ICL issues warning to local government - "Don't be seduced by the
Superhighway"

12 January 1996 -- ICL, the leading information technology company, today
issued a warning to local government not to be seduced by new technology
and the hype surrounding the Information Superhighway. Speaking in London
at a press conference on local government's role in the Information
Society, Richard Masters, managing director of ICL Local Government,
encouraged authorities to grasp the opportunities offered by this
technical and social revolution but urged a cautious and pragmatic
approach. This caution is borne out of ICL's involvement in more than 50
Information Society initiatives across the country and in particular its
role within the Stoke Digital City consortium, which recently won more
than $5 million DTI Regional Challenge funding. "The Information Society
will be huge - worth around $100 billion by the year 2000 according to
recent research," said Masters. "It will change the way we live, learn and
work and has the potential to transform local government, impacting
service delivery, economic development and education & training." However,
Masters warned against authorities rushing headlong into this: "The
Information Society is a step into the unknown. To reap the benefits
requires careful business and market planning, marketing, political drive
& backing, major resources and, not least, vision."

Public and private sector partnerships are also important according to
Masters. The Stoke project, for example, includes Stoke-on-Trent City
Council, ICL, North Staffordshire Chamber of Commerce, Staffordshire
University and Staffordshire TEC. Planning for the Stoke Digital City
project began in 1994 and the fruits will not be seen until the end of
1996 when the high tech Digital Centre opens at Trentham Lakes in North
Staffordshire. Brian Smith, chief executive of Stoke on Trent City
Council, shares ICL's concerns. "Local authorities need to embrace the
Information Society and create an environment in which all citizens can
participate but they need to tread carefully, to think long term and to
resist investing in technology for technology's sake."
 
 =========================================================
 From the 'New Product News' Electronic News Service on...
 AOL (Keyword = New Products) and Delphi (GO COMP PROD)
 =========================================================
 This information was processed from data provided by the
 company/author mentioned. For additional details, please
 contact them directly at the address/phone# indicated.
 Trademarks are the property of their respective owners!
 =========================================================
 All submissions for this service should be addressed to:
 BAKER ENTERPRISES,  20 Ferro Dr,  Sewell, NJ  08080  USA
 Email:   rbakerpc@delphi.com   --or--   rbakerpc@aol.com
 =========================================================
