- KICTANet - KICTANet

[DN] Listing Safaricom IPO abroad would be totally myopic
by Alex Gakuru 07 Nov '07

07 Nov '07

[This writer...writes] Listing Safaricom IPO abroad would be totally myopic Story by JAINDI KISERO Publication Date: 2007/11/07 --Excerpts-- I GATHER THE GOVERNMENT IS being lobbied to allow an offshore listing of part of the Safaricom IPO. It must firmly reject this proposal. Why should we allow foreign investors a discounted price of Safaricom shares at the expense of Kenyans? If any foreign investors want to buy into the Safaricom IPO, let them come here and purchase the shares from the Nairobi Stock Exchange. With the efficient trading and settlement system which the NSE has, there is really nothing to dissuade a foreign investor purchasing the shares through the bourse... THIS TIME, MOST OF THE BIG BOYS his time, most of these big boys will want to carry a lot of Safaricom in their portfolios. Applications are likely to be much higher than those for KenGen. Does it surprise anyone that more than 30 per cent of those who own shares today are people who opened their first CDS accounts during the KenGen IPO? These people who are talking about offshore listing have completely missed the point. Today, the most common complaint from wananchi who participated in the recent IPOs KenGen, Mumias and Kenya-Re is the small number of shares they were allocated and the length of time it took to be refunded the money the had put in. How can one think of an offshore listing when our people cant get enough? http://www.nationmedia.com/dailynation/nmgcontententry.asp?category_id=25&n… __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com

1 0

Brighthand.com News Article -- Google Announces Android, an Open Source Operating System for Smartphones
by brian＠isisweb.nl 06 Nov '07

06 Nov '07

Your friend Mblayo thought you might be interested in the following article on Brighthand.com: Google Announces Android, an Open Source Operating System for Smartphones After months of rumors and speculation, Google has officially announced Android, an operating system for mobile devices it is developing in partnership with a wide variety of companies. Link to full article: http://www.brighthand.com/default.asp?newsID=13470 heh! Iko mambo...../... Brighthand.com <http://www.brighthand.com> --

1 0

Extract Mauritius ICT Strategic Plan
by Eric Osiakwan 06 Nov '07

06 Nov '07

Sorry for crossposting.... Eric M.K Osiakwan Executive Secretary AfrISPA (www.afrispa.org) Tel: + 233.21.258800 ext 2031 Fax: + 233.21.258811 Cell: + 233.244.386792 Handle: eosiakwan Snail Mail: Pmb 208, Accra-North Office: BusyInternet - 42 Ring Road Central, Accra-North Blog: http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/eric/ Slang: "Tomorrow Now"

