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Kazakhstan's national research and technological holding company Samgau and Microsoft Corporation have signed a memorandum of understanding in developing information communication services. The memorandum was signed in Berlin on Wednesday after talks between a Samgau delegation and Microsoft head Bill Gates, the company said in a press release. The parties will broaden cooperation in the following priority areas: online education, including the formation of an innovation- educational consortium; information security; the Information Technology Academy; the development of the Kazakh part of the Internet; an assessment of a plan to switch the government to the Microsoft Dynamics system; online governance, online medicine, online commerce, online state purchases and investment in joint projects. The goal of the innovation-educational consortium is to introduce a single information infrastructure in education with the use of new educational programs based on advanced information know-how. Kazakhstan's Health Ministry and Microsoft signed a memorandum of strategic cooperation in developing information technology in healthcare in Berlin on the same day. Source: Interfax. Link to article: http://www.interfax.com/3/357360/news.aspx

UWPR reports that few experts dispute that young people in Bishkek are internet crazy. The centre of the capital is crammed with internet cafes and clubs, many of them open 24 hours a day and almost permanently full with users, most of them young. A specially created state commission reported that it found more than a hundred children sitting in internet cafes playing games during school hours and at night over a one-month period. Horrified by the amount of time that teenagers and even small children are spending in Bishkek’s internet cafes when they should either be in class or in bed, the authorities in the Kyrgyz capital have voted to ban them from going clubs during school hours and after seven in the evening. The city council said it feared children were also viewing pornographic material or visiting sites espousing extremist views without supervision. Vyacheslav Krasienko, deputy chair of the city council said the local by-law, which came into force in January, would apply to all young people under the age of 18. A special regulatory body will be established shortly to make sure the law is observed. Reasonable prices make them affordable to most people, especially when several youngsters club together and pay to use a single computer. An hour of internet access costs only about 20 soms, just over 50 US cents. Playing games over the web is even cheaper at just 10 soms an hour. Whereas, some experts argue that unrestricted access to certain kinds of sites might be responsible for rising crime rates. Bishkek psychologist gives an opinion that it also reflects changing patterns of the family life in the city. On the other hand, the owners of Internet Cafes say that this ban will not solve non-attendance problem. It should be dealt on a different level – developing more school programs, clubs, sports, and engagement of parents in education at home. At the same time, under the ban internet cafes risk loosing most part of their income and they will either continue to allow children in, or go bankrupt. Source: IWPR 01.18.2008Link to article: http://iwpr.net/?p=rca&s=f&o=342051&apc_state=henprca

Almaty police held training for regulating the drivers’ use of mobile phones while on the road. The enforcement of the driving law that will prohibit the use of mobile phone while driving will come into force in the next couple of days - say the state officials. They claim that the law is aimed to reduce the risk of car accidents. Source: Kazakhstan Today 01.10.2008. Link to article in Russian: http://www.profit.kz/news/002831/

Karim Masimov, prime-minister of Kazakhstan, encourages the heads of the state offices to improve internet websites of their agencies. During the meeting of the Agency for Information and Media, on January 12, he promised to monitor its implementation himself. 'I use internet resources…I have visited your website and do not agree with everything you state about your website - he said addressing the head of Statistics Agency. – It is a nice-looking website, but still needs work regarding good content and accessibility' - Masimov said. Source: Kazakhstan Today, 01.14.2008 Link to article in Russian: http://www.profit.kz/news/002844/

Uzbek Agency for Communication and Information (UzACI) observes rapid development of mobile communication in Uzbekistan. Today the Uzbek market of mobile services has five operators, namely MTS-Uzbekistan (Uzdunrobita, GSM), Unitel (Beeline trademark, GSM), Coscom (GSM), Perfectum Mobile (Rubicon Wireless Communication, CDMA) and UzbekTelecom Mobile, subsidiary of UzbekTelecom joint-stock company (Uzmobile trademark, CDMA). According to UzACI data the number of mobile users in the country exceeded 6 million in the first decade of December 2007. If compared with the previous year, the number of mobile users rose by 1.5 million in 2006. So, the growth rate made up 200% in 2007 against the indicator of 2006. Source: Uzreport.com, 01.10.2008. Link to article: http://business.uzreport.com/uzb.cgi?lan=e&id=41536

The evening of December 31 and the first hours following the New Years Eve is the toughest time of the year for mobile phone companies in Kazakhstan. The users have been used to the fact that because of the huge number of the users trying to use the service at the same time to send New Years wishes to family and friends, the lines are busy, and it is barely impossible to reach anyone by phone. And the text messages sometimes reached the destination with long delays, even in 2-3 days after the holidays. GSM operators ‘GSM Kazakhstan’(trade mark of Kcell) and ‘Kar-Tel’(trade mark of Beeline) have pleasantly surprised their users with impressively stable service during the New Years Eve – when the peak of calls and text messaging is the first hours of January 1. The surveyed by CNews mobile phone users have stated much better service compared to previous years. Companies said that the improvements in the services are due to gradual expansion of the networks that were implemented during 2007. The main reason is also the expansion of the network volume. The companies explain that the problem with connection becomes sharp when in a short period of time (several hours before and after midnight) the number of calls increases quickly and in several times. Thus, the increases in the network volume allowed avoid such pressure on network and its failure. GSM Kazakhstan increased number of its base stations for 40 percent last year. Some stats related to the issue: On the days of December31 and January1 users of Beeline sent around 18 mln. Text messages, and made over 37,5 mln. calls. The general trend for the day is 3.4 mln texts and 10 mln. calls. Source: Cnews.kz 01.11.2008Link to article in Russian: http://www.cnews.kz/news/top/index.shtml?2008/01/11/102817

National telecommunication operator Kazakhtelecom declares that it has installed telephone lines in all villages in Kazakhstan with population of more 50 people. In 2007 Kazakhtelecom implemented telehone communication in 396 villages and the only places that now lack the telephone connection are the smallest villages with less than 50 people.

Source: Cnews.kz 01/10/2008. Link to article in Russian: http://cnews.kz/news/line/index.shtml?2008/01/10/102763