Authors include: - Connect-World

T
his issue of Connect-World EMEA (Europe, the Middle
East and Africa) explores how technology ties and
binds the growing relations between the developing
and the developed regions of the world. The theme of
this issue is EMEA and ICT – Positioning for Change.
Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is
shaping the way the world is developing. This is nothing
new, of course. Historically, every major new technology
has shaped, re-shaped and divided the world
between those that control and use the technology
and those that do not.
The digital divide could have been just one more
example of this, but the rapid drop in the technology’s
cost, the rapid return on investment, as well as
the concerted efforts of governments, institutions and
international organisations, turn ICT into the cure for
its own ills.
The EMEA region encompasses a broad range, not just
of geographies, but also of societies and needs. The
new technologies bring opportunity to all, but the sort
of change they will bring to the Middle East and Africa
is several orders of magnitude more earth shaking
than the change they will bring to Europe. Whereas in
most of Europe ICT will bring important, but incremental
change, in much of Africa and the Middle East
the changes will be nothing less than revolutionary.
Regions long cut-off from the benefits of the latest
technologies, from any substantial commerce with the
more developed parts of the world, and with little
cultural interchange, will now, for better and worse,
come face-to-face with all the changes these developments
bring.
Governments, international agencies, regional industries,
service providers, businesses large and small,
and local communities all now need to position themselves
to absorb the benefits and minimise the social
and business risks.
This issue of Connect-World focuses upon what this
technology invasion means to people, communities,
businesses, service providers and equipment suppliers
in Europe the Middle East and Africa.
It points to the need of governments
and companies to plan for the
change.
Similarly, in Connect-World’s Africa
and the Middle East, Asia-Pacific,
Europe, India, North America and
Latin America issues, each region’s leaders look at the
issues that drive the development of their home
regions or countries.
Current discussions centre upon the changes wrought
in industry and society by the latest generation of
information and communications technology – especially
Internet protocol digital communications, and
how both business and society are changing, need to
change, as a result.
Connect-World’s next Global edition will focus upon
the United Nation’s World Summit on the Information
Society – the WSIS. This event, organised by the ITU,
will take place on 16 th -18 th November in Tunis. There,
heads of state, ministers, regulators, government delegations,
leaders of industry and international organisations
from throughout the world will gather to
finalise the plans – developed during years of preparatory
meetings – to realise a worldwide, universal,
information society and provide a blueprint for the
building of a global information economy.
Connect-World is inviting world leaders of industry
and government, including heads of state and ministers,
to share, in our Global edition, their ideas about
how the great goals of the world summit can be
realised, how the world can go about building a truly
global information economy.
The special Connect-World Global Edition, in honour
of the WSIS, in addition to our normal global mailing,
will be distributed to all those attending the WSIS, as
well as to a substantial, select, list of world leaders.
Fredric J. Morris,
Editor-in-Chief
Connect-World
C
onnections
Editor-in-Chief:
Fredric J. Morris
fredric.morris@connect-world.com;
Publisher:
David Nunes
david.nunes@connect-world.com;
Managing Director:
Valetta Brown
admin@connect-world.com;
Printers: Grupo Bigsa
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval
system or transmitted in any form or by any means electronical, mechanical, photocopying,
recording or otherwise, without prior permission from the publishers. The content
of this Publication is based on best knowledge and information available at the time
of publication. No responsibility for any injury, death, loss, damage or delay, however
caused, resulting from the use of the material can be accepted by the publishers or others
associated with its preparation. The publishers neither accept responsibility for, nor
necessarily agree with, the views expressed by contributors.
Connect-World EMEA Issue 2005 is published under Licence by WORLD INFOCOMMS LTD
Executive Office: Global House 12 Albert Road London E16 2DW United Kingdom
Tel.: +44 20 7540 0876 Fax: +44 20 7474 0090
email: info@connect-world.com URL: www.connect-world.com
ISSN 1748-6998
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