Technology at the margins : how IT meets the needs of emerging markets

Remain competitive by offering more accessible, affordable, and relevant information technologies that meet mass-market needs

Technology at the Margins demonstrates that by making IT more accessible, affordable, and relevant, new mass markets can be opened. Based on solid insights generated in key areas of health, education, finance and the environment, the book offers practical recommendations and insights from world leaders, innovators, practitioners and new users of emergent technologies.

Offers recommendations on how companies can ensure their own competitiveness by offering more accessible, affordable, and relevant information technologies to support mass market needs Suggests practical recommendations and insights from world leaders, innovators, practitioners and new users of emergent technologies Challenges businesses to rethink their uses of existing technologies

Technology at the Margins will be of interest to decision makers in the private, public and nonprofit sectors who are interested in opportunities offered by IT in meeting the needs of those at the base of the worlds economic pyramid.

• Foreword p. xiii
• Preface p. xvii
• Chapter 1 Information and Communication Technologies for Everyone p. 1
• Innovative Ways to Reach the Majority of the World p. 1
• What Are the Barriers to Success? p. 7
• Where Are We Today? p. 8
• Summary Points p. 26
• Notes p. 26
• Chapter 2 Health Care: Where and When It Is Needed p. 29
• World Health p. 29
• Health Education p. 35
• Health Administration and Management p. 40
• Telemedicine p. 43
• Diagnosis and Prevention p. 45
• Disease Surveillance and Information Gathering p. 51
• Taking Stock p. 53
• Steps to Take to Move into the Future p. 55
• Summary Points p. 58
• Notes p. 59
• Chapter 3 Outside the "Education Box" p. 61
• Who's Getting an Education? p. 61
• Breaking Down the Problem p. 63
• Classroom ICT: A History of Unmet Expectations p. 67
• Curriculum within Reach p. 68
• Corporations Invest in ICT for Education p. 71
• New Delivery Methods p. 73
• Effective Mediation p. 77
• What Is Known? p. 78
• New Directions and Challenges Ahead p. 79
• Summary Points p. 83
• Notes p. 84
• Chapter 4 Microfinance: The Next Phase p. 87
• Who Are the "Unbanked"? p. 87
• Microfinance: Meeting Financial Needs of Poor Households p. 88
• Microfinance Goes Beyond the "Lending Circle" Approach p. 90
• Barriers to Microfinance p. 92
• ICT Is Helping p. 94
• Management Information Systems Now at the Core of Microfinance p. 102
• Where Does Microfinance Go from Here? p. 105
• Challenges p. 107
• Summary Points p. 108
• Notes p. 109
• Chapter 5 Supporting the World in a Changing Environment p. 111
• World of Limited Resources p. 111
• Moving Science from Labs to the Field p. 113
• Minimizing the Impact of Natural Disasters p. 125
• Where Do We Go from Here? p. 131
• Summary Points p. 132
• Notes p. 132
• Chapter 6 Conclusion: Harnessing Disruption p. 135
• Reimagining the Role of Experts p. 136
• Reimagining the Role of Institutions p. 137
• Reimagining Partnerships p. 138
• Reimagining Business Models p. 139
• Reimagining Research p. 140
• Reimagining Our Biases p. 141
• Reimagining Public Infrastructure p. 142
• Looking Ahead p. 142
• Notes p. 143
• References p. 145
• Index p. 157