I downloaded an excel table for the South Africa World Cup 2010 schedules but it's in GMT and Fiji times. I wanted to minus 1 hour from Fiji time column to Vanuatu time so i use this formula:
=A1-Time(1,0,0)
Where A1 holds 01:30.
IPv6 on CNN and Vanity Fair
Very informative email from Save Vocea (ICANN Pacific Islands member) about IPv6 deployment in the Pacific.
-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Re: [PICISOC] IPv6 on CNN and Vanity Fair
Date: Sun, 30 May 2010 20:39:34 -0700
From: Save Vocea <save.vocea@icann.org>
Reply-To: Pacific Islands Chapter of the Internet Society Discussion
List <picisoc@picisoc.org>
To: Pacific Islands Chapter of the Internet Society Discussion List
<picisoc@picisoc.org>
To bring focus to the region, APNIC prepared a paper on Addressing the
Pacific region: IPv4 and IPv6 statistics. Shows how much IPv4 and IPv6
addresses each territory has so you can work out if there's sufficient
address space for users and devices in your economy. Perhaps a reason
why some providers haven't opted to request any IPv6 address as yet.
http://www.apnic.net/__data/assets/pdf_file/0006/19995/addressing_the_pacific_region.pdf
This was shared at the PITA annual members mtg held last month in
Honiara and since then Tokelau have now received their IPv4 and IPv6
address block after their rep requested APNIC.
What may be useful for end-users /consumers in the islands is to ask
their service provider about their IPv6 deployment plans and status.
Wouldn't it be nice to read these updates from your service providers
dedicated web page? They could also provide consumer advice about the
need to buy IPv6 capable CPE and who can provide IPv6 support on island,
etc. Will be interesting to see how many routers and IP devices in
homes / local business / institutions are already IPv6 ready.
Regards,
Save
-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Re: [PICISOC] IPv6 on CNN and Vanity Fair
Date: Sun, 30 May 2010 20:39:34 -0700
From: Save Vocea <save.vocea@icann.org>
Reply-To: Pacific Islands Chapter of the Internet Society Discussion
List <picisoc@picisoc.org>
To: Pacific Islands Chapter of the Internet Society Discussion List
<picisoc@picisoc.org>
To bring focus to the region, APNIC prepared a paper on Addressing the
Pacific region: IPv4 and IPv6 statistics. Shows how much IPv4 and IPv6
addresses each territory has so you can work out if there's sufficient
address space for users and devices in your economy. Perhaps a reason
why some providers haven't opted to request any IPv6 address as yet.
http://www.apnic.net/__data/assets/pdf_file/0006/19995/addressing_the_pacific_region.pdf
This was shared at the PITA annual members mtg held last month in
Honiara and since then Tokelau have now received their IPv4 and IPv6
address block after their rep requested APNIC.
What may be useful for end-users /consumers in the islands is to ask
their service provider about their IPv6 deployment plans and status.
Wouldn't it be nice to read these updates from your service providers
dedicated web page? They could also provide consumer advice about the
need to buy IPv6 capable CPE and who can provide IPv6 support on island,
etc. Will be interesting to see how many routers and IP devices in
homes / local business / institutions are already IPv6 ready.
Regards,
Save
Hooray/Oh No: We’re Reaching the End of the Internet
It is both a nightmare and a dream come true, but we're entering an I.P.-address shortage. According to CNN, "[w]ithin 18 months it is estimated that the number of new devices able to connect to the world wide web will plummet as we run out of 'IP addresses'—the unique codes that provide access to the internet for everything from PCs to smart phones." It's like Y2K, but 2,000 percent worse, because it's zero.
Anyway, people who are invested in the Web's continued existence (everyone) have already arrived at a solution: invent a new kind of I.P.-addressing system, IPv6, "which has trillions more addresses available and ready to go," warns/celebrates CNN. Google and YouTube are already IPv6-friendly, and most everyone else is also interested in catering to the Internet's demands.
Except the problem is that instead of dropping everything and switching to IPv6, many businesses are waiting around to see what everyone else will do. This approach has already served us so well in tackling such issues as climate change and our reliance on foreign oil, so we're sure everything will work out just fine.
Fixed Regional EQ/Tsunami Warning - Supplement
ITIC Tsunami Bulletin Board
TSUNAMI BULLETIN NUMBER 002
PACIFIC TSUNAMI WARNING CENTER/NOAA/NWS
ISSUED AT 1739Z 27 MAY 2010
TSUNAMI BULLETIN NUMBER 002
PACIFIC TSUNAMI WARNING CENTER/NOAA/NWS
ISSUED AT 1739Z 27 MAY 2010
NOTE: ESTIMATED ARRIVAL TIMES IN THE FIRST BULLETIN WERE
INCORRECT AND THEY HAVE BEEN CORRECTED IN THIS BULLETIN.
THIS BULLETIN APPLIES TO AREAS WITHIN AND BORDERING THE PACIFIC
OCEAN AND ADJACENT SEAS...EXCEPT ALASKA...BRITISH COLUMBIA...
WASHINGTON...OREGON AND CALIFORNIA.
... A TSUNAMI WARNING IS IN EFFECT ...
A TSUNAMI WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR
VANUATU / SOLOMON IS. / NEW CALEDONIA
FOR ALL OTHER AREAS COVERED BY THIS BULLETIN... IT IS FOR
INFORMATION ONLY AT THIS TIME.
THIS BULLETIN IS ISSUED AS ADVICE TO GOVERNMENT AGENCIES. ONLY
NATIONAL AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT AGENCIES HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO MAKE
DECISIONS REGARDING THE OFFICIAL STATE OF ALERT IN THEIR AREA AND
ANY ACTIONS TO BE TAKEN IN RESPONSE.
AN EARTHQUAKE HAS OCCURRED WITH THESE PRELIMINARY PARAMETERS
ORIGIN TIME - 1715Z 27 MAY 2010
COORDINATES - 13.7 SOUTH 166.5 EAST
DEPTH - 20 KM
LOCATION - VANUATU ISLANDS
MAGNITUDE - 7.3
EVALUATION
IT IS NOT KNOWN THAT A TSUNAMI WAS GENERATED. THIS WARNING IS
BASED ONLY ON THE EARTHQUAKE EVALUATION. AN EARTHQUAKE OF THIS
SIZE HAS THE POTENTIAL TO GENERATE A DESTRUCTIVE TSUNAMI THAT CAN
STRIKE COASTLINES IN THE REGION NEAR THE EPICENTER WITHIN MINUTES
TO HOURS. AUTHORITIES IN THE REGION SHOULD TAKE APPROPRIATE
ACTION IN RESPONSE TO THIS POSSIBILITY. THIS CENTER WILL CONTINUE
TO MONITOR SEA LEVEL GAUGES NEAREST THE REGION AND REPORT IF ANY
TSUNAMI WAVE ACTIVITY IS OBSERVED. THE WARNING WILL NOT EXPAND
TO OTHER AREAS OF THE PACIFIC UNLESS ADDITIONAL DATA ARE RECEIVED
TO WARRANT SUCH AN EXPANSION.
