This episode is also available on SoundCloud, Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Amazon Music!!

We are almost at the end of 2024, and looking back at the past year from a regional perspective, the Caribbean tech space may seem quite ho-hum, where no single transformative event can readily be recalled. Bright moments from previous years, such as artificial intelligence (AI) and financial technology, just seemed to be ambling along.

Having said this, private and public sector organisations are still grappling with major cyberattacks and the fallout thereafter. Further, with many Caribbean countries experiencing the ravages of tropical storms this year, the most devastating of which was Hurricane Beryl, deficiencies in countries’ network and infrastructure resiliency and recovery have been increasingly evident.

In our last Community Chat for the year, we are reflecting on the year in Caribbean tech that was, and what might be in store for us in 2025.

Introducing our guest

Telojo “Telly” Valerie Onu has been at the forefront of digital financial innovation and ecosystem building with over 20 years of experience as a Financial and Impact Innovator, Digital Economist and Digital Transformation Expert. She is a thought leader and a co-author of The Insurtech Book and The Wealthtech Book.

She is the Head of Governance and Execution for the Bantu Blockchain Foundation, a Seychelles Foundation with offices in Lagos, Nigeria, which governs the Bantu Network Infrastructure. She is also the International Director of Governance and Compliance for the JD Euroway Finance Group (Private Banking), which is headquartered in Canada, and is also the Director of Governance and Compliance and a Transactions Specialist for JDE FINEX, a regulated institutional digital asset exchange and liquidity provider.

Telly is the Founder of Valerie Capital (formerly Beyond Capital Market), a digital financial market infrastructure (DFMI) and digital asset management firm focused on embedded and alternative finance.  She is also the Founder of Quintessence Consulting Inc., a global strategy and management consulting firm that has led multimillion-dollar investment facilitation and transformation projects and their implementation.

Carlton Samuels is an International Consultant and heads Carlton Samuels and Associates, which specialises in areas such as technology in business strategy, ICT policy development, business process re-engineering and ICT in education. He was the Chief Information Officer and University Director of IT at The University of the West Indies (UWI). He is also an Adjunct Lecturer in the Department of Library and Information Studies, the Faculty of Humanities and Education at the UWI in Jamaica.

Carlton has an extensive portfolio of volunteer work in the areas of ICT for Development (ICT4D), Internet Governance and Technology in Education. He is a member of the At-Large Advisory Committee (ALAC) of ICANN, a foundation member and the inaugural Secretary for the Latin America and Caribbean Regional At-Large Advisory Organization (LACRALO) of ICANN and an Advisory Board member for the Microsoft Partners in Learning initiative. He is a member of the Advisory Committee for the National Information Systems (ACNIS) in Jamaica, a member of ICT4D Jamaica and the Board Committee for ICT Governance for both Human Employment and Resource Training /National Service Training Agency (HEART/NSTA) and the Scientific Research Council (SRC). Carlton has also been a member of the CARICOM ICT Task Force, a regional ICT leadership position charged with developing a cohesive ICT/Digital policy framework for Caribbean governments.

Insights into our conversation

Similar to previous years, the structure of the discussion is kept simple and is guided by the following questions:

• What were the year’s big ICT/tech issues in the Caribbean region?
• Were there issues that gained more traction than they had anticipated, and were there ones that fell short of their expectations?
• What ICT/tech issues will be big in the Caribbean region in 2025?
• What issues should policymakers focus on addressing in 2025?

Both Telly and Carlton tend to keep tabs on numerous tech segments, which is reflected in this conversation. It was thus interesting to gain some insight into the various developments that have been occurring, the challenges being experienced, and what might be needed to achieve a more meaningful impact.

Having said this, the Caribbean region is ripe with potential and appears to be poised for a true digital transformation. It does, however, require a concerted effort to leverage existing opportunities, and being clear and intentional in the goals that ought to be achieved.

We would love to hear your thoughts!

Do leave us a comment either here beneath this article, or on our Facebook or LinkedIn pages, or via Twitter, @ICTPulse.

Also, if you or a member of your network is interested in joining us for an episode, do get in touch.

Let’s make it happen!

Select links

Below are links to some of the organisations and resources that either were mentioned during the episode, or otherwise, might be useful:

• Telojo “Telly” Valerie Onu 
• Carlton Samuels
• ICT Pulse Podcast episode, ICTP 284: Deep tech, impact innovation and how the Caribbean region should be leveraging them, with Telly Valerie Onu
• ICT Pulse Podcast episode, ICTP 277:  Capitalising on Caribbean country code top-level domains with Carlton Samuels and Lance Hinds
• ICT Pulse Podcast episode, ICTP 216: Digital skills in the Caribbean region, with Dr Barbara Reynolds and Carlton Samuels
• Pan African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS)
• PAPSS press release, CARICOM Central Banks adopt PAPSS for intra-regional trade transactions
• Sunshine (Trinidad and Tobago)
• QuickCart
• ICT Pulse Podcast episode, ICTP 203: From side hustles and labours of love, to flying high as a successful entrepreneur, with Monique Powell
• Boosting Innovation Growth & Entrepreneurship Ecosystem (BIGEE)
• Meta Llama

Images credit:  T Onu;  C Samuels;  Freepik;  Gerd Altmann (Pixabay); rawpixel.com (Freepik)

Music credit: The Last Word (Oui Ma Chérie), by Andy Narrell

Podcast editing support: Mayra Bonilla Lopez

This episode is also available on SoundCloud, Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Amazon Music!!

Although we may all be hyper-aware of the term ‘innovation’, it still seems to be an elusive concept that few people seem to truly understand. As a result, we still have people, organisations and even countries claiming to be fostering innovation, but not appearing to produce any meaningful results.  

