ICANN appoints new CEO

The search for a new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICAAN) would end on Friday June 26, as the body expects to be in a position to approve the selection of the new CEO at the Board Meeting in Sydney same day.

The position became vacant at the ICANN meeting in Mexico City in March 2009, when the current President and CEO, Dr Paul Twomey, announced that he would not seek renewal of his contract, which ends this year.

Since then the board has been engaged in the process of recruiting a new CEO for the global internet coordinating body.

The ICANN board hired Egon Zehnder International to conduct a world-wide search for the next CEO.

ITRealms Online recalls that Egon Zehnder received over 100 applications in response to the ICANN notice, reviewed approximately 1000 possible candidates on their databases, and from these lists approached over 300 potential candidates. There was significant diversity of gender, nationality, and country of residence amongst the candidates.

The board approved a Board Search Committee (BSC) comprised of Dennis Jennings (Chair, Board Governance Committee), Harald Alvestrand (Chair, Board IANA Committee), Rajasekhar Ramaraj (Chair, Board Finance Committee), Rita Rodin Johnston (Chair, Board Audit Committee), and Peter Dengate-Thrush (Chair, Board Compensation Committee and ICANN Board Chair).

The BSC reviewed the resumes of candidates recommended by Egon Zehnder and conducted interviews of a short list of eight (8) candidates via video conference, based on five broad areas of namely leadership, political, technical board and management skills respectively.

On the leadership, the committee looked at the demonstrated leadership skills, strategic thinking capability, demonstrated capacity to build trust and on political aspect, they examined diplomacy skills at an international level with heads of state among others, international expertise and experience - sensitivity to multiple cultures, work experience in several countries, Internet community credibility - sense of history of Internet – and an ability to listen to and appreciate different points of view, and to work with the diverse stakeholder groups within ICANN – GNSO, ccNSO, ASO, ALAC, GAC, IETF to name a few.

Also on the technical skills, the committee looked at the technical understanding based on the ability to listen and interact with the Internet technical community, presentation skills, making it possible to give interviews, speeches and so on as well as on highly complex topics such as International Domain Names (IDN) like the Country Code Top Level Domains (ccTLDs), policy development skills - ability to motivate and support ICANN volunteer organisations and build consensus around a plan despite obstacles.

While on board skills, applicants were engaged on their experience on dealing with a large and diverse board,

Other areas were management skills, which encompassed their ability to manage staff, planning and budgeting, team building, and experience of managing a global not-for-profit, for-profit, or governmental organisation of approximately the present size of ICANN.

The BSC was particularly pleased to hear from Egon Zehnder that several candidates from within the ICANN community had applied for the role, and that these candidates had great strengths in several of the criteria considered above.

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Chams hosts channel partners’ forum

Chams Plc has assured its channel partners of better business deals ahead, according to the Group Managing Director, Mr. Demola Aladekomo.

He gave this assurance at the one-day forum for the company’s channel partners at the just concluded CardExpo in Lagos.

While singling out DataCard, one of the partners, Mr. Aladekomo noted that their partnership has been in existence for decades, saying that with collaboration current growing between the two companies, the firm has become the largest electronic card centre in the country.

Regional Manager for Africa at DataCard, Mr. Ian Brown, said that it was exciting to note that their partnership exceeds decades and called for continuous upholding of the modalities that made the partnership a success in the past.

Meanwhile, Chams Nigeria Plc, weekend, finalized plans to deploy additional thousands of Paymaster brand of Point-of-Transaction (PoT) terminals across the country, worth millions of Naira.

This follows conclusion of discussions with its international partners: Daewoo Corporation and Bitel, both from South Korea.

Upon this completion, Paymaster Limited, a subsidiary of Chams dedicated to providing electronic payment solutions, is expected to commence immediate deployment of the terminals to different merchants for use in their outlets.

Currently, Paymaster has deployed over a 1,000 PoT terminals at various merchant sites including supermarkets, eateries, restaurants, bars and other sites.

The Acting Managing Director, Paymaster Limited, Mr. Charles Uwagbale, said the development, affords the firm to embark on more new projects.

Uwagbale noted that the firm believes that the next area of growth in the Nigerian electronic payment sector was that of PoT terminals, which have been slow to catch on partly due to challenges with telecommunications network as well as the limited education on the benefits of the system.

