Financial Times

ICT Act presented in Parliament

The much-awaited Information Communication Technology (ICT) Act was presented in Parliament on June 17 by Milinda Moragoda, Minister for Economic Reforms, Science & Technology. Presenting the Act, Moragoda said that the incorporation of ICT is crucial in determining the country's competitiveness in the future and called for its support by all parliamentarians.

"ICT is quickly changing the rules of the game globally dictating who will win and who will lose in commerce, administration, governance and education. The future of our country is at stake. The government cannot afford to continue to operate without incorporating ICT into the fabric of life of the nation. Otherwise, Sri Lanka will be left far behind, while other countries which have adopted ICT progress," he told parliament.

He was of the view that this Act is "a vital piece of legislation" that will be required to establish a National Policy Framework, and an ICT agency to carry out the implementation of eSri Lanka initiative.

The new Act would repeal Part III of the 1994 Science and Technology Development Act, that is, to wind up the existing Council for Information Technology (CINTEC). The succeeding ICT Agency will have far reaching powers and be brought under a structure that would have closer links with the Prime Minister's office. CINTEC employees will be considered for placement through application in the new ICT Agency and the others would be offered compensation in the form of a Voluntary Retirement Scheme.

The minister also pointed out setting a limited life for the new agency and its activities. "It is important to note that the new Agency will itself have a limited life of five years which will only be extended if deemed necessary. In today's fast-changing world, where priorities continuously change, obsolescence applies to institutions as well. As such, we believe that this sunset provision is a pragmatic feature of this Act."

The minister also translated the probable economic loss if the country fails to implement such an ICT initiative. "Our main economic sectors of tourism, garments and agriculture are increasingly endangered. Take the tourist industry as an example. Consumers are now increasingly shopping for travel destinations and travel packages via the Internet. In response, there is stiff competition among many tourist councils of not only countries but even cities now. These reach out to potential tourists with attractive websites and other clever stratagems using the new technology to attract the patronage of this large pool of sophisticated customers," he explained.

Further he was of the view that Sri Lanka's high literacy rate makes the country an ideal candidate to serve as exporters of IT-enabled services such as call centres, back-office operations, and even software development.

"The entire country will be included in this ICT programme. In fact, the telecommunications network must cover the entire country if we are to be successful. Recent reforms have brought about a step in this direction. As a result of the liberalisation of the international gateway, telephone costs for overseas calls have dropped dramatically. However, there is much more to achieve in this sector. Connectivity must be made available to everyone, and that is why the Vishwa Grama Fund was established on the back of this reform to create network-rollout subsidies to incentivise operators to provide services to areas which are presently under served. By doing this we will help ensure that ICT reaches even the most remote villages eventually," he said of the role of the involvement of private and public sector organizations in all areas.

The new Act will also have a significant emphasis on education. The action plan includes setting up of distance learning centres throughout the country. Moragoda added that projects that were initiated under previous regimes will also be included in the project. "Several ICT projects started under the earlier government which fit in with the e-Sri Lanka initiative, would be included. The Prime Minister has decided to integrate these projects as part of the ICT programme. ICT is too important an area for partisan considerations to enter."

Speaking on the funding for the implementation of programmes envisaged under the Act, Moragoda said that several donor organizations have expressed interest. "In fact, the World Bank is in the process of allocating around US $50 million to begin implementation of this programme. Donors such as Japan, The United States, India, Sweden, Canada and the Asian Development Bank are committed to helping make e-Sri Lanka a reality."

Finally he added that the new ICT Agency will have "the brightest young minds Sri Lanka" and will have powers outlined by Section 9 (5) of the Act.

Meanwhile, a top official from a leading private sector organization in the ICT industry has been identified to head the new agency. However, the appointment is being delayed over issues of remuneration, according to informed sources.

The World Bank during the drafting of the eSri Lanka initiative had apportioned a significant sum for salaries of the staff of the ICT agency. The motive behind such thinking is in keeping in line with the policy of attracting the best talent and brains - through internationally competitive salaries - to implement the roadmap.

