Contents - Connect-World

CONNECTIONS, CONEXES, CONEXINES, CONNEXIONS
The information and communication technology sector is entering what promises to be a
period of steady and sustained growth. The sector will not return to the wild predot.com
bust days. Those days are gone and the sector, the sector’s very structure, is different.
The driving forces have changed, the economics have changed, the technology
has changed and the market, what the market expects, has changed. The eternal more,
better, cheaper, are still market drivers, but technologies long recognised as disruptive
are now moving to the forefront and changing the nature of the market. Other, newer,
technological contenders are clamouring for attention. Still, irrational exuberance
especially when spun by sales and marketingis hard to cut through. Hype and enthusiasm
sometimes mask real promises, but, then again, sometimes not.
Fredric J Morris
Editor-In-Chief
Global Development—Ambassador Dr Makarim Wibisono of the Republic of
Indonesia, a member of the UN-ICT Task Force and the former President of the United
Nations Economic and Social Council, argues persuasively that, although ICTs boost economic
and social development, combat poverty, promote equality and gender empowerment,
developing countries trying to implement ICTs have often failed due to the quality
of the available human resources.
National Development—The Honourable Dato Seri Dr Lim Keng Yaik, Malaysias
Minister of Energy, Water and Communications, feels that Malaysia needs to build its
ITC infrastructure and increase the effective use of information technology to transform
itself from a low technology, labour-intensive economy, to a high value-added economyin
part, by providing ITC access in government departments, schools, research
institutions, hospitals, libraries and community centres.
Lyn Maddock, the Acting Chair of the Australian Broadcasting Authority tells how,
preparing for digital television broadcasting, Australia has taken care to protect the
rights of consumers, create a competitive market place and foster the development of
new broadcasting and data services during the transition to digital.
The President/CEO of Koreas Agency for Digital Opportunity and Promotion, Dr Yeon-
Gi Son, explains the policies that have made Korea so effective in promoting the digital
inclusion of Korean society. The government has provided many citizens with subsidised
or free equipment and Internet access, but now its focus is shifting towards promoting
the more effective use of IT.
Australias Tax Office has been working to make it easier and cheaper for people to comply
with their tax obligations. According to Bill Gibson, the Chief Information Officer of
the Australian Taxation Office, its Listening to the Community Program and
Simulation Centre allow designers and users of the tax system to share experiences. As
a result, a series of on-line systems now provide businesses and tax agents with higher
quality, more timely, information.
Developing Regions and Technology—Bill Owens, Nortels President and CEO,
speaks of the worlds many inhabitants for whom the telephone is still a luxury. Half of
Africas population and 75 per cent of China’s inhabitants have never made a phone call.
Converged networks, using packet technologies, can make communications affordable
and revolutionise the lives of such peoplehow they work, learn, receive medical services,
travel and entertain.
Business Development—Most large enterprises and governments across Asia Pacific
have embraced Internet-based business processes and application, explains Derek
Williams, the Executive Vice-President of Oracles Asia Pacific Division. A network of
small and mid-size enterprises, though, dominates Asia Pacifics business and is the
backbone of its global commercial value chain. Asia Pacifics smaller organisations can
become more competitive through the strategic adoption of IT.
All articles are available online at: www.connect-world.com