Accra, Jan. 28, GNA - PopOut, an Accra based Information and Communication Technology (ICT) services provider, has opened its maiden "Online 2011 Business Technology Seminar" to examine ways of synergizin= g efforts to promote access and usage of ICT to boost productivity. The two-day seminar, organized in partnership with the Advanced International Technology Institute of the Kofi Annan ICT Centre, inCharge, Quickfon and Citifmonline, would highlight and deliberate on web and mobile applications and software business technologies applications. It will also highlight connectivity, policy and legislation with the view to equipping the participants with the knowledge on various ways to apply the internet to improve productivity.

It is under the theme: 93Growing the Business of Technology" and it= is being attended by players in the online and ICT industry including students= .. Mr Gideon Quarcoo, Deputy Minister of Communications who opened the seminar in Accra on Thursday, gave the assurance that the government was developing policies, regulations and programmes to transform Ghana into a country with sufficient, cost-effective and accessible communications infrastructure to propel appropriate technological applications and innovations to enhance socio-economic development.

Mr Quarcoo said government was developing a robust ICT infrastructure backbone that would enable private sector players to have access to high-speed internet connectivity broadband at affordable rates. He said: 93In this direction, government will facilitate the linking of Internet Point of Presence to all district capitals under the ICT Backbone Development programme being undertaken with the support of Huawei Technologies." The Deputy Minister said the project was about 95 per cent complete with some remaining sections of the Northern Region soon to be completed. He gave the assurance that the country was determined to cross the digital barrier. He commended PopOut and its partners for organizing the seminar saying it would help educate people and engage stakeholders to develop the industr= y to enable the country to compete in the global ICT economy. Mr Maximus Ametorgoh, Managing Director of PopOut, underscored the reason for organizing the seminar saying it was because of the numerous opportunities in the ICT sector and to equip and empower young professional= s to venture into the industry.

Mrs Dorothy Gordon, Director-General of the Kofi Annan ICT Centre, who chaired the opening session, advised the participants to move beyond day-dreaming and translate their ideas into realities. Mr Herman Chinery-Hesse, Chief Executive Officer of SoftTribe Limited, described ICT as the new economy and advised the participants to be innovative to take advantage of the industry. 2