Posts tagged: Sources

One week into our Intel Education Service Corp project in Senegal, I feel that all our pre planning anxiety has been replaced by our team’s determination to make our collaboration with Worldvision and the Elementary school a ground breaking success.  So far our team has met dedicated teachers, living and working with certain realities that we have never experienced and as we are preparing our teachers to apply all their operational and pedagogical training  to their own students, I hope that what we have to offer is going to be valuable to their daily lives in the classroom. This trip is also an opportunity for me to reflect on how information technology shaped my life and what it can do for the next generation of educators and students.

I know that many of my colleagues developed a deep interest in computing technology when they were children. Not me, I had however an unlikely fascination with processes. This came about when I watched on TV ‘Modern Times’, the classic movie about the industrial revolution. As everyone around me was laughing at Charlie Chaplin’s antics, I was drawn to the impressive setup of machines and sea of people working in concert. I was about 10 years old, this was magic to me and I knew from that point onward that I wanted to work in manufacturing. Fast forward to freshman year, after spending many hours in the career center of my school, sorting through all the available education databases, I chose industrial engineering as my major and oriented my career towards manufacturing engineering and technology.

Today, computing technology has evolved so much that any student can get answers with a couple of web queries. Unfortunately for many children around the world, having computing and internet access is still out of reach and this numeric gap is preventing them from making informed decisions about their future. The  other tragedy is a missed opportunity for all of us to learn early on how the youth in all corners of the world would formulate unique solutions to their environment and sometimes ours. After all, truly innovative ideas always extend globally.

Children are so precious because they dream

How do children they see the world ? how does a world lead by adults benefit from their vision?. Imagine being able to hear  how they would tackle development issues through web blogs, after all this happens today in fashion (yes I said fashion) with Tavi an American young girl, who at 11 was the youngest fashion/art blogger and who at 15 founded a magazine.  I recently read this article about this CEO from a US company, always eager to surround himself with college interns because they tend to unapologetically speak their mind and call out bad ideas outright.

Candor, imagination and freshness of thoughts gets eroded as we grow up and comply to education requirements, society norms and business cultures. In Senegal we value so much the opinion of elders, it is time to give a better voice to the youth. With sites such as http://carrapide.com/news/webtv, the developer’s community, various barcamps and google days  #gsenegal  and on twitters #Senegal , #galsen #kebetu, I see recent college graduates and college students, express their thoughts on very interesting problems and often with great care and concern about the developement of their communities. How do we accelerate this trend and hear from the youngest citizens?

https://www.youtube.com/embed/z3UJQT6OSqQ?version=3&rel=0&showsearch=0&showinfo=1&iv_load_policy=1&fs=1&hl=fr&autohide=2&wmode=transparentCYAN Girls discussing the concept around PAGEL, a SAaS platform dedicated to the needs of GIEs (Groupement d’Interet Economiques or Trade’s union). This is their computing solution to address poverty reduction and economic development.

Beyond the economic development opportunities and gains in productivity inherent to computing technology,  I hope that the installation of these PCs in this rural area of Senegal will enrich our lives through a healthy exchange of ideas, where truly new and innovative thinking will carry us all to the 21st century.

January 27th 2012. This was supposed to be an uneventful day. Going to work and in the evening catching up on news and share holiday pictures with friends and family in Senegal. I was in there this past December. It had been 6 years since my last trip.

Dakar has changed with its new roads monuments, new hotels. At the same time, socially, things feel worse with the ever so palpable precariousness and poverty.

So anyway, it was a turn of fate that had me be in the US that day, staring at my Blackberry, watching people at the ‘Place the l’Obelisque’ demonstrating. I could just as well have been in Dakar, witnessing first hand the political situation.

As I recall in 2011 the lengthy standoff between President Ouattarra and President Gbagbo in Cote d’Ivoire and in 2009 the coup d’Etat in Niger against former president Tanja, I still cringe at the images published by the international press. I think this is because for those of us that are from this part of the world,  we know these countries offer so much more than what is portrayed in the news. Now that Senegal is opening the ball in 2012 with elections at the end of February,  I feel that I can be proactive this time and make my voice heard about what this country should also be known for.

