4通訊公司受促年底前提供網絡服務

（吉隆坡24日訊）能源、水務及通訊部長拿督沙茲曼說，4間獲WiMAX執照通訊公司，須在年底前運作及提供所承諾的網絡服務。

他指出，若有關通訊公司在年尾前仍沒有提供相關服務，該部將要求有關公司提呈解釋信；一旦解釋不合理，其執照將被收回。

他 今日在國會下議院回答安邦國會議員朱萊達提問時指出，大馬多媒體與通訊委員會是于今年3月，發出4張WiMAX執照給4家通訊公司。有關公司是 Bizsurf大馬私人有限公司、MICComm私人有限公司、Asiaspace Dotcom私人有限公司和Redtone-CNX寬頻私人有限公司。

“無線吉隆坡”1500熱點免費上網2年

（吉隆坡24日訊）由政府與非政府單位合作推行的“無線吉隆坡計劃

（Wireless@KL）”，將提供人民為期2年的免費上網服務。

能源、水務及通訊部長拿督沙茲曼指出，有關單位是通過這項計劃，于今年內在吉隆坡市中心安裝多達1500個熱點（hotspot）。

他也說，政府也通過圖書館Wifi無線網絡計劃，在10間位于巴生谷區域的圖書館，提供為期1年的Wifi無線上網。

寬頻客戶激增

他今日在國會下議院回答安邦國會議員朱萊達提問時指出，一些公共場合的熱點範圍，目前已有免費提供寬頻服務（Broadband），如機場、購物中心及餐館等。

他指出，截至今年3月，寬頻客戶人數已增至148萬3000人；全國的寬頻覆蓋率也已佔總居所的18%。

他說，數個州政府也在州內提供免費寬頻服務，比如登嘉樓、檳城、霹靂、馬六甲及砂拉越。

他也說，政府也在全國42個鄉區網絡中心、1089間診所與鄉區圖書館、250社區知識中心及1萬間學校，免費提供上網服務。

沙茲曼指出，在寬頻客戶總人數中，有40萬4200名客戶是採用擁有3G服務的無線上網、無線區域網絡（WLAN）及WiMAX服務。

沙茲曼指出，為了擴大無線寬頻使用率範圍，政府已發出4張3G執照，並且發出4張WiMAX執照給4家通訊公司，以通過WiMAX科技，提升無線上網的網絡聯繫。

NEWS: RM33,000 to set up e-classroom

SJK (C) Kwong Hon in Sungai Besi is now equipped with a smart e-classroom for a technology-enhanced learning experience, with a donation of RM33,000 from SP Setia Foundation.

To get the smart e-classroom up and running, the foundation spent RM10,500 on the basic facilities consisting of a personal computer, LCD projector and screen, speaker, custom-made table, a Digital Visualiser and a Central Control.

Joyful lot: Lee (centre) presenting a mock cheque to SJK(C) Kwong Hon’s Board of Governors member Datuk Seri Lee Wei Ming (with tie). Looking are the school’s headmistress Lau Siew Eng, Setia Learning Academy’s general manager Liew Siong Sing and the school’s pupils.

The balance of RM22,500 was used to buy 300 sets of study desks and chairs to equip six classrooms at its newly completed four-storey school building, to allow for single session schooling.

Foundation chairman Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye said Malaysia was going full gear towards a knowledge-based economy, hence funding the smart e-classroom was in line with the Education Ministry’s directive to embrace ICT applications in the school's teaching and learning setting.

“With the ever-evolving use of ICT technology, the learning mode has changed to become more facilitatory and collaborative in nature. Thus I hope this e-classroom will encourage students here to achieve better knowledge retention via the interaction with the technology and multimedia,” he said.

He said the biggest portion of the foundation's annual budget was reserved for educational cause, as education has the power to change someone's life for the better.

Lee said the foundation spent RM2mil every year on the Setia Adoption Programme, which was currently helping 2,300 students pursuing primary, secondary and tertiary education. Each student is given basic educational needs worth RM900 every year.

“SJK (C) Kwong Hon is one of the best performing schools under the programme and I hope the sponsorship will further encourage the students and teachers to keep up with their excellent performance,” he said.

Lee added that the foundation would hold a fund-raising dinner on July 12 at Sunway Resort, to be attended by Health Minister Datuk Liow Tiong Lai. The dinner is targeted to raise RM5mil.

NEWS: Virtually engaged

FIRST-year biomedical science undergrads studying at Taylor’s University College in Selangor recently participated in a two-hour video-conferencing lecture series organised by the school’s twinning partner, the University of Queensland (UQ) in Australia.

UQ researcher and head of Neural Stem Cells and Aging Laboratory at its Queensland Brain Institute, Dr Rod Rietze, conducted the lecture.

The objective of the live session, attended by 550 students from both institutions, was to introduce students to a different mode of communication via technology. What transpired was an engaging session of sharing and exchanging information for both students and lecturers as they listened to Dr Rietze talk on the Therapeutic Applications of Neural Stem Cells.

The biomedical science students at Taylor’s University College listening intently during the video-conferencing lecture.

“Through plenary lecture series like these, students will be able to not just listen to top class researchers but also question the speaker and engage in active discussion,” said Taylor’s School of Biomedical Sciences programme director Dr Malini Eliatamby.

