infoDev’s 4th Global Forum on Innovation and Technology Entrepreneurship
Compiled Tweets: May 30 – June 1, 2011; Helsinki http://infodevgf.net/
by Dr Madanmohan Rao
Editor, “The Asia-Pacific Internet Handbook”
Research Projects Director, MobileMonday
Email: madan @ techsparks. com
Tweets: http://twitter.com/MadanRao
Books: http://bit.ly/TU12l
TelecomTV: New resources for ICT in agriculture http://bit.ly/m86b1M #ICT4D
#infoDevGF
Baku, Azerbaijan: #MobileMonday’s 123rd city chapter http://bit.ly/iZpxOT http://bit.ly/m8Xch6 #infoDevGF
Over and out — thanks to all organisers/delegates/speakers, and thanks to all re/tweeters in this room and around the world! #infoDevGF
Phil: Next Forum should focus on innovation and socio-economic development #infoDevGF
Phil Mjwara, Director General of the Department of Science and Technology, South Africa www.dst.gov.za Innovation creates growth #infoDevGF
Kirsti Kauppi, Fin gov: We are considering investing Eur1.5M for the infoDev-Nokia-Fin partnership in future #infoDevGF
Jussi: In this world of innovation you ain’t seen nothing yet! #infoDevGF
Jussi Hinkkanen, Nokia MENA: It took us decades to create a culture of innovation and we are still working on it #infoDevGF
infoDev: ICT = Innovate + Connect + Transform #infoDevGF
600 participants, 90 countries at #infoDevGF. 5 new mLabs
announced. Two agricultural sourcebooks launched. 150 people trained in incubation
And now: closing of 4th Global Innovation Forum; next one will be in 2013 in South Africa! #infoDevGF
Heinz Fiedler, infoDev: Don’t just collect business cards as if they are stamps, do something with it! <laughter> #infoDevGF
See #MobileMonday’s Mobile Africa 2011 report at http://bit.ly/leLR1g
#infoDevGF
Alvaro: Living Labs started off as an informal network; now we have more formal structure but not lost informal nature #infoDevGF
Mobile innovation networks: if your city does not yet have a #MobileMonday chapter, sign up at www.MobileMonday.net ! #infoDevGF
Q: Need to distinguish between “network” and “no work” – need connecting techniques which are effective #infoDevGF
@RaduTiciu, Romania: Digital trust can be built online, but consistency is key in building relationships #infoDevGF
Alvaro: Living Labs mechanism helps build trust and verify/build reputations #infoDevGF
Q: The book “Speed of Trust” is interesting — but trust takes time, especially on “faceless” online networks #infoDevGF
Antti Vilpponen, www.arcticstartup.com @arcticstartup – has companies listed in Startup Index #infoDevGF
The European Network of Living Labs: 210 Labs: open innovation through user involvement and co-creation www.openlivinglabs.eu #infoDevGF
RT @openlivinglabs: ENoLL President Alvaro Oliveira on Panel: Incubating Innovation: the know-who & the know-how through networks #InfoDevGF
Quotable quote: SocialWire/Turkey: What Silicon Valley does at a regional level, networked entrepreneurs can do at a global level #InfoDevGF
Quotable quote: @Mfarm_Ke: “Next time you get hungry, please think of the farmers.” #infoDevGF
Congrats to Valerie de Costa of infoDev for organising this awards process/ceremony! #infoDevGF
See full Top50 list at http://www.infodev.org/en/Article.704.html - I wish the list had links embedded! #infoDevGF
More Top 50 SME Winners: VoTek Syria www.votek-group.com #infoDevGF
More Top 50 SME winners: SiamTelemed www.siamtelemed.com ThinkCore/PebbleTalk www.pebbletalk.com SocialWire, Turkey #infoDevGF
More Top 50 SME winngers: Kabinata www.kabinata.com mFarm www.mfarm.co.ke NaisCorp http://naiscorp.com/ #infoDevGF
Palestinian winner from Ibtaker makes passionate speech, and advocates Jerusalem as capital of Palestine. Can’t avoid politics! #infoDevGF
More Top 50 SME winners: EtherVoice www.ethervoice.net Ibtaker, Palestine www.ibtaker.ps #infoDevGF
Touching and inspiring to hear SME winners, many of them too emotional to speak more than a few words! #infoDevGF
Top 50 SME Winners: Acrux Soft www.acruxsoft.com.uy Addicts123 www.addicts123.webs.com Al-Khwarizmi Software, Egypt #InfoDevGF
RT @RaduTiciu: Top50 SME prizes awarding: http://www.goodmood.fi/globalforum/index.php live broadcast from Helsinki #infodevGF
Jason: Need to look at gender issues, social sustainability. Startups in Palestine face physical challenges from Israel #infoDevGF
Jason Downes, Senior Investment Officer, IFC, jokes that he doesn’t want to be the “laxative” of “financial constipation”! #infoDevGF
infoDev Top 50 SMEs: http://www.infodev.org/en/Article.699.html http://www.infodev.org/en/Article.704.html #infoDevGF
750 applications were received for Tech SME Financing competition. Also see http://www.infodev.org/en/Publication.542.html #InfoDevGF
And now: Technology SME Financing Awards! #infoDevGF
Complaints about power outlet shortage here! Event organisers, please read my Top 15 Twitter Tips! http://km.techsparks.com/?p=42 #infoDevGF