We thus thought it opportune – especially with yearend approaching and we start making plans and goals for 2025 – to revisit this episode we recorded with Professor Patrick Hosein that kicked off the innovation series we did in 2019. So, if your organisation is hoping to be more innovative in 2025, or national goals are being prepared, this (relatively) short conversation with Professor Hosein packs a punch!

Introducing our guest

Professor Patrick Hosein attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) where he obtained five degrees including a PhD in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. He has worked at Bose Corporation, Bell Laboratories, AT&T Laboratories, Ericsson and Huawei, and has published extensively with over 150 refereed journal and conference publications.

Patrick holds 41 granted patents in the areas of telecommunications and wireless technologies. He was nominated for the Ericsson Inventor of the Year award in 2004, was the Huawei US Wireless Research Employee of the Year for 2007 and is a 2015 Anthony Sabga Caribbean Laureate for Science and Technology. He is presently the administrative and technical contact for the .tt top-level domain and the Chief Executive Officer of the TTNIC and a Professor of Computer Science at the University of the West Indies. His present areas of research include Applied Data Science, Operations Research and Performance and Pricing Optimisation for Cellular Networks.

Insight into our conversation

Although this conversation with Professor Hosein is over five years old, it is still as relevant today as it was when it was first recorded. One of the points he made that has stayed with me is the excitement young graduates tend to have at the prospects of applying what they have learnt, working on exciting projects, and, ultimately, changing the world.

However, all too often, the actual workplace is a soul-sucking experience that throws cold water on their hopes and dreams. It is only those who are especially driven and perhaps have connections (and luck!) will leave their home countries to seek better and more enriching opportunities.

Below are key of the questions that drove our conversation.

1. What might Caribbean countries be doing wrong with regard to fostering innovation
2. Who should be driving innovation: Government and/or the private sector?
3. Recognising that innovation tends to require lots of resources, especially money, how can Caribbean countries still foster innovation, and/or justify the spend needed?
4. Through schools and universities, we gain knowledge and certain skills, which are crucial foundational elements, but are they – in fact – fostering innovation?
5. Why is it crucial to focus on problem formulation when trying to find a solution to a problem?
6. How important is it to develop and nurture a culture of patents, and by extension, Intellectual Property, when trying to foster innovation?
7. What might be some of the important elements that are still missing in the Caribbean, in order to foster innovation?

We would love to hear your thoughts!

Do leave us a comment either here beneath this article, or on our Facebook or LinkedIn pages, or via Twitter, @ICTPulse.

Also, if you or a member of your network is interested in joining us for an episode, do get in touch.

Let’s make it happen!

Select links

Below are links to some of the organisations and resources that either were mentioned during the episode, or otherwise, might be useful:

• Professor Patrick Hosein
• TTLab
• TTLab Publications 
• ICT Pulse Podcast episode, ICTP 237: Revisiting tech innovation in the Caribbean region and at TTLAB in Trinidad and Tobago
• ICT Pulse Podcast episode, ICTP 069:  Fusing academic research, innovation and developing practical solutions for industry, with Professor Patrick Hosein 
• ICT Pulse Podcast episode, ICT 039:  Creating a more enabling environment for innovation in the Caribbean, with Professor Patrick Hosein
• ICT Pulse Podcast episode, ICTP 016: Pioneering the use of country-level domain names in the Caribbean, with Professor Patrick Hosein of TTNIC
• University of the West Indies (St Augustine Campus)
• Trinidad and Tobago Network Information Centre (TTNIC)
• Bell Labs
• AT&T
• AT&T Labs Research | AT&T
• Ericsson 

Images credit:   P Hosein; rawpixel.com (Freepik); Gerd Altmann (Pixabay);  Jannoon028 (Freepik)

Music credit: The Last Word (Oui Ma Chérie), by Andy Narrell

This episode is also available on SoundCloud, Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Amazon Music!!

To some degree, it is likely that most of us have a bit of a love-hate relationship with the internet. Though we readily acknowledge its benefits and impact on our lives and livelihoods and perhaps would not wish to be without it, at the same time, we may also be prepared to admit that it has also brought with it certain complexities that, before, we did not have to consider.

However, with how busy our lives are these days, we may not even have the mental space to ponder these things. Nevertheless, there is perhaps an even greater need for us to be strategic in our internet use, and there might be an even greater obligation for those in leadership positions, as the frameworks and systems established affect not only their organisations but also their customers and the society at large.

So, what should you want from the internet in 2024 and beyond? That is a question only you can answer, but it is strongly recommended that you consider it and be intentional in your choices.

Introducing our guests

Rodney Taylor is the Secretary-General of the Caribbean Telecommunications Union (CTU). Prior to that appointment, he was the Chief Digital Technology Officer of the Ministry of Innovation, Science and Smart Technology (MIST), in Barbados, where he was the technical lead on Barbados’ digital transformation, to improve public sector service delivery through strategic use of innovation, science and SMART technology.

Mr. Taylor has over 20 years of professional experience, which includes managing the Information Systems Unit in Barbados’ Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade and its overseas missions. He also previously served as the Business Development and Operations Manager of the CTU, where he worked with regional governments in the development of policies to govern ICT and represented the region in many international ICT conferences. He also led the work to operationalise the CTU’s Caribbean Centre of Excellence, to offer consultancy services to the Member States and others.

Mr Taylor has been an advisor on Internet Governance and has published research on e-commerce diffusion in small island developing states in the Journal of Information Systems for Developing Countries. He is an Ethical Hacker and a founding member and former Chairman of the Barbados Chapter of the Internet Society, a global organisation that aims to promote the open development, evolution, and use of the Internet for the benefit of all people throughout the world.

Insights into our conversation

One of the main reasons why the Secretary-General of the CTU was invited to wrap the final episode of the year on “The Internet we should want” series is that he would be able to share a regional perspective on the issue. He did not disappoint. Moreover, the SG was quite candid about many of our shortcomings, especially regarding the structures that still need to be established or upgraded to allow all Caribbean users to leverage the internet and for our societies to fully realise the efficiencies and other benefits when the more comprehensive internet integration occurs.

