PETALING JAYA: The Electronic Commerce Act will be finetuned by inserting more information to protect consumers who conduct business transactions using the Internet.
Domestic Trade, Co-operative and Consumerism Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said the insertions would be brought to Parliament for tabling in March.
“This has to be done because currently, in terms of action, penalty, etc, they are under the Consumers Protection Act,” he told reporters after opening the Co-operative College of Malaysia’s (MKM) Open Day and a discourse on business through the Internet at the college here.
Earlier in his speech, Ismail expressed the need for co-operative movement to keep abreast with current developments in information and communications technology (ICT).
“Today, the co-operative movement should be able to carry out business using the Internet and portals,” he said.
He said ICT developments, especially the Internet, have opened a new dimension and medium for business in Malaysia and the world.
“Previously, (budget airline) Air Asia monopolises ticket sales through the Internet. Now, more companies are using the Internet for their business transactions and this phenomena is growing rapidly,” he said.
At the function, Ismail handed a mock cheque for RM30,000 from Malaysian Co-operative Commission executive chairman Datuk Mangsor Saad to the MKM. — Bernama
Thursday, December 24, 2009
NEWS: JobsMalaysia portal to be improved
KUALA LUMPUR: The Human Resources Ministry is to improve its JobsMalaysia automated online job-matching service so that the system can determine the actual number of graduates registered with the service who remain unemployed, the Dewan Negara was told.
Its deputy minister, Datuk Maznah Mazlan, said the names of registrants would remain in the system for a year, after which they would be automatically removed.
However, the problem was that graduates who had found jobs did not usually report the matter to the ministry, and their names remained in the system even after they had secured employment, she said.
She was replying to a supplementary question, from Senator Syed Husin Ali.
“It is only after one year that we will know how many registrants have been removed from the system,” she added.
When replying to the original question, from Senator Zainun A. Bakar, on the number of graduates registered with the portal, Maznah said that as of Dec 13, there were 79,186 graduates of public institutions of higher learning registered with the portal.
“Of the number, 57 (0.07%) held medical degrees, 1,424 (1.7%) Masters degrees, 43,313 (54.6%) bachelor’s degrees and 34,392 (43.4%) diplomas,” she said.
Maznah said the number of job-seekers registered with the portal did not reflect the actual state of unemployment among graduates because some of them held jobs and registered with the portal to get a better job or to change their place of work.
She also said that the number of employers registered with the portal exceeded 70,000. — Bernama
Its deputy minister, Datuk Maznah Mazlan, said the names of registrants would remain in the system for a year, after which they would be automatically removed.
However, the problem was that graduates who had found jobs did not usually report the matter to the ministry, and their names remained in the system even after they had secured employment, she said.
She was replying to a supplementary question, from Senator Syed Husin Ali.
“It is only after one year that we will know how many registrants have been removed from the system,” she added.
When replying to the original question, from Senator Zainun A. Bakar, on the number of graduates registered with the portal, Maznah said that as of Dec 13, there were 79,186 graduates of public institutions of higher learning registered with the portal.
“Of the number, 57 (0.07%) held medical degrees, 1,424 (1.7%) Masters degrees, 43,313 (54.6%) bachelor’s degrees and 34,392 (43.4%) diplomas,” she said.
Maznah said the number of job-seekers registered with the portal did not reflect the actual state of unemployment among graduates because some of them held jobs and registered with the portal to get a better job or to change their place of work.
She also said that the number of employers registered with the portal exceeded 70,000. — Bernama
NEWS: Court bans sale of Microsoft Word
SEATTLE: A federal appeals court has ordered Microsoft Corp to stop selling its Word program in January and pay a Canadian software company US$290mil (RM986mil) for violating a patent, upholding the judgment of a lower court.
But Microsoft said it expects that new versions of the product, with the computer code in question removed, will be ready for sale when the injunction begins on Jan 11.
Toronto-based i4i Inc sued Microsoft in 2007, saying it owned the technology behind a tool in the popular wordprocessing program.
The technology in question gives Word users an improved way to edit XML, or code that tells the program how to interpret and display a document’s contents.
A Texas jury found that Microsoft Word willfully infringed on the patent. Microsoft appealed that decision, but the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit on Tuesday upheld the lower court’s damage award and the injunction against future sales of infringing copies of Word.
Michel Vulpe, founder and co-inventor of i4i, said in a statement that the company is pleased with the decision, calling it “an important step in protecting the property rights of small inventors.”
Microsoft said it has been preparing for such a judgment since August. Copies of Word and Office sold before Jan 11 aren’t affected by the court’s decision. And Microsoft said it has “put the wheels in motion to remove this little-used feature” from versions of Word 2007 and Office 2007 that would be sold after that date.
“Beta” or test versions of Word 2010 and Office 2010, expected to be finalised next year, do not contain the offending code, the software maker said.
Redmond, Washington-based Microsoft said it may appeal further, asking for either a rehearing in front of the appeals court’s full panel of judges or in front of the US Supreme Court. — AP
But Microsoft said it expects that new versions of the product, with the computer code in question removed, will be ready for sale when the injunction begins on Jan 11.
Toronto-based i4i Inc sued Microsoft in 2007, saying it owned the technology behind a tool in the popular wordprocessing program.
The technology in question gives Word users an improved way to edit XML, or code that tells the program how to interpret and display a document’s contents.
A Texas jury found that Microsoft Word willfully infringed on the patent. Microsoft appealed that decision, but the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit on Tuesday upheld the lower court’s damage award and the injunction against future sales of infringing copies of Word.
Michel Vulpe, founder and co-inventor of i4i, said in a statement that the company is pleased with the decision, calling it “an important step in protecting the property rights of small inventors.”
Microsoft said it has been preparing for such a judgment since August. Copies of Word and Office sold before Jan 11 aren’t affected by the court’s decision. And Microsoft said it has “put the wheels in motion to remove this little-used feature” from versions of Word 2007 and Office 2007 that would be sold after that date.
“Beta” or test versions of Word 2010 and Office 2010, expected to be finalised next year, do not contain the offending code, the software maker said.
Redmond, Washington-based Microsoft said it may appeal further, asking for either a rehearing in front of the appeals court’s full panel of judges or in front of the US Supreme Court. — AP
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
NEWS: Social networking to help charities
PETALING JAYA: At first glance, the landing page of Ammado.com looks like that of any other social networking site.
But instead of being another cyberspace place that hosts party pictures, Ammado — said Joeri Gianotten, its South-East Asia/Pacific managing director — is a community of people who care.
In essence, he said, it is a stakeholder engagement tool that focuses on causes and charities.
“We don’t want to be just another social networking site but a tool that individuals can use to engage with causes that are important to them,” he told In.Tech on the sidelines of the MSC Malaysia Innotech conference recently.
Ammado.com was started two years ago when its founders were at a technology conference discussing how technology can help make a difference in a chaotic world. “Their vision was to create a global community of people who care,” said Gianotten.
On the website, visitors can find out about or donate to any of 6,000 charities registered there, even if they do not want to be a registered member of Ammado.
However, if they want to join in a discussion or comment on a cause at the site, they will need to be registered members.
Inspiration
Gianotten said Ammado has tools that can help drive support for a cause or charity. These work to engage its visitors and members by creating an emotional bond to the causes they support.
An example of this is Ammado’s Giving Circle — a chart that shows the number of causes or charities that a company or individual supports, without revealing the amounts that have been donated.
Although it may look like a showy piece of decoration on a profile page, Gianotten said the Circle is there not for show but to inspire the friends and families of the donors by communicating their values.
Gianotten said companies also love the tool because it shows the soul of a caring company and allows it to build up an emotional connection with its employees and customers.
“When customers or employees see that the company supports the same causes that they do, they feel more connected with that company,” he said.
After all, Facebook and Twitter are popular because people like to show or tell what they’ve been up to, said Gianotten. But what was missing in that equation was communicating the causes and charities that they are passionate about.
“The Giving Circle inspires people into supporting a cause or charity,” he added.
Responsibility
Another tool used by Ammado to drive a cause is the Giving Circle gift card. Gianotten said this can be used as a selfless alternative to the vouchers that stores give away.
Instead of a card that encourages customers to spend more, companies can thank customers by helping them make a difference to a charity. The customer redeems the voucher by going online and donates the amount to any cause, anywhere in the world.
“We see this as a way of engaging the customers by letting them decide on which causes they wish to support, instead of getting them to support the same ones that the companies do,” he said.
To disburse the funds to a charity or cause, Ammado has partnered with RBS Worldpay, a payment gateway system. It sends the funds to the charities and causes once a month.
Gianotten said the rising number of socially-conscious consumers will help boost Ammado’s ratings.
Some of the companies that are already using Ammado to extend their corporate social responsibility activities include softdrink giant Coca-Cola and media conglomerate Time-Warner.
To find out more about Ammado or if you want to donate to a charity of your choice, go to www.ammado.com.
But instead of being another cyberspace place that hosts party pictures, Ammado — said Joeri Gianotten, its South-East Asia/Pacific managing director — is a community of people who care.
In essence, he said, it is a stakeholder engagement tool that focuses on causes and charities.
“We don’t want to be just another social networking site but a tool that individuals can use to engage with causes that are important to them,” he told In.Tech on the sidelines of the MSC Malaysia Innotech conference recently.
Ammado.com was started two years ago when its founders were at a technology conference discussing how technology can help make a difference in a chaotic world. “Their vision was to create a global community of people who care,” said Gianotten.
On the website, visitors can find out about or donate to any of 6,000 charities registered there, even if they do not want to be a registered member of Ammado.
However, if they want to join in a discussion or comment on a cause at the site, they will need to be registered members.
Inspiration
Gianotten said Ammado has tools that can help drive support for a cause or charity. These work to engage its visitors and members by creating an emotional bond to the causes they support.
An example of this is Ammado’s Giving Circle — a chart that shows the number of causes or charities that a company or individual supports, without revealing the amounts that have been donated.
Although it may look like a showy piece of decoration on a profile page, Gianotten said the Circle is there not for show but to inspire the friends and families of the donors by communicating their values.
Gianotten said companies also love the tool because it shows the soul of a caring company and allows it to build up an emotional connection with its employees and customers.
“When customers or employees see that the company supports the same causes that they do, they feel more connected with that company,” he said.
After all, Facebook and Twitter are popular because people like to show or tell what they’ve been up to, said Gianotten. But what was missing in that equation was communicating the causes and charities that they are passionate about.
“The Giving Circle inspires people into supporting a cause or charity,” he added.
Responsibility
Another tool used by Ammado to drive a cause is the Giving Circle gift card. Gianotten said this can be used as a selfless alternative to the vouchers that stores give away.
Instead of a card that encourages customers to spend more, companies can thank customers by helping them make a difference to a charity. The customer redeems the voucher by going online and donates the amount to any cause, anywhere in the world.
“We see this as a way of engaging the customers by letting them decide on which causes they wish to support, instead of getting them to support the same ones that the companies do,” he said.
To disburse the funds to a charity or cause, Ammado has partnered with RBS Worldpay, a payment gateway system. It sends the funds to the charities and causes once a month.
Gianotten said the rising number of socially-conscious consumers will help boost Ammado’s ratings.
Some of the companies that are already using Ammado to extend their corporate social responsibility activities include softdrink giant Coca-Cola and media conglomerate Time-Warner.
To find out more about Ammado or if you want to donate to a charity of your choice, go to www.ammado.com.
NEWS: Cradle fund draws good response
PETALING JAYA: A month into its launch, Cradle Investment Programme’s commercialisation fund has already attracted about 100 applicants.
The fund, known as CIP500, was introduced to aid technopreneurs who want to commercialise their products but have limited resources.
CIP500 is a purely technology commercialisation fund that provides funding of up to RM500,000 per case to aid budding Malaysian companies.
Cradle chief executive officer Nazrin Hassan said the fact that the agency was able to attract a large number of applicants despite little promotion confirms the need for such a fund.
He said Cradle will aggressively promote CIP500 with a roadshow in the first quarter of next year because it wants even more applicants. After that, it will sift through the applications and select the best.
“Once we have the quantity, we hope the quality will be commensurate,” Nazrin said, adding that Cradle has set a modest target for CIP500. It is aiming to fund about 30 applicants, but if there are more quality proposals than that, it may reconsider its target.
There’s more
Besides pushing commercialisation activities, Nazrin said, CIP500 also takes into consideration the potential of a product to be marketed one to two years after it receives Cradle funding.
Being a results-oriented organisation, it is Cradle’s aim to make international champions out of local innovation companies.
“(The real measure) is not about how many technopreneurs have received the funding but how many have become successful as a result of getting funded,” Nazrin said.
Cradle also hopes to enrich the funding ecosystem by getting the private sector to lend a helping hand.
One of the plans Cradle has, Nazrin said, is to encourage co-investment deals between the pre-seed agency and other private-sector parties.
“The ecosystem cannot survive solely on government funding and this should not be the case,” he said.
Nazrin admitted that it will be quite a task to strike co-investment deals with private companies, given that these are comfortable in their traditional domains, but it is not impossible.
He said that as markets become more efficient and more foreign players come in, arbitraging opportunities will get smaller and the only way to get higher returns will be to take higher risks. “That’s when you’ll have a private sector that is strong enough to invest in (higher risk) technology deals,” he said.
The fund, known as CIP500, was introduced to aid technopreneurs who want to commercialise their products but have limited resources.
CIP500 is a purely technology commercialisation fund that provides funding of up to RM500,000 per case to aid budding Malaysian companies.
Cradle chief executive officer Nazrin Hassan said the fact that the agency was able to attract a large number of applicants despite little promotion confirms the need for such a fund.
He said Cradle will aggressively promote CIP500 with a roadshow in the first quarter of next year because it wants even more applicants. After that, it will sift through the applications and select the best.
“Once we have the quantity, we hope the quality will be commensurate,” Nazrin said, adding that Cradle has set a modest target for CIP500. It is aiming to fund about 30 applicants, but if there are more quality proposals than that, it may reconsider its target.
There’s more
Besides pushing commercialisation activities, Nazrin said, CIP500 also takes into consideration the potential of a product to be marketed one to two years after it receives Cradle funding.
Being a results-oriented organisation, it is Cradle’s aim to make international champions out of local innovation companies.
“(The real measure) is not about how many technopreneurs have received the funding but how many have become successful as a result of getting funded,” Nazrin said.
Cradle also hopes to enrich the funding ecosystem by getting the private sector to lend a helping hand.
One of the plans Cradle has, Nazrin said, is to encourage co-investment deals between the pre-seed agency and other private-sector parties.
“The ecosystem cannot survive solely on government funding and this should not be the case,” he said.
Nazrin admitted that it will be quite a task to strike co-investment deals with private companies, given that these are comfortable in their traditional domains, but it is not impossible.
He said that as markets become more efficient and more foreign players come in, arbitraging opportunities will get smaller and the only way to get higher returns will be to take higher risks. “That’s when you’ll have a private sector that is strong enough to invest in (higher risk) technology deals,” he said.
NEWS: IT class for senior citizens
HE senior citizens of Sri Damansara are passionate about connecting with the Information Generation.
Despite their age, they enjoyed the Information Technology exploration class taught by a trainer, Elaine Chong — even Leong Jo Hoong, who was the oldest at 73 years,
Leong said he had enjoyed the class and learnt some very useful things about the Internet.
“Now, we can at least turn on the computer to communicate with the younger generation.
“I am learning this because I want to connect with my children and grandchildren.”
Meanwhile, Bopo Wong, 58, said a number of the participants did not even know what a digital mouse was when they attnded the class.
“Now, some of them are seriously thinking of buying a laptop, and we will be setting up our Facebook account where we can learn to communicate with each other, like our young people,” she said.
Chong, a software engineer, taught the senior citizens on the usage of the Internet for communication.
Explaining mainly in Cantonese, she taught them how to switch on the computer, and showed them how to create an account for themselves and use the Facebook, MSN, Yahoo Messenger, Gtalk and Skype.
“Don’t be afraid of the computer; it is just a machine,” she said.
At the end of the training, the participants were each presented a flash-animated digital certificate by MBPJ (Zone 1) councillor Chan Chee Kong, who sponsored the training session at Our Learning Hub in Desa Aman Puri.
“We realised that the senior citizens in Sri Damansara are losing touch with the more IT-savvy younger generation,” he said.
“Many of the senior citizens want to learn IT, but not many of their children or grandchildren have the time or the patience to teach them.
“We hope they have learnt enough to start exploring further what the Internet can do.”
The digital certificate, a brainchild of centre manager Stephen Ng and developed by Chong, is probably the first of its kind in the country, which allows the participant to email it to their friends.
Ng said the idea of a digital certificate was much better than a certificate of attendance printed on paper.
“We have to stop cutting down trees,” he said.
“Besides, the digital certificates can be emailed to our participants.”
Despite their age, they enjoyed the Information Technology exploration class taught by a trainer, Elaine Chong — even Leong Jo Hoong, who was the oldest at 73 years,
Leong said he had enjoyed the class and learnt some very useful things about the Internet.
“Now, we can at least turn on the computer to communicate with the younger generation.
“I am learning this because I want to connect with my children and grandchildren.”
Meanwhile, Bopo Wong, 58, said a number of the participants did not even know what a digital mouse was when they attnded the class.
“Now, some of them are seriously thinking of buying a laptop, and we will be setting up our Facebook account where we can learn to communicate with each other, like our young people,” she said.
Chong, a software engineer, taught the senior citizens on the usage of the Internet for communication.
Explaining mainly in Cantonese, she taught them how to switch on the computer, and showed them how to create an account for themselves and use the Facebook, MSN, Yahoo Messenger, Gtalk and Skype.
“Don’t be afraid of the computer; it is just a machine,” she said.
At the end of the training, the participants were each presented a flash-animated digital certificate by MBPJ (Zone 1) councillor Chan Chee Kong, who sponsored the training session at Our Learning Hub in Desa Aman Puri.
“We realised that the senior citizens in Sri Damansara are losing touch with the more IT-savvy younger generation,” he said.
“Many of the senior citizens want to learn IT, but not many of their children or grandchildren have the time or the patience to teach them.
“We hope they have learnt enough to start exploring further what the Internet can do.”
The digital certificate, a brainchild of centre manager Stephen Ng and developed by Chong, is probably the first of its kind in the country, which allows the participant to email it to their friends.
Ng said the idea of a digital certificate was much better than a certificate of attendance printed on paper.
“We have to stop cutting down trees,” he said.
“Besides, the digital certificates can be emailed to our participants.”
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
NEWS: HSBB trial moving smoothly
KUALA LUMPUR: More than 122 households in Bangsar, Taman Tun Dr Ismail, Subang Jaya and Shah Alam here are currently involved in a High Speed Broadband (HSBB) retail service trial.