“As the undergrads will be engaging in research on a topic of their choice soon, they must be exposed to ways of conducting research as well as understand the importance of expressing research outcomes in different formats that are more relevant in today’s information age,” she added.

“Once they complete their assignments, these will be posted online for feedback and discussion.”

The students will be graded based on the quality of questions they post on the website as well as the quality of their responses to the questions posted by the other groups.

“Besides improving their research and scientific discussion skills, the students of both countries are also able to interact virtually and strengthen ties,” continued Dr Malini.

NEWS: E-skills training: Earn an income, develop responsibility

Some of the works of Kajang Prison inmates under the Inno-Youth project.

KAJANG Prison inmate Mohammad Rashid, 16, has never used a computer in his life.

Today, the inmate has completed all three modules of a desktop publishing application and is able to do computer design work.

Mohammad Rashid is one of 250 participants of Inno-Youth (Innovative Youth): Empowering Kajang Prison Inmates (Youths) in Digital Micro-Enterprises — a social project launched by Prihatin Social Malaysia (Prihatin Malaysia) last year.

The lad has been in the prison for the past 10 months for possessing stolen goods. He is currently being held on remand and his court hearing is in September.

He left school at Standard Six with no clear direction of what he wanted to do with his life. The kampung boy had a normal childhood until his friends asked him to keep a stolen bike.
Six months ago, Mohammad Rashid joined the Inno-Youth programme and is excited about what he has learned.

“This programme has created an awareness that you can use information and communications technology (ICT) skills to make a living and I'm looking forward to open a small printing business (for name cards, wedding cards and brochures, for example) once I'm released. I am sure my parents will be proud of me,” says Mohammad Rashid, happily.

He also intends to produce personalised creative items such as T-shirts and mugs.

His fellow participants echo similar sentiments. Kumaresan knew nothing about computers. Now, the 17-year-old says he has picked up some ICT skills in prison at no cost.

He was an average Sijil Penilaian Menengah Rendah student and had many friends. His father died a few years ago and his mother supported him by doing odd jobs.

Kumaresan was arrested in connection with a breaking-and-entering case involving RM4,000 in 2006. Currently being held on remand, his release date will be known after the verdict in July.

Kumaresan, who is known to be a quiet and an obedient boy, never created any problems while in prison and is respected by the other inmates.

He has not decided on what he intends to do when he is released.

Kumaresan says most companies do not employ former offenders, although he is willing to do any work to support his family.

“But I am not worried now. I am thankful to be taught how to use a computer,” he says.

Excited about ICT, he plans to continue his studies in this field. “I can do computer design work and my family will be surprised at what I have gained from the programme.

“I also learned about education and funding opportunities. I am thankful to be a participant in this wonderful project.”

Ah Chai, 22, who is serving 10 years for a murder charge, is grateful for the opportunity.

He had a pleasant childhood. His father is a businessman, his mother, a housewife.

Ah Chai, who will be released in July 2010, intends to further his studies in computer science and other related fields. "I like graphic design and three-dimension animation," he says, excitedly. He also plans to help his father in his business.

“I never expected that there will be ICT training in prison. We have learned a lot and I hope this project will be held in other prisons.”

Kajang Prison prison officer and deputy superintendent Ranjit Singh Gurdev Singh says the Inno-Youth programme will enable inmates to become self-sufficient once they are released.

While it's too early to know if the course has made a difference to the inmates, those involved feel it has been worthwhile.

Inno-Youth was founded in April 2007 by the Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry under the Community Innovation Fund.

“Hopefully, participants can earn an income and develop a sense of responsibility. Other inmates will look up to them,” says Ranjit.

NEWS: E-skills training: Learning tech behind prison walls

Kajang Prison inmates at an e-skills training programme on multimedia and desktop publishing.

Many repeat offenders in prison have never learned to deal with the real world. Prihatin Sosial Malaysia has initiated a project that it hopes will give former prisoners a new lease of life, writes SHYLA SANGARAN.

We want to give inmates guidance, hope, skills and confidence upon their release from prison, says Ramanitharan.

FOR many inmates, there is something harder than prison life and that is life on the outside.

Many of those behind bars are repeat offenders who have never learned to deal with the rigours of the real world.

Re-offending cases are high mainly because former inmates are ill-equipped to enter the job market. Often, they do not possess relevant skills which could be used to earn a living.

For now, prison inmates are offered a vocational-based training programme such as batik printing/painting, handicraft making and tailoring. These courses, in most cases, are out-of-date and monotonous in nature.
“Training of prison inmates is an international issue,” says Prihatin Sosial Malaysia (Prihatin Malaysia) project manager Ramanitharan Rajaram.

A recent conference in the United Kingdom confirms that there is a greater need among the countries in the world to formulate and implement relevant training programmes for inmates.

“Currently, the prison is treated as a detention centre and not as a rehabilitation centre to reduce re-offending cases. For example, in the UK the rate of re-offending cases is 53 per cent (out of 100 released, 53 return to prison),” says Ramanitharan.

More than 80,000 prisoners in Britain are in jails and most of them have poor education. The government found half of the inmates lacked the skills needed for 96 per cent of jobs available on their release. It was by offering skills and jobs on their release that the re-offending rate dropped to almost nil.

A recent report from the Learning and Skills Development Agency in Britain also found prisoners who received training and education had a significantly lower recidivism rate one year after release.

