Articles #3

TNB To Make First FiT Payment

MANJUNG: Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB), which is expected to pay RM300mil a year to Sustainable Energy Development Authority (Seda) for feed-in-tariff (FiT), will make its first payment next week, according to (Renewable Energy and Green Technology), customer service and metering, distribution division head Abdul Rahim Jamil.

“If you take TNB’s revenue for one year, it’s about RM30bil. So the 1% of that (for renewable energy fund) is about RM300mil. That is the estimate the Government is using to gauge the collection. But of course, the real payment would depend on how much we can collect from our customers,” he said at a briefing on Monday.

Abdul Rahim said TNB first payment to be made would be for the month of December but it would not be substantial as FiT had just started.

“According to the law, we have to pay Seda by April for December payment. By next week, we should be paying Seda for December’s. January’s payment to the RE (renewable energy) fund will be in May, February’s payment in June. There’s a lag of about four months,” he said.

The lag period, he said, was mainly because of the collection from TNB’s customers. TNB customers are generally given 30 days to pay their bills and some do not pay their bills on time, thus making it difficult for TNB.

Seda is expecting 985MW or 6% of total country’s energy mix to come from RE in 2015 and currently 68.45MW are connected to the grid.

As at Feb 29, Seda has approved 377 applications for RE with installed capacity of 311.56MW. Of the amount, 140.03MW installed capacity was from solar photovoltaic (PV).

On the signing of renewable energy power purchase agreement (REPPA), Abdul Rahim said TNB was still within its timeline.

He said the REPPAs were signed with small solar PV producers and TNB would be signing with bigger producers soon. — By Leong Hung Yee

SOURCE: Ditrolic Solar Technology

Articles #2

DIGITAL SATELLITE NEWS GATHERING Cover news the digital way TM is introducing the Digital Satellite News Gathering Service, the latest technology in the market to facilitate up-linking of news by pumping live telecasts from a location to a Satellite Earth Station. This technology has enhanced TM's news gathering services in places where conventional methods like cable feeding is absent or impossible to lay due to the short notice given by the broadcasters. This is a satellite-based system for instantaneous and live news/special event/game coverage from anywhere to anywhere at anytime by using portable, flyaway or mobile systems.

Service Features Flexible and superior quality either in Digital or Analogue system; Rapid response anywhere at anytime (24-hour service); Full redundancy on-board mobile systems; Worldwide access and delivery (fully tested and verifed with Intelsat, Panamsat and Measat satellite systems); Communication packages via satellite (duplex communication); Drastic reduction in size & cost; End-to-end service; KU-Band or C-Band; and Highly reliable.

Service Applications Live sports and news coverage (domestic and international); Special events coverage (Summit, corporate meetings); Concerts coverage; Games coverage (cricket, football); and Business television.

Price/Tariff Negotiable & Customized SOURCE: Telekom Malaysia (TM)

Articles #1

'Future Generations Need Higher Order Thinking Skill'

PUTRAJAYA- Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak today called for the country's education system to focus on developing intellectual capital, saying the effort was necessary to equip the future generations with the higher order of thinking skills.

He said this was important because the country aspired to prepare the younger generation to enjoy not only the benefits of today but also the more glorious future.

In the future, the younger generation would have to occupy jobs which might not exist today, and the challenge of the country was to find ways to prepare them for that scenario, he said.

"How do we prepare them for jobs that do not exist? The answer is that we cannot because we do not know the types of job that do not exist yet. We can only prepare them in terms of their capacity to think ... (to take them to) the higher order of thinking skills," he said at the Premier Assembly of Outstanding Teachers 2012 at the Putrajaya International Convention Centre, here.

"This is to make them not only sharp and in-depth in their thinking but also to be creative and innovative, so that they have the flexibility to adapt to any situation that may arise," he said. -- Bernama

SOURCE: New Straits Times

Articles #5

MMU EYES FUTURE IN NANOTECHNOLOGY

Scouting for a degree Programme Leaving school after it may be a daunting experience for Most school leavers.

There are many considerations weighing That need, including the growth of the industry Selected Potential and cost of the Programme pursued as Decisions made cans make or break one's Career path of economic downturn in events or business uncertainties.

But there is one industry That is on the rise in Malaysia. It is none other than Nanotechnology. School leavers or Any Candidates Considering the engineering Programme Nanotechnology alternative cans.

