One voice for IT industry

Another ICT association has been formed - this time with the hope of resolving all issues plaguing the ICT industry.

The South African ICT Association (SAICTA), which was formed out of a conference held last year, is a forum that will act as an umbrella body for all existing organisations in the industry.

Collin Fidelis, chief convenor of the organisation, says SAICTA was created from what was seen as a need to create a forum that can action challenges. He says key stakeholders across all IT sectors - including broadcasting, regulatory environments and government - were involved in the formation of the association.

The official launch of the association will take place in February - after which it will select its committee and designate responsibilities and resources.

In an industry that already has numerous active associations, Fidelis believes this association will be able to do more - though details of how this will all be achieved will only be made available after the launch in February.

The SAICTA is not highlighting any new challenges, but rather a different approach to old challenges.

“The association will be able to deal with evolutions in the ICT sector through consolidating the interests of the industry and championing key solutions. We will further the interests of existing bodies and get the industry ready for the new dispensation,” notes Fidelis.

This is not the first attempt at unifying all existing ICT associations. In 1999, Information Industry SA (IISA) was formed and, like SAICTA, its mission was to unite stakeholders in the ICT industry to work together for the benefit of all. But the IISA never really got off the ground and was disbanded last year.

“I have been advocating for this, in my various capacities over the years,” says Adrian Schofield, past president of the IISA. “I believe there is good justification for the association; the trick is to make it work,” he adds.

Schofield emphasises that without a strong mandate, the fate of SAICTA could be the same as that of the IISA. The creation of an umbrella body is important, says Schofield, but the key question will be the effectiveness of the association's relationships with the industry and government.

“IISA never became a physical body, it was only a virtual body. It will be interesting to see if the group [SAICTA] has a workable model which will help it consolidate and sustain its mandate.”

The State IT Agency (SITA) is at the top of the list of targets for intervention by SAICTA. In a statement released by SAICTA, the association states that, with regards to the state agency, it will be “challenging procurement, regulatory and mandate issues in relation to business between government departments and the broader ICT industry”.

“We will advocate for a review of SITA's mandate, so that we can have some influence over what happens there, and we will look at things such as the manner in which business platforms are engaged in,” explains Fidelis.

The state agency - which has been plagued by allegations of mismanagement and questionable governance practices over the years - has been a key focus area in the work of other associations, such as the Black IT Forum (BITF).

Fidelis points out that there is value in the work that the BITF has done, but that a tougher approach is necessary. “We believe that the BITF had the right approach and intention when dealing with SITA, but now we want to see why the BITF didn't win.

“There is a need for things to be done with more force. We believe that, together with the BITF, we can see SITA changing itself. We want to see their mandate reviewed and we also want decisions, such as the way the minister reviewed the board, to be investigated. We are advocating for change and we can do this together with existing bodies.”

Fidelis finds it worrying that there is no conclusive information available on the state of readiness of the ICT industry for 2010. The absence of this, he says, points to the fragmented nature of the industry.

“Industry has not been fully involved. We need to challenge government on procurement issues and the industry must have an authentic and powerful say in policy development. We are not going to be arguing and fighting - we will be assisting to overcome challenges.”

Other interventions SAICTA will be involved in include “challenging of ICASA's regulatory and monitoring issues in relation to the ICT industry; challenging the DOC's broadcasting and telecommunications regulatory standards and monitoring issues; challenging the DPSA's procurement policy issues; and calling for a review of the ICT charter's working and draft documents to encourage broader industry participation”.

Fidelis, who is head of business development at Rectron, notes that some existing associations have been approached to join SAICTA and the response has been positive so far. He remains tight-lipped about the details though, saying all will be revealed at the upcoming launch.

“We are not lobbying for the closure of any existing structures. What we want is the creation of an equal and open front - a platform for accountability between associations.”

Fidelis believes the industry has the answers it has been looking for and that the key is in working together.

SAICTA lists two of its main objectives as: “To liaise and negotiate with government and other interested parties in order to maintain an environment conducive to the business of the company and its members, and to communicate with government, the general public, business, fellow organisations in ICT and other opinion-makers on matters affecting the industry.

“What we need to see is a united industry engaging with government in a lot of important areas. The fragmented approach has not brought changes we need to see,” Fidelis states.

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