Posts Tagged ‘mobile platform’
World Bank: High speed internet is key to economic growth and job creation in developing countries
August 1st, 2009 | 
Author: Information and Communications for Development 2009: Extending Reach and Increasing Impact takes an in-depth look at how ICT impacts economic growth in developing countries. The report finds that for every 10 percentage-point increase in high speed Internet connections there is an increase in economic growth of 1.3 percentage points. It also identifies the mobile platform as the single most powerful way to reach and deliver public and private services to hundreds of millions of people in remote and rural areas across the developing world.
“Internet users in developing countries increased tenfold from 2000 to 2007, and there are now over four billion mobile phone subscribers in developing countries,” says Mohsen Khalil, World Bank Group Director for Global Information and Communication Technologies. “These technologies offer tremendous opportunities. Governments can work with the private sector to accelerate rollout of broadband networks, and to extend access to low-income consumers.”
Broadband also provides the basis for local IT services industries, which create youth employment, increase productivity and exports, and promote social inclusion. Developing countries should seize this largely untapped opportunity, with less than 15 percent of the potential global market for IT services industries currently being exploited. In 2007, this market represented nearly US$500 billion.
“Governments should proactively encourage the development of local IT services industries through policies and incentives directed at entrepreneurs and the private sector, and through investments in skills and infrastructure,” says World Bank Economist Christine Zhen-Wei Qiang, editor of the report.
The report also contains new empirical evidence from Brazil, Ghana, India and other countries demonstrating that modern, technology-enabled governments can become more efficient, transparent and responsive. A survey of over 30 countries shows that successful e-government requires organizational and behavioral changes that must be driven by high-level political commitment and effective coordination.
“Access to broadband completes the information foundation for a modern economy and should be a priority in national development plans.” says Katherine Sierra, World Bank Vice President for Sustainable Development. “Governments can play a key role in expanding broadband access by policies and incentives that encourage competition and private investment.”
The report builds on experience drawn from the Bank’s own significant involvement in the sector. The Bank Group is the largest international donor in the field of ICT for development and supports ICT activities projects in over 100 countries with a portfolio amounting to more than US$3 billion.
Posted in Communications | 
Tags: blog, blogs, brazil, Communications, consumers, developing world, ford, high speed internet, high speed internet connections, information, Internet, Mobile, mobile phone, mobile platform, Network, speed internet connections, Technology, world | 
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Get Ready; Windows Marketplace for Mobile Offers Millions of Potential New Customers
My name is Todd Brix and I am the Senior Director for Mobile Platform Services Product Management at Microsoft. I am on site at Microsoft’s Worldwide Partner Conference in New Orleans to talk about Windows Marketplace for Mobile and the terrific opportunity it represents for developers and partners. Given the enthusiasm we’ve seen around Windows Marketplace since we announced it earlier this year, I’m excited to have this opportunity to provide an update and hopefully address some of the feedback we’ve received.In terms of milestones, I’m pleased to report that Windows Marketplace is on schedule to open for submissions in 29 supported countries* on July 27th. We’re already working with a wide range of leading developers for both business and consumer applications and will soon be able to make available a new wave of applications that will be ready for download when Windows Marketplace launches with Windows Mobile 6.5 in the fall. To make things a little more interesting, later this month we’ll also be announcing the details of a developer contest that will kick off at launch.
We’re working hard to create a new experience for mobile users and developers alike; where users can easily discover and confidently purchase and download applications for work, life or play and developers feel good about the submission process and are able to reach a new market for their mobile applications. In fact, we’re announcing today that by the end of 2009 Windows Marketplace will also be available to Windows Mobile 6.0 and 6.1 devices. This means that developers will have an opportunity to reach more than 30 million Windows Mobile devices. To help those millions of business users find what they’re looking for, we’re also unveiling the Windows Marketplace Business Center; a category in Windows Marketplace that will contain mobile business applications across several common industries and line of business functions from leading companies that include Avanade UK, Formotus, Ilium Software, Pyxis Mobile and WebIS. Business Center is another way for our partners to differentiate themselves and showcase their business applications, while making it easier for users to locate and purchase the latest mobile business tools.
(sample view of Windows Marketplace Business Center, subject to change.)
To recap the Windows Marketplace for Mobile announcements at Worldwide Partner Conference:
Application Submission Opens on July 27th: Windows Marketplace will open for application submissions from 29 supported countries July 27.
Windows Mobile 6.0 and 6.1 Support: Windows Marketplace will be available for Windows Mobile 6.0 and 6.1 by the end of 2009 (in addition to Windows Mobile 6.5 at launch in the fall).
Business Center: Windows Marketplace will feature a “Business Center” category for business applications.
Developer Contest: Microsoft will be disclosing the details of a Windows Marketplace developer contest on July 27.
I’ll be on site at the Worldwide Partner Conference today talking to partners and presenting our Windows Marketplace strategy and even offering a brief demonstration on the main stage on Wednesday morning. Throughout the event, I’ll be gathering feedback and doing my best to drive registration and application submissions for July 27th. My team and I are eager to get your feedback and will do our best to address your comments and questions in the days and weeks ahead.
You can also view my video post here on Channel 9.
Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong SAR, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Mexico, New Zealand, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, United Kingdom, and the United States.
