Alliance aims to bridge digital divide

Edited by the Electronicstalk editorial team May 8, 2006

VIA Technologies has entered into a strategic ICT alliance with the APEC Digital Opportunity Center (ADOC) to help bridge the digital divide in emerging markets within APEC.

VIA Technologies has entered into a strategic ICT alliance with the APEC Digital Opportunity Center (ADOC) to help bridge the digital divide in emerging markets within APEC.

With the guiding principle of enabling people to harness the full potential of information and communications technology (ICT), ADOC objectives are fully in line with those of the VIA pc-1 Initiative founded last year.

"VIA and ADOC share the fundamental goal of empowering people and countries through technology, providing a powerful commitment to make a real difference to people's lives", said Richard Brown, Vice President of Marketing, VIA Technologies.

"This strategic alliance underlines the importance we place on working with government agencies to facilitate broader ICT adoption that truly meet the needs of emerging markets around the world".

"We are delighted that VIA has joined us in this vital mission, as it will take companies like VIA with considerable technology resources and know-how to make it happen", said Li-Chung Shao, APEC Digital Opportunity Center Secretariat.

"The ICT Alliance is a practical, sustainable approach to bridging the digital divide while also stimulating local technology growth, a solid co-operation platform for creating win-win situations".

At the APEC Summit held in Bangkok in 2003, Nobel Prize winner Dr Yuan Tseh Lee, Senior Statesman for Education and Technology Policy, pledged on behalf of Taiwan to help fellow APEC member nations build their ICT infrastructures and expand their digital capabilities.

ADOC was established in 2004 to generate trade and investment by the industry to achieve this goal, and the Institute for the Information Industry in Taiwan (III) has the remit to execute its policies.

VIA is the first vendor in Taiwan to enter into partnership with ADOC in the ICT Alliance, and has been working on the first project under the ADOC umbrella - the establishment of an ICT centre at a university in northern Vietnam - which is scheduled to open later this month.