Business Software Alliance (BSA) launches Public Awareness Campaign at GITEX Computer Shopper 2003
Dubai eGovernment to unveil new services and initiatives to complement existing 600 online services
mDubai, new contact center AskDubai and eJob to take center-stage
at GITEX Dubai
DUBAI - October 15, 2003
Dubai eGovernment today, (Wednesday, October 15, 2003) announced the
launch of a host of innovative new channels, services and initiatives to
complement the portfolio of 600 online services currently offered on its portal
www.dubai.ae, as part of an ambitious strategy to accelerate the momentum towards
electronic services on the eve of its second anniversary, which falls on October
19.The new offerings, announced at a pre-GITEX press conference, include
mDubai, a new channel that has been developed to deliver messages through
mobile phones and PDAs; e4all, a community IT literacy solution; eLibrary, the
online library service; eJob, the online recruiting service; and
AskDubai, the state-of-the-art contact centre."It is a matter of pride for Dubai eGovernment to go beyond the goal of
offering online services, by adding a host of advanced and
forward-looking initiatives on the eve of our second anniversary," said Salem Al Shair,
Director eServices, Dubai eGovernment. "These new strategies will
considerably boost our capabilities to deliver eServices to the community and
businesses and take us closer to the goal of providing over 70 per cent of public
services online by the year 2005.""GITEX Dubai presents us with an invaluable opportunity to showcase
these unique initiatives aimed at enhancing the people's and government
department's readiness for e-governance as well as expanding the channels for
interactive communication between departments and customers through new channels,"
Al Shair said. "Visitors at Gitex will be encouraged to try out the
different services under the guidance of experts from the respective departments,
as well as staff from Dubai eGovernment."mDubaiThe capabilities of m-Dubai will be demonstrated by several government
departments at GITEX Dubai 2003. mDubai allows the departments to
deliver short message service (SMS) messages to their database of customers
using the Dubai eGovernment messaging gateway through the dedicated portal
www.mdubai.ae.Dubai eGovernment's target is to have 12 departments sending nearly
half a million SMS messages to their customers in the first phase of the
project."mDubai is an example of how Dubai eGovernment is leveraging cutting
edge technology to launch new channels to allow delivery of information
anytime, anywhere and while on the move," said Khalifa Al Khalafi, Director
General of the Land Department. "We have started using mDubai to deliver SMS
messages to our customers and we are delighted to report that the service has
been well accepted. mDubai opens an innovative new channel that allows
government departments to convey instant messaging to our customers."mDubai provides a unified structure for mobile services via the Dubai
eGovernment infrastructure. It allows government departments to utilise SMS for
sending notifications to a database of subscribers through SMS gateway located
in Dubai eGovernment infrastructure. It also allows departments to
publish content to the WAP using Dubai eGovernment content management system.
In the next phase, PDA applications will be built to serve citizens,
businesses, staff and other government employees."We feel mDubai is set to become an important information and
notification delivery channel with all government departments, going by the
exponential penetration of mobile phones in the UAE," said Salem Al Shair. "More
than 65 per cent of the UAE population owns mobile phones. WAP subscribers
are set to register a growth in 2004 reaching a figure of 173,000.""Mobile delivery channels also bring a host of advantages to the people
as well as the government departments. As far as the customers are
concerned, they do not have to pay subscription fees or SMS charges for push
messages. No computer knowledge is required. The government departments, on the
other hand, benefit by way of a ready-made set-up without the pressure of
managing SMS/WAP gateways," Al Shair added.eLearn
Dubai eGovernment will also showcase eLearn, the significant new
initiative aiming at boosting online education under the umbrella of e4all.