Posted in Windows Mobile |
Tags: amp, application, brazil, business, business applications, developers, line of business, Management, microsoft, Mobile, mobile application, mobile applications, mobile device, mobile devices, mobile platform, mobile users, pda, Software, t mobile, Windows, Windows Mobile, world |
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Mobile Handsets: Nokia denies utterly rumours it will make an Android-based device
The report, carried in The Guardian, took a cue from “industry insiders” to predict the launch of a touch-screen Android device at Nokia World in September. When contacted by ZDNet UK later Monday morning, a Nokia representative issued an “outright denial” of the piece.
“There is no truth to this story whatsoever,” a statement from the company read. “It is a well-known fact that Symbian is our platform of choice for smartphones.”
Going for Android would certainly have been a surprising move for Nokia, given the time and money it has put into opening up Symbian. Nokia’s operating system (since it bought out Symbian’s other stakeholders last year) is likely to reappear in its new, open-source guise next year.
Nokia also has another open-source mobile platform in Maemo, which it is actively promoting as part of its Intel partnership.
Meanwhile, fairly realistic-looking images have been leaked of Sony Ericsson’s Android phone, currently code-named “Rachael.” The device appears to be part of SE’s high-end Xperia line and is said to run on Qualcomm’s 1GHz Snapdragon processor.
Posted in Communications |
Tags: blog, blogs, car, handsets, Mobile, mobile platform, money, nokia, operating system, qualcomm, smartphone, sony, sony ericsson, symbian, system, time and money, world |
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The new Windows Mobile Line of Business Solution Accelerator
The Microsoft? Windows Mobile Line of Business Solution Accelerator 2008
Delivering new innovations and development best practices to the Windows Mobile platform with Visual Studio 2008, the .NET Compact Framework 3.5, SQL Server Compact 3.5, a working Supply Chain application, over 5,000 lines of commented code plus over a hundred pages of helpful documentation.
Adapt your App :: Create a single binary that runs unchanged on Windows Mobile Standard or Pro, Portrait or Landscape, Rectangle or Square.? No more wasting time building separate executables to accommodate different screen sizes or input methods.
Sync Services for ADO.NET :: Synchronize your data between SQL Server 2008 and SQL Server Compact 3.5 using the new Sync Framework.? Keep all your occasionally-connected mobile workers on the same page.
Windows Communication Foundation (WCF) Store and Forward :: Reliably push messages to servers or other devices via Exchange Server 2007.? Programmatically notify peer devices that they have new orders waiting for them and need to sync.
MapPoint :: Guide delivery drivers to their customers via either the shortest or quickest route.? Integrated mapping means you?ll never get lost again.
LINQ :: Use the new Language Integrated Query to filter results from Generic Object Collections.? Query both your objects and XML using a familiar, SQL-like syntax to boost developer productivity.
Custom Controls :: Capture signatures and dazzle your end-users with 3D and Alpha-blended controls that alter their behavior depending on the platform they?re running on.
Managed Stored Procedures and Triggers :: The pluggable data layer allows you to say goodbye to compiling Dynamic SQL inside your code and fires events to react to INSERT, UPDATE, and DELETE operations.
Notifications and Online Help :: Formerly only supported on Pro, say hello to Popup Notifications and Online Help on Standard.? Popup Notifications, also known as ?toast,? display an HTML message and then disappear after a pre-determined amount of time.? Using Online Help on every screen reduces your application training costs.
Language Switching and Localization :: Change Language/Regional Settings inside your app and watch text and Online Help speak a different language.? Don?t wait until your application is finished to realize that it needs to be world-ready.
Time to Market :: Stop reinventing the wheel and use this Accelerator as the foundation for your next Windows Mobile development effort.? If you don?t want to use the whole thing, pick and choose the components that are the best fit for your project.
Find out More :: The first Windows Mobile Line of Business Solution Accelerator has been downloaded tens of thousands of times and has served as the foundation for some of the largest and most important Windows Mobile projects in the world.? Visit http://msdn.microsoft.com/windowsmobile to accelerate your career as a Windows Mobile developer.
Posted in Windows Mobile |
Tags: amp, business, car, chain application, communication foundation, developer community, development platform, generic object, input methods, line of business, lt xml, microsoft, mobile developer, mobile development, mobile line, mobile platform, mobile workers, namespace prefix, object collections, online, pda, t mobile, visual studio, wheel, Windows, Windows Mobile, xml namespace |
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Maybe it’s possible to have too many developers
So the process was quite a bit easier for Apple. But still, criminey, 100k is a lot of SDK downloads in just four days. Apple has clearly struck a nerve.
In addition to the 100k statistic, the Apple press release included new endorsements from companies like Intuit, Namco, PopCap (Bejeweled, baby), and SixApart. It’s a very interesting variety of companies.
Which raises an interesting question: How in the world will all those developers find an audience? Based on the current iPhone installed base, Apple already has one developer for about every 40 iPhone users. Let’s be optimistic and say every user will spend an average of $20 a year on applications (a figure much higher than we’ve seen on any other mobile platform). Apple keeps 30%, so there will be a total of $560 in revenue per year available to each iPhone developer (not to each app, to each developer). The iPod Touch will increase that number a bit, but not enough to change the math. Either Apple has to grow the installed base enormously, or there are going to be a lot of iPhone developers going hungry.
Copyright 2008 Michael Mace.
Posted in Phones |
Tags: apple, Audi, developers, intuit, iphone, ipod touch, Mac, mac developers, mobile platform, palm, rim |
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