Although the field is still in its infancy, there is Growing interest and expenditure in it.
Multimedia University (MMU) vice-president of Academic, Associate Professor Wong Eng Kiong says: "We are seeing a slow but steady Increase in Enrolment in our Nanotechnology Programme Because of the government's Emphasis under the 9th Malaysia Plan."

Under the 9MP, RM124.3 million has Been allocated for the Nanotechnology industry. The inauguration of the Malaysia Nanotechnology Association (MNA), governmental support for Nanotechnology is at an all-time high as the technology cans revolutionise the entire manufacturing industry.

One way this is achieved is by generating new TYPES of Nanomaterials, applicable in the metal, chemical and nanoelectronics industries. Other industries benefit That cans are automotive, pharmaceuticals and health sciences, as well as information technology.

Realising the Potential huge in store for the industry, recently launched its MMU Bachelor of Electronics Engineering (Hons) majoring in Nanotechnology. It is the first of Nanotechnology Azizuzanadi courses to be offered in the country.

"Nanotechnology Programme This is a true landmark offerings," says Wong.
Previously he said, Those who wished to Pursue a Career on Nanotechnology must go Overseas.
"Now, you're free to join as an Undergraduate and be part of a growth industry."

He adds That the Career prospect for a nanotechnologist is quite Healthy and Promising.
He adds That the past FEW years not have seen an Increase in Enrolment mechanical engineering, due to the manufacturing industry in the country. Telecommunications engineering Remains also rates a popular choice.

MMU is one of the very FEW Institutions in the country's offerings Undergraduate Programme in Nanotechnology
Intakes are open this month in the fields of engineering, IT, management and creative multimedia.

SOURCE: MMU

Articles #4

AWARD WINNING TECHNOLOGY DETECTS FAULTS BEFORE BLACKOUTS

A Curtin University researcher who developed a technique to detect transformer faults responsible for power outages is the winner of the 2012 Curtin Commercial Innovation Awards.

Dr Ahmed Abu-Siada has created a software-based technique that creates an image of how the transformer should be functioning, and then detects faults in real-time without disrupting the supply of power.

Director of Curtin’s Office of IP Commercialisation, Rohan McDougall, said transformers are a vital piece of electricity infrastructure, and transformer failures can be catastrophic, leading to explosions, fires and power outages, making this a critical innovation.

“When a major fault occurs on an in-service transformer, the results can be far-reaching, requiring costly repairs, causing environmental damage and resulting in potential for serious injury – the costs can run into millions of dollars,” he said.

“But this technique created by Dr Abu-Siada is able to identify the type of fault, and even issue an early warning signal, causing minimal disruption to electricity supply and end users.”
The real advantage to the technique is its ability to be applied every 20 milliseconds to immediately detect changes to the transformer. It uses algorithms to provide a visual output to the service technician, who can then identify the faulty transformer and know the fault type they are dealing with before fixing it.

Curtin is currently looking at opportunities to develop commercial relationships to further develop and implement this unique technology.

Professor Xiangyu Wang was named runner-up for developing an integrated system for the iPad and other handheld devices, to solve significant time and cost issues in mega construction projects. The system works by intelligently extracting information from a variety of sources and putting it in the hands of the worker, in situ.

The Early Research Career Award was presented to a PhD student, Chiragkumar Desai, who developed a mini-emulsion method for drug delivery, which improves the bioavailability and safety profile of drugs.

The Awards were established in 2007 and aim to identify new technologies, products or services arising from research at Curtin, with prizes for this year totalling more than $40,000 in cash and in commercialisation services provided by the award’s sponsors.

Curtin’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Research and Development, Professor Graeme Wright, said the winning technology was a fine example of the University’s high level, industry-relevant research and focus on providing a range of practical solutions to community needs.

“Dr Ahmed Abu-Siada is well deserving of this award and the detection of faults in power transformers is a great example of the commercial potential coming out of Curtin,” Professor Wright said.

“All of our finalists and winners at today’s Awards demonstrate the University’s strength in this area and should be commended for their achievements. In the years to come, we will see many more fine examples of products and solutions that offer real commercial potential and provide significant benefits to the community.

SOURCE: CURTIN UNIVERSITY, by Megan Meates

Articles #3

SEGi PRODUCES ETHICAL COMPUTER HACKERS

The pervasiveness of computers is continuing to grow at an exceptional rate. As we become increasingly dependant on technology across all aspects of our life, we also become increasingly susceptible to security threats, which can occur hourly in computer systems.

Computers are systematically being victimised by epidemic hacking. As the rate of hacking attacks gradually increases around the world, it becomes a major concern within organizations regardless of their network infrastructures.

