion in 2015 The business-to-consumer (B The report also revealed that both sales of websites and
e-commerce trading floors increased sharply last year.Accordingly, the total
revenue in the first 10 months of 839 e-commerce enterprises last year was
estimated at VND11.6 trillion.Meanwhile, the total revenue of 875 e-commerce
websites in the first 10 months in 2014 was estimated at VND8
trillion.According to the report, e-commerce sites of enterprises with large
revenues mostly traded in airplane tickets, refrigeration, furniture,
household appliances, electronic and digital products, and audio
equipment.Thirty seven per cent of website owners said that goods and
services that were most purchased on e-commerce websites had prices ranging
from VND100,000 to 500,000.The ten e-commerce websites that lead in revenue
included vietnamairlines.com, thegioididong.com, esale.zing.vn,
fptshop.com.vn, lazada.vn, nguyenkim.com, pico.vn, dienmaycholon.vn,
hc.com.vn and phucanh.vn.To achieve strong growth, Vecita said that in the
past year businesses recognised the importance and trends of e-commerce,
therefore, they had invested more in e-commerce websites with total expenses
increasing by an average of 30 per cent compared to 2014. From
http://vietnamnews.vn/economy/ Local
E-Marketplace Ranks High in Sales The first e-marketplace in the country since 2005, ChoDienTu.vn,
is now the second largest e-commerce website in terms of sales revenue. This
fact has shown that local e-commerce players have a unique strategy and
in-depth local understanding to counter foreign giants, despite having fewer
funds, according to the 2015 e-Commerce report published this week by the
Vietnam e-Commerce and Information Technology Agency (www.vecita.gov.vn).This
news has marked the comeback of the earliest e-marketplace in Việt Nam since
2005, which has been silent in recent years.ChoDienTu.vn is owned by
PeaceTech joint stock company, a subsidiary of the PeaceSoft-group joint
venture with eBay and majority-controlled by Vietnamese veteran technopreneurs.
From
http://vietnamnews.vn/ Online
Transport Trade Site Flops The Transport Ministry called on municipal People’s Committees,
transport firms and relevant agencies to promote VinaTrucking, the first
e-commerce transport trading floor in Việt However, Thuận said that transport firms were not as interested
in the transport trading floor as finding few clients. “VinaTrucking is still
quite new in Việt From
http://vietnamnews.vn/
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Cash transactions in
Public Distribution System (PDS) would take place through bank transfers from
April 1, 2016. The ration card holders could purchase groceries by swiping their
debit cards at the shop. “This apart, the ration shop dealers, instead of
making payment through demand drafts should use online funds transfer
facility, to cut down time,” a district collector said. He had a discussion
at length on the modalities for the cashless transactions in PDS with
representatives from Andhra Bank, Deloitte, IDFC, NIC, NPCI, UIDAI and
Visiontec, along with his team. He also said that they had successfully
implemented inter-operability benefitting 10 lakh beneficiaries. “Government
wants to make the system of cashless transaction for more transparency in
Public Distribution System,” he said. He also reminded that From
http://egov.eletsonline.com
Govt Gives Go-ahead to
‘Startup Corridor’ for Young Entrepreneurs The Government of India has amply exhibited its concerns for the
startups by making efforts to motivate and boost the sector in the country,
especially in the last couple of years. Launching ‘Startup Incubating startups are unable to manage all the resources and
expertise under one roof, he explained, so they either compromise or approach
other similar players, which ultimately results in spending more time
in incubation. “The startup corridor will help multidisciplinary
incubators to create a consortium through which the science and technology
ministry can be approached,” he said adding that they can get an incubation
support of Rs 5 crore as an incentive, if selected. This will help them
save valuable time by arranging the required resources, thus giving a
boost to their incubation. From
http://egov.eletsonline.com Govt Clears Rs.6,155cr
Proposals for Electronics Manufacturing In its bid to turn the country into an electronics manufacturing
hub, the government has cleared proposals worth about Rs.6,155
crore. The Department of Electronics and Information Technology (DeitY)
approved the proposals under the Modified Special Incentive Package Scheme
(M-SIPS). The primary aim of the scheme is to provide financial incentives to
companies for setting up electronics manufacturing units. As of now, the
government has given approval to 28 electronics manufacturing clusters (EMCs)
and common facility centres (CFCs) across the country. According to a report
by Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu released last year, the demand for electronics
hardware in The idea is to push more companies set up base in From
http://egov.eletsonline.com With a view to reducing waiting time for obtaining various
licences, facilitating ease of doing business and faster service delivery,
the Delhi Police has introduced an online licensing facility. Now on, those
interested in starting restaurants, bars and pubs, multiplexes,
newspaper and publications, and even arms, can obtain licences through for
the Delhi Police’s online licensing system. The facility was inaugurated
by Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung at the L-G house in From
http://egov.eletsonline.com NHAI Starts FASTag for
Cashless Payment at 275 Toll Plazas The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is all set to
make cashless payment mechanism—FASTag—operational at 275 toll plazas from
Monday, making the passengers able to zip through toll plazas across the
country. FASTag will offer near non-stop movement of vehicles through toll
plazas and convenience of cashless payments of toll-fee with nationwide
interoperable electronic toll collection services. According to a Transport Corporation of From
http://egov.eletsonline.com Digital Communications and Information Technology Minister Ravi Shankar
Prasad has termed Digital India programme as a $1-trillion business
opportunity for The crew members of the “Digital Desh Drive From
http://egov.eletsonline.com/
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A consortium
of Azerbaijani IT companies participated in a tender announced for the
design, configure, supply, installation, and commissioning of the Integrated
Domestic Revenue Administration System of Tanzania, SINAM Company announced
on March 31. The consortium includes the company SINAM (the main operator in
the consortium), Cybernet and Bestcomp Group, as well as MFI Document
Solutions, a local company in From http://www.azernews.az/ Azercell
Telecom’s Bookmate Project Arouses Great Interest Among Subscribers “Bookmate”,
the project for book lovers launched in November last year by Azercell
Telecom, leading mobile operator in the country, has made immense appeal by the
subscribers. Since its launch “Bookmate” application has been downloaded over
27,000 times and number of regular users of application has exceeded 6,000.
“Bookmate” is a mobile application developed to read thousands of books in
electronic devices. This service is the easiest way to find and read
interesting works on phone, tablet or computer. Over 500,000 books are
available in the mobile library offered by Azercell. In return to discounted
subscription, Azercell subscribers may get familiar with any piece of
science, classic, contemporary and business literature. Payment from balance
will enable the subscribers to access e-library easily and promptly without
using any credit card. Another important point is that the readers are
offered not only foreign literature, but also works of Azerbaijani authors.
One of the most important advantages of the service is that there is no need
for regular internet access to use “Bookmate” library. Any added book is available anytime,
anywhere, i.e. on the underground or airplane. Furthermore, it does not
matter which device you have got with you – phone, tablet or computer, since
the book is added to your personal library, not the device. For the first
time in the frame of “Bookmate” subscribers have been offered books in
Azerbaijani, Russian, English or Turkish languages. You can get best-selling,
mostly read and famous classic and contemporary works and other pieces of art
in this half-a-million rich library. Bookmate operates with both Android and
iOS systems. In addition, subscribers may access www.bookmate.com and read
books or download them to mobile devices. More information about the service
is available at www.azercell.com/bookmate. Azercell Telecom LLC was founded
in 1996 and since the first years sustains a leading position in the market.
Azercell introduced number of technological innovations in From http://en.trend.az/ SMEs
to Push Entrepreneurial to New Phase In a
nutshell, Over the
past 10 years, over 1.2 million new jobs and 55,600 new enterprises have been
established in the country. These measures paved the way to increase business
activity and gave a strong impetus to the development of small businesses in
the regions. One of the main steps in the promotion of SMEs was the
establishment of the National Fund for Entrepreneurship, which is engaged in
the allocation of preferential loans to SMEs mainly for projects in regions.
For the state, development of small business is the least costly way of
creating new jobs, an additional source of the goods and services in the
market, stable base of income tax, self-adjusting mechanism of redistributing
efficient technologies, equipment and manpower. SMEs play a very important
role in the economy, accelerating scientific and technological progress,
supplying required goods to the market, and creating new jobs, that is, these
kinds of businesses address many pressing economic, social and other
problems. Even at times of general economic stagnation, small businesses are
able to develop and grow. The very SMEs can take on the role of the main
locomotive of innovative business while the country will transit to an
innovative model of economy. Theretofore,
the development of entrepreneurship in Azerbaijan has become a national
priority, and its further development will be ensured through the financial
means (preferential loans, subsidies, tax and customs privileges), logistic
means (creation of industrial parks, technology parks, hi-tech parks ),
support (export credits, tax incentives and tools to support the investments
of exports, creation of logistics centers), promotion (goods and services in
foreign markets), and informational support (creation of business
incubators). The changes made in the customs policy aimed at reducing the
share of imports in the consumer market, providing planned subsidies for
industrial production and exports, improving the regulatory framework in the
financial sector. Introducing a new lending model is among the positive
measures to be taken by the government. Meanwhile, the development of
innovative business requires active, well-educated staff, which in turn will
require the organization of specialized training. Also professional trade
advisers could help to identify barriers and to provide advice on key
objectives and bargaining positions for multilateral and regional trade
negotiations, as well as other trade-related issues. The strengthened IT
backup is also necessary as for small businesses, e-commerce and the Internet
can reduce transaction costs significantly, while increasing the pool of
potential customers. Establishing a guarantee fund at the National Fund for
Entrepreneurship Support can be another boost to help businessmen working in
the sphere of production and services, as well as carrying out activities in
the countryside. This would allow SMEs' access to finance and carry out
timely payments in commercial transactions which in turn will lead to
increase of businesses that export and to expand the number of markets and
customers served by the SMEs. From http://www.azernews.az/ Expressbank
Applies Brand-New Security System Expressbank
has introduced a brand-new security system innovative for From http://www.azernews.az/ On March 2,
JSC "Uzbektelecom" reduced tariffs for Internet services (external
channel) for providers of From http://technologies.uzreport.uz/ UZMOBILE
Plans to Launch More Than 30 New Products On April 15,
2015, the National mobile telecom operator of Uzbekistan UZMOBILE launched
GSM network in From http://technologies.uzreport.uz/ Huawei Is
Making a Significant Contribution to the Development of ICT in UZREPORT TV
channel has organized a press conference with CEO of Huawei Tech Investment
Tashkent Wang Peng. At the event, they talked about the company's activities
in Wang Peng also said
that Huawei Tech Investment Tashkent has more than 300 members, about 70% of
them are citizens of From http://news.uzreport.uz/ Huawei
Jointly with TUIT Launches HAINA Project Huawei Tech Investment
Tashkent in collaboration with the Tashkent University of Information
Technology signed a memorandum on implementation of scientific and
educational project
HAINA - Huawei Authorized Information and From http://news.uzreport.uz/ |
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The
government will change the tax treatment of transactions involving digital
currencies such as Bitcoin, Treasurer Scott Morrison announced today.
Currently, the GST treatment of bitcoin involves a form of ‘double taxation’,
which bitcoin advocates say acts as a fetter on the growth of local
businesses based on the cryptocurrency. Under guidance issued by the
Australian Taxation Office, bitcoin is not treated as a form of currency.
Instead, transactions involving bitcoin are treated as a form of barter.
Under ATO guidelines GST should be charged when businesses supply bitcoins
and receive bitcoins in return for goods and services. The report of a
parliamentary inquiry into digital currencies recommended a major shakeup of
tax laws governing digital currencies, including bitcoin. A key
recommendation of the report, released in August, was that the government tackle double taxation issue. The government’s
‘fintech’ statement, launched today by Morrison, states that the government
is “committed to addressing the ‘double taxation’ of digital currencies and
will work with the industry on legislative options to reform the law relating
to GST as it is applied to digital currencies”. “We won't be
taxing digital currency,” Morrison said today at the statement’s launch. “Not
applying GST to bitcoin and things of that nature, these are the sort of
changes that support the transformation and the transition of your economy,”
Morrison said. “Currently, there are more than 600 digital currencies
available, with different protocols for transaction processing and
confirmation, and with different approaches to the growth in the supply of
digital currency units,” the fintech statement says. “Removing the ‘double
taxation’ treatment for GST on digital currencies and applying adequate anti‑money
laundering and counter‑terrorism financing rules may facilitate further
developments or use in the future.” The statement also noted the interest in
the broader applications of the blockchain, which is the distributed ledger
technology that underpins Blockchain and similar digital currencies.
“Blockchain has attracted considerable interest in, and is currently being
applied to, a number of areas within the international financial system and
may revolutionise key services like international transfers between banks,
equities clearing and settlement, and financial contracts,” the statement
says. It notes the
ASX’s expression of interest in potentially adopting a private blockchain for
post-trade settlement. In January the exchange revealed it had acquired a 5
per cent equity interest in New York-headquartered Digital Asset Holdings, a
company that specialises in developing blockchain-style distributed ledgers.
“While it is in the early stages of development, the technology has the
potential to radically simplify the way our market operates end‑to‑end, with
significant benefits to investors, participants, regulators and government
agencies,” the fintech statement says. From http://www.computerworld.com.au/
ACCC Reports
Growing Data Consumption and Stable Prices in the Telecoms Sector The
Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has published its annual
reports on the telecommunications sector for 2014 15. This year's reports
show that consumers continue to benefit from competition in the sector.
"Consumers are reaping the benefits of competition in the form of
increased data allowances, new services, and lower prices," ACCC
Chairman Rod Sims said. Consistent with the trend in recent years, consumer
demand for data is continuing to increase and is affecting both fixed and
mobile networks. On fixed networks, data consumption grew by 40 per cent to
1.3 million terabytes (TB) of data. On mobile networks, data consumption
increased by 35 per cent to 110 000 TB. The increase in demand for data is
largely due to the popularity of audio-visual streaming services, including
the introduction of subscription video on demand (SVOD) services such as
Netflix, Presto, and Stan," Mr Sims said. Industry
members have responded to the increase in demand by investing in their fixed
and mobile networks to make sure that they have sufficient capacity to meet
the data traffic. Service providers have also responded by increasing data
allowances. During 2014-15, data allowances increased by over 70 per cent for
DSL internet services and more than doubled for post-paid mobile services. At
the same time, overall prices fell by 0.5 per cent in real terms in 2014-15.
"While a smaller reduction than in the previous eight years, which has
seen a 3.3 per cent fall each year on average, this indicates that
competition on factors other than price has been a feature of the market,"
Mr Sims said. "Given this, the ACCC will continue to take a particular
interest in ensuring consumers receive accurate information about network
performance." A number of important mergers and new alliances occurred
in the past year, including TPG's acquisition of iiNet and NBN Co's
acquisition of Optus' hybrid fibre coaxial (HFC) network. "The fixed
broadband market is now relatively concentrated and further consolidation
would receive close attention from the ACCC," Mr Sims said. The recent industry
consolidation may reflect a desire to grow not only in response to increasing
data traffic, but also to the growing presence of the National Broadband
Network (NBN). The rollout of the NBN is one of the most significant features
of the telecommunications market with nearly 700, 000 active services in
2014-15. The scale and complexity of the multi-technology mix NBN and its
implications for competition and consumers continues to be a major area of
ACCC interest. "The communications sector faces a number of challenges
in the transition to the NBN and as network operators manage increasing data
traffic. We will continue to watch these developments closely and work to
ensure that consumers continue to benefit from competition", Mr Sims
said. From http://www.cellular-news.com
Telco
Services Panel Tenders Being Accepted by Government The
Australian government has gone to tender for a Telecommunications Services Panel
(TSP) to produce the process by which whole-of-government internet and telco
network connection services are procured. The request for tender, submitted
by the Department of Finance, would see a TSP instated until November 30,
2020, with three 12-month extension options. The request for tender is aiming
to establish a single panel of suppliers to provide terrestrial managed WAN
services, satellite managed WAN services, terrestrial transport data link
services, satellite transport data link services, and internet connection
services, though the Department of Finance may add further categories at any
time. "The goal of this procurement is to establish a TSP that continues
to deliver a competitive means to procure telecommunication services and convey
continued savings to the Australian government," the call for tenders
says. The department specified that the TSP's objectives would be to decrease
the amount spent on supplying network services to departments, agencies, and
entities while meeting their business needs, as well as maintaining a
competitive industry and ensuring that the procurement process is fair,
equitable, and transparent and optimises savings for the government. The TSP will
replace the Internet Based Network Connection Services (IBNCS) Panel, which
was formed in 2011 to provide network carriage services, virtual connection
management services, internet protocol carriage services, and major internet
connection services, and will expire this year. Tenderers must be able to
offer all TSP services across the nation, including to external Australian
territories. In supplying any telecommunications service, the contractor must
see through its entire lifecycle: Service strategy, design, transition,
operation, and continual improvement. Contractors must fulfil the
requirements for physical scope; general services, including maintaining
required service levels; architecture services to enable constant monitoring,
delivering, reviewing, and improving of the service; engineering functions,
including providing agency-specific test environments in order to design and
pilot any proposed network changes; network connectivity and operations
services to manage, operate, and maintain all network equipment and software,
such as routers, gateways, servers, switches, and firewalls; physical network
and communication network environment services; and services to plan,
administer, maintain and manage cabling. The successful tenderers must also
supply installs, moves, adds, and changes (IMACs)
services. Contractors would
also be expected to comply with the government's many varying security
requirements, and encrypt data in an Australian Signals Directorate-approved
manner. "If specified in the contract, and for the security
classifications of 'unclassified' and 'protected', the contractor must:
Provide TSP services which meet the ISM requirements and security
classification for information (data, video, voice) being transported using
the TSP services; ensure that the TSP services utilise Australian Signals
Directorate (ASD)-Approved Cryptographic Protocols (AACP) and Algorithms
(AACA) in accordance with the ISM; and provide engineering, design,
configuration, testing, installation, monitoring, maintenance (both
preventative maintenance and corrective maintenance), refresh, and upgrade
services for equipment used across all 'unclassified' and 'protected' domains
in the agency's network," the request for tender document says. For
transport services, the expected service levels are 50ms or less latency at
95 percent of all times; 10ms or less jitter for 95 percent of all times; 0.1
percent packet loss for 95 percent of all times; 99.99 percent availability
for fully redundant fibre at all times; 99.9 percent availability for single
lead-ins on business days; 99.9 percent availability for copper-connected
services, including in remote locations, on business days; and 350ms or less
satellite latency on business days. Resolution
times in metro and CBD areas for critical service levels are three hours of
less for priority one incidents; five hours or less for priority two
incidents; eight hours or less for priority three incidents; 11 hours or less
for priority four; and 5 business days for a post-incident report. These
times are slightly longer for regional and remote areas: Four hours or less
for priority one, and six hours or less for priority
two, though the same for the third and fourth priority incidents. Any
contractor will be expected to submit monthly reports and be reviewed on an
annual basis, as well as being required to submit ad hoc reports within one
business day whenever requested by an agency. No limit has been set on the
number of panellists who will make up the TSP. With the caretaker period now
in action due to the upcoming federal election, and considering the
possibility of a change in government, Finance may also suspend or terminate
the tender process at any time. The government is accepting tenders until May
31, and will select its preferred tenderers in June. The TSP will then be
established in November 2016. From http://www.zdnet.com
Digital
technology, changing workforce demographics and speed of innovation are causing
companies to redesign organisational structure, evolve leadership models, and
drive an employee-centric culture and experience. Sweeping global forces are
reshaping the workplace, the workforce and work itself, with Deloitte
research findings claiming that 92 percent of business and human resources
(HR) leaders having identified the critical need to redesign their
organisation to meet global business demands. In surveying over 7,000 HR and
business leaders from 130 countries, including The 2016
study found, for the first time, nearly half of respondent companies (45
percent) are either in the middle of a restructuring (39 percent) or planning
one (six percent). Deloitte New Generational
diversity - The workforce is simultaneously getting younger and older as
millennials with high expectations for personal growth work side-by-side with
baby boomers, many of whom are delaying their retirement. The new
digital world of work - Almost three-quarters of executives (74
percent) have identified digital HR, the complete redesign of HR tools and
services around digital technology, as a top priority. Design
thinking - This is a developing new discipline focused on
employee-centric strategies, that is transforming
companies' approach to managing, supporting and training their workforce. "Signs
of real innovative change and progress are evident throughout this year’s
Global Human Capital Trends report,” "Forward-thinking
organisations are also putting the employee at the centre of learning," From http://www.computerworld.co.nz
NZ Digitalisation Takes
Shape as Govt Transactions Shift Online For the
first time, a majority of New Zealanders' most common transactions with
government now occur digitally. Internal Affairs Minister Peter Dunne says
the latest figures show that the average digital uptake for the December 2015
quarter is 52.9 percent. “It's excellent progress; this latest figure is 6.6
percentage points higher than the same quarter in 2014, 6.2 percentage points
above the September quarter, and well above the baseline 29.9 percent in June
2012,” Dunne says. For Dunne, this progress result shows the Government is
“on track” to exceed the Result 10 Target that by 2017, an average of 70
percent of New Zealanders’ most common transactions with government will
happen online. “New Zealanders have become used to information, services and
products being available online, on demand, anywhere, any time. It's
perfectly reasonable for them to expect the same service from the public
sector, as they would from the private sector,” he adds. “To that end,
agencies delivering services to the public increasingly need to work together
to provide services designed around the way New Zealanders live their lives,
rather than based on government structures and outputs. “This will
produce payoffs over time by reducing per-transaction service delivery and
longer term costs, ensuring more people receive what they're entitled to, and
better compliance.” Dunne says the Department of Internal Affairs measures a
range of ten typical government services, now available online - booking a
DOC asset, using SmartGate, renewing adult passports, filing an individual
tax return, paying individual tax, applying for financial assistance,
applying for an IRD number, paying for vehicle licence, paying a fine, and
visa applications. From http://www.computerworld.co.nz
Analytics professional
services adoption accelerated in 2H15, with at least 70 percent of analytics
software purchasers surveyed using services in each of the four segments.
“Enterprises understand analytics have become essential to compete in today’s
data-intensive economy,” says Jennifer Hamel, Professional Services Senior
Analyst, TBR. “Analytics customers depend on
services vendors to evaluate solutions and fill internal gaps in advanced
analytics skills.” TBR surveyed 228 end users of analytics professional services
across the world to provide IT services executives
insight into customer adoption, buying behaviour and the competitive
landscape. Consequently, the survey found analytics customers expect to
increase annual spending on professional services by approximately 10 percent
year-to-year in 2016. “Regulatory compliance, risk management and data
security will be the primary concerns impacting analytics purchase decisions
over the next two to five years,” Hamel adds. “Enterprises will increasingly
rely on services vendors for strategic and tactical advice in deploying
analytics to solve broad business and IT challenges.” Hamel says
consulting continues to be the primary entry point to analytics professional
services engagements. However, growing demand for design-build-run services
highlights the rapidly maturing market and interest in end-to-end analytics
management. “Bundled services and technology solutions remain the default
purchase option, enabling IBM, SAP, Microsoft and Oracle to lead the market,
while the consulting and system integration vendor landscape remains
fragmented,” Hamel adds. From http://www.computerworld.co.nz
Govt Pays $200,000 for App -
Download Here to Be Ripped Off… The Ministry
of Business, Innovation and Employment has come under fire for spending
$200,000 on an app that has been downloaded just 1,000 times, forcing staff
members to post positive reviews in a bid to boost downloads. In Parliamentary
records revealed this week, the Steven Joyce led department forked out
$198,067.30 to external provider Alphero to create and develop a New Zealand
Regions mobile app. Designed to promote Regional Economic Activity Report,
poor initial downloads have prompted opposition from across the political
landscape, chiefly the Labour Party who’ve criticised Joyce’s culture of
extravagance. “It was likely never intended to be used much, just to look
good at Steven Joyce’s launch party,” claims David Clark, Spokesperson, Economic Development. “This is classic Joyce. No one in
the real world would download an app to look at information they can find
more easily on the internet. “This is just expensive window dressing. Most
apps cost just a dollar. This one has cost the taxpayer $200 for each
download.” As From http://www.computerworld.co.nz
R&D Spend Tops $1.4
Billion with Half of Kiwi Businesses Embracing Innovation More
businesses across Jones says
the survey also showed that experienced managers and high-quality goods and
services were the keys to exporting for firms. “Technical know-how, economies
of scale, and lower input costs were seen as the least important factors,”
Jones adds. At present, and perhaps unsurprisingly, Government
approval Science and
Innovation Minister Steven Joyce has welcomed the
news that “Taken
together with our latest export figures, they show that companies up and down
From http://www.computerworld.co.nz
As NZ IT Spend Tops
$11.5 Billion, Where’s the Money Going? In “At the same
time, the need to invest in IT to support digital business is more urgent
than ever. Business leaders know that they need to become digital businesses
or face irrelevance in a digital world. To make that happen, leaders are
engaging in tough cost optimisation efforts in some areas to fund digital
business in others.” As an example, Lovelock says the savings from legacy
system optimisation and enhancements are being redirected to fund digital
initiatives. “It's about doing more with the same funds,” he adds.
“Typically, less than 10 percent of organisations are in cost optimisation or
cost cutting mode.” However, Lovelock believes the need to spend on digital
business initiatives in a time when revenue growth does not support runaway
IT budgets is forcing more organisations to optimise as a first step.
“Business processes, as well as IT, are undergoing optimisation - digital
business requires both,” he adds. “However, many CIOs are reluctant to raise
this possibility, given the cultural and political barriers to optimising business
costs.” Spending
switch Lovelock
says the most evident results of these optimisation efforts are in the
switches in spending between assets and services. “Most traditional IT now has
a 'digital service twin' - license software has Cloud software, servers have
Infrastructure as a Service, and cellular voice has VoLTE,” he explains.