Ahmed Laiali of Egypt invites funds to invest in Egypt #InfoDevGF
Usama coins a new term: “financial constipation” — lots of money but no movement in the markets/ecosystem! <laughter> #infoDevGF
Q: In some cultures (eg Middle East) failure is taboo. How to help overcome this cultural stigma for aspiring entrepreneurs? #infoDevGF
Usama: Need to to track growth rates (3X, 7X) of startups to pitch to investors. Training courses are expensive #infoDevGF
The usual VC panel debate begins – some say there is enough money, others say money is the challenge #infoDevGF
Kent Lupberger, IFC: The best moment to invest is the moment of maximum pessimism! #infoDevGF
Folabi: NIgeria has to get it right; we need to set qualitative issues right. Then this will work for other African countries too #infoDevGF
Folabi: The issue is more than money – it is about getting startups to share info about their plans and needs and challenges #infoDevGF
Folabi: We are looking at a mobile strartup; they need proper structure to attract more promoters. #infoDevGF
Folabi: If you only watch CNN, you won’t understand the entrepreneurship potential of regions like West Africa #infoDevGF
Folabi: I used to wonder why Google/Nokia/etc went to Kenya but not also to Ghana/Nigeria. I was told: better safaris! #infoDevGF
Folabi: There was some VC activity in South Africa but none for the rest of Africa #infoDevGF
Folabi Esan, Adlevo Capital www.adlevocapital.com Mauritius/Nigeria: When we began there were no Afr tech startup funds #infoDevGF
Rahul: We also acquired companies to help our anchor investments, eg. 10-people design firm; prototyping firm in Italy, etc #infoDevGF
Rahul Patwardhan, IndiaCo Ventures, Mumbai www.indiaco.com - We build a credible network + got support from infoDev #infoDevGF
Murat: We have funds/partners for free books/phoneplans/airtravel for our selected startups #infoDevGF
Murat: Our Entrepreneur Roundtable has dozens of VCs and hundreds of startups. Moved into more structured format recently #infoDevGF
Murat: We started off as an entrepreneur network in NY, then expanded to Istanbul and Ankara; also Japan. Next: Brasil, India #infoDevGF
Murat Aktihanoglu – Managing Director, ER Accelerator – Turkey/US: www.eranyc.com #InfoDevGF
Bril: Key success factor for accelerators: how to identify those who can leverage human capital and mobilise them #infoDevGF
RT @RaduTiciu: Bril, meeting first Cambridge, MA, VCs in 80s
offering investment w/out collateral seemed an American eccentricity #infodevGF
Bril: Many people in Argentina thought I was running a Patagonia tourism service — hard to explain to people what VC means! #infoDevGF
Bril: Entrepreneurship drive was there in Argentina, but no VCs in the late 90s (dotcom era), when I started up #InfoDevGF
Lisandro Bril, Ax Ventures, Argentina: To succeed means you fail and fail and fail and never give up! #infoDevGF
Fayad: We are raising a $6 million fund for two years; will fund at least 20 companies with it #infoDevGF
Fayyad: Our angel network meeting two weeks ago attracted 80 investors from 10+ countries (including Turkey, US, UK) #infoDevGF
Fayyad: Going from Silicon Valley to Jordan, I was surprised at huge demand for VC/mentor services. We have invested in 15 cos. #infoDevGF
Fayyad: Mentors spend two hours a week with startups for four weeks at launch. They are CEOs of companies #infoDevGF
Fayyad: Startup pitch is converted into a contract, and we check if they have achieved the milestones. Roped in a mentor network #infoDevGF
Fayyad: We also offer bootcamps to startups, 30-60 in each batch. Tough camp, only the good ones survive, we invest in those #infoDevGF
Fayyad: We even start off companies with $15,000 for three months. Focus: ICT, digital, mobile #infoDevGF
Fayyad: It is not just about the funding gap, but the mentorship/advice/formula gap for startups in the Middle East. #infoDevGF
Fayyad: When I started off, there was not a single early-stage VC in the entire Middle East. We are an oasis in the desert #infoDevGF
Fayyad: Middle East – North Africa region has challenges in getting startups off the ground #infoDevGF
Usama Fayyad, Oasis 500, Jordan www.oasis500.com : Regional early-stage fund and entrepreneurship initiative #infoDevGF
RT @UKBI: InfoDev network now includes 350 business incubation
environments in ‘developing economies’ #infodevGF
Day Three of #infoDevGF kicks off: Panel – “Technology FInancing”
http://infodevgf.net/
And now: official release of #ICT4D reports and badly-needed
cocktails… 
#infoDevGF
Magnificent one-day track on mobile innovation wraps up! This global forum should be annual, not biannual! #infoDevGF
Edward: We want to be seen as more like a VC, eg via hackathons #InfoDevGF
Q: Are you also investing in user adoption and not just apps? eg. contests for #ICT4D?
