Paris, 30 March 2009


EFITA newsletter / 405 / European Federation for Information Technology in Agriculture, Food and the Environment


Greetings everyone!
Not that you will, but just in case - don't forget to get that extra hour of sunlight this weekend.
And no, you don't have to stay awake until 2am to change the clock.
Happy Summertime to you all.
Contact: Mick HARKIN
E-mail: harkin(a)iol.ie


Compendium of 200 eBusiness cases
On the advice of Mr Vlachos from  Agricultural University of Athens, let me inform you  that the EU DG enterprise and industry in Brussels is creating a compendium of 200 eBusiness cases and will publish 14,000 booklets in 23 languages to enhance European SMEs’ competitiveness.
The aim is to help managers learn from peers by illustrating the full range of benefits of eBusiness from innovation to marketing, product conception, fulfilment and enhanced customer relationships.
There are three different ways you can contribute: (a) by proposing a case, (b) by participating to the dissemination campaign or (c) by coordinating the program in a country or in a sector 
Go to www.e-pme.eu to find the three corresponding call for contributions and contribute directly or send this mail away to your national network in the field of eBusiness
See: http://www.e-pme.eu/
Contact: Alain DUCASS
E-mail: alain.ducass(a)adetef.finances.gouv.fr
Contact: I. VLACHOS
E-mail: ivlachos(a)gmail.com


ICT for the Next Five Billion People (Münchner Kreis)
12 May – BERLIN
Currently, around one to two billion users are able to connect to the Internet, most of them living in the industrialized parts of the world. However, if we want to improve the quality of life of the world population with the help of access to information and education, it is necessary that in the next decade an additional five billion people gain access to the Internet. Such a strategy is needed to fight poverty and inequality. The next five billion Internet users are mainly living in emerging economies. They cannot afford the kind of broadband data services many of us are enjoying today. In fact, most of them do not have Internet access at all due to missing infrastructure. Therefore, the main challenge is to lower the economic barrier using new approaches for infrastructure deployment and service delivery, in order to provide affordable Internet access to billions of people living on the lower levels of the income pyramid. Lowering the costs basically means providing new low cost infrastructure, connectivity and terminals. Examples are cloud computing, advanced mobile backhaul solutions, or entry level PCs and novel mobile devices.
However, this is not the only target which needs to be reached. Another aspect is to provide tailored services which are relevant to the people in their specific situation. The services should support them in their business, which is usually some kind of microentrepreneurship (e.g. farming or crafts). They also need to help overcome the lack of basic service infrastructure, e.g. by offering micro banking services. Other types of relevant mass market services are healthcare (eHealth), educational services (eEducation) or access to governmental services (eGovernment). Information and Communication Technology (ICT) can help increase the wealth of people thus contributing to the economic development. In turn, ICT becomes more affordable to low income communities.
Even when the cost-efficient infrastructure and the relevant applications are available, there is still the need to implement new business models to reach out to rural areas and to train the people in using those novel services. Local village entrepreneurs or village kiosk concepts are models to be deployed here.

>>> The conference of the MÜNCHNER KREIS
ICT for the Next Five Billion People will look into and discuss these challenges. Speakers form the ICT industry, academia, non-governmental organizations and governmental development organizations, among them many representatives from emerging economies in Africa and Asia, will present their activities and share positive as well as negative experiences. They will highlight the real demand for ICT, and what impact ICT creates for the wealth and lifestyle of the people. Necessary measures to improve the speed of deployment will be discussed, and ultimately the business opportunities behind these concepts will be shown. Furthermore, what mature economies can learn from the emerging markets will also be discussed.
See: http://www.muenchner-kreis.de/uploads/tx_veranstaltung/ICT.pdf
Contact : Rolf A.E. MUELLER
E-mail: raem(a)ae.uni-kiel.de


