Technology at the Margins: How IT Meets the Needs of Emerging Markets (Microsoft Executive Leadership Series, Band 22) - Hardcover

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SAILESH CHUTANI is the cofounder and CEO of Mobisante, Inc. where his goal is to democratize access to healthcare by making diagnostics affordable and accessible. He was formerly a senior director for external research at Microsoft where he pioneered open innovation and funded seminal work in mHealth and technology for the emerging markets. Chutani has also held leadership roles in growing new businesses and products within companies such as Hewlett-Packard, Oracle, Microsoft, and Transarc Corporation.

JESSICA ROTHENBERG AALAMI is the Managing Director of the Gobee Group. Her teams provide research insights and field expertise to global businesses, governments, practitioners and their partners. As a research scholar affiliated with the University of California, Berkeley Roundtable on the International Economy (BRIE), she works extensively in social and economic development and global corporate social responsibility (GlobalCSR). She holds degrees in economic geography and international political economy.

AKHTAR BADSHAH is a Senior Director of Global Community Affairs at Microsoft, where he administers the company's global community investment and employee programs. He also manages the Microsoft Unlimited Potential Community Technology Skills Program, a global initiative designed to help narrow the technology skills gap; and Technology for Social Good that supports nonprofits with their technology needs. Badshah has been in the field of community development for over twenty-five years in various capacities in academia, nonprofits, and business.

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TECHNOLOGY AT THE MARGINS

Information and communication technologies (ICTs) have revolutionized our lives by changing the way we live, play, work, communicate, learn, manage our finances, and stay healthy just think of life without Facebook, cell phones, or email! But the majority of the world's people the four billion at the bottom of the global economic pyramid living on less than $2 a day remain largely unable to benefit from the ICT revolution, mainly due to its irrelevance to their needs and the high cost of technology in relation to their purchasing power. What if we could change all this? What impact would it have on reducing poverty and improving lives? What barriers need to be overcome before this can happen?

A close-up look at the emergence of a new global ethos of innovation, Technology at the Margins is a wake-up call for every international corporation eager to remain competitive through accessible, affordable, and relevant ICTs. Reflecting the authors' diverse backgrounds in engineering, science, business, architecture, education, and economic geography, Technology at the Margins challenges today's global companies to reframe their uses of existing technologies with innovative new ones that make a difference in social and economic development.

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Technology at the Margins

Information and communication technologies (ICTs) haverevolutionized our lives by changing the way we live, play, work,communicate, learn, manage our finances, and stay healthy—justthink of life without Facebook, cell phones, or email! But themajority of the world's people—the four billion at the bottomof the global economic pyramid living on less than $2 aday—remain largely unable to benefit from the ICT revolution,mainly due to its irrelevance to their needs and the high cost oftechnology in relation to their purchasing power. What if we couldchange all this? What impact would it have on reducing poverty andimproving lives? What barriers need to be overcome before this canhappen?

A close-up look at the emergence of a new global ethos ofinnovation, Technology at the Margins is a wake-up call for everyinternational corporation eager to remain competitive throughaccessible, affordable, and relevant ICTs. Take a look at just afew of the areas discussed here, as well as examples of ICTs thatare already creating new market opportunities and changing thefutures of entire populations:

• Health education—mobile ovulation alert services
• Disease surveillance and information gathering—acamera-phone microscope powerful enough to diagnose malaria andtuberculosis
• ICT in the classroom—Intel-powered Classmate PC, a ruggedlaptop for kids and Microsoft's Windows Multipoint Server forschools
• Microfinancing—meeting the financial needs of poorhouseholds through affordable drip irrigation technologies
• Minimizing the impact of natural disasters—wireless sensornetworks that provide early flood detection in underservedcountries

Reflecting the authors' diverse backgrounds in engineering,science, business, architecture, education, and economic geography,Technology at the Margins challenges today's global companies toreframe their uses of existing technologies with innovative newones that make a difference in social and economic development.