KUALA LUMPUR: Two years after its launch, KnowledgeGrid Malaysia will welcome a new application to its network.
Called IslamGrid, this new addition aims to promote religious understanding between Muslims and non-Muslims around the world.
The KnowledgeGrid is a national infrastructure that consists of hardware, software and services. It provides access to computing power and data for research and industrial development.
Jointly developed by applied research body Mimos Bhd, the International Islamic University of Malaysia (IIUM) and the Malaysian Administrative Modernisation and Management Planning Unit, IslamGrid will use the KnowledgeGrid’s infrastructure to collect,store and disseminate information about the religion and its contribution to world history.
Collating information
Work on IslamGrid started last year and it was showcased at the World Congress on Information Technology here.
“IslamGrid presently contains basic information about the religion like scriptures and prayer times but we are developing it to be even more than that,” said Associate Professor Dr Fauzan Noordin, chairman of the KnowledgeGrid Malaysia Forum.
He was speaking on the sidelines of the first KnowledgeGrid Malaysia Forum at IIUM recently.
Fauzan said the developers hope to use the power of the KnowledgeGrid to collate information on Islam from around the world.
The information will then have to be approved by the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (Jakim) before it is put up on the Grid.
“We need the KnowledgeGrid to collect the information and we’ll be dealing with a lot of data and using computer power to translate that data,” Fauzan explained.
He said history has shown that the Muslim world has contributed a lot to human civilisation — from mathematics to science and technology.
“This information is strewn all around the world, so we need a Grid network to find, store and disseminate it,” he said.
Bridging the divide
Fauzan also said developers in IIUM are also working on a user-friendly search engine that will help users search for relevant and accredited information about Islam.
“This project is funded by a RM1.5mil grant from the Science Technology and Innovation Ministry and will be available in Arabic, English, Mandarin and Malay,” he said.
Fauzan also sees IslamGrid as a part of a solution to help bridge the digital divide.
“This will be another reason to go online to look for information,” he said, adding that religious teachers and students can go to IslamGrid to access in-depth information about the day’s lesson.
Fauzan added that there is a lack of relevant religious content online and IslamGrid is expected to fill in that gap.
“With IslamGrid, users know that they are getting relevant and accredited information about the religion and its history, which I hope will help them better understand it,” he said.
Gradual roll-out
Although the developers have big hopes about developing IslamGrid, they planned its roll-out conservatively.
In his presentation, IslamGrid’s project manager, Kamaruddin Dolmoin said the first version of IslamGrid will be ready by the middle of the year.
“When support for it picks up, we want to introduce IslamGrid to South-East Asian nations first before bringing experts from around the world to contribute to it,” he said.
But Fauzan said that IslamGrid has already caught the attention of a larger audience who are keen to help with the project.
“We already have parties from Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt interested in helping us with the project,” Fauzan claimed.
For a feel of IslamGrid, visit
www.islamgrid.gov.my.
Monday, March 30, 2009
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
NEWS: Google in the clouds
KUALA LUMPUR: Google is moving beyond its trademark search engine offering for the online consumer and is making further headway towards providing services for businesses.
The company is pushing its cloud computing solutions for businesses as a viable alternative to traditional offline hardware.
Google has already launched such web-based services for businesses with Google Docs and Google Mail.
“We believe that there are significant advantages to this new way of operating a business,” said director of Google’s enterprise marketing division Bill Rossi.
“Not least of which is the cost savings on IT infrastructure. It does not cost us very much, for example, to add a few hundred e-mail clients to Google Mail as we already have the infrastructure for millions.”
Rossi went on to say that worries over losing information when the Internet crashes are inflated as data will be cached locally with this service.
However, Rossi admitted that the performance of the cloud would depend much on the performance of the network.
“We are fully aware that the broadband speed in countries such as Malaysia is not as high as in the United States or Europe.
This could be an issue now but we do see our cloud solutions as a plan for the future because broadband will definitely improve over time,” Rossi said.
Google Enterprise, the division of Google that is responsible for providing these cloud solutions for businesses, has a customer base that is increasingly exponentially according to Rossi.
“Various editions of Google Apps now have more than one million businesses worldwide currently using them with 3,000 new businesses signing up everyday.
“Obviously this is a growing trend and the benefits are becoming more commonly known,” Rossi said.
The company is pushing its cloud computing solutions for businesses as a viable alternative to traditional offline hardware.
Google has already launched such web-based services for businesses with Google Docs and Google Mail.
“We believe that there are significant advantages to this new way of operating a business,” said director of Google’s enterprise marketing division Bill Rossi.
“Not least of which is the cost savings on IT infrastructure. It does not cost us very much, for example, to add a few hundred e-mail clients to Google Mail as we already have the infrastructure for millions.”
Rossi went on to say that worries over losing information when the Internet crashes are inflated as data will be cached locally with this service.
However, Rossi admitted that the performance of the cloud would depend much on the performance of the network.
“We are fully aware that the broadband speed in countries such as Malaysia is not as high as in the United States or Europe.
This could be an issue now but we do see our cloud solutions as a plan for the future because broadband will definitely improve over time,” Rossi said.
Google Enterprise, the division of Google that is responsible for providing these cloud solutions for businesses, has a customer base that is increasingly exponentially according to Rossi.
“Various editions of Google Apps now have more than one million businesses worldwide currently using them with 3,000 new businesses signing up everyday.
“Obviously this is a growing trend and the benefits are becoming more commonly known,” Rossi said.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
NEWS: Worth going single?
Most stakeholders seem to be in favour, but it won’t be easy to implement single-session schools.
IN 2007, Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi called for the implementation of single-session schools to keep children safe from danger. It was in the aftermath of the Nurin murder case and there was widespread concern for the safety of children. (Nurin Jazlin Jazimin was reported missing on Aug 20, 2007. Her body was later found in a sports bag in a shoplot in Petaling Jaya.)
Abdullah explained that this would mean that students have to start school at the same time as they are doing now and go home later. Hence parents, especially working parents, would be relieved to know that their children were safe in school where they could be monitored.
To overcome the shortage of space problem, Wesley Methodist School has expanded upwards and now comprises multiple storey blocks.
How it works
Education director-general Datuk Alimuddin Mohd Dom supports this view.
“Students can be supervised better in a single-session system,” he says.
“One of the justifications for the implementation of single-session schools is to reduce incidents of children being left at home alone after school hours.”
According to Alimuddin, the Education Ministry is striving to implement single-session schools throughout the country.
Presently, 6,757 primary schools (88.4%) and 1,392 (63.8%) secondary schools are single-session schools.
Teachers at SMK Sri Aman find it easier to arrange for orchestra rehearsals as all the students are in school at the same time.
The ministry aims to increase the percentage of single-session primary and secondary schools to 90% and 70% respectively by 2010.
A pilot study on single-session schools in Setiu, Terengganu — conducted by the ministry in 2006 — found that schools utilised the extra hours in the afternoon to offer Islamic religious lessons, coaching under the tuition voucher scheme and sports activities.
In addition, the longer hours enabled schools to provide more structured co-curricular programmes that encouraged students to participate actively in clubs, societies and sports activities.
“There are more contact hours between teachers and students,” muses Alimuddin.
“This promotes better student-teacher interaction and schools are able to offer extra lessons in critical subjects, religious studies, Mandarin and Tamil classes.”
With longer school hours, students have more time for co-curricular activities which foster solidarity and esprit de corps.
Single-session systems are already popular in cluster and private schools in the country.
In general, such schools start like any morning session school, with formal classes ending at around 2.30pm and co-curricular activities, sports and extra classes keeping students in school till 4pm.
Feedback
When quizzed, the majority of students and parents were divided on the issue.
Sue Thong Sei Yin, a remisier by profession, was definitely in favour of single-session schools.
“I have a son in Form Four and a daughter in Form One,” she explains.
“It is much easier for me to send them to school and pick them up at the same time.
“A single-session school allows curricular and co-curricular activities to be carried out during school hours so that students can then go home and enjoy family time together.”
Although she agrees with Thong that single-session schools are convenient, fifth former Shaza Hana Muhd Faisal, 17, says she would opt for a double-session format any day.
“Schooling hours are just too long,” complains the student from single-session school, SMK Puteri Titiwangsa, Kuala Lumpur.
“My friends in other schools go home at 12.30pm or 1pm, but I have to stay on till 2.30pm.
“I’m involved in Puteri Islam (a uniformed body) and I only get to go home at 4pm some days. This can be very tiring.”
Although many students agree with Shaza, SMK USJ12 Form Five student Denise Leom begs to differ.
Originally a single-session school, SMK USJ12 was converted into a double-session one after a sharp increase in Form One student enrolment.
“The change came when I was in Form Two. Although I now get to go home earlier, I still prefer single-session schools,” she says.
“There was greater school spirit then, and I learnt a lot from the Form Four and Form Five prefects. However, I guess the switch to double sessions was unavoidable.”
TAN: Single-session schools allow for better planning and more optimal use of manpower.
Clear benefits
Apart from safety, single-session schools also offer other benefits, as principals of various schools are quick to point out.
“Single-session schools allow for better planning and the optimal use of manpower,” said Sri Kuala Lumpur Primary School principal Tan Khun.
“In a double-session system, lower primary or lower secondary teachers who are qualified to teach their students as they proceed to higher levels can’t do so because the system prevents this.
“However, this kind of continuity is possible in single-session schools.”
SMK (P) Sri Aman principal Alainal Hasani Md Noor also points out that a single-session school fosters greater staff and student solidarity.
