Prior to the last decade, the uptake of ICTs in the Caribbean Region had largely been through large corporate bodies for purposes such as data storage and data processing, and to support core business functions such as accounting. However, with the technology revolution that has swept the Caribbean Region over the last ten to fifteen years, a larger percentage of consumers has begun to use ICTs in their daily lives.

(more…)

Web 2.0 Tag Cloud

Background

A recent EU sponsored study on MSME use of ICTs titled “E-COMMERCE STRATEGY PAPER FOR CARIFORUM VOLUME 3: SMEs’ READINESS FOR E-COMMERCE, July 15, 2010” revealed the following (more…)

In recent years, there has been renewed emphasis on promoting agricultural production as well as food and nutrition security. Given that the demand for and supply of food will continue to be affected by population growth, rapid urbanization, shifts in dietary patterns, and climate change, improving agricultural production is likely to remain high on the policy agenda of country governments for the foreseeable future.

In many ACP countries, agriculture accounts for upwards of 50% of gross national product, and in some more than 60% of the population is engaged in agriculture.

Notwithstanding the significant impact that the sector has on developing economies and society, there is still a greater need to equip the various actors within the agricultural sector – the policy institutions, agri-business practitioners, farmers, researchers, and investment promotion agencies – with the tools which they need to develop modern and “best practice” strategies, plans, projects and methods which can assist in advancing the sector and as such allow the sector to meet the growing demands being placed on it by modernization and development.

Read Full Article Here: CONTACT Article – eAgriculture in the Caribbean – A Concept Come of Age

Micro, Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (MSMEs) are a significant part of the Caribbean economy, yet they experience sometimes daunting challenges due to their small size and reach. Applying ICT tools and employing business models around digital technology opens up a world of opportunity, especially for smaller firms, to overcome some of their traditional disadvantages and so be able to compete on a more level playing field with their larger counterparts. (more…)

Many traditional organisations havesome amount of Information Communications Technology (ICT) infrastructure already built in. Technology is interwoven in the fabric of organisations now, from business to academia, to Government, in ways that simply weren’t possible ten years ago. Smartphones, laptops,intranets, e-mail, office productivity software, etc. are common business tools even in business environments that do not considerthemselves as ICT savvy.

Read Full Article Here: Contact Article – The Opportunities in ICT

Vision 2020, the Government’s National Strategic and Development plan calls for the achievement of developed country status in just ten years. That requires a near doubling of the GDP and sustained strong economic growth over the period. This type of growth cannot come from traditional activity only, but must be achieved through economic diversification. Such a plan for sustainable economic development must leverage the power of Information and Communication Technology (ICT), innovation and entrepreneurship as platforms from which to launch Trinidad and Tobago’s new economic era.

Read Full article Here: CONTACT Article – Interview with Angela Hordatt – e TecK

A brand is more than a logo, a slogan or a jingle. It must be grounded in truth, conveyed with passion and coordinated across all of the various means used to deliver and reinforce its message. A strong national brand, therefore, is one that gives a country credit for its achievements and recognition for what it can contribute to the world. For us, such a brand will encapsulate what it means to be Trinbagonian, what makes us unique, and how valuable those unique attributes make us within the global context.

Read Full Article Here: CONTACT Article – ICT and the Building of a National T&T Brand

Providing generous amounts of content on-line about our country is a must. Local and internationalstakeholders all expect to be able to learn about our geographical nuances,cultural diversity, history, industrial climate, and even the state of our beaches, any time of the day or night.Market players expect to purchase our products and services, book a flight and secure accommodation with a down-payment, all while sipping coffee after breakfast on a Sunday, and to receive immediate confirmation of the success of their transactions with a promise of receipt of any physical goods ordered within a week. They expect to find interesting video content about niche aspects of our society on YouTube or Google Video, and to be able to fill out some kind of on-line subscription form to receive updates (and discounts where applicable) on their areas of interest.

Read Full Article: CONTACT Article – Filling the on-line Content Gap