Technological Convergence: a Strategic Perspective

The information and communication technologies (ICT) sectors are in a process of technological convergence. Determinant factors in this process are the liberalisation of the telecommunications markets and technological change. Many firms are engaged in a process of mergers and alliances to position themselves in this new framework. Technological and demand uncertainties are very important. Our objective in this paper is to study the economic determinants of the strategies of the firms. With this aim, we review some key technological and demand aspects. We shed some light on the strategic motivations of the firms by establishing a parallel with the evolution of the retailing sector.Technological Convergence; Demand Uncertainty; technological Uncertainty; Technology Life Cycle; Internet; Multimedia; Strategy

Delivery of broadband services to SubSaharan Africa via Nigerian communications satellite

Africa is the least wired continent in the world in terms of robust telecommunications infrastructure and systems to cater for its more than one billion people. African nations are mostly still in the early stages of Information Communications Technology (ICT) development as verified by the relatively low ICT Development Index (IDI) values of all countries in the African region. In developing nations, mobile broadband subscriptions and penetration between 2000-2009 was increasingly more popular than fixed broadband subscriptions. To achieve the goal of universal access, with rapid implementation of ICT infrastructure to complement the sparsely distributed terrestrial networks in the hinterlands and leveraging the adequate submarine cables along the African coastline, African nations and their stakeholders are promoting and implementing Communication Satellite systems, particularly in Nigeria, to help bridge the digital hiatus. This paper examines the effectiveness of communication satellites in delivering broadband-based services

‘More Than Just TV’: Educational broadcasting and popular culture in South Africa

About the book: Yearbook 2002 contains research examples illustrating the role of media globalisation in children's and young people's lives in different parts of the world. The transnational media and media contents - imported television programmes, satellite TV, the Internet, video and computer games, popular music, 'global' advertising and merchandised products - are to a great extent used by children and are, as well, increasingly targeting children. What does this mean for media production? For children's cultural identity and participation in society? For digital and economic divides among children both within and between richer and poorer countries? A separate section of the book presents recent statistics on children in the world and media in the world

H-Diplo Roundtable XXI-28 on Tworek. News from Germany: the competition to control world communications, 1900-1945

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PACMAS state of media and communication report 2013

The PACMAS State of Media and Communication Report 2013 was undertaken through a partnership between RMIT University (Australia), the University of Goroka (Papua New Guinea) and UNITEC (New Zealand). The research for this report was developed and undertaken between June 2012 and April 2013 across 14 Pacific Island nations: Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Republic of Nauru, Niue, Republic of Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu. The report provides a regional overview of the PACMAS key components (Media Policy, Media Systems, Media Capacity Building and Media Content) as they emerged through 212 interviews focused upon the six PACMAS strategic areas. It also provides basic background information, an overview of the media and communications landscape and discusses in detail media and communications technicians; emergency broadcast systems, Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVETs), media associations, climate change and non-communicable diseases (NCDs). For this reason, observations on the four PACMAS components should be understood to represent changes in the media and communication environment based upon an investigation focused on the PACMAS strategic activities. Part 1 & Part II of the report make up a Regional Overview of the State of Media and Communication in the Pacific.  The report also includes 14 separate Country Reports which provide additional information on the media and communications landscape specific to each of the Pacific Island countries included in the PACMAS program.  The country reports were written with the objectives of the PACMAS program in mind, however they may have utility for media, communication and development practitioners across the region

Meeting the information challenge: exploring partnerships with Africa

Africa suffers from the disadvantages of marginality within the global technical system and a legacy of externally driven infrastructure. Developments in information and communication technologies now offer the chance to redress these but the technologies require skills and capacities which are scarce. The technologies themselves can be used to leverage existing resources so that the necessary skills can be developed. However this process needs to take account of African priorities and requirements if the current inequitable situation is not to be reproduced in a new global infrastructure. The key to this is a balance between external partnership and internal collaboration. The African diaspora offers a means of moderating such relationships

Urban management revolution: intelligent management systems for ubiquitous cities

A successful urban management support system requires an integrated approach. This integration includes bringing together economic, socio-cultural and urban development with a well orchestrated transparent and open decision making mechanism. The paper emphasises the importance of integrated urban management to better tackle the climate change, and to achieve sustainable urban development and sound urban growth management. This paper introduces recent approaches on urban management systems, such as intelligent urban management systems, that are suitable for ubiquitous cities. The paper discusses the essential role of online collaborative decision making in urban and infrastructure planning, development and management, and advocates transparent, fully democratic and participatory mechanisms for an effective urban management system that is particularly suitable for ubiquitous cities. This paper also sheds light on some of the unclear processes of urban management of ubiquitous cities and online collaborative decision making, and reveals the key benefits of integrated and participatory mechanisms in successfully constructing sustainable ubiquitous cities

History of communication in Malaysia (1940-2008)

The Second World War was, in some ways, one of the lowest points in Malaysia's history. Japanese forces landed on the northeast border of Malaya on 8 December 194 1 and, in one month, succeeded in establishing their control of both Peninsula Malaya and Sabah and Sarawak. On 15 March 1942, Singapore surrendered. Singapore was renamed Shonan and became the centre of a regional administrative headquarters that incorporated the Straits Settlements, and the Federated Malay States and Sumatra. Much like the British who had installed residents in the Malay ruling houses fifty years earlier, the Japanese appointed local governors to each state. The only difference was that this time, it was the Sultans who were placed in the positions of advisors. The Unfederated Malay States, Perlis, Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu found themselves back under the sovereignty of Thailand in 1942, when Thailand declared war on Britain and the USA. Most large scale economic activities grounded to a halt during the period of the War. The production of tin which was already falling before the War stopped almost completely. People turned their occupation away from the cultivation of commercial crops, concentrating instead on planting rice and vegetables to ensure they did not go hungry. [1