Session 4a, 6 May 2009 IST-Africa 2009 Copyright 2009 Digital World Forum Digital World Forum: Low cost information access devices Cleophas Dzinotyiweyi CSIR South Africa

Session 4a, 6 May 2009 IST-Africa 2009 Copyright 2009 Digital World Forum New information society and the digital divide Emergence of the Internet and Web in the late 1980s Availability of computers for internet/web deployment … ushering in the new information society Gap between the new information society and other people without regular, effective access to these ICTs – the digital divide Digital divide exacerbated by cost of computers/laptops … what opportunities exist to bridge the digital divide? Work package 2 of the DWF Project seeks to address this question from the context of applying low cost information access devices to foster social and economic development

Session 4a, 6 May 2009 IST-Africa 2009 Copyright 2009 Digital World Forum Objectives of Work Package 2 of the DWF Analyse the current state-of-the-art in low cost information access devices (D2.1) Obtain expert perspective on applying low cost information access devices in fostering social and economic development (D2.2) Develop a roadmap of the future of low cost information access devices in fostering social and economic development (D2.3)

Session 4a, 6 May 2009 IST-Africa 2009 Copyright 2009 Digital World Forum Approach to the study Towards an informed roadmap for low cost information access devices D2.1 State-of-the-Art Analysis D2.2 Workshop with ETPs Triangulation of D2.1 & D2.2 D2.3 Roadmap

Session 4a, 6 May 2009 IST-Africa 2009 Copyright 2009 Digital World Forum Preliminary results/on-going activities Taxonomy of low cost information access devices Desktops Laptops/Notebooks Sub-notebooks Palmtops/Handheld devices Netbooks Nettops Thin Clients Mobile Phones … other devices

Session 4a, 6 May 2009 IST-Africa 2009 Copyright 2009 Digital World Forum Preliminary results/on-going activities Examples of Socio-economic challenges and how to tackle them using low cost information access devices Inaccessibility to information Inaccessibility to information access devices … due to { { lack of infrastructure high cost (lack of affordability) Lack of devices Low literacy levels Low computer and information literacy Solutions

Session 4a, 6 May 2009 IST-Africa 2009 Copyright 2009 Digital World Forum Preliminary results/on-going activities Low cost as a business strategy Low CostDifferentiation 1. Cost Leadership2. Differentiation 3A. Cost Focus 3B. Differentiation Focus Broad Target Narrow Target Competitive Scope Competitive Advantage Source: PORTER M E (1985), Competitive Advantage, The Free Press, p. 12

Session 4a, 6 May 2009 IST-Africa 2009 Copyright 2009 Digital World Forum Preliminary results/on-going activities Creating new market space with/for low cost information access devices Reduce Which factors should be reduced well below the industrys standard? Raise Which factors should be raised well above the industrys standard? Eliminate Which of the factors that the industry takes for granted should be eliminated? Create Which factors should be created that the industry has never offered? A new Value Curve Source: KIM W C & MAUBORGNE(2005), Blue Ocean Strategy, Harvard Business School Press, p. 29

Session 4a, 6 May 2009 IST-Africa 2009 Copyright 2009 Digital World Forum Conclusion and outlook Work package 2 of the DWF project is still to be completed and final conclusions from the study yet to be drawn It is, however, instructive that: –LCIADs like low cost laptops, sub-notebooks or netbooks are only part of a larger integral solution involving such other aspects as infrastructure and access. By themselves as stand-alone devices, the value of their utility is limited; –Multi-pronged approaches to bridging the digital divide are possible, among them: Pursuing low cost business strategies for commercial entities Creating new market spaces (Blue Ocean Strategies) Various forms of investment in socio-economic development (commercial and non-commercial)

Session 4a, 6 May 2009 IST-Africa 2009 Copyright 2009 Digital World Forum Questions, comments, feedback … on Low cost information access devices and their possible utilization in fostering social and economic development while bridging the digital divide. ?