The revolution of computer technology has evolved through its various rites of passage, from typewriters, to various models of mimeographs and duplicators, to the new-wave hi-tech specimens covering every need and every purpose in the world. Today, computer technology is extremely efficient and time-effective.      

A visiting computer expert, in explaining the finer points of computer technology, beginning with the peer-to-peer network, which does not easily facilitate volume transportation of shared information, elucidated that thousands of computers networked to the same system, instead of that basic format of transmitting through individual computers, needs a client server environment to be more effective.  The latter has one server with one master database and one user account, facilitating a wide spectrum of access to information by users.
Within the Guyana landscape, he referred to a scenario where there is sharing of printers and scanners and other equipment, but he said that this is not where the world is in terms of technology.  He said that here we mainly have a local area network, which is a computer network in a physical environment, but a wide area network is more effective because it is a network where physical local area networking is inter-connected so accessing of files, for instance, from a computer located at one local area at one end of the country from another located at another end of the country, and even trans-continental, is possible, as is used by banks, for instance.  In this way trillions of records can be accessed in a matter of seconds, through an intricate networking system.                Government has recognized Guyana’s need to produce professionals skilled in intricate information technology so as to move this country’s economy forward and has embarked on a series of training programmes to advance its thrust in Information Technology. 
Without a requisite skills bank of professional IT experts, Guyana’s economy would be like running on a treadmill – building up a sweat but getting nowhere.
Linking IT to the creation of increased disposal income, the visiting IT expert expanded on the theme by using the US as an example, where someone like himself makes an above-average income in the USA.  He said that every company is outsourcing outside of the US because they are reluctant to pay that amount for such expertise, and that if Guyana had the requisite skills then this country could attract some of that outsourced business and consequently some of that disposable income, which could be integral to moving the economy forward. 
This is the eventuality that the visionary leadership of President Jagdeo has bequeathed to this country, and not merely computer centres and one laptop per family.
The President has optimistically forecasted an amazing future for Guyana through expanding bandwith access through the fibre optic cables that were recently laid cross-country, one by GT&T, and it is through this vision that the IT expert forecasted that Guyana could become the data-mining warehouse for the Caribbean and possibly South America, because, for instance, Google is actually projecting to build data strorage centres underwater because land usage for such activity is too expensive.

However, Guyana is blessed with a lot of land space, which could be put to profitable and non-traditional useage.  Three main advantages Guyana has that could give this country an edge are land, location, and language.
Data-mining warehouses to IT providers are where data-centres process algorithims and data and develop profiles, an essential one being marketing trends, which allows business houses to make policies to facilitate and expand their customer base.
Modern IT facilities also provide for back-up centres, so that information would not be lost in the event of a catastrophe occurring in one location, because it would be stored in the back-up system and could be retrieved from any location in the world.  Guyana could be the back-up centre for the Caribbean and South America because in this country, apart from negligible instances of flooding and drought, there are no occurrences of natural disasters such as hurricanes and other catastrophic phenomena.  
Technology is evolving at such a rapid pace that in a few years these computers would become obsolete, because companies such as Microsoft would not be selling their software to individuals, but would instead be renting their services for reasons of piracy elimination and profitability.  This would be done through web servers providing the software, even through a television.
Toward this end, if Guyana has the facilities for a data-centre, then Microsoft and other software developers could use this country to push software to the Caribbean and possibly South America because of our peculiar location as the gateway to this continent.
“Big trees from little acorns grow.”  The President’s visionary IT initiatives is the acorn that will fast-track Guyana’s development into the next century
The Mastermind Quiz is the Brainchild of Chronicle’s Chairman, Mr. Keith Burrowes who, like President Jagdeo, has envisaged the unlimited horizons that this concept would open up for Guyana’s children, among whom are the future leaders of this country.