Below are key questions posed to the SG during our conversation.

1. How has the landscape of the internet evolved over the past 5—10 years? And what are your thoughts on the current state of internet penetration and use in the Caribbean region, and how it compares to previous years?
2. The CTU is an important contributor to shaping the CARICOM Single ICT Space (SICTS). How important will the SICTS be in the foreseeable future? Or could it become irrelevant even before it is fully realised?
3. What do you think of the region’s digital economy? And how could Caribbean countries leverage the internet more to further develop their digital economies?
4. What impact, if any, might the Internet of Things have here in the region?
5. Privacy and data protection have been growing in importance globally over the past decade. What should we as a region want with respect to privacy and data protection?
6. What role has social media been playing in the Caribbean? And what role should social media be playing in the region?
7. How should we be moving towards the internet we say we want? How do we get to the internet we want?

We would love to hear your thoughts!

Do leave us a comment either here beneath this article, or on our Facebook or LinkedIn pages, or via Twitter, @ICTPulse.

Also, if you or a member of your network is interested in joining us for an episode, do get in touch.

Let’s make it happen!

Select links

Below are links to some of the organisations and resources that either were mentioned during the episode, or otherwise, might be useful:

• Rodney Taylor
• Caribbean Telecommunication Union
• CARICOM IMPACS (Caribbean Community Implementation Agency for Crime and Security)
• ICT Pulse Podcast episode, ICTP 272: Expert insights update on cyber threats and security in the Caribbean, with Dale Joseph of CARICOM IMPACS
• ICT Pulse Podcast November 2024 Community Chat episode, ICTP 330: Online advertising, learning and collaboration and Digicel’s latest digital transformation report
• ICT Pulse Podcast episode, ICTP 206: We have CBDCs, but is the Caribbean ready for a regional stablecoin?
• ICT Pulse Podcast episode, ICTP 158: Creating a seamless and harmonised regional telecoms and ICT space, with Rodney Taylor, of the CTU

Images credit:  CTU;  rawpixel.com (Freepik);  yogiermansyah22 (Freepik); rawpixel.com (Freepik);

Music credit: The Last Word (Oui Ma Chérie), by Andy Narrell

Podcast editing support: Mayra Bonilla Lopez

This episode is also available on SoundCloud, Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Amazon Music!!

Welcome to our November 2024 Community Chat episode! This month’s discussion is generally focused on business-related issues.

As we approach the end of 2024, we have an opportunity to review the decisions we made during the year – both personally and professionally – whether they paid off and what we might wish to do differently in 2025. Hopefully, the goal is to be more successful next year than you were this year, and critical to achieving that is making strategic plans that will be implemented. Work-wise, we think this episode can help!

Introducing our guest panellist

With over 30 years of experience, Gerry George is a leading ICT professional and policy expert. Known for his work and advocacy in shaping ICT & telecommunications policies and regulations, he has dedicated the past 15 years to driving compliance, competition, and innovation across the sector.

Gerry is deeply committed to industry advancement and governance, actively engaging in both local and international trade associations and forums. Currently, he serves as President of SLICTA, the ICT Association of Saint Lucia, an Advisory Council member of the American Registry of Internet Numbers (ARIN), and Chair of the International Institute of Communications (IIC)’s Caribbean Chapter.

As founder of DigiSolv, Inc., he has led a successful consultancy for over 25 years, delivering practical, affordable and innovative business solutions to a wide array of clients. Respected across the ICT community, Gerry is a steadfast advocate for growth, collaboration, and best practices in the industry and wider community.

Matthew Cowen is a seasoned expert in Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) with over 30 years of experience. Having resided in the French West Indies for approximately 20 years, Matthew has dedicated this time to understanding the region from a technological perspective. Fluent in English and French, and conversant in French Creole, Matthew’s passion lies in exploring how technology shapes our world, both technically and socially.

Matthew has successfully worked on various projects across the Caribbean, in both English-speaking and French-speaking territories. His extensive experience is detailed in his Curriculum Vitae at matthewcowen.org. Matthew also writes a newsletter called The Future is Digital, which delves into issues surrounding digital technology, its use, and its impacts in the Caribbean. The newsletter occasionally explores global topics, reflecting the inherently global nature of digital technology. His goal is to help businesses understand and thrive in the digital environment.

Holding a master’s degree in Operational Management from ESSEC Business School (Paris), Matthew also possesses numerous industrial and sectorial certifications from organisations such as UNCTAD and Microsoft. He has worked with international organisations like UNESCO and USAID, as well as other business development projects in the Caribbean. Matthew is also a certified trainer for adults.

The topics discussed

First, with virtually everyone online, it makes sense for businesses to also advertise online. However, Are Caribbean businesses really benefitting from online advertising? With the value of online advertising estimated at USD 232.7 billion in 2023 and should reach USD 538.2 billion by 2032, what has been the real impact of online advertising on your business? We discuss.

For our second topic, we shift to the entrepreneurship and startup space to discuss the lack of collaboration that tends to occur. Often, we see the results. Businesses limping along, which could have been much further ahead had they been more open to strategic partnerships and building teams. Hence, our topic was, Learning and development – promoting a culture of learning and collaboration within our space.

Finally, regional telecommunication company, Digicel, in collaboration with Symptai Consulting Limited recently released its 2024 Caribbean Research Report and Maturity Guide under the theme, Navigating Digital Transformation. The panel discusses the findings of the report, which examines the progress and challenges faced by Caribbean businesses.

We would love to hear your thoughts!

Do leave us a comment either here beneath this article, or on our Facebook or LinkedIn pages, or via Twitter, @ICTPulse.

Also, if you or a member of your network is interested in joining us for an episode, do get in touch.

