Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Business, Company and industry information for Asia, Latin America, Eastern
Europe, Africa and the Middle East
By ISI Emerging Markets
Are you looking for Emerging Market Business Information and Data?
Whether you are looking for current news, hard-to-get company and industry information, financial market data or macroeconomic analysis, ISI Emerging Markets is the definitive information resource you need.Information on emerging economies can be hard to find, but reliable and current data is vital for making an investment decision. The Emerging Markets Information Service (EMIS), from ISI Emerging Markets, offers aggregated content from over 16,000 publications, via an interface that is availablein over 18 languages, plus masses of proprietary news analysis, company profiles and other data.
Whether you are looking for current news, hard-to-get company and industry information, financial market data or macroeconomic analysis, ISI Emerging Markets is the definitive information resource you need.Information on emerging economies can be hard to find, but reliable and current data is vital for making an investment decision. The Emerging Markets Information Service (EMIS), from ISI Emerging Markets, offers aggregated content from over 16,000 publications, via an interface that is availablein over 18 languages, plus masses of proprietary news analysis, company profiles and other data.
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Developing countries must boost broadband: U.N.
Jonathan Lynn
GENEVA
Mon Oct 26, 2009 8:06am EDT
addImpression("10036173_Related News");
removeImpression();
addImpression("10036174_Related News (Auto)");
GENEVA (Reuters) - Developing countries risk missing out on the benefits of information technology because of their lack of broadband infrastructure, a U.N. agency said.
Technology China Japan
Lack of broadband Internet access deprives countries of the possibility of building up offshoring industries, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) said in a report late on Thursday.
It also prevents people from tapping into all the advantages of mobile phones, whose use is exploding in poor countries.
"The narrowing of the digital divide remains a key development challenge," UNCTAD Deputy Secretary-General Petko Draganov said.
"What is known as the broadband gap for example is becoming a serious handicap for companies in many poor countries," he told a briefing to launch UNCTAD's Information Economy Report.
Companies and consumers are 200 times more likely to have access to broadband in developed countries than in the poorest Least Developed Countries (LDCs), the report shows.
And the cost of broadband access varies widely -- over $1,300 a month in Burkina Faso, the Central African Republic and Swaziland against less than $13 in Egypt or Tunisia.
Broadband is essential for offshoring industries such as call centers and back offices, which many developing countries in Africa, the Caribbean and Asia want to develop and expand.
Such industries are likely to expand despite the economic crisis because they enable companies in rich countries to cut costs, UNCTAD notes.
Broadband allows consumers to make better use of their mobile phones -- rapidly overtaking computers as the information and communications technology (ICT) tool of choice in developing countries.
People in poor countries are using mobile phones for banking, to check markets and monitor the weather -- reducing the need for travel and boosting productivity, UNCTAD noted.
As a result mobile phone usage is growing. In Africa there are already 20 times more mobile subscribers than fixed lines, and India added almost 100 million new mobile subscribers in the first seven months of this year, it said.
However, the economic crisis has hit sales of ICT goods such as phones and computers and trade in them declined dramatically last year, according to figures from the top six exporters -- China, Singapore, Japan, Hong Kong, United States and Germany.
Exports have recovered this year, especially from China, now by far the biggest ICT goods exporter.
This is part of a continuing shift to dominance of the sector by Asia, which already accounted for more than half of ICT goods exports by 2007, UNCTAD said.
ICT exports are not only growing faster in China than elsewhere, but are also the fastest growing sector in China.
(Editing by Jon Boyle)
Jonathan Lynn
GENEVA
Mon Oct 26, 2009 8:06am EDT
addImpression("10036173_Related News");
removeImpression();
addImpression("10036174_Related News (Auto)");
GENEVA (Reuters) - Developing countries risk missing out on the benefits of information technology because of their lack of broadband infrastructure, a U.N. agency said.
Technology China Japan
Lack of broadband Internet access deprives countries of the possibility of building up offshoring industries, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) said in a report late on Thursday.