After a computer training programme conducted at Bangkhen Women's Prison in Thailand, many former inmates are now employed in jobs that require computer skills.

The prison hired inmates to type Thai and English journal indexes using computers. Later, the prison offered graphics-related jobs such as making cards and leaflets, and image retouching. With e-skills, the inmates managed to earn about 50,000 baht (RM4,930) per month.

Prihatin Malaysia's initial interviews with prison inmates indicated that most of them wanted relevant, industrious and “cool” courses such as those related to information and communications technology (ICT).

It was against this backdrop of wanting to offer former offenders a new lease of life that Prihatin Malaysia started a project called Inno-Youth (Innovative Youth): Empowering Kajang Prison Inmates (Youths) in Digital Micro-Enterprises.

Launched in June 2007, the two-year project involving 250 Kajang Prison inmates — males aged between 15 and 39 — is an e-skills training programme which teaches participants about multimedia and desktop publishing. The aim is to enable them to become micro-entrepreneurs when they rejoin society.

The Inno-Youth project is Prihatin Malaysia's third project in a correction centre. Prihatin Malaysia has also carried out similar projects at Henry Gurney School, a school for juvenile delinquents, and Kajang Women Prison with impressive results.

“Other prisons have also requested that we conduct similar training but we are unable to oblige through lack of funds,” says Ramanitharan.

Other non-governmental organisations have initiated educational projects with juvenile prisons. For example, Shelter Home conducts classes for juvenile inmates to help them to keep up with studies.

Companies have also come forward in providing educational computer software, computer equipment and other resources.

Cisco Systems (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd is one of the strategic partners of Prihatin Malaysia. It provides free networking and essential IT training for prison instructors.

Masterskill Colleges of Nursing & Health provides scholarships for selected inmates to further their studies after their release.

“This is a milestone because it is the first time inmates get scholarships to further their studies. At the end of the day we want to show inmates that we care,” says Ramanithran.

The goal of the Inno-Youth project is to help prisoners break the cycle of repeated arrests by equipping them with skills which they can use to enter the job market on their release.

Project participants are in prison for a variety of offences — gang fight, illegal motor racing, theft, snatch theft, selling pirated digital versatile disc, blackmail, rape and murder, among others.

“We want to give them guidance, hope, skills and confidence upon their release from prison.”

The idea is to use ICT as a creative tool to prepare, train and enhance the targeted group's ability to offer niche services in multimedia and desktop publishing.

Armed with their newly acquired skills, former offenders may venture into the following desktop publishing services: designing, creating and publishing business name cards, flyers, brochures, wedding invitation cards and producing creative personalised souvenir items; digital photography (merging pictures, downloading and printing pictures from digital camera, retouching old pictures), scanning services and label printing; digital videography (transferring analogue video vertical helix scan format into CDs and burning CDs); and telecentre services (Internet, email, online bill payment, digital faxing and copying services).

“To be able to offer these services, an InnoYouth micro-entrepreneur will only need a personal computer and a colour printer,” says Ramanitharan.

They may start, for an example, an e-kiosk in shopping malls offering digital photography services, producing personalised souvenir items or instant name card printing services.

“Our past experience clearly shows positive changes in attitude once an opportunity is granted to inmates. In fact, most of the participants are unaware of their own potential especially when it comes to ICT.”

Within two weeks of training, some project participants showed remarkable ability to produce high-quality artworks (book covers, business name cards, CD-labels and manipulating digital photos).

Some project participants say that the opportunity to learn e-skills while serving their terms have made them more confident to face the outside world.

NEWS: 尋政治真相‧美國人轉求網絡

（美 國）一項新研究發現，不滿足於那些政治摘要言論的美國人如今正轉向互聯網尋求更為全面的圖景。在週日（15日）發佈的一份報告中，Pew互聯網好美國人生 活項目稱，將近30%的成年人曾使用互聯網閱讀或觀看未被過濾的競選材料，包括辯論原始錄像、立場報告、聲明以及演說原文。

Pew機構主管萊尼爾說：“他們想要看到全面的競選活動。他們想要閱讀演說從頭至尾每個字。”

Google公司的Youtube和其他視頻網站已經愈來愈受歡迎。在初選期間，35%的美國成年人觀看了網上的政治視頻，2004年的整個總統大選過程中，這個比例只有13%。

研究還發現，有10%的成年人使用Facebook和MySpace這樣的交友網站用於政治活動，如把一個競選主頁添加為好友、探尋一個朋友的政治興趣或加入一個在政治小組。

Pew還發現，網上籌款有所上升，6%的成年人使用網絡進行競選捐款，這在2004年只有2%。（紐約明報）

NEWS: 谷歌：油價上漲有利網絡業

（美 國）油價、原材料、紙漿等商品價格上漲，讓許多行業陷入難關，但互聯網搜索巨擘谷歌公司（Google, 股市代號 GOOG）副總裁溫瑟夫表示，這些都正在傷害全球經濟，但是對網絡業來說卻是好事一件。他指出，油價、原物料價格上漲傷害全球經濟，但卻是網絡高速成長的 契機，他說，“雖然我並不樂見油價上漲，不過這確有可能有利網絡業，因為人們會轉向網絡，這有助於提高網絡的效益。”

