Ericsson to Launch Mobile Innovation in Africa

Ericsson to Launch Mobile Innovation in Africa
ERICSSON PRESS RELEASE
International Business Times, September 25, 2008

http://www.ibtimes.com/prnews/20080925/ericsson-to-launch-mobile-innovation-center-in-africa.htm

http://www.ericsson.com/ericsson/press/releases/20080925-1254235.shtml

Student: Maria Rodriguez



ABSTRACT:

On September 25, 2008, Ericsson[1] has informed in a press release their plans to launch a Mobile Innovation Center in Africa. Ericsson has established an alliance with the United Nations to work together in order to reach the Millennium Development Goals that are part of the Millennium Villages project.[2]
First, Ericsson project will begin to improve the communication in Nigeria, South Africa, and Kenya. The Innovation Center will concentrate in health applications, and later this technical improvement will help in the developing of the education, agriculture, business, finances, government services and the overall improvement of communication capabilities. Especially, this project will help in the development of rural communities and in the stimulation of local entrepreneurship.
Ericsson is planning to bring voice, Internet connectivity, and Telecom infrastructure across of the 10 countries that are part of the Millennium Villages project in order to lift rural African communities out of extreme poverty.
Ericsson has a global experience in this kind of social projects. Precedent experiences were: Gramjyoti Project (which brought a range of services including telemedicine, m-learning and m-governance to rural communities in India) or the Alokito Bangladesh project (which brought high-speed, internet-enabled mobile learning and healthcare to the region of the capital, Dhaka).

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[1] Ericsson is the world's leading provider of technology and services to telecom operators. The market leader in 2G and 3G mobile technologies, Ericsson supplies communications services and manages networks that serve more than 195 million subscribers. The company's portfolio comprises mobile and fixed network infrastructure and broadband and multimedia solutions for operators, enterprises and developers. The Sony Ericsson joint venture provides consumers with feature-rich personal mobile devices. Ericsson is advancing its vision of 'communication for all' through innovation, technology, and sustainable business solutions. Working in 175 countries, more than 70,000 employees generated revenue of USD 27.9 billion (SEK 188 billion) in 2007. Founded in 1876 and headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden, Ericsson is listed on OMX Nordic Exchange Stockholm and NASDAQ (“Ericsson to Launch Mobile Innovation in Africa”. Ericsson Press Release. International Business Times, September 25, 2008).

[2] The Millennium Villages project is a partnership between the Earth Institute, Millennium Promise, and the United Nations Development Program that provides an innovative model to help rural African communities lift themselves out of poverty. The project forms part of the initiative for rural Africa to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) - global targets for reducing extreme poverty by half and improving education, health, gender equality and environmental sustainability by 2015. (“Ericsson to Launch Mobile Innovation in Africa”. Ericsson Press Release. International Business Times, September 25, 2008).