world ict day: ict supplement

7/30/2019 WORLD ICT DAY: ICT SUPPLEMENT

1/12

Broadband remains expensive in developing countries Page 4

A day in the life of a cellphone technician Page 11

Securing

computer

information,dataPage 2


2/12

2 Special pullout to the nation 16 may 2013

On a daily, if not hourly,

basis, many informationtechnology (IT)professionals spend a

lot of their energies and resourcesprotecting information and datafor entities that they work for.

Every second, millions ofcomputer systems are attackedby computer malware includingviruses.

Bank accounts are hacked intoat very alarming rates and manypersonal computing systemsdevelop serious faults due tomalware.

People lose a lot of importantinformation and it either costs

a lot to recover the informationor sometimes, vital informationcannot be retrieved at all.

In 2010, the Federal Bureauof Investigations (FBI) reportedsome 303 809 complaints ofcybercrimes. In 2011, the NortonCybercrime report estimatedannual total cost of cybercrime at

$388 billion.

These are just few of themajor highlights of the kind ofinformation security risks that weget exposed to as we enjoy theconvenience of using electronicinformation systems.

In this article, we will discussbasic and simple steps that you cantake at a personal level, to ensurethat you guard yourself againstobvious information security risks.

First, we need to define whatinformation security (Infosec)is. Infosec, which is sometimesreferred to as Cyber Security, isthe protection of informationand information systems from

unauthorised access, use,disclosure, disruption modificationor destruction in order to provideconfidentiality, integrity andavailability.

Basically, Infosec revolves aroundprotecting confidentiality, integrityand availability codenamedCIA not the American security/

intelligence agency!

The question then is simplifiedinto what can one do to ensurethat confidentiality, integrity andavailability of their personal data isguaranteed?

Below are 15 of the dos anddonts that will equip you withthe basic tools that you can use toensure that your personal data and

information remains confidential

integral and available to youwhenever you need it.

1. Opening attachments fromunknown senders: You needto think more than twice before

Srng mrnfrmn, d

mrc it

Slus

nl

Bk f

mlw

nl

Css

fr Scc

d

tclg

SkBd

tc

Br

fllwg r

us d

gss

r

g

r d

uc

clg:

Spcl essB mws mubuk, arl ifr tclg Drcr

HOT

S T I T U T I ONS

PAGE 3

Change passwords regularly to ensure that you remain secure: Most ICTs are user-friendly evento children such as these

P H O T O g r a P H N a T I O N

l I b r a r y

ICT

DAY

FASTF

ACTSchrs Bbbg s nsdrd b h fhr f m-

ng fr hs nvnn nd n f h any

engn n 1837.

th wrd mr ws frs rrdd s bng sd n

1613 nd ws rgny sd dsrb rsn wh

rfrmd ns r mns. th dfnn

f mr rmnd h sm n h nd f h19h nry whn bgn rfrrng mhn h

rfrmd ns.

th iBM 5100 s h frs rb mr whh ws

rsd n Smbr 1975. th mr wghd

55 nds nd hd fv nh cRt dsy, drv,

1.9MHz palM rssr nd 64KB f RaM.


3/12

3ecial pullout to the nation 16 may 2013

ints on protecting computer informationu open any attachmentsyour e-mails. If you do

t know the sender of themail or the e-mail soundsange, avoid opening theachments until you are veryre that the attachment inestion is safe to download.

ackup your data regularly:hat would you do if you lostur laptop or if suddenly, the

C you were using developedpermanent fault and youe unable to retrieve yourta from the PC? You needregularly backup your datasome safe platform so

at if you lose your primarymputing unit, you can stillcess your data.stalling strangeplications from internet:any times, you will findurself in a situation whereu are being required tostall some applications frome Internet. Only proceed ifs absolutely important andly if you have a comfortable

vel of trust in the applicationd the source where you aretting the software.ind e-mail forwards:me people just forwardy e-mail that they receivethout thinking twice aboute implications. You could

sily become a source offosec problem for others

you carelessly forwardmails.ind Reply All: Theree computer system userst there that whenever they

ceive an e-mail, they willply to all the people copiedthe e-mail received. If you

e not careful about who yound your e-mails to, you mayplicate yourself by sendingur confidential information

people you ordinarilyould not want to read theformation.

