A roundup of the latest ICT/technology news from across the Caribbean region for the period Monday 31 May to Sunday 6 June 2021..
Monday, 31 May 2021
Bahama Eats food delivery app partners with Island Pay
Bahamas – Starting June 1, 2021, residents of New Providence can use their Island Pay wallet to have food delivered to their doorsteps thanks to a partnership between Bahama Eats, one of the top local on-demand food delivery apps, and Island Pay, a leading licensed payment service provider… more
Business Licence ‘Not Fit’ To Realise Digital Ambitions
Bahamas – A technology entrepreneur has warned the business licence process is “not fit” for the government’s digitisation ambitions given a frustrating “five-plus months” trying to obtain approval… more
Mobile wallet provider expands offerings for social assistance recipients
Jamaica – Having now expanded its merchant offerings to include AML Food Markets, Kimani Braithwaite, chief operating officer of mobile wallet provider Kanoo, said the company is making it easier for Bahamians, especially those on government assistance, to conduct safe digital transactions… more
Gov’t Receives More Support For ‘One Laptop Or Tablet Per Child’ Initiative
Jamaica – The Government’s ‘One Laptop or Tablet Per Child’ initiative received a further boost with the acquisition of 12 computer tablets courtesy of Bresheh Limited… more
Jamaican engineering genius leads US team to make World Wide Web more global
Jamaica – A Jamaican is leading the technical team at an American satellite service company that will make the World Wide Web truly worldwide, by making connectivity possible from even the most remote parts of the world whether land, sea or air… more
Pastor warns of lost school generation
Jamaica – The failure of the Jamaican State to roll out broadband width that is reliable, affordable, and accessible to poor inner-city students will come back to haunt the country, with fears of a lost generation of schoolchildren… more
USF collaborates with STEAMHouse to offer coding workshop for girls
Jamaica – Last Thursday evening when most of her friends were watching cartoons or playing online games, 10-year-old Ariana Young was learning the basics of creating these digital resources… more
Virtual house sittings should be embraced and developed – Tavares-Finson
Jamaica – President of the Senate, Senator Tom Tavares-Finson, says the virtual sitting of the Upper House is a positive outcome of the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) that should be embraced and developed… more
Why did Bank of Jamaica not opt for blockchain?
Jamaica – You might be aware of the ransomware hack of the Colonial Pipeline in the United States on May 7… more
Flow gives customers more options to pay bills
Saint Kitts and Nevis – In keeping with its focus on improving customer experience, Flow St. Kitts-Nevis has introduced FastPay, a new digital payment platform that now makes it easier, secure and more convenient for Flow customers to pay their bills… more
SCSS smart classroom to enrich learning experience
Saint Lucia – Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) are a necessary part of education in the 21-st century. ICT affords a diverse range of related teaching materials, establish an education portal and an online learning platform focused on ‘smart education” in ‘smart classrooms”… more
Digicel to host virtual empowerment conference for young women
Trinidad and Tobago – The Digicel Foundation is expected to host its third annual Girls Power Tech, meant to inspire and empower young women between the ages of 13 and 18 to pursue or consider careers in information and communications technology… more
Gadsby-Dolly: Education system will change
Trinidad and Tobago – Education Minister Nyan Gadsby-Dolly has said after the pandemic, schools will not return to the status quo… more
Republic Bank’s executive director: Covid19 creates ‘virtual’ opportunities
Trinidad and Tobago – REPUBLIC Bank executive director Derwin Howell said the covid19 pandemic presents an opportunity to develop innovative solutions to better serve the population. More
Tuesday, 1 June 2021
The Social Security Board of Belize is Going Digital
Belize – The Social Security Board of Belize (SSB) is celebrating forty years of service to the Belizean people and is now looking to have their essential services be at the reach of your fingertips… more
Bank of Asia Perspective: Data and Talents Key to Succeed in the Digital Economy
British Virgin Islands – Building on the strength of its financial services and legal framework, the British Virgin Islands (BVI) has established itself over the years as a leading International Financial Centre (IFC) in the Caribbean with a vast network and variety of registered companies from across the globe… more
C&W Communications confirms its state of readiness for the 2021 Hurricane Season
Caribbean – Even as Caribbean countries continue to actively work towards bringing the COVID-19 pandemic under control through aggressive vaccination and public education campaigns, residents must also keep a watchful eye on the start of the Atlantic hurricane season which was today… more
Public Sector IT professionals should ensure Guyana is not bound to one software vendor
Guyana – The National Data Management Authority (NDMA) and the Ministry of Legal Affairs have issued calls for procurement of proprietary software. NDMA is very explicit in that it intends to go with Microsoft products… more
Flow Foundation connects children to a safe spot, support
Jamaica – Jamaican children will benefit from a national helpline which will connect them to help as they deal with the pandemic… more
Gov’t Levering Technology To Improve Student Achievement
Jamaica – Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Fayval Williams, says that the Government is levering the use of technology in the education system in order to improve student achievement… more
Jamaica Grants Licence for Third Telecoms Provider
Jamaica – The Government of Jamaica’s Cabinet has given approval for a third telecommunications service provider, Rock Mobile, to be granted a licence to operate locally… more
National Broadband Initiative – June 1, 2021
Jamaica – Technology Minister Daryl Vaz is seeking to make the National Broadband Initiative designated a national development project to be funded by the government… more
Department Of Statistics Relaunches New And Improved Website
Saint Kitts and Nevis – The Department of Statistics within the Ministry of Sustainable Development has relaunched its improved website www.stats.gov.kn to increase the functionality of the site and improve user experience… more
Kingdom Taskforce for Children’s Rights gets own website.
