Mobile tech 'for top service'

2009-07-06 13:58

Johannesburg - Mobile technology and broadband need to be considered to latch onto "first class, real time" service delivery, KwaZulu-Natal Finance MEC Ina Cronje said on Monday.

Speaking at a breakfast meeting in Durban, Cronje stressed that the utilisation of technologies was paramount to maximise benefits from services for government planning.

"In order to utilise the mobile platform, we as KwaZulu-Natal need to ensure that there is a pipeline of appropriate skills to develop the required mobile applications," Cronje said.

She said software engineering centres had been established throughout the province offering software engineering skills in the mobile applications platform.

Such technology, she said, could also be extremely helpful at other government departments like education and health.

Cronje said the technology could strengthen the co-ordination of learning from department to department, department to school, school to school, department to citizen and school to citizen.

Education and health care

"Only by combining multiple points of view can one expect to provide mobile technology and applications that are suitable for educational purposes," she said.

In health care, Cronje said, mobile technology was on the increase and that there was a steady shift towards it.

"Currently health care systems around the globe are experiencing a multitude of challenges."

Technology could provide "seamless and secure access" to health care services which may reduce costs, she said.

Patient records could also be accessed by health-care professionals "from any given location" by connection to the institution's network.

Cronje said it could also help community health workers provide early warning of diseases.

- SAPA