ESTIMATED INITIAL TSUNAMI WAVE ARRIVAL TIMES AT FORECAST POINTS
WITHIN THE WARNING AND WATCH AREAS ARE GIVEN BELOW. ACTUAL
ARRIVAL TIMES MAY DIFFER AND THE INITIAL WAVE MAY NOT BE THE
LARGEST. A TSUNAMI IS A SERIES OF WAVES AND THE TIME BETWEEN
SUCCESSIVE WAVES CAN BE FIVE MINUTES TO ONE HOUR.
LOCATION FORECAST POINT COORDINATES ARRIVAL TIME
-------------------------------- ------------ ------------
VANUATU ESPERITU SANTO 15.1S 167.3E 1737Z 27 MAY
ANATOM IS. 20.2S 169.9E 1831Z 27 MAY
SOLOMON IS. KIRAKIRA 10.4S 161.9E 1805Z 27 MAY
GHATERE 7.8S 159.2E 1845Z 27 MAY
MUNDA 8.4S 157.2E 1848Z 27 MAY
AUKI 8.8S 160.6E 1852Z 27 MAY
HONIARA 9.3S 160.0E 1852Z 27 MAY
NEW CALEDONIA NOUMEA 22.3S 166.5E 1923Z 27 MAY
BULLETINS WILL BE ISSUED HOURLY OR SOONER IF CONDITIONS WARRANT.
THE TSUNAMI WARNING WILL REMAIN IN EFFECT UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE.
THE WEST COAST/ALASKA TSUNAMI WARNING CENTER WILL ISSUE PRODUCTS
FOR ALASKA...BRITISH COLUMBIA...WASHINGTON...OREGON...CALIFORNIA.
---
Testing your internet speed
Testing your internet speed is a good way to tell if you are getting what you pay for.
There are probably heaps of sites that offer internet speed tests services but I found one provider which many web sites have linked to by widgets (http://www.speedtest.net/). I have added one on this blog (see above) and I came across another one on Telecom Vanuatu Ltd (TVL) website a year ago at http://202.80.32.2/speedtest/.
Pacific ICT Officials and Ministers meetings in Tonga
SPC is convening the Pacific ICT Officials and Ministers meetings in
Tonga, 16-18 June 2010.
Tonga, 16-18 June 2010.
Some information about meeting:
Officials Meeting 16-17 and Ministers meeting 18 June.
Meetings will be at the Fa'onelua Convention Centre (near Dateline Hotel)
Background
The Pacific Forum Leaders, in their Cairns Communiqué, directed that
(i) the Pacific Plan Digital Strategy be reviewed, and (ii) revise and
update the ICT development framework for the Pacific region. The
Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat (PIFS) commissioned the review of
the Pacific Plan Digital Strategy with SPC and SOPAC at the end of
2009.
The review will also provide recommendations for the development of a
revised regional ICT framework for the Pacific region.
Objectives of the Meetings
The main objective of the June ICTs Officials meeting is to
(i) consider the review report for
the Pacific Plan digital strategy;
(ii) consider the revised ICT framework for the region; and
(iii) discuss and further refine the new Pacific Plan digital strategy
to be considered and endorsed by the ICT Ministers when they meet
following the officials meeting.
Workshop in Vanuatu on Internet Governance prior to PacINET 2010
The Diplo Foundation in conjunction with ACP are holding a preconference workshop on 9-10 September on Vanuatu. The workshop is geared towards local policy and decision makers and Diplo students undertaking the Internet Governance online study course through the Diplo Foundation based at the University of Malta. They are encouraging any PacINET members who can get to Vanuatu early to participate in this workshop. Diplo will cover the cost of accommodation for overseas participants for the 2 days of the workshop.
Other Internet Governance workshops will take place before conference on:
1. Rarotonga, Cook Islands - 25-26 August
2. Suva, Fiji ? 1-3 September
Interested regional participants for either of these workshops which will also include local policy- and decision-makers (max 15-20), can contact Maureen (hilyard@oyster.net.ck) or Anju (anjum@spc.int) More information as Diplo tutors confirm travel arrangements around the Pacific.
Other Internet Governance workshops will take place before conference on:
1. Rarotonga, Cook Islands - 25-26 August
2. Suva, Fiji ? 1-3 September
Interested regional participants for either of these workshops which will also include local policy- and decision-makers (max 15-20), can contact Maureen (hilyard@oyster.net.ck) or Anju (anjum@spc.int) More information as Diplo tutors confirm travel arrangements around the Pacific.
PacINET 2010 Update from the PICISOC Board
- Confirmed Date: 13-17 September 2010
- Venue: USP Emalus Campus, Port Vila, VANUATU
- Theme: Next Generation Internet: Security and Governance
- Call for Papers: The Board invites the submission of papers for the PacINET2010 conference (for general presentations or for workshops ? technical or governance-related).
Theme: Next Generation Internet: Security and Governance
- 1 July ? Submission deadline for an abstract with a short bio (max. one page) - so that the Board and OC can prepare the conference programme.
- 6 September ? Submission deadline for the paper itself
- Submissions must be emailed to Maureen (hilyard@oyster.net.ck) or Andrew (amolivurae@gmail.com)
- Accepted papers will be presented by the authors ? abstracts will be inserted into the conference proceedings.
- PICISOC will have copyright of all papers presented at the conference - for distribution on a conference DVD and on the PICISOC website (sensitive material should not be included in the papers which will be be distributed after the conference).
- Organising Committee (OC): The Board would like to thank and acknowledge the work that has been under way on Vanuatu since Oct 2009 to prepare for this major annual event for PICISOC.
The team is being led by PICISOC Board Chair, Andrew Molivurae but also includes:
Gerard Metsan - IT Manager, Telecom Vanuatu
Esther Alick - Network Admin, Telecom Vanuatu
Daryl Moon - Engineering and Technical Manager Datec Vanuatu
Dan McGary - PACLII
Sylvain Todman - Advisor, Geology Dept (Van Gov)
Louise Nasak - IT Manager Reserve Bank of Vanuatu
George Tasso - IT Support Reserve Bank of Vanuatu
Matt Temar - Manager , IT Assist
Roy Tarosa - IT Manager, Health Department
Webster Alilee - IT Manager Public Service Commission (Van Gov)
John Jack - IT Manager, National Training Center (Van Gov.)
Nettie Collins (IT Manager, USP Emalus Campus)
Antonio Josiah - IT Manager, Yumi Konek (Similar to PFNET)
Sebastien Lanteigne IT Manager, Pacific Internation Trust Company (PITCO)
- PacINET2010 Website
The Board has endorsed the OC?s website (www.pacinet-2010.org) which will provide logistic and informative material about getting to Vanuatu, accommodation, transport, sites, etc. Its hosting in preparation for conference is being donated by Telecom Vanuatu. The site will be linked to the PICISOC site until after the conference.
The PacINET2010 page on the PICISOC website will provide information about the actual conference programme, speakers, schedules and content.
