Tuesday, 31 March 2009

NetHope, the US based global information technology alliance of 26 of the world's largest aid agencies, in partnership with the Global VSAT Forum (GVF) and African eDevelopment Resource Centre (AeRC), launched the second advanced practical VSAT training in Nairobi today. Thirteen IT staff professionals representing five aid agencies from nine African countries including Kenya, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Uganda, Mali, DRC, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Mozambique are attending the Nairobi based training.  Students were required to pass the Global VSAT Forum online VSAT certification courses before being accepted for the practical session.

The African eDevelopment Resource Centre has completed its institutional structure. With the objective of becoming a central place for knowledge and information on ICT, the centre announced that it has set up a publishing business unit that will publish various tittles both print and online. The publishing business unit will leverage on the other units – research, training and consultancy, to provide unparalleled information on the ICT sector to its clients. 

“This is the beginning of an interesting journey for the group as we venture into a new territory, which is not too new to us, but quite challenging,” said Mr. Harry Hare, the Executive Director of the Centre. Mr. Hare said the centre has partnered with Boston based the International Data Group (IDG) publisher of over 300 IT magazines and websites to start publishing CIO, a title targeted to Heads of IT and other IT policy makers.

The Boston based International Data Group (IDG) has licensed the African eDevelopment Resource Centre (AeRC) to publish and manage their CIO brand of information technology products in the East African region. The announcement was made this week by Mr. Jim Sullivan, the Vice President, Licensing for IDG in his Massachusetts Office.