Beijing abandons Microsoft deal: The city government of Beijing in China has cancelled a CNY29 million (EUR2.6 million) software deal with Microsoft. Beijing officials refused to comment on the decision to abandon the proposed software purchase, which would have seen Microsoft become the sole supplier of operating systems and office software to the city government for three years. Since the deal was announced earlier this month, it has attracted strong criticism from both the software industry and central government officials. Li Wuqiang, an official at the Ministry of Sciences and Technology, recently criticised procurement departments in some provinces and municipalities for buying a lot of foreign software, "regardless of national interests and information security." It is thought that the central Chinese government may be about to issue regulations requiring government departments to differentiate between domestic and non-domestic software. However, the announcement of the cancellation of the Microsoft deal will not prevent Microsoft from bidding for the contract again when it is put back out to tender.
EDS wins IT deal with British Columbia: IT outsourcing firm EDS has won a CAD572 million (USD486 million) contract with the province of British Columbia in Canada. Under the terms of the ten-year business process outsourcing deal, EDS will manage the province's IT systems and design new systems to control the collection of revenues for the regional government. EDS said it expects to hire around 215 staff from British Columbia's Ministry of Provincial Revenue and to spend CAD70 million over the next two years on developing new computer systems for the ministry. EDS beat out competition from Accenture, IBM, and Sierra Systems Group, among others, for the contract. The outsourcing giant has been in the news lately on account of difficulties related to a massive IT contract with the US Navy; EDS twice delayed the release of its third quarter financial results as it negotiated with its auditors over the size of a charge to earnings related to the troubled contract.
UK firms launch open source consortium: More than 60 European open source organisations have banded together to promote the use of open source technologies in the UK public sector. The not-for-profit Open Source Consortium (OSC) styles itself as an "independent reference point to give an unbiased 'proprietary-vendor free' voice for all organisations deploying or contemplating the open source alternative." The consortium will also attempt to set professional standards and provide accreditation for firms offering open source consultancy. "Increasingly the IT requirements in the public sector are burdened with the greater demands from central government, coupled with tight budgets," said OSC chairman Mark Taylor, according to UK e-government newsletter eGov Monitor Weekly. "The OSC recognises these requirements and through its formation will provide high value, reliable and flexible solutions, based on open source technologies to meet government e-services targets." For more information visit the OSC website.
E-gov conference issues Dubai declaration: An e-government conference that took place in the Middle East concluded with the formulation of the "Dubai Declaration". Delegates from 13 countries attended the Arab Region Symposium on E-Government & IP, which was jointly organised by United Arab Emirates telco Etisalat, local firm eCompany and ITU, an organisation that works towards the standardisation of global telecommunication networks. The declaration laid out a policy framework for e-government implementation across the region, including a recommendation to establish a regional team of officials to coordinate information exchange and knowledge sharing. Such a team would also supervise cooperation in the training of people to work in e-business environments and encourage collaboration in the area of electronic signatures. The declaration also calls for industry bodies to work together to help ensure the delivery of electronic services to remote areas.
Botswana makes e-government plans: The government of Botswana has announced plans to bring e-government services closer to its citizens, reports the Botswana "Daily News" Online. The African nation's Minister of Communications, Science and Technology, Pelonomi Venson, said that the country has a very good ICT infrastructure but "it is not fully utilised." She added that "many communities, particularly in rural areas, would benefit significantly from online access to government information on health and jobs, as well as services such as online licences and applications for permits." Venson urged all internet service providers (ISPs) to promote the deployment of online services tailored to meet the needs of the population. Alluding to the fact that most of the country's internet users are on dial-up and thus face large bills for online usage, the minister announced that Botswana Telecommunications Corporation (BTC) is planning to reduce wholesale bandwidth prices for ISPs. Venson also said that internet services firm Botsnet would be called on to help the ministry achieve its "Vision 2016" goal of fostering "an educated and informed nation".
Autor: Sylvia Leatham
Quelle: ElectricNews.Net, 01.12.2004