The trial is part of Telekom Malaysia Bhd’s (TM) plan to roll out its commercial HSBB services in the four initial rollout areas by the end of Q1 in 2010.
TM said the trial will give it the opportunity to test its systems, processes, fibre installation methodology, etc, with an eye to providing an enhanced customer service experience when the commercial service is offered later in that quarter.
These “beta testers” are experiencing and enjoying network access speeds of 15Mbps (megabits per second) along with the related triple-play services of voice, video and high-speed Internet, TM announced.
TM has completed two pilot consumer studies to determine the best composition and pricing options for its proposed HSBB retail packages, which will comprise basic and add-on services.
“I want to reassure all interested early adopters out there that our upcoming HSBB retail packages will be attractive in terms of both value and pricing,” said Datuk Zamzamzairani Mohd Isa, group chief executive officer at TM.
“After all, we want to draw in as many early adopters in the four initial rollout areas as we can; and we hope their positive experience will be an endorsement for the rest of the country when HSBB comes to their doorstep.”
What you get
HSBB promises faster network access speeds (port speed) in excess of the current fastest available Broadband for the General Public (BBGP) speeds of 4Mbps offered by TM’s existing streamyx service.
HSBB also targets superior end-to-end network performance, including international bandwidth — given TM’s investment in international submarine linkages, including the recently activated Asia-America Gateway (AAG), which went live on Nov 10.
“Given the pioneering nature of our last-mile fibre installation in Malaysia and the sensitive nature of fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) installation, which requires a high-degree of accuracy, the expected on-premise installation time will be about six to eight hours as it will involve site survey, drilling, ducting, piping, some electrical work and finally equipment reconfiguration.
“This is typical of the experience of many telcos around the world who have engaged in FTTH deployment,” said Zamzamzairani.
To date, TM has a “premises passed” achievement of 143,000 with a target completion of 150,000 premises passed by year end.
By Dec 31, TM also expects to complete 100% physical upgrade work in the four exchanges of Taman Tun Dr Ismail, Subang Jaya, Shah Alam and Bangsar.
Currently, physical fibre access work in 44 exchanges out of 95 exchanges earmarked for HSBB network rollout nationwide is ongoing.
On the horizon
By the end of 2012 — in accordance with the completion of the first phase of the national HSBB project rollout as agreed with the Government — about 1.3 million premises nationwide will have access to HSBB services.
The nationwide areas, identified as Zone 1 will include the Inner Klang Valley, Iskandar Malaysia, and key industrial sites around the nation.
Thus far, TM’s capital expenditure spent from Q4 2008 till Oct 30 has been RM1.4bil, covering last mile access, IP core deployment and capacity expansion for international links.
It has received government reimbursement on this, which is in line with the stated commitments under the Public Private Partnership agreement.
TM is Malaysia’s leading integrated information and communications group.
The trial is part of Telekom Malaysia Bhd’s (TM) plan to roll out its commercial HSBB services in the four initial rollout areas by the end of Q1 in 2010.
TM said the trial will give it the opportunity to test its systems, processes, fibre installation methodology, etc, with an eye to providing an enhanced customer service experience when the commercial service is offered later in that quarter.
These “beta testers” are experiencing and enjoying network access speeds of 15Mbps (megabits per second) along with the related triple-play services of voice, video and high-speed Internet, TM announced.
TM has completed two pilot consumer studies to determine the best composition and pricing options for its proposed HSBB retail packages, which will comprise basic and add-on services.
“I want to reassure all interested early adopters out there that our upcoming HSBB retail packages will be attractive in terms of both value and pricing,” said Datuk Zamzamzairani Mohd Isa, group chief executive officer at TM.
“After all, we want to draw in as many early adopters in the four initial rollout areas as we can; and we hope their positive experience will be an endorsement for the rest of the country when HSBB comes to their doorstep.”
What you get
HSBB promises faster network access speeds (port speed) in excess of the current fastest available Broadband for the General Public (BBGP) speeds of 4Mbps offered by TM’s existing streamyx service.
HSBB also targets superior end-to-end network performance, including international bandwidth — given TM’s investment in international submarine linkages, including the recently activated Asia-America Gateway (AAG), which went live on Nov 10.
“Given the pioneering nature of our last-mile fibre installation in Malaysia and the sensitive nature of fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) installation, which requires a high-degree of accuracy, the expected on-premise installation time will be about six to eight hours as it will involve site survey, drilling, ducting, piping, some electrical work and finally equipment reconfiguration.
“This is typical of the experience of many telcos around the world who have engaged in FTTH deployment,” said Zamzamzairani.
To date, TM has a “premises passed” achievement of 143,000 with a target completion of 150,000 premises passed by year end.
By Dec 31, TM also expects to complete 100% physical upgrade work in the four exchanges of Taman Tun Dr Ismail, Subang Jaya, Shah Alam and Bangsar.
Currently, physical fibre access work in 44 exchanges out of 95 exchanges earmarked for HSBB network rollout nationwide is ongoing.
On the horizon
By the end of 2012 — in accordance with the completion of the first phase of the national HSBB project rollout as agreed with the Government — about 1.3 million premises nationwide will have access to HSBB services.
The nationwide areas, identified as Zone 1 will include the Inner Klang Valley, Iskandar Malaysia, and key industrial sites around the nation.
Thus far, TM’s capital expenditure spent from Q4 2008 till Oct 30 has been RM1.4bil, covering last mile access, IP core deployment and capacity expansion for international links.
It has received government reimbursement on this, which is in line with the stated commitments under the Public Private Partnership agreement.
TM is Malaysia’s leading integrated information and communications group.
NEWS: Recruting youths to promote cybersecurity
KUALA LUMPUR: Internet policeman Cybersecurity Malaysia has started a volunteer programme that is aimed at educating youths on how to stay safe in cyberspace.
The programme called CyberSAFE Ambassadors will recruit mostly students and youths to champion its agenda. It is non-technical and targeted at the general public, particularly young people.
According to Cybersecurity Malaysia chief executive officer Husin Jazri the programme will also encourage more Malaysians to be caring digital citizens.
“Some of us have been victims of cybercrimes at one time or other so we can pass on these lessons and share our experiences to prevent others from becoming victims too,” he said in an interview with In.Tech on the sidelines of the CyberSAFE Dialogue Forum here recently.
Husin said that with children’s growing familiarisation of information technology and the Internet, cybersecurity has evolved from being a technical issue to a public one.
Based on statistics from the Norton Online Living Report 2009, young Malaysians spend 64 hours a month online compared to the adults who only spend 48 hours a month.
The study also shows that 60% of our youth chat with strangers online and that many parents are mostly unaware of their children’s activities on the Web.
“There’s no more suitable time than now to start a programme like CyberSAFE Ambassadors,” Husin said.
These ambassadors, he explained, will go through a three-day course that will expose them to the social and technological issues related to safety on the Internet, and they will be provided with the resources to promote safe-surfing habits among their peers.
“This way, our youth and teens will have someone close to their own age to come to for advice on Internet safety if they do not feel comfortable discussing their online activities with adults,” he said.
Teachers, too
Cybersecurity Malaysia is also working on a similar programme that will be solely for teachers. “We want to get as many people involved as possible,” Husin said.
He said Cybersecurity Malaysia has carried out pilot projects of this programme in more than 150 schools nationwide and has received positive responses.
“Many students and teachers welcomed the pilot projects because they realised that although they may be technology savvy, they are not necessarily cybersecurity savvy,” said Husin.
Several students and teachers attending the conference lauded the Cybersecurity Malaysia programmes.
Aliza Harun Rasheed, a teacher and a mother of six, said the ambassador programme will attain its intended goal if everyone chips in.
“Teenagers would rather listen to their peers on issues like that, but I think teachers also need to get involved to both learn and help make sure that the children get the right information,” she told In.Tech.
Afiq Hafeezi Zahari, 11, believes the programme is a good idea because it reveals both the good and bad aspects of the Internet. “A lot of my friends think that the Internet is simple and harmless but I know there’s more to it than that,” he said.
Cybersecurity Malaysia will start recruiting its ambassadors soon and will officially launch the programme early next year in conjunction with the graduation of its pioneer batch.
It is spreading the word on its CyberSAFE Ambassadors programme by mouth and via a website. To learn more about the programme, go to www.cybersafe.my.
The programme called CyberSAFE Ambassadors will recruit mostly students and youths to champion its agenda. It is non-technical and targeted at the general public, particularly young people.
According to Cybersecurity Malaysia chief executive officer Husin Jazri the programme will also encourage more Malaysians to be caring digital citizens.
“Some of us have been victims of cybercrimes at one time or other so we can pass on these lessons and share our experiences to prevent others from becoming victims too,” he said in an interview with In.Tech on the sidelines of the CyberSAFE Dialogue Forum here recently.
Husin said that with children’s growing familiarisation of information technology and the Internet, cybersecurity has evolved from being a technical issue to a public one.
Based on statistics from the Norton Online Living Report 2009, young Malaysians spend 64 hours a month online compared to the adults who only spend 48 hours a month.
The study also shows that 60% of our youth chat with strangers online and that many parents are mostly unaware of their children’s activities on the Web.
“There’s no more suitable time than now to start a programme like CyberSAFE Ambassadors,” Husin said.
These ambassadors, he explained, will go through a three-day course that will expose them to the social and technological issues related to safety on the Internet, and they will be provided with the resources to promote safe-surfing habits among their peers.
“This way, our youth and teens will have someone close to their own age to come to for advice on Internet safety if they do not feel comfortable discussing their online activities with adults,” he said.
Teachers, too
Cybersecurity Malaysia is also working on a similar programme that will be solely for teachers. “We want to get as many people involved as possible,” Husin said.
He said Cybersecurity Malaysia has carried out pilot projects of this programme in more than 150 schools nationwide and has received positive responses.
“Many students and teachers welcomed the pilot projects because they realised that although they may be technology savvy, they are not necessarily cybersecurity savvy,” said Husin.
Several students and teachers attending the conference lauded the Cybersecurity Malaysia programmes.
Aliza Harun Rasheed, a teacher and a mother of six, said the ambassador programme will attain its intended goal if everyone chips in.
“Teenagers would rather listen to their peers on issues like that, but I think teachers also need to get involved to both learn and help make sure that the children get the right information,” she told In.Tech.
Afiq Hafeezi Zahari, 11, believes the programme is a good idea because it reveals both the good and bad aspects of the Internet. “A lot of my friends think that the Internet is simple and harmless but I know there’s more to it than that,” he said.
Cybersecurity Malaysia will start recruiting its ambassadors soon and will officially launch the programme early next year in conjunction with the graduation of its pioneer batch.
It is spreading the word on its CyberSAFE Ambassadors programme by mouth and via a website. To learn more about the programme, go to www.cybersafe.my.
Friday, December 11, 2009
NEWS: Malaysian company buys Friendster
KUALA LUMPUR: Friendster, one of the most popular social networking sites in the world, is now owned by a Malaysian company.
The new owner, MOL Global Pte Ltd, is a newly-formed entity spawned from the recent MOL AccessPortal Bhd acquisition of California-based Friendster Inc.
The merger of the two companies is aimed at creating Asia’s largest end-to-end content, distribution and commerce network.
This will be achieved through the pairing of MOL’s offline retail channel partners and payment platform with Friendster’s large online footprint, social network and user community in Asia.
Friendster has 115 million members worldwide, with more than 75 million registered users in Asia alone. Today, 80% of its Asian members are youths aged between 16 and 24.
“We are creating a unique company that will be well positioned to provide content to a huge, regional user base, especially here in Asia,” said newly appointed MOL Global Group CEO Ganesh Kumar Bangah. Friendster’s former CEO, Richard Kimber, is now the non-executive chairman.
Bangah said a wide array of merchandise via MOL, such as games, goods, gifts, music and videos, will now be made available to the Friendster community.
MOL — an MSC Malaysia-status company whose business is payment solutions — has more than 500,000 physical and virtual payment channels across 75 countries for its content and services. Its core markets are Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand and India.
The company also has relationships with more than 70 online games publishers, which in total provide more than 200 titles. It also has partnerships covering music, movie and video content.
Future plans
Earlier this month, Friendster announced several initiatives that will see it focusing more on the Asian youth market, including a rebranding exercise and redesigned webpages with emphasise on Asian relevance.
According to Bangah, MOL Global will continue with these directions set by the previous Friendster management before the merger.
“At the same time, we will look at combining both our valued assets to create Asia’s biggest content distribution and e-commerce platform,” he said.
Kimber said the deal provides Friendster with the kind of financial backing and resources — such as retail distribution centres and e-commerce infrastructure — to further the social networking site’s development.
“This merger enables us to accelerate our strategy and create more locally relevant, fun experiences for our users both on and offfline,” he said.
The offices of both MOL and Friendster around the world, including the Friendster headquarters in Mountain View, California, will be retained, said Bangah.
“In countries where both companies operate, such as Singapore and the Philippines, we will combine the staff and resources,” he added.
Friendster’s rivals include the popular Facebook and MySpace social networking sites, as well as local sites JomSocial and Ruumz.
The principal shareholder of MOL is Tan Sri Vincent Tan who is chairman and CEO of Berjaya Corporation Bhd.
++++
www.mol.com
www.friendster.com
The new owner, MOL Global Pte Ltd, is a newly-formed entity spawned from the recent MOL AccessPortal Bhd acquisition of California-based Friendster Inc.
The merger of the two companies is aimed at creating Asia’s largest end-to-end content, distribution and commerce network.
This will be achieved through the pairing of MOL’s offline retail channel partners and payment platform with Friendster’s large online footprint, social network and user community in Asia.
Friendster has 115 million members worldwide, with more than 75 million registered users in Asia alone. Today, 80% of its Asian members are youths aged between 16 and 24.
“We are creating a unique company that will be well positioned to provide content to a huge, regional user base, especially here in Asia,” said newly appointed MOL Global Group CEO Ganesh Kumar Bangah. Friendster’s former CEO, Richard Kimber, is now the non-executive chairman.
Bangah said a wide array of merchandise via MOL, such as games, goods, gifts, music and videos, will now be made available to the Friendster community.
MOL — an MSC Malaysia-status company whose business is payment solutions — has more than 500,000 physical and virtual payment channels across 75 countries for its content and services. Its core markets are Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand and India.
The company also has relationships with more than 70 online games publishers, which in total provide more than 200 titles. It also has partnerships covering music, movie and video content.
Future plans
Earlier this month, Friendster announced several initiatives that will see it focusing more on the Asian youth market, including a rebranding exercise and redesigned webpages with emphasise on Asian relevance.
According to Bangah, MOL Global will continue with these directions set by the previous Friendster management before the merger.
“At the same time, we will look at combining both our valued assets to create Asia’s biggest content distribution and e-commerce platform,” he said.
Kimber said the deal provides Friendster with the kind of financial backing and resources — such as retail distribution centres and e-commerce infrastructure — to further the social networking site’s development.
“This merger enables us to accelerate our strategy and create more locally relevant, fun experiences for our users both on and offfline,” he said.
The offices of both MOL and Friendster around the world, including the Friendster headquarters in Mountain View, California, will be retained, said Bangah.
“In countries where both companies operate, such as Singapore and the Philippines, we will combine the staff and resources,” he added.
Friendster’s rivals include the popular Facebook and MySpace social networking sites, as well as local sites JomSocial and Ruumz.
The principal shareholder of MOL is Tan Sri Vincent Tan who is chairman and CEO of Berjaya Corporation Bhd.
++++
www.mol.com
www.friendster.com
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
NEWS: Yahoo! launches online consumer privacy tool
WASHINGTON: A new online tool from Yahoo! Inc will let users see and edit the personal profiles that the Internet company compiles about them to target Internet advertising.
Yahoo!’s new Ad Interest Manager, released in test form yesterday, is part of a broader industry push toward self-regulation amid mounting concerns in the United States about online privacy.
The new tool allows consumers to see a summary of their online activities, including a list of the webpages they visit and online services they use, such as e-mail and personal finance channels.
It also lists a consumer’s areas of interest, with categories such as consumer packaged goods, debt consolidation and automotive.
Consumers can modify their preferences and decline particular types of targeted pitches. It also lets consumers turn off targeted advertising altogether with the click of a bright yellow “Opt Out” link.
Users won’t be rejecting ads altogether, though; at most, behaviourally targeted ads would be replaced with others that aren’t tied to personal surfing habits.
In the past, users were able to rejected targeted ads, but they weren’t able to edit and modify their personal preferences — for instance, saying “no” only to ads for videogames or ads with a health focus.
“Up until now, it has been an all-or-nothing choice,” said Amber Allman, a Yahoo! spokesman. “But now consumers can see the different choices have and it gives them context and more transparency.”
Providing guidelines
The launch coincided with a Federal Trade Commission conference yesterday about behavioural advertising, a practice used by Internet marketers to target ads by tracking where people go and what they do online.
The FTC released a set of self-regulatory guidelines for the Internet advertising industry in the United States this year. Those guidelines urge online marketers to give consumers clear notice of the information that is being collected about them and how it is being used, as well as the opportunity to remove themselves from data collection.
US Congress, meanwhile, is drafting legislation that would mandate such privacy obligations for websites and online advertisers.
But many Internet publishers and advertisers argue that self-regulation offers a better approach for managing an industry evolving as quickly as online advertising.
Yahoo!’s new tool offers one such model for self-regulation.
The rollout of the tool follows a recent launch by the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) of an online campaign to educate consumers about how Internet advertising works.
The IAB represents many leading Internet publishers and digital marketing services, including Yahoo! and Google Inc.
Among other things, IAB’s “Privacy Matters” website offers explanations of demographic targeting, interest group targeting and data-tracking files known as cookies. The site also informs consumers how they can control the information collected about them by changing their cookies settings.
A number of IAB members, including Yahoo!, are running banner spots on their webpages linking back to the page. — AP
++++
http://privacy.yahoo.com/aim
Yahoo!’s new Ad Interest Manager, released in test form yesterday, is part of a broader industry push toward self-regulation amid mounting concerns in the United States about online privacy.
The new tool allows consumers to see a summary of their online activities, including a list of the webpages they visit and online services they use, such as e-mail and personal finance channels.
It also lists a consumer’s areas of interest, with categories such as consumer packaged goods, debt consolidation and automotive.
Consumers can modify their preferences and decline particular types of targeted pitches. It also lets consumers turn off targeted advertising altogether with the click of a bright yellow “Opt Out” link.
Users won’t be rejecting ads altogether, though; at most, behaviourally targeted ads would be replaced with others that aren’t tied to personal surfing habits.