void surfing questionablees: Research shows thatestionable sites like sitesr gambling, pornographicaterial and other sites thatst illegal content are likelyurces and hosts of malware.u need to avoid visitingese sites at all costs.ever disable securityols: There are times whenu are prompted to disableme security tools on your

C, for example disablingti-virus or firewall. Youould only proceed if youow for a fact that it is safe

do so, and that should onlyfor a limited period beforeu can enable the securityatures again.se strong passwords: Ifu use simple and shortsswords, chances areat hackers will break intour PC or other electronic

devices. Hackers use thousandsof computers to attack othercomputers. If your passwordcomprises say six simple lowercase characters, it would takehackers a matter of seconds tocrack your password. But if youuse eight characters of different

types, it would take hackersmonths if not centuries tocrack your password!

9. Sharing or giving outpasswords: You might havestrong passwords but if youshare with or easily give themout to others, you expose yourdata to potential malicious

attacks.10.Change passwords regularly:

To make it tough for hackers,you need to change yourpassword regularly. Dont usethe same password for years ormany months. Make sure youchange your passwords and

PINs every couple of months atleast.11.Be careful with wireless

networks: When youare connected to wirelessnetworks, be aware that you areplaying in risky environments.Your laptop may be directlyconnected to dangerous people

via the wireless network.Remember not to disable yoursecurity configurations on yourcomputing unit.

12.Filling in web forms: Avoidfilling in web forms that you donot know very well. If you haveto fill out web forms, be sure

that you are not revealing anyvital and confidential personalinformation like PIN codefor your ATM transactions orpasswords for your e-mails,online banking and so on.

13. Be alert on social networks:When you are on socialnetworks like Facebook, you

PAGE 2

Facebook is a risky area where hackers spend most of their time getting peoples identities

PhotograPh:andrew

mtuPa

nyama

ecial eSSay tranSforming our Society tHrougH ict development

Beware of wireless Internet as unauthorised users mayaccess your information

need to be extremely carefuand very vigilant as hackers andother malicious people spend alot of time there for their bad

practices, to steal your identityand to gather your other vitainformation which they can useagainst you.

14. Mind the information youleave at internet cafe:Many ous forget that Internet Cafs arepublic places. When we spendmany minutes or hours therethe caf becomes like a homeand we do trust our homesBut for you, when you are inan internet caf, you need to becareful about the informationthat you leave behind and youneed to ensure that you deleteall files that you may have

opened there and ensure thatyou do not leave behind anytraces of the information.

15. Time locking of handsets andlaptop: Consider a risk whereyour laptop is stolen. Make surethat your laptop and/or mobilehandset locks itself after fewminutes of idle time. Ensurethat to gain access after thelocking, you should be requiredto use a strong password thatyou master and remember.

Many IT managers and leadersare busy developing, deploying andmonitoring systems and measures

that mitigate against data andinformation security risks. You tooneed to take some reasonable careof your personal data, at a personallevel. If you use the 15 hints andtips that we have discussed in thisarticle, your data and informationwill be secure and safe all the timeGood luck!

PhotograPh

:brightkumwenda


4/12


featureSanSforming our Society through ict development

espite worldwide trendshowing that information

communication technologyprices continue to fall,

band remains too expensiveany developing countries,ng Malawi.average, the service costs

han 100 percent of monthlye, compared with 1.5t in developed countries.expert Derek Lakudzala

es that in Malawi, asost developing countries,ss broadband Internet

is the strongest growthfor Internet users, but itsemains a serious challenge

bstacle.ting the Internationalmmunications UnionLakudzala says: While theial development impact ofng people from developingies online via wireless

is enormous, high-endrom the business sector andand private organisations

ue to rely on high-speedbroadband connections.