He also said that Nigerians would experience greater convenience in business transaction once they embraced the use of PoT terminals, especially as this would result of increased cashless transaction.

“Nigerians have embraced ATM cards use in a very impressive manner in the last five years. However, we believe that the revolution cannot be complete without an effective cashless system based on the use of PoT terminals. This is what Chams through Paymaster intends to deliver in the country over the next few months,” he said.

Uwagbale equally disclosed that the choice of Bitel and Daewoo as its international project partners was based on their years of experience as well as the proven reliability of the solutions they provide.

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MTN partners CRI on emergency lines

Leading mobile telecommunications operator in the country, MTN Nigeria, has partnered the Critical Rescue International (CRI) with two emergency lines for its subscribers use nationwide.

Speaking at the launch held in Surulere-Lagos, the chief marketing officer, MTN Nigeria, Mr. Bola Akingbade, said the telecom operator is providing 191 for medical advisory services and 933 for emergency calls for MTN teeming subscribers in the country, otherwise called MTN Care lines.

According to him, MTN is in the partnership to facilitate the services of CRI to all its customers, while CRI is the main service provider, stressing that though the service is currently available in the cities of Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt, it is intended to be extended to other parts of the country.

“MTN is your link to a good medical care in case of emergency,” he declared.

In his input at the launch, the medical director of CRI, Dr. Akin Akinjolire, said the outfit was incorporated in
2001 with the mission to save lives by offering effective emergency health services to Nigerians, therefore it became the first of a national advanced medical paramedic company.

“We are in business to manage medical emergencies wherever and whenever they occur in our area of operation,” he said, and on hand to deliver the innovative services is a team of uniquely qualified international and local medical personnel.

He also said that they offer 24/7 services and is keen at offering first aid training for corporate staff, which would be a constant feature of this partnership with MTN, especially via its MTN’s 21 Day’s of Y’ello Care campaign.

Equally, he invited other corporate citizens in the country to join forces with the likes of MTN among others who already have partnership with CRI in extending the emergency services to Nigerians.

CRI, he said, has grown since its inception and the Emergency Call Centre currently offers a wide range of
services besides the dispatching of CRI ambulances.

ITRealms Online recalls that also through its Zain 112 emergency line CRI patches any emergency care service needed within the Nigerian nation - state fire, state police and state ambulance services.

The Call Centre, he said, further provides for any other kind of medical assistance, ranging from telephonic medical advice, arranging of specialist appointments, both locally and abroad, home visits, and ambulance standbys to Air Medical Evacuation.

Besides, he said, CRI organises first Aid, CPR and Basic Life Support (BLS) and Advanced Life Support (ALS) training and provides staffing and procurement solutions to companies nationwide.

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NCS, INEC to host e-Voting forum

The Nigeria Computer Society (NCS) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) have concluded plans to hold a three-day stakeholders forum on Electronic Voting (e-Voting) system in the country.

Disclosing this at a press briefing in Alausa-Lagos secretariat of the society, NCS president, Prof. Charles Uwadia, said that the first-ever national forum on e-Voting is a follow-up to the retreat organised last year in collaboration with INEC in Asaba, Delta State.

He described e-Voting as a response to the quest to make voting convenient and results to accurately reflect the wishes of the electorates.

Uwadia noted that the electoral system in the country is basically manual with semi-automated processes, while registration is electronic, he said, that voting and ballot counting are done manually.

“This has not produced the desired results leading to several cases of election malpractices, such as mass thumb printing of ballot papers, stuffing of ballot boxes and snatching same, impersonation and multiple registration as well as manipulation of election results,” he said.

As said by him, quite a number of election results have been disputed with some of the cases still pending in election tribunals.

The fundamental challenge facing electoral process, he said, is that of assuring that votes are recorded as cast and tabulated accurately.

“This could be achieved in Nigeria by the adoption of electronic voting system and the application of electronic voting has today become a necessary part of global campaign for increased electoral integrity,” Uwadia observed.

Stressing that elections, in most nations of the world with enviable democratic platform have, over the years been conducted electronically, Nigeria cannot and should not be an exception.

