Ireland promotes IT in the classroom: The Irish government has said it will give grants to 50 school teachers to help them develop programmes that integrate technology into their classroom teaching. The awards will be given to teachers participating in the Government's TeachNet initiative, which has created over 250 online educational projects over the past six years. Over the coming months, the TeachNet programme will provide professional development and mentoring support to primary and post-primary teachers in the area of web technology and the creation of web-based projects for subjects such as history, biology and home economics. Support will be provided for teachers in the form of online courses, curriculum mentors, technical assistance, hands-on workshops on the latest software applications and free server space, as well as grant cheques. For more information see www.teachnet.ie.
UK council pilots Telecare scheme: A UK county council is trialing a high-tech monitoring system that aims to help make vulnerable residents feel safer in their homes. The "Telecare" pilot scheme uses a range of alarms and sensors that can raise the alert if there is a problem or accident in the home of the person being monitored. The sensors that can be installed in the home include smoke detectors, fall detectors, flood detectors, a bogus caller button, a "wandering client" alarm, a carbon monoxide detector, a temperature extremes sensor and a medicine or pill reminder. The sensors are connected to a central call centre at the council's housing care unit, where trained operators have details of the user's medical condition, doctors, relatives, neighbours and other contacts, and can respond appropriately. It is hoped that the service will be of assistance to vulnerable people and those who have a history of falls, that it will allow patients to be released earlier from hospital, and perhaps even reduce hospital admissions by offering support for people in their own homes.
Beijing signs partnership with EMC: China's Beijing has signed a deal with storage giant EMC to collaborate on the city government's "Digital Beijing" project. The deal, which extends over a number of years, will involve the construction of a state-of-the-art IT infrastructure to house the city's digital assets. The partnership is also expected to improve citizen interaction with government bodies. The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. EMC said it will help to develop information infrastructure and information security standards for the Government, as well as improve information lifecycle management for e-government projects. The IT firm will also help Beijing to develop a data recovery system and to set up a business continuity centre and IT security lab. The city is also planning to develop a "Citizen Experience Centre" aimed at improving online services for citizens.
Prague citizens get web portal: The Czech government has launched a pilot version of an online portal for Prague citizens, www.praha.eu, reports the EU Commission's eGovernment Observatory. The site, which is expected to be launched in full by 2007, provides an array of services for citizens, who can log on using a secure digital signature card. Site users can download forms and sign them using the electronic signature card, or register to receive updates on progress via e-mail or text message. Using a payments gateway, citizens can opt to pay fees, fines or taxes via the website. They can also communicate directly with gas and water providers and use local services to obtain traffic and library information, among other services.
Alcatel wins deal with Fijian government: Telecoms equipment provider Alcatel has won a contract with the Fijian government to provide it with ICT solutions for its e-government programme. The contract is worth around EUR16 million and is aimed at increasing efficiency for the Government, enabling better policy outcomes, improving service delivery for the general public and boosting interactivity between the administration and citizens. Alcatel, along with National Computer Systems of Singapore and the Fiji Information Technology and Computing Services, will provide services such as consulting, program design, implementation, management and maintenance, as well as training. The project is due for completion in 2008, when ministries, businesses and citizens will be encouraged to access information and services online and to participate in the e-governance process.
Autor(en)/Author(s): Sylvia Leatham
Quelle/Source: ElectricNews, 09.11.2006