First off, from a business perspective, Senegal is an emerging economy with an average annual GDP growth of 4% in ’11 projected to reach about 4.4% in 2012 (1). By comparison the US GDP was at about 3.9% in’11(2). Although it’s main exports are sea products, peanuts, phosphate, Senegal has made great strides in fostering tourism/service and heavy industries investments by shortening the procedures for incorporating businesses, simplifying its taxation system and more recently in 2004 reducing the corporate tax from 35% to 25% (3).

What I find interesting with Senegal is its commitment in learning and eventually mastering higher technology industries. A few examples that I can point to are the SENBUS automotive plant, (opened in 2003) and more recently in July 2011 the opening of SPEC, a solar panel/solution manufacturing plant. I personally can’t wait to see how these businesses will evolve over time.

Senegal is a young and vibrant country 44% of the population is 15 years old or younger (4). Yet, it has a culture that is deeply attached to a long tradition of dialogue. There is a certain discipline in the way people interact with one another and exchange ideas. the M23 demonstrations, the transport union strike, an ever growing participation of the civil society in the political discourse and the role of religious groups are many examples that recently showcase the will of the society to solve essential matters with decorum.

Senegal is a tolerant country. With a population that is 95% muslim, the first president, Leopold Sedar Senghor was in fact christian. Most families, including mine, have parents and grandparents from the two religions and I don’t know any Senegalese muslim families that would miss listening to the homily of Cardinal Adrien Sarr or that don’t celebrate Christmas.

This is finally a country with a dynamic and diverse diaspora, working in various fields and in all parts of the world. Economically we contribute a substantial amount of Senegal GDP, about 11% in 2011 through remittances and bank transfers.

I will let others detail the current electoral/political situation in Senegal. My perception can certainly be debated, I am sure that those at home may perhaps call me a dreamer, yet I just hope that for a moment you can see the good in spite of the challenges and envision the potential of this country the way I do.

Première séance de travail avec l’équipe de Worldvision du Sénégal. Les équipes sont dispersées aux quatres coins du monde, cela veut dire un meeting pour certains à 7heures du mat!

Les objectifs:

• Installer 10 classmates PCs dans une  école élémentaire afin de permettre une initiation à l’informatique pour les jeunes enfants.
• Former les enseignants aux outils informatiques allant de Word, Excel, Power Point (traitement de texte, feuilles de calculs, présentations), l’Internet bien sur et aussi Mythware ainsi que d’autres outils éducatifs.
• Assister l’équipe informatique locale  à l’installation, la maintenance et la gestion du lab.
• Apporter si possible un complément de formation aux enseignants du Lycée voisin, où l’équipe d’Intel /Worldvision à aussi déployé des PC en Octobre 2011
• A retenir pour la suite: Utiliser Skype plutôt que le téléphone fixe!

Bonne discussion avec l’équipe, Le jour J est pour bientôt!

____________________________________________

First work  session between Intel and Worldvision. Team members are located all around the world and this means for us Californians a 7AM concal!

The deliverables:

• Install 10 classmate PCs an elementary school  to introduce computing skills to young children.
• Train and support Teachers and local IT staff in their use of computing tools ranging from Word, Excel, Power Point, the Internet  and also Mythware and other education specific tools.
• Support local IT staff in the installation, maintenance and management of the computer lab
• Provide if possible a follow up support to the teachers of the Lycée where Intel/Worldvision deployed similar equipment in September 2011.
• Excited and honored to meet the team, good discussion over phone,
• Lesson learned, next time we will likely use Skype, rather than the landline.

D day is soon!

Lorsque j’ai rejoint la chaîne d’approvisionnement d’Intel il y a dix ans, mes collègues étaient à la traîne de l’impact de l’accident de Fukushima sur l’industrie de l’électronique et des produits d’ingénierie et notre base d’installation d’équipements d’investissement et les équipes de toute l’organisation se remettaient de semaines de risque éreintant. travail de gestion. Depuis quelques mois, les chaînes d’information financière l’ont qualifiée de “perturbation” et ont estimé qu’elles anticipaient assez rapidement un retour à la normale.

