[UgaBYTES] Google and Grameen Foundation launch AppLab

[Karamagi Ednah]

Hello Peter again

Also visit this link and then you will understand why we went into
partnership with Grameen and Google on the project. It is a very
interesting, informative and exciting project i must say.

LINK: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HXHkgbSuLgw

Maria will be able to explain to you all the application which are
agriculture (with brosdi and Met dpt), health (with straight talk),
market, etc

ednah
................................................
> Dear Colleagues
>
> Does anyone have any further information about this ... it seems that
> it might have huge potential if it is used in the correct way. I can
> also see serious limitations because of the quality of the Google data
> and the lack of validation of data ... but I don't know enough about
> how the application works to be definitive about this. Let me know if
> you have any useful information.
>
> Peter
> ___________
> Peter Burgess
> Tr-Ac-Net Inc ... The Transparency and Accountability Network
> Community Analytics (CA)
> Integrated Malaria Management (IMM)
> Microfinance Focus Magazine in New York
> website: www.tr-ac-net.org
> tel: 917 432 1191 or 212 772 6918 or 212 744 6469
> email: peterbnyc at gmail.com
> skype: peterburgessnyc
> Books: Search Peter Burgess at www.lulu.com
>
> /////////////////////////////////////
> Africa: Google and Grameen Foundation launch AppLab
> Tuesday 28 July 2009 / by Claire Schaffner
> The Grameen Foundation (a micro-credit bank) and Google have launched
> AppLab, a range of applications available via SMS (Short Message
> Service), in Uganda. This initiative allows those without Internet to
> access information quickly and cheaply. This service will soon be
> introduced to other African countries.
>
> Henceforth, high-tech phones are not the only ones to provide access
> to the Google search engine. June 29, The Grameen Foundation
> microcredit bank, MTN (mobile phone company) and Google launched
> Google SMS, a range of applications available via sms, under their
> AppLab (Application Laboratory) project. For now, the service is only
> available in Uganda, but it should soon be introduced to other
> countries.
>
> The application is simple: the user sends an SMS with a question (to
> Google SMS Tips) or a keyword (to Google SMS search) and receives an
> answer that best matches their search. The service replaces online
> search engines, while the computer is replaced by a mobile phone. A
> farmer can, therefore, receive forecasts, market prices, advice on how
> to grow crops through biological methods, on his/her mobile phone,
> among others.
>
> AppLab also provides information services in the health area; locating
> the nearest clinic, information on HIV and malaria, answers to
> adolescent puberty-related questions.
>
> Google Trader, a virtual marketplace service, can also be accessed:
> this service allows sellers of agricultural products and commodities
> to locate and communicate with buyers. The phone service is expected
> to cut travel costs, while making information that has so far been
> inaccessible available to certain populations, especially in rural
> areas where electricity and Internet access is often poor.
>
> Meeting the needs of local people
>
> To implement the project, Grameen Foundation has been working with
> local partners to help identify the needs of the population. Before
> the service, adapted to specific local populations, is launched, a
> preliminary study is conducted to ensure that the needs of the local
> populations are met. In Uganda, the Grameen Foundation has been
> working with local agencies since 2007. The Busoga Rural Open Source
> Development Initiative (BRODSI), among others, provided data on the
> needs of farmers and helped develop solutions proposed by AppLab.
>
> Grameen Foundation is also involved in assisting the development of
> village phone operators for the benefit of users who cannot read, do
> not speak English or own a laptop computer. The service includes the
> possibility to rent a mobile telephone or even ask for help to send
> and receive SMS.
>
> The service, since its inception, has continued to grow. When a
> request is unknown to the search engine, it is directed to a service
> which processes and relays information to the Google SMS database. SMS
> use is expanding in Africa and signify a niche market for operators
> who wish to reach less accessible areas. A few months ago, mobile
> phone operators across sub-Saharan Africa launched banking services
> via SMS.
>
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-- 
Executive Director, BROSDI
P.O.BOX 26970
Kampala, Uganda
Websites: http://www.brosdi.or.ug, http://www.celac.or.ug
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