More Tech Salons About Mobile Network Operators

  • collaboration humanitarina aid mobile network operators

    Positive Collaboration Is Possible Between Aid and Mobile Sectors

    London | By on July 21, 2019 | Comments Off on Positive Collaboration Is Possible Between Aid and Mobile Sectors

    Recently, the Digital Impact Alliance, DAI and Accenture Development Partnerships hosted a London Technology Salon on the question of: “Is Positive Collaboration Possible Between Aid and Mobile Sectors?” Subscribe today to get invited to future Technology Salons in London Eminent thought leaders Diana Sang (Digital Impact Alliance) and Oliver Rowntree (GSMA) shared their varied experiences…

  • private sector data

    4 Steps to Access Private Sector Data for Public Goods

    Washington DC | By on July 13, 2018 | Comments Off on 4 Steps to Access Private Sector Data for Public Goods

    We in the international development sector often have this perception that the private sector is way more advanced than we in the collection, analysis, and use of user data. That somehow Facebook, Google, and every Mobile Network Operator has a God-like dashboard that instantly displays every data point and trend imaginable, at the touch of…

  • whatsapp strategy

    6 Reasons Why WhatsApp is a Game Changer for International Development

    Washington DC | By on March 1, 2018 | Comments Off on 6 Reasons Why WhatsApp is a Game Changer for International Development

    Quickly messaging people via computing technology is not a new activity. Internet Relay Chat (IRC) started in 1988, and we’ve gone through messaging service peaks with AOL, Yahoo, Blackberry, and SMS. Now there is a new wave of messaging apps and it’s Facebook Messenger, Viber, Telegram, Signal and WhatsApp’s turn. As one participant said at…

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  • Why VAS Vendors Are Key to M4D Solutions

    Washington DC | By on July 29, 2015 | Comments Off on Why VAS Vendors Are Key to M4D Solutions

    The “How to Work with VAS Vendors for M4D Impact?”, Technology Salon featured a lively discussion with Vijay Sai Pratap, Julia Burchell, and Kristen Roggemann. We focused on value-added service (VAS) vendors, the third-party organizations who create, integrate, launch, and maintain mobile services outside of ‘core’ Mobile Network Operator services: voice, SMS, and data. Participants…

  • Know Your Customer is the Secret to MNO Negotiations

    Washington DC | By on February 10, 2015 | Comments Off on Know Your Customer is the Secret to MNO Negotiations

    NGOs and social service organizations are increasingly turning to mobile technology as a tool for designing and delivering services to the poor, whether in health, education or any other sector. And of course a major element of these services is often the delivery of cash transfers, for which mobile money can play a critical role….

  • How Can We Successfully Partner with Mobile Network Operators?

    Washington DC | By on July 29, 2014 | Comments Off on How Can We Successfully Partner with Mobile Network Operators?

    Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) and development organizations need each other, but few preexisting partnerships have yielded success stories worth boasting about. MNOs offer scale and an established structure for services, while development organizations offer unique insight and connections to “untapped” markets such as rural populations and women.

  • Local Content: Needed to Connect With Communities

    Washington DC | By on February 11, 2014 | Comments Off on Local Content: Needed to Connect With Communities

    At the December Technology Salon, the word “Local Content” emerged as multifaceted term that has different definitions across development organizations and sectors. Priya Jaisinghani and Jonathan Dolan of USAID, and John Garrity of Cisco, led the discussion about what orgs are doing in regards to Local Content. Participants’ definitions of Local Content ranged from news,…

  • The Best Mobile Data Collection System Exists: Choice is the Challenge

    Washington DC | By on September 24, 2012 | Comments Off on The Best Mobile Data Collection System Exists: Choice is the Challenge

    You might think that the topic of collecting data via mobile devices would be a rather dry discussion of data management and statistical methodology. You would be very, very wrong. The Technology Salon all but came to blows as we wrestled with privacy issues, total costs of ownership, and other elephants in the room. When…

  • The Top 5 Countries for ICT4D in Africa are Kenya, Ghana, Nigeria, Tanzania, and…?

    Washington DC | By on March 22, 2012 | Comments Off on The Top 5 Countries for ICT4D in Africa are Kenya, Ghana, Nigeria, Tanzania, and…?

    At a recent Technology Salon, we were discussing the countries that have the best environment for ICT innovation that will accelerate economic and social development. Quickly we listed the following four countries:

  • Every African Woman Should Have Access to Broadband – But How?

    San Francisco | By on March 20, 2012 | Comments Off on Every African Woman Should Have Access to Broadband – But How?

    If we are serious about ICT as an accelerant for social and economic development, and we know that a) women are the key to investments in family health and education, and b) broadband connectivity is a major ICT catalyst for both, then we should be working towards a world where every African woman can have…

  • At the Future of Mobile-Empowered Development we focused on the desire by mobile network operators (MNO) to increase revenues and market share by expanding into rural areas, where it becomes more difficult and costly to provide service. We also recognized that the development community wants to capitalize on the success and reach of the mobile network to assist the poor, but these two actors are still wrestling with how to make that happen.

    mobile phone future
    Looking for the next M-Pesa investment

    So how would the development community partner with an MNO like Vodafone? The Salon identified two issues that are key to developing partnership opportunities:

    1. MNOs have specific business objectives and drivers. The development community needs to understand these requirements to design projects that will engage MNOs.
    2. MNOs want to partner with the development community. They are looking for key applications that solve a common need for many in developing countries. MNOs want to satisfy those needs for better business results.

    In essence, both parties need to understand each other’s business better. Let’s begin with briefly outlining Vodafone’s strategy and then what they are looking for and how development initiatives can partner with them.