Broadband Development Challenges and Measures

The chapter analyses the use of broadband in EU countries in an attempt to find the main reasons, which explain the differences among countries. With the use of factor analysis the underlying factors were identified as: 1. enablers and means; 2. the use of services; and 3. the ICT sector’s development. Cluster analysis was used to identify similar countries. Based on these findings, a two-dimensional framework that enables the classification of policy actions depending on the influencing factor and type of influence was developed. Finally, a novel conceptualization of the field of broadband and e-commerce/e-government is proposed.

Citizens' Readiness for E-government in Developing Countries (CREG)

Many developing countries are facing difficulties in applying successful electronic government (e-government) projects. A major part of these difficulties that they are not used by citizens due to the lack of appropriate ICT infrastructure that support e-government services; in addition to the existence of a small percentage of citizens who are able to deal with such technology. This chapter introduces an empirical research that closely investigates the e-government weaknesses in developing countries from two major perspectives: e-readiness and trust. The research proposes a model based on e-readiness assessments and relevant literature that investigates the impact of citizens’ readiness for e-government (CREG) on e-government success within developing countries. The model was tested on the Egyptian e-government project as a sample of developing countries. The research findings confirmed the importance of the CREG model to achieve successful e-government projects in developing countries.

Do Insecure Systems Increase Global Digital Divide?

This chapter surveys the issues concerning the digital divide facing developing nations. The authors assert that “insecurity” and the “digital divide” are highly dependent on each other and as insecurity increases so does the digital divide. Therefore, the authors propose to extend the concept of the digital divide to include information security features by putting forward a new model or paradigm of security that is multi-faceted and is able to assist in bridging the digital divide gap. They argue that a lack of attention to security reduces the access to and use of resources with which to attack the digital divide. In particular, for e-business, the authors conclude that in developing countries having security issues at the forefront would encourage engagement with e-initiatives, or restrain it if there is an absence of security.

Communicating Farm Technologies through Traditional and New Media Channels

This chapter begins by looking at the importance of knowledge and information in agricultural development. Then the chapter discusses how the traditional mass media channels, viz., radio, print and television had been instrumental in India’s agricultural technology transfer. Next, it explores the characteristics of new media, the problems associated with the advent of Internet and how self-help groups and ICTs could be effectively used in technology transfer. The focus narrows to a comparative study on the effectiveness of traditional and new media in communicating farm technologies. Finally, the chapter examines how the extension agents, based on the results could formulate communication strategies for effectively using the mass media channels.

ICT Strategy for Development

Emerging information and communication technology (ICT) is setting the pace for a changing, competitive and dynamic global marketplace and representing an enabling platform for business and socioeconomic development in the 21st century. In that respect, developing nations are urged to keep pace regularly with the developments taking place in the developed world through the design and implementation of strategy, vision and detailed plans for universal access in terms of ICT literacy and its effective utilization for developmental purposes were ICT is promoted as a vehicle for development. It is important to note that building the ICT infrastructure and infostructure will not realize quantum leaps in the development process unless it is coupled with concrete projects and initiatives that engage the society at large with its multiple stakeholders from public, private, government and civil society organizations irrespective of their locations whether urban or remote, gender or background. This chapter describes the evolution of the ICT sector in Egypt over the last decade with an emphasis on national ICT strategy development and deployment as an integral element of Egypt’s overall development process within the context of a an emerging economy and the various growing potentials ICT offers for its socioeconomic development.

Assessing Electronic Government Readiness in Egypt

Electronic Government (e-Government) has rapidly become a political imperative at local, national and international level. The drive to implement e-government has become of critical importance globally. The e-government revolution offers the potential to reshape the public sector and remake the relationship between citizens and government. Several developing nations, including Egypt, having witnessed the benefits realized by e-Government in developed countries, took e-Government initiatives and achieved different success rates. It is frequently claimed that proving an effective e-government assessment framework is a necessary condition for advancing e-Government. The objective of this chapter is to present a framework that assesses e-Government readiness (EGR) in Egypt, focusing on electronic administration (e-Administration) within a public organization through obtaining its employees’ feedback. The suggested framework investigates the internal factors affecting e-Government readiness which are: strategy, processes, people, and technology. The chapter applies this framework on 2 public organizations in Egypt to test it and to set a comparison between both organizations in terms of the internal factors effect on e-Government readiness.