adds that policy-makerso act swiftly to facilitate the

of broadband and ensureroadband services are fast,e and affordable.ording to him, for Malawion the scales and measures

ormation society, there arember of methodologies it

low which are relevant forping countries.se include capacitypment for decision-

s, capacity building forofessionals, inclusion of ITnents in secondary training,ion of virtual network,ructure development,oration and formation of aal body.udzala notes that a keyatory stage factor inating development through

developing ICT capacityision-makers and opinion

s.general trend is that

government officials, topives of industry and leadersl society associations often

to a generation which hastle exposure to the culturermation technology.argues that as a result, theyo be slow in adopting newlogies which are key topment.cause of the key roles peoplelevel play in shaping policy,portant that they participateminars, workshops andg to familiarise themselves

T, he says.also adds that it is importante the capacity of the ICTsionals, considering thatvement of computer

ted services require skillpment on the part of thesionals.usion of IT componentsondary school education iser way for Malawi to rise onales of information society.e of ICT education needs

integrated into general

Bb s xs

s

Women working on their computers

Government needs to come up with a deliberatepolicy to promote ICT in secondary schools

PhotograPhs:NatioN

library

NDA TWEARepoRteR

education from an early stage.I believe that the Malawi

Government already recognisesthis need. Upscaling the effortwill demand higher financialcommitments which mostdeveloping economies can affordon their own.

It is recommended thatgovernment should seek theassistance of the developmentpartners wherever possible andcoordinate with non-governmentorganisations and local partners,says the expert.

He adds that creating demanddrivers for ICT is critical to raise

the demand for the technology,services and skills.

A key component of that, hesays, is to encourage humannetworks that create demandfor information distribution andacquisition.

Human network at thedifferent levels when empowered,determine the information andcontent needs and at the sametime assists in determining thecosts, appropriateness, relevanceand necessity of the content.

Telecentres at the community levelplay an important role in this area,he adds.

Infrastructure development isyet another area as investment ininfrastructure can have big impactsat all levels.

As infrastructure costs decrease,effectiveness is enhanced whendeveloping countries learn fromwhat has been done elsewhere andadopt the most current approaches

to using ICT.The creation of a national

information technologycoordinating body is essential at thedevelopmental stage.

Malawi has the sector regulator

and now the Department ofe-Government should provide theframework for national coordinationof ICT activities in the country.

The ITU produces an annualreport called Measuring theInformation Society.

This publication features thelatest ICT Development Index (IDI)

and ICT Price Basket (IPB) whichmonitor ICT adoption worldwide.

In summary, Lakudzala says IDIcaptures progress made in regard toavailability and capacity to use ICTswhereas the IPB is a powerful tool

in monitoring the affordability ofICT services.These are basket measures in

that each is a composite of severalsub-indicators called sub-baskets.

The results for the 2011 reportcompared 2008 and 2010 results.

Among other things, the resultsindicate that in the ICT price

basket and sub-baskets, 2010and 2008, Malawi ranked 164out of 165.

In the fixed-telephone sub-basket, Malawi ranked 150 outof 165 and in the mobile cellular

sub-basket, Malawi ranked 165out of 165.In the mobile cellular sub-

basket on the other hand, acomparison of the 2008 and2010 mobile-cellular suggested aslight increase in mobile-cellulartariffs and these were describedas alarming developments.


5/12



6/12



7/12



8/12



9/12


i has placedation andunication technologyat the forefront to

ve its economy.strategies have beened as key drivers

onomic growth anda crucial part of themic Recovery Plandevised to boost the

my. The country isng a 50 percent ICTation by 2020.no Brain is playing

t in this quest to takelogy to the peopleake a difference on thed.no Brain starteda small information

logy (IT) trainingin 1997 in Dar

laam, Tanzania. It

y identified the greatunities Africa had tond made a strategicto offer custom ICTns on the continent.rise of the companyhen till now is awe-ng. Over a decade

half later, Technos today recognised asthe leading software

pment companies in

company is ISO

om humble beginnings to industry leader

the success sory of techno Brain9001:2008 and CapabilityMaturity Model Integration(CMMI) Level 3 certifiedwith a global presence in

19 countries across fourcontinents.

Techno Brains successstory in Malawi is equallyinspiring. It unassuminglyentered Malawi in 2005 withJose Araujo as its manager.Araujo and his driver,Numeric Chikuse, who iscurrently the companysadministrative assistant,were the only employees atthe time.

