Thursday, 4 August 2011

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY NEWS FROM USM

USM – INDUSTRY COLLABORATION: GATHERING OF ICT EXPERTS FROM VARIOUS COUNTRIES

PENANG, 22 September: After successfully organizing the Tech Insights Penang Simposium last year, Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) has once again been conferred the honour of hosting the Tech Insights Penang Symposium 2010 this year.

Apart from the participation of industry partners, the Symposium will also witness a gathering of experts in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) from various countries.

Prof. Rosni Abdullah, the Dean of the School of Computer Sciences, USM said that the participation of foreign industry partners is proof that the symposium as well as the efforts of the government to develop the field of ICT has received recognition in the eyes of the world.

“This year, Tech Insight will not only witness the participation of ICT experts from Singapore and Sri Lanka but also industry representatives from world-renowned companies and ICT experts from Microsoft Most Valuable Professional (MVP) Programme, which is being used in more than 90 countries world-wide.

“It is the hope of Tech Insight to create a platform where technology and new software can be shared and that this will become a culture in the country. At the same time, it will help the local community, especially the youth in learning about Information Technology, which as we know, is advancing daily,” he said.

Meanwhile, Raymond Chou, Operations Manager for MVP said that MPV is very pleased to be able to organize this programme with USM.

“We chose USM because USM has a proven track record in terms of facilities and sophisticated equipment and is also prepared to lead in the development of ICT in Malaysia,” said Raymond, who is also the Director of Technology, Redynamics Asia Sdn.Bhd, a well-known company providing ICT Training in the country.

The three-day Symposium, commencing on 22 September will be held at the Eureka Complex, USM and will focus on new software that will be introduced into the world market such as SharePoint 2010, Visual Audio 2010, SQL Server 2008 R2 and many others.

More than 200 participants from various well-known companies in the field of computers such as Dell, Intel, Agilent Technologies dan Fairchild will be at the Symposium.

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY NEWS FROM UKM

UKM’s Micro Chips Help Duck Farmer Improve Productivity

TUESDAY, 02 AUGUST 2011 16:18

By Abdul Ghani NasirPics by Saliman Leman

NUSAJAYA, 2 August 2011 – From far, the duck coop of vegetable farmer Zamberi Abu Hassan, 43, looks just like any other – built with planks and half covered with wire gauze and the roof formed by rusting zinc sheets.

However, with expertise from UKM’s Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment (FEBE) in Bangi, the interior of the small shack has been transformed into a high technology coop – within a day and relieving its owner of a huge burden.

UKM brought its micro-controller project to Kampung Bukit Tempurung, at Gelang Patah, Nusajaya, and installed the miniature components at the coop housing the Khaki Cambell variety of ducks which are very sensitive to the way they are tended to.

The Head of the Electrical, Electronics and Systems Engineering Department at FEBE, Associate Professor Dr Hafizah Hussein, said the hi-tech components installed have four functions

· Regulate the eating schedule – a special trough installed with microchip controllers automatically pours grains from a machine three times daily according to a set schedule

.· Lighting is controlled - sensors are used to detect the amount of daylight so that bulbs glow to provide an extra four hours of light after sundown

.· Deliver water supply when necessary – the programming of the micro-chips enable them to check on the availability of water in the pen and increase the supply from a water drum.· Keep away rodents – sensors are used to detect the presence of mice, iguana and monkeys, with special equipment installed to repel them.

It all started when Muhamad Amirul bin Zamberi, 17, a Form Five student at the Taman Nusa Jaya National Secondary School, found that every time his father leaves the farm to sell vegetables around Gelang Patah, his egg-laying ducks are left unsupervised, resulting in overfeeding, not being fed at regular times and at times lacking water.

It so happened that at that particular time, FEBE UKM, with the cooperation of UEMLand, was launching Micro-Controller Mentoring Program at Schools: An Initiative to Develop an Innovative Mindset Among Students at the school. The staff of the UKM Faculty of Information Science and Technology were invited to contribute their expertise.

“In general, the project aims to develop an innovative culture among the younger generation through the multi-prong usage of micro controller chip technology,” said Dr Hafizah.

“Micro controller chips are easily programmed using computers. By connecting them to certain equipment, they can be programmed to carry out various tasks automatically, whether for toys or real applications in industries.

“In fact, their potential is limitless and depends entirely on the creativity of the students.

“Besides inculcating a creative and innovative mindset, students get the chance to explore technology which are not taught in the classroom, thus encouraging them to be more gainfully occupied in their spare time and keep them away from being involved in wayward activities.

“UKM undergraduates act as mentors and help the students in programming the microchip controllers,” she added.

