The Impact of Information Technology on Productivity and Quality of Life Jerome M. Miranda Angel Mark Esguerra John Jeffrey Basilio Jasper Jasyco

Western Cape Striving to Eliminate the Digital Divide 3 languages for 5 million people in the Western Cape Province of South Africa 55% - Afrikaans 24% - isiXhosa 19% - English ->Over 1 million children attend the region’s 1570 K-12 schools.

The Region is poor. Unemployment rate of 17% in 2007. Only 10% of the population have personal computers. Internet access School Work Internet Cafes Most schools in the region cannot afford information and communication technology (ICT). The Western Cape Education Department was the one who is responsible for this.

Khanya Project – April 2001 To address the shortage of teachers in the region. To bridge the digital divide by providing access to computer technology to all school children and educators To prepare the Western Cape for the new “knowledge economy”

If(Khanya == successful){ echo “By the start of the 2012 academic year, every educator in every school of the western cape will be empowered to use appropriate and available technology to deliver curriculum to each and every learner in the province.”; }

Khanya Objective To provide each school with computer lab consisting 20 to 40 PCs and peripherals that will be networked and linked to the internet.

NComputing How important is access to ICT in children’s educations? Khanya partner to Ncomputing to specialize “virtual desktops via software and hardware” Successful!!! How important is access to ICT in children’s educations? What are the barriers that stand in the way of universal access to ICT for everyone who wants it?

The Impact if IT on the Standard of Living and Worker Productivity

IT Investment and Productivity Productivity is defined as the amount of output produced per unit of input and it is measured in many different ways. For Example: Productivity in a factory might be measured by the number of labor hours it takes to produce one item. Productivity in a service sector company might be measured by the annual revenue an employee generates divided by the employee’s annual salary.

U.S labor productivity rates (compounded aggregate growth rate) Years Rate 1839-1937 1.9% 1950-1960 3.6% 1960-1973 2.6% 1973-1980 1.0% 1980-1990 1.4% 1990-1995 1.1% 1995-2000 2.0% 2000-2008 2.5%

Innovation is a key factor in productivity improvement and IT has played an important role in enabling innovation. Because of Information Technology Less work for workers. Companies are saving workers small amounts of time each day.

Telework Also known as telecommuting. Is a work arrangement in which an wmployee works away from the office – at home, at a client’s office, in a hotel – literally anywhere. Various forms of electronic communication: - e-mail - video conferencing - audio conferencing – instant messaging

Access the internet via: Teleworkers Access the internet via: Cell Phone PDA Laptop To retrieve computer files To log on to software applications To communicate with fellow employees, managers, customers, and suppliers.

Telework Goal Allow employees to be effective and productive from wherever they are. Not well Suited Management position Face-to-face communication

Advantages/Disadvantages of teleworking for employees People with disabilities who otherwise find public transportation and office accommodations a barrier to work may now be able to join the workforce. Some employees are unable to be productive workers away from the office. Teleworkers avoid long, stressful commutes and gain time for additional work or personal activities. Teleworkers may suffer from isolation and may not really fell “part of the team”. Telework minimizes the need for employees to take time off to stay home to care for a sick family member. Workers who are out of sight tend to also be out of mind. The contributions of teleworkers may not be fully recognized and credited. Teleworkers have an opportunity to experience an improved work/family balance. Teleworkers must guard from working too many hours per day since work is always there. Telework reduces ad hoc work requests and disruption from fellow workers. The cost of the necessary equipment and communication services can be considerable if the organization does not cover these.

Digital Divide Is a term used to describe the gulf between those who do and those who don’t have access to modern information and communications technology such as: Cell Phone Personal Computers Internet

Personal computer ownership rates Country/Region Estimated number of personal computers per 1000 people United States 812 China 111 Middle East and Africa 21

Rates of Internet Access Geographic area Percent of population using the Internet (2008) North America 74.4% Oceania / Australia 60.4% Europe 48.9% Latin America / Caribbean 29.9% Middle East 23.3% Asia 17.4% Africa 5.6% World Average 23.8% The E-Rate and Ed-Tech programs were designed to help eliminate the digital divide Within the united states. These programs, as well as the availability of low-cost computers and cell phones, are discussed in the following sections.

