Update on the VoIP workshop

Last week, I was privileged to attend a workshop on Voice over Internet Procol (VoIP)/SIP. I really did not think that I would be part of this workshop simply because I have just come back from South Africa.Besides that, the cash flow problems haunting the University of Malawi could not allow them to pay the MK98,000 worskshop fees on such a short notice. As things looked impossible in the physical realm, God's plans in the spiritual realm really caught me unawares.

In the run up to the workshop, the ICT Association of Malawi (ICTAM) requested the Malawi Communication Regulatory Authority (MACRA), the local organizers, for sponsorship in order to ensure that the workshop is in the public's interest.MACRA responded by sponsoring 5 places through ICTAM. These places were filled in by the Department of Information Systems and Technology Management Services (DISTMS), ICTAM, University of Malawi (UNIMA), Ministry of Science and Technology and the Malawi Research and Education Network(MAREN). At this point, I did not even bother about finding out the two people that were going to represent UNIMA and MAREN, the two institutions to which I am affiliated, because I felt that there is a long a list of possible people. It was just impossible for them to pick up a "stranger" like me. I was, however, surprised when I was told that I was going to represent MAREN. I received this news on the eve of the workshop. That is how God does his business!!!

Now let us talk about the workshop itself. This workshop was held at Ryalls Hotel, Blantyre, Malawi from 11^th – 15^th June, 2007. Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA) liaised with the African Advanced Level Telecommunications Institute (AFRALTI) and the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) in order to organize this workshop. The facilitator was Mr Eric Pison, a Network Architect at International Institute of Telecommunications (IIT), Montreal,Canada. There were more than forty participants.The workshop was comprised of two related courses on VoIP technologies. The first course, Introduction to Voice over IP Technology, was spread over the first 3 days. The last two days covered Session Initiation Protocol. The courses were spiced up with lively practical exercises which helped us to attain a hands-on experience and an in-depth understanding of the VoIP infrastructure. These exercises were conducted on the networking equipment which was flown in from IIT. The equipment included routers, switches, analogue phones, laptops and Cisco IP phones. All the VoIP software which was used in these exercises is provided for free on the Internet.

My Observations
This workshop has created an in-depth awareness of the VoIP and SIP technologies.Prior to this workshop, most of us were not very conversant with these technologies. The instructor’s ability to illustrate the concepts was very good. He was very willing to answer questions from participants. The practical exercises and the theories were well coordinated.

On the other hand, it must be pointed out that although the workshop was a great success, the future of VoIP technologies in Malawi is still unclear. In her opening address, the Minister of Information and Civic Education informed us that cabinet did not approve the initial VoIP policy because it did not specify the benefits of the technology for the rural masses. She challenged us to reshape the VoIP policy so that it addresses the concerns of cabinet. In light of this, most of us were of the impression that on the final day of the workshop, we would discuss the VoIP policy and the future of this technology in the country. But contrary to the general expectation, the workshop wound up without addressing these issues. Therefore, it is necessary for MACRA to convene a mini workshop in order to sort out these issues otherwise the knowledge attained from the workshop will be of limited impact.

My former school is recruiting

The School of Electrical, Electronic & Computer Engineering at the University of KwaZulu-Natal wishes to fill FIVE academic positions. For more details, point your browser to the following links:

1. Senior Lecturer/Lecturer in Electronic Engineering
2. Senior Lecturer/Lecturer in Electrical Engineering (2 posts)
3. Lecturer in Computer Engineering
4. Senior Lecturer/Lecturer in Computer Engineering

I wish all the people applying for these jobs all the best :)

Safari browser for Windows

Today, I did not really want to make a posting simply because I am busy attending the VoIP workshop at Ryalls Hotel in Blantyre. Details on this workshop will be posted next week. I am, however, being forced to make a posting because of the beta version of the Safari browser, which was released for the Windows Operating Systems on June 11, 2007. Safari is developed by Apple Inc., and is traditionally included in their Mac OS X. An extension to Windows will surely increase Apple's market share.

In my case, I have already installed the Safari browser on my PC. It looks great. You can also testify about this once you download and install it. As of now, I have the following browsers on my Windows machine:

• Safari
• Mozilla Firefox
  
• Opera
  
• Internet Explorer

Although I am a big fan of Mozilla firefox, I like this mix, because it gives me some diversity. So far, I have not yet seen any negative effect.I must, however, point out that I rarely use IE. Don't ask me why, it is just my preference.

Agloco Viewbar

I have finally downloaded my Agloco viewbar right from the Agloco website. I have since installed it on my PC. It is accruing my online hours right now. If you have not yet joined Agloco, you can sign up here. As pointed out in one of my postings, it is a completely free service.

Will Google "swallow" MyLiveSearch?

MyLiveSearch, a new Melbourne-based search engine, promises to be the first true "real-time" search engine to appear on the www. According to the owner, Rob Gabriel, 35, this search engine gives better, more relevant results than Google because it is a truly "live" search. In light of these developments, it is quite interesting to see that Google is already keeping a close eye on this promising technology. Google has a history of acquiring technology that might help a competitor. I foresee a situation where Google will "swallow" MyLiveSearch in the near future if it proves to be successful. Google has already "swallowed" the likes of:

• Pyra Labs, the company that coined the word blogger.
• Youtube, the masters of online video.
• Panoramio, a geospatial photo-sharing Service (swallowed just yesterday!)
  

The list is quite long. You can refer to Google's acquisition report card and wikipedia for more details.

Although I am ardent Google fan myself, I really do not like this behaviour of acquiring some of these highly innovative start-ups. This behaviour kills the underlying philosophy behind these new technologies because they become googlized. I would be more excited if Google would, on its own, come up with innovative ideas and technologies other than the outright purchase of finished products.