Within PICISOC, SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS (SIGs) have been established at times to develop the interests, knowledge and skills of a specific group of technically engaged PICISOC members. The GIS&RS SIG was first established in 2005 out of discussions held at the PacINET in Kiribati. It is now a very strongly supported entity in its own right. A SIG was formed after PacINET Samoa in 2006 to assist a PICISOC member to coordinate some Education statistics for some educational research that they were engaged in.
Similarly, PacDEV has been coordinated following on from 2013’s PacINET Tonga not only to recognise the talent and expertise in software development that we have within the Pacific region but also to enable members to share information and knowledge across the Pacific, to strengthen regional capacity and to create economic opportunities for members with these skills.
Likewise, after the PICISIC Board Elections and AGM during PacINET 2014 in the Cook Islands, two other SIG’s was approved during the first meeting of the new Board in September 2014. They are the Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) and the Internet Freedom (IF) SIGs. The FOSS SIG will prioritize its capacity on FOSS movement and its applicability here in the Pacific Islands. While the Internet Freedom SIG will provide capacity on freedom of expression, openness, explore and promote use/build of software that gives power back to the users over their networks, machines and their data here in the Pacific Islands.
At the same time, NATIONAL ICT ORGANISATIONS play an important role in fostering this development at a local level. These member organisations listed to the left, offer support, advice and services to other members if and when required. Please register your national ICT organisation with us.