“Things that once had to be purchased as an asset can now be delivered as a
service. Most digital service twin offerings change the spending pattern from
a large upfront payment to a smaller reoccurring monthly amount. This means
that the same level of activity has a very different annual spend.” Devices Globally
speaking, the device market (PCs, ultramobiles, mobile phones, tablets and
printers) is forecast to decline 3.7 percent in 2016. The smartphone market
is approaching global saturation, slowing growth while the PC and ultramobile
markets are expected to decline. “The underlying reasons are a combination of
factors and are geography-specific, and the worsening economic conditions in
many countries only serve to amplify the impact of these factors,” Lovelock
adds. Datacentre
systems Datacentre
systems' spending is projected to reach $US175 billion in 2016, a 2.1 percent
increase from 2015. “This top-level relative stability masks some changes
within the segments; enterprise network equipment had a
stronger-than-anticipated 2015 as a result of network upgrades, and this is
expected to carry on into 2016,” Lovelock adds. Lovelock believes the
external-controller-based storage segment continues to suffer from ongoing
challenges. In the server segment, demand from hyperscale buyers is expected
to reduce in 2016, particularly in regions that are suffering from economic
challenges, such as Software Global
enterprise software spending is on pace to total $US321 billion, a 4.2
percent increase from 2015. “The operating system forecast has been
downgraded, reflecting Gartner's expectation for further delays in the
adoption of Windows 10 and Windows Server 2016,” Lovelock adds. “However, it
is the key emerging markets, particularly IT services Spending in
the IT services market is expected to return to growth in 2016, totalling
$US929 billion, up 2.1 percent from 2015. A stronger outlook for Telco
services Telecom
service spending is projected to decline 2.0 percent in 2016, with spending
reaching $US1.4 trillion. Continuing economic downturns in major markets such
as Russia and Brazil are dampening spending in both fixed and mobile voice,
and a slight slowdown in China's growth is affecting consumer confidence and
eroding spend in fixed voice services. In enterprise services, conditions in
these same three major markets are leading to consolidation among businesses
(reducing connections and spend), however, mobile
data spending is a bright spot with accelerating growth driven by improved
pricing on bandwidth, mobile app and From http://www.computerworld.co.nz
Digital Economy Deepens as
Govt UFB Rollout Passes 1.2 Million Mark More than
1.2 million New Zealanders can now connect to faster and more reliable
internet, as revealed under the Government’s Ultra-Fast Broadband (UFB) and
Rural Broadband Initiative (RBI) rollouts. According to Communications
Minister Amy Adams, more than 921,000 households, businesses, schools and
hospitals are able to connect to the UFB network, and more than 285,000 rural
premises are able to access a RBI service. “Access to better broadband means
more New Zealand businesses and students can make the most of the digital
economy,” From http://www.computerworld.co.nz
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AFRICA: From http://www.telecompaper.com/ From
http://www.telecompaper.com/ Days after a wave of deportations of migrants arriving in Europe
from The current system, known as the Dublin Regulation, requires
asylum seekers to register in the first EU country in which they arrive, and
those who do not register to be sent back there if they move to another
nation in the bloc. It broke down last year because Mr. Timmermans said at a news conference early Wednesday
afternoon that the idea was to select one of the proposals before the summer that
could eventually win approval from EU governments and the European
Parliament. Under a deal worked out with The attitude toward migrants in many parts of Europe has also
soured further in recent months over concerns about how to integrate
newcomers and the revelations that some terrorists were able to sneak into From
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/ Smartphones and apps are increasingly changing the face of
internet communications in From
http://www.telecompaper.com/ Spanish
Complaints Rise in Fixed Broadband, Fall in Around 16 percent of Spanish users filed a complaint about their
fixed broadband service in the second half of 2015, compared to just over 9
percent of mobile users, according to a report from communications regulator
CNMC. Nearly half of the complaints were about bill-related matters, said the
report. The proportion of consumers who were dissatisfied with their fixed
broadband service also increased in the second half of the year, rising to
18.4 percent, compared to 10.6 percent of mobile users. The main reason for
consumer dissatisfaction was the price, rather than the quality of the
service, with 70.0 percent of pay-TV users highlighting prices as their main
complaint, compared to 67.4 percent of mobile telephony users and 59.5
percent of fixed broadband users. Earlier this year consumer protection
authority FACUA reported that the total number of telecoms-related complaints
had risen from 2,967 to From
http://www.telecompaper.com/ Over
4 mln Italians Have 10 Mbps Fixed Broadband - Agcom A total of 4.2 million Italians had a fixed broadband connection
at speeds of 10 Mbps or higher at the end of 2015, equivalent to 28.1 percent
of broadband users, compared to 3.1 million, or 22 percent of the total, at
the start of the year, according to the latest quarterly data from regulator
Agcom. The number of ‘ultrabroadband’ accesses at speeds above 30 Mbps almost
doubled over the past year to 1.03 million, or 7 percent of the broadband
total. By contrast, the number of ADSL connections fell for the third quarter
in a row to 12.79 million, some 230,000 less than the previous year, while
customers on other fixed technologies increased to 2.12 million, some 780,000
more than at the end of 2014. Telecom Italia had a 46.9 percent share of the
14.92 million broadband lines in the country, down by 1.2 percentage points
from a year earlier. Wind was in second place with 15.4 percent, followed by Fastweb
at 14.8 percent, Vodafone with 12.9 percent and Tiscali at 3.1 percent. The mobile segment continued to decline in the fourth quarter,
shedding 1.7 million lines on a yearly basis. TIM (Telecom Italia) was up 0.2
percent to 32.4 percent of the mobile market while Vodafone Italia’s share
declined 0.7 percent to 26.4 percent. Wind dipped 0.1 percent to 22.8
percent, followed by 3 Italia with 10.9 percent, up 0.2 percent year on year.
MVNOs, meanwhile, accounted for about 7.4 percent of the total market, led by
Poste Mobile, which increased its market share by 0.4 percentage points year on year to 3.9 percent. However, mobile data
traffic in From
http://www.telecompaper.com/ Brits under 25 spend 74 minutes on average on social media
before they go to sleep, amounting to nearly 18 nights’ sleep a year, due to
the ‘fear of missing out’ (FOMO) on social network posts, according to a
survey of 2,000 people by FlyResearch for Vodafone. The average night’s sleep
for Brits is now 6 hours and 38 minutes, compared to 7 hours and 4 minutes
before 2004, the year social media started to take off. Some 39 percent of under From
http://www.telecompaper.com/
Lost
Web Connection Most Frustrating Home Situation - Survey Over 70 percent of Brits would consider an area’s broadband
service before buying a home and two-thirds of new home owners would not buy
a property if the broadband service was too poor in the area, according to a
survey by Vodafone From
http://www.telecompaper.com/
Over
90% of Just over 90 percent of From
http://www.telecompaper.com/
LATIN AMERICA:
From
http://www.telecompaper.com/
From
http://www.telecompaper.com/ NORTH
AMERICA: Healthcare is one of the most important industries in the
economy. Over the past couple of years, there have been a lot of advances in
healthcare technology. In order to reduce costs over the long term, it is
essential that costs are decreased. There are a lot of people who do not see
a way that healthcare can continue on its current model. As costs continue to
increase, more people than ever before asking for better ways to drive down
costs. More focus on healthcare IT is a great way to drive results in this
area of the business. Here are several reasons why there should be more focus
in this area. Lower costs One of the biggest issues facing healthcare today is the fact
that costs continue to rise. Even with the new legislation in the health
insurance market, it is more difficult than ever before to find affordable
health coverage. One of the biggest reasons for this is there is a lack of
technology in the healthcare process. In a lot of cases, there are people who
must pay for their bills many months after the fact. This causes a lot of
trouble in the system overall. If you are looking for ways to lower costs in
healthcare, investing in IT is one of the best ways to do so. The better and
more efficient processes will lead to cost savings over the long term. There
are a lot of people who want to see healthcare costs decreased in this area
of the economy. Many people who struggle to afford health coverage in their
area for a variety of reasons. Even health insurance is too expensive for
many people to afford. If you want to take the next step in the process, this
is the best way to do so. More efficient process There are a lot of things in healthcare today that do not make a
lot of sense. Investing in healthcare IT is a great way to drive results in
these areas. For example, there are a lot of companies that still bill
patients with paper bills. This is just one example of an expense that can
easily be left behind. Over the long term, investing in healthcare IT is one
of the best ways to drive value in a business. Companies that have done this
have had success in this area over the long term. If you are thinking about
investing in your healthcare coverage, this is one of the biggest factors
influencing the overall costs. Less invasive care Although cost is a huge reason for more focus in this area,
having less invasive care is another huge positive. There are a lot of people
who have surgery and then must be out for many months not working. This is a
huge cost to the patient and to the company they work for. Investing in
healthcare IT is a great way to reduce the amount of time spent away from an
area, such as enterprise imaging solutions. There are a lot of people who
have been able to get in and out of a procedure in much less time than before.
If you are looking for ways to save on expenses in healthcare, improving the
overall IT system is the way to go. There are a lot of people who are
concerned about the overall cost of healthcare coverage over the next couple
of years. Over the past decade, there are a lot of things that have caused
the costs in healthcare to go up. If you want to take the next step with your
healthcare coverage, it is important to look at this from a long term
perspective. Investing in healthcare IT is one of the best things that anyone
can do for lower costs over a long period of time. From
www.itbusiness.ca/ You’re Not
Alone in Your IT Transformation Journey, EMC Report Shows Very few IT shops that are customers of EMC Corp. or VMware have
achieved their vision of running their departments like a customer-focused
business, but are at least making progress towards that goal, according to a
new report from the technology vendors. The report, done based on survey
responses from participants in a workshop dedicated to IT transformation,
offers an analysis of companies that are currently finding their way from a
legacy model of running the IT department to one that’s more akin to a modern
service agency. The surveys cover 353 companies that participated in
workshops between 2014 to mid-2015. The workshop participants agree on two
things – 90 per cent wanted to achieve a documented strategy and road map for
their department, and 95 per cent want an IT organization with no silos. Yet
actually achieving those goals was more difficult for most, with only 39 per
cent saying they have the road map, and just four per cent saying they’ve
eliminated silos. Transforming IT org - EMC / VMWare The complete report may offer solace to other IT leaders that
are in the midst of their own transformation projects. As organizations look
to integrate cloud models into their operations to reduce costs and free up
workers, the road isn’t always a straight path. It also gives a point of
comparison to where some other IT operations are on their transformation
path. Here’s a breakdown of some of the survey highlights: Hybrid cloud in its infancy The vast majority of companies implementing a hybrid cloud
infrastructure are still in the early days of the process, evaluating the
technology or doing a proof of concept. Even for those that are ahead of the
pack, only a few apps are hybrid cloud - EMC/VMwareactually running on a
hybrid cloud infrastructure so far. Organizations are also struggling to find
a way to evaluate what workloads should be placed on the hybrid cloud, doing
so on an ad hoc basis. IT as a service Companies have a lot of work to do when it comes to delivering
their services to the line of business in an automated, on-demand approach.
Very few IT departments feel that they have the skills on staff currently to
define business-facing services and implement them with cloud technology.
There remains a big gap in IT’s ability to
efficiently manage requests via a self-service portal or catalogue, with 76
per cent of companies saying there’s no such portal in place, or it is very
undeveloped. IT departments also report struggles in attaining cost
transparency and knowing how much of their services are being consumed by
what line of business. Unrealized app development App development - EMC / VmwareWhile IT departments agree they
want to achieve a consumer-like model of quickly developing and delivering
apps to their business users, they’re finding it difficult to achieve. Only
18 per cent say they have a scalable and infrastructure independent app
framework, and more than two-thirds are still taking as long as 12 months to
complete a new app development lifecycle. From
http://www.itworldcanada.com/ Federal agencies face a massive undertaking in strengthening and
consolidating their IT processes and workforce to counter the threats in a
rapidly evolving sector. After all, that’s the concern driving implementation
of the Federal Information Technology Acquisition Reform Act. FITARA was
crafted on the premise that the current operating model isn’t resilient
enough to deflect a large-scale attack or efficient enough to withstand
growing budget scrutiny. After it became law in December 2014, FITARA sparked
numerous planning and consolidation efforts for agency information officers,
chiefs of contracting, and budget staff. FITARA gives agency CIOs the
approval power and oversight responsibility for technology acquisitions. The
purpose is to adapt the federal IT acquisition process to major industry
trends while ensuring greater transparency and accountability. Key changes
resulting from FITARA include enhancing CIO authority, improving risk
management, increasing IT portfolio review visibility, establishing a
stronger role for acquisitions staff and maximizing strategic sourcing
through greater governmentwide software purchasing. Because federal IT staff are on the hook for making all of these
requirements a reality, agencies are now dusting off (or beginning to
develop) strategic IT workforce plans to address the “people piece” of this
complex equation. To me, the strategic IT workforce component—how these major
changes are done with the current federal staff and what skill sets are
needed for the future—is especially compelling, but surely won’t be easy.
It’s not surprising that IT is a prime target for improving efficiency and
transparency. Capital planning, budget execution, acquisition, and the
workforce supporting all of this are all critical to operations and are
equally expensive. FITARA requires upfront action and has a long tail,
meaning that implementation efforts will be ongoing for years to come.
Agencies must work with their component bureaus, offices, divisions, and
units to undergo a common planning effort and move together towards a more
unified future. Despite the FITARA’s common goals, a one size fits all approach
won’t work. This is true not only because of the varying levels of IT program
maturity and internal controls, but also because of the unique missions and
cultures of each agency and sub-organization. Further, developing IT
workforce plans will spark resistance if the primary focus is on
consolidation instead of developing a menu of solutions (consolidation,
strengthened communications, and increased oversight, for example) that can
be mixed and matched to more precisely meet the sub-organization’s needs. Of
the federal IT executives I’ve talked to, each would like to take lessons
from past IT workforce planning efforts that may have stalled or stopped. But
beware the hazards of such an approach. Why IT Workforce Plans Fail There are three main reasons why your agency’s FITARA IT
workforce plan could fail. Incomplete data. There is a widespread belief that
unless your agency has perfect or complete data, it’s not worth conducting
any analysis. The alternative to this “all or nothing” approach is to get
what staffing data you can (relatively easily) and document the context when
presenting the results. You can build on the data and expand the analysis
later. Generate interest by showing people preliminary findings on the
existing staff because it gets them thinking about what’s missing or what
specific question about the workforce they’d like answered. The data will be
incomplete but don’t let that hold you back from doing something. Overly-complicated analysis. Leaders and staff alike start to
get excited and let the “wouldn’t it be nice to knows” run away with the
analysis. Before you know it, you’re collecting an amazing but untenable
amount of detail. Capturing these
shades of gray would take an enormous amount of time and effort for what is,
in the end, a limited return on investment. Simple is better—even if it
doesn’t reflect all of the specific nuances of hiring, training, staffing,
and personnel advancement trends. Especially when analyzing IT staff, each
individual is unique and so is their situation. Inexact modeling. Output from
the staffing models seems too high or too low. Unfortunately, it’s very
difficult to develop a model with the level of precision that everyone will
be satisfied with. However, if everyone uses the same model, this inequity
should be less of a concern. The output isn’t that you’re saying you need
1,000 new IT positions, but it does give each sub-organization a sense of
where they should focus recruiting/hiring for vacant or new positions in the
future. A simpler model developed with in-house experience is a better,
faster alternative to coming up with projections based on the IT footprint.
Federal IT executives and other agency leaders can assist in developing good,
implementable plans by helping manage the expectations that the output will
be perfect. IT Workforce Plan Outcomes The outcomes of a good, strategic IT workforce plans include the
following: - A document to demonstrate compliance with FITARA’s requirement
to develop and implement a strategic IT workforce plan. Increased confidence among agency leadership that the current IT
workforce is identified, the gaps are known, and that there is a plan in
place to fill critically needed positions. - A standardized approach to evaluating the current workforce
(staff count, grade, cost, skills, etc.) and a common model for estimating
the needed workforce. An implementable strategy to strengthen communications and
oversight. - A strengthened working relationship among sub-organizations as
a result of undertaking a collaborative, inclusive planning process. Strategic IT workforce planning will never be simple but it can
be more effective if your agency focuses on avoiding the potential pitfalls.
Implementing the plan will result in a strong, more unified and efficient
workforce. From
http://www.govexec.com/ White House:
If Unchecked, Big Data Could Lead to Discrimination More data isn’t necessarily a good thing, a White House report
suggests.As big data techniques creep into hiring, lending and other common
processes, businesses need to ensure their algorithms don’t discriminate
against certain populations, according to a White House report linking the
technology with civil rights.Yes, the report says, an algorithm could pull
alternative data sources -- phone bills, educational background, and social
media connections -- to establish a credit score for someone who doesn’t have
an extensive credit history. But tapping into these new data sources could
also reinforce credit disparities between separate communities, as a new
applicant might be linked to others “largely disconnected from everyday
lending.”The report was meant to be a glimpse into big data applications that
could potentially help marginalized populations, but also a snapshot of how
they can go wrong. It builds on a 2014 White House report broadly concluding
that algorithms could, often inadvertently, discriminate against the same
people they tried to help. “[W]e need to develop a principle of ‘equal opportunity by
design,'” the report said.As alternative credit score algorithms begin
polling more dynamic data sources -- potentially including information as
granular as GPS location information or social media use -- the likelihood of
error increases, the report said. And consumers not used to dealing with
large institutions likely won’t know how to fix inaccuracies in the complex
calculations delivering their credit scores, the report warned.And
algorithmic systems used in hiring could help recruiters sort through large
volumes of applicants and can also specifically search for underrepresented
populations who have skills required for a job. But that same algorithm might
get derailed as it tries to search for the ideal candidate; if told that
employees who live closer to work generally stay at the company longer, the
system might discriminate against people who live farther away from the
office, which could skew it in favor of specific social, racial or economic
groups. The groups relying on big data techniques must be aware that, if
unchecked, algorithms might correlate completely unrelated factors and assume
causation -- income level and ethnicity, among many other potential flaws.
And even well-constructed algorithms will falter when fed poorly selected or
incorrect data, the report said.Another recent report from the Federal Trade
Commission, came to a similar conclusion; for instance, that targeting ads to
consumers with certain characteristics, especially for financial products,
might mean that low-income consumers who might be eligible for these products
may never see those ads. From
http://www.nextgov.com/ Cities Must
Be Connected Before They Can Become Smart – WBA Wireless Broadband Alliance says better coordination is required
between different city agencies. The Wireless Broadband Alliance (WBA) this week
said cities should focus on improving connectivity as an interim step towards
becoming a smart city. "Connectivity is the foundation layer, you need
that as the basis before you start talking about smart city services,"
WBA chief executive Shrikant Shenwai told Total Telecom at Mobile World
Congress this week. He explained that decisions
about technology choices and how to go about deploying it should be use-case
driven and economics-driven. For example, a city with a high crime rate or
bad traffic congestion might require high-capacity network coverage that will
support IP CCTV. However, "it would be overkill" for a city to
deploy a high-capacity network if it is only going to be used to underpin
connected sensors or utility meters, said Shenwai. Cities need to create a
"connected city blueprint" that gives structure to their vision and
creates "the mother of all networks," he said. "There is not any single technology that will create a
smart city, we need to bring them together," added Ton Brand, the WBA's
senior director of marketing and industry development. However, once a city
has identified the technologies it needs it then has to confront another
challenge: deploying them. "You have to coordinate between different
city agencies, sometimes hundreds of them, and they all own different
assets," Shenwai said. Some forward-looking cities have created a single
point of contact for industry players seeking to participate in connected
city projects, he said. According to the WBA, From
http://www.totaltele.com/ RSA 2016: 4 Data Issues Faced by States, Localities in the
Digital Age Industry experts discussed the
risks, benefits and next steps around data in the government space during the
2016 RSA Conference in And ultimately, until all parties
are on the same page when it comes to the ails of data in the digital age,
Lee Tien, senior staff attorney with the Electronic Frontier Foundation, said
that progress around the issues will remain.“I don’t see any solution anytime
soon other than for all sides to appreciate that there are real issues and
problems,” he said. “There are a lot of folks who don’t want to acknowledge
that there is a privacy issue in the first place.”Here's a look at four
primary issues of data in the digital age. 1. DATA IS NOT PROPERLY ACCOUNTED
FOR One issue facing many public
organizations is the fact that much of the data being collected is not properly
accounted for, said Wyoming CIO Flint Waters.“In
talking with CIOs around the nation, we have a history of agencies that have
siloed data collection and we truly do not know all that is gathered by
them,” he said. “In many cases, we’re finding government entities, through
some legislative or reporting or audit mandate, have gathered additional data
sets from other entities and now they have workforce and transportation and
education data sitting at the Department of Health. So we’re trying to go through
and inventory all that.”This flow of information from one agency to the next adds to the confusion around who has what, where it is
being kept and why, Waters said. 2. LACK OF DATA RETENTION
GUIDELINES Another point was the lack of
guidelines for data retention. According to Tien, as storage capacity grew
within government, more agencies moved to hold onto constituent data —
especially in the cases of law enforcement agencies.“This is a radically
underdeveloped area because historically they didn’t have any rules about
retention and as long as the state IT capacity was not all that great, they
didn’t need to think about it that much,” Tien said. “What we are seeing,
around the state of 3. LACK OF PRIVACY-MINDFULNESS Despite what may be seen by some as
harmless collection and mining, Tien said information taken from smart
utility meters poses substantial privacy concern due to the ease of
re-identifying who the data belongs to as it moves through its lifecycle.A
major concern in the data space is the fact that many in the IT world are not
privacy minded and lack the ability to evaluate risks to personal privacy, he
said.Though the conversation around data privacy and protection often falls
to the negatives ramifications, Deloitte's Reagan said there is also a
significant amount of positive benefit that can come with data. He points to
studying data sets for cancer indicators as one example.“It
is a tension. We were trying to apply
yesterday’s, in some ways, physical privacy constructs to a digital world
that keeps moving faster," he said, "[and we] assume that we can
resolve those two in the same way when I think that we need to actually have
different constructs to manage the data."One potential solution, Reagan
discussed, was the deployment of technologies like block chain to
“self-identify” data, remove the “middle man” (i.e. people) and limit the
inappropriate uses of potentially sensitive information.“I
think we just need to move away from these blanket policies around privacy
and give a much more atomic or a much more discreet attributes and rules so
it can be used for purposes which we would like and, which we would get
permission for, but also protect it at the same time for those things we
don’t get permission for,” Reagan said. 4. FORGING PARTNERSHIPS WITH THE
PRIVATE SECTOR Waters also noted that another
challenge facing government in the data collection and security realm is that
leveraging relationships with corporate partners is often a necessity when
faced with the staffing and retention problems.“I think it's a struggle for
states to tackle because across the board, we struggle in recruiting. We
struggle in IT having a voice in terms of funding to be able to bring in and
train, certify and work with some of the best folks in that realm,” Waters
said. “They tend to get pulled out of our sector very quickly. The best and
brightest go on. So, it is a huge challenge.”The CIO said the resources of
corporate partners have helped to fill experience gaps and update legacy
systems.“We’re pushing really hard to leverage our
corporate partners because there is no reason to think the state is where we
are going to do that the very best,” he said. “We’ve been pushing to try to
get it out of the legacy state data center and get out of the business we
don’t do well.”For smaller public agencies, Waters said the inclination to
try to handle IT undertakings in-house has led to problems and pointed to
three police departments that had been hacked as one such example. From http://www.govtech.com/ The 3GPP began work on the feasibility of using LTE to support
IoT services in Release 12. It ramped up its activities to specifically
include low-bandwidth, low-power LTE connectivity in Release 13, which was
completed in March.So, where does that leave Telenor revealed in 2015 that it plans to shut down its From
http://www.totaltele.com/ |
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An Internet businessman has appealed to From http://www.gov.cn/
Surging China Mobile, the world's largest telecom operator by customer numbers,
released its annual financial report Thursday, announcing a favorable revenue
growth thanks to its rapid From http://www.news.cn/ Number of Chinese
Websites Exceeds 4.2 Mln The number of websites in China rose to 4.27 million at the end
of last year, new figures showed on Friday. A total of 620,000 Chinese
websites were launched last year, exceeding the number of sites launched
during the 2010-2014 period, according to a report released by the Internet
Society of China. Of the 4.27 million websites, 3.02 million were operated by
companies, up 493,000 from one year earlier. Around one million websites were
run by individuals, representing an increase of 110,000 from 2014, the report
said. Average mobile internet traffic by Chinese netizens exceeded 366.5
megabytes per month in 2015, up 85.3 percent year on year. From http://www.news.cn/ O2O App Helps Upgrade
Recycling in A new O2O application has shown its potential to help
build a circular economy with more recycling, but obstacles remain for the
recycling industry to innovate. "If all the garbage generated in
Chinese cities this year were loaded on trains, the length of all the trains
would equal twice that of the equator," said Chen Laying, a sanitation
worker and deputy to the National People's Congress, during this year's two
sessions. Chen's voice raised one of the major problems in Chinese cities'
development – the unchecked and fast rising amount of garbage which threatens
the environment and human life. As a result of rising living standards,
garbage in Chinese cities has been rising at almost the same pace as the
country's GDP – around 10 percent in recent years. From 1979 to 2013, the
amount of garbage disposed of every year has jumped from 25 million tons to
173 million tons. More than 90 percent of refuse with recycling value has not
been recycled, according to Wang Jiwei, secretary general of China
Association of Circular Economy. Most waste ends up in a landfill or
incineration plant, using up large areas of land and polluting the
environment, he said. Inconvenience In Chinese cities, most of the
recyclable garbage thrown away are either collected
by scavengers who earn a meager income from the business or sold to small
waste collection agencies by the owners themselves. Waste sorting is done in
a random and disorganized way. Waste sorting and collection is an unpleasant
experience for many due to a lack of professional guidance and service and
low profits. "Sometimes, I have to drive my car with all the plastic
bottles and piles of cardboards to waste collection agencies several blocks
away, only to receive a dozen yuan," said Wu Yue, a senior New platform Ever since he began using Bangdaojia,
an application that allows users to request a garbage pickup on their smart phones,
Wu has been spared the effort to find waste collectors on the street or drive
miles to the nearest waste collection agency. The O2O platform also helps
trash collectors locate their customers. The developer of the app, Beijing
Incom Resources Recovery Co Ltd, offers trash collectors formal employment
and allows them to provide door-to-door services by appointment. Jin Yuhua
and her husband have worked as trash collectors since they moved from Incom general manager Chang Tao told
Xinhua News Agency. Garbage collectors are the start of the long recycling
chain. They usually sell garbage to small waste collection agencies, which
will resell it to recycling enterprises. As the costs for processing
recyclable materials is high for licensed recycling enterprises, says Chang,
the prices they offer are less competitive than unlicensed agencies. As a
result, a lot of garbage goes to underground collection and processing
centers. "I have been to some illegal processing centers on the
outskirts of Upgrading the industry More than eight cities, including From http://www.chinagate.cn/
Virtual Reality Gets
Real in It may have been around for decades, but virtual reality (VR) has
been anything but real for most people. That all may be about to change, as a
latest batch of VR gadgets and apps make their way
to market. VR simulates a 3D environment that resembles the real world,
usually through a headset or VR glasses. In the minds of the general public,
VR is still most closely associated with gaming. Guo Jirao, 17, had her first
VR experience at an expo in REALITY BYTES VIRTUAL REALITY, REAL CONCERNS Industry insiders agreed that VR is not yet a realistic
proposition for the average Chinese consumers, even if it is going mainstream abroad. More than 2 million eyewear VR devices
are expected to be sold around the globe this year, five times more than last
year, but still a very small marketplace. Wearing VR devices often causes
dizziness, a problem which must be solved urgently if VR is to become
commonplace. Nor is making VR content easy and few companies have the
technological capability to do so. VR devices require extremely high quality
imagery. A kind of VR fever is spreading in From http://www.news.cn/ Chinese cloud computing and big data services provider Inspur Group
and From http://www.news.cn/ From http://www.chinagate.cn/
Robots to Sit An artificial intelligence (AI) device may sit and (perhaps)
pass the national college entrance exam ("gaokao") in math in 2017,
a tech company said Thursday. The AI test taker, part of a project by the
Ministry of Science and Technology, was designed by Chengdu Zhun Xing Yun Xue
Technology Co., Ltd. According to the plan, the AI will attend next year's
gaokao math test, usually on June 7, along with millions of Chinese students.