Sint Maarten — The Kingdom Taskforce for Children’s Rights will launch its website on June 1st, 2021. The Taskforce was established in 2014 with the aim to foster inter-country collaboration within the Kingdom with regard to the protection and promotion of children’s rights… more
Flow donates sim cards to Ministry of Education
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines – TELECOMMUNICATIONS giant Flow launched an affordable prepaid E-learning plan on Tuesday May 25, 2021 which it said is geared towards meeting the needs of parents, and students with limited access to a fixed internet connection… more
Wednesday, 2 June 2021
Finance professionals should consider digital tools as well as trusting their intuition
Caribbean – Accountants need to keep up their guard when taking on new clients and make sure anti-fraud checks are rigorous enough to combat a potential increase in criminal activity driven by the pandemic… more
Road map to cyber security frameworks
Caribbean – The world has experienced exponential growth of cyber threats since this pandemic started. Work from home requirements have added fuel to that fire as many organisations struggle to provide the same type of IT security protection to their assets and staff who are now working remotely… more
Virtual education
Guyana – Education has not been the same since the pandemic… more
How Virtual Reality Helps the World Get to Know Haiti
Haiti – Non-Profit organization Hope for Haiti uses virtual reality to build empathy and touch potential donors and international travellers… more
Defending against cyberattacks
Jamaica – With the Government of Jamaica making grand plans to build out various cyber-physical systems architecture like the National Identification System (NIDS), there has to be increased caution on the approach, ensuring that our efforts are deliberate… more
Digital well-being
Jamaica – In Jamaica, there is still stigma attached to mental illness. The taboo has made it difficult to engage in open and honest conversations. Many would rather suffer in silence and shame than admit that we are struggling, even less likely to ask for help… more
MONIQUE POWELL — PLATED TO YOUR PALATE
Jamaica – Innovation is a critical skill that enables us to solve problems, provide creative insights and see the world from a different perspective, whether we are developing a product, reconstructing our business strategy or simply finding new ways to stay ahead of the competition… more
TelEm Group fiber sales team is coming to Jose Lake Ballpark this Saturday.
Sint Maarten – This coming Saturday, June 5th the TelEm Group sales team will be at the Jose Lake Sr. Ballpark, to sign up residents from Betty’s Estate, Ebenezer, Mary’s Fancy, Saunders, and St. John’s while they take advantage of the limited-time special offer, waiving the ANG 225 charged installation… more
Digicel+ raises home internet prices
Trinidad and Tobago – Digicel+ customers will have to pay more for their internet starting next month, a notice from the company’s website has stated… more
Thursday, 3 June 2021
Island Pay and BTC partner to accelerate digital transformation of Bahamian economy
Bahamas – BTC and Island Pay Group Ltd yesterday announced an innovative partnership that will enhance customer experience and convenience across the country… more
Under 50% Of Bahamian Firms Use Social Media
Bahamas – less than 50 percent of Bahamian businesses are using social media to drive sales and promotions, it was revealed yesterday, exposing just how much work the government faces in its digitisation drive… more
Creating Tech Hubs in Greater Caribbean Basin Would Serve US Domestic Policy
Caribbean – During the last five years, American policy makers, voters and even some business leaders have called for the reshoring of manufacturing… more
Demystifying digital assets – a guide for trustees
Cayman Island – The new and evolving world of digital assets has introduced many private clients not only to vast and often rapid wealth, but also to foreign and increasingly complex concepts… more
KFC pilots WhatsApp ordering in Portmore
Jamaica – RESTAURANTS of Jamaica (ROJ) yesterday started the pilot of the KFC WhatsApp-based ordering platform for customers in Portmore in the first phase of its carry-out and curbside service… more
Blu Networks MD: Infrastructure is the core of digital transformation
Trinidad and Tobago – Digital transformation – the integration of digital technology into all areas of a business that changes how it operates and delivers value to its customers – is not a small feat for any organisation, more so government agencies… more
Minister Hassel Bacchus working to move Trinidad and Tobago toward e-governance
Trinidad and Tobago – In 1979, the Workers Bank, now known as First Citizens Bank, introduced “Mary-Anne All Day All Night Service,” Trinidad and Tobago’s first automated telling machine… more
Friday, 4 June 2021
#BTEditorial – When influencers have the greater influence
Barbados – If there was any doubt, the events that unfolded these past few days have made it clear that certain “influencers” in Barbados wield immense power to sway public opinion… more
