[UgaBYTES] Google and Grameen Foundation launch AppLab

[Peter Burgess]

Dear Ednah ... and everyone

Thank you very much for giving me some links and information about the
new SMS initiative that you are launching in Uganda in collaboration
with the Grameen Foundation AppLab, MTN, Google Foundation, etc.

I had a look at the YouTube videos ... thank you.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dPaMe0Nj6zM&NR=1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HXHkgbSuLgw

Well done. My initial reaction to this initiative is that it has a
huge amount of very positive attributes, notably:
1 ... Being built on top of a consumer phone infrastructure it has the
right underlying cost structure
2 ... By having Uganda mobile as a partner ... the cost effectiveness
can flow through into the pricing of the service. and
3 ... Local data from local collaborators is central to the service

This is a pretty thought provoking development and I very much wish it
success. As you already know, I am always concerned about the problems
of sustainability and the potential for replication and scaling. I
will try to learn as much as I can about this over the next few weeks
... and see to what extent whether the work I am doing with Community
Analytics (CA) has any potential to be helpful.

As you may know I have been developing CA with the expectation that we
would be using FrontlineSMS as the connection between the community
and the datastore ...but your work may have more potential than what
we were envisioning.

I will find out what I can ... and report back. Thank you very much
for the help. It is very much appreciated.

Sincerely

Peter Burgess
___________
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