Telematics for Development: Abstracts/Resumes


CHILUVANE Lourenro
The importance of E-mail within education

ABSTRACT:
Since computer based learning is achieving a permanent acceptance within the decision maker in training institutions and taking into account consideration that education includes the exchange of information, the E-mail in education will play an important role in the worldwide educational process. The North and South are becoming new chance to exchange information in real time for research and general cultural purpose. Although the governments and particularly those of developing countries are facing financial problems to introduce computer into education, private initiatives are emerging. This paper will give an overview about the importance of computing in education, especially, for developing countries, based on my project in Mozambique. The role of E-mail will be emphasized. The first part describes the form of usage of computer in education. The E-mail in virtual education will be relevant. The second part will present a pilot project for strategical introduction of computer in education. Results of actual explorative research will be presented. The conclusion will draw that the hypothetical solution of many social and economical problems of developing countries depend on high qualified human resource and the speed of computer based information processing and exchange.

CORENTHIN Alex
TITLE: Construction d'un reseau Recherche-Education au Senegal

ABSTRACT/RESUME:
Le reseau informatique de la recherche-education prend forme au Senegal, avec une vingtaine d'organismes et d'institutions relies (universites, centres de recherche, agence de presse etc....). Construit autour de RIO (le Reseau Intertropic d'Ordinateurs), ce reseau conna”t une forte croissance en terme de noeuds (+18 en 1994). La gestion du reseau, jusque la fortement centralisee, va se repartir entre plusieurs acteurs de recherche et de l'education senegalais. Le courrier electronique et ses services derives (annexion de fichiers, forums electroniques) reste l'application premiere du reseau, mme si de nouveaux services apparaissent: interrogation de bases de donnees bibliographiques par minitel et infoserveur. L'Internet est directement accessible depuis le Senegal via l'encapsulation IP sur X25. Son cožt est pour l'instant assez eleve et en limite l'utilisation a des transferts de fichiers (ftp) peu frequents. Cependant, les divers projets en cours - augmentation du debit du reseau X25 (passage a 48kbits), liaison specialisee entre le Senegal et la France, IP sur RTC - ainsi que l'Internet grandissant des utilisateurs envers les nouveaux services du reseau, permettent d'esperer pour l'avenir un vrai reseau Internet au Senegal.

BAKHAIT Shadia Yousif
TITLE: UNIDO-INTIB's information base

ABSTRACT/RESUME:
Information networking: A network approach to information handling developed by INTIB is expected to unify techniques in information processing and to create a greater awareness in organizing information and increasing the exchange of business and industrial information among developing countries and to share information products and services. INTIB's international referral system: The international referral system is designed to redirect queries received by INTIB (either in Vienna, or in the National Focal Points) to a wide range of well targeted sources of industrial and technological information. The system will provide INTIB's customers mainly in developing countries with more up-to-date and indeed a wider spectrum of industrial and technological information for information exchange and processing.

CHEPKWONY John K.
TITLE: Networking needs for science and technology systems in Kenya

ABSTRACT/RESUME:
The networking needs arises from information needs which is required for development. The only way to be successful in this era and in future is to invest in science and technology activities. Technology is advancing very fast and to keep up, the S&T institutions need to operate in a network environment. The network would enhance the linkages of S&T institutions, e.g. collaborative endeavors, information exchange, information dissemination and access to information. For example, researchers would have access to work of colleagues and to databases, resulting in quality research. Professors would supervise from distant stations. Work groups would conduct interactive conferences with each other, paying no need to physical location. Information systems would serve their clientele better, e.g. by conducting current awareness services, selective dissemination (SDI), and online as well as offline access to databases.

MASMOUDI Mustapha
TITLE: Experience et attente d'un institut prive africain en matiere de formation a distance
ABSTRACT/RESUME:

Analyse des actions entreprises par l'Institut Mediterraneen MASSMEDIA en formation a distance. Decomposition de la demarche et domaine d'intervention. R™le des differents medias selon les actions menees par cet institut prive. Experience avec Tele-Universite Quebec et partenaires nationaux et internationaux. Difficulte de la production audio-visuelle (par video cassette, par satellite, par disquette). Le cožt excessif de transmission. Les nouvelles technologies: la videophonie a la place de la videoconference, le numerus pour une liaison peu cožteuse, les nouvelles attitudes des pouvoirs publics en faveur de la formation a distance, les perspectives de partenariat et de cooperation regionale, r™les des organisations internationales dans la recherche des nouvelles pedagogies et methodes d'enseignement, la formation a distance qui est une nouvelle promesse pour l'enseignement en Afrique.

ZERFU Dimd
TITLE: How telematics for development be realized in Ethiopia

ABSTRACT/RESUME:
As network providers, we have been witnessing a marked rise in the use of modems and facsimiles for data communication. Although this trend of increasing computer use is encouraging, the fact remains that important economic sectors like agriculture and trade firms, educational institutes as the university and a number of other Government institutes are either unaware or less informed of the potential of computer hosted information services. The users are mostly concentrated around UN Agencies and certain Non-governmental organizations. This has been revealed from the limited survey that ETA has made in order to establish a Packet Switched Public Data (X.25) Network (PSPDN). Likely the forefront task of agencies like PADIS should be to promote computer hosted services as appropriate to the above mentioned institutes. Collaborative efforts between computer use promoters as PADIS and network providers as ETA shall pave the way for telematics.

