Biz-Tech

HP Elevate 2011 solution showcase launched in Malaysia:

IT solutions simplified for better productivity

Sanjeevi JAYASURIYA

The HP Elevate 2011, the solutions showcase transforming business with simplified IT solutions was launched recently in Malaysia.

It tracks digital media entertainment, classroom, bank, healthcare, retail and food and beverages segments. The launch marked the introduction of HP MultiSeat Computing solutions for effective and efficient organizational management.

The HP MultiSeat Computing solutions are designed to provide maximum computing efficiency. These solutions will change the organizational environment and increase productivity for better economic prospects, HP Malaysia Personal Systems Group Country General Manager Ong Khung Tatt said.

These solutions are developed through collaboration of trusted technology leaders HP and Microsoft to empower schools with limited access to technology. It helps students to familiarize with, technology-rich PC experience in the class- room.

The MultiSeat computing solutions is an innovative PC sharing solution that extends the computing environment of a dedicated PC across multiple users, maximizing cost savings enabling easier management and improving power efficiency, he said.

The solutions introduced at the HP Elevate 2011 included EliteBook 8540w, 8440w and 8540w mobile workstation, HP retail point of sale solutions, Scala dynamic digital signage solutions, HP dream colour professional display, HP Z800 workstation and HP performance series.

Singer unveils web-based ERP with IFS application :

Entire network becomes 'one shop'

Sri Lanka's largest home appliance and electronics retailer, Singer has rolled out the largest web-based ERP ever deployed in the country and in South Asia made possible through the expertise of IFS and IFS Applications.

Singer has one of the widest network spanning over 360 plus branches is now working on a single system enabling all outlets connected to act as a single business unit.

This allows the key users of the system to engage in more strategic work as the mundane day-to-day operations have are now a click of the button.

Singer Group CEO, Asoka Peiris said that the ERP solution implemented by IFS has been greatly beneficial in managing the company's day-to-day as well as strategic operations. For instance, the company has the ability to locate inventory which is in demand in seconds, he said. Commenting on the efficiency of the system Peiris explained that with introducing full HD televisions in 24" and 32" for the first time by Singer last December brought about a tremendous demand. This called for a transfer of inventory to saleable locations.

He said that with the adoption of the IFS ERP solution the company was able to sell off 95 percent of the shipment within that month. Previously, a person would have to call each and every location to find out if they had inventory that could be transferred. This was not easy as there were over 360 locations. With the ERP, every sales location is able to see the inventory they require and could request to transfer the inventory and even obtain the status of the inventory, Peiris said.

This new milestone achieved in Sri Lanka is key to showcasing the capability and capacity of the IT industry as a whole by becoming the centre of excellence for IT systems for large-scale retail networks. Based on this success of Singer Sri Lanka, the same solution is currently being rolled out in other Singer operations in Thailand, Pakistan and Bangladesh. The entire resource pool was manned by talented Sri Lankans which included a wide spectrum of resource such as Project Managers, Project Coordinators, Consultants, Software Engineers, Technical Engineers, Trainers, multiple core teams, end-users, multiple third party vendors.

IFS South Asia, VP Jayantha De Silva said that it was a milestone for Sri Lanka "because it is considered to be the largest IT infrastructure project in the island."

"When we took over the project we were confident that we could deliver. It has been one hundred percent successfully implemented," he said.

By covering over 360 plus branches of Singer from the South to the North of the island, IFS has been capable of bringing all under one system, it was pointed out. "This has proved that Sri Lankans can do a project of this size and nature in this country," De Silva said adding that in the future they intend on taking this experience to engage in more international projects.

The system proactively guides the entire business process to work cohesively and seamlessly bringing considerable savings in all aspects providing actionable on-line visibility to the entire business.

It has also enabled the entire branch network to function as one large virtual shop providing access to the entire product and services of the whole network accessible seamless from any branch. At any given moment of time

Strategies needed to fight cybercrimes:

Attorney General lauds Sri Lankan IT laws

The fight against cybercrimes calls for concerted strategies, said Attorney General Mohan Pieris delivering his keynote address as Chief Guest at the international workshop on "Co-operation against Cybercrime in South Asia", held in Colombo recently.

The event was hosted jointly by Council of Europe and the ICT Agency of Sri Lanka (ICTA) in association with the Ministry of Justice. The participants consisting of Government and law enforcement representatives from South Asian countries - Bangladesh, India, Maldives, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, came together to enhance their capacity for cooperating against cybercrime. The workshop provided an ideal opportunity to assess cybercrime and IT related legislation of the countries concerned.

At the outset the Attorney General commended ICTA for its "contributions towards recent IT related legislation, particularly, the Electronic Transactions Act No. 19 of 2006 and the Computer Crimes Act No. 24 of 2007. Whilst the Electronic Transactions Act provides an excellent framework legalising e-commerce, e-business and e-governance with a unique evidence regime for the admissibility of electronic documents in courts, the Computer Crimes Act provides the safeguards against cybercrime. Both these legislations and consequential policy changes make Sri Lanka e-ready to march towards e-governance".

