E –STONIA IS ON THE BRINK OF HUGE SUCCESS

E –STONIA IS ON THE BRINK OF HUGE SUCCESS

BY ABDULMUMINI ADEKU.

 INTERNET GIANT ,SKYPE STARTED FROM ESTONIA

Estonia’s early adoption of the internet as a mode of communication has made it one of the world’s most wired up nation.
It is sometimes called E-stonia ,there is free internet at almost every street corner and people pay their packing tickets with their cell phones, voters cast their ballots digitally as well during elections.
In January,2011,Estonia deployed its cyber army ,the 60 member cyber defense league, it is presently the nations national guard.
Flat tax rates, the non existence of corporate income tax on re-invested profits, cost slashing austerity, pension cuts, reduction benefits for civil servants ,short maternity leaves  have all combined as factors to make the nation a model economy.
“Because we started a new, we got new laws, new leaders  and new technology ”said Jan Tallin one of the Founders of internet telephony giant, Skype, which was sold for $8.5billion to Microsoft.
“The big winners were the start ups ”Skype got its start in a grim Soviet era complex on the outskirts of Tallinn where the USSR secretly assembled its computers “
‘If you have the merit of drafting new laws with the knowledge that the web is out there  then you have a head start ”said Tallinn.
A Nigerian information Technology expert who will not want his name in the print and new media told Paedia Express Multimedia that cyber security was key if a nation wants to ward of the dangers of terrorism ,financial scams among others and praised Estonia for taking the web technology seriously.
He explained that in the American system if a fraudster is detected , the government immediately absorb him so that he does not use his skills to the disadvantage of the system further.
He pointed out that usually when such people are recruited ,it is not made public because of the sensitive nature of such situations.
His words: An ATM is a potential CCTV ,as soon as you make a withdrawal it takes your pictures and all of this enhances security at the Central Bank of Nigeria”
He explained that it was vital for the government to have control over the .ng and .govs so that a proper regulatory framework will be put in place by regulators.