Let’s make it happen!

Select links

Below are links to some of the organisations and resources that either were mentioned during the episode, or otherwise, might be useful:

• Gerry George
• Mathew Cowen  website  | LinkedIn
• Europe Union publication, Study on the impact of recent developments in digital advertising on privacy, publishers and advertisers
• Research article, You Can’t Hide Behind Your Headset: User Profiling in Augmented and Virtual Reality
• ICT Pulse Podcast episode, ICTP 270: Breaking the shackles of digital colonialism, with Ingrid Riley and Matthew Cowen
• Digicel and Symptai Consulting e-report, Navigating Digital Transformation: 2024 Caribbean Research Report & Maturity Guide

Images credit:  G George;  M Cowen;  creativeart (Freepik);  rawpixel (Pixabay);  Freepik

Music credit: The Last Word (Oui Ma Chérie), by Andy Narrell

Podcast editing support: Mayra Bonilla Lopez

This episode is also available on SoundCloud, Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Amazon Music!!

It was not that long ago that the metaverse was the buzzword of the day. The metaverse—a fusion of virtual reality, augmented reality, and the internet—has been envisaged as a transformative frontier, reshaping the way we interact, work, and experience the digital world. It promises to be a seamless, immersive space where digital and physical realities blur, creating opportunities for innovation, economic growth, and social connectivity. However, over the past few years, it has fallen into obscurity and has been overtaken in the public’s mind by generative artificial intelligence (AI).

Having said this, the metaverse is not dead. It is very much alive, but the pace of development has definitely slowed. However, there is now an opportunity and time to develop the necessary guardrails and policies for the metaverse, unlike what is currently happening with AI, where we are still debating the frameworks that should be established after the proverbial horse has left the stable.

Founded in 2016 in Jamaica, Youth Can Do I.T. (YCDI) is a youth empowerment organisation that is geared towards equipping and empowering youth with the right skills and tools needed to turn their dreams into reality. In 2023, YCDI, in partnership with Jesus College at the University of Oxford launched Project Amplify to collaboratively design ethical guidelines and spaces for the metaverse. The proposed guidelines were finalised earlier this year and are available to help inform policymakers, government agencies, organisations and individuals about their design processes for their own digital spaces and the metaverse.

Introducing our guests

Cherika Wilson has spent most of her career working in youth development/youth-supporting roles. A passion for equitable access to education brought her to the Caribbean School of Data (CSOD) where she currently serves as the Project Manager. She oversees the implementation of CSOD’s digital and data skills training programmes, and all CSOD’s strategic partnerships. Cherika is also the Head of People Operations at Youth Can Do I.T. (YCDI), managing the organisation’s programmes and operations. Prior to returning to Jamaica, Cherika worked in the nonprofit and public sectors in New York City across several functional roles including, strategic partnerships, programme management, development, and data reporting and analysis.

A proud alumna of Campion College in Jamaica, Cherika holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Sociology from the University of Pennsylvania, a Master of Public Administration in Non-profit Administration from Baruch College, and a Master of Business Administration in Managerial Analytics from Mercy College.

Christopher Derrell is an award-winning software developer who in his role, manages UX, architecture, and development to create practical and aesthetic websites. These have spanned across multiple industries including banking, hotels and engineering, from Barbados to Rome, while being recognized globally as leaders in technological innovation.

Chris has over 10 years of experience in Software Development and holds a Bachelor of Science (Hons.) in Computer Science and Economics from the University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona. He is a Christian, who leads a team of web developers at Adtelligent, and also co-leads Youth Can Do IT, a social enterprise; teaching youth aged 7—25 the power of data and code, working first on their mindset to inspire content creation, not just content consumers.

Chris is a proponent of Extended Reality (Augmented Reality/Virtual Reality and Mixed Reality) and using technology as a tool for increasing productivity.

Joel Lawson is a high school student and one of the youths involved in Project Amplify and participated in the ethical guidelines design process.

Insights into our conversation

To most people, the metaverse is not currently high in the social consciousness, so it might seem odd to be highlighting it as we did in 2022. However, based on our experience with Generative AI, and the concerns that have been raised for guardrails to be established, and even the call for a six-month moratorium on AI development, we know what can happen when we are not prepared for a technology that has launched. Currently, we still do not have appropriate policies in place, although it is in the public domain for over two years!

With the likely timeline of fully bringing the metaverse to life some years away, as was discussed with Joel, Cherika and Chris, we now have the time to deeply explore, debate and properly establish the policies and ethics that guide our use of the metaverse, and even our own other spaces. For example, questions we could ask regarding our own websites or online platforms are: are you using animation or a voice-activated reader to help users actually review the terms and conditions of your platform? And are accessibility features, such as language translation and tools to translate audio into sign language, embedded into your platform?

Below are some of the questions posed to Joel, Cherika and Chris during our conversation.

1. Chris, start us off. Briefly remind folk what the metaverse is, and what has been going on in the metaverse – because I am sure many of us thought it was dead.
2. As an emerging construct, and based on the experience with AI, there are likely to be several ethical concerns surrounding the metaverse. What are some of the more troublesome issues, and what are some that are likely to be more nuanced?
3. How did Project Amplify, the collaboration between Youth Can Do IT and Jesus College (Oxford), come about?
4. Joel, how did you get involved in Project Amplify and Youth Can Do IT?
5. What were the objectives of the research?
6. Joel, why was it important for you to participate in developing ethical guidelines for the Metaverse?
7. Cherika, what were the key findings of the research?
8. Joel, is there any theme you believe is the most important of the five areas addressed?
9. Having produced these ethical guidelines, what happens next?

We would love to hear your thoughts!

Do leave us a comment either here beneath this article, or on our Facebook or LinkedIn pages, or via Twitter, @ICTPulse.