The keynote address of President's Counsel Mohan Pieris took the participants through a legal journey traversing many countries, including the Philippines, Russia, USA, UK as well as Hungary, which has now become famous for the Budapest Cybercrime Convention adopted in 2001.

Throwing open before the audience, thoughts for consideration, during the deliberations at this first ever international workshop on cybercrime, the Attorney General said: "Given the ubiquitous nature of the internet and its ability to swiftly and effectively transcend national borders and sovereign territories, we today live and transact business in a borderless world". Emphasising the importance of mutual co-operation in fighting against cybercrime, the Attorney General said: "It is axiomatic that criminal activity involving the use of computers has come to stay. As such this is an area where global co-operation and mutual assistance must be fostered and promoted. There is sensitivity internationally that practical efforts must be made to protect us from cybercrime and it in this backdrop that I find it quite opportune that this all important international workshop on co-operation against cybercrime in South Asia should take place in Sri Lanka".

He then went on to elaborate on a "story told and re-told many a time about the brief but destructive career of the infamous "Love Bug" virus, which would illustrate the stupendous challenges cybercrimes pose to us today. The virus, which destroyed files and stole passwords, appeared in Hong Kong some years back and rapidly spread around the world.

Virus experts traced the "Love Bug" to the Philippines. Using information supplied by an Internet Service Provider, agents from Philippine's National Bureau of Investigation and from the FBI identified individuals suspected of creating and disseminating the "Love Bug", but then they ran into problems with their investigations: The Philippines had no cybercrime laws. As such, creating and disseminating a virus was not a crime known to the Philippines law. Consequently, the investigators had a difficult time convincing a magistrate to issue a warrant to search the suspect's apartment. Obtaining the warrant took days, allowing the suspect ample time to destroy essential evidence. Authorities finally executed the warrant and seized evidence, indicating that Onel de Guzman, a former computer science student, was the person responsible for creating and disseminating the "Love Bug". But, because Philippine law did not criminalise hacking or the distribution of viruses, officials struggled to prosecute Guzman. They finally charged him with theft and credit card fraud, the usual penal code offences, but the charges were dismissed, as inapplicable and unfounded. What made it worse was that Guzman could not be extradited for prosecution in other countries - such as the United States - that have cybercrime laws. This would, in my view, illustrate the need to have legislation to fight cybercrime".

"In Sri Lanka this problem would not arise because adequate legislation is in place, as manifested in the Computer Crimes Act No. 24 of 2007. What is unique is that our legislation provides adequate checks and balances, consistent with the Budapest Convention", the AG said.

Referring to a recent development, relevant in the context of social networking sites (Facebook and Twitter), the Attorney General drew the attention of the audience to a case of false identity created on facebook, which came under scrutiny in Courts in UK. Although the Internet offers some level of anonymity, he explained the effect of a "powerful tool in English Courts, which has now come to be known as Norwich Pharmacal orders, by which Facebook was compelled to lift the veil of anonymity and disclose the registration information used for the purpose of creating the false profile". The Norwich Pharmacal orders have become powerful weapons even in the case of money laundering offences,which too are committed using the Internet. Despite the secrecy obligation of a banker towards his customer, the bank can be compelled by this order to disclose the identity of a money laundering customer" observed the Attorney General.

Pointing out to provisions equivalent to Norwich Pharmacal orders in the Sri Lankan context, the Attorney General explained: "you would find it in Section 18 of the Computer Crimes Act No. 24 of 2007, by which an expert or a police officer engaged in the investigation of cybercrimes in Sri Lanka can compel a service provider to reveal subscriber information and traffic data by virtue of a warrant obtained from a Magistrate. This Sri Lankan provision is consistent with Article 16 of the Budapest International Convention of Cybercrime".

Drawing the attention of the audience to some of the salient provisions of the Budapest Convention vis-a-vis the Sri Lankan Computer Crimes Act, No. 24 of 2007 the Attorney General said: "The Convention provides new detection procedures of criminality including fraud and child pornography and gives greater powers to law enforcement agencies to patrol the internet. This is partly enabled by the involvement of internet service providers (ISPs), upon whom some burdensome data preservation requirements are applied. Law enforcement agencies will be able to place 90 day preservation orders on ISPs to retain data for inspection during criminal proceedings. Furthermore, confidentiality clauses will prevent the ISP from disclosing the existence of a preservation order as it might impede a criminal investigation".

"The International Convention on Cybercrime exhorts countries to harmonise national legislation and facilitate investigations and co-operation between law enforcement operations globally". The Attorney General said that harmonisation of cybercrime law, just like harmonisation of business law, was indispensable for the success in eliminating computer crimes.

"Article 19 of the Convention provides for international co-operation by including that criminal offences covered by the convention shall be deemed to be included as extraditable offences in any extradition treaty existing between the parties. Sri Lankan Computer Crimes Act mirrors this Article in Section 27 which sets out computer crimes as extraditable offences", he said.