#InfoDevGF
Edward: Big focus is on Africa and Middle East #infoDevGF
Edward: We will eventually move to a global open innovation model #infoDevGF
Q: Is World Bank working on regional basis or vertical sector in these areas, eg. Apps for Development challenge? #infoDevGF
Edward: Connecting the dots is what we are doing in this emerging and exciting space #infoDevGF
Edward: World Bank can help with finding global problem solvers for needs of emerging communities #InfoDevGF
Edward: In some communities, members meet willingly (eg. disaster management), others need to be created #InfoDevGF
Edward: We need to help articulate problem statements in emerging communities #infoDevGF
Edward: Hackathons/TechCamps can crystallise products and services. #infoDevGF
Edward: Need to tap social networks via super-connectors like #MobileMonday to identify experts in local communities
#infoDevGF
Edward: Reform process must happen at the back end in gov to encourage such participatory models in water management #infoDevGF
Edward: Need to connect knowledge, people, apps store for scale and sustainability #InfoDevGF
Edward: jokes that ICT Knowledge Platform for Accountability and Public Service Delivery needs a better name! #InfoDevGF
Edward cites Txteagle http://txteagle.com as way of using mobiles for data collection, engagement, revenues #infoDevGF
Edward: Emerging questions: how to use micro-tasking to generate new jobs/revenues? #InfoDevGF
Edward: Service delivery can be improved by including and aggregating citizen voices #infoDevGF
Edward: Asset verification with cheap phones used in Afgh; order of magnitude reduction in cost compared to earlier devices #infoDevGF
Edward cites case of Daraja project, Tanzania http://www.twaweza.org/index.php?i=218 #infoDevGF
Edward: Open geo-coding opens new opportunities for mashups for broader community interpretation/use #infoDevGF
Edward: In 1 month youth mapped their neighbourhood in Kibera, Nairobi #infoDevGF
Edward: In just a few years we have moved from high-end GIS work to cheap mass sources of geo info #InfoDevGF
Edward: Mass participation/collaboration changes everything. There is maturity emerging in online community work #InfoDevGF
Edward: Bank/donors didn’t expect mobile phones to penetrate emerging markets so fast #infoDevGF
Edward: We are also looking at social media and geospatial info/services, along with mobile #infoDevGF
Edward: The lens through which we see mobile opportunity: “open development” – transparent, participatory, accountable #infoDevGF
Edward Anderson, World Bank: responsible for ICT Knowledge Platform #InfoDevGF
Thanks @emerbeamer – we bonded over beer already
#InfoDevGF
Franco: refers to Silicon Roundabout, UK http://on.ft.com/mNMAGb #infoDevGF
Franco: Competitions, awards, events are also what a good community does to promote its activities (eg. mobile awards) #infoDevGF
Franco: Success maximisers: user experience people (designers/ethnographers) #infoDevGF
Franco: Need local + international mentors. Regional clusters need to become dense enough environments #infoDevGF
Franco: We have two labs: Ghana (financed by Vodafone), Senegal #infoDevGF
Franco: We are a “firestarter” and “glue” in mobile innovation ecosystem #infoDevGF
Franco: Need to move from idea generation to startups. Clarification: We are not a donor #infoDevGF
Franco: Our work is on open gov data, agri benefits of Web, mobile communication patterns, mobile innovation labs #infoDevGF
Franco Papeschi, World Wide Web Foundation www.webfoundation.org Created in 2009 #infoDevGF
Nicola: We are also talking to civil society organisations and engaging with them in issues like rural connectivity #infoDevGF
Nicola: We are talking to infoDev about linking with mLabs also #infoDevGF
Nicola: Standards are needed for selling/buying apps by developers #infoDevGF
Nicola: Donors are looking for good numbers and mobile cases. Need structure, communication, eg. about mobile money #infoDevGF
Nicola: Some monopolistic markets are tough to change in terms of mobile revenue share for startups #infoDevGF
Nicola: Helping operators with green energy needs increases their reach and decreases carbon footprint #infoDevGF
Nicola: Green Power for Mobile: electricity for off-grid locations #infoDevGF
Nicola: We connect developers, operators, donors, vendors. eg. Mobile Banking (with Gates Foundation): 20 projects, 19 countries #infoDevGF
Nicola: There are 5+ billion GSMA connections worldwide. Our Fund started 5 years ago. #infoDevGF
Nicola d’Elia, GSMA Development Fund http://www.gsmworld.com/our-work/mobile_planet/development_fund/ #infoDevGF
Tim: Yes, we plan a global network of mLabs #infoDevGF
Q: Are you targeting Western Africa for new mLabs? #infoDevGF
Tim: mLab services will be aimed at customers such as operators. #InfoDevGF
Q: How is infoDev connecting mobile innovation ecosystems of developed and emerging markets? #infoDevGF
Tim: mLabsWorld.com to be launched soon – online platform for mobile social networking activities #infoDevGF
Tim: We have published Telecom Regulation Handbook. Next – Broadband Strategies Toolkit #InfoDevGF
Tim: infoDev analytical work: www.ICTregulationToolKit.org, business plan templates for mLabs, Knowledge Map of Virtual Economy #infoDevGF
Tim: We also have eight mobile social networking hubs, eg. with #MobileMonday
#infoDevGF
Tim: We have new mLabs in Armenia, Pakistan Vietnam. Accelerate SME competitiveness via developer training, VCs, mentoring, tests #infoDevGF
Tim: Mobiles are substituting for PCs and bank accounts in many emerging economies #infoDevGF
Tim: Mobiles are the largest platform for delivery of development applications, eg Kenya. Low entry barriers for developers #infoDevGF
