Alliance to Develop Google SMS Tips in Uganda PPartner Alliance to Develop Google SMS Tips in Uganda

Our Application Development Process Scale the winners Rapid prototyping & piloting Define sources of information Identify how information is accessed Analyze economic and information flows Assess information needs TAKEAWAY – it’s not easy. A lot of work goes into building apps to reach the audience we’re trying to reach: need to have feet on the ground, have relationships (essential role of mobile operators) Key product learnings: 1. Information is valuable if it is: Timely -- market prices today , expected future market prices Granular -- weather in my district , health clinics within walking distance Trusted -- risk of lost trust if data is inaccurate Specific -- not just crop prices but who will pay me that price, when and where 2. But providing info is not sufficient; to be effective, must also provide a way to optimally utilize that info. Example: no use telling user to go to a clinic if can’t direct user to the nearest clinic that can deal with the issue 3. Desire for collaborative & shared learning among users & intermediaries (as important as providing content) Key Process Learnings Understanding Needs – consult users early & often to build a useful service; mobiles can effectively address information poverty Developing Apps – iterate rapidly and “fail fast”; build sustainability & scaling into product/process design; involve users in the process Building Sustainable Models – need incentives for all elements of ecosystem; access to new market segments a powerful carrot Achieving Scale – strategic relationships matter (mobile operator); services must meet clear need and information must be actionable; “discoverability” and “usability” essential (trusted intermediary)

Mobile Applications Google SMS Services Launched in Uganda Sexual/ Reproductive Health Tips and ClinicFinder Farmer’s Friend (agriculture tips & weather) Health Agriculture Mobile Applications Search Modules Marketplace So … what did we do? We launched a few services: Tips (Ag, Health – free form text entry); Clinic directory, Trader, Tips: >1.5M queries in 3 months for Tips Criteria for selecting apps Impacts lives and livelihoods of the poor (provides a clear social good) Technology (and exchange of information) plays a primary role in the solution (not an operational challenge) Innovation, which may include enhancements to existing products to better meet needs of the poor Technical feasibility – can the app be built using Google technologies that are Google strengths? Market size -- potential volume of unmet user demand (bridges gaps in current landscape) Complexity of business model/ technical solution low Sustainable business model (which often requires creativity) Operational Feasibility – can the app be scaled be scaled across the population of target users and is it portable beyond pilot country Competition – does such an app already exist? Google SMS Search (sports, news, dictionary, weather, etc) Google Trader

We’re Ready to Scale Tips … You can help by giving us health content! Factual Actionable Concise Locally relevant Understandable Need more relevant, actionable content Platform will be ready in January (start testing in mid-Nov)

Resources for More Information: Grameen AppLab www.applab.org Google SMS Tips simulator http://www.google.co.ug/mobile/sms/#6001 Contacts Fiona Lee (flee@google.com) Cheri Mitchell (cmitchell@grameenfoundation.org) Cheri cell: 202-5498200