TEDROS Aklilu Lemma
TITLE: Regulatory and economic aspects of the worldspace DAB System

ABSTRACT/RESUME:
Worldspace is a corporation involved in providing a digital audio broadcasting (DAB) service to the developing world. AfriSpace, a subsidiary of WorldSpace, holds a license from the United States FCC for satellite audio broadcasting to the African/Arabian region. beginning in 1997/98, Afrispace plans to broadcast its programming in the frequencies 1452-1492 MHz in the L-band, the frequencies set aside for satellite DAB at the World Administr. Radio Conference (WARC) held in Madrid, Spain in 1992. Some broadcasters that have already reserved satellite channels with AfriSpace include: VOA, Radio Nederland, Kenya Radio & TV and Voice of Zimbabwe. The World Health Organization (WHO) has also expressed its interest in providing health information to rural areas using the AfriSpace satellite system. In addition to allowing audio broadcasting, the AfriSpace system will allow data transmission such as faxcasting, e-mail (via a 232 serial port), paging and video transmission.

WERNER Marcel
TITLE: Users needs and telecom operators offers in Africa: a way forward to meet demand

ABSTRACT/RESUME:
The presentation takes stock of telematics services developed in the industrialized world with relevance to African countries. Market experiences in the industrialized world will be highlighted, with particular emphasis on accompanying telecommunications regulations. The availability of telematics facilities and services in Africa will be analyzed. This availability is a function of: network quality, available expertise with telecom operator and with users, services portfolio of local telecom operators, tariff structures and policies, licensing of equipment, management structure and practices local telecom operators, national telecommunications regulation, national infrastructure development strategies. The presentation will be based on TFA's research programme which includes: detailed national users surveys African countries, detailed regulatory development worldwide. A special effort will be made to offer concrete examples of circumstances in which telematics develop or flounder in various countries.

SSEMWOGERERE Joseph M.
TITLE: Training of informatics users - A challenge to educational institutes

ABSTRACT/RESUME:
Of recent, Africa has been gripped by a wave of new technologies in Telematics. Telematics products and services are currently widely used in many different institutions in Africa. A lot of telematics products have appeared on the continent and as a result different institutions use different telematics products. Many of these institutions send members of their staff to educational institutions to train in the use of their products. Alternatively these institutions recruit employees from colleges who will use and maintain their products. Educational institutions have therefore to provide suitable training for the numerous but different telematics users. Trainers also need to explore areas of cooperation and communication between different institutions in African countries in order to share learning and teaching experiences in telematics. Trainers are therefore challenged to explore ways of standardizing the type of training suitable to the many but different telematics users.

LAZZARONI Adriana
TITLE: Status and objectives of the RINAF project

ABSTRACT/RESUME:
The RINAF (Regional Informatics Network for Africa) project main objective is to bring basic data communication services to a number of african countries in the Internet environment. RINAF will privilege the Internet services which are suitable for the African telecommunication infrastructures and may reach the more isolated PC users. Several actions have been taken so far to activate the five main regional nodes of the project: CERIST-Algeria, CNDST-Senegal, NCST and Moi University-Kenya, University of Zambia-Zambia and NACETEM-Nigeria. Plans to implement the project in the five regional nodes have been submitted by each RINAF country coordinator and have been executed. The equipment requested has been sent to the final destinations and most of the main regional nodes have now active network connections. Some training activities, on-site training and on-site technical assistance have already been carried out within the project and others are foreseen in the future in order to create a group of skilled african technicians able to manage the African network services. The second phase of the project is about to start and other african countries (10 are planned) will soon join the RINAF project.

NTHUNYA Emma
TITLE: Telematics: an added opportunity to information service or a threat

ABSTRACT/RESUME:
The paper gives the definition of telematics. It discusses the advantages and poses some examples of case studies and success stories relating to communication methods. It goes further to discuss the impact of telematics on the development of information services and how people receive this idea. The paper also examines whether telematics is a good idea, where? and to whom? What are its effects especially to the developing countries where problems of good telecommunication systems are still encountered, where financial self-sufficiency is still not obvious, also lack of expertise is a problem. The paper concludes with the recommendations as to the suggestions of the effective use of telematics in the field of information service.

OSMAN Izzedin
TITLE: Data transmission in the Sudan: problems and prospects

ABSTRACT/RESUME:
The paper gives a brief overview of the current status of data communication in the Sudan. It explains the concepts of packet-switching radio transmission which is currently used. It then gives and overview of the ten years plan and the projects which are currently in progress.

