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Community-Focused Mobile Innovation

Community-Focused Mobile Innovation. Sixth Annual Caribbean Internet Forum The Mobile Internet for Development Port of Spain October 29 – 31, 2008. Michael Hosein, PhD Department of Math and Computer Science The University of the West Indies. Kim I. Mallalieu, PhD

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Community-Focused Mobile Innovation

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  1. Community-Focused Mobile Innovation Sixth Annual Caribbean Internet Forum The Mobile Internet for Development Port of Spain October 29 – 31, 2008 Michael Hosein, PhD Department of Math and Computer Science The University of the West Indies Kim I. Mallalieu, PhD Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering The University of the West Indies

  2. Agenda • Community-Focussed Innovation • The Mobile Internet and CFI • Regional Applications • Opportunities for Mobile Applications • Communications Requirements and Service Choices • Opportunities for Mobile Access to Inet Data • Observations • Transformations

  3. Community Focussed Innovation • Measured in terms of Holistic ROI (HROI): social, cultural, economic, intellectual and lifestyle impact and sustainability • Focuses on poor and other traditionally marginalized communities, e.g. in T&T: • 17% of population estimated as poor • As much as 4% of population may be disabled • Develops and applies technologies, even if only modest potential for economic return, to increase information reach and impact

  4. The Mobile Internet and CFI • mInternet may leverage key resources for CFI: • High penetration of mobileamong poor e.g. • 94% Jamaica poor surveyed (DIRSI 2007) • 86% T&T poor surveyed (DIRSI 2007) • Internet facilitates access to existing facilities; vast and rich resources and global reach • Yet Caribbean mobile data use among poor limited to SMS at low levels (e.g. DIRSI 2007): • 67% mobile users of Jamaica poor surveyed • 46% mobile users of T&T poor surveyed • Main barrier to use is not knowing how to use

  5. Regional Mobile Data Services & Applications • mBanking • mPayments • SMS Push • Competition support • Mobile tv • Content subscription / Pay per use • Internet-to-phone SMS messaging • Email • Remote sensing e.g. fleet tracking • Utilities trouble reporting • Community Skills Bank • Student Messaging Service • Alert Retrieval Cache Finance Entertainment Corporate / Operations Humanitarian / Community-based

  6. Alert Retrieval Cache • SMS messaging for emergency communication • Collaboration led by T&T’s TaranRampersad • Used in major catastrophes, incl. tsunami, since ’05 • Emergency no. established for sending text msgs • Asterisk server runs scripts to receive and relay messages to email lists, websites and RSS • SMS good for disaster as no busy signal • In disaster, SMS allows low phone battery use • Open Source implementation • Various stigmas attached to local R&D • Only word of mouth marketing as not COTS

  7. Observations • Broad-reach Caribbean mobile data services utilize SMS • Despite global trends in mobile innovations, mobile data has not empowered the Caribbean poor: • Existing applications and services predominantly commercially-focussed • Session-oriented and rich content services not accessible to poor (handset cost, service plans and service cost, literacy) • Nevertheless significant scope for basic service and application innovations that link to existing online resources / have online component as step to mInet

  8. Opportunities for Mobile Applications Opportunities for Mobile Applications Stand alone apps Wireless Carrier • Phone to • Phone • Device • Internet PSTN

  9. Comms Requirements and Service Choices Interactivity Basic transfer Text / Voice SMS / EMS Image Push service Rich Content MMS Basic request/response USSD Session-oriented Content Type GPRS GPRS GPRS EDGE EDGE EDGE

  10. Ready Targets for Mobile access to Inet Data

  11. Regional Application Opportunities

  12. Transformations • Policy • Develop m-versions of egov information (and services) • Develop CFI components of National Innovation System • Review UA policy wrt mobile etc. • Regulation • Disallow anti-poor pay-as-you-go pricing schemes • Review service offerings to promote community-focussed innovation activity etc. • Research • Identify vulnerable communities and explore key opportunities for intervention to guide CFI etc. • Transformational Path • Plan and stagger Caribbean route to mInternet • mInternet CFI for Caribbean Development calls for formal and informal collaborations: community, sector, national, regional

  13. Thank You

  14. Metrics to Track Innovation Success • Traditional • R&D budget as % of annual sales • %capital invested in innovation activities • % workforce time dedicated to innovation • In past year / x years: • No. new launches • No. patents filed • No. ideas submitted • % sales from products • % of revenue from launches • No. of entrepreneurs • Share of wealth etc etc. • Social • Financial Sustainability • Social Impact • Scale of organization • Governance • Cost Effectiveness • Community leadership • Employment • Environment • Customer satisfaction • Public expenditure • Public procurement • Social economy • Corporate social responsibility • Grant giving and financial investment

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