By Lilia Guan
Hardware vendor, Intel and the Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy Senator Stephen Conroy have come up with a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to pursue the Government’s digital economy agenda.
The agreement was signed by Senator Conroy and Navin Shenoy, general manager at Intel Asia Pacific and vice president of Intel Corporation.
Senator Conroy said the Government worked with many industry players to ensure Australia was well placed to leverage the economic and social benefits that participating in a digital economy can provide.
"This agreement formalises work with Intel and makes clear the Government’s intension to continue to collaborate with industry, particularly as we move forward with the delivery of the National Broadband Network (NBN)," he said.
Through the agreement the Gillard Government would provide Intel with updates on progress and development of the Government’s Digital Economy Strategy; work with Intel as a sounding board on possible initiatives to promote an NBN-enabled Digital Economy; and share relevant research on an NBN-enabled digital economy.
The agreement followed a two year working relationship between the vendor and the Government, said Intel’s general manager Australia/ New Zealand, Philip Cronin.
He told Government News, Intel’s role in the MOU was about helping the Government to understand where ICT benefits the country in the context of a digital economy.
“The MOU isn’t about the Government buying Intel technology,” Mr Cronin said.
“It’s about looking beyond the politics of the NBN and instead focusing on the opportunities it creates for Australia’s sustained competitiveness in the 21st century digital economy.”
Senator Conroy said the digital economy would ultimately encompass the entire economy and almost all facets of society.
“The Gillard Government is ensuring it has the infrastructure in place to take advantage of the opportunities it will present,” he said.
"The Government will continue to work with industry to ensure the growth of Australia’s digital economy and to achieve the digital productivity benefits of the NBN."
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