At the school, the “i-itik” (e-ducks) project costing less than RM2,000 is headed by Amirul and three of his colleagues, also from Form Five - Raja Nurhayati binti Raja Mohamed, Sayangku Mahsuri binti Mohd Ali and Zuraini binti Zainuddin. The project was launched under the supervision of Senior Teacher Technical and Vocational Subjects, Siti Norittah binti Ahmad.

Raja Nurhayati said what is so special about the 20 ducks owned by Amirul’s father is that the Khaki Cambell variety is imported and used solely for laying eggs to be sold in the market.

The ducks can lay about 20 eggs a day and in a month supply about 600 eggs, but to ensure this, all the four functions need to be fully automated, hence the use of the micro controller chips.

Zamberi’s close observations showed that if he served a large basin of grain – meant to last the whole day - each morning, the ducks finished it immediately, meaning that they had no food in the afternoon and evenings when no one was around to tend to them. Likewise the flow of water; the ducks sometimes consumed more earlier in the day and the supply ran out towards late afternoon.

The situation used to get out of hand since Zamberi has to leave the farm to sell vegetables in the kampung or at the market while Amirul and his younger siblings are away at school.

What saddened Zamberi and Amirul was their inability to tend to the ducks regularly, which usually resulted in fewer eggs being laid since the ducks become stressful. Sometimes the ducks just move around without laying eggs for a week, especially if they spot mice around the coop.

Hence, it became clear that the grain needed to be dispensed at regular times, and this could now be done by using the microchip controllers. With the help of their UKM mentors, the four students managed to build a cereal dispenser that releases the grain at precisely 7 in the morning, in the afternoon and by night fall.

As the ducks require 16 hours of daylight a day, the extra four hours after sunset come from lamps with a computerised switch that come on just prior to full sunset.Dr Hafizah, Zamberi and his son Amirul, as well as the students participating in the project, hope that the use of technology can be expanded to help other farmers in the village also.

“This particular project is being closely watched because it could spur the use of similar modern technology for other farming activities as well and thus make meaningful contributions to the villagers, while for the students they still have more room and opportunity to expand the use of the microchip controllers for other equipment and innovations,” said Dr Hafizah.

LIMKOKWING ICT GROOMS SAVVY TALENT

Limkokwing creativity grooms ICT-savvy talents

28 July 2011
Academic Updates & News
Malaysia
The Star, 27 July 2011

An advocate of creativity and innovation since the 1970s, the Limkokwing University of Creativity Technology (LUCT) is taking the lead by producing graduates equipped with the right skills and capabilities to drive the ICT industry and their careers.

ICE- a way of life

Information technology is very much a part of everyday life: the computer occupies a central position not only in business organisations but increasingly in fields as diverse as manufacturing to space exploration and banking.

This has created a wealth of opportunities for Malaysia, which is moving into a high-income and innovation-driven economy, one area that well-qualified ICT graduates are able to provide the momentum to propel it.

Geared for success

The LICT Faculty of Information and Communication Technology offers internationally-recognised BSc degrees including Mobile Computing, Games Technology and Business Information Technology, as well as postgraduates studies in Computer Networking and Communication. Delve into the exciting world of ICT where you will get to learn all you’ve ever wanted to know about:

Games Programming
Digital Modelling and Animation
Artificial Intelligence
Interactive Multimedia
Real-Time Systems
Internet Security Knowledge
Grid Computing

High-flying ICT careers

The programmes are tailored to ensure graduates are industry-ready and able to blend in with different cultures and nationalities, making them attractive to potential employers.

Some of the career options one would consider as an ICT graduate would be:

Chief Information Officer (CIO)
A CIO heads the IT group within an organisation, and usually reports to the chief executive officer (CEO). You will be the visionary ICT leader, spearheading ambitious projects that will enhance the growth and business strategy of the organisation and will be responsible for the overall strategic direction and management of the organisation’s IT infrastructure.

Security Analyst
As the person ensuring the security of the organisation, you will have to be privy to security breaches and network intrusions. The guardian of the ICT hardware and software, you handle all security documentation and assess the suitability of new technologies on existing or planned systems.

Analyst Programmer
This role requires knowledge of a variety of programming languages. If you’re good at programming, you will enjoy installing, designing, modifying, testing and writing programmes, and supporting work teams and solving problems with software.

Blending the world’s diverse cultures

The Limkokwing campus in Cyberjaya is an experience unlike any other. Students from all over the world converge, making it a dynamic multicultural environment with 70% of the 9,000 students coming from over 160 countries worldwide.

The university has some 30,000 students studying in its 12 campuses in Botswana, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Lesotho, Malaysia and the United Kingdom. A big part of its appeal is the university’s innovative brand of creative education that merges the best of East and West education.

Experience London

In a rapidly developing world, the learning experience today has to include exposing young people to global business trends and innovation.