Today, Techno BrainsMalawi office is home tomore than 75 employees, ofwhich 30 are IT experts and

90 percent of employees areMalawians.

The facility caters for theneeds of government bodies,non-profit organisationsand the private sector. Thecompany enjoys a hugemarket share in Malawi,significantly ahead of itscompetition in the country.

The domination of thecompany can be attributedto its diverse set of offeringswhich include ICT Solutions,

IT training and BusinessProcess Outsourcing (BPO)and information technologyenabled services (Ites).

The company places a lotof importance on IT training,imparting latest technologyknowledge on the youngtalent pool in Malawi.

The impetus on training isfurther justified by the plan toopen a new training facility,New Horizons in Blantyre.

Techno Brain partnerswith some of the leadingtechnology companies in theworld, including Microsoft,IBM, Oracle and SAP.

The partnership allowsthe company to stay up todate with new technologies

and industry best practices.The same knowledge is oftenpassed on to the trainees inthe IT training programmes.

In recent years, TechnoBrains expansion plan hasbeen in overdrive, helpingit further consolidate itsposition in Africa whileentering new horizons.

The company currentlyoperates in Tanzania,

vertorial tranSForming our Society through ict development

PAGE 11


10/12


advertorialSanSforming our Society through ict development

s s ict

kb i ss

Maa: Wth M626c, custmrs ar abt pay DSTv subscrpts

PhotograPh:NatioN

library

W

ho would have thought,30 years ago that National

Bank of Malawi (NBM)mers could access theirnts in the comfort of their and offices? This is aete revolution.king as we all know was inyears about keeping moneyt for an interest and cashingame money. Banking wasrobably for a loan or anaft.banks customers had to

long distances to the bankher check balances in theirooks or make personal orparty funds transfers. Thisostly for the customers as

ad to pay for their transportpend a lot of time on they.so recall the long time it

take for National Bankotify customers aboutctions in their accounts.bank relied on physical mailthrough the post offices

would reach customers twoe days later. Fast forward to

and look at how informationology has revolutionalisedse.ay at NBM, customers havef opportunities to accessansact their accounts in the

rt of their offices or homesen when they have travelledd.tomers of the bank registered

o626ice (the mobile phoneng service) can do several

banking transactions withoutphysically going to the bank. Onceregistered on Mo626ice, NationalBank customers can make fundstransfers from their accounts toany other National Bank accounts.

They can make transfers to theirother accounts or accounts of thirdparties. This is especially importantwhere funds are needed elsewhereto assist with emergencies.

On Mo626ice, customers are alsoable to pay DSTv subscriptions. Thiswas unthinkable 10 years ago; DSTvsubscribers had to travel from as faras Zomba, Mulanje, Mangochi toMulti-Choice Offices in Blantyre orfrom Mchinji, Kasungu and Salimato Lilongwe to pay their monthly orquarterly subscriptions.

With the opening of KFC downtown Blantyre, officers are placingtheir lunch orders using Mo626ice

while still working and they pickup the food without spending toomuch time in the restaurant.

This is increasing their efficiencyat work as no time is wastedstanding on a queue to buy meals.

In addition, it is a thing of thepast for National Bank customersto stand on long and meanderingqueues neither at Lilongwe, Blantyreand Mzuzu Service centres nor atNorthern and Southern RegionWater Boards and Escom to pay fortheir water and electricity bills.

Customers on BankNet Online(an internet banking service) andMo626ice are simply paying on

line using their computers or cellphones.This sophistication has not left

behind our customers in rural areas,especially farmers. After selling theirtobacco at auction floors, farmers

would wait for three or four daysbefore walking from their villagesto the bank to check if proceedsfrom their tobacco sales had beendeposited into their accounts.

Tobacco farmers now receivean SMS notification from thebank when their money has beencredited to their accounts. This is agreat innovation for the farmers.

The introduction of Point of Sale

Devices (PoS) has also transformedthe way business is conducted bythe banks customers.