Tim Kelly, infoDev, founding father of mLab networks: infoDev helps Mobile Social Networking hubs, Mobile Microwork Challenge #infoDevGF
And now: concluding panel on Donor Roundtable for Mobile Innovation: infoDev, GSMA, Web Foundation, World Bank #infoDevGF
Awesome panel comes to an end. Tech fluff crowd needs to address these core issues of agri, environment, energy! #infoDevGF
Stephen: FAO is struggling with these issues; many govts don’t know where to even begin in understanding these tech innovations #infoDevGF
Hackathons can also be a good forum to bring tech developers and farmers together #infoDevGF
Sean: Use mobiles to develop new science and get the science to farmers faster #infoDevGF
Sean: East Africa is using fertilisers based on 1970s guidelines. Need to address knowledge lag #infoDevGF
Sean: New tools – decision support, based on questionnaires/science. eg. for rice farming #InfoDevGF
Q: How to get techies involved in agri space? How to bridge gap between technogeeks and development community? #infoDevGF
Sean: Don’t be just another app in the store — look at the whole ecosystem of product/service innovation #infoDevGF
Sean: To reach the last mile, you need deep partnerships, continuous dialogue with them, eg. INSEAD, WFP, MTN #infoDevGF
Sean: New opportunities: B2B for BoP, via data collection. B2C doesn’t always succeed #infoDevGF
Sean: Info is not enough to do behaviour change. Integrate consumers into your product design. “Dropping” a product doesn’t work #InfoDevGF
Sean: Context is King, intermediaries are King Kong! #infoDevGF
Sean: We have community knowledge workers (CKW) for each group of villages and households #infoDevGF
Sean: Important not just to get data but be able to close the engagement loop #infoDevGF
Sean: WFP baseline survey – kilos of maize harvested in Uganda – we used mobiles for data collection #infoDevGF
Sean: New opportunities – charging phones in villages, data collection, outbound info dissemination service #infoDevGF
Sean: Village phone ladies are still alive and doing well in Uganda – we have 15,000 of them! #infoDevGF
Sean: We harness “wise neighbours” or local community knowledge experts #infoDevGF
Sean: Need to be inclusive: those with disabilities, illiterates, those without ICT devices #infoDevGF
Sean Krepp, Grameen AppLab Uganda: http://www.grameenfoundation.applab.org “Innovation in the Last Mile” #infoDevGF
Andrew: Data quality issue: make sure that promotional data from vendors is not misinterpreted as objective impartial news/info #InfoDevGF
Cori: Also keep an eye on technologies like satellite imagery, wireless sensors for data collection and analysis #infoDevGF
Andrew: Please don’t completely trash governments! <laughter> #InfoDevGF
Rohan/LIRNE Asia: Cautions that crowdsourcing term is improperly used. Reliability comes from trust, transactions, transparency #infoDevGF
Jamila: We also spot leaders in the farming community and work with them. Trainings, demos also help. Need physical presence #infoDevGF
Jamila: We build trust by talking to farmers themselves; eating with them, not just meeting them! #infoDevGF
Daniel Stern, #MobileMonday Kampala: How can a service like
mFarm be replicated in other countries, and retain trust? #infoDevGF
Jamila: We get info by crowdsourcing from part-time reporters and farmers themselves #InfoDevGF
RT @gmeltdown: #infodevGF Jamila: Farmer grew # of bee hives from 3 to 35 in short time with the help of @mfarm_ke
Jamila: ICTs have helped beehive sellers in Kenya; not just farmers #infoDevGF
RT @gmeltdown: #infodevGF Jamila: @mfarm_ke helping farmers in Kenya to acquire solar lamps through group buying
Jamila: m-Farm provides info services (pricing) via #SMS, buying/
selling together (aggregation). Key for success: trust #infoDevGF
Jamila http://mfarm.co.ke – a good way to motivate farmers is with stories by other farmers #infoDevGF
Jamila Abass, m-Farm Kenya: http://www.thinkinnovation.org/en/innovation/innovation.php?c=3&id=86 #infoDevGF
RT @stevevosloo: Through mobiles we are getting good data about
farmers for the first time ever #infodevgf
A: There is untapped potential in voice for farmers for mobiles, eg. IVR to “read out” farming tips. eg in India: taped info #InfoDevGF
Q: How can mobiles be used to target illiterate farmers? Radio and TV have been better in reaching illiterates #infoDevGF
Pekka: Radio, TV still good ways of reaching farmers; use along with mobiles (eg. India, Thailand) #InfoDevGF
Thanks! RT @whiteafrican: “Local Innovation and Entrepreneurs”
whiteafrican.com/2011/05/31/loc… from my talk at #infoDevGF
Pekka: Farmer organisations in poorer countries are behind the curve in learning/using mobile tools #InfoDevGF
RT @gmeltdown: #infodevGF Peka: Coopworks Diary – an open source software for cooperatives accounting in Kenya financed by Finland
Pekka: India and Kenya – use of digital weighing scales to improve trust in agri community traders #infoDevGF
Pekka: India has made many advances in this field of e-agri software, eg. Lypsaa, AkashGanga #InfoDevGF
Pekka: Most farmer organisations still work only with paper and pen. ICTs – better accounting, eg dairy coops #infoDevGF
Pekka: Rural telecentres are agri hubs for farmers. Nokia Life Tools – can target paying customers in larger markets like India #infoDevGF
Pekka: ICTs help farmers with better market info, education, governance practices, promotions #InfoDevGF
Pekka: Breakthrough of simple and cheap ICTs has already happened and is expanding rapidly #infoDevGF
Pekka Jamsen, AgriCord www.agricord.org : Farmer organisations can use ICTs to increase membership, offer better services #infoDevGF
