INFORMATION SYSTEMS IN NEW HORIZON

MEMENTO..... Datuk Jainab Ahmad Ayid, Assistant Minister of Resource Development and Information Technology (second left) receiving a memento from Prof. Dr. Shahril Yusof, Deputy Vice-Chancellor UMS Research & Innovation (second right) accompanied by Speaker, Prof. Peter Seddon (left) and Dr. Ag. Asri Ag. Ibrahim, Dean of Labuan School of Informatics Science, UMS (right)

By : FIZAH YUSOF

DATUK Dr. Yee Moh Chai, Deputy Chief Minister cum Minister of Resources Development and Information Technology said in his speech that innovation is crucial in upgrading the Information Systems.

"There is a need to think of what the users' needs. Doing so would differentiate one a system from another in information system.

"We must know the needs and wants of our clients. The same principle also applies to information systems, whether they are enterprise level applications or little mobile applications, they must be client-centred and easy to use," he said in his speech delivered by his Assistant Minister, Datuk Jainab Ahmad Ayid at the Malaysian Conference on Information System 2013 at Le Meridien Hotel, today.

The theme for the Malaysian Conference on Information Systems (MCIS) 2013 is “Information Systems in Southeast-Asia” organised by University Malaysia Sabah under Labuan School of Informatics Science.

Its main objective is to empower the growth of information systems, teaching and research activities amongst the Information Systems scholars and professionals in Malaysia and others within the region.

Dr. Yee said that the community will be empowered with the mobility access that have generated mass data, which is stored in cloud computing.

"We are living in the global digital village. We are constantly connected to our friends, colleagues, relatives and practically the whole world. They are all within the reach of our fingertips," he said

Dr. Yee also stated that Internet was no longer a luxury; instead the connectivity has become a necessity.

Meanwhile Dr. Ag. Asri Ag. Ibrahim Dean of UMS Labuan School of Informatics Science said that the conference provides an ideal platform for the discussion and exploration on collaboration in activities and benefit across wide areas of Information System research, development and opportunities.

"We are in an era where information is available to everyone. We are in a challenging time, challenging in all aspects; economic, political, social and cultural. However, it is also a time where innovations abound and opportunities are aplenty," he said.

Dr. Ag. Asri said that the Multimedia Super Corridor MSC is decidedly a notable success for Malaysia, but he stressed out that there is a whole lot more effort in bringing Malaysia to the forefront of information technology.

“There are many information technology innovations from all over the world, abundant opportunities for businesses to exploit in order to create wealth for themselves, the government and the public,” he said.

He cites one example which is the 3G technology on the mobile phone and Personal Digital Assistants. Dr. Ag. Asri said with its “always on” Internet access, the ranks of Internet users will swell tremendously.

“There lie numerous opportunities for services in the wakes of this innovation, an opportunity just ripe to be harvested by those who have the entrepreneurial spirit to capitalise on  them. It is with this vision that we hope more Malaysian entrepreneurs will pave the way for an innovative and exciting future for all of us,” he said.

He also said that the conference is critical for the ICT industry’s future.

“We require greater innovation and creativity to enable our country to ride the next wave of growth. As such, it is important that we prepare ourselves to take up the challenges that come with innovtions, so as not be left behind. To achieve this, we must sharpen our focus and deepen our technological and commercial capabilities,” he said. (Insight Sabah)