However, this threat also presents a great opportunity for those who are versed in the field of ‘ethical hacking’. Ethical hacking is the scientific approach of understanding tools, techniques and methodologies used by malicious hackers with the aim of developing a security system which is non-hackable.

In recognising this opportunity, SEGi University College collaborates with EC-Council Academy to integrate EC-Council IT Security Programme, Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH), into the Bachelor of IT (Hons) programme and offer the CEH course to its students as an industry skill course.

To formalise this collaboration, an official Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signing ceremony between SEGi University College and EC-Council Academy was held on 14 April 2011 at the SEGi flagship campus in Kota Damansara.

Signing the MOU was Emeritus Professor Dr. Muhamad Awang, SEGi University College Vice-Chancellor, and Wilson Wong, EC-Council Asia Pacific Managing Director. Also present to witness the signing was Professor Dr. BC Tan, SEGi University College Deputy Vice Chancellor Academic, and Chin Yuen Kin, EC-Council Academy Centre Director.

During his welcome address, Professor Muhamad said, “We are all guilty of being increasingly dependent on technology in our everyday lives. We rely on it in both our work lives and personal lives to do anything from gathering and storing information, to retrieving and sending it. I am sure that for most people present today it has become pervasive – from your smart phones and tablets to your company networks and servers.

“This increasing dependence on information technology is creating a need to improve the confidentiality and integrity of electronic information, to ensure that computer and communications systems are less vulnerable to intentional and accidental error or misuse. The key is for those professionals who are in change of overseeing the security to think like a hacker, thus always staying one step ahead.”

In addition to the CEH course, the International Council of Electronic Commerce Consultants (EC-Council) offers a whole spectrum of industry-standard IT Security and E-Business programmes to address these critical issues across all industries. The EC-Council certification programmes combine both business and technical training to impart solid background necessary to build successful e-Businesses.

Following Professor Muhamad’s opening address, Mr. Wong spoke about the collaboration with SEGi and the importance of computer security.

“Cyber attacks are frequent and efficient; there are financial frauds, data beaches, cyber threats and attack news reported daily. Cyber attack towards organizations increases steadily over the years, even with increased IT infrastructure investment every year. Organizations today are taking note on the importance of well-trained IT Security professionals on maintaining and securing the business and reputation of an organization. The industry is in urgent need for cyber warriors to deal with cyber attacks that may occur anytime,” added Mr Wong.

“According to MSC Malaysia Supply-Demand Study of the ICT Industry by Frost & Sullivan, The MSC cluster is poised to add 50,000 new knowledge workers over the next three years (2010-2012). The MOU today reflects SEGi University College and EC-Council Academy contribution of producing a pool of highly skilled cyber warriors as the country gets closer towards its ambition to be a developed nation by 2020.”

To date, SEGi Education Group is the largest private institution of higher learning in Malaysia with more than 23,000 students across its six campuses in Kota Damansara, Kuala Lumpur, Subang Jaya, Penang, Sri Kenbangan and Kuching.

SEGi Education Group offers programmes from foundation and diploma level to bachelor and master degrees in information technology, medicine, dentistry, optometry, pharmacy, nursing, health sciences, business, engineering, built environment, creative design, hospitality & tourism, education and social sciences. They also offer the popular American Degree Program as well as the Doctor of Business Administration.

SOURCE: SEGi College

Articles #5

UTM WON FIRST PRIZE IN INTERNATIONAL ROBOT PRIDE COMPETITION 2012, KUCHING SARAWAK

JOHOR BAHRU: Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) team was adjudged the First Prize (Gold) winner at the 2012 International Robot PRIDE competition in Kuching, Sarawak, on 6^th. September 2012. They brought home RM2000, Robot NAO software, trophy and certificate.

The competition was organized alongside the International Robot and Intelligent Sensors Symposium IRIS2012 from 4-6 September 2012 and co-organised by Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM), MySET, MyRAIG and Nagoya University.

The second prize winner was ‘Hand-Instruction Controlled Robot Car Using Kinect’ from USM while the third prize went to Swinburne University for their ‘Self-Balancing Tray’.
The objective of this competition is to explore and exhibit innovative ideas and design within the scope of Robotics, Sensors, Automation and Intelligent Systems.

