Are there cooperation agreements
with universities in the country to pro
-
vide you with the necessary talents?
We have not signed any agreement yet,
but we are working on this with Khalifa
University in Abu Dhabi, Zayed University
in Dubai, and the UAEU in Al Ain. We will
provide them with guidance and practical
solutions to build a strategy for develop-
ing digital content, adopt and promote the
best practices, coordinate the mGovern-
ment strategy and establish policies and
procedures.
There is no doubt that attracting students
to the Centre is beneficial as they are the
essence of the future and the ones who
would be in charge sooner or later. Here
we provide them with all the means to help
them create and innovate.
Does the Centre have a plan to ad
-
dress rising issues in the smart
world?
Yes, our goal is to have a comprehensive
and sustainable system. Therefore, we
signed cooperation agreements with ma-
jor companies such as Apple, Blackberry,
Android, and Microsoft to provide us with
cutting-edge technologies that serve the
goals of the mGovernment.
Will the Centre performopinion polls
to know the needs of the public?
Yes, statistics and reports will be issued
through training and awareness work-
shops, testing and experiments held by
the Centre to assist us and the decision
makers to know the necessary proper
steps.
When will the Centre officially
launch its services?
The date has not been officially decided
yet. However, I think it will be very soon,
especially that the infrastructure and man-
power are ready, so the Centre has be-
come capable to test smart applications,
provide consulting services, answer en-
quires, and give training. We are ready for
central and non central training by giving
virtual online lectures for university stu-
dents or even people outside the UAE.
Can the general public join your
practical training?
Now, there are no restrictions, so the train-
ees can be university or school students.
Therefore, any person who believes they
have the talent in programming can join
us to present his/her ideas. On our part,
we will provide a comfortable environment
to enable him/her to create and come up
with innovative ideas.
Would the Centre’s role be lim
-
ited to developing applications, or
would it offer new ones?
The main goal is to develop applications
and deliver the government entities’ re-
quirements to programmers. The Centre
does not develop applications, but rather
manages a comprehensive system where
it coordinates between universities and
programmers on the one hand, and gov-
ernment entities on the other. The Centre
plays a vital role in this process.
What is the role of the Centre in
case it discovers an application
with security gaps?
Our role is to assist the government entity
through providing detailed reports stating
the risks and breaches, as well as ways
to eliminate them according to the best
practices.
Would the Centre hold any competi
-
tions to encourage the public to inno
-
vate in the world of smart services?
Yes, the Centre will hold competitions on
the local level for best application and best
idea in order to encourage students and
government entities. Moreover, the Centre
will be a platform for launching new ser-
vices and applications; any government
agency can use the Centre as a takeoff
point for their application and we will be
in charge of its promotion and marketing.
Furthermore, the Centre is prepared to
host major events organized by major
companies such as Apple and Black-
berry in the UAE. For instance, if Micro-
soft plans to release a new phone or hold
training sessions on a new phone or appli-
cation, the Centre can host such events.
The Centre is equipped with the most ad-
vanced audio-visual technology to help it
carry out its services efficiently.
The Centre
assists govern
-
ment entities in
building mobile
applications
according to
international
quality and
safety stan
-
dards
13
February
2014