In the past, users were able to rejected targeted ads, but they weren’t able to edit and modify their personal preferences — for instance, saying “no” only to ads for videogames or ads with a health focus.
“Up until now, it has been an all-or-nothing choice,” said Amber Allman, a Yahoo! spokesman. “But now consumers can see the different choices have and it gives them context and more transparency.”
Providing guidelines
The launch coincided with a Federal Trade Commission conference yesterday about behavioural advertising, a practice used by Internet marketers to target ads by tracking where people go and what they do online.
The FTC released a set of self-regulatory guidelines for the Internet advertising industry in the United States this year. Those guidelines urge online marketers to give consumers clear notice of the information that is being collected about them and how it is being used, as well as the opportunity to remove themselves from data collection.
US Congress, meanwhile, is drafting legislation that would mandate such privacy obligations for websites and online advertisers.
But many Internet publishers and advertisers argue that self-regulation offers a better approach for managing an industry evolving as quickly as online advertising.
Yahoo!’s new tool offers one such model for self-regulation.
The rollout of the tool follows a recent launch by the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) of an online campaign to educate consumers about how Internet advertising works.
The IAB represents many leading Internet publishers and digital marketing services, including Yahoo! and Google Inc.
Among other things, IAB’s “Privacy Matters” website offers explanations of demographic targeting, interest group targeting and data-tracking files known as cookies. The site also informs consumers how they can control the information collected about them by changing their cookies settings.
A number of IAB members, including Yahoo!, are running banner spots on their webpages linking back to the page. — AP
++++
http://privacy.yahoo.com/aim
NEWS: Google search results to include even more data
MOUNTAIN VIEW (California): Fresh information from blogs, news sites, Twitter and other popular hangouts will now appear in Google’s search results more quickly as the company aims to give people a more comprehensive look at what’s happening on the Web.
The feature, unveiled on Monday, represents Google Inc’s most significant step yet in the field of “real-time” search — a catch phrase for the torrent of information being shared on blogs and the personal pages of social-networking sites such as Facebook, MySpace and Twitter.
As those destinations have turned into increasingly popular forums for swapping opinions, offering news tips and highlighting stories, Google, Yahoo! and Microsoft have been scrambling to retool their search engines so they reel in and showcase real-time data more rapidly.
Google reached a deal in October to blend Twitter updates, or “tweets,” into its results, but hadn’t explained how its system would work until yesterday.
Microsoft’s search engine, Bing, has included a section for tweets since late October. Yahoo! began relying on tweets to point out hot news stories in its results last month.
Twitter’s own search engine doesn’t attempt to identify which tweets are the most relevant to each request; it simply provides a chronological list of the updates containing a specified word or phrase.
Popping up
In Google’s version of real-time search, a section of its main results page will include a capsule that automatically scrolls relevant information within a few seconds after it pops up in the web index.
Normally, a new search request was the only way to see the blog posts, status updates and other information that Google had collected since the previous query.
With the change, a person requesting information about US President Barack Obama, for instance, will see the usual set of static links, photos and video, as well as the capsule with pertinent tweets, blog posts and news stories.
The real-time data won’t show up right away for everyone because it will take Google’s computer centres a few days to make it work everywhere.
Google’s real-time information eventually will be expanded to include some of the chatter on Facebook and MySpace, the world’s two largest social networks.
Not so soon
Although Google announced its partnerships with the sites yesterday, the feeds from Facebook and MySpace won’t start appearing in the real-time results until early next year, said Marissa Mayer, Google’s vice-president for search products and user experience.
As with Google’s Twitter alliance, Mayer declined to say how much the company is paying Facebook and MySpace for better access to their users’ musings. The contributions from Facebook and MySpace will be limited to commentary that already can be read by anyone logged into the sites.
Microsoft and Yahoo! have also worked out deals so their visitors can see some Facebook material.
Google is trying to provide better real-time results to maintain its huge lead in search as Microsoft and Yahoo! prepare to team up in a partnership that still needs regulatory approval. Google processes about two-thirds of the search requests worldwide while Yahoo! and Microsoft handle a combined 10%.
“People expect search engines to make all kinds of information available to them,” said Amit Singhal, a Google engineer who oversaw the development of the real-time tool.
Google relies on its dominance of search to drive the bulk of more than US$21bil (RM71.4bil) in advertising sales annually.
More features
Besides introducing real-time search, Google also showed off several other new tools in an auditorium down the block from its Mountain View headquarters.
The company added a voice recognition to process mobile search requests in Japanese on phones running its operating system, Android (Google already does this in English and in Mandarin).
It also provided a preview of a test product, called “Google Goggles,” that will enable people to send a picture taken on a mobile phone and get search results about the photographed object. — AP
The feature, unveiled on Monday, represents Google Inc’s most significant step yet in the field of “real-time” search — a catch phrase for the torrent of information being shared on blogs and the personal pages of social-networking sites such as Facebook, MySpace and Twitter.
As those destinations have turned into increasingly popular forums for swapping opinions, offering news tips and highlighting stories, Google, Yahoo! and Microsoft have been scrambling to retool their search engines so they reel in and showcase real-time data more rapidly.
Google reached a deal in October to blend Twitter updates, or “tweets,” into its results, but hadn’t explained how its system would work until yesterday.
Microsoft’s search engine, Bing, has included a section for tweets since late October. Yahoo! began relying on tweets to point out hot news stories in its results last month.
Twitter’s own search engine doesn’t attempt to identify which tweets are the most relevant to each request; it simply provides a chronological list of the updates containing a specified word or phrase.
Popping up
In Google’s version of real-time search, a section of its main results page will include a capsule that automatically scrolls relevant information within a few seconds after it pops up in the web index.
Normally, a new search request was the only way to see the blog posts, status updates and other information that Google had collected since the previous query.
With the change, a person requesting information about US President Barack Obama, for instance, will see the usual set of static links, photos and video, as well as the capsule with pertinent tweets, blog posts and news stories.
The real-time data won’t show up right away for everyone because it will take Google’s computer centres a few days to make it work everywhere.
Google’s real-time information eventually will be expanded to include some of the chatter on Facebook and MySpace, the world’s two largest social networks.
Not so soon
Although Google announced its partnerships with the sites yesterday, the feeds from Facebook and MySpace won’t start appearing in the real-time results until early next year, said Marissa Mayer, Google’s vice-president for search products and user experience.
As with Google’s Twitter alliance, Mayer declined to say how much the company is paying Facebook and MySpace for better access to their users’ musings. The contributions from Facebook and MySpace will be limited to commentary that already can be read by anyone logged into the sites.
Microsoft and Yahoo! have also worked out deals so their visitors can see some Facebook material.
Google is trying to provide better real-time results to maintain its huge lead in search as Microsoft and Yahoo! prepare to team up in a partnership that still needs regulatory approval. Google processes about two-thirds of the search requests worldwide while Yahoo! and Microsoft handle a combined 10%.
“People expect search engines to make all kinds of information available to them,” said Amit Singhal, a Google engineer who oversaw the development of the real-time tool.
Google relies on its dominance of search to drive the bulk of more than US$21bil (RM71.4bil) in advertising sales annually.
More features
Besides introducing real-time search, Google also showed off several other new tools in an auditorium down the block from its Mountain View headquarters.
The company added a voice recognition to process mobile search requests in Japanese on phones running its operating system, Android (Google already does this in English and in Mandarin).
It also provided a preview of a test product, called “Google Goggles,” that will enable people to send a picture taken on a mobile phone and get search results about the photographed object. — AP
NEWS: Asean Cyberkids Camp kicks off
THUMBS UP: Asean Cyberkids Camp 2009 participants from various Asean countries and Dialogue Partner India posing for a group picture.
KUALA LUMPUR: A total of 115 school children between 10 and 14 years of age from 10 Asean countries and India, are taking part in the second Asean Cyberkids Camp (ACC) 2009 that began on Dec 7 and ends on Dec 11.
Hosted by Maxis Communications Bhd in collaboration with the Information, Communications and Culture Ministry and the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (SKMM), the five-day event aims at bridging the digital gap and promote greater integration among youths across the Asean nations.
The programme is structured with a mix of interactive classroom and outdoor activities to teach participants on how to effectively use computers and the Internet.
The activities are also designed to cultivate creativity, teamwork, build self-confidence and leadership skills, Maxis said in a statement.
According to Maxis CEO Sandip Das, the ACC is an extension of the Maxis Cyberkids Camp — a flagship project of the company’s corporate social responsibility programme launched in 2002.
The Cyberkids Camp programme has touched the lives of more than 8,000 schoolchildren from over 1,300 schools, involving about RM25mil investment to date, he said.
“The programme keeps getting larger and larger every year,” he added.
Last year, the camp spread its wings to Asean countries, providing an ideal activity to promote regional integration and cooperation, he said.
++++
maxis.cyberkids.com.my
KUALA LUMPUR: A total of 115 school children between 10 and 14 years of age from 10 Asean countries and India, are taking part in the second Asean Cyberkids Camp (ACC) 2009 that began on Dec 7 and ends on Dec 11.
Hosted by Maxis Communications Bhd in collaboration with the Information, Communications and Culture Ministry and the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (SKMM), the five-day event aims at bridging the digital gap and promote greater integration among youths across the Asean nations.
The programme is structured with a mix of interactive classroom and outdoor activities to teach participants on how to effectively use computers and the Internet.
The activities are also designed to cultivate creativity, teamwork, build self-confidence and leadership skills, Maxis said in a statement.
According to Maxis CEO Sandip Das, the ACC is an extension of the Maxis Cyberkids Camp — a flagship project of the company’s corporate social responsibility programme launched in 2002.
The Cyberkids Camp programme has touched the lives of more than 8,000 schoolchildren from over 1,300 schools, involving about RM25mil investment to date, he said.
“The programme keeps getting larger and larger every year,” he added.
Last year, the camp spread its wings to Asean countries, providing an ideal activity to promote regional integration and cooperation, he said.
++++
maxis.cyberkids.com.my
Sunday, December 6, 2009
NEWS: Cellphones don’t cause brain cancer, but ...
LOS ANGELES: The latest study by Nordic researchers has found that there is no apparent link between cellphones and brain cancer.
China’s Xinhua news agency reported the finding, citing the online edition of the journal of the National Cancer Institute.
Researchers at the Institute of Cancer Epidemiology at the Danish Cancer Society in Copenhagen based their conclusion on a 30-year examination of the incidents of brain tumours in Scandinavia.
For the study, the researchers collected data on 60,000 people diagnosed with glioma and meningioma in Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden between 1974 and 2003, Xinhua said.
The researchers found that the incidence of brain tumours over this period were stable, starting before cellphones became popular.
In addition, there was no change in the incidence of brain tumours between 1998 and 2003, a period of rapid increase in cellphone usage, the researchers noted.
“If mobile phones were to cause brain tumours, we would expect to see a sudden rise in the number of brain tumours at some point in time, and we don’t see it,“ said lead researcher Isabelle Deltour.
However, Deltour leaves the door open to the possibility that widespread cellphone use has not been around long enough to see an increase in brain tumours.
“Either it means that mobile phones don’t cause brain tumours or it means that we don’t see it yet or we don’t see it because the increase is too small to be observed in this population, or it is a risk that is limited to a small subgroup of the population,” she said.
Despite new findings, doubts linger about whether cellphones cause brain cancer.
Commenting on that study, Dr Deepa Subramaniam, director of the Brain Tumor Center at Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center in Washington, D.C., said: “We cannot make any definitive conclusions about this.
“But this study, in addition to all the previous studies, continues to leave lingering doubt as to the potential for increased risk. So, one more time, after all these years, we don’t have a clearcut answer.”
Deltour said her team will continue to look at the rates of brain tumours in the study group. — Bernama
China’s Xinhua news agency reported the finding, citing the online edition of the journal of the National Cancer Institute.
Researchers at the Institute of Cancer Epidemiology at the Danish Cancer Society in Copenhagen based their conclusion on a 30-year examination of the incidents of brain tumours in Scandinavia.
For the study, the researchers collected data on 60,000 people diagnosed with glioma and meningioma in Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden between 1974 and 2003, Xinhua said.
The researchers found that the incidence of brain tumours over this period were stable, starting before cellphones became popular.
In addition, there was no change in the incidence of brain tumours between 1998 and 2003, a period of rapid increase in cellphone usage, the researchers noted.
“If mobile phones were to cause brain tumours, we would expect to see a sudden rise in the number of brain tumours at some point in time, and we don’t see it,“ said lead researcher Isabelle Deltour.
However, Deltour leaves the door open to the possibility that widespread cellphone use has not been around long enough to see an increase in brain tumours.
“Either it means that mobile phones don’t cause brain tumours or it means that we don’t see it yet or we don’t see it because the increase is too small to be observed in this population, or it is a risk that is limited to a small subgroup of the population,” she said.
Despite new findings, doubts linger about whether cellphones cause brain cancer.
Commenting on that study, Dr Deepa Subramaniam, director of the Brain Tumor Center at Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center in Washington, D.C., said: “We cannot make any definitive conclusions about this.
“But this study, in addition to all the previous studies, continues to leave lingering doubt as to the potential for increased risk. So, one more time, after all these years, we don’t have a clearcut answer.”
Deltour said her team will continue to look at the rates of brain tumours in the study group. — Bernama
NEWS: Apple eyeing music retailer Lala.com
LOS ANGELES: Apple Inc is in advanced talks to buy online music retailer Lala.com, a Silicon Valley startup that has threatened “the end of the MP3” with its fast song-streaming application.
A person familiar with the matter confirmed the talks with The Associated Press but was not authorised to speak publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.
In October, Lala co-founder Bill Nguyen demonstrated to the AP a working model of an application the company had developed for Apple’s iPhone.
The app, which is not available to the public, allows users to buy the right to stream songs from a digital locker for an unlimited time on their iPhones for just 10 cents (34sen) each.
Song quality is lower than what Apple’s iTunes songs offer, but “intelligent caching” allows tracks to load and play in seconds, with playback possible even outside of cellphone coverage.
This model undercuts prices charged on iTunes, where songs generally cost 69 cents to US$1.29 (RM2.35 to RM4.40).
Nguyen described the concept as the start of “the end of the MP3.”
A key reason for Apple to buy Lala is to keep Nguyen and the development team on board, the person said.
Representatives from Apple and Lala did not immediately return messages seeking comment.
Lala, a private company based in Palo Alto, California, was launched in 2006 with US$35mil (RM119mil) in venture capital from Bain Capital LLC, Ignition Partners and Warner Music Group Corp.
In October, Lala became a part of Google Inc’s new music search feature that put links to free song plays at the top of search results. Lala, which has deals with all the major recording companies, provides music for about half of the links that appear.
Lala also kicked off a service that month that allows Facebook friends to send each other 10-cent (34sen) web songs to stream on their pages or 90-cent (RM3) song downloads in the MP3 format.
Lala began as an online CD-trading site but relaunched in October 2008 as a music retailer that sold song-streaming rights for 10 cents and MP3 downloads for an extra 79 cents (RM2.70). — AP
A person familiar with the matter confirmed the talks with The Associated Press but was not authorised to speak publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.
In October, Lala co-founder Bill Nguyen demonstrated to the AP a working model of an application the company had developed for Apple’s iPhone.
The app, which is not available to the public, allows users to buy the right to stream songs from a digital locker for an unlimited time on their iPhones for just 10 cents (34sen) each.
Song quality is lower than what Apple’s iTunes songs offer, but “intelligent caching” allows tracks to load and play in seconds, with playback possible even outside of cellphone coverage.
This model undercuts prices charged on iTunes, where songs generally cost 69 cents to US$1.29 (RM2.35 to RM4.40).
Nguyen described the concept as the start of “the end of the MP3.”
A key reason for Apple to buy Lala is to keep Nguyen and the development team on board, the person said.
Representatives from Apple and Lala did not immediately return messages seeking comment.
Lala, a private company based in Palo Alto, California, was launched in 2006 with US$35mil (RM119mil) in venture capital from Bain Capital LLC, Ignition Partners and Warner Music Group Corp.
In October, Lala became a part of Google Inc’s new music search feature that put links to free song plays at the top of search results. Lala, which has deals with all the major recording companies, provides music for about half of the links that appear.
Lala also kicked off a service that month that allows Facebook friends to send each other 10-cent (34sen) web songs to stream on their pages or 90-cent (RM3) song downloads in the MP3 format.
Lala began as an online CD-trading site but relaunched in October 2008 as a music retailer that sold song-streaming rights for 10 cents and MP3 downloads for an extra 79 cents (RM2.70). — AP
NEWS: Police to be trained in cybersecurity
KUALA LUMPUR: The International Multilateral Partnership Against Cyber Threats (Impact) is planning conduct cybersecurity courses for the Royal Malaysian Police.
The course, which aims to help the police force better deal with identity theft and other cybersecurity cases, is expected to be unveiled in the first quarter of next year.
Although the course subjects are still being planned, Impact said that data forensics will be one of the first subjects to be offered.
Impact also plans to offer the course as a service to police forces in its 42 member countries.
According to Impact chairman, Datuk Mohd Noor Amin, people are getting more concerned about online security, especially when it involves their identity, compared to 10 years ago.
However, identity theft and cybersecurity aren’t easy problems to solve even if one has international organisations such as the Interpol on their side.
Amin added that because laws to protect against identity theft are poorly enforced or don’t exist, the successful prosecution of identity thieves are not high as they should be.
This is because laws vary between countries and it is difficult to charge a cybercriminal because although victims of the crime are in one country, the servers used may be somewhere else.
“Which law should be used then?” Amin asked at a recent roundtable discussion about cybersecurity.
Ideally, laws on identity theft should be enforced considering how easy a criminal can obtain someone’s identity, he said.
According to a study done by information security company Symantec, 57% of the time people lose their identities because they have lost their laptops or thumbdrives.
“Only 17% is caused by hackers stealing them but either way, there aren’t proper laws to keep one’s identity secure,” said Mark Bregman, Symantec chief technology officer.
Bregman added that privacy and identity theft is a growing concern in the United States with about 200 million identity records exposed there last year.
As it is now a serious issue, Amin said that governments around the world should naturally respond to this concern.
“There needs to be a political will to drive this and I’m glad that there are already governments that are moving towards this direction,” he said.
Amin also hoped that more countries will eventually have some sort of privacy law that will prevent their personal data from being exploited by unscrupulous parties.
The course, which aims to help the police force better deal with identity theft and other cybersecurity cases, is expected to be unveiled in the first quarter of next year.
Although the course subjects are still being planned, Impact said that data forensics will be one of the first subjects to be offered.
Impact also plans to offer the course as a service to police forces in its 42 member countries.
According to Impact chairman, Datuk Mohd Noor Amin, people are getting more concerned about online security, especially when it involves their identity, compared to 10 years ago.