Also, if you or a member of your network is interested in joining us for an episode, do get in touch.

Let’s make it happen!

Select links

Below are links to some of the organisations and resources that either were mentioned during the episode, or otherwise, might be useful:

• Youth Can Do IT
• Cherika Wilson
• Christopher Derrell
• Project Amplify, Co-designing Metaverse Ethics: Perspectives of Jamaican Youth: Final Report
• Project Amplify, Co-designing Metaverse Ethics: Perspectives of Jamaican Youth: Ethical Guidelines 
• ICT Pulse Podcast episode, ICTP 327: Ramblings. Would you let AI make all of your decisions?
• People magazine article, Teen, 14, Dies by Suicide After Falling in ‘Love’ with AI Chatbot. Now His Mom Is Suing
• The Guardian article, A girl was allegedly raped in the metaverse. Is this the beginning of a dark new future?
• Daily Mail article, I was ‘gang raped’ in the metaverse -the trauma was similar to a real-world assault

Images credit:  C Derrell; C Wilson; Riki32 (Pixabay);  pikisuperstar (Freepik); Pete Linforth (Pixabay)

Music credit: The Last Word (Oui Ma Chérie), by Andy Narrell

Podcast editing support: Mayra Bonilla Lopez

In our latest conversation with Albert Daniels, the Senior Manager for Stakeholder Engagement for the Caribbean, we discuss some of the latest developments in the ICANN Space. Some of the areas covered include: what exactly is ICANN and why it is important; the Registration Data Request Service and the implications for law enforcement; the new generic Top-Level Domain (gTLD) Program; and how Caribbean countries could benefit from this and other upcoming initiatives.

This episode is also available on SoundCloud, Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Amazon Music!!

The internet has become indispensable to everyday life. When it works well, it fades into the background and allows us to access information and resources we otherwise could not do and to be more efficient and effective when engaging in a broad range of work and personal activities. However, when the internet is not working – and I am looking at you, Flow(!) – the delicate equilibrium of our lives tends to come crashing down. Everything becomes considerably more difficult, and frustrations are high.

It can thus seem ironic that although the internet has become a crucial resource in our lives, we do not seem to be paying much attention to ongoing and emerging internet-related issues that could have an impact on how we use it. Further, many internet-related forums have adopted a multi-stakeholder approach in which internet end users can participate in the policy development process, effectively shaping how the internet evolves.

In this podcast episode, we revisit one such organisation, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) and discuss some of its current areas of focus and important programmes that are coming down the pipe.

Introducing our guest

Albert Daniels joined ICANN in 2013. He is located in Saint Lucia and is a member of ICANN’s Global Stakeholder Engagement team for Latin America and the Caribbean. As the ICANN Senior Manager for Stakeholder Engagement for the Caribbean, Albert leads engagement in 32 Caribbean Territories and also leads specialised projects in the ICANN Latin American and Caribbean Regional Strategy. Albert’s responsibilities include developing and executing the organisation’s strategic and tactical objectives in the Caribbean region.

Prior to working at ICANN, Albert served as an Information Systems and Information Security Auditor and ICT Consultant at Creative Technology Solutions Limited (CTSL). He also held the position of Regional IT Manager at KPMG Eastern Caribbean, and Accounts Supervisor/IT Trainer/Group IT Director at the CHL Group in Saint Lucia. Albert served on several national Boards in Saint Lucia, and has broad internet and technology-related experience, having personally introduced the Internet to Saint Lucia in 1993. He has attended many ICANN meetings; and has been involved in the ICANN Fellowship program as one of the first fellows in 2007 and also as a fellowship mentor. Albert holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Information Technology and also specialises in Project Management at the University of Cambridge; he also holds several professional and industry certifications. Albert is fluent in English and conversant in Spanish, French, Norwegian and French Creole.

Insights into our conversation

An important takeaway from this conversation with Albert is the fact that there is never a dull moment in Internet Governance (IG). The internet is constantly evolving, and to some degree, we, the end users, are driving some of the changes that have been occurring.

Further, and in the Caribbean context, the limited collaboration and forging of relationships by our countries in other areas appears to also be evident in the IG space. For example, the Registration Data Request Service is a new facility ICANN is piloting to support law enforcement agencies worldwide, which, according to Albert, has had limited traction in the region. It thus suggests that when a cybercrime has been committed, or a network breach has occurred, Caribbean law enforcement may not be aware of resources they could access and the procedures to be followed to secure information that could further their investigations.

Below are key topics discussed during this interview.

1. What ICANN is and why it is important.
2. The Registration Data Request Service, which is currently being piloted by ICANN.
3. A Domain Name System Observatory for the Caribbean region.
4. The avenues available that could help more stakeholders participate in ICANN events and activities and participate more regularly.
5. The New generic Top-Level Domain (gTLD) Program, which is being launched this month, November 2024. 
6. The Next Round Applicant Support Program
7. How the Caribbean countries (or the region as a whole) could benefit from the new gTLD Program
8. New upcoming events or activities people should have on their radar.

We would love to hear your thoughts!

Do leave us a comment either here beneath this article, or on our Facebook or LinkedIn pages, or via Twitter, @ICTPulse.

Also, if you or a member of your network is interested in joining us for an episode, do get in touch.

Let’s make it happen!

Select links

Below are links to some of the organisations and resources that either were mentioned during the episode, or otherwise, might be useful:

• Albert Daniels
• Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN)
• ICANN Public Meetings
• ICANN Public Comment
• ICANN81 Annual General Meeting (Istanbul, Turkey, 9—14 November 2024) 
• ICANN Acronyms and Terms
• ICT Pulse Podcast episode, ICTP 021: Navigating ICANN and its relevance to the Caribbean, with Albert Daniels
• ICT Pulse article, Snapshot on the cybersecurity measures that have been implemented in the Caribbean region in 2024
• LAC-i Roadshow Caribbean Edition (Jamaica, 28—30 November 2024)
• ICANN82 Seattle Community Forum (Seattle, USA, 8—13 March 2025)

Images credit:  ICANN;  rawpixel.com (Freepik); Freepik; TheDigitalArtist (Pixabay)

Music credit: The Last Word (Oui Ma Chérie), by Andy Narrell

This episode is also available on SoundCloud, Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Amazon Music!!