IBM launches enterprise servers and storage products

IBM a fortnight ago introduced its ultimate Unix server that enhances performance by 65 percent over existing models together with an array of virtual storage products to the Sri Lankan market.

IBM's high-end eServer range is targeted at enterprise-level applications and has versions to suit appropriate customer requirements. Running on IBM's latest Power 4+ processor at a speed of 1.7 GHz the new range is differentiated by unique 'on demand' features.

The 'on demand' features include on/off capacity upgrade, where servers with multiple processors can activate/deactivate processors depending on the activity; and memory upgrades.The features also include software on demand through which pSeries software can be hired by the day when additional capacity is needed. A novel try and buy feature allows users to test additional capacity in terms of memory and processors on a 30-day charge free trial basis.

However, IBM's most attractive innovation is its storage virtualization products. The software and specialized stand-alone data storage units provide for a new concept called Storage Area Networks (SAN). SAN enables organizations to store data independent of operating platform, branded hardware and software, thus making data available to all parts of organizations that use different technologies for their respective operations.

SLT launches new Internet broadband connectivity

Sri Lanka Telecom (SLT) rolled out the first phase of its new Internet broadband connectivity based on Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL) standard for homes and businesses recently.

The introduction of ADSL by the operator sets a new paradigm in Internet connectivity as residential and small businesses would enjoy the privileges of broadband Internet access. Further, users will be able to surf without being conscious of dial-up rates as the Internet connection would be "always-on". This means that subscribers are charged a monthly fixed fee irrespective of the duration they use the Internet and the quantum of data that was downloaded. An additional benefit is that users would be able to use their phone lines for normal incoming/ outgoing telephone and fax calls while surfing.

The ADSL has become a natural successor to the not so popular ISDN (International Speed Data Network) connectivity that was introduced a few years ago. ADSL is essentially a continuously open data line to an Internet Service Provider that works over conventional telephone lines. The new connectivity works over existing voice/data lines and provides the ability to transfer high-speed data through a new modulation technology known as Discreet Multi Tone (DMT). The technology enables simultaneous access of normal telephone services and Broadband Internet such as audio and video over existing telephone lines of SLT customers.

ADSL's asymmetric data flow also enables an Internet Service Provider (ISP) to optimize the bandwidth for common Internet usage unlike conventional Internet connections. The nature of Internet browsing requires larger downloading and smaller uploading capacity.

SLT's Home Express Package provides 512 Kbps download/128 Kbps upload speed while the Office Express Package is configured for 2Mbps download/512Kbps upload speed. The two packages would be charged a monthly fee of Rs. 2,250 and Rs. 6,750 respectively. This amount is charged apart from the telephone bill for regular voice calls taken by the customer.

The product has now been launched in key exchanges in the Greater Colombo area that has been identified to be holding 80 percent of Sri Lanka's Internet traffic.

The initial investment in this service involves a special modem costing a minimum of Rs. 9,500 available at any SLT Teleshop which has to be purchased to facilitate ADSL connectivity. In addition a sum of Rs. 2,000 is charged by SLT as a one-time set up fee for the connection, and the service would be activated in approximately two weeks.

Natural human computer interface necessity for eLearning

By Akhry Ameer

A natural human computer interface similar to traditional methods of learning is imperative if the e-learning concept is to grow, according to an expert in the subject of human computer interaction (HCI). The new tablet PC is the answer to this need, says Dr. Ananda Gunawardena, a faculty and researcher specializing in HCI, data mining and creation of smart learning environments of the Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, USA.

His reasoning is that the personal computer is an unnatural environment in terms of having to use a mouse and keyboard for input, but humans are more comfortable using pens and pencils, and communicating through their own handwriting. Therefore, an adaptation of the device is required and not vice-versa.

The table PC that was launched recently helps humans to work more directly with the computer, i.e. writing in their own handwriting on the screen using a pen where the PC translates and understands the commands. A recent study where notebook computers were issued to school children in USA found that the devices were not replacing the habit of taking notes on books, as opposed to typing notes. Students had to be prompted by teachers to use the notebooks and only around 30% made maximum use of the device.