他認為，油價上漲、中國奧運和美國大選用紙需求量大增，加上油價飆漲增加運輸成本，這些都加重 了報紙、雜誌等平面印刷媒體的成本壓力，但是網絡卻沒有這方面的任何負擔。溫瑟夫於18日在南韓參加經濟合作開發組織（OECD）一場有關網絡經濟的未來 的會議中稱，高油價也將讓商業企業愈來愈需要使用網絡、視訊或者其他電子媒介，也節省了商旅往來，“這（高油價）或許對網絡有正面影響。”

NEWS: 中國網路視頻用戶達1億6000萬

（中國）一份權威報告指出，中國網路視頻用戶現達到1億6000萬，這相當於每1.3個網民中就有1個視頻網民，中國網路視頻行業先後吸引的風險投資已近3億美元。

根據中國網際網路絡資訊中心（CNNIC）發佈的《2008年中國網路視頻市場及網民視頻消費行為研究報告》，近年來寬帶網路的普及、技術革新以及相對寬鬆的版權環境，令競爭激烈的中國網路視頻業前景良好。

調查顯示，中國網民對網路視頻娛樂性消費傾向較重，電影和電視劇是最受關注的內容，高達86.3的比例遠超其他內容，但年齡最大、收入最高的消費人群主要關注財經類視頻節目。
　
報告指出，當前中國國內網路視頻行業主流分為視頻分享、門戶視頻、網路電視和網路視頻下載等四個大類，內容則分別來自專業內容製作機構（電視媒體、影視製作、音樂製作、體育組織等）和草根網民原創、轉載、二次加工這兩大來源。

調查還發現，分享成為視頻網民中普遍的一種自發內容傳播方式，約75%的用戶表示會將自己消費過的網路視頻內容分享給其他網友，而在分享視頻內容的方式上，近95%的網民習慣使用QQ、MSN等即時通信工具來傳輸視頻的網頁鏈結地址或內容名稱。

負責報告的CNNIC高級分析師劉哲表示，2008年以來，作為行業最主流的兩類模式，視頻分享和網路電視在網民覆蓋的廣度與深度上都有嶄新提升，如何將規模化流量轉化為商業價值是決定網路視頻服務提供商能否贏在2008的關鍵所在。

此外，在監管不斷加深的情況下，改進技術、爭奪內容和弘揚主旋律則是今後網路視頻服務提供商持續推動流量前進的基本要素。（中新社）

NEWS: Altera to share expertise with varsities

KUALA LUMPUR: Semiconductor manufacturer Altera Corp has spent US$100,000 (RM330,000) to inject its industrial expertise into the current engineering curricula used at local universities.

It signed a memorandum of understanding on Monday with the custodian of the MSC Malaysia initiative, Multimedia Development Corp (MDeC), to enhance the VLSI (very large scale integration) and FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array) design curricula.

The investment includes the donation of 600 design boards, the company’s Quartus semiconductor design software and textbooks to set-up a VLSI design laboratory in 10 local universities.

The universities are International Islamic University, Tunku Abdul Rahman College, Multimedia University (both its Cyberjaya and Malacca campuses), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Universiti Malaya, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Universiti Tun Hussein Onn, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia and Universiti Putra Malaysia.

This collaboration between MDeC and Altera is part of the MSC Malaysia Industry-Academia Collaborations Initiative (IAC), which is a long-term measure aimed at producing talent for MSC Malaysia companies and which will address the country’s goal of creating a larger pool of knowledge workers. Under the IAC, university lecturers will be trained by the participating companies in the latest industry curricula and tools and will then impart this knowledge to their students.

Through this initiative, MDeC and Altera have set a goal of training 1,500 relevant engineers by next year.

The universities are expected to start using the new curriculum within the next few months.

“We are scheduling the implementation now,” said MDeC vice-president for capacity development, Ng Wan Peng.

She said said such a collaboration is important for the local IT industry to flourish and to provide job opportunities for the growing number of graduates.

“Business investments will go to places where there is a large talent pool available so MDeC will continue to come up with ways to enlarge this pool,” Ng said.

Besides the IAC, short term solutions like finishing schools are also used to solve the talent pool problem.

“Such programmes are deployed on demand and we hold courses to help graduates with soft skills like communication and leadership,” she said.

Chris Oh, vice-president of Altera Asia Pacific Operations, said injecting industry expertise into university curricula is only part of what Altera wants to achieve.

“Our ultimate goal is to see local minds create future global IT companies,” he said, adding that some of Altera’s former employees have already done so.

Deputy Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation Haji Fadillah Haji Yusof, who was officiating at the MOU signing said MDeC is taking the right steps to prepare graduates for the future.

“Bringing industry expertise into the classroom will help students better understand actual industry practices,” he said.

Deputy Minister of Higher Education (1) Datuk Haji Idris Haji Haron, who was also at the event, said the collaboration ties in well with his ministry’s intention to reposition university curricula to meet future market demands.

“In turn, such collaborations will help reduce the number of unemployed graduates,” he added.

