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Welcome to The Bulletin, the fortnightly round up of news, policy and legislation for the technology industry. Forward this email to a friend.
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Minister responds to digital divide article |
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Paul Murphy MP, Minister for Digital Inclusion, gives an alternative answer |
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In the new iQ magazine, Sam Ingleby posed a question to which Paul Murphy MP, Minister for Digital Inclusion, gives an alternative answer: Digital divide - is it real? As Minister for Digital Inclusion, he feels it's both real and relevant.
The article cites demographic change, market forces, consumer demand and government intervention as factors mitigating the digital divide. These may have changed its shape, but they have not yet reduced it to the point where we can rest on our laurels and watch it disappear altogether.
Download the new iQ magazine (PDF 2.8MB)»
Read the full article» |
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Intellect Director General writes from Beirut |
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Summary of Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region conference |
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"The sectarian violence is behind us now", I was somewhat surprised to be told by a senior official from the Iraqi government. I'm writing this in Beirut where I am a guest speaker at the first conference for the Middle East and North Africa, MENA, region organised by IJMAA, the Arab ICT trade association. My Iraqi acquaintance was part of a delegation of 15, including the ICT Minister Abdu Kahman, here for the conference and for a meeting of Iraqi government CIOs. Those I spoke to all talked about a more positive sentiment in the country and I can only hope they are right.
The topics on the conference agenda would be familiar to attendees at ICT policy conferences anywhere in the world; how to boost the sector, its role in education, development and alleviation of poverty, liberalising telecoms, protection of IPR, access to finance for growing companies etc etc. My own role was to provide a European and UK perspective on the topics, and I'll explore the parallels and differences later in this column. There were some new and topical debates such as the effect on the region of the economic downturn, and people wanting my opinion on whether European companies would be selling more aggressively in the region as our home markets started to shrink. If, by the way, UK companies do decide to sell harder here, they can be sure of enthusiastic, very capable and knowledgeable support from UKTI staff on the ground. |
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Intellect High Tech: Low Carbon Week |
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09 -13 February 2009
at various venues across the UK |
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If you want to find out how technology is tackling climate change you need to attend High Tech: Low Carbon Week (HTLCW).
HTLCW is about action and the practical steps that the technology sector is and will be taking to tackle climate change. It is about the technology related challenges and opportunities faced by technology companies, British businesses, government
and citizens. It is about direct engagement and debate with business leaders and government ministers and a firsthand look
at some of the technologies that will help the UK reduce carbon emissions.
This event is not a one-size-fits-all and is designed to allow participants access to all the information and a choice of engaging directly with only those elements you want to whether they be debates, technology demonstrations, keynotes or networking. |
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Government publishes report |
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Knowledge and Information Management report now published |
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Intellect welcomes the publication of the government's new strategy to seize the opportunities and meet the challenges of
managing knowledge and information in a digital era. The document, titled 'Information matters: building government's capability in managing knowledge and information', has been led by the Knowledge Council and will help develop the framework, tools and capabilities for knowledge and information management.
Last year, Intellect's Information Sharing Group provided input to the strategy via a joint workshop with the Knowledge Council. We hope to assist the Council as it begins to deliver those envisaged changes across Government.
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Freedom of Information Guidance |
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Intellect publishes Update to Freedom of Information Guidance for Suppliers |
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 Intellect has published an update to the Freedom of Information Guidance that was originally launched in July 2005. The document includes a summary of decisions which will be relevant to Intellect members. It provides practical experiences, such as legal cases and other case studies, that shed light on the lessons learnt. Intellect recommends this document to any company contracting within the public sector.
The document can be accessed on our website at www.intellectuk.org/foi
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Intellect Annual Charity Ball - review |
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Intellect raises £17,000 for charity |
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This year's Intellect Charity Ball raised over £17,000 for two charities who work in the technology sector. Our charities, AbilityNet, a national charity that helps disabled adults and children use computers and the internet by adapting the technology, and iT4Communities, the UK's leading IT volunteering program, will benefit from the donations.
Money raised will help charities, community groups and enterprises access free IT support from professional volunteers and provide essential equipment for disabled people.
The Marriott Grosvenor Square Hotel was transformed into the Moulin Rouge for the evening and nearly 300 guests from the technology industry took part in the fundraising event.
A big thanks again to our sponsors Cable & Wireless, IBM, EDS, Tribune Business Systems and Microsoft and our supporters The Solution Group and Formara. |
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Sponsorship opportunities |
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We now have some excellent sponsorship packages available for all our newsletters, tailored to your individual needs and designed to raise your company profile amongst the crème de la crème of the technology sector. From banner ads to links, logos and company description, we can advertise your company and its products and increase traffic to your website. |
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Mentoring role - UKRC for Women in SET
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The UK Resource Centre for Women in Science, Engineering and Technology (UKRC for Women in SET) is looking to upgrade its centralised data management system to one that meets its organisational needs. They are looking for someone with excellent communication, IT and project management skills who is empathetic to user needs, understands technology and its capability, and can communicate with IT suppliers, and who would be willing to spend, on average, one day per fortnight in a mentoring/coaching role with the sponsor, teams and users to ensure effective delivery of this project within the agreed timescale.
The UKRC for Women in SET is a government funded initiative offering a range of services for business, organisations and individual women delivered by a central team employed by the Bradford based centre and through partner hubs in Wales, Scotland and the SE. For more information about the UKRC for Women in SET please visit www.ukrc4setwomen.org
If you are an Intellect member who is interested in this mentoring role or would like more information, please contact Gillian Arnold at ARNOLDG@uk.ibm.com |
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Transformational Government Christmas Dinner 19:00-22:00 15/12/2008 more»
Leadership, management and driving business change 09:30-17:00 13/01/2009 more»
Financial Services Group - Solvency II and MiFID 10:00-12:00 13/01/2009 more»
Telehealth Group - assistive technology for older people: Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE) 15:00-17:00 13/01/2009 more»
Document Management Group seminar - two years on: rescoping the future of document management 10:00-12:00 15/01/2009 more»
The information security solution sales and marketing plan 10:00-14:30 19/01/2009 more»
Intellect-OGC Conference 2009 09:25-16:25 20/01/2009 more»
Intellect Sourcing Conference - Pushing new boundaries 08:30-17:00 22/01/2009 more»
The what, why and how of global sourcing 09:30-17:00 22/01/2009 more» | |
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We welcome any feedback you may have regarding The Bulletin.
If you have any comments or suggestions for a particular news item to be covered, please send your ideas to communications@intellectuk.org
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The computer mouse celebrated its birthday earlier this week, but just how old is it?
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Thanks to BBC and silicon.com for the following snippets of news:
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Help us find the fraudsters, police ask business |
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The UK's new e-crime unit wants industry to help out in the battle against online fraud. |
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EU wants end to old-style bulbs |
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A European Union report has recommended banning conventional incandescent light bulbs by 2012 to save energy and cut down on greenhouse gas emissions. |
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Techies happy to migrate to get a job |
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UK IT workers are ready to clear more than their desks if the right job comes calling. |
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Benefit reforms 'mean fair deal' |
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Proposals to force benefit claimants, including single mothers, to prepare for work or face losing payments are a "fair deal", the government has said. |
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