FCEM in the Avant-garde of ICT applications serving enterprise

The FCEM Internet Platforms, the FCEM Web Site Portal: Information, management and communications technology applied by women for women’s entrepreneurship

 FCEM is the economic NGO leader in the application of the Internet as the major vehicle for communication, networking, management and the promotion of SMEs and Associations of Women Entrepreneurs.

It was during the 48th FCEM World Congress held in Tunis, Tunisia in October 2000 that the FCEM Recommendations of Carthage were formulated and adopted as follows:
° Endeavour towards the consolidation of sustainable and equitable development by further strengthening the efficiencies of the business network of women entrepreneurs from the five continents
°  Initiate an active North-South partnership through the exchange of experiences, the support to development, mixed investment, integrated distribution networks
° Mastery of the new information and communication technologies as an imperative for the development and expansion of SMEs. It allows gains in time, reactivity, flexibility, access to information and to international markets in real time.

As a result of these recommendations the project for the development of the FCEM Web Site Portal and an on-line network through the creation of the Internet systems: “Association Platform” and “Entrepreneur Platform” has been realized.  Today the FCEM has at its disposition a state-of-the-art e-technology optimising the application of the Internet as a vehicle for information, communication, interactive management and international commerce.

The FCEM Web Site Portal www.FCEM.org

Optimizes the use of ICT to increase information flow on FCEM actions and activities to FCEM members, international institutions and the general public. The FCEM Web Site created in 1995 was transformed into a dynamic portal in 2002 by Tunisian ICT technicians, and offers the following advantages:
° Dynamic structure
° Rapid and high performance research engine
° The liberty of back office web mastering
The Web Site Portal features links to the web sites of FCEM member associations and useful web sites in addition to links to the FCEM Association Platform and the FCEM/CandGo Entrepreneurs Platform.

The FCEM Associations Platform: www.FCEM.ws

Designed for exchanges between the FCEM member national associations in intranet and with other associations in extranet, the FCEM Associations Internet Platform is a tool for communication and administration in security in a private virtual office where associations can:
° Manage their internal and external communications
° Manage their membership and manage their operations, events and associative tasks
° Regroup on-line their regional delegations in working groups
° Practice interactive networking and ‘Best Practices’ sharing with the other national associations of the FCEM network.
All FCEM national associations, members of the Steering Committee, and FCEM Regional Commissioners have their own private Virtual Office for their FCEM work free of charge.

The Entrepreneurs Platform: www.candgo.com

For the communication on-line an exchanges between members of a groups, an enterprise, its contacts, its administrative and commercial management. The Entrepreneurs Internet platform furnishes to the entrepreneur (SME) a Virtual Office with on-line tools for commercial management, marketing, promotion and communications as well as international visibility through their presence in the B2B Marketplace.
The platform constitutes an economic and efficient vehicle via its on-line tool modules favouring;
° The management of communications and commercial operations
° The development of markets, business and partnership opportunities
° Improvements in productivity and cost reductions
° An international Internet presence within the world market.

The African Development Bank, official development partner for FCEM/CandGo Platforms
The African Development Bank, Private Sector Division, promoting the importance of Information and Communication Technology and Internet connectivity as a viable means for the development and the integration of African enterprises into the world economy, has become an official development partner for the CandGo Platforms. Thanks to financing by the African Development Bank, the new Partnership and Buyer-Seller exchange have been created and are now on-line in the B2B Marketplace. More complementary tools such as an open forum, library, and surveys are planned for development and integration, expanding the networking opportunities for CanGo Virtual Office subscribers.

More and More Countries represented among Subscribers to the CandGo Entrepreneur Platform
In a recent profiling report (July 2005) of subscribers to the Entrepreneurs Platform it is noted that the subscribers base includes users from all around the world, countries represented include: Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cameroon, Canada, Croatia,  Estonia, France, Germany, India, Italy, Malta, Mauritius, Monaco, Morocco, Netherlands, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan, Peru, Poland, Republic Democratic of Congo, Rodriguez, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, Syria, Thailand, Tunisia, Turkey and the USA.

CandGo conducts training and promotion séances with women entrepreneurs
CandGo management team has been busy this spring and summer giving presentations and training sessions in Cameroon and Morocco in April, in Mauritius and Rodriguez in May and in Tunis, Tunisia in June.
The Moroccan association in follow-up has organized three training workshops in Morocco during the months of May and June and will be organizing workshops in September. In Morocco a commercial support system has been established.
The National Association of Women Entrepreneurs of Tunisia (CNFCE) will be organizing five subsequent seminars and workshops throughout the country over the next year.
The Mauritius association of women entrepreneurs has submitted a financing proposal to the Economic Development Commission for the integration of the islands of Indian Ocean region

FCEM/CandGo participates at the World Summit on the Information Society.
In conjunction with the world organization of women entrepreneurs, FCEM, CandGo held presentation workshops in Tunisia in parallel to the World Summit on the Information Society organized in Tunis, Tunisia, November 14 to 19, 2005.