- Pre-conference workshops ? Internet Governance
The Diplo Foundation in conjunction with ACP are holding a preconference workshop on 9-10 September on Vanuatu. The workshop is geared towards local policy and decision makers and Diplo students undertaking the Internet Governance online study course through the Diplo Foundation based at the University of Malta. They are encouraging any PacINET members who can get to Vanuatu early to participate in this workshop. Diplo will cover the cost of accommodation for overseas participants for the 2 days of the workshop.
Other Internet Governance workshops will take place before conference on:
1. Rarotonga, Cook Islands - 25-26 August
2. Suva, Fiji ? 1-3 September
Interested regional participants for either of these workshops which will also include local policy- and decision-makers (max 15-20), can contact Maureen (hilyard@oyster.net.ck) or Anju (anjum@spc.int) More information as Diplo tutors confirm travel arrangements around the Pacific
Further monthly updates will be provided as we ?meet? regularly with the Vanuatu OC.
Maureen
Vice Chair, PICISOC Board
Top Officials from French Polynesia Seek Partnerships with UC San Diego Research Center
San Diego, Dec. 15, 2008 -- Tahiti. Bora Bora. Moorea. The names are synonymous with laid-back, exotic islands off the beaten path, where foreign tourists put down their cell phones and unplug their laptops. But top officials from French Polynesia painted a very different picture of the South Pacific islands when they recently visited the UC San Diego division of the California Institute for Telecommunications and Information Technology (Calit2).
In the briefing for Calit2 officials, Tearii Alpha, Minister of Education and Research, said French Polynesia wants to establish long-term relationships with U.S. and other international research institutions. "Our traditional industries such as tourism, fishing and pearls are under pressure, so we are now looking at the IT sector for long-term growth," said Alpha. "We are planning to set up a 'technopark' in Tahiti, and we are looking at research which needs a lot more bandwidth than we have today."
|
"We are currently using satellite for bandwidth that is limited to 30 megabits per second, so we decided to invest in optical fiber that is very expensive," said Georges Puchon, Minister of Finance and Digital Economy for the French overseas territory that is mostly autonomous, while still part of the French Republic. "We are deploying nearly 5,000 kilometers of cable and will have a direct link to the United States, so now we have to make sure that we maximize the benefits of the new bandwidth for our 250,000 citizens."
Puchon was part of a delegation of French Polynesian officials, including Minister of Education and Research Tearii Alpha, Information and Communications Technology Advisor Karl Tefaatau, and business leader Gilbert Wane. The delegates visited UC Berkeley prior to arriving at Calit2, and they were joined by Neil Davies, who directs UC Berkeley's Gump South Pacific Research Station in Moorea. The Gump Station is home to the only coral reef Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) site funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF), and involves researchers from several UC campuses. Moorea is also one of only four key sites in the international Coral Reef Environmental Observatory Network (CREON).
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"This is the first delegation from French Polynesia at ministerial level to visit the Berkeley and San Diego campuses since the establishment of the Gump Station in 1985, so it's an historic occasion," observed Davies about the Nov. 21-25 visit. "The delegation outlined needs and opportunities in French Polynesia on one side, and heard about the research capacity and interests of the University of California on the other. The goal: to identify potential areas of collaboration and to initiate ideas for joint research programs."
The San Diego itinerary stemmed, in part, from previous contacts established by Calit2 Director Larry Smarr. Smarr currently sits on the UC Gump Station's advisory board. In 2007, at the invitation of the UC Santa Barbara faculty who are the PIs on the NSF Moorea Coral Reef LTER, Smarr spent time at the Gump Station to study how best to bring high performance cyberinfrastructure to the station, notably in support of efforts at saving Moorea's coral reefs.
"The French Polynesian plan is truly visionary," said Smarr, who is also a professor of computer science in UC San Diego's Jacobs School of Engineering. "Moorea is the only place in the world where the whole ecosystem will be DNA coded [thanks to the Moorea Biocode Project funded by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation]. Scientists around the world will need to work with these data sets and collaborate with partners in Moorea, and this wouldn't be possible without the investment in transoceanic fiber bandwidth."
Calit2 is also involved in discussions on the Digital Moorea project, in which several UC campuses and MIT are exploring new approaches to the digital surveillance of marine ecosystems, including deployment of sensor networks and robots to monitor coral reefs.
|
The French Polynesian officials expressed interest in what types of facilities or services they could provide that would be attractive to California companies or research institutions, which might be attracted to Moorea as a destination for research, classes, retreats, sabbaticals, conferences, or for 'scientific tourism'. Prior to visiting Calit2, the ministers met with officials at the Corporation for Education Network Initiatives in California (CENIC). They emerged from that meeting and said they are now considering setting up a similar entity in French Polynesia to promote the use of their newfound bandwidth in the education and research sectors.
France, through the Office des Postes et Télécommunications (OPT) - the island's principal telecom provider - is effectively funding the aggressive push to connect French Polynesia with research centers around the world. In January 2008, OPT signed a deal with Alcatel-Lucent Submarine Network (ASN) for the latter to lay 4,650 kilometers of undersea optical fiber between Tahiti and Hawaii. The link to Hawaii will provide French Polynesia with an on-ramp to high-speed U.S. commercial and research networks, as well as undersea cables to key Asian countries.
|
In addition, ASN is laying 305 kilometers of cable linking Tahiti and the rest of the Society Islands, one of five archipelagos that constitute French Polynesia.
"Fiber optic cable will not only link Tahiti to Hawaii, but will also connect populations on all of the Society Islands - six islands from Tahiti to Bora Bora - which account for the vast majority of the French Polynesian population," said Gump Station director Davies. "This presents a remarkable opportunity to make French Polynesia one of the most digitally enabled societies in the world."
The Honotua optical fiber network is scheduled to be completed in April 2010, at a cost of 72 million euros (nearly US$95 million at the current exchange rate). While the cable currently being laid has a maximum capacity of 32 10Gbps lines, the initial capacity will consist of two 10Gbps wavelengths. (According to the Gump Station's Davies, the research field station today can only count on satellite-based ADSL connectivity at 512 kilobits per second.)
|
At Calit2, the French Polynesian officials said the government is now committed to doubling the maximum capacity to 64 10Gbps, and pointed to a report on areas that could be enabled by the new bandwidth, including life sciences, renewable energy, and data centers. In Atkinson Hall, the visitors were treated to a series of technology demonstrations to highlight the need for visualizing science. The demos included ultra-high-definition, live streaming video on Calit2's 4K system (four times the resolution of high-definition TV); 3D immersive in the StarCAVE virtual-reality environment; the Varrier autostereoscopic (3D without glasses) tiled display; and the HIPerSpace system, one of the highest-resolution display systems in the world, at 286 million pixels.
In his remarks, the Finance Minister also indicated that French Polynesia won't stop building out its IT infrastructure. It has already held talks on extending the optical-fiber network from Tahiti to New Caledonia, where it would intersect with existing fiber to Sydney, Australia. The government has also held talks with Chile about a direct link from Tahiti - a link that could eventually make Tahiti a crucial link in the trans-Pacific communications chain. "We may eventually serve communications between South America and China," said Puchon.
