The online collaboration module of the International Computer Driving Licence (ICDL), which will back m-Government initiatives in the region, will be released in the fourth quarter of the year, a top official said.

Jamil Ezzo, director general of ICDL GCC Foundation, added that the module will be made as a stand-alone certification or part of its current seven modules.

“The module reflects the evolving technology trends that affect the region, especially since Internet and mobile technology have become instrumental in providing innovative e-Government strategies that promote transparency and efficient delivery of services to people and businesses,” he said.

The module will set out concepts and skills relating to the use of online collaborative tools such as resource-sharing, storage, cloud computing, productivity applications, calendars, social media, web meetings, learning environments and mobile technology.

Most recently, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President, Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai, launched a nationwide “Mobile Government” initiative and ordered all government organisations to provide people living in the UAE with public services from anywhere, around the clock, in two years through mobile phones and other smart devices.

Building on the decree issued by the Dubai Government in 2005, all national Dubai government employees and educators need to complete the ICDL certification by July 2007, ICDL is developing its own Online Collaboration module to be integrated with the already acquired skills by government employees and educators with new essential skills in the area of online collaboration.

According to the United Nations e-Government Survey 2012, UAE ranks eighth among global emerging leaders in e-Government development. Other GCC countries in the top 25 include Bahrain (16th) and Saudi (21st).

The UN lauded these countries’ commitment in expanding “infrastructure and human skills on which to build further advances in service delivery and employ the full potential of information technologies for long-term sustainable development”. Some nations, such as the UAE, have tapped mobile technology to bridge the digital divide.

Ezzo said they expect skills to be sought in this part of the world where the IT infrastructure market is likely to cross the $3.9-billion mark by the end of 2013 and revenues from cloud servers alone could reach around $1.54 billion by 2013 and $1.7 billion by 2013, as per Gartner’s estimates.

The market research firm also predicts Middle East government IT spending this year to hit a total of US$17.7 billion, up by 2.3 per cent from 2012, fuelled largely by investments in the telecommunications sector.

A modern telecom infrastructure will be crucial in the Gulf countries’ e-Government push as it will focus attention on electronically linking up several government agencies and offering a single interface for citizens to connect with these state departments, according to Gartner. – TradeArabia News Service