“Everyone feels that they are part of the school as there is no separation between morning and afternoon sessions,” she said. “With all students in school at the same time, it is also easier to organise sports and team building activities.
Wesley Methodist School principal Vimala Matthews agrees that there are advantages to single-session schools as students do most academic work in the morning.
“Afternoons are just a bad time to study as the hot weather is not conducive,” she said.
“Many government schools don’t have air-conditioning.”
"Single-session schools can help reduce incidents of children being left at home alone after school hours"- DATUK ALIMUDDIN MOHD DOM
Challenges
However, Alimuddin admits that implementing a single-session system nationwide will not be easy.
“There are many implications,” he says. “For example, parents will incur more expense as they need to provide extra pocket money for their children’s lunch. The ministry also anticipates a 50% increase in electricity and water usage.
“A single-session system may also cause greater traffic congestion in the mornings and late afternoons, especially in urban areas.”
Alimuddin also highlights several stumbling blocks to implementing a nationwide single-session school system — the lack of suitable land to build new schools in urban areas and the high cost of upgrading and building new school blocks.
“Even if new schools are built, there is no guarantee that parents will be willing to transfer their children there as such schools need to build up their reputation,” he says.
There is also the problem of rising enrolment figures for schools in areas like Kuala Lumpur and Johor, which sometimes result in former single-session schools getting converted into double-session ones.
Maznah (not her real name) is a former principal of one such school in Selangor. Her school became a double-session one after an increase of 300 new students.
“The ministry said that the school was over populated and we had to split into two sessions,” she says. “Many of us teachers were disappointed. We appealed against the decision but were overruled.
“Management of a single-session school is easier,” she adds.
The way forward
Dr Tan is no stranger to when it comes to over-populated schools. He encountered this problem when he was the principal of SMJK(C) Chung Hwa, Kelantan.
With more than 2,000 students and record enrolment every year, bold measures had to be undertaken to ensure that the school’s single-session format could continue.
A believer in the dictum “the sky’s the limit”, Dr Tan and his staff decided to construct three five-storey blocks.
ALAINAL: Everyone feels they are part of the school as there is no separation between morning and afternoon sessions.
“Yes, space is always a problem, especially for popular urban schools but we can’t use that as an excuse,” he said. “You have to make full use of all available land.
The ministry is of the same mind. Alimuddin feels that the construction of “high rise school blocks” like the eight-storey SMK Cochrane in Kuala Lumpur, may be a possible solution to the lack of land problem.
He also feels that most teaching staff would, in the long run, prefer the single-session system.
“There may be some initial dissatisfaction and adjustments must be made,” he says.
“However, I sincerely believe that teachers will warm up to the idea eventually as they will have more time to prepare for lessons and examine students’ work during school hours.”
Another point worth noting is that while some single-session schools in the Klang Valley have been changed into double-session ones, the reverse has also happened.
“Sri Aman was originally a double-session school but being a cluster school, we had the autonomy to revamp our system and we opted to go single-session after our afternoon supervisor retired,” shares Alainal.
With contributions worth RM1.4mil from the school’s parent-teacher association, a new block was constructed. This contained more classrooms, a meeting room, computer labs and a gym.
“All of us are happy and we hope to remain a single-session school. The students are responding well to the change, and our science students study English Literature and Principles of Accounting after 2.30pm.
“The only ‘problem’ is congestion in the staff room,” says Alainal, with a laugh.
IN 2007, Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi called for the implementation of single-session schools to keep children safe from danger. It was in the aftermath of the Nurin murder case and there was widespread concern for the safety of children. (Nurin Jazlin Jazimin was reported missing on Aug 20, 2007. Her body was later found in a sports bag in a shoplot in Petaling Jaya.)
Abdullah explained that this would mean that students have to start school at the same time as they are doing now and go home later. Hence parents, especially working parents, would be relieved to know that their children were safe in school where they could be monitored.
To overcome the shortage of space problem, Wesley Methodist School has expanded upwards and now comprises multiple storey blocks.
How it works
Education director-general Datuk Alimuddin Mohd Dom supports this view.
“Students can be supervised better in a single-session system,” he says.
“One of the justifications for the implementation of single-session schools is to reduce incidents of children being left at home alone after school hours.”
According to Alimuddin, the Education Ministry is striving to implement single-session schools throughout the country.
Presently, 6,757 primary schools (88.4%) and 1,392 (63.8%) secondary schools are single-session schools.
Teachers at SMK Sri Aman find it easier to arrange for orchestra rehearsals as all the students are in school at the same time.
The ministry aims to increase the percentage of single-session primary and secondary schools to 90% and 70% respectively by 2010.
A pilot study on single-session schools in Setiu, Terengganu — conducted by the ministry in 2006 — found that schools utilised the extra hours in the afternoon to offer Islamic religious lessons, coaching under the tuition voucher scheme and sports activities.
In addition, the longer hours enabled schools to provide more structured co-curricular programmes that encouraged students to participate actively in clubs, societies and sports activities.
“There are more contact hours between teachers and students,” muses Alimuddin.
“This promotes better student-teacher interaction and schools are able to offer extra lessons in critical subjects, religious studies, Mandarin and Tamil classes.”
With longer school hours, students have more time for co-curricular activities which foster solidarity and esprit de corps.
Single-session systems are already popular in cluster and private schools in the country.
In general, such schools start like any morning session school, with formal classes ending at around 2.30pm and co-curricular activities, sports and extra classes keeping students in school till 4pm.
Feedback
When quizzed, the majority of students and parents were divided on the issue.
Sue Thong Sei Yin, a remisier by profession, was definitely in favour of single-session schools.
“I have a son in Form Four and a daughter in Form One,” she explains.
“It is much easier for me to send them to school and pick them up at the same time.
“A single-session school allows curricular and co-curricular activities to be carried out during school hours so that students can then go home and enjoy family time together.”
Although she agrees with Thong that single-session schools are convenient, fifth former Shaza Hana Muhd Faisal, 17, says she would opt for a double-session format any day.
“Schooling hours are just too long,” complains the student from single-session school, SMK Puteri Titiwangsa, Kuala Lumpur.
“My friends in other schools go home at 12.30pm or 1pm, but I have to stay on till 2.30pm.
“I’m involved in Puteri Islam (a uniformed body) and I only get to go home at 4pm some days. This can be very tiring.”
Although many students agree with Shaza, SMK USJ12 Form Five student Denise Leom begs to differ.
Originally a single-session school, SMK USJ12 was converted into a double-session one after a sharp increase in Form One student enrolment.
“The change came when I was in Form Two. Although I now get to go home earlier, I still prefer single-session schools,” she says.
“There was greater school spirit then, and I learnt a lot from the Form Four and Form Five prefects. However, I guess the switch to double sessions was unavoidable.”
TAN: Single-session schools allow for better planning and more optimal use of manpower.
Clear benefits
Apart from safety, single-session schools also offer other benefits, as principals of various schools are quick to point out.
“Single-session schools allow for better planning and the optimal use of manpower,” said Sri Kuala Lumpur Primary School principal Tan Khun.
“In a double-session system, lower primary or lower secondary teachers who are qualified to teach their students as they proceed to higher levels can’t do so because the system prevents this.
“However, this kind of continuity is possible in single-session schools.”
SMK (P) Sri Aman principal Alainal Hasani Md Noor also points out that a single-session school fosters greater staff and student solidarity.
“Everyone feels that they are part of the school as there is no separation between morning and afternoon sessions,” she said. “With all students in school at the same time, it is also easier to organise sports and team building activities.
Wesley Methodist School principal Vimala Matthews agrees that there are advantages to single-session schools as students do most academic work in the morning.
“Afternoons are just a bad time to study as the hot weather is not conducive,” she said.
“Many government schools don’t have air-conditioning.”
"Single-session schools can help reduce incidents of children being left at home alone after school hours"- DATUK ALIMUDDIN MOHD DOM
Challenges
However, Alimuddin admits that implementing a single-session system nationwide will not be easy.
“There are many implications,” he says. “For example, parents will incur more expense as they need to provide extra pocket money for their children’s lunch. The ministry also anticipates a 50% increase in electricity and water usage.
“A single-session system may also cause greater traffic congestion in the mornings and late afternoons, especially in urban areas.”
Alimuddin also highlights several stumbling blocks to implementing a nationwide single-session school system — the lack of suitable land to build new schools in urban areas and the high cost of upgrading and building new school blocks.
“Even if new schools are built, there is no guarantee that parents will be willing to transfer their children there as such schools need to build up their reputation,” he says.
There is also the problem of rising enrolment figures for schools in areas like Kuala Lumpur and Johor, which sometimes result in former single-session schools getting converted into double-session ones.
Maznah (not her real name) is a former principal of one such school in Selangor. Her school became a double-session one after an increase of 300 new students.
“The ministry said that the school was over populated and we had to split into two sessions,” she says. “Many of us teachers were disappointed. We appealed against the decision but were overruled.
“Management of a single-session school is easier,” she adds.
The way forward
Dr Tan is no stranger to when it comes to over-populated schools. He encountered this problem when he was the principal of SMJK(C) Chung Hwa, Kelantan.
With more than 2,000 students and record enrolment every year, bold measures had to be undertaken to ensure that the school’s single-session format could continue.
A believer in the dictum “the sky’s the limit”, Dr Tan and his staff decided to construct three five-storey blocks.
ALAINAL: Everyone feels they are part of the school as there is no separation between morning and afternoon sessions.