London - one of the world’s most vibrant and lively cities - is the heart of Limkokwing’s Global Research Centre for Creativity and Innovation.

Located in the heart of thriving Piccadilly, the campus provides students a unique opportunity to cross over to nearby locations for research in business, design, multimedia or any other fields of study.

An ICT student now has an opportunity to graduate with two awards, one Asian and one British. This is an exclusive route for Limkokwing students to spend their final year or semester in London, enabling them to obtain a Limkokwing award and a second credential from Anglia Ruskin University of Cambridge or University of Gloucestershire, UK.

IT NEWS FROM UNIVERSITI TUANKU ABDUL RAHMAN

Opening Ceremony of the Symposium on Progress in Information and Communication Technology (SPICT'09)

December 7, 2009

UTAR brings together researchers, industry practitioners
and students in the fields of ICT

Researchers, industry practitioners and students in the field of information and communication technology (ICT) gathered at a hotel in Kuala Lumpur to witness the opening ceremony of the Symposium on Progress in Information and Communication Technology (SPICT'09) organised by Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR) on 7 December 2009.

The symposium which attracted the participation of individuals from all over the world brought together researchers, industry practitioners and students to exchange the latest advances and trends, and to identify and share emerging research topics in the field of ICT. A total of 64 paper submissions from over 31 different institutions in 12 different countries were received for the symposium, of which 31 submissions were accepted after paper review process.

SPICT'09 consisted of 7 sessions offering presentations in diverse areas of ICT such as business IT systems, network infrastructure, algorithm development, vision and image processing, knowledge management, multimedia and e-learning. Two ICT events were held simultaneously over two days in conjunction with SPICT'09. The events were the Workshop on Advances in Intelligent Computing 2009 (WAIC 2009) which was held on the same day as the opening ceremony of SPICT'09 and the Multimedia Development Corporation of Malaysia (MDeC) R&D Exchange Forum which will be held on 8 December 2009.

UTAR President Ir. Professor Dato' Dr. Chuah Hean Teik who was present for the SPICT'09 opening ceremony expressed, "The R&D landscape in Malaysia has transformed greatly in the past few years, where a lot of resources have been channeled in Malaysia to cultivate a vibrant environment for scientific and technological discoveries." He added that UTAR in tandem with the national development, is gaining greater momentum in the University's research intensification effort to transform into a research-intensive university.

"Our faculty members in UTAR are constantly seeking new opportunities, exploring innovative ideas and building new links. We have embraced this culture wholeheartedly and have maintained close collaboration with colleagues from various disciplines locally and worldwide through our Global Research Network and various research initiatives," he said.

He expressed his hopes for the SPICT'09 to present a platform to discuss, explore and allow ideas to cross fertilize to spark new research collaborations amongst the various participating academics and ICT companies.

Malaysian Deputy Minister of Higher Education Dr. Hou Kok Chung who declared opened the symposium said, "It is undeniable that technological advancement is an important tool in developing a nation. Hence, the Government of Malaysia has long recognised that ICT development would serve as an important strategic driver for positioning Malaysia as a competitive knowledge-based economy, and global ICT and multimedia hub."

He congratulated organisers and the sponsors, on their coming together to make the event a success and conveyed his belief that the efforts made by the them in making the event a success would play an important role in fostering the growth of the ICT industry to drive Malaysia's future economic growth.

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY NEWS FROM UNIVERSITI TEKNOLOGY TUN ABDUL RAZAK

UNITAR/UNOSAT and Google aim to provide map data for improved disaster and humanitarian response

Fri, 15 Jul 2011

Back

After years of successful collaboration, UNITAR/UNOSAT (the operational satellite applications programme of UNITAR) and Google have strengthened their collaboration by signing an agreement that will give the crisis response and humanitarian community increased access to Google Map Maker source data for use in their disaster response and humanitarian activities, in more than 150 countries around the world.*

In times of disaster and humanitarian relief, access to very high quality and up-to-date baseline data of critical infrastructure such as roads, bridges, hospitals, etc. has always been essential to help humanitarian and relief workers, as well as civic administrators on the ground, to make sense of satellite-based maps. Google Map Maker addresses a significant part of these data needs by enabling users to share their geographic expertise about the places where they live, visit and know in great detail. Those contributions are then reviewed and verified through community moderation, and made available on Google Maps and Earth in near real-time.

Under this agreement UNITAR/UNOSAT will act as a conduit within the United Nations family and its Member States to make Google Map Maker data more widely and easily available to aid organizations in the event of major disasters and for humanitarian efforts. Government and United Nations agencies will be able to contact UNOSAT/UNITAR (e-mail: unosat<a>unitar.org, please replace <a> with @ in the email address) for consideration as potential licensees of the Google Map Maker data, for their disaster response, humanitarian and development projects. This agreement builds on dozens of previous joint mapping efforts between UNITAR/UNOSAT and Google, such as the ones that were coordinated for Pakistan, Sudan, and West Africa.