However, initial studies of the usage of tablet PC's find that perceptions are changing due to the forms of input. In addition the notebook has enhanced features like lightweight, portable, detachable from keyboard, longer battery life, etc. A federal government funded pilot project is underway where around 125,000 children in school districts would be given these devices and monitored on their usage.

Dr. Gunawardena is also Co-Founder, Chairman and Chief Scientist of Textcentric Technologies, a US based software company with a subsidiary development lab in Sri Lanka. The company is developing products based on Dr. Gunawardena’s pioneer Adaptive Content Technology (ACT). The ACT is being used in the development of an ebook reader meant to aid learning. Unlike other ebook readers in the market, users are able to add annotations, bookmarks, notes, indexes, and other integrated resources as a layer on to the document, thus making it a focal point for the student's learning. The company has also advanced its product where users can now add handwritten notes, just as one would scribble on a textbook.

The tablet PC together with tools such as Textcentric's adaptive book becomes a powerful combination in the area of elearning. While the device provides affordable high-capacity storage that allows users to carry virtually a library of books, the adaptive book reader diminishes the need for paper-based notebooks.

Responding to how developing countries such as Sri Lanka can harness the use of these devices, Dr. Gunawardena agreed that the current cost of US$1,500 per tablet PC is a deterrent. Though the prices will drop with increased adoption, he said, "We still have to think of alternatives; something like the Simputer project in India where the device costs around US$100." These are affordable devices that provide similar functionality by manufacturing them with minimum system requirements that keeps the cost per unit at bay. Textcentric has been successful in working with a Singaporean company to obtain such devices at around US$500 but is hopeful of being able to drive prices down to US$300. Speaking on the role of palmtops, Dr. Gunawardena was of the view that they are supportive devices, but will not necessarily play a bigger role in education.

Further, the language barrier is another area that would have to be addressed if elearning is to be successful locally. According to Dr. Gunawardena, local universities are working on a Unicode format for Sinhala, a coding system that would be adopted universally as the coding system for Sinhala. Several other countries have already developed unicodes for their respective languages and this has led to international software being able to be transferred to the respective languages.

Textcentric has been recognized as the only private provider of content and technology in the area of elearning by the eSri Lanka initiative. While the company services foreign clients with content preparation of paper based material for digital access, it is also setting up a virtual research network with Carnegie Mellon in USA. Textcentric's aim is to move ACT further towards improved human computer interaction and build smart learning capabilities. Smart learning is being researched by Dr. Gunawardena and others at Carnegie Mellon where users with similar problems on a given subject will be linked virtually to share ideas and thoughts. The university has already made progress in the research and has reached a significant stage.

Meanwhile, Textcentric plans to partner with eCollege, a major course management software provider to link products and be more competitive in the market. To coincide with the visit of officers of eCollege, both companies are planning to conduct an awareness seminar on the concept of elearning next month in Sri Lanka.

Lankan professionals form software firm

A group of Sri Lankan professionals and entrepreneurs with experience in telecommunications and networking and in designing Internet solutions have formed a new company to develop and export Internet software products.

Called Calcey Technologies (Pvt) Ltd, Colombo, the firm exported $20,000 worth of Internet software solutions, mainly for US-based companies, in its first four months of operations here. The local firm is the production arm of Calcey Technologies, San Francisco, California, USA.

The company has been named by combining the words California and Ceylon to represent the relationship between the two. The marketing arm of the local company is Calcey USA.

Calcey CEO, Mangala Karunaratne said the company plans to develop Web and Internet solutions amounting to a further $150,000 in the next 12 months.

The firm's services are conceptualized and designed at its studio in Silicon Valley, San Francisco. These are then delivered from its development centre in Colombo, Karunaratne said.Calcey Internet and Intranet solutions enable customers to increase revenue, reduce costs, and gain market share, he said.