LEADERSHIP AND HUMAN RELATIONS IS A NECESSITY TODAY. EXAMINE THE PROSPECTS AND CHALLENGES OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Introduction
Definition
Information technology is the practical science of knowledge applied for purposes of improving technical process used in manufacturing networks and codefied information systems that increases the productivity of machines while eliminating manual operation or the operation done by older machines.
While prospects are an action of foresight or anticipated changes in IT and challenges are the negative effects arising from IT.
Information technology is changing radicaly and is bringing radical changes and opportunism to our economic, social and political spheres of life. However along with opportunities are challenges for information systems users and managers every where across the globe.
The failure to use information technology is becoming as negative as the refusal to attend school. It is a choice between being left out or benefiting from enormous benefits of information technology.
Prospects of information technology
Innovations in IT
The prospects of information technology for Africa are tremendous. Nowadays it is becoming increasingly difficult to run an institution without using computers. Desktop machines are replacing traditional office typewriters. Information technology that can be used, maintained and developed by the indigenous professionals is crucial. Education and training is a key to building indigenous capacity that helps reduce dependence on developed world, and to cut under-utilisation of existing resources in order to help to apply technology for solving local complex problems.
No other region is more in publishing crisis than Africa. The book famine can be compared to the food shortage in the region. Publishing as well as getting what is published is a nightmare. Libraries in schools and public libraries have continued to decline in holdings of up-to-date books, reports and journals. The revolution in information technology is the most promising rescue to the weak publishing industry in Africa.
Personal computers have made much easier the production of newspapers, magazines, books, retail flyers, cards among others, by individuals. The equipments to manage IT system stations are ever becoming cheaper every day has undergone though a significant transformation since 1990’s when modern IT had just come into the county. For example mobile phones and computers were used by only ministers and tycoons in the city, because a Nokia -5210 costed over a million shillings but today you can as well get it as low as Shs. 50,000.
The emergency of CD-ROM
The ever dropping cost of drives, discs and CD-ROM titles boosted the availability of CD-ROM to users in developing countries. The development in personal mastering equipment, with tools that cut the traditional steps in pre-mastering and mastering a CD, has created wider opportunities for preserving archives in developing countries with little efforts in digitising them. For example in 1960s-70s, those in the music industry stored their songs on gramophone and record player discs the size of a big plate with only four songs, then cassette tapes with 6-8 songs, but today a digital cassette discs can accommodate about/over twenty and we hear of a CD which can run music a whole day in some of the developed countries.
The Pan African Development Information System is working on the first Africa based CD-ROM using information from Africa. The increasing speed and power in reading multi-media has facilitated CD application in education, research, computing, and entertainment, delivery of information to users at remote sites or on a network. It has greatly increased access to information.
.
Multi-media has expanded the opportunities for increased availability of data bases on CD-ROM ranging from chemical abstracts, medicine, population information, agriculture etc. Its potential for making information available without connect charges and time limit, makes it suitable technology to African information access problems.
16. Training in use of CD-ROM technology should not be underestimated. Users should get training in areas such as CD-ROM data base preparation for personal mastering, troubleshooting, CD-ROM searches, CD-ROM networking and information access. Basic computer training in operating systems makes usage of CD-ROM technology for information exchange, access, download and upload easier.
The introduction of Networking
Electronic networking is a technique to link information users using computers and communication channels. The role of computers in cutting the time needed for processing and exchange of information is fundamental. Communication channels reduce the distance between users. For example before computers at the university, when a student went to the library, he started at the subject catalogue, after then walk to the book bank section to have a book of ones choice or else kept climbing up and down stairs from Africana down to IDA to access other books, but today one just sits before an internet connected computer and does every thing there.
20. Recent advances in networking have forced commercial service providers to connect to the Internet. This has made access easier and reduced the cost of communications over networks. Subscribers are charged only for on-line access and printing. The availability of public access catalogues including access to Library on the Internet has created a wide range of alternatives for users of commercial on-line systems.
22. Universities that have discovered the enormous benefits of access to information have raced towards building Campus Wide Information Systems that provide access to local information including On-line Public Access Catalogues. This has made universal sharing of information easier and prompted increases in inter-library loans.
Government’s role
Government has played and should play active roles in diffusing the technologies to colleges, universities and schools. The use of Internet is a boost to graduate research in Africa. Connectivity helps to open the window to global knowledge for Africa. In addition to deploying information technology in education, governments should promote the use of information technology in the public communication media, including printed and audio-visual media, telecommunication and postal services. Information systems in business, finance, health, legal, science and technology should also be encouraged to use appropriate information technology and the government’s tax free policy on computers will boost IT prospects in the country.