Recently returned from a three-week stay in Australia [see Related Link below], Calit2 Director Larry Smarr is convinced that French Polynesia can become a hub for connectivity in the region. "I think you'll find lots of support in Australia," Smarr told the delegates. "You are on the front lines of global environmental challenges such as global warming and sea-level rise, so connectivity means French Polynesia can be a living laboratory for scientists around the world to study the adaptation of coral reefs to greatly increased stress."
WARNING: Facebook Malware Attack Behind Distracting Beach Babes Video
A Facebook malware attack is on the loose this weekend, enticing users to click a "Distracting Beach Babes" video on their Facebook Walls. The Wall message reads:
"this is hilarious! lol
If you see this video on Facebook today, do not click the link: Doing so, and downloading a linked file, will result in malware being installed on your computer.
If you see the video on your wall, remove it. If you've clicked the video, meanwhile, run a virus and adware scan on your computer. And of course, be more careful about clicking suspicious-looking links in future.
What is ITIL?
What is ITIL?
It is hard to believe that the IT Infrastructure Library or ITIL® is 20 years old. On its third version now, ITIL is the most widely adopted framework for IT Service Management in the world. It is a practical, no-nonsense approach to the identification, planning, delivery and support of IT services to the business.
ITIL is typically used in conjunction with one or more other good practices to manage information technology such as:
•COBIT (a framework for IT Governance and Controls)
• Six Sigma ( a quality methodology)
• TOGAF (a framework for IT architecture)
• ISO 27000 (a standard for IT security)
What are the benefits of ITIL?
The main benefits of ITIL include:
Alignment with business needs. ITIL becomes an asset to the business when IT can proactively recommend solutions as a response to one or more business needs. The IT Strategy Group recommended in Service Strategy and the implementation of Service Portfolio Management gives IT the opportunity to understand the business' current and future needs and develop service offerings that can address them.
• Negotiated achievable service levels. Business and IT become true partners when they can agree upon realistic service levels that deliver the necessary value at an acceptable cost.
• Predictable, consistent processes. Customer expectations can be set and are easier to meet with through the use of predictable processes that are consistently used. As well, good practice processes are foundational and can assist in laying the groundwork to meet regulatory compliance requirements.
• Efficiency in service delivery. Well-defined processes with clearly documented accountability for each activity as
recommended through the use of a RACI matrix can significantly increase the efficiency of processes. In conjunction with the evaluation of efficiency metrics that indicate the time required to perform each activity, service delivery tasks can be optimized.
• Measurable, improvable services and processes. The adage that you can't manage what you cannot measure rings true here. Consistent, repeatable processes can be measured and therefore can be better tuned for accurate delivery and overall effectiveness. For example, presume that a critical success factor for incident management is to reduce the time to restore service. When predictable, consistent processes are used key performance indicators such as Mean Time To Restore Service can be captured to determine whether this KPI is trending in a positive or negative direction so that the appropriate adjustments can be made. Additionally, under ITIL guidelines, services are designed to be measurable. With the proper metrics and monitoring in place, IT organizations can monitor SLAs and make improvements as necessary.
• A common language – terms are defined.
----
text extracted from www.best-management-practice.com
It is hard to believe that the IT Infrastructure Library or ITIL® is 20 years old. On its third version now, ITIL is the most widely adopted framework for IT Service Management in the world. It is a practical, no-nonsense approach to the identification, planning, delivery and support of IT services to the business.
ITIL is typically used in conjunction with one or more other good practices to manage information technology such as:
•COBIT (a framework for IT Governance and Controls)
• Six Sigma ( a quality methodology)
• TOGAF (a framework for IT architecture)
• ISO 27000 (a standard for IT security)
What are the benefits of ITIL?
The main benefits of ITIL include:
Alignment with business needs. ITIL becomes an asset to the business when IT can proactively recommend solutions as a response to one or more business needs. The IT Strategy Group recommended in Service Strategy and the implementation of Service Portfolio Management gives IT the opportunity to understand the business' current and future needs and develop service offerings that can address them.
• Negotiated achievable service levels. Business and IT become true partners when they can agree upon realistic service levels that deliver the necessary value at an acceptable cost.
• Predictable, consistent processes. Customer expectations can be set and are easier to meet with through the use of predictable processes that are consistently used. As well, good practice processes are foundational and can assist in laying the groundwork to meet regulatory compliance requirements.
• Efficiency in service delivery. Well-defined processes with clearly documented accountability for each activity as
recommended through the use of a RACI matrix can significantly increase the efficiency of processes. In conjunction with the evaluation of efficiency metrics that indicate the time required to perform each activity, service delivery tasks can be optimized.
• Measurable, improvable services and processes. The adage that you can't manage what you cannot measure rings true here. Consistent, repeatable processes can be measured and therefore can be better tuned for accurate delivery and overall effectiveness. For example, presume that a critical success factor for incident management is to reduce the time to restore service. When predictable, consistent processes are used key performance indicators such as Mean Time To Restore Service can be captured to determine whether this KPI is trending in a positive or negative direction so that the appropriate adjustments can be made. Additionally, under ITIL guidelines, services are designed to be measurable. With the proper metrics and monitoring in place, IT organizations can monitor SLAs and make improvements as necessary.
• A common language – terms are defined.
----
text extracted from www.best-management-practice.com
Vanuatu Government trusts Data Torque systems to collect billions of vatu
www.datatorque.com - 15/04/2010
Billions of vatu of tax revenue will be handled by Data Torque's RMS7 software package when it goes live in Vanuatu on Monday, April 19.
RMS7 is an upgrade of Wellington-based Data Torque's RMS (Revenue Management System), the company's flagship tax revenue software product.
The Vanuatu Government and Data Torque have built a relationship over a decade through the successful use of RMS, a system that handles all the tax transactions for the Vanuatu Department of Customs and Inland Revenue.
"RMS7 will be officially launched by the Honorable Sela Molisa, Minister of Finance and Economic Management, and Ben Wotu Leeshi, the Director of Customs and Inland Revenue, further cementing the strong relationship that Data Torque has built with the Vanuatu Government. It shows the trust that they place in our company to build and support a quality IT solution for their tax revenue management," Bill Chatwin, Data Torque's Managing Director, said.
"The implementation of RMS7 has been funded solely by the Vanuatu Government, without relying on donor aid money. This is a clear demonstration of the value the Government places on our work," Chatwin said.
"RMS7 will improve on the role that RMS plays in the Vanuatu economy. The system already facilitates growth in tax collections via improved taxpayer registrations and compliance. The new features included in RMS7 enhance this work. " he said.
Based on the latest Microsoft .net and C# framework, the system gathers revenue from driver licensing, vehicle registrations, VAT, business licenses, gaming taxes, and taxes on casino revenue.
RMS7 will be phased in over four years, with the initial phase concerned with implementation, and extending the geographic reach of the system. The next phases will see the introduction of the RMS web module that enables the online lodgment of tax returns, an audit selection module, and more features for managing cases.
"Our software packages for Pacific Island nations power the move from paper-based to electronic management of revenue data. This enables increased transparency and fairness in the application of taxation legislation," Chatwin said.
