Note: These are notes from the MobEA V: Mobile Web in Developing Worlds Workshop, which is located with WWW2007.
Mobile web in the developing world is about the people. There is a quote from the guardian, “if we wait for aid, we wait forever.”
It really isn’t developing countries. It’s developing regions. There is a big difference between the urban and rural areas.
We can’t impose our solutions on them. We have to understand the people. We have to have a collaborative approach.
By 2015, there will be 5 billion mobile phones. In Nigeria, the biggest selling phone is the Nokia N70. A increase in 10% mobile penetration raises GDP by 1.2%.
Ubiquitous computing will emerge from the developing world. Necessity is the mother of all invention. Technology will take hold where it is depended on.
Keep it simple. Customer experience is key. It needs to be universally accessible. Show the monetary benefit.
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