Pasquale Pistorio addresses WSIS plenary session

STMicroelectronics CEO reiterates ST's commitment to help bridge the 'Digital Divide' and urges corporations to join the effort Speaking at the third Plenary Session of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS), held in Geneva, December 10-12, Pasquale Pistorio, President and CEO of STMicroelectronics (NYSE: STM), renewed his appeal for medium and large corporations to commit resources to help in working to bridge the so-called "Digital Divide", the gap in IT access and skills that separates the advanced nations and the developing world.During his address, Mr. Pistorio, who is a member of the United Nations Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) Task Force, reiterated an argument he first put forward two years ago, namely that, while building infrastructure and providing Internet access is essential for overcoming the Digital Divide, it is equally important that people be able to use the technology, understand its importance and recognize the benefits it has to offer. He again emphasized the need for education and training as vital tools for offering access to modern means of communication and information, and, through them, to the immense multiplying effect of modern technology on human endeavor.Recognizing that thousands of private enterprises throughout the world possess the know-how and the resources, and therefore could -- and should -- invest in teaching those who have not had access to the education necessary to use a PC and access the Web, Mr. Pistorio again urged medium to large corporations -- i.e. firms with over 250 employees - to voluntarily donate up to 0.1% of their annual revenues and up to 0.1% of their employees' working hours to this cause.Those resources would be utilized for educational purposes, mostly directly by the companies who have donated them, in agreement with local authorities, which could provide some logistic support."My company has already begun working in this direction, and has launched a program of alphabetization courses in information technology in some of the countries where we operate, with Morocco, Malaysia, India and China as the main targets for our initiative, and with the aim of reaching at least one million people in a decade. It's a small contribution on our side, but I am confident that, if an initiative of this type were to meet with a widespread positive response, it could mobilize human and financial resources sufficient to invert the trend, and strike a significant portion of world underdevelopment at the roots," said Pistorio.The World Summit on the Information Society provides a unique opportunity for all key stakeholders to develop a common vision and understanding and to address the whole range of relevant issues related to the Information Society. The Summit has been endorsed by the UN General Assembly, with the International Telecommunication Union taking the lead role in its preparation.For more information on the WSIS please check at http://www.itu.int/wsis/basic/about.htmlSource: PCBnewsline