“Yes, space is always a problem, especially for popular urban schools but we can’t use that as an excuse,” he said. “You have to make full use of all available land.
The ministry is of the same mind. Alimuddin feels that the construction of “high rise school blocks” like the eight-storey SMK Cochrane in Kuala Lumpur, may be a possible solution to the lack of land problem.
He also feels that most teaching staff would, in the long run, prefer the single-session system.
“There may be some initial dissatisfaction and adjustments must be made,” he says.
“However, I sincerely believe that teachers will warm up to the idea eventually as they will have more time to prepare for lessons and examine students’ work during school hours.”
Another point worth noting is that while some single-session schools in the Klang Valley have been changed into double-session ones, the reverse has also happened.
“Sri Aman was originally a double-session school but being a cluster school, we had the autonomy to revamp our system and we opted to go single-session after our afternoon supervisor retired,” shares Alainal.
With contributions worth RM1.4mil from the school’s parent-teacher association, a new block was constructed. This contained more classrooms, a meeting room, computer labs and a gym.
“All of us are happy and we hope to remain a single-session school. The students are responding well to the change, and our science students study English Literature and Principles of Accounting after 2.30pm.
“The only ‘problem’ is congestion in the staff room,” says Alainal, with a laugh.
NEWS: Of security and surveillance
IF discipline and safety are causes for concern in some double-session schools, imagine the scenario when more than 1,000 students congregate in a single-session school.
“Ensuring the safety of students in single-session schools is challenging due to the sheer numbers,” said Wesley Methodist School principal Vimala Matthews.
Matthews explaining the decision to set up CCTVs in her school.
“Although students are safe within the school compound, unfortunate cases have happened after school hours. For instance, some have been mugged at the nearby LRT station.”
In response, the school employed four security guards to man the school’s main and rear entrances. Teachers played their part too, as they took turns to be on duty to keep an eye on students during recess.
In time, CCTV surveillance was also implemented.
“This was not a knee-jerk reaction — there was a lot of planning involved,” mused Vimala. “The students’ security is our responsibility and the cameras record what goes on in all corners — at the back of the school, in the corridors, sporting and lab facilities.
“The idea of CCTV surveillance was not well received by some students at first as they felt it was an intrusion into their privacy. However, most parents welcomed it. Students must realise how precious they are and understand that some decisions are made in their best interest.”
While safeguarding the students and school property was the original objective, CCTV surveillance has also captured some disconcerting moments.
“The cameras once captured a student couple hugging,” laughed Vimala. “Although there are still some ‘blind spots’ in the school, students are more wary about getting into mischief because they know that they might be watched.”
That said, more and more schools are jumping onto the surveillance bandwagon and SMK(P) Sri Aman has also employed this precautionary measure.
Their security system? A whopping 17 CCTV cameras!
“Ensuring the safety of students in single-session schools is challenging due to the sheer numbers,” said Wesley Methodist School principal Vimala Matthews.
Matthews explaining the decision to set up CCTVs in her school.
“Although students are safe within the school compound, unfortunate cases have happened after school hours. For instance, some have been mugged at the nearby LRT station.”
In response, the school employed four security guards to man the school’s main and rear entrances. Teachers played their part too, as they took turns to be on duty to keep an eye on students during recess.
In time, CCTV surveillance was also implemented.
“This was not a knee-jerk reaction — there was a lot of planning involved,” mused Vimala. “The students’ security is our responsibility and the cameras record what goes on in all corners — at the back of the school, in the corridors, sporting and lab facilities.
“The idea of CCTV surveillance was not well received by some students at first as they felt it was an intrusion into their privacy. However, most parents welcomed it. Students must realise how precious they are and understand that some decisions are made in their best interest.”
While safeguarding the students and school property was the original objective, CCTV surveillance has also captured some disconcerting moments.
“The cameras once captured a student couple hugging,” laughed Vimala. “Although there are still some ‘blind spots’ in the school, students are more wary about getting into mischief because they know that they might be watched.”
That said, more and more schools are jumping onto the surveillance bandwagon and SMK(P) Sri Aman has also employed this precautionary measure.
Their security system? A whopping 17 CCTV cameras!
NEWS: Stimulus boost for broadband
FAST IMPROVEMENT?: Pikom says that the RM5.4bil allocation given to by the government in its recent stimulus plan to improve broadband services, will help speed up the implementation of the High Speed Broadband Service to the entire nation.
By STEVEN PATRICK
PETALING JAYA: Broadband got a bit of a boost from the mini-budget announced by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak last Tuesday.
A total of RM5.4bil out of the RM60bil stimulus total has been allocated to improve the country’s broadband infrastructure.
David Wong, chairman of the Association of the Computer and Multimedia Industry of Malaysia (Pikom) said that this move would help achieve the Government’s 50% broadband penetration rate target by the end of 2010.
The broadband penetration rate is currently 17.5% of households in Malaysia, according to the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (SKMM).
According to Wong, RM3bil will be used to roll out the High Speed Broadband (HSBB) service to the entire nation at a faster rate.
Originally, the project scope called for HSBB infrastructure to be provided to 1.3 million premises by the end of 2012.
Pikom hopes that this will be done faster but did not specify further.
HSBB promises surfing speeds of 2Mbps to 1Gbps.
Besides this, another RM2.4bil has also been provided to the SKMM to facilitate broadband community centres and provision of basic telephony services in rural areas. SKMM is the telecommunications multimedia sector watchdog.
“There are currently 180 community centres in the rural areas. This fund will help build more of these centres and equip the current ones better,” he said.
“These centres typically have five to ten PCs,” Wong added.
Helping outsourcing
Wong added that the mini-budget would also help the outsourcing sector as retrenched workers could be placed in this sector.
“We laud the Government’s initiative in encouraging companies to employ retrenched workers by giving them double tax incentives; we see this benefiting Shared Services and Outsourcing (SSO) companies as they gear themselves to recruit 300,000 workers by 2012,” he said.
Wong added that the collaboration between the Government and private sector to provide training and job placements and the creation of Jobs Malaysia Centres (which offer career counselling) would help in addressing the shortage of skilled ICT workforce.
“We will promote SSO through the centres,” he said.
Another positive move for the ICT sector is the fact that government procurements will be made through open tenders, except for a few specific cases.
“This will encourage competitive bids and strengthen the value-for-money concept in government procurement and tenders.
“We strongly support the Government’s call to use e-Perolehan (online tender system) to enhance the transparency in the management of government contracts. This will show IT as an enabler to efficiency,” he said.
Shortcomings
Despite the general benefits, Wong feels that the budget has some shortcomings.
“We feel that the mini-budget seemed to lack a ‘big bang’ impact. It does not address the short-term needs immediately. This is especially with regard to putting more money into the public pockets to immediately boost consumer spending (on PCs , services and software) ,” he said.
Pikom had submitted a wish list to the Government in February, in anticipation of the second stimulus package.
High on Pikom’s list was the reinstatement of the EPF PC purchase scheme, which was discontinued after it was discovered that many had abused the scheme.
Besides the revival of the EPF PC purchase scheme, Pikom also proposed that the Government offer a RM1,000 tax rebate for PC purchases, once every three years.
Wong said that Pikom was “disappointed” that these particular suggestions were not addressed in the second stimulus package.
By STEVEN PATRICK
PETALING JAYA: Broadband got a bit of a boost from the mini-budget announced by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak last Tuesday.
A total of RM5.4bil out of the RM60bil stimulus total has been allocated to improve the country’s broadband infrastructure.
David Wong, chairman of the Association of the Computer and Multimedia Industry of Malaysia (Pikom) said that this move would help achieve the Government’s 50% broadband penetration rate target by the end of 2010.
The broadband penetration rate is currently 17.5% of households in Malaysia, according to the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (SKMM).
According to Wong, RM3bil will be used to roll out the High Speed Broadband (HSBB) service to the entire nation at a faster rate.
Originally, the project scope called for HSBB infrastructure to be provided to 1.3 million premises by the end of 2012.
Pikom hopes that this will be done faster but did not specify further.
HSBB promises surfing speeds of 2Mbps to 1Gbps.
Besides this, another RM2.4bil has also been provided to the SKMM to facilitate broadband community centres and provision of basic telephony services in rural areas. SKMM is the telecommunications multimedia sector watchdog.
“There are currently 180 community centres in the rural areas. This fund will help build more of these centres and equip the current ones better,” he said.
“These centres typically have five to ten PCs,” Wong added.
Helping outsourcing
Wong added that the mini-budget would also help the outsourcing sector as retrenched workers could be placed in this sector.
“We laud the Government’s initiative in encouraging companies to employ retrenched workers by giving them double tax incentives; we see this benefiting Shared Services and Outsourcing (SSO) companies as they gear themselves to recruit 300,000 workers by 2012,” he said.
Wong added that the collaboration between the Government and private sector to provide training and job placements and the creation of Jobs Malaysia Centres (which offer career counselling) would help in addressing the shortage of skilled ICT workforce.
“We will promote SSO through the centres,” he said.
Another positive move for the ICT sector is the fact that government procurements will be made through open tenders, except for a few specific cases.
“This will encourage competitive bids and strengthen the value-for-money concept in government procurement and tenders.
“We strongly support the Government’s call to use e-Perolehan (online tender system) to enhance the transparency in the management of government contracts. This will show IT as an enabler to efficiency,” he said.
Shortcomings
Despite the general benefits, Wong feels that the budget has some shortcomings.
