WITSA Announces 2008 Global ICT Excellence Award Winners

JCN Newswires, May 21, 2008

Kuala Lumpur, May 21, 2008 - (ACN Newswire) - On third day of its World Congress on Information Technology, the World Information Technology and Services Alliance (WITSA), announced that seven public and private sector organizations representing six countries were selected to receive 2008 Global ICT Excellence Awards. The awards were presented at the World Congress' World Gala Dinner in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Every two years, the WITSA Global ICT Excellence Awards recognize select organizations whose use of information technology has exhibited exceptional achievement within three broad categories: Public Sector Excellence, Private Sector Excellence, and Digital Opportunity. In addition, a special Chairman's Award is presented to a nominee from the entire pool of candidates from all three categories.

"It is remarkable to witness the power of ICT in transforming societies, businesses, and government enterprises," observed WITSA chairman George Newstrom. "This year's award winners clearly demonstrate the boundless potential to create new social and economic opportunities, for the smallest communities and the largest corporations."

The winners of the seven 2008 Global ICT Excellence Awards follow:

I. The Chairman's Award

The Smile of the Child

Throughout Greece, The Smile of the Child runs eight community homes that provide shelter to physically or sexually abused, abandoned, or neglected children. Serving 220 children in 2007, the organization uses information technology to reach out to children and adults in remote areas that are inaccessible in most areas. The organization also educates the public on how to use technology safely to ensure the protection of children. The organization operates a national gSOSh or help telephone line that received more than 300,000 calls last year. The help line is powered by a database that enables calls to be recorded, tracked, and followed up on, while additional components facilitate direct communication with police, social services, and medical resources. The Smile of the Child also uses IT in issuing missing children alerts and operating a bank of food, clothing, furniture, medicine, books, and toys.

II. Public Sector Award

MyGovernment Portal

MyGovernment is a public service portal designed to enhance the delivery of government services to Malaysian citizens. The portal leverages ICT and multimedia to deliver efficient and quality services electronically and facilitate the sharing of resources among government agencies. Architects of the system created an ICT framework focused on a single gateway with multiple delivery channels for providing integrated services to citizens, businesses, government, and non-citizens. Development of the portal is also enabling the government enterprise to increase its e-government maturity capability.

Castilla la Mancha Health Service

Citizens in Castilla la Mancha, a remotely situated region in Spain, have historically suffered from insufficient access to quality health services and facilities. Castilla la Mancha Health Service is an electronic healthcare initiative designed to facilitate the sharing of health test information among hospitals and medical practitioners throughout Spain. The electronic sharing of this test information, such as radiological images and reports, significantly reduces waiting times, second opinion visits, hospital stays, and, ultimately, costs, while improving quality of care. Multiple physicians can examine a single patient test result and, therefore, assess a wider range of clinical cases. The application of computer assisted diagnosis over a widespread network has improved the capacity of the health system, while improving diagnostic accuracy. The system has been chosen as the model to be implemented on a national scope.

III. Private Sector Award

JFE Steel Corporation

Now the world's fourth largest steel company, JFE Steel Corporation is the product of a large merger. The merger left the company with sizeable challenges as it sought to integrate the data and business processes of two extremely large enterprises. With the goal of integrating work systems in the new company within three years, the company created the JFE Strategic Modernization and Innovation Leading system, known as J-Smile. Not only did J-smile accomplish its goal within the three-year timeframe, it also aided in the fusion of two corporate cultures, while creating an annual benefit of US$130 million from a $300 million investment. The overarching goal of the integration effort was innovation?in improving all business functions ranging from supply chain management to production to development and sales, as well as in the flexible operation of its steel mills. J-Smile provided the process to integrate some 90,000 data items, and streamline business processes, giving JFE greater flexibility and agility.

INTRALOT S.A.

A leading provider of state-of-the-art integrated gaming systems to lottery organizations worldwide, INTRALOT delivers game content, network integration, transaction processing, and other services to clients in 19 countries. The company has been widely recognized for its technological innovation, both in support of public lottery systems and online multi-user gaming platforms. The company's principal platform, known as LOTOS, performs management, control, administration, and support of online wagering operations. The platform was developed using open architecture technologies that can be deployed on a variety of hardware and software platforms. Central to the companyfs innovative delivery strategy have been the development of new terminal devices, new telecommunications access networks, and optimization of security systems and applications according to international standards. INTRALOT's research and development approach is focused on its model for software development.