Technology at the Margins

TECHNOLOGY AT THE MARGINS Information and communication technologies (ICTs) have revolutionized our lives by changing the way we live, play, work, communicate, learn, manage our finances, and stay healthy?just think of life without Facebook, cell phones, or email! But the majority of the world's people?the four billion at the bottom of the global economic pyramid living on less than $2 a day?remain largely unable to benefit from the ICT revolution, mainly due to its irrelevance to their needs and the high cost of technology in relation to their purchasing power. What if we could change all this? What impact would it have on reducing poverty and improving lives? What barriers need to be overcome before this can happen? A close-up look at the emergence of a new global ethos of innovation, Technology at the Margins is a wake-up call for every international corporation eager to remain competitive through accessible, affordable, and relevant ICTs. Reflecting the authors' diverse backgrounds in engineering, science, business, architecture, education, and economic geography, Technology at the Margins challenges today's global companies to reframe their uses of existing technologies with innovative new ones that make a difference in social and economic development.