Practical Insights on Business for ICT4D Projects

What are Business Ideas for ICT4D Solutions?

Information and Communication Technology for Development (ICT4D) support and enable sustainable economic and social development in developing countries. There are many potential business ideas for ICT4D solutions, including:

  • Mobile health services: Developing mobile applications or platforms that provide health information and services, such as telemedicine, disease tracking, and medical appointment scheduling, in areas with limited access to healthcare.
  • Agricultural technology: Developing technologies such as precision agriculture systems, irrigation systems, and weather monitoring systems to improve the efficiency and productivity of small-scale farms.
  • Educational technology: Developing educational platforms, such as e-learning platforms or mobile apps, to provide access to education in remote or underserved areas.
  • Renewable energy solutions: Developing technologies such as solar panels or wind turbines to provide clean, affordable energy in areas without access to traditional electricity.
  • Digital financial services: Developing technologies such as mobile banking or digital payment systems to provide financial services to underserved communities.
  • Disaster response and management technologies: Developing technologies such as early warning systems or communication platforms to assist with disaster response and management efforts in developing countries.
  • Water and sanitation technologies: Developing technologies such as water purification systems or improved sanitation systems to address water and sanitation challenges in developing countries.
8 Lessons Learned to Improve ICT-enabled FM Radio Station Sustainability

8 Lessons Learned to Improve ICT-enabled FM Radio Station Sustainability

Published on: Aug 27 2012 by Wayan Vota - 1 Comment
Recently, the African Farm Radio Research Initiative sought to test the effectiveness of a new radio campaign model developed by Farm Radio International: the participatory...
How Can We Strengthen Local Capacity for ICTs in M&E?

How Can We Strengthen Local Capacity for ICTs in M&E?

Published on: Aug 24 2012 by Wayan Vota - Comments Off on How Can We Strengthen Local Capacity for ICTs in M&E?
New technologies are changing the nature of monitoring and evaluation, as seen in our previous Salon on the use of ICTs in M&E. However, the use of new technologies...
Please help me update what “telecentre” means for ICT4D

Please help me update what “telecentre” means for ICT4D

Published on: Aug 22 2012 by Guest Writer - 5 Comments
I am Christine Prefontaine and I’m writing a brief for Beyond Access: Libraries Powering Development – on different innovation spaces. In it, I start...
Local Alternatives for Global Development: Rediscovering Libraries

Local Alternatives for Global Development: Rediscovering Libraries

Published on: Aug 20 2012 by Wayan Vota - Comments Off on Local Alternatives for Global Development: Rediscovering Libraries
With the rapid expansion of new technologies and emerging perspectives on what works, the global development community is looking for new thinking on solving...
12 Lessons Learned with ICTs for Monitoring and Accountability

12 Lessons Learned with ICTs for Monitoring and Accountability

Published on: Aug 17 2012 by Linda Raftree - Comments Off on 12 Lessons Learned with ICTs for Monitoring and Accountability
New technologies are opening up all kinds of possibilities for improving monitoring and evaluation. From on-going feedback and crowd-sourced input to more structured...
Dialogue is Participation at Technology Salons

Dialogue is Participation at Technology Salons

Published on: Aug 10 2012 by Guest Writer - Comments Off on Dialogue is Participation at Technology Salons
The recent Technology Salon “Will the new .Africa domain name have development impact?” represented for me an above average collision of minds over the...
Want ICT4D Program Success? Then Hire and Empower Local Staff like David Rodriguez

Want ICT4D Program Success? Then Hire and Empower Local Staff like David Rodriguez

Published on: Aug 06 2012 by Linda Raftree - 1 Comment
In the International NGO sector, we often discuss ways that development organizations can better bridge development and ICTs. If you ask me, this video shows one...
The ICT4D community must include people with disabilities.

The ICT4D community must include people with disabilities.

Published on: Jul 25 2012 by Guest Writer - 3 Comments
According to the WHO, over a billion people in the world, or 15% of the world’s population, live with disabilities. This number is higher in lower income countries,...
9 Lessons to Learn from Fail Faire UK 2012

9 Lessons to Learn from Fail Faire UK 2012

Published on: Jul 23 2012 by Wayan Vota - 4 Comments
We had an amazing sharing of failure at Fail Faire UK 2012, and amidst the laughter at how wrong we can be in deploying information and communication technologies...
The Complete List of 79 Academic ICT4D Journals and Publications

The Complete List of 79 Academic ICT4D Journals and Publications

Published on: Jul 18 2012 by Wayan Vota - 3 Comments
One source of continuous frustration for ICT4D academic researchers is the glacial pace of academia. One has to submit papers 8 months in advance for conferences...