“We feel that the mini-budget seemed to lack a ‘big bang’ impact. It does not address the short-term needs immediately. This is especially with regard to putting more money into the public pockets to immediately boost consumer spending (on PCs , services and software) ,” he said.
Pikom had submitted a wish list to the Government in February, in anticipation of the second stimulus package.
High on Pikom’s list was the reinstatement of the EPF PC purchase scheme, which was discontinued after it was discovered that many had abused the scheme.
Besides the revival of the EPF PC purchase scheme, Pikom also proposed that the Government offer a RM1,000 tax rebate for PC purchases, once every three years.
Wong said that Pikom was “disappointed” that these particular suggestions were not addressed in the second stimulus package.
Monday, March 9, 2009
NEWS: More Adults Joining Social Networks, Pew Says
It’s tempting to compartmentalize social networking sites by the demographic groups most closely associated with them: MySpace is a party for teenagers, Facebook is for a hangout for college students, and LinkedIn is a conference for working professionals. But a steady influx of adult Internet users to all of these sites is altering their makeup at a surprising rate, according to a new report from the Pew Internet & American Life Project.
The research group found that some 35% of online adults now have at least one profile on a social networking site, more than quadruple the amount that did in February 2005, when the figure was 8%. Compared with teenagers – who flocked to these sites early on but then slowed down in adoption – the number of grown-ups jumping on the social media bandwagon has roughly doubled every 18 months over the past four years.
Online advertisers, are you listening? Sites like MySpace, found to be used by half of social networking adults, are now a viable place to pitch mature consumers with discretionary income – many of whom are not obsessed with Justin Timberlake or Twilight. Yet kiddy-geared ads continue to dominate the site.
“As you start to see more adults in social networking, I think [marketers] will have to respond,” says Debra Aho Williamson, senior analyst with eMarketer. They want to be where their customers are. Williamson does allow that young people are currently much more engaged with these sites, while many older adults tend to join them “as a novelty,” to connect with old friends, and check back irregularly. But over the next couple years, she expects adults to spend more time on social networks.
Another surprising finding in Pew’s study is the prevalence of minority groups on social sites. The portion of African-American adults with an online social profile (48%) as well as non-white Hispanics (43%) both eclipse the portion of white adults on the site, just 31%. As Pew senior research specialist Amanda Lenhart points out, that’s mainly due to the fact that 18-24 year-olds, by the far the most socially wired group in the study, are more diverse in makeup – because of higher birthrates among minority groups, immigration, and other factors. Still, “those numbers are a reality,” she says.
With many brands ramping up efforts to court minority groups online, social networks appear to be a good place to start. I spoke with Marla Skiko, who heads up digital innovation at global ad agency Starcom Mediavest Group’s multicultural unit, Tapestry, and she said she’s noticed a “huge uptick” in the number of consumers her campaigns target using online social networks – particularly Latinos. “We are bringing more ideas in the social environment to our clients, and we hope that those platforms continue to refine their ability to target our consumer,” she says. MySpace Latino, a site launched by New Corp. last Spring, has already proved to be a valuable tool for reaching Hispanics online.
The audience is there, the verdict is out: Is social media a viable channel for online ads? If anything, these numbers give Web sites like Facebook, which have struggled to refine a business model, more time to find out. "If you saw usage rates stagnating, it would start to look like a fad," says eMarketer's Williamson. "As long as more people use social networks, the more time they have to develop that model."
The research group found that some 35% of online adults now have at least one profile on a social networking site, more than quadruple the amount that did in February 2005, when the figure was 8%. Compared with teenagers – who flocked to these sites early on but then slowed down in adoption – the number of grown-ups jumping on the social media bandwagon has roughly doubled every 18 months over the past four years.
Online advertisers, are you listening? Sites like MySpace, found to be used by half of social networking adults, are now a viable place to pitch mature consumers with discretionary income – many of whom are not obsessed with Justin Timberlake or Twilight. Yet kiddy-geared ads continue to dominate the site.
“As you start to see more adults in social networking, I think [marketers] will have to respond,” says Debra Aho Williamson, senior analyst with eMarketer. They want to be where their customers are. Williamson does allow that young people are currently much more engaged with these sites, while many older adults tend to join them “as a novelty,” to connect with old friends, and check back irregularly. But over the next couple years, she expects adults to spend more time on social networks.
Another surprising finding in Pew’s study is the prevalence of minority groups on social sites. The portion of African-American adults with an online social profile (48%) as well as non-white Hispanics (43%) both eclipse the portion of white adults on the site, just 31%. As Pew senior research specialist Amanda Lenhart points out, that’s mainly due to the fact that 18-24 year-olds, by the far the most socially wired group in the study, are more diverse in makeup – because of higher birthrates among minority groups, immigration, and other factors. Still, “those numbers are a reality,” she says.
With many brands ramping up efforts to court minority groups online, social networks appear to be a good place to start. I spoke with Marla Skiko, who heads up digital innovation at global ad agency Starcom Mediavest Group’s multicultural unit, Tapestry, and she said she’s noticed a “huge uptick” in the number of consumers her campaigns target using online social networks – particularly Latinos. “We are bringing more ideas in the social environment to our clients, and we hope that those platforms continue to refine their ability to target our consumer,” she says. MySpace Latino, a site launched by New Corp. last Spring, has already proved to be a valuable tool for reaching Hispanics online.
The audience is there, the verdict is out: Is social media a viable channel for online ads? If anything, these numbers give Web sites like Facebook, which have struggled to refine a business model, more time to find out. "If you saw usage rates stagnating, it would start to look like a fad," says eMarketer's Williamson. "As long as more people use social networks, the more time they have to develop that model."
Saturday, March 7, 2009
NEWS: 香港40%少年上網成癮
(香港）電腦已變成青少年生活必需品，社會服務聯會及香港國際安全互聯網日籌委會的一項調查發現，40%半受訪青少年有上網成癮徵狀，當中10%達嚴重程度，建議香港政府開設專門輔導網絡成癮的服務。
無上網便會失眠煩躁
2月10日為“國際安全互聯網日”，這個網上問卷共訪問了3935名10至18歲青少年，10.8%受訪者有嚴重網絡成癮徵狀，另有35.1%受訪者有潛在成癮徵狀。社聯兒童及青少年服務總主任陳鑑銘表示，不可單從上網時間長短判斷青少年是否網絡成癮，但如上網時間愈來愈長，無法上網便會有失眠、煩躁等斷癮徵狀或影響社交生活，便有可能是網絡成癮。調查顯示，15.5%受訪者沒法上網時會精神難以集中、情緒欠佳、心情煩躁，34.4%會有輕微不舒服感覺。
陳指現時有專門輔助賭博、濫藥的服務，建議香港政府增撥資源，發展專責隊伍為網絡成癮者提供輔導服務。另外財政預算案提出將花6300萬元（約馬幣3019萬5857令吉）教育互聯網用戶，特別是教導青少年正確使用互聯網，有社工認為家長及教師亦應獲得電腦教育，這將有助輔導青少年。（香港明報）
無上網便會失眠煩躁
2月10日為“國際安全互聯網日”，這個網上問卷共訪問了3935名10至18歲青少年，10.8%受訪者有嚴重網絡成癮徵狀，另有35.1%受訪者有潛在成癮徵狀。社聯兒童及青少年服務總主任陳鑑銘表示，不可單從上網時間長短判斷青少年是否網絡成癮，但如上網時間愈來愈長，無法上網便會有失眠、煩躁等斷癮徵狀或影響社交生活，便有可能是網絡成癮。調查顯示，15.5%受訪者沒法上網時會精神難以集中、情緒欠佳、心情煩躁，34.4%會有輕微不舒服感覺。
陳指現時有專門輔助賭博、濫藥的服務，建議香港政府增撥資源，發展專責隊伍為網絡成癮者提供輔導服務。另外財政預算案提出將花6300萬元（約馬幣3019萬5857令吉）教育互聯網用戶，特別是教導青少年正確使用互聯網，有社工認為家長及教師亦應獲得電腦教育，這將有助輔導青少年。（香港明報）
NEWS: Tough times don’t last, tough people do
More profit declines. More layoffs.
Even Microsoft has announced that it would trim its workforce in the current economic downturn. Nevertheless, the ICT sector is likely to withstand the economic pressure better than many other sectors.
Even Microsoft has announced that it would trim its workforce in the current economic downturn. Nevertheless, the ICT sector is likely to withstand the economic pressure better than many other sectors.
The past few weeks certainly have not been encouraging for the ICT fraternity. The global recession has begun to put many players under tremendous pressure, including the so-called “founding fathers” of the ICT industry.
On the back of poorer-than-expected results, Microsoft announced that it would eliminate up to 5,000 jobs over an 18-month period. Intel also announced that it would cut up to 6,000 jobs, with factory closures in Malaysia, the Philippines and Oregon in the United States. Even IBM, where lifetime employment was seen as a given a decade ago, is planning to trim its workforce.
As more reports of poor financial performance come in, the list is expected to grow.
Layoffs and cost cutting are unfortunate, but companies understandably have to make tough decisions in a rough economy to preserve their financial position. It is hoped that serious efforts be made to ensure that the trimmings are minimal.
After all, with all the skills and experience, it will be a sheer waste to let talents become redundant. Retraining and redeployment are possible means to help soften the blow.
Proper handling of such issues as layoffs is important to instil confidence in the ICT industry. Over the years, the industry has prospered and created many job opportunities at various levels of the business. Yes, the global economy is under pressure now, and like everybody else, the industry is feeling the heat. The situation might look depressing, but by no means, hopeless. The industry had weathered a number of economic downturns before.