Further, the Attorney General Pieris observed "Article 22 of the Convention provides that parties shall provide mutual assistance to one another in the investigations or proceedings concerning criminal offences.

Interestingly, Section 35 of the Sri Lankan Act unequivocally declares that the Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters Act No. 25 of 2002 shall be activated wherever it is necessary for the investigation and prosecution of an offence, when it comes to the question of providing mutual legal assistance. These are a handful of provisions among many of the salient Articles of the Convention vis-a-vis the Sri Lankan Act".

In conclusion the Attorney General noted that "the Sri Lankan legislation fully comports with the letter and spirit of the Budapest Cybercrime Convention". He paid a glowing tribute to ICTA and its staff for their untiring efforts and also thanked the Council of Europe for their co-operation and support towards the legislative reforms process in Sri Lanka.

Sri Lankan speakers at the workshop included Supreme Court Judge Suresh Chandra (Special Guest), Secretary Justice Suhada Gamlath (Guest of Honour), Prof. P W Epasinghe (Chairman, ICTA), Deputy Solicitors General J. Jayasuriya and Wasantha N. Bandara, representing the Attorney General's Dept., (Legal Advisor, ICTA) Jayantha Fernando, SSP (Director CID) Wijaya Amerasinghe, (Chief Risk Officer, Lanka Orix Leasing PLC) Sharmini Wickramasekera, (Manager Operations, SLCERT - ICTA) Lakshan Soysa, (Senior Information Engineer, SLCERT - ICTA), Rohana Palliyaguru, Infoshield Consulting, Australia Managing Director Wipul Jayawickrama.

Nokia E7 business smartphone launched:

Best mobile navigation featured

Sanjeevi JAYASURIYA

The Nokia E7 communicator, the all in one business smartphone was launched in Sri Lanka on Wednesday.

This Nokia business smartphone will be available at Nokia outlets, selected Softlogic outlets and Dialog customer care centres. With its tilting 4 touch clear black display, full keyboard and a wide variety of business applications from Ovi Store, the Nokia E7 is the key to having successful day in or out of the office.

Nokia E7 supports business applications from leading enterprise technology partners including Microsoft and IBM as well as a wide range of entertainment and multimedia services and features, combining to make the Nokia E7 the perfect companion at work and at play. The Nokia E7 is priced at Rs 95,000 as the retail price.

"People are continuing to look for solution that suit both their work and personal life, where in business circles this is known as the consumerization of IT.

The Nokia E7 gives people the confidence to bring their own smartphones to the workplace to connect securely to corporate messaging servers," Sri Lanka Nokia EA Ltd Sales and Business Development Manager Shiblee Shakik said. The Nokia E7 provides direct secure and real-time access to the Microsoft exchange server with mail for exchange for connection to the corporate inbox, calendar, contacts, tasks and the corporate directory for the corporate users. Enterprises can make considerable savings by moving their mobile messaging infrastructure from a middleware- based solution to a direct access solution that eliminates unnecessary administration, licensing and maintenance costs.

The latest commercial version of Ovi maps, available immediately at Ovi Store, via Ovi Suite, nokia.mobi or the support page on Nokia.com adds visibility to subways, trams and trains, real time traffic, safety alerts, visibility to parking and petrol stations, speed limit warning and improved search and location sharing capabilities. The newest beta version of Ovi Maps can be downloaded free at Nokia Beta Labs.

This communication device has many facilities including easy access to 10 private email accounts from the same view, create edit and share office docs and view PDF files with Adobe Reader, fast secure intranet access with the built in VPN, high resolution photos and HD video with the 8 megapixel camera and dual LED flash, HDMI connectivity to project files, videos and images on to large screen, 16 gigabytes of on board flash memory, USB on-the-go, enabling easy file sharing by connecting a UBS stick to the smartphone and thousand of free and paid applications from a wide range of categories in the Ovi Store including the world's most popular mobile phone game Angry Birds, Linkedln, Salesforce, Shazam and Joikuspot.

TATA Com Lanka opens 2nd international gateway:

End customers to benefit

TATA Communications Lanka Ltd inaugurated its second International Gateway in Sri Lanka at the emerging IT Park, Orion City. Strengthening its seven-year presence in the country, the new facility will further the reliability and stability of its services to both operators and enterprise customers. The second International Gateway is a part of a strategy to offer cutting-edge IP-leveraged solutions enabled by the company's superior global infrastructure and leadership in emerging markets. "This will enable our customers to offer higher uptime and better service levels to their end customers, thereby becoming more competitive in the international business environment." Acknowledging the support of the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka (TRCSL) and Board of Investment (BOI), Ravi Sankar said that both these organizations, under the respective leadership of Anusha Palpita and J.D. Bandaranayake, have been forward-looking and helpful.

The new gateway was inaugurated by Indian High Commissioner Ashok K. Kantha, in the presence of distinguished guests and delegates. Anusha Palpita, Director General, TRCSL, made the first IDD call through the new International Gateway to TATA Communications Ltd Group CEO and Managing Director Vinod Kumar.