1 0

Fwd: [Fibre-for-africa] Five Goals of Connect Africa
by Eric Osiakwan 05 Nov '07

05 Nov '07

Begin forwarded message: > From: Eric Osiakwan <eric(a)afrispa.org> > Date: 1 November 2007 09:33:30 GMT+03:00 > To: discuss(a)afrispa.org, KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions > <kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke>, gispa(a)yahoogroups.com, Ghana > Information Networking and Knowledge Sharing <ginks(a)dgroups.org>, > APC - Private list for use by EASSY Workshop Participants <Fibre- > for-africa(a)lists.apc.org>, africann(a)afrinic.net, afrinic- > discuss(a)afrinic.net, afnog(a)afnog.org, African Information Society > Initiative - Discussion Forum <aisi-l(a)lyris.bellanet.org> > Subject: [Fibre-for-africa] Five Goals of Connect Africa > Reply-To: APC - Private list for use by EASSY Workshop Participants > <fibre-for-africa(a)lists.apc.org> > > Dear All, > > The Connect Africa Summit justed ended in Kigali with the following > five major goals; > > Goal 1. Interconnect all African capitals with ICT Broadband > infrastructure and strengthen connectivity to the rest of the world > by 2012 as well as interconnect major African cities by 2015. > Goal 2. Connect all African villages to broadband ICT services by > 2012 and implement shared access initiatives such as community tele- > centres and village phones. > Goal 3. Adopt key regulatory measures that promote affordable, > widespread access to a full range of bradband ICT services, > including technology and service neutral licensing/authorisation > practises, allocating spectrum for multiple, competitive broadband > wireless service providers, creating national internext exchange > points (IXPs) and implementing competition in the provision of > international internet connectivity. > Goal 4. Support the development of a critical mass of ICT Skills > required by the knowledge economy, notably through the estamishment > of ICT Centres of Excellence network in each sub-region of Africa > and ICT capacity-building and training centres in each country, > with the aim of achieving a borad network of inter-linked physical > and virtual centres, whiles ensuring coordination between academia > and industry by 2015. > Goal 5. Adopt a national e-strategy, including a cyber-security > framework, and deploy at least one flagship e-government service as > well as e-education, e-commerce and e-health services using > accessible technologies in each country in Africa by 2012, with the > aim of making multiple e-government and other e-services widely > available by 2015. > > The African ICT Ministers have also shortlisted some projects under > ARAPKE which would be implenented through Connect Africa @ http:// > www.itu.int/ITU-D/connect/africa/2007/bgdmaterial/flagship-11.html > > It is important that we all engage and ensure that these ICT goals > are met by 2012 and the larger MDGS by 2015. > > Thank you and sorry for cross-posting. > > Eric M.K Osiakwan > Executive Secretary > AfrISPA (www.afrispa.org) > Tel: + 233.21.258800 ext 2031 > Fax: + 233.21.258811 > Cell: + 233.244.386792 > Handle: eosiakwan > Snail Mail: Pmb 208, Accra-North > Office: BusyInternet - 42 Ring Road Central, Accra-North > Blog: http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/eric/ > Slang: "Tomorrow Now" > > > > > _______________________________________________ > Fibre-for-africa mailing list > Fibre-for-africa(a)lists.apc.org > http://lists.apc.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/fibre-for-africa Eric M.K Osiakwan Executive Secretary AfrISPA (www.afrispa.org) Tel: + 233.21.258800 ext 2031 Fax: + 233.21.258811 Cell: + 233.244.386792 Handle: eosiakwan Snail Mail: Pmb 208, Accra-North Office: BusyInternet - 42 Ring Road Central, Accra-North Blog: http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/eric/ Slang: "Tomorrow Now"

1 0

Big monies committed to connect Africa
by Rebecca Wanjiku 03 Nov '07

03 Nov '07

USD 55 billion committed to connect Africa Industry drives ICT investment at Connect Africa Summit Kigali, Rwanda, 31 October 2007 — The Connect Africa Summit closed yesterday with investment commitments amounting to over USD 55 billion, with the ICT industry taking the lead. President Paul Kagame of Rwanda set the tone at the outset, saying, "Investment and trade — as opposed to aid and charity — must drive the transformation of our economies." He called for a dynamic ICT sector to connect Africa to the global information superhighway. "In order to realize this much-needed economic revolution, we have to forge productive relationships between government and business," said Mr Kagame. The Connect Africa Summit decided to bring forward ICT connectivity