Microsoft launches Swahili software suite in Arusha
THE world’s leading software company,
Microsoft, has released a Kiswahili version of its popular productivity
suite, Office 2010. The unveiling of the local language pack for Office
took place at the East African Community secretariat in Arusha.
The event was officially graced by the
EAC secretary General Dr Richard Sezibera. The Microsoft Office 2010
Kiswahili Local Language Pack is also backward compatible with previous
versions of the suite (Office 2007 and Office 2003) and was launched to
complement last year’s inauguration of the Swahili version of Windows 7
which is Microsoft’s latest computer operating system.
Microsoft’s Citizenship and Regional
Education Manager for East and Southern Africa Dr Mark Matunga said his
company was preparing to release ‘Windows 8’ later this year and the
Operating System will be the most advanced and latest computer platform
yet and even that will come packaged with Kiswahili version option.
“But for current users, the Swahili pack
is free; anybody with genuine Microsoft Office software can download
the extra language plug-ins from the internet,” said Dr Matunga. On
his part, the EAC boss Dr Sezibera urged the Information Technology firm
to work with governments in the region to increase investments in
projects that will enhance the bloc’s economic growth.
Dr Sezibera described the occasion as
“yet another milestone in the Information and Communications Technology
(ICT) sector” and hailed Microsoft for taking a leading role in
facilitating adoption of ICT and the general economic development of the
East African Community.
The Secretary General commended
Microsoft for recognizing the importance of Kiswahili language in
communication and said “both Windows 7 and Office 2010 Swahili plug-ins
will go a long way in promoting East Africa’s Lingua Franca placing the
language as a mode of communication in education, science and technology
as well as government services”.
The Secretary General disclosed that the
ICT sector had driven up to 40 per cent of economic growth in East
Africa in the past 10 years and most of that growth had been in large
companies. He noted that the next phase could be led by Small and Medium
Enterprises (SMEs), as long as the necessary and targeted policy
interventions were made.
The Secretary General said there was
urgent need for change, not only to maintain existing levels of
education and training in the population, but also to develop the new
skills and competences required if East Africa is to remain competitive
and grasp new opportunities. He added that the region acknowledges ICT
as a driver of economic growth although literacy levels were influencing
its use.
Adding to that, the Microsoft’s
Citizenship and Regional Education Manager for East and Southern Africa
Dr Matunga said: “We believe technology has an increasingly important
role to play in the maintenance of linguistic diversity, not only to
promote mutual understanding and dialogue, but also to strengthen local
economies. “All too often communities are excluded from IT skills
fluency, and the accompanying job opportunities, for lack of technology
in their local language.
Providing technology in a native
language is critical to helping people access the tools they need to
create better economic opportunities,” Dr Matunga said. The launch of
the Microsoft Office 2010 Kiswahili Local Language Pack comes after the
launch of the Windows 7 Kiswahili Local Language Pack in Dar-es- Salaam
in May last year by His Excellency President Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete.
The availability of Office 2010 in
Kiswahili will enable over 50 million speakers in East Africa and
Central Africa to participate effectively in economic development
through ICT. With over 5 million native speakers and more than 50
million Africans speaking Kiswahili on a daily basis, Kiswahili is
undoubtedly the most widely understood language in Africa after Arabic.
The availability of Microsoft Office 2010 in Kiswahili is a remarkable
step towards elimination of language as a barrier to technology access.
Oil cyber-attacks could cost lives, Shell warns
The oil industry has been warned that cyber-attacks could "cost lives" and cause "huge damage".
Ludolf Luehmann, an IT manager for Shell, told the World Petroleum Conference in Doha that the company had suffered an increased number of attacks.
He said the hacks had been motivated by both commercial and criminal intent.
Security researcher David Emm said that such attacks were "not only possible, but they're now real".
Mr Luehmann said Shell and others in the industry were experiencing a "new dimension" of attack which could leave physical machinery at serious risk.
He made reference to Stuxnet, a targeted "worm" which was designed to attack industrial systems in the summer of 2010.
Mr Luehmann said Stuxnet showed energy giants that cyber-attacks could have a real-world consequence on business processes.
"If anybody gets into the area where you can control opening and closing of valves, or release valves, you can imagine what happens.
"It will cost lives and it will cost production, it will cost money, cause fires and cause loss of containment, environmental damage - huge, huge damage."
He added: "We see an increasing number of attacks on our IT systems and information and there are various motivations behind it - criminal and commercial."
