PacINET 2007 To Tackle Key ICT Issues

PacINET 2007 to tackle key PacificICT issues

Delegates at PacINET 2007 are expected to tackle a wide range of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) development issues affecting the Pacific when they meet in Honiara, Solomon Islands, this week.

PacINET is the annual gathering of Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) experts organised by the Pacific Islands Chapter of the Internet Society (PICISOC).

The meeting is being held this year at the Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA) conference centre in Honiara from the 15th to 21st August 2007, with the theme 'National ICT Strategy Building'.

Themes and topics covered will include:

* e-Health Initiatives in the Pacific
* Building Connected Communities
* An Open Source World
* e-Government and the Pacific
* Internet Safety and Security
* ICT in Education
* The VoIP (R)Evolution IPv6
* Women in Technology
* New Media

Says PICISOC Chair, Rajnesh Singh: "The value of ICT capacity building will play a key role in shaping the industry to best fit our region's unique needs, keeping us on par with the rest of the world."

Mr Singh explains that the industry is bracing to re-invent itself with new challenges ahead.

"Tackling issues such as competition, Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), local content and the next generation of Internet, known as Internet Protocol Version 6, or IPv6, will actively come to the fore at PacINET 2007.

"Much of the world outside the Pacific is well ahead on these technologies, which already represent several billion dollars of trade in some developed countries."

PICISOC deputy Chair and Internet Society (ISOC) Trustee, Franck Martin, says the Pacific does not have to be left behind.

"PICISOC adheres to the Vision of the Internet Society, which calls for 'Internet for everyone'. Consequently, we are guided by three development priority areas of Standards, Education and Policy," says Mr Martin.

He adds that active participation by the people of the Pacific in shaping these priority areas is of the essence.

"Meetings such as PacINET will build an important platform for this."

Some 200 local, regional and international delegates are expected in Honiara this week for the meeting.

PICISOC is an active chapter of ISOC, covering 22 Pacific island states and territories with a membership of over 400 individuals across the region. ISOC is a professional membership organisation with around 100 organisational and over 26,000 individual members in more than 180 countries.

Guest speakers at PacINET 2007 include John Crain, ICANN CTO and Dr Jimmie Rogers, Director General of the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC). Dr Vinton G. Cerf , considered one of the fathers of the Internet and Vice President at Google, has also prepared a keynote message to participants via video.

Some 30 participants at PacINET 2007 were sponsored to the meeting by Pacific Internet Partners (PIP), Pacific Islands Applied Geoscience Commission (SOPAC) and the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat.

ENDS

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