National Bank customers whoown retail outlets, hotels, lodges

and restaurants, among others,have been supplied with PoSdevices through which theircustomers pay their bills. This is amodern way of paying bills and hascome as a result of advancements

ie MAgolAoNal BaNkofMalawi

orate affairsMaNager

d in July 2000, Skybandlargest privately owned

perated Internet service

der (ISP) in Malawi. Theas been fundamental inmenting new servicesroducts into the Malawit.band provides a full

of innovative Internet, including dial-up,band, WiMAX, very

aperture terminalT), Wi-Fi Hotspot, and

Code Division Multiples (CDMA).band can provide Internetcol (IP) transit, virtual

private networks (VPNs),multi-protocol label switching(MPLS) services to and fromits Points of Presence (PoPs)in Malawi and also provides

hosting, disaster recovery ande-commerce solutions for itscorporate customers.

Skyband has a team of highlydedicated and experiencedprofessionals aimed solely atproviding you with the bestpossible services and supportin Malawi.

Skyband has MPLS POPs inBlantyre, Limbe, Lilongwe,Mzuzu, Zomba, Mangochi,Salima, Kasungu andChinkhoma and is currentlyextending this network out

to Thyolo, Mulanje, Nchalo,Mwanza, Dwangwa, Dedza,Balaka, Ntcheu, Mchinji,Nkhata Bay and Karonga.

In addition, Skyband is

connected to the EasternAfrica Submarine System(Eassy) Submarine FiberOptic Network to London andSouth Africa through its ownindependent fiber contracts.

Skyband has also recentlytogether with its partnerssuccessfully commissioned asecond submarine fibre link onSeacom between Maputo andLondon. This fibre terminationin effect ensures redundancyof all our international VPNtraffic and also our traditional

F WRiTeR Internet traffic.Skyband is able to leverage

its points of presence andglobal partnerships to providehigh quality, cost-effective,

end-to-end between Malawiand the rest of the world.

Skyband currently employsapproximately 80 membersof staff allowing us to handleall our own support services,installations and maintenancein-house.

We have a growing datacentre and do all of our ownemail and webhosting and alsohost our own call centre whichwill be operational 24/7 in thenear future.

Our business, however, is

not limited to only this; asa technology company, ourcustomers are constantlyasking us to supply andmanage different products and

services as they come into themarket and as their need forthem arise.

We are an ever evolving anddeveloping business, but wealways remember and reflecthat at our core, we are acommunications company.

Skyband Offices are locatedin Blantyre, on the groundfloor of Delamere Housealong Victoria Avenue andin Lilongwe, in the SkybandComplex, off Paul KagameRoad.

in IT.Similarly it was not imaginable

20 years ago that hard cash wouldno longer be the only mode ofpayment. Proud customers ofthe Bank of the Nation today, are

using plastic money or cards topay for their goods and servicesin supermarkets, groceries andshops.

It is now fashionable tosee NBM customers going tosupermarkets with a wallet ofcards and not cash. This hashelped our customers save timeby not queuing at the bank to getcash for payment of goods andservices.

With IT transformation, peopleare also able to go on holiday butcontinue to receive informationfrom their offices and continueto work and stay in touch with

the rest of the world.Of great importance is theimprovement in speed andquality of communication atever reducing costs. Some ofthe cross border meetings by ourmanagement are held on-linethrough video conferencing andtelephone conferences. In thepast, one would have to boarda plane to attend a meeting.Imagine how much is saved whenholding the on-line conferences.

With all these developmentsand social transformations, itis pleasing to see that the Bankof the Nation has set pace in

fostering technology in thebanking industry in Malawi. Themore opportunities technologycreates, the more offeringsNational Bank will offer thenation quite often for free.


11/12


PAGE 9

vertorial/featureS tranSforming our Society through ict development

modern world is sopendent on communicationvices. There are technologieshat allow people to keep int with each other in everyf the world. And a phone issuch inventions.the years went by, the

ss telephone and the mobilewere the next big things ince communication.

could walk around theand have no worry abouting the long curly cordsere used before.bile phones have becomehuge and, today, almostne owns one.often feel completely cut offhe rest of the world withoutlphones.

o can imagine a world todayut a cellphone?ry time cellphones are outice, people rush to expertsthem repaired so that they

n connected to the world.y Mbwana Junioracian from Sanweckacal Companions, annics enterprise selling andng free-to-air dishes anders, DVD players, cellphoneseir accessories, among othersays cellphone repairingallenging job.mostly has to do with

ecting dead cellphones. In

most cellphone repairersunder extreme pressure.me customers say I needhone in two hours timee I am leaving for Lilongweternoon and I have alreadyd a coach.ey do this even when them is complicated and may

more than two hours to bed, he says.a seasoned technician,

na says [in such situations]justs his work schedulee day and work at aonic speed, correctly fixingomponents to meet the

ds of the customer.adds that repairing a phonerisky in that some phonesp more complications whening is opened.en this happens, the

mer heaps blame on acian who may either end-updragged to court.