Like its human peers, it will be asked to complete a 150-point math test in two
hours in a room without Internet access. Fu Hongguang, who leads the
development team, said the key to passing the exam includes understanding the
language and knowledge inference. They have built a huge knowledge database
for the machine to understand the questions. "For instance, to solve the
chicken-rabbits problem (calculating the numbers of chicken and rabbits kept
in the same cage given the number of total legs and heads), it must know that
chicken have two legs and rabbits have four," Fu said. The project began in 2015 so there have only been two years of
preparation, but the team is confident. "An ordinary human student can
solve 100 math questions a day, but the AI can take on tens of thousands. It
can keep learning and finding patterns in the process," CEO Lin Hui
said. The machine has scored as high as From http://www.news.cn/ A Chinese company said it has acquired mature technology to
provide stable and fast Wi-Fi service on subways. The intercity subway
between From http://www.news.cn/ New App to Guide Visually Disabled A new app connecting millions of visually handicapped people
with volunteers was launched in Cao Jun, founder and president of Protection and Ease Technology
Co, said, "It is the best gift for the visually disabled, including
myself, on the 26th national Disabled Day." From http://www.chinagate.cn/
“We are planning to open 10 to 20 domestic training centers
within two years to nurture robot talents,” Qu said, adding that the company
is discussing cooperation with vocational schools. On May 17, Boston
Consulting Group Inc said in its latest report that From http://www.gov.cn/
Robots Serve Elderly in Elderly people forget things sometimes, but robots never do. In
the Hangzhou City social welfare center in east China's Zhejiang Province,
five robots remind 1,300 seniors when to take their medicine. "The
average age of these seniors is over 84," Zhao Huming, vice director of
the center, told Xinhua on Wednesday. "They often forget to take their
medicine, or they take it twice." The robots are programmed to
"remember" medication schedules for seniors and nursing home
workers. They send messages to remind them when it is time to take the pills.
"They make our work a lot easier," Zhao said. The robots were
developed by Woosiyuan Telecom Technology Co. Ltd. and are in trial
operation. The "A-Tie" robots, whose name literally means
"iron," are 0.8 meters tall and weigh 15 kilograms, similar to a
two- or three-year-old human. They have round bodies and heads sprouting two
antennae. The robots are controlled by mobile phone app or touch screens, and
they can do much more than remind patients to take their medicine. They can
be used to make video calls, virtual consultations, or watch television. Chen Wei, marketing manager with Woosiyuan, told Xinhua that the
company spent three years developing the robots. "Following trial
operations, we will make some improvements," he said. They also plan to
upgrade the robots to add new functions, such as performing inspections and holding
conversations with people. From http://www.news.cn/ Excessive discounts on smartphones are not what people want from
mobile phone companies. We hope they will compete for customers by lowering communication
charges and providing more attractive service. The Internal Affairs and
Communications Ministry has issued an administrative directive to NTT Docomo
Inc. and SoftBank Corp. ordering them to stop selling smartphones at
excessive discounts, as the carriers were selling
the devices effectively for ¥0. This step was taken because the carriers had
violated new guidelines on smartphone sales that took effect on April 1.
SoftBank sold smartphones for free to customers who switched to the company
from another carrier, and effectively paid back more than ¥20,000 to the
purchaser. Docomo sold smartphones effectively for ¥648 to people who met
certain conditions, such as their family members purchasing multiple devices.
Saying the high communication charges for mobile phones were a heavy drain on
family budgets, the administration of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe had called
for correcting the situation. The new guidelines written up in response
called for smartphones to be sold at a more reasonable price, as massive
discounts on the handsets were a factor in communication charges remaining
high. Communication charges paid by all smartphone users were funding
discounts on the devices. The current sales method, under which only people who purchase
new smartphones receive any benefit, and which has hindered the reduction of
phone charges, should be corrected. The communications ministry also felt
this sales method was problematic. In addition to cases in which major mobile
carriers provide discounted smartphones directly to users, the financial
incentives they pay to phone sales outlets are being used to cover discounts
offered on smartphones sold at these stores. The ministry has ordered the
carriers to submit a report on the discounts they offer. The ministry has an
obligation under the Telecommunications Business Law to ensure carriers
operate in a fair, competitive environment. Issuing administrative directives
is part of its efforts to achieve this. However, the very nature of the
market should ensure healthy competition among mobile phone operators,
without the government’s intervention, and lead to improved services for
users. We want carriers to provide a range of services that meet the
needs of consumers, including through different pricing and fee structures.
If money currently being used to cover the discounted price of smartphones
was instead channeled for use in lowering communication charges, the
advantages to users would be significant. Carriers also should reconsider a
sales method that locks in subscribers through long-term contracts that
entail a two-year commitment. Carriers charge large cancellation fees for
early termination of such a contract, and users can cancel their contract
without penalty only within the first one or two months after the contract is
renewed. Many customers miss the opportunity to switch to another carrier’s
smartphone because contracts are automatically renewed without them realizing
it. A major distribution firm and other companies that previously did not own
phone line networks have started selling smartphones with low-cost pricing
plans. If the overhaul of the two-year contract system makes progress,
smartphone users will have a wider range of choices. From
http://the-japan-news.com
Enhance
Productivity by Boosting Data Ties Between Govt, Industry, Academia Being able to comprehensively grasp information in real time — ranging
from the acceptance of orders to the manufacturing of products to their sale
— optimizes production systems. The spread of “smart factories” with such
capabilities would dramatically enhance the productivity of the manufacturing
industry. To maintain the growth potential of the Japanese economy amid a
continued decline in the working population, the public and private sectors
should work together to promote smart factories. In a dialogue between the
two sectors, at which top government officials and business leaders exchanged
opinions, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe expressed his intention of having Japan
“lead the world in realizing a fourth industrial revolution.” With the
utilization of the Internet and big data, the goal is to achieve a fourth
industrial revolution, following the first one with the use of steam engines,
the second with electricity and the third with computers. The idea will be
incorporated in a new growth strategy that will be drawn up next month. It is
appropriate to consider the advancement of the manufacturing industry as a
pillar of the growth strategy, by giving full play to the characteristics of The government has set a numerical target for establishing smart
factories, with the management of relevant information going beyond the
framework of individual companies, at 50 locations across the country by
2020. It has also produced a policy of expanding Abe has said he wants to see private companies’ investment in
universities and research and development entities tripled to ¥300 billion
over the next 10 years. He also has announced that the government will
establish strategic research centers at more than five locations, with
private companies and universities to take part in their planning. It is
hoped that these targets will be realized steadily and tangible results will
be achieved through the creation of new growth industries. The utilization of
information networks would also bring about benefits to areas other than the
manufacturing sector. Aggregating vast amounts of three-dimensional maps and
travel records would be useful in the practical implementation of
self-driving automobiles. And being able to collect and analyze diagnosis and
treatment data of patients, which is tightly protected as private
information, would help improve treatment methods and also lead to the
development of new drugs. It is the government’s duty to indirectly support
private-sector entities by creating environments in which they can better
cope with these tasks. The government must proactively deal with new
challenges, such as easing regulations toward further utilization of big
data. From
http://the-japan-news.com
New Tech
Plan Envisions 3-D Maps for Driverless Cars Three-dimensional maps, a feature essential for self-driving
vehicles, could be made from big data that the government plans to compile as
part of its initiative to create a “super-smart society,” The Yomiuri Shimbun
has learned. The goals were contained in a rough draft of the Comprehensive
Strategy on Science, Technology and Innovation 2016 that the Cabinet plans to
approve as soon as the end of May. According to the draft, the government
aims to establish databases encompassing five different fields before the
2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics are held. It plans to give its economic
growth strategy a shot in the arm by using massive amounts of big data to
nurture new industries. The draft stresses the necessity of jointly collating
and sharing information that is currently possessed separately by the
government, companies and individuals. It sets a goal of establishing five
databases that industry, government and academia can use by 2020, setting
them up in the fields of 3-D maps; footage from security and other cameras;
pinpointing the locations of people, things and vehicles; the global
environment; and distribution. Of these five, the government is giving top
priority to establishing the database for 3-D maps because it believes this
is most likely to be translated from the drawing board to reality. The
database would hold data including 3-D measurements of roads and topography,
and collect information about damage to roads and tunnels detected by sensors
on self-driving vehicles. As well as being essential for the operation of driverless
vehicles, this information will be used to quickly grasp which sections of a
tunnel need repairs. The footage from security and other cameras will be
applied in facial automatic-recognition technologies. It is expected to be
used to help search for elderly dementia sufferers who have gone missing, and
to assist in criminal investigations and steps to combat terrorism. The
government’s Fifth Science and Technology Plan, a five-year blueprint for the
nation’s science and technology policies that started in fiscal 2016, sets
the goal of creating a super-smart society. This year’s comprehensive
strategy spells out some concrete efforts toward achieving that objective.
The government is pushing ahead with what has been dubbed the “fourth
industrial revolution,” the fourth monumental change of its kind behind the
advent of the steam engine, electricity and then the computer. The fourth
edition centers on using the Internet and artificial intelligence. “Databases
will be an essential element in this,” a government source said. The plan is
to get a jump on the rest of the world in realizing a super-smart society to
boost the nation’s competitiveness and promote economic growth. From
http://the-japan-news.com
Digital
Textbooks Should Be Used Only as Supplements to Printed Volumes We cannot help but be skeptical about opening the way for
digitalizing textbooks without thoroughly examining the effects on learning
and health. A panel of experts at the Education, Culture, Sports, Science and
Technology Ministry has presented a draft report that would allow the use of
digital textbooks at primary, middle and high schools possibly from fiscal
2020. While seeking to use digital textbooks in combination with conventional
printed ones for the time being, the panel calls for considering the
introduction of a system that allows the selection of digital or printed
textbooks. A digital textbook
comes in the form of a tablet device containing the data in textbooks. Such a
textbook allows users to enlarge graphics and photos, and write text and draw
lines repeatedly on the device. It also can be connected to the Internet. For example, it is envisioned that digital textbooks can be used
to offer visually oriented science classes in which students learn about the
construction of space and the human body through photos. It is certain that progress is being made on developing
educational materials with the use of the digital technology in tandem with
the advancement of information technology. It is also said children at
schools that use such materials have become more interested in learning. However, digital materials are supplementary
educational materials that complement printed textbooks, the foundation of
learning. The panel basically calls for the combined use of digital and
printed textbooks. But is the digitalization of textbooks really necessary?
Some people argue that children tend to pay more attention to the selection
of colors and the width of lines they draw when they write in digital
devices. If children come to have a lower level of understanding of the
content of textbooks, that would do more harm than good. When searching for
something with a device connected to the Internet, children could lose sight
of their original purpose while checking websites one after another. We are
concerned that such a practice would not help improve their ability to think
on their own. Children could gain access to harmful information unless schools
properly manage such devices.
There are also concerns that children could become immersed in
manipulating the devices and have less time to read books if they take
digital textbooks home. Regarding
textbook screenings, the draft report seeks only printed textbooks to be
screened by matching the content of digital textbooks with that of printed
ones. Sound and video — additional features for digital textbooks — would not
be subject to screenings. The panel is likely to propose that bodies such as
boards of education that select textbooks be tasked with examining the
content of such additional features. However, is it possible to properly
ascertain the quality of textbooks? The panel has found it financially
difficult to distribute digital textbooks for free. If the introduction of
digital textbooks becomes a burden on parents, consideration for low-income
earners is essential. As there are various issues, we urge the education
ministry to carefully consider the issue of digitalizing textbooks. From
http://the-japan-news.com
Tech World
Eyes Digital Life Beyond the Smartphone The smartphone revolutionized how people live and work, but the technology
world is now struggling to see what comes next. As smartphone sales have
peaked in most major markets, Apple, Samsung and others are being forced to
rethink their business models to keep growing and connecting with consumers.
The trend in smartphones appears to follow similar peaks in tablet sales and
personal computers, said Bob O’Donnell, chief analyst at Technalysis
Research. “We are clearly entering a new era where growth of traditional
devices has ended and you have to think differently,” O’Donnell said. It’s
not clear what will be the “next big thing” in technology or even if there is
one, and that is troubling for an industry that has
been living off growth from smartphones and their ecosystems of Android and
Apple iOS applications. John Curran, managing director of Accenture’s
communications, media, and technology group, said that in a maturing
smartphone market, consumers are not hesitating about new purchases. “Consumers are basically satisfied with their current devices,”
said Curran. Curran said the Internet of Things appears to be a promising
market but that no single device has proved compelling so far. “We’re seeing
a broad range of devices, smartwatches, home automation, drones and the
like,” Curran said. “But these are not taking off (because) people don’t see
the personal value in their lives yet.” An Accenture survey released in
January, based on polls in 28 countries, found declines in purchase intent
for new smartphones and other big-ticket electronics devices. Only a relative
small number of consumers expressed interest in new Internet of Things
devices such as smartwatches or drones—expressing concerns over cost,
security and complexity of use. Curran said the smartphone became wildly
popular because it addressed a key problem of communications for people on
the go, but that the next big thing is not clear. “Consumers are looking for
things that solve practical, tangible problems,” he said. “They want to see things that make their lives easier, that delight and amaze them.” Ramon Llamas, analyst at the research firm IDC, said consumers
want to see how all their new gadgets and services can be interconnected.
“The smartphone will still have a privileged place in our lives, but it needs
to connect to all our other devices,” he said. “You want your smartphone to
talk to your home security system and your wearable device.” Global
smartphone sales in the first quarter showed their slowest growth on record
of 0.2 percent, according to IDC. A separate report by Juniper Research was even
more gloomy, saying global sales fell nearly six
percent. The market for devices such as smartwatches, fitness bands and smart
home technology is growing, but in a more disjointed fashion, with a number
of competing operating systems that can often confuse consumers. “In all of
those environments, you will need some level of computing or connectivity, so
the companies that can deliver those kinds of things will be better
positioned,” O’Donnell said. With no single important device dominating, O’Donnell said the
future tech landscape will see players emerge that can combine hardware,
software, virtual reality and artificial intelligence. That could open the
door to important roles for Facebook, Amazon, Intel and other players. Some
look to a landscape where technology and artificial intelligence permeate all
aspects of life, where the “device” may become almost irrelevant. “Looking to
the future, the next big step will be for the very concept of the ‘device’ to
fade away,” says Sundar Pichai, chief executive of Alphabet unit Google, in a
recent blog post. “Over time, the computer itself—whatever its form
factor—will be an intelligent assistant helping you through your day. We will
move from mobile first to an AI (artificial intelligence) first world.” Samsung,
the world’s biggest smartphone maker, said it too is looking at a different
future of connected things. “We are already imagining the next step beyond the smartphone,”
Samsung Electronics mobile communications business president Dongjin Koh told
the company’s developer conference in From
http://www.japantoday.com
A civic research institute on artificial intelligence(AI)
will open in From
http://world.kbs.co.kr
Learn IP
Asset Management Online An intellectual property (IP) asset management educational
course for businesses will soon be available online. The annual Advanced
International Certificate Course on IP Asset Management for Business Success
will start on April 14 this year, announced the course's organizers, the
Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO) and the Korea Invention Promotion
Association (KIPA). Jointly organized by the World Intellectual Property
Organization (WIPO), the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology
(KAIST), KIPA and KIPO, the annual course has been running since 2010 helping
businesses to improve their ability to manage their IP assets and to develop
expertise in the field. The course curriculum is based on "IP Panorama,"
a series of educational texts concerning IP assets that was jointly developed
by KIPO, KIPA and WIPO. The texts have a deep and wide range of contents,
covering everything from the basic concepts of IP and technology licensing
through to valuation of IP assets and IP asset management in international
business environments. The six-week course will be offered three times this year. The
first session will start on April 14, the second session on May 19 and the third
session on June 23. Students who complete the online course and receive a
grade of 60 percent or more on the final exam will be invited to From
http://www.korea.net
Korean Firms
Far Behind Global Peers in 'Big Data' Use Only around 5 percent of South Korean companies make use of
"big data" in their businesses, far lower than 29 percent of global
firms, recent surveys showed. Among local firms with 100 employees or more,
4.3 percent were using big data, which is large volumes of instant digital
data, as of October last year, according to From
http://www.koreaherald.com
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“However, many of these projects are funded in silos, and often
times, they eventually face long-term operations sustainability issues. “We
believe the federal government needs to step up and invest so as to spur the
growing momentum of digital city transformations and ensure long-term
progress is maintained for smart city initiatives,” he added. While the demand
and interest in smart city transformations is notably growing, IDC Government
Insights believes that ‘prudent considerations’ for e-government procurement
transparency and accountability and programme management competencies need to
be in place. This is notably recognised by the Indonesian Government, it
added. “The Indonesian Government should focus on empowering city planners
with sound and actionable investment advisories; and build close partnerships
with the global smart city solution providers,” said IDC Government Insights
Asia Pacific Government and Education head Gerald Wang. “[The Government
should also] ensure competent operations governances are in place to drive
effective return-on-investments and project accountability,” he added. IDC recommends
vendors partner with local governments to support smart city pilots and
initiatives as another channel to showcase solution functionality, best
practices and business benefits. Citizens or consumers are a driving force in
the public and private sector adoption of sustainability initiatives, IDC
said. The more business and residential tenants understand the benefits of
smart building technologies, the more pressure is on building owners to adopt
these technologies. Vendors should consider partnering with city leaders on
citizen messaging that is aligned to their own campaigns in those geographies
where they are trying to grow, the company added. From
https://www.digitalnewsasia.com/
Telekom
Fixed line incumbent Telekom From
https://www.telegeography.com/ Public WiFi service will be speedier and available at more
locations, the Ministry of Communications and Information announced on
Monday.Speaking during the ministry’s Committee of Supply debate, Minister of
State JanilPuthucheary said Wireless@SG’s speed will be increased from the
current 2Mbps to 5Mbps — which is faster than existing Fromhttp://www.bangkokpost.com/ Smart
Devices Trial Extended to 3,200 Households in Yuhua The Elderly Monitoring System, on the other hand, can help seniors age-in-place while giving caregivers greater peace
of mind. For instance, through the help of motion sensors, the system will
send an alert to the caregiver's mobile phone whenever it detects no movement
for prolonged periods. Speaking at the launch ceremony, Culture, Community
and Youth Minister Grace Fu, who is also the Member
of Parliament for Yuhua, said feedback received from the initial trial showed
the devices were "easy to use" and "non-intrusive".
"This is what we want to achieve with Smart Home devices,” said Ms Fu.
“Where technology is used to help us with the challenges we face at home on a
daily basis, to make our family's lives as well as our own even better."
COST SAVINGS Sio Wei Hurng's home is one of the 10 households in Yuhua that
took part in the initial trial to test the use of smart devices. The
40-year-old said the Utilities Management System has helped him track his bills
more closely and led to cost savings of 10 to 15 per cent. "It gives you
the awareness, but it's up to the individual to change their lifestyle in
order to bring down their energy consumption," said Mr Sio. "For
example, if you think that you're spending too much on energy, you check and
you see that it's actually the air-con in the room. What we do is we switch
it off in the middle of the night and then turn on the fan. So, in that way
we bring down the energy consumption." Ms Fu, however, also acknowledged
the challenges in implementing these solutions. She said the constituency
will need help to explain the functional aspects and value of the systems to
elderly residents for the initiative to succeed. Said Ms Fu: "We're
working out this arrangement. We're just in the process of discussing with
HDB. For example Pioneer Generation Ambassadors. They are a very very
appropriate group of people because they know the Pioneer Generation well,
they have visited them before and they would have the kind of familiarity
because they're all neighbours. They have the language faculty to talk to the
elderly. "So we think that with the cooperation and collaboration
between the suppliers and the People's Association Pioneer Generation team,
the chances of success will be higher." From
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/
Thailand Post has added features on its website, to enhance
accessibility to people with disabilities. Samorn Terdthampiboon, president
of the company, said the features would promote equal accessibility among
people with disabilities, the elderly and the general public. For example,
the screen reader and voice browser are new features catering to those with
impaired eyesight. "They can check all available services and get
Thailand Post updates. We hope this helps promote equality in Thai society,"
she said. Some 1.57 million people with disabilities are registered. From
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/
Police
Using Secret Methods: Netizens CYBER EXPERTS say they believe the police are using secret
investigative methods to find lese majeste messages in social media instead
of tapping the system itself. The recent case of two administrators of a
Facebook page being hit with a lese majeste charge has raised a lot of concerns
about privacy among social-media users, with many wondering whether their
personal messages are visible to the authorities. Pol Maj-General Pisit
Pao-in, president of the Social Media Reform Subcommittee of the National
Reform Steering Assembly and former commander of the Technology Crime
Suppression Division, told The Nation that the authorities could not legally
access Facebook users' messages without their explicit permission. Hence, he
said, once suspects are arrested, their devices are seized and, in a way,
they allow the authorities to check their Facebook account, thus making it
possible legally, he said. He explained that it was not possible for
officials to tap private messages in Facebook as the social-media platform
does not allow it. Facebook uses an encrypted URL (https), which is very
secure and cannot be tapped. However, the recent arrests have raised concerns that the
government is infringing on the right to privacy. Pisit explained that his
main duty was to integrate government agencies and create a framework for
regulating social-media usage in According to Facebook's privacy basics, users can opt for secure
browsing in order to protect their information. This way, the user's activities,
such as posting their status or sending a message is encrypted, or turned
into code, so others cannot access it without permission. The Nation did not
receive any comments on the case when it contacted Facebook From
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/
Banks
Move Forward on Cashless Payment System CASHLESS payments in Commercial banks will be in charge of the central registration
for AnyID, which people will be able to do via ATMs, Internet banking, mobile
banking and bank branches. The second phase of the e-payment programme is
EDC, and the big banks will form a consortium to oversee investment in that
technology. There are about 300,000 EDC units in The second phase of the e-payment programme is EDC, and the big
banks will form a consortium to oversee investment in that technology. There are about 300,000 EDC units in From
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/
Cable
Operators Seek to Expand into Broadband Internet Services THIRTY-FOUR cable TV operators nationwide have recently
submitted a joint application for licences to provide Internet broadband
service in an attempt to find a new revenue source amid flat growth of their
mainstream service. The National Broadcasting and Telecommunications
Commission (NBTC) will consider awarding the qualified applicants three-year
licences within 30 days. Varin
Cholhan, vice president of the Cable Thai Association and managing director
of Digital Cable of Phetchabun, said last week that the 34 operators come
from many provinces including Phetchabun, Chon Buri and Ubon Ratchathani. Out
of the 350 members of his association, about 100 are equipped to provide
broadband Internet service, he said. "Each is expected to launch the
broadband Internet service within five months after obtaining the licence.
They're expected to offer a monthly service fee of Bt590, |the same as the
major players," he said. The companies are aiming for 30 per cent of
their cable TV subscribers to also subscribe to their Internet service and
expect to break even within two years. Initially they plan to lease
fibre-optic networks from major telecoms such as CAT Telecom and From
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/
TWO YEARS AFTER coming into existence, terrestrial-based digital
operators last month gained a 43-per-cent market share - a 14-per-cent
increase year on year - while the remaining 57 per cent of viewers watched
analog. The analog figure for March last year was 71 per cent, according to
the broadcasting regulator based on media research from Nielsen Channel 7 and Channel 3 dominated the market but their combined
market share has continuously been dented by the aggressive invasion of
digital rivals. Last month, Bangkok Broadcasting and Television's Channel 7
maintained its market share at 32.71 per cent, but dropped from 39.55 per
cent in the same month last year, while the share of Bangkok Entertainment
Company's Channel 3 dropped from 24.86 per cent to 19.95 per cent. Ranked
third was the Workpoint TV digital channel with 11.11 per cent, up from 7.88
per cent last year. Fourth was Mono 29 digital TV with 6.81 per cent, up from
3.5 per cent last year. The competition among key players is intense as each
top operator continues to pour huge sums of money into content
development. For example, GMM
Grammy earmarked Bt2 billion for its two digital TV channels - One and GMM
25. RS Channel 8 set aside Bt1
billion, Mono 29 budgeted Bt800 million and Workpoint TV earmarked Bt600
million. However, the sluggish economic condition appears to be a big
challenge for broadcasters after advertising spending in the first quarter
dropped 9 per cent, said Manee Eab, managing director of Magna Global, a
leading media agency under IPG Mediabrands. She believes that the drop is a
result of major brands suffering poor sales.She expects that advertising
spending throughout the first half of this year will follow the same trend. From
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/
While the Internet, mobile phones and other digital technologies
are spreading rapidly throughout the developing world, the anticipated
digital dividends of higher growth, more jobs, and better public services
have fallen short of expectation. The findings have been pointed out in a
2016 World Development Report on digital dividends compiled by the World
Bank. At the workshop launching the report in Hà Nội yesterday, Deepak
Mishra, 2016 World Development Report Co-director, said that the benefits of
rapid digital expansion had been skewed towards the wealthy, skilled, and
influential around the world, who are better
positioned to take advantage of the new technologies. In addition, though the
number of Internet users worldwide has more than tripled since 2005, four
billion people still lack access to the Internet. The report authors
suggested closing the digital divide by making the Internet universal,
affordable, open and safe, in addition to strengthening regulations that
ensure competition among business, adapting workers’ skills to the demands of
the new economy, and fostering accountable institutions, which are called
‘analog complements’ to digital investment in the report. The workshop also
created a platform for the Vietnamese Government, policy makers,
organisations and businesses to discuss how to utilise digital technologies
to promote the country’s growth. Nguyễn Thanh Tuyên, deputy head of the Department of Information
Technology under the Ministry of Information and Communications (MoIC), said
that the Vietnamese Government has paid great attention to IT education. By
2015, the number of high school students who had access to the Internet had
reached 99.9 per cent. All schools, colleges and universities now had
Internet access via fiber optic cables. Two years ago, the MoIC issued a
standard for IT skills based upon an international computer driving license.
