To e- or not to e-

By Amira Howeidy
Raghda and Iman, both 14-year-old students at Al-Saidiya School and still dressed in their blue school uniforms, are hovering outside the "Internet Jungle", a spacious pavilion packed with excited children glued to dozens of computer screens connected to the Internet. The Jungle is no cyber café, but a 30-metre-long pavilion in the Nasr City Conference Hall set up as part of the country's first e-business and development conference (EBDC) last week. Organised by the Information and Decision Support Centre (IDSC) -- a cabinet think-tank -- the conference ran from 12 to 15 February.
This is the first time the two girls have used the Internet and they're clearly exhilarated. "It only lasted an hour, because it was someone else's turn," explains Raghda. "Now we're both waiting for a vacant computer." Iman interrupts, "But we loved it, and we want more." And that's precisely the point this conference wanted to make.
The problem is, this basic principle was ultimately diluted by a slew of pronouncements and meaningful messages that eventually clogged the four-day event. Driven by the poignant question "to e- or not to e-", as one speaker put it, the many demonstrations and profound IT-related announcements at last week's conference were big on pomp, but lagged behind on substance.
In its attempt to "e", the government-affiliated IDSC invited dozens of specialists and celebrities to assert the grave importance of technology in our lives. Raising up the catchy slogan "Internet for all", speakers unveiled Egyptian newcomers to the dot-com world and tracked the progress on the national electronic database project. A first declaration on the formation of an "IT Arab Union", set the rather vague mandate of "upgrading the IT industry in the Arab world" and "developing human resources." The next day a "cooperation protocol" was signed between the IDSC and Oracle, the largest provider of e-business software worldwide. The venture, part of Oracle's global effort to connect budding e-businesses, will establish a free online centre called the "Egyptian corner." Here, Egyptian entrepreneurs can post ideas and make contact with other business service providers.
The announcement that caught everyone by surprise, however, came from Information and Telecommunications Minister Ahmed Nazif and IDSC chairman Raafat Radwan, who claimed that "very soon, the Internet will be for free" -- without explaining how. It eventually became clear that Nazif and Radwan were referring to a deal cut between Egypt Telecom and the network service provider (NSP) Nile-Online. Commanding the podium, Nile-Online General Manager Alaa Fahmi boldly affirmed that his company will indeed provide Internet access for free -- anyone will be able to connect to the Internet without a subscription.
The catch? The term "free" is misleading. Users pay for the time they spend online, and the revenues are then shared between Egypt Telecom and Nile-Online. The scheme releases users from having to pay a lump fee every month for a subscription, but it's hardly "free" service. This did not quell the fears of smaller Internet service providers (ISPs) or other conglomerate-wary observers. "How is this supposed to help small- and medium-sized ISPs? They'll go out of business because of this monopoly, this giant," fumed Efat El-Shoki of the IDSC-affiliated Regional Information Technology and Software Engineering Centre (Ritsec).
El-Shoki's outrage is drowned out by a noble cause with dubious implications: the government's determination to extend Internet service to everyone -- even the most impoverished provinces. Posters reading "With us, the Internet is no monster -- the Internet is for everyone" decked the conference hall walls. Other ambitious projects are apparently in the pipeline. Over the past year, numerous statements have been issued on plans to construct "technology parks", export software and adopt IT-tailored laws. But no one seems to know what happened to any of these projects except that there is "progress" and agreement that the private sector should play a major role in IT development. But if this is the consensus, why is an event-packed and certainly costly affair essentially sponsored by the government?
But then again, why set the baffling goal of introducing the Internet to villages that don't even have electricity or fresh water pipes? "Everyone has the right to learn," replied IDSC Chairman Radwan. "If we only support city residents, it will simply mean discriminating against the less privileged, and we want everyone to get a taste of technology. You never know where brilliant ideas could come from."
It is a point that is difficult to argue with, but the government stance in relation to education can be somewhat schizophrenic. The EBDC offered daily Internet courses for schoolchildren and Radwan stressed that "We rely on this generation to shape our future." And yet, general education is widely regarded as antiquated in curriculum and too dependent on rote learning, a point raised by many key speakers. Mustafa El-Fiqi, a former high ranking diplomat and current member of parliament, criticised the educational system, arguing that "it's unfit for realising our technological ambitions."
The EBDC comes a year and a half after the formation of an Information and Communication Ministry and has firmly established the IDSC's role in the IT sector. Mohamed El-Nawawi, a communications consultant, suggests that the conference sought to link the IDSC and the business community in a dialogue on IT development. "The centre wanted to demonstrate its achievements in this respect [in a bid] to encourage this community to benefit from its services. And this is a legitimate role," he said.
Indeed, it was through the IDSC that new dot-coms like IntoEgypt and Sehet.com were given a chance to interact with the local IT community and touch base with international experts like Christopher Gibson, from the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), and international marketing professor Philip Kotler (who made the brave statement that online advertising has proven a total failure).
Many would argue the EBDC was a success, and despite a seven-page-long list of characteristically nebulous resolutions, it was undoubtedly a rare opportunity for the IT sector and the government to exchange views and experiences, and an encapsulated glimpse of the future of IT-related business in this country.
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Welcome to e-gypt 29 June - 5 July 2000
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Speaking IT 13 - 19 April 2000
Crossing e-borders 30 March - 5 April 2000
On the wings of IT 30 March - 5 April 2000
Related links:
Oracle Venture Network
IDSC
Nile-Online
Ritsec
IntoEgypt
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