Dramatic change
When contacted by the BBC, Shell said it would not comment further on Mr Luehmann's statements.
BP, itself a target of high-profile cyber-attacks following the Gulf oil spill, said it did not speak publicly about security issues as a matter of company policy.
Dennis Painchaud, director of international government relations at Canadian energy company Nexen, said targeted attacks such as Stuxnet and the more recent threat Duqu form a "very significant risk to our business".
"Cybercrime is a huge issue. It's not restricted to one company or another - it's really broad and it is ongoing.
"It's something that we have to stay on top of every day. It is a risk that is only going to grow and is probably one of the pre-eminent risks that we face today and will continue to face for some time."
Moscow-based security experts Kaspersky, said the past 18 months had seen a dramatic change in how cyber-threats were perceived by large companies.
"The scene used to be dominated by speculative attacks - people being at the wrong place at at the wrong time, but it was nothing personal," Mr Emm told the BBC.
"But we certainly are in a different world than where we were 18 months ago. What we're starting to see is an increase in targeted attacks. We know critical systems, like those in oil production, are vulnerable to attack.
"A lot of countries now are pumping money into research - the last 18 months have shown these people are after not just the public's money, but they're after larger organisation's information.
"Organisations like Shell and others are hopefully taking steps to minimise that risk."
Source: BBC
| Nani ataiokoa Shilingi yetu isizidi kuporomoka? |
Ni kutokana na hali hiyo tunamuunga mkono mmoja wa mawaziri wakuu wastaafu, David Msuya aliyesema hivi karibuni kuwa, moja ya sababu ya kuyumba kwa uchumi wetu ni Serikali kushindwa kuendeleza sera ya kuwapeleka wataalamu wetu kwa mafunzo maalumu ya uchumi na mipango katika taasisi na vyuo vikuu vyenye hadhi ya kimataifa sehemu mbalimbali duniani Sera hiyo ilisitishwa na Serikali katika miaka ya 1990 na huo ndio ulikuwa mwanzo wa kusuasua kwa usimamizi makini wa uchumi katika nchi yetu. Hivyo ndivyo zilizofanya nchi maskini za Asia zinazojulikana kama ‘The Four Tigers’ ambazo baadaye ziliishtua dunia kwa maendeleo ya viwanda ambazo ni Wakati tulipopata uhuru mwaka 1961 thamani ya Shilingi yetu ilikuwa karibu sawa na zile za Lakini hata baada ya vita hivyo, usimamizi wa uchumi wetu uliendelea kuwa dhaifu kutokana na kutokuwa na vipaumbele katika matumizi ya fedha za kigeni na kushindwa kwa Benki Kuu (BoT) kudhibiti viwango vikubwa vya mikopo ya Serikali katika benki za ndani na mashirika ya fedha ya kimataifa, yakiwamo Benki ya Dunia (World Bank) na Shirika la Fedha Duniani (IMF). Ni bahati mbaya kwamba uamuzi wa aliyekuwa Gavana wa BoT, marehemu Daudi Balali alioufanya mwaka 1999 haujabadilishwa. Kutokana na kutokuwapo benki za kigeni hapa nchini wakati huo, gavana huyo aliyaruhusu makampuni ya madini kuweka fedha za mauzo ya madini katika benki za nje. Hata hivyo, baada ya benki nyingi za nje kuingia Inaonekana sasa kwamba, kwa muda mrefu sasa BoT imeshindwa kutambua kuwa, mahitaji makubwa ya fedha za kigeni nchini yameidhoofisha Imekuwa pia ni vigumu kuyadhibiti maduka yanayobadilisha fedha za kigeni. Wamiliki wa maduka hayo wamegundua udhaifu wa BoT katika kusimamia sera ya fedha za kigeni na wamefanikiwa kupeleka nje kiasi kikubwa cha fedha hizo. Hata kitendo cha benki hiyo cha hivi karibuni cha kumwaga fedha nyingi za kigeni ili kuiimarisha thamani ya Shilingi yetu hakikusaidia. Sisi tunadhani iko haja kwa Serikali na BoT kubuni sera mbadala zitakazoiimarisha Shilingi yetu. Lazima tukubali ukweli kwamba sera zilizopo zimeshindwa na tusipozibadilisha uchumi utaendelea kuvurugika na mfumuko wa bei utazidi kuwaumiza wananchi. |
Source: Mwananchi
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