Generative artificial intelligence (AI) is evolving rapidly, with its capabilities expanding beyond content creation (which was so 2022!) and reaching into decision-making processes. Further, as its capabilities have increased, many of us, especially in the workplace, are excited by the help AI can provide to make us more efficient, effective and able to access resources or expertise that might otherwise not be readily available.

However, if we extend AI use in our personal lives and, more importantly, rely on it when making decisions, would that make us more efficient, effective and overall better than we would have been?

Thankfully, we have an intrepid explorer, Kashmir Hill, who wrote about that very topic in The New York Times, in which she allowed Generative AI to make all of her decisions for a week!

In addition to sharing some of her experiences with AI during that week, the writer included insights and feedback from many experts, which often offered a sage perspective on the interactions she had had.

However, in trying to keep on with what is happening not only in the Caribbean tech space but also in tech generally, it should come as no surprise that as enlightening as the article was, it also led me to additional questions and considerations.

So, in this podcast episode, it is just me and the mic. I share some of my thoughts on The New York Times article, which of course, includes a brief discourse on the pros and cons of AI. However, it also has me making other connections and asking more questions, which I thought I’d share.

We would love to hear your thoughts!

Do leave us a comment either here beneath this article, or on our Facebook or LinkedIn pages, or via Twitter, @ICTPulse.

Also, if you or a member of your network is interested in joining us for an episode, do get in touch.

Let’s make it happen!

Select links

Below are links to some of the organisations and resources that either were mentioned during the episode, or otherwise, might be useful:

• The New York Times article, I Took a ‘Decision Holiday’ and Put A.I. in Charge of My Life
• ICT Pulse Podcast episode, ICTP 160: Understanding how technology perpetuates bias, with Matthew Cowen, of dgtlfutures.com
• ICT Pulse Podcast episode, ICTP 187: Artificial Intelligence, key emerging issues and opportunities, with Matthew Cowen
• Joy Buolamwini book, Unmasking AI: My Mission to Protect What Is Human in a World of Machines
• MIT Technology Review article, We read the paper that forced Timnit Gebru out of Google. Here’s what it says.
• The New York Times article, Google Researcher Says She Was Fired Over Paper Highlighting Bias in A.I.
• The Guardian article, ‘There was all sorts of toxic behaviour’: Timnit Gebru on her sacking by Google, AI’s dangers and big tech’s biases
• People magazine article, Teen, 14, Dies by Suicide After Falling in ‘Love’ with AI Chatbot. Now His Mom Is Suing
• Dominica News Online article, CXC launches AI-assisted literacy and numeracy to combat educational decline

Image credit:  Micha (Pixabay)

Music credit: The Last Word (Oui Ma Chérie), by Andy Narrell

This episode is also available on SoundCloud, Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Amazon Music!!

Welcome to our October 2024 Community Chat episode! This month’s discussion is a true mash-up of topics as there does not readily appear to be a common or cohesive theme – but that makes for an interesting show!

Unlike our September chat, both of our guests showed up, and thanks to their diverse backgrounds and expertise, we enjoyed a rich and engaging conversation. We welcome your thoughts and feedback and encourage to extend these discussions to your own circles.

Introducing our guest panellists

Debbie Jollie is an independent business and marketing strategist, digital marketing consultant, lecturer and speaker who runs a full-service marketing agency. She holds a Master’s degree in Management Consultancy and a Bachelor’s degree in Marketing and Business Enterprise.

Debbie has over 15 years of experience in managing marketing strategies and consulting with brands in the Caribbean, USA, UK, Australia and South America. She specialises in Marketing and Business Strategy, Digital Marketing and Growth Marketing.

Garfield Gordon is a multi-disciplinary Technology Architect and Digital Transformation Consultant having over 30 years of diverse IT experience including software development, field engineering, enterprise architecture, systems engineering, cybersecurity, training and management in Jamaica, the Caribbean, Canada and the United States of America. He has extensive knowledge in: start-ups, medium to large enterprises, independent software vendors (ISV), value-added resellers (VAR), aviation, real estate, financial services, business process outsourcing, managed services; telecommunications and other vertical markets.

After spending 12 years at Cisco Systems Incorporated, he continues to focus on diverse projects in business transformation, architectural and technical solutions, cybersecurity, data protection, and the Internet of Things, with engagements across Governments, Service Providers, large enterprises, and Small to Medium Businesses throughout the Caribbean and the Americas.

The topics discussed

In recognition of Cybersecurity Month, but noting not the numerous tools and expertise available, there is still widespread concern that Caribbean countries, in particular, are still underprepared for digital threats. Although some countries reported a decline in successful attacks, devastating incidents are still occurring across the region. We thus opened our conversation with the topic, With all the available protections, why are we more vulnerable than ever to cyberattacks?

Second, although Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has been around for several years, Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) is gaining prominence. In some circles, ESG and CSR are being used interchangeably, but they are different, which we discuss. Further, in some instances, ICT can have an impact on these obligations and vice versa. So our second topic is, ESG versus CSR and the effects on ICT.

Finally, and arguably a positive outcome of the COVID-19 pandemic has been the increased appreciation of remote work and the benefits to both employers and employees.  However, it’s one thing to work from home but completely another to relocate temporarily and work from another country. Yet, more and more people, even in the Caribbean, are embracing that lifestyle and moving to far-flung locations. On previous podcast episodes, we had young digital nomads (people in their 20s and early 30s) on the show, but how different might the experience be for older or more experienced professionals?  Our final topic focused on, Caribbean consultants becoming true digital nomads.