The ministry is working with the Ministry of Education and Training to
implement the standard nationwide, Tuyên said. Regarding the potential
development of digital technologies in Việt Nam, Trương Gia Bình, Chairman of
FPT Corporation said that Việt Nam has an advantage of having half a million
people in the software industry. He hoped that each university in Việt From
http://vietnamnews.vn/
Việt Việt Nam is targeting moving to digital terrestrial television
broadcasting from analog by NguyễnHồngTuấn, from Authority of Radio Frequency of Việt Nam,
said Việt Nam had planned a fund of VNĐ1.7 trillion to (US$76 million) for
national analog-to-digital migration plan.He said the country had 21.3
million households with colour TVs, and 6.7 million families using pay TV and
33 cable TV service providers along with three satellite digital TV and five
digital terrestrial TV providers.NguyễnViệtHưng, a service provider of
digital terrestrial TV, said locals must pay only VNĐ700,000 for installation
of a receiver with free subscription with old style TV sets, while new users must only pay VNĐ100,000 for
antenna installation.“More people could enjoy better quality TV programmes
with 40 channels. Việt Nam has built television stations in nearly 63
provinces and cities, and available infrastructure could help transit from
analog to digital TV soon,” he said.Deputies from ASEAN countries and experts
from Japan, Australia shared experience and information at a workshop on
matters related to digital TV broadcastings in the central city.The central
city is the first city in Việt Nam and ASEAN to fully switch to
digitalisation of television programmes.Two years ago, ĐàNẵng Radio and
Television station became the first station outside a large metropolitan area
to use satellite services for live broadcasts.Only four Vietnamese channels
have been allocated space on the satellite, Audio Vision Global, Việt Nam
Multi-media Corporation, HCM Television and K-Plus.The workshop closes today
with field tours in ĐàNẵng and HộiAn cities. From
http://vietnamnews.vn/ VINASA
Urged to Further Develop IT Deputy Prime Minister VũĐứcĐam said information technology
needed to further develop to help the country maintain a high growth rate in
order to catch up with other developed countries in the region.He made the
remark while attending the fourth summit of the Việt Nam Software and IT
Services Association yesterday in HàNội.While praising the achievements and contributions
made by the Việt Nam Software Association (VINASA) to the development of the
IT industry, Đam also called on the association to continue its good work in
providing consultancy to the Government.He also asked VINASA to pay attention
to start-up entrepreneurs and work closely with colleges and universities to
address the problem of human resources shortages.In the past five years, the
country’s IT industry also suffered from the economic downturn, yet still
managed to maintain its growth rate at 10-15 per cent each year. The revenue
from the software sector increased from US$1 billion to $1.6 billion in 2015.
The revenue of the IT industry in general increased from $2 billion to $3
billion in 2015.Human resources within the industry has also grown steadily,
reaching about 200,000 people at present.Speaking at the summit, Chairman of
VINASA TrươngGiaBình said that going forward, VINASA aims to become a pioneer
in connecting industries and regions, and applying and developing
technologies and start-ups. The association will try to support small- and
medium-sized firms in their development, while big firms can become global
ones, thus contributing to the country’s development, Bình said. From
http://vietnamnews.vn/ |
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Government is setting up a national online agriculture market
platform to connect 585 regulated wholesale markets to ensure fair
remunerative prices for the farmers, President Pranab Mukherjee said today.
Addressing the joint sitting of Parliament, he said Kisaano ki Samriddhi, the
well-being of farmers, is vital to He said soil health cards will be issued to 14 crore farm
holdings by March 2017. To promote organic farming, the President said
Parampragat Krishi Vikas Yojna is being implemented under which 8,000
clusters have been developed so far. The government, he said, has also
launched Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojna, New Urea Policy and several
steps were being take to usher in "second green
revolution for the eastern states. Mukherjee further said the food processing
fund has been operationalised with a view to provide affordable credit to
designated food parks. "In the last 10 months, five new Mega Food Parks
have been operationalised. Under the Cold Chain Scheme, 33 projects have been
made operational during the last 18 months," he said. He said Shyama
Prasad Mukherji Rurban Mission has also been launched for 300 rural growth
clusters for developing skills and local entrepreneurship and providing
infrastructure amenities. From
http://www.siliconindia.com GOI Digitalises Post Offices Across The Government of India
has decided to digitalise 1.5 lakh post offices across From
http://egov.eletsonline.com Using Technology Will Improve Court Judgements Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said here that
the "quality of argument and judgement will improve with technology
being used actively" in the courts. The prime minister was speaking at
an event held at the Patna High Court. Presently "we have something that
we didn't have earlier -- the power of technology. Let's make the bar, bench
and court tech savvy", Modi said. "In the last 100 years this high
court scaled new heights. I hope the best aspects are carried forward in the
years to come," he told the gathering that included Bihar Chief Minister
Nitish Kumar. Modi also expressed concern over the large number of cases
pending in courts for years, saying there is a need to tackle them with
speed. "It is a matter of concern that large number of cases have been
pending in courts across the country," Modi said during his address at a
function held here at the end of the year-long Patna High Court centenary celebrations. The prime minister also suggested that the courts should come
out with an annual bulletin, mentioning the number of pending cases in them
and since when. "It will help the courts, judges and lawyers to fix a
target to tackle pending cases in time bound manner." Modi said the
completion of a century of the Patna High Court marks the beginning of a new
challenge and responsibility for the next centenary programme. Supreme Court
Chief Justice T.S. Thakur, From
http://news.siliconindia.com When in “It will be an aluminium honeycombed panel structure and
bio-digesters will be used for eco-friendly waste disposal,” Chugh added. A
bio-digester which is an eco-friendly solution for human waste management, helps in treating biodegradable waste. “In the
process, bio-digesters will produce water as end product, which, after
following chlorination, can be used for horticulture purposes,” said Rajeev
Gaur, DUAC assistant secretary. The high-tech toilets are likely to have
solar panels with LED lights that may also be
used for advertising on their walls. Earlier, the DUAC had organised a
competition in which entries for designs of hi-tech toilets were invited.
Currently, four prototypes have been chosen for the pilot project. “By
installing easy-to-use toilets in the city, we plan to improving
the hygiene conditions. On successful setup of these toilets in DDA areas and
slums, the current situation, where almost 25 lakh women do not have proper
access to toilets, will be controlled” said Rewal. While the initial cost for
constructing the first prototype is Rs 7.5 lakh, it may come down to Rs 1
lakh for subsequent ones. From
http://egov.eletsonline.com Operations at 1,928 FCI Depots to Go Online by July A view of the ceremony where Ram Vilas Paswan, Union Minister of
Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution, released the logo and tag
line for the depot online initiative in New Delhi on March 17, 2016.With a
view to minimising food grain losses in storage, the government has
undertaken an important initiative to implement depot online system across
all food storage depots of the Food Corporation of India (FCI).“The government has decided to put in place an online
system to automate the operations at 1928 FCI depots by July this year,”
said Ram Vilas Paswan, Union Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food &
Public Distribution, while releasing the logo and tag line
for the initiative on March 17, 2016.The depot online project is
part of the overall vision of the Government of India to transform the food
distribution supply chain in the country, the minister said. “It
will facilitate process automation, standardisation and efficiency of
the management of food grain distribution and enable real-time monitoring of
operations and timely data reporting,” Paswan added. In the run-up to implementing the depot online project, a
contest was held on MyGov platform for designing a logo and tagline for depot
online system last year. A large number of responses were received and more
than 500 contestants participated. The contest was won by one Anurag Saxena,
who was rewarded by Paswan at a ceremony at Krishi Bhavan.Speaking on the
occasion, Abhishek Singh, Executive Director, FCI,
said, “Work in FCI will become paperless, and automation of the entire
process from entry and exit of foodgrains at FCI depots would curb theft and
manipulation. This will bring efficiency and transparency while also
capturing real-time data to support decision-making process.”Online depot
will speed up the operation and all activities in FCI godowns will be
operated through this system, Singh informed. From http://www.indiadaily.com
Digital
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Bakcell, The First
Mobile Operator and The Leading Mobile Internet Provider of Azerbaijan, is
delighted to present to its subscribers even more mobile data along with the
possibility of being connected as much as they want with the launch of the
new Klass tariffs. The five new tariffs will give the subscribers additional
opportunities to save money while making calls and enjoy being online. All
subscribers of these new tariffs will also have the exclusive option to
connect to Whatsapp for free. In the table below are listed the privileges of
each new advantageous Klass tariff:
“We highly appreciate
the loyalty of our customers and have always been trying to consider their
interest while creating new products, in order to meet their expectations. Observation
of customer behavior indicators showed increasing demand for data services.
Considering this case we decided to provide up to 3 times more internet for
the same monthly payment. Giving our customers free calls to all networks in Bakcell, The First
Mobile Operator and the Leading Mobile Internet Provider of Azerbaijan,
offers a variety of products for modern mobile communications customers.
Bakcell provides class leading From http://en.trend.az/ Nar's
LTE Network Shows Highest Indices In accordance with the independent
benchmark tests of mobile operators’ network quality performed during the
last quarter of 2015, Nar From http://en.trend.az/ Failures in
Communication Lines Slows Internet Connection in Country Slow Internet connection
in Based on these
complaints, Internet service providers have acted appropriately and most of
the problems were solved, Aliyev said, noting that the group continues its
work. "This is not because there are many problems – the group is
working to prevent occurrence of such problems and quickly respond to
possible appeals of subscribers,” he concluded. The number of Internet users
in The ultimate goals of
the project are to provide the whole territory of the country, including
remote rural areas, with high-speed internet in the range of 10-100 megabits
per second. Thus, the share of broadband Internet users will be brought up to
85 percent and this will allow From http://www.azernews.az/ Switching to
E-Customs Declaration to Save Time From http://www.azernews.az/ Today JSC
"Uztemiryolyulovchi" has launched a mobile app for the online
purchase of train tickets. Users
of the application, which was developed on the platform of the operating
systems Android and iOS, will also be able to obtain background information
about changes in the schedule of the trains as well as learn the latest news
of railway transport. The system
"UzCard" has been involved as a mechanism for payment of travel
documents. JSC
"Uztemiryolyulovchi" hopes that the innovation will significantly
increase the level of convenience of service for our passengers. From http://technologies.uzreport.uz/ On February 17, JSC "Uzbektelecom" reduced tariffs for
Internet services (external channel) for providers of From http://technologies.uzreport.uz/ "Uzbektelecom"
Cuts Internet Rates for Providers On April 27,
JSC "Uzbektelecom" reduced tariffs for Internet services (external
link) for providers of From http://technologies.uzreport.uz/ |
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The government
has officially launched the revamped national eHealth record but the move to
trial an opt-out approach for the system has continued to draw criticism from
privacy advocates. The federal government on Friday officially launched ‘My
Health Record’, which is the new, snappier name for the Personally Controlled
Electronic Health Record (PCEHR). Late last year legislation implementing the
recommendations of a review of the PCEHR, the Health Legislation Amendment
(eHealth) Bill 2015, made its way through both houses of parliament. Among
the most significant changes in the legislation was the ability for the
health minister to apply opt-out participation to particular areas, allowing
the government to trial the new approach in order to boost uptake of the
PCEHR. The government in its 2015-16 budget included
a $485 million injection of funds for eHealth. The opt-out
trials the government is conducting in However, the
Australian Privacy Foundation criticised the lack of detail in the
announcement about how individuals could opt out of having a record created.
“There are many people who should be very careful about letting the
government put lots of identifying information into a central database,” a
statement from the APF said. The eHealth record could be accessed by agencies
not connected to healthcare, including police, ASIO, the Australian Taxation
Office, and the immigration department, the APF said. “The Turnbull
government takes privacy very seriously and we have put in place the
necessary protections to ensure the information in your My Health Record is
as safe and secure as possible,” Ley said. “Trialling the implementation of
the new opt-out system is about reassuring the public they can have
confidence in our new My Health Record.” The government estimates that having
all Australians signed up for My Health Record could potentially save 5000
lives a year and realise $7.6 billion in annual savings and efficiencies. From http://www.computerworld.com.au
NBN: Return
to Fibre-to-the-Home Rollout Seems Increasingly Unlikely The odds
that the National Broadband Network rollout will return to the original plan
that called for most homes to be connected by fibre to the premises (FTTP) seem
to be slim at best. Labor leader Bill Shorten and shadow communications
minister, Jason Clare, have yet to formally outline the broadband policy that
the party will take to the election. However, both Shorten and Clare have
given strong indications that a return to an all-fibre model for the NBN is
unlikely. Shorten last week told a Sky News-organised event that the
government could do a better job at “providing more fibre in part of the
roll-out of the NBN”. A partial transcription of Shorten’s remarks circulated
by the office of communications minister Senator Mitch Fifield reads: “We
won’t rip up everything that [Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull]] has done
because I think, and it goes back to the fellow’s question before, not
everything that the Liberals do is bad... “So we will
do a hybrid of some of what he’s done but we will have in our announcement,
which we will be putting out pretty soon, a greater proportion of the use of
fibre and we will also look at the proportions of fibre and we think we can
provide more of that to more Australians.” At last week’s CommsDay Summit in
Sydney, Clare lashed the government for a blowout in the expected cost and
timeline of the ‘multi-technology mix’ (MTM) network rollout championed by
Malcolm Turnbull, citing the broadband policy that the Coalition had taken to
the last federal election. Clare also took aim at fibre to the node (FTTN)
technology, which is a key fixed line technology being employed for the NBN
rollout. Clare didn’t mention hybrid-fibre coaxial (HFC), which is another
key fixed line technology being employed in the network. He called for FTTN
to be stopped “as soon as possible” without slowing down the rollout. NBN should
roll out fibre to the distribution point (FTTdp) “or even better fibre to the
premises”, Clare said. The government won’t allow a wholesale shift away from
FTTN because it would be “humiliating” for Turnbull, Clare said. Fifield has
previously argued that Labor would shift to supporting FTTdp. The technology
involves rolling out fibre closer to homes than is the case with FTTN. NBN
has said that it will look at using the technology for connecting a minority
of premises — possibly around 300,000 — to the network. “NBN Co has now
conceded that the cost of rolling out fibre to the pit out the front of your
house is now almost the same cost as fibre to the node,” Clare said in the
remarks prepared for the CommsDay Summit. “The difference is currently about
$400. According to NBN Co fibre to the node is now $1600 per home and the
cost of fibre to the pit out the front of your house (fibre to the
distribution point) is $2000 per home,” Labor’s broadband spokesperson said.
“The capex is a bit more. The opex is a bit less – remember no nodes, no
extra copper, no extra copper maintenance, no electricity
bills. And remember this doesn’t count the cost of coming back years later
and rolling out more fibre in fibre to the node areas.” “The big
difference is what the customer gets,” Clare said. “And the difference here
is massive. Fibre to the driveway provides download speeds that are up to 10
times faster than Malcolm Turnbull’s fibre to the node network. Given this –
if NBN Co can roll out fibre to almost your front door for almost the same
cost as fibre to the node and give you much higher speeds – why aren’t they
doing it?” From http://www.computerworld.com.au
Five Ways to
Determine Who Should Lead Your IoT Initiatives Many
companies are floundering for direction and leadership to guide their IoT
projects toward the best outcomes. Here are some practical suggestions for
moving forward. As organizations flock to the Internet of Things,
brainstorming how they can use IoT to create new revenue streams or to
improve operations, leadership for IoT becomes a major CEO concern. Should
IT, an end-business unit, or an entirely new function be called upon to
produce IoT innovations and results? There is no one best practice answer to
this question. Some people argue that an IT manager should be leading IoT,
because many IoT issues are IT-related. IT is also a project-oriented
discipline that can easily take projects from requirements definition to
implementation. Others say it should be an end-business unit that already
understands the responsibilities and accountabilities of developing a product
for profit or for cost savings and workflow improvements. Still others
concede that many organizations really don't have any one internal person or
area that is qualified to run IoT--and that the function needs to be built up
from the ground, with someone from the outside being brought in to run it. "The
majority of companies that we work with begin with a very hazy concept of
IoT," said Zach Supalla, CEO of Particle, which provides a
prototype-to-production platform for IoT products. A good example is a
company that manufactures agricultural equipment. A logical IoT next step is
to enhance product value by equipping the equipment sold to customers with
IoT sensors that connect each piece of equipment to a central monitoring
system run by the company. Such a system would monitor the vital signs of
equipment in the field and either recommend servicing or dispatch service
agents to customers when equipment alerts are received. The end result would
be a new revenue stream built on service. "Today, these ideas often
start at the C-level and are handed off to an individual engineer or to an
engineering R&D function within the company," Supalla said.
"The R&D group, which is the only group in the company where IoT
work seems to fit, is charged with building a prototype of the proposed
system. It builds the prototype and presents it to executive management, but
this is where its role often ends." The role for
product engineering ends because the group that designed the product doesn't
have the skill set to commercialize what it has created. At this juncture, a
company could pass off the IoT work (and responsibility) to a product group.
In other situations, there might not be any obvious group to pass the baton
to--so the process fractures. Supalla said that problem isn't uncommon.
"Many companies are wrestling with this now. They can hand an IoT
product prototype to a product group, but then there is no IoT experience
within the product group to take the product further. In other cases, there
is no obvious owner of IoT, and the company discovers that it does not have
the internal skills or expertise." The bottom line is that CEOs and
other C-level executives need to be thinking about who owns IoT in their
organizations now. How do you
get started? 1: Evaluate
your current resources Begin by
looking at your organization as it stands today. Are there business units or
departments within your company where there is a natural fit between IoT
innovation and the skill sets and enthusiasm of certain groups of
individuals? 2: Consider
your innovation track record If you
already run an innovation-driven technology company, determine whether you
really need to think any differently about IoT than you thought about any
other new product breakthrough. It could be that you already have the
mechanisms in place to keep on rolling with IoT. 3: Conduct
some planning sessions If you're
like most companies and don't have skilled IoT people or a department or
business unit set to take on IoT work, spend time internally with your
management team and staff to determine how such a function would be defined,
where it should report to, what types of people should staff it, and who
should lead it. 4: Look at
your internal staff Before going
outside the organization, assess whether you have some of the talents and
aptitudes needed for IoT in your own employee workforce. "It often comes
down to the personality of the individual and whether he or she is willing to
try something new," Supalla said. 5: Don't
expect instant ROI Be patient
with your return on investment (ROI) expectations. IoT doesn't necessarily
pay off right away, but it will in the long haul if
you direct it to the right business cases. From http://www.techproresearch.com
The
widespread adoption of the Internet of Things (IoT) is driving
Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) utilisation, with more than 50 percent of all
new applications developed on PaaS set to be IoT-centric by 2020. “IoT
adoption will drive additional use of PaaS to implement IoT-centric business
applications built around event-driven architecture and IoT data, instead of
business applications built around traditional master data,” says Benoit
Lheureux, Research Vice President, Gartner. New
IoT-centric business applications will drive a transformation in application
design practices that focus on real-time contextually rich decisions,
event-analysis, lightweight workflow, and broad access to Web-scale data.”
Lheureux says most new IoT-centric solutions will be implemented on IoT platforms,
a form of multifunctional comprehensive PaaS that is a hybrid,
architecturally coherent integration of application platform as a service
(aPaaS), integration platform as a service (iPaaS), IoT device management,
orchestration and business process management services as a platform
(bpmPaaS), database PaaS (dbPaaS) and analytics services. Through
2018, Lheureux believes more than 70 percent of IT organisations planning a
private PaaS will deploy a container service (rather than PaaS framework software).
“Instead of constructing a private PaaS using a PaaS framework, many
organisations adopt a container service,” Lheureux adds. As Lheureux
explains, an advanced container service provides subscribers with
self-service access to container-based infrastructure - it hosts,
orchestrates, schedules, scales and ensures the reliability of containers. In
addition, it may also provide other capabilities, such as monitoring, load
balancing and securing container communications. “For advanced technical teams
a container service may be better than a PaaS framework for the desired
balance between developer productivity, breadth of viable application
architectures, IT operations control, and the complexity of implementation,”
adds Lydia Leong, Research Analyst, Gartner. “A
container service is also a relatively inexpensive acquisition alternative to
PaaS frameworks.” Through 2018, more than 80 percent of organisations that
deploy or assemble self-managed PaaS frameworks will not achieve the expected
cloud PaaS experience. By investing
in cloud platforms, Leong believes enterprise IT leaders are seeking some or
all of the key benefits of cloud for their new IT initiatives. However, in
the next three years, many self-managed private PaaS initiatives will fail to
meet the IT organisation leadership's expectations of cloud characteristics.
The tension between the forces in favour of private PaaS and those demanding
the full public cloud experience will intensify as self-managed private cloud
disappoints - managed private (or public) PaaS will emerge as best practices.
“Success with a private cloud (including PaaS) requires a
recognition of the essential cultural and organisational changes to IT
organisations, as well as technology changes,” adds Yefim V. Natis, Research
Analyst, Gartner. “Lacking this understanding leads many organizations to
stop their PaaS investment at the point of technology deployment - leading to
disappointing results down the road.” By 2019, a mandatory capability for the
top five aPaaS providers will be the delivery of both high-productivity and
high-control PaaS options. Large organisations facing a variety of
requirements in the bimodal world will prefer aPaaS suites that can provide
integrated high-control and high-productivity capabilities and, as such,
these service providers will receive preferential treatment in the market.
“Combined capabilities will become a requirement for aPaaS market
leadership,” Natis adds. From http://www.computerworld.co.nz
Govt Invests
$8.5 Million as 350 Kiwi Schools Access Wireless Tech A further
350 schools will be able to access wireless technology, following a funding increase
of $8.5 million for the Ministry of Education’s Wireless School Network
Upgrade Project (WSNUP). As revealed by Associate Education Minister Nikki
Kaye, an extra $8.5 million will be spent on WSNUP, which retrofits wireless
technology in schools to enable them to access the latest digital resources.
The Government’s announcement comes just two weeks after Kaye announced that
$500,000 was being made available to add 40 further schools to the WSNUP
programme. “The extra funding for WSNUP comes from savings made from the
recently completed School Network Upgrade Project (SNUP),” Kaye adds. “That
project provided state and state-integrated schools with upgraded core
on-site ICT infrastructure, such as cabling and switching, to enable them to
access high-quality internet. The advent of wireless technology saw the
Government move to ensure this technology was automatically included as part
of SNUP, for the almost 1,300 schools that received their SNUP upgrade from
June 2013 onwards.” In 2014,
WSNUP was set up to retrofit wireless technology to schools that hadn’t
received wireless as part of their SNUP upgrade, and which hadn’t installed
wireless technology to an appropriate standard using their ICT operational
budgets. As explained by Kaye, WSNUP provides schools with a significant
contribution towards the cost of installing wireless technology. “There are
475 schools already in the process of having wireless retrofitted,
and today’s announcement will see this increase to about 825 schools
throughout the country,” Kaye adds. “This additional boost means that through
the combination of post June 2013 SNUP upgrades, the WSNUP programme and
schools’ use of ICT operational budgets, a large majority of New Zealand
schools will have access to high quality wireless connections. “Students,
teachers and others will all benefit from greater access to wireless
technology, whether in the classroom or learning out and about. Learning and
education in 2016 is vastly different from what it was like 10, or even five
years ago. Widespread and mobile access to the internet is leading to new and
significant opportunities for students, parents and teachers. The rollout of
wireless connections is a vital step towards delivering these opportunities,
enabling more young New Zealanders to learn anytime and anywhere.” From http://www.computerworld.co.nz
Sustainability Key as
Kiwi Telco Sector Launches Mobile Recycling Initiative “Approximately
95 percent of the phones can be given a new lease of life or have their
components recycled,” he explains. “Recycling collection bins are available
in the mobile operators’ stores as well as a selection of businesses, schools
and council offices. Look for the RE: From http://www.computerworld.co.nz
Govt Invests $ Science and
Innovation Minister Steven Joyce has announced that
44 projects have been successful in the 2016 round of the Unlocking Curious
Minds contestable fund. The Fund, launched in 2015, has already seen 53
projects deliver science and technology experiences for our young people and
communities throughout Successful
projects include topics such as: # engaging
scientists, schools and community groups to restore whitebait (Inanga)
spawning areas in five regions throughout # igniting
scientific curiosity in young people and families through the science of
climate change and the story of Antarctic exploration # involving
young Māori around # inspiring
Year 10 students from # working
with local primary and secondary school students to explain the National Park
wetland mystery and an amazing journey from scientific discovery to
engineering # connecting
Year 9 and 10 students from The Fund was
developed under the A Nation of Curious Minds – He Whenua Hihiri I te Mahara
– a National Strategic Plan for Science in Society. Curious Minds is a
cross-agency programme of work led by MBIE, the Ministry of Education and the
Office of the Prime Minister’s Chief Science Advisor. The Fund offered two
levels of grants in the 2016 round: up to $30,000 for local projects, and up
to $150,000 for regional or national projects. From http://www.computerworld.co.nz
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From
http://www.telecompaper.com/ The percentage of pirated cultural content downloaded or streamed
in From
http://www.telecompaper.com/ Following the FBI’s official warning of cyber hacks on connected
and driverless cars, Raj Samani CTO EMEA Intel Security, has spoken of the
seriousness of the issue, urging UK government and defense to address the
problem.In a Public Service Announcement the FBI outlined the risks that now
surround automotive cybersecurity and stated the importance for both
consumers and manufacturers to maintain an awareness of these threats.Many
modern motor vehicles often have new connected technologies in the form of
electronic control units which are designed to improve safety features and
fuel economy, allowing for the monitoring of vehicle status and provide a
more convenient driving experience.However, the FBI made it clear that added
connectivity also provides portals which can be targeted by malicious
adversaries who may be able to remotely attack things like vehicle controls
and systems. In the same way, third-party devices linked to a vehicle, such
as via the diagnostics port, introduce vulnerabilities which did not
previously exist. Samani said: "Alongside encouraging the usage of driverless
vehicles within the UK, as announced in the Spring Budget, it’s crucial that
the UK government makes real moves towards defining the regulatory changes
that need to be addressed in order to mitigate the risks of cybercrime within
this industry.”“Whenever new technology is developed, hackers are fast to
react - identifying vulnerabilities and potential avenues for attack. As the
Internet of Things becomes a reality and our world becomes ever-more
connected, so too do the risks of such attacks from cyber-criminals.”Whilst
Samani was quick to point out that we are yet to see potential vehicle
hacking manifest into actual attacks in the UK, like any crime, it is just a
matter of motive - and these are often driven by financial gain or political,
personal or social activism.“If driverless and connected vehicles are to
become commonplace in the UK, as suggested by Osborne, it is just a matter of
time before attackers find a means to use this as an opportunity to fulfill
one of these motives,” he added.“It’s crucial that security is a key
consideration right from the manufacturing stage of connected vehicles and
the Automotive Security Review Board welcomes input and collaboration with
the government to advise best practices for tackling this issue together.” From
http://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/
Nine in Ten Over 90% of UK consumers are concerned that their ‘smart home’ data
could be hacked and used against them, according to a new study from Intel
Security.The security giant polled 1000 UK adults as part of a global report
– Internet of Things and the Smart Home – which compiled the responses of
9000 consumers to better understand their attitudes to security and privacy
in a world of embedded technologies.The device which poses the biggest threat
to UK respondents is a “virtual babysitter,” according to the research.“When
it comes to major cybersecurity risks in the smart home, privacy remains top
of the agenda,” Intel Security’s EMEA CTO, Raj Samani, told Infosecurity. “As
it stands, the privacy attacks that have occurred have been very isolated.
