A roundup of the latest ICT/technology news from across the Caribbean region for the period Monday 21 September to Sunday 27 September 2015.
Monday, 21 September 2015
IT expert warns security breach is wakeup call
Antigua and Barbuda – A local IT expert has said Saturday’s hack of the government information system could have happened anywhere… more
Muslim Army Hacks Gov’t Website
Antigua and Barbuda – An organization, which claims its mission is to spread Islam through cyberspace, successfully hacked the government information website, ab.gov.ag, on Saturday… more
Data Protection Chief’S 20-Fold Complaints Rise
Bahamas – THE Data Protection Commissioner has seen a near 20-fold increase in the number of complaints since she took the post two years ago, with her office now preparing to investigate the hacking of a Bahamian bank’s website… more
Estonians to teach CIG about e-government
Cayman Islands – A team of experts from the Baltic state of Estonia will be sharing their knowledge and experience with government officials this week about best practices in e-governance… more
STEM interest wanes as children age, says scientist
Cayman Islands – A local scientist believes enough is not being done to engage and challenge the youth… more
Board Changes
Regional – Cable & Wireless Communications Plc today announces that Simon Ball will retire as a Non-executive Director with effect from 4 November 2015… more
LIME employees stage industrial action
Saint Lucia – Employees of the telecommunications company, LIME, staged industrial action today, following a strike notice that was issued to the Labour Department, the National Workers Union, (NWU), has said… more
LIME stores at Blue Coral and Baywalk to remain open
Saint Lucia – LIME would like to inform their valued customers that due to union strike action, their Vieux Fort & Soufriere stores will be closed today until further notice… more
Tuesday, 22 September 2015
LIME wants poll to determine workers’ sole bargaining agent
Antigua and Barbuda – Cable & Wireless Communications (LIME) has responded to recommendations made by the Labour Department, by saying that a current poll should be taken “to satisfactorily determine whether the Antigua & Barbuda Workers Union” (ABWU) is the sole bargaining agent for Kelcom International/FLOW workers… more
Microsoft Hosts Critical Seminar in Barbados
Barbados – Public sector organisations will get a boost in their capabilities through a one-day seminar hosted by Microsoft that seeks to help these agencies become more productive, agile, efficient, and flexible with powerful cloud, mobility, and data solutions… more
CWU Supports BCWU in Settlement Concerns
Belize – As we reported on Friday, the Belize Communication Workers Union, in a scathing release issued following the settlement of the B.T.L. nationalization, soundly criticized the Barrow administration, as well as the management of the telecommunications company… more
Estonia representatives to meet on e-Government development
Cayman Islands – Cayman e-Government officials will be hosting four representatives from Estonia as they prepare to transition to the strategic development phase of enhancing electronic services to Caymanians… more
GTT’s new Smart Talk Bundles offer big savings
Guyana – The Guyana Telephone and Telegraph company (GTT)’s pre-paid mobile customers will now be able to do more talking and texting with the new “Smart Talk Bundles”… more
Visually impaired UG student gets computer
Guyana – President David Granger yesterday handed over laptop complete with a printer, headphones, a DVD writer and a flash drive to Ceion Rollox an 18-year old, visually impaired first year student of the University of Guyana… more
Jamaica’s political parties caught up in web domain fight
Jamaica – The Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) and People’s National Party (PNP) are battling over the purchase of two website domain names ahead of Jamaica’s general elections later this year… more
Digicel IPO: the facts
Regional – Founded in October 2000 by Denis O’Brien, who is the current chairman, Digicel initially started out as a mobile phone company… more
Digicel introduces Quick Credit Promotion for prepaid customers
Saint Kitts and Nevis – Digicel launched an exciting new promotion called, Quick Credit, which means customers who run out of credit are able to make calls, activate plans or send text messages until they can top up later… more
Wednesday, 23 September 2015
BTC introduces new concierge service
Bahamas – Not only is BTC keeping up with the “technology times”, the Company continues to stay on top of international trends and standards for customer service excellence… more
Tablets for St Lucy students
Barbados – STUDENTS FROM THE four primary schools in St Lucy are the latest recipients of Samsung tablets from the Aron and Christina Truss Foundation… more
CWU says GOB “unfair” to BTL employees in settlement
Belize – There was an outpouring of support from sister unions for the Belize Communications Workers Union (BCWU) after their stinging press release attacking Government last week for failing to consult employees of Belize Telemedia Limited (BTL) before reaching a settlement with the former owners including the BTL Employees Trust chaired by former BTL chairman Dean Boyce… more
CWU With the BCWU
Belize – One other issue which Matura-Shepherd chose to comment on is the position that the Belize Communication Workers Union has taken in relation to the BTL settlement between the Barrow Administration and Lord Michael Ashcroft… more
EDITORIAL — Financial services and the media