We would love to hear your thoughts!

Do leave us a comment either here beneath this article, or on our Facebook or LinkedIn pages, or via Twitter, @ICTPulse.

Also, if you or a member of your network is interested in joining us for an episode, do get in touch.

Let’s make it happen!

Select links

Below are links to some of the organisations and resources that either were mentioned during the episode, or otherwise, might be useful:

• Debbie Jollie
• Garfield Gordon
• Debbie Jollie Marketing and Business Coach
• General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)
• Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) – UK
• Jamaica Observer article, Jamaica suffered 43 million cyber attack attempts in 2023 — Fortinet
• Jamaica Observer article, Jamaicans urged to remain vigilant despite sharp reduction in attempted cyberattacks
• The Gleaner article, Jamaica targeted 4 million times by cybercriminals so far this year
• The Gleaner article, ICWI issues alert to clients after cyberattack
• Barbados Revenue Authority article, Hackers claim access to BRA’s admin portal
• Trinidad and Tobago Guardian article, Barbados Revenue Authority probing data breach
• Barbados Today article, BDF Cyber Unit leading investigation into Revenue Authority hack
• ICT Pulse Podcast episode, ICTP 318: Stepping out of your comfort zone and living as a digital nomad 
• Cisco Networking Academy
• Amber Group

Image Credit:  D Jollie;  G Gordon; Matthias Zeitler (Pixabay);  freepik;  freepik

Music credit: The Last Word (Oui Ma Chérie), by Andy Narrell

Podcast editing support: Mayra Bonilla Lopez

This episode is also available on SoundCloud, Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Amazon Music!!

For many Caribbean countries, the offshore outsourcing industry has been an important contributor to job creation and their respective economies. During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, for example, when the tourism and hospitality sector ground to a halt across the region, the outsourcing industry grew and even buoyed some countries from an even worse economic impact.

However, the offshore outsourcing industry is one that everyone loves to hate, as they recall the early 1990s when data entry and call centres were first established, and from all reports, were akin to sweatshops due to very low wages and poor working conditions. While those types of operations may still exist in some quarters, they tend to fly under the radar and are not indicative of the majority, which tend to be internationally recognised outsourcing firms with Fortune 500 and other publicly traded companies as clients.

At the same time, it is important to emphasise that globally, the offshore outsourcing space is fast-paced and highly competitive. Countries with high unemployment rates, especially among their youth population, and low labour rates want to be able to provide more jobs, whilst the industry players are, among other things, continually adjusting to newer technologies, changes in talent availability and the cost and ease of doing business in the countries in which they have a presence.

It has been about 18 months since our last look at the region’s offshore outsourcing space. Though it was not that long ago, it seemed as if we were overdue for an update in light of some recent developments discussed in this interview.

Introducing our guest

Wayne Sinclair has had a diversified career as a Management Consultant and in Operations spanning over 40 years in a variety of industries including Financial Services, The Creative Industries, and the Global Services Sector. Starting out as a financial analyst with a boutique Investment Bank in San Diego California, he was responsible for analyzing various securities in the debt and equity space particularly Real Estate and Oil and Gas Limited Partnerships. After moving to Los Angeles, he worked with Warner Brothers Television (formerly Lorimar Television) in bringing the first episodic television series; “Going To Extremes” to be filmed entirely on location in Jamaica for a major American Network (ABC).  Wayne then went on to manage the touring and merchandising operations for several projects including the Lollapalooza Tour and Reggae Sunsplash. 

Wayne then spent several years working as a consultant and thematic expert on the Creative Industries for different multilateral agencies, NGOs and European private sector companies including the European Commission, the Organization of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) and the Jamaica Promotions Corporation (JAMPRO).  One of the more lasting legacies of this work is the Brussels Declaration of Artists and Cultural Professionals (2009) which has since spawned several projects throughout the ACP aimed at maximizing the value and export readiness of native cultural assets and capacity building for cultural professionals.  One such project is Southplanet, which is the largest database of cultural artists operating throughout the ACP region.

On returning to his native Jamaica, and going back to his financial services roots, for the past 8 years, Wayne has served as the Managing Director of National Credit Adjusters (NCA) Jamaica, a debt collection company headquartered in Hutchinson, Kansas.  Initially providing only collection agents, NCA Jamaica now provides a variety of back-office administrative support services for the head office and is now the largest of the company’s four branches.

Insights into our conversation

From all reports, the offshore industry in the Caribbean region has been thriving, but the industry in the region has been changing to respond to new and emerging developments, such as other countries globally becoming more competitive, changes in the labour market, countries introducing new economic and trade policies, and the increasing cost of doing business in the region. However, in light of these and other challenges, Wayne is still very optimistic about the future of the industry both in Jamaica and the wider Caribbean.

Also, while others have been signalling job loss due to AI, Wayne is of a country view. Although roles will change, he predicts a considerable upswing with more opportunities than we can now envisage. However, industry stakeholders need to be prepared to adjust and evolve.

Below are key questions that drove our conversation with Wayne.

1. To start us off, give us a synopsis of Jamaica’s outsourcing industry and how it has been evolving over the past few years
2. Tell us more about the Global Services Association.
3. With the Jamaica sector around 50,000 and the unemployment rate reported at around 4%, can the sector still continue to grow and remain globally competitive?
4. In the past month, it was announced that Ibex was closing two sites in Jamaica (but employee numbers are not changing), and whilst in Guyana, itel and Acquity BPO were shutting down their operations. What do these announcements say to you?
5. How are technologies such as AI and RPA affecting the outsourcing industry in Jamaica?
6. Among today’s workers, there is a continual need to upskill. What types of skills do you think will be required in the region to serve the outsourcing sector over the next 3 to 5 years?
7. What do you think is the future of outsourcing?