FULLAN Riff Dan
TITLE: Online Ddatabase Development

ABSTRACT/RESUME:
NirvCentre has developed online full-text databases using software from Open Text Corporation, a Canadian-based company that has created an extremely efficient search engine. We have assembled online databases from both APC electronic conferences and organization-sponsored resources (e.g., the International Institute for Sustainable Development Sourcebase, the Federal Environmental Assessment Review Office database) that allow users to quickly search through large bodies of data for the information they want and either download it or send it to any email address accessible to the Internet. NirvCentre would like to explore the possibility of utilizing this technology to make text-based resources originating in specific African countries available to others in the region. One way this could be facilitated would be by making the resources available internationally through the Internet and charging fees for accessing them. The financial gains resulting could then be applied to improving linkages within Africa and creating self-sustaining resource bases for individual institutions.

RENAUD Pascal
TITLE: L'Internet en Afrique: une approche pragmatique

ABSTRACT/RESUME:
En 1986, l'Orstom deploie un nouveau plan d'equipement base sur des stations de travail Unix (Sun Microsystems) et des reseaux locaux (Ethernet TCP/IP). Des 1989, une priorite est accordee aux equipes d'Afrique. Un premier "site RIO" est cree a Dakar, puis l'annee suivante d'autres a Ouagadougou, Bmako, Lome. Chaque site est equipe avec les mmes ordinateurs et les mmes logiciels et relie au reseau. Base sur les technologies standard du systeme UNIX: Ethernet, TCP/IP, UUCP, le reseau va s'inserer des le debut dans l'ensemble des reseaux internationaux de la recherche qui donnera naissance a l'Internet. C'est a qu'il est conu comme un moyen de developper les echanges entre la communaute scientifique des pays en developpement et celle du Nord.La messagerie electronique est tres vite adoptee par les chercheurs travaillant en Afrique. Certaines equipes en font le canal principal de leur communication. Le"email" devient peu a peu un outil indispensable, il est propose a tous les partenaires de l'Orstom, a commencer par l'ISRA (Institut senegalais de recherche agronomique) et le CRO (Centre de recherche oceanographique d'Abidjan) En 1992, l'Orstom decide d'aller au dela et de partager son reseau avec tous les acteurs de la recherche et du developpement. Une charte est propose aux etablissements qui souhaitent s'associer au reseau. En 1992 RIO s'associe aux manifestations du Sommet de la Terre. En collaboration avec l'IGC (APC), il offre ses services a tous les organismes - officiels ou ONG - qui participent a la Conference des Nations Unies sur l'Environnement et le Developpement (CNUED). La version franaise des textes preparatoires a la Conference est diffusees sur tous les sites RIO, et la messagerie electronique est mise a la disposition des organismes qui souhaitent communiquer avec leurs delegations a Rio de Janeiro. Pour financer l'extension du reseau, un systeme de partage des frais est mis en place. L'utilisation des liaisons internationales est comptabilisees et chacun contribue au fonctionnement. L'Orstom n'est plus bailleur de fonds du RIO mais partenaire principal d'un reseau commun pour la recherche, l'enseignement superieur et le developpement. Apres deux ans, la charte RIO a ete signee par 90 etablissements repartis dans 12 pays. Pour repondre aux besoins de communication scientifique et technique, pour permettre a l'Afrique francophone de ne pas rester a l'ecart des "autoroutes de l'information" le reseau doit s'etendre encore. Et pour recueillir les moyens de ce developpement, il associera d'autres organismes de recherche et de cooperation scientifique et collaborera avec des organisations multilaterales.

Actuellement, l'Orstom est l'operateur principal du reseau. Cette situation est provisoire. Nous encourageons les etablissements africains a prendre une place grandissante non seulement dans l'utilisation du reseau, mais dans sa gestion et son developpement. Des reseaux Internet "nationaux" commencent a prendre forme au Senegal, au Mali, au Burkina-Faso...Des ecoles d'ingenieurs, des etablissements de recherche, mais aussi des entreprises privees sont sur le point d'acquerir cette technologie et d'assurer le relais.

BREME Oumar Matar
TITLE: Programme du reseau developpement durable

ABSTRACT/RESUME:
Lance en 1980 par le PNUD, le Reseau de Developpement Durable fait partie integrante de capacite 21. Le reseau met les informations necessaires a la disposition des responsables charges de planifier des strategies de developpement durable. Il constitue un pont entre les sources et les utilisateurs de l'information et ce gr‰ce a des entretiens directes et des moyens de communication electroniques ou autres, le reseau encourage le dialogue et la communication dans l'espoir d'amener les interesses. Ceux dont le developpement depend ou qui en sont le plus tributaire a participer plus activement au processus de developpement. Le Tchad entend elargir son reseau au niveau national, regional et international.

MKHWANAZI Victoria Nomsa
TITLE: The current status of telematics in Swaziland: problems and prospects

ABSTRACT/TITLE:
Reviews the needs for the libraries and information centres; the current status of telecommunication and its implication to information centres.