Team leader, Dr Yeong Che Fai, said the competition was open to participants from all countries with three open categories: School, University/Colleges and Industrial/Individual. Others team member were Dr Eileen Su Lee Ming, Hisyam Abdul Rahman, Tan Ping Hua and Ricky Yap Wee Yang.
“Winning entries were determined based on three rounds of judging, with different set of panels for each round.
“The first round is a project proposal selection by the organizers; the second round is an exhibition with interview while the final round is a presentation to international panels,” he said.

UTM team submitted a project entitled ‘One degree-of-freedom Haptic Device to Train Stroke Patient’s Forearm Pronation/Supination’ under the University/College category few months earlier for review and was among the shortlisted 16 proposals in our category to advance to second round.

Besides each team from Japan and India, the other shortlisted teams were from Malaysian institutes of higher learning.

Dr Yeong, who presented the product on behalf of the team said, during the second round exhibition judging, the university teams were evaluated by three judges – two international judges from Iran and a Malaysian industrial representative.

“The judges selected only six teams from the exhibition to advance to the final round. The finalist teams were from UTM, USM, Swinburne University, UM and UiTM with two teams.
“The final round presentation took place the next day with international judges from London, Japan and India,” he cited.

SOURCE: UTM

Article #2

Faculty of Information Technology Renamed to faculty of Computing and Infomatics

Cyberjaya, 9 February 2012 - The Faculty of Information Technology (FIT) at Multimedia University has been renamed to the Faculty of Computing and Infomatics (FCI) effective immediately.

The name Faculty of Computing and Informatics better reflects the faculty’s two-pronged vision of providing academic programmes that encompass key computing disciplines (computer science, information systems, information technology and software engineering) as well as interdisciplinary majors in computing.

FCI will be offering the new Bachelor of Computer Science undergraduate degree programme with three specialisations, namely Software Engineering, Information Systems and Game Development. These aptly-structured 3-year programme ensures that students are able to grasp the rudiments of computing prior to delving into the depths of the respective specialisations.

FCI is committed to ensure that students enrolled in the B.IT (Hons.), B.MM (Hons.) and the current Bachelor of Computer Science programmes are able to complete their degrees as prescribed by the respective programme structures.

Source : MMU

Article #1

KLIUC Improves Internet User Experiences with SANGFOR

Kuala Lumpur Infrastructure University College (KLIUC), the well-known Malaysia tertiary education institution, has improved the Internet accessing experiences for campus users by deploying SANGFOR's IAM solution. IAM's bandwidth management feature based on application guarantees smooth web accessing speed and provide an enjoyable Internet environment for students and staffs.

KLIUC which was established in 1998, is the focus of Kumpulan Ikram's tertiary education activities. Guided by motto of "For Knowledge, For Humanity", KLIUC aim to produce graduates with outstanding technological and management skills, possess high moral values to meet the challenges of Vision 2020 and the K-economy.

Enhanced with up-to-date academic facilities, highly qualified lecturers among whom are industry practitioners, KLIUC strives to ensure high quality education in areas of Engineering, Business and Information Technology. 3 years into the business of education, KLIUC is already recognized for its quality management system achieved through ISO 9001 :2000 certification in December 2000.

By deploying SANGFOR Internet Access Management solution, KLIUC is able to audit the the Internet flow situation through detailed reports. It is identified large amount of P2P download and on-line video stream occupying bandwidth and causing slow Internet accessing speed. Therefore, IAM performs the bandwidth limitation for P2P and on-line media, which make sure enough bandwidth for campus related applications.

Source : KLIUC

Article #4

Sarawak Can Serve as Tech Lab for IT Researchers

KUCHING: Sarawak can serve as a technological lab for IT researchers as it offers an insight into the digital divide between the urban and rural users.

Universiti Malaysia Sarawak vice chancellor Professor Dr Khairuddin Abdul Hamid said it had carried a 12-year project called the e-Bario in the effort to bring technology into the rural highland comunity for the Orang Ulu tribe. The settlement is also the producer of the famous Bario rice.

"Technology makers only concentrate their products for the urban users, but there are many more that have no access to these modern technologies.

"There is a vast potentials in developing new technologies for the rural folks," said Khairuddin said yesterday at the 7th International Conference of IT in Asia (Cita) which started yesterday.

The conference sponsored by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Computer Society and is collocated with the International Workshop on Internalisation of Products and Systems (IWIP 2011).

The three-day event saw 100 international participants including Google's User Experience Research Manager Dr Patrick Larvie who will be presenting his paper on Thursday.

Unimas’s computer science and information technology dean Professor Dr K Narayanan said there were many challenges in carrying out the project including dealing with the reservation from the Bario community.

