05 May 2012 (12:00 pm-2:00 pm, Meeting Room 5 )

Objective

In this session’s keynote address, Frank McCosker, Microsoft’s Global Managing Director for Global Strategic Accounts, will illustrate how new technologies are changing the game in economic development. Innovations such as television spectrum white space for transmitting data is rapidly enabling accelerated rural connectivity and access to the poor, market integration, good governance, inclusive growth and greater participation by the private sector.

In the second keynote, Ken Wye Saw, VP Asia Public Sector, will discuss mobilizing financial and intellectual capital to incubate economic growth that drives the development of Local Software Economies, and Cloud Computing as new areas of opportunity. The session will also examine case studies that demonstrate how ICT is helping governments to provide better citizen services, digitize their countries, and save lives through more effectively responding to natural and man-made disasters.

Moderated by: Ms. Pia Hontiveros, host of local talk show, “Politically Speaking”

The session will explore the following ways that ICT contributes to inclusive growth and good governance; namely:

• “Changing the Game in Economic Development: A Review of Cutting Edge Technologies that can Changing the World,” Frank McCosker, Global Managing Director
• “Stimulating investments to incubate Local Software Economies (LSE),” Ken Wye Saw, Asia Public Sector Vice President

Following the presentations, the group will present three case studies:

• Leveraging ICT for Inclusive Economic Growth, Ms. Myrna Padilla, Founder Mynd Consulting
• ICT and Good Governance, Mr. Woochung Um, Deputy Director General, ADB
• Digital Bangladesh, Hasanul Haq Inu, MP, Chairman, Parliamentary Standing Committee of Ministry of Posts and Telecommunication, Government of Bangladesh
• Improving Disaster Response and Coordination using ICT, Gisli Olafsson, Global Disaster Response Director, Net Hope

Challenges

Information and Communications Technology (ICT) is playing an ever more important role in the economic growth of nations.  It is well known that ICT as a sector contributes to knowledge economies and connectivity among populations, drives good governance, creates clean industries and employment, and contributes to a thriving middle class.  As developing and middle income countries in Asia examine policies that support their progress towards greater economic and political development, governments need to define comprehensive and expansive national ICT policies to increase international competitiveness and ensure inclusive growth. With recent innovations such as Cloud Computing, ICT is spreading across socio-economic levels, driving down costs to producers and consumers, and reducing the barriers to entry for small and medium enterprises wishing to develop, market and thrive from their innovations. Governments around the region are examining Cloud Computing as a platform for E-government solutions with the expectation that they can rapidly advance their capacity to operate and manage the business of government and to interact with citizens.

Speakers

Hasanal Haq Inu
Member of Bangladesh Parliament, Chairman, Parliamentary Standing Committee on Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications

Frank McCosker
Microsoft Global GM, International Solutions

Luis Moreno
President, Inter American Development Bank

Gisli Olafsson
Global Disaster Response Director, Net Hope

Ken Wye Saw
Regional VP, Microsoft Public Sector

Corazon Soliman
Secretary, Department of Social Welfare and Development, Philippines

Woochong Um
Director General, RSDD, ADB