goals to 2012 to enable the achievement of the broader Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015. Commitments were made to interconnect all African capitals and major cities with ICT broadband infrastructure and strengthen connectivity to the rest of the world by 2012. By 2015, broadband and ICT services will be extended to all African villages. The Summit also sets out to meet the World Summit on the Information Society goals for capacity building, establishing an enabling environment for investment, and e-government services. The role of governments in setting a level playing field for industry to compete was highlighted. It was also decided to ensure harmonization of the regulatory framework to stimulate cross-border integration in large-scale projects. Capacity building was identified as one key area for cooperation among all stakeholders. Africa opens doors to ICT Africa’s mobile market has been the fastest-growing of any region over the last five years, and has grown twice as fast as the global market. Mobile phones overtook fixed lines in 2001 and now outnumber fixed telephone lines by nearly seven to one, with nearly 193 million mobile cellular subscribers in 2006. This figure is projected to grow to more than 270 million by the end of this year. Stepping in to consolidate the mobile revolution in Africa, mobile operators of the GSM Association announced USD 50 billion in new investment over the next 5 years to expand and upgrade networks across the continent by 2012. This would provide mobile coverage to more than 90 per cent of the population. Success in mobile penetration is now set to be emulated in broadband connectivity in Africa, with new investment foreseen for ICT infrastructure. "Africa is open for business," said ITU Secretary-General Hamadoun Touré. "We are looking for investment through win-win partnerships in a viable marketplace by an expanding ICT industry." He added that wealth creation is key to achieving the MDGs. "This new investment in ICT infrastructure will lead to new jobs and overall economic growth," said Dr Touré. The representative of the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Mr Sha Zukang, Under-Secretary-General of the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, said that innovative ways were needed to extend the reach of ICT to the most remote corners of the continent. "I am confident that with the entrepreneurial spirit of the African private sector working with their international partners, the support of the international community and the commitment from governments, universal connectivity in Africa is no longer a utopian dream." "This is not a technology problem — the technology is waiting to be deployed," said Mr Craig Barrett, who serves both as Chairman of Intel Corporation and the United Nations’ Global Alliance for Information and Communication Technologies and Development. "We now need the government priorities, decisions, and policies to drive the implementation of a pan-African infrastructure." International commitments for ICT The European Commission announced support for trans-African networks that facilitate interconnectivity. An EU Trust Fund for Africa of almost 100 million Euros in grants and some 260 Million Euros for loans has been established along with the European Investment Bank and ten EU member states for the period 2007-2008. The fund, which will be substantially replenished at the end of 2008, will finance cross-border projects or national projects with a regional and continental impact that would include ICT. The Commission also announced a contribution of Euro 6 Million to support ITU’s regulatory reform initiatives in Africa. The World Bank Group announced that it expects to double its commitment to ICT in Africa to USD 2 billion by 2012 from its current investment programme of USD 1 billion over the last five years. The financing will continue to promote private sector participation. The African Development Bank (AfDB) has scaled up its investments in infrastructure, and expects to invest 60% of its concessional resources on infrastructure, including ICT, in the next three years. AfDB has committed close to USD 65 million to two key regional infrastructure projects: RASCOM and EASSy. "The development banks and other financing partners have a responsibility to step in where gaps are holding back development in the region," said Dr Donald Kaberuka, President of AfDB. Over one thousand participants, including six Heads of State, took part in the Connect Africa Summit in Kigali, Rwanda, from 29 to 30 October 2007. Tel. 254 720 318 925 blog:http://beckyit.blogspot.com/ __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com

