ICT Implications for the Caribbean Region

Mapping the Research Agenda & the FP7/ICT Awareness Workshop University of the West Indies Mona Visitors Lodge Evan Duggan
March 18, 2009

Watershed Events in the History of ICT

Dr John Atanasoff and Clifford Berry designed and built first computer (ABC) Dr John Von Neumanns paper on the stored program concept Dr Grace Hoppers the education of a computer Marcian Edward "Ted" Hoff, Jr. proposed the microprocessor Further Developments

Convergence of computing and communications technologies Digitization Communications protocols Miniaturization

ARPANET, NSFNET, and the beginning of the Internet Tim Berners-Lee invents medium for document sharing called WWW The rest is (really) history

Cascade of ICT-enabled Innovations Dramatic Increases in Price-Performance Ratio Ubiquity

The Digital Economy

Implications of The Digital Economy

E-Commerce/E-Government/M-Commerce

Simplified product/service selection Markets become more competitive Customers are more discriminating (new expectations, more info, more choices)
Creating opportunities for market efficiencies

Companies are evolving their business models with customers, intermediaries and suppliers

(no middleman) Facilitating a global market (breaking down barriers)

Increased globalization Increased Competition

Electronic relationships and Real-time exchange (e-commerce) Shared processes (e-supply chain, extended-integrated enterprise)

Digital Convergence

ICT and Competitiveness in Small Economies

The Digital Divide*

External Divide Internal Divide

Regional Response

Fixation on Digital Readiness Measures

Digital Readiness Indices (E-readiness ranking, Networked Readiness Index, Digital Opportunity Index, ICT Diffusion Index, and E-government readiness ranking)

ICT Infrastructural Expansion

Is Readiness a surrogate for Effectiveness?

Other Innovations in the Digital Economy

Business Intelligence Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Knowledge Management Intelligent Systems Disintermediation Telecommuting Trans-national Business Model

Free and Open Source Software

"The future is here, it's just not widely distributed yet

William Gibson

Better Target for Small Economies Generally

Digital Maturity (Effectiveness) Continuum

1. Awareness, 2. Access, 3 Adoption, 4. Exploitation, 5. Innovation

Specifically

Alter ICT Producer/Consumer Ratio

Build Vibrant ICT Industry Participate in the Global Software market

Potential benefits of ICT for people in developing countries

Economic

Social

Economic Growth Sustainable resource management Job creation e-Inclusion e-Education & Literacy e-Health Poverty reduction Grassroots valorization Capacity Building & Good governance Reduction of unnecessary bureaucracy Transparency

Political

Creativity enhancement

Way Forward to Bridge the External Divide

Develop a digital effectiveness index (DEI) Assess Digital effectiveness as baseline for targeted action
Introspection so as to determine effective digital aims Meaningful comparison across countries

Develop core set of indicators - capabilities

Provide framework for linking capabilities to associated benefits along awareness to innovation continuum Develop Human capital Research factors that influence the development of a viable, sustainable ICT industry Identify competencies required for software development local consumption participation in the software export market Environmental Scanning Implement appropriate IT governance national level

regulatory and legislative framework for e-commerce and e-payment national and regional levels

Way Forward to Bridge the Internal Divide

e-inclusiveness, education, social mobility

Enable risk segments of Caribbean peoples to access and utilize information and knowledge through ICT for value creation Risk segments of society
Senior citizens Disabilities group SMEs Rural, underserved communities and schools Urban poor Youths Women