However, the threat of devices gathering personal data with questionable approaches
on consent is very real.” He argued that consumers need to voice their concerns more
publicly to ensure manufacturers design security and privacy in from the
start.“If we demand products that are built better
at preserving our privacy and protecting us, then the manufacturers will have
no choice but to do so,” Samani added.However, while British consumers are
clearly concerned about the potential privacy risks associated with the smart
home, they also appear to be prepared to share data on their own terms.Nearly
two-thirds (63%) claimed they’d allow companies to access data about their
daily habits in return for payment.In fact, UK adults appear to be more
dubious than others around the world about the ability of smart technologies
to transform their home life.Nearly three-quarters (71%) said they don’t
believe smart homes will be as commonplace in 2025 as smartphones are today,
versus just 23% of global respondents. Meanwhile, 77% claimed they’d be interested in buying smart
technology for the home if they received monetary benefits in return, like
tax credits.That’s not to say UK consumers are completely blind to the
benefits of the smart home.Two-thirds said they thought the technology would
help to lower gas and electricity bills, while 36% claimed it could reduce
the time spent on household chores. Over a third (36%) said the best thing
about living in a smart home would be spending more quality time with the
family. From
http://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/ “Honest hacking”—is there such a thing? About 10% of the He added, “We didn't know where she was and she had left her
phone at the house, thus we couldn't contact her, all we knew is that she'd
had some alcohol to drink and then drove off, which worried us even more. She
was supposed to take a flight to Those actions include checking the inbox (31%); checking
notifications (26%); opening messages (24%); posting from the account (15%);
and copying or forwarding a message (4%).Only one in 10 (12%) immediately
realized their mistake and logged out.For all of these categories—“honest,”
deliberate and accidental hacking—Facebook was the most common target,
representing 76% of the incidents.Steve Roberts, a former close protection
and surveillance operative who now runs Online Spy Shop, believes Britain has
a big issue when it comes to protecting and respecting digital privacy.“It’s
so easy to leave yourself open to invasions of privacy,” he said. “Either by
leaving yourself logged in, or just by allowing your browser to save your
password. You become reliant on the honesty of others to protect your
privacy.”He added, "It’s shocking to think that only one in 10 of us can
resist the temptation to log out right away when we find ourselves looking at
someone else’s private information, but it’s even more shocking that some
people think it’s OK to breach another person’s online privacy because the
ends justify the means." From
http://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/
The UK Government will proceed with plans to increase the
maximum penalty for online copyright infringement to 10 years. The Government
believes that a maximum sentence of 10 years allows the courts to apply an
appropriate sentence to reflect the scale of the offending. Responding to the
announcement, the Open Rights Group (ORG) noted the Government's commitment
to narrowing the scope of the offence, adding that it should only relate to
genuinely commercial infringements. The ORG said it wanted the test of
prejudicially affecting the copyright holder to be abandoned, in favour of a
test for actual knowledge. It called for further talks with the Government
and the IPO to understand how they aim to make sure that these new sentences
are not abused to threaten people whose civil copyright abuses are not
deserving of custodial sentences. From
http://www.telecompaper.com/ New SANS analysis on how the attackers broke in and took control
of the industrial control systems at three regional power firms in the
Ukraine and shut off the lights.New analysis and details about the
devastating and unprecedented cyberattack that resulted in a power blackout
in a region of the Ukraine last December illuminate glaring holes in security
and operations that could have thwarted the attackers from shutting off the
lights.Security experts from SANS today in conjunction with the North
American Reliability Corporation (NERC)'s E-ISAC published an in-depth
postmortem analysis by SANS ICS experts of the attack, based on details
revealed by ICS-CERT late last month as well as other public information.
Aside from the glaring question of whether the attack indeed was sponsored by
the Russian government, most of the nagging questions of how the attackers
were able to black out a portion of Ukraine’s power grid have now been
answered. The smoking gun has been confirmed: the attackers used stolen user
credentials to remotely access and manipulate the industrial control systems
and shut down power for some 225,000 Ukrainian power customers on Dec. 23 of
last year.“I think that the puzzle pieces are together now,” says Robert M.
Lee, a SANS instructor and ICS/SCADA expert, as well as co-author of the
report. “We’re missing the definitive attribution ... but the technical
details” are mostly fleshed out, he says. SPONSOR VIDEO, MOUSEOVER FOR SOUND The attackers covered their tracks and bought themselves time, too,
by installing their own custom firmware on serial-to-Ethernet devices at
substations in order to knock them offline, and using KillDisk to wipe master
boot records of the systems they hacked as well as to delete some logs. They
waged a denial-of-service attack on the power companies’ telephone systems as
well, thwarting their ability to communicate. In one case, KillDesk overwrote
Windows-based HMIs in remote terminal units. The attackers also remotely
disconnected Uninterruptable Power Supplies (UPS) systems to cripple
power-restoration operations.“It was extremely
well-done -- how you would expect a well-funded team to operate,” Lee says.In
an interview with Dark Reading last month, Phyllis Schneck, the deputy under
secretary for cybersecurity and communications with the Department of
Homeland Security, said members of ICS-CERT’s team had been invited to Kiev
to study and learn more about the attacks. “They spent four days working with
our ICS-CERT’s findings showed how such an attack could “happen to
anyone,” she said, and the agency wanted to provide recommendations for
preventing such an attack on US critical infrastructure.DHS undersecretary
for the National Protection and Programs Directorate (NPPD) Suzanne Spaulding
says she hopes the report will be a reality-check for US critical
infrastructure owners. “I want ... [executives to say], ‘what are we doing
about this?’” to prevent similar attacks, she said during an interview last
month with Dark Reading.There are plenty of lessons to be gleaned for power
grid and other critical infrastructure operators in the US and around the
globe. For one thing, a cyberattack that results in a power outage
takes some heavy lifting, and a bit of time, to pull off. “It took them six
months or more to figure out these environments ... And it was only a partial
outage,” says Lee, who notes that their methods weren’t necessarily
sophisticated but were definitely coordinated. “We consistently see [the]
theme for attackers who do the things we care about most in ICS networks ...
it’s much more difficult” for them to do damage and it takes time, he
says.And that’s lesson number one: if attackers need a sufficient period of
time for reconnaissance and learning the environment in order to control
industrial equipment, the good news is that there’s actually a window for
detecting their activity -- and stopping them from doing damage.Network
security monitoring could have helped spot the attackers before they shut off
the power.The Ukraine power grid attackers hid in plain sight for six months,
gradually gathering enough intelligence and and knowledge to figure out how
to access and manipulate the HMI and turn out the lights. Had the power
companies been running network security monitoring tools, they could have
spotted that activity. There are many free and open-source network security monitoring
(NSM) tools out there that can spot all kinds of bad activity in an ICS/SCADA
environment, including unusual file traffic, a PLC code update, or command
and control communications. Rob Caldwell and Chris Sistrunk ICS/SCADA experts
from FireEye Mandiant recommend NSM for plants, and say NSM would have caught
Stuxnet, for instance, and could be set to catch BlackEnergy. Some of the
more popular tools come via the Security Onion Linux suite including
Wireshark, NetworkMiner, Bro, and Snorby.“If they
had used network security monitoring practices, they could identify any
reconnaissance ... and multiple VPN connections at times that were not
normal,” SANS’ Lee notes.Monitoring tools would have detected unusual data
flows, something that’s relatively easy to spot in ICS networks because data
flows are mostly static and predictable, he says. “When attackers are trying
to learn [the environment], they disrupt those pathways.” The attack punctuates the danger of remote access to ICS/SCADA
networks.VPN connections between the “The online command interface to UPSes is another stupid flaw.
These UPSes are located within the same building, so by controlling them via
the network you just save five minutes for a maintenance job,” says Langner,
who notes the CLI most likely would have been an embedded Web browser. He
recommends disabling remote command interfaces to UPS systems.The attackers
also generated a DoS of thousands of phone calls to the energy company’s call
center to derail restoration and communications.“The reconfiguration of the
UPS and the telephone DDoS: those two things added to the confusion, and to
make the Ukrainians look incompetent. Those are two things I wouldn’t have predicted
would have happened” in at attack like this, he says.While the disabled UPS
system and the telephone system DDoS were separate from the blackout portion
of the attack, the goal appeared to be to embarrass the Ukrainians as well as
to thwart restoration, he says. “During this attack, there seemed to be
elements that highlight incompetence ... I think that’s interesting.” Lee points out that the Russian media for the past year and a
half has been reporting on the “incompetence” of the SANS’ Lee says the the custom firmware installed on the “You know they are opening breakers, so how do you quickly
disable those features ... No one has that capability,” he says of ICS/SCADA
operators.That type of contingency planning is a big piece of the security
picture, and until now, there’s been no experience in fighting back and
regaining control when the bad guys have taken over, he says.“There has never
been a public case where the power grid was [affected] due to a cyberattack.
This is the first time it’s happened, and it’s our only case study of what it
looks like.”Meanwhile, the lights may be back on in the From
http://www.darkreading.com/ NORTH
AMERICA: Cybercrime was the second most common type of economic fraud
suffered last year by Canadian organizations, a new study suggests.The report
by PricewaterhouseCoopers, released this morning, Canadian organizations
reported that 28 per cent of the fraud they suffered in 2015 came through
online sources, up four per cent from 2014. The leading cause of fraud was
misappropriated assets (such as monetary assets/cash or supplies and
equipment), at 62 per cent. The report notes that this type of theft might be
high because it’s the easiest to find. Other leading sources were procurement
fraud, human resources fraud, bribery and corruptions, and mortgage fraud.The
four per cent increase in cyber fraud could indicate that despite a general
trend towards heightened regulations and increased organizational controls,
companies don’t have effective anti-fraud strategies, the report said. “If cybercrime continues increasing at the same rate, this means
that almost one in every three businesses is likely to be a victim of
cybercrime and will be open to being affected both financially and on a
reputational level,” says the report.Just as worrying to the report’s authors
is that one in four Canadian organizations (26 per cent) has not carried out
a single fraud risk assessment in the last 24 months.“Too
much is being left to chance and not enough is being done from a proactive
stand-point,” says the PwC report. “Today more than ever before, a passive
approach to economic crime can lead to trouble.”In an interview William
Platt, a partner, in PwC Canada’s eDiscovery litigation support division,
noted the survey also showed that while almost 60 per cent of the 140
Canadian respondents believe that cybercrime is on the rise, (compared to 47
per cent in 2014),
31 per cent said
their boards either don’t ask them about their organizations’ state of
readiness to deal with cyber incidents, or the board doesn’t consider the need
for this information. “It doesn’t seem to be a translation to the boards in terms of
raising their awareness of this,” he said.On the other hand 22 per cent of
respondents said their boards ask for quarterly security reports, with
another two per cent asking for monthly reports.The Canadian numbers are part
of a larger annual global economic crime survey of C-level executives
conducted by the consulting company.Sixteen per cent of Canadian
organizations reported losses due to cybercrime between $50,000 and $5
million (all numbers US), while another 31 per cent calculated an estimated
loss between $1,000 and $50,000. Of significant note was the increase in the
greater than $1 million loss category from 5 per cent in 2014 to 12 per cent
in 2016. From
http://www.itworldcanada.com/ Federal
Privacy Commissioner Will Watch Threat Information Sharing, Says Official Threat information sharing between organizations and governments
has been touted by experts as a necessity to combat online attackers. That’s
fine for sharing indicators of compromise, but what about threats that might
identify a customer — email from a particular individual with suspected
malicious links, or a specific Web site. Is there protection in Canadian law
for sharing that kind of information without the person’s consent? “We are going to be reading every word of those provisions,”
Vance Lockton, a senior regional analyst for the commissioner, told a privacy
conference. If you say it’s necessary “you’d better be able to establish that
it is necessary for this purpose,” he said, that
that telling the individual about the disclosure would make it impossible to
investigate the possible fraud. “You’d better be able to justify why you’ve
come to that conclusion. This isn’t something that’s going to be hand-waved
away. We’re going to be holding organizations feet to the fire.” In an
interview Lockton said threat information sharing “could very well fall under
those exceptions” for disclosing personal information to a third party. But , he added, he can’t say for sure because the
legislation is so new. Parliament’s intent wasn’t to allow broad sharing of
personal information collected by organizations with no oversight, he added.
The provisions of section 7.(3) (d.1) and (d.2)
speak of reasonable disclosure for investigating a limited set of
circumstances, he said. The commission will soon release a discussion paper
on how this and other provisions of the new law should be interpreted. From
http://www.itworldcanada.com/ Examining
the Low Cost of Cybercrime If you want to know why attackers are able to outflank CISOs take
a look at the latest annual underground hacker market from Dell SecureWorks,
which lists average prices data and services offered around the world. It
shows how cheap it is to get into business. It costs only $500 (all prices These rental services — and promises of good customer support
like round the clock support in some cases and
satisfaction-guaranteed-or-your-money-back promises — are the biggest reason
why CISOs shouldn’t expect to see a decline in the number and variety of
attacks on their organizations any time soon. Small wonder a former Scotland
Yard cyber crime expert was quoted as saying there’s almost no hope for
security on Internet. “We have been talking about this for years and the
fundamental dichotomy relates to funding and collaboration. The miscreants
are light years ahead of the Internet security community in terms of their
R&D budgets and the maturity of their marketing and sales operations.”
What do CISOs need to do? Dell has a long list of suggestions, which boil
down to a full data protection strategy. Number one on the list is teaching
employees spot computer security threats, particularly spear phishing. Also
advocated is mandating the use of two-factor authentication for all remote
access solutions and for all company employees and business partners
authorized to access the corporate network. Limiting the number of people who
have administration accounts and access to sensitive data, of course, is on
the list. From
http://www.itworldcanada.com/ The federal government should follow His view was echoed by Kevin Wennekes, CATA’s chief business
officer, who said creating a public-private sector advisory committee is
“long overdue,” he said. The security industry “is the the
first to know of the threats,” he said. Satyamoorthy Kabilan, director of
national security and strategic foresight at the Conference Board of Canada,
said such a commission could be a good idea here. But he added, it wouldn’t be as easy as in the There’s still a “huge reluctance” by both the public and private
sectors in this country to share cyber threat information with information,
he said — the private sector worrying that certain information (like a data
breach) will get into the hands of competitors, while Ottawa worries about
passing on classified information. If that communications were better, he added,
a U.S.-style commission might not be necessary. On Wednesday President Barak
Obama announced 12 members of the blue-ribbon commission, including
vice-chair Sam Palmisano, former CEO of IBM, Microsoft vice-president of
research Peter Lee, MasterCard CEO Ajay Banga, and Joe Sullivan, CSO of Uber
and former CSO of Facebook. They will hold their first meeting today, with a
goal or reporting back to the president by the beginning of December.
According to the White House, they are charged with recommending “bold,
actionable steps that the government, private sector, and the nation as a
whole can take to bolster cybersecurity in today’s digital world.” “My sense is the (Canadian) government takes a narrow view when
it comes to cybersecurity, focusing only on the security aspect of things,”
Ahmad said. “I think there has to be a broader discussion — the effect on
Canadian businesses, the effect on organizations, hospitals, not-for-profits
and the like. These are important things to consider, and I think there needs
to be a forum.” A Canadian committee should also include provincial
representatives who could discuss cyber gaps between governments, he said. He
noted the OPM director Katherine Archuleta resigned over the incidents.
Asked this morning about the possibility of creating a similar commission
here, Scott Bardsley, press secretary to Public Safety Minister Ralph
Goodale, noted Goodale was directed by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to lead
a review of existing measures to protect Canadians and the country’s critical
infrastructure from cyber-threats. From
http://www.itworldcanada.com/ Most corporate information security executives believe their
teams can only handle “simple” incidents, like deactivating a lost phone or
scanning a computer for a virus. This reflects a steady loss of confidence
among corporate infosec pros in their ability to keep up with modern threats,
according to a new global survey by ISACA, a non-profit group that certifies
security professionals, and the RSA Conference, a series of events by
security vendor RSA. The same survey, conducted two years ago, found that 87%
of respondents were comfortable with their teams’ ability to deal with
security incidents. That figure dropped to 73% in the latest survey, which
polled 461 information security practitioners and managers. The survey also
revealed the types of incidents that corporate infosec executives face on a
daily basis. Almost a third reported dealing with phishing attacks–attempts
to trick users into divulging sensitive information with cleverly disguised
messages–every day. Malicious code and hacking are the other two problems that
security pros grapple with daily. Things aren’t looking up for the people charged with keeping
corporate systems safe. There’s a skills gap in the infosec space, with most
survey respondents saying it takes between three and six months to fill a
vacancy. And even when a hire is made, respondents most frequently said that
less than a quarter of those are actually qualified for the job. Companies
generally provide on-the-job training to hires to get them up to speed,
according to the survey. Understaffed, underqualified, and overwhelmed
security departments aren’t feeling optimistic about their ability to keep up
with new technologies, and the threats these bring. A majority of respondents
saw artificial intelligence posing a risk to corporate security. They were
also concerned about the growth of the Internet of Things, which expands the
“attack surface” available to hackers. But Ron Hale, ISACA’s chief knowledge
officer, says security managers shouldn’t be so glum. “When there’s a risk
there’s a reward,” he told Quartz. “We can use AI to identify where hackers
are; we can identify what incidents are occurring in a system. We can start
using these systems to our benefit, rather than just relying on human
judgment.” From
http://www.nextgov.com/ US Federal
Agencies Hit With 10% Jump in Cyber 'Incidents' US government agencies faced a double-digit rise in
cyber-security incidents last year, even though the White House greatly ramped
up efforts to button down cyber-security, according to an Office of
Management and Budget report. Federal agencies were hit with a double-digit
rise in cyber-security incidents last year, despite the government's throwing
more resources at curtailing attacks and security breaches, according to a
recently released report by the Office of Management and Budget. During 2015,
the number of cyber-security incidents climbed to 77,183, 10% more than the
previous year, the OMB report stated. The threats ranged from security
breaches, to attempted attacks, to port scans. "Despite unprecedented
improvements in securing Federal information resources during FY 2015,
malicious actors continue to gain unauthorized access to, and compromise,
Federal networks, information systems, and data," the report stated.
"The increasing number and impact of these incidents demonstrate that
continuously confronting cyber threats must remain a strategic
priority." Last summer, the Of all of the 75,087 incidents that were reported to US-Cert by
federal agencies, 34% fell into the "other" category of security
issues. Some of these incidents may have been picked up as a result of the
Cybersecurity Sprint's call for indicators to scan systems and check logs, since
the "other" category includes such malicious actions as port scans,
probes, and attempted access. The "other" category also soared
nearly 77% to 25,675 incidents last year, compared with the previous year,
according to the OMB report. Last month, President Obama announced the
Cybersecurity National Action Plan (CNAP) and called on Congress to allocate
35% of the $4 trillion budget bill for increased spending on cyber-security.
The CNAP is designed to improve the federal government's internal information
security, in part by bringing in new technology and ditching its older
systems. It also seeks to boost the number of IT professionals on staff by
enhancing its student loan forgiveness program for those who take
cyber-security jobs with the government. The OMB report cited work that still
needs to be done in improving security for the federal agencies.
Configuration management, identity and access management, and risk management
practices were highlighted in the report. From
http://www.informationweek.com/ Innovation
Is a National Security Imperative It only takes one word to explain why the Defense Department is
so keen on From
www.nextgov.com/ A top official for the State Department's cyber bureau said the
need for capacity building, which he described as everything from fighting
cybercrime to countering violent extremism online, is essential to sustaining
the progress made on the administration's International Strategy for Cyberspace."Capacity
building efforts are really critically important," the Coordinator for
Cyber Issues Christopher Painter said at the National Press Club audience on
April 5.The former prosecutor, who has been leading the charge at State to
implement the administration cyber strategy introduced in 2011, said success
depends on getting countries around the world to make sure "they have
the right policies in place, the right structures in place and ... are taking
it seriously."Using the examples of the Cyber National Action Plan and
the NIST cybersecurity framework as successes, Painter said "the issue
over the next five years is getting more and more countries to sign up with
this framework." The framework specifically notes that, as "cybersecurity is
a global issue that must be addressed with national efforts on the part of
all countries, we will expand and regularize initiatives focused on
cybersecurity capacity building—with enhanced focus on awareness-raising,
legal and technical training, and support for policy
development.""One key to meeting both the technical and policy
issues in cyberspace is building and expanding international partnerships
that include other governments, the private sector and civil society"
Painter told FCW in a statement. "Much of our work in the last few years
has been working with governments around the world to elevate the priority of
these issues so that we can take more meaningful action."Technical
threats are constantly evolving, according to Painter, but he stress that the
"policy threat" also must be constantly evaluated. An example would
be when more repressive countries attempt to "draw up sovereign
boundaries around their cyberspace" and take a different view of how
technology needs to work. The From
https://fcw.com/ Protecting
the Front Line in Government Cyber Attacks It’s easy to set up a cyber-attack, but harder to defend against
one. This was just one key point federal technology executives discussed on Federal
News Radio’s panel, “Protecting the Front Line in Government Cyberattacks.”
The panel took an in-depth look at the challenges federal IT executives face
every day to keep federal networks safe and operational.Panelist Melinda
Rogers, chief information security officer (CISO) at the Department of
Justice, said that there are unique challenges faced by feds, in addition to
devising effective technical responses.
Complying with the Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA)
and the more recent Federal Information Technology Acquisition Act (FITARA)
are just two of those. Department
of State CISO and Deputy Chief Information Officer Bill Lay said that cyber
solutions must both compete with and support agency core missions. No matter how large a priority cyber
defense is to the federal IT community, it must be kept within that context. Panelists Kelley Dempsey, senior information security specialist
at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), and Lindy
Burkhart, a senior policy advisor in the Office of the DoD Deputy CIO,
emphasized that agencies do, in fact, collaborate on cyber security
solutions. NIST, stated Dempsey,
issues guidance to all federal agencies, and even collaborates
internationally, to help individual agencies develop a cohesive cyber
solution that can work across many platforms. Burkhart followed, saying that
contractors seeking to sell cyber solutions must be able to explain how their
technology is compatible with an agency’s existing platform and how it can
work with future systems.
Contractors face a steep road in the federal cyber market if they
can’t offer such flexible solutions. Onapsis’ Alex Horan agreed with the federal panelists, adding
that contractors must also be able to show a clear, short-term Return on
Investment (ROI) when discussing any cyber solution with a potential federal
client. All panelists discussed
the two-year timeframe it takes to get funding for major IT investments. Industry can help their federal
clients, Horan said, during this process by showing not only how a solution
can offer critical cyber protections, but by also demonstrating the financial
advantages of making such investments now.Cybersecurity remains the first,
second, and third federal IT priority, meaning that there are plenty of
challenges for federal IT officials and opportunities for contractors that
pay attention. As “Protecting the
Front Line in Government Cyberattacks” made clear, however, understanding how
cyber fits into larger agency mission priorities and the unique challenges
federal agencies must face requires specialized knowledge and dedication. From
http://federalnewsradio.com/ What to
Remember When Thinking About Cyberthreats Did you know that 2015 saw one of the worst government data
breaches in history with 21.5 million identities exposed? With such a
daunting threat landscape, security becomes everyone’s job. In the recent
GovLoop online training, What’s the Cyberthreat Landscape for Government?, we
heard from Paul Wood, Cybersecurity Intelligence Manager, Symantec, and
Robert B. DiNardo, Assistant Section Chief for the Cyber Intelligence
Section, Federal Bureau of Investigation. They discussed Symantec’s 2016
Government Internet Security Threat Report’s findings and how to secure your
data more effectively to prepare for potential attacks. “Attackers make it
hard to track their crimes. They are more professionalized in what they’re
doing,” said Wood. There are so many new types of attacks to worry about,
such as zero-day attacks, which are an unknown vulnerability that exists
within a software or technology that can be
exploited and attacked. With things like this, how can the government protect
itself? DiNardo covered three things to keep in mind while going through
your cybersecurity landscape. Look at your threat actors. Every attacker is
after different information, which makes each attack different. Examples of
threat actors include nation-states, terrorist groups, criminal groups and
lone offenders. “Nation-states are the most advanced actors because they can
be dedicated to their resources, infrastructures and they have the ability to
create a cyber supply chain,” said DiNardo. Looking at motives, capabilities,
opportunity and historical activity will help you become more secure. Look at
the vulnerabilities. Looking at your system and looking for flaws is where
you should start to improve things. You are susceptible to exploitation
and/or attacks by a threat actor, but doing your research and improving your
cyber landscape could protect you from your vulnerabilities. Look at the impact. The impact is the level of harm to your
safety, economy, operations or public trust. A way to measure the impact is
to see what data the threat actor has taken, such as classified information.
“The FBI is responding by having security investigations and intelligence
tools such as recruitment and training of cyber personnel,” said DiNardo.
“There are two types of organizations; those that know and those that don’t
know they have been attacked,” said Wood. If you know your organization has
been attacked, go over your security landscape. If you go over these three
things while thinking about your cyberthreat landscape, you will be able to
effectively prepare for cyberattacks, train your cyber workforce and make
security everyone’s mission. From
https://www.govloop.com/ Cyberhacks
Are Becoming an All Too Common Occurrence The best you can do, some say, is make it tough enough that
potential hackers will prod at the defenses of someone else.(TNS) -- About a
year ago, a Kansas City-area clothing company wired $40,000 to China.And why
not? It had been doing business with a supplier in the country. It got word
that payment was due. Gotta keep the gears of business turning.But, you
guessed it, the money went to the wrong place.Someone had hacked into the
company’s computer network, eavesdropped on the Kansas City firm’s emails
with a legitimate Chinese partner and then fired off cleverly disguised
message posing as that same supplier.“The hackers lie in wait long enough
until the timing is right,” said Tony Sheets, the CEO of Umzuzu, a
Mission-based firm that had helped the clothing company with security. “They
copy the digital signature at the end of the email. They set up (an Internet)
domain that looks like the real guy.”It’s the sort of flub that looked so
obviously avoidable in retrospect. (Sheets said it carries the cardinal
lesson that when somebody asks for money online, pick up the phone to verify
who’s asking.) Yet the case illustrates a still-growing problem. The Internet
isn’t as safe as we’d like. Keeping yourself or your employer sheltered from
thieves or embarrassment is a hassle that’s not going away.In the end,
analysts see no way to bulletproof against malicious hackers.The best you can
do, they say, is make it tough enough that they’ll prod at the defenses of
someone else. Then back up everything and scramble it with encryption so you
won’t be sunk when you ultimately get hacked.Some 375-plus professionals will
gather Wednesday at the Overland Park Convention Center for SecureWorld —
where cybersecurity specialists will school each other on the latest dirty
online tricks and how to guard against them.It’s an industry growing in
tandem with black-hat hackers, often based overseas. They exploit both
technical gaps in computer firewalls and the people on the other side — folks
like you who think RufflesTheCat is a reasonable password or who don’t notice
the difference between GreatBigCity.com and GreatBigClty.com (an “l” subbed
in the second, bogus address for the “i” in the first). The stakes climb with nearly every new “smart” technology in our
amazingly wired world. Last year, two hackers working from a living room
couch used a laptop to commandeer a Jeep over the Internet.This month,
researchers from the University of Michigan and Microsoft will present
findings about how a Samsung “smart home” system can be hacked so outsiders
can control a home’s lights or open a door without tripping alarms.Meantime,
FBI officials have told companies stung with ransomware — software locks up your
data, frees it only after you pay — that their best option might sometimes be
to pony up bitcoins to the extortionists.In a memo issued last year, U.S.