2 1

FW: East African Outsourcing & Contact Centre Conference & Exhibition 27-28 November 2007, Safari Park Hotel, Nairobi
by Kevit Desai 02 Nov '07

02 Nov '07

Dear Members, Circulate... _____ From: Sean Moroney [mailto:seanm@aitecafrica.com] Sent: Thursday, November 01, 2007 9:48 AM To: 'Kevit Desai' Cc: 'Judith Juma' Subject: RE: East African Outsourcing & Contact Centre Conference & Exhibition 27-28 November 2007, Safari Park Hotel, Nairobi Hi Kevit. We'd appreciate it if could help us promote the conference by distributing the attached brochure . Regards Sean Sean Moroney Chairman AITEC Africa <mailto:seanm@aitecafrica.com> seanm(a)aitecafrica.com UK Tel: +44(0)1480-880774 UK Fax: +44(0)1480-880765 UK Mobile: +44(0)7973-499224 Kenya Mobile: +254(0)721-845674 Nigeria Mobile: +234(0)802-0571766 SA Mobile: +27(0)72-610-7153 Skype: seanmoroney <http://www.aitecafrica.com> www.aitecafrica.com Registered as:AITEC Conferences Ltd at Companies House, No. 4698475. Address: Cromer House, Caxton Way, Stevenage, Herts SG1 2DF, UK _____ From: Kevit Desai [mailto:kevit@centurionsystemsltd.com] Sent: 31 October 2007 09:20 To: seanm(a)aitecafrica.com Cc: 'Judith Juma' Subject: RE: East African Outsourcing & Contact Centre Conference & Exhibition 27-28 November 2007, Safari Park Hotel, Nairobi Dear Sean, I would appreciate if KEPSA would be included to participate in the conference as a speaker. Regards, Kevit Desai Director of Engineering - Centurion Systems Ltd Chairperson IEEE - Kenya Section Governor - KEPSA Director - KEPSA Director - Innovation Africa Director - Kenya ICT Federation BOA - AIESEC Member - National Strategy for University Education General Co-Chair - Africon 2009 2nd Fl, New Rehema Hse, Raphta Rd, Westlands -Nairobi P.O. BOX 66031 - 00800 Nrb. Tel:+254 20 4440102/3 Fax: +254 20 4440104 CDMA: 020 2049750 Mobile: +254 722 517067 http://www.centurionsystemsltd.com <http://www.centurionsystemsltd.com/> http://www.ieee.org <http://www.ieee.org/> http://www.engineeringexhibition.com <http://www.engineeringexhibition.com/> http://www.innovation-africa.net <http://www.innovation-africa.net/> http://www.kepsa.or.ke <http://www.kepsa.or.ke/> http://www.powerup.co.ke <http://www.powerup.co.ke/> http://www.aiesec.org <http://www.aiesec.org/> http://www.africon2007.co.za <http://www.africon2007.co.za/> http://www.kif.or.ke <http://www.kif.or.ke/> _____ From: Judith Juma [mailto:judym@in-sync.co.ke] Sent: Thursday, October 25, 2007 3:20 PM To: Undisclosed-Recipient:; Subject: East African Outsourcing & Contact Centre Conference & Exhibition 27-28 November 2007, Safari Park Hotel, Nairobi Dear Sir/Madam, RE: Invitation to the 3rd East African Outsourcing & Contact Centre Event 27-28 November, 2007, Safari Park Hotel, Nairobi In response to the growing interest in and potential of this sub-sector, AITEC Africa/In-Sync Ltd is holding the East African Outsourcing & Call Centre Conference in Nairobi in order to highlight the business potential for the East African region across all aspects of BPO, including: 1. Simple bulk transactions, such as processing of stock trades or credit card transactions. The world market size of this segment is forecast at $58 billion in 2008, and it is the easiest segment to master. 2. BPO services, covering human resources and finance and administration, is a segment of similar value that calls for more sophisticated skills from vendors. 3. A smaller segment of high-volume vertical processes such as the administration of insurance policies and the processing of loan applications. 4. Contact Centre services for enterprises and government departments in domestic national and regional markets. The East African Outsourcing & Contact Centre Conference will provide participants with the insights they need to assess the potential of this rapidly expanding sector for their organisations. You cannot afford to ignore the business potential - but you also must not enter this field blindly without assessing the risks as well as the opportunities. Delegates and exhibitors will attend this unique event in order to add to their own store of knowledge by capitalizing on the expertise and experience of their colleagues. Who are the Forums aimed at? The conference will have several key audiences: . Policy-makers & regulators . Existing call centre & BPO operators . Prospective operators . Telecom operators . Potential investors/investment funds . Client service managers from government and private sector organisations . Academics . Equipment & system manufacturers, developers, consultants, suppliers Attached find the conference brochure, draft programme and registration form for your consideration. For more information and to book your slot kindly contact the undersigned. Regards Judith Juma In-Sync Ltd Dik Dik Gardens| Kileleshwa PO Box 63103-00619, Nairobi, Kenya Tel: +254 20 4451655 | Tel/Fax: +254 20 4451655 Mobile: +254 722 150272| Email: judym(a)in-sync.co.ke Web:www.aitecafrica.com

1 0

12th Executive Course on Telecom Reform, 2-6 March 2008, Singapore
by Edith Adera 02 Nov '07

