CVISNet advocates  I-Share project

Aiming to transform the digital divide into digital opportunity, the Central Visayas Information Sharing Network outlaid future plans of launching its so-called I-Share program aiming to connect all networks of the country.

Central Visayas Information Sharing Network Foundation, Inc.  (CVISNet) is an e-government project funded by the Department of Science and Technology Region 7 and jointly collaborated by the Regional Development Council Region 7, Government Organization for Information Technology (GO-IT 7) and the Confederation of Scientific and Professional Organization (COSPO-7).

The project was formulated by the GO-IT Region 7 in support for the AO 332 which directs all government agencies and instrumentalities including local government units to undertake electronic interconnection through the internet to be known as the RPWEB. 

It assist the government in the area of Information literacy    among the employees and schools; interconnecting the government agencies in the region through the internet; propagating the use of I.C.T. in government; lead in the incubation of new I.C.T. technology; continuously upgrading our system; and developing of standards for government data.

Aiming to achieve the vision of making every Filipino, every organization, and every foreign investor and visitor to have online access to government information and services in their homes, in community or municipal centers, in foreign posts, in public libraries and kiosks, and in government offices., CVISNet provides Internet services (dial-up, DSL, wireless), Training and Consultancy, Videoconferencing, Website and Multimedia development, Web Hosting and Server Co-location.

Some of CVISNet’s projects include the SME.net co-founded by the CIDA-PEARL2 which brought state-of-the-art internet technology to SMEs in Cebu province enabling them to sell products outside the country over the Internet.  It also enables enterprises to enable access to the global market.

CVISNet is also the implementing partner of NCC’s Community e-Center initiative for the Visayas and Mindanao. As its major component, CVISNet will deliver computer packages to 45 LGUs and conduct social preparation activities to 64 LGUs after enabling ICTs to under-served rural users.

They have also worked to make improvements in their core services like expanding to include DSL and doing more website and multimedia development projects.  They have also trained several baranggays in their Open Source and the Computer Security Lab.

According to CVISNet President Engr. Jose Mari T. Bigornia that I-Share is still on-going development researches but has already gotten support from interested industry partners.

I-Share aims to enable connectivity especially in areas where information reach is weak. Through this Bigornia believes that the digital divide will be lessened and more opportunities will open up as information sharing will be enabled to the different parts of the country. 

“I-Share is a big program that is similar to a search engine wherein different key words lead you to different websites from different LGUs, agencies, organizations and individuals,” shared Bigornia.

He also added that with I-Share, investors will be easily aided with the necessary information needed to invest in the country thus creating a more economically competitive advantage for us.—Rhia de Pablo