[This article was published in the May 2009 issue of the eGov Magazine (http://www.egovonline.net) ]
The usage of ICT for improving governance is an agenda with large ramifications. This needs policy enablements from various parts of the governemnt.
According to recently published World Economic Forum report, China has improved its information technology infrastructure by receiving 46th position globally this year on the Networked Readiness Index (NRI).
Samsung Electronics has launched its first smartphone powered by Google Android, Samsung I7500. The phone has a 3.2-inch touchscreen AMOLED display with 480 x 320 pixel HVGA resolution, 5 megapixel camera with LED flash and 8GB of internal memory which can be expanded up to 32GB.
In order to to resolve the critical issue of additional spectrum allocation, the Union Government of India has set up a panel, which is submitting their report in the next 10 days. The panel is shifted from the current subscriber based spectrum allocation to auction mode allocation.
Local Wimax service provider has partnered with Samsung to provide to implement its WiMax network across the country over the next five years. However, it will take at least 14 months before the high-speed mobile broadband service from YTL’s subsidiary, YTL e-Solutions, is expected to be rolled out nationwide in July 2010.
Cisco, and the County of San Francisco, have collaborated to start a pilot project called Urban EcoMap, that will educate people about climate change and to spur a shift to climate-friendly social behavior in cities.
The city police of Hyderabad has launched a new dedicated website on which traffic jam alerts will be updated regularly. The website called www.htp.gov.in through which people can lodge complaints pertaining to traffic using the `Traffic Help Desk’ link and also check the status of the complaint. The website also offers services like checking the e-challan status and data pertaining to accidents.
Datacomp, an insurance and financial Services software solution provider, has partnered with Atom for its m-payment platform.Datacomp will enable the renewal and purchase of its software solution through the m-payments platform using phone and credit card.
The Dubai Police has been awarded with eLEADER status in the ‘Power Buyer’ category for having achieved an exceptionally high online purchases rate using Tejari online marketplace.
A team of botanists in Mumbai are planning to map trees with the help of GPS based etchnology. Environmentalist, Ramesh Madav and his team, who have founded Terracon Ecotech Pvt. Ltd, will be out with equipment that can determine the exact location of a tree using global positioning system, or GPS, a satellite-based technology typically used in vehicle navigation and location-based information search.
