ICT Pulse Podcast

In this our November 2020 Community Chat, and with members of the Caribbean tech community, Tunde Mottley and Matthew Cowen, the panel discusses whether our size, complexity, lack of investment and poor data preclude the Caribbean region from truly innovative disruption in business, and are Caribbean countries confusing 'smart' with 'digital'?   Show notes and links to some of the things mentioned...

It is widely held that virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) have the potential to transform how we interact with, and view, things around us, whilst also opening us up to a broad range of new and different experiences. However, it could be argued that we, in the Caribbean, have not yet begun to leverage those opportunities. Software development firm, 4th Dymension, has created a VR expe...

What does it take for a country to develop its technology sector to the point where it can be an economic pillar of its economy? The Cayman Islands is trying to do just that by diversifying from their two-pillar economy. In this episode, Charlie Kirkconnell, CEO of the award-winning Cayman Enterprise City (CEC), discusses, among other things: why the CEC has been so successful in attracting techno...

In this instalment of our 'Know your neighbours' series, James Clarke, of Global Sun Integration Management, helps us to explore the telecoms and ICT space of the Bahamas, and answers a number of questions, including The history behind the 'Pirates of Nassau' The extent to which the telecoms and ICT infrastructure in Abaco and Grand Bahama has been restored, since Hurricane Dorian in 2019; The deg...

Although the privacy and data protection space has been evolving as technology becomes even more deeply embedded in our societies, COVID-19 has thrown up a whole host of challenges and issues that we must also address. Attorney-at-law and Certified Information Privacy Professional, Grace Lindo, is back with us to discuss, among other things: how the privacy and data protection space has evolved si...

These days, it is not enough to know whether an individual has been online or offline in the past 30 days, but rather, whether they enjoy meaningful connectivity to the Internet. With Ana Maria Rodriguez and Yacine Khelladi, both from the Alliance for Affordable Internet (A4AI), we discuss, among other things: the 'Meaningful Connectivity' targets A4AI has proposed: whether the proposed targets ha...

In this our October 2020 Community Chat, and with members of the Caribbean tech community, Liselle Yorke and Dr Lyndell St Ville, the panel discusses:  Online education and copyright law in the Caribbean. Are we making the grade?, and Too much information! Raising citizens' awareness of the need for data sharing limits.   Show notes and links to some of the things mentioned during the episode can...

Guyana is among the most resource-rich countries in the Caribbean region, but historically, it has struggled economically. The recent discovery of oil has been opening up a broad range of opportunities that have the potential to change the trajectory of the country. Samantha Sheoprashad, of Trifinity Solutions in Guyana, shares her thoughts on, among other things: the state of telecoms and ICT in...

Although job and the workplace has been evolving over the past several years, COVID-19 has irrevocably accelerated some of the changes. In continuing our conversation on the future of work, Certified Management Consultant, International Trade Expert, and Economist, Dr Claudius Preville, discusses among other things: how that is changing in the Caribbean region; the implications of the gig economy...

In this our September 2020 Community Chat, and with two members of the Caribbean tech community, business intelligence expert and CEO, Raquel Seville, and Publisher and international trade executive, Loren Moss, we discuss: how can Caribbean economies/businesses become more resilient in the face of disruption; and how can Caribbean countries better leverage the growing movement to telework?   Show...

Back in the day, being computer literate was a specifically highlighted skill or requirement in job descriptions for a broad range of positions. Now, the requirement is digital literacy. David Soutar, of the Slashroots Foundation, and of the Caribbean School of Data (CSOD) discusses digital literacy: What it is, and why it is important How it is different from computer literacy The digital/data li...

"Whether you're managing 3,000 or you're managing 20, the fundamentals are the same", so says Founding Chairman and CEO of itelbpo smart solutions, Yoni Epstein.  In this episode Yoni shares his entrepreneurial journey and a few of the important lessons he has learned along way. He also discusses challenges that limit the ability of Caribbean countries to transition into higher value outsourcing s...

Worldwide, there has been a race to see which country will launch a digital currency, with countries, such as China, the United States, Great Britain, France, South Korea and the Bahamas, all vying to be first movers. Plans are underway in the Bahamas to launch its central bank digital currency, the Sand Dollar, in October 2020. In our conversation with Cleopatra Davis and Chaozhen Bobby Chen, of...