We would love to hear your thoughts!

Do leave us a comment either here beneath this article, or on our Facebook or LinkedIn pages, or via Twitter, @ICTPulse.

Also, if you or a member of your network is interested in joining us for an episode, do get in touch.

Let’s make it happen!

Select links

Below are links to some of the organisations and resources that either were mentioned during the episode, or otherwise, might be useful:

• Wayne Sinclair
• Global Services Association of Jamaica
• National Credit Adjusters (NCA) Jamaica
• The Gleaner article, BPO job numbers steady
• Jamaica Observer article, New GSAJ president focused on easing labour shortage
• The Gleaner article, Large BPO firm Ibex closes two contact centres, slashes desks by a third
• Jamaica Observer article, No jobs lost
• Jamaica Promotions Corporation (JAMPRO)
• Jamaica Special Economic Zone Authority (JSEZA)

Image credits:   W Sinclair;  rawpixel.com (Freepik); DC Studio (Freepik); Steve Buissinne (Pixabay)

Music credit: The Last Word (Oui Ma Chérie), by Andy Narrell

Podcast editing support: Mayra Bonilla Lopez

This episode is also available on SoundCloud, Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Amazon Music!!

In January 2021, we published an article, Why aren’t more Caribbean people video gamers, in which we noted that globally, the video games industry was estimated to be worth nearly USD 160 billion in 2020, and is projected to exceed USD 200 billion by 2023. However, as of 2022, the global video game market size was estimated at USD 217.06 billion and is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 13.4% from 2023 to 2030, or over half USD 500 billion (Source:  Grand View Research)

In other words, the global video gaming industry is at least double the music and movie industries combined. It is thus a highly lucrative field with a broad range of opportunities. However, as much as we might play video games, video game development still does not appear to have much of a footing in the Caribbean region.

This episode was first released in 2021, in which we sought to pull back the curtain on video gaming in the Caribbean region, including the state of video game development in the region, the challenges, and more importantly, the opportunities.

Introducing our guests

Glen Henry (left) is the Founder and Projects Director of Spritewrench Studios, a  one-man micro-studio based in Kingston, Jamaica., which tends to focus on smaller, self-contained titles with an emphasis on narrative elements. He is keen to explore ways the Caribbean’s cultural position can influence the stories we tell.

Glen is also the self-proclaimed ‘Loudest Member’ of the Jamaica Game Developer Society (JGDS), which is an informal group of game developers that aims to educate and advocate for the craft of interactive entertainment in Jamaica, and the wider Caribbean.

Graham Reid (right) is a Jamaican visual designer and a video game designer, who is based in the United States and is also a member of the JGDS. He has a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Broadcast Design and Motion Graphics, and has worked as a freelance motion graphics designer and animator on a wide variety of jobs for several companies, and presently, he is a Visual Designer at Snapchat.

In 2012, Graham along with two other Jamaicans created a game called Shapes & Sound: The Shape Shooter, which was released for Android. Since then, Graham has continued to delve into the world of video game development. His sophomore effort was titled Hecticube for iOS and Android, and he is currently working on Super Space Club which will be his first foray into PC and console development.

Insights into our conversation

This conversation is still as relevant today as it was when it was first recorded in 2021. Glen and Graham are passionate game developers, and in the discussion, they sought to highlight the complexities or nuances of some of the issues surrounding game development generally and game development in the region.

An interesting point that emerged during our conversation was although there are numerous enthusiastic hobbyists, many of them might not currently see a career path in game development or how to create a financially sustainable business in the region, which has been hindering the industry from becoming more established. However, four years later, is that still the case?

Below are the key questions that were posed.

1. How big is game development in Jamaica, and if you can, can you give us some insight into game development in the wider Caribbean?
2. What are some of the skills and resources needed to build games?
3. How could the lucrative nature of the global gaming industry result in economic benefits for Jamaica, for example, or for the Caribbean?
4. Although the global industry is highly lucrative, it seems to be highly competitive. What are some of the strengths you perceive in the region that could allow us to have some success in that space?  On the other hand, what are some of our weaknesses?
5. Tell us a little bit about the Jamaica Game Developer Society. What it about, its objectives, and its membership?
6. Is there a directory or repository of Caribbean games?
7. To varying degrees, the Caribbean has unique cultural and societal qualities that have appeal globally, and which it could be argued, could be leveraged as games. To what degree is that being done, and do you think the premise expressed is flawed?
8. Developers are likely to create games based either on their interests, or on trends – what might be hot these days. But these days, and here in the Caribbean, it could be argued that there is a need for games for the education and tourism space, for example. What are your thoughts?
9. It seems that popular business models for games is either to be free, but relying on ads for revenue, or to use a freemium model. But if one is in the business of games, do those business models really work?
10. For individuals who want to get into game development, what might be key pieces of advice you would give?

We would love to hear your thoughts!

Do leave us a comment either here beneath this article, or on our Facebook or LinkedIn pages, or via Twitter, @ICTPulse.

Also, if you or a member of your network is interested in joining us for an episode, do get in touch.

Let’s make it happen!

Select links

Below are links to some of the organisations and resources that either were mentioned during the episode, or otherwise, might be useful:

• Glen Henry
• Graham Reid
• Jamaica Game Developer Society (JDGS)
• Spritewrench Studios
• GrahamOfLegend
• ICT Pulse article, Why aren’t more Caribbean people video gamers?
• Indie Games by Jamaican Game Developers
• Games submitted by JGDS members to the Global Games Jam
• International Game Developers Association (IGDA)
• ListenMi Animation Studio

Images credit:  G Henry;  G Reid; DC Studio (Freepik); StockSnap (Pixabay);  Freepik (Freepik)

Music credit: The Last Word (Oui Ma Chérie), by Andy Narrell