14 DAY TRIAL // The continual growth of the information and communication technologies infrastructure will be tracked via a new online platform based on Microsoft Virtual Earth. ITU Global View was unveiled on the debut of the Connect Africa Summit, as an initiative set up to help monitor and evolve the stages of the World Summit on the Information Society program in Africa. Microsoft's online mapping platform is being leveraged by The International Telecommunication Union for the ITU Global View initiative. But the Connect Africa Summit in KIGALI, Rwanda, is bringing together local governments along with members of various industries, organizations and development financial institutions in order to build the necessary resources in the design of the ICT infrastructure.
"We are very pleased that Microsoft, as an early signatory of the Connect the World initiative, is stepping up its commitment to help address the effective use of ICT infrastructure in Africa," said Dr. Hamadoun Tour?, secretary-general of the ITU. "Connect Africa is a call to action for the private sector, and we are encouraged by the progress we have made together with Microsoft and the scope of capacity building in Africa."
Microsoft also inked a Memorandum of Understanding with The International Telecommunication Union, focused on describing the collaboration set up to create an information society with emphasis placed on interoperability, inclusive character and security. An in this context, ITU Global View maintained by ITU and developed by IDV Solutions on top of Virtual Earth. The platform is intended to offer a comprehensive oversight of all the collaborative efforts for WSIS.
"Bringing the benefits of technology to the next 5 billion people will require new approaches to development and new partnerships between international organizations, governments and the private sector," said Michael Rawding, vice president of the Unlimited Potential Group at Microsoft, referring to the 1 billion people already connected to the Internet. "Through Unlimited Potential we are committed globally to applying technology to advance social and economic opportunity, and we look forward to working with ITU on shared development and technology goals."