Microsoft manger lauds IT progress

Microsoft manager lauds IT progress

By Bernard Yaw ASHIADEY

Ghana can look forward to immense Information Technology (IT) opportunities because mobile devices have taken the place of the expensive infrastructure previously required to develop and utilise IT, says Emmanuel Onyeje, Country Manager of Microsoft in Anglophone West Africa.

“Several businesses can now be conducted without necessarily having to sit in the office. With the advent of android, blackberry, windows, iphones, galaxy tabs and ipads, one can do business from the home, street, on holiday or anywhere through e-mail and other internet-enabled sites.”

He said this at the Microsoft Open Door Conference, which saw the gathering of IT partners, developers, students, Microsoft customers and consumers in Accra under the theme “Consumerisation of IT.” The conference was aimed at discussing IT and the role of IT in Africa’s development agenda.

Mr. Onyeje commended the government of Ghana for taking the lead in implementing IT in many sectors of the economy.

“Ghana has one of the best plans to improve the level of IT among its citizens and various sectors of the economy. The government through its e-government infrastructure is ready to connect most public and educational institutions and district assemblies.

“Also, through the Ghana Multimedia Incubator Centre, the government has trained some youth to create jobs for entry clerks and mobile phone repairers.

“I believe that if the government continues in this vein, Ghana could become the Silicon Valley of West Africa,” he stated.

Deputy Communications Minister, Attuquaye Armah, in a speech read on his behalf, appreciated Microsoft for recognising the role that government is playing in optimising technology as a key driver in the Ghanaian economy.

“Government is convinced that ICT possesses the potential to enable new and more efficient methods of production to improve the delivery of government services and above all, to increase access to basic social services such as education.

The Minister said his ministry has developed an Information Technology and Information Management (IT/IM) scheme of service to assist the public service in attracting and retaining highly skilled IT/IM personnel to support the transformation of the government sector through the deployment and exploitation of ICTs.

He urged Microsoft to initiate IT skills development projects, especially in the public sector, to boost human resource capacity.