However, identity theft and cybersecurity aren’t easy problems to solve even if one has international organisations such as the Interpol on their side.
Amin added that because laws to protect against identity theft are poorly enforced or don’t exist, the successful prosecution of identity thieves are not high as they should be.
This is because laws vary between countries and it is difficult to charge a cybercriminal because although victims of the crime are in one country, the servers used may be somewhere else.
“Which law should be used then?” Amin asked at a recent roundtable discussion about cybersecurity.
Ideally, laws on identity theft should be enforced considering how easy a criminal can obtain someone’s identity, he said.
According to a study done by information security company Symantec, 57% of the time people lose their identities because they have lost their laptops or thumbdrives.
“Only 17% is caused by hackers stealing them but either way, there aren’t proper laws to keep one’s identity secure,” said Mark Bregman, Symantec chief technology officer.
Bregman added that privacy and identity theft is a growing concern in the United States with about 200 million identity records exposed there last year.
As it is now a serious issue, Amin said that governments around the world should naturally respond to this concern.
“There needs to be a political will to drive this and I’m glad that there are already governments that are moving towards this direction,” he said.
Amin also hoped that more countries will eventually have some sort of privacy law that will prevent their personal data from being exploited by unscrupulous parties.
NEWS: Malaysia has potential to export creative content
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia has the potential to become the destination of choice for the production, marketing and distribution of creative and digital content, both local and foreign, said Information Communication and Culture Ministry secretary-general Datuk Wira Kamaruddin Siaraf.
He said the country has a pool of talent, government support and infrastructure to attract global creative multimedia players to work in partnership and to use Malaysia as their global hub.
“We are now moving ahead from developing capacity to implementing aggressive go-to-market strategies,” he said at the Asia Television Forum in Singapore yesterday.
In a statement released here, Kamaruddin said international companies like Codemasters Studios, a British computer and videogames developer as well as Rhythm and Hues, the Oscar-winning special effects and animation studio, have established their operations in Malaysia.
He added another production company, Freemantle Media, has expressed interest to collaborate with the Film Development Corporation (Finas) while BBC Worldwide has stated its commitment to co-produce documentaries with
Radio Televisyen Malaysia (RTM). He said Sony Pictures has also enquired about co-production opportunities for films in the country.
“These initiatives are estimated to generate between RM20mil and RM40mil over the duration of the three-year collaboration,” he said.
Kamarudin said the government’s goal was to finance, develop and produce 100 creative projects over the next five to 10 years, which is expected to create over 10,000 jobs in the sector.
“Ideally, we will like this to be a concerted effort, one which can be undertaken jointly with friends and partners from the global content community,” he added.
Kamaruddin said Finas would launch a RM200mil Creative Industry Fund to spur participation and accelerate growth in digital creative industry as mentioned in Budget 2010.
He added the initiative would support the government’s strategic plan to expand the creative content industry to become a major contributor to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) over the next five years. — Bernama
He said the country has a pool of talent, government support and infrastructure to attract global creative multimedia players to work in partnership and to use Malaysia as their global hub.
“We are now moving ahead from developing capacity to implementing aggressive go-to-market strategies,” he said at the Asia Television Forum in Singapore yesterday.
In a statement released here, Kamaruddin said international companies like Codemasters Studios, a British computer and videogames developer as well as Rhythm and Hues, the Oscar-winning special effects and animation studio, have established their operations in Malaysia.
He added another production company, Freemantle Media, has expressed interest to collaborate with the Film Development Corporation (Finas) while BBC Worldwide has stated its commitment to co-produce documentaries with
Radio Televisyen Malaysia (RTM). He said Sony Pictures has also enquired about co-production opportunities for films in the country.
“These initiatives are estimated to generate between RM20mil and RM40mil over the duration of the three-year collaboration,” he said.
Kamarudin said the government’s goal was to finance, develop and produce 100 creative projects over the next five to 10 years, which is expected to create over 10,000 jobs in the sector.
“Ideally, we will like this to be a concerted effort, one which can be undertaken jointly with friends and partners from the global content community,” he added.
Kamaruddin said Finas would launch a RM200mil Creative Industry Fund to spur participation and accelerate growth in digital creative industry as mentioned in Budget 2010.
He added the initiative would support the government’s strategic plan to expand the creative content industry to become a major contributor to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) over the next five years. — Bernama
NEWS: Creative content lessons from India
When people think about India and the content industry, the first thing that springs to mind is Bollywood.
But industry observer, Anand Gunarni believes that India can offer more than scenic landscapes and heart-pumping choreography.
Gunarni is the co-founder, chief executive officer and managing editor of AnimationXpress.com, an industry and business to business portal in India.
Gunarni will be in Kuala Lumpur for Kre8tif, the Dec 7-9 content industry conference that is organised by the custodian of the MSC Malaysia inititiative, the Multimedia Development Corp.
In an e-mail interview with Techcentral, he tells us how the Indian digital content industry is growing and why the world shouldn’t just expect Bollywood titles from the country’s studios.
TechCentral: India is known as an IT giant in the world today. How do you expect this scene to be more vibrant with a thriving content industry?
Anand Gunarni: Long before India got into IT, Bollywood was already producing 1,000 films a year. So India is primarily a huge industry for communication, entertainment, information and knowledge.
The only change we speak about now, is that how will it be with digital content? I think we have to wait and watch. Its already great from the industry and entreprenuership side, but the audience is yet to give the positive vote to animation.
Kids love it — the videogame console and Cartoon Network are as much a part of their lives as their families. So as we go ahead in time, its going to grow exponentially.
TC: We have noticed a lot of Indian names in a few international productions this year. What’s new in the Indian content industry?
AG: The new thing in the Indian CG and animation content industry is that its growing fast in both international work as well as domestic animation feature films being produced for local consumption.
More than 40 animation features are under various stages of production in India and AnimationXpress.com showcased 12 trailers of upcoming Indian animation features at the Digital Bollywood CXO Conclave event recently.
In television, titles like Little Krishna and Chota Bheem are doing wonders.
On the international front there are some Indian studios that are making features for global audiences including Crest Animation which is making the Alpha & Omega film in co-production with Lionsgate of the United States.
In the VFX (visual effects) and CG for Hollywood space, companies like Rhythm & Hues, (which is now also in Kuala Lumpur), Prana, Crest, DQ, Anibrain, Imageworks, Dreamworks and Geon studios have all done some great work and are riding higher up the quality value chain all the time.
TC: Can the world expect new content from India soon?
AG: Yes. And it will bring smiles on faces worlwide. Some of them include Kuchi Kuchi Hota Hain, which is an animation version of the 1997 classic super hit Kuch Kuch Hota Hain, Hey Krishna! and Delhi Safari.
TC: There is no doubt that Bollywood is India’s popular export. However, we believe there is more to the Indian content industry that that. What other gems is India hiding?
AG: Of course there is more than Bollywood. But at the same time, let me also give my perspective that Bollywood today does not only mean the Indian film industry but all the entertainment content India produces and to me it stands for songs, dances, costumes, romance and family values.
There is a lot of talent that has not yet come to the fore in terms of the hidden gems, but that’s because of the star system we have here. Audiences want to see their stars and so not many films can be made by independent studios with a low budget.
TC: What would you say are India’s strengths in the content industry? What about her weaknesses and how can this be remedied?
AG: The Indian industry’s strengths include entreprenuership skills, technology savviness, animation production and a huge market, which Bollywood has tapped for almost 100 years but is yet to be tapped for animation.
However, the industry will need to work on pre-production and script development skills as well as how to effectively package and present our animation titles.
We also hope that the Indian government give more support to this industry as currently there is a lack of support and structure from them.
TC: How long do you reckon would the Indian content industry (specifically digital content) take before it has the same reputation as content powerhouses like Disney, Nickelodeon, Nelvana etc?
AG: Already studios like Prana, Crest, VCL, Graphiti and Famous Animation have a top league reputation globally as CG production and co-production companies.
In terms of powerhouses of content that produce their own intellectual property I think companies like UTV, Big Animation, Greengold are on their way. I believe it will happen in the next five years.
TC: How large is the Indian content development industry and where does it stand globally?
AG: I can speak for animation, VFX and games as those are my domains. These are worth between US$300mil -US$350mil (about RM1.1tril) with around 400 studios, 20,000 artists, 100 education companies, 2,000 training centers and 200,000 students.
These figures are from AnimationXpress.com research and analysis and are based on six years of our company’s involvement with Indian animation.
TC:What would your advice be to budding content developers who are about to dip their toes in this highly competitive industry?
AG:Firstly search your heart as to what is the story or idea you want to communicate to the audience. And then put your 100% focus and energy on creating the best possible experience for the viewers. Be ready to spend sleepless nights, be ready to be broke, be ready to be called a fool, but dont be ready to compromise on the experience of your content.
Gunarni will be moderating a panel discussion titled How to grow a studio from the ground up. For more information about Kre8tif, go to bit.ly/34oAjd or their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/kre8tif.
But industry observer, Anand Gunarni believes that India can offer more than scenic landscapes and heart-pumping choreography.
Gunarni is the co-founder, chief executive officer and managing editor of AnimationXpress.com, an industry and business to business portal in India.
Gunarni will be in Kuala Lumpur for Kre8tif, the Dec 7-9 content industry conference that is organised by the custodian of the MSC Malaysia inititiative, the Multimedia Development Corp.
In an e-mail interview with Techcentral, he tells us how the Indian digital content industry is growing and why the world shouldn’t just expect Bollywood titles from the country’s studios.
TechCentral: India is known as an IT giant in the world today. How do you expect this scene to be more vibrant with a thriving content industry?
Anand Gunarni: Long before India got into IT, Bollywood was already producing 1,000 films a year. So India is primarily a huge industry for communication, entertainment, information and knowledge.
The only change we speak about now, is that how will it be with digital content? I think we have to wait and watch. Its already great from the industry and entreprenuership side, but the audience is yet to give the positive vote to animation.
Kids love it — the videogame console and Cartoon Network are as much a part of their lives as their families. So as we go ahead in time, its going to grow exponentially.
TC: We have noticed a lot of Indian names in a few international productions this year. What’s new in the Indian content industry?
AG: The new thing in the Indian CG and animation content industry is that its growing fast in both international work as well as domestic animation feature films being produced for local consumption.
More than 40 animation features are under various stages of production in India and AnimationXpress.com showcased 12 trailers of upcoming Indian animation features at the Digital Bollywood CXO Conclave event recently.
In television, titles like Little Krishna and Chota Bheem are doing wonders.
On the international front there are some Indian studios that are making features for global audiences including Crest Animation which is making the Alpha & Omega film in co-production with Lionsgate of the United States.
In the VFX (visual effects) and CG for Hollywood space, companies like Rhythm & Hues, (which is now also in Kuala Lumpur), Prana, Crest, DQ, Anibrain, Imageworks, Dreamworks and Geon studios have all done some great work and are riding higher up the quality value chain all the time.
TC: Can the world expect new content from India soon?
AG: Yes. And it will bring smiles on faces worlwide. Some of them include Kuchi Kuchi Hota Hain, which is an animation version of the 1997 classic super hit Kuch Kuch Hota Hain, Hey Krishna! and Delhi Safari.
TC: There is no doubt that Bollywood is India’s popular export. However, we believe there is more to the Indian content industry that that. What other gems is India hiding?
AG: Of course there is more than Bollywood. But at the same time, let me also give my perspective that Bollywood today does not only mean the Indian film industry but all the entertainment content India produces and to me it stands for songs, dances, costumes, romance and family values.
There is a lot of talent that has not yet come to the fore in terms of the hidden gems, but that’s because of the star system we have here. Audiences want to see their stars and so not many films can be made by independent studios with a low budget.
TC: What would you say are India’s strengths in the content industry? What about her weaknesses and how can this be remedied?
AG: The Indian industry’s strengths include entreprenuership skills, technology savviness, animation production and a huge market, which Bollywood has tapped for almost 100 years but is yet to be tapped for animation.
However, the industry will need to work on pre-production and script development skills as well as how to effectively package and present our animation titles.
We also hope that the Indian government give more support to this industry as currently there is a lack of support and structure from them.
TC: How long do you reckon would the Indian content industry (specifically digital content) take before it has the same reputation as content powerhouses like Disney, Nickelodeon, Nelvana etc?
AG: Already studios like Prana, Crest, VCL, Graphiti and Famous Animation have a top league reputation globally as CG production and co-production companies.
In terms of powerhouses of content that produce their own intellectual property I think companies like UTV, Big Animation, Greengold are on their way. I believe it will happen in the next five years.
TC: How large is the Indian content development industry and where does it stand globally?
AG: I can speak for animation, VFX and games as those are my domains. These are worth between US$300mil -US$350mil (about RM1.1tril) with around 400 studios, 20,000 artists, 100 education companies, 2,000 training centers and 200,000 students.
These figures are from AnimationXpress.com research and analysis and are based on six years of our company’s involvement with Indian animation.
TC:What would your advice be to budding content developers who are about to dip their toes in this highly competitive industry?
AG:Firstly search your heart as to what is the story or idea you want to communicate to the audience. And then put your 100% focus and energy on creating the best possible experience for the viewers. Be ready to spend sleepless nights, be ready to be broke, be ready to be called a fool, but dont be ready to compromise on the experience of your content.
Gunarni will be moderating a panel discussion titled How to grow a studio from the ground up. For more information about Kre8tif, go to bit.ly/34oAjd or their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/kre8tif.
NEWS: THE Malaysian Bar Council has introduced electronic learning as part of its Continuing Legal Education programme to enhance the professional dev
THE Malaysian Bar Council has introduced electronic learning as part of its Continuing Legal Education programme to enhance the professional development of members of the Bar and chambering pupils.
As a first step in the implementation of electronic learning, the Professional Standards and Development Committee (PSDC) has developed e-learning modules based on the existing Ethics and Professional Standards course manual for chambering pupils.
Thiru says the e-EPS course is meant to complement lectures.
The e-Ethics and Professional Standards (e-EPS) course encompasses all six modules of the current course.
It is not meant to replace lectures, but complement them, said PSDC co-chairman Steven Thiru. With the e-EPS, pupils can access an overview of the course syllabus, issues to focus on, training on how to approach these issues, and an interactive questions and answer segment.
The interactive features, discussion boards and practice tests also give pupils instant feedback on their progress, he added.
The course, which was launched last month, is a joint effort with CrimsonLogic Sdn Bhd, a technology provider specialising in electronic solutions and services.
“The response so far has been very good. We can also monitor data such as when the pupils log on and how much time they spend on the course. It’s encouraging to see them making the effort,” Thiru said.
He also said that in the past, the failure rate of chambering pupils was quite high — up to half the pupils did not get called to the Bar. It gradually reduced to about 30% over the last two years.
“It was still quite worrying that pupils were not getting the full benefit of the chambering period. With the introduction of e-learning modules, we hope to achieve 100% passes in the future.”
Julie Thomas, the company’s business development manager said that such implementation is a paradigm shift for the Bar Council to “move in sync” with the times.
During the launch of the e-EPS course recently, Thiru said that for a long time the Bar Council had spoken about the need to move away from the traditional lecture or seminar format for professional development. This is to make continuing legal education more accessible and cost-friendly to members.
He also said that the PSDC had plans to extend e-learning to the entire Bar. In the near future, lectures and seminars would be uploaded online, and travelling to attend them may be a thing of the past.
“It is a very exciting time for the Malaysian Bar as we are updating professional development,” he said.
The e-EPS course is currently available from www.eeps.com.my, and can be accessed for a one-off fee of RM30 per user.
As a first step in the implementation of electronic learning, the Professional Standards and Development Committee (PSDC) has developed e-learning modules based on the existing Ethics and Professional Standards course manual for chambering pupils.
Thiru says the e-EPS course is meant to complement lectures.
The e-Ethics and Professional Standards (e-EPS) course encompasses all six modules of the current course.
It is not meant to replace lectures, but complement them, said PSDC co-chairman Steven Thiru. With the e-EPS, pupils can access an overview of the course syllabus, issues to focus on, training on how to approach these issues, and an interactive questions and answer segment.
The interactive features, discussion boards and practice tests also give pupils instant feedback on their progress, he added.
The course, which was launched last month, is a joint effort with CrimsonLogic Sdn Bhd, a technology provider specialising in electronic solutions and services.
“The response so far has been very good. We can also monitor data such as when the pupils log on and how much time they spend on the course. It’s encouraging to see them making the effort,” Thiru said.
He also said that in the past, the failure rate of chambering pupils was quite high — up to half the pupils did not get called to the Bar. It gradually reduced to about 30% over the last two years.
“It was still quite worrying that pupils were not getting the full benefit of the chambering period. With the introduction of e-learning modules, we hope to achieve 100% passes in the future.”
Julie Thomas, the company’s business development manager said that such implementation is a paradigm shift for the Bar Council to “move in sync” with the times.
During the launch of the e-EPS course recently, Thiru said that for a long time the Bar Council had spoken about the need to move away from the traditional lecture or seminar format for professional development. This is to make continuing legal education more accessible and cost-friendly to members.
He also said that the PSDC had plans to extend e-learning to the entire Bar. In the near future, lectures and seminars would be uploaded online, and travelling to attend them may be a thing of the past.
“It is a very exciting time for the Malaysian Bar as we are updating professional development,” he said.
The e-EPS course is currently available from www.eeps.com.my, and can be accessed for a one-off fee of RM30 per user.
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
NEWS: Animation workshop for students
KUALA LUMPUR: A team of two to three students from 10 chosen schools from Selangor, Pahang, Sabah, Perak, Johor and Kuala Lumpur will attend an animation workshop, organised by the Multimedia Development Corporation (MDeC) and Disney Channels Southeast Asia.
MDeC, the guardian of the MSC Malaysia initiative, are in the process of working with the education departments of the respective states to identify the schools.
After the schools are identified, the school teachers will then identify the students who will take part in the workshop.
During the five-day workshop, the students age 10 to 14, will get to use animation software to create a two-minute clip based on their own “alien encounter,” inspired by Stitch, the Disney character from the 2002 movie.
MDeC would not reveal the animation software titles to be used but said that it would be of professional standard.
The workshops will be conducted by MDeC staff and local animation talents.
Saifol Bahri, MDeC industry development division vice-president said the workshop will give students the opportunity to learn 2D animation and the basic techniques of creating an animation clip.
“It’s a great opportunity for students to show of their creativity,” he said.
Six clips will enter the finals, and the winning clip will be shown on the Astro Disney Channel. The winner will also win a trip to Disneyland Hong Kong. The workshops will take place from January to June next year.
MDeC, the guardian of the MSC Malaysia initiative, are in the process of working with the education departments of the respective states to identify the schools.
