The ICT Evolution!

As I laid my hands on my first P4 computer running on a 733Mhz Processor, oh was it so, with a 20GB Hard drive, 128Mb Ram, 16x2 CD Writer, floppy disk drive, qwerty keyboard and mouse not to forget my 14” viewsonic monitor, I said to myself welcome to the future. Little did I know that this future would soon be my past which I would not be so proud to be associated with in the not so distant age to come.

What then is this that I hear about podcasting, podcatching, broadband, facebook, multiscreen, wi-fi, roaming, Bluetooth, electronic wallet and will I ever get to use the webcam as well as the in-built mic on my notebook pc.

Well, they tell us that the first shall be the last and the last shall be the first. I truly hope it was true for the relationship between ICT (Information and Communication Technology where they say the only constant thing is change) and Zimbabwe. Is the “change” good or bad? It is really a scary thought and I shudder to think where we are headed for with this monster that seeks to change and control the course of our existence as it were. Just a few years ago I was as content as they come sitting on my couch and watching some edition of a wild animal program shot somewhere in Africa on my video cassette recorder (VCR), by the way those things were as fashionable as a clean shaven head. Enter 2009 and I feel shy of being associated with such crackly and poor quality technology, not to mention that mine is gathering dust somewhere in my archives never to be dusted again, what with the advent of High Definition TV (HDTV) and Blue ray disks, don’t discount the general available Digital Video Disks (DVD) just yet, they still give good viewing.

It seems that the World of ICT is in a hurry to take us somewhere, where to I only have a faint imagination. Do you not think that in the not so distant future, the desktop pc will be “extinct” with a chip you can wear under your skin or somewhere comfortable taking over and lo and behold the pan “you are computerized”. Do you not imagine that in a few years to come the tv set in your house will have taken an invisible or barely noticeable format. Isn’t it just possible that high speed broadband will be the order of the day and dinosaur organizations will be left wondering as to what hit them as their competition harnesses the benefits of full computerization to the attainment of a larger market share. A vision of some ancient someone sitting under a baobab tree in the middle of the field deep in Mukumbura or is it the Save valley, palmtop in hand, downloading an internet copy of one of the offerings by the Manhattans or some township music from the days when Machipisa – Highfield represented the capital city and going there from the reserves was every young one’s standard something dream.

Just take time to dream, isn’t it just possible that one day if you visit a government department you will be served in a matter of minutes in a wi-fi unrestricted internet zone. Hey imagine, there won’t be anyone manning the main entrance. You will gain access through an electronic security check point where you are required to present either your finger print or eye retina (no metal id to be presented there and filling out your details on some blue piece of paper which unfortunately nobody seems to verify). When you do get to the serving counter of choice, you are jovially greeted by one of a few attendants using identical technology (which shows some implementation of a laid down ICT policy) then you input your electronic signature on some gadget provided and presto your national record appears on the fluid touch screen before you with visibility on both sides. Even your cholera “status” will be there in your profile and by the way your new electronic passport (which you applied for the previous day) is ready for activation as the updated record states. Please be mindful that the purpose of this visit is just to get some Interpol clearance from is it the Ministry of Home Affairs and due to the massive computerization and digitalization project just undertaken you can visit any government department and an up to date record will be present. I stand corrected, there is no more cholera it has been abolished, Microsoft Corporation in close partnership with some indigenous company has just completed the last phase of computerizing every household in the country. Every water tap in the nation is linked to a resident computer with software that can assess the composition of H2O before opening the tap at an instruction to check the quality and composition of the water and if its not up to a prescribed standard it just won’t let the water through. Amazingly such data is sent simultaneously via broadband, to a server at the nearest Local Authority which by way of a simple computer program “fixes” the problem instantly, in real time, without further ado. Will it really put your travel arrangements in jeopardy as it is noted that you were subsequently arrested and fined last night for some misdemeanor and yes you paid your spot fine using your electronic credit card. Amazingly you always leave your credit card at home in you electronic wallet and all you have to do is to do the biometric trick or the finger print thing to effect payment anywhere, even here where the arresting police officer has a “special” gadget installed in his hybrid police car running on some form of energy which unfortunately for some of us is not petrol or diesel.

What then does the future hold? How are we positioned as Zimbabweans to tap into the future of ICT? What are the challenges facing us from this Canaan of sorts legal, financial or otherwise? As we come out of our national distress and heavy distress indeed caused by various circumstances to many to fathom, we emerge a stronger and purposeful people and the future can only be in colour and thus brighter forget black and white. Where to from here oh beloved literate nation as far as I, ICT am concerned.

Is the product that I just acquired the best deal that we could get? I hear you say that it was value for money or is it so? Have you considered your warranty status or after sales support, does it have an upgrade path or the only thing that can happen from now is you getting as old as the times from frustration as you fire away speedily at the keyboard but the characters appearing zeons of ages after your first click. Is the speed of things killing you, then you have no one to blame but yourself, it’s your fault, you didn’t stop to think twice, you just bought a computer! What became of taking a closer look at the specifications sheet that’s if you even know what that is.

Am I the only one who is worried about what in this God so loved country I am going to load on my Terabyte h/disk accessed by a 2,8 Quad core processor, using 4GB Ram, Lightscribe DVD Writer , 8 usb ports topped up by 3 by 22” LCD monitors working seamlessly together and yes with my wireless keyboard and mouse giving me untangled access to the sweet world of ICT via wi-fi connection to the information super highway.

No sooner than now is it necessary that someone take us week by week and time and time again through the robust and ever changing world that’s ICT, hence the culmination of this and subsequent write-ups. Let’s take a walk together as we move towards the future in ICT with ICT. Don’t forget, the only constant thing in ICT is change so let’s change together. Don’t you ever remember to forget that IT was just broad enough don’t mention linking it up with its sister CT or you tell me was there ever a distinct separation between the two necessary evils where does one start and end?