Avance rapide de 10 ans, nous avons maintenant ce que le NYTimes appelle « La grande perturbation de la chaîne d’approvisionnement » et nous recevons plusieurs articles, opinions et autres commentaires sur la façon de résoudre ces défis de la chaîne d’approvisionnement. J’ai l’impression que ces mêmes marchés espèrent que cette situation se résoudra avec des solutions simples et que les choses reviendront à la “normale” à un moment donné.

Je suis peut-être seul dans ce cas, mais je me sens ambivalent. Autant que je sache, il faudra encore longtemps avant que les choses ne se stabilisent. Cela a été l’expérience la plus humiliante, même pour les plans de continuité des activités les plus approfondis et les cadres d’exploitation chevronnés.

Le personnel des opérations a travaillé extrêmement dur pour trouver des solutions à divers problèmes entraînant des retards et des pénuries de toutes sortes sans reconnaître que leur travail est assez complexe, nécessite une certaine profondeur d’expérience et des relations de longue date.

Peut-être que maintenant, plus que jamais, les professionnels de la #chaîne d’approvisionnement, de la #logistique, des opérations et de la #fabrication devraient saisir l’opportunité de vraiment parler de ce que notre travail implique et de prendre plus de place dans le récit.

Cela peut être inconfortable, mais cela semble nécessaire pour que #FinancialMarkets et la communauté des affaires au sens large cessent de sous-estimer #Operations en général et lui donnent sa place appropriée dans la création de valeur dans l’économie mondiale.

Cela fait quelques mois que j’ai rejoint une nouvelle entreprise dans le domaine de l’Internet. Au-delà de l’excitation d’une nouvelle aventure professionnelle, assumer ce rôle dans les opérations commerciales, c’est comme boucler la boucle de mes convictions sur les technologies de la communication et la démocratisation de leur accès pour tous.

Une récente flambée des médias sociaux concernant le service d’un grand FAI m’a laissé perplexe quant à ce que signifie réellement démocratiser Internet. Mon Twitter TL m’a récemment conduit vers ce nouveau fournisseur de services Internet sénégalais en plein essor offrant 20 Mbps pour 20 000 CFA. À titre de référence, les opérateurs historiques fournissent environ 10 Mbps pour à peu près le même prix de 22 900 CFA.

20 000 CFA équivaut à 40 dollars américains par mois, pour 20 Mbps de service Internet au Sénégal.

Aux États-Unis, je peux payer le même montant pour 100 Mbps avec un FAI ordinaire.

Autrement dit, dans un pays en développement comme le Sénégal, un plan d’affaires a été jugé économique pour les grands et les petits FAI pour faire de l’argent aux consommateurs avec des services Internet 10 fois moins rapides qu’aux États-Unis mais au même coût. Il a été jugé économique pour les réseaux flambant neufs et les réseaux rénovés/anciens. Nous avons rejeté la logique du pouvoir d’achat ici. Un consommateur sénégalais paie le même prix qu’un consommateur américain.

Laissez cela pénétrer… et soyez égoïste à ce sujet. Sarcasme inclus, je me sens désolé pour moi-même et tout le monde devrait en avoir un accès plus rapide.

Peu importe le consommateur local qui doit souffrir de ce que la plupart considéreraient comme un Internet de merde. Personnellement, en tant que consommateur mondial, je me sens sincèrement trompé.

Avec ce genre de déséquilibre, comment puis-je parler à ma famille sur Whatsapp ou Facetime ou partager un journal télévisé que nous devons tous connaître ? Pourquoi dois-je attendre que mon grand-père de plus de 90 ans voyage plus d’une heure en ville pour qu’il puisse parler à ses arrière-petits-enfants.

Il a été longuement débattu et dans divers cercles qu’en tant que société, l’accès inégal à Internet nous laisse avec un déséquilibre dans la connaissance, le partage et la connexion avec le monde qui nous entoure. Dans un monde où les données sont utilisées pour prendre des décisions sur une variété de choses, nous utilisons un ensemble de données incomplet de plus en plus important.

La promesse d’Internet est évidemment une chimère pour les personnes qui n’y ont tout simplement pas accès. Le point le plus important à mon avis est que la justification de la réduction de l’écart numérique n’a pas été suffisamment intéressée pour que nous y prêtions vraiment attention.

