‘E-Powering Jamaica’ to Encourage ICT Entrepreneurship

The Government of Jamaica has developed a new National Information and Communication Technology called E-Powering Jamaica, which will be implemented by the year 2012.
This was announced by State Minister in the Ministry of Industry, Technology, Energy and Commerce, Senator Kern Spencer at the company launch of Bits and Bytes Technology Limited, on Tuesday (May 29) at the Courtleigh Hotel.
“As a government we recognise that one of the greatest challenges we currently face is to provide more Jamaicans with access to Information and Communication Technology (ICT) networks at affordable prices,” said Senator Spencer.
He informed that “this will become even more necessary within the next five years as we increase our move towards a virtual society that allows education and business development via the use of the Internet.”
The Minister informed that the E-Powering Jamaica strategy aims to encourage increased use of online business to business and business to consumer transactions, and also to build a unique ICT industry while promoting and encouraging ICT entrepreneurship.
The new technology strategy also aims to provide support for small and medium enterprises and non-governmental organisation in taking greater advantage of ICT for increased efficiency and to also measure the use of ICT and the industry to the national economy.
Senator Spencer also noted that the government through the Central Information Technology Office (CITO) has launched the free and Open Source Initiative, which allows software developers autonomy over technologies.
“Free and Open Source Software allows users to move beyond passively utilizing the technologies, but puts the user literally in the driving seat to manipulate and create new software technologies that can be applied to other non-traditional ICT subject areas such as the natural sciences,” he informed.
In the meantime, the State Minister congratulated Bits and Bytes Technology Limited on its official opening as a company.
“I am delighted to be here at this launching ceremony for Bits and Bytes Technology, because this is the type of business venture that will move Jamaica towards the desired state of development as we move towards a knowledge-based society,” said Senator Spencer.
Chief Executive officer for the company, Damion Daley said the mission of Bits and Bytes Technology Limited is to “provide a total information technology package for services encompassing the entire software development life cycle, as well as consultancy while facilitating our clients to meet their most technical and demanding needs”.
Bits and Bytes Technology Limited service offerings include customised design, development and maintenance of web-based and non web-based data base solutions that include the management of product relations services.