There are cases when youare forced to buy another phonefor the customer because ofunexpected problems that developin the process of repairing one,says Mbwana.

Another technician fromWanks Electronics in Limbe,

Ray Manyawa, also shares hisexperience.

There are cases such as aphone failing to complete loadingwhen switched on and when thathappens we know it is a softwareproblem.

There are also hardwareproblems, for example, where a

phone needs a replacement of theliquid crystal display (LCD) simplybecause it cannot display anything.A cellphone also develops mouthor ear piece problems, saysManyawa.

He says when a customer bringsa faulty cellphone, he asks them to

explain what the problem is.We then use our machines toeither detect or confirm what thecustomer said, he says.

Just as cellphone technicians say,there are a lot of challenges theyface in their day-to-day work.

There has also been an influxof fake phones on the market and

a

A technician doing what he knows best

PhotograPh:aNDrEW

MtUPaNYaMa

NDA TWEARepoRteR

this is a problem because whensuch phones break down, they areirredeemable.

Some phones are labelledNokia but when you open them,you discover that they are not. Ifsuch a phone develops a fault, itis difficult to repair them because

you discover that its spare partsare not compatible with those ofgenuine Nokia, says Manyawa.

Mbwana says sometimeswhen a cellphone is irreparableand you tell customers that thegadgets are irredeemable, theystart doubting your skills infixing phones.

There are also cases where youfix one problem only to discoverthat there is another thing thatalso needs fixing. When you askcustomers for more money, theydo not listen to you.

Another challenge we face isthat of spare parts. It is difficult

to get all spare parts you needlocally, he says.

Mbwana warns people againstbuying cheap phones on themarket.

Each of these phones has itsown model and this makes itdifficult to be repaired when theybreak down, he says.

ia, Ghana, India, Kenya,i, Mozambique, Nigeria,

da, South Africa, SouthLesotho, Swaziland, United

Emirates, Uganda, UK, USA,a and Zimbabwe.

hno Brains contributionalawis development hasunparalleled. The companyborder control authoritiessure national security by

B k ict prohibiting illegal trespassingbetween neighbouring countries;government financial departmentsto increase transparency and offerbetter services to citizens; lawenforcement agencies to identify

criminals through bio-metricfeatures and local governmentbodies to offer better citizenservices.

You can rest assured that thecompany will strive to providemore citizens centric services with

robust, enhanced and technologyrich solutions with the citizen inmind.

Techno Brain is constantly inpursuit of its vision to be recognisedas a respected, global IT firm, while

also being committed to societysdevelopment.

Techno Brain offers ITsolutions and products in identitymanagement, enterprise business,IT consulting, IT infrastructure andmanaged services, among others.

Techno Brains major IT productsare InspireHRM, a Certified forMicrosoft Dynamics (CfMD)human resources and payrollmanagement system; MEsure,project monitoring and evaluation

system, a CfMD product;SecuRegister, AIRevenue, anAirport Revenue ManagementSystem; Integrated FinancialManagement System (IFMS) andchild helpline case managementsystem just to mention a few.

Techno Brains training divisionhas over a decades experience inimparting quality IT training inAfrica on various career coursescertification programs, corporatetraining, university programmes

testing services and contentmanagement.

Partnered with New Horizonsthe worlds largest IT trainingcompany, Techno Brain helps indeveloping skilled IT manpowerin Africa. TechnoBrain


12/12


A

frica is hit hard bypoverty and diseasesand this has affecteduality of life of its.

has also causedpment to movelow pace in the lasts.

the adventinformation and

unication technologyhas somewhat carvedn alternative path topment.awi has benefited andped in many waysh ICT, says Malawi

munications Regulatory

rity (Macra) directormmunications Lloyda.

