[UgaBYTES] WEEKLY NEWS ROUND UP- AFRICA (WEEK 22)

Fri May 29 14:00:10 GMT 2009

*Africa lags behind in use of free software*

21st May 2009

While Asia and Latin America are seeing a boom in the use of free software,
now taking the global lead, Africa is still lagging behind, depending
largely on expensive programmes and pirate copies.

Researchers from the University of Seville, Spain, have carried out a report
mapping the use of free software around the world, concluding that the use
of free software in South America and Asia will be around 70 percent in
2010, with a special relevance in the education sector. Developing countries
are taking a lead in the use and development of free software, a no-cost
alternative to expensive computer programmes that by now do not stand behind
in quality compared to branded products. But, they found, this only applies
for Latin America and Asia - not Africa.

http://www.afrol.com/articles/33319

*Amharic Office Word Application Software Almost Complete*

24th May 2009

A project working on the localization of two software types is about a month
away from finalization, knowledgeable sources disclosed. The joint ICT
glossary project, currently in its finale stages, is under the strategic
agreement of the Ethiopia Information and Communication Technology
Development Agency (EICTDA), the Addis Abeba University (AAU) and Microsoft.
It is meant to translate terminologies used in the software from English to
Amharic - Ethiopia’s official language at federal level.  IT experts from
EICTDA, the AAU and Microsoft have been working on the project for over one
year and expect to finish the translation work in the coming month; the
translated software will be available to the public for free, according to
Minasse Zewdu, citizenship manager at Microsoft East Africa Limited,
Ethiopia Branch Office.The localized software will make it easy for the
majority of Ethiopians to operate and work with them, as they are not
expected to have knowledge of English to be able to use the software
packages, Minasse, told Fortune.

http://www.addisfortune.com/Amharic%20Office%20Word%20Application%20Software%20Almost%20Complete.htm

*Rwanda to host OLPC learning centre for Africa*

28th May 2009

Rwanda is set to become home to the pilot learning centre for the One Laptop
Per Child (OLPC) project in Africa due to its outstanding progress in
promoting the child user friendly computer on the continent.

The centre to be located at the Kigali Institute of Science and Technology
(KIST) to be known as the OLPC Learning Centre will be launched on June 9
and it is aimed at supporting Rwanda achieve its objectives of promoting ICT
in Education but also act as a reach out centre for the whole of Africa.
“Most countries in Africa and Latin America have started this programme of
OLPC and the OLPC Group has agreed to start a learning centre to support the
use of these computers in every continent,” explained Richard Niyonkuru, the
OLPC Coordinator at the Ministry of Education.

http://www.newtimes.co.rw/print.php?issue=13909&print&article=16079

*15 Rural schools, NGOs in Uganda get 150 computers*

27th May 2009

A total of 15 schools and community-based organisations in Lira district
have received computers worth over sh180m from the Danish Uganda Friendship
Association.  A total of 150 computers, 15 printers and accessories were
over the weekend handed over to the beneficiaries at the district municipal
council hall.

http://www.newvision.co.ug/D/8/16/682734?highlight&q=lira

*Kenya Government information now online*

29th May 2009

Government services and information can now be accessed online. An online
portal spearheaded by Kenya ICT Board now allows users access to essential
documents and Government services in the Internet. It also allows users to
interact with Government officials. Launching the portal, Information PS
Bitange Ndemo said it aims at disseminating vital information quickly. The
information will now be available on the one-stop online platform:
www.information.go.ke.  "The Government is committed to providing
information to ensure citizens access it easily and faster," said Dr Ndemo
during the launch at KICC in Nairobi, yesterday. Record history Ndemo said
Kenya’s history since 1963 would be compiled and availed through the portal.

http://www.eastandard.net/InsidePage.php?id=1144015469&cid=4&ttl=Government%20information%20now%20online

*Seacom on track for its switch-on*

29th  may 2009

TESTS have begun on the undersea telecoms cable Seacom with its switch-on
only 29 days away.

The cable has been brought ashore at Mtunzini near Durban as the 600m
project stays on schedule.

Tests under way will ensure all the connections in the 17000km cable are
fully operational and optimum traffic flow is achieved before its commercial
launch on June 27.

The cable links India to SA and runs up Africa’s east coast to the Middle
East and Europe. It promises to end the dearth of bandwidth that has kept
prices high and data transmissions down for African countries. “It’s a huge
impact for SA, but it’s a much bigger impact for e ast Africa,” said CEO
Brian Herlihy yesterday. “Communities in Africa are all depending on
information and communications technology infrastructure as a catalyst for
development.”

http://www.businessday.co.za/Articles/Content.aspx?id=72090

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