| BELTUG Update 14 October 2011 |
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Due to the problems at RIM (Blackberry) a delegation of BELTUG will meet with RIM to discuss the concerns of the companies. |
Lobbying
1. Video streaming of panel discussion on Net neutrality
2. Draft bill on private use of GSM
3. BELTUG/INTUG talks with the European Commission’s roaming team
4. BELTUG/INTUG responds to the EU consultation on Cloud computing
5. BELTUG/INTUG responds to the consultation on public funding for broadband network
Networking
1. BELTUG tours Brussels
2. Sharing of experiences on knowledge management
3. A warm welcome to our newest members Information and vision
1. BELTUG recommends - Cloud security assessment
2. Two new special interest groups: International and Procurement
3. New cases coming up: VDAB and Univeg
4. Update from the Security SIG
5. Update on the X-change on hospital telecoms Agenda |
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Lobbying |
| BELTUG defends your interests and addresses issues with government representatives and service providers. |
1. Video streaming of panel discussion on Net neutrality |
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Federal Parliament is preparing a bill (PS, CD&V, NV-A) on Net neutrality. Whatever is decided on the regulatory front about Net neutrality, the consequences will be far-reaching. This bill could also affect the relationship between major market players. At the Member Forum Peter Dedecker, N-VA - Reinhard Laroy, Office of Minister Van Quickenborne - Luc Hindryckx, BIPT-IBPT - Dirk Segers, Platform TC Operators & Service Providers - Jean-François Willame, Belgacom – and Bruno Schröder, Microsoft discussed this difficult issue. |
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| 2. Draft bill on private use of GSM |
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A new draft bill would change the income tax code, in order to make personal use of the GSM tax free. Social Security is still due; the 12.5€ “benefit in kind” rule is applied, unless you have installed a fair private billing system.
BELTUG analyses the implications of the proposed bill for companies and employees. We will insist on cost reductions and simplification for the companies and employees.
We will hold a BELTUG Brainstorming on 15 November on “private and corporate use of mobile communications” to clarify your issues and challenges. |
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| 3. BELTUG/INTUG talks with the European Commission’s roaming team |
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The European Commission has prepared a proposal for a new roaming regulation, to be implemented in June 2012. BELTUG/INTUG will be very active on this topic over the coming months. It is clear that our members have complaints about the existing regulations for the business market, and costs are still too high. We have already met with the team responsible for the proposal; in the next months, we will meet with European Members of Parliament, etc. |
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| 4. BELTUG/INTUG responds to the EU consultation on Cloud computing |
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| INTUG has responded to the European Commission’s Consultation on Cloud Computing, focusing on cross-border issues. We raise a number of obstacles faced by companies, such as the high risk of vendor lock-in and price hikes, and continuity of service. |
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| 5. BELTUG/INTUG responds to the consultation on public funding for broadband networks |
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| INTUG has also responded to the European Commission’s Consultation on the Revision of the Guidelines on Public Funding to Broadband Networks. We indicate that if the guidelines on public funding are relaxed, fibre-based broadband projects should be specifically included in the list. Fibre networks assisted by public funding must then be subject to regulations ensuring open access to all service providers on a non-discriminatory basis. The overall goals are to ensure fair competition, equitable access to infrastructure and interoperability of networks. |
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Networking
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1. BELTUG tours Brussels |
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Our guided tour of Brussels was a great success – more than 110 BELTUG members participated. Members had plenty of opportunities to get to know each other in a convivial and informal atmosphere. After a welcome coffee at BELvue Museum, our members could choose an animated 3-hour stroll through the city centre, or a tour by bus or bicycle. In the end, everyone came together at the ”Grand'Place” for a hearty meal. Here are our pictures and movie of the day. |
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| 2. Sharing of experiences on knowledge management |
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While Knowledge Management is not at the core of BELTUG’s activities, at the request of ING we organised a meeting with some companies to exchange experiences on the topic. Among the issues discussed were how to start a Knowledge Management project, and how to encourage employees to share their knowledge, tools and other resources. If you have experience with setting up a Knowledge Management system, and would like to be in contact with other interested companies, just let us know. |
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| 3. A warm welcome to our newest members |
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We would like to welcome all our new members who joined last month: DHL International, Securitas, Imtech Telecom, Idewe, Genband Belgium, KU Leuven ICTS, N-Allo, International Avaya Users Group Belgium IAUG.BE, Belgium Cloud. We are also very pleased to announce that we have concluded cooperation agreements with Cloudbelgium.be and the International Avaya User Group Belgium IAUG.be. |
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| Information and vision |
| We want BELTUG members to be the best informed ICT decision makers and professionals. |
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| 1. BELTUG recommendations: Cloud security assessment |
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| Many companies have questions about Cloud security, and there is a lot of available information on the topics. To help our members, BELTUG has gathered into a single document good quality information, to help identify and qualify the possible risks. |
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| 2. Two new special interest groups (SIG): International and Procurement |
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| Our first special interest group (SIG), for security, has certainly proven its value. Based on the results of our survey, we are also starting up an International SIG (November) and a Procurement SIG (Q1 2012). If you are an ICT decision maker (IT manager, etc.) from a business, and you are interested in either of these SIGs, please send us an email to sign up. However, unlike the Security SIG, these new groups will not be open to suppliers. Thank you for your understanding. |
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| 3. New cases coming up: VDAB and Univeg |
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In September, Gartner said that by the end of 2014 at least 10 percent of enterprise email seats will be based on Cloud or Software-as-a-Service models. However, analysts urge caution, warning that readiness varies by service provider.
To kick off the discussion, on 25 November, BELTUG will offer two case studies, VDAB and Univeg, on Cloud experiences for mail services. Don’t miss it! (users only) Learn more about Gartner’s research from press releases, summaries or webinars via the Gartner Newsroom; you can also check the overview of upcoming webinars. |
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| 4. Update from the Security SIG |
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The Security SIG meeting on security management, held 13 September, led to a lot of interesting and relevant discussions. Among the issues covered was how SEIM (Security Event and Incident Management) should be viewed, should firewall events be included, etc.
Other topics included outsourcing – what should absolutely be kept internal - and centralized logging –what should be logged and how long should logs be kept. All in all, it was a very lively discussion. The next meeting is on December 8. Peter Van Lierde from USG People will introduce "Appstore, used to deliver software to end-user's smartphones, may also be considered by cyber attackers as a new vector for malicious code. How should we react ? What are the possible mitigation measures?", followed by discussion. |
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| 5. Update on the X-change on hospital telecoms |
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| On 22 Sept, we heard two very concrete and client-oriented stories from UZ Leuven and ISPPC CHU de Charleroi about telecoms in today’s 24x7 healthcare domain. Their comments and experiences struck a lot of familiar chords for other industries, as well. They spoke about the advantages of VoIP in a hybrid environment, especially for personnel working across multiple sites. Wi-Fi is also now widely used for both medical devices and calling, and both hospitals already allow “Bring your own device” for their employees. |
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| Agenda |
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BELTUG in (social) media |
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