The City of Joburg is edging closer to its vision of having a "smart digital world-class African city, prepared for the ICT needs of 2010 and beyond".
Key industry players participated in an information-sharing session at the city`s Metro Centre last week, which detailed 2010 and related ICT priorities of the city and activities in support of its upcoming Connect 2010 Conference, scheduled for 23 and 24 November.
Patrick Mayaba, City of Joburg CIO, and Douglas Cohen, project manager within the City of Joburg`s Department of Economic Development - IT and telecoms sector support programme, outlined the city`s strategy. This includes objectives such as ensuring affordable, available, high-quality bandwidth and partnership-based service delivery for the deployment of additional networks and services.
Given that the FIFA World Cup is the biggest sporting event in the world, Cohen acknowledged the associated challenges and opportunities are significant. He pointed out all host cities, but especially Joburg, need play a key role in delivering on these ICT challenges and opportunities.
Cohen identified some of the areas of focus and opportunities for 2010, which the city is looking at specifically. These include a converged telephone networks (VOIP), access control systems, traffic management systems, surveillance systems, broadcasting systems, call centres and information kiosks.
A common thread throughout the briefing was the city`s over-riding goal, namely to ensure SA`s economic participation and legacy by looking beyond the direct event opportunities and, in doing so, facilitating the growth and development of new and existing ICT businesses in the sector.
This is also the foremost objective behind the city`s Connect 2010 Conference. "It is important that 2010 ICT investments must benefit both the operational and the socio-economic needs of the city before, during and after the World Cup," added Cohen. "We therefore urge, encourage and welcome everyone to participate."
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