September, 18 2001 - Port-Louis, Mauritius, Indian Ocean

Information and communication technology (ICT) has become the new paradigm for development. The advent of the Internet has brought in its wake what is commonly called the E-Revolution - e-commerce, e-economy, e-transactions etc.

Now a new concept has been added to this revolution, e-strategy, which experts believe is vital for any economy to thrive.

To know more about this new imperative for economic development, NEWS ON SUNDAY talked to Mr John Cheung, a Mauritian-born ICT expert working as project manager at the Canadian-based NORTEL Networks. He is also a consultant for StraConsult, a local consultancy firm led by former minister Amedee Darga.

* What exactly is e-strategy and how best can it fit the new information and communication technology (ICT) landscape?

E-strategy is built on three pillars: ICT, the new or net economy, and business practices. It has to provide for all solutions based on the required framework. The importance of e-strategy can be assessed by the very nature of the ICT environment that has universal power, universal information and universal access.

The new technology being ubiquitous and universal, it touches everything, everybody, and is everywhere. It reaches every single quarter of the world and every aspect of human activity. It therefore affects the way we do business, educate ourselves, communicate, entertain etc.

As it affects our whole life, if you are not part of it or do not follow the trend, you are bound to go off the mainstream of development. As Steward Brand puts it "Once a new technology rolls over you, if you are not part of the steamroller, you are part of the road".

So e-strategy is a new paradigm shift and a completely new way of doing business. It is customer-focussed and people-focussed. It aims at bringing products and services closer to the customers.

Customers and suppliers become partners with a holistic relationship. It is a process-oriented approach where quality becomes the norm. Whether one likes it or not, the future lies in how best one embraces the e-strategy. There are no two ways of achieving success.

This is the trend that most business entities worldwide are adopting and within no time it will be the only major way of doing business. Mauritius will have no choice but to join this bandwagon.

* But as of today, Mauritius is far from this new paradigm shift. The required environment hardly exists. What assessment would you make of the present local situation and how long do you think it will take for the island to be ready to evolve its e-strategy?

From what I have seen happening here during my brief visit, I am quite optimistic for the country. While it is true that Mauritius has registered a marked lateness in embracing ICT, there are now all indications of a strong willingness for the cyber take-off.

The first and foremost reason to be optimistic lies in the firm determination of the State to set up the right landscape and the appropriate framework. The very fact that government has undertaken the pledge to make of the country a cyber island is in itself a major step forward. Finance, which is generally the most serious snag in such an enterprise, is not a problem as a line of credit of $100 million has already been earmarked and is readily available.

A lot of concern has been raised regarding the inadequacy of local trained manpower. Indeed this is a major problem for the time being, but I understand that this is being actively addressed. The swiftness with which the University of Technology was set up here and the massive response it is said to have received from aspiring students are clear indications of the awareness that exists among the Mauritian youth for embracing this new discipline.

In addition, the number of private recognised institutions offering ICT courses at all levels, including high-profile intensive professional courses, is another signal of the interest people give to ICT. I am also told that international training institutes, especially from India, are in the process of designing tailor-made courses for the local people.

Mauritius has a huge advantage in that it is a bilingual society. This is a major asset, more especially as regards the setting up of call centres. Bilingualism, along with adequate training in specific ICT areas, can be the best formula for Mauritius to take-off as a cyber island.

However, my advice to young graduates and diploma-holders, irrespective of their fields of study, is that they should read for ICT courses. Most of the trained ICT manpower the world over are those who had a first degree or diploma in other subjects but who at a later stage recycled themselves by reading for a second degree or diploma in ICT.

* You have lately been working on a project regarding a human resource data base for Mauritian expatriates. To what extent can this project help identify Mauritian professionals scattered over the world so as to get them to return home?

As a matter of fact, StraConsult, a local consultancy firm led by Mr Amedee Darga initiated a project last year called the Mauritian Expatriate Resource Network (MERN) of which I am a consultant. The aim is to create a database of Mauritians working abroad.

The first phase of the project, which was the creation of a web site, has been completed. This web site allows Mauritian professional settled elsewhere to post information regarding their competency and availability and this in turn offers them the possibility of proposing their services to their country by registering data on the site.