Billions of vatu of tax revenue will be handled by Data Torque's RMS7 software package when it goes live in Vanuatu on Monday, April 19.
RMS7 is an upgrade of Wellington-based Data Torque's RMS (Revenue Management System), the company's flagship tax revenue software product.
The Vanuatu Government and Data Torque have built a relationship over a decade through the successful use of RMS, a system that handles all the tax transactions for the Vanuatu Department of Customs and Inland Revenue.
"RMS7 will be officially launched by the Honorable Sela Molisa, Minister of Finance and Economic Management, and Ben Wotu Leeshi, the Director of Customs and Inland Revenue, further cementing the strong relationship that Data Torque has built with the Vanuatu Government. It shows the trust that they place in our company to build and support a quality IT solution for their tax revenue management," Bill Chatwin, Data Torque's Managing Director, said.
"The implementation of RMS7 has been funded solely by the Vanuatu Government, without relying on donor aid money. This is a clear demonstration of the value the Government places on our work," Chatwin said.
"RMS7 will improve on the role that RMS plays in the Vanuatu economy. The system already facilitates growth in tax collections via improved taxpayer registrations and compliance. The new features included in RMS7 enhance this work. " he said.
Based on the latest Microsoft .net and C# framework, the system gathers revenue from driver licensing, vehicle registrations, VAT, business licenses, gaming taxes, and taxes on casino revenue.
RMS7 will be phased in over four years, with the initial phase concerned with implementation, and extending the geographic reach of the system. The next phases will see the introduction of the RMS web module that enables the online lodgment of tax returns, an audit selection module, and more features for managing cases.
"Our software packages for Pacific Island nations power the move from paper-based to electronic management of revenue data. This enables increased transparency and fairness in the application of taxation legislation," Chatwin said.
IT Vanuatu
We discovered a new emerging IT firm (IT Vanuatu) established in Port Vila and have associated them with the Yellow Pages of Vanuatu, something I found new and interesting by it's technicalities linked to mySQL.
Well, for reference purposes, I am posting their details below.
Other IT firms around Port Vila
CNS (Computer Network Services)
COMPUTER WORLD
DALTRON (Former PACTEC)
DATEC Ltd
E-TECH
INCITE
IT ASSIST
IT WORKS
SKY COMPUTER
SPIM (IT CITY)
Well, for reference purposes, I am posting their details below.
PG IT Consulting is a consultancy firm in IT, based in Port Vila - Vanuatu.
It specializes in the Microsoft world, with 20 years of experience in computers. We have learned to analyse your needs with precision in order to allow for tailor-made solutions and to adapt to your budget.Other IT firms around Port Vila
CNS (Computer Network Services)
COMPUTER WORLD
DALTRON (Former PACTEC)
DATEC Ltd
E-TECH
INCITE
IT ASSIST
IT WORKS
SKY COMPUTER
SPIM (IT CITY)
Cisco's Competitors Team Up, Form Unified Communication Interoperability Alliance
http://gigaom.com/2010/05/19/ucif-unified-communication-interoperability-alliance/
When it comes to unified communications, the biggest challenge to date has been getting products from one company to work with those of another, even if they used similar (or the same) underlying technologies. Whether it was Polycom, Logitech's LifeSize, Hewlett-Packard, Siemens, Broadcom or Microsoft — they were all islands of their own. Now, along with Juniper Networks, these companies have created a Unified Communications Interoperability Forum (UCIF), an alliance aimed at removing all the annoyances around unified communications. In plain English — they all want their products to work with each other. The group has already attracted members including VoIP companies such as Acme Packet and BroadSoft.
With the unified communications market expected to grow to $14.5 billion by 2015, it makes perfect sense for all these companies to interoperate. The changing nature of work is forcing people to use video and audio conferencing more frequently, along with newer forms of collaboration tools. It becomes tough for companies to work together if their communications gear doesn't talk to each other. From that perspective, UCIF is a great first step.
I think that if UCIF wants to be successful over the long term, it needs to work with Skype, which in my view is becoming the de facto leader in low-latency, low-cost and easy-to-use collaboration tools. Small and new web companies in particular are shunning expensive gear and using Skype for all their communication needs.
One company that is conspicuous by its absence in this alliance? Cisco Systems. The San Jose, Calif.-based networking giant is the big gorilla in this market, thanks to it lavish spending to promote its Telepresence solutions and its recent acquisition of Tandberg. Cisco does and will continue to work as an island because as a company it stands to benefit handsomely by selling its own hardware. So it's safe to say that the UCIF is a broadside against Cisco.
All members can be seen at: http://www.ucif.org/AboutUs/OurMembers.aspx
Virtualization as Citrix sees it..
Full Report at: http://www.zdnetasia.com/citrix-brings-virtualization-closer-to-desktop-62063247.htm
SAN FRANCISCO--The industry has moved closer to a new era of virtual computing with the unveiling of a new "bare metal" client-based hypervisor that allows users to run multiple virtual machines on a single laptop, according to Citrix Systems.
First announced in January last year, the Citrix XenClient sits directly on the user's device rather than the server and is optimized for Intel vPro-based systems, leveraging the chipmaker's vPro remote management technology.
This "bare metal" hypervisor architecture provides better performance and security on the client-device, and will help usher desktop virtualization into mainstream adoption, said Citrix President and CEO Mark Templeton during his keynote at the annual Citrix Synergy summit here Wednesday.
With XenClient, users will be able to run multiple virtual machines--for example, one configured to run stress tests and another to contain personal apps and settings--directly on their computer. This will allow IT administrators the ability to ensure critical corporate apps and data are managed in secured desktop environment, while still offering users the flexibility to install personal apps in a separate virtual machine on the same desktop.
A free trial and evaluation kit of the client hypervisor, dubbed XenClient Express, is currently available as a download and Citrix is hoping this will entice companies to try out desktop virtualization in small deployments. The actual XenClient offering will be released only in the second half of this year together with the next release of XenDesktop, according to Citrix executives who said pricing details were not available as yet because the company's primary objective for now is to drive a wider distribution of the product.
The new offering includes Synchronizer for XenClient, which allows users to work offline and syncs the virtual machines when users are able to connect to the network. There is also Receiver for XenClient, a software client that enables users to create and manage their virtual desktops and apps via a range of devices including PCs and the Apple iPad and iPhone.
XenClient has been tested and certified to run on Hewlett-Packard and Dell Computer vPro-based systems, though in theory it should work on other vPro systems, according to Sai Allavarpu, Citrix's senior director of product marketing of delivery networks product group. The company is looking to extend the hardware support to include other PC vendors.
Allavarpu told ZDNet Asia there are currently no plans to extend XenClient availability to include AMD systems.
Latest from the Google Developer Conference..
by Dev Mohanty, PICISOC members discussion mailing list.
Google's developer conference yesterday in San Francisco offered a range of announcements across the company's products. (Conference updates for today still awaited)
Two more API additions: The Google Feed API now includes push updates, as well as a bunch of new open source web fonts and a font API.