RT @gmeltdown: #infodevGF Cory: Needed emphasis on demand-driven innovation with sustainability, scalability as technology is means- not end
Cori: Need more work on m-agri inclusion with respect to gender, youth, vulnerable groups #infoDevGF
Cori: 20,000 citizens participated in budget planning in DRC. Leads to realistic budgeting practices #infoDevGF
RT @gmeltdown: #infodevGF Cory: Participatory budgeting on mobile in DRC – citizens determining 50% of provincial govt. budget
Cori: CyberTracker helps land/forestry management. Free app, download from Net. GPS + mobile www.CyberTracker.org #infoDevGF
Cori: Other uses of mobiles in agriculture: participatory budgeting, education, crowdsourcing, forestry management #infoDevGF
Cori: National irrigation project in Afghanistan uses mobile + GPS to monitor construction on projects #infoDevGF
Cori: Bulgaria – mobiles are used by NGOs and citizens to monitor illegal logging #infoDevGF
Cori Belden, World Bank: Mobile Apps,are important for Rural e-Gov #InfoDevGF
Stephen/FAO: See www.e-agriculture.org for more resources #infoDevGF
Stephen: Need to go beyond information provisioning to a dialogue process #infoDevGF
Stephen: Issues: ensuring quality content. What if you give wrong advice and a farmer’s crop dies? #infoDevGF
Stephen/FAO: Huge potential for us to leverage crowdsourcing in our domain #infoDevGF
RT @gmeltdown: #infodevgf Stephen: FAO e-agriculture community has over 7,000 members across the world
Stephen: We have used mobiles for pest surveillance, eg. locust monitoring. #InfoDevGF
Stephen: Five areas where mobiles help agriculture: Education, monitoring, collection, market info/trade, financial services #infoDevGF
Stephen Rudgard, FAO: FAO is struggling to keep pace with speed of innovations in mobile #infoDevGF
And now a well-deserved lunch break; thanks to all the speakers, attendees, and re/tweeters in this room and around the world! #infoDevGF
Other opportunities: B2B services, gov services, mobile advocacy solutions for NGOs #infoDevGF
Herman: Education via Mixit; enterprise messaging for their employees, eg. banks #InfoDevGF
Q: What are the opportunities for mobile services other than mass/consumer market? #infoDevGF
RT @gmeltdown: #infodevGF Nguyen: incubators will help you most with relationships – credibility building
Herman: The key for success is innovation, we are ahead of the global players when it comes to innovative services in our market #infoDevGF
Q: Is there still room for local/regional mobile social media players, given the global clout of the Facebooks of the world? #infoDevGF
Nguyen: There are no mobile keypads for typing in local language in Cambodia, Laos — they can only talk or browse #infoDevGF
Nguyen: Laos, Cambodia are also hungry for content, they consume more mobile content per capita than Vietnam #infoDevGF
Nguyen: shares meetings he has had with tech/media players in Finland; he can offer them access to 8M users in Vietnam #infoDevGF
Nguyen: A big factor in Asia is the cheap phones coming from China, eg feature phones #InfoDevGF
Torbjorn: Good example of understanding local needs: Kopo Kopo and m-finance www.kopokopo.com #InfoDevGF
Torbjorn: Need to get local understanding of markets in developing nations. There are elements of a cluster emerging in Nairobi #infoDevGF
Q: How to get VCs to look at emerging markets where are there no VCs at present? #InfoDevGF
Q from FinnPro: How can companies in countries like Finland co-innovate with startups in emerging economies? #InfoDevGF
Herman: Via open API we invite software developers to work on our platform. We give them opportunities to find audience, ads #infoDevGF
Herman: Next steps for Mixit: mobile wallet with real money. We have 10M users in South Africa #infoDevGF
Herman: Operator keeps 50% of revenues for premium #SMS generated by us #infoDevGF
Herman: Revenue options for our instant messaging: subscription (for special services), ads, portals, sales #infoDevGF
Herman: If you don’t make money, your longevity is at stake. By Sep 2006 we broke even (for South Africa market) #InfoDevGF
Herman: We have worked with Dep of Education in South Africa. Also counselling for youth – ChildLine (advice for abused children) #infoDevGF
Herman: Many users in South Africa will never have a PC, but an email is invaluable for them also, eg. to apply for jobs #infoDevGF
Herman: Now we have integrated with TV, eg Survivor. Radio interaction: listeners chat with DJs #infoDevGF
Herman: We have 250K people playing chess on Mixit. Also let new music artistes share their work. #infoDevGF
Herman: Our app lets users send messages longer than a standard #SMS. Now we have added video, voice. #infoDevGF www.MixIt.com
Herman Heunis, Mixit, South Africa: We started in 2004. High cost of #SMS in those days. Today: 38M users. “Darling of youth” #infoDevGF
Nguyen: I had a two-hour talk with Eric Schmidt about Vietnam and its Internet/mobile markets. #infoDevGF
Nguyen: Entrepreneurs must learn to talk and talk to VCs! Also have vision and passion, shared by the team #infoDevGF
Nguyen: Our VCs are IDG (2006) and Softbank (2009) #InfoDevGF
Nguyen: Advice to entrepreneurs: choose a good team, that is what the VC will look at and assess #infoDevGF
Nguyen: We also had to convince investors that mobile Internet services had good market potential in Vietnam #InfoDevGF
Nguyen: Mobile entrepreneurs need to understand mobile operators, market research firms, VCs, regulators – big challenge! #InfoDevGF
RT @gmeltdown: #infodevGF Nguyen: Socbay in Vitenam has over 140 employees + Mobile app with over 8m people
Nguyen Xuan Tai, CEO, NaisCorp www.naiscorp.com Vietnam – A Day in the Life of a Mobile Services Entrepreneur #infoDevGF