“UNITAR/UNOSAT is always harnessing cutting edge remote sensing and geospatial technology. This new ability to integrate Google Map Maker data more widely into our satellite analysis will have a monumental impact on UNOSAT’s ongoing efforts to make geographic information a key part of providing information for modern humanitarian relief. This agreement will also bring key benefits to the broader disaster and humanitarian community by making Google Map Maker data more widely and easily available,” said Francesco Pisano, UNOSAT Manager. “It will also directly bolster the support that we provide to the United Nations sister agencies by the International Charter Space and Major Disasters, from which UNOSAT obtains satellite data at no cost in case of major natural disasters.”

“We’ve enjoyed a strong relationship with UNOSAT for many years, built on a common goal of unlocking the power of mapping information and technology to solve real life challenges,” said Brian McClendon, VP, Google Earth and Maps. “We’re proud and humbled to share Map Maker data that has been contributed by our users with organizations and others who do impactful work providing humanitarian and disaster relief in times of crisis.”

*Countries for which UNITAR/UNOSAT will have access to Google Map Maker data
Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, American Samoa, Angola, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Aruba, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belize, Benin, Bermuda, Bolivia, Botswana, Bouvet Island, British Indian Ocean Territory, British Virgin Islands, Brunei,Burkina Faso, Burundi,Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde,Cayman Islands, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, Christmas Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Colombia, Comoros, Congo, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Cote d'Ivoire, Cuba, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Equatorial, Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Faroe Islands, Fiji, French Polynesia, French Southern and Antarctic Lands, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Greenland, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, Honduras, Iceland, Iraq, Jamaica, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kiribati, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Mauritius, Micronesia, Mongolia, Montenegro, Montserrat, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar (Burma), Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Netherlands Antilles, New Caledonia, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Niue, Norfolk Island, North Korea, Northern Mariana Islands, Oman, Pakistan, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Pitcairn Islands, Qatar, Romania, Rwanda, Saint Helena, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Svalbard and Jan Mayen, Swaziland, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tokelau, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, Turks and Caicos Islands, Tuvalu, Uganda, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam, Wallis and Futuna, Western Sahara, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY NEWS FROM UNIVERSITI TEKNOLOGY PETRONAS

UTP selects Cisco Borderless Network architecture

Monday, June 13, 2011 7:52 AM

inShare2

(Source: Datamonitor) tracking

Cisco has announced that the University of Technology and Life Sciences in Bydgoszcz, known as UTP, has completed the modernization of its campus and research networks based on the Cisco Borderless Network architecture.With the new, IPv6-enabled infrastructure, UTP is leveraging the value of the network for education and research and provides secure wired and wireless Internet access for more than 9,000 students and 1,000 employees.
As a result of the implementation, network speed has increased to 8 gigabits per second. A total of 75 Cisco wireless access points provide access across the campus, including all classrooms and the university library.
The Cisco Borderless Network Architecture at UTP is based on two Cisco ASR 9010 Routers and two Cisco 7609 Routers. The Cisco ASR 9010 Routers enable the exchange of traffic with PIONIER, an optical broadband network dedicated to R&D in the area of information technology and telecommunications. Cisco Catalyst Series 6500, 4500 and 3560E edge switches connect the end users.
Due to the high number of users connecting to the network, security has been a key aspect of the network modernization. Highly secure connectivity is enabled by the Cisco ASA 5580 firewall and the Cisco Security Monitoring, Analysis and Response System. Part of Cisco's security management suite, Cisco Security MARS is an appliance-based, all-inclusive solution that helps identify, manage and counter security threats. It helps ensure the safety of both devices connecting to the network as well as applications.
In addition to the campus infrastructure, UTP renewed its network dedicated to science research. Enabled by the research network, the university's research team is working on projects related to sensory networks and location-based services. An increase in network throughput allows cameras to transmit laboratory observations and measurements so that research can be shared with other institutions in the framework of e-labs being created by the university, the company said.
The design and implementation was carried out by Solidex, a Cisco Gold Certified Partner in Poland. The project was co-financed by the European Union under the Innovative Economy Operational Program.
Piotr Skirski, regional sales manager, Public Sector, Cisco Poland, said: "The fact that the entire infrastructure on the University of Technology and Life Sciences in Bydgoszcz is IPv6-enabled is a major step forward in the introduction of this standard in Poland.
"Very soon, the free pool of IPv4 addresses will run dry, and IPv6 is the only long-term solution the industry has available to continue growth in the manner that the world has come to expect. The introduction of IPv6 is essential for the growth of Internet and especially for the academic community to be able to lead in innovative research and to support education."
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