News in Q3
Oman's ICT news bytes for the 3rd quarter, plus a brief round-up of events coming up in the next few months. » more
Table Talk
DO caught up with Marc de Marcillac, Sales Director of Omantel to talk privatisation, Internet and corporate culture.» more
Technology Driven HR
A study of 2000 corporations completed by Watson Wyatt Worldwide in 2002 states that better human capital management practices are a leading indicator of superior financial results. The study also revealed that adopting the right portfolio of human capital practices can improve market value by up to 47%. » more
ICT & Economic, Social Development
It¹s common knowledge that ICT has made a huge impact on almost every aspect of our daily lives - its power is influencing engineering, medicine, aerospace, communications, education, research, entertainment to name just a few. However, one area where ICT deserves more recognition is in its role in socio-economic development. » more
Antivirus software Testing
ITTS is helping transform Oman into a Digital Society and has crafted a national strategy that it’s rolling out. » more
Gizmos & Gadgets
During my recent leave, I was packed and waiting to go to Indonesia, when I realised that I didn't need to take my laptop with all its attendant peripherals. I sat down and took the opportunity to analyse the tasks I wanted to perform while I was away... » more
Transforming Society & Economy
The explosive growth in the deployment of ICT over the past two decades has had a fundamental impact on the way societies and economies are organised and how they'll need to be organised to address future social and economic challenges and opportunities. » more
Cool Stuff
The more stuff consumers own, the more they're prone to lose. Lose as in dislocate that is. Think mobile phones, keys, cameras, PDAs, laptops, binoculars, backpacks, passports, briefcases, wallets and purses, golf clubs, power tools, textbooks... you get the picture. » more
Enterprise Resource Planning
Implementing Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) means getting value, right? Why else do you want one?² These were questions a client asked me recently. He wasn't far wrong. But the basic problem with ERP is that too few people appreciate what it is, the impact it has on an organisation, what's involved in the implementation stage, and how to gauge its value. But what is ERP? » more
Build or Buy Your Dream Machine
Whether you're a CEO of a large corporation or a small guy at a start-up, sound knowledge of computers can go a long way in saving you money and time. It's always good to refresh your memory too, even if you see yourself as a bit of a techie. » more
Intellectual Property in Oman
Following the Sultanate of Oman's entry into the World Trade Organisation in 2000 there have been significant developments in intellectual property law in Oman. As well as a spate of new legislation creating and protecting intellectual property rights, Oman has become a subscriber to the Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property and the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works, and has also joined the World Intellectual Property Organisation. » more
Mobile Trends
Imagine watching live World Cup football on your mobile handset, getting broadband Internet access on your laptop without any cables - at home or on the beach. Imagine having full access to your bank account while on the move, video telephony on your mobile phone so you can see who you’re talking to. All these new services and many more all relate to the evolution of mobile broadband technology that has the potential to alter radically the telecommunications landscape. » more
E3 Expo 2005
Ian Sharpe of London-based Gamer.tv, and presenter at the recent e-Games conference held in Muscat, files a report from E3Expo in California. » more
Techie Sports
In our first sports website profile, Rachael Church finds out from Andy Detheridge, Head of e- Marketing at NatWest, how the UK bank's standingassociation with cricket is being leveraged via new media, and in particular through its www.natwest.com/cricket URL. She also finds out why English Premier League soccer club Fulham FC decided to revamp its website and why it thinks content is still king. Plenty of lessons for Oman-based firms interested in getting involved in sports. » more
Tight Security
In recent years, the development of IT has brought with it a rapid increase in the use of open network systems, as typified by the Internet, to provide IT services to users within and outside organisations. Therefore, proper management of information security risks such as service interruptions, theft or alteration of data, impersonation and other events resulting from unauthorised access to the computer system are rapidly becoming critical. » more
Digital Oman - Issue 2
The first issue of Digital Oman (DO) received a warm welcome and a large number of people wrote in - who on the whole appear to be well-informed, technically-literate, tough-minded individuals – with useful comments and suggestions. Initial feedback tells us that our readers understand many of today’s ICT issues/problems - or are aware of their existence - and what they want is information and guidance on these topics. Indeed, many of the articles in Issue 02 illustrate how Oman’spositioning itself to meet the challenges of the Ethernet and Wi-fi Age. We’ve lined up Mark Hobbs who covers ICT and human resource development; Table Talk goes toe to- toe with Marc de Marcillac, Omantel’s newlyappointed Sales Director; Andrew Rae looks at intellectual property rights; Jamal Al Asmi tells us how to buy a PC; Dr. Graham Smith suggests we leave the lap top at home and lose 12 kilos; Rachael Church analyses cricket and football websites; Mohammed Al Ghassani continues his paperless office theme; the Information Technology Technical Secretariat (ITTS) shines the spotlight on ICT and its impact on social and economic development; Ian Sharpe files a report from E3 in Los Angeles; Raza Ashraf tells an Enterprise Resource Planning tale, plus we’ve readers’ letters, a round up of ICT news and a whole lot more.
DO aims to shoot straight from the hip and be on the level with its readers, and over time, we’ll refine the magazine’s content to reflect what our readers, supporters and the marketplace wants. The balance of opinion, commentary, articles, news, interviews and product reviews is likely to change from issue to issue - but what won’t change is our commitment to deliver the best possible ICT information that’s relevant to our readers.