Torbjorn: Micro-enterprises are an important lubricant for the mobile ecosystem. Need research on these dynamics #InfoDevGF
Torbjorn: This domain has a lot of volatility, due to tech/social/biz/gov changes. Entrepreneurs need to be flexible, learn fast #infoDevGF
RT @gmeltdown: #infodevGF Torbjrn: need to change mindset of the poor as passive consumers but producers and innovators as well
RT @e_agriculture: Launch of e-Sourcebook: “Information &
Communication Technologies for Agriculture” http://bit.ly/kyC9Vu #infodevGF
UNCTAD’s Information Economy Report series http://www.unctad.org/Templates/Page.asp?intItemID=3594&lang=1 #infoDevGF
Torbjorn: Mobile services can meet needs of micro-enterprises in emerging markets #infoDevGF
Torbjorn: Broadband connectivity is accelerating micro-work, outsourcing, crowdsourcing #InfoDevGF
Torbjorn Fredriksson, UNCTAD: This is the first time that many of the world’s poor have access to an interactive device #infoDevGF
Useful URLs: Global award winners (World Summit Awards): www.wsis-award.org www.wsa-mobile.org #infoDevGF
Useful URLs: South Asia #ICT4D awards www.ManthanAward.org
www.mBillionth.in #infoDevGF
Useful URLs: Mobile Africa 2011 report www.MobileMonday.net #infoDevGF
Up next: looking forward to moderating the panel on “Mobile Entrepreneurship: How to Succeed in Emerging Markets” #infoDevGF
Rohan: We have done work on disaster management using mobiles: cell broadcasting. #infoDevGF
Rohan: I spent many years in gov. Incremental policy change can work, not radical change #infoDevGF
RT @gordonpatrick: It is interesting that there is such a vibrant
mobile app community but int dev community can’t figure it out #infoDevGF
Paula: Mobile operators need to do more for BoP users, not just make outrageous amounts of money. Daylight robbery in Africa #infoDevGF
Paula: Ericsson has done good work on mobile use during natural disasters #infoDevGF
Q: Need to do something radical to get governments on board the mobile innovation agenda, the way GSMA does with operators #infoDevGF
Rohan: Many governments sit on their info like a dragon, they should release it to the public and make life easier for SMEs #infoDevGF
Rohan: hSenid in Sri Lanka has a platform to let mobile app developers find audiences overseas via Eitsalat #infoDevGF
RT @gmeltdown: #infodevGF Paula’s recent publication is about mobile money transactions in Tanzania
Q: What is the real responsibility of governments in helping SMEs and ecosystems, especially for mobiles? #infoDevGF
RT @Afrinnovator: “The biggest problem in #Kenya is devs getting their #apps marketed and distributed.” by @owigarj #infoDevGF
Rohan: Cuba, Myanmar, North Korea – need better mobile policy #infoDevGF
Video: “If you want to liberate a country, give them the Internet” – Wael Ghonim, Google #infoDevGF
Video running: Context is the new battleground for business. Global + local + personal mobiles/social media #infoDevGF
RT @gmeltdown: #infodevGF 60% mobile phone penetration and 22% internet penetration in Kenya – @owigarj
Judith: One of our members has developed an app called M-Order, for SMEs #infoDevGF
Judith: m-Farm @mfarm_ke gives farmers info without having to rely on exploitative middlemen #infoDevGF
Judith: AkiraChix hosts Meetups, #MobileMonday, Random Hacks of
Kindness, and Nairobi Mobile Garage #infoDevGF
Judith Owigar, AkiraChix, Kenya: http://akirachix.com/ Kenya has 60% mobile phone penetration #infoDevGF
RT @gmeltdown: #infodevGF Paula Uimonen: if you are living on less than $2 a day you have to be very creative – BOP
Paula makes a plea for people-centred innovation in mobile: ethnography, everyday life, affordable #infoDevGF
Paula: BoP innovations: missed calls, shared smartphones, mobile phone as music players #infoDevGF
Paula shows photo of “handsfree” phone user in Africa: phone fills the hole in his earlobe! #infoDevGF
Paula: Half the world’s population lives in cities. Big problem in Africa: electricity. People have to pay to charge phones #infoDevGF
Paula: Communication is a basic human need, no surprise that it helped revolutions in Tunisia, Egypt #infoDevGF
Paula Uimonen, SPIDER Sweden: The Swedish Program for ICT in Developing Regions www.spidercenter.org #infoDevGF
Rohan: Bangladesh government is trying to squeeze operators more. Godawful policy move. 3G is also a slow starter in India #infoDevGF
Rohan: Biggest barrier is government uncertainty regarding mobile payments. Neither yes or no, just vague and unpredictable #infoDevGF
Rohan: Profile of a Sri Lankan SME owner – they are not looking for freebies, but useful services in education, business info #infoDevGF
RT @gmeltdown: #infoDevGF co-innovation is critical for Finnish companies hence Nokia/Gov support for mLabs lile @mlabeastafrica and @mlabsa
Rohan: Village phone ladies are going out of business — most people in Bangladesh have their own phones. #infoDevGF
Rohan: Many mobile phones in Philippines are not used for voice at all — 100% #SMS only #infoDevGF
Rohan: 2008: Mobiles have overtaken radio in BoP households in Indo-Gangetic plain, world’s largest concentration of poor people #infoDevGF
Rohan: Many Base/Bottom of Pyramid users of mobile Internet are not aware that they are using the Internet #infoDevGF
Rohan: results from 10,000-sample survey in 6 Asian countries: India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Thailand, Philippines #infoDevGF
Rohan Samarajiva, Lirne Asia: TeleUse at the Asian BoP www.LIRNEasia.net #infoDevGF
Up next: Panel on “Mobile at the Base of the Pyramid” – speakers from Sri Lanka, Kenya; Sweden #infoDevGF