E-Rate Program Education Rate (E-Rate) program was created through the telecommunications act of 1996. Goal: - to help schools and libraries obtain access to state-of-the-art services and technologies at discounted rates. From 20% to 90%.

Ed-Tech Program The goal of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) is to end the achievement gap between rich and poor students and between white and minority students. Enhancing Education through Technology (Ed-Tech) goals: Improve student academic achievement through the use of technology in schools Assist children in crossing the digital divide by ensuring that every student is technologically literate by the end of eighth grade. Encourage the effective integration of technology with teacher training and curriculum development to establish successful, research-based instructional methods.

One Laptop per Child (OLPC) Nonprofit organization whose goal is to provide children around the world with low cost (less than $100) laptop computers to aid in their education. OLPC XO – 2007 - $200 OLPC XO-2 2010 touch screen $75 Feature-packed e-book reader with 500-book

Intel Notebook Computer $400 For kindergarten through high school 9-inch LCD screen 3-5 hours of battery life 512 MB of RAM 30 GB hard drive Integrated Webcam

ASUS Eee notebook computer $200 to $400

Mobile Phone the Tool to Bridge the Digital Divide? Even though mobile phone cannot do all that a personal computer can, many industry observers think that it will be the cell phone that will ultimately bridge the digital divide. Country PC’s per 1000 people Cell phone subscribers per 1000 people Afghanistan 0.4 143 Cambodia 2 181 China 122 411 India 36 203 Kenya 15 301 Pakistan 5 524 South Africa N/A 966 Swaziland 27 337

Advantages of Cell Phone Cell Phone come in a wide range of capabilities and costs, but are cheaper than personal computers. For example, one can purchase a cell phone in India for the equivalent of $40 or less, and 500 minutes of use cost about $10 per month. The OLPC XO- 2 laptop computer will cost around $75.

Advantages of Cell Phone In developing countries, many more people have access to cell phones than they do PCs. Cell Phone are more portable and convenient than the smallest laptop computer. Cell Phones come with an extended battery life(much longer than any PC battery), which makes the cell phone more reliable in regions where access to electricity is inadequate or nonexistent

Advantages of Cell Phone The infrastructure needed to connect wireless devices to the internet is easier and less expensive to build. There is almost no learning curve required to master the use of cell phone. Cell phones require no costly or burdensome applications that must be loaded and updated. There are essentially no technical-support challenges to overcome when using cell phone.

Electrical Health Records Is an application. Store information to all patients Reduce redundancy Reduce death rates Less costs

Mobile and Wireless Technology in the Healthcare Industry Uses Providing a means to access and update EHRs at patients bedsides to ensure accurate and current patient data. Enabling nurses to scan bar codes on patient wristbands and in medications to help them administer the right drug in the proper dosage at the correct time of day (an attached computer on a nearby cart is linked via a wireless network to a database containing physician medication orders) Using wireless devices to communicate with health care employees wherever they may be.

Telemedicine Employs modern telecommunications and information technologies to provide medical care to people who live far away from healthcare provides 2 type Store and forward Acquiring data, sounds, images, video from patient and then transmitting everything to a medical specialist for later evaluation. Live Requires the presence of patients and healthcare provides at the same time and often a video conferencing link between the two sides.

Health Information Web Sites URL www.atmericanheart.org www.cancer.org www.doc.gov www.diabetes.org www.heartburn.about.com www.heartdisease.about.com www.medicinenet.com www.onclick.upebb.edu www.osteo.org www.urologychannel.com www.webmd.com

Thank you!