After the schools are identified, the school teachers will then identify the students who will take part in the workshop.
During the five-day workshop, the students age 10 to 14, will get to use animation software to create a two-minute clip based on their own “alien encounter,” inspired by Stitch, the Disney character from the 2002 movie.
MDeC would not reveal the animation software titles to be used but said that it would be of professional standard.
The workshops will be conducted by MDeC staff and local animation talents.
Saifol Bahri, MDeC industry development division vice-president said the workshop will give students the opportunity to learn 2D animation and the basic techniques of creating an animation clip.
“It’s a great opportunity for students to show of their creativity,” he said.
Six clips will enter the finals, and the winning clip will be shown on the Astro Disney Channel. The winner will also win a trip to Disneyland Hong Kong. The workshops will take place from January to June next year.
Sunday, November 29, 2009
NEWS: Animation workshop for students
KUALA LUMPUR: A team of two to three students from 10 chosen schools from Selangor, Pahang, Sabah, Perak, Johor and Kuala Lumpur will attend an animation workshop, organised by the Multimedia Development Corporation (MDeC) and Disney Channels Southeast Asia.
MDeC, the guardian of the MSC Malaysia initiative, are in the process of working with the education departments of the respective states to identify the schools.
After the schools are identified, the school teachers will then identify the students who will take part in the workshop.
During the five-day workshop, the students age 10 to 14, will get to use animation software to create a two-minute clip based on their own “alien encounter,” inspired by Stitch, the Disney character from the 2002 movie.
MDeC would not reveal the animation software titles to be used but said that it would be of professional standard.
The workshops will be conducted by MDeC staff and local animation talents.
Saifol Bahri, MDeC industry development division vice-president said the workshop will give students the opportunity to learn 2D animation and the basic techniques of creating an animation clip.
“It’s a great opportunity for students to show of their creativity,” he said.
Six clips will enter the finals, and the winning clip will be shown on the Astro Disney Channel. The winner will also win a trip to Disneyland Hong Kong. The workshops will take place from January to June next year.
MDeC, the guardian of the MSC Malaysia initiative, are in the process of working with the education departments of the respective states to identify the schools.
After the schools are identified, the school teachers will then identify the students who will take part in the workshop.
During the five-day workshop, the students age 10 to 14, will get to use animation software to create a two-minute clip based on their own “alien encounter,” inspired by Stitch, the Disney character from the 2002 movie.
MDeC would not reveal the animation software titles to be used but said that it would be of professional standard.
The workshops will be conducted by MDeC staff and local animation talents.
Saifol Bahri, MDeC industry development division vice-president said the workshop will give students the opportunity to learn 2D animation and the basic techniques of creating an animation clip.
“It’s a great opportunity for students to show of their creativity,” he said.
Six clips will enter the finals, and the winning clip will be shown on the Astro Disney Channel. The winner will also win a trip to Disneyland Hong Kong. The workshops will take place from January to June next year.
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
NEWS: 電腦程序員設交流平台 上網分享遇劫經歷
（吉隆坡25日訊）一名電腦程序員，在網站開設一個讓公眾提供和分享國內罪案情報的網址，借此作為一個交流平台，互相防範和警戒！
創辦人顏君怡是聯合amax wimax公司贊助，開設一個《www.malaysiacrime.com》網站，讓公眾自由登入，提供本身遇劫經過詳情或情報，讓所有大馬人都能掌握罪案演進和罪案地區。
朋友遇劫斷尾指
他今日召開記者會說，公眾無須用真實姓名登記，也不用出示報案紙，主要是所提供的情報，可作為一種警惕作用。
他本身是一名電腦程序員，在二三年前已有此創意，直到今年3月一名朋友遇劫后，才開始實現這項構思。
“當時我的一名朋友是在靈市地區健身后步行回家時，被摩哆騎士匪徒持駕駛鎖攻擊搶劫，導致他在自衛時尾指斷落，自行到醫院求救后因尾指遺留在現場，結果再步行現場取尾指。”
他說，雖然其朋友尾指事后可以駁回，並將經歷寫在面子書內，不過他覺得應將劫案寫在網站分享，讓民眾預訪防和警惕作用。
他說，迄今該網站的情報雖較多來自報章和摘自其他網站新聞，不過歡迎公眾踴躍登入，提供情報和分享經歷過程。
創辦人顏君怡是聯合amax wimax公司贊助，開設一個《www.malaysiacrime.com》網站，讓公眾自由登入，提供本身遇劫經過詳情或情報，讓所有大馬人都能掌握罪案演進和罪案地區。
朋友遇劫斷尾指
他今日召開記者會說，公眾無須用真實姓名登記，也不用出示報案紙，主要是所提供的情報，可作為一種警惕作用。
他本身是一名電腦程序員，在二三年前已有此創意，直到今年3月一名朋友遇劫后，才開始實現這項構思。
“當時我的一名朋友是在靈市地區健身后步行回家時，被摩哆騎士匪徒持駕駛鎖攻擊搶劫，導致他在自衛時尾指斷落，自行到醫院求救后因尾指遺留在現場，結果再步行現場取尾指。”
他說，雖然其朋友尾指事后可以駁回，並將經歷寫在面子書內，不過他覺得應將劫案寫在網站分享，讓民眾預訪防和警惕作用。
他說，迄今該網站的情報雖較多來自報章和摘自其他網站新聞，不過歡迎公眾踴躍登入，提供情報和分享經歷過程。
NEWS: Pikom: Prioritise English
PETALING JAYA: Pikom, The National Information and Communications Technology Association of Malaysia, strongly feels that English should continue to be the language of choice for communication in the private sector, government linked companies (GLCs) and Government agencies.
Pikom president CJ Ang said that with the outsourcing industry expecting to recruit 300,000 Malaysians by 2012, having an English-speaking workforce is essential.
This is especially so when it comes to servicing global clients in the United States and Europe where the bulk of the outsourcing jobs come from, he said.
“Some of the much sought-after jobs in the outsourcing industry are call centre, payroll processing, finance and accounting — all of which need English competency,” he added.
With the rapid pace of globalisation and the high cost of doing business, companies are using the Web to expand its business across borders.
“In order to stay competitive, Malaysians must have a good command of English,” he said.
Pikom believes that there is no other alternative if Malaysia’s vision of being a fully developed and a knowledge-based economy by 2020 is to be achieved.
Pikom was responding to a recent statement made by Education Deputy Minister, Dr Mohd Puad Zarkashi, who said that Malaysians should use Bahasa Malaysia and not English in all communications in the private sector and GLCs.
Pikom president CJ Ang said that with the outsourcing industry expecting to recruit 300,000 Malaysians by 2012, having an English-speaking workforce is essential.
This is especially so when it comes to servicing global clients in the United States and Europe where the bulk of the outsourcing jobs come from, he said.
“Some of the much sought-after jobs in the outsourcing industry are call centre, payroll processing, finance and accounting — all of which need English competency,” he added.
With the rapid pace of globalisation and the high cost of doing business, companies are using the Web to expand its business across borders.
“In order to stay competitive, Malaysians must have a good command of English,” he said.
Pikom believes that there is no other alternative if Malaysia’s vision of being a fully developed and a knowledge-based economy by 2020 is to be achieved.
Pikom was responding to a recent statement made by Education Deputy Minister, Dr Mohd Puad Zarkashi, who said that Malaysians should use Bahasa Malaysia and not English in all communications in the private sector and GLCs.
Sunday, November 22, 2009
NEWS: Government grants for researchers
THE Government will consider providing matching grants to local researchers who obtain grants from the industry, multinational corporations and international institutions.
Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said that the ministry had recommended this under the 10th Malaysia Plan to ensure continuity in quality research.
“These one-to-one ratio grants which we proposed mirror the grant scheme of advanced nations,” he said after opening the ministry’s Integrity Day.
Mohamed Khaled (second from left) and ministry secretary-general Datuk Dr Zulkefli A. Hassan (left) after opening the ministry’s Integrity Day at the Malaysian Institute of Integrity. With them are Suriah Mamat and Elmi Nizam (right) from the institute.
“This will reflect the Government’s commitment as a research partner and strengthen the national innovation chain.”
It is learnt that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak had agreed in principle to the recommendation.
Mohamed Khaled added that the ministry would identify six research clusters to maximise the value of research projects by fostering collaboration amongst local researchers.
“We have around 20,000 academic staff and 1,600 professors nationwide,” he said. “Much of the research in local IPTs (Institutions of Higher Learning) is done in isolation at the moment and we should foster an environment for greater collaboration.”
However, Mohamed Khaled urged public IPTs to foster greater industry collaboration on research projects to minimise their dependence on government funding.
Presently, funding for researchers stem from the Fundamental Research Grant Scheme, which has an allocation of around RM250mil.
Greater investment in science and technology endeavours and the formation of research clusters are two of the eight main agendas the ministry is recommending under the 10th Malaysia Plan.
Other agendas include providing greater access to higher education by enhancing the role played by private IPTs, establishing Malaysia as a knowledge and innovation hub by tapping new student markets and providing autonomy to research institutions in parent IPTs.
The remaining agendas include encouraging local academicians to obtain postgraduate qualifications locally, nurturing the creativity and potential of Malaysian students and ensuring that public IPTs are able to manage their own financial destinies.
Meanwhile, Mohamed Khaled also said that Malaysia had proposed the setting up of a training centre for quality assessors of OIC (Organisation of Islamic Countries) member nations.
Feedback had been positive as Malaysia has had a decade of experience through efforts by the National Accreditation Board, and subsequently, the Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA), he said after the Round Table Meeting of OIC Quality Assurance Agencies last week.
The centre will be managed by the MQA and will provide short courses, training workshops and work attachments.
“The centre would be housed in the MQA or at a public IPT,”said Mohamed Khaled.
Fourty-nine participants from 29 OIC nations and observers from Cambodia, Bosnia Herzegovina, Morocco and Thailand participated in the meeting aimed at fostering greater convergence of accreditation and quality assessment amongst the respective agencies.
It is learnt that 14 out of 57 OIC nations have quality assurance agencies for higher education while another 12 countries are in the midst of forming them.
The round table discussion was the result of a meeting of Education and Higher Education ministers of OIC nations which took place at Baku, Azerbaijan, in October last year.
Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said that the ministry had recommended this under the 10th Malaysia Plan to ensure continuity in quality research.
“These one-to-one ratio grants which we proposed mirror the grant scheme of advanced nations,” he said after opening the ministry’s Integrity Day.
Mohamed Khaled (second from left) and ministry secretary-general Datuk Dr Zulkefli A. Hassan (left) after opening the ministry’s Integrity Day at the Malaysian Institute of Integrity. With them are Suriah Mamat and Elmi Nizam (right) from the institute.
“This will reflect the Government’s commitment as a research partner and strengthen the national innovation chain.”
It is learnt that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak had agreed in principle to the recommendation.
Mohamed Khaled added that the ministry would identify six research clusters to maximise the value of research projects by fostering collaboration amongst local researchers.
“We have around 20,000 academic staff and 1,600 professors nationwide,” he said. “Much of the research in local IPTs (Institutions of Higher Learning) is done in isolation at the moment and we should foster an environment for greater collaboration.”
However, Mohamed Khaled urged public IPTs to foster greater industry collaboration on research projects to minimise their dependence on government funding.
Presently, funding for researchers stem from the Fundamental Research Grant Scheme, which has an allocation of around RM250mil.
Greater investment in science and technology endeavours and the formation of research clusters are two of the eight main agendas the ministry is recommending under the 10th Malaysia Plan.
Other agendas include providing greater access to higher education by enhancing the role played by private IPTs, establishing Malaysia as a knowledge and innovation hub by tapping new student markets and providing autonomy to research institutions in parent IPTs.
The remaining agendas include encouraging local academicians to obtain postgraduate qualifications locally, nurturing the creativity and potential of Malaysian students and ensuring that public IPTs are able to manage their own financial destinies.
Meanwhile, Mohamed Khaled also said that Malaysia had proposed the setting up of a training centre for quality assessors of OIC (Organisation of Islamic Countries) member nations.
Feedback had been positive as Malaysia has had a decade of experience through efforts by the National Accreditation Board, and subsequently, the Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA), he said after the Round Table Meeting of OIC Quality Assurance Agencies last week.
The centre will be managed by the MQA and will provide short courses, training workshops and work attachments.
“The centre would be housed in the MQA or at a public IPT,”said Mohamed Khaled.
Fourty-nine participants from 29 OIC nations and observers from Cambodia, Bosnia Herzegovina, Morocco and Thailand participated in the meeting aimed at fostering greater convergence of accreditation and quality assessment amongst the respective agencies.
It is learnt that 14 out of 57 OIC nations have quality assurance agencies for higher education while another 12 countries are in the midst of forming them.
The round table discussion was the result of a meeting of Education and Higher Education ministers of OIC nations which took place at Baku, Azerbaijan, in October last year.
NEWS: We are the champions
IT WAS a nail-biting situation for Benjamin Phang Shin Yoong and his team mates John Leong and Tan Cheng En moments before their school was announced the winner in the Primary School Open Category at the World Robot Olympiad (WRO) 2009 in Pohang, South Korea.
“We were nervous as the entries from the other countries were good,” said Benjamin, a Year Five pupil from SJKC Jalan Davidson, Kuala Lumpur.
“When the announcement for the second place winner was announced, we were excited that we might have a chance, yet a little apprehensive that we might lose.
Muhyiddin checks out SJKC Jalan Davidson’s winning project at the World Robot Olympiad 2009 while senior ministry officials look on.
“So when they called out our school’s name, we were simply ecstatic and couldn’t stop jumping for joy,” he said.
SJKC Jalan Davidson had won a gold medal in the Primary School open category at the olympiad as well as a Special Award for the superb performance of the team.
“We worked on our project for six months,” he said.
Music that was incorporated into the team’s robot project came from the angklung (a musical instrument made of bamboo) and special computer software, he added.
SMK Methodist Tanjung Malim, Perak Form Four classmates Michael Goh Joon Seng, Wong Shun Yi and Nur Hazirah Mohd Razali had brainstormed with their teacher Lau Yoke Yin on ideas for their project.
Muhyiddin and senior ministry officials pose with the Malaysian contingent, which participated at the World Robot Olympiad 2009 in Korea last week and were named overall champion.
“We finally decided on a robot spray painter which could paint any object and spray in any direction,” said Michael.
SMK Methodist won a gold medal in the Upper Secondary School category and a special award. The team from SMK St Francis Malacca comprising Form Three students Lee Kin Onn, Teng Wai Huang and Tan Ee Jun Johnston were given the Excellent Award for their project, RoboMJ, which was designed to honour the late King of Pop, Michael Jackson.
“We are disappointed that we did not win but plan to try again next year,” said Kin Onn.
Johnston said their creation was a robot which could move its hands, legs and even its head to the songs of the legend.
Thanks to the performance of the three schools which won two gold medals, two special awards and the excellent award, Malaysia was named the overall champion at the olympiad.
The SMK Methodist Tanjung Malim team pose with the Education Ministry’s School Management Division director Datuk Zulkifly Mohd Wazir (left), who was head of the contingent to South Korea.
Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said he was very proud of the students’ achievements.
“This means our students’ abilities are not just on par, but better than those in developed countries,” he said after celebrating the success of the Malaysian contingent at the ministry last week.
Muhyiddin, who is also the Education Minister, said the recognition had put Malaysia on the world stage.
He said Malaysia would look into the suggestion that it hosts the competition in future.
“We can look into this as our success will motivate more students to take a keener interest in subjects like Physics, Science and Engineering,” he said.
The Malaysian contingent comprised two primary and four secondary school teams.
They competed in two categories at the olympiad with the theme ‘Artist Robot’.
The other teams which represented Malaysia at the olympiad were SJKC Yuk Chai, Petaling Jaya; SMK Mantin, Negri Sembilan; and SM Sains Sabah, Kota Kinabalu.
The teams representing Malaysia were winners in the National Robotics Competition (NRC) held last month.
Organised by the Education Ministry, the National Science Centre and Sasbadi Sdn Bhd, the competition’s objective was to help students build a solid foundation in Mathematics, Science, Technology, Design and ICT.
Sasbadi’s managing director Law King Hui said this was the third consecutive year that a Malaysian school had won the first prize in the Upper Secondary School Open category at the olympiad.
“We were nervous as the entries from the other countries were good,” said Benjamin, a Year Five pupil from SJKC Jalan Davidson, Kuala Lumpur.
“When the announcement for the second place winner was announced, we were excited that we might have a chance, yet a little apprehensive that we might lose.
Muhyiddin checks out SJKC Jalan Davidson’s winning project at the World Robot Olympiad 2009 while senior ministry officials look on.
“So when they called out our school’s name, we were simply ecstatic and couldn’t stop jumping for joy,” he said.
SJKC Jalan Davidson had won a gold medal in the Primary School open category at the olympiad as well as a Special Award for the superb performance of the team.
“We worked on our project for six months,” he said.
Music that was incorporated into the team’s robot project came from the angklung (a musical instrument made of bamboo) and special computer software, he added.
SMK Methodist Tanjung Malim, Perak Form Four classmates Michael Goh Joon Seng, Wong Shun Yi and Nur Hazirah Mohd Razali had brainstormed with their teacher Lau Yoke Yin on ideas for their project.
Muhyiddin and senior ministry officials pose with the Malaysian contingent, which participated at the World Robot Olympiad 2009 in Korea last week and were named overall champion.
“We finally decided on a robot spray painter which could paint any object and spray in any direction,” said Michael.
SMK Methodist won a gold medal in the Upper Secondary School category and a special award. The team from SMK St Francis Malacca comprising Form Three students Lee Kin Onn, Teng Wai Huang and Tan Ee Jun Johnston were given the Excellent Award for their project, RoboMJ, which was designed to honour the late King of Pop, Michael Jackson.
“We are disappointed that we did not win but plan to try again next year,” said Kin Onn.
Johnston said their creation was a robot which could move its hands, legs and even its head to the songs of the legend.
Thanks to the performance of the three schools which won two gold medals, two special awards and the excellent award, Malaysia was named the overall champion at the olympiad.
The SMK Methodist Tanjung Malim team pose with the Education Ministry’s School Management Division director Datuk Zulkifly Mohd Wazir (left), who was head of the contingent to South Korea.
Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said he was very proud of the students’ achievements.
“This means our students’ abilities are not just on par, but better than those in developed countries,” he said after celebrating the success of the Malaysian contingent at the ministry last week.
Muhyiddin, who is also the Education Minister, said the recognition had put Malaysia on the world stage.
He said Malaysia would look into the suggestion that it hosts the competition in future.