It also prevents people from tapping into all the advantages of mobile phones, whose use is exploding in poor countries.
"The narrowing of the digital divide remains a key development challenge," UNCTAD Deputy Secretary-General Petko Draganov said.
"What is known as the broadband gap for example is becoming a serious handicap for companies in many poor countries," he told a briefing to launch UNCTAD's Information Economy Report.
Companies and consumers are 200 times more likely to have access to broadband in developed countries than in the poorest Least Developed Countries (LDCs), the report shows.
And the cost of broadband access varies widely -- over $1,300 a month in Burkina Faso, the Central African Republic and Swaziland against less than $13 in Egypt or Tunisia.
Broadband is essential for offshoring industries such as call centers and back offices, which many developing countries in Africa, the Caribbean and Asia want to develop and expand.
Such industries are likely to expand despite the economic crisis because they enable companies in rich countries to cut costs, UNCTAD notes.
Broadband allows consumers to make better use of their mobile phones -- rapidly overtaking computers as the information and communications technology (ICT) tool of choice in developing countries.
People in poor countries are using mobile phones for banking, to check markets and monitor the weather -- reducing the need for travel and boosting productivity, UNCTAD noted.
As a result mobile phone usage is growing. In Africa there are already 20 times more mobile subscribers than fixed lines, and India added almost 100 million new mobile subscribers in the first seven months of this year, it said.
However, the economic crisis has hit sales of ICT goods such as phones and computers and trade in them declined dramatically last year, according to figures from the top six exporters -- China, Singapore, Japan, Hong Kong, United States and Germany.
Exports have recovered this year, especially from China, now by far the biggest ICT goods exporter.
This is part of a continuing shift to dominance of the sector by Asia, which already accounted for more than half of ICT goods exports by 2007, UNCTAD said.
ICT exports are not only growing faster in China than elsewhere, but are also the fastest growing sector in China.
(Editing by Jon Boyle)
Developing countries urge WTO trade pact
Monday November 30, 07:40 PM
Over 100 developing countries called on Sunday for an "urgent" conclusion of negotiations for a world trade liberalisation pact, a day before a key World Trade Organisation ministerial conference.
"The ministers of the G20 called for urgent action on the Doha Round," according to a statement issued by G20 major developing countries led by India and Brazil, and endorsed by the African, Caribbean and Pacific countries, the African group as well as the Least Developed Countries.
Launched in the Qatari capital in 2001, the Doha Round aims at lifting developing countries out of poverty by striking an accord that will cut agriculture subsidies and tariffs on industrial goods.
However, negotiations have been dogged by disagreements on how much major trading blocs such as the United States and the European Union should reduce aid to their farmers and the extent to which developing countries such as India, China and South Africa should lower tariffs on industrial products.
"There is urgent need to translate political statements into concrete engagements in Geneva in order to accomplish the shared objective of concluding the Round in 2010," said the statement issued after a meeting between G20 ministers.
Without naming names, Brazil's Foreign Minister Celso Amorim pointed in particular to "one country which is stopping us from moving forward."
However, another Latin American diplomat was more explicit, saying: "We clearly lack an explicit position from one of the most important members of the negotiations. We are of course talking about the United States."
He added that the WTO ministerial meeting "should pressure" Barack Obama's administration to take a deeper engagement on trade talks.
World leaders have pledged at several occasions to conclude trade talks but deadlines have been repeatedly missed.
The latest deadline sees negotiations concluding in 2010.
But analysts say that the United States, occupied by domestic problems such as health care and the war in Afghanistan as well as a Democratic-led Congress largely hostile to trade liberalisation, is dragging its feet on putting concrete trade reforms on the table.
G20 countries, including China and Indonesia, on Sunday agreed that "in order to achieve convergence, there is a need for a process that would lead to a narrowing of differences on remaining issues within the next few months.