T is viewed as athat cuts across alldevelopment sectorsh various applicationsist in the industry.e liberalisation of thendustry through theshment of a regulator

mmunications has ledgrowth of the sector

denced by the currentcs showing the growthsector from the timestarted its regulatory

ons, he said.country has

sed steady growthteledensity for users

phony services to thet 35 percent.rently, the sectoren the emergence ofn third generationtechnologies in thef voice, video and datams to complementrvices being deliverede ICT sector across

Southern Africanopment Communityregion and globally.

mba also indicatedline with the mottomoting universal ICTin the country, Macra,the guidance of the

ry of Information andperation with severalating partners andolders, has launchedves to take ICT toral areas through the

ntre projects.ese projects offerunities in the ruralnder-served areas theunity to access ICTs within easy reach

cilitate their socio-mic development, he

further points out thatpplications have sinceadopted in all sectorsh ICT b i

featureSanSforming our Society through ict development

ct and soo-eonom developmenNDA TWEARepoRteR

banking.Others include e-education

in schools where coursesand programmes areoffered online reachingout to a lot of students;e-health and telemedicineto offer alternative help foroverwhelming cases in areaswhere doctor to patients ratiocannot be sustained.

Apart from that, ICTapplications have also aidedinfrastructure developmentthrough the implementationof high capacity fibreoptic projects whichoffer better connectivityservices; community-based

mobilisation throughmultipurpose communitytelecentres as well as rapidresponse to security threatsand disasters throughharmonised emergencyresponse services andnumbers such as 990 and997.

Mobile phones, as anotherform of ICT, have alsocontributed to the economicdevelopment of Africa andMalawi in particular.

Currently, Africa is rankedsecond to Asia in terms ofmobile phone connections.

As of 2012, Africa had over700 million mobile phones,according to Momba.

He says the advent ofmobile phone connectionsand usage has brought withi d d i

development of small andmedium-scale businesseswith respect to the serviceapplications that come withmobile technology, airtimesales, for instance, which ispredominantly in the form ofscratch cards as the countryis yet to fully migrate toelectronic airtime sales.

The signal for mobile

phone services which currentlycovers over 90 percent ofMalawis population ensuresthat re-sellers of mobile phoneairtime have a steady marketacross the country where

k i l d

connections have broughtabout the development ofvibrant social networkingopportunities.

This has increased thebusiness appeal throughinstant and real timeadvertising to a large pool ofpotential buyers.

The advent of product andservice advertising on such

social networking sites suchas Twitter and Facebook hasalso increased the businessappeal as most people are nowable to interact with clientsand receive feedback whichll h i h i

it is a common phenomenonto find that most businesseswill always include detailsof their Twitter handle and aFacebook page as part of theircontacts for ease of reach bytheir clients, he states.

The development ofe-commerce activities suchas mobile money is also abig plus in countries such as

Malawi where the percentageof people without access tobanking facilities is relativelyhigher.

Considering that almost80 percent of the populationli i l h

money has offered greateralternatives in the transaction

of business and sendingof money between therural and urban areas, thusoffering a cheaper means ofmaking transactions.

Momba adds that thee-commerce activitiesalso include developedapplications using SMSbased platforms that allowcollection of relevantinformation across manydevelopment sectors.

These include applicationsfor collection of patientstatistics in the health sectorthrough SMS, applications

for accessing examinationresults through SMS inthe education sector andapplications for accessingcommodity availability andprices in the agriculturesector.

These applications allowpeople to make informeddecisions and correctlyapportion resources toareas that need them mostwithout having to travel tothe affected areas and do anon-spot investigation, hesays.

The development of data

applications for mobile usershas also enhanced onlinereporting and feedbackwhich can be tapped into forsome government e-servicesby the realisation that mostf h i i i i hi

PhotograPhs:aNDrEW

MtUPa

NYaMa

Digital advertising is now common in Blantyre and Lilongwe

With ICTs, one can transact business from anypart of the world

world ict day: ict supplement

Documents