He pointed out that based on the aforementioned NCS in conjunction with INEC has chosen to host the stakeholders’ forum on e-Voting system, with the theme:
Stabilizing the Nigerian Democracy Through e-Voting System, which has been scheduled to hold in Kaduna between June 30 and July 2, this year.

He revealed that members of the National Assembly, political parties, the judiciary, Nigerian Bar Association and the media have been lined up to address the three-day occasion among others.

He highlighted some of the core issues to be examined to include electronic voting in Nigeria, issues and challenges; electronic voting models around the world; electronic voting in Nigeria: prospects and solutions; the role of the civil society in actualizing e-voting in Nigeria and the role of the media in actualising e-voting in Nigeria.

Additionally, Prof. Uwadia listed the strategies for enlightenment/education of electorate on e-voting system; legal framework for e-voting in Nigeria; building efficient voter’s registration framework for harmonized national database; issues of communication/power infrastructure and security implications: safeguarding the voters, equipment and the process.

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UK publishes Digital Britain report

UK publishes Digital Britain reportUnited Kingdom (UK) government, weekend, published the Digital Britain Report, which underlining the importance of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to the nation’s economic future, just as one third of UK adults were reported not online.

According to the release by the Prime Minister, Mr. Gordon Brown, the white paper details how the UK’s communications infrastructure and increased digital participation are key to building a 21st century knowledge economy, reports Nomensa.

Some of the key promises include that achieving universal access to today’s broadband services by 2012 is crucial, even as the Next Generation fund for investment in tomorrow’s broadband services.

The report also called for upgraded mobile networks and national planning to improve digital participation that would engender robust legal and regulatory framework to combat digital piracy.

Additionally, the report seeks support for public service content partnerships and revised digital remit for Channel 4, while funding options for national, regional and local news has been identified as key to this success as well as the programme for digital switchover in public services.

Digital Britain, Mr. Brown said, is about giving the country the tools to succeed and lead the way in the economy of the future.

“This report shows how we will ensure we have a world-class digital and communications infrastructure, that we promote and protect talent and innovation in our creative industries, that we modernize our TV and radio frameworks and support local news,” he declared.

Meanwhile, telecom regulator in Britain, OfCom recent report revealed that nearly 30 per cent of adults still have no Internet at home.

This came barely a week before the proclamation of Digital Britain reports.

However, the new study indicates that one in five adults who do not have the Internet at home is likely to sign-up in the next six months.

Nomensa also reports that the recent Communications Consumer Panel research had revealed that many people already regard it as essential to have broadband at home, hence, the new Ofcom research looked at the reasons that 30 per cent of UK adults do not have the Internet at home and the barriers that prevent such people from taking it up in the future.

As well as why those intending to get the Internet in the next six months are more likely to be younger, use the Internet already outside of the home, are working and have children.

Further, Ofcom found the main reasons for accessing the Internet were centred on accessing information or to find out things scoring 36 per cent; communicating with friends and family got 26 per cent while keeping up with technology was rated 25 per cent as well as because friends and family recommended it scaled up the choice for Internet in UK by 25 per cent.

Equally, the research identified two main groups of people without the Internet who may not currently intend to access the Internet at home to include the self-excluded accounting to about 42 per cent of adults, adducing their main reason for not having the Internet at home linked to lack of interest or need. The self-excluded tend to be older and retired and have never used a computer.

The financially excluded, the report said, accounts for 30 per cent of adults, who stated that their main reason for not accessing the Internet at home was that it was too expensive or that they did not have the knowledge or skills to use it.

Ofcom’s partner for Strategy and Market Development, Peter Phillips, said that broadband is becoming increasingly important to peoples’ ability to participate in the economy and society. Therefore, the research shows some genuine opportunities for policy makers wishing to drive take up of Internet services.

“But it also shows that some creativity will be required if we wish to capture the imaginations of those who have yet to engage with the benefits the Internet may bring,” he suggested.

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Impact of ICT on climate change

The impact of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) on climate change cannot be over-emphasized, reports REMMY NWEKE.

Unknown to many dwellers in the Least Developing Countries (LDCs) of the world, including Nigeria, the most populous nation with the largest concentration of blacks on earth, technologies have been rated as one of the key agents for the escalation or otherwise of climate change.