This database is equally available to local organisations that can contact prospective candidates for subsequent recruitment or for consultancy purposes. These Mauritians can even offer their services through the Internet, which means that they can be helpful to their country without even having to physically travel all the way to Mauritius.

I can say that so far we have had a good response. No less than 400 Mauritians visited this site while some 100 have registered themselves during the past two months. This is quite a success given that the web site was not advertised. The information just travelled from mouth to ear.

Once this phase is completed, we intend to extend our consultancy services by offering specific information upon request and to assist those who wish to come back to Mauritius or to move to any other place.

* Do you really believe that Mauritius is ripe enough to develop its e-strategy - if not, what should be done?

Mauritius has no choice but to develop its e-strategy if it wants to survive economically. Everybody seems to agree, and events have proved, that Mauritius will no longer be able to rely on its traditional economic pillars. Sugar, which has traditionally been the lifeblood of the economy, will fast take a back seat as a result of both external and domestic factors. We no longer talk in terms of "king sugar".

The same thing applies for the textile sector where global competition is getting fiercer while the traditional safety nets will be things of the past. While this sector will continue to develop for many years to come, it will not be a reliable and sustained source of national revenue.

The same thing applies for tourism. There is a limit to growth as one has to respect the threshold of tolerance. Even the present figures are not too bright. The estimated annual 15% growth is far from being reached. I am told that this year's growth rate has not even reached the two-digit figure.

There is, however, high hopes for the forth pillar which is the financial services sector. But for this sector to generate the expected results, it will have to embrace the ICT sector fully. Quicker access to information is the key to success in this sector and access to information can only be done through a well-developed ICT sector.

A well-developed ICT sector also means e-business, e-commerce, etc. To be able to develop these areas fully there is need to evolve efficient e-strategies. Thus the only gateway to economic survival and economic success is through ICT.

* How best can e-strategy be introduced in a country like Mauritius which is late in computer literacy?

First of all I should say that e-strategy has a four-tier intervention. It should intervene at the level of the State, enterprises, families and individuals. Therefore it is a matter that should be the concern of one and all in society.

At the State level, things are going on well. Government has shown its determination to make of this country a cyber island. I am confident that the cyber island project will be a success, even if it will take longer than was initially thought. But it will come. In any case, it is one of the rare avenues where jobs can be created and no government will allow such an opportunity to slip away. So at the State level no problem should arise as regards the e-strategy.

Enterprises today are called to follow a new trend whereby supply chain management is the key. This allows a constant link among suppliers and customers. Naturally it implies a sound management of resources and enhanced customer relationship. It will naturally take quite some time and a lot of effort for major local enterprises to computerise all their operations. They should choose a reliable ICT solution provider for this purpose.

It is also imperative for large business entities to give up old habits. By nature people are resistant to change. This is a worldwide phenomenon. This is why I say that while training is a must, it is equally important that people be told how beneficial the new technology can be for their own operations and for the enterprise as a whole. Unless they are convinced of the benefits, they will be less predisposed to change.

Local entrepreneurs should understand that the world economic situation is not too bright and is not likely to improve, given the increasing competition. Mauritian enterprises are already feeling the pinch. The only way forward is to reduce costs by streamlining operations. The new technology can do that while at the same time considerably improving relationship with customers.

* What about e-strategy at family and individual levels, more especially in the local context?

The Internet has ushered in huge possibilities. Thus families can start up low capital investment small or micro enterprises. The tendency for large enterprises today is to sub-contract out to smaller enterprises much of their operations and production. For instance, large textile firms today are giving up the production of components which they are not very good at manufacturing. Such specific components are usually outsourced from smaller units of production and these units are in great demand.

The major problem for small family business units has been shopping around for new customers. Today they just require a smart website supplying relevant information which they can advertise to targeted prospective customers who are on the lookout for such enterprises. Thus through the web, the small enterprises can have international exposure and international clientele.

At the end of the day, one can have a small unit in his garage or backyard with just a few employees but catering for multinationals as a .com entity. This is how small enterprises have flourished throughout the world.

At the individual level, things are brighter with the youth making maximum use of the services offered by new technology such as e-mail, short messages service and the Internet in general. This augurs well for society and I am confident that in the near future ICT will be an inescapable tool at individual level.

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