Seminar On Canadian ICT Capabilities
By Huraizah Ahmad

Bandar Seri Begawan - Economies are being borderless and global with the fast developing ICT industry. ICT has made a lasting impact on the economic, social and cultural aspects of our lives - for our communities, our business and our citizens.

From it we retrieve instant access to knowledge thus business is being transformed. This was stated by the Canadian High Commissioner, Mr Leopold Battel at the opening of the Canadian ICT Capabilities Seminar that was held at the Sheraton Utama Hotel yesterday.

"We have entered the digital era of Network Economy and Canada as well as the rest of the world are experiencing a digital revolution that transcends national boundaries to what we call information society, the knowledge economy or the network economy," Mr Battel said. Canada which is home to more employees of the ICT related industries than its rich natural resource industries (wheat, forestry, mines 6 per cent GDP) has over 32,000 ICT companies and these companies contribute CDN $60.7 billion to the country's GDP - 5.6 per cent of the total output in 2005, he added.

The Minister of Communications, Pehin Dato Awang Haji Abu Bakar bin Haji Apong in his speech said, "The Canadian ICT Capabilities Seminar is abridge that will link our private sectors and provide valuable channel for exchange of experience and knowledge as well as an ideal platform for networking."

ICT, which is the engine for growth, has enabled the development and facilitation of businesses. With this, the crucial role of the private sector is also realised and they have been regarded as one of the prime movers and shakers of the industry.

"Our commitment towards developing the ICT industry is illustrated with the recent corporatisation of the Telecommunications Department into Telekom Brunei B erhad and the establishment of our regulator and developer of the ICT industry - the Authority for Info-communications Technology Industry of Brunei Darussalam (AiTi)," said the Communications Minister.

"Our e-Government programme allocated with the B$1 billion budget in the 8th National Development Plan is also aligned with the goals of the National Development Plan on diversification of the national economy from oil and gas.

"Brunei Darussalam has also achieved several key milestones in pursuing the agenda for ICT development including the establishment of the National IT Strategic Plan, The IT 2000 & Beyond and also the Brunei IT Council in Year 2000. We have implemented our e-Government programme for the first five years (2001-2005) and this year we did a review of the five-year implementation (20062010).

"I am certain that we will be able to create new links and strengthen relationships and we welcome such links particularly from investors to come to Brunei not just to implement your programmes and activities but preferably to forge alliances with our local players," added the minister.

The event yesterday also saw presentations by various Canadian companies in the ICT industry including Cognos Inc, Diagnos, Mitel, Nortel Networks, Open Text Corporation, Psion Teklogix Inc, Redline Communications and Smart Technologies Inc. -- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin

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