General Assembly Meeting “Information & Communications Technologies”United Nations New York 17-18 June 2002 The United Nations Role in supporting efforts to promote digital opportunity, in particular in Africa and the LDCs Infrastructure development, improving connectivity, promoting access to information society Presented by: Ms. Sophia Bekele CBS International, Inc. USA/Ethiopia
SbCnet Presenters Profile President and Chief Executive Officer CBS International BS.MBA.CISA Career with Multinationals in North America International Workshops UNECA African Information Society Initiative (AISI) UNICT Taskforce, African Regional Network Technical Alliance and Professional Associations Interests: International Technological issues , published writer, public affairs commentator Vision: Third world technological development A CBS International Company
SbCnet Company Profile CBS International / SbCommunication Network, plc . Founded in 1998, CBS International is an African owned company in the business Professional Information Technology consulting and Implementation Services. Currently focus on two Service Lines: Systems Integration Web Site design and Hosting. A CBS International Company
SbCnet Systems Integration Business Large Scale ICT Deployment project that are typified by LAN, Campus Area Networks and interfaces to WAN, Internet/Intranet Large Number of Users both in Continental Organizations and National Institutions Large Investment in IT/Computing Infrastructures: High-speed optic fiber backbones, enterprise servers, internet/intranet software like electronic mail servers, web servers, databases, other office automation tools for personal and group productivity A CBS International Company
SbCnet Our Web Focus Websites Knowledge management workflow Database Customer relationship strategies and solutions Hosting is provided through our California affiliate CBS International, which links us to over 300 Internet Solution Providers A CBS International Company
Project Case Studies SbCnet Organization of African Unity (OAU) General Secretariat: The Requirement: Strategic Integrated Information Network Infrastructure to serve all the users located in the General Secretariat and provide them with personal ICT capabilities I.e network/internet access/ intranet and collaborative computing/email and communications/automation tools of both personal and enterprise-wide productivity Provide facilities for research and enhanced information dissemination such as organizational website, library and information documentation facilities, electronic printing networks etc.. Networking infrastructure allows embassies and other institution to connect and share via remote access services to access intranet information resources. Possibility of scaling the project by linking to Regional offices of OAU, sub-regional organizations and other international organizations. Can be regarded as pilot scale project for a continent-wide network The Solution: UNDP Sponsored Capacity Building Project that utilizes the information Systems Support component for the establishment of an early warning system for the OAU Conflict Management Center. UNOPS Project Services component Local Company to provide the required technology supply, systems integration services, project implementation and overall delivery. Our Company won both on financial and technical requirements A CBS International Company
Project Case Studies SbCnet National Parliament of Ethiopia: The Requirement : Implement National Scale Information Technology project to support the Parliamentary information System at the Federal Legislative body of the Government of Ethiopia. To Integrate systems for Regional Parliaments, Zonal and Local Consultative Councils Serves as a national system for management & monitoring of Ministries & other Federal bodies l.e. Budget oversight & subsidies to regional states. Provides Parliamentarians with ICT tools for drafting Legislation & Committee based work. Enhanced facilities for research and documentation services for Parliamentary Research teams through the intranet Links to Regional Assemblies & Regional State Governments, Universities, Parliamentary Friendship Associations & International Parliaments The SOLUTION: International capacity Building Project with several donor groups, under ‘good governance’ programme Local Company to provide the required technology supply, systems integration services, project implementation and overall delivery. Our Company won both on financial and technical requirements A CBS International Company
SbCnet Project Case Studies Two Prime Examples of large Scale ICT deployment projects at the scale of an International organization and National Institution Committed to African capacity building and forging private sector involvement in the development dialogue A CBS International Company
SbCnet Country Profile - Ethiopia Member of the LDC group Country, resource rich, but infrastructure poor. Per capital income of about 200US/ yr Literacy rate just under 33 percent Huge gap between the urban middleclass in Addis Ababa and the rural poor, which constitutes overwhelming majority of the population After 25 years of Communism characterized by: A state controlled economy. Country of 60 million people, Ethiopia since 1991 is undergoing a profound socio-economic transformation: including infrastructure, telecommunications, power and transport A CBS International Company
SbCnet CHALLENGES The realities on the ground creating the digital divide) IT Infrastructure, access and connectivity development constrained by series of factors . Low income per capita per person Cost of 1 computer, which is about 900 USD, 4 times the average income of an Ethiopian Access to internet cost annually about 400 USD, 2 times the average income of a person Telephone access is extremely limited, only appx 200k fixed lines . Only 30,000 people have access to mobile, which is limited to basic services. A CBS International Company
SbCnet CHALLENGES The realities on the ground creating the digital divide) The telecom sector is still a monopoly with only one ISP, one mobile service provider The business cultural environment is yet developing lack of skilled manpower usually limiting the options of changing employees as a means of restructuring and streamlining business opportunities. Staff has to be retained on their old roles and properly harnessed for greater productivity A CBS International Company
SbCnet DEMAND FOR IT ( the digital opportunities) Recent public tenders: Ministry of Education, procurement for 3000 computers Ministry of Revenue, implementing TIN and VAT systems as of the government’s tax reform plans part Ethiopian Civil Aviation , building a new state of the art airport, including an integrated airline reservations system . Private sector: Banks and Insurance reengineering their business processes thru automation Telemedicine: A network of 9-10 hospitals in the country that are connected via the internet to the medical faculty of the AAU and the Black Lion hospital in a single telemedicine network. Also to extend this network to smaller clinics and the provincial health centers A CBS International Company
SbCnet IT Companies and their state of IT Skills Over 30 companies in Ethiopia engaged in the IT sector Sales, training and maintenance of Computer products. 3-4 are positioned to implement large-scale projects Still a need for partnering with foreign companies with experience to assist in the implementation process. Shortage of skilled labor in IT For eg. ONLY 30 MCSE and less than 10 CISCO certified professionals in the whole country. The UNECA ‘s CISCO Academy program for women has 1-2 graduates for us in the country in this area. A CBS International Company
SbCnet Website Business Best use for advertisement of products and services on the internet, allows for global access Completed Work: Ethiopian Tourism Commission We are the first to put online a multi-lingual newspapers in Ethiopia: great service to the Diaspora NGOs that are also in need of access to financial contributions from abroad etc .. A CBS International Company
SbCnet Website Business Winner of ‘ Best African Site Award 200 1’ under the title best site for technology transfer Design . Content . Usefulness to public Africa Services, Norway www.cbsintl.com A CBS International Company
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