02 Nov '07

FYI Date: Mon, 22 Oct 2007 05:30:50 -0200 From: Rohan Samarajiva <samarajiva(a)lirne.net> Reply-to: training(a)lirne.net To: training(a)lirne.net Subject: 12th Executive Course on Telecom Reform, 2-6 March 2008, Singapore User-Agent: Internet Messaging Program (IMP) H3 (4.1.3) X-AntiAbuse: This header was added to track abuse, please include it with any abuse report X-AntiAbuse: Primary Hostname - host.comunica.org X-AntiAbuse: Original Domain - idrc.or.ke X-AntiAbuse: Originator/Caller UID/GID - [47 12] / [47 12] X-AntiAbuse: Sender Address Domain - lirne.net Course Announcement 12th Executive Course on Telecom Reform: Strategies to achieve connectivity and convergence, 2-6 March 2008, Changi Village Hotel (), Singapore (The following course announcement can also be viewed at the link below: http://www.lirneasia.net/training-courses/12th-lirnenet-course-singapore-ma…) LIRNEasia and CONNECTasia Forum Pte. Ltd. The current stage of telecom and ICT reform poses many challenges to governments, regulatory agencies, operators, and other stakeholders. The certainties of yesterday are no more: individual assignments of frequencies are being questioned in the light of new standards such as Wi-Fi and WiMax; the distinctions between wired and wireless are being blurred; classic price regulation is becoming less central to the missions of regulatory agencies and new market friendly mechanisms for extending connectivity are beginning to be implemented; and all industry players are being challenged to address content issues at various levels. More is being demanded of the regulatory process and agencies, with the same resources. Operators have to understand the regulatory process well so that they can navigate its complexities. With telecom assuming a more prominent position in economies and societies, civil society and media have to equip themselves to participate in its governance. Knowledge to deal with these new challenges is vital; the opportunity to reflect on these issues in the company of peers and away from the daily demands of the office environment is essential. The 12th Telecom Reform Course offered by LIRNEasia and CONNECTasia Forum Pte.Ltd. (the third in Singapore) offers that learning opportunity. It is designed to enhance the strategic thinking of a select group of senior decision makers in the telecom and related sectors in the Asia Pacific and elsewhere. After having been offered in Europe, Africa, the Caribbean and Latin America, the course is now being taught on a regular schedule every March in Singapore. Attendance at Telecom Reform courses is capped at 40. Attendees will include regulators and senior officials of regulatory agencies; senior regulatory staff at operators; and leaders of consumer and other organizations participating in reform processes. In addition to Dr. Rohan Samarajiva who designed and led the recent Telecom Reform courses, Dr. Tim Kelly (Head, Telecom Standardization Policy Division, International Telecommunication Union), Mr. Rajendra Singh (former Secretary, TRAI, currently with the World Bank), Mr. Muhammed Aslam Hayat (Regulatory Consultant to Grameen Phone), Dr. Harsha de Silva (Lead Economist, LIRNEasia) and Ms. Helani Galpaya (Director of Strategic Development, LIRNEasia) have agreed to share their expertise. At recent courses, keynote presentations were delivered by speakers of the caliber of Mr. M.H. Au (Director General of Telecom, Hong Kong China), Dr. Hans Wijayasuriya (CEO, Dialog Telekom, Sri Lanka), Mr. Andy Haire (Assistant Director General, InfoComm Development Authority, Singapore), and Mr. Satish Ranade (Vice President?Legal, VSNL). LIRNEasia courses provide cutting-edge, policy-relevant knowledge presented by reflective practitioners, addressing the most pressing regulatory issues and drawing from ongoing research. The 2008 Course will include presentations on benchmark regulation and demand analysis that draw from ongoing research projects. The final agenda with confirmed speakers will be provided closer to the date. COURSE FEE, INCLUSIVE OF COURSE MATERIAL, 5 NIGHTS OF 4-STAR HOTEL ACCOMMODATION, 5 BREAKFASTS, 4 LUNCHES, 2 DINNERS, AND REFRESHMENTS DURING BREAKS Government/regulatory agency (1st participant) Government/regulatory agency (additional participants from same entity) Public or private operators and other private sector (1st participant) Public or private operators and other private sector (additional participants from same entity) Civil society, non-profit and educational institutions; media organizations The fee (and scholarship) covers: program tuition, reading and classroom material; accommodation for five nights (arrival March 2nd, departure March 7th) (additional nights may be arranged direct with the hotel); 5 breakfasts (March 3-7); 4 lunches (March 3-6); 7 refreshment breaks and opening and closing dinners (March 2 and March 5) only. Changi Village is a beach resort hotel optimized for conventions and meetings. Many dinner options are available at the hotel and within walking distance of hotel (hawkers? market and restaurants). The fee does not cover airfare and any additional activities within Singapore. Registrations are on a first-come-first-served basis until the course limit is reached. Registrations close February 4th, 2008. The hotel is very close to the Changi Airport and offers hourly free shuttles which may be taken or an efficient Singapore taxi will take you to the hotel for less than USD 5 (they take credit cards; but you may wish to change currency at the airport). For a valid registration, the completed registration form must be received and full payment must be deposited in the Connectasia Forum Pte. Ltd. account: The Hongkong and Shanghai Corporation Limited, HSBC Payments Department, 60A Orchard Road #01-02, The Atrium@Orchard, Singapore 238890; Account name: CONNECTasia Forum Pte. Ltd.; Account number: 260-531520-178 (USD account); SWIFT code: HSBCSGSG. For cancellations after February 4th, 2008 no refunds can be made, though the organizers will be

1 0

FW: Research and Training Manager Advert
by Kevit Desai 01 Nov '07

01 Nov '07

Dear Members, Sambazaa.... Regards, Mike _____ From: Neema Nzimbi [mailto:nnzimbi@atpsnet.org] Sent: Tuesday, October 30, 2007 11:42 AM To: Undisclosed-Recipient:; Subject: Research and Training Manager Advert Kindly circulate. Regards, Neema