KONE Tiemoman
TITLE: Experience ivoirienne en matiere de reseaux: existant et perspectives

ABSTRACT/RESUME:
Le pauvre de demain se determinera par sa capacite a acceder a l'information. En effet, les nouveaux themes comme " autoroute de l'information" et multimedia prefigurent la naissance d'une societe de l'informatique. L'ordinateur sera au sein de cette societe l'interface privilegiee entre chaque individu et le reste du monde. Les pays en developpement et plus particulierement les pays africains doivent participer h‰tivement a la construction de cette societe de l'informatique au risque de voir une fois de plus marginalises. Dans ce papier, nous presenterons une etude realisee au sujet de la mise en place d'un reseau Internet pour les besoins de la recherche et de l'enseignement en C™te d'Ivoire.

NGOLA Makau
TITLE: Electronic communication

ABSTRACT/RESUME:
The paper gives an overview of electronic communication services offered by the ELCI node, the problems that it encounters in so doing and a brief discussion of solutions and directions for the future.

KHELLADI Yacine
TITLE: Quel mecanisme de cooperation pour quel modele de developpement de l'utilisation efficiente de nouvelles technologies de l'information et la communication: le projet Telesinergia

ABSTRACT/RESUME:
Presente les differentes caracteristiques de l'objet NTIC (Nouvelles Technologies de l'Information) a savoir l'information comme objet virtuel, le developpement des outils et produits a tres grande vitesse, le developpement des outils et produits non hierarchiques, repondant plut™t a un schema decentralise, type "chaos", l'utilisation qui se diffuse a partir du secteur scientifique vers les autres, la marche en formation, les cožts des investissements initiaux importants, et le grand cožt initial de l'apprentissage et de la formation.

Examine les objectifs et methodologies pour une diffusion de l'utilisation efficiente des NTIC a savoir la necessite de l'institutionnalisation, de la prise en compte de l'importance de l'organisation et de la formation, la necessite d'un mecanisme de transfert de technologie efficient c'est a dire qui permet un developpement de l'utilisation de technologies sous le contr™le des utilisateurs et qui prenne en compte les realites sociales et culturelles ainsi que les necessite reelles des pays en developpement, la necessite d'un mecanisme de cooperation, la necessite de la double integration verticale et horizontale dans l'implantation des NTIC.

Decrit le concept de TELESINERGIA avec accent sur les differents besoins pour atteindre les objectifs. Indique que TELESINERGIA se veut un espace virtuel pour les differents NTIC cree a travers le regroupement dynamiques de partenaires aux caracteristiques differentes. Presente les actions a entreprendre par TELESINERGIA telles que la sensibilisation destinees a tous les niveaux de decisions regionaux, les services, conseil et assistance et le r™le de veille technologique. Presente aussi l'etat du projet.

ODEDRA-STRAUB Mayuri
TITLE: The non-technical telematics issues

ABSTRACT/RESUME:
My paper will look at some of the non-technical issues which influence the use, or application, of telecommunications in Africa; issues which are hindering or preventing individuals from taking advantage of the telematics revolution, and with it the opportunities that exist for applying this technology for development of their nations. The paper will look at some problems besetting these countries, their causes and suggest some solutions. Issues addressed will include: political influences, lack of policies, local culture influencing use ad foreign culture inflicted through use, lack of skills, access to information, telematic's overall impact on society, influence of local economies, poor links, poor service, management, reliance on imported equipment, etc.

NSUBUGA Shem Nnaggenda
TITLE: African initiatives and needs concerning telematics facilities and services

ABSTRACT/RESUME:
The initiatives in the eastern and southern region are ESANet (East and Southern African Network), HealthNet, REPTIA (Regional Program for Trainers of Information Analysts). These are to enhance communication between academicians in the universities in the region and learn new modes in training using information technology. The data shared between the academicians is low in capacity and less than that between them and the west. There is opportunity to ramify to form national networks that can be used primarily for market oriented options like distance education. The benefits are lower-cost region-oriented education and cheaper retraining of scholars which saves on cash outflows to obtain foreign education by correspondence.

This venture requires a feasibility study. This will indicate the present telematics facilities and services available; suggest standardization modes for communication to other continents and within the region, the infrastructure required. An appropriate uniform tariff structure to increase the local telematics equipment manufacturing or decrease cost of hard/software input from overseas. Training manpower to implement and train users of the telematics network is very important and lastly the sources of financing to be used should be discussed.

KATAMA Agnes Komukyeya
TITLE: Market oriented author targeting readership/usership defining

ABSTRACT/RESUME:
The need to network in Africa is crucial from an economic and market-oriented point of view. More efficient messages with greater impact need to reach more people at the least cost. The ability to sustain information structures in this sort will require donor support in the initial stages. However, donor dependency is an ill that the continent must not introduce into its upcoming information capability. ENVIRONET proposes a philosophy of cost-sharing resource management, audience-targeting and South-North marketing which many ministries, universities, research centre etc. on the continent should use as a basis for negotiation. In an unpublished report on the ITU and its potential role in the education of African Youth (1996), Spain, it remained clear that the potential to bridge the gap between authors and readers within the continent will only be realized once a true evaluation of authorship is defined. An appealing relation between author-known prestige, information dissemination capability and end-user infrastructure should be studied so as to encourage the critical mass of existing potential authors. The possibility of reaching the only constituency where information is not only a need but is crucial to development at all levels in the true sense of the word.