eLearn will act as a catalyst in helping Dubai eGovernment reach its goal in
providing eliteracy to the public. Fahed Al Othman, Managing Director, Humansoft,
said: " The visionary outlook and the steps taken by Dubai eGovernment
have enhanced our position as a leading institution providing online
courses. Our partnership with Thomson NETg has enabled us to offer to the
public over three thousand English and Arabic online training programmes"."Our target is to increase internet and PC usage through value packages
in order to educate the public and the private sector on services by
providing classroom and on-line learning programmes, in partnership with leading
global IT players and training institutes. e4all provides
value-for-money packages for government employees, registered businesses and citizens"
said Rihab Lootah, eServices Provisioning Manager, Dubai eGovernment.The project involves providing PCs or notebooks at special rates,
customised hardware and software, installation scheme, end-user warranty and
several added benefits.eJob
Also in the spotlight will be eJob, the unified platform for
job-seekers and recruiters. The Dubai eGovernment stand will demonstrate how
job-seekers can post their CVs and track their status, while the government
departments can view all the CVs posted on the portal and recruit directly from the
shared database. eJob enables job-seekers to register online, giving
them a never-before opportunity of having their CVs accessed by various
departments simultaneously. Candidates need only apply once, as the sophisticated
search agent will alert them to new vacancies. It eliminates the need to run
from one department to another, or fax the CVs individually."Services like eJob have helped government departments to leverage the
high-tech systems of Dubai eGovernment to enjoy several benefits,
without making heavy investment that is usually needed for this type of
services," said Hammad Al Shaibani, Director General, Department of Islamic
Affairs (Awqaf). "With eJob, Awqaf can scout for the right type of recruits by
scanning the central database that stores all registered CVs. We get a
wider list to choose from. It allows us to interact directly with
candidates when we want to fill up vacancies. eJob has simplified the complete
chain of recruitment and selection."AskDubai Contact Centre
The state-of-the-art services provided by Dubai eGovernment's contact
centre AskDubai (dial 7000 40000) will also be highlighted, including easy
access via phone, fax or email, all 24 hours of the day. Manned by trained
attendants, the contact centre is equipped to provide all information on eServices
and individual services of different departments. People can also
submit their queries through the portal www.dubai.ae by using different
options and selecting the channel of response. AskDubai will serve as the
centralised customer service centre for all users of government services.Rashed Al Matroushi, Director, Dubai Civil Defence, said: "We are in
constant touch with AskDubai to ensure that the public queries on Dubai Civil
Defence are answered correctly. AskDubai has ability to handle multiple queries
and deliver them through a channel of caller's preference thus making
it the most efficient contact centre."eLibrary
eLibrary is a programme aimed at underlining the importance of adopting
new technology to make public libraries more effective in providing
information and knowledge to larger sections of society. It allows for quick
browsing of information resources at Dubai libraries through online access to
books, periodicals, audio-video tapes and compact discs. Online searches could
be carried out by author or topic-based keywords as well as through a
wide-ranging collection of subjects, catalogues and websites.Ahmad Al Matroushi, Director General of Dubai Development Board, said:
"Our task of interacting with thousands of tenants, landlords and
suppliers, has been simplified ever since Dubai eGovernment launched initiatives
like mDubai and eJob. We are now able to communicate more effectively with
our customers and deliver higher levels of service. We are also using the
AskDubai service to create a more satisfying communication link with our
customers.
"
Dubai eGovernment is a pioneering initiative in the region to provide
online services across the spectrum of corporate and community life in the
emirate. It also has a vision to integrateIndividually automated government departments under the single umbrella
of the eGovernment initiative, thus empowering employees across lines
of businesses and levels of government, besides facilitating the lives of
citizens and customers of the government. Dubai has taken a lead in the
region in deploying eGovernment applications and is among the first few
governments in the world to provide such integrated services to its
citizens.The eGovernment portal (www.dubai.ae) is a single contact point masking
the complexity of the bureaucratic procedures, and guiding access to
all services in the easiest possible way. In addition, the eGovernment
initiative seeks to improve and enhance procedures by maximizing the benefit from
technology, so that users from all walks of life will be able to
utilize the portal for their specific needs with considerable ease.Business Software Alliance (BSA) launches Public Awareness Campaign at GITEX Computer Shopper 2003
October 15, 2003
KUWAIT CITY - Business Software Alliance (BSA), the international association
established by the software industry for promoting use of original software is
geared to launch a mass awareness campaign about the negative impact of
software piracy, at its stand during Computer Shopper 2003. Computer Shopper, to
be held at the Airport Expo Dubai, from October 18 to 24, 2003, is the
region's largest consumer exhibition for IT products and services and
the retail arm of the Gitex Dubai 2003 exhibition.“The year 2002 has been a highly successful period for us, because we