"The ministers also agreed that there should be a multilateral opportunity early next year to evaluate the progress made, identify remaining obstacles and explore ways to successfully conclude the DDA (Doha Development Agenda) before the end of 2010."
The latest financial crisis which wreaked havoc across the world had also "highlighted the importance and value of a development-oriented and rules-based multilateral trading system," they said.
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Technology Solutions
Global eProcure’s Integrated Technology Suite
Global eProcure offers a fully integrated sourcing and procurement technology suite. Our innovative technology is delivered on-demand and is built on a foundation of Service Oriented Architecture (SOA). Clients have the flexibility to pick and choose those modules (shown below) that best meet their sourcing and procurement needs. Global eProcure's tools have been widely used and adopted over the past 9 years due to its user-friendly design, state-of-the-art functionality, and ease of implementation. The fact that the technology can be up and running quickly has allowed our client to more rapidly realize savings and show a ROI on their investment. We offer all the components of sourcing including Spend Analysis (eSpend), Supplier Discovery and Assessment (eSupplier), eRFX and eAuctions, and Contract Management (eContract).
Global eProcure’s Integrated Technology Suite
Global eProcure offers a fully integrated sourcing and procurement technology suite. Our innovative technology is delivered on-demand and is built on a foundation of Service Oriented Architecture (SOA). Clients have the flexibility to pick and choose those modules (shown below) that best meet their sourcing and procurement needs. Global eProcure's tools have been widely used and adopted over the past 9 years due to its user-friendly design, state-of-the-art functionality, and ease of implementation. The fact that the technology can be up and running quickly has allowed our client to more rapidly realize savings and show a ROI on their investment. We offer all the components of sourcing including Spend Analysis (eSpend), Supplier Discovery and Assessment (eSupplier), eRFX and eAuctions, and Contract Management (eContract).
Internet and Developing Countries - Pros and Cons
By Uwe Afemann, Computer Center of the University of Osnabrück, Germany
International Workshop
Social Usage of Internet in Malaysia
March 22 - 25, 2000
Internet - another panacea to solve world's problems?
"E-velopment", short for "electronic commerce and development" is the latest bait being offered to induce reluctant and laggard countries into the brave, new globalised world, according to some experts at the UNCTAD X conference in Thailand in February 2000.[1] Nearly all papers and studies about telecommunication describe this technology crucial for the development of economic and social progress in our world. Intensifying the use of telecommunication and especially the use of international computer networks would reduce the gap between the rich North and the poor South and would help overcome poverty in the opinion of the most important representatives of telecommunication firms in the North. In cooperation with World Bank, UNESCO, USAID and other international institutions they try to convince decision makers of the Third World that an investment in the new media would be inevitable for participation in progress and improvement of life conditions for all. Here the particular interest of multi national consortiums of industrialized countries is obvious, because they will mainly participate in implementing telephone and data lines in developing countries. They all will get a big part of a 1.500 trillion dollar cake in the communication sector.[2]
Like the automobile that was celebrated as the most promising achievement, now telecommunication is thought to be the panacea for all problems. Despite the unsolved problems of computer waste and the unforeseeable implications for different societies and communities the use of computer networks is still propagated in an uncritical manner, because it promises great profits for multinationals from the North.
By Uwe Afemann, Computer Center of the University of Osnabrück, Germany
International Workshop
Social Usage of Internet in Malaysia
March 22 - 25, 2000
Internet - another panacea to solve world's problems?