Defense officials described their far-flung computer networks as under
constant barrage from hackers.“The vulnerability of these networks has grown
substantially in parallel with our increasing dependency on them … (allowing
intruders) to steal important information, expose non-public information,
interfere with operations and conduct other malicious activity.” It reported more than 30 million “malicious intrusions” from
September 2014 through June 2015. Of those, less than 0.1 percent
“compromised a cyber system.”The Pentagon, Google, Apple and Microsoft are Sometimes they can number in the dozens, people using “phishing”
methods that try to trick people on the company’s network into sharing
passwords or other keys to the kingdom at websites that look legitimate but
aren’t.Imagine the havoc if Islamic State terrorists, figured out where
pipelines are corroded, and thus especially vulnerable. Or if they could
disrupt supplies to power plants and threaten the vitality of the electrical
grid.For all the techno-locks baked into a computer network, Cradit said,
“people are absolutely the weakest link.”They click on the wrong website.
They download spyware posing as family photo in an email. Then they get too
embarrassed to tell the tech guys who might be able to stop the resulting
damage.The problem, he said, comes in the various costs. What cubicle
peasants haven’t rolled their eyes at changing their password every two
months, at having to craft it with so many odd characters that it looks like
something copied off the side of a pyramid.Then you have to use two-factor
authentication — pulling up a constantly changing number from an app in your
smartphone. Security experts love the two-factor system, but it’s a pain in
the ’net. “It’s horrible,” Cradit said.Workers could be spared some of
that bother, and get more security, by investing in some gadgetry. Cradit
points to biometric innovations like that sold by Kansas City-based
EyeVerify, technology that authenticates users the patterns of blood vessels
in the whites of the eye.But those things cost money. That, analysts say, is
why some companies don’t adopt every protection they can.Those in the
cybersecurity industry — admittedly motivated to spend more, but acutely
aware of the dangers — say companies are reluctant to invest in protections.
It’s the flossing of business. You only ever see the cost of not doing it,
rather than some flashy profit it might generate.“Companies
need to realize how often other companies are getting infected and that it’s
not worth it to put things off,” said Vinny Troia, the CEO of Night Lion
Security in Sheets, the security expert at Umzuzu, also
sees room for virtual street smarts.Always look at the return email
address. Does the message appear to come from the company it represents? (And
beware that GreatBigClty.com-style ruse.)Same goes for a website. If the
address doesn’t start out with www.amazon.com, then it’s not really the giant
retailer. Do the logos on a website or email look fuzzy? That probably means
they’re cheap screen grabs from an imposter.Are the grammar, punctuation or
capitalization goofy? That’s a strong warning that a scammer from From
www.govtech.com/ IoT 'Could
Become a Big Mess' Without Security, Warns AT&T Only 10% said they are fully confident that their connected
devices are secure, and only 12% are confident that
their business partners' connected devices are secure.Slamecka said
enterprises worldwide feel that there is an imperative to tap into new
technology, such as IoT."Companies realise that they have to invest –
it's an opportunity to enter new industries and geographies. It's huge,"
he said, adding that the world is entering "an age of
hyper-adoption" of new technology.At Mobile World Congress, AT&T is
demonstrating a range of IoT solutions, including but not limited to freight
tracking, automotive services, and a connected refrigerator developed in
partnership with Red Bull that enables the energy drinks maker to monitor the
temperature of its products."We view it as an obligation to our
customers to help them understand how these new technologies can be used by
them to help them innovate," Slamecka said."Of course, all of this
could become a big mess, without security," he warned. From
http://www.totaltele.com/ |
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A mother and daughter suspected of selling the vaccines were
arrested in From http://www.chinagate.cn/
From http://www.news.cn/ Xi Stresses
Cybersecurity, Positive Internet Environment President Xi Jinping has called for the comprehensive detection
of Internet risks to ensure online security. Xi made the remarks at a
symposium on cybersecurity and informatization on April 19, during which he
called for enhanced cybersecurity and told officials to use the Internet to
understand public opinion. The full text of his speech was made public on
Monday.In his speech, Xi stressed the "correct outlook on
cybersecurity" and called for the establishment of a system to protect
information infrastructure in industries including finance, energy,
telecommunications and transportation. He urged authorities to establish
unified and effective mechanisms to report risks and share information.
Internet defense capabilities should be enhanced and the roles of governments
and market forces should be clearly defined, the president said. "The
competition between major countries on Internet security not only depends on
technology but also on concepts and public opinions," Xi said, adding
that During the symposium, Xi said R&D investment should target
technology that the country needs the most, and the industrialization of the
technology should be improved. "Unlike Microsoft, Intel, Google and
Apple, Chinese Internet enterprises do not cooperate well with each other on
research, which is one of the reasons why there is a huge gap between He also stressed the importance of talents in developing the
Internet, calling on authorities at all levels to attract and keep skilled
employees. The flow of talents among governments, enterprises and think tanks
should be encouraged, he added. A talent system with global competitiveness
should be established, said Xi, adding all talents are welcome to From http://www.chinagate.cn/
Even Today's cell phone scammers are so wily that even tech tycoons
risk being taken in. Lei Jun, the billionaire chairman and CEO of Chinese
smartphone maker Xiaomi, took to Chinese microblogging site Sina Weibo on
Tuesday to complain that he was "almost tricked" by a phishing text
message. His post showed screenshots of phishing messages he received over
the past month. Phishing scams are designed to deceive a recipient into
handing over sensitive information, usually by impersonating a legitimate
business. "Text message scams are so rampant. I just received another
one. Everybody be careful!" Lei wrote. "Dear customer, your mobile
banking service will expire tomorrow. Please log on to [the site] for
verification," said a message sent on Tuesday. Lei has
more than 13 million Weibo followers, and his previous posts focused on
Xiaomi and other tech news. The rare complaint from a tech celebrity about
the widespread scams has drawn thousands of replies and "likes"
from social media users. "I have a friend who was cheated out of 200,000
yuan (30,800 U.S. dollars)," one Weibo user wrote. Others asked whether
the IT mogul could do anything to stop the fraudulent messages. "Mr. Lei, can you make a smartphone that can detect all
these scams?" microblogger "C Luoxuan" asked. Lei's tech peers
used the opportunity to make fun of his bad luck and promote their own
brands. "When it comes to detecting phishing messages, 360 is the
expert. Mr. Lei should communicate with us more often," wrote Zhou
Hongyi, chairman of Qihoo 360, an Internet security company known for its
antivirus software. "I suggest you switch to Huawei smartphones, and
these scams won't bother you any more," said product manager Li Xiaolong
from Huawei Technologies, one of Xiaomi's rival phone makers. Phishing text
messages and phone scams have long plagued Chinese smartphone users. They
continue to swindle billions of yuan from victims every year. In a recent
case, 62 people were arrested for cheating mobile phone users out of 117
million yuan in southwest From http://www.news.cn/ Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his Estonian counterpart, Taavi Roivas,
agreed on Friday to strengthen cybersecurity cooperation. At their meeting in
From
http://the-japan-news.com
Japanese
Users Not Proactive Enough About Cybersecurity: Survey ESET, a global pioneer in proactive protection for more than two
decades, on Wednesday released the ESET Japan Cyber-Savviness Report 2016
showing that while users in However, the Survey results also showed that overall, users in From
http://www.japantoday.com
From
http://world.kbs.co.kr
Intelligence
Agency Warns of N.K. Hacking
From
http://www.koreaherald.com/
South
Korean Financial Firms on Alert for N.K. Cyberattacks From
http://www.koreaherald.com
Military
Holds Hacking Defense Contests for Amid rising threats of a possible North Korean cyber attack, the
South Korean military held hacking defense contests at each military
branch. The South Korean Army on Thursday held its 2016 hacking defense competition
at the From
http://world.kbs.co.kr
Samsung SDS, Edgeverve Team Up for Safer Online Banking Samsung SDS, an information solutions developer affiliated with
Samsung Group, said Sunday it has inked a partnership with India’s mobile
banking service giant EdgeVerve Systems. The Korean firm said it will provide
faster, easier and more secure authentication systems for EdgeVerve’s Infosys
Finacle, the global No. 1 banking solutions provider with some 547 million
users in 84 countries around the world. The solutions will be based on
fingerprint scanning, facial recognition or other biometric authenticators
such as voice and iris detection, an emerging area amid growing security
concerns about the current password-based online banking. The company is also
a member of Fast Identify Online, or the FIDO Alliance, a global consortium
seeking standardization among different authentication devices for biometric
authentication. “The partnership will allow customers to experience more
convenient and safer financial services,” said Kim Ho, head of the company’s
advanced mobile solutions business. Samsung SDS, which has supplied its
authentication systems to Samsung Pay, Samsung’s mobile payments systems,
said the latest deal would also pave the way for it to further expand its
presence in the global market. “We want to enable banking without passwords
wherein people can authenticate transactions by using flexible biometric
options such as facial recognition and fingerprints,” said Andy Dey,
president of EdgeVerve’s customer and operations. “Our partnership with
Samsung SDS achieves exactly this kind of frictionless banking, allowing
greater customer retention, engagement and loyalty.” From
http://www.koreaherald.com
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Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen announced that his personal website
was hacked early Saturday at 4: From
http://news.xinhuanet.com/
The Philippine National Police-Anti-Cybercrime Group (PNP-ACG) has
raised the alarm on crimes committed online, particularly “cybersex” related
crimes. Reported cybercrime cases have been steadily increasing over the
years, since the creation of the PNP-ACG in Tondo, In the past two weeks, the PNP busted a cyber-prostitution den
operated by transwomen in Tondo, From
http://technology.inquirer.net/
This is the first time Mr Lee and Mr Netanyahu are meeting as
Prime Ministers. Mr Lee first visited From
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/
Financial
Institutions Need 'Strong IT Controls' Following SWIFT Attacks After this case, SWIFT confirmed that malicious attackers had
submitted SWIFT messages from financial institutions' back-offices, PCs or
workstations connected to their local interface to the SWIFT network. It
added that after hackers submitted fraudulent instructions on SWIFT by
impersonating the banks' operators, they used malware to target a PDF reader
application used for reports of payment confirmations, to remove traces of
the fraudulent messages.
"This malware only targets the PDF reader in affected
institutions’ local environments and has no impact on SWIFT’s network,
interface software or core messaging services," it said. On Sunday, CYBER THREATS TAKEN "VERY SERIOUSLY": LOCAL BANKS While there are no known cases of related attacks on banks in From
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/
The industry and trade ministry’s E-commerce and Information
Technology Agency (VECITA) has warned consumers and investors to be cautious
while purchasing virtual currencies on e-commerce websites. Specifically,
some websites, forums and social networks provide information on virtual
currencies such as Swisscoin, Bitcoin, Onecoin and Gem coin, besides IL coin
with offers of huge profits. However, the State Bank of Việt From
http://vietnamnews.vn/
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With an aim to delve deeper into data governance and data
classification, the Data Security Council of India (DSCI) organised a workshop on Cloud Data Governance on
18 March 2016 at the Habitat Centre in With ‘Megharaj’—Government of India’s Cloud
initiative—encouraging adoption of Cloud technology, challenges related to
management of data, usability, integrity and security can easily be overcome.
The workshop informed the attendees about the importance of taking an
appropriate Cloud service. It also highlighted the importance of implementing
critical controls and safeguarding data, which can easily be misused in the absence of appropriate data
governance and data classification frameworks. Data classification helps
Cloud service providers offer services and safeguard information, depending
on the sensitivity of data. Besides panel discussions, the uniquely creative
format of the workshop encompassed an assessment of policy and guidelines,
white-board exercises, consultation on draft papers, a checklist preparation
and an eventual Cloud Decision Matrix. It was attended by over 60 key stakeholder from government, defence, industry, public
sector and consulting organisations. The outcome of this workshop will be
utilised to develop a framework that will help government organisations
choose the most suitable cloud service for them. From
http://egov.eletsonline.com Quick
Heal, CERT-In Join Hands for Better
Computer
Security
A Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) has been signed between
Quick Heal Technologies and Indian Computer Emergency Response Team
(CERT-In), an organisation under the Ministry of Communication &
Information Technology, to improve computer security readiness and raise
awareness around the importance of keeping systems secure, using software
patch updates and adopting current security practices and procedures. The MoU
is aimed at taking collective measures to resolve the complex problems
related to computer security and computer-related crime. Both the companies
are constantly working towards enhancing the overall security of the
computing environment through their commitment to security, protection
against cyber-threats, hacking incidences, privacy protection etc. “Creating
awareness around cyber security is our primary responsibility and we have
been constantly innovating to introduce cutting edge security solutions for
consumers and enterprises to equip them to deal with the evolving threat
landscape,” Kailash Katkar, MD & CEO, Quick Heal Technologies, said.
“This MoU is yet another effort towards building safe and secure IT
environments and online experiences in the country,” he added. “We are
confident that together we will be successful in effectively managing cyber
security incidents in From http://egov.eletsonline.com
Govts Now in
Crosshairs of Cyber Attackers Long standing fears by government of an attack that will cripple
critical infrastructure were realised last December when an advanced persistent
threat (APT) launched against the Ukraine government became the first cyber
intrusion to bring down a nation’s power grid. Using the BlackEnergy malware,
hackers remotely switched breakers to cut power to 225,000 users and
inundated customer-service with phone calls to prevent real customers from
dialing in. While high profile cyber attacks against corporations have
grabbed headlines in recent years, the past year has seen a significant
number of government agencies targeted by hacktivists. In 2015 alone, the US,
Dutch, Irish and Turkish governments all fell prey to DDoS attacks intent on
creating havoc and disrupting operations. In January, DDoS attacks are becoming the
weapon of destruction for blackmailers and digital terrorists. DDoS attacks
come in different forms: some are intended to crash the system while others
flood the system with requests for resources (bandwidth, processor time, disk
space etc). Increasingly, application layer 7 attacks are being used with far
more sophisticated mechanisms to disable a government’s network and services.
Rather than simply flooding a network with traffic or sessions, these attack
types avoid traditional network detection mechanisms and target specific
applications and services to slowly exhaust resources at the application
level. The scale of attacks has also risen. A decade ago, 50 Gbps attacks
were seen once or twice a year. Today, such attacks can happen almost every
week. In December 2015, the BBC experienced a 602 Gbps DDoS attack, the
highest ever in history[3]. Research analysts Quadrant
Knowledge Solutions estimates the global DDoS mitigation market will grow
significantly in the next 5 years with a CAGR of 27.6% and cross US$2 billion
by 2020[1]. APTs can come in the form of malware, which can be used to
exploit computer systems as in the case of the Ukrainian power grid attack.
APTs can also come from delivery systems (eg phishing) and data exfiltration.
Hackers create specific spear-phishing emails with seemingly harmless
attachments or launch a zero-day exploit, which exposes vulnerability in the
software to allow an attacker to execute unintended code or gain control of a
target computer. Once the threat is inside the organisation, data can be
easily exfiltrated. Passwords, files, databases, email accounts and other
vital data can be retrieved. Even after the data theft is completed, an
attacker may remain present on the target’s network and observe its data
assets. In Asia, APT attacks are accelerating as regional tensions and
territorial disputes between How to protect against DDoS & APT risks? And IT administrators must remember that it is not necessary
that every employee have access to particular resources that may contain
sensitive data. By limiting access whenever possible, the organisation may be
able to mitigate many attacks. Implementing two-factor authentication for
remote users, or users that require access to sensitive information, will
also make it difficult for an attacker to take advantage of lost or stolen
credentials. A strong partnership with a security provider is also essential.
The partner can provide up-to-date information and threat intelligence to the
IT staff, as well as define an escalation path when an incident is detected.
Government agencies should also proactively partner cyber security
organisations and solution providers to share threat information, so that
collectively, the industry can have a more comprehensive view of the global
cyber threat landscape and respond better to attacks. Lastly, while a
comprehensive assessment and plan can be developed, it is crucial to educate
government employees on cyber threats. Employees with access to sensitive
information have to be specially trained to know how to deal with that data.
For example, limiting USB drive access to employees on an as needed and
justified basis is a good option to protect a network. Be they APTs, worm
outbreaks, DDoS, botnets, or inbound and outbound attacks, today’s attacks
are becoming more sophisticated and intrusive. Governments need to carefully
consider their security posture, be proactive and adopt a multi-layed
approach to minimise the risks they face. From
http://egov.eletsonline.com WhatsApp’s Encryption
Ensures Data Privacy, Safer Than Emails There is and always has been an inherent tension between an
individual’s right to data privacy and wider security concerns. This is
unlikely to change, although the priority may shift depending on the
geopolitical or security context. The important thing is to strike
the right balance. Encryption sits at the heart of data privacy, and as
the recent news shows, the debate about encryption is a heated one. Can
anyone doubt that making products more secure makes the world a safer place?
I don’t think so. And we can applaud the efforts of Apple and WhatsApp
to protect the privacy of their users’ data by introducing end-to-end
encryption into their instant messaging services. Their actions mean that
email is now the most insecure form of digital communications. Freeemail
services transmit messages across networks in plain text and users have no
guarantee that their data is stored safely. Not surprisingly, email is
one of the primary vectors for cyber attack. It enables malicious
actors to gain access to users/company’s networks, their
information and their money. The content of emails are
themselves a target for attackers. At Kaspersky Lab, we
regularly encounter attacks that target email databases. We see more and
more Chinese-speaking actors attacking companies with the aim of
accessing their emails. And one of the most recent and certainly the
largest example of data exfiltration – the “Panama Papers” – is
also believed to have come about following the breach of an email server
last year. It’s frighteningly easy for attackers to get their hands on
messages in plain text. End-to-end encryption will prevent attacks such as those known
as Man in the Middle, where a malicious actor intercepts the email
between the user and a server. But somehow that level of protection is
rarely provided. Encrypting email by default, or out-of-the box is hard.
There are tools and plugins that an experienced user can use, but you
need a certain level of computer knowledge to properly install and use encrypted
mail. The majority of Internet users don’t have such skills. There are
some free encrypted email services on the market like ProtonMail, but unless
these services have a billion users, they will not become a global
solution to the problem of insecure email. Email is the communication
method most in need of encryption. The sooner – the better. The solution
needs to come from the top email software developers, such as for
Microsoft’s Outlook Exchange. Whats App got it right: encrypt everything,
for one billion users, in one go. Email, it’s your turn now. From
http://egov.eletsonline.com Spending on IoT
Security to Reach $348 Mn in 2016
From
http://news.siliconindia.com Young Adults More
Prone to Young adults are most likely prey for mobile hackers than the
elder ones, thanks to their habit of losing phones every now and then, says a
research report. According to a research done jointly by Kaspersky Lab and
B2B International, in the last one year, more than one-in-four young Internet
users have lost their devices, which is about 17 per cent, or had their
devices stolen, 13 per cent, with a third losing access to their online
accounts, or suffering from a loss of data privacy as a result. While
one-in-seven users (14 per cent) overall has experienced the loss or theft of
a device, the figure rose to 26 per cent among users below the age of 24. Of
the affected, aged between 16 and 24, 83 per cent say they suffered negative
consequences afterwards, which is slightly higher than the overall average of
77 per cent. The research findings suggest that a third that is 32 per cent of
16-24 year olds have had their online accounts hacked as a result (compared
to 27 per cent on average). Also, one-in-four has suffered the permanent loss
of precious personal images and videos figured around 25 per cent, along with
the leaking of personal and sensitive information, which is 24 per cent. A
fifth of users overall were disciplined at work after having their device
lost or stolen, because the device in question contained business data (22
per cent), the research said. In addition, a fifth noticed that financial
details stored on the device had been misused (21 per cent). When affected by loss or theft, to protect themselves, only
four-in-ten blocked the device through their mobile operator or reported the
incident to the police, and only 29 per cent remotely wiped the device or
tried to track it down using ‘find my device’ software (15 per cent).
Commenting on the findings, Kaspersky Lab Product Manager Evgeny Guryanov
said: “ From
http://egov.eletsonline.com Govt Launches Web
Portal ‘NOAPS’ to Safeguard Monuments The Ministry for Culture and Tourism has launched the National
Monuments Authority (NMA)’s web portal called “NOC Online Application and
Processing System (NOAPS)”. The move is in line with the “e-Governance”
and “Ease of Doing Business” projects of Prime Minister. The NMA portal,
launched by Minister of State (I/C) for Culture and Tourism Dr Mahesh
Sharma in The web portal of NMA has now been integrated with the online
portal of local bodies of Delhi and Mumbai viz NDMC, Municipal Corporation of
Greater Mumbai (MCGM) and MCDs (South MCD, North MCD, East MCD), to
facilitate single window clearance for construction on a common application
form. The applicant need to fill up a single form
which will be sent to the concerned agencies by the local body, from whom No
Objection Certificate (NOC) is required. NMA on its part will communicate its
decision to the local body within six working day,
bringing down the time limit from ninety days, as prescribed in From
http://egov.eletsonline.com
From
http://www.siliconindia.com
Hack4farming Explores Digital Solutions to
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Risk of cyber-attacks on
corporate PCs, websites and networking sites has increased in The level of threats
from criminals that use high technologies has been constantly growing, said
Dmitry Beresnev, Anti-Piracy Lead at Microsoft. “Over the past year, 317
million new malicious programs were created -- it's around one million new
cyber threats a day.” To counteract piracy, Beresnev recommends to use
licensed software, conduct regular training on the basics of corporate security,
as well as to use special hardware and software data protection. From http://www.azernews.az/ Every Third
Computer Faces Virus Risk via Internet in Internet is
a constantly evolving tool that not only contains an amazing variety of
information but also provides new ways of accessing, interacting, and
connecting with people and content. However, today, when everything is
connected to the Internet, its danger may affect anyone, as through the
course of using the Internet, one may have come in to contact with various
computer viruses. Meanwhile, some 30.2 percent of computer users in The number
of attacks, detected and prevented through the
Kaspersky Lab technology has been increased in all countries throughout the
region as compared to the first quarter of last year. In addition the number of incidents
with "software-extortionists" increased by 14 percent in From http://www.azernews.az/ SWIFT
Network Says Aware of Multiple Cyber Fraud Incidents SWIFT, the global
financial network that banks use to transfer billions of dollars every day,
warned its customers on Monday that it was aware of "a number of recent
cyber incidents" where attackers had sent fraudulent messages over its
system, Reuters reported. The disclosure came as law enforcement authorities
in "SWIFT
is aware of a number of recent cyber incidents in which malicious insiders or
external attackers have managed to submit SWIFT messages from financial
institutions' back-offices, PCs or workstations connected to their local
interface to the SWIFT network," the group warned customers on Monday in
a notice seen by Reuters. The warning, which SWIFT issued in a confidential
alert sent over its network, did not name any victims or disclose the value
of any losses from the previously undisclosed attacks. SWIFT confirmed to
Reuters the authenticity of the notice. SWIFT, or the Society for Worldwide
Interbank Financial Telecommunication, is a cooperative owned by 3,000
financial institutions. Also on Monday, SWIFT released a security update to
the software that banks use to access its network to thwart malware that
security researchers with British defense contractor BAE Systems said was
probably used by hackers in the Bangladesh Bank heist.[L2N17S0RG]
BAE's evidence suggested that hackers manipulated SWIFT's Alliance Access
server software, which banks use to interface with SWIFT's messaging
platform, to cover their tracks. BAE said it
could not explain how the fraudulent orders were created and pushed through
the system. But SWIFT provided some evidence about how that happened in its
note to customers, saying that in most cases the modus operandi was similar.
It said the attackers obtained valid credentials for operators authorized to
create and approve SWIFT messages, then submitted fraudulent messages by
impersonating those people. FOLLOWING THE MONEY Cyber security experts said
more attacks could surface as SWIFT's banking clients look to see if their
SWIFT access has been compromised. Shane Shook, a banking security consultant
who investigates large financial crime, said hackers were turning to SWIFT
and other private financial messaging platforms because such attacks can
generate more revenue than going after consumers or small businesses.
"These hacks specifically target financial institutions because smaller
efforts result in much larger thefts," he said. "It's much more
efficient than stealing from consumers." Justin Harvey, chief security
officer with Fidelis Cybersecurity, said hackers followed the money and would
be drawn into such schemes in hopes of emulating a big heist like the one on
Bangladesh Bank. "After
the Bangladesh Bank heist became public, every other attacker out there is
looking to see if they can do the same," he said. SWIFT spokeswoman
Natasha Deteran told Reuters that the commonality in these cases was that
internal or external attackers compromised the banks' own environments to
obtain valid operator credentials. "Customers should do their utmost to
protect against this," she said in an email to Reuters. SWIFT told
customers that the security update must be installed by May 12. "We have
made the From http://www.azernews.az/ The Republican youth contest on software development "Best
Soft Challenge 2016", organized with the support of the Ministry for
development of information technologies and communications of the From http://technologies.uzreport.uz/ |
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The government’s
recent announcements of significant cyber security investments and the
establishment of a Cyber Security Growth Centre are very encouraging. The
government has nine funding priorities for science and research and heading
into 2016 cyber was the lowest on the list of priorities, with the lowest
planned expenditure. The total injection of $ Build from defence Let’s take
the Israeli model as one that we can try to emulate. That nation offers
strong financial backing for their ex-defence personnel who transition from
the army into a startup. There is nothing resembling this in Payback for our investment? The
government is planning to invest over $30 million to establish an
industry-led Cyber Security Growth Centre. So what does this translate to in
terms of new startups and creation of a new industry? We don’t need $30
million of new government roles, but what would be useful is a cyber security
incubator in at least two states with strong linkages to universities. In
addition, the Cyber Security Growth Centre will provide strategic
coordination of a national cyber security innovation network. Instead, what
we need are some hard growth targets. True growth targets What I mean
is real targets that are ‘hard’ commitments to establish 60 to 80 new cyber
security startups. There is no science behind my suggestion of numbers here,
but you would hope that $30 million buys you at least that many great new
startups. This will require seed funding plus industry support to have
startups’ MVPs tested in large enterprise environments. Any great new startup
that has a viable product that is road tested could then utilise the network
of industry and government to expand to the international market. Following
this, we have to start measuring the new revenue and jobs that are created
from these startups. Only by keeping score do we know if this is making any
impact. From http://www.computerworld.com.au
Australian
Federal Police Fall Short on Cyber Security The
Australian Federal Police are not yet in compliance with the government’s
mandated ‘Top In addition
to Industry and the AFP, the audit assessed the security of the Department of
Agriculture and Water Resources and the government’s money laundering
watchdog, the Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (AUSTRAC).