Google Buzz Fills Out APIs: Google Buzz launched an API that will allow developers to access user feeds, search updates, post updates and more. It's already been integrated by Seesmic, Socialwok and other partners.
Google Latitude Gets an API: Google is allowing developers to build on its mobile location service — with the very explicit permission of users. The team has some cool app and service ideas here.
PayPal for Android: PayPal is offering developers the option to use its Mobile Payments Library to enable purchases in their Android apps. It already does this for the iPhone.
Google App Engine For Business and VMware Love: App Engine gets enterprise level support, and later this year will have a SQL database so Google can entice corporate customers to build their in-house applications on App Engine for Business as opposed to on Microsoft Azure or other platforms as a service. It also has optimized App Engine to work with VMware's Spring Source Java framework. Apps built in the Spring framework will now run on App Engine, VMforce, Amazon's Web Services and other clouds that support Java.
App Store for the Web: Google is putting together a directory of web apps called Chrome Web Store, though no launch date was specified. The apps will be mostly HTML 5 but will include Flash as well. App makers like TweetDeck have made HTML 5 versions that access APIs for notifications and geo-tagging in the browser, acting much like native clients. Google is working with Unity Technologies on Native Client to help transfer rich immersive 3D games in the browser.
Open Video: Google released WebM, an open media format for the web-based on VP8, the codec it acquired along with On2. NewTeeVee had scooped this news more than a month ago, and has the full story today. Mozilla and Opera are on board to support the new format, and YouTube is converting its entire catalog. Adobe's Kevin Lynch said VP8 will be included in Flash. Also on the video front, Clicker demoed a living room-ready version of its online TV guide, built with HTML 5.
Wave for Everybody: The collaboration tool Google Wave, which was introduced at last year's I/O, is now part of Google Labs and doesn't require an invite. "If you tried Google Wave out a while ago, and found it not quite ready for real use: now is a good time to come back for a second try," product manager Stephanie Hannon wrote in a blog post. Wave is also being added to Google Apps.
Google Contextual Gadgets: Third parties can now build dynamic widgets into Gmail for businesses using Google Apps. Launch partners include Gist (see our WebWorkerDaily writeup), Kwaga (imports your correspondents' social network profiles) and AwayFind (sends push notifications/alerts for important messages). Plus, Xobni announced developer tools to help any contextual gadget developed for Gmail work in Outlook.
Vila town and Beverly Hills now have internet wireless coverage via Telsat
Vila town and Beverly Hills now have internet wireless coverage via Telsat Vanuatu. Prices starts at 500VT for 7 days 25mb data (local residents only!). Check telsat website www.telsat.vu for more information.
As reported by their Facebook page, it is a wireless hotspot, though they are using new "mesh" technology. When the business is fully setup, customers will be able to stay logged into their account wherever there are Telsat coverage, similar to how people can make mobile phone calls as long as they have mobile coverage.
Telsat illustrated the idea as like one GIANT hotspot.
PacINET 2010 Organising Committee Meeting minute - 22/04/2010
Date: 22 April 2010
Venue: HRD Unit, Public Service Commission
Present: Andrew Molivurae, Dan Mcgarry, Anthony Josiah and John Jack
Apologies: Daryl
Prior to the commencement of the meeting, apologies were made due to some misunderstandings which resulted in exchanges of e-mails between members of the pacinet-2010 mailing list. It was confirmed that Daryl is still member of the committee.
Agenda:
Letter Head
Venue: HRD Unit, Public Service Commission
Present: Andrew Molivurae, Dan Mcgarry, Anthony Josiah and John Jack
Apologies: Daryl
Prior to the commencement of the meeting, apologies were made due to some misunderstandings which resulted in exchanges of e-mails between members of the pacinet-2010 mailing list. It was confirmed that Daryl is still member of the committee.
Agenda:
- Minutes of Last Meeting
- It was moved, seconded and agreed that this is the true minute of last meeting.
- Matters arising from Last meeting minute
- Domain
- Thanks to Dan for completing the work on the website (www.pacinet-2010.org). It was agreed that Dan liaise with William Tiben about the contents of the web site. PICISOC will have a link to point to the PacINET 2010 website which will have all the information about the conference.
- Kava Night
- Chairman thanked all who have contributed to the kava night held at Emalus Campus. Chair-Lady of the Finance Committee will report later to PacINET 2010 about the Kava Night.
- Date of PacINET 2010 Conference
- PICISOC's board agreed that the date of the PacINET 2010 Conference be moved forward. The reason being that the IGF conference will be held on the week and some key speakers may not be available for either one of the two conferences. New date for the PacINET 2010 Conference will be 27 September to 01 October 2010.
- We will keep our booking for USP Emalus Conference facilities but we will need to find a new venue while we continue our discussions with PICISOC and let them know about our findings.
- Update Report
- This agenda has been postponed for our next face-to-face meeting.
- Letter head for our local correspondences will have both the PacINET 2010 and PICISOC logo. However, for all our overseas correspondences, we only use PICISOC's logo.
- For our local correspondences, letter head will change when we get confirmation of sponsorship as per our minute for our meeting dated 18 March 2010.
- Once letter head is ready, we can start sending out our letters to some of our corporate sponsors.
- Theme
- ISOC asks if PacINET 2010 Committee can organize a forum on IPv6 and Paul Wilson (Head of APNIC) will be the key speaker.
- It was agreed that Andrew send an e-mail about suggestions to amend the theme to cater for the IPv6 forum.
- Dan has already made preliminary contacts with some possible speakers. It was agreed that Dan liaise with Maureen about the speakers for the conference
- AOB
- It was agreed that we make use Skype online meeting due to non attendance of some members of the committee because of work commitment.
Daryl Moon resigned as Pacinet 2010 committee
Apologies for my late reply to Andrew's request (below).
My reasons for resigning from the PACINET committee were (and remain) as follows:
- Lack of communication between our committee and PICISOC. We discussed issues at great length and did a lot of work in preparation but the ideas and issues never seemed to get to the PICISCO committee for discussion/decisions. We wasted a lot of time and effort as a result. Nothing seemed to get actioned and this does not seem to have changed much and the conference date is looming fast.
- I have a very busy full time job and cannot afford to have my valuable time away from work wasted. This impacts my family and friends and I have too little of that time now (as I am constantly reminded!).
- Total lack of response from PICISOC board members to the attacks made on us on the PICISOC mailing list. I thought this was pretty poor that no-one ever contacted me to express any comment or apology or anything at all about the way we were treated and the comments made by other PICISOC mailing list members. We were very diplomatically trying to say "Your PICISOC website is crap and we need to do something better to market the PaciNet 2010 event" to a much wider audience. Our suggestion was a new site for the even linked back to the PICISOC website.
- Having read Dans comments late last week I must also say that I tend to agree with his position. We are happy to assist, advise, share our experiences etc, but at the end of the day it is a Vanuatu event and not an event that should be run by expats.
I am happy to continue to provide any advice and support that you may require but not as a member of the organizing committee. It is time for some others to step up and make a contribution to their big event.
