Sakaru Pasaule - Žurnāls par
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Atpakaļ Jaunais numurs Arhīvs Par mums Meklēšana

ANNOTATION

   

ANNOTATION 5569 zîmes

 

In spring, when the hours of daylight become longer, more intensive business life begins. Traditionally the springtime arrives with a significant event in telecommunication and IT branch - the annual exhibition Baltic IT&T in Riga. However even more significant is the fact that this is the first spring after the recent telecommunication market liberalisation. There are several themes in the present issue of Sakaru Pasaule dedicated to the new market situation.

 

In this issue:

 

· A queue ... for the free market    (pages 40-41)

 

By the end of February there were already 61 individual public fixed network operator’s licences and 11 special permissions issued by Public Utilities Commission. It is a remarkable amount for such a short period of time and by the end of the year it could increase to about a 100. The most popular business directions included in the licences of public fixed network operators are infrastructure services, leased lines, Internet and data services (including IP), cable TV and only in a few cases - traditional fixed line telephone services. At the present moment the new services are mostly planned in Riga and in regional centres though some operators are ready to provide services (mostly - cable TV) also in small towns and  rural districts.

Also such incumbent operators of fixed, mobile and cable TV networks as Lattelekom, LMT, Tele 2, Telia MultiCom, Baltcom TV, Telia Latvia and others received public network operator licences. Besides such well known state companies as Latvenergo and Latvijas Dzelzceļš the core business of which is not connected with telecommunications are now among the new entrants in the market planning to provide mostly Internet and data services as well as infrastructure leasing.

 

· IT business - on a green branch?   (pages 44-47)

More than 80 percent of Latvia IT market are shared by seven leading IT companies - DATI Grupa, Exigen Latvia, MicroLink, VERDI, Tilde, IT Alise and Tieto Enator Financial Solutions. They are not only the leading players in the market but are also responsible for its development. One of the dominating tendencies of IT business in Latvia is consolidation of companies within Latvia and Baltic region. One of the most positive samples is the company MicroLink (originally an Estonian company) that during the last years has grown into the biggest IT company in Baltics with three separate business divisions. Recently it is announced that all the three divisions in Latvia will consolidate in one company. So the tendency is that big companies are growing even bigger but the small ones are frequently building their business either on some specialised products or on a small but stable customer base.

Latvian IT companies penetrate also in the European market, finding partners and customers outside Latvia. Sometimes this part of their business pica grows even faster than that of the local market. One of the most characteristic samples is the company DATI having partners and IT solution projects in Germany, Sweden, U.K. and other countries. What are the future prospects for IT business when Latvia will join EU and the whole Europe will be like a big, common market? We can only guess but hopefully the high professionality of Latvian IT experts will not be valued lower than at present.

 

 

· Computer leasing - topical business   (pages 74-75)

 

During the last years such very progressive business solution as computer and office equipment leasing becomes more and more popular in Latvia. It is very convenient for a big company or state institution (with 200-300 workstations) to lease all the necessary computer and office equipment for two or three years. Leasing is quite cost-efficient, as there is no need to buy expensive equipment that might be physically and morally out-dated within some years. It is also possible to provide several service levels, and it means that even if a fatal error occurs and a computer is corrupted the leasing and service company can replace the damaged unit with a new one. The company Komerccentrs DATI Grupa provides such services during three years and its customers are quite satisfied for the efficient opportunity to be always up-to-date and in good business form.

 

· Biometry (pages 118 -119)

 

Recently more and more business areas emerge where access to confidential information is allowed only to a narrow range of employees. Usage of automated methods to identify a person's identity is more significant than ever. Biometry puts an end to passwords and codes: your fingers, hand, eye or face will allow you to access certain services and enter certain buildings. Contact sensors can be of optical, thermal, capacitative or ultrasonic type. FingerChip sensor is one of the smallest available in the market. It is the first fingerprint sensor using a thermal principle. MK 2B Access mouse incorporates a smart card reader that makes it possible to lock and unlock the user’s certificate stored on the smart card with his fingerprints.

The technique of voice recognition is the least intrusive and most ergonomic technology used for access control. Whether you have a cold or are losing your voice, the voice lock system will operate in all cases. RetinaPass and IrisPass identify respectively using the retina and the iris, while PalmPass is a three-dimensional system for the hand. SignPass authenticates signatures by analysing the speed, acceleration, force and angle of slant of the writing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Design and programming by Anton Alexandrov - 2001