The recent study titled Offshoring and Its Implications for the IS Discipline clears up misconceptions about the delocalization of information systems while offering up some suggestions on how to prevent the shortage of IS students from turning into a situation where companies are forced into mass offshoring.

 

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Title: Oportunidades y desafíos de la banda ancha
Source: GAPTEL
Date: December 2007
Abstract: GAPTEL, a telecommunications industry analysis group, has published its report on the progress made in 2007 by broadband Internet access points, which based on the economy's knowledge lays out the framework needed for Spain to improve its economic and social development.
The keys to this ideal framework entails reaching the milestone of 12.9 million fixed broadband access points in Spain by 2011, of which 1.8 million would need to operate at rates above 25 megabits per second. Mobile broadband access, meanwhile, needs to hit the 10-million mark in Spain, at large via HSPA technology. The report points out that shortsightedness in terms of the impact that next-generation networking will have on a country's Competitiveness, along with uncertainties about the regulatory and commercial models, could lead those involved to adopt a wait-and-see attitude. In that scenario, GAPTEL says that Spain could see its competitiveness suffer in comparison with the countries that are in fact speeding up this rollout.

 

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The move from analog to digital television will free up the available 700 MHz frequency spectrum for data and application transmission on wireless broadband networks capable of going through building walls. In Spain, this process will not get underway until the analog shutdown takes place, which will open up the frequencies currently used by analog TV broadcasters. In the United States, however, the Federal Communications Commission just auctioned off 1,091 licenses for the 700 MHz radio-frequency spectrum, which will be released in 2009 with the demand for opening up the new network to all mobile devices. US operators Verizon and AT&T came away with 80% of the lot, for which the US government reeled in the equivalent of 12.2 billion euros.

 

Articles in El Mundo.es and in Yahoo! News

The rapidly growing market for so-called “serious games” is bringing about a steady stream of new productions, particularly in fields such as fire prevention, international conflict simulation and public health.
IDC estimates that in 2007, creators of simulations of this type generated 7 billion euros in sales, mostly in the United States, where the government was the primary customer. This activity is currently lesser in Europe, where the main customers are corporate buyers. Barclays Bank, for instance, is promoting a game that teaches people how to get a return on capital, while L'Oréal uses its games for training activities. Forecasts for the next two years say that the biggest investment will be in virtual reality simulations for surgery and military training.

 

Articles in The New York Times, Le Monde and El País

Spanish companies are starting to realize the Web’s potential as a recipe for advertising success. According to an IAB-PwC study, corporate investment in interactive advertising in Spain climbed to 220.3 million euros in the first half of 2007.

 

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The competitiveness of Spanish companies is suffering as a result of squandered investments in information systems as well as their relatively low technological culture. An interesting piece of data to come out of the debate titled Tiempo de crisis para el negocio [Crisis Time for Businesses], held February 21, organized by the Barcelona Digital Foundation, was that the introduction of electronic invoicing represents a savings equivalent to 1.5% of the Spanish GDP. Laureano Berasategui, IESE researcher, spoke at the conference, going over the scope of the BIT project (Business and Information Technologies) and outlining the business possibilities presented by Web 2.0 and mobility, which he feels are among the various factors that call into question the supposed ICT crisis. To get business leaders on the same page as IT professionals, Berasategui recommended assigning someone the task of fostering integration of business with technology.

 

Innovation is clearly the name of the game in public health. Nevertheless, doctors often feel the pressure to attend patients along with their other day-to-day endeavors, and in fact have rather limited time to spend on research.
The book Innovar y emprender en el sector sanitario [Innovation and Entrepreneurship in the Health Sector], written by Dr. Luis G. Pareras with a preface by IESE professor Joaquim Vilà, gives an exhaustive account of the different phases of the innovation process, from generating the idea all the way up to its entry into the market. Some of the aspects studied include a look at the rules of the game in the health sector, the areas in which innovation is possible and how a business plan is put together.

 

bdigital Global Congress , the new name of the Internet Global Congress, is in the final stages of preparations. The annual event, organized by Barcelona Digital Foundation, dedicated to the innovative approach and use of information technology by companies, public institutions and society in general, will be taking place May 20-22 at the Palau de Congressos, part of the Fira de Barcelona. The event will include the City of Knowlege Award prize, created to recognize the top projects related to the social use of ICTs, as well as the Digital Innovation Awards Prize, which is divided into three categories and designed to promote innovative ideas and projects generated by companies, technology centers and universities that have potential corporate uses. The deadline for presenting nominations is April 11, 2008. The period for proposals will be open until the start of the Congress. Lastly, remember that all subscribers to this newsletter are entitled to a 20% discount from the regular admission prices.