Canada as “Most Connected Nation”
Posted by admin on Oct 2, 2009
Taken from CRN Magazine, September 2009 Edition
Ten years ago, the government of Canada set itself the goal of leading the Internet revolution by making this country the world’s “most connected nation”. With a legacy of telecommunications innovation, from telephone inventor Alexander Graham Bell through to the world-leading Anik A satellite, Canadian policymakers saw few obstacles to reaching this goal. Under the banner of “Connecting Canadians”, the government launched six initiatives: Canada Online, Smart Communities, Canadian Content Online, Electronic Commerce, Canadian Governments Online and Connected Canada to the World. Not to be outdone, provincial premiers and territorial leaders meeting in August 1999 acknowledged in their post-conference statement “the importance of the ongoing construction of th ‘information highway’ to Canada’s future development and to its global competitiveness is clear to all premiers and territorial leaders. Today, according to the International Telecommunications Union, about 85% of Canadians use the Internet – almost 30 million people. However, according to the World Economic Forum’s measurement of “technological readiness”, released in July, Canada only ranked 13th.
Moore’s Law In Action
Posted by admin on Oct 2, 2009
Taken from CRN Magazine, September 2009 Edition
Ten years ago, Time magazine wrote that computer prices were plummeting so fast, vendors were “practically giving them away”. An article cited a Compaq desktop (without monitor) selling for $560. Average retail prices were about $1000. Today, of course, personal computers are almost free. Last year, Royal Bank was giving away netbooks to customers who signed up for certain kinds of accounts, while this year, telecom providers are bundling netbooks with mobile internet packages. Those deals may not be free, strictly speaking, but they do illustrate the point that more and more, computers are just the wrapper – the candy is in the content.
RIM Changes Everything
Posted by admin on Oct 2, 2009
Taked from CRN Magazine, September 2009 Edition
Ten years ago, a Waterloo startup called Research in Motion Ltd., formally launched a new product which it described as a “two-way pager with a real-time link to desktop email”. The device had a 32-bit processor, 2 megabytes of onboard memory, a complete if compact keyboard and ran on a single battery. There were already a number of two-way wireless handheld email devices ont he market, but RIM had the advantage of a seamless, secure connection to corporate Microsoft Exchange email servers. Today, with annual revenue of more than $11 billion in 2008, an increase of 84% from the previous year, RIM sells more than 25 million BlackBerry devices annually.