Known as a playground for the rich, tourism and offshore financial services, not much more is really known about the Cayman Islands, especially with regard to telecoms and ICT. Dail Davis of Dart Enterprises, shares his knowledge of the Cayman Islands landscape, both in terms if telecoms and ICT space, and business environment there.   Show notes and links to some of the things mentioned during th...

In this our August 2020 Community Chat, and with two members of the Caribbean tech community, IT professional and CEO, Steven Williams, and Tech Maven, Ingrid Riley, we discuss: did SMEs let a good crisis, in COVID-19, go to waste; and can digital nomads and remote workers resuscitate the Caribbean region's tourism industry?   Show notes and links to some of the things mentioned during the episode...

Traditionally, online learning was the option pursued when in-person tuition was not available and/or was too expensive. However, due to COVID-19, online learning platforms have become the primary means of delivering education worldwide, and it is anticipated that it will remain a leading modality in the coming years. Ricardo Allen, Founder of One on One Educational Services, has been leading the...

As much as we might grumble about the quality of the telecommunications services we are currently receiving in the Caribbean region, they are considerably better than what they were 10, and most definitely, 20 years ago. Much of the credit needs to go the regulatory structures that were established by many countries across the region, which created the enabling environment in those early years, re...

Blogger, tech retailer, business advisor, online show host, Keron Rose has accomplished a lot in four years. In our recent conversation, Keron shares his entrepreneurial journey, and touches on, among other things: key turning points in his life that have brought him to where he is today; some of the biggest deficiencies he has found in Caribbean entrepreneurs; and why he decided to return to the...

Into the foreseeable future, innovation and entrepreneurship will be two essential contributors to wealth creation. In this our July 2020 Community Chat, and with two members of the Caribbean tech community, IT professional and CEO, Chad Fraser, and soon-to-be university graduate, Juleen Gentles, we discuss: Co-innovation as a model for innovation and competitiveness; and Youth empowerment to real...

As part of the Dutch Kingdom, Sint Maarten – not to be confused with Saint Martin, the French overseas territory – is a popular tourist destination in the Eastern Caribbean, but not much is known about the country's ICT and telecoms space. Marvio Cooks, of Altospire, and a Sint Maarten citizen, helps us better understand, among other things: what the telecoms and ICT is like there; the extent to w...

Managed IT services is not new, but it has gained considerable prominence, thanks to COVID-19, and the need for IT systems and networks to work optimally with limited onsite support. Christopher Reckord, CEO of tTech Limited in Jamaica, provides a primer on managed IT services, including when it might not be a good fit for an organisation; and questions to ask when evaluating a managed IT service...

Business continuity and technology resilience have become critical to organisations as countries worldwide try to navigate through COVID-19. In the Caribbean region, we also have to contend with the prospect of hurricanes and tropical storms, which also point back to ICT resilience and disaster planning and management. Dr. Stephen Louis, of BusinessTech Research, Inc., discusses: business continui...

Although we know the value of being intentional in our thoughts, words and actions, how many of us truly practise it? Serial entrepreneur, innovation advocate and Founder of the PWR Agency, Ife Badejo, shares with us her entrepreneurial journey to date, and tells us why it is important to be intentional in business.   Show notes and links to some of the things mentioned during the episode can be f...

In this our June 2020 Community Chat, and with two members of the Caribbean tech community, data analyst, Andrew Olton, and freelance journalist and blogger, Mylène Colmar,  we discuss: the role of data and analytics in revenue recovery post-COVID-19, and the challenge of digital evolution experienced by Caribbean media.   Show notes and links to some of the things mentioned during the episode can...

The gig economy is a growing segment of the workforce, and thanks to COVID-19, it is likely to become even more crucial. In an online panel discussion with Therese Turner-Jones, of the Inter-American Development Bank; Melissa Sassi, of IBM; Nadeen Matthews-Blair, of the National Commercial Bank Jamaica ; and Juleen Gentles, of the University of Technology, to commemorate International Girls in ICT...