Information System Strategy Development and Implementation in the Egyptian Small and Medium Construction Enterprises

Egypt’s diversified economy has historically performed below its potential; however the Egyptian government is recognizing the importance of small to medium enterprises (SMEs). SMEs face many constraints including weak supply of skilled labor, limited access to capital and poor access to IT. This chapter provides an investigation into the Information System (IS) strategy of SMEs in Egypt using questionnaires and case studies to explore whether SMEs in Egypt follow a comprehensive IS strategy or whether IS is not viewed as an important factor in organisational success. It was evidenced that most Egyptian SMEs lack the structure needed to successfully plan an IS strategy. However it was discovered from three case studies that organisations operating with a structured hierarchy proved to be far more advanced with regard to IS strategy planning. In addition, communication between levels was more efficient; therefore alignment of IS strategy with business strategy was inevitable. It was also evidenced that top management involvement is present at the decision making stages and through implementation, and IS planning is undertaken in some way by Egyptian SMEs. However they face many problems with lack of resources and lack of expertise. This is mainly due to management not understanding the need to recruit experienced individuals.

"eSME Slovenia"

This chapter introduces e-strategies, initiatives and action planes in the European Union intended for the successful implementation of the Lisbon Strategy, according to which Europe should become the most competitive and dynamic society based on knowledge by 2010. These strategies are the baseline for the national policies, strategies and initiatives in every European Union country. The chapter presents policies, legislation environment and initiatives being adopted in Slovenia. Moreover, data about e-business development in Slovenia is also presented. As in other EU countries, it is evident that SMEs are generally lagging behind large organizations as far as the adoption and usage of e-commerce is concerned. The situation was a background for the preparation of the eSMEs Slovenia initiative and action plan to accelerate e-business introduction and adoption in SMEs. The initiative and action plan consist of 12 actions, which are elaborated in this chapter. The initiative was supported by the ministers of the Ministry of Higher Education and Technology, the Ministry of Public Administration, the Ministry of Economy, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Economic Growth and Development and other involved institutions. Thus, the initiative presents an important framework for the further uptake of e-business adoption by SMEs. The chapter is concluded by a summary of the chapter’s main contributions.

The Challenges of the National ICT Policy Implementation Process

Thailand and Malaysia have both undergone a rapid transformation of their ICT sectors, including their telecommunications networks, national policies, institutions, and regulatory regimes. The author contents that the privatization of the monopoly telecommunications operator and the creation of a regulatory agency are the foundation for all other governmental ICT initiatives designed to accelerate telecommunications adoption. This is a difficult process to successfully implement, with many countries unable to sufficiently reduce the authority of the postal, telegraph & telephone (PTT) agency to develop a new entity that is politically independent. Despite these difficulties, this process is vital to the success of a national ICT market. The creation of a competitive market and a government regulator is the basis on which all other regulatory reforms, institutional reforms, and national ICT policies must rest. If a country cannot achieve a politically sustainable balance of power between the government, the former monopoly, and the competitive players, then that country cannot sustain its rapid ICT adoption. A number of national initiatives are currently under way to develop technology sectors and increase adoption rates in developing countries, but many of these initiatives do not have a clear understanding of their potential impact and benefit on the economy – and are therefore difficult to justify politically or economically (Docktor, 2004). The stated goal of this research was to provide a set of tools for local and international policy makers and technology providers to help assess the benefits of technology initiatives while tying them to the larger issue of economic development.

A National ICT-in-Education Initiative

This chapter presents a unique national initiative: Macedonia Connects, a multi-partner, scaled ICT-for-education project wherein every school across Macedonia was equipped with both computers and wireless Internet connections and through which the Internet was made available to citizens across the entire country. A number of best practices may be identified, including the pre-deployment training of teachers in IT adoption, the equality of provision to promote positive inter-ethnic relations, and the long-term focus on the part of all stakeholders in terms of outcomes. The goals of this project target both educational and socio-economic development. There are many aspects of this case that may be applicable to future ICT-for-development endeavors, and some of Macedonia’s neighboring states have already indicated interest in following this model.