NATIONAL COUNCIL ON SUBSTANCE ABUSE (NCSA) GOING DIGITAL
Barbados – The National Council on Substance Abuse (NCSA) is moving ahead with its digital transformation agenda, and has started the implementation of a Document Management System (DMS) with the assistance of the team from Productive Business Solutions Technologies (Barbados) Limited… more
Sagicor outfits school’s lab with computers
Barbados – Learning the basics of keyboard playing, along with developing a working knowledge of the structural foundation of music and its various genres through the identification of cords and rhythm, will now be much easier for the students of the St. Leonard’s Boys School, thanks to a generous donation from Sagicor… more
Estonia is helping DR set up its digital identity
Dominican Republic – The Presidential Office of Information and Communication Technologies (Optic) is working closely with experts from Estonia to simplify Dominican red tape, new director Pedro Quezada told El Caribe… more
Online talk show host charged under cybercrime law with causing damage to Minister Ramson’s reputation
Guyana – Online talk show host and political activist Gavin Matthews was yesterday formally charged with using a computer system to cause damage to the reputation of Culture, Youth and Sport Minister Charles Ramson Jr… more
Bank moves full speed ahead with digital branches
Jamaica – SIX branches of Scotiabank have gone full digital, removing the day-to-day over-the-counter cash transactions and instead prioritising other banking functions, including financial advice and planning… more
Concentrix expanding into Kingston
Jamaica – Having made its entry in Jamaica in 2017, the American-based solutions and technology company Concentrix Corporation is expanding into Kingston from its location in Montego Bay… more
Jamaica considering technology to identify people with COVID-19
Jamaica – THE Jamaican Government has started discussions with a team from Portum System, LLC, a health risk mitigation and contact tracing application firm, to assist with the easy detection of people with COVID-19… more
USF donates $20 million improve ICT in courts
Jamaica – THE Universal Service Fund (USF) on Thursday handed over a cheque valued at $20 million to the Court Administration Division (CAD) for the procurement of equipment to improve the information and communication technology (ICT) infrastructure of the island’s courts… more
USF Supports Upgrading Of ICT In Justice System
Jamaica – The establishment of a videoconferencing system and other technologies to improve the justice system is being funded by the Universal Service Fund (USF)… more
App To Aid Recovery Launched
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines – The accessible and user-friendly web-based platform is the first of its kind available to the Vincentian public, and aims to streamline disaster relief efforts by organizing data in a clear and logical way… more
Digicel raises prices, speeds for home broadband service
Trinidad and Tobago – In a post to its website, DigicelTT announced increased prices for its Fibre-to-the-Home service… more
Minister Hassel Bacchus working to move Trinidad and Tobago toward e-governance
Trinidad and Tobago – In 1979, the Workers Bank, now known as First Citizens Bank, introduced “Mary-Anne All Day All Night Service,” Trinidad and Tobago’s first automated telling machine… more
WiPay signs with money transfer giant
Trinidad and Tobago – WIPAY Caribbean signed an agreement yesterday with remittance payment giant Ria Financial Services, expanding the WiPay network into over 150 countries across the world, including locations like Walmart and Kroger… more
Saturday, 5 June 2021
Digital register, ID cards proposal to go to Parliament this year
Cayman Islands – The proposal for a digital identity register and national ID cards is planned to go before Parliament in 2021… more
CARICOM Youth have high hopes for Single ICT Space
Caribbean – Last month, the CARICOM Secretariat participated in observing World Telecommunication and Information Society Day, under the theme ‘Accelerating Digital Transformation in Challenging Times… more
Jamaica Puts Focus on Upskilling as Digital Sourcing Opportunities Grow
Jamaica – In 2020, tens of thousands of Jamaican workers — in industries as diverse as BPO, media and the public sector — were thrust into a sudden, mass experiment in new ways of working… more
Traffic ticketing system to update payment records in real time
Jamaica – The traffic ticketing system will soon be able to update payment and warrant records in real time, following technological support from the Ministry of Science, Energy and Technology… more
Sunday, 6 June 2021
Cedric Stephens | Cyber risk insurance can help: Part 2
Jamaica – Last Tuesday’s Gleaner headline, ‘Ransomware attack on world’s largest meat producer disrupts global production’, strengthens the case for this article and cyber risk insurance… more
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