ISAF conference an four workshops in Praha next May
>>> Call for papers for Precision Farming Challenges session on ISAF and Progis conference in Praha (part of Join Conference CEE SDI, ISAF, Progis and Living Lab event www.isaf.cz)
On 13th May 2009 special Precision Farming Challenges session will be organized during Praha Join International Conference. The deadline for papers is 31th March 2009.
Topics:
• Vision of Farm of Future
• The role of Precision Farming in Future Farming System
• The barriers and limitation of Precision Farming
• Precision Farming applications for vinery and fruits production
• Sensors in Precision Farming
• New satellite technologies for precision farming
• What will bring machinery industry for future precision farming solutions
Please send abstract of your papers on email konecna@pef.czu.cz with subject Precision
Farming Challenges


>>> Call for papers for two sessions on SDI CEE conference in Praha (part of Join Conference CEE SDI, ISAF, Progis and Living Lab event www.isaf.cz)
On 13th May 2009 two special sessions will be organized during Praha Join International Conference. It will be:
1. Integration of desktop GIS solution with Web based SDI
2. Are FOSS GIS solution for large SDI systems
The deadline for papers is 31th March 2009.
Topics:
>> Integration of desktop GIS solution with Web based SDI
• Why we need integrated desktop GIS with SDI
• Implementation of OGC WMS clients in desktops clients
• Implementation of OGC WFS (T) in desktop clients
• Implementation of clients for OGC CSW in desktops systems
• Implementation of OGC WPS in desktop clients
• Other OGC standards ii desktops
>> Are FOSS solution for large SDI systems?
• Is FOSS GIS toy of scientist or real solution for large and commercial platforms?
• SWOT analysis of possibilities of usability of FOSS GIS for large solution
• Could FOSS solution guarantee long time sustainability of commercial and large solution?
• Are FOSS GIS solution for end users or for developers and integrators?
• FOSS license and their usability for large and commercial platforms
vExamples and best practices of FOSS GIS
Please send abstract of your papers on email konecna(a)pef.czu.cz with subject Integration of desktop GIS solution with Web based SDI or Are FOSS solution for large SDI systems?


>>> Call for papers for Rural Education session on ISAF conference in Praha (part of Join Conference CEE SDI, ISAF, Progis and Living Lab event www.isaf.cz)
On 13th May 2009 special Rural Education session will be organized during Praha Join International Conference.
Topics:
• Web 2.0 technologies for rural education
• Agriculture Educational Metadata
• Video conferencing technologies for education
• Sharing of educational content
• Best practices in rural education
The deadline for papers is 31th March 2009. Please send abstract of your papers on email Konecna(a)pef.czu.cz with subject Rural Education


Call for papers for Security, GMES and GEOS session on SDI CEE conference in Praha (part of Join Conference CEE SDI, ISAF, Progis and Living Lab event www.isaf.cz)
On 13th May 2009 special security, GMES and GEOS session will be organized during Praha Join International Conference. The deadline for papers is 31th March 2009.
Topics:
• Role of SDI for Security
• What could bring GMES and GEOS for Security citizens
• New sensors technologies
• European projects on GMES and GEOS
• Examples and Good practices of SDI, GEOS and GMES systems for security
Please send abstract of your papers on email konecna(a)pef.czu.cz with subject Security,
GMES and GEOS session


First-year students at Texas A&M's Vet school were receiving their first anatomy class, with a real dead cow
They all gathered around the surgery table with the body covered with a white sheet. The professor started the class by telling them, 'In Veterinary Medicine it is necessary to have two important qualities as a doctor: The first is that you not be disgusted by anything involving the animal body.' For an example, the Professor pulled back the sheet, stuck his finger in the butt of the dead cow, withdrew it and stuck his finger in his mouth.
 
'Go ahead and do the same thing,' he told his students. The students freaked out, hesitated for several minutes, but eventually took turns sticking a finger in the anal opening of the dead cow and sucking on it.
 
When everyone finished, the Professor looked at them and said, 'The second most important quality is observation. I stuck in my middle finger and sucked on my index finger.' 'Now learn to pay attention. Life's tough, it's even tougher if you're stupid.
Contact: D. TINKER
E-mail: d.tinker(a)ntlworld.com


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