Both Agriculture and AUSTRAC were in compliance with the ISM's top four
strategies. (The government’s Protective Security Policy Framework as amended
in 2013 mandated the implementation of the top four strategies, with a target
date of mid-2014 for compliance.) The ANAO carried out its audit between May
and October 2015. In its report, the auditor declined to identify individual
issues at agencies “due to the risk of disclosing sensitive information about
entity ICT security”. However, it provided aggregate details of the
organisations’ performance. Two agencies had failed to implement whitelisting
as part of the standard operating environment, the report noted. One agency
had failed to prevent a user from running arbitrary executables. One agency
failed to restrict “a user’s rights in order to permit them to only execute a
specific set of predefined executables as required for them to complete their
duties”. When it came
to patching, one agency was failing to apply all critical security patches
within two days (two agencies were “actively implementing” the security
control, the report stated). The audit also found that one agency was failing
an ISM mandate to install the latest version of an application within two
days if the if the upgrade addresses a critical security vulnerability (three
agencies were actively implementing the control). The audit’s first
recommendation was for entities to “establish processes to monitor patch
levels across their enterprise ICT systems”. “The AFP has implemented a
number of programs of work to address this recommendation with a planned
implementation date of 1 July 2016,” the AFP's response to the recommendation
stated. The other recommendations of the report were firstly a periodic
review by organisations of their security posture: Entities should “conduct
periodic assessments on the effectiveness of IT security controls across
their enterprise ICT systems”; “decide on the optimal and/or desired ICT
security posture”; and “define strategies to achieve and maintain the desired
ICT”. Secondly the
report recommended that the organisations capture and store audit logs for privileged
user accounts and actively monitor privileged user accounts for unauthorised
access. “The AFP agrees that the report is an accurate assessment of the
agency’s compliance state as at July 2015,” the AFP said in its overall
response to the audit. “The AFP supports the recommendations of the report,
noting that the audit has identified some areas for improvement. The AFP has
established programs of work to implement the recommendations.” From http://www.computerworld.com.au
Heightened
interest in cyber security issues has driven a large increase in the number
of small and medium businesses who are becoming more cyber aware. The latest
MYOB Business Monitor survey highlights that 70 percent of New Zealand SMEs
now register concerns with one or more cyber security risk areas, an increase
of 10 percent in just six months, with awareness up across all categories.
“This is a hugely significant result and highlights the increasing
appreciation amongst small business owners of the importance of good cyber
security processes and working with trusted partners to make sure their data
is secure,” says James Scollay, General Manager, MYOB
New Zealand. “The increasingly high profile of cyber security has likely
served to increase general awareness of the damage that breaches can inflict
on a business’s operations and reputation. The good news is that local SMEs
are becoming savvier about their own security and not letting the fear of
cyber-crime from stopping them realising the benefits of doing business
online. It’s positive that SME operators are increasingly taking their data
and security so seriously." A report by
professional services firm PwC states that 59 percent of businesses that use
cloud services report that doing so has improved their information security
program. Scollay says there are a number of other easy but critical actions
small business owners can take to protect themselves online. “Make sure you
have up-to-date, high quality security software and apply all security
patches and updates from the provider," he explains. "Don’t use
simple or obvious passwords, use ones with a mix of letters and numbers - use
different passwords for your email, banking and system access, and be on the
lookout for fake emails that look like they come from trusted sources trying
to get you to click on links or download attachments. To reduce their
exposure to cyber security risk, SME operators can move more of their
operations to the cloud where the scale of the security offering is usually
fair greater than what they can manage on their own." The survey of more
than 1,000 SME operators conducted for MYOB by Colmar Brunton reveals that
the risk of hackers gaining access to data is the leading online security
issue, with 56 percent of SMEs highlighting concerns in this area, up from 42
percent in September. Losing access to data was also high on the awareness
list, concerning 50 percent of SMEs surveyed – up from 37 percent in
September. According to
findings, almost a fifth of business owners were concerned that the
Government might be spying on their data. When broken out into sectors, the
finance and insurance industry are the most concerned about hacking, with 76
percent highlighting this as their key concern – double that of September. As
Scollay explains, the primary sector also register high awareness with 61
percent of SMEs in the sector worried about losing access to their data and
28 percent concerned about data surveillance by local governments, up from
nine percent in September. Online
presence growing The MYOB
Digital Nation survey also highlighted that 51 percent of businesses now have
an online presence and as a result, were experiencing a range of benefits.
Over half (58 percent) had experienced an increase in customer inquiries
while 53 percent said customers were finding it easier to do business with
them. Furthermore, almost a third (31 percent) had seen revenue increase as a
result of being online. However, while an online profile is beneficial, cost
and connectivity issues are making it hard for SMEs to reap all the potential
opportunities of the digital economy. Over a third (38 percent) of businesses
surveyed said they were dissatisfied with the cost of their current data
plan, while 19 percent said government regulation was also an issue. Scollay
says access to "cost-effective, reliable internet infrastructure is an
absolute must for businesses", particularly when it comes to keeping
pace with ever-changing technology. “ “Internet
technology is making a fundamental difference to
many businesses in every part of the country. To make the most of the
opportunities available, we have to ensure there are as few barriers as
possible to them establishing an online presence." Satisfaction
with access and connectivity static Satisfaction
with internet access (speed and reliability) has remained static in the
latest MYOB Business Monitor, sitting at 40 percent in March 2016 and
September 2015. In addition, levels of dissatisfaction however have increased
slightly, up from 34 percent to 36 percent. On the whole, businesses in the
construction and trade sector were the most satisfied with their internet
access (55 percent), while dissatisfaction is highest in the primary sector
(44 percent). UFB uptake
still limited amongst SMEs While 63
percent of SME operators believe an Ultra Fast Broadband (UFB) connection
would positively benefit their business – up from 60 percent in September –
just 24 percent of local businesses report that they are utilising fibre
services. The most connected city is now Pace of
technology pleasing While 60 percent
of businesses said they were happy with the pace technology was moving, 17
percent believed it was too fast - 19 percent said it was moving too slowly
and needed further investment. Outside the major cities, in areas such as the
“And in
order to ensure that New Zealand SMEs stay up to date and in turn, drive the
country’s economy, it is important we focus on the roll out of UFB –
particularly into the regions – so that everyone has the same opportunities,
wherever they may be located. By making it easy as possible for businesses in
every sector to adopt the newest technologies, From http://www.computerworld.co.nz
Govt Pledges $ The Government
has pledged $22.2 million to help bolster the country’s cyber security
infrastructure, as part of the Budget 2016 announcements. Revealed by
Communications Minister Amy Adams, the Government will invest $20 million of
operating funding over the next four years on a new national Computer
Emergency Response Team (CERT) to combat cyber-attacks and cybercrime, with
an additional $2.2 million of capital for set up. A CERT is an organisation
that receives cyber incident reports, tracks cyber security incidents or
attacks, and provides advice and alerts to its customers on how to respond
and prevent further attacks. As explained by “It will be
the central place for businesses and organisations to go to for help and
information when they’re experiencing cyber-attacks. It will help to protect
critical infrastructure and the digital economy, and ensure New Zealanders
can be secure, resilient and prosperous online.” According to Adams,
cybercrime cost the From http://www.computerworld.co.nz
Government’s Cyber
Security Strategy – Free Security Check-Ups for ANZ Business Last month,
the Australian Government announced a A$230 million Cyber Security Strategy
including free security health checks for ASX 100 companies and $15 million
in small business grants to help them test cyber security. Check Point, a
significant, global network cyber security vendor has aligned with the
government initiatives by offering a comprehensive free security check to
ensure that all Australian and Figures from
The Australian Crime Commission estimate that cyber-crime costs “Cloud
computing, mobility and the Internet of Things are megatrends which are
reshaping the IT infrastructures used by many organisations. Finding ways to
maintain proper security as the diversity of technologies continues to grow
rapidly is becoming an increasing challenge. External data sources, cloud platforms
and mobile devices all provide valuable services, but they also create new
potential avenues for the intrusion. Each and every endpoint is a potential
door into an organisation's IT systems and data, and hackers only need to
open one to wreak havoc. “In a world with high-demanding IT infrastructures
and networks, where perimeters are no longer well defined, and where threats
grow more intelligent every day, we need to define the right way to protect
enterprises in the ever-changing threat landscape. “The benefits of having a
free security checkup provide organisations with the knowledge that core
systems and data will remain secure at all times,” says De Laine. From http://www.itwire.com
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AFRICA:
The Nigerian government has launched a re-designed Bureau of Public
Service reform (BPSR) website with a freedom of information portal to receive
FOI requests. the Daily Trust reported. Director
General of BPSR Joe Abah said the site is for receiving freedom of
information requests. Abah added that initiating reforms and introducing
innovations is one of the key functions of BPRS. The initiative according to
Abah was supported by the Mac Arthur foundation as part of an on- going
partnership with Right to Know (R2K) geared towards utilizing information
technology for information disclosure both proactively as well as on demand.
The website will allow members of the public to submit real time online FOI
requests and receive feedback. From
http://www.telecompaper.com/ EUROPE: From http://www.telecompaper.com/ From
http://www.telecompaper.com/ Portuguese
Telecom Sector Lost EUR 1.5 Billion in Five Years The telecommunications sector in From
http://www.telecompaper.com/ Swiss
ICT Growth Limited to 0.7% in 2016 - MSM Research The Swiss ICT market is forecast to grow by 0.7 percent to CHF
17.06 billion this year, according to MSM Research, quoted by netzwoche.ch. The
impact of the strength of the Swiss franc has waned slightly but it remains a
limiting factor for ICT spending.Job cuts and site relocation are also
leaving negative traces on ICT investments and spending. Every job that is
cut and not refilled saves businesses expenditure. The decline in margins
caused cost-cutting in ICT investment. In 2015, industrial companies cut
their budgets in total by 5.3 percent. MSM Research expects further cuts of
3.5 percent this year, and a return to spending next year.In 2017, companies
will invest in digitisation ( Internet of Things).
MSM Research predicts percentage growth rates of spending of more than 35
percent. Another driving factor for the development of the ICT market is the
cloud computing segment, which still generates above-average growth of about
30 percent in total. A peak in the growth rate is expected this year, and it
will go down from 2017. External sourcing services, notably the cloud, drives
growth on the ICT market forward at 8.2 percent. From
http://www.telecompaper.com/
The British Ministry of Defense's embrace of cloud computing is
a model the U.S. Defense Department would do well to emulate, according to
DOD CIO Terry Halvorsen.The British government's willingness to host
commercial cloud services within government facilities is "the right way
for us to go," Halvorsen said April 21 at an AFCEA conference in
Washington.Microsoft announced last November that the company would begin
offering cloud services from the United Kingdom, with the firm saying those
services would extend to government organizations.Halvorsen has evangelized
for the Pentagon to be more willing to allow cloud vendors to host sensitive
DOD data. The Defense Information Systems Agency has, for example, granted
IBM conditional authority to host unclassified but sensitive DOD data in the
cloud at the Allegany Ballistics Laboratory in Halvorsen also took stock of collaboration in the IT realm
between Washington and its allies. In the coming weeks, he said he will
travel to the Accreditation process 'completely sucks' In his characteristically frank style, Halvorsen explained why
he thought DOD needed to overhaul its accreditation and certification process
for commercial IT products and services."We have an accreditation and
certification process today that the technical term for is it completely
sucks," he said. "It's costing you way too much money; it's costing
us way too much time."Halvorsen has tasked his advisers with reviewing
the accreditation and certification process and recommending changes, with
input from the private sector.Halvorsen, who was previously CIO of the
Department of Navy, also said in his April 21 remarks that he wanted to boost
the number of DOD personnel who participant in a career exchange with
industry. He would like about 50 DOD personnel to do a stint in the private
sector in the coming year, and likewise bring about 50 IT hands from industry
to the Pentagon.Military officials, including U.S. Cyber Command Commander
Adm. Michael Rogers, have consistently called for more flexibility in
rotating personnel in and out of the private sector. The goal is to stay as
attuned as possible to innovation happening outside of what Defense Secretary
Ash Carter deprecatingly calls "our five-sided box." From
https://fcw.com/ LATIN
AMERICA: A GSMA Intelligence study on From
https://www.telecompaper.com/ The coordinator of the National Commission for the Information
Society and Knowledge (CNSIC), Mirna Gonzalez, said that the percentage of
internet users in From
http://www.telecompaper.com/ NORTH
AMERICA: Canada’s technology industry can look forward to the federal
government investing half a billion dollars’ into the country’s digital infrastructure,
more than $70 million into workforce training, increased startup funding and
support — and to retaining a lower tax rate on stock options, under the
budget released Tuesday by Liberal finance minister Bill Morneau. “From a
tech sector point of view, there are several things that were included that
are actually very good for the industry,” says Information Technology
Association of Canada (ITAC) president and CEO Karna Gupta, whose
organization met with several members of the federal government during its
budget consultation process and submitted a report to the ministry of finance
summarizing its suggestions for the budget. “In fact, they’re fairly
consistent with our submission.” Of particular note is the government’s
“Helping High-Impact Firms Scale Up” initiative, says Gupta, which aims to
coordinate federal financing and advisory services to support “innovative”
firms – such as the following case study from the tech industry. “An - “Increasing Co-op Placements and Strengthening Work Integrated
Learning,” which will invest $73 million over four years into “building
partnerships between employers and willing post-secondary educational
institutions to better align what is taught with the needs of employers,”
according to the budget. The initiative will also support new co-op
placements, with a focus on high-demand fields such as science, technology,
engineering, and mathematics, with further support expected from the
government’s innovation agenda. - “Linking Canadian Technology Companies to Global Markets and
Expertise,” which will provide $4 million over two years to renew the
Canadian Technology Accelerator Initiative, which provides mentorship,
introductions to potential clients and/or partners, and desk space to
Canadian life sciences and clean technology firms hoping to expand into the
U.S., U.K., France, or India. - The government’s commitment to providing $50 million in
funding over the two years to Canada Health Infoway, the not-for-profit
corporation created in 2001 to accelerate the development and adoption of
electronic health systems. “This is a big win for us, because we actually
called for that program,” Gupta says. - “Investing in Government Information Technology,” a $383.8
million investment over the next two years to support government-related
systems, data centre, and telecommunications network upgrades. As requested, the Liberals have also committed to supporting
scientific research and development, and as predicted, dropped their proposal
to fully tax individual stock option gains exceeding $100,000, an initiative
which had been controversial in the tech industry. As noted in a previous
feature on ITBusiness.ca, tech companies – especially startups – frequently
rely on stock options to compensate their top talent, a fact that Morneau
himself acknowledged to reporters. “I heard from many small firms and
innovators that they use stock options as a legitimate form of compensation,
so we decided not to put that in our budget,” the finance minister told
reporters, including the Globe and Mail, adding that increasing options taxes
in future budgets was “not in our plan.” “Overall, [the budget] has a lot of
potential,” Gupta says. “We need to work through the details… but generally,
and I think from ITAC’s point of view, we’re quite pleased with the budget’s
key focus on the tech sector.” Russ Roberts, senior vice-president of advocacy for the Canadian
Advanced Technology Alliance (CATA), was more encouraged by what the budget
didn’t specify than by what it did – particularly the lack of detail in the
“Helping High-Impact Firms Scale Up” initiative, which he says indicates the
government intends to conduct a review that will decide precisely what
“high-impact” means. “It’s an important budget, because it’s laying out a
review – a very extensive review – of the government’s support programs for
innovation over the next year,” Roberts says. “We have been looking for such
a review, particularly one that focuses on [Scientific Research and
Experimental Development (SR&ED)] tax incentives, which are included…
They’ve brought in some interim programs while they do the review, but the
essence of what’s going to happen is that we’ll have to wait and see where
they get to.” “It also means an awful lot of work for all of us to bring good
ideas to them over the next six months or so,” he continues. “I don’t know
the timeframe, but after reading it I’d say the next six months are going to
be an important period.” From
http://www.itworldcanada.com/ Have you ever bought new
furniture? If you have, you know it’s a big hassle. You have to consider the
model, make, size, comfortability, and so much more. Believe it or not, agencies
undergoing IT modernization and consolidation efforts can relate. Does your
agency have all the necessary tools to implement the new technologies and
procedures? Is everyone on board with the change? SolarWinds, an IT
management company, recently published their report, Federal Cybersecurity
Survey, which explored some of the challenges associated with modernization
and consolidation efforts. Mav Turner, Director of Product Strategy at
SolarWinds, sat down with Christopher Dorobek on the DorobekINSIDER program
to discuss the findings of the survey. Efforts to improve the overall
transition process can lead to less secure systems. About half of the survey’s 200
respondents (federal government IT decision makers and supporters) stated
that the government’s IT modernization and consolidation efforts have
resulted in an increase in security challenges. The survey found that the
some of the main concerns of those surveyed were due to complex enterprise
management tools, lack of familiarity with the new systems, and issues with
incomplete transitions (some legacy systems were still in place at said
agency/organization). “Agencies have to handle all the legacy issues that
come with the equipment that they are trying to manage, as well as issues
with the new systems they are deploying,” Turner said. How to help mitigate
potential security issues. “There are just so many new
risks that get introduced regularly, particularly with how quickly IT
changes, that you can feel good about what you’re doing, but you need to be
constantly improving,” Turner said. The survey found that there was an
increased concern of cyber threats from foreign governments and hackivists.
As threats continue to increase in sophistication and volume, agencies need
to continue to maintain a culture of learning. “You can certainly have too
many people, but most agencies struggle with not having enough. They need
more ‘critically’ trained people,” Turner highlighted. Three main takeaways from the
survey. 1) Find a clear path moving
forward. “Any transition creates
complexity and that complexity creates challenges to security and
operations,” Turner said. Therefore, he recommends that agencies seek to find
a clear path to get rid of legacy systems and to complete the modernization
and consolidation efforts in a time-efficient manner. 2) Understand the problems and
find the right tools. “There are different tools for
different problems. Make sure you understand what the problem is that you are
trying to solve so that you can have the right people, processes, and tools
in place to solve the problem,” Turner stated. 3) Why the process doesn’t end
when the transitions end. Turner reminded us that the job
isn’t done when the transition is completed. “You still have to go back and
make sure that you didn’t carry any of those legacy security issues with you-
as you moved forward.” Proper training, tools, and communication can help
lessen the security challenges you may face during your IT consolidation and
modernization efforts. From https://www.govloop.com/ Workforce
Disrupted - Major Changes Ahead for Public-Sector IT Workforces The career public servant is a concept nearing extinction. Here's
how CIOs are preparing for what's next. These days, IT employees might have a
background in theater instead of computer science. They’re more likely than
ever to be part-timers and short-timers instead of career public servants.
Some of them are even configuring networks on a phone rather than a PC. What,
exactly, is going on here? These are all signs of the new normal for
government IT departments. Public CIOs and their staffs face disruption from
almost every angle — the long-anticipated baby-boomer retirement wave is
beginning to crest, younger employees have new ideas about how and where they
want to work, and rapidly evolving technology is rewriting the resume of
typical tech workers. Those forces are driving CIOs to rethink everything
from how they attract talent and what type of talent they really need, to
their ratio of full-time to temporary employees. “It’s a major challenge,”
said Ohio CIO Stu Davis, of coping with both the state’s evolving IT needs
and a changing market for technology employees. YOU’LL HAVE FEWER CAREER PUBLIC SERVANTS. The days of the traditional government IT shop staffed with
lifelong public servants may be numbered. As baby boomers exit the workforce,
these organizations are being rebuilt to more easily expand and contract based
on workload. In A similar move is underway in Most CIOs interviewed acknowledged the importance of maintaining
a highly skilled core group of full-time government employees, even if the
size of that group ultimately shrinks. But some said even full-timers may not
have traditional long-term government careers. Instead, the new generation of
workers may move between jobs more frequently. “I think you’ll see people
come in and give us three years, then leave for the private sector, and then
they may come back when they have a family and don’t want to travel so much,”
said Davis. “But we have to attract them, and we have to create a workplace
that is both engaging and challenging for them.” PLATFORMS ARE DRIVING WORKFORCE STRATEGIES. Although governments still have more than their share of massive
traditional IT systems, more development activity is shifting to
off-the-shelf and cloud-based platforms. Like their private-sector
counterparts, public CIOs are embracing platforms like Salesforce to create
business applications more quickly and easily. And that’s changing what IT
employees do. From
http://www.govtech.com/ The
Internet Isn't Making Us Smarter In the time since I first sat down to write this piece, my
laptop tells me the National Basketball Association has had to deny that it
threatened to cancel its 2017 All-Star Game over a new anti-LGBT law in North
Carolina—a story repeated by many news sources, including the Associated
Press. The authenticity of that viral video of a bear chasing a female
snowboarder in That’s the good news. The bad news is that our brains overdo it.
Not only do they store helpful and essential information; they are also
receptive to false belief and misinformation.Just in the real of biology
alone, many people believe that spinach is a good source of iron (sorry,
Popeye), that we use less than 10 percent of our brains (no, it’s too
energy-guzzling to allow that), and that some people suffer hypersensitivity
to electromagnetic radiation (for which there is no scientific evidence).But
here’s the more concerning news. Our access to information, both good and bad,
has only increased as our fingertips have gotten into the act. With computer
keyboards and smartphones, we now have access to an Internet containing a
vast store of information much bigger than any individual brain can carry—and
that’s not always a good thing. BETTER ACCESS DOESN’T MEAN BETTER INFORMATION This access to the Internet’s far reaches should permit us to be
smarter and better informed. People certainly assume it. A recent Yale study
showed that Internet access causes people to hold inflated, illusory
impressions of just how smart and well-informed they are.But there’s a
twofold problem with the Internet that compromises its limitless
promise.First, just like our brains, it is receptive to misinformation. In
fact, the World Economic Forum lists “massive digital misinformation” as a
main threat to society. A survey of 50 “weight loss” websites found that only
three provided sound diet advice. Another survey of roughly 150 YouTube
videos about vaccination found that only half explicitly supported the
procedure.Rumor-mongers, politicians, vested interests, a sensationalizing
media, and people with intellectual axes to grind all inject false
information into the internet. So do a lot of well-intentioned but misinformed people. In fact,
a study published in the January 2016 Proceedings of National Academy of
Science documented just how quickly dubious conspiracy theories spread across
the Internet.Specifically, the researchers compared how quickly these rumors
spread across Facebook relative to stories on scientific discoveries. Both
conspiracy theories and scientific news spread quickly, with the majority of
diffusion via Facebook for both types of stories happening within a
day.Making matters worse, misinformation is hard to distinguish from accurate
fact. It often has the exact look and feel as the truth. In a series of studies Elanor Williams, Justin Kruger, and I
published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology in 2013, we
asked students to solve problems in intuitive physics, logic and finance.
Those who consistently relied on false facts or principles—and thus gave the
exact same wrong answer to every problem—expressed just as much confidence in
their conclusions as those who answered every single problem right.For
example, those who thought a ball would always continue to follow a curved
path after rolling out of a bent tube (not true) were virtually as certain as
people who knew the right answer (the ball follows a straight path). DEFEND YOURSELF So, how so we separate Internet-truth from internet-falsehood? First, don’t assume misinformation is obviously distinguishable
from true information. Be careful. If the matter is important, perhaps you
can start your search with the Internet; just don’t end there. Consult and
consider other sources of authority. There is a reason why your doctor
suffered medical school, or why your financial adviser studied to gain that
license.Second, don’t do what conspiracy theorists did in the Facebook study.
They readily spread stories that already fit their worldview. As such, they
practiced confirmation bias, giving credence to evidence supporting what they
already believed.As a consequence, the conspiracy theories they endorsed
burrowed themselves into like-minded Facebook communities who rarely
questioned their authenticity.Instead, be a skeptic.
Psychological research shows that groups designating one or two of its
members to play devil’s advocate—questioning whatever conclusion the group is
leaning toward—make better-reasoned decisions, of greater quality.If no one
else is around, it pays to be your own devil’s advocate. Don’t just believe
what the Internet has to say; question it. Practice a disconfirmation bias.
If you’re looking up medical information about a health problem, don’t stop
at the first diagnosis that looks right. Search for alternative
possibilities. SEEKING EVIDENCE TO THE CONTRARY In addition, look for ways in which that diagnosis might be
wrong. Research shows that “considering the opposite”—actively asking how a
conclusion might be wrong—is a valuable exercise for reducing unwarranted
faith in a conclusion.After all, you should listen to Mark Twain, who,
according to a dozen different websites, warned us, “Be careful about reading
health books. You may die of a misprint.”Wise words, except a little more
investigation reveals more detailed and researched sources with evidence that
it wasn’t Mark Twain, but German physician Markus Herz who said them. I’m not
surprised; in my Internet experience, I’ve learned to be wary of Twain quotes
(Will Misinformation and true information often look awfully alike.
The key to an informed life may require gathering information as much as it
does challenging the ideas you already have or have recently encountered.
This may be an unpleasant task, and an unending one, but it is the best way
to ensure that your brainy intellectual tapestry sports only true colors. From
http://www.nextgov.com/ Roots
of IT Reform Starting to Take Hold A constant stream of industry pundits and Capitol Hill overseers
are calling for evidence of the impact of the Federal IT Acquisition Reform
Act (FITARA). Is it working? Are federal chief information officers
taking/being given a real “seat at the table?” Why haven’t the departments of
Energy and Labor finished their implementation plans yet? Too often these and
other questions don’t have a direct answer. But if you listen closely enough
to what CIOs are saying, you can see just how FITARA is taking root. Let’s
start with the Commerce Department where CIO Steve Cooper has to manage two
big dog bureaus: Census and Patent and Trademark Office. Both have huge
budgets: PTO requested almost $600 million in fiscal 2017 for IT alone, and
Census requested $1.6 billion, including $778 million for the Decennial
count, which includes a host of IT initiatives. Understanding the risk and
concerns about the 2020 count, Cooper is working with Census technology
executives in way that’s different than what past CIOs did. And whether he or
anyone admits it, the reason is two-fold: FITARA and, more importantly, the
intense scrutiny on the 10-year event. “We will be the first Census to go to the cloud and not use
pencil and paper,” Cooper said at the recent VMWare Public Sector Innovation
Summit in Jonathan Alboum, the Agriculture Department CIO, also is having
much needed tough conversations with the agency’s bureaus. Alboum said he
held an off-site meeting with bureau CIOs last week to discuss how best to
consolidate 17 or 18 networks into one. “What technology can we use to create
a simplified environment that is easier to secure and provides better support
to agencies?” Alboum said at the VMWare event. “We have about 1,300-to-1,400
locations where people work, and we manage about 7,500 different component
parts of a network. The fact is we’ve grown up with limited oversight of some
areas so now we have a great opportunity to come together and agree on what
the future looks like and that there are benefits for all of us.” He said the
end goal is for bureau CIOs to focus on their agency’s mission not building systems
and running a network. “We have a great opportunity to approach that from a common way,
but it will take a lot of change management and we will have to handle all
the soft side things,” Alboum said. Alboum said he expects to develop a plan
by the end of the fiscal year that utilizes the General Services
Administration’s Network Services 2020 vehicle so consolidate those disparate
networks. Alboum wouldn’t be the first USDA CIO to try to consolidate
networks. Previous CIOs, including Cheryl Cook and Chris Smith have tried to
address these same issues. Cook, for instance, led an effort to create a
single help desk across the department. Smith consolidated USDA’s 21 separate
email systems in the cloud in 2011. But where Smith and Cook struggled corralling
the bureaus, Alboum has FITARA behind him. He can use the law, which is comes
with the support of the secretary and deputy secretary, to oversee current
and future spending. Many of those pundits are hailing USDA as ahead of the
rest of the government with its implementation effort. Like Cooper, Alboum’s success isn’t dependent on FITARA, but
because he has the support from his senior executives and building the
cooperation of his bureaus—both of which are the result of the law. A third
example is the Transportation Department where CIO Richard McKinney issued a
policy to freeze all future IT investments. Now “We are having a conversation with the programs and the business
units looking for people that have an idea and want a place to play and
nurture that idea,” he said. “We are going in the next couple of weeks set up
some challenges and see if we can draw some great ideas out of our business
units. We know they have them, but they never had a place to go try their
ideas out.” That seat at the table has allowed me to sit and listen in on
the business conversations that take place at the department and understand
some of the challenges that the Transportation modes are facing and how they
are trying to meet them,” From
http://federalnewsradio.com/ G7
Ministers to Push for Internet Freedom, Reduce Digital Divide Information technology ministers of the G7 countries, during a
meeting in "We continue to support ICT policies that preserve the
global nature of the internet, promote the flow of information across borders
and allow internet users to access online information, knowledge and services
of their choice," a joint statment issued after the meeting said. The
group also called for the active participation of governments, the private
sector, civil society, the tech community and international organisations in
matters concerning internet governance. The meet emphasised the need to
strengthen international and public-private cooperation to bolster cyber
security and combat cyber terrorism. From
http://www.business-standard.com/
This
Summer, Congress Must Make Sure the Internet Stays Free By Sept. 30 of this year, the Obama administration plans to
transition its stewardship over core internet functions to the international community.
