The document discusses the potential and challenges of using mobile phones and different technologies like SMS, voice, and mobile web for development purposes. It notes that while over 4 billion people have mobile subscriptions, few development organizations are leveraging mobile technologies due to lack of knowledge, tools, and infrastructure barriers. The document analyzes the strengths and weaknesses of SMS, voice, and mobile web approaches and provides recommendations like selecting the most appropriate local technology and collaborating with others.

1. Developing, Deploying and Accessing ICT services on Mobile Phones Stéphane Boyera World Wide Web Foundation CTA ICT Observatory 2009 2 November 2009 [email_address]

2. Co-chair of W3C Mobile Web for Social Development Mission: Exploring and Understanding the barriers of using Mobile and Web Technologies in ICT4D Home: http://www.w3.org/2008/MW4D/ Head of Web in Society Program of the Web Foundation Mission: Working toward having all people benefiting the Web Home: http://www.webfoundation.org Introduction Copyright © 2009. World Wide Web Foundation. All rights reserved

3. Everywhere >4 billions subscribers 80% of the world population covered Lots of Potential and Interests in the development sector Few Services, Users and Organizations using them Lack of Knowledge and expertise Lack of tools Mobile Phones… Copyright © 2009. World Wide Web Foundation. All rights reserved

4. A Swiss Army Knife: SMS Voice Mobile Web USSD Social Networks IM … Mobile Phones… Copyright © 2009. World Wide Web Foundation. All rights reserved

5. User Barriers Illiteracy, languages, trust, training… Infrastructure, