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

PETALING JAYA: Interested in joining the exciting world of Information Technology (IT)?
Find out more at the Career Discovery Talk with Hewlett-Packard (HP) with HP managing director T.F. Chong at Menara Star on Saturday.
There will be two sessions – one for technical professionals in IT and the other for those keen on a career in sales and marketing.
HP managers would also be on hand to talk about job opportunities in the organisation.
“The HP Career Discovery Talk will answer some very specific questions regarding IT careers.
“It certainly is an exclusive opportunity for job seekers as well as working professionals to find out how some of HP’s managers and leaders are growing with the organisation by successfully overcoming their career challenges,” said Chong.
“The talk will be a golden opportunity for job seekers to get a feel of the depth and scope of the jobs available in the IT industry,” said I.Star vice-president Davin Arul.
I.Star is the division that runs the Star-Jobs portal for Star Publications (M) Bhd.
The talk is from 10am to 1pm at the Star Cybertorium and Cyberhub at Menara Star.
Those present stand a chance to win one of five HP printers in a lucky draw.
Seats are limited. Go to http://star-jobs.com/events/HPCareerTalk/ for details.

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.

Read more: Undergraduate Focus: A vast IT world awaits - Extras - New Straits Times http://www.nst.com.my/nation/extras/undergraduate-focus-a-vast-it-world-awaits-1.98721#ixzz22RpJAEi2

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?

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.