"E-velopment", short for "electronic commerce and development" is the latest bait being offered to induce reluctant and laggard countries into the brave, new globalised world, according to some experts at the UNCTAD X conference in Thailand in February 2000.[1] Nearly all papers and studies about telecommunication describe this technology crucial for the development of economic and social progress in our world. Intensifying the use of telecommunication and especially the use of international computer networks would reduce the gap between the rich North and the poor South and would help overcome poverty in the opinion of the most important representatives of telecommunication firms in the North. In cooperation with World Bank, UNESCO, USAID and other international institutions they try to convince decision makers of the Third World that an investment in the new media would be inevitable for participation in progress and improvement of life conditions for all. Here the particular interest of multi national consortiums of industrialized countries is obvious, because they will mainly participate in implementing telephone and data lines in developing countries. They all will get a big part of a 1.500 trillion dollar cake in the communication sector.[2]
Like the automobile that was celebrated as the most promising achievement, now telecommunication is thought to be the panacea for all problems. Despite the unsolved problems of computer waste and the unforeseeable implications for different societies and communities the use of computer networks is still propagated in an uncritical manner, because it promises great profits for multinationals from the North.
Friday, December 11, 2009
Face book strikes
Technology
The business and culture of our digital lives,
from the L.A. Times
Facebook strikes back against Seppukoo
December 11, 2009 | 3:04 pm
After yesterday's post, Facebook users are saying that they are getting blocked from sharing Seppukoo.com with friends.
A pop-up error message appears if you even try to put the site URL in a comment:
“Warning: This Message Contains Blocked Content
Some content in this message has been reported as abusive by Facebook users.”
Simon Axten, spokesman for Facebook, said in an e-mail that Facebook has an automated system that blocks links for known spam, malware and phishing sites.
“The same system that blocks these links may also be deployed for sites that violate our Statement of Rights and Responsibilities,” Axten said. “This particular site asks for log-in credentials, scrapes Facebook pages and spams users, all of which are violations.”
Guy McMuster, art director for the group that runs Seppukoo.com, said in an e-mail that any mention of the site has been blocked since yesterday. Now, he said, “we're studying a counter-strategy.”
-- W.J. Hennigan
The business and culture of our digital lives,
from the L.A. Times
Facebook strikes back against Seppukoo
December 11, 2009 | 3:04 pm
After yesterday's post, Facebook users are saying that they are getting blocked from sharing Seppukoo.com with friends.
A pop-up error message appears if you even try to put the site URL in a comment:
“Warning: This Message Contains Blocked Content
Some content in this message has been reported as abusive by Facebook users.”
Simon Axten, spokesman for Facebook, said in an e-mail that Facebook has an automated system that blocks links for known spam, malware and phishing sites.
“The same system that blocks these links may also be deployed for sites that violate our Statement of Rights and Responsibilities,” Axten said. “This particular site asks for log-in credentials, scrapes Facebook pages and spams users, all of which are violations.”
Guy McMuster, art director for the group that runs Seppukoo.com, said in an e-mail that any mention of the site has been blocked since yesterday. Now, he said, “we're studying a counter-strategy.”
-- W.J. Hennigan
ICT Development
The Electronic Journal of Information Systems in Developing Countries, Vol 39 (2009)
Information Literacy in Kenya
Khushbu Tilvawala, Michael David Myers, Antonio Díaz Andrade
Abstract
There are a growing number of information and communications technologies (ICT) initiatives in developing countries. These initiatives are usually undertaken on the basis that they are important for social and economic development. However, one barrier to the efficient utilisation of ICT in developing countries is the relatively low level of information literacy. Without the ability to manipulate and use information effectively, investments in ICT-for-development projects may be unsuccessful. In this research project, three ICT initiatives in Kenya are analysed in the light of the dimensions of information literacy. Implications for other developing countries are discussed.
Information Literacy in Kenya
Khushbu Tilvawala, Michael David Myers, Antonio Díaz Andrade
Abstract
There are a growing number of information and communications technologies (ICT) initiatives in developing countries. These initiatives are usually undertaken on the basis that they are important for social and economic development. However, one barrier to the efficient utilisation of ICT in developing countries is the relatively low level of information literacy. Without the ability to manipulate and use information effectively, investments in ICT-for-development projects may be unsuccessful. In this research project, three ICT initiatives in Kenya are analysed in the light of the dimensions of information literacy. Implications for other developing countries are discussed.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)