1 0

Internet-pioneer-leaves-oversight-group
by Wanjira, Alice Munyua 31 Oct '07

31 Oct '07

http://www.theage.com.au/news/web/net-pioneer-leaves-oversight-group/ 2007/10/29/1193555566207.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap1 October 29, 2007 - 9:52AM In the 1970s, Vint Cerf played a leading role in developing the internet's technical foundation. For the past seven years, he's faced the more daunting task of leading a key agency that oversees his creation. After fending off an international rebellion and planting the seeds for streamlining operations, Cerf is stepping down this week as chairman of the Internet Corporation of Assigned Names and Numbers. "My sentence is up," Cerf said with his characteristic sense of humour, which he and others credit for helping him steer the organisation through several high-profile battles from which it emerged more stable and stronger. Cerf, 64, who's also a senior executive at internet search leader Google, joined ICANN in 1999, a year after its formation to oversee domain names and other internet addressing policies. Cerf was elected chairman in 2000 and leaves the unpaid position after Friday's board meeting in Los Angeles because of term limits. When he joined the board, many questioned whether ICANN would survive. Now - though some people still complain that ICANN is arbitrary, secretive and slow - the focus is more on improving it than replacing it. Under Cerf, the organisation withstood power struggles and ballooned in size. It also has shown signs of movement on key issues: After years of debate, for instance, it is now beginning to create mechanisms for more easily adding internet addresses, including domain names in languages besides English. "In some respects it has gained credibility," Cerf said. "It is now part of the internet universe as opposed to a thing that was open to some serious debate." That has been particularly so since ICANN, teaming with the U.S. diplomats, resisted efforts by China, Brazil and other developing countries to replace the group with a more U.N.-like organisation over which world governments would have greater control. Among other things, ICANN critics wanted quicker action on addresses in other languages, saying the current restrictions are akin to requiring all English speakers to type in Chinese. Many foreign governments also resented the U.S. government's veto power over the Marina del Rey, Calif.-based nonprofit agency. Calls to strip ICANN and the United States - of its oversight of domain names, which are key for computers to find Web sites and route e-mails, grew as world leaders gathered in Geneva for the 2003 U.N. World Summit on the Information Society. The European Union even joined by the time the summit convened again in 2005, in Tunis, Tunisia. But ICANN ultimately emerged intact. Credit goes to many people besides Cerf, yet many say he had the gravitas to meet with heads of states and senior ministers - and tell them, "no." "He has a certain star quality," said Paul Twomey, ICANN's chief executive since 2003. "He can open a door. He can talk to anybody. He can say, 'Me and my colleagues actually invented the internet and here's how it works.' There was a lot of ignorance, and he was able to say, 'It just doesn't work the way you think it works.'" Cerf tested the first internet hookups in 1969 when he was a graduate student at UCLA. As a professor at Stanford University in the 1970s, Cerf led a team that invented the protocols, known as TCP/IP, that now serve as the internet's basic communications tools. Known since as one of the internet's founding fathers, Cerf continued working on internet technology at the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and later developed MCI Mail, the internet's first commercial e-mail service. Google lured him in 2005 to be its "chief internet evangelist" and gave him an office a few doors from CEO Eric Schmidt. In 1997, then-President Clinton presented Cerf and TCP/IP co-inventor Robert Kahn the National Medal of Technology, and in 2005 President Bush gave the pair the Presidential Medal of Freedom. As ICANN chairman, Cerf has played a hands-on role, attending many committee meetings and workshops in his trademark three-piece suit, often asking questions and contributing his know-how. Jeffrey Eckhaus, a business development director at domain registration company Register.com Inc., found him "very knowledgeable about every single topic that would go on. He would really know all the ins and outs." Besides his sense of humour and his technical knowledge, Cerf brought business and administrative acumen, many ICANN participants say. He has a slew of anecdotes ready and has displayed a willingness to listen to concerns and "engage with people from heads of states down to university students," Twomey said. Now that Cerf has guided ICANN from nearly its inception through a tumultuous adolescence and into early adulthood, many believe it's time for an ICANN driven more by procedures than personality. "It doesn't demean Cerf's towering legacy to say people are ready for a change," said Milton Mueller, a Syracuse University professor and frequent ICANN critic. The short list of potential successors includes telecommunications expert Roberto Gaetano and lawyer Peter Dengate Thrush. Both have been active with ICANN, but neither has Cerf's name recognition or long-standing ties to the internet. "The bad news is we're not going to find another Vint," said Steve Crocker, a high school classmate of Cerf's and fellow internet pioneer. "It's equally a form of good news. We're now going to go through a period where ordinary mortals are managing things." Even with Cerf's clout, ICANN has had its share of battles. For one, a decision to reverse preliminary support for a proposed ".xxx" domain name for porn sites was criticized as arbitrary and politically influenced. During Cerf's tenure, ICANN's staff and budget have grown, permitting faster response. Its roughly 100 staff members are paid out of a $41.6 million budget for fiscal 2008, compared with about a dozen employed during fiscal 2001, when ICANN budgeted $3.78 million for operating expenses. The board and its constituency committees have reorganized numerous times in an effort to better reflect the internet community, and minutes to private board meetings have been posted more quickly to improve transparency. Nonetheless, many critics still complain that ICANN has neither opened the decision-making process enough nor acted as quickly as it should on issues like adding domain names after several years, it is just now streamlining the approval process. Few of those complaints, however, are directed at Cerf. "It would have been a lot more without Vint," said David Farber, former chief technologist for the Federal Communications Commission. "I don't have warm, fuzzy feelings about ICANN, but Vint is not a person you want to get into battles with. He's a nice guy. He's smart. He's reasonable to talk to." Cerf plans to disengage entirely from ICANN for at least a year, freeing him to write books and devote more time to his Google duties. "This is a very important test ICANN both must pass and will pass, that it can withstand a change of its senior management," Cerf said. "I have no hesitation at all turning this over to a new team." AP