NEWS: 青體部長：青年之友網絡互動

雙溪大年13日訊）青年及體育部長拿督依斯邁沙比里指出，該部將設立“青年之友網絡互動”，讓年輕人有機會針對時下課題，透過網絡表達心聲及抒發情緒。

他說，該部近期內將與各區的青體中心負責人商討后，并于今年8月初，在各區青體中心設立這項活動。

他透露，初步階段，該部會提供10台電腦或硬體設備給各區青體中心，讓城市及郊區的青少年有機會使用電腦。

依斯邁沙比里今日在華玲青年體育館，為“華玲青年體育館暨2008年吉州青年日”開幕時，這么指出。

他透露，該部設立“青年之友網絡互動”，希望通過互聯網這個管道，與青少年互動，除了跟上時代脈搏，也從中了解他們的想法。

聆聽意見

“很多青少年認為自己在表達社會課題及意見時，很多時候都被長輩認為他們入世未深，很多見解都不被社會接受，深感受忽略及灰心。”

他說，該部願意以開放的態度聆聽他們的意見，所以透過上述管道，讓他們去抒發及發表心中想表達的意見及心聲。

他指出，該部也宣布撥款3000令吉，給各區已注冊的青體中心充作推動活動目的，提供機會讓青少年參與更多該部主辦的活動。

儀式上，依斯邁沙比里為華玲青年體育會館開幕，以及頒發“2008年吉州最佳青年獎項”給得獎者，共有2名華裔獲頒這個獎項，分別為吉打州青年理事會副主席羅永忠及新民國中同學王志德。

NEWS: Yahoo hires Google to sell some online ads in latest attempt to boost its profits

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Yahoo has hired Internet search leader Google to sell some online ads in hopes of boosting its profit.

The Sunnyvale-based company announced the plans late Thursday after its stock plunged 10 percent on news that its efforts to revive takeover talks with Microsoft had hit a dead end.

Yahoo Inc. is now counting on Google Inc.'s superior moneymaking system to appease its angry shareholders as it tries to fend off a shareholder mutiny being led by activist investor Carl Icahn.

By using Google's superior advertising technology, Yahoo believes it can boost its annual cash flow by $250 million to $450 million in the first year of the deal.

The partnership could last up to 10 years if it can win antitrust approval.-AP

NEWS: Malaysia ranks high in connectivity study

PETALING JAYA: Malaysia is number one in a connectivity study, beating economic powerhouses China and India, in the efficiency-driven market segment of the Connectivity Scorecard study.

The study (www.connectivityscorecard.org) was done by the London Business School and US-based economic consulting firm LECG.

It studied two segments — efficiency-driven markets, such as Malaysia, and innovation-driven economies, like the United States and Japan.

The Connectivity Scorecard measures the extent to which governments, businesses and consumers make use of connectivity technologies — the copper wires, fibre-optic lines, mobile phones and personal computers.

The study was commissioned by Nokia Siemens Networks and published last month. Malaysia was the highest scorer in the emerging economies segment of the study, with a score of 7.59 out of 10, beating China (4.45) and India (1.83) in the process.

According to the study, Malaysia may soon be “knocking at the door” of the “innovation-driven” economies.

Malaysia leads the efficiency-driven segment with high broadband subscription levels, high mobile network coverage and subscriptions, and scores very highly on business usage of mobile e-mail and Internet too, the study said.

Malaysia also did well as it has high ICT (Information and Communications Technology) literacy rates and usage scores, comparable in some cases to innovation driven economies, said the survey.

The Connectivity Scorecard could help governments in assessing how ICT policy can be advanced.

In Malaysia’s case, the study states that the country needs to improve connectivity by further expanding broadband penetration.

Bill Chang, country manager of Nokia Siemens Networks said that perhaps the Government could subsidise broadband Internet.

“It all boils down to high-speed broadband for the masses. When this is achieved, there will be a need for broadband applications and this will generate more economic activity,” he said.

Currently, Malaysia has a broadband penetration rate of 3.5 per 100 people, said the survey.

NEWS: Driving education to a new level

IN A bid to enhance the learning environments in schools, the Education Ministry and Microsoft Malaysia have launched Generasi-M, a student-focused programme designed to meet their needs.

Generasi-M stands for maju (progessive), maklumat (information), maya (virtual), mudah alih (mobile), maklum balas (interactive), multimedia (multimedia), modular (modular) and mudah (easy).

Under Generasi-M, there are six core elements:
# THE provision of Robotic Studio Development Tools for schools;

# STUDENT Technology Enabler Pilot, which will be used to drive the usage of information and communications technology (ICT) among younger students and those from rural schools;

# STUDENT Ambassador Programme, which will allow Malaysian students to interact with their peers around the world through homestay programmes;

# LIVE@EDU, where Malaysian school students will be provided with a personalised online ID that will be hosted on Microsoft LIVE Hotmail, allowing five million Malaysian students access to 5GB of e-mails, blogs, instant messaging, online storage and space and other Internet tools;

# BOARD of the Future, which will comprise a group of primary and secondary students who will work together with educators to enhance student programmes in schools; and

# DIGITAL Readiness Curriculum, which will range from basic ICT literacy to setting up student-help desks to assist schools in managing their ICT infrastructure.

This programme falls under the umbrella of Microsoft’s worldwide “Partners in Learning” (PiL) initiative.

Microsoft Unlimited Potential Group senior vice-president Orlando Ayala, who was on his fourth trip to Malaysia, said the programme was about realising the full potential of an individual.

“This is about bringing the public and private sectors together to drive education to the next level and ensure that the workforce will be ready for the challenges of the new millennium,” he said after launching Generasi-M at SK Taman Megah, Petaling Jaya, recently.