“We can look into this as our success will motivate more students to take a keener interest in subjects like Physics, Science and Engineering,” he said.
The Malaysian contingent comprised two primary and four secondary school teams.
They competed in two categories at the olympiad with the theme ‘Artist Robot’.
The other teams which represented Malaysia at the olympiad were SJKC Yuk Chai, Petaling Jaya; SMK Mantin, Negri Sembilan; and SM Sains Sabah, Kota Kinabalu.
The teams representing Malaysia were winners in the National Robotics Competition (NRC) held last month.
Organised by the Education Ministry, the National Science Centre and Sasbadi Sdn Bhd, the competition’s objective was to help students build a solid foundation in Mathematics, Science, Technology, Design and ICT.
Sasbadi’s managing director Law King Hui said this was the third consecutive year that a Malaysian school had won the first prize in the Upper Secondary School Open category at the olympiad.
NEWS: Personal data protection bill tabled in Parliament
KUALA LUMPUR: The Personal Data Protection Bill 2009 aimed at protecting public interests with regard to processing personal data was tabled in the Dewan Rakyat on Thursday.
In tabling the bill for the first reading, Deputy Information Communication and Culture Minister Datuk Joseph Salang Gandum said the bill consisted of 146 clauses and 11 sections.
The bill, among others, is aimed at regulating personal data processing in commercial transactions by users to protect the owners, and as such, protect their interest, he said.
According to the bill, as new technology and changes in market trend contributed to the growing importance of knowledge in the global economy, personal data in commercial transaction was becoming a valuable commodity.
This adds pressure in regulating data processing in efforts to enhance consumers’ confidence in the global economy.
The bill provides for the appointment of a personal data protection commissioner and the setting up of an advisory committee to advise the commissioner on the enforcement of the Act.
A tribunal will also be set up under the bill to enable offenders to appeal against decisions made by the commissioner.
The second section of the bill spells out provisions on personal data protection.
Among them, Section 5(1) states that personal data processing must adhere to the personal data protection principles, namely the general, notice, choice, due diligence, security, storage, integrity and access principles.
A personal data user faces imprisonment up to two years jail or a fine up to RM300,000 or both, if convicted under the Act. -- Bernama
In tabling the bill for the first reading, Deputy Information Communication and Culture Minister Datuk Joseph Salang Gandum said the bill consisted of 146 clauses and 11 sections.
The bill, among others, is aimed at regulating personal data processing in commercial transactions by users to protect the owners, and as such, protect their interest, he said.
According to the bill, as new technology and changes in market trend contributed to the growing importance of knowledge in the global economy, personal data in commercial transaction was becoming a valuable commodity.
This adds pressure in regulating data processing in efforts to enhance consumers’ confidence in the global economy.
The bill provides for the appointment of a personal data protection commissioner and the setting up of an advisory committee to advise the commissioner on the enforcement of the Act.
A tribunal will also be set up under the bill to enable offenders to appeal against decisions made by the commissioner.
The second section of the bill spells out provisions on personal data protection.
Among them, Section 5(1) states that personal data processing must adhere to the personal data protection principles, namely the general, notice, choice, due diligence, security, storage, integrity and access principles.
A personal data user faces imprisonment up to two years jail or a fine up to RM300,000 or both, if convicted under the Act. -- Bernama
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
NEWS: Microsoft lights another Spark
KUALA LUMPUR: Software giant Microsoft Corp has introduced yet another programme to spark the entrepreneurial spirit in young website designers.
The latest addition to the Microsoft Spark technopreneur start-up programme in Malaysia is the Microsoft WebsiteSpark, which aims to help website professionals and developers turn their dream job into a thriving business.
The WebSpark programme will equip smaller website developers, which have 10 employees or less, with Microsoft’s best tools including Silverlight that is touted as the alternative to the popular webpage building component, Flash, without any upfront cost.
The WebsiteSpark programme is part of a RM3.5bil investment from Microsoft Malaysia to give technopreneurs here a boost.
Peter Tam, director of local software innovations, Microsoft Malaysia said the programme is one of the steps the company is taking to encourage entrepreneurship among talented Malaysians.
“One of the most critical components for a knowledge-based economy is a vibrant entrepreneurial community but many smaller operations find it hard to afford the proper building blocks to design a good website,” he said at start of the Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW) last week.
Tam added that although it seems natural for businesses to have a website in the 21st century economy, there are about one million local businesses that do not have their own website.
“We see this as an opportunity for web pros and developers to seize and the programme can help them along the way,” Tam said.
Tam also hopes that the programme will help smaller website developers improve on their design skills and create better sites than what they have developed in the past.
“Due to either budget or resource constraints, smaller developers tend to come up with static and unappealing websites that people find hard to trust,” he said adding that the tools offered in the WebsiteSpark programme may add a dash of professionalism into their designs.
To add more clout in its drive to encourage entrepreneurship among youths, Microsoft Malaysia has also joined forces with Warisan Global Sdn Bhd, the country host of the GEW in the FastTrac programme.
The FastTrac programme was developed by the Ewing Kauffman Foundation, a US-based organisation that is focused on entrepreneurial success tohelping entrepreneurs achieve success.
Malaysia is the first country outside the United States to offer this programme and the Microsoft WebsiteSpark programme will be offered to participants of the FastTrac Tech Venture programme.
“With this partnership, we are expecting to create and benefit 200 new companies and technopreneurs over the next two years with all of the Spark programmes,” Tam said.
The latest addition to the Microsoft Spark technopreneur start-up programme in Malaysia is the Microsoft WebsiteSpark, which aims to help website professionals and developers turn their dream job into a thriving business.
The WebSpark programme will equip smaller website developers, which have 10 employees or less, with Microsoft’s best tools including Silverlight that is touted as the alternative to the popular webpage building component, Flash, without any upfront cost.
The WebsiteSpark programme is part of a RM3.5bil investment from Microsoft Malaysia to give technopreneurs here a boost.
Peter Tam, director of local software innovations, Microsoft Malaysia said the programme is one of the steps the company is taking to encourage entrepreneurship among talented Malaysians.
“One of the most critical components for a knowledge-based economy is a vibrant entrepreneurial community but many smaller operations find it hard to afford the proper building blocks to design a good website,” he said at start of the Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW) last week.
Tam added that although it seems natural for businesses to have a website in the 21st century economy, there are about one million local businesses that do not have their own website.
“We see this as an opportunity for web pros and developers to seize and the programme can help them along the way,” Tam said.
Tam also hopes that the programme will help smaller website developers improve on their design skills and create better sites than what they have developed in the past.
“Due to either budget or resource constraints, smaller developers tend to come up with static and unappealing websites that people find hard to trust,” he said adding that the tools offered in the WebsiteSpark programme may add a dash of professionalism into their designs.
To add more clout in its drive to encourage entrepreneurship among youths, Microsoft Malaysia has also joined forces with Warisan Global Sdn Bhd, the country host of the GEW in the FastTrac programme.
The FastTrac programme was developed by the Ewing Kauffman Foundation, a US-based organisation that is focused on entrepreneurial success tohelping entrepreneurs achieve success.
Malaysia is the first country outside the United States to offer this programme and the Microsoft WebsiteSpark programme will be offered to participants of the FastTrac Tech Venture programme.
“With this partnership, we are expecting to create and benefit 200 new companies and technopreneurs over the next two years with all of the Spark programmes,” Tam said.
NEWS: Animating with open-source
UNIQUE: A still from the Suleiman Brothers short film, Rojak!. The brothers used open-source software to combine live action with computer graphics for their film.
By STEVEN PATRICK
PETALING JAYA: IF YOU watched the 15Malaysia (www.15Malaysia.com) independent film collection, you would have noticed a unique entry called Rojak! that combined live action with computer graphics.
What is even cooler is that the filmmakers used open-source software to achieve this effect on the near-five-minute film. The fact is that the filmmakers — brothers Jordan, 29, and Mussadique Suleiman, 32 — are open-source software diehards.
The duo have been using open-source software for animation and editing TV commercials, documentaries and music videos for the past eight years.
Better known as the Suleiman Brothers, they specialise in hand-drawn animation, 3D and 2D motion graphics, video compositing as well as image processing.
Going open
Mussadique has been using open-source tools for more than a decade. He started in 1996 when he was software-code writer because he found writing code on the Windows platform frustrating.
“I had heard of the open-source movement a few years before that and found that it had really matured in the mid 90s, so I switched,” Mussadique recalled.
Today, Mussadique has Linux on everything — his computers, mobile phone and PDA.
His younger brother Jordan, shares his passion for open-source as it makes financial sense to use it in their filmmaking and animation endeavours.
Jordan, however, is not a software-coding geek like his brother. He is a self-taught computer graphics and animation artist.
“A copy of Maya (a 3D animation software) costs RM15,000 while open-source software costs nothing. Linux is also light years ahead of proprietary systems in terms of flexibility of use. It is the most powerful operating system based on our experience and we have been using it throughout our careers,” he said.
Tools for free
So when it came to their latest project — a short film for 15Malaysia, there was no question that the duo would still use open-source platforms that they have grown accustomed to.
The tools they used to create the animations include Blender (a 3D software package), Adobe After Effects (compositing) and Syntheyes — both for mixing virtual images with real footage. Blender and Syntheyes are Linux-based apps.
15Malaysia is a project by wireless broadband provider P1 and features a collection of 15 short films made by local independent filmmakers, including the late Yasmin Ahmad. The films feature local celebrities, actors, musicians and politicians.
“We wanted our submission to 15Malaysia be as surreal as possible as it dealt with the thoughts of a rojak seller and the multi-cultural background of Malaysia,” he said.
The Suleiman Brothers could not quantify the total time taken to make Rojak! as their studio was involved in a range of other commercial projects at the time.
The post-production and computer graphics work on Rojak! was done by five people. Two people did the 3D work — one of which was Mussadique — while Jordan was one of the two compositors, who mixed live footage with virtual images. The post-production process also involved a digital artist.
In the beginning
The Suleiman Brothers have enjoyed a creative partnership long before Rojak!. It began in their pre-teen years, explained Jordan.
They liked both the computer and art worlds and had undergone Basic computer programming training at the ages of six and eight.They also had a penchant for drawing and played musical instruments.
“When we were about 11, we tried to combine aspects of computer technology with aspects of art and creative design by designing ‘beat-em-up’ videogames like Streetfighter.
“We dabbled in everything from programming game logic to creating 16 x 32-pixel, frame-by-frame animation on old Atari 520ST CPUs,” Mussadique said.
However, later on, the partnership was put on hold temporarily as Mussadique branched out to focus on computing. He enrolled in a degree in artificial intelligence while Jordan went on to study business and information technology.
However, the brothers never stopped focusing on animation during their college years.
“I trained myself in all aspects of animation from hand-drawn cell work all the way to 3D character animation,” he said.
The brothers also found inspiration from Princess Mononoke, a popular anime movie from 1997.
After college, the brothers decided that animation was what they wanted to do. So in 1999, they formed a production company called Studio Voxel with their sister. Yasmin.
The company, which is based in Ampang, has been responsible for a wide range of artistic, commercial and corporate work — the most notable being the Anugerah Industri Muzik (AIM) award-winning music videos for artiste Pete Teo entitled Arms Of Marianne and Lost In America.
And yes, both videos mixed different types of animation with live footage. Just like Rojak!
By STEVEN PATRICK
PETALING JAYA: IF YOU watched the 15Malaysia (www.15Malaysia.com) independent film collection, you would have noticed a unique entry called Rojak! that combined live action with computer graphics.
What is even cooler is that the filmmakers used open-source software to achieve this effect on the near-five-minute film. The fact is that the filmmakers — brothers Jordan, 29, and Mussadique Suleiman, 32 — are open-source software diehards.
The duo have been using open-source software for animation and editing TV commercials, documentaries and music videos for the past eight years.
Better known as the Suleiman Brothers, they specialise in hand-drawn animation, 3D and 2D motion graphics, video compositing as well as image processing.
Going open
Mussadique has been using open-source tools for more than a decade. He started in 1996 when he was software-code writer because he found writing code on the Windows platform frustrating.
“I had heard of the open-source movement a few years before that and found that it had really matured in the mid 90s, so I switched,” Mussadique recalled.
Today, Mussadique has Linux on everything — his computers, mobile phone and PDA.
His younger brother Jordan, shares his passion for open-source as it makes financial sense to use it in their filmmaking and animation endeavours.
Jordan, however, is not a software-coding geek like his brother. He is a self-taught computer graphics and animation artist.
“A copy of Maya (a 3D animation software) costs RM15,000 while open-source software costs nothing. Linux is also light years ahead of proprietary systems in terms of flexibility of use. It is the most powerful operating system based on our experience and we have been using it throughout our careers,” he said.
Tools for free
So when it came to their latest project — a short film for 15Malaysia, there was no question that the duo would still use open-source platforms that they have grown accustomed to.
The tools they used to create the animations include Blender (a 3D software package), Adobe After Effects (compositing) and Syntheyes — both for mixing virtual images with real footage. Blender and Syntheyes are Linux-based apps.
15Malaysia is a project by wireless broadband provider P1 and features a collection of 15 short films made by local independent filmmakers, including the late Yasmin Ahmad. The films feature local celebrities, actors, musicians and politicians.
“We wanted our submission to 15Malaysia be as surreal as possible as it dealt with the thoughts of a rojak seller and the multi-cultural background of Malaysia,” he said.
The Suleiman Brothers could not quantify the total time taken to make Rojak! as their studio was involved in a range of other commercial projects at the time.
The post-production and computer graphics work on Rojak! was done by five people. Two people did the 3D work — one of which was Mussadique — while Jordan was one of the two compositors, who mixed live footage with virtual images. The post-production process also involved a digital artist.
In the beginning
The Suleiman Brothers have enjoyed a creative partnership long before Rojak!. It began in their pre-teen years, explained Jordan.
They liked both the computer and art worlds and had undergone Basic computer programming training at the ages of six and eight.They also had a penchant for drawing and played musical instruments.
“When we were about 11, we tried to combine aspects of computer technology with aspects of art and creative design by designing ‘beat-em-up’ videogames like Streetfighter.
“We dabbled in everything from programming game logic to creating 16 x 32-pixel, frame-by-frame animation on old Atari 520ST CPUs,” Mussadique said.
However, later on, the partnership was put on hold temporarily as Mussadique branched out to focus on computing. He enrolled in a degree in artificial intelligence while Jordan went on to study business and information technology.
However, the brothers never stopped focusing on animation during their college years.
“I trained myself in all aspects of animation from hand-drawn cell work all the way to 3D character animation,” he said.
The brothers also found inspiration from Princess Mononoke, a popular anime movie from 1997.
After college, the brothers decided that animation was what they wanted to do. So in 1999, they formed a production company called Studio Voxel with their sister. Yasmin.
The company, which is based in Ampang, has been responsible for a wide range of artistic, commercial and corporate work — the most notable being the Anugerah Industri Muzik (AIM) award-winning music videos for artiste Pete Teo entitled Arms Of Marianne and Lost In America.
And yes, both videos mixed different types of animation with live footage. Just like Rojak!
NEWS: Local startups impress VCs
KUALA LUMPUR: Every single one of the 20 startup companies that pitched ideas to venture capitalists (VC) at the sixth MSC Malaysia InnoTech event are in further talks on seed funding possibilities.
These startups initially received pre-seed funding of RM150,000 each from MSC Malaysia’s Pre-Seed Fund to create prototypes and are now seeking further funding (seed funding) from VCs to market their products.
These companies are collectively seeking RM75mil in VC funding.
“Although there is no certainty of these companies receiving funding, the fact that there is sustained VC interest after the initial pitch is encouraging,” said Roslan Bakri, director of technopreneur and enterprise development of the Multimedia Development Corporation, which is the guardian of the MSC Malaysia initiative.
The MSC Malaysia initiative is aimed at building up the nation’s knowledge-based economy.
“It could be another three years before these companies receive seed funding. This is because a lot of due diligence is needed but the fact that the startups have garnered VC interest after a 15-minute pitch is commendable,” he said.
Roslan said that last year, only five of 20 startup companies received the same degree of VC interest. However, these companies have so far received up to RM8mil collectively in VC funding.
“When MSC Malaysia InnoTech first started, only one in 20 startups received VC interest. Over the years, more and more startups have received VC interest after the pitch sessions,” he added.
Roslan explained that this increase in the success ratio is due to the fact that the startup representatives go through a four-month programme where they are “drilled” by seasoned entrepreneurs.
“They make them go over their 15-minute pitch until it is perfect. It is a very high pressure situation but it prepares the startups for their big day at MSC Malaysia InnoTech,” he said.
MSC Malaysia InnoTech is an annual event that connects startups under the MSC Malaysia Pre-Seed Fund Programme with foreign and local VCs for further funding.
Representatives from 20 startup companies pitched their ideas to 14 VCs this year.
Roslan would not reveal the nature of the startup companies but the VCs are mix of local and foreign organisations which, collectively handle a total fund size of RM500mil.
Mentorship
In related news, a new initiative called the MSC Malaysia Mentor Programme (M3P), was also launched at MSC Malaysia InnoTech.
M3P is a four-month programme to guide MSC Malaysia companies to move up the value chain. It involves weekly face-to-face meetings and online access to the mentors.
There are 11 mentors including Bob Chua, chief executive officer of Pulse Group Bhd; Micheal Lai, chief executive officer of Packet One Networks (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd; Abdul Rani, chief executive officer of CWorks Systems Bhd; Wilson Tay chief operating officer and chief knowledge officer, Malaysian Institue of Management; Mark Chang, executive director of Jobstreet Corporation Bhd and Chris Chan, chief executive officer of The Media Shoppe Bhd.
Forty MSC Malaysia and MSC Malaysia Pre-Seed Programme Fund recipients have been chosen for the M3P programme.
These startups initially received pre-seed funding of RM150,000 each from MSC Malaysia’s Pre-Seed Fund to create prototypes and are now seeking further funding (seed funding) from VCs to market their products.
These companies are collectively seeking RM75mil in VC funding.
“Although there is no certainty of these companies receiving funding, the fact that there is sustained VC interest after the initial pitch is encouraging,” said Roslan Bakri, director of technopreneur and enterprise development of the Multimedia Development Corporation, which is the guardian of the MSC Malaysia initiative.
The MSC Malaysia initiative is aimed at building up the nation’s knowledge-based economy.
“It could be another three years before these companies receive seed funding. This is because a lot of due diligence is needed but the fact that the startups have garnered VC interest after a 15-minute pitch is commendable,” he said.
Roslan said that last year, only five of 20 startup companies received the same degree of VC interest. However, these companies have so far received up to RM8mil collectively in VC funding.