Governments should develop better policies for equitable access to Information Technology even to the poorest local person in remote areas. They need information about market prices, hybrid seeds, farm inputs, among others. The need to provide equitable access should not undercut connection of information delivery agencies, business and private institutions to high bandwidth networks. Appropriate information and communication policies are the basis for building regional information infrastructure for socio-economic and political development.
In addition, not all teaching staff, administrators and students, and the civil society is computer literate.
The future of Uganda’s IT lies in training, facilities should be made, such as seminars, workshops, talks and hands-on-experience for each selected institution.
To build the capacity for computer networking the implementors should be ready to train a corps of systems operators who will train others and offer continuing support for sustainability. Since there are few personnel in schools and colleges knowledgeable in computer technology, there is every need to incorporate and develop local human resources. This will be essential in generating sustainability of the programme in both the short and long term
There is need to promote the Internet to a largely unaware school and college population, graphic designers should be employed to produce leaflets and brochures and these should be distributed freely. Free publicity in the form of articles in some of the country's leading newspapers, radio/TV adverts and jingles could suffice.
Challenges of information technology
These promises have also generated significant problems. Security, privacy, cultural erosion, equity of access, etc. are at the top of the list. Developing countries will continue to suffer from low access to networking technology. The gap will widen not as the result of lack of technical solutions but due to infrastructural and political problems. This is nowhere more truly than in Africa, where socio-economic and political insecurity is ever hiking.
Although there is now growing recognition of the far-reaching impact of telecommunications and networking on the economies of African countries, a number of problems restrict its diffusion through public institutions. Information users in Africa have the lowest literacy levels. More than half of Africa's population is illiterate. Over half of those literate can not gather information for problem solving. Most users struggle with everyday life. The availability of hundreds of local languages without interface to global knowledge resources has made access to information more difficult. The near absence of information seeking culture has continued to impede progress towards achieving universal access. Shortage of financial and human resources, lack of knowledge on the availability of potential tools, low level telecommunications infrastructure, and rapid changes in technology are all affecting acting the diffusion of networking technology.
Apart from socio-economic and political difficulties that have left many countries unconnected, the underdevelopment of the telecommunication infrastructure remains the major cause of access in the region. Data shows that telecommunications diffusion in Africa is the weakest in the world with the least tele-density. ITU reports indicate that the average telephones per 100 people in Africa were 1.6 in 1993. With an ever growing population the tele-density remains stagnant even if marginal increases in main telephone lines are achieved in some countries. Some countries have showed a negative growth rate in telecommunications density due to socio-economic problems, population growth, foreign debt, fall off in export earning and the need to import most telecommunications equipment.
Telecom policies vary considerably in Africa. In Uganda the tariff is several fold of that of the developed world. Telecom policies have become not only rigid but also have evolved as a perceived threat to socio-economic development. Even under connection queues for three to four years in some countries in Africa and telecom profitability in very high margin, the inadequate policies and incompetence of telecommunications management in most countries blocks achievement of the right to communicate, socio-economic development and universal access.
The potential of information technology in development activities that improve the quality of life, efficiency of social and economic organisation and its cohesion is evident. African countries need information and communication policy adjustment to share the promises of the rapid changes in information technology. Information policy adjustment involves appreciation of the significance of information technology in life long learning, trade, employment, accountability and better management of resources and environment.
Information technology, properly designed, can be deployed even in regions that lack adequate water, food and power. IT represents the biggest chances for major leapfrog in development, growth and poverty alleviation if African countries can fulfill necessary conditions for networking, agility, learning and reliability.
Computers are not widely available in Uganda. The vast majority of computers in many educational institutions are out-dated donated models. Overall there are far too few computers to distribute Internet access widely in educational institutions. Similarly, the number of skilled computer personnel in schools and colleges is relatively small. Top quality staff commands high salaries and other fringe benefits such as housing and transport that are beyond the reach of government funded, educational institutions.
The use of on-line access in developing countries is subject to the availability of resources. The high telecommunication tariffs and unreliable telecommunications infrastructure makes online access to commercial data bases impractical. Connectivity to the Internet will facilitate access to on-line commercial and free data bases.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Adam, L. (1995): The prospect of networking in Africa, Http:/www.sas.upenn.edu (HTML).
Benzene, D.(1995): Accessing and using the Internet. TSS/CST Workshop on data collection, processing, dissemination and utilization. United Nations, New York, May 1995.
Charles, R. (1994): "User-based data collection techniques and strategies for evaluating networked information services," Library Trends, volume 42, number 4, pp. 591-6O7.
Jensen, M. (1995): Telematics for development in Africa: A global Context. Paper presented at Regional Symposium on Telematics for Development in Africa. UNECA, Addis Ababa, April 1995.
