ICT: Broadband investment fund
Monday, October 10th, 2011Peter Cheney analyses Westminster’s new programme for rolling out fast broadband. Northern Ireland will receive £4.4 million of the UK Government’s £530 million Broadband Investment Fund but an MLA claims that much more action is needed to reach into rural areas. The money will be used by the Executive to help extend high speed broadband. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) also expects the Executive to match the package, bringing funds up to £8.8 million. One hundred per cent broadband access in Northern Ireland (at a minimum of 512 Kbps) was announced in January...[full story]
Skills: RSCni supporting education
Monday, October 10th, 2011An overview of the Regional Support Centre of Northern Ireland (RSCni) and its forthcoming work. With the start of the 2011-2012 academic year, the RSCni is once again at the forefront in delivering support to the six area-based Further Education (FE) colleges and the Higher Education (HE) institutions within Northern Ireland. With the world economic profile changing Northern Ireland has witnessed extensive economic changes, none more so than in education. Issues such as increased student fees, organisational restructuring, and new budget constraints have presented new challenges within...[full story]
Cover story: Real impact on healthcare – Microsoft’s Neil Jordan
Monday, October 10th, 2011Microsoft’s General Manager of Worldwide Health, Neil Jordan, discusses the broad picture of the sector with Owen McQuade and how information technology can help improve patient outcomes in Northern Ireland. Neil Jordan has had an “incredibly exciting” journey while developing Microsoft’s health ICT work, and has seen first hand its real potential to transform services once the the technology is comprehensively rolled out. Jordan is Microsoft’s General Manager of Worldwide Health and is speaking to agendaNi from Seattle as a radical phase of health reform gathers pace in Northern...[full story]
Economy: EMC’s Lean and green approach
Wednesday, September 7th, 2011With organisations focusing on reducing costs, EMC’s Brendan Crossey believes that the “disruptive” cloud-based technologies that are now being deployed promise even greater savings and increased innovation. He also argues that greening IT operations leads to lower costs. With the economic downturn, there is a much greater focus on cost reduction. “Essentially everyone is looking to be much more effective in what they are running, much more lean and much more just-in-time; and overall much more cost- effective,” observes Brendan Crossey. “They’re using a number of different...[full story]
ICT: Future of health ICT
Wednesday, June 8th, 2011Mobile computing and comprehensive electronic care records are the next steps for ICT in health. Peter Cheney talks to Stephen Stewart, from the South Eastern Trust, about the way ahead. In Stephen Stewart’s view, ICT in health is the means to the end rather than the end in itself. “I think IT in the Health Service is about enabling people to help people. It’s a real enabler and becoming more and more of an enabler.” Stewart is Assistant Director of Technology and Telecommunications for the South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust, and is based at the Ulster Hospital in Dundonald....[full story]
ICT: Shared services in health
Wednesday, June 8th, 2011Shared services would improve efficiency in the health sector according to the Business Services Organisation which is implementing an ICT transformation project. agendaNi reports. The five health and social care trusts and related health organisations are in the process of developing a single organisation to carry out and update common services such as human resources, finance and payment of GPs and dentists. Overseen by the Business Services Organisation (which provides regional business support and professional services to the health and social care sector in Northern Ireland), the...[full story]
ICT: Data protection – best practice
Wednesday, June 8th, 2011Regular audits, higher penalties and controlling the use of USB pens in organisations could all improve the protection of data, Assistant Information Commissioner Ken MacDonald tells an agendaNi conference. Fines of up to £500,000 can be issued by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) for data protection breaches. To date, though, the biggest fine the authority has levied is £100,000. Hertfordshire County Council was forced to pay out after it faxed information on child protection to the wrong recipient in two separate cases. Assistant Information Commissioner Ken MacDonald...[full story]
North West: A digital champion – Mark Nagurski
Wednesday, June 8th, 2011As Digital Champion for Derry, it is Mark Nagurski’s job to “make a lot of noise about digital content”, he tells Peter Cheney. Promoting the benefits of the North West as a location for digital businesses is the main aim of ‘Digital Derry’. The project was established by the Londonderry Chamber of Commerce with the support of Derry City Council and ILEX, and includes representatives from private sector companies, the University of Ulster, the North West Regional College and various support organisations. Initiatives supported by the project seek “to create the best place...[full story]
