The information and communications technology (ICT) industry is urging the government to increase its promotion of locally developed software applications as this will also help in "digitising" the government.
The government is about to embark on a comprehensive review of its ICT policies.
The term digital or electronic government, or e-government, refers to the use of information and communication technologies to improve the activities of public-sector organisations. The aims of e-government are to, among other things, improve communications with citizens and service delivery.
At a conference on the ICT policy review held last month, Telkom CEO Nombulelo Moholi urged the government to invest money in young developers as this will also support the digitisation of government and give SA a competitive edge.
The US has driven the adoption of apps with some success and has apps, for example, that allow users to search for the nearest American embassy anywhere in the world. The US also has an FBI "most wanted criminals" app. Other countries, such as the UK, began programmes to develop mobile apps but have ended them, citing a lack of value and the fact that it takes jobs away from the private sector.
Some commentators say that, given the South African government is already visible on social media platforms, it will be a natural evolution to extend this to the use of other apps. The fastest and most effective way to do this would be through public-private partnerships.
The government has realised the industry’s growth potential and, to further the software development industry, has amended the Income Tax Act to allow South African software developers to claim back 150% of research and development expenses against tax. The change is expected to stimulate local innovation and create jobs.
Arthur Goldstuck, the MD of World Wide Worx, says there is no reason the government should not have government-related apps.
However, he says it should be the promoter, rather than the custodian, of such content.
"I think it should endorse the private-sector initiatives. Vodacom , for example, has a successful local developer programme and the government should get involved in those initiatives because it might not have the skills and capacity to manage apps development initiatives, hence a private-sector partnership is vital."
Sean Paine, chief operating officer of EnterpriseWorx, says app development could become a burgeoning part of the economy. "Therefore, government should support this sector, and create a strategy around how best to nurture the development of the local app community. Exactly how involved they should be is a contentious topic. As we know from past experience, more government intervention does not necessarily result in greater gains."
Tremendous value could be gained for both the app development community and the government if the government were to drive the use of apps in government processes.
"For example, an app that lets you interact with your local council, check your billing and even make payments, would add value to the app development community, government and society as a whole," Mr Paine says. "Less intervention rather than more is probably the better option," he says.
However, since apps do form a part of the ICT landscape, they should be incorporated into the overall ICT policy, he says.
Craige Fleischer, head of mobile communications at Samsung Electronics SA, says the local developer market is certainly a growing one and needs to be fully understood if it is to be capitalised on.
"The first step to this is acknowledging that there is a need for local content and local applications," Mr Fleischer says.
He says some local companies are not only promoting the developer community, but are also providing the necessary resources and "incubation investment" to encourage the development of local content.
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Autor(en)/Author(s): Thabiso Mochiko
Quelle/Source: Business Day, 03.05.2012
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