Ayala added that through PiL, nearly 3.5 million educators and 80 million students in more than 100 countries had been trained.

In Malaysia, the PiL programme has reached more than 150,000 teachers and five million students in the last five years.

The ministry's Education Technology Division director Dr Salbiah Ismail, who was representing Deputy Minister Datuk Hon Choon Kim, commended Microsoft for its efforts in encouraging students to learn by themselves.

“By providing the infrastructure and the applications to do so, it will make teaching and learning fun,” she said.

Microsoft also announced that it would be adopting 10 Malaysian schools under the Generasi-M initiative.

SK Taman Megah and SK Cyberjaya are the first two schools named.

Microsoft Malaysia public sector group general manager Azizah Ali said the company was still in the process of identifying the other eight schools.

“We want a variety and are looking to include schools in rural areas to extend their capabilities,” she said.

NEWS: Give back to society, TNB told

TENAGA Nasional Bhd (TNB) should do more to give back to society, South Seberang Prai district officer Jusni Ismail said.

He said the company was among the leading companies with a big capital share on Bursa Malaysia.

“Echoing what Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng has said, I feel big companies such as TNB should channel some of their large profits to the public,” he said when opening TNB Penang’s Community Leaders Outreach Programme (CLOP) yesterday.

Jusni said TNB, which had about eight million customers, was not only the country’s sole electricity supplier, but also an important billion-ringgit company in Southeast Asia.

He said the company should expand its corporate social responsibility (CSR) programmes to play an active role in helping the poor and underprivileged.

“Many people often ask me when TNB will visit their place to upgrade the power supply as well as to install more street lights.

“They also ask me whether TNB has given any allocations to the district office to carry out social activities,” he said.

TNB president and CEO Datuk Che Khalid Mohamad Nor, in his speech read out by Penang TNB general manager Ismail Abdul Rahman, said TNB would spend RM270mil to build a few main sub-stations throughout Penang.

“With this project, we hope to further improve services in Penang,” he said.

Che Khalid also urged the public to be TNB’s eyes and ears in curbing copper and cable theft.

NEWS: Community focus of Intel

AS part of efforts to give back to the community, Intel Malaysia kicked off a corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiative last year. One of the programmes is the Volunteer Matching Grant Program (VMGP).

According to Intel Malaysia’s community relations programme manager of corporate affairs Azrena Mahmud, VMGP is a grant programme that has a two-fold objective on education: a direct employee voluntary engagement that delivers results, and a cash donation to the schools involved based on the amount of voluntary hours spent.

“Through VMGP, our employees are able to impart their knowledge and more importantly, help inculcate a passion for engineering, maths, science and technology among the schoolchildren.”

Azrena said VMGP is an example to schoolchildren that education is important and that the programme promotes the spirit of volunteerism and community outreach.

“More than money received for the schools, students’ lives are enriched by the close relationship established with the Intel volunteers. It has a big impact on a child when an adult spends time with them.”

Among the benefits to students are improved communication skills and self-esteem, as they know that they are loved, and building team spirit.

From May to December last year, a total of 1,136 Intel employees logged 5,860 hours of voluntary work in a wide range of activities in 23 schools across Penang and Kulim. In addition to the support rendered by the volunteers, their efforts had resulted in RM75,000 worth of grants being given to the schools that they were involved in.

Explaining how the programme works, Azrena said for every 20 hours Intel employees spend volunteering in primary and secondary schools, the Intel Foundation will donate US$80 (RM270) to the identified schools. And every additional 20 hours volunteered earns another US$80.

Under the programme, Intel Malaysia has also established a Community Computer Centre (CCC). To date, three Intel CCCs have been established in Penang and one in Kulim.

“The CCC serves to provide equal access and opportunity to everyone, irrespective of age, social standing and race, to develop the confidence, skills, resources and experience needed to use technology meaningfully and play a role in the new economy,” Azrena explained.

As an extension to the CCC, Intel also deploys volunteers to the centre to conduct free computer classes for members of the community such as single mothers, orphans and the handicapped.

“These classes are held on a quarterly basis, with the volunteers playing a key role as tutor and content developer,” Azrena said.

Some of the classes offer basic introduction to Microsoft programs.

On the budget Intel has set aside for its CSR programme, Azrena said there are no allocations set for VMGP. “Volunteers may spend as many hours as possible to support the programme. The Intel Foundation has not set any restrictions to the number of funds to be donated, as long as the volunteer hours abide with VMGP’s rules and guidelines.”

Going forward, Azrena said she hopes that VMGP will spread its wings to more schools in Penang and Kedah and even to selected non-profit organisations.

NEWS: Empowering enterprises with Web 2.0

ONCE considered a means for the public to communicate and share a common interest, Web 2.0 social networking tools like blogs, RSS (really simple syndicate), Wikis, podcasting, mashups, and widgets are now slowly being adopted by the enterprise community, as an alternative to traditional communication tools like telephones and e-mail.

Oglesby says that some companies’ best ideas for innovation come from customers and workers who communicate through social networking applications like blogs and forums.
Oglesby says that some companies’ best ideas for innovation come from customers and workers who communicate through social networking applications like blogs and forums.