And as a matter of fact, Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) could even save about N103.4 trillion, according to a recent report jointly published by independent non-profit entities, The Climate Group and the Global e-Sustainability Initiative (GeSI).

This is in spite of the clamour for adaptation of technologies to bridge the ever growing digital divide around the globe.

It was not surprising, therefore, that Nigeria is concerned over the evolution, hence the recent signing of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for increased awareness and sensitization on climate change and related issues between the Federal Government (FG) and the British Government, which was endorsed by the Minister of Environment, Mr. John Odey, and the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mr. Bob Dewar, for their respective states.

This MoU came as Nigeria joined the rest of the world recently in celebrating the World Environment Day (WED), which has the theme, “Your planet Needs You. Unite to Combat Climate Change.”

Speaking at the ceremony, Mr. Odey noted that problems connected with climate change could be mitigated through collaborative efforts among stakeholders both locally and within the international communities.

The MoU, he said, would establish a framework for the implementation of projects in key areas, such as research into climate change attitudes, impacts and adaptation strategies.

He also said the agreement would help in the areas of emission reduction, technology cooperation, renewable and efficiency energy, in addition to capacity building and public awareness.

The MoU, Odey pointed out, would bring Nigeria and British industries, research and other non-governmental bodies closer; to discuss strategies for increasing and engaging in related climate change answers.

He promised that the FG and British Council will do all it takes to provide resources to support the agreed work plan, and seek appropriate external funding or sponsorship for specific activities.

Reiterating that effective responses to climate change remains an important objective of the Nigerian government and would continue to engage Britain for a closer and positive development, that could reflect government’s active programme of bilateral climate action.

For Mr. Dewar, climate change issue has assumed confronting position to the international community, hence it is a matter for everyone and all countries.

“It is a global issue, requiring a bold and collective solution in reaching an agreement in Copenhagen, Denmark, in December, requires that we work together for a common solution that will be important, not just for us, but for our children. We have only one planet,” he asserted.

Dewar stressed that Nigeria was strategic because of its population and leadership role in Africa, noting that the country would play a significant role in ensuring that Africa as a whole has one and balanced voice in Copenhagen.
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He noted that the British Government was keen in collaborating with Nigeria in awareness creation, sensitization and technology transfer, in its effort to assist in mitigating the impacts of climate change.

To achieve the objectives, he said the British Council would also need to collaborate with NGOs and the Civil Society Groups in Nigeria, to combat desertification, erosion, flood and deforestation across the federation.

This commitment, especially as Nigeria grows its ICT market comes to play, more so with the recent report by GeSI, entitled “Smart 2020: Enabling the Low Carbon Economy in the Information Age,” indicated that through enabling other sectors to reduce their emissions, the ICT industry could decrease global emissions by as much as 15 per cent by 2020 – a volume of CO2 five times its own footprint in 2020.

CO2 is the chemical formula for Carbon dioxide, which is a chemical compound composed of two oxygen atoms covalently bonded to a single carbon atom. Also, carbon dioxide is the number-one reason for man-made climate change. Known as a colourless gas consisting of one carbon and two oxygen atoms; carbon dioxide existing in gas state above -78.5°C and in solid state (dry ice) below -78.5°C among other variables that could change from solid to gas by sublimation.

According to GeSI, transformation in the way people and businesses use technology could reduce annual man-made global emissions by 15 per cent by 2020 and deliver energy efficiency savings to global businesses of over EUR 500 billion (N103.4 trillion).

The report, which was the world’s first comprehensive global study of ICT sector’s growing significance for the world’s climate, was conducted independently by international management consultants, McKinsey & Company, showed that while ICT’s own sector footprint was two per cent, global emissions will almost double by 2020.

“This is countered by the sector’s unique ability to monitor and maximize energy efficiency both within and outside of its own sector could cut CO2 emissions by up to five times this amount. This represents a saving of 7.8 Giga-tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (GtCO2e) by 2020 – greater than the current annual emissions of either the United States (US) or China,” part of the report read.

Even though, the report added that tele-working, video-conferencing, e-paper, and e-commerce are increasingly commonplace, replacing such physical products and services with their virtual equivalents; de-materialization and substitution, is only one part of six per cent of the estimated low carbon benefits the ICT sector could deliver.

