Since last year, there are news about Facebook, the famous social networking website founded by Mark Zuckerberg is going for open source. The latest update is that they are currently working on an open source initiative that is meant to help application developers to better understand their Facebook developer platform and to be more easily build applications, whether it's by running their own test servers, building tools, or optimizing their applications.
This is seen to be a respond to the Google OpenSocial platform, which is currently widely implemented in many social networking websites, including Engage.com, Friendster, hi5, Hyves, imeem, LinkedIn, MySpace, Ning, Oracle, orkut, Plaxo, Salesforce.com, Six Apart, Tianji, Viadeo, and XING.
This initiative is expected to boost the interoperability between Facebook and other social networking websites. Application developers will then be able to easily port their Facebook applications over to other social networking websites, which in turn can help Facebook Platform, which comprises of FMBL (markup language), FQL (query language), FJS (Javascript library) and the Facebook API, to become a standard.
Another potential benefit of going open source is that, outside developers could work on the codes, make contribution and help to improve the Facebook Platform itself.
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Facebook to go for open source?
Monday, May 26, 2008
ePetrol system - possible solution for fuel subsidy?
ePetrol Holdings Sdn Bhd is proposing to the government of Malaysia to make use of their ePetrol system as solution to implement fuel subsidy scheme for citizen with MyKad. This company is established in 2003. Their founding directors include RHB Group founder Tan Sri Rashid Hussain and Dialog Group Bhd chairman and group managing director Ngau Boon Keat. They've showcased the ePetrol system during the World Congress on Information Technology 2008 (WCIT 2008).
User of the system will need to register and activate his MyKad at a registration kiosk to be eligible for the fuel subsidy. The user can link the MyKad to his bank account so payment can be debited from the account each time a fuel purchase is made. Otherwise, payment can be made via credit card or cash. The user is then identified with his MyKad at the petrol pump terminal, and his subsidy amount will be deducted during the fuel pumping transaction.
Will this solution be rolled out by the government? Let's wait and see...
Friday, May 23, 2008
Result of Robert Walters Global Salary Survey 2008
The Robert Walters Global Salary Survey 2008 shows a substantial salary hike in various employment sectors across the globe, including IT, banking, finance, commerce, engineering, sales and marketing. The survey's salary figures in the report are based on placements made by Robert Walters themselves through 2007. Robert Walters is one of the world leading global specialist in recruitment and recruitment outsourcing businesses.
Employees from the IT sector of Asian region generally enjoy a higher percentage of salary increment than their counterparts in American and Europe. According to the report majority of them enjoyed an increment of above 10% from last year, and some even got a 40% increment.
Competition to hire good IT employees in Malaysia intensified and organizations were seen focus on best practices in staff attraction and retention. Direct strategies including higher salary increments, joining bonuses and counter-offers, other initiatives included better managed and more dynamic career progression, flexible benefits, effective employee relation programs, etc. were employed. The challenges facing the IT industry in Malaysia include competition from overseas seeking Malaysians to work in countries such as Singapore, China and Dubai.
The total compensation for 2008 of an IT Director in Malaysia can be up to RM300k. Other well paid IT positions include IT Programme Manager (RM200k), ERP Project Manager (RM180k), Service Delivery Manager (RM150k), Infrastructure Manager (RM150k), Solution Architect (RM140k), ...
In Singapore, CIO and CTO get a salary of S$350k per annum. Other well paid positions include IT Director (S$220-350k), Programme Manager (S$220-350k), Service Delivery Director (S$220-320k), Project Director (S$200-300k), ...
In Hong Kong, many senior positions are paid in million of HKD per annum, including CIO/CTO (HK$1.65-2.7m), IT Director (HK$1.3-2.0m), Project Director (HK$1.25-1.7m), Programme Manager (HK$0.95-1.7m), ...
This comprehensive report of Robert Walters Global Salary Survey 2008 covers the following regions:
- Australia
- Belgium
- France
- Hong Kong
- Ireland
- Japan
- Luxembourg
- Malaysia
- New Zealand
- Singapore
- South Africa
- Spain
- The Netherlands
- United Kingdom
- United States
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