According to IBM worldwide sales manager, Lotus Connections, IBM Software Group, Larry Oglesby, many companies realise that some of the best ideas for innovation come from customers and workers who communicate through social networking applications like blogs and forums.

“Social networking tools will create a huge impact on the way communications are done in companies. It is fast becoming a forum for companies to gain feedback from their customers and employees,” he said in Petaling Jaya last week.

What makes a growing number of companies adopt social networking tools are due to their characteristics, said Oglesby.

“People with common goals use the software to connect and interact, create communities, and allow valuable information to be shared by community users, not by a central authority,” he said.

In the consumer space, Oglesby said social networking tools are used to connect people, but in the enterprise space, it goes into connecting information and services with each other and individuals and teams.

“It also empowers business users to develop applications that meet the needs of the changing business environment and share these with the network,” he said.

Companies investing in social networking tools can expect their return on investment to come in a number of ways.

“Firstly, by the next decade, a lot of experienced workers will be retiring. Thus, companies are looking at ways to capture all the knowledge these workers have, and one way this can be done is through social networking software such as blogging, or through community forums. This way, the knowledge will be captured and shared among the younger workforce,” said Oglesby.

“Graduates entering the workforce are also expecting social networking tools in the workplace, as they have been using these tools in college or at home. As a result, we’re seeing companies now being interested in providing that capability.”

Oglesby added that global companies with many branches and mobile workers will also benefit, as the technology will make the employees feel more connected. “To companies facing mergers and acquisition, the existence of social networking applications will help workers from the two companies improve intra- and inter-company communications and collaborations,” he added.

Another key benefit of Web 2.0 is the speed with which enterprises can respond to customers.

“With the advent of Web 2.0, customers can be directed to the queries, which are posted on the person’s (subject matter expert’s) blog, and accessible by any customer in the future. This ability to respond fast should appeal well to customers,” said Oglesby.

IBM has also come out with its version of social networking tools intended for use by companies of all sizes. Called IBM Lotus Connections social software, the application is similar to public social networking tools like blogspots, facebook, Flickr, etc, but with enterprise-class security system added to it.

NEWS: Wake up call for public sector

A crisis is emerging, driven by an ageing workforce, widening remuneration gap between the public and private sector, changing expectations of younger workers, and the growing complexity of public policy issues. Ovum’s research director Steve Hodgkinson says this should serve as a wake up call to the governments.

THE next few years are shaping up to be something of a crossroads for public sector knowledge workers. Issues that have sparked the crisis such as an ageing workforce and the growing complexity of public policy issues have been sneaking up on us. But, we may look back on this as the year that government woke up to the need to invest in its own organisational fabric.

One of the symptoms is the progressive down-wasting of document and records management capabilities. The public sector once prided itself on the discipline of its paper records management, with registered filing being an essential element of the training of all public servants.

The coincidence of the ease of electronic document creation, more decentralised organisation models, and the demise of the career public servant has led to a gradual loss of document and records management discipline.

Witness the almost universal failure of document and record management systems in recent years. Even if a system can be said to be operational, the quality of the recording is low. Most information is in practice, stored in an ad hoc manner in thousands of computer hard drives and network folders, application database and content repositories.

This short-term expediency has become a part of public sector culture, reinforced by new workers unaware of public sector document disciplines, staff moving in and out of the public sector, and from one agency to another with a delirious sense of living for the present. Write the brief, deliver the project and move on.

But it’s OK because technology will save us – it’s stored somewhere and we can fire up a search engine to find anything we want. The irony is that, some structure is worse than none at all. Hierarchical folders, partitioned networks, inscrutable document names, multiple document versions, e-mail attachments, etc, defeat searches. We would have been better with no structure at all, one big electronic file with open naming standards like the Internet, then we could at least just Google the lot.

Why do I think that 2008/09 will be any different? Because we are at the beginning of a new generation of tools that caused this problem.

The previous generation of tools were designed to support individual authoring and one-on-one exchanges such as e-mail, the next generation is emerging to support collaboration. Major vendors such as Microsoft and IBM have delivered a new breed of collaboration tools, and new entrants such as Atlassian and Google have launched a new paradigm in Internet-delivered tools.

These tools make it easy and natural to share knowledge. New features, for example, include the ability to create a document in a shared repository, with many authors but only one authoritative version – a “Golden copy” – searchable, secure and archived.

It is no wonder, therefore, that most jurisdictions are agonising this year over their “desktop strategy”. The desktop strategy starts out being a simple renegotiation of an enterprise agreement with Microsoft and/or IBM, and ends up being a fundamental soul search about the nature of knowledge work in the public sector, the processes and practices, the people and their culture and behaviours.

This is a critical business issue for all agencies, and is one that senior executives should take interest in. It is not a technical software procurement issue. Consider this: one of the key determinants of your ability to hire the best and brightest young employees in the near future may well be the quality of your knowledge worker tools and the culture of collaboration that they engender.

NEWS: Facebook makes profile pages quicker, less cluttered

Facebook on Wednesday unveiled revamped profile pages overhauled to make the hot social-networking Web site faster, less cluttered and more spam-resistant.

The new design lets Facebook members use tabs to give priority to fresh pictures, messages, or “feeds” on main profile pages and compartmentalise mini applications and “static” information such as curriculum vitae.

