UN names 55-man MAG for IGF’14, gets ready for Istanbul

ITRealms:

The United Nations (UN) has unveiled the new membership of the Multistakeholder Advisory Group (MAG) of the global Internet Governance Forum (IGF) for this year, 2014, reports ITRealms.

This is coming as the next IGF has been scheduled to take place in Istanbul, Turkey between September 2 and 5, 2014.

ITRealms gathered that a total of 55 members, 18 among them new, have been appointed, whereas 37 were incumbents. 

The Advisory Group members are from all stakeholder groups and all regions, representing governments, the private sector, civil society and technical community.

ITRealms reports that all Advisory Group members serve in their personal capacity, but are expected to have extensive linkages with their respective stakeholder groups. 

The main task of the Advisory Group is to provide advice on the preparations for the next meeting of the Internet Governance Forum, which will be held in Istanbul, Turkey, from 2 to 5 September, this year.

Also, ITRealms reports that representatives of previous host countries and relevant intergovernmental, international and regional organizations are also invited to attend Advisory Group meetings.

ITRealms recalls that the Internet Governance Forum is an outcome of the Tunis phase of the World Summit on the Information Society, which took place in 2005. 

In the Tunis Agenda for the Information Society, Governments asked the Secretary-General to convene a “new forum for policy dialogue” to discuss issues related to key elements of Internet governance and set out the Forum’s mandate.

Further, ITRealms notes that the Forum’s past eight meetings took place in Athens, Greece, in 2006; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 2007; Hyderabad, India, in 2008; Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, in 2009; Vilnius, Lithuania, in 2010; Nairobi, Kenya in 2011; Baku, Azerbaijan in 2012; and Bali, Indonesia in 2013.

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Pix: UN Scribe: Ban Ki-Moon

Digital Direct set to expand to Abuja, PH, Awka

ITRealms:

An Information and Communication Technology (ICT) retail and consulting company, the Digital Direct has said its presence would soon be felt at some notable cities across the country, reports ITRealms.

Confirming this to ITRealms, Managing Director, Digital Direct, Mr. Tolu Ijogun, said the company whose retail model outlet is located in Lekki Phase 1 in Lagos, has plans to commence   expansion in 2014 in Abuja, Port Harcourt, Rivers State and Awka capital of Anambra State.

According to him, the new branches would bear the hallmarks of the Digital Direct outlet in what he described as breath-taking showroom with best prices for the latest technology/computing products, capacity for high volume transactions, grade A after sales support and a technology training center assured,

Ijogun said that the expansion programme was triggered by the success of the Digital Direct Experience store in Lekki Phase 1, Lagos, judged not just from the outstanding financial performance, but also from the testimonies of satisfaction by clients.

He further stated that the new branches would continue with the tradition of triggering an encounter between the consumer and the technology of renowned Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) globally and locally with HP, Microsoft, Samsung, Dell, Zinox, Toshiba, Lenovo, Canon, Huawei, Cisco, and Dlink to name  a few.

He assured that, as in Lagos, there will be OEM presence in the new branches to cater for all technical and product enquiries, backed by highly skilled and efficient workforce to ensure maximum client satisfaction and service delivery.

In addition, each branch would have a training facility capable of training between 1-50 people on all Hardware and Software products under the Digital Direct portfolio.

Pointing out to ITRealms that Digital Direct offers a flexible payment plan for staff of corporate organizations and NGOs, with minimal interest rates to accommodate the cost of funds and would be bringing this and other Value Added Services (VAS) to all customers and corporate organizations in Abuja, Port Harcourt and Awka.

He emphasised that Digital Direct has a team of young Nigerian professionals from the United Kingdom; supported by leading international and local OEMs and ICT distributors, which aims at being the most trusted and No.1 choice for ICT hardware and solutions in Nigeria.

Remmy Nweke

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Pix: Managing Director, Digital Direct, Mr. Tolu Ijogun

TMC says 3rd Cyber Nigeria Forum holds May’14

DigitalSENSE Business News:

The Tribe Media Company (TMC) and organizers of Cyber Nigeria Forum (CNF), has disclosed that come May 23, the third edition of the forum will take place.