Ce déséquilibre nous affecte tous et voir les calculs m’amène à la conclusion que la raison n’est pas basée sur l’économie ou le pouvoir d’achat des consommateurs, mais sur quelque chose d’autre qu’au cours de mes près de 20 ans dans l’industrie technologique, je suis encore en train de comprendre.

Quant aux FAI, être déplacés par une solution qui offrira aux consommateurs ce qu’ils veulent est une prophétie qui s’est réalisée à maintes reprises. Trouver un modèle qui convient à tous vos consommateurs, dans les zones rurales ou les villes, les pays en développement ou développés est au cœur de votre succès.

Découvrez le Tweet de @dembageye : https://twitter.com/dembageye/status/1020686827253006337?s=09

When I joined Intel supply chain a decade ago, my colleagues were on the tail end of the impact of the Fukushima accident on the electronics and engineered products industry and our capital equipment install base and teams across the organization were recovering from weeks of back breaking risk management work. For a few months, Financial news channels called it a ‘disruption’ and it felt that they anticipated fairly rapidly a return to normal.

Fast forward 10 years, we have now what the NYTimes calls « The Great Supply Chain Disruption » and we get multiple articles, oped and other commentaries about how to solve these supply chain challenges. I get the impression that these same Markets hope that this situation will resolve itself with straightforward fixes and that again things will return to ‘normal’ at some point in time.

Perhaps I am alone in this but I feel ambivalent. As far as I can see, it is going to take a long, long while before things stabilise. It has been the most humbling experience for even the most thorough business continuity plans & seasoned operations executives.

Operations staff have been working extremely hard to find solutions to various issues driving delays and shortages of all kinds without the acknowledgment that their work is quite complex, require a certain depth of experience and long standing relationships.

Perhaps now, more than ever, #supplychain, #logistics, #operations and #manufacturing professionals should rise to the opportunity of really speaking up about what our work entail and take more space in the narrative.

It may be uncomfortable but it feels necessary so that #FinancialMarkets and the broader business community cease to underestimate #Operations in general and give it it’s appropriate place in driving value in the global economy.

It has a been a few months since I have joined a new company in the Internet business. Aside from the excitement of a new proffessional adventure, taking on this role in business operations is like coming full circle regarding my beliefs about communication technology and the democratization of its access for all.

#HappyInterneting is the hashtag that I ‘happily’ embrace and as I am getting settled in Boston and learning about the branding and business execution philosophy behind it, I am also contrasting my thoughts about how as a global consumer I am treated by Internet service providers in general.

A recent flare-up on social media regarding the service of a major ISP has left me perplexed about what it actually means to democratize the Internet. My Twitter TL recently led me to this new, up and coming Senegalese Internet service provider offering 20Mbps for 20,000 CFA. As a reference, incumbent operators provide about 10Mbps for roughly the same price of 22,900 CFA.

20,000 CFA is $40 US dollars per month, for  20Mbps of Internet Service in Senegal.

In the USA, I can pay the same amount for 100Mbps with a run of the mill ISP.

Said differently, in a developing nation like Senegal, a business plan has been deemed economical for big and small ISPs alike to make money off of consumers with Internet services that are 10 times less fast than in the US but cost the same. It has been deemed economical for brand new networks and retrofitted/legacy networks alike. We’ve thrown out the purchasing power logic here. A Senegalese consumer is paying the same as an American consumer.

Let that sink in… and be selfish about it. Sarcasm included, I feel sorry for myself and so should everyone with faster access.

Nevermind the local consumer who has to suffer through what most would consider crappy internet. I, personally, as a global consumer, wholeheartedly feel cheated.

With this kind of imbalance, how do I get to speak to my family on Whatsapp or Facetime or share a newscast that we all need to know about? Why do I have to wait for my 90+-year-old grandfather to travel more than an hour to the city so that he can talk to his great-grand-children.

It’s been debated at length and in various circles that as a society, the inequal access to the internet is leaving us with an inbalance in knowledge, sharing and connection with the world around us. In a world where data is used to make decisions on a variety of things, we are using an ever-growing incomplete dataset.

