Thursday 9 August 2012

Article 3

IPTS will not be affected when PTPTN is abolished

April 24, 2012

FMT LETTER, From S Gobi Krishnan, via e-mail

Power would like to refer to the statements made by BN leaders on the issue of PTPTN abolishment.

It is said that the abolishment of PTPTN will affect the survival of private educational institutions (IPTS) as the students depend on the loans provided by PTPTN.

Power would like to remind all parties that PTPTN abolishment will not affect private college and universities. To the contrary, it will actually strengthen the tertiary private education system in this country.

Firstly, it will ensure that the wealth in the private higher education is shared equally among all private higher education providers, and not only benefit the select few as in practice presently.

Secondly, it will ensure that only the quality providers remain and weed off fly-by-night operators who are only interested in making a quick buck. We have seen many such operators.

Thirdly, PKR has stated very clearly that a special fund will be created to cover the cost of study and living allowances for students in private higher education institutions. As such, IPTS will continue to survive based on demand and supply mechanism.

However, excessive profiteering must not be practiced. Education is a birthright and not a privilege.

The government must remember that providing higher education is part of its core responsibilities. As such, privatising it and forgetting its responsibility, is not the solution.

For an example, the government has provided a soft loan of RM300 million to a private education provider to build its new campus. Firstly, why the need to do this when the government can easily utilise the money to build a public university? Secondly, why only given to one IPTS whereas many others are not assisted?

This kind of questions reveal the real reason why PTPTN must be abolished as it has veered off from its original aims.

In conclusion, students must be given enough access to higher education without burdening them. And private providers must be able to create niche areas for study and make substantial profit by providing such education without the need to look at private education as money making machine only.

As such, providing free education and abolishing loan schemes such as PTPTN, MARA, JPA etc is the only way forward.

The writer is the chairman of Power.

Article 2

Perodua donates 13 Myvis to NGOs, IPTs and agencies

Perodua is donating 13 units of the Myvi to various non-government organisations, institutions of higher learning and selected government agencies as well as cash to a religious institution as part of its Corporate Responsibility Programme. The handover ceremony was incorporated into the company’s Majlis Iftar Ramadhan yesterday evening in KL.

The organisations are Muslim Aid Malaysia, Perbadanan Wakaf Selangor, Pusat Jagaan Rumah Insan Ipoh, Yayasan Nurul Yaqeen, Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM), Universiti Malaysia Pahang (UMP), Industri Pendidikan Negeri Selangor (Inpens), Kolej WIT and Institut Kemahiran Mara (IKM).

Balai Polis Serendah, Cawangan Khas Ibu Pejabat Polis Daerah Hulu Selangor and the Ministry of Higher Education were also given one Myvi each.

At the function, Perodua also donated RM3,000 to Maahad Tahfiz Nurul Iman, Serendah and RM100 cash each to 22 students from the home. Perodua MD Datuk Aminar Rashid Salleh said that the institutions were chosen based on the need of each organisation and the impact these cars will have on the community at large.

Recently, Kembara Ramadhan Perodua to Masjid Al-Falah, Ulu Yam Baru saw around 50 Perodua staff distributing bubur lambuk to 500 people, donate food aid to 138 needy families and give RM100 duit raya each to 52 orphans.

In conjunction with the upcoming Hari Raya and balik kampung exodus, Perodua is also providing free 20-point vehicle inspections via the Perodua Tweckbot programme. Click here for more info on that.

Article 1

SEGi College offers Diploma in Islamic Banking and Finance

Posted on June 26, 2012, Tuesday

IT’S OFFICIAL: Sarawak Islamic Council president Datu Putit Matzen hitting the gong to launch the diploma programme while others look on.

KUCHING: Islamic Banking and Finance is currently popular among banking and financial organisations around the world for practicing non-interest financing and adopting the principle of profit sharing.

As a Muslim country, Malaysia acknowledges this concept and encourages local banking organisations to implement this concept into their banking operations.

This industry is currently experiencing rapid growth, resulting in an increased demand for skilled professionals to contribute their knowledge and experience to support and facilitate this continued expansion.

Admiring the concept of Islamic Banking, SEGi College Sarawak took the challenge to produce young professionals by launching the new Diploma in Islamic Banking and Finance programme in April 2012.

According to the college’s principal Elina Tiu this course aimed to develop marketable graduates who can take on several roles such as management economics, accounting, and marketing, among others.

“Students will learn general Islamic Banking and Finance, Insurance and Takaful, Financial Management and Planning, Business and Company Law and many more, and will be taught by academic professionals, covering the theory and practical aspects to actual industry scenarios. In addition, this course enables student to gain real-life experience through industrial training,” added Tiu.

Gaining recognition from the Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE) and the Malaysian Qualification Agency (MQA), the Diploma in Islamic Banking and Finance programme received a 5-star rating in the recent MOHE MyQuest Evaluation as it enables students to enjoy wider career prospects after completion.

Students with minimum of three credits in Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM), SPMV, O-Level or equivalent are eligible to register for the programme.

Students who are interested in this course and looking for financial assistance should consult any of the college’s course counsellors for more information.

The college also provides financial aid and study loans and, for high achievers with excellent results in SPM and STPM, scholarships are offered.

With the knowledge, theoretical experience and practical experience gained from the academic professionals as well as industrial training, graduates from the college will be ready for various positions within the Islamic Banking industry.

For more information on the Diploma in Islamic Banking and Finance programme, you can walk-in to the SEGi College Sarawak main campus at 211, Jalan Bukit Mata, Kuching, visit any of their branch offices in Sibu and Kota Kinabalu from 8.30am to 5.30pm, call 1-300-88-7344 or 082 – 252566, email infoswk@gmail.com or log on to www.segi.edu.my.

Thursday 2 August 2012

Article 4

IPTA, premier polytechnics appeal applications results out tomorrow

Article 3

Govt bears 90pc of study cost in IPTA

Article 2

Application status to IPTA for 2012/13 intake out on Friday

Article 1

IPTA, premier polytechnics appeal applications results out tomorrow

Article 6

Twitter clocks half-billion users

BIG IN JAPAN: Japan came second accounting for 10.6% of all tweets, making Japanese the second most common language on Twitter after English. - Reuters

Over 500 million people are on micro-blogging site Twitter and Americans and Brazilians are the most connected, according to a study by social media monitor Semiocast.
Twitter surpassed the half-billion mark at the end of June, with the United States accounting for both the most users and largest number of "tweets" or short messages of no more than 140 characters posted on the site.
The Paris-based monitor carried out the study by analysing data like time zone, geolocation and language available for the social networking site's total 517 million accounts.
The Untied States accounted for more than 141 million of Twitter users, with Brazil ranking second with 41 million after seeing its number rise by 23% since the start of the year. Japan came in third with 35 million users.
Americans also posted the highest number of Twitter messages, with 25.8% of all tweets hailing from the United States.
Japan came second accounting for 10.6% of all tweets, making Japanese the second most common language on Twitter after English.
The study found Jakarta to be the most active Twitter zone, with 2.4% of all tweets originating in the Indonesian capital.
The popularity of Twitter continued to soar in the Arab world following the site's key role in the Arab Spring revolutions last year, with Arabic now the site's sixth most common language. - AFP/Relaxnews 2012

Article 6

Career talk on the world of information technology

Article 5

New ICT trends to shape future market

Rozana Sani

In this respect, Accenture believes in the next three to five years, organisations will see eight trends that will play a big role in shaping the future of technology, particularly for the enterprise.

They are namely: cloud computing, light systems, enterprise intelligence, continuous access to people and content through easy-to-use mobile devices coupled with software-as-a-service (SaaS), social computing, user-generated content, industrialisation of software development, and green computing.

Of the eight trends outlined, Accenture’s chief scientist Kishore Swaminathan observes cloud computing and light systems are enabling technologies that will enable analytics and enterprise intelligence to be possible and more accessible.

These developments, he said, will see the role of ICT and the chief information officer of an organisation switch from standardisation and control “to empowerment”.

“I think that the role of the CIO and IT in the western world got defined by three major events that are unique to the western – and particularly – American companies: Y2K, the recession following the dotcom bust, and Sarbanes-Oxley. While individually unrelated, collectively, these three have defined the role of IT departments and CIOs in most companies by focusing their attention on standardisation and control.

“Unfortunately, this is becoming the model for new companies in emerging world as well, who don’t share the same history or legacy issues. I think the challenge for the CIOs in the western world is to grow past this history; the challenge for CIOs in the emerging economies is not to fall into the same mould,” he shared with Tech&U.

“In other words, for most companies, the after effects of three events – Y2K, recession and Sarbanes-Oxley – is an IT department fixated on risk minimisation and cost reduction rather than reward maximisation and value creation. By contrast, individuals not rattled by these events have come to look at information technology differently – as an enabler and value creator,” he explained.

So, how can companies retain the gains achieved in risk and cost management over the last decade and still manage to reap benefits similar to those that individuals are getting from information technology in their private lives?

For Kishore, the set of converging technological trends hold the answer: eliminate technologies that are becoming commodities; empower, rather than control, front-office users and, where applicable, customers; and exploit the power of internal and external information.

“People are likely to adopt technology faster in the emerging world because of the dramatically enhanced day-to-day life,” he pointed out.

“I believe that contrary to general intuition – that technology adoption will be higher in the Western world because people are familiar with it, the reverse is likely to be true. Technology adoption will grow faster in the emerging world because the incremental value of adoption is much higher,” he said.

Hence, Kishore said it is important for CIOs in countries like Malaysia to not assume that their users are less sophisticated or will be less willing to use new technology than the Western world.

“It may be quite the opposite,” he remarked.

He emphasised that all the trends Accenture cited suggest that the ability to exploit both internal and external data in new ways is likely to be a reality and a significant IT-based business differentiator in the next year or two.

“So, convert your perceived weaknesses (lack of infrastructure) into strengths (no legacy or outdated technologies). ICT is moving very fast – which means – don’t make very big bets on one technology; diversify to hedge the risk of obsolescence,” said Kishore.

Article 4

Undergraduate Focus: A vast IT world awaits

INFORMATION technology has become a significant component of world economic activity and is recognised as a major economic resource. Organisations have grown to view their information resources as strategic assets, utilising these resources as an instrument in enhancing the country’s competitiveness in industry and international trade. Traditionally, major organisational assets were classified as human, financial, material, equipment and management resources.

In order to enhance information technology, University College Shahputra (UCSA) through its Faculty of Information and Interactive Technology (FIIT) is passionate in research, teaching and learning in the computer science, information technology and multimedia fields.
Students can choose to major in computer science, information technology or multimedia and will acquire problem solving skills that are needed in the working world.
To gain entry into the Bachelor in Information Technology and Bachelor of Information Technology (Hons) Software Engineering programmes, students can apply through three options. The first option is through a recognised matriculation or foundation with CGPA 2.0 and a credit in mathematics at the SPM or SPMV level.
The second option is entry with an STPM or A-Level with two full passes or equivalent qualification or equivalent with minimum CGPA of 2.0. The third option is entry with a diploma. The last option is entry with any other diploma with a minimum CGPA of 2.5, and a credit in mathematics at SPM/SPMV levels.
Graduates from the Bachelor in Information Technology programme can apply for jobs as project managers, systems administrators, IT officers, network administrators, systems analysts, programmers, webmasters, educators or even database administrators.
Graduates from Bachelor of Information Technology (Hons) Software Engineering can find employment as software engineers (application/system), systems analysts, project managers, educators, web designers, games programmers, software/web developers, and business/system engineers.
UCSA also offers diploma programmes including the Diploma in Information Technology, Diploma in Interactive Multimedia and Diploma in Software Development.
To gain entry into the Diploma in Information Technology programme, students must obtain at least three credits including mathematics. The second option is through entry with STPM or A-levels qualification with at least one principal pass in any subject and a credit in mathematics at SPM or SPMV levels. The last option is entry with a technical, vocational or computing certificate or equivalent qualification with one year of relevant work experience or one semester of a bridging programme.
For the Diploma in Interactive Multimedia programme, students must pass their SPM with at least three credits in any subject and a pass in arts. For applicants without an arts qualification, they must pass an interview session, drawing test or portfolio review.
Students interested in the Diploma in Software Development programme, must obtain at least three credits including mathematics. They can also gain entry with an STPM or A-levels qualification with at least one principal in any subject and a credit in mathematics at SPM or SPMV levels. The last option is entry with a technical or vocational or computing certificate or equivalent recognised qualification coupled with one year of relevant working experience or one semester of a bridging programme.

Article 5

The ABC of buying ICT for schools

Price, performance and compatibility are just some of the issues you need to be clear on when deciding on your school's ICT procurement strategy – but what else should you be considering?

Serious students using computers in school computer lab

When looking to procure new ICT, senior school managers should consider not just the purchase price of equipment, but compatability with existing inventory and additional costs such as warranties and support. Photograph: Alamy

Information and communications technology (ICT) is a key teaching tool. It costs vast amounts of money. If you are a headteacher, your staff look to you to take a leading role (and the governors all have their own, different, opinions). It's a tricky scenario familiar to any senior manager making a decision on ICT – and budget cuts are making the decisions ever harder. However, a bit of background knowledge and a clear strategy for procurement can make all the difference. The first task is to be absolutely clear about the specification. If you're buying new laptops for students, for example, will they be running processor-intensive multimedia software or will they just be used for internet access? How long do you plan to use them – and are requirements likely to change over that time? "Don't go for the cheapest on the market, but choose something that will take the workload, and you won't need to replace it in three years," advises Imre Homoki, ICT network manager at Cams Hill school in Fareham, Hampshire. Next, do your research. Find out what technology other schools are using and whether they are happy with it. Some schools club together to share advice and tips. Although schools' ICT agency Becta has gone, you can consult other independent sources of advice, such as NAACE (the ICT association) and the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust (SSAT). Price is critical, but make sure you're looking at the whole picture, which means the total cost of ownership over a product's lifetime, not just the purchase price. What are the additional costs of warranties, insurance, technical support, maintenance, replacing damaged parts, or lost productivity if the equipment breaks? For example, Tim Hatch, Intel's education business manager, says that many schools are choosing free, open source software over expensive licences. This can make sense, but it's important, he adds, to be aware of hidden support costs and to take into account the investment you've already made. Similarly, Julian Morgan, assistant headteacher at Chatsmore Catholic high school in Worthing, West Sussex, recently worked on the procurement of a wireless network and a set of netbooks for students. He found that interviewing the shortlisted candidates rather than relying on a quote was a good way of finding out how well suppliers understand the particular needs of schools. "When we bought the wireless network, some people presented their product in terms of how technically adept it was, but not in terms of how it would benefit our students," Morgan says. As he points out, a school that has 600 or more concurrent users will place greater demands on a wireless network than a similar-size business where not everyone uses the network at once. Compatibility with existing equipment should also be a key part of the procurement decision, says Neil Willcocks, head of ICT at Neville Lovett school. "If you're buying PCs, get a few from the companies you're looking at to come on the school network and see how they work. You can get a situation where it doesn't matter how fast the PC is, it doesn't necessarily interact with the school network very well." By the same token, taking on a mishmash of suppliers is asking for trouble. "People make a mistake when they jump from technology to technology, supplier to supplier," says Homoki. "Eventually they look at inventory and they don't know where things are. It's best to have just three or four core suppliers, for hardware, software and printers, so if there is a compatibility issue, you know where to go to." Finding out exactly what technical support is on offer is a crucial part of assessing a supplier's offering. Willcocks says his school chose a local supplier for the school's new desktop PCs because it didn't want to have to wait days while equipment was sent away for repair: "We didn't pick the cheapest one, but they provided us with a good service. If there are any problems, we can just get them to pick stuff up or we drop stuff in and there's a fast turnaround." Finally, Tim Hatch recommends looking at different payment models. By renting equipment or adopting cloud computing, schools can leave capital budgets untouched, instead paying a fixed, predictable cost from the operational budget that has the added benefit of reducing carbon footprint. Hatch believes this model will become increasingly popular over the next 18 months: "You know on a monthly basis where you are, and you can build some level of sustainability into it as well." SOURCE : THEGUARDIAN

Article 3

Government support essential for ICT growth
Ahmad Kushairi
2008/06/22

THE local information and communications technology (ICT) community must surely be waiting for the outcome of the mid-term review of the Ninth Malaysia Plan (9MP), scheduled for tabling in Parliament this week.

Young children in the outskirts of Miri checking out a computer. By bringing ICT into the rural areas, it would help more Malaysians embrace ICT.

Of particular concern is whether the present allocation for the ICT sector will continue, or whether there will be some scaling down due to the unfavourable economic conditions. With higher prices of goods and fuel compared to 2006 when the 9MP was launched, the Government might be forced to relook its budget for various sectors of the economy.

Nevertheless, there have not been any announcements made by the relevant Ministries on plans to cut down on its ICT allocation.

Under the 9MP, the Government increased its ICT expenditure compared to the Eighth Malaysia Plan (8MP). A whopping RM12.9 billion has been allocated for ICT-related programmes compared to RM7.9 billion under the 8MP.

Under the 9MP, the Government’s main ICT agenda includes improving processes and achieving greater efficiency in the public sector and bridge the digital divide between urban and rural folks. The computerisation programme will improve the execution and improve integrity and transparency in the public sector.

Bringing ICT into the rural areas would help more Malaysians embrace ICT and be part of the information society. Other ICT-related programmes slated under the 9MP are aimed to further catalyse growth of the ICT sector, by creating more business and job opportunities.

While we understand the situation that the Government is in, let’s hope that whatever measures it takes would not affect progress in the local ICT industry.

ICT which has contributed significantly to the nation’s economy, should continue to figure prominently in the Government’s development plans.

Article 2

Stress test for ICT

2008/06/08

The US economic downturn is expected to impact growth of major sectors of the global economy, including information and communications technology (ICT). Already there are talks of a possible slump in global ICT spending this year, as consumer buying power weakens. Can the local ICT industry weather the storm?

Delesh Kumar.

C.J. Ang.

Silver lining in economic woes
By Izwan Ismail

Recent United Nations economic projections indicated that the world economy is on the brink of a downturn and expected to grow at only 1.8 per cent this year, down from 3.8 per cent last year. Economists are saying that the deepening credit crisis in major economies triggered by the declining value of the US dollar, persistent global imbalances and soaring prices of oil and other commodities pose considerable risks to economic growth in both developed and developing countries.

Here, Tech&U talks to an analyst and an industry respresentative on how such gloomy news will impact the local information and communications technology (ICT) industry.

Delesh Kumar, principal consultant, Frost & Sullivan:

The ICT industry in Malaysia in the past few years has been driven primarily by local growth than regional demand. But a slowdown or cutback in expenditure from the enterprise segment can be expected, particularly in the banking and manufacturing sectors, which will be affected by the global economic slowdown.

The banking and manufacturing sectors are among the biggest spenders on ICT services in Malaysia. So, any reduction in their budgets will have an impact, especially on the ICT sector, which is heavily dependent on enterprise spending.

ICT companies that are most susceptible and likely to be affected are system integrators which focus on the banking and manufacturing sectors. ICT companies focusing on the public sector also may be affected due to the Government’s cost-cutting measures to counter higher spending on fuel and food subsidies.

Among the main initiatives to counter the slowing economy is to focus on solutions that can assist companies in managing or better managing their internal operating costs such as virtualisation.

In an economic downturn, the drive by most companies to reduce costs will present fresh opportunities. Providing more managed or outsourcing services such as data storage will allow, for example, system integrators to reduce clients’ costs while improving their service offerings.

The Government can also play a role to help companies weather the storm. One key initiative that could be implemented is to further liberalise the telecommunications market to drive adoption of broadband services. This could further drive the market for consumer products and shift the current focus of the ICT industry from the enterprise segment to the consumer segment.

The Government could also provide further financial incentives and regulatory flexibility for companies to expand into regional markets, especially developing economies with a large population where domestic growth from consumer spending shields them somewhat from any major external impact.

C.J. Ang, president, Association of the Computer and Multimedia Industry Malaysia (Pikom):

Based on a recent Bank Negara report on the first quarter 2008 economic performance, the local economy is resilient enough to withstand a regional slowdown.

This applies also to the local ICT industry. As domestic demand picks up, the impact of a sluggish US economy and regional economies is minimised.

However, should the global economic downturn hit Malaysia, companies that are likely to be affected are those with exposure to the US market. In the ICT industry, this would be companies involved in supplying to MNCs (multinational companies) operating manufacturing plants in the country. I do not see any major impact on other sectors.

In the short term, weather the storm, as any slowdown will be temporary. Over the longer term, companies should expand into other markets.

On this note, Pikom has been assisting members in finding new markets through our affiliation with Asocio (Asian-Oceanian Computing Industry Organization) and Witsa (World Information Technology and Services Alliance), and working closely with Matrade (Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation) and MDeC (Multimedia Development Corporation).

The slowing market could also be an opportunity for some companies. A slowing market may provide services in niche areas. Expand to other markets, diversify the risks.

Article 1

Melaka gets RM50 million to develop ICT

0 commentsMELAKA: The state government received an allocation of RM50 million from the federal government to develop information, communication and technology (ICT) for a period of four years, from 2007 until March this year.

Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam said through the allocation, four projects were implemented, namely broadband infrastructure in all the districts, an integrated network pilot project, a project to narrow the digital divide and fiber optic broadband infrastructure.

"The state government also allocated RM2.7 million for the projects to ensure ICT keeps advancing every year," he said in reply to Ab Rahaman Ab Karim (BN-Pantai Kundor) during the state assembly here today.

He said the progress of ICT in the state was measured in the aspects of skills, infrastructure and content in the form of basic computer training encompassing computer usage, internet surfing and social media usage.

Mohd Ali said as at Sept 2011, 94 training programmes had been organised, involving 3,165 participants.

He said 715 locations were proposed in 2011 for the installation of WiFi at hotspots dan hotzones for residents.

According to data issued by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), as at the second quarter of this year, 706 hotspots had been installed in the state.

He said the state government had also appointed Melaka ICT Holdings (MITCH) as a one-stop centre in the installation of the integrated telecommunication tower in the state.

Mohd Ali said there are 733 TM WiFi coverage areas throughout the state, most of which are located in Bandar Hilir with 294, and Ayer Keroh, with 166.

"The main criteria for the installation is supermarkets, business complexes, higher education institutions, tourist spots and transport centres," he said in reply to Chua Keng Hwa (BN-Bemban).

Mohd Ali said the consumer targets are professionals, officers, managers, business people, higher education students and domestic and foreign tourists. --BERNAMA

SOURCE : NST

Article 5

The ABC of buying ICT for schools

Price, performance and compatibility are just some of the issues you need to be clear on when deciding on your school's ICT procurement strategy – but what else should you be considering?

Article 4

Stagnant jobs growth forecast for ICT sector

Date: May 4, 2012

Article 1

The Computer Age and Its Carbon Footprint

By JAMES KANTER

There is a sleek quality to so much modern technology, and that may make it hard to imagine its polluting potential. But think about it: Many of us in the developed world plug and unplug our cellphones, music players, printers and laptops from wall sockets several times a day. It turns out that these goods are responsible for a significant amount of the electricity that we use in homes and offices.
Behind these consumer products is the wider information and communications technology industry. To keep humming, this industry relies on vast volumes of powerful semiconductors and communications towers. The ICT industry also relies on vast data centers located at heavily protected and air conditioned sites across the globe.
A report released this week by the European Social Investment Forum, a Paris-based group that promotes sustainability in business, says the sector is responsible for about 2 percent of global carbon emissions — or about as much as from air transport.
That reinforces the views put forth in a report in The Economist early this month that emissions from data-centers and services over the Internet will have grown four-fold by 2020 making its carbon footprint even larger than that of aviation by some estimates.
The issue of growing emissions from the sector is an important one for banks that invest in high-growth technology companies, which might face added costs in the future because of regulations on carbon emissions and energy use. In its contribution to the Eurosif report, West LB, a German bank, said that the emissions from the industry created “a situation we consider to be unsustainable.”
West LB also said that the industry had managed to build up a “clean, non-polluting image that appeared to be free of environmental risks.” Only now was it “becoming clear that the sector’s footprint is significant.”
How many other industries are promoting a clean image that, on more critical examination, make a significant contribution to growth in energy use? And what more can be done to push them to account fully for their carbon footprints?

Article 1

Thursday, 2 August 2012

Article 1

The Computer Age and Its Carbon Footprint

By JAMES KANTER

Article 2

Did Too Much Well-Wishing Crash Twitter Again?

By JENNA WORTHAM

Twitter welcomed the new year in with a bang– by more than an hour of unavailability Saturday morning.

Chris Ratcliffe/Bloomberg

The reason: Look to where 2012 had already begun.
In 2010, the company said that its highest usage for the entire year came mere seconds after midnight in Japan, when users rushed the site to post messages welcoming in the new year on the social network.
It’s possible the same crush of users — likely heightened since Twitter’s popularity grew throughout the year — pushed the site’s limitations, knocking it offline.
“Some people experienced issues connecting early today,” said Carolyn Penner, a spokeswoman for the company, in an e-mail, although she declined to clarify why Twitter went down or for how long the service was unavailable. By early afternoon, the site appeared to be functioning normally for its community of users.
Such outages are not uncommon on Twitter – since its early days, the service has faded in and out, particularly during large events, such as the Super Bowl and awards shows. Those bring an influx of people eager to post their reactions, photos, thoughts and messages to the server.

Article 3

Budget 2012: ICT opportunities aplenty

Apply Visa Australia,residency,move Migrate,PR to Australia Service

Treasurer Wayne Swan. Photo: Alex Ellinghausen

The 2012 federal budget offers plenty of opportunities for the IT industry, for those who know where to look.
The ICT sector should receive an unexpected mini-boost from the budget announced by Treasurer Wayne Swan this week with up to $1 billion worth of projects peppered throughout the government's plans for the next four to seven years.
Among the biggest ticket items are $240.3 million over four years for systems to enable the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). According to budget documents, the system will "track and evaluate the operation of the first stage of the scheme and provide a platfrom for a national rollout".
An additional $233.7 million has been allocated to further the national e‑Health agenda, which is largely dependent on the rollout of the national broadband network (NBN), and the electronic patient record database – the Personally Controlled Electronic Health Record (PCEHR) system - due to launch in July. It comes on top of the $466.7 million investment which runs out in June.

In addition there are provisions for $467.1 million over seven years for SuperStream with $14.6 million in 2012-13, $58.7 million in total going to the Australian Taxation Office to improve superannuation payment processing, and for $68.5 million to add geo-coding to, and improve, company records on the Australian Business Register among others.
Kevin Noonan, research director with analyst firm Ovum, who attended the budget lockup for the first time this year, concluded there are plenty new opportunities to offset part of the ICT cuts announced in the November mini-budget.
Noonan said the Efficiency Dividend foreshadowed then to increase from 1.5 per cent to 4 per cent would still prevent federal government agencies from upgrading equipment and spending on current running costs, but the new budget allocations would go some way to provide them with funds for new projects that would in turn stimulate the ICT sector.
He said suppliers could sit behind the cuts and complain or go "follow the money" to realise nearly $1 billion worth of opportunities not previously foreshadowed.
"Broad estimates would put the size of IT project money at least equalling projects coming out of the 2011-12 Budget. That's a lot of money. Tax, health and welfare did particularly well, but there was a good smattering of money going to other agencies."
Nick Abrahams, partner with law firm Norton Rose, who advises government agencies and vendors on contracts, said the budget provided important opportunities through various projects but these were counter-balanced by the cuts, especially in Defence.
"The $5.6 billion general cut to Defence spending will have a noticeable impact on the IT industry, though the budget still includes $550 million for IT remediation activities across Defence," Abrahams said.
The Australian Information Industry Association (AIIA) welcomed the budget, in particular the measures to support the e-records database.
In a statement AIIA chief executive Suzanne Campbell said the continued funding of e-Health initiatives would better utilise the skills and knowledge of Australia's ICT industry.
She said AIIA members looked forward to continuing working closely with the Department of Health to implement the scheme and improve the efficiency of Australia's health system.
Among other "digital spending" measures shared among various government agencies, are $7.9 million to expand the SmartGate system at international airports; $82.4 million for the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) to upgrade its ICT infrastructure and $11.7 million to extend the One Laptop per Child (OLPC) program to primary schools in rural and remote indigenous communities. It will afford more than 50,000 XO laptops along with associated training, development and support for teachers, children and their communities.
Rangan Srikhanta, CEO of OLPC Australia said: "In the digital age, we have a real opportunity to close the gap between advantaged and disadvantaged children in ways that were unimaginable less than 20 years ago. This funding will allow us to make significant progress toward the goal of achieving social equality in education for all Australian children."
Among the more intriguing initiatives is a $2.4 million provision for online remote access to national cultural institutions via virtual tours involving mobile robots. The allocation is made for the Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy and the CSIRO and counts on the NBN rollout. It comes under the heading "putting museums online for public access" and promises to allow users "to engage and interact with local visitors and tour guides" and receive "additional on-screen information to enhance their experience".

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Thursday 9 August 2012

IPTS will not be affected when PTPTN is abolished

Perodua donates 13 Myvis to NGOs, IPTs and agencies

SEGi College offers Diploma in Islamic Banking and Finance

Thursday 2 August 2012

IPTA, premier polytechnics appeal applications results out tomorrow

Application status to IPTA for 2012/13 intake out on Friday

IPTA, premier polytechnics appeal applications results out tomorrow

Twitter clocks half-billion users

Career talk on the world of information technology

New ICT trends to shape future market

Undergraduate Focus: A vast IT world awaits

The ABC of buying ICT for schools

Melaka gets RM50 million to develop ICT

The ABC of buying ICT for schools

Stagnant jobs growth forecast for ICT sector

The Computer Age and Its Carbon Footprint

Thursday, 2 August 2012

The Computer Age and Its Carbon Footprint

Did Too Much Well-Wishing Crash Twitter Again?

Budget 2012: ICT opportunities aplenty