Equally, the report showed that far greater opportunities for emissions savings exist in applying ICT to global infrastructure and industry as well as examined four major opportunities where ICT can make further transformational cuts in global emissions. These exist globally within smart building design and use, smart logistics, smart electricity grids, and smart industrial motor systems.

As explained by the chief executive officer, The Climate Group, Mr. Steve Howard, “PCs, mobile phones, and the web have transformed the way we all live and do business. Global warming and soaring energy prices mean that rethinking how every home and business use technology to cut unnecessary costs and carbon is critical to our environment and economy. Supported by innovative government policy, ICT can unlock the clean green industrial revolution we need to tackle climate change and usher in a new era of low carbon prosperity.”

And for the chair, GeSI, Mr. Luis Neves, the ICT industry is a key driver of low carbon growth and could lead transformation towards a low carbon economy and society.

“The ICT sector must act quickly to demonstrate what is possible, require clear messages from policy makers about targets and continue to radically innovate to reduce emissions,” he said.

While the United Nation’s Under-Secretary General and Executive Director, UN Environment Programme (UNEP), Mr. Achim Steiner, pointed out that the rigorous assessment underlines the world can realize a green economy and make the transition to a low carbon economy.


“It also underlines the crucial importance of the international community reaching a deal on a new climate agreement at the climate convention meeting in Copenhagen in 2009 … Gives us yet another platform for action and yet another compelling reason for reasoned optimism,” Steiner said.

As we look forward towards the growth of ICT to about 4 billion by 2020 with Nigeria already scoring over 70 million mobile communication subscribers within eight years of telecom boom, it is crucial to continue to recognize that the tools have become imperative for the new ‘socially networked’ generation globally, thus, there is a need to see how collectively the global ICT emissions of about 22 per cent could persistently decrease; through the use or adaptation of trends like virtualization of data centres, long-life devices, smart chargers, Next Generation Networks (NGN), and growth of renewable energy consumption by encouraging the usage of solar powered base stations in delivering future sustainable sector growth.

Equally, ICT could help, rather than hamper the fight against climate changes, through ensuring that the ICT sector manage its own rising effect and maintain reduction in emissions from data centres, telecommunications networks, and the manufacture, as well as the use of related inventions, particularly via strictly adhering to type-approvals by the industry regulars like the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) alongside industry interest groups, including the Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON) and Association of Licensed Telecom Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) among others.

Most of all, the steps taken so far by the government via the recent MoU with Britain is encouraging and should be sustained to aid Nigeria’s aim of reducing its carbon dioxide drastically, while keeping a positive tap on the nation’s Vision 20-2020.


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‘Selling Zain will spell doom’

The allegations that French conglomerate, Vivendi, may buy over the African operations of Zain Group, could spell doom for the company, industry experts predicted at the weekend.

ITRealms Online recalls that reports from Zain Group’s home country, Kuwait, last weekend, indicated that the group has decided to offer its African operations for sale with anticipation that it could climax to about $12 billion, (about N1.7 trillion).

It was also gathered that Zain Group, is reviewing a large number of bids across four continents, comprising Africa, America, Europe and Asia Pacific; Chinese and Indian telcos, to acquire Celtel Africa which was rebranded about 11 months ago to Zain, traversing the African operations.

Even as Zain Group is gearing up for the due diligence on the bids based on the avalanche of offers at its disposal and to give room for proper examination of the offers, thus it is predicted to move upward the anticipated date of conclusion, which was earlier slated for a week to a month.

However, those who hold the position that the proposed plans to dispose Zain Africa may spell doom for the investors, according to ITRealms Online investigations, was predicated on the premise that the number of rebranding that has characterized the telecom company, especially in the Nigeria’s telecommunications industry, which incidentally is touted as the ‘bride’ for the latest bidding, has become worrisome.

Equally, experts who spoke to ITRealms Online noted that the latest offer for sale is coming too soon for Zain Africa, mostly for the Nigeria’s market, arguing that by the frequency in re-acquisition and rebranding, that it would have its own impact on the customer service delivery of the telco, in terms of putting fund into the business, more so, for the investing public.

“The unreliability of investment and even for elementary enhancement of subscribers’ relationship to the brand, leaves out tale of confusions on its shadow with the frequency,” one of our respondents said.