"When we first started, there were many objections to it, but once they realise and start looking at the bigger picture, they began to accept that it can help in their daily lives.

"With mobile phones coming into the picture, it is now a challenge to bridge that gap to the people there," said Narayanan. He said Unimas is looking at using the e-Bario program to help the farmers in their harvest especially in data collection.

"With rising demand for Bario rice, we want to help the farmers in bringing technology to them in the near future. This is part of the plan that we have for them," said Narayanan.

SOURCE : UMS, by Dennis Wong

Article #3

German Firms To Set Up Advanced Testing Lab

BANGI, 26 April 2012 - The National University of Malaysia (UKM) and two German companies look set to cooperate in setting up an advanced materials testing laboratory said to be the most advanced in the country.

UKM also intends to work with another German firm in a slew of projects involving the environment and information technology.

Its Vice Chancellor, Prof Tan Sri Dato' Wira Dr Sharifah Hapsah Syed Hasan Shahabudin was among those who witnessed the signing of two MoUs between the two German conglomerates, Zwick Asia and Infineon Technologies and UKM today.

Zwick Asia will equip one of the laboratories at the Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment with cutting-edge testing equipment while Infineon Technologies will supply the semiconductors for the hardware.

At the function UKM also signed a Letter of Intent (LoI) with the University of Duisburg-Essen (UDE) to submit a proposal to the German Academy of Sciences to fund studies on the environment and climate change.

Prof Sharifah Hapsah in her remarks noted that UKM has been undertaking many joint projects with German companies or universities, most of them in engineering and the environment.

She commented that the collaboration of many of UKM’s researchers have been funded by the German Academy of Sciences and the European Union.

She said there was a lot of interest in environmental technologies, climate change and information technology not only between UKM and German companies, but also between Malaysia and Germany.

Prof Sharifah Hapsah cited the joint PhD programme between UKM and UDE in engineering as having shown a lot of promise.

Also present at the signings were the German Ambassador to Malaysia, Dr Guenter Gruber and Deputy Vice Chancellor, Academics and International Affairs, Prof Datuk Dr Noor Azlan Ghazali.

SOURCE : UKM, by Saiful Bahri Kamaruddin

Article #2

SERDANG, March 14 – The International Conference of Information Retrieval and Knowledge Management (CAMP ‘12) which was held from 13-15 March 2012 was the ideal platform for academicians and researchers from various countries to discuss the challenges of Information Retrieval, Computational Linguistics, and Knowledge Management.

Deputy Vice Chancellor of Industry and Community Network, Prof. Dr. Tai Shzee Yew said he was amazed by the rapid development of software and applications and noted that CAMP ’12 offered a great opportunity for participants from various countries to share information and create solutions for many technical challenges.

“Through this conference, there was transfer of knowledge and expertise and the promotion of research activities aimed at producing cost-effective base technology platforms,” said Prof Tai, who added that the role of such a knowledge-sharing platform was vital to help the nation become a high knowledge society through innovation and creation.

PECAMP President, Prof. Dr. Tengku Mohd T. Sembok believed that Malaysia needed its own search engine in order to manage the political, societal, and business sectors.

The three-day conference theme, “Towards Global Information Seeking and Knowledge Success” was targeted to bring together participants from private industry, government agencies, and academic institutions to share their ideas and findings gained from their research and creations.

The keynote speakers for this conference were Prof. Dr. Fabio Crestani from the University of Glasgow, UK, Prof. Dr. Alan F. Smeton from Dublin City University (Ireland), and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tang Enya Kong who is a well-known authority on machine translation.

The 100 participants were from various countries including India, Japan, the Middle East, Myanmar, USA, France and Malaysia while UPM was represented by a total of 30 participants.

The Faculty of Computer Science and Information Technology (FCSI), UPM was the main organizer of this very successful conference.

Source : UPM, by Nur Hafiza Pakhurdin

Article #1

UTM-MIT to help government make science and mathematics more innovative and interesting.

SKUDAI, 20 September: Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) will provide programmes to assist the government make science and mathematics education more innovative and interesting.

Vice Chancellor Professor Datuk Ir Dr Zaini Ujang said, the programme, known as Blended Learning Open Source Science or Math (BLOSSOMS) will be led by Professor Richard Larson, founding Director of the Center for Engineering System Fundamentals.

He is also founding Director of Learning International Networks Consortium (LINC) and Principal Investigator of Blended Learning Open Source Science or Math. (BLOSSOMS) at MIT.

