The Czech Republic's Evolving IT

The Czech Republic has seen an explosion in research and development as well as changing technologies since the end of the second world war.

MYRO-CZ a toll system owned by Kapsch, was set up in 2007 and it is a free-flowing toll system that spans 1300 kM. This system enables the tolling of moving vehicles in unimpeded conditions and uses suspended microwave antennas to track the movement of cars. The system is fully automated and does not require the input of the driver at all. This system also allows for the management and future planning of traffic.

In 2009 the Czech Ministry of Culture decided to digitize Czech culture and art. There are three objectives of the project:

1. digitisation of important sections of Czech literary production on the territory of the CR, written in Czech or dealing with the Czech Republic;
2. long-term storage of documents in a secure digital depository; and
3. making digitized documents accessible in a uniform, user-friendly interface with user personalization options.

In April 2012 Mazak opened a new Technology Center in the Czech Republic. This new center will help train skilled workers in advanced manufacturing. It will also help attract customers from across Europe to see the newest machine tools and machining techniques.

Czech Computer Security Issues

The Business Monitor International (BMI) believes that the growth of the information technology market in the Czech Republic will be a flat growth curve. This stagnant growth is due to the uncertain economic and political climate in the Czech Republic as well as the rest of the European Union.

Unemployment is expected to remain high and this will hold back the investment and consumer demand in the information technology market. Despite the poor economic conditions in Europe, the Czech Republic's business investment environment continues to be more robust than the rest of the Europe markets.

With the advent of new technologies, new opportunities for the development of the Czech society are made available; however, it also brings new requirements concerning the security of ICT's and the whole society. The Czech Republic's growing dependence on ICT's increases the vulnerability of the state and its citizens to cyber attacks. These attacks may have potential types of criminal, economic, or terrorist motives and may be potentially used to destabilize the Czech society. The Cyber Security Strategy of the Czech Republic attempts to solve these issues.

Response to News Source

The Nobel Prize in physics was awarded to two researchers, Serge Haroche from France and David J. Wineland from the United States. Their research has allowed them to manipulate and measure individual particles while preserving the quantum-mechanical nature of the particles. "The Nobel citation said such advancements, which allow researchers to directly observe individual quantum particles without destroying them, were previously thought unattainable." The work done by both researchers has potential application in quantum computing and could lead to the development of much faster  and more powerful supercomputers.  This has many implications for the business world as well as the computer science world because it will allow for the simulation of many new events. 

Business Abroad - China

One of the most important things to take away from Mr. Todd about doing business abroad was to "not be a dog trying to learn new tricks", but rather to keep a perspective on your own beliefs and to do what you know is right. Mr. Todd brings to light a potential issue when conducting business abroad: bribery.

The Department of Justice's Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, "prohibits corrupt payments to foreign officials for the purpose of obtaining or keeping business." But what do you do when the port authority will not let your goods on a ship to be transported? Do you bribe the port authority because it is considered "common practice" in China? Or do you become a whistle blower and report the corrupt activity? When the electric authorities offer to cut your firm's utility bill by 50% if you pay 25% of your bill to them directly: Do you do it allowing you to cut costs? These are just a few ethical dilemmas that Mr. Todd pointed out that he had to deal with when doing business in China. It is good to learn about these types of situations from a person that has had to deal with them first hand.

Czech Republic's Networked Readiness

According to The Global Information Technology Report 2010-2011, the Czech Republic ranks 40th our of 138 and has a score of 4.27 on the Networked Readiness Index. It is down from last years score of 4.36.

Censorship and the Media

Nakoula Basseley Nakoula, the director and producer of the anti-Islamic film "Innocence of Muslims", has achieved exactly what he set out to do, inflame the world Muslim population. Of course, he is not solely to blame for the widespread attention that his amateur and horribly offensive film has received. With the help from media outlets all over the world, Nakoula's film has gained attention worldwide and created tension between the Middle East and the West. 

In response to whether this short film should be censored and taken off Youtube: No, it should not. Who is it up to that we should censor this film? Who would we give the power to tell us what is harmful to hear or see? Christopher Hitchens once said that "it is not just the right of the person who speaks to be heard, but also the right of everyone in the audience to listen and hear." Every time you silence somebody you are making yourself a prisoner of your own action because you deny yourself the right to hear something. Your own right to hear and be exposed is as much involved as is the right of the other to voice his or her view. Rosa Luxemburg said it best when she said "freedom of speech is meaningless, unless it means the freedom of the person who thinks differently." 

In my opinion, the question should not even concern what actions Youtube should take, but rather the negative reactions to the film by the world media outlets. When we see the rioting crowds in the Middle East we need to put ourselves in their shoes and begin to understand that the rioters are being influenced by what their local media and leaders are telling them. The leaders of Islamic countries, news anchors, and religious leaders are telling their followers that this film is made by the United States. Not that it is made IN the United States by a Christian fundamentalist. Here, I would like to point out that I am not advocating violent protests or negative feelings toward the United States, but rather I am advocating understanding the entire situation as it is. Western society has been encouraged to censor this film out of respect for a religion that violates the basic rights of nearly half of the world. I respect the Middle East's negative feelings and responses towards this film, but their freedom of speech does not give them the right to incite violence.

African Problems, African Solutions

From his comedic comments, to his comprehensive knowledge of South African history, culture, identity, technology, and diversity; Dr. Benyon was a pleasure to listen to.  I was fascinated by how he was able to draw on the culture and history of South Africa to help point to what solutions would be beneficial to African problems.  

Computers can provide many benefits to the user; however,

they require a user to be knowledgeable  in its functions. 

In response to whether handing out $100 laptops would be beneficial for South Africans, he points to the poverty and lack of sufficient infrastructure in South Africa to allow people to fully utilize them. This is not to say that many would not benefit from a cheap laptop. It may allow the opportunity for education (via online courses or self education) as well as provide South Africans with a global communication medium.  However, I agree with Dr. Benyon that if you give hungry and sick people a $100 laptop, they may turn around and sell it to provide food and medicine for their family.  Though this allows them to provide for their family for a brief  period of time, they are not utilizing the laptops the way that was intended and essentially turns into a handout.  As an alternative to the $100 laptop he proposes that the cell phone technology should be further expanded because much of the infrastructure already exists in South Africa.  He provided several examples of how cell phones have already helped transform the lives of South Africans.  Providing South Africans with cell phones would elevate them not only locally, but also globally by allowing them to compete in the world market.

His approach to solving the technological gap in Africa could be applied to other countries that are struggling around the world. Rather than having one solution for all of the worlds tech problems, it is important to realize that every country has their own problems. Often these problems cannot be fixed by a general solution and require a hard look at what is happening in the country itself.