By Javier Ribas,
Partner Landwell - PwC
IT Risks Manager at PwC

Electronic mail is on the verge of total overflow. Its use with new devices, especially the mobile phone, implies growing security risks and complicates proper legislation. Are we in time to control the flood?


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Study: Las TIC en el Sistema Nacional de Salud
Source: Red.es
Date: February 2008
Abstract: In 2006, a new online health program was launched under the name of Sanidad en Línea, part of Spain's Plan Avanza. The program has involved an investment of 252 million euros, funded by the Ministries of Industry and Health and the country's autonomous communities. Part of the program's objectives is to aid the development of a central node of the national health system (SNS) to achieve interoperability with the electronic medical history, electronic prescription, and telematic appointment programs. This past February, its management published the findings of the study Las TIC en el Sistema Nacional de Salud [ICT in the Spanish National Health System], which summarizes the results of these activities during the period from 2006-2008. It reveals that at present 96% of the country's health centers have tools to facilitate clinical and healthcare management for family doctors and pediatricians, and that the doctors consult the primary care history for 97% of the visits to health centers, adding the results of the appointment and prescribing medication through computerized systems. Additionally, 65% of Spain's health centers allow patients to schedule appointments via Internet for primary care, which equates to 21 million people having access to this system. Other notable information regarding the process of automation of the Spanish public health system includes the fact that 97% of the hospitals have information systems for managing admissions, beds, schedules and appointments for external consultations; and that 85% are equipped with systems for handling radiology, anatomical pathology and unit-dose pharmacy. It also highlights that systems for storing images in digital format (PACS) are available at more than 60% of Spanish hospitals and that over 90% of these have a laboratory information system.

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Study: Informe VT 2008: Green IT, tecnologías para la eficiencia energética en los sistemas TI
Source: CITIC
Date: March 2009
Abstract: Concerns about the growing energy demands of data centers, the escalating costs and consequent environmental impact are the focus of this study commissioned by the Spanish software and services project INÉS and conducted by CITIC, an organization devoted to ICT innovation. It covers the technologies "aimed at keeping energy consumption levels as low as possible," from microprocessor management to the general data-center operations. It also cites the existence of regulations geared toward requiring greater energy efficiency (Energy Star in the US, EcoDiseño in Europe), the progressive raising of awareness, corporate programs for green technologies and the growing range of products characterized by improved energy efficiency. The study, part of a project cofinanced by the Community of Madrid and the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid at the request of the Spanish software and services project INÉS, concludes that for Green IT policies to allow for increased savings, not only in terms of energy but also financially, "they must be perfectly integrated in the government of the business and, of course, its IT."

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The rapid takeoff of social networks has brought about significant expectations over the past two years regarding their ability to raise advertising resources. Nevertheless, the onset of the crisis reduced this potential considerably. Now a study by eMarketer cites that in 2008, 2 billion dollars were invested worldwide. That figure remains significant, however it matches the company's expectations when it reduced its initial forecasts made in 2007, prior to the economic crisis. eMarketer points out that this number could rise to 17%, reaching 2.35 billion dollars in the next four years. This interest from advertisers is in line with the growing importance of social networks, as seen in numerous studies, one of the more recent and complete of which is Global Faces and Networked Places, which is available as a free PDF download. Its authors, the analysts at Nielsen, say that in 2008 social networks, and blogs grew four times faster than other activities and that the users' age range is expanding. It adds that 67% of Internet users visit social networks or blogs and that 1 of every 11 minutes that users spend on the Internet is devoted to blogs and social networks. According to the report, the most important networks are: Facebook, with 108.3 million users worldwide; followed by MySpace, with 81 million; Classmates Online, 19.7 million; Orkut, 17.5 million; and LinkedIn, with 15 million.

Articles in OJO Internet (spanish), Baquia (spanish), Marketing Directo (spanish) and Nielsen

Crises tend to generate all kinds of formulas for reducing costs and coopetition could be one of these. Telefónica and Vodafone, the two major rivals in the mobile telephone market, have decided to share assets in Spain, Germany, Ireland and the United Kingdom and are in negotiations to do the same in the Czech Republic. According to the signees, the purpose of this strategic agreement is to save, "hundreds of millions of euros over the next 10 years," and it will reduce the number of antennas needed, increase their coverage, and facilitate their deployment.

This is not the first agreement that Vodafone has reached with other operators but, according to Cinco Días, it is "historic for [its] size" and focuses particularly on 2G and 3G wireless broadband networks.

The Spanish newspaper El Mundo quoted the opinion of the EU telecommunications spokesperson, Martin Selmayr, who says that these type of "cost-cutting" agreements are allowed via the EC legislation that "envisages the possibility of the national regulators encouraging the sharing of infrastructures, provided that consideration is given to the principles of the EU legislation on competition."
 
Cinco Días complements this news story with a piece titled El miedo al rival deja paso a la eficiencia [Fear of the Rival Leads to Efficiency], which says that, "operators up until now have considered that the network, whether fixed or mobile, was their greatest asset, and should be protected from the proximity of any of their rivals. However, especially in mobile services, this concept has gradually changed, and as the telco companies have deployed their networks they've realized that they all have similar development and capacity. The current economic crisis and the need for savings have done the rest."

The Spanish newspaper Expansión adds that the current context of economic crisis, drop in demand, price war, and regulatory pressure from both national and EC authorities to slash their rates, has led to less flexibility for maintaining their margins and has forced them to reduce their investments. "Sharing networks, with one operator or another, will end up being a requirement for the entire industry," concludes Expansión.

Articles in spanish El Mundo, Cinco Días and Expansión