A world famous software company has recently polled the attitude of tutors across Central Europe on the usage of latest virtual reality /VR/ technologies in classrooms. Almost 50% of the polled support the idea. Teachers aged below 30 show the greatest enthusiasm, as 58% of them would use VR in their work. This is only some of the interesting news one can find on the pages of the most influential expert IT newspaper in this country – Computerworld Bulgaria, regularly read by companies from both the state owned and private sectors. The edition holds its annual contest IT Projects of the Year and most of the projects, nominated for 2016 came from the private sector. At the same time those from the public one were fewer, but more significant in terms of their range. It came as a great surprise to everybody that the top award was handed to a project of the National Social Security Institute, allowing quicker and easier access of citizens to the social security system.

Chair of the E-governing State Agency Rosen Zhelyazkov gave the award to the winner:

"Everybody sees the NSSI as a traditional and conservative institution, but it demonstrates a modern way of thinking, thus outrunning many other sectors of the state administration,’ Mr. Zhelyazkov says. ‘Their project comes as a proof that e-governing is not an end in itself. This is a process which has to change the way of thinking, providing accessible administrative services of good quality, so that at one point citizens and business will communicate less and less with the state in the old, traditional and outdated way. That is how everyone will save from the most important resource that we have – time. The awarded NSSI project saves over 30% of the time, usually needed for different administrative activities."

The special award for exceptional contribution in the development of environmental modern technologies is among the prizes in the public sector. It was given to the Bulgarian Ports Infrastructure Company for the construction of an information platform under a project for monitoring and information system for the Black Sea. ‘This award comes as yet another recognition of the work done and our project is a joint effort with our partners on sailing traffic’s management across the Black Sea and along the Danube River,’ CEO of the state owned company Angel Zaburtov says and adds:

"This is not the first award, but it’s an interesting one. It is for a project which involves monitoring and an information system for the Black Sea. We have built up an e-platform, containing data, input by our partners. The organizations interested have access to it – the Sofia University, the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, the Naval School and anyone, involved in maritime activities. We intend to apply with partners from Romania, Turkey and Georgia under the Black Sea OP and to construct with them a full information network on our sea. It basically concerns the environmental frames of the Black Sea and also its fish resources. I hope that the project will grow in that direction as well – on the monitoring of fish resources in different segments. Ecology is a significant part of our activities and we are also attracting new partners for that purpose. The website of our agency gives a link to the platform’s website. It is also accessible and anyone with interests in this issue might check out the real data that we provide," CEO of BPIC Angel Zaburtov says in conclusion.

English version: Zhivko Stanchev