Obenaus, G. (1994): "The Internet: an electronic treasure trove," Aslib proceedings, volume 46, number 4, pp. 95-100.
Definition
Information technology is the practical science of knowledge applied for purposes of improving technical process used in manufacturing networks and codefied information systems that increases the productivity of machines while eliminating manual operation or the operation done by older machines.
While prospects are an action of foresight or anticipated changes in IT and challenges are the negative effects arising from IT.
Information technology is changing radicaly and is bringing radical changes and opportunism to our economic, social and political spheres of life. However along with opportunities are challenges for information systems users and managers every where across the globe.
The failure to use information technology is becoming as negative as the refusal to attend school. It is a choice between being left out or benefiting from enormous benefits of information technology.
Prospects of information technology
Innovations in IT
The prospects of information technology for Africa are tremendous. Nowadays it is becoming increasingly difficult to run an institution without using computers. Desktop machines are replacing traditional office typewriters. Information technology that can be used, maintained and developed by the indigenous professionals is crucial. Education and training is a key to building indigenous capacity that helps reduce dependence on developed world, and to cut under-utilisation of existing resources in order to help to apply technology for solving local complex problems.
No other region is more in publishing crisis than Africa. The book famine can be compared to the food shortage in the region. Publishing as well as getting what is published is a nightmare. Libraries in schools and public libraries have continued to decline in holdings of up-to-date books, reports and journals. The revolution in information technology is the most promising rescue to the weak publishing industry in Africa.
Personal computers have made much easier the production of newspapers, magazines, books, retail flyers, cards among others, by individuals. The equipments to manage IT system stations are ever becoming cheaper every day has undergone though a significant transformation since 1990’s when modern IT had just come into the county. For example mobile phones and computers were used by only ministers and tycoons in the city, because a Nokia -5210 costed over a million shillings but today you can as well get it as low as Shs. 50,000.
The emergency of CD-ROM
The ever dropping cost of drives, discs and CD-ROM titles boosted the availability of CD-ROM to users in developing countries. The development in personal mastering equipment, with tools that cut the traditional steps in pre-mastering and mastering a CD, has created wider opportunities for preserving archives in developing countries with little efforts in digitising them. For example in 1960s-70s, those in the music industry stored their songs on gramophone and record player discs the size of a big plate with only four songs, then cassette tapes with 6-8 songs, but today a digital cassette discs can accommodate about/over twenty and we hear of a CD which can run music a whole day in some of the developed countries.
The Pan African Development Information System is working on the first Africa based CD-ROM using information from Africa. The increasing speed and power in reading multi-media has facilitated CD application in education, research, computing, and entertainment, delivery of information to users at remote sites or on a network. It has greatly increased access to information.
.
Multi-media has expanded the opportunities for increased availability of data bases on CD-ROM ranging from chemical abstracts, medicine, population information, agriculture etc. Its potential for making information available without connect charges and time limit, makes it suitable technology to African information access problems.
16. Training in use of CD-ROM technology should not be underestimated. Users should get training in areas such as CD-ROM data base preparation for personal mastering, troubleshooting, CD-ROM searches, CD-ROM networking and information access. Basic computer training in operating systems makes usage of CD-ROM technology for information exchange, access, download and upload easier.
The introduction of Networking
Electronic networking is a technique to link information users using computers and communication channels. The role of computers in cutting the time needed for processing and exchange of information is fundamental. Communication channels reduce the distance between users. For example before computers at the university, when a student went to the library, he started at the subject catalogue, after then walk to the book bank section to have a book of ones choice or else kept climbing up and down stairs from Africana down to IDA to access other books, but today one just sits before an internet connected computer and does every thing there.
20. Recent advances in networking have forced commercial service providers to connect to the Internet. This has made access easier and reduced the cost of communications over networks. Subscribers are charged only for on-line access and printing. The availability of public access catalogues including access to Library on the Internet has created a wide range of alternatives for users of commercial on-line systems.
22. Universities that have discovered the enormous benefits of access to information have raced towards building Campus Wide Information Systems that provide access to local information including On-line Public Access Catalogues. This has made universal sharing of information easier and prompted increases in inter-library loans.
Government’s role
Government has played and should play active roles in diffusing the technologies to colleges, universities and schools. The use of Internet is a boost to graduate research in Africa. Connectivity helps to open the window to global knowledge for Africa. In addition to deploying information technology in education, governments should promote the use of information technology in the public communication media, including printed and audio-visual media, telecommunication and postal services. Information systems in business, finance, health, legal, science and technology should also be encouraged to use appropriate information technology and the government’s tax free policy on computers will boost IT prospects in the country.