The promise of the internet is obviously a pipe dream for people that simply don’t have access to it. The bigger point in my opinion is that the rationale for closing the numeric gap has not been self-serving enough for us to really pay attention.

This imbalance is impacting us all and seeing the math gets me to the conclusion that the reason is not based on economics or consumer purchasing power but something else that in my close to  20 years in the Tech industry I am still figuring out.

As for the ISPs out there, being displaced by a solution that will offer consumers what they want is a prophecy that has been fulfilled time and time again. Finding a model that does right by all your consumers, in rural areas or cities, developing or developed countries is at the core of your success.

Découvrez le Tweet de @dembagueye : https://twitter.com/dembagueye/status/1020686827253006337?s=09

Première séance de travail avec l’équipe de Worldvision du Sénégal. Les équipes sont dispersées aux quatres coins du monde, cela veut dire un meeting pour certains à 7heures du mat!

Les objectifs:

• Installer 10 classmates PCs dans une  école élémentaire afin de permettre une initiation à l’informatique pour les jeunes enfants.
• Former les enseignants aux outils informatiques allant de Word, Excel, Power Point (traitement de texte, feuilles de calculs, présentations), l’Internet bien sur et aussi Mythware ainsi que d’autres outils éducatifs.
• Assister l’équipe informatique locale  à l’installation, la maintenance et la gestion du lab.
• Apporter si possible un complément de formation aux enseignants du Lycée voisin, où l’équipe d’Intel /Worldvision à aussi déployé des PC en Octobre 2011
• A retenir pour la suite: Utiliser Skype plutôt que le téléphone fixe!

Bonne discussion avec l’équipe, Le jour J est pour bientôt!

____________________________________________

First work  session between Intel and Worldvision. Team members are located all around the world and this means for us Californians a 7AM concal!

The deliverables:

• Install 10 classmate PCs an elementary school  to introduce computing skills to young children.
• Train and support Teachers and local IT staff in their use of computing tools ranging from Word, Excel, Power Point, the Internet  and also Mythware and other education specific tools.
• Support local IT staff in the installation, maintenance and management of the computer lab
• Provide if possible a follow up support to the teachers of the Lycée where Intel/Worldvision deployed similar equipment in September 2011.
• Excited and honored to meet the team, good discussion over phone,
• Lesson learned, next time we will likely use Skype, rather than the landline.

D day is soon!

January 27th 2012. This was supposed to be an uneventful day. Going to work and in the evening catching up on news and share holiday pictures with friends and family in Senegal. I was in there this past December. It had been 6 years since my last trip.

Dakar has changed with its new roads monuments, new hotels. At the same time, socially, things feel worse with the ever so palpable precariousness and poverty.

So anyway, it was a turn of fate that had me be in the US that day, staring at my Blackberry, watching people at the ‘Place the l’Obelisque’ demonstrating. I could just as well have been in Dakar, witnessing first hand the political situation.

As I recall in 2011 the lengthy standoff between President Ouattarra and President Gbagbo in Cote d’Ivoire and in 2009 the coup d’Etat in Niger against former president Tanja, I still cringe at the images published by the international press. I think this is because for those of us that are from this part of the world,  we know these countries offer so much more than what is portrayed in the news. Now that Senegal is opening the ball in 2012 with elections at the end of February,  I feel that I can be proactive this time and make my voice heard about what this country should also be known for.

First off, from a business perspective, Senegal is an emerging economy with an average annual GDP growth of 4% in ’11 projected to reach about 4.4% in 2012 (1). By comparison the US GDP was at about 3.9% in’11(2). Although it’s main exports are sea products, peanuts, phosphate, Senegal has made great strides in fostering tourism/service and heavy industries investments by shortening the procedures for incorporating businesses, simplifying its taxation system and more recently in 2004 reducing the corporate tax from 35% to 25% (3).

What I find interesting with Senegal is its commitment in learning and eventually mastering higher technology industries. A few examples that I can point to are the SENBUS automotive plant, (opened in 2003) and more recently in July 2011 the opening of SPEC, a solar panel/solution manufacturing plant. I personally can’t wait to see how these businesses will evolve over time.

