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i don't even want to suggest abuse or corruption... it just doesn't sound right... sounds like a most inefficient network... 2 billion could buy a switch...
$2-b phone bill
BY ALICIA DUNKLEY Senior staff reporter dunkleya@jamaicaobserver.com
Friday, July 30, 2010
THE Government, faced with a $2-billion telephone bill yearly, says it will be introducing measures to save itself 'hundreds of millions'.
Making his contribution to the 2010/2011 Sectoral Debate at Gordon House in Kingston on Tuesday, Information Minister Daryl Vaz said $1.2 billion or 60 per cent of that bill was for calls made within the 16 ministries and more than 200 entities, including departments, executive agencies and statutory bodies of the Government. However, a breakdown of the telephone costs for each ministry and department was not immediately available.
Vaz said that through the use of GovNet and Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology, the dynamics of which the administration has been exploring last year, the Government should be able to cut the cost significantly. While not giving a timeline for the savings to be realised or the implementation of the technology, Vaz said GovNet, will allow for increased use of video conferencing to maximise resources.
The technology is also expected to cut Government's transportation costs.
"Travelling from Kingston to Montego Bay for a one-hour meeting is not the most efficient use of the Government's time. The infrastructure must be put in place, and it must be efficient and affordable to Government, with a programme that will refresh the technology automatically so that its availability and use will drive the applications and solutions implemented," he said.
According to the information minister, GovNet, when implemented, will be a 'game changer' to the Government which is one of the single largest consumer of telephony and ICT-related services in the island.
"All agencies will be able to see transformational change if an efficient Government ICT Network is established. But think of the benefits to education, national security, and health if there is that level of connectivity between all their headquarters and their outstations, even police cars to police stations.
"...The development of a National Government IT infrastructure will further facilitate the Ministry of National Security's assault on crime," he said further.
The Central Information Technology Office (CITO), which is headed by Commissioner of Customs Danville Walker, has been mandated to implement the vision and concept of GovNet.
$2-b phone bill
BY ALICIA DUNKLEY Senior staff reporter dunkleya@jamaicaobserver.com
Friday, July 30, 2010
THE Government, faced with a $2-billion telephone bill yearly, says it will be introducing measures to save itself 'hundreds of millions'.
Making his contribution to the 2010/2011 Sectoral Debate at Gordon House in Kingston on Tuesday, Information Minister Daryl Vaz said $1.2 billion or 60 per cent of that bill was for calls made within the 16 ministries and more than 200 entities, including departments, executive agencies and statutory bodies of the Government. However, a breakdown of the telephone costs for each ministry and department was not immediately available.
Vaz said that through the use of GovNet and Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology, the dynamics of which the administration has been exploring last year, the Government should be able to cut the cost significantly. While not giving a timeline for the savings to be realised or the implementation of the technology, Vaz said GovNet, will allow for increased use of video conferencing to maximise resources.
The technology is also expected to cut Government's transportation costs.
"Travelling from Kingston to Montego Bay for a one-hour meeting is not the most efficient use of the Government's time. The infrastructure must be put in place, and it must be efficient and affordable to Government, with a programme that will refresh the technology automatically so that its availability and use will drive the applications and solutions implemented," he said.
According to the information minister, GovNet, when implemented, will be a 'game changer' to the Government which is one of the single largest consumer of telephony and ICT-related services in the island.
"All agencies will be able to see transformational change if an efficient Government ICT Network is established. But think of the benefits to education, national security, and health if there is that level of connectivity between all their headquarters and their outstations, even police cars to police stations.
"...The development of a National Government IT infrastructure will further facilitate the Ministry of National Security's assault on crime," he said further.
The Central Information Technology Office (CITO), which is headed by Commissioner of Customs Danville Walker, has been mandated to implement the vision and concept of GovNet.
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