Governments should develop better policies for equitable access to Information Technology even to the poorest local person in remote areas. They need information about market prices, hybrid seeds, farm inputs, among others. The need to provide equitable access should not undercut connection of information delivery agencies, business and private institutions to high bandwidth networks. Appropriate information and communication policies are the basis for building regional information infrastructure for socio-economic and political development.
In addition, not all teaching staff, administrators and students, and the civil society is computer literate.
The future of Uganda’s IT lies in training, facilities should be made, such as seminars, workshops, talks and hands-on-experience for each selected institution.
To build the capacity for computer networking the implementors should be ready to train a corps of systems operators who will train others and offer continuing support for sustainability. Since there are few personnel in schools and colleges knowledgeable in computer technology, there is every need to incorporate and develop local human resources. This will be essential in generating sustainability of the programme in both the short and long term
There is need to promote the Internet to a largely unaware school and college population, graphic designers should be employed to produce leaflets and brochures and these should be distributed freely. Free publicity in the form of articles in some of the country's leading newspapers, radio/TV adverts and jingles could suffice.
Challenges of information technology
These promises have also generated significant problems. Security, privacy, cultural erosion, equity of access, etc. are at the top of the list. Developing countries will continue to suffer from low access to networking technology. The gap will widen not as the result of lack of technical solutions but due to infrastructural and political problems. This is nowhere more truly than in Africa, where socio-economic and political insecurity is ever hiking.
Although there is now growing recognition of the far-reaching impact of telecommunications and networking on the economies of African countries, a number of problems restrict its diffusion through public institutions. Information users in Africa have the lowest literacy levels. More than half of Africa's population is illiterate. Over half of those literate can not gather information for problem solving. Most users struggle with everyday life. The availability of hundreds of local languages without interface to global knowledge resources has made access to information more difficult. The near absence of information seeking culture has continued to impede progress towards achieving universal access. Shortage of financial and human resources, lack of knowledge on the availability of potential tools, low level telecommunications infrastructure, and rapid changes in technology are all affecting acting the diffusion of networking technology.
Apart from socio-economic and political difficulties that have left many countries unconnected, the underdevelopment of the telecommunication infrastructure remains the major cause of access in the region. Data shows that telecommunications diffusion in Africa is the weakest in the world with the least tele-density. ITU reports indicate that the average telephones per 100 people in Africa were 1.6 in 1993. With an ever growing population the tele-density remains stagnant even if marginal increases in main telephone lines are achieved in some countries. Some countries have showed a negative growth rate in telecommunications density due to socio-economic problems, population growth, foreign debt, fall off in export earning and the need to import most telecommunications equipment.
Telecom policies vary considerably in Africa. In Uganda the tariff is several fold of that of the developed world. Telecom policies have become not only rigid but also have evolved as a perceived threat to socio-economic development. Even under connection queues for three to four years in some countries in Africa and telecom profitability in very high margin, the inadequate policies and incompetence of telecommunications management in most countries blocks achievement of the right to communicate, socio-economic development and universal access.
The potential of information technology in development activities that improve the quality of life, efficiency of social and economic organisation and its cohesion is evident. African countries need information and communication policy adjustment to share the promises of the rapid changes in information technology. Information policy adjustment involves appreciation of the significance of information technology in life long learning, trade, employment, accountability and better management of resources and environment.
Information technology, properly designed, can be deployed even in regions that lack adequate water, food and power. IT represents the biggest chances for major leapfrog in development, growth and poverty alleviation if African countries can fulfill necessary conditions for networking, agility, learning and reliability.
Computers are not widely available in Uganda. The vast majority of computers in many educational institutions are out-dated donated models. Overall there are far too few computers to distribute Internet access widely in educational institutions. Similarly, the number of skilled computer personnel in schools and colleges is relatively small. Top quality staff commands high salaries and other fringe benefits such as housing and transport that are beyond the reach of government funded, educational institutions.
The use of on-line access in developing countries is subject to the availability of resources. The high telecommunication tariffs and unreliable telecommunications infrastructure makes online access to commercial data bases impractical. Connectivity to the Internet will facilitate access to on-line commercial and free data bases.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Adam, L. (1995): The prospect of networking in Africa, Http:/www.sas.upenn.edu (HTML).
Benzene, D.(1995): Accessing and using the Internet. TSS/CST Workshop on data collection, processing, dissemination and utilization. United Nations, New York, May 1995.
Charles, R. (1994): "User-based data collection techniques and strategies for evaluating networked information services," Library Trends, volume 42, number 4, pp. 591-6O7.
Jensen, M. (1995): Telematics for development in Africa: A global Context. Paper presented at Regional Symposium on Telematics for Development in Africa. UNECA, Addis Ababa, April 1995.
Obenaus, G. (1994): "The Internet: an electronic treasure trove," Aslib proceedings, volume 46, number 4, pp. 95-100.
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