In the past eight years, what is now Zain Nigeria, has transformed from Econet to brief instinct as Vodafone to Vmobile, then Celtel before its latest form.

It is also being highly speculated that Globacom if it can muscle the required fund, then its dream of connecting Africa would have become a leapfrog desire and so, also, is MTN Group, which recently advanced strategies for a merger with India’s Bharti Airtel in the bid to create an estimated $61 billion (about N9 trillion) telecoms giant with tentacles across Africa, Asia and Middle East.

If Vivendi plans scale through, it would be the first French telecom operating company to play in the Nigeria’s telecommunications sector, just as stakeholders are wondering the name Zain may take this time around.

Responding to our inquiries, Head, Corporate Communications, Zain Nigeria, Mr. Emeka Oparah, said, “I‘m afraid I would not be able to comment on the subject.”

Meanwhile, Zain Africa has operations in 16 countries and had in May 2005 invested US$3.36 billion, which underscored Zain’s ambition to become an international telecommunications services provider.

This figure has grown to about $12 billion, which is what Vivendi is prospected to pay for the takeover.

Precisely, on August 1, 2008 Zain Nigeria joined all Celtel operations to rebrand into Zain, even as the move coincided with the linking of the world’s first borderless mobile service ‘One Network’ across two continents on the platform.

Zain also prides itself as a leading mobile operator in sub-Saharan Africa, with over 40 million customers as at March 31, 2009 , while it has presence in Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Niger, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia, even as Zain’s operation in Sudan is regarded as part of the Middle East operation.

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TD depends on channel partners – Chimere

General Manager, Marketing at Technology Distributions (TD) Limited, Mrs. Chioma Chimere, has said that the firm depends majorly on its channel partners’ support for all its success.

She also described the company’s channel partners as the corner stone of its ever growing accomplishment in the West African market.

Speaking at the Information Technology (IT) Summit in Ibadan, recently Mrs. Chimere explained why Technology Distributions partners with the likes of Amazing Grace, an Ibadan based reseller.

She said at the summit organized by Amazing Grace Computers as a means of sensitizing the people and governments of Oyo State in view of the need to take the good tidings of the information age beyond the urban cities like Abuja and Lagos, she gave kudos to the organizers for the initiative.

In his keynote entitled “Making the Nigerian Bill Gates” to the occasion attended by school proprietors, principals, policy makers in education, students and the general public, the Permanent Secretary, Osun State Bureau of Computer Services and
Information Technology, Mr. Abiodun O. Ladipo, noted that the digital revolution is here to stay.

He pointed out that computer has become central to everyday living most especially in education, and assists the teacher in the development of the child.

“They are to be used as amplifiers of knowledge that enhances and expands the pupil’s range of information; as parameters of individual capabilities,” he said.

Equally commenting, the Managing Director, Amazing Grace Computers, Pastor Tunji Agboola, said that the time has come for Oyo State to step up and lead other States in the information technology sector, mostly in the region.

He observed that Ibadan is a leading African city in academics judging from the number and age of schools and research institutes in the vicinity.

Just as he stressed that this status makes it mandatory for Ibadan to be a front runner in the information age or else be overtaken by less endowed cities.

Agboola noted that the summit was a clarion call for IT action for all stakeholders in Oyo State and invited the government of Oyo State, educationists, the organized private sector, the media and the general public to take advantage of the Computer for All Project (CAP) to computerize their offices, schools, and homes.

He outlined the benefits of CAP as including its flexibility payment plan of up to three months without a bank guarantee; affordable and durable systems; and value added after sales support.

Further, he made it clear that with CAP, computer users would have the opportunity to bundle their purchases, citing for instance, that a customer could buy all his IT needs – laptops, printers, projector, and smart board – bundled for affordability and convenience.

“CAP offers total IT solutions,” he said.

ITRealms Online recalls that Technology Distributions Limited was set up in 1999 as the pioneer bulk mover of ICT products, which has since emerged the most decorated ICT firm in the country.

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Group asks U.S. to hands off Internet Governance

Group of academicians under the aegis of the Internet Governance Project (IGP) group has demanded an end to the United States’ Department of Commerce (DoC) deal with the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), otherwise known as the Joint Project Agreement (JPA).