KWANKAM Yunkap S.
TITLE: Information technology in Africa: a proactive approach and the prospects of leapfrogging decades in the development process

ABSTRACT/RESUME:
This paper examines perspectives for the growth of information technology (IT) in Africa. The central thesis is that, as in other development sectors, technological solutions are more readily available than the political will to implement them. Policy aspects of IT therefore need to be addressed, in terms of formulation, dissemination and implementation. In the absence of clear and enforceable policy, the industry is likely to evolve in a haphazard manner in reaction to uncoordinated external motives, thus allowing improper practices which would impair the growth of enthusiasm for IT. One strategy proposed is to build IT into priority development sectors as identified by governments themselves; areas such as education, health and the environment, which open up strategy is to pursue IT at regional level, and with strong inter-agency collaboration, given the interdisciplinary nature of the technology. This would have two positive outcomes. It would contribute to bringing down the barriers which currently circumscribe countries as fairly closed information entities. Secondly it would exploit the band-wagon effect, which has worked successfully in the health sector, to commit African governments to programs in the development of IT. This development should take a long-term view, reaching for the cutting edge of the technology, for which some institutional capacity already exists. The continent could thus leapfrog decades in the development of IT and provide an empowering environment for development in other sectors.

SAWO Sankung
TITLE: Developing data communications service in Te Gambia: problems and stategies

ABSTRACT/TITLE:
In 1992, Gambia Telecom Company Ltd, Gamtel, introduced two new Value Added Network services (VANS): an X.25 based Packed Switch Network and Cellular (or mobile) telephony. The X.25 network is built on US based Tymnet technology and it was configured to be subnetwork of that Company's Global Network Service (GNS) X.25 Network. Telematics was new concept even in the ranks of Gamtel itself, the Company having been preoccupied with developing a nationwide wired telephone network embodied in its third phase project. This project in effect was to extend the already well established first class telephone service in the Capital Banjul, and surrounding urban area, thus forming the very basis of a VAN data network. With no online services in the Gambia, Gamtel had to deal with the daunting problem of selling its X.25 service - a bare network. One of the strategies adapted was to subscribe to BT Messaging service in UK as a corporate customer and then sell the Service to Gambian Customers. Other strategies being considered by Gamtel include: 1) provide access to world wide Internet network, 2) provide access to other major commercial on line services such as CompuServe, MCI Mail, Genie, etc. 3) introduce e-mail service with gateways to Internet etc. 4) upgrade network links to 64kbps. Another problem is computer literacy . Gamtel has embarked on computer training at its training centre, one of the best in the country.

OCHUODHO Shem J.
TITLE: Trends in telematics and prospects for Africa

ABSTRACT/RESUME:
Timely processing and transportation of health information is crucial for the provision and management of the health service, and is reminiscent of a good health system. Today's health care requirements in the developed world , for example, cannot be met any other way except "through health networks", which have become a common feature. Communication systems in Africa tend to be too unreliable and costly to adequately support information exchange. In this presentation, trends in telematics are identified, and their prospects for enhanced delivery of health service in Africa highlighted. The benefits of a hypothetical (yet feasible) continent wide network, its potential uses, benefits and of course likely drawbacks are discussed. The current status of networking in the region is summarized against a background of experiences elsewhere. A possible action plan is suggested.

OUMTANAGA Souleymane
TITLE: Constitution d'un reseau de recherche a Yamoussoukro. Application: Diffusion d'outils didactiques via ce reseau

ABSTRACT/RESUME:
Dans le cadre des travaux de recherche, les chercheurs ivoiriens rencontrent d'enormes difficultes pour l'etablissement des contacts scientifiques avec leurs homologues etrangers. Il est aussi difficile de mener correctement une recherche bibliographique sur des themes etudies entra”nant ineluctablement une perte de temps non negligeable. Les systemes de communication actuellement disponibles (Telephone, fax, telex) restent tres onereux pour les instituts de recherche. Les differentes collaborations, indispensables a l'emergence d'un potentiel de recherche induisent un besoin croissant de communication. Le recours au reseau informatique est une reponse pertinente a ces besoins. Il permet un dialogue frequent, non protocolaire, non contraignant pour les interlocuteurs (contrairement au telephone) et met les equipes en contact sur un plan d'egalite technologique.

Il devient possible a un groupe de recherche entre plusieurs villes de la C™te d'Ivoire de mener un projet en commun, le reseau permettant de se conseiller mutuellement dans le montage d'une experience, de collaborer dans la redaction d'un article ou d'un rapport, de transmettre des fiches bibliographiques, enfin d'executer ailleurs des traitements informatiques lourds.