RT @maja_a: “When you ask kids with mobiles if they use Facebook, they say yes. If you ask if they use Internet, they say no.” #infodevgf
RT @gmeltdown: #infodevGF Alex of @GeSCI: mobile phone will remain computing device for most ppl in emerging economies
Alex: Some users of mobile Internet don’t even know they are using the Internet. Apps should be seamless #infoDevGF
Ilkka: Nokia hopes to create new mobile channels through Microsoft; wider opportunity. Perhaps timing could have been different #infoDevGF
Ilkka: Regulatory environment needs to be supportive of mobile payments – good example of favourable policy #infoDevGF
Emerging economy policies need to move from “one step forward two steps back” to at least “two steps forward one step back” #infoDevGF
RT @gmeltdown: #infodevGF Alex: The current place for mobile phones in education is in informal education – immediate business potential
Q: Need better revenue share with operators. In Pakistan operator keeps a whopping 70%. World Bank should address this imbalance #infoDevGF
Q: Don’t just talk about mobile phones, we should also look at tablets and mini-tablets. #InfoDevGF
Q: What is Nokia’s value proposition to those moving to Apple and Android? Android is more popular in Asia #infoDevGF
Ilkka: Public sector and educators need to learn from how entertainment content has created new demand, interactions on mobiles #infoDevGF
Alex: The issue is still about education: educators need to learn how to use mobiles in creative ways #infoDevGF
Q: Don’t mobiles also distract learners? #infoDevGF
Q: How to engage local SMEs in m-education? Q: How to create content in m-health education? #infoDevGF
Q: Will mobiles remove need for PC labs in classrooms? Q: How can mobiles work with telecentre initiatives? #infoDevGF
Delegate from Egypt identifies challenges in his country: educators have no time to test/assess how to use mobiles for education #infoDevGF
RT @maja_a Don’t look for the killer app, biggest impact comes from simple communication. – Brooke Partridge, on mobile health #infodev
RT @maja_a Alex Twinomugisha, gesci.org : 120 million people in china read novels on #mobile phones every day. #infodevgf
Alex: Mobile social media are enabling people in emerging economies to collaborate as never before. Key driver of mobile Internet #infoDevGF
Alex: Mobile technologies will disrupt the traditional education system. Kids, adults are learning sthg new every day via mobiles #infoDevGF
Alex: Small size of screen/keys has not been an impediment to m-learning, unlike early pessimistic predictions #infoDevGF
Alex: You can do so much of informal education via mobiles even using just voice and #SMS #infoDevGF
Alex: There is also incredible takeup of adult education services outside classroom, eg. learning English in Bangladesh, China #infoDevGF
Alex: We have content for mobile phone downloads, eg videos. Tanzania has 21M mobile subscribers #infoDevGF
(We need tweeters from the other parallel #infoDevGF tracks: Climate Technologies, AgriBusiness)
Alex: Mobiles have incredible potential for education. Tanzania: 18,000 schools. 10M students. Mobiles better choice than PC labs #infoDevGF
Alex: As compared to earlier landline Internet wave, mobiles are truly ubiquitous in emerging economies #infoDevGF
Alex: Challenge for educators: how to keep curriculum relevant in today’s fast changing world and create lifelong skills #infoDevGF
Alex Twinomugisha, Global eSchools and Communities Initiative www.gesci.org - Issues: quality, keeping kids in school, e-content #infoDevGF
Brooke: 90% of Afr healthcare workers use mobiles; design solutions incorporating them, even if not all patients have mobiles #infoDevGF
Brooke: Need research on sustainable business models for mobile startups and services, for emerging markets such as Africa #infoDevGF
Brooke: African Union and others are producing a report on e-Transformation in Africa through mobile phones #infoDevGF
Brooke: Africa has crossed 500 million mobile subscribers base #infoDevGF
Brooke: MDnet is a good example of an m-Health initiative in Ghana http://www.africaaid.org/programs/mdnet #infoDevGF
Brooke Partridge, VitalWave: Need to be wary of “bright shiny device syndrome”: mobile tech can’t solve everything just by itself #infoDevGF
Ilkka: In addition to operators/developers, emerging economies need gov support as well as incubators for mobile startups #infoDevGF
Ilkka: Nokia + Finnish government + World Bank are funding mLabs in emerging economies: holistic engagement #infoDevGF
Ilkka: Need to understand local needs, eg. add torch feature to mobile phone. Next: what can mobile broadband do? #InfoDevGF
Ilkka: Farmers in Africa told me that mobiles were a life-changing tool for them; that put more of a sense of purpose for me #infoDevGF
Ilkka: In Africa, micro-entrepreneurship is a massive phenomen, covering 90% of employment base, 65% of GDP #infoDevGF
Ilkka: 1 million mobile subscribers are being added daily #infoDevGF
Ilkka Lakaniemi, Director, Business Environment Strategy,Nokia: The scale of the mobile industry is unparalleled in human history #infoDevGF
Looking forward to moderating the panel on “Mobile Entrepreneurship” at #infoDevGF this morning! http://infodevgf.net/9
Kicking off shortly: Day Two of infoDev’s 4th Global Forum on Innovation and Technology Entrepreneurship! http://infodevgf.net #infoDevGF
#MobileMonday panel at #InfoDevGF wraps up! Networking facilitated by copious beer follows… 
Vesa: Advice for entrepreneurs: don’t over-engineer in the beginning, see how market responds and then adjust #infoDevGF
Jari: Next steps for #MoMo: benchmarking, global services, research reports InfoDevGF
Jari: #MoMo network helped validate a Lamborghini mobile game #infoDevGF