Kind regards
Daryl Moon
Computer Tips and Tricks - NTLDR or NTDETECT.COM Not Found or Missing Error Message
By Avonsys - www.avonsys.com
Wednesday, May 12, 2010 at 6:10pm
This problem is very common to many end users. If you get an error saying the NTLDR is not found during boot up there can be a number of causes. People automatically think this in error that cannot be fixed. Sometimes this is true, however most times it can be solved. Firstly it is important to check where your computer is booting from. If it is trying to boot from the cd rom and not the hard drive, of course the file would be missing. If this is the case you should change your boot sequence in the bios.
This message also comes up if we leave our external hard drive connected to the computer. This means that it is booting up from the external drive. Unplug the external drive and reboot your PC. You need to dig into BIOS and change the boot settings. Another rumor is that this error message comes up when you use a copied version of Windows.
If it is definitely trying to boot C: drive then try the following steps below.
For FAT32
If you have FAT32 partitions, it is much simpler than with NTFS.
Just boot with a Win98 floppy and copy the NTLDR or NTDETECT.COM files
from the i386 directory to the root of the C:\ drive.
For NTFS:
Another way is to put your hard drive into and external drive and copy the file from the CD that way.
Another word of advice is to keep your anti-virus software up to date, some viruses are known to delete the associated files resulting in this error.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010 at 6:10pm
This problem is very common to many end users. If you get an error saying the NTLDR is not found during boot up there can be a number of causes. People automatically think this in error that cannot be fixed. Sometimes this is true, however most times it can be solved. Firstly it is important to check where your computer is booting from. If it is trying to boot from the cd rom and not the hard drive, of course the file would be missing. If this is the case you should change your boot sequence in the bios.
This message also comes up if we leave our external hard drive connected to the computer. This means that it is booting up from the external drive. Unplug the external drive and reboot your PC. You need to dig into BIOS and change the boot settings. Another rumor is that this error message comes up when you use a copied version of Windows.
If it is definitely trying to boot C: drive then try the following steps below.
For FAT32
If you have FAT32 partitions, it is much simpler than with NTFS.
Just boot with a Win98 floppy and copy the NTLDR or NTDETECT.COM files
from the i386 directory to the root of the C:\ drive.
For NTFS:
- Insert and boot from your WindowsXP CD.
- At the first R=Repair option, press the R key
- Press the number that corresponds to the correct location for the installation of Windows you want to repair.(Typically this will be No: 1)
- Enter in the administrator password when requested
- Enter in the following commands (X: is replaced by the actual drive letter that is assigned to the CD ROM drive.
- COPY X:\i386\NTLDR C\:
- COPY X:\i386\NTDETECT.COM C:\
- Take out the CD ROM and type exit
Another way is to put your hard drive into and external drive and copy the file from the CD that way.
Another word of advice is to keep your anti-virus software up to date, some viruses are known to delete the associated files resulting in this error.
Virus removal techniques
try these on an infected computer - no safe mode, no boot cd, no Anti-virus. command prompt required.
randoms - not by steps.
run cmd. command not preferred.
dir /a in c: - look for autorun.ini, *.bat, *.cmd, *.exe - suspected files
attrib -h -s -r infected file before delete
del [filename] - attributes are -
tasklist - look for active process
taskkill /pid # /F - kill process, F by force
hijackthis - fix access to registry
unlocker - unlocker and hijackthis most cases work even tho computer is infected.
regedit - go to key and enable folder option and task manager
dir /aD - look for virus directory in windows and system32, most common cases are alphanumeric or system_3 is common these days... hint hint from process (tasklist) or to make life easier, use autoruns for windows - google in sysinternals to find the worm name and location.
enable view hidden and system file to delete or
dir [filename] /s /a in c: to look for worm or file name running in process e.g. system_3 or change attribute to delete in dos.
the important thing in the exercise is to eliminate the running process.
After these, try reinstalling your AV and do a complete scan.
randoms - not by steps.
run cmd. command not preferred.
dir /a in c: - look for autorun.ini, *.bat, *.cmd, *.exe - suspected files
attrib -h -s -r infected file before delete
del [filename] - attributes are -
tasklist - look for active process
taskkill /pid # /F - kill process, F by force
hijackthis - fix access to registry
unlocker - unlocker and hijackthis most cases work even tho computer is infected.
regedit - go to key and enable folder option and task manager
dir /aD - look for virus directory in windows and system32, most common cases are alphanumeric or system_3 is common these days... hint hint from process (tasklist) or to make life easier, use autoruns for windows - google in sysinternals to find the worm name and location.
enable view hidden and system file to delete or
dir [filename] /s /a in c: to look for worm or file name running in process e.g. system_3 or change attribute to delete in dos.
the important thing in the exercise is to eliminate the running process.
After these, try reinstalling your AV and do a complete scan.
Dan McGarry resigned as interim VITUS secretary and member of the PACINET 2010 organising committee
Effective immediately, I'm resigning my position as Interim Secretary of
the Vanuatu IT Users Society as well as my membership in the Vanuatu
organising committee for the PacINET 2010 conference.
I'm sharing my reasons for doing so because I think it's in the
community's interest.
Since my arrival in Vanuatu in 2003, I've carefully adhered to one
fundamental rule: Support local initiatives, but DO NOT take the lead.
It's my firm conviction that the role of expats is to assist with
whatever needs doing, but at all costs to avoid having undue influence
over the decisions that get made.
In order for a community to function, it requires coordination,
cooperation and support. People need to talk to each other; they need to
work together; they need to help others.
With VIGNET and other sources of communication, we've been more
successful at communicating than just about any other Pacific country.
We should all be very proud of that.
We have had some modest successes in working together. Though the level
of activity is lower than many might want it to be, there have been a
few notable successes.
Support, however, is far, far too low.
Percentage-wise, involvement in IT community activities in Vanuatu is
about on par with other countries in the world. But in real numbers, the
group committed to bringing Kastom & culture into the Information Age is
unsustainably small. As things stand right now, the success of an entire
process often rests on the efforts (or lack thereof) of a single individual.
If things don't change, Vanuatu's technological progress will remain in
the hands of a few well-intentioned but overburdened individuals. I've
thought about this carefully for some months now, and it seems to me
that the necessary change is not forthcoming.
It's my sincere hope that my resignation will ultimately prove to be
mistaken. The people of Vanuatu have made me family and given me a home.
I owe this country a debt of love and gratitude that is greater than I
can express. Nothing would make me happier than to see the cleverness,
creativity and deep sense of community that make up the ni-Vanuatu
identity applied and extended into the digital world.
But right now, I'm tired. I'm also worried: I dare not work alone -or
even with such a tiny minority- because that runs counter to my
convictions against imposing outside values onto the community at large.
For that reason, I see no alternative but to step back from any official
involvement in these activities.
--
Dan McGarry dmcgarry@imagicity.com
Writing: http://scriptorum.imagicity.com/
Photos: http://www.imagicity.com/
organising committee for the PacINET 2010 conference.
I'm sharing my reasons for doing so because I think it's in the
community's interest.