1 0

Reuters/Nokia Collaboration Has Potential for Citizen Journalists
by Rebecca Wanjiku 31 Oct '07

31 Oct '07

Tel. 254 720 318 925 blog:http://beckyit.blogspot.com/ Reuters and Nokia Research Center have teamed up to advance the usage of mobile journalism with the release of a new mobile toolkit and reporting try-out. Although the initiative is currently aimed at professional reporters, the project has implications for citizen journalists around the world. In a trial that began over the summer, Reuters journalists were given a lightweight " mobile toolkit " that included a Nokia N95 mobile phone, a tripod, a folding bluetooth keyboard, a Sony microphone, and Power Monkeys. The Power Monkey Explorer was used in Senegal and allowed the phone to be charged using solar power. The toolkit also includes text editing and multimedia capabilities. According to Nokia, "metadata facilities" combine everything that the phone already knows about the story, such as GPS location, time, date and other information. The toolkit allows journalists to write and publish stories from the field to deliver up-to-date news and instant reporting. The trial involved journalists reporting on everything from New York Fashion Week to the US presidential campaign. Archived stories are available on Reuters Mobile Journalism website. Although the mobile toolkit's usage has been confined to professional journalists, usage could be expanded in the future to include non-professionals as well. According to Nokia's press release, The implications of the research could be much wider in the long term. Timo Koskinen, project manager with Nokia Research Center, said: "The term 'citizen journalism' has been in use for several years, but technological innovations - particularly the introduction of mobile multimedia computers - have transformed the concept. 'Citizen journalism' is beginning to embrace a wide range of public engagement with the media, from groups of contributors organized around subject or geographic areas to the casual participation of observers who are lucky - or unlucky - enough to be at the scene of a newsworthy event." The Nokia/Reuters collaboration joins other mobile journalism projects, including Voices of Africa, a project of AfricaNews that we have previously written about. Voices of Africa allows citizen journalists throughout Africa to submit videos, photos, and stories via mobile phone. The project seeeks to make news coverage more democratic by expanding reporting abilities to those who aren't represented by the conventional media with the basic premise that "the bigger the number of people expressing their opinions through that technology, the stronger becomes democracy, and the more valuable is the contribution to good governance efforts in Africa." http://mobileactive.org/reuters-nokia-collaboration visit our website at www.penplusbytes.net our blog is located at http://penplusbytes.blogspot.com/ --- --You are currently subscribed to penplusbytes as: rebeccawanjiku(a)yahoo.com --To unsubscribe send a blank email to leave-penplusbytes-352938B(a)dgroups.org Penplusbytes online list is hosted on Dgroups- a joint initiative of Bellanet, DFID, Hivos, ICA, IICD, OneWorld, UNAIDS __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com

1 0