Jari: I am just swimming with the mobile innovators; the community dictates where it wants to go. We will add Global Services #infoDevGF
Jari: Challenge: how can “open model” innovation movements monetise their networks? #infoDevGF
Jari: We share our brand; even our logo is re-designed by local chapters. Our community drives the network #infoDevGF
Jari Tammisto, #MobileMonday: Key for our success is passion. To get engaged in the mobile revolution worldwide, join #MoMo! #infoDevGF
RT @RaduTiciu: “entrepreneurship is a mental disease we should spread” Andre Noel Chaker #infodevGF
http://grapholearning.info - mobile game for helping children learn, in their own languages #infoDevGF
Vesa: Think of us as a “collective cyber guardian angel” – www.mywot.com #infoDevGF
Vesa Perala: Web of Trust has 21 million Web sites as members (reputation assessment). Customer services, phishing assessed #infoDevGF
Niiles Airola: www.noemissionmonday.com Social media has helped global spread of advocacy/activist movements #infoDevGF
Finland panel: No Emission Monday (!), Mobile Monday, Grapho Learning, Web of Trust: “Going Global” #infoDevGF
Tipping points, new opportunities: venture capital interest in smaller cities, solutions/services for rural markets, B2B/M2M #infoDevGF
An honour to join panelists from Nigeria, Egypt, Georgia: “Mobile Innovation Trends” #infoDevGF
Heikki: We pioneered the category of Nokia Life Tools: 9 million users. Commercial service. #infoDevGF
Heikki: Nokia has world’s fastest growing app store. Series 40 has 500 million users around the world #infoDevGF
Heikki: Building a profitable ecosystem should include easy billing for operators & developers; we have launched stimulus grants #infoDevGF
Heikki: Nokia’s aim is to bridge the gap and connect the 20 to the 80 #infoDevGF
Heikki: Today 20% of world’s population can access the Net; 80% of the world’s population has mobile network coverage #infoDevGF
Nokia’s Head of Corporate Strategy Heikki Norta: Our early visions of convergence (mobile Internet) are coming true now #InfoDevFG
Mobile entrepreneur networking lessons learnt in Vietnam: Beer makes people talk, women make people stay! #infoDevGF
infoDev’s @Maja_A introduces 7 mobile grant winners from Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Vietnam, Nepal, Georgia, Azerbaijan #infoDevGF
Pekka: Helsinki is a fun city which works. Helsinki will be World Design Capital of the Year 2012, will use mobile as showcase #infoDevGF
(Thanks to Helsinki City Hall for free WiFi… #infoDevGF
Deputy Mayor of Helsinki Pekka Sauri welcomes #MobileMonday and #infoDevGF attendees to the CIty Hall
#MoMo Baku founder commits to hosting a MoMo event during next
EuroVision song contest! #infoDevGF
#MobileMonday now has chapters in 124 cities around the world! Newest members: Baku/Azerbaijan, Chisinau/Moldova; #infoDevGF
“Smile – it’s Monday” – official #MobileMonday greeting! #infoDevGF
Video: #MobileMonday is a movement, a community, an activity, an
peer-driven innovation ecosystem; largest mobile event organiser #infoDevGF
Kicking off now: #MoMo Helsinki panel: Passion for Mobile Entrepreneurs! http://bit.ly/jGGCMC #infoDevGF www.MobileMonday.net
Coming up in our #MobileMonday #infoDevGF panel this evening: peer-to-peer innovation validation, innovator ecosystems, App stores for #ICTD
Coffeetime chatter at #infoDevGF – Living Labs www.openlivinglabs.eu Water Benchmarking www.ib-net.org Open Data www.opendatafoundation.org
Coffeetime chatter at #infoDevGF – about Random Hacks of Kindness www.rhok.org Water Hackathon www.waterhackathon.org
Looking forward to our #MobileMonday panel this evening in Helsinki
- where #MoMo was born! #infoDevGF www.MobileMonday.net
Mobile/wireless services/products on display at #infoDevGF: NAIS
www.NaisCorp.com Addicts123 www.Addicts123.com
Mobile/wireless services/products on display at #infoDevGF:
www.AltaCode.com AkiraChix www.AkiraChix.com Siam Telemed www.SiamTelemed.com
Mobile/wireless services/products on display at #infoDevGF: M-
Farm www.mfarm.co.ke EtherVoice www.EtherVoice.net AmerPages www.Amerpages.com
Checking out some of the exhibits now from infoDev’s “Top 50 SME” winners http://www.infodev.org/en/Article.704.html #infoDevGF
infoDev: World’s Top 50 SMEs Emphasise Unconventional Connections through Mobile & ICT http://www.infodev.org/en/Article.710.html #infoDevGF
FYI: Media coverage of infoDev’s recent study on the development potential of the virtual economy http://bit.ly/jzEOD9 #infoDevGF
Mikko cites example of Angry Birds expanding into theme parks around the world; can public sector help here? #infoDevGF
Mikko: Globalisation 2.0 is hitting us hard, much of the action is moving to Asia #infoDevGF
RT @klahde #InfoDevGF Antti Peltomäki from EU: we have been good at
transforming money to research, but not the other way around
RT @maja_a Parting words: “hack, tinker and play” @whiteafrican #infodevgf
RT @AfroBella11 “What’s needed is a culture of creativity, entrepreneurship, failing and succeeding” Pekka Himanen #infodevGF via @whiteafrican
RT @RaduTiciu #infodevGF today and Wednesday sessions will be live broadcasted
here http://bit.ly/infodevGF
RT @gmeltdown Research is transformation of money into knowledge – Eduardo Costa at #infodevgf
RT @klahde #InfodevGF Mmboneni Muofhe: “in South Africa everything comes
from the ground… Gold, diamonds, wine.” Innovation as well?
RT @RaduTiciu being a “do tank” vs being a “think tank”, Andres Pesce, of Fundacion Chile http://www.fundacionchile.com/en #infodevGF
Logging in now from infoDev’s 4th Global Forum on Innovation and Technology Entrepreneurship, Helsinki! http://infodevgf.net #infoDevGF
)