British Virgin Islands – When the territory’s financial services sector comes under fire, government and industry leaders often react by blaming the media… more
Culture shift necessary for e-government system to succeed
Cayman Islands – A renewed push by government to move more of its business online will require an internal shift in the civil service, as well as with the private sector and the public… more
Cuba’s Internet: Censorship And High Costs Mean Web Access Will Remain Elusive For Most Cubans
Cuba – Earlier this year, Sen. Tom Udall, a Democrat from New Mexico, introduced a bill on the congressional floor titled the Cuba DATA Act… more
Govt. courts Microsoft, Cisco on E-Governance project
Guyana – Government is talking to US tech giants, Microsoft and CISCO Corporation, for possible help in the country’s E-Governance project… more
Avasant Trains Jamaican Youths For BPO Jobs
Jamaica – The BPO industry in Jamaica may soon find it easier to hire professionals; the Avasant Foundation is launching an initiative to train unemployed youths in call centre service skills… more
Digicel expects more competition
Jamaica – Digicel has told its potential shareholders that it faces the risk of more competition in many of its markets… more
Lottery scammers moving to other parishes
Jamaica – POLICE say criminals involved in the lottery scam have been moving their illegal operations to parishes that once showed no trace of the multimillion-dollar underground operations that has left a trail of blood and destruction, mainly across western parishes… more
O’Brien To Retain 94% Voting Rights In Digicel After IPO
Jamaica – Digicel Group is seeking to raise US$2 billion through its initial public offering (IPO) on the New York Stock Exchange, most of which appears destined to pay down debt racked up by the company over more than a dozen years of operation… more
Scotiabank, Best Digital Bank Regionally
Jamaica – Global Finance Magazine has awarded Scotiabank with the title of Best Digital Bank (formerly the Best Internet Bank Award) 2015, of 21 countries across the Caribbean and Central America… more
10 new website trends you can expect in 2015
Regional – AS I mentioned in an article earlier this year, web design is a very dynamic field and as such the trends that we see in website development and design are always evolving… more
Digicel plans to raise up to $2.3 billion in IPO
Regional – Digicel Group Ltd. plans to raise as much as $2.3 billion from an initial public offering and listing on the New York Stock Exchange… more
UNESCO/OECS Hosts Internet Privacy Conference
Regional – Internet privacy and other related topics were the centre of discussions on Wednesday as the OECS and UNESCO hosted the opening ceremony of a conference and consultation at the St. Kitts Marriott Resort… more
16 popular cable TV channels to get axe; No rights in Caribbean region
Trinidad and Tobago – The Telecommunications Authority of Trinidad and Tobago (TATT) is calling on cable television providers to remove 16 channels for which they have not acquired Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) from local channel line-ups… more
Challenge for steelbands… Catering for the app generation
Trinidad and Tobago – “With the influx of the new generation and its culture, the time has come for leaders and managers of steelbands to revisit their approach to management in order to progress in the new millennium,” said Michael Dinchong, manager of Caribbean Airlines Ltd Invaders Steel Orchestra… more
Thursday, 24 September 2015
Union Considers LIME Injunction
Antigua and Barbuda – The industrial row between telecommunications giant, LIME and the Antigua & Barbuda Workers Union (ABWU) is heating up, as the trade union is threatening to file an injunction to prevent the company from negotiating with workers without its consent… more
‘e-Government,’ efficiencies, and Estonia
Cayman Islands – Oftentimes — usually around the second hour of waiting in line to conduct a transaction that will take approximately 10 minutes — we find our minds casting about for solutions that will lead the Cayman Islands government out of the proverbial Stone Age… more
ID cards ‘key’ to e-government
Cayman Islands – A national identification card could be a key part of a new e-government initiative, according to Cayman’s e-Government director, Ian Tibbetts… more
No database of assets or asset distribution kept – Public Service COI hears
Guyana – Before an attentive audience workers who have been employed for years in the Public Service Department, formerly known as the Ministry of Public Service, made several starting revelations… more
Enabling Environment Necessary for Competition to Thrive
Jamaica – Minister of State in the Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce, Hon. Sharon Ffolkes-Abrahams, says the creation of an enabling business environment is essential for competition to thrive… more
Geospatial technology: Mapping the way to sustainable development
Jamaica – As we look to the future, we may recognize that mankind constantly treads the line of ambitious innovation vs. available resources… more
Liberalisation of Telecoms Industry Notable Milestone – Robinson
Jamaica – State Minister in the Ministry of Science, Technology, Energy and Mining, Hon. Julian Robinson, says the liberalisation of the telecommunications industry will go down as one of the most significant milestones in Jamaica’s development… more
Prison Gold – Smartphones Still Popular Behind Bars Despite Efforts To Keep Them Out