Since my arrival in Vanuatu in 2003, I've carefully adhered to one
fundamental rule: Support local initiatives, but DO NOT take the lead.
It's my firm conviction that the role of expats is to assist with
whatever needs doing, but at all costs to avoid having undue influence
over the decisions that get made.
In order for a community to function, it requires coordination,
cooperation and support. People need to talk to each other; they need to
work together; they need to help others.
With VIGNET and other sources of communication, we've been more
successful at communicating than just about any other Pacific country.
We should all be very proud of that.
We have had some modest successes in working together. Though the level
of activity is lower than many might want it to be, there have been a
few notable successes.
Support, however, is far, far too low.
Percentage-wise, involvement in IT community activities in Vanuatu is
about on par with other countries in the world. But in real numbers, the
group committed to bringing Kastom & culture into the Information Age is
unsustainably small. As things stand right now, the success of an entire
process often rests on the efforts (or lack thereof) of a single individual.
If things don't change, Vanuatu's technological progress will remain in
the hands of a few well-intentioned but overburdened individuals. I've
thought about this carefully for some months now, and it seems to me
that the necessary change is not forthcoming.
It's my sincere hope that my resignation will ultimately prove to be
mistaken. The people of Vanuatu have made me family and given me a home.
I owe this country a debt of love and gratitude that is greater than I
can express. Nothing would make me happier than to see the cleverness,
creativity and deep sense of community that make up the ni-Vanuatu
identity applied and extended into the digital world.
But right now, I'm tired. I'm also worried: I dare not work alone -or
even with such a tiny minority- because that runs counter to my
convictions against imposing outside values onto the community at large.
For that reason, I see no alternative but to step back from any official
involvement in these activities.
--
Dan McGarry dmcgarry@imagicity.com
Writing: http://scriptorum.imagicity.com/
Photos: http://www.imagicity.com/
Windows 7 Information
OEM such as Acer, Dell etc do a deal with M$ where they include a table in the BIOS which contains "secret" information that Windows checks to see if activation over the internet is required. OEM machines do not need to activate over the internet if 3 things are present
1. The table in the BIOS - called an SLIC table - different machines have slight variations in this table.
2. A digitally signed certificate matching the SLIC table - again different machines have slight variations in this certificate.
3. An OEM key that matches the version of Windows installed - ie the key for Home Premium is different to the Ultimate key - it doesn't matter if the key doesn't match the OEM name just the Windows version.
When Vista came out someone discovered it was possible to fool Windows into thinking there was a genuine SLIC table in the computer BIOS by loading an emulated table into memory during boot up. M$ changed the table for 7 but maintained backward compatibility for Vista as well - note Vista keys do not work for 7 and vice versa though.
Windows detects this emulated table and if the certificate is installed in the operating system and the key matches the Windows version installed it accepts it is installed on an OEM machine and activates itself without connecting over the internet.
I guess M$ could stop this but they run the risk of de-activating legal customers and if they did this to enough legal customers would face a serious backlash. Given Vista's failure to gain market share - if Vista wasn't on new computers it would have sold very poorly indeed - M$ need Windows 7 to be a success and this is not guaranteed given current economic circumstances.
Finally - no a loader cannot damage or change your hardware as all software generally can't - sure viruses can wipe out you harddrive content and some could - in the past - overwrite the BIOS code until manufacturers fixed the open invitation they gave for this to happen when they allowed BIOS changes without changing jumpers - remember the chernobyl virus that took down millions of computers ?
PacINET Update from the Board
Kia orana PICOSOC members
PacINET 2010
- Confirmed Date: 13-17 September 201
- Venue: USP Emalus Campus, Port Vila, VANUATU
- Theme: Next Generation Internet: Security and Governance
- Call for Papers: The Board invites the submission of papers for the PacINET2010 conference (for general presentations or for workshops – technical or governance-related).
Theme: Next Generation Internet: Security and Governance
- 1 July – Submission deadline for an abstract with a short bio (max. one page) - so that the Board and OC can prepare the conference programme.
- 6 September – Submission deadline for the paper itself
- Submissions must be emailed to Maureen (hilyard@oyster.net.ck) or Andrew (amolivurae@gmail.com)
- Accepted papers will be presented by the authors – abstracts will be inserted into the conference proceedings.
- PICISOC will have copyright of all papers presented at the conference - for distribution on a conference DVD and on the PICISOC website (sensitive material should not be included in the papers which will be be distributed after the conference).
- Organising Committee (OC): The Board would like to thank and acknowledge the work that has been under way on Vanuatu since Oct 2009 to prepare for this major annual event for PICISOC.
The team is being led by PICISOC Board Chair, Andrew Molivurae but also includes:
Gerard Metsan - IT Manager, Telecom Vanuatu
Esther Alick - Network Admin, Telecom Vanuatu
Daryl Moon - Engineering and Technical Manager Datec Vanuatu
Dan McGary - PACLII
Sylvain Todman - Advisor, Geology Dept (Van Gov)
Louise Nasak - IT Manager Reserve Bank of Vanuatu
George Tasso - IT Support Reserve Bank of Vanuatu
Matt Temar - Manager , IT Assist
Roy Tarosa - IT Manager, Health Department
Webster Alilee - IT Manager Public Service Commission (Van Gov)
John Jack - IT Manager, National Training Center (Van Gov.)
Nettie Collins (IT Manager, USP Emalus Campus)
Antonio Josiah - IT Manager, Yumi Konek (Similar to PFNET)
Sebastien Lanteigne IT Manager, Pacific Internation Trust Company (PITCO)
- PacINET2010 Website
The Board has endorsed the OC's website (www.pacinet-2010.org) which will provide logistic and informative material about getting to Vanuatu, accommodation, transport, sites, etc. Its hosting in preparation for conference is being donated by Telecom Vanuatu. The site will be linked to the PICISOC site until after the conference.
The PacINET2010 page on the PICISOC website will provide information about the actual conference programme, speakers, schedules and content.
- Pre-conference workshops – Internet Governance
The Diplo Foundation in conjunction with ACP are holding a preconference workshop on 9-10 September on Vanuatu. The workshop is geared towards local policy and decision makers and Diplo students undertaking the Internet Governance online study course through the Diplo Foundation based at the University of Malta. They are encouraging any PacINET members who can get to Vanuatu early to participate in this workshop. Diplo will cover the cost of accommodation for overseas participants for the 2 days of the workshop.
Other Internet Governance workshops will take place before conference on:
1. Rarotonga, Cook Islands - 25-26 August
2. Suva, Fiji – 1-3 September
Interested regional participants for either of these workshops which will also include local policy- and decision-makers (max 15-20), can contact Maureen (hilyard@oyster.net.ck) or Anju (anjum@spc.int) More information as Diplo tutors confirm travel arrangements around the Pacific
Further monthly updates will be provided as we "meet" regularly with the Vanuatu OC.
Maureen
Vice Chair, PICISOC Board.
Vanuatu e-Government Project Update
For additional information, contact Mr. Jotham Napat, project Manager.
Here's a good source to look at e-government development.
United Nations E-Government Survey 2010
