The Mobile is the PC of the Developing World

As we sit with our broadband connected computers, surfing the web, rattling off email and IMs, Skyping Intercontinentally and publishing our ideas and opinions all over the world with blogging software, it's easy to forget that much of the world just isn't like that. Broadband connections (or even dear old dial up connections) are a rarity in much of the developing world, including (but not limited) to the massive populations of China, India and Africa.

So in these countries, the mobile phone combines the functionality of the telephone and the computer, for many people. This is just one of the driving factors that will see the mobile replace the computer as the primary device that most people use most of the time to access the mobile internet - including us in the West, by the way.

An important stakeholder in these countries are NGOs (Non-Governmental Organisations) and charities, who often need to keep in touch with remote workers or indeed, whole communities who are completely cut off from all other sorts of communication. SMS can be used to quickly and efficiently disperse messages and information that would take days or weeks to disseminate in any other way.

One company trying to develop a solution for these organisations is FrontlineSMS, who have contacted us asking MobHappy to help find them some non-paying trial customers to help test their PC-based group SMS management system.

So if you are involved in an NGO or charity, please contact them via their website here. Or, if you know anyone who might be interested, drop them an email now, while you remember.

Comments

[charlie]

i challenge these guys to come up with an sms-only solution. free hand-crank phone charger, included!