The transition plan presented to the U.S. Department of Commerce was
finalized by the International Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers
(ICANN), which sets broad policy for the internet's naming system, and
coordinates many of its most essential functions. The Department of Commerce
has said that it expects to finish its review of the plan by mid-June, giving
Congress plenty of time to review it before the September deadline. The plan
raises troubling questions that must be answered before it is approved by the
That the internet today is decentralized, open and free of
government interference is thanks to the American government's adoption,
during the Wisely, the ICANN community rejected a proposal that would have
required only a majority vote of the GAC for its "advice" to be
binding. That would have eliminated the The proposed stewardship of IANA leaves unclear who will play
the limited but crucial role currently performed by the National
Telecommunications and Information Administration in the Department of
Commerce; namely, of making sure that any changes to the root-zone domain
name file executed by the IANA administrator are in accordance with ICANN
policy. The globally decentralized nature of the internet requires a globally
authoritative root-zone file for domain names, without which computers would
not be able to "find" each other on the net. Administering updates
to that file is the "IANA naming function." That function must be
kept strictly technical, managed by engineers without a political agenda. The
IANA administrator, contracted by ICANN, should not be expected to decide
policy questions, such as whether ".sucks" is a legitimate domain
name. Neither should the ICANN community, which sets policy, be given the
power to enforce it, as currently proposed. Enforcement should be done by a
nonpolitical separate body — perhaps by an independent auditor. The vision of a free and open internet is increasingly at risk
because repressive governments have turned back the tide of internet freedom,
and are learning to use both the internet itself, and the global institutions
that govern the internet, to strengthen their authoritarian control.
According to Freedom House, repressive regimes like From
http://thehill.com/
Make
Internet More Accessible, Affordable and Open to Accelerate Development, says
New World Bank Report At least Biometric registration, authentication, and payments in Even while having the largest number of offline population in
the world, Making the internet accessible, open and safe for all Indians must
be a priority and is vital to close the digital divides, the WDR says. A
supportive policy environment involving smart spectrum management, strong
competition policy in the telecom and internet market, public-private
partnerships, and smart regulations can go a long way in expanding
connectivity and bridging digital divides in India, the report adds.But
greater digital adoption will not be enough. To get the most out of the
digital technologies, India also needs to strengthen the `analog foundations’
of its digital economy – by strengthening regulations that ensure competition
among businesses, by adapting worker’s skills to the demands of the new
economy, and by ensuring that government institutions are accountable. “There is little doubt about the transformative potential of
digital technologies. However, they are not a shortcut to development, though
they can be an accelerator when used in the right way. Countries still have
to build the basic foundations of economic development, but now they can use the
internet to achieve them much faster – namely a favorable business climate,
strong human capital and good governance,” said Deepak Mishra, and Uwe
Deichmann, Co-directors of the report.Countries that are investing in both
digital technology and its analog complements will reap significant
dividends, while others are likely to fall behind. Technology without a
strong foundation risks creating divergent economic fortunes, higher
inequality and an intrusive state, the report concludes. From
http://www.worldbank.org/ 3 Tech
Trends in Asia-Pacific That Hint at Is the future state of Register now: IDC Directions & CanadianCIO Symposium in Business by bot If you want to call a cab or pay for your restaurant meal with
your smartphone in Virtual and augmented becoming reality Globally, shipments of virtual reality (VR) hardware are
expected to skyrocket this year, according to IDC’s forecasts. It expects
shipments to hit 9.6 million units worldwide, generating $2.3 billion mostly
for the four lead manufacturers: Samsung, Sony, HTC, and Oculus. With VR in
its early days, both Ma and Collins see the most growth potential for the
emerging medium coming from the consumer market. Gaming and even adult
entertainment options promise to be the first use-cases for mass adoption,
with applications in the hospitality, real estate, or travel sectors coming
later. “That will be bigger on the consumer side of the market,” Collins
says. “That’s what we’ll see first here in “That technology is still lagging behind VR and the price point
is quite a challenge,” Ma says. He points to Canon’s MReal system, an AR
solution for enterprises that costs in the ballpark of $125,000. Well before Canadians
are eagerly strapping on AR headsets, they’ll experience it through the lens
of their smartphone cameras, Collins says. Canadian Tire’s WOW Guide layers
digital content over its physical brochure with the help of a mobile app.
Ikea’s first AR brochure will be coming to Commoditized mobile hardware After years of rapid growth in the smartphone market, there are
signs that we’ve hit the point of near-total saturation. IDC’s own Worldwide
Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker indicates a total of 334.9 million smartphone
shipments in the first quarter of 2016. That’s the smallest year-over-year
increase on record for the category, as Q1 of 2015 saw 334.3 million units
shipped. As the market nears saturation, IDC also sees lesser-known Chinese
brands such as Oppo, Vivo, Xiaomi, Huawei, and Lenovo creeping up towards
top-tier manufacturers. As the Chinese domestic market growth slows, more of
those manufacturers are looking to penetrate the western market to fuel
sales. There’s plenty of reason to think they could compete here. “They have
really nice looking devices,” Collins says. “You’d be forgiven if you thought
it was one of the flagship devices in the market.” While brand familiarity will be an issue for these firms,
Collins says that manufacturers like Huawei already addressing this problem
in the Brian Jackson From
http://www.itbusiness.ca/ |
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Internet-enabled innovation is set to play a major role in
fueling Although the rapid development of China’s e-commerce sector is a
perfect example of how the application of Internet technologies can expand
domestic consumption, some ambitious players believe that there is still huge
potential after the so-called Internet Plus strategy successfully
revolutionized the retail industry. Alibaba Group Holdings, A new vision “Retailers need to ditch the idea that e-commerce is merely
another sales channel for their products,” Zhang Yong, CEO of Alibaba Group, said
on March 1, at the company’s headquarters in Alibaba’s initiative to help brands build a “seamless
omni-channel shopping experience” comes amid the rising trend of
online-to-offline business in From http://www.gov.cn/
New-generation Big Data
Products Launched Chinese big data manufacturer RedHadoop
launched new-generation big data products, together with OpenPOWER
Foundation, on China Hadoop Summit held March 19 in This brand new product matches closely
the latest community techniques (hadoo “Today’s Erasure code is the first
application of distributed computation. The calculation speed of Erasure Code
on FPGA/CAPI is almost 300 times faster than conventional software. I’m very
happy that Hadoop fans can enjoy better techniques,” He explained. Mr. Tong
Xiaojun, founder of Beijing RedHadoop Technology Co., Ltd, said “we will
constantly invest more in Hadoop R&D, establish From http://www.chinagate.cn/
Huawei, StarHub Demonstrate World's Fastest Indoor All in a single small cell base station no bigger than a ream of
A4 paper, the new StarHub's Chief Technology Officer Mock Pak Lum said StarHub is
happy that the From http://www.news.cn/ Silicon Valley-based online education provider Udacity announced
its entry into From http://www.news.cn/ From http://www.news.cn/ From http://www.news.cn/ From http://www.news.cn/ Nation Aims to Boost Robot Output Feng Xisheng, an academic at the From http://www.gov.cn/
Chinese From http://www.chinagate.cn/
" From
http://www.korea.net
From
http://www.korea.net
S. Korea’s
Internet Ranks Fastest in World for 8th Straight Quarter From
http://world.kbs.co.kr
The Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning said Monday
that it would strengthen its ties with the Iranian counterparts in science
and information and communications technology. Science Minister Choi
Yang-hee and Mohammad Farhadi, the Iranian minister of Science Research and
Technology met in From
http://www.koreaherald.com
Science,
Technology Are Key to Economic Survival: President President Park Geun-hye has stated that, “The sole way out for us,
to pull through this crisis facing our economy and to ensure another take
off, is to promote creative industries based on innovative ideas and
technologies. What lays the foundation for such creative industries is
science and technology.” So stressed From
http://www.korea.net
The South Korean
government on Friday said it is gearing up to roll out a set of cutting-edge
information, communication and technology systems to support the successful
hosting of the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics. Automatic translation
services, based on artificial intelligence, will be offered in seven
languages, including English, Chinese and French, in real time for athletes
and visitors to the event to be held in the From http://www.koreaherald.com ICT Ministry
to Transform Jeju into Animation Hub of Although Korean animations boast impressive quality, matching
those of the From
http://www.koreaherald.com
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INDUSTRY players are optimistic that despite some challenges, Need to address challenges Data centre demand in Despite its abundance of natural resources, Foreign partnerships Beyond power, the Indonesian data centre industry – like many of
its South-East Asian counterparts – faces the challenge of a lack of skilled
manpower. “We have seen this trend in Lippo Group’s technology arm PT Multipolar Technology kicked off
the construction of its first data centre, in From
https://www.digitalnewsasia.com/
Despite 2015 being a challenging year for the global economy,
MSC Malaysia saw a high increase in terms of investments from MSC Malaysia
companies, according to Yasmin. Last year, MSC Malaysia saw RM19.8 billion
(US$5.09 billion) in new investments, with RM15.2 billion (US$3.91 billion)
coming from existing investors, while RM4.57 billion (US$1.18 billion) came
from new investors – the highest since its establishment in 1996. Of the new
investments, 87% came from foreign direct investments while the rest were via
direct domestic investments. “This is a testimony to the fact that ‘Strong’ growth in 2015 In 2015, MSC Malaysia companies reported total revenue of RM42.1
billion, up 9% from 2014, slightly lower than the 11% growth in 2014 over
2013 but still higher than the 3% and 5% growth in 2012 and 2013,
respectively. The Creative Content and Technologies cluster generated RM7.24
billion in revenue; Higher Learning and Incubators generated RM1.56 billion;
InfoTech generated RM16.47 billion; and GBS generated RM16.83 billion. MSC
Malaysia also recorded RM16.2 billion in export sales, representing an 18%
increase over 2014, and contributing RM15.3 billion to the national Gross
Domestic Product (GDP), up 11% from 2014. “The GBS cluster contributed the
most (69%) to the overall export sales. We are also proud to share this is
the highest increase in overall export sales since 2010,” said Yasmin. The
four focus areas of MDEC – the Internet of Things (IoT); cloud and data
centres; big data analytics (BDA); and e-commerce – contributed about 10%
(RM1.65 billion) of total export sales in 2015. “These focus areas are
extremely important to us because they are the ones driving innovation in Talent shortage A total of 10,981 new jobs were created in MSC Malaysia last
year, a 16% jump from 2014, bringing the total number of jobs in 2015 to
158,549. Of these jobs, 87% comprised Malaysian knowledge workers. “These are
high-income jobs that are more than 2.5 times’ the national average,” said
Yasmin, adding that the average salary of these high-income jobs is about RM6,000. She however admitted that the talent pool remains a
challenge for MSC Malaysia, with the country as a whole experiencing an IT
talent shortage. “For the next few years the shortage will come up to about
17,000. It is very important that we encourage the younger generation to
venture into IT-related fields,” she said. Digital inclusivity Yasmin said that seven local MSC Malaysia companies crossed the
RM100-million revenue mark under its Global Acceleration and Innovation
Network (GAIN) programme, which aims to help local MSC Malaysia companies go
global. “For 2016, GAIN will create another six companies that cross the
RM100-million (US$25.7-million) revenue mark,” she added, declining to
identify the seven companies above. MDEC will also continue its efforts to build
local technology ‘champions,’ with big data analytics company Fusionex and
financial solutions provider Silverlake Axis cited as examples. The founders
of both companies are inaugural DNA Digerati50. “Globalisation is very
important. For local companies to become big, they have to go global,” said
Yasmin. Two more areas that MDEC will focus on in 2016 are “catalysing
digital innovation ecosystems” – such as BDA, the IoT and e-commerce – and
increasing “digital inclusivity.” “The digital economy has the ability to
impact every aspect of society, and it is very important that we have an
inclusive agenda when it comes to growing the digital economy,” she said. “We
want every single Malaysian citizen, including the ones who live in villages,
to embrace the digital economy,” she said. Citing its programmes such as
eUsahawan and eRezeki, Yasmin said MDEC will scale both in 2016. The two
programmes are targeted at the Bottom 40 (B40) group, or those in the lower
40% of the income pyramid. “There is a strong mandate by the Government to
scale both these programmes as widely as possible,” said Yasmin. From
https://www.digitalnewsasia.com/
DIGITAL VENTURE, a wholly owned subsidiary of Siam Commercial
Bank, will commence operations next month, with the bank using the company as
an incubator of start-up businesses mainly in financial technology (fintech)
Anucha Laokwansatit, senior executive vice president and chief risk officer
of SCB, said yesterday that Digital Venture had been assigned as a laboratory
for turning ideas into practical solutions, while also playing an incubator
role for new start-up businesses that lack sufficient funding. The company
has set up a fund of US$50 million (Bt1.76 billion), which is a huge amount
when compared with the roughly $80 million-worth of overall funding in While fintech will not disrupt the banking industry in the
medium term, as current banking services are a matter of trust and confidence
on the part of both depositors and borrowers, payments are a segment that
will be affected by the arrival of fintech, he added. Digital Venture will
also invest in funds in Asia that are focused on fintech, as the region
offers a close fit for SCB's operations, while fintech in Europe or the US
might not fit well with its operations, he explained. The potential return on
this type of investment is acceptable for the bank, although it will be lower
than for other types of investment, Anucha said. Direct investment,
meanwhile, might take time because the bank has to conduct due diligence in
any companies in which it is interested, he added. However, Thailand should
provide more potential opportunities than overseas markets for direct
investment, as there are relatively few pure fintech companies already in
existence, with most Thai operators still e-commerce businesses, he added.
Anucha said the bank expected the $50-million fund to be enough for Digital
Venture investments for around 18 months. From
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/
THE SCIENCE and Technology Ministry targets 10,000 innovative
start-up businesses being established this year, thanks to the Finance
Ministry’s tax incentives for such new enterprises. "We hope the 10-year
tax exemption for venture-capital and private-equity trusts that invest in
innovative and start-up business operating under the 10 industry-cluster
target, and the five-year tax exemption for start-ups establishing themselves
this year, will challenge investors and start-ups to invest in and establish a
business. The target is for 10,000 new businesses to be set up by the year's
end," Science and Technology Minister Pichet Durongkaveroj said
yesterday. He was speaking at the "Tax incentives for Venture Capital
and Innovative Start-ups" seminar, arranged by the Securities and
Exchange Commission (SEC). Under the incentive for venture-capital operators
and private-equity trusts, which came into effect on February 10, new
entities that invest in an innovative and start-up business approved by the
National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA) will get a 10-year
income tax exemption from the start of their investment. Meanwhile, approved
start-ups established between October 1, 2015 and the end of this year
benefit from a five-year income tax exemption, effective from April 18. To
qualify for such incentives, the NSTDA requirement is for the new business to
undertake innovative work in one of 47 technologies, which will be announced
at the end of this month, the minister said. The technologies must fall within the 10 industry-cluster
target: the first five 'S-curve' businesses of next-generation automotive,
smart electronics, affluent medical and wellness tourism, agriculture and
biotechnology, and food for the future; and the next five S-curve business
fields of robotics, aviation and logistics, biofuels and biochemicals,
digital, and medical hub. "We believe our tax-exemption policy for
venture-capital and private-equity trusts, and for start-ups, provides an
opportunity and a challenge that surpasses what is on offer in other
countries in the region. This will drive From
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/
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SMEs will dominate the Virtual
Private Cloud (VPC) market in the coming years and this virtual private cloud
market is estimated to reach USD45.69 billion by 2022, according to a recent
study.Globally, BFSI and Telecom are the industry verticals which are
spending a lot on secure and cost-friendly cloud solutions, says Infoholic
Research LLP, a global ICT market research and consulting organisation, in a
study titled “Virtual Private Cloud: Trends & Forecasts, 2016-2022.”“It
is predicted that by 2022, Public and eCommerce sectors will be spending a
lot on cloud-based solutions. The growing dependence of these sectors on
Internet-based applications is one of the reasons for cloud dependency,” said
Tariq Shaik from Research Operations of Infoholic Research.With growth
predicted at a CAGR of 26.35 per cent during the period 2016-2022, the
virtual private cloud market has huge opportunity in industry verticals such
as BFSI, transportation, telecom and hospitality. Further, it will see
significant growth in the coming years due to the growing need for
cost-friendly disaster recovery solutions. “The growing number of SMBs and
their dependence on cloud are driving the growth of the VPC market in the
emerging regions. The major contributors of the market will be countries such
as From
http://egov.eletsonline.com Indian Startup to
Launch First Touch-enabled Programmable T-shirt Broadcast Wearables Pvt. Ltd., a Hyderabad-based startup has
recently designed a t-shirt which has a inbuilt
touchable LED panel. One can switch on-off the LED panel just by tapping on
the t-shirt and a single swipe will enable the LED panel to change the
image, which is directly imported from the connected app. “We aim to
introduce innovation in fashion. Your everyday T-shirt becomes much funkier
when you can change the design at your will. Our main challenge was to install the LEDs into the t-shirt and make it
comfortable for the user, at the same time,” Ayyappa Nagubandi, Founder,
Broadcast Wearables Pvt. Ltd., said. The programmable t-shirt is water-proof;
hence it can be washed as well, he added. A microcontroller attached with a
small battery is also installed in the t-shirt which can be paired with the
smartphone to transfer visual data from the app to LED panel inbuilt in the
t-shirt to be displayed on the garment. The end user just needs to pair the
t-shirt with the app, then design a pattern or upload an image on the app;
and send that design to the t-shirt. The t-shirt has a battery of around 1500 mAh capacity, and the
LED is Surface Mounted Device LEDs (SMD-LED) with a flexible Printed Circuit
Board (PCB). A total of 792 LEDs are used on the front side of the t-shirt to
display the selected graphics. Besides, a very thin wire will be connected
from the inside the arm to the back. “The t-shirt has been designed in such a
way that it incorporates technology without making it uncomfortable to be worn,”
Ayyappa said. The startup, which has just
entered the pre-production phase, is soon to start a crowd-sourcing campaign
wherein a price of the t-shirt would be shared. Besides, the startup is also
attempting to create an eco-system around the t-shirt with launch of API, so
that developers can create unique products out of this technology. From
http://egov.eletsonline.com Going Digital, Where
Do We Stand? If one looks at the technology adoption in This in turn will generate a huge amount of data that will need
to be processed and analysed in real time. The sheer volume of data, and the
velocity at which it is generated, altered and consumed, will threaten to
overwhelm traditional storage architecture. Adding to this, budgets will
never be able to keep pace with data volume, requiring solutions to become
more efficient and cost-effective in storing data. An inability to analyse
and store data as volume explodes reduces sensor devices to little more than
“window dressing” that offers little value to decision makers. In order to
manage staggering amounts of structured and unstructured data, the government
needs to put in place a robust storage architecture.
Tiered storage architecture can help government departments organise data
basis sensitivity of information, importance and accessibility. It is safe to
say that some government bodies used the cloud in From the government’s perspective, delivering applications and
managing information is the most critical and they want to be able to
pragmatically choose a delivery model for each project that best balances
service level, cost and control. These solutions must deliver a data fabric
that allows agencies to keep the right data on-site, move other data to cloud
service providers, and take advantage of the tremendous capabilities offered
by hyperscale cloud providers. This is because the data fabric allows
agencies to control, integrate, move, and consistently manage their data
across the hybrid cloud, while taking full advantage of the economics and
elasticity of the cloud and maintaining control of their data across a hybrid
cloud environment. As a result, advancing the hybrid cloud in 2016 will come
down to a data-centric approach that offers government full flexibility to
pursue a multi-cloud provider strategy. Software Defined Storage From
http://egov.eletsonline.com |
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The number
of Internet users in Touching
upon From http://www.azernews.az/ Azerbaijan
Leads CIS States in EAPI 2016 Report The country got this
score in the economic growth and development sub-index, which measures the
extent to which a country’s energy architecture adds or detracts from
economic growth. In the environmental sustainability sub-index, which
measures the environmental impact of energy supply and consumption of the
country, Among the CIS
countries, This requires upgrading
the existing infrastructure and the development of a chain of new pipelines.
The existing South Caucasus Pipeline will be expanded with a new parallel
pipeline across From http://www.azernews.az/ Network
Improvement Ongoing on Front Line Azercell
Telecom LLC is working hard on expansion of From http://www.azernews.az/ On April 18,
the From http://news.uzreport.uz/ |
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The technology
mix of the National Broadband Network has begun to tilt towards fibre to the
node (FTTN), but figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics reveal that
fibre to the premises (FTTP) was the fastest growing Internet access
technology in the 12 months from December 2014 to December 2015. FTTP
connections almost doubled during the period covered by the ABS’ latest
Internet Activity report, growing from 324,000 to 645,000. (NBN only launched
its FTTN offering in September so the technology wasn't measured in the ABS
release.) DSL-based technologies declined slightly, while fixed wireless
connections grew by a quarter and mobile wireless stayed steady. Satellite
also declined slightly and cable connections grew by just under 4 per cent. The figures reveal
that Australians downloaded 1.71 million terabytes — or 1.7 exabytes — in the
three months ending 31 December 2015. That represents an almost 50 per cent
increase on the quarter ending 31 December 2014. Looking only at fixed
broadband connections, downloads grew by more than 50 per cent during the
period, from 1,112,379TB to 1,673,123TB for the quarter. The ABS download
statistics are based on figures from ISPs with more than 1000 subscribers. In
total there were 12,853,000 Australian broadband connections, the report
said. NBN download growth outstripped the Australian average during the
period, figures released by the company reveal. At the end of December last
year the average monthly downloads per end user on the National Broadband
Network reached 112GB, representing growth of over 67 per cent from December
2014. In addition,
figures from NBN also reveal the average total uploads reached 16GB per user
per month at the end of 2015. “The significant increase in usage over the NBN
network tells us the more bandwidth Australians have, the more content we
want to consume,” NBN’s chief technology officer, Dennis Steiger, said in a
statement. “With forecasts showing the amount of connected devices is
predicted to grow from nine to 29 by 2020, access to fast broadband will be
critical in allowing us to continue to enjoy uninterrupted viewing on
multiple devices at the same time.” From http://www.computerworld.com.au
Skinny has
been ranked as Skinny also
took out the competition at the Canstar Blue Awards beating out the larger
corporates for the second year running to achieve five star rankings across
all sub-categories - value for money, customer service, accessibility,
billing and network coverage. “It’s great when we get positive feedback from
our customers and we’ll certainly use the feedback to help us continue to
improve our service,” adds Ross Parker, General Manager, Skinny
Mobile. Being rated number one in customer satisfaction is amazing and
something we’re really proud of. We’ve always worked hard to bring the best
value mobile plans to Kiwis, but at the same time our customers have told us
that having great customer service is just as important. These awards are
based on consumer feedback and at the end of the day they’re the ones who
count, so we’re pretty proud that we have come out on top, ahead of the
bigger companies like Vodafone and 2degrees.” Findings show that 87 percent
of Skinny customers have only received excellent customer service compared to
only 68 percent of Vodafone customers - meanwhile, 75 percent of Skinny
customers have never experienced long wait times to speak to a customer
service representative, compared to only 42 percent of Vodafone customers. “The recent
award wins herald an excellent future ahead for Skinny, as Kiwis demanding a
different and better value proposition from their mobile provider choose the
market challenger,” Parker adds. As From http://www.computerworld.co.nz
Work to Start on
Trans-Tasman Broadband Cable A new
trans-Tasman broadband cable will hugely improve From http://www.radionz.co.nz
2016 A record
number of new companies from across The local
judges are joined by a world class line up of international judges that
include James Caan of Dragons’ Den fame; Pascal Finette, Head of
Entrepreneurship at Singularity University; Linda Jenkinson, Chair of
LesConcierges; Rohit Shukla, CEO of the Larta Institute; Savannah Peterson,
Director of Innovation at Speck Design, and 2014 Flying Kiwi Dr Catherine
Mohr. Norrie says they join the existing international judges Claudia Batten,
Michael Boustridge, Katherine Corich, Pat Kenealy, Richard Keyse and Nick
Lambert. “We are truly thankful to all our judges both here and around the
world who give of their own time to assist us with judging,” Norrie adds.
“The Hi-Tech Awards continue to be the PwC Hi-Tech
Company of the Year ARANZ Geo Orion Health Serko Vista Group Coretex
Hi-Tech Emerging Company of the Year ARANZ
Medical Flick Energy Outpost
Central Rocket Lab The Mind Lab
by Unitec Collect
Rewards Figure.NZ Figured InsuredHQ Linewize IBM Most
Innovative Company 90 Seconds Figure.NZ Flick Energy Movio SnapComms Callaghan
Innovation Maori Innovation Award Code
Avengers Kiwa Digital Origins
Software Precision
Seafood Harvesting Straker
Translations Whanau Tahi Duncan Cotterill
Innovative Hi-Tech Software Product Movio Orion Health Timely Vend Vocus
Hi-Tech Innovative Services Award Figure.NZ Flick Energy Revolution
Fibres Endace
Innovative Hi-Tech Hardware Product Aeroqual Dynamic
Controls MAS
Zengrange Outpost Central Quick
Circuit Innovative Hi-Tech Mobile Product FoundationFootprint MEA Serato Serko NZTE
Innovative Agritech Product Encounter
Solutions Hivemind Outpost
Central Texus Fibre Ubco Wine Grenade Fronde
Hi-Tech Young Achiever Danushka Abeysuriya
– CEO, Rush Digital Scott
Barrington – CEO, Modlar Jim Dowling
– Director, Digital Stock Breccan
McLeod- Lundy – CEO, Rabid Technologies ATEED Best
technology for the Creative Sector 90 Seconds Parrot
Analytics Shotover
Camera Systems Qual IT Best
technology for the Public Sector Critchlow Intergen Silverstripe Water
Outlook From http://www.computerworld.co.nz
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