The President and chief executive officer (CEO), Tribe Media Company, Dr. Bayero Agabi, made this disclosure to DigitalSENSE Business News, saying that the event which debut in 2009 held bi-annually since inception, and remains the only Internet event in the country bringing together relevant stakeholders across Nigeria and beyond to examine the benefits of the internet.

He also told DigitalSENSE Business News that the forum assesses the Internet's contribution to Nigeria’s economy, and discussions focus on enterprise, creativity, innovation and consumption.

He noted that although the Internet's impact on global growth is rising rapidly and is a haven of economic activity, ranging from millions of daily online transactions to advertising, communications and smartphone downloads little is known about how the web in its entirety contributes to economic growth, productivity, and job creation. 

“Cyber Nigeria Forum has become the preeminent Nigerian Internet event where entrepreneurs, CEOs of internet solution companies, investors, government and the youth gain deep insights into the Economics of the cyberspace, network, analyse, policies and regulations and new business relationships.

The 2014 Forum, he said offers a quantitative and qualitative assessment of the impact of Internet related businesses and innovations on Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and growth, drawing inference from global statistics, while also considering the most relevant tools governments and businesses could deploy to get the most benefit from the digital transformation.

Agabi told DigitalSENSE Business News that CNF 2014 will provide a platform for service providers to share their innovative edge; how they are able to follow global technological trends in offering services that boost enterprises and improve government services in areas such as e-commerce, e-health, e-banking, cloud service, big data the internet of things among other.

The event will hold alongside the Africa Information Society Merit Awards (AISMA) - an award instituted in 2009 to honour consistent and profound contributions to the continent’s knowledge economy.

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ICANN Strategy Panel invites participation on 2-day webinar

ITRealms:

The Strategy Panel of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) has invited stakeholders to join the ICANN's Role in the Internet Governance Ecosystem on Monday, 13 January 2014 or on Wednesday, 15 January 2014, reports ITRealms.

The webinar, ITRealms also reports is mainly for an update and interactive discussion.

“As it prepares to offer its advice to the ICANN President and CEO, the Strategy Panel wishes to walk you through the work it has undertaken and to seek your input on the preliminary set of conclusions it has reached,” ICANN staff revealed to ITRealms.

The webinar, ITRealms gathered would also be the opportunity for stakeholders to ask questions. ITRealms recalls that as an advisory in nature, ICANN Strategy Panels serve as an integral part of a framework for cross-community dialogue on strategic matters.

Also, ITRealms notes that the panel designed to concentrate on critical strategic areas identified by the community, board, and staff, the work of Strategy Panels will inform a new, overarching vision and five-year strategic plan.

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Pix: ICANN chairman, Dr. Crooker

Working Group proposes alternative internet

ITRealms:

A council working group of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) on the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) has proposed some requirements for improvement of the existing Internet, as alternative to having an all-inclusive innovative internet, reports ITRealms.

A joint contribution made to the group by Saudi Arabia and Syria available to ITRealms stated that the proposals apply to a new, alternate internet to support development of the technology, protocols, and governance required for a new, alternate internet optimized for international applications and for WSIS principles, including innovation, competition, and investment.

To prepare guidelines, the group said, from the perspective of Internet-related public policy issues, regarding those characteristics require a new, alternate internet.

And to leverage on the experience and expertise of the ITU and to recommend that the ITU leads the coordination effort on development activities of a new, alternate internet.

In addition, ITRealms reports that instructing the ITU Secretariat to study those activities already underway in support of a new, alternate internet, both within and exterior to the ITU, and provide a summary of those activities.

Further, ITRealms gathered from the working group position is to establish a coordinated effort among ITU-T, ITU-D, and relevant UN organizations regarding international agreements and treaties required for a new, alternate internet optimized for international applications.

Experts argued that the memo from the group dated 2009 may have been overtaken by events although its important to revisit consistently the issue of alternative internet.

Ayo Omidele/GEE

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