MIT, a world renowned university and most advanced in technology has worked with UTM to develop BLOSSOMS Center in UTM.

UTM and MIT will make recommendations to the government to create programmes that would attract more students in this country to choose the subjects of science and mathematics.

Professor Larson is ready to offer his expertise to assist the government create programmes in order to produce more students who are interested in both fields.

UTM and MIT are also in discussions to organize a summer camp at the MIT next year and UTM the following year involving students from around the world.

To strengthen relations between both institutions, UTM and MIT have established research collaboration involving 10 UTM academic staff to pursue studies at PhD and post doctoral level at MIT.

Professor Larson will also present action plans to establish BLOSSOMS at UTM before Her Royal Highness Raja Zarith Sofiah binti Almarhum Sultan Idris Shah.

Source : UTM, by Sabri

ARTICLE #5

'S. KOREA CAN TAP MALAYSIA'S ICT'

SEOUL: SOUTH Korean companies should explore business opportunities in the information and communications technology (ICT) sector in Malaysia, which is promoting the sector.

Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said among the ICT areas that the companies could focus on were the wireless and convergence technology.

Another significant growth area, he said, was in the renewable energy sector, where many global manufacturers had established production facilities in Malaysia to produce components, such as solar cells and modules.

"These are new and emerging industries that require modern infrastructure and support facilities, which are available in Malaysia.

"We invite Korean companies to explore the potential in these areas," he said during a meeting with South Korean captains of industry here yesterday.

Muhyiddin said the government's focus on high value-added and capital-intensive industries would also allow more companies from the republic to invest in Malaysia.

"Given South Korea's strength in these areas, especially in research and development, there is good potential for collaboration in electronics, ICT, biotechnology, agro-based products, pharmaceuticals, renewable energy as well as the development of machinery and engineering equipment."

Since South Korea was the global hub for the electrical and electronics sector, their companies should continue to invest and expand their operations in Malaysia, which was recognised as a leading manufacturing centre for many high value-added, electronic components and equipment, he said.

There are more than 300 South Korean companies in the manufacturing sector in Malaysia with a total investment of more than RM15.5 billion.

Among them are Samsung, Kiswire, Donghwa, SK Telecom and Honam Petrochemicals.

"South Korean companies have not only made substantial investments in Malaysia but have also brought with them suppliers and subcontractors that helped build the local supply chain."

Muhyiddin said the government's decision to liberalise 44 services sub-sectors would allow greater participation of foreign investors in sectors such as health and tourism services.

South Korea was the main investor in the manufacturing sector last year with investments totalling RM5 billion.

He said Malaysia had made significant strides in key global rankings, rising from 26th to 21st among 142 countries in the World Economic Forum's Global Competitiveness Report 2011. The World Bank's Doing Business Report 2012 had also ranked the country at 18th place.

Muhyiddin earlier made a courtesy call on Prime Minister Kim Hwang-sik at his office at the Central Government Complex in Jongrohu.

SOURCE : New Straits Times, by M. Hamzah Jamaludin

ARTICLE #4

National ICT Policy Aims to Double Country's GDP

KARACHI: The Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication has chalked out a plan to double the gross domestic product (GDP) per capita along with private sector by enhancing agricultural yields with advance information and communications technology (ICT) -based systems and applications up to the next decade.

It aimed at generating more than 500,000 jobs in sectors of ICT and IT enabled services through various projects and initiatives throughout the country.

The National ICT Policy 2012 draft made public recently for the suggestions of experts and stakeholders of ICT stated that the cellular phone network will be exploited for education and access to information, localisation of content and broad-based growth of the ICT and ITES sector.

The government and private sector are on the same page to using ICT as a key enabler to drive development across all sectors with focus mainly on education, agriculture, health, governance, entrepreneurship and empowerment.

The policy laid its focus on increasing the enrolment and quality of graduating students from computer science schools in Pakistan. Moreover, the exposure of children will be increased in schools and high schools to applications of computer science at an early age.

In the preparation of this draft policy document, a number of stakeholders have been involved: the Pakistan Software Houses Association for IT and ITES (P@SHA), members of civil society, the technology industry in general, the telecommunication community, the services sector, academia, media and socio-political activists as well as various government entities.

This National ICT Policy document contains actionable milestones and fundable projects, reflecting the point of views of primary stakeholders and the technology industry.

The policy document focuses on driving primary pillars and principles based on the interventions required in each sector affected by technology in Pakistan. In the policy, the focus will be on tapping into economic opportunities within Pakistan through IT as an enabler to drive the local economy.

