The government`s ICT roadmap has entered phase two of its roll-out plan, and, as expected, the main focus is on encouraging business to take up the initiative.
The roadmap - a plan to improve SA`s ICT industry competitiveness - was introduced to the industry at an event in Pretoria on Friday. Phase one began last year and involved research and planning. Phase two is the stage at which industry participation is needed.
The roadmap could be advantageous to the ICT industry for a number of reasons, said project facilitator Tina James. "In other countries, roadmaps streamlined R&D, and fast-tracked commercialisation of products and services."
James added that such an initiative could also promote international investment. "It is possible, although it would be a lot more difficult in a country like SA, because we are a developing nation and we don`t have the resources of a country like China."
Sun Microsystems senior systems engineer Dumisani Mtoba also promoted the concept of roadmapping to the industry. "In Singapore, they have gotten to a stage where they are globally competitive, and that is something for us to work towards. If they can do it, why can`t we?"
While science and technology minister Mosibudi Mangena called for more drivers than passengers in the roadmap, Department of Science and Technology director-general Dr Rob Adam stressed the need for local industry to focus on its strengths, rather than addressing weaknesses. "A country like SA can`t do everything. We need to make some choices at a basic level about what we can do. That is what roadmapping is about."
Adam also called for increased co-operation among competitors in the ICT industry. "Co-opetition is what we want - where competitors can share things."
As an added incentive for companies to participate in the roadmap, reports from phase two would only be made available to those participating, said Adam. "Reports from phase two won`t be publicly available. Only companies that participated will be given access to these documents."
Computer Society of SA executive director Roger Dawes said it was only natural for industry uptake of the roadmap to be met with suspicion.
"When electricity was first invented, it was met with a lot of scepticism. No one really saw the potential. I think the roadmap situation is similar to that."
Despite a degree of scepticism, Adam stressed that the roadmap was created for the benefit of the industry, and not for government. "This isn`t just something we`ve sucked out of our thumb, or government laying one more policy on you. In the end, it`s the industry`s initiative, not ours."
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