Barbados must move forward

By Regina Selman, The Barbados Advocate, April 25, 2008

Government is committed to employing the latest technology and the best human capital, to move Barbados forward.

This was the message sent by Donville Inniss, Minister of State in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade and International Business. Inniss spoke as Fujitsu Transaction Solutions Caribbean launched its Hosted E-mail Service in Barbados. The IT services company held the launch yesterday at the Barbados Hilton Hotel.

“As the complexities of business and Government increases, so too does the demand for real time communication.

“Gone are the days when each office must have its own expensive server and a plethora of support personnel and equipment to drive its internal and external communication systems. Likewise should be the case in Government.

“Perhaps this is the first time in the history of Barbados that you have such a technologically savvy team of Government ministers and parliamentarians. Not just because the average age of (these parliamentarians) is about 45 years, but because we are all prolific users of notebooks, e-mail, the Internet, instant messaging, etc.”

“And so, you should expect increased use of technology within the structures of Government, as it seeks to control the expenditure from the public purse, whilst improving and increasing on the services delivered by Government” Inniss stated.

The cost of engaging in domestic, regional or international business today, is miniscule when compared with 30 years ago, thanks to the advent of such technologies as the PC and the Internet, e-mail and instant messaging, Inniss added. And while some may label such technologies as being intrusive or a disturbance, the benefits of these technologies, he said, far outweigh any nuisances they bring.

Inniss expressed confidence that Fujitsu, in offering its Hosted E-mail Service, will work in the interest of local companies it seeks to serve.

“I am sure that as a reputable international company, Fujitsu will do well as it seeks to provide technological solutions to many public and private companies and perhaps, Government agencies” Inniss asserted.

Gone are the days when a business had to attempt to do everything on its own. Today, more and more businesses are beginning to concentrate on what they do best and are outsourcing secondary activities to others. This has led to increased utilization of the limited resources of companies and a better return on their investments, Inniss noted. However he stressed that it is crucial that such entities to whom activities are outsourced, provide their service in such a professional and cost effective manner, that the client feel as if those entities are contributing to their growth and development.