The policy has been envisioned to improve the quality of life of citizens to the highest attainable levels by ensuring availability of accessible, universal, affordable, modern and high quality IT facilities and services within the country.

Moreover, it aims to accelerate digital literacy and integration in Pakistan, built on facilitating access, awareness, security, trust and fostering research and innovation.

The policy document will be reviewed annually to assess the impact of the document at that stage as well as the effectiveness of the recommended intervention programmes.

The experts and stakeholders submitted their suggestions by July 20, 2012. It will be approved by the ministry and forward to the federal cabinet.

SOURCE: Daily Times

ARTICLE #3

GOVERNMENT APPROVES Rs 388 CRORE PROJECT FOR ICT EDUCATION IN NORTHEAST

NEW DELHI: The government today approved a project to enhance ICT training and education in the north eastern region with a total budget outlay of Rs 388.68 crore.

The Union Cabinet today approved the initiation of the project entitled 'Development of North Eastern Region by enhancing Training and Education Capacity in the Information, Electronics and Communication Technologies (IECT) area', Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal told reporters here.

The project will be implemented by the National Institute of Electronics and Information Technology (NIELIT), which is an autonomous society under the Department of Electronics and Information Technology, he added.

The total budget outlay of the project is Rs 388.68 crore (capital expenditure Rs 266.25 crore and recurring expenditure Rs 122.43 crore), Sibal said.

The Department's contribution in the form of grants-in-aid is Rs 347.88 crore spread over a period of five years, he added.

The project would result in enhanced capacity in terms of training/education in IECT sector for the youth of north eastern region.

The availability of trained professionals in the IECT area is expected to attract entrepreneurs/industrial houses to set up industries in the region, leading to its overall socio-economic development, Sibal said.

About 45,000 students are expected to be enrolled/trained in various long-term/short term courses in five years in the proposed six upgraded centres and 12 extension centres.

The project aims at capacity building in the region that would contribute in attracting IECT industries and generate a pool of jobs leading to overall socio-economic development of the region.

SOURCE: The Economic Times

ARTICLE #2

Japan Revises Green Purchasing Policies for ICT

Japan’s Ministry of the Environment has announced that it is collecting proposals for designated procurement items falling under the law on Promoting Green Purchasing.

This initiative follows a move by the Ministry to partly revise this fiscal year its procurement items and evaluation criteria, defined in “the Basic Policy on Promoting Green Purchasing” based on “the law concerning the promotion of Procurement of Eco-friendly Goods and Services by the State and Other entities” (the law on Promoting Green Purchasing).

For reference to the revision, proposals regarding the procurement items regarding public works projects are to be accepted at the MOE.

“Current concerns for global warming and waste management, among other environmental issues, are rooted in the system of production and consumption, which has promoted mass production, mass consumption, and mass waste,” said the Ministry in a report.

“We must immediately reduce the environmental impact of the goods and services that support our lifestyles and economic activities, and promote a shift in demand toward eco-friendly goods,” it added.

The Ministry hopes that boosting the government’s green procurement initiatives will have a priming effect, extending the commitment to local governments and the private sector in fostering the shift in demand towards eco-friendly products in Japan as a whole.

These are the Ministry’s current Evaluation Criteria for procurement of electronic goods:

They (1) shall meet the following standards: a. For server-type computers, energy consumption efficiency does not exceed the number for standard energy consumption efficiency listed. b. For client-type computers, energy consumption efficiency does not exceed the number for standard energy consumption efficiency listed.

(2) Specified chemical substances (lead, mercury, cadmium, chromium (VI) compound,PBB, PBDE) do not exceed the content standard. Content information of relevant chemicals must be easily available on its website, etc.

(3) Equipment and function are simplified for notebook computers used for ordinary administrative tasks.

The following factors are also to be considered:

(1) Design consideration takes into account product life, efficient use of material, reuse of parts, or recycling of raw material, in compliance with evaluation criteria for Standards for the Promotion of Efficient Use of Material.

(2) The operation time of secondary power (battery) is not longer than necessary for notebook computers used for ordinary administrative tasks.

(3) The product makes the maximum use of recycled material taken from a previously used product.

(4) If plastic components are used for either the body or the parts, the item uses as large amount of recycled plastic as possible, or uses vegetable based plastics whose reductive effect of environmental load has been confirmed.

(5) If magnesium alloy is used for either the body or the parts, the item uses as large amount of recycled magnesium alloy as possible.

