ISSUE 1

Welcome from S. Ramani (Chairman, COMNET-IT)

The Commonwealth Network of IT for Development (COMNET-IT) brings you its Newsletter in this new form. We have been so far sharing a newsletter dealing with computers and their impact on developing countries with Working Group 9.4 of the International Federation of Information Processing (IFIP). The joint newsletter, very ably edited by Professor Subhash Bhatnagar, has been valuable. The main reason for COMNET-IT to plan its own separate newsletter is the growth of its activities with the start of a formal membership programme. We will look forward to co-operating with WG 9.4 again sometime in activities of mutual interest.

The Newsletter will serve as the primary forum for exchange of information with our members. We will focus on IT in the context of national development, and on national IT strategies. Simultaneously we will focus on IT in the public sector, promoting the dissemination of information on best practices.

The Newsletter cannot be a one-way communication device. We need feedback from readers and their contributions in the form of publishable material. Please do write and help us make a success of this venture.