Update October 1999: Lebanon

The IS promotional activities for the period July-September 99 started early September.

1. A forum on electronic commerce was held in Beirut on September the first and second. Under the label ECAS99, this gathering has published some recommendations:

• Unify the legal framework in order to facilitate, enhance and promote electronic commerce;
• Adopt a universal mode of encryption to enhance security in electronic transactions;
• Insist on the need to expand and develop the capacity of the telecommunication network to support better service through the internet;
• Ask the hardware and software company to launch agressive and interesting promotional campaigns to attract more customers towards electronic media;
• Ask the administration in schools and universities to promote the use of electronic means in teaching.

2. The IBM related conference on ‘IQ solutions’ was held on september 23. This one day event has stressed the need for global solutions relating to e-business. The topics addressed were about hardware specifications and capabilities and about proven software solutions. Animated presentations covered many themes: Messaging and collaboration, banking and electronic payment solutions, e-business development tools, data warehousing and business intelligence, security and network communication, distance learning, etc...

3. A computer and communication technology exhibition TERMIUM 99 has been launched on september 28. It will close on october the third. Part of this exhibition will be opened to the public and another part is reserved for the professionals. All leading international companies represented in Lebanon are present with up to date hard and software. A series of conferences are scheduled to accompany this event.

4. A private company has published ‘The Internet Directory of Lebanon’ (www.idl.com.lb). Based on a field study, the company estimates the number of electronic mail addresses for approximately fifty thousands. Five thousands of which pertaining to business companies. According to another field study reported by the press on the twenty fourth of september, the number of cybernautes in Lebanon exceeds one hundred thousands. It is worth noting that while these figures are somewhat representative, they are not supported by a disclosed methodology.

5. The president of the Commission for Education in the lebanese parliament has held talks with representative of the World Bank concerning the financing of educational projects in Lebanon. The press reported that these talks aimed at assessing the past action of the lebanese government funded by the WB and the prospects of promoting the next phase of the projects. The president of the Commission declared that the bank was ready to support a government plan to enhance the connectivity of schools to the Internet.

6. The minister of Economy and Industry held a conference at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry on september the twenty first. He indicated that many items were high on the agenda of the present government:

• modernizing the lebanese administration and accelerating its progress towards the ‘Information Society and Economy’;
• promoting an electronic payment system;
• promoting electronic commerce through the project of the government labeled EC2000;
• introducing digital certification to enhance the security of the transactions;
• launching a project for a network (school-net) to connect twenty four schools from different districts in Lebanon and build a national database for teachers and students;
• launching a project for a network (Gov-net) to link the different public administrations;
• launching a project for a national network (Lebanon-net) to better inform the public and simplify for himsome administrative procedures;
• modernizing the legal and juridictional system to promote the adoption of electronic means in business and government.

7. The Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Beirut signed an agreement to adapt the electronic signature in the business operations. The agreement was signed with the belgian ‘Global Sign’.