NEWS: 美國：上網讀新聞首超報紙

（美國）根據一項最新調查，美國人從互聯網讀新聞的比率首次超過傳統的閱讀報紙，使得報業在金融危機中銷量大跌，不得不裁員並削減部門，以應付大幅下跌的廣告損失。

根據由華盛頓皮尤（Pew）研究中心進行的調查，消費者選擇互聯網作為新聞來源的人數，從去年的24%一年間升至40%，超越選擇閱讀報紙的35%。雖然電視仍是第一大新聞來源，不過亦由去年的74%跌至70%。

年輕人適應新科技的能力往往比較強，29歲以下網上閱讀新聞的年輕人從34%上升到59%，而從電視和報紙獲得新聞的只有28%。

不過，哥倫比亞大學新聞學院教授史昆尼雲山表示，很多網上新聞仍然是從傳統的報紙中取得來源，然後再把新聞上載到互聯網，所以傳統媒介仍然有著重要的角色。

可是現在的廣告商都傾向在互聯網上賣廣告，使得很多報紙陷入虧損。擁有《芝加哥論壇報》和《洛 杉磯時報》的美國論壇報業集團（Tribune），12月因欠債130億元（約馬幣453億令吉）而宣佈破產，有數字顯示，本年3月至9月的6個月內，全 美報紙的銷量已下跌4.6%。

至於今年讀者最感興趣的新聞事件，Pew研究中心就發現，第一大事件是關於美國陷入經濟衰退的新聞，70%的讀者

NEWS: Challenging Year Ahead

PETALING JAYA: Growth for the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) industry will fall to its lowest in a decade next year, according to the Association of the Computer and Multimedia Industry of Malaysia (Pikom).

“We foresee organisations cutting down on ICT spending. Our forecast for next year will be 5%, in light of the global financial crisis,” Pikom chairman David Wong told In.Tech.

He added that the local ICT sector experienced a 7% growth this year and 10% in 2007.

“The last time the local ICT sector had a 5% growth rate was during the last financial crisis in 1997,” Wong said.

But it’s not all gloom and doom.

“We are still bullish on the outsourcing industry. With the economic slowdown, companies will be looking at ways to cut cost and outsourcing will be one way of doing this,” he said.

Wong even expects the outsourcing industry to create more jobs within the ICT industry.

“Unlike the manufacturing industry, the ICT industry will be creating jobs rather than losing jobs. We need more workers in the outsourcing industry.

Currently we have only 70,000 people working in outsourcing companies but we need 300,000 by 2012,” he said.

Pikom also expects the RM7bil stimulus package (announced on Nov 3) to cushion the overall drop in ICT investment next year.

“The Government has introduced several measures in its latest stimulus package to progressively stimulate the economy.

“We see the IT industry benefiting through lower fuel prices, which in return reduces cost of ICT companies doing business,” he said.

He added that the rollout of High Speed Broadband (HSBB) and WiMAX nationwide would spur the ICT industry on.

HSBB, which will be deployed by TM, promises surfing speeds up to 1Gbps (gigabit per second).

The Government signed an agreement with TM in a public/private partnership to build the RM11.3bil HSBB network in the country, in September. It was announced that the Government will fork out RM2.4bil for the venture (StarBiz, Sept 17).

As for telecommunications spending, Wong said that Digi.com Bhd has stated that 2009 will be its biggest investment year ever, with its 3G mobile broadband rollout.

From Pikom’s point of view, ICT will continue to be the key enabler or strategic tool for cost savings and productivity improvement during these challenging times.

NEWS: Online Media Association Mooted

PETALING JAYA: Online media players came together recently to propose the setting up of the Malaysian Digital Association.

Its protem chairman Terence Dorairaj said the timing is perfect for an association that aims to address issues within the online media circles as more and more consumers are jumping online.

Terence said the idea to set up such an association was mooted about four years ago but the online media space was small and it was difficult to justify the purpose for it. However, things have changed since then, he said.

“The general elections in March was proof that more and more Malaysians are jumping online,” he told In.Tech at MDA’s first Town Hall meeting adding that the number is expected to increase over time.

The Town Hall meeting was organised to gauge interest and get opinions on the proposal to set up the MDA from various players in the online media sector.

If it is formed, one of the association’s targets is to present goals and practice standards for the online advertising medium.

Terence added there are no proper standards for the online media to go by yet and this confuses advertisers who may want to include online media as part of their media mix.

“Once these standards are set, buying online media space will be easy as advertisers will then understand how a certain platform can work for them,” he said, adding that this will lead to the increase digital media’s share of the advertising expenditure (adex) pie.

Digital media currently holds 5% of adex. Industry players expects the total adex to reach RM6bil this year.

For more information on MDA, visit www.idea.org.my

NEWS: Smartboard to make inroad

KUALA LUMPUR: PENCILS and books in some classrooms have been replaced with lightweight individual computers and thanks to a Canadian company, students and teachers can say goodbye to the dusty blackboards and chalks too.

Smartboard, developed by Smart Technologies is set to replace the old ­blackboard and chalk teaching method.

The Smartboard looks like an ordinary whiteboard but is equipped with a projector hook and allows direct interaction with a computer.

According to Christopher Chong, regional director and general manager of Smart Technologies Asia Pacific, the Smartboard is used in many education institutions around the world and is a hit with pre-schoolers and secondary students alike.

“Based on our latest statistics, the Smartboard is now used in 700,000 ­classrooms and about 18 million students enjoy its benefits,” he told In.Tech recently.

Teaching tool

The Smartboard can be a great teaching tools for teachers to present any subject from science to history, Chong said.

“With the right software and presentation skills teachers can make these subjects more fun and engaging,” he said.

Chong added that as digital technology becomes part of our modern lives, students nowadays also expect to see more digital interactivity during lessons.

“They are used to getting information instantly off the Internet, which also allows them to be interactive in learning and sharing of opinions, so they expect the same kind of interactivity in classrooms as well,” Chong explained.

He added that teachers can do more things on the Smartboard than they could with a conventional blackboard and chalk method.

Ep-Tec Solutions Sdn Bhd general manager Loh Kwai Nam said teachers teaching ­geography can easily use Internet tools to pull up a map. Ep-Tec is the local distributor for the Smartboard.

“Teachers will not be able to get the exact map using the chalk and board method,” he said.

Loh added that biology need not be a messy subject with the board, especially when it comes to dissecting frogs.

Using the board’s built-in software, teachers can demonstrate how to dissect a frog without having the whole class cramped up in front of the teacher’s desk.

Education market Chong claimed that Smart Technologies owns 53% of the global interactive whiteboard market share and expects an increased sale in the tool with the growing number of schools opting for e-learning.

“More and more schools are equipped with projectors and computers these days and we see that as a driver for the sale of the Smartboard,” he said.

Loh added that the step to transform local national schools to smart schools will also augur well for the Smartboard take-up.

“It is seen as the next step in teaching tools,” he said.

However, the Smartboard is only at the proof-of-concept level in the country with about 300 schools in the northern region of Peninsular Malaysia using the tool.

“We see an adoption of the tool but not at a massive scale yet,” he said adding that it would take about five years before the Smartboard can make its way into every Malaysian school.

Other targets

Although it had gained a strong foothold in the education sector, Smart Technologies plans to expand into other sectors as well. Its Smartboard has already made its way into news studio set-ups in the United States and even at meeting rooms in businesses locally. It also plans to make a versatile table top version of the Smartboard, which is due to be available in January.

“This table top version can be used for group activities for pre-schoolers and lower primary school students and even at ­military academies where it can be used to teach combat strategies and languages,” Chong said.

There have also been requests for the Smartboard from home users but Loh said Smart Technologies has not made any plans to enter the home user market yet.

“We see a market opportunity in parents who prefer their children to be home-schooled but we would like to focus on the larger education market first,” he said.

NEWS: Jobs Galore

MORE than 90 knowledge-based jobs in Cyberjaya were offered to graduates during the first SME Jobhunt @ Cyberjaya, held last weekend.

Organised by Cyberview Sdn Bhd and Jobmarket Malaysia Sdn Bhd, the event aimed to create awareness among graduates of the many employment opportunities in the cybercity’s thriving technology and support services industry, and to offer a platform for the SMEs to source for knowledge workers in the SME sector.

A total of 155 graduates, short-listed by Jobmarket Malaysia from its database, attended the preliminary job interviews conducted by 14 SME companies based at the Cyberjaya SME Technopreneur Centre cluster.

The managing director for Cyberview, Redza Rafiq, said the company had succeeded in creating an enabling environment for SMEs to thrive and grow in the cybercity.

Feedback gathered by Cyberview shows that SMEs require about 80% candidates with computer background and 20% from engineering and human resources.

Chairman of Basis Holdings Tan Sri Abu Hassan launched the event. Also present were Jobmarket Malaysia’s CEO, Datin Paduka Jumaah Moktar,and managing director of Basis Holdings How Yeng Han.

“Jobmarket will continue to promote Cyberjaya as the place where graduates can live, study, work and play with easy access to a broadband community,’’ said Abu in his speech.

NEWS: Mobile Masters

KBU International College walked away with the first prize in the Mobile Content Challenge (MCC) 2008.

The contest, jointly organised by Maxis Communications Bhd, the Energy, Water and Communications Ministry and the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (SKMM), awarded student teams from participating institutions of higher learning in Malaysia a total of RM100, 000 in cash prizes.

MCC 2008 is designed to encourage students to join the content developer community and foster innovation on mobile phones. It was launched in 2007.

For this year, there were four runner-up prizes of RM10,000 each, as well as a grand prize of RM60,000, awarded to the team whose application stood out for the overall Best Mobility Content submission.

The winning KBU team members (from left) Tang Shin Chze, Daniel Choy Cheng Keong and Goh Chin Wei bagged RM60,000.

Students with the most innovative content concepts will be offered the opportunity to prototype and commercially launch their winning applications with the assistance of Maxis’ panel of Malaysian content developers under its developer programme.

Team KBU from KBU International College won the grand prize for its 3G Mobile Community and Networking application. Its members were Daniel Choy Cheong Keong, Goh Chin Wei and Tang Shin Chze. Four other teams won prizes for the following categories: Mobile Commerce (Team V-1tix from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia); Mobile Entertainment (Art Mobile, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia); Mobile Education (BST, Universiti Sains Malaysia) and Mobile Info Base (Boderless, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia).

Energy, Water and Communications Minister Datuk Shaziman Abu Mansor presented prizes to the winners. “The Mobile Content Challenge plays an important part in the overall national strategy to build up the next generation of mobile content developers, by giving them a viable infrastructure of support, incentives and guidance to successfully launch their ideas and creations in the commercial market,” said Shaziman at the ceremony.

MCC 2008 involved a series of roadshows to 65 institutions of higher learning and six workshops nationwide. “The second Mobile Content Challenge has seen participation nearly double to 185 concept submissions from student teams. We had in 2007,” said chairman of SKMM Datuk Dr Halim Shafie.

“The Mobile Content Challenge is a vital part of Maxis’ larger quest to build a vibrant ecosystem for mobile content in Malaysia. “We are pleased to incubate a ‘nursery’ of local content, conceived by smart young talent,” said Maxis chief executive officer Sandip Das.

During the contest, teams were matched with industry mentors from the Maxis Developer Programme who guided them in all aspects of their submissions.

> Recently, KBU International College partnered YourPartTime.com in organising a soft skills seminar for all its final-year students as part of its efforts to enhance their employability.

The Soft Skills for Graduates Seminar featured topics such as ‘Look Good, Feel Good’, ‘Stand-Up and Sell’, ‘From Ideas to Execution’, ‘Resume-Write Right’ and ‘What Employers Want’.

In conjunction with the seminar, KBU signed an MoU with YourPartTime.com, an online service that provides job opportunities to those who wish to freelance or work part-time.

NEWS: Precious Resource

Every week, a group of 13- to 17-year-olds from the GOSM Precious Network in Petaling Jaya, Selangor, go to UCSI University for weekly computer classes.

Most of the children need help with their studies and come from deprived backgrounds.

As their parents are undergoing rehabilitation programmes, the children are placed in stable homes and cared for by the staff of the GOSM Precious Network.

Associate Dean of the Management and IT Faculty at UCSI Stephen Corneilius and lecturer, Sharon Lee initiated the computer classes. They not only got the university’s staff to teach the children computer and language skills, but also commit part of their salaries to defray the home’s monthly utility bills.

UCSI University has been providing computer lessons to the children of GOSM Precious Network.

“The children need to be taught basic English before they can use the computer,” said Lee, adding that simple exercises prepared by lecturers at the faculty ensured that the children could reach a stage where they could use the computer.

This included setting up their own e-mail accounts, surfing the Internet, and learning basic computer software applications.

The faculty’s commitment to the Precious Network began in early August.

“During a visit to the home, I found that what we could truly offer as a university was education, and education for these children can go a long way in the long run,” said Lee.

Rev Dr Robert Judah Paul, who oversees GOSM Precious Network, said: “These weekly classes may seem small in comparison to the many other classes going on at UCSI University, but it is monumental for the children and for the home as well.”

The GOSM Precious Network operates near the Chow Kit district of Kuala Lumpur, and provides food relief and shelter, rehabilitation opportunities and facilities as well as counselling.

UCSI University is the first higher education institution to help the home through computer classes.

There are 14 homes under the care of GOSM Precious Network, housing over 600 individuals picked from the streets. About 45% of them have been integrated back into society.