“When MSC Malaysia InnoTech first started, only one in 20 startups received VC interest. Over the years, more and more startups have received VC interest after the pitch sessions,” he added.
Roslan explained that this increase in the success ratio is due to the fact that the startup representatives go through a four-month programme where they are “drilled” by seasoned entrepreneurs.
“They make them go over their 15-minute pitch until it is perfect. It is a very high pressure situation but it prepares the startups for their big day at MSC Malaysia InnoTech,” he said.
MSC Malaysia InnoTech is an annual event that connects startups under the MSC Malaysia Pre-Seed Fund Programme with foreign and local VCs for further funding.
Representatives from 20 startup companies pitched their ideas to 14 VCs this year.
Roslan would not reveal the nature of the startup companies but the VCs are mix of local and foreign organisations which, collectively handle a total fund size of RM500mil.
Mentorship
In related news, a new initiative called the MSC Malaysia Mentor Programme (M3P), was also launched at MSC Malaysia InnoTech.
M3P is a four-month programme to guide MSC Malaysia companies to move up the value chain. It involves weekly face-to-face meetings and online access to the mentors.
There are 11 mentors including Bob Chua, chief executive officer of Pulse Group Bhd; Micheal Lai, chief executive officer of Packet One Networks (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd; Abdul Rani, chief executive officer of CWorks Systems Bhd; Wilson Tay chief operating officer and chief knowledge officer, Malaysian Institue of Management; Mark Chang, executive director of Jobstreet Corporation Bhd and Chris Chan, chief executive officer of The Media Shoppe Bhd.
Forty MSC Malaysia and MSC Malaysia Pre-Seed Programme Fund recipients have been chosen for the M3P programme.
Monday, November 16, 2009
NEWS: Ah Longs use Facebook to shame debtors
KUALA LUMPUR: It appears that Ah Longs (loan sharks) have now resorted to the popular social networking website, Facebook, to threaten and humiliate debtors into settling outstanding debts.
MCA Public Service and Complaints Department head Datuk Michael Chong said the new modus operandi involved posting of the victim’s identity, including photographs, personal information and their debts, on the website.
“Prior to this, the Ah Longs used red paint and posters to humiliate their debtors but now, they are posting the debtors’ personal information on the social website,” he told reporters at the MCA headquarters here yesterday.
Chong said the latest case involved a car accessory shop worker who found an Ah Long’s threatening message posted on the website, demanding that he pay his outstanding debts.
The 25-year-old victim from Batu 9, Cheras, had taken a RM1,000 loan in September, but was now forced to pay RM80,000, inclusive of interests accrued.
The victim lodged a report at the Kajang police headquarters last Friday. — Bernama
MCA Public Service and Complaints Department head Datuk Michael Chong said the new modus operandi involved posting of the victim’s identity, including photographs, personal information and their debts, on the website.
“Prior to this, the Ah Longs used red paint and posters to humiliate their debtors but now, they are posting the debtors’ personal information on the social website,” he told reporters at the MCA headquarters here yesterday.
Chong said the latest case involved a car accessory shop worker who found an Ah Long’s threatening message posted on the website, demanding that he pay his outstanding debts.
The 25-year-old victim from Batu 9, Cheras, had taken a RM1,000 loan in September, but was now forced to pay RM80,000, inclusive of interests accrued.
The victim lodged a report at the Kajang police headquarters last Friday. — Bernama
Sunday, November 15, 2009
NEWS: Summit for technopreneurs next week
KUALA LUMPUR: Regional and global technopreneurs will gather here next week for the sixth InnoTech Summit.
Open to industry players and the public, the annual event will serve as a platform for participants to exchange ideas on starting up and maintaining a business.
The summit will also focus on identifying the technopreneurial opportunities available in the global market.
It takes place at the Berjaya Times Square Hotel & Convention Centre on Nov 17 and 18. The event is hosted by MSC Malaysia custodian, the Multimedia Development Corporation.
With the theme Innovating Success in the New Economy, InnoTech 2009 will comprise plenary sessions and tracks that will give participants insights into the role of innovation in sustaining business growth, reinventing companies, and expanding into overseas markets.
“Innovation is crucial to Malaysia’s efforts to develop a thriving knowledge-based economy. InnoTech 2009 is one avenue for us to further encourage, enhance and expand innovation and innovative thinking among our entrepreneurs and businesses,” said Roslan Bakri Zakaria, director of the industry development division at MDeC.
“We have some of the most exciting innovation experts lined up for the event and with the insightful sessions planned, we expect to draw about 400 participants.”
Among the international personalities who will be speaking at the summit are Mike Walsh, chief executive officer of innovation research agency Tomorrow; and Jana Matthews, the founder and chief executive officer of business growth consultancy The Jana Matthews Group.
In addition to the presentations, InnoTech 2009 will also see 20 selected Malaysian companies pitching ideas to a panel of local and international venture capitalists.
The summit will include a “funds fair,” featuring alternative financing offered by various organisations, and a products showcase.
For more information on InnoTech 2009, visit www.mscmalaysia.my. MSC Malaysia is a government initiative to leapfrog the country’s knowledge-based economy.
Open to industry players and the public, the annual event will serve as a platform for participants to exchange ideas on starting up and maintaining a business.
The summit will also focus on identifying the technopreneurial opportunities available in the global market.
It takes place at the Berjaya Times Square Hotel & Convention Centre on Nov 17 and 18. The event is hosted by MSC Malaysia custodian, the Multimedia Development Corporation.
With the theme Innovating Success in the New Economy, InnoTech 2009 will comprise plenary sessions and tracks that will give participants insights into the role of innovation in sustaining business growth, reinventing companies, and expanding into overseas markets.
“Innovation is crucial to Malaysia’s efforts to develop a thriving knowledge-based economy. InnoTech 2009 is one avenue for us to further encourage, enhance and expand innovation and innovative thinking among our entrepreneurs and businesses,” said Roslan Bakri Zakaria, director of the industry development division at MDeC.
“We have some of the most exciting innovation experts lined up for the event and with the insightful sessions planned, we expect to draw about 400 participants.”
Among the international personalities who will be speaking at the summit are Mike Walsh, chief executive officer of innovation research agency Tomorrow; and Jana Matthews, the founder and chief executive officer of business growth consultancy The Jana Matthews Group.
In addition to the presentations, InnoTech 2009 will also see 20 selected Malaysian companies pitching ideas to a panel of local and international venture capitalists.
The summit will include a “funds fair,” featuring alternative financing offered by various organisations, and a products showcase.
For more information on InnoTech 2009, visit www.mscmalaysia.my. MSC Malaysia is a government initiative to leapfrog the country’s knowledge-based economy.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
NEWS: Broadband lessons from Kentucky
PUTRAJAYA: What does the US state of Kentucky have in common with our state of Kedah? Would it be chicken platters — the famous American fried variety and our ayam goreng?
Yes, but the answer is also that both are mostly rural and their communities depend on the manufacturing industry for their livelihood.
Being a rural state, Kentucky had little in terms of technology and its economy was centered on manufacturing. But as the manufacturing industry waned in early 2000, the state had to start looking at how to sustain its economy.
Then in 2004 the Connected Nation, a US-based non-profit organisation, started its ICT (information and communications technology) initiative in the state.
“What we do is make people’s lives easier and more productive through technology,” said Brian Mefford, the chairman and CEO of Connected Nation.
“We work with the ICT industry and local communities to make computers, broadband and useful software applications available and relevant to everyone.”
When it started, Kentucky had a population of 4.2 million and 60% of the homes had Internet speeds of about 200Kbps (kilobits per second). That’s slow considering 1Mbps (megabit per second) is the norm for bearable websurfing.
“But at that time, 200Kbps was the US Federal Communications Commission minimum for fast web service,” said Mefford. “ And IT jobs in the state were declining by 6.4% per year.”
Connected Nation then partnered with federal, state and local governments, as well as major hardware and software vendors such as Microsoft and Dell, to create an effective plan for boosting broadband infrastructure and PC ownership in Kentucky.
Ready to help
Now, Mefford said, 95% of Kentuckians — including 546,000 new households — enjoy high-speed broadband Internet access. He did not have detailed figures at hand.
But according to broadband speed testing and survey website Speed Matters (http://bit.ly/3ulGEn), 55% of Kentuckians now experience broadband speeds of up to 6Mbps (megabits per second) and a further 26% of the population has access to speeds of up to 25Mbps.
Speed Matters is a project of the Communications Workers of America, a union representing 700,000 workers in communications, media, airlines, manufacturing, and public service.
Connected Nation’s chief strategy was to bring together the leaders from each sector, such as agriculture and manufacturing, to ascertain the best way to implement broadband technology.
It also had regular meetings to answer the people’s questions on broadband and to show how the technology would improve their lives and livelihood.
Since then, Connected Nation has started bridging the “digital divide” in other US states and even has some on-going projects in India. The divide refers to the gap between the technology haves and have-nots.
Mefford is confident a similar approach will boost broadband infrastructure and take up in Kedah and the other rural states in this country.
“We believe our strategies will work and we are keen to share our experiences with your government and ICT sector,” he said. “Obviously each country and market is different but the overall concept remains the same.”
Computers and broadband are vital for the progression of a nation’s communities, especially the rural, towards building a knowledge-based economy, Mefford added.
He was speaking to In.Tech on the sidelines of the 21st MSC Malaysia Implementation Council Meeting in Putrajaya on Monday.
Bumps in the road
Connected Nation, however, is taking flak from certain quarters for its Kentucky initiative and its subsequent efforts to boost broadband in the other US states.
Public Knowledge, a Washington, D.C.-based public interest group working to defend US citizens’ rights in the emerging digital culture, is a vociferous critic of Connecton Nation.
Art Brodsky, communications director of Public Knowledge, lashed out at Connected Nation in his January 2008 blog (www.publicknowledge.org/node/1334).
He accused Connected Nation of being “nothing more than a sales force and front group for (US telco) AT&T paid for by the telecommunications industry and by state and federal governments that has achieved far more in publicity than it has in actual accomplishment.”
For that, Brodsky has been both supported and criticised by readers of his blog.
If the group is nothing more than a shill for AT&T, “why do other broadband providers, like the Kentucky cable association and Comcast Cable, support it?” said Robert D. Atkinson, president of the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, in the comments section of Brodsky’s blog.
Atkinson said Brodsky appears to have gone after Connected Nation because its mission is not to promote inter-modal competition, spur municipal broadband, or help “mom and pop” ISPs (Internet service providers) — all goals (that) Public Knowledge supports.
“Connected Nation’s goal is simpler: To get broadband to as many people as possible,” commented Atkinson.
Yes, but the answer is also that both are mostly rural and their communities depend on the manufacturing industry for their livelihood.
Being a rural state, Kentucky had little in terms of technology and its economy was centered on manufacturing. But as the manufacturing industry waned in early 2000, the state had to start looking at how to sustain its economy.
Then in 2004 the Connected Nation, a US-based non-profit organisation, started its ICT (information and communications technology) initiative in the state.
“What we do is make people’s lives easier and more productive through technology,” said Brian Mefford, the chairman and CEO of Connected Nation.
“We work with the ICT industry and local communities to make computers, broadband and useful software applications available and relevant to everyone.”
When it started, Kentucky had a population of 4.2 million and 60% of the homes had Internet speeds of about 200Kbps (kilobits per second). That’s slow considering 1Mbps (megabit per second) is the norm for bearable websurfing.
“But at that time, 200Kbps was the US Federal Communications Commission minimum for fast web service,” said Mefford. “ And IT jobs in the state were declining by 6.4% per year.”
Connected Nation then partnered with federal, state and local governments, as well as major hardware and software vendors such as Microsoft and Dell, to create an effective plan for boosting broadband infrastructure and PC ownership in Kentucky.
Ready to help
Now, Mefford said, 95% of Kentuckians — including 546,000 new households — enjoy high-speed broadband Internet access. He did not have detailed figures at hand.
But according to broadband speed testing and survey website Speed Matters (http://bit.ly/3ulGEn), 55% of Kentuckians now experience broadband speeds of up to 6Mbps (megabits per second) and a further 26% of the population has access to speeds of up to 25Mbps.
Speed Matters is a project of the Communications Workers of America, a union representing 700,000 workers in communications, media, airlines, manufacturing, and public service.
Connected Nation’s chief strategy was to bring together the leaders from each sector, such as agriculture and manufacturing, to ascertain the best way to implement broadband technology.
It also had regular meetings to answer the people’s questions on broadband and to show how the technology would improve their lives and livelihood.
Since then, Connected Nation has started bridging the “digital divide” in other US states and even has some on-going projects in India. The divide refers to the gap between the technology haves and have-nots.
Mefford is confident a similar approach will boost broadband infrastructure and take up in Kedah and the other rural states in this country.
“We believe our strategies will work and we are keen to share our experiences with your government and ICT sector,” he said. “Obviously each country and market is different but the overall concept remains the same.”
Computers and broadband are vital for the progression of a nation’s communities, especially the rural, towards building a knowledge-based economy, Mefford added.
He was speaking to In.Tech on the sidelines of the 21st MSC Malaysia Implementation Council Meeting in Putrajaya on Monday.
Bumps in the road
Connected Nation, however, is taking flak from certain quarters for its Kentucky initiative and its subsequent efforts to boost broadband in the other US states.
Public Knowledge, a Washington, D.C.-based public interest group working to defend US citizens’ rights in the emerging digital culture, is a vociferous critic of Connecton Nation.
Art Brodsky, communications director of Public Knowledge, lashed out at Connected Nation in his January 2008 blog (www.publicknowledge.org/node/1334).
He accused Connected Nation of being “nothing more than a sales force and front group for (US telco) AT&T paid for by the telecommunications industry and by state and federal governments that has achieved far more in publicity than it has in actual accomplishment.”
For that, Brodsky has been both supported and criticised by readers of his blog.
If the group is nothing more than a shill for AT&T, “why do other broadband providers, like the Kentucky cable association and Comcast Cable, support it?” said Robert D. Atkinson, president of the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, in the comments section of Brodsky’s blog.
Atkinson said Brodsky appears to have gone after Connected Nation because its mission is not to promote inter-modal competition, spur municipal broadband, or help “mom and pop” ISPs (Internet service providers) — all goals (that) Public Knowledge supports.
“Connected Nation’s goal is simpler: To get broadband to as many people as possible,” commented Atkinson.
NEWS: PM: Innovation is the way forward
PUTRAJAYA: Technological advancement is an important tool in developing a nation and countries with such capabilities will triumph while those that fail to make innovation the centrepiece of their economy will fall behind, said the Prime Minister.
Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said it is no accident that technologically advanced countries like the United States, Japan, Switzerland, Sweden, Canada and Australia are noted as the world’s wealthiest nations.
Malaysia, he said, has done well in the past by growing an industrial base while expanding its agricultural sector, and at the same time, nurturing a strong oil and gas industry.
“But our prior focus on attracting foreign investment as a low-cost producer has now created a dilemma by not keeping pace with the global leaders and we remain somewhat underdeveloped in this respect,” he said.
He said a new paradigm is needed to not only catch up but to take the country on a quantum leap into the ranks of the developed nations.
According to the Prime Minister, this is why the MSC Malaysia initiative, which will enter its third phase of development and evolution from 2011-2020, will build on the country’s success so far and boost its economic growth and societal well-being.
Najib said the MSC Malaysia has proven to be an enormous success and Malaysia now wants to create its own software, games, creative content and social networking icons.
“We want our own solutions to be used in solving medical, environmental, business and scientific challenges. We want to close the lingering ‘digital divide,’ not just here in Malaysia but also contribute to erasing the gap elsewhere,” he said.
The divide refers to the gap between the technology haves and have-nots.
Speed upgrade
Malaysia will be rolling out an advanced national communications infrastructure soon by wiring up 1.2 million households and business premises with fibreoptics that will help boost Internet connection speeds to between 10Mbps (megabits per second) and 1Gbps (gigabit per second). Current speeds are up to 4Mbps.
Najib said the high-speed broadband network will provide a platform to develop ICT (information and communications technology) applications for the future, as well as provide citizens, businesses and government agencies with a competitive boost via cutting-edge communications capabilities.
He said this is one of the measures being taken by the Government to put in place a system to drive high performance at all levels of society and it is also in line with the new economic model that will take a new approach based on innovation, creativity and high-value activities.
Stressing the advantages of ICT, Najib said he is pioneering a new style of intimate, people-centric approach through the use of ICT with his 1Malaysiawebsite that allows Malaysians to interact directly with him via the Internet.
“It is not a passive site but a fully interactive one where visitors can not only find out about my thoughts but can submit their suggestions direct to me online,” he said.
A recent open solicitation for suggestions on the Government’s 2010 budget drew more than 400 responses from the public while post budget feedback from the public drew over 500 responses, which Najib said he will take into consideration for the following budget.
“Malaysians who are interested in my workday can also follow me in real time on Twitter,” he said in his opening remarks at the launch of the 12th International Advisory Panel (IAP) meeting at the Putrajaya International Convention Centre today.
1 for all
Najib also said Malaysia realises that the current complexities of the world demand new ways of thinking and problem solving, and that the country is fortunate to have come so far as a nation consisting of multiple cultures and faiths.
He said, however, there is a need now for a new paradigm to unite and prepare Malaysia for the challenges ahead, and that it can no longer rely on what had worked in the past.
“This is the reason I introduced the 1Malaysia concept soon after I took office in April. I see that the way forward for Malaysia and the world at large is a more imaginative and inclusive form of collaboration,” he said.
“I would like to formalise Malaysia’s inherent diversity into 1dream, 1people, 1nation and I believe it will be the catalyst for greatness for Malaysia and a guide to enhancing regional and global co-operation.”
The MSC Malaysia, conceptualised in 1996, is a government initiative to leapfrog the country’s knowledge-based economy and move the people into the Information Age.
Foreign and home grown companies, numbering more than 900, are part of the initiative and are operating in high-tech areas nationwide. These businesses are involved in R&D work, multimedia products and services, as well as ICT.
This year’s IAP meeting is themed Innovation Economy: Paving the Path to Prosperity. The panel includes government representatives, international captains of industry, IT experts and academicians who help guide the MSC Malaysia initiative.
Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said it is no accident that technologically advanced countries like the United States, Japan, Switzerland, Sweden, Canada and Australia are noted as the world’s wealthiest nations.
Malaysia, he said, has done well in the past by growing an industrial base while expanding its agricultural sector, and at the same time, nurturing a strong oil and gas industry.
“But our prior focus on attracting foreign investment as a low-cost producer has now created a dilemma by not keeping pace with the global leaders and we remain somewhat underdeveloped in this respect,” he said.
He said a new paradigm is needed to not only catch up but to take the country on a quantum leap into the ranks of the developed nations.
