Technology at the Margins

SAILESH CHUTANI is the cofounder and CEO of Mobisante, Inc. where his goal is to democratize access to healthcare by making diagnostics affordable and accessible. He was formerly a senior director for external research at Microsoft where he pioneered open innovation and funded seminal work in mHealth and technology for the emerging markets. Chutani has also held leadership roles in growing new businesses and products within companies such as Hewlett-Packard, Oracle, Microsoft, and Transarc Corporation. JESSICA ROTHENBERG AALAMI is the Managing Director of the Gobee Group. Her teams provide research insights and field expertise to global businesses, governments, practitioners and their partners. As a research scholar affiliated with the University of California, Berkeley Roundtable on the International Economy (BRIE), she works extensively in social and economic development and global corporate social responsibility (GlobalCSR). She holds degrees in economic geography and international political economy. AKHTAR BADSHAH is a Senior Director of Global Community Affairs at Microsoft, where he administers the company's global community investment and employee programs. He also manages the Microsoft Unlimited Potential Community Technology Skills Program, a global initiative designed to help narrow the technology skills gap; and Technology for Social Good that supports nonprofits with their technology needs. Badshah has been in the field of community development for over twenty-five years in various capacities in academia, nonprofits, and business.

• Foreword xiiiPreface xviiCHAPTER 1: Information and Communication Technologies for Everyone 1Innovative Ways to Reach the Majority of the World 1What Are the Barriers to Success? 7Where Are We Today? 8Summary Points 26Notes 26CHAPTER 2: Health Care: Where and When It Is Needed 29World Health 29Health Education 35Health Administration and Management 40Telemedicine 43Diagnosis and Prevention 45Disease Surveillance and Information Gathering 51Taking Stock 53Steps to Take to Move into the Future 55Summary Points 58Notes 59CHAPTER 3: Outside the “Education Box” 61Who’s Getting an Education? 61Breaking Down the Problem 63Classroom ICT: A History of Unmet Expectations 67Curriculum within Reach 68Corporations Invest in ICT for Education 71New Delivery Methods 73Effective Mediation 77What Is Known? 78New Directions and Challenges Ahead 79Summary Points 83Notes 84CHAPTER 4: Microfinance: The Next Phase 87Who Are the “Unbanked”? 87Microfinance: Meeting Financial Needs of Poor Households 88Microfinance Goes Beyond the “Lending Circle” Approach 90Barriers to Microfinance 92ICT Is Helping 94Management Information Systems Now at the Core of Microfinance 102Where Does Microfinance Go from Here? 105Challenges 107Summary Points 108Notes 109CHAPTER 5: Supporting the World in a Changing Environment 111World of Limited Resources 111Moving Science from Labs to the Field 113Minimizing the Impact of Natural Disasters 125Where Do We Go from Here? 131Summary Points 132Notes 132CHAPTER 6: Conclusion: Harnessing Disruption 135Reimagining the Role of Experts 136Reimagining the Role of Institutions 137Reimagining Partnerships 138Reimagining Business Models 139Reimagining Research 140Reimagining Our Biases 141Reimagining Public Infrastructure 142Looking Ahead 142Notes 143References 145Index 157