have been able to get Copyright Laws further enforced in a number of Gulf
countries and consequently brought down software piracy to record low levels. The
next important step is to take the campaign further through a mass
awareness exercise targeted at resellers and end-users. Gitex is the foremost IT
exhibition in the region, attracting leading international technology
companies. We could not have asked for a better platform than the Computer Shopper
for achieving our aims”, said Jawad Al Redha, Co-Chairman, Middle East,
Business Software Alliance.BSA is launching a new marketing campaign and an interactive online
quiz on its website, www.bsa.org, with questions relating to piracy and the
use of illegal software. The BSA on-line quiz will be launched within
the coming week and will run throughout GITEX. Participants who answer the
questions correctly will have their name put in a draw to be made on
the final day to win prizes sponsored by BSA's member organisations.“We want to create awareness about the benefits of using original
software, especially among students and end-users, who can learn about legal
software by answering the quiz, as well as win attractive prizes”, said Al
Redha.BSA will distribute free literature on software such as 'Guides to
Software Management', 'Q & A', and 'Thanks For Staying Legal' booklets during
the Gitex exhibition. The booklets will include important information on
the UAE anti-piracy laws and highlight the efforts that the government is
undertaking to protect Intellectual Property Rights (IPR). BSA staff will act a
piracy watchdog to monitor any illegal trade of software during Gitex Shopper
itself, to ensure that the exhibition will be piracy-free.“Our stand at Computer Shopper 2003 will reinforce the message that the
illegal use of original software can affect traders, end users and
ultimately the entire economic health of the region. Software piracy makes it
impossible for software developers to make any kind of revenue, discouraging them
from introducing software innovations into the market, stifling
economic growth and creativity”, said Al Redha.“Through our continued efforts, the UAE has witnessed a fifty-point
drop in piracy, from 86% in 1994 to 36% in 2002. This has contributed in
making the UAE an ideal investment destination for international companies.
Gitex being the showcase for the booming IT industry in the Middle East, BSA
is determined to register a strong presence by promoting legal
software, and offer an ideal environment for the growth and development of the IT
sector, by creating a piracy-free society”, added Al Redha.
The Business Software Alliance (BSA) is an international organization
representing leading software and e-commerce developers in 65 countries around the
world. Established in 1988, BSA has offices in the United States, Europe and
Asia. As the voice of the software industry, BSA helps governments and
consumers understand how software strengthens the economy, worker productivity
and global development and how its further expansion hinges on the
successful fight against software piracy and Internet theft. BSA's efforts include
educating computer users about software copyrights; advocating public
policy that fosters innovation and expands trade opportunities; and fighting
software piracy.BSA Worldwide Members:
Adobe Systems, Apple Computer, Filemaker, Autodesk, Bentley Systems,
CNC Software/Mastercam., Macromedia, Microsoft, Symantec, UGS, BSA Policy
Council, Compaq, Dell, Entrust, IBM, Intel, Intuit, Network Associates, Novell
and Sybase.BSA Anti-Piracy Hotlines
Kuwait Hotline: 2438033
UAE Hotline: 800 4828
Other countries: (9714) 332 2307Tighter visa regimes to improve border control
LONDON - Visa regimes are being tightened to help ensure the integrity of the
UK's borders, the Home Office announced today.From midnight tonight, nationals of Angola, Bangladesh, Cameroon,
India, Lebanon and Pakistan will need visas to travel through the UK.
Previously, people from these countries have required visas to visit
the UK, but have been able to travel without one if they pass through
on their way to a third country. The tightening of the rules is in
response to attempts by some of these nationals to circumvent the
UK's immigration system.Exemptions will be made for certain categories of transit passengers
with a low level of immigration risk, and these will be applied to
all countries subject to a transit visa regime.We will take steps to minimise the inconvenience to genuine onward
passengers. All visa regimes are kept under constant review to ensure
they remain effective and appropriate. In light of this, transit visa
regimes for Croatia, Libya and Slovakia will be lifted.Home Office Minister, Beverley Hughes, said:
"Visa regimes are an important part of border control, reducing
opportunities for abuse of immigration laws while easing travel by
legitimate passengers."We are responding to intelligence that some nationals of these
countries are using transit visas to flout our immigration controls
and either enter the UK illegally or make unfounded asylum
applications."Those who do so have no right to be in the UK and we are committed
to stopping them from travelling here in the first place. This year,
we have tightened up visa regimes for 18 countries, and this is
helping to reduce the number of asylum claims and illegal entrants."Today's announcement is part of a package of measures we are using
to strengthen UK border controls abroad, including new screening
technology and the better use of intelligence to break up criminal
trafficking gangs. We also intend to introduce new legislation to
deal with those people who destroy their documents."A grace period for those who have already made their travel plans
will operate until 23.59 hours on 20 October. Any transit passenger
who bought their ticket on or before 15 October will not be refused
entry solely on the basis of not holding a valid transit visa.
-keralamonitor.com