The group in its comments to the so-called Joint Project Agreement with ICANN recently called on US to take a decisive step in bringing that agreement to a close for the sake of the future of the Internet and ICANN, which presently coordinates its activities globally.

They also called for the engagement of other governments to create stronger and more internationalized legal arrangements that will keep the organization accountable to Internet users.

“It’s time to fish or cut bait on the ‘transition’ of the Internet’s naming and addressing system,” said Dr. Milton Mueller, professor at the Syracuse University School of Information Studies and chair of IGP’s Scientific Committee.

According to him, after 11 years, either ICANN is ready to be independent or it is not.

“If it still has problems, and it does, let’s take decisive action to fix them,” he declared.

While noting ICANN’s shortcomings, the IGP comment focused its criticism on the Department of Commerce’s Joint Project Agreement with ICANN.

The JPA is a temporary form of supervision that allows the Commerce Department to negotiate goals and priorities for ICANN on a short time frame.

As said by him, the “JPA process is inherently broken,” hence contributing to ICANN’s failings….

“It does nothing but invite the stakeholders in one privileged country to complain to their own government about policy outcomes they don’t like,” IGP said.

Instead of continuing an endless series of renewals and revisions of the JPA, the group argued that the “U.S. government needs to let the JPA expire and immediately initiate an international agreement that completes the transition of ICANN to a stable, accountable form of global governance.”

The group further outlined what the latest agreement should look like to include, the affirmation and formalize the nongovernmental status of ICANN; formally recognize the sovereignty of other national governments over their top level domains; prohibit ICANN from interfering with freedom of expression; ensure the consistency of ICANN’s regulations with antitrust law and nondiscriminatory trade principles; select an appropriate body of national corporate law under which ICANN should operate and dissolve ICANN’s Governmental Advisory Committee.

“The United States can gain buy-in from other governments for its own model of Internet governance and ensure that the transition does not harm any of its own legitimate interests. But to succeed in completing the transition and to avoid fragmenting the Internet, the U.S. will have to win the acceptance of a critical mass of other countries and peoples,” the group canvassed.

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Oke advises SMEs on ICT

The Managing Director of Ibadan-based Heterogenius System Limited, Mr. Adewumi Oke, has advised Small and Medium Scale Entrepreneurs (SMEs) in the country to make use of various Information and Communication Technology (ICT) tools to advance their businesses, reports DELE OGUNYEMI.

He gave the advice in Ibadan at a roundtable discussion involving business owners and Information Technology (IT) experts on ways to combat the current global financial meltdown.

Mr. Oke said that at these days of global village, most businesses rely on IT to survive such that they could make projections on where they would stand at a specific period of time.

“Information technology tools if well deployed can help small and medium scale businesses to reduce cost of running their day to day activities. It is a known fact the world over that the cost of acquiring ICT skills is paramount to the big companies; they are not taking IT lightly and they are using IT tools by leveraging on it to balance out things,” he declared.

The IT expert also said that in Nigeria, there exist good and relatively cheap professional IT experts that could help small and medium scale enterprises to evolve tailor made special IT packages specifically designed for their businesses” he said.

On ICT tools available to business owners, Mr. Oke said that these tools are known to people by name, but the lack of specific knowledge of these tools and how they could be deployed and applied to help various businesses are the problem.

“Website is a must have for those who have small and medium scale businesses and the benefits derivable from having a functional website transcend imagination because it takes business beyond its border of brick and mortar operations,” he said.

In addition, Oke said that electronic mails (e-mail) is another effective communication tools, while software should be developed to aid business operations and management, such as in accounting packages to manage finance properly, as well as expenses and revenue.

Oke, further charged SMEs, owners to consult thoroughbred IT certified professionals before they spend their money on IT products, noting that every business has its specific need just like some could be made with the general day to day IT tools.

“Most business owners make the mistake of buying or purchasing software off the shelf because it has been used by some other business or similar business, but it should not be like that. A thorough operational need of each business has to be carried out and then the specific needs and areas of interest should be identified and appropriate software acquired, developed or recommended,” he advised.

In addition, he said, SME business owners should learn from the banks, who are all doing banking business “but the software they are using are different from one bank to another, because their operations, target, managements, customers needs are  not always the same.”

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