Although the current recession is admittedly one of the most difficult, it should be viewed as an acid test for ICT companies to emerge stronger when the dark economic clouds disappear.
According to observers, the ICT sector is in a good position to withstand the economic pressure better than many other sectors, given that ICT is deeply ingrained in the government and business work environments as well as in the consumer market. The economic downturn would see a drop in ICT spending, but not a stop.
What’s important for ICT companies now is to not lose focus on developing their business. There are still prospects out there. Those ready for battle and willing to hit the streets harder will prevail.
Even Microsoft has announced that it would trim its workforce in the current economic downturn. Nevertheless, the ICT sector is likely to withstand the economic pressure better than many other sectors.
Even Microsoft has announced that it would trim its workforce in the current economic downturn. Nevertheless, the ICT sector is likely to withstand the economic pressure better than many other sectors.
The past few weeks certainly have not been encouraging for the ICT fraternity. The global recession has begun to put many players under tremendous pressure, including the so-called “founding fathers” of the ICT industry.
On the back of poorer-than-expected results, Microsoft announced that it would eliminate up to 5,000 jobs over an 18-month period. Intel also announced that it would cut up to 6,000 jobs, with factory closures in Malaysia, the Philippines and Oregon in the United States. Even IBM, where lifetime employment was seen as a given a decade ago, is planning to trim its workforce.
As more reports of poor financial performance come in, the list is expected to grow.
Layoffs and cost cutting are unfortunate, but companies understandably have to make tough decisions in a rough economy to preserve their financial position. It is hoped that serious efforts be made to ensure that the trimmings are minimal.
After all, with all the skills and experience, it will be a sheer waste to let talents become redundant. Retraining and redeployment are possible means to help soften the blow.
Proper handling of such issues as layoffs is important to instil confidence in the ICT industry. Over the years, the industry has prospered and created many job opportunities at various levels of the business. Yes, the global economy is under pressure now, and like everybody else, the industry is feeling the heat. The situation might look depressing, but by no means, hopeless. The industry had weathered a number of economic downturns before.
Although the current recession is admittedly one of the most difficult, it should be viewed as an acid test for ICT companies to emerge stronger when the dark economic clouds disappear.
According to observers, the ICT sector is in a good position to withstand the economic pressure better than many other sectors, given that ICT is deeply ingrained in the government and business work environments as well as in the consumer market. The economic downturn would see a drop in ICT spending, but not a stop.
What’s important for ICT companies now is to not lose focus on developing their business. There are still prospects out there. Those ready for battle and willing to hit the streets harder will prevail.
NEWS: Staying afloat using effective strategies
AS recession bites, the effects are beginning to show in many segments of the ICT industry. The client PC segment of Asia-Pacific (excluding Japan), for example, fell 14 per cent sequentially and five per cent year-on-year to reach 17.2 million units in the fourth quarter of last year, according to preliminary results by International Data Corp. This was the first year-on-year decline in the region since the third quarter of 1998 when the region was suffering from the Asian financial crisis.
A Lenovo Ideapad netbook is shown. During the economic slump, ICT players in the affected markets will have to come up with the right business strategies to remain viable.
A Lenovo Ideapad netbook is shown. During the economic slump, ICT players in the affected markets will have to come up with the right business strategies to remain viable.
The outlook is also not that rosy in the worldwide mobile phone market. Although it is predicted that there will be growth this year, it will be very much reduced. Mobile phone sales are expected to decline as consumers, hurt by the economic meltdown, cut down on spending.
Analysts reckon global mobile phone sales are expected to fall between five and 12 per cent this year compared with last year.
In tougher market conditions, players in the affected market segments will have to come up with more effective strategies to remain viable. One effective way is to probably employ a no-frills business model, which have proven quite successful among budget airlines, to cut down on costs.
In the PC market, we are seeing a growing number of manufacturers introducing new products that are cheaper, but with less functionalities and other frills. The netbook is one good example.
Compared with a notebook, the netbook is much cheaper. Although it has limited storage capacity and processing power, users are finding the netbook a good buy. If given a choice, many consumers it seem, would prefer tech products that are cheaper rather than more powerful.
Some tech players are also moving into new areas to help grow revenues amid tough competition, such as what is happening in the mobile phone market.
Observers are seeing more mobile phone giants going beyond their traditional role as handset makers by offering entertainment and lifestyle content.
According to market research firm Ovum, bundling content and services into the handsets is dictated by industry trends, as handphones come with more processing power and wireless connection becomes more widespread.
Mobile phone makers have also come up with different business models on how to package content.
Sony Ericsson, for example, has launched a new service called PlayNow Kiosk, which allows its handphone users in the Asia-Pacific region to download the latest movies, television series, games and music from its retail stores.
Another mobile phone giant Nokia has already launched its Ovi Suite, an “umbrella concept” that allows users to share photos, buy music and access third-party services, such as Yahoo’s Flickr photo site, among others.
It is true that many tech giants have survived and even thrived under the harshest conditions.
Constant innovation and improvement, and employing the right business strategies differentiate them from other lesser players.
A Lenovo Ideapad netbook is shown. During the economic slump, ICT players in the affected markets will have to come up with the right business strategies to remain viable.
A Lenovo Ideapad netbook is shown. During the economic slump, ICT players in the affected markets will have to come up with the right business strategies to remain viable.
The outlook is also not that rosy in the worldwide mobile phone market. Although it is predicted that there will be growth this year, it will be very much reduced. Mobile phone sales are expected to decline as consumers, hurt by the economic meltdown, cut down on spending.
Analysts reckon global mobile phone sales are expected to fall between five and 12 per cent this year compared with last year.
In tougher market conditions, players in the affected market segments will have to come up with more effective strategies to remain viable. One effective way is to probably employ a no-frills business model, which have proven quite successful among budget airlines, to cut down on costs.
In the PC market, we are seeing a growing number of manufacturers introducing new products that are cheaper, but with less functionalities and other frills. The netbook is one good example.
Compared with a notebook, the netbook is much cheaper. Although it has limited storage capacity and processing power, users are finding the netbook a good buy. If given a choice, many consumers it seem, would prefer tech products that are cheaper rather than more powerful.
Some tech players are also moving into new areas to help grow revenues amid tough competition, such as what is happening in the mobile phone market.
Observers are seeing more mobile phone giants going beyond their traditional role as handset makers by offering entertainment and lifestyle content.
According to market research firm Ovum, bundling content and services into the handsets is dictated by industry trends, as handphones come with more processing power and wireless connection becomes more widespread.
Mobile phone makers have also come up with different business models on how to package content.
Sony Ericsson, for example, has launched a new service called PlayNow Kiosk, which allows its handphone users in the Asia-Pacific region to download the latest movies, television series, games and music from its retail stores.
Another mobile phone giant Nokia has already launched its Ovi Suite, an “umbrella concept” that allows users to share photos, buy music and access third-party services, such as Yahoo’s Flickr photo site, among others.
It is true that many tech giants have survived and even thrived under the harshest conditions.
Constant innovation and improvement, and employing the right business strategies differentiate them from other lesser players.
NEWS: Keeping ICT on growth path
THE local ICT industry is, at best, expected to grow five per cent this year, down two points from last year. It’s a grim spectre of how things have gone from bad to worse for the industry following the global economic crisis. For an industry used to seeing double-digit growth over the last couple of years, it’s certainly not something to savour.
Tough times are certainly good times to take stock of what works and what doesn’t for the ICT industry. The EPF PC scheme, for example, could help stir the industry.
Tough times are certainly good times to take stock of what works and what doesn’t for the ICT industry. The EPF PC scheme, for example, could help stir the industry.
With ICT spending in major sectors giving way to other more pressing needs, many players are finding it hard to stay afloat. This is why the ICT fraternity is eagerly awaiting the second stimulus package, expected to be announced by the Government soon. There is much hope that this time around, the package will have a more direct impact on boosting the ICT industry.
So, the Government sector, which is one of the largest ICT spenders in the country, for example, should proceed with its ICT initiatives such as e-government and public sector computerisation, which are not only meant to boost operational efficiency within the agencies, but also improve the overall public service delivery.
Meanwhile, the consumer electronics market, which has been one of the more vibrant segments of the ICT industry, is also feeling the effects of the slowing economy. Although consumers have not abandon the market altogether, purchases of technology items such as PCs and related peripherals have dropped rather significantly over recent months. This has certainly caused some concern among industry representatives, which is calling for more concerted efforts to help weather the challenges.
The Association of the Computer and Multimedia Industry Malaysia (Pikom), for example, has called for the revival of the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) withdrawal scheme for PC purchases, which could help stir the industry.
For the record, the scheme got an encouraging response from the public before it was aborted in 2002 due to fraudulent withdrawals.
Pikom reckons that the scheme, if reintroduced,
could help generate sales of about 300,000 PCs a year, which would add about RM700 million to the ICT industry.
Also, the current scenario is a good time to look at addressing other issues which could indirectly help stimulate the ICT industry further. Boosting Internet and broadband adoption among the masses is one example. For this to be achieved, the relevant authorities need to ensure greater Internet penetration nationwide and more affordable services. The same goes with e-commerce, the adoption of which should be expanded to all business and home users.
Tough times are certainly good times to take stock of what works and what doesn’t for the ICT industry. This will not only help cushion the impact of the weak economy, but also position the industry on a stronger footing when the economy turns around.