According to the Prime Minister, this is why the MSC Malaysia initiative, which will enter its third phase of development and evolution from 2011-2020, will build on the country’s success so far and boost its economic growth and societal well-being.
Najib said the MSC Malaysia has proven to be an enormous success and Malaysia now wants to create its own software, games, creative content and social networking icons.
“We want our own solutions to be used in solving medical, environmental, business and scientific challenges. We want to close the lingering ‘digital divide,’ not just here in Malaysia but also contribute to erasing the gap elsewhere,” he said.
The divide refers to the gap between the technology haves and have-nots.
Speed upgrade
Malaysia will be rolling out an advanced national communications infrastructure soon by wiring up 1.2 million households and business premises with fibreoptics that will help boost Internet connection speeds to between 10Mbps (megabits per second) and 1Gbps (gigabit per second). Current speeds are up to 4Mbps.
Najib said the high-speed broadband network will provide a platform to develop ICT (information and communications technology) applications for the future, as well as provide citizens, businesses and government agencies with a competitive boost via cutting-edge communications capabilities.
He said this is one of the measures being taken by the Government to put in place a system to drive high performance at all levels of society and it is also in line with the new economic model that will take a new approach based on innovation, creativity and high-value activities.
Stressing the advantages of ICT, Najib said he is pioneering a new style of intimate, people-centric approach through the use of ICT with his 1Malaysiawebsite that allows Malaysians to interact directly with him via the Internet.
“It is not a passive site but a fully interactive one where visitors can not only find out about my thoughts but can submit their suggestions direct to me online,” he said.
A recent open solicitation for suggestions on the Government’s 2010 budget drew more than 400 responses from the public while post budget feedback from the public drew over 500 responses, which Najib said he will take into consideration for the following budget.
“Malaysians who are interested in my workday can also follow me in real time on Twitter,” he said in his opening remarks at the launch of the 12th International Advisory Panel (IAP) meeting at the Putrajaya International Convention Centre today.
1 for all
Najib also said Malaysia realises that the current complexities of the world demand new ways of thinking and problem solving, and that the country is fortunate to have come so far as a nation consisting of multiple cultures and faiths.
He said, however, there is a need now for a new paradigm to unite and prepare Malaysia for the challenges ahead, and that it can no longer rely on what had worked in the past.
“This is the reason I introduced the 1Malaysia concept soon after I took office in April. I see that the way forward for Malaysia and the world at large is a more imaginative and inclusive form of collaboration,” he said.
“I would like to formalise Malaysia’s inherent diversity into 1dream, 1people, 1nation and I believe it will be the catalyst for greatness for Malaysia and a guide to enhancing regional and global co-operation.”
The MSC Malaysia, conceptualised in 1996, is a government initiative to leapfrog the country’s knowledge-based economy and move the people into the Information Age.
Foreign and home grown companies, numbering more than 900, are part of the initiative and are operating in high-tech areas nationwide. These businesses are involved in R&D work, multimedia products and services, as well as ICT.
This year’s IAP meeting is themed Innovation Economy: Paving the Path to Prosperity. The panel includes government representatives, international captains of industry, IT experts and academicians who help guide the MSC Malaysia initiative.
NEWS: Working from home — a disabled civil servant tells his story
KUALA LUMPUR: Would working from home be beneficial or otherwise for civil servants? That question has been posed by many in the wake of news reports that the Public Works Department would be initiating a three-month Home Working Programme beginning Jan 1.
Works Minister Datuk Shaziman Abu Mansor had announced that the programme would involve 35 draughtsmen and the selected individuals would go through the trial period before the Government decided whether or not to continue with the programme.
The programme would cease if productivity did not increase, Shaziman was reported as saying in the news reports.
This drew positive response from the umbrella body for Malaysian civil servants, Cuepacs.
The Congress of Unions of Employees in the Public and Civil Service welcomed the move and said it would ease congestion at the work place and reduce the burden on government employees in terms of petrol expenses and travel time.
It would also allow the civil servants to spend more time with their families.
Cuepacs president Omar Osman said it was a wise move and has called for the programme to be extended to other ministries and government agencies.
A form of therapy
Actually, working from home already exists in the country’s civil service and has for quite some time but without much publicity. And the result was very positive.
That is a testimony from this writer who is an employee of an agency under the Information, Communications and Culture Ministry. He has been enjoying this facility since 2007.
This writer is a diabetic and had developed vascular problems in his right leg as a complication of this disease. He has to undergo heamodialysis three times a week due to the failure of his kidneys and became exhausted after each session.
In 2007, he had his right leg amputated below the knee and this made it difficult for him to move around. Anyway, he still went to his office to work, even using a wheelchair.
His superiors took notice of his problem and used their discretion to allow him some degree of flexibility in terms of working hours. They were understanding and kind enough to allow him to work from home using the Internet because all of his work is computer-based.
They even lent him a laptop computer that was linked to his office’s network system. Hence it was no surprise that despite the long hours that he needed for his dialysis sessions and other medical treatment, his productivity ever since he began working from home had doubled.
By working from home, he was able to sort out his work schedule because he has 24 hours at his disposal instead of the usual eight-hour working period in the office. This does not take into account the hours spent on time taken to travel and return from the office.
Good for the disabled
“Working at home means a lot for disabled civil servants. If they are tired they can take a rest. They have the opportunity to work even at night or in the wee hours of the morning,” said social activist Fatimah Mansur.
She said working from home would be like therapy to reduce stress at the work place. Among those who are suitable for this concept are those who have disabilities due to accidents or are suffering from chronic diseases.
“But you need good information and communications technology (ICT) to make this programme a success,” she said.
To Fatimah, working from home can be isolating but sometimes isolation when working does more good than harm.
“Working alone is good particularly when you have a deadline or a project that requires intense and specific concentration. By working at home, you can have this factor for a conducive work environment,” she said.
She said civil servants who have to take care of their young or sick children can apply to their respective employers to work from home.
“However not everybody can work from home. This programme is only suitable for those whose work is based on computers that are linked to the Internet and the office network,” she said.
By allowing civil servants to work from home, the Government would not lose those who are experts in their respective fields to premature retirement due to chronic diseases, and other problems.
“If the experts in the respective fields are retained, then this definitely ensures efficiency in the public service,” Fatimah said.
A similar move was initiated in Thailand last year, according to a report in The Nation newspaper. The Thai Government was looking into the possibility of having civil servants work from home under an “e-office” concept.
Private sector
To medical equipment supplier Robert Lee, working from home is ideal for him.
“I work from my house so I do not need to pay monthly rental on office space, apart from higher water and electricity bills,” he said.
“I only need a fax line and telephone connection, as well as one or two computers that have Internet links,” Lee said at his Bukit Rahman Putra home near here.
To this writer who is physically handicapped and finds difficulty in mobility, working from home gives him a boost in terms of productivity and he has the ICT facilities in the country to thank for it.
“The beauty of working from home is that you have 24 hours a day and seven days a week to work where you have the flexibility of choosing your own work schedule.
“Working in the office is very rigid where one has only eight hours to perform and this is a limit to productivity.” — Bernama
Works Minister Datuk Shaziman Abu Mansor had announced that the programme would involve 35 draughtsmen and the selected individuals would go through the trial period before the Government decided whether or not to continue with the programme.
The programme would cease if productivity did not increase, Shaziman was reported as saying in the news reports.
This drew positive response from the umbrella body for Malaysian civil servants, Cuepacs.
The Congress of Unions of Employees in the Public and Civil Service welcomed the move and said it would ease congestion at the work place and reduce the burden on government employees in terms of petrol expenses and travel time.
It would also allow the civil servants to spend more time with their families.
Cuepacs president Omar Osman said it was a wise move and has called for the programme to be extended to other ministries and government agencies.
A form of therapy
Actually, working from home already exists in the country’s civil service and has for quite some time but without much publicity. And the result was very positive.
That is a testimony from this writer who is an employee of an agency under the Information, Communications and Culture Ministry. He has been enjoying this facility since 2007.
This writer is a diabetic and had developed vascular problems in his right leg as a complication of this disease. He has to undergo heamodialysis three times a week due to the failure of his kidneys and became exhausted after each session.
In 2007, he had his right leg amputated below the knee and this made it difficult for him to move around. Anyway, he still went to his office to work, even using a wheelchair.
His superiors took notice of his problem and used their discretion to allow him some degree of flexibility in terms of working hours. They were understanding and kind enough to allow him to work from home using the Internet because all of his work is computer-based.
They even lent him a laptop computer that was linked to his office’s network system. Hence it was no surprise that despite the long hours that he needed for his dialysis sessions and other medical treatment, his productivity ever since he began working from home had doubled.
By working from home, he was able to sort out his work schedule because he has 24 hours at his disposal instead of the usual eight-hour working period in the office. This does not take into account the hours spent on time taken to travel and return from the office.
Good for the disabled
“Working at home means a lot for disabled civil servants. If they are tired they can take a rest. They have the opportunity to work even at night or in the wee hours of the morning,” said social activist Fatimah Mansur.
She said working from home would be like therapy to reduce stress at the work place. Among those who are suitable for this concept are those who have disabilities due to accidents or are suffering from chronic diseases.
“But you need good information and communications technology (ICT) to make this programme a success,” she said.
To Fatimah, working from home can be isolating but sometimes isolation when working does more good than harm.
“Working alone is good particularly when you have a deadline or a project that requires intense and specific concentration. By working at home, you can have this factor for a conducive work environment,” she said.
She said civil servants who have to take care of their young or sick children can apply to their respective employers to work from home.
“However not everybody can work from home. This programme is only suitable for those whose work is based on computers that are linked to the Internet and the office network,” she said.
By allowing civil servants to work from home, the Government would not lose those who are experts in their respective fields to premature retirement due to chronic diseases, and other problems.
“If the experts in the respective fields are retained, then this definitely ensures efficiency in the public service,” Fatimah said.
A similar move was initiated in Thailand last year, according to a report in The Nation newspaper. The Thai Government was looking into the possibility of having civil servants work from home under an “e-office” concept.
Private sector
To medical equipment supplier Robert Lee, working from home is ideal for him.
“I work from my house so I do not need to pay monthly rental on office space, apart from higher water and electricity bills,” he said.
“I only need a fax line and telephone connection, as well as one or two computers that have Internet links,” Lee said at his Bukit Rahman Putra home near here.
To this writer who is physically handicapped and finds difficulty in mobility, working from home gives him a boost in terms of productivity and he has the ICT facilities in the country to thank for it.
“The beauty of working from home is that you have 24 hours a day and seven days a week to work where you have the flexibility of choosing your own work schedule.
“Working in the office is very rigid where one has only eight hours to perform and this is a limit to productivity.” — Bernama
Monday, November 9, 2009
NEWS: Three new MSC Malaysia cybercentres to be developed
PUTRAJAYA: Three new locations in the Klang Valley will be developed into MSC Malaysia cybercentres — the Persoft Tower in Petaling Jaya, as well as GTower and Bangsar South City in Kuala Lumpur.
Datuk Badlisham Ghazali, chief executive officer of the Multimedia Development Corporation (MDeC), said the new locations are to provide more variety and choice to companies and organisations looking to be part of the MSC Malaysia initiative.
There are 10 cybercentres in the Klang Valley now — among them are the Kuala Lumpur City Centre, Cyberjaya, KL Sentral and Mid Valley City. There are six cybercities in the states of Kedah, Penang, Malacca, Perak, Johor and Pahang.
The cybercentre/cybercity concept was established to provide a conducive business environment and ecosystem to attract ICT (information and communications technology) investors, to push the growth of sector.
Badlisham was speaking at the 21st MSC Malaysia Implementation Council Meeting (ICM) today, which takes place ahead of tomorrow’s International Advisory Panel (IAP) meeting. Both are being held at the Putrajaya International Convention Centre.
The theme for this year’s ICM is MSC Malaysia 2.0: Contributing to Malaysia’s New Economic Model.
Datuk Badlisham Ghazali, chief executive officer of the Multimedia Development Corporation (MDeC), said the new locations are to provide more variety and choice to companies and organisations looking to be part of the MSC Malaysia initiative.
There are 10 cybercentres in the Klang Valley now — among them are the Kuala Lumpur City Centre, Cyberjaya, KL Sentral and Mid Valley City. There are six cybercities in the states of Kedah, Penang, Malacca, Perak, Johor and Pahang.
The cybercentre/cybercity concept was established to provide a conducive business environment and ecosystem to attract ICT (information and communications technology) investors, to push the growth of sector.
Badlisham was speaking at the 21st MSC Malaysia Implementation Council Meeting (ICM) today, which takes place ahead of tomorrow’s International Advisory Panel (IAP) meeting. Both are being held at the Putrajaya International Convention Centre.
The theme for this year’s ICM is MSC Malaysia 2.0: Contributing to Malaysia’s New Economic Model.
NEWS: Choose local IT solutions, govt agencies told
By STEVEN PATRICK
PUTRAJAYA: All government agencies will soon be required to use local software and solutions whenever possible.
The move is to give Malaysian ICT (information and communications technology) companies a chance to flourish in the local market and strengthen their products before pushing into global markets.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said a circular would be sent out, informing all government institutions to give preference to local software and solutions.
He was speaking after officiating at the 21st MSC Malaysia Implementation Council Meeting (ICM) on Monday at the Putrajaya International Convention Centre (PICC).
“At the meeting, I made an emphasis for ministries and government agencies to adopt local ICT solutions, provided these products are cost competitive and of high quality,” Najib said.
The Prime Minister also called on the agencies to more extensively use electronic media to maintain contact with the public, such as e-mail, short message service, and even social networks like Twitter and Facebook.
“For example, SMSes could be sent to warn the people of floods and potential landslides,” he said.
Najib also said that Malaysia needs to work faster in creating an abundant supply of well-trained and multi-skilled ICT workers who are on par with their overseas counterparts.
Reactions
Pikom — the Association of the Computer and Multimedia Industry of Malaysia — welcomed the Prime Minister’s call.
C.J. Ang, Pikom president, told In.Tech that the move is a boost for local industry players. “This is also definitely a plus for our enterprise-software companies — the Government is giving them more business,” he said.
However, he cautioned that the “go local” plan if allowed to carry on for too long, could be construed by the foreign vendors as protectionism.
“It could also put local vendors in a comfort zone that keeps them from striving to better their products to compete internationally,” Ang said.
Microsoft Malaysia, local subsidiary of the US-based software giant, said the shift toward indigenous solutions will benefit its Malaysian partners.
“Such encouragement from the Government, we hope, will result in more Made-in-Malaysia solutions, helping the nation to realise its high-value-economy aspirations and to nurture a culture of innovation amongst Malaysians,” said a spokesman for Microsoft Malaysia.
He said the company has the largest ecosystem throughout the country — there are 5,000 partners nationwide, of which some 800 are independent software vendors.
“Microsoft hopes the local software solutions industry will one day grow to be as big as what the manufacturing sector is to the Malaysian economy.
“Along the way, we also hope that these Made-in-Malaysia solutions will elevate other existing economic sectors, such as agriculture, to a new level where the nation can compete even more efficiently with the rest of the world,” the spokesman said.
The other meeting
Tomorrow, the International Advisory Panel (IAP) will meet at the PICC. It will focus on how the MSC Malaysia initiative can assist the country’s economic recovery and create future prosperity via an innovation economy, develop world-class talents in Malaysians, and help attract investments.
The panel, which includes international captains or industry, IT experts and academicians, helps guide the MSC Malaysia initiative.
MSC Malaysia, conceptualised in 1996, is a government initiative to leapfrog the country’s knowledge-based economy and move the people into the Information Age.
Foreign and home grown companies, numbering more than 900, are part of the initiative and are operating in high-tech areas nationwide. These businesses are involved in R&D work, multimedia products and services, as well as information and communications technology (ICT).
PUTRAJAYA: All government agencies will soon be required to use local software and solutions whenever possible.
The move is to give Malaysian ICT (information and communications technology) companies a chance to flourish in the local market and strengthen their products before pushing into global markets.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said a circular would be sent out, informing all government institutions to give preference to local software and solutions.
He was speaking after officiating at the 21st MSC Malaysia Implementation Council Meeting (ICM) on Monday at the Putrajaya International Convention Centre (PICC).
“At the meeting, I made an emphasis for ministries and government agencies to adopt local ICT solutions, provided these products are cost competitive and of high quality,” Najib said.
The Prime Minister also called on the agencies to more extensively use electronic media to maintain contact with the public, such as e-mail, short message service, and even social networks like Twitter and Facebook.
“For example, SMSes could be sent to warn the people of floods and potential landslides,” he said.
Najib also said that Malaysia needs to work faster in creating an abundant supply of well-trained and multi-skilled ICT workers who are on par with their overseas counterparts.
Reactions
Pikom — the Association of the Computer and Multimedia Industry of Malaysia — welcomed the Prime Minister’s call.
C.J. Ang, Pikom president, told In.Tech that the move is a boost for local industry players. “This is also definitely a plus for our enterprise-software companies — the Government is giving them more business,” he said.
However, he cautioned that the “go local” plan if allowed to carry on for too long, could be construed by the foreign vendors as protectionism.
“It could also put local vendors in a comfort zone that keeps them from striving to better their products to compete internationally,” Ang said.
Microsoft Malaysia, local subsidiary of the US-based software giant, said the shift toward indigenous solutions will benefit its Malaysian partners.
“Such encouragement from the Government, we hope, will result in more Made-in-Malaysia solutions, helping the nation to realise its high-value-economy aspirations and to nurture a culture of innovation amongst Malaysians,” said a spokesman for Microsoft Malaysia.
He said the company has the largest ecosystem throughout the country — there are 5,000 partners nationwide, of which some 800 are independent software vendors.
“Microsoft hopes the local software solutions industry will one day grow to be as big as what the manufacturing sector is to the Malaysian economy.
“Along the way, we also hope that these Made-in-Malaysia solutions will elevate other existing economic sectors, such as agriculture, to a new level where the nation can compete even more efficiently with the rest of the world,” the spokesman said.
The other meeting
Tomorrow, the International Advisory Panel (IAP) will meet at the PICC. It will focus on how the MSC Malaysia initiative can assist the country’s economic recovery and create future prosperity via an innovation economy, develop world-class talents in Malaysians, and help attract investments.
The panel, which includes international captains or industry, IT experts and academicians, helps guide the MSC Malaysia initiative.
MSC Malaysia, conceptualised in 1996, is a government initiative to leapfrog the country’s knowledge-based economy and move the people into the Information Age.
Foreign and home grown companies, numbering more than 900, are part of the initiative and are operating in high-tech areas nationwide. These businesses are involved in R&D work, multimedia products and services, as well as information and communications technology (ICT).
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