Senegal is a young and vibrant country 44% of the population is 15 years old or younger (4). Yet, it has a culture that is deeply attached to a long tradition of dialogue. There is a certain discipline in the way people interact with one another and exchange ideas. the M23 demonstrations, the transport union strike, an ever growing participation of the civil society in the political discourse and the role of religious groups are many examples that recently showcase the will of the society to solve essential matters with decorum.

Senegal is a tolerant country. With a population that is 95% muslim, the first president, Leopold Sedar Senghor was in fact christian. Most families, including mine, have parents and grandparents from the two religions and I don’t know any Senegalese muslim families that would miss listening to the homily of Cardinal Adrien Sarr or that don’t celebrate Christmas.

This is finally a country with a dynamic and diverse diaspora, working in various fields and in all parts of the world. Economically we contribute a substantial amount of Senegal GDP, about 11% in 2011 through remittances and bank transfers.

I will let others detail the current electoral/political situation in Senegal. My perception can certainly be debated, I am sure that those at home may perhaps call me a dreamer, yet I just hope that for a moment you can see the good in spite of the challenges and envision the potential of this country the way I do.

One week into our Intel Education Service Corp project in Senegal, I feel that all our pre planning anxiety has been replaced by our team’s determination to make our collaboration with Worldvision and the Elementary school a ground breaking success.  So far our team has met dedicated teachers, living and working with certain realities that we have never experienced and as we are preparing our teachers to apply all their operational and pedagogical training  to their own students, I hope that what we have to offer is going to be valuable to their daily lives in the classroom. This trip is also an opportunity for me to reflect on how information technology shaped my life and what it can do for the next generation of educators and students.

I know that many of my colleagues developed a deep interest in computing technology when they were children. Not me, I had however an unlikely fascination with processes. This came about when I watched on TV ‘Modern Times’, the classic movie about the industrial revolution. As everyone around me was laughing at Charlie Chaplin’s antics, I was drawn to the impressive setup of machines and sea of people working in concert. I was about 10 years old, this was magic to me and I knew from that point onward that I wanted to work in manufacturing. Fast forward to freshman year, after spending many hours in the career center of my school, sorting through all the available education databases, I chose industrial engineering as my major and oriented my career towards manufacturing engineering and technology.

Today, computing technology has evolved so much that any student can get answers with a couple of web queries. Unfortunately for many children around the world, having computing and internet access is still out of reach and this numeric gap is preventing them from making informed decisions about their future. The  other tragedy is a missed opportunity for all of us to learn early on how the youth in all corners of the world would formulate unique solutions to their environment and sometimes ours. After all, truly innovative ideas always extend globally.

Children are so precious because they dream

How do children they see the world ? how does a world lead by adults benefit from their vision?. Imagine being able to hear  how they would tackle development issues through web blogs, after all this happens today in fashion (yes I said fashion) with Tavi an American young girl, who at 11 was the youngest fashion/art blogger and who at 15 founded a magazine.  I recently read this article about this CEO from a US company, always eager to surround himself with college interns because they tend to unapologetically speak their mind and call out bad ideas outright.

Candor, imagination and freshness of thoughts gets eroded as we grow up and comply to education requirements, society norms and business cultures. In Senegal we value so much the opinion of elders, it is time to give a better voice to the youth. With sites such as http://carrapide.com/news/webtv, the developer’s community, various barcamps and google days  #gsenegal  and on twitters #Senegal , #galsen #kebetu, I see recent college graduates and college students, express their thoughts on very interesting problems and often with great care and concern about the developement of their communities. How do we accelerate this trend and hear from the youngest citizens?

https://www.youtube.com/embed/z3UJQT6OSqQ?version=3&rel=0&showsearch=0&showinfo=1&iv_load_policy=1&fs=1&hl=fr&autohide=2&wmode=transparentCYAN Girls discussing the concept around PAGEL, a SAaS platform dedicated to the needs of GIEs (Groupement d’Interet Economiques or Trade’s union). This is their computing solution to address poverty reduction and economic development.

Beyond the economic development opportunities and gains in productivity inherent to computing technology,  I hope that the installation of these PCs in this rural area of Senegal will enrich our lives through a healthy exchange of ideas, where truly new and innovative thinking will carry us all to the 21st century.