The changes are motivated by feedback from users as well as a trend toward people flooding the Internet with digital content such as videos, pictures, and musings they want to share, according to Facebook’s vice president of marketing Chamath Palihapitiya.

Outside developers that write fun, functional or hip software applications for Facebook users will get to tinker with the new format beginning this week so they can “tweak” programs to fit the new profile design.

The more than 70 million people worldwide that use Facebook will get chances to “opt-in” to redesigned profile pages during a “beta” test phase in the coming weeks.

The redesign is “in flux” and the final outcome will depend on input from members, according to Facebook’s director of platform product marketing Ben Ling.

Popular mini applications such as “walls” and “graffiti” which let friends post playful messages on each others’ profiles will be under a “feed” tab for “widgets” that constantly stream updated information.

The use of online picture sharing services such as Yahoo’s Flickr at Facebook is “really quite staggering” so a “Photos” tab is devoted for images, according to Facebook engineer Mark Slee.

An “Applications” tab will provide more control of settings of programs chosen for profiles, curtailing problems with software that secretly sets itself as a priority or sends itself to users’ friends.

Palihapitiya said Facebook is willing to work with other Internet firms, including Google, to make it possible for members of online communities to freely move their personal content between Web sites.

“We want users’ information to be private, secure and respected,” Palihapitiya said. – AFP

NEWS: Turning crisis into opportunities

THE world food crisis is a good opportunity for the information and communications technology (ICT) industry to help manage a global issue.

Customers check out the price of rice at a local hypermarket. The current food crisis presents an opportunity for local tech players to put their ideas to use.

Already, some of the world leaders are calling for a tech solution to this crisis, which can lead to global hunger and malnutrition problems, if not duly addressed.

At the recent 16th World Congress on Information Technology (WCIT 2008) in Kuala Lumpur, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said the problem, like other global concerns, can be solved through the creative use of ICT. He added that ICT has already become an indispensable tool for information dissemination on climatic changes, and similarly, can be applied to provide solutions in the area of agriculture and food production.

Egypt’s Prime Minister Ahmed Nazif echoed the same hope, calling on the industry to create innovative mechanisms that will help close the current gap between supply and demand, and develop tools and applications, which will increase productivity and improve the management of food supply.

One tech company is showing how it can be done. IBM has reported that it is embarking on a Nutritious Rice for the World project, in collaboration with the University of Washington to develop stronger strains of rice that could produce crops with larger and more nutritious yields, via the World Community Grid supercomputing technology. There will certainly be more announcements of initiatives by other players with the same objective.

Apart from the big players, the food crisis also presents an opportunity for local tech players to put their innovative ideas to use. Applications and solutions to help alleviate the food crisis are certainly much sought after, and should help to drive business growth.

Another incentive is the opportunity to break into the global market.

A compelling food for thought, perhaps?

NEWS: Corporate Help

The Education Ministry is working with corporations to involve students in projects to enhance their problem-solving skills.

THE Education Ministry's objective is to produce all-round students who have the ability to think and cope in situations beyond the classroom.

According to Education deputy director-general (Schools) Datuk Noor Rezan Bapoo Hashim, students are already participating in co-curricular activities at school.

They can join in the various uniformed associations, sports clubs and societies.

However, she says that students are encouraged to join programmes initiated by multi-national companies (MNCs) as part of their corporate social responsibility (CSR).

Noor Rezan says that areas beyond the Klang Valley should benefit from the programmes.

“These programmes are about coping with simple and complex tasks and about grooming students to rise to the challenges of being leaders and team players,'' says Noor Rezan.

She adds that companies will usually approach the ministry with ideas and proposals.

“We, on our part, can offer suggestions on the implementation of the programmes and provide information on the target groups that would benefit most from them.

“We also have to take into consideration students and teachers who are roped in for these projects, as some may already be burdened with other chores. Students with extra workload and those in examination-classes cannot engage in these activities.”

Noor Rezan says the ministry would like the companies to offer the programmes to areas beyond the Klang Valley.

“Our request is for these programmes to be carried out in rural areas so that students there will be given the exposure and opportunity to pick up skills,” she says.

This, she adds, addresses the fourth thrust under the National Education Blueprint 2006 to 2010, which is mainly to narrow the gap between schools in urban and rural areas.

The ministry, she says, is presently collaborating with UMW Toyota Motor Sdn Bhd through its Toyota Eco Youth (TEY) programme.

Launched in 2001, TEY selected 16 schools, both in urban and rural areas, and has since informed and educated the students on the importance of conserving the environment.

Each school has a website that gives regular written and visual updates on the environmental issue which it has chosen as its project.

The project can be based on something that affects the school premises, or its surrounding areas.

With the information they have, the students will have to analyse the problem, provide suggestions on how the problem can be overcome, and set up a procedure to ensure the results achieved, can be sustained over a long period of time.

Each team has to demonstrate that through analysis, research and action, it is able to resolve the issue with effective and sustainable methods.

The teams will each have an on-site evaluation this month, and a final exhibition during a convention to be held in late August.

During the convention, teams will put forward the findings of their project in a 15 minute presentation to a panel of judges.

The winning team will receive RM10,000.

The second and third prize winners will each receive RM7,000 and RM5,000 respectively.

Another RM3,000 and RM1,000 has been allocated for the fourth and fifth prize winners.

There will also be prizes for best presentation, best exhibition and best website.