En plus de l'aspect messagerie, nous envisageons developper la formation a distance via ce reseau. Les nouvelles technologies de communication permettent d'envisager un enseignement a distance multimedia et interactif, plus adapte a la fois aux apprenant et aux enseignants, plus souple geographiquement (decentralisation de la formation) et temporellement (acces en cas de necessite. Cette strategie pedagogique permettrait l'acces des formations qui jusque la etaient inaccessible.

BENHAMADI Moussa
TITLE: Les reseaux de recherche et l'informatique scientifique et technique en Algerie

ABSTRACT/RESUME:
Les reseaux informatiques jouent un r™le fondamental pour le developpement des services d'echange d'information dans tous les secteurs d'activite. Les reseaux informatiques et la communication, a travers ces reseaux de l'information et plus particulierement de l'information specialisee qu'est l'information scientifique et technique constituent les principaux themes developpes.

L'information est la composante commune a toutes les actions de recherche et de developpement technologique. Cette information doit tre facilement accessible et rapidement transferable, d'o la necessite des reseaux de communication. Les nouvelles technologies introduisent des outils technologiques qui permettent le developpement des systemes de traitement de l'information et sa mise a disposition a travers des reseaux de communication.

Les enjeux de l'information et sa communication a travers les reseaux specialises sont perus dans tous les domaines d'activites et plus particulierement dans les domaines de la formation et de la cooperation scientifique et technique qui constituent une plate-forme d'actions communes a promouvoir et a developper pour rapprocher les secteurs de la recherche et de l'enseignement et ceux de l'industrie et des entreprises de production.

En integrant les technologies des telecommunications et celles de l'information, il est possible d'envisager la naissance de nouvelles applications en particulier dans le secteur de l'enseignement superieur et de la recherche scientifique. Ces actions doivent favoriser l'eclosion de projets novateurs faisant appel a l'informatique, a la telematique, aux reseaux de communication dans le but de constituer des reseaux d'echange d'information et de cooperation tels les reseaux academiques et de recherche.

Le reseau national de recherche ARN (Academic Research Network) a pour objectif majeur la cooperation entre les secteurs scientifiques dans les milieux academiques et industriels. La strategie a adopter doit se baser sur une infrastructure de communication a mettre en place et sur laquelle sont developpes des services de communication et d'echange d'informations. Un tel reseau peut assurer la consultation et la constitution de bases de donnees specialisees et constitue un support pour la messagerie personnalisees et l'echange de donnees et de documents.

EL-MAOUHAB Aouaouche
TITLE: Les standards d'interconnectivite au profit des reseaux

ABSTRACT/RESUME:
Le partage des ressources informationnelles dans le domaine documentaire est un critere primordial sur lequel doit se baser toute organisation de gestion de l'information documentaire. Ce critere nous a oriente vers la definition d'un projet pour le developpement d'un reseau documentaire construit sur une architecture decentralisee et qui permet a chaque partenaire de collaborer et de beneficier des services mis en place. Les services documentaires a developper doivent tre construits sur la base de plusieurs criteres: repartition des systemes telles que adaptation aux protocoles de communication, heterogeneite des systemes telles que utilisation des normes internationales pour l'interconnexion de systemes ouverts, diversification des services a savoir empilement des services par couche, du service le plus elementaires au service complexe, cooperation des services communicant tels que le developpement de service ouvert oriente "interface" et "protocole" conforme a l'architecture en couches d'ISO des systemes ouverts.

Notre choix a porte sur l'integration d'un ensemble de sous-systemes repondant chacun a une fonctionnalite specifique du systeme global et qui fait l'objet d'une normalisation internationale (standard ISO). Le prototype presente, integre trois elements de base qui s'articulent entre eux et qui sont: le systeme de messagerie (MHS: Message Handling System), le systeme annuaire (Directory Service) et un troisieme element non normalise: le systeme documentaire.

WALUGEMBE Edward
TITLE: Needs assessment for telematics development in Uganda

ABSTRACT:
Telematics is new technology which is not widely used in Uganda. In fact it is not used in the Ministry of Education and Sports. Its enormous advantages can be beneficial to the development process of Uganda. The symposium is a rare opportunity for Uganda to plan, develop and operate telematics and therefore reap its benefits. The needs for the development of telematics in Uganda will be identified.

BARAK Ron
TITLE: Internet and the art of the possible

ABSTRACT/RESUME:
The current situation in Africa is that most countries do not have an Internet node within their boundaries, and most African cannot connect, economically, to Internet nodes outside their country's borders. The result is that most Africans are cut from the vast resources of information available on the international electronic networks. However, in the last years, more and more African countries gained access to electronic mail (e-mail), and - because most of these e-mail networks have gateways to the Internet, it means those people with e-mail access can tap at least some of the vast resources on the Internet, albeit, not as fast or as convenient as direct links (on-line) access to the Internet.

The proposed paper will try to present some of the procedures available to e-mail users to gain access to the information on the Internet, using what's available to them, namely e-mail.

The procedures in the paper will present ways for accessing free information (at least, it is free as of this writing) on the Internet, meaning, charges are not made for retrieving the information from the Internet.