Jamaica – The system cant stp mi noh day noh time,” an inmate at the Tower Street Adult Correctional Centre posts on his Facebook page. He, like several others among the island’s more than 3,000-strong prison population, accesses the social-networking site on a regular basis from the comfort of his cell, using a smartphone smuggled into the facility… more
Digicel launches U.S. IPO valued at $10B
Regional – SEC filings this week show that Digicel, whose biggest single market is Haiti, is set to make its debut as an IPO in the United States. Forecasters see the price of the Caribbean telecom giant nearing $10 billion… more
St. Kitts and Nevis Signs Internet Declaration
Saint Kitts and Nevis – The two-day conference on the Ethical Dimensions of the Information Society and Internet Privacy has been deemed a success… more
As Easy As ICT
Saint Lucia – YOU may have experienced the sheer joy when observing a skilled person displaying their talent… more
CARCIP’s Business Grant does it again
Saint Lucia – The Caribbean Communications Infrastructure Programme (CARCIP) is continuing to provide opportunities for young ICT entrepreneurs and small and medium sized ICT businesses to develop and expand their horizons… more
Friday, 25 September 2015
Flow cuts
Barbados – More Barbadians have been placed on the breadline… more
GOB reaches settlement over BTL!But CWU is not impressed
Belize – The Government of Belize has reached a benchmark settlement with Ashcroft’s business interests over the 2009 nationalization of Belize Telemedia Limited (BTL)… more
Kick-starting the Caribbean ICT Space: CTU holds ICT Week in BVI
British Virgin Islands – Caribbean citizens’ growing appetite for digital conveniences is driving the region’s governments to act decisively to move essential services to online platforms… more
Electronic voter ID system for seven constituencies next election
Jamaica – THE Electoral Office of Jamaica (EOJ) says its electronic voter identification system is to be rolled out in seven constituencies across Kingston, St Andrew, and St Catherine for the next election… more
Governments urged to use social media in crime fight
Jamaica – AN American criminologist is encouraging law enforcement officials and governments to incorporate social media into their crime fighting strategies, given its prominent use worldwide… more
Has cybersquatting arrived?
Jamaica – QUESTION of the week: Will advancements in cyber communications have an impact on our democracy, in areas affecting elections, for instance? … more
QualityWorks Consulting Group trains Start-Up Jamaica on Agile Methodologies
Jamaica – On Monday, September 28th, QualityWorks Consulting Group’s top consultants will donate their expertise and experience to the entrepreneurs of Start-Up Jamaica… more
Small businesses urged to make use of social media
Jamaica – Science, Technology, Energy and Mining Minister, Phillip Paulwell, is encouraging small businesses to make use of social media in marketing their goods and services… more
Mission Accomplished — CWC’s Chris Dehring Departs
Regional – Cable & Wireless Communications, Plc (CWC) announced today that Chris Dehring, Chairman of LIME Jamaica and a member of the senior executive team, has decided to return to the forays of entrepreneurship after six transformative years with the Company, effective September 30, 2015… more
The First UNESCO OECS Conference on the Ethical Use of the Internet Held in St. Kitts and Nevis
Saint Kitts and Nevis – The Royal St. Kitts Marriott resort was the venue for the inaugural UNESCO Conference held under the theme, The Ethical Dimension of the Information Society and Internet Privacy, which began Wednesday 23rd September… more
Saturday, 26 September 2015
Union pickets over BTL settlement
Belize – Five days after Prime Minister Dean O. Barrow announced that he had personally negotiated a settlement with the Ashcroft alliance over government’s nationalization of Belize Telemedia Limited, the Belize Communications Workers Union staged a protest of the settlement in the downtown area of Belize City today… more
Dehring Departs Flow
Jamaica – Chairman of LIME Jamaica, now FLOW, and a member of its senior executive team, Chris Dehring, is moving on after six years with the company, effective September 30, 2015… more
Sunday, 27 September 2015
Dominican Republic buys 1.2 M high-tech trackers for motorcycles
Dominican Republic – STAR Systems International (SSI), a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) hardware, tag and professional services provider, today announced that it has completed a sale of 1.2 million ISO 18000-6C headlamp transponders in the Dominican Republic… more
Chris Dehring leaves Cable & Wireless
Jamaica – Cable & Wireless Communications Plc (CWC) announced late Friday that Chris Dehring, Chairman of LIME Jamaica and a member of the senior executive team has decided to return to the forays of entrepreneurship after six transformative years with the company, effective September 30, 2015… more
Paulwell lauds C&W Jamaica efforts
Jamaica – Minister of Science Technology Energy and Mining Phillip Paulwell has lauded the work done by C&W Communications in Jamaica through its innovative and creative rebranding… more
Switching systems
Jamaica – Software implementation is bitter but the fruit is sweet… more
Internet fraud ‘greatly increased’
Trinidad and Tobago – SO you’re checking your e-mail inbox and you get a message purportedly from your commercial bank asking you to enter your client information… more
Image credits: filipe ferreira (flickr); Wikipedia; Wikipedia; Wikipedia; Wikipedia
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