[Reader-list] Israeli IT firms to bid for unique ID card project- 154

[Taha Mehmood]

Dear All

It is indeed very interesting to note that country with a population
which less than that of number of people living in Delhi will help
India in its UIDC project. The claim of this country is -domain
expertise-.

As Mr.Katrin Melamed, business development manager for the Israeli
software industry avers according to the report below, "Israeli IT
firms with domain expertise in e-governance and homeland security will
bid for the unique ID card project jointly with Indian vendors, as
local participation is key to such projects dealing with critical
mass," Katrin Melamed, business development manager for the Israeli
software industry, told IANS here.

'Domain expertise' seems to be the spin phrase here. What 'domain
expertise' does Israel brings to the table is yet to be seen? The very
attribute of branding people with numbers which is seen as one of the
systematic and banal humiliations which the Nazi meted out to Jews is
practiced by Israelis...and now after 60 years this attribute becomes
-domain expertise-? Very very interesting indeed!!

 Maybe the culture industry of Hollywood should take notice and not
bore us with images of sad, angry, humiliated Jews showing their
Auschwitz numbers to each other, because after all it has become an
area of -domain expertise- these days. Maybe the world is ready, to be
shown a conversation happening between two Jewish men admiring Hitler
for his ingenuity in numbering them, even as they wait for their turn
to be taken to a gas chamber.

or maybe I am completely wrong and completely ignorant about the
-harsh realities- and the pain of responsibility which governance
brings.

However for the time being it seems, that there is business
opportunity to be availed. 1.5 Lakh crore rupees are up for grabs.
Israelis see an opportunity and they are bidding for it while getting
help from native informers aka Indian vendors, had I been in their
place maybe I would have thought on same lines.

Warm regards

Taha




http://blog.taragana.com/index.php/archive/israeli-it-firms-to-bid-for-unique-id-card-project/

  Israeli IT firms to bid for unique ID card project

 Fakir Balaji
July 2nd, 2009

BANGALORE - Israeli IT firms will partner with Indian vendors to
jointly bid for the ambitious unique identification (ID) card project
of the Indian government, a visiting Israeli IT industry official has
said.

"Israeli IT firms with domain expertise in e-governance and homeland
security will bid for the unique ID card project jointly with Indian
vendors, as local participation is key to such projects dealing with
critical mass," Katrin Melamed, business development manager for the
Israeli software industry, told IANS here.

Melamed, who is leading an Israeli IT delegation on a week-long trip
to India, said many Israeli firms have developed the technology and
solutions for e-governance projects like ID cards with security
features such as biometric or fingerprints.

The trip is sponsored by the Israel Export and International
Cooperation Institute (IEICI) and funded by the Israeli government.

"Though we are a small nation of seven million, every Israeli citizen
has a smart card with personal details embedded in a chip. Our leading
IT firms have the architecture and the model for the Indian ID card
project, which is set to cover over a billion people," Melamed said
Wednesday on the margins of an IT seminar here.

The government-funded project, to be implemented by the Unique
Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) under the chairmanship of
former Infosys Technologies co-chairman Nandan M. Nilekani, is
expected to create unique identification cards to all citizens by
2011.

The 14-member delegation, representing large, medium and small IT
firms are scouting for partnerships with Indian counterparts to
develop or customise software products or solutions for Indian and
global markets.

"The delegation has interacted with leading IT firms such as TCS (Tata
Consultancy Services) in Mumbai early this week and are here for a
similar exercise with hi-tech firms like Infosys and Wipro. It will be
in Delhi Thursday for a similar exercise," said Elad Goz, Israeli
consul for economic affairs.

The delegation is looking for partnerships in digital broadcast media,
legacy IT modernisation solutions, homeland security and e-governance.

With about 3,000 indigenous IT firms, spanning hardware and software,
the Israeli hi-tech industry has grown exponentially with exports
alone accounting for $5.8 billion in 2008 as against $90 million in
1990.

"In the absence of a lucrative domestic market for historical and
social reasons, we are an export-oriented nation with only human
capital and limited natural resources due to scarce land and smaller
size of the country," Melamed pointed out.

As a result, Israeli IT industry focuses more on research and
development (R&D), product innovation and technology upgrading to be
globally competitive in an ever-changing business environment.

North America contributes about 40 percent to Israel's total IT
exports, while Europe accounts for 30 percent and the balance (30
percent) is generated from rest of the world, including Asia.

"Our unique geographic, geopolitical, demographic, and cultural
characteristics have combined to create a different software
development climate where innovation and entrepreneurship are the
norm, early adoption is the rule, and thinking 'out of the box' is a
day-to-day phenomenon," Rita Katzir, vice-president of Tel Aviv-based
i21-Ventures, said.

As part of its 'Look Asia Policy' the Israeli government has decided
to expand industry and trade ties with India in diverse sectors,
including drip irrigation, agro-technology, water conservation, IT,
telecom and homeland security.

"The trade balance between the two countries grew marginally to $4
billion in 2008 from $3.3 billion in 2007 due to global meltdown. We
are keen to boost ties in the knowledge sector through partnerships,
joint ventures and venture funding," Goz averred.

The non-profit IEICI, supported by the Israeli government and the
private sector, facilitates business ties, joint ventures and
strategic alliances between overseas and Israeli firms.