KRASSI Petrova
TITLE: Exploring E-mail for literary searches and data transfer

ABSTRACT/RESUME:
Among the projects were started at the National Institute of Research recently, some are closely linked to telecommunications as implemented in Information Technology: they will be based on the electronic mail links that connect NI with other researchers inside and outside Botswana.

One of them is run by the Computer Unit at NI involving also the Library and Documentation Unit and the Health and Nutrition Unit. Through the HealthNet point the medical community in Botswana has access to the Medical Library at the Emory University, Atlanta. The second project related to telematics is based on a SANGONET E-mail point installed at the Library and Documentation Unit (PADIS). And finally, the proposed Data Archive, to be established at NI, will aim to compile a raw data collection and to offer access to its files to other researchers. In addition, there is a possibility of linking NI ao Apple Macintosh users. It can be observed, that the Botswana information technology community is rapidly getting involved in various networks, thus getting access to the Internet as well.

GIANGI G.E.
TITLE: The status of telematics in Namibia and the future perspective

ABSTRACT/RESUME:
Developing countries are still struggling to derive the benefits of information technology. Before they can fully grasp this technology, many realize that to do so there is need to link this with telecommunications and other associated technologies. Thus telematics, though widely spoken, is benefitting only a few. These organizations and individuals who venture to explore this technology to the fullest, soon meet with discouragement when faced with the bureaucracy of PTT companies and the slowness to which these respond to telematics users. In addition to this, a number of other cultural and social issues come to bear upon the task of developing the necessary infrastructure for telematics. This paper reviews the efforts done in Namibia, the social barriers and challenges as well as prospects of developing an infrastructure and resource capacity for telematics.

TRAORE Nouhoum
TITLE: La telematique au Burkina - Situation et perspectives

ABSTRACT/RESUME:
Il est reconnu de notoriete que les telecommunications sont a l'homme d'affaire moderne d'aujourd'hui ce qu'a ete le transport pour son homologue d'hier. Aussi la responsabilite des administrations africaines des telecommunications est pleinement engagee dans le processus du developpement de la Nation, dans la mesure ou elles doivent d'une part, mettre a disposition des reseaux fiables, et d'autre part faire l'effort necessaire d'expliquer aux operateurs economiques toutes les facilites que leur offrent les telecommunications et en particulier le reseau telematique. C'est pourquoi le Burkina entreprendra a court et moyen terme des actions qui pourraient favoriser l'expansion de la telematique dans notre pays. Etant devenu le p™le du cinema africain (nous abritons le Festival Panafricain du Cinema de Ouagadougou FESPACO), et organisant egalement tous les deux ans le Salon International de l'Artisanat de Ouagadougou(SIAO), nous voulons par ses actions non seulement diversifier les sources de communications entre le Burkina et le reste du monde, mais rendre encore plus fluide ces communications pour le bonheur de tous. Au nombre de ces actions, on peut citer: 1) le developpement d'actions de sensibilisation, d'explication et de vulgarisation de la telematique par le financement de spots publicitaires televisuels, des brochures, des expositions etc.. 2)L'aide a l'identification et a l'installation de serveurs telematiques pour inciter le plus grand nombre d'utilisateurs de l'outil informatique a demander un branchement au reseau de transmission de donnees. La mondialisation de l'economie et la globalisation des telecommunications imposent a toutes les administrations africaines des telecommunications, une concertation et un echange d'experiences afin que l'Afrique cesse d'tre le maillon faible de la cha”ne de communication, c'est pourquoi nous estimons enfin, qu'il est necessaire de proposer a ces differentes administrations des telecommunications, des actions de formation qui devraient a terme, permettre de ma”triser les fonctions d'ingenierie, de gestion, d'entretien et de planification des reseaux de transmission de donnees. En annexe presente la structure actuelle du Reseau National de Transmission de Donnees par paquets (FASOPAC).

WANYEMBI Gregory N.W.
TITLE: The role of telematics in the development of an agricultural sector in high potential area: case of Trans Nzo•a District, Kenya

ABSTRACT/RESUME:
Agriculture is Kenya's backbone. The majority of its population (80) live and work in rural areas. Yet only 1/5 of its area is suitable for farming. Trans-Nzoia district in Western Kenya is one of the high potential areas as far as agriculture is concerned. It has rich and fertile volcanic soils which produce a wide range of agricultural products including maize (Kenya's staple food), livestock and horticultural products. It is Kenya's bread basket. However, the district has achieved little in terms of socio-economic and agricultural development due to poor infrastructure, insecurity and lack of a comprehensive agricultural information system. Agricultural research is carried out within and outside the district yet little of its findings ever reach the farmer; and the few model (ADC) farms offer few benefits even to the surrounding populations. Further information on markets is incomplete and speculative.

The radio, newspapers and telephone are the only means of communication but are unsuitable and inadequate. Other forms of communication are needed to bring about positive change.

This paper examines the role of telecommunications as means of bringing about this change. Its significance will have a bearing on Kenya as well as the rest of Africa.