(6) Packaging is to be as simple as possible and take into account ease of recycling and reduced environmental impact upon disposal. A system for collection and reuse/recycling of packaging is considered.

(7) Accessories including manuals, recovery CD’s etc. is eliminated as much as possible.

SOURCE: Future Gov, by Johanna Morden

ARTICLE #1

AUSTRALIA SPENDS US$5.3 BILLION ON ICT

The Australian Government remains a major consumer and producer of information technology and communications (ICT) – with annual expenditure reaching AUD$5 billion annually (US$5.3 billion) says a new report.

The report, released by Special Minister of State, Gary Gray, says the Australian Government will continue spending on ICT to streamline service delivery for communities and the industry.

The report draws on data that is collected by the Department of Finance and Deregulation from agencies as part of an annual ICT benchmarking exercise.

The department established a benchmarking framework in 2009, and began its benchmarking exercise officially with the 2008-09 data.

The report provides aggregate figures on ICTexpenditure and use by agencies. It shows that the Australian Government spends about AUD$5 billion (US$5.3 billion) per year, which is about 5 per cent of the Australian ICT market, based on Australian Bureau of Statistics figures.

Key agencies earlier enhanced and extended their ICTcapability, with 30 per cent of spending earmarked for new projects in 2009-10.

But the report notes that ICT investment “increased marginally” during the two years under review in real terms, factoring in inflation and a decrease in overall departmental operating costs

Minister Gary Gray says: “The report gives a very useful insight into the government ICTmarket. The government’s investment in ICT is improving the way it delivers services to the community and industry. While this type of data has not been released previously, the release is consistent with the government’s ongoing commitment to providing better access to government-held information.”

Among high-profile projects, the Australian Government’s single-largest investment is the national broadband (NBN) network. The NBN will support services in the education and health sectors, among other areas, through high-speed, fast-access communications.

Other service delivery projects have included the Department of Human Services “Service Delivery Reform.” This offering features more than one-stop-shops, self-service options and stepped-up support for citizens.

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has rolled out its “Passport Redevelopment Program.” This passport issuing system improves client services through the upgrade of an online passport application system.

Data for this week’s report was sourced from agencies that are subject to a Financial Management and Accountability Act (1997). Annual reviews are carried out by the Department of Finance and Deregulation.

These ICT reviews draw on recommendations made in 2008 that agencies consider a “whole-of-government” approach to ICT procurement, while aligning technology spend with improved service delivery.

SOURCE: Future Gov, by Shahida Sweeney

ARTICLE #5

Malaysia's ICT Job Market Looks Bright for 2012

A new report on Malaysia's information and computer technology industry (ICT) is forecasting 12 percent growth in the sector in 2012. Plus, ICT professionals are benefiting from that growth thanks to higher earnings.

The Association of the Computer and Multimedia Industry Malaysia (PIKOM), in its 2012 Job Market Outlook report, says that ICT workers are earning nine percent more this year. The average pay in the ICT sector is now RM6,800 up from RM6,240 in 2011.

PIKOM's Chairman, Woon Tai Hai, said "the trends indicate a positive feel on the overall job market in the country. Salary growth is moderate in tandem with the economic climate in Malaysia which is still experiencing resilient growth in spite of the conditions in Eurozone."

PIKOM says the nine percent growth in salaries is in line with the stimulus provided by various government economic programmes. The Digital Transformation Programme, the Economic Transformation Programme and Entry Points were cited as the three main drivers of salary growth and strength in the sector.

Growth should be sustained in future as interest grows in online and mobile applications. The continued roll out of high-speed broadband, which is part of the Digital Malaysia Initiative, should also support the sector.

Entry-level salaries, which have remained flat over the last ten years, saw an increase this year and are expected to grow in tandem with management salaries. That's good news in helping companies attract recent graduates and may work towards reducing the talent drain.

According to the report, new entrants to the ICT sector has increased significantly, by 24% last year. The new recruits are making RM2,238, up from RM1,800 in 2010.

Within ICT, the report found it pays to work for a larger company. Professionals working at large corporations tend to make more money -on average of 36.4 percent higher - than companies with fewer than 100 employees.

Another contributing factor to maximizing potential depends on where you work. Salaries in the Klang Valley are higher by nine percent compared with Johor. But, Johor is only marginally higher by 1.7 percent than Penang.

ICT jobs are some of the most highly paid in Malaysia. Only oil and gas industry and telecommunications professionals make more.

SOURCE: The Choice