Tough times are certainly good times to take stock of what works and what doesn’t for the ICT industry. The EPF PC scheme, for example, could help stir the industry.
Tough times are certainly good times to take stock of what works and what doesn’t for the ICT industry. The EPF PC scheme, for example, could help stir the industry.
With ICT spending in major sectors giving way to other more pressing needs, many players are finding it hard to stay afloat. This is why the ICT fraternity is eagerly awaiting the second stimulus package, expected to be announced by the Government soon. There is much hope that this time around, the package will have a more direct impact on boosting the ICT industry.
So, the Government sector, which is one of the largest ICT spenders in the country, for example, should proceed with its ICT initiatives such as e-government and public sector computerisation, which are not only meant to boost operational efficiency within the agencies, but also improve the overall public service delivery.
Meanwhile, the consumer electronics market, which has been one of the more vibrant segments of the ICT industry, is also feeling the effects of the slowing economy. Although consumers have not abandon the market altogether, purchases of technology items such as PCs and related peripherals have dropped rather significantly over recent months. This has certainly caused some concern among industry representatives, which is calling for more concerted efforts to help weather the challenges.
The Association of the Computer and Multimedia Industry Malaysia (Pikom), for example, has called for the revival of the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) withdrawal scheme for PC purchases, which could help stir the industry.
For the record, the scheme got an encouraging response from the public before it was aborted in 2002 due to fraudulent withdrawals.
Pikom reckons that the scheme, if reintroduced,
could help generate sales of about 300,000 PCs a year, which would add about RM700 million to the ICT industry.
Also, the current scenario is a good time to look at addressing other issues which could indirectly help stimulate the ICT industry further. Boosting Internet and broadband adoption among the masses is one example. For this to be achieved, the relevant authorities need to ensure greater Internet penetration nationwide and more affordable services. The same goes with e-commerce, the adoption of which should be expanded to all business and home users.
Tough times are certainly good times to take stock of what works and what doesn’t for the ICT industry. This will not only help cushion the impact of the weak economy, but also position the industry on a stronger footing when the economy turns around.
NEWS: Another business option
GETTING involved in a business venture might be an exciting thought for many people.
insidepix1
Opportunities abound for those who are enterprising enough and willing to take up the challenges and risks in the business world.
The advent of the Internet opens up a good avenue for getting involved in a business. The global reach of the Web provides business-minded people with a large audience that they can tap into.
Online businesses have mushroomed across the globe. Products and services are traded daily at Internet speed. And many have found success through the online business mechanism.
Another platform emerging as a possible money-making venture is the blog, or online journal. Business blogging, or selling through blogs, is certainly catching on. Blogs have become effective marketing tools today, not only for large outfits and small and medium-sized companies but also for individuals.
This is hardly a surprise. From the start, blogging has the ingredients for a profitable venture: A loyal band of followers translates into steady Internet traffic. This eventually attracts advertisers and, in turn, revenue.
For the smaller companies and individual bloggers, business blogging is regarded as an inexpensive marketing tool and a way to differentiate themselves from the competition. The tool costs little or close to nothing to use. Additionally, it is a good way to be heard and stand out from the crowd.
Besides benefiting from advertising revenue, a growing number of bloggers are selling products and services. Starting with a circle of close friends and expanding to other people acquainted through the blogs, the prospects for business blogging look good.
While there are many who are sceptical about the effectiveness of selling through blogs, the fact remains that there are those who have been successful in this endeavour. Although the number might not be big, it is proof that business blogging can work – with the right approach and strategy.
It has been said 99 out of 100 people cannot make a decent living from blogging yet. But for those who relish the challenge, it might be worth a try. You could be that one among the 100 who can.
insidepix1
Opportunities abound for those who are enterprising enough and willing to take up the challenges and risks in the business world.
The advent of the Internet opens up a good avenue for getting involved in a business. The global reach of the Web provides business-minded people with a large audience that they can tap into.
Online businesses have mushroomed across the globe. Products and services are traded daily at Internet speed. And many have found success through the online business mechanism.
Another platform emerging as a possible money-making venture is the blog, or online journal. Business blogging, or selling through blogs, is certainly catching on. Blogs have become effective marketing tools today, not only for large outfits and small and medium-sized companies but also for individuals.
This is hardly a surprise. From the start, blogging has the ingredients for a profitable venture: A loyal band of followers translates into steady Internet traffic. This eventually attracts advertisers and, in turn, revenue.
For the smaller companies and individual bloggers, business blogging is regarded as an inexpensive marketing tool and a way to differentiate themselves from the competition. The tool costs little or close to nothing to use. Additionally, it is a good way to be heard and stand out from the crowd.
Besides benefiting from advertising revenue, a growing number of bloggers are selling products and services. Starting with a circle of close friends and expanding to other people acquainted through the blogs, the prospects for business blogging look good.
While there are many who are sceptical about the effectiveness of selling through blogs, the fact remains that there are those who have been successful in this endeavour. Although the number might not be big, it is proof that business blogging can work – with the right approach and strategy.
It has been said 99 out of 100 people cannot make a decent living from blogging yet. But for those who relish the challenge, it might be worth a try. You could be that one among the 100 who can.
NEWS: A case of two sides to ICT
WHEN the phrase “green IT” is mentioned, many keywords come to mind such as the Kyoto Protocol, carbon footprint and greenhouse gas emissions.
While ICT increases efficiency and allows more activities to be done virtually, it is also a voracious consumer of energy and contributor to greenhouse gas emissions.
While ICT increases efficiency and allows more activities to be done virtually, it is also a voracious consumer of energy and contributor to greenhouse gas emissions.
What do all these mean to the industry and ICT enterprise users and consumers as a whole? Is it really that big a deal, big enough to warrant an urgent call for action at both the local and global level?
To understand the issue, one needs to first understand the significance of the Kyoto Protocol, an international agreement linked to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
The major feature of the protocol is that it sets binding targets for 37 industrialised countries and the European community to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. These amount to an average of five per cent against 1990 levels over the five-year period starting from 2008.
So, how is this linked to the ICT industry?
According to the International Telecommunications Union, since the adoption of the Kyoto Protocol in December 1997, the number of users of ICT worldwide has tripled.
It is estimated that the ICT sector produces two to
2.5 per cent of total emissions of greenhouse gases, and this figure will increase as ICT makes a larger contribution to the global economy.
With regard to this, ICT is seen as both a hindrance and help to the environment. While ICT increases efficiency and allows more activities to be done virtually, it is also a voracious consumer of energy and contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. To illustrate, fast-proliferating data centres can use as much electricity as a small city.
Players in the ICT sector are certainly no laggards in playing their role to reduce the environmental impact of technology. The greening of IT is now big business with a booming market for energy-efficient computers, servers, printers, routers, and software and services aimed at consolidating multiple machines.
EPEAT and Energy Star are eco labels that some of the players have adopted to help buyers identify green products. Some companies even create labels for greater impact.
If done right, a McKinsey report says green IT could help eliminate 7.8 metric gigatons of greenhouse gas emissions annually by 2020, which is equivalent to 15 per cent of global emissions today.
But green IT deployment needs some encouragement and persuasion to take off. This is because users need to be convinced of the benefits – both from the environmental point of view and in terms of benefits that can be gained as a country, enterprise or even a consumer. And various entities have taken some initiatives to do just that.
For example, the Green Grid, a global consortium of IT firms, has proposed “miles per gallon” type standardised metrics that allow firms to compare the efficiency of competing servers, storage systems and networking equipment. The European Commission has issued a set of efficiency benchmarks to guide IT managers as they build new data facilities or upgrade existing ones. And countries such as Australia and US have some form of green policy involving ICT.
But it is disheartening to note that the move towards green IT is mostly seen in industrialised countries where ICT usage has advanced to a mature stage.
As observed by ICT market analyst IDC, the concept of green IT has yet to go big in developing countries such as Malaysia where first-time ICT deployment is still happening in certain areas. Surely, going green straight away will make all the difference in energy savings and climate control.
IDC has noted that government legislation is key in pushing green IT, as seen in the move by the EC. Of course, awareness and education need to be raised to help organisations understand the magnitude of the problem and take the proper measures.
Climate changes and other environmental issues are global issues, so they affect everyone. The ICT industry has begun to put its house in order to make a difference. It’s time for the rest of us to do our part.
While ICT increases efficiency and allows more activities to be done virtually, it is also a voracious consumer of energy and contributor to greenhouse gas emissions.
While ICT increases efficiency and allows more activities to be done virtually, it is also a voracious consumer of energy and contributor to greenhouse gas emissions.
What do all these mean to the industry and ICT enterprise users and consumers as a whole? Is it really that big a deal, big enough to warrant an urgent call for action at both the local and global level?
To understand the issue, one needs to first understand the significance of the Kyoto Protocol, an international agreement linked to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
The major feature of the protocol is that it sets binding targets for 37 industrialised countries and the European community to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. These amount to an average of five per cent against 1990 levels over the five-year period starting from 2008.
So, how is this linked to the ICT industry?
According to the International Telecommunications Union, since the adoption of the Kyoto Protocol in December 1997, the number of users of ICT worldwide has tripled.
It is estimated that the ICT sector produces two to
2.5 per cent of total emissions of greenhouse gases, and this figure will increase as ICT makes a larger contribution to the global economy.
With regard to this, ICT is seen as both a hindrance and help to the environment. While ICT increases efficiency and allows more activities to be done virtually, it is also a voracious consumer of energy and contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. To illustrate, fast-proliferating data centres can use as much electricity as a small city.
Players in the ICT sector are certainly no laggards in playing their role to reduce the environmental impact of technology. The greening of IT is now big business with a booming market for energy-efficient computers, servers, printers, routers, and software and services aimed at consolidating multiple machines.
EPEAT and Energy Star are eco labels that some of the players have adopted to help buyers identify green products. Some companies even create labels for greater impact.
If done right, a McKinsey report says green IT could help eliminate 7.8 metric gigatons of greenhouse gas emissions annually by 2020, which is equivalent to 15 per cent of global emissions today.
But green IT deployment needs some encouragement and persuasion to take off. This is because users need to be convinced of the benefits – both from the environmental point of view and in terms of benefits that can be gained as a country, enterprise or even a consumer. And various entities have taken some initiatives to do just that.
For example, the Green Grid, a global consortium of IT firms, has proposed “miles per gallon” type standardised metrics that allow firms to compare the efficiency of competing servers, storage systems and networking equipment. The European Commission has issued a set of efficiency benchmarks to guide IT managers as they build new data facilities or upgrade existing ones. And countries such as Australia and US have some form of green policy involving ICT.
But it is disheartening to note that the move towards green IT is mostly seen in industrialised countries where ICT usage has advanced to a mature stage.
As observed by ICT market analyst IDC, the concept of green IT has yet to go big in developing countries such as Malaysia where first-time ICT deployment is still happening in certain areas. Surely, going green straight away will make all the difference in energy savings and climate control.
IDC has noted that government legislation is key in pushing green IT, as seen in the move by the EC. Of course, awareness and education need to be raised to help organisations understand the magnitude of the problem and take the proper measures.
Climate changes and other environmental issues are global issues, so they affect everyone. The ICT industry has begun to put its house in order to make a difference. It’s time for the rest of us to do our part.
NEWS: Mobile communications still a bright spot
MANY industries are bracing themselves for the negative impact of the current global economic downturn, but one segment is expected to do better than others – mobile communications.
Cited by ICT market analyst IDC as the dominant driver of the global telecommunications industry as of end of last
year, the US$700 billion
(RM2.5 trillion) mobile industry now serves almost half of the world’s population with
3.6 billion subscriptions.
Fuelled by social and technological transformation as well as fashion trends and consumer preferences, industry segments such as mobile devices, applications and services are likely to only grow over time, taking the current economic downturn in their stride.
For many mobile device users, no matter how cash-strapped they are, they will upgrade to more sophisticated gadgets so they can remain connected through voice, video or data, no matter where they are. After all, being able to communicate is important at work as well as in the
social aspects.
And those who are not yet communicating in the mobile mode are not shy to fork out money to have that ability given the opportunity.
With this in mind, IDC has forecast the number of global mobile voice connections to reach 4.57 billion by end of 2012 – an average compound growth rate of 8.3 per cent per year.
But it is only fair to subscribers that the growth be matched by the mobile network operators’ ability to cater to the increasing demands from subscribers and to rapidly implement new business models and revenue streams that leverage on information services and multimedia applications.
In Malaysia, where the mobile penetration rate stands at about 94 per cent, IDC anticipates that the compound annual growth rate for total mobile subscribers to grow by four per cent from 2008 to 2012 with prepaid users continuing to dominate the mobile subscriber market.
In a market that has seen significant growth in the number of complaints about quality of service parallel to the growth of the mobile communications’ penetration rate in the country, the issues are similar. There needs to be a focus on offering voice and data bundling for prepaid and postpaid subscriptions to increase revenue and encourage data usage among mobile subscribers. And the services cannot be based on best effort.
Already many mobile users are sceptical of using mobile data services because of the perception that they are expensive and erratic in quality. By investing further in infrastructure and targeting the packages at the right consumer segment, a win-win situation could be created for the operator and consumer.
It is good to see that mobile operators will continue to invest in their infrastructure this year, particularly in 3G network expansion and infrastructure upgrades.
This, as a vendor pointed out, is a natural progress as the stages that operators go through starts from network coverage to capacity to other areas such as quality of service and innovation in offerings.
Since the second half of 2007, subscribers have been moving from 2G to 3G services. So, it is important for 3G mobile operators to provide coverage in new areas to increase their subscriber base. This is also an opportunity for mobile operators to put pressure on vendors to provide cheaper network equipment given the economic situation. Falling prices of 3G mobile phones also should encourage more subscriptions.
Looks like the mobile industry will continue to flourish. But growth should not be motivated solely by business gains, but also with the subscribers’ interest in mind.
Cited by ICT market analyst IDC as the dominant driver of the global telecommunications industry as of end of last
year, the US$700 billion
(RM2.5 trillion) mobile industry now serves almost half of the world’s population with
3.6 billion subscriptions.
Fuelled by social and technological transformation as well as fashion trends and consumer preferences, industry segments such as mobile devices, applications and services are likely to only grow over time, taking the current economic downturn in their stride.
For many mobile device users, no matter how cash-strapped they are, they will upgrade to more sophisticated gadgets so they can remain connected through voice, video or data, no matter where they are. After all, being able to communicate is important at work as well as in the
social aspects.
And those who are not yet communicating in the mobile mode are not shy to fork out money to have that ability given the opportunity.
With this in mind, IDC has forecast the number of global mobile voice connections to reach 4.57 billion by end of 2012 – an average compound growth rate of 8.3 per cent per year.
But it is only fair to subscribers that the growth be matched by the mobile network operators’ ability to cater to the increasing demands from subscribers and to rapidly implement new business models and revenue streams that leverage on information services and multimedia applications.
In Malaysia, where the mobile penetration rate stands at about 94 per cent, IDC anticipates that the compound annual growth rate for total mobile subscribers to grow by four per cent from 2008 to 2012 with prepaid users continuing to dominate the mobile subscriber market.
In a market that has seen significant growth in the number of complaints about quality of service parallel to the growth of the mobile communications’ penetration rate in the country, the issues are similar. There needs to be a focus on offering voice and data bundling for prepaid and postpaid subscriptions to increase revenue and encourage data usage among mobile subscribers. And the services cannot be based on best effort.
Already many mobile users are sceptical of using mobile data services because of the perception that they are expensive and erratic in quality. By investing further in infrastructure and targeting the packages at the right consumer segment, a win-win situation could be created for the operator and consumer.
It is good to see that mobile operators will continue to invest in their infrastructure this year, particularly in 3G network expansion and infrastructure upgrades.
This, as a vendor pointed out, is a natural progress as the stages that operators go through starts from network coverage to capacity to other areas such as quality of service and innovation in offerings.
Since the second half of 2007, subscribers have been moving from 2G to 3G services. So, it is important for 3G mobile operators to provide coverage in new areas to increase their subscriber base. This is also an opportunity for mobile operators to put pressure on vendors to provide cheaper network equipment given the economic situation. Falling prices of 3G mobile phones also should encourage more subscriptions.
Looks like the mobile industry will continue to flourish. But growth should not be motivated solely by business gains, but also with the subscribers’ interest in mind.
NEWS: Built environment going green
Island City, Fukuoka is ideal to raise children for life at walking speed. — Picture by SHUNYA SUSUKI
Island City, Fukuoka is ideal to raise children for life at walking speed. — Picture by SHUNYA SUSUKI
JAPANESE eco-warrior Shunya Susuki still vividly remembers the evening of Sept 3, 1989.
Shunya Susuki in S-2 � a solar electric car he had crafted from recycled products � as featured in Mainichi Daily News on Feb 3, 1997
Shunya Susuki in S-2 � a solar electric car he had crafted from recycled products � as featured in Mainichi Daily News on Feb 3, 1997
Shunya Susuki strongly identifies with mottainai, an ancient Japanese belief of using resources modestly.
Shunya Susuki strongly identifies with mottainai, an ancient Japanese belief of using resources modestly.
The six-month long Asian-Pacific Exposition: Fukuoka ‘89 (Japan) was coming to an end.
As the evening wore on, he became more and more worried. Then a deep sadness engulfed Susuki, who was an architectural engineer with Fukuoka City Hall at the time.
People were enjoying themselves at the party following the closing ceremony of the exposition but Susuki, who was in charge of the project from beginning to end, was only thinking of his next task: to supervise the removal of “all temporary buildings” at the site.
Then he saw his work destroyed before his eyes and it was hard to take.
“I strongly felt mottainai or a feeling to cherish something,” says Susuki, alluding to the concept of mottainai, an ancient Japanese belief of wasting less, conserving more and using resources modestly.
That heart-rending event was one of several episodes in Susuki’s life which would shape his attitudes towards the environment.
The discovery of traces of black rain on the bonnet of his white car shortly after that would also affect him profoundly.
It hit him then: the severity of air pollution at Toyohama Town, where he has been living with his family for more than 38 years now.
He “began to think about how to get rid of car exhaust pollution” and an idea came to him at home after watching The World Solar Challenge, an Australian television programme.
It became “his mission to produce a car (which would run) without petrol”.
Not long after that he visited France and saw pre-schoolers walking with their teacher along the traditional buildings in Paris and recognised the wisdom of that field trip.
“I thought it was impossible to teach Japanese children mottainai during the bubble economy in Japan because adults were breaking usable buildings in front of the youngsters,” says Susuki, who is now a coordinating officer with UN-Habitat Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific which is based in Fukuoka.
His next trip was to Australia where he chanced upon a building with only outer walls at Sydney’s monorail and realised that “this was the way to rebuild the interior of a building (in order) to preserve its exterior”.
Suddenly it dawned on him that Australia “had been cherishing old things too”.
On the flight home, he was troubled by the possibility that Japanese children “might not cherish old things including their elders in future” and he admits today that this is his greatest fear.
Susuki was spurred into action by the above experiences and he became an environmentally-active individual.
He began to focus on finding solutions to green problems and “educating children on the environment”.
A visit to his Earth Friendly website (www.geocities.jp/shunya_susuki/susuki-E.html) will reveal his green-related visionary endeavours, among other works of art.
Susuki created his website on June 9, 2003 and five years later it became the first item you would see out of 33,700,000 references when you search for Earth Friendly in Japanese.
An English version appeared on Jan 9, 2008.
Susuki, who is also a teacher of creativity at his former senior high school, has produced solar electric cars, recycled artwork and kites of unusual designs (see pictures on the left).
A professor at Kyushu University where Susuki studied modern and traditional architecture as well as urban planning once praised him as “the man who was born to make new things”, an apt description of the multi-talented Japanese, who constantly innovates new ideas and products.
His creations have attracted the attention of the Japanese media and they are conversation pieces among those who are familiar with his work.
Future projects will include “making a new type of machine such as a car or robot” or “robot legs to assist walking”.
He is also mulling over the prospects of converting sea water to fresh water.
Susuki has the elderly in mind when he talks about “simple vehicles or robot legs”.
When these become readily available “to assist the elderly, people will not have to use cars in their neighbourhoods”.
Susuki’s Utopia — an area without conventional cars moving on its roads such as Zermatt village in Switzerland, Venice in Italy, Disneyland and the site of the Asian-Pacific Exposition: Fukuoka ‘89 before the structures were dismantled — now seemed a distinct possibility.
The 54-year-old father of two believes that children hold the key to tackling the world’s environmental issues.
He is a champion of environmental education and especially likes the way the subject is taught to children in the Swiss ski resort of Zermatt.
“I think we should learn how to teach students about it sensitively, like the Swiss.”
Environmental problems are neither purely technological nor purely economic. They are also ethical and it is critical to understand all their dimensions.
Susuki calls on communities everywhere to use the opportunity the current economic recession offers to imagine creating wealth which addresses both social concerns and environmental limits.
As he philosophically puts it: “I think money is nothing but a means to self-realisation. Making money should not be the sole purpose of one’s life. One is happiest when one utilises one’s inborn talents for one’s society.
“Teachers, parents and societies are obliged to discover children’s natural talents and nurture them.”
Island City, Fukuoka is ideal to raise children for life at walking speed. — Picture by SHUNYA SUSUKI
JAPANESE eco-warrior Shunya Susuki still vividly remembers the evening of Sept 3, 1989.
Shunya Susuki in S-2 � a solar electric car he had crafted from recycled products � as featured in Mainichi Daily News on Feb 3, 1997
Shunya Susuki in S-2 � a solar electric car he had crafted from recycled products � as featured in Mainichi Daily News on Feb 3, 1997
Shunya Susuki strongly identifies with mottainai, an ancient Japanese belief of using resources modestly.
Shunya Susuki strongly identifies with mottainai, an ancient Japanese belief of using resources modestly.
The six-month long Asian-Pacific Exposition: Fukuoka ‘89 (Japan) was coming to an end.
As the evening wore on, he became more and more worried. Then a deep sadness engulfed Susuki, who was an architectural engineer with Fukuoka City Hall at the time.
People were enjoying themselves at the party following the closing ceremony of the exposition but Susuki, who was in charge of the project from beginning to end, was only thinking of his next task: to supervise the removal of “all temporary buildings” at the site.
Then he saw his work destroyed before his eyes and it was hard to take.
“I strongly felt mottainai or a feeling to cherish something,” says Susuki, alluding to the concept of mottainai, an ancient Japanese belief of wasting less, conserving more and using resources modestly.
That heart-rending event was one of several episodes in Susuki’s life which would shape his attitudes towards the environment.
The discovery of traces of black rain on the bonnet of his white car shortly after that would also affect him profoundly.
It hit him then: the severity of air pollution at Toyohama Town, where he has been living with his family for more than 38 years now.
He “began to think about how to get rid of car exhaust pollution” and an idea came to him at home after watching The World Solar Challenge, an Australian television programme.
It became “his mission to produce a car (which would run) without petrol”.
Not long after that he visited France and saw pre-schoolers walking with their teacher along the traditional buildings in Paris and recognised the wisdom of that field trip.
“I thought it was impossible to teach Japanese children mottainai during the bubble economy in Japan because adults were breaking usable buildings in front of the youngsters,” says Susuki, who is now a coordinating officer with UN-Habitat Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific which is based in Fukuoka.
His next trip was to Australia where he chanced upon a building with only outer walls at Sydney’s monorail and realised that “this was the way to rebuild the interior of a building (in order) to preserve its exterior”.
Suddenly it dawned on him that Australia “had been cherishing old things too”.
On the flight home, he was troubled by the possibility that Japanese children “might not cherish old things including their elders in future” and he admits today that this is his greatest fear.
Susuki was spurred into action by the above experiences and he became an environmentally-active individual.
He began to focus on finding solutions to green problems and “educating children on the environment”.
A visit to his Earth Friendly website (www.geocities.jp/shunya_susuki/susuki-E.html) will reveal his green-related visionary endeavours, among other works of art.
Susuki created his website on June 9, 2003 and five years later it became the first item you would see out of 33,700,000 references when you search for Earth Friendly in Japanese.
An English version appeared on Jan 9, 2008.
Susuki, who is also a teacher of creativity at his former senior high school, has produced solar electric cars, recycled artwork and kites of unusual designs (see pictures on the left).
A professor at Kyushu University where Susuki studied modern and traditional architecture as well as urban planning once praised him as “the man who was born to make new things”, an apt description of the multi-talented Japanese, who constantly innovates new ideas and products.
His creations have attracted the attention of the Japanese media and they are conversation pieces among those who are familiar with his work.
Future projects will include “making a new type of machine such as a car or robot” or “robot legs to assist walking”.
He is also mulling over the prospects of converting sea water to fresh water.
Susuki has the elderly in mind when he talks about “simple vehicles or robot legs”.
When these become readily available “to assist the elderly, people will not have to use cars in their neighbourhoods”.
Susuki’s Utopia — an area without conventional cars moving on its roads such as Zermatt village in Switzerland, Venice in Italy, Disneyland and the site of the Asian-Pacific Exposition: Fukuoka ‘89 before the structures were dismantled — now seemed a distinct possibility.
The 54-year-old father of two believes that children hold the key to tackling the world’s environmental issues.
He is a champion of environmental education and especially likes the way the subject is taught to children in the Swiss ski resort of Zermatt.
“I think we should learn how to teach students about it sensitively, like the Swiss.”
Environmental problems are neither purely technological nor purely economic. They are also ethical and it is critical to understand all their dimensions.
Susuki calls on communities everywhere to use the opportunity the current economic recession offers to imagine creating wealth which addresses both social concerns and environmental limits.
As he philosophically puts it: “I think money is nothing but a means to self-realisation. Making money should not be the sole purpose of one’s life. One is happiest when one utilises one’s inborn talents for one’s society.
“Teachers, parents and societies are obliged to discover children’s natural talents and nurture them.”
NEWS: Going Green
SUN Microsystems Malaysia Sdn Bhd and University Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) in Tanjung Malim, Perak recently launched the Thin Client Centre at the university’s main library, to meet the needs of a new digital generation.
The centre will provide the students with three education essentials — access, communication and collaboration — to address the growing demand for better eco-solution awareness, as UPSI works towards achieving a greener environment.
The partnership is to also educate the university community on the ecological impact of today’s technologies and how they can be part of the eco-responsibility initiative to reduce energy costs and IT environmental impact,” said Prof Mustamam Abd Karim, the university’s deputy vice-chancellor (research & innovation).
“Our partnership with Sun is in line with our efforts to work towards k-Perak, an IT initiative by the Perak state government to develop ICT and enable Perak achieve ‘knowledge state’ status by 2010.”
He added that UPSI was keen on the technology because of its environmental benefits and efficiencies.
“The centre will provide one-stop support and integration services for the university and its students.
“There is also a services kiosk where students can get access to more efficient printing resources for class and project submission and documentation,” said Prof Mustamaman.
The centre, besides having a centralised data and applications system, also has greater security as virus attacks are eliminated.
The centre’s servers consume less power which makes this a “green” solution, said Sun’s managing director C.P. Loo.
The centre will provide the students with three education essentials — access, communication and collaboration — to address the growing demand for better eco-solution awareness, as UPSI works towards achieving a greener environment.
The partnership is to also educate the university community on the ecological impact of today’s technologies and how they can be part of the eco-responsibility initiative to reduce energy costs and IT environmental impact,” said Prof Mustamam Abd Karim, the university’s deputy vice-chancellor (research & innovation).
“Our partnership with Sun is in line with our efforts to work towards k-Perak, an IT initiative by the Perak state government to develop ICT and enable Perak achieve ‘knowledge state’ status by 2010.”
He added that UPSI was keen on the technology because of its environmental benefits and efficiencies.
“The centre will provide one-stop support and integration services for the university and its students.
“There is also a services kiosk where students can get access to more efficient printing resources for class and project submission and documentation,” said Prof Mustamaman.
The centre, besides having a centralised data and applications system, also has greater security as virus attacks are eliminated.
The centre’s servers consume less power which makes this a “green” solution, said Sun’s managing director C.P. Loo.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