MOHAMED Ben Ahmed
TITLE: L'experience tunisienne dans le domaine de la Telematique

ABSTRACT/RESUME:
Cette communication presente dans un premier volet les projets pilotes entames au debut des annees 80. En effet, a cette date, la Tunisie s'est lancee dans la promotion de la transmission de donnees, de bases de donnees et de services telematiques. Un premier projet a ete lance en 1983 visant a doter la Tunisie d'un reseau national de transmission de donnees et l'adaptation et l'experimentation de nouveaux services, en particulier le service videotex et la messagerie electronique. De ce projet ont decoule trois actions: 1) l'installation du reseau TUNIPAC X25, 2) le projet AFRIMAIL, adaptation et experimentation de la messagerie X400 avec le support du Centre de Recherche pour le Developpement International (CRDI) et, 3) le projet DIDON utilisant l'approche videotex et en particulier les terminaux Minitel pour la promotion des Bases de Donnees Tunisiennes et l'acces aux Bases de Donnees Internationales. Avec l'apparition de la norme X500 d'annuaire, la Tunisie etait parmi les premiers a l'utiliser.

Dans une deuxieme etape, nous presenterons les grandes orientations des projets en cours ou a venir s'inscrivant dans le cadre de la strategie nationale definie par le Conseil Superieur de l'Informatique et des Telecommunications (CSIT). Parmi ces projets nous pouvons mentionner: 1) l'Echange de Donnees Informatise (EDI) qui occupe une place importante o des actions de sensibilisation, de maquettage et de prototypage ainsi que des etudes sont en cours avec le support de la Commission Europeenne et 2) le Reseau Numerique a Integration des Services (RNIS).

Actuellement, la Tunisie est dotees d'une infrastructure favorisant la telematique (reseau de telecommunications numeriques a 80, TUNIPAC), des acces a l'exterieur (noeuds INTERNET, EARN,...) et des services telematiques touchant la majorite des secteurs et utilisant l'ensemble des techniques: videotex, messagerie electronique, annuaire electronique, echange de donnees informatise.

TURYOMURWEGO Deusdedit Monday
TITLE: The role of telematics in educational administration: proposals for telematics network in Uganda's Ministry of Education and Sports

ABSTRACT/RESUME:
Since education is a vital aspect for development, telematics is not only necessary but indispensable to the Ministry of Education and Sports if Uganda has to move the right way forward. In order, thus, to pave way for a telematics highway in the Ministry, I would wish to make the following proposals for the decision makers: 1) set up a Data bank at the General Headquarters (Kampala). 2) Create a departmental network of computers which feed and can be fed from the main Data bank. 3) Ensure that all telephone lines are in good working condition. This will play a vital role in both internal and external communications, which the telematics will have to rely on as a highway. 4) Acquire modern and sufficient communication equipment, e.g. Minitel, fax machines, audio-visual sets, etc... 5) have trained manpower to operate and maintain the acquired equipment.

UNEP
The Telecommunications and Electronic Services

ABSTRACT:
The Telecommunications and Electronic Services (TES) was been created this week and tasked to establish a single global corporate network for UNEP, interfacing with the global Internet. This network will in large part, be mediated by the "Mercure" satellite communications system being donated to UNEP by member states of the European Space Agency. The initial configuration of Mercure comprises 8 high-capacity and 8 medium capacity Intelsat earth stations to be installed in the 1995-97 timeframe. Some of these earth stations will serve UNEP Regional Offices, but a number will be earmarked for installation at institutions within appropriate partnering host countries. A key utilization for "UNEPnet" will be for increasing the capacity of institutions in host countries to identify and acquire the environmental data and information required for decision making supporting sustainable developments, and in general to utilize global network resources to satisfy a range of information, coordination and liaison requirements. TES is also establishing user access points based on Web, gopher conference and e-mail services for utilization by the entire network community, as far as possible irrespective of the level of communication with a number of potential partner organizations in this effort, including UNDP/SDN, IDRC, CIESIN, NASA, NOAA, ESA, the US EPA and the Russian TV-ECOINFORM groups, as well as elements of the FidoNet community. UNEP is also to negotiate utilization of shared services by other UN agencies, particularly those co-located in Nairobi, including UNCHS (Habitat), Unicef, UNESCO and the World Food Programme. This symposium will, I believe, represent an important opportunity not only for UNEP to share with this group its vision of the service to be provided in the future, and to better apprise itself of how it can best respond to the needs of this community.

DJOSSOUVI Emmanuel
TITLE: Reseau documentaire au Benin

ABSTRACT/RESUME:
Le Centre de Documentation Technique (Ex-CENADI) du Ministere du Plan et de la Restructuration Economique est charge de coordonner les activites documentaires au plan national et de proceder a la mise en place du reseau national de developpement. Gr‰ce a la mission de la Cooperation Franaise certains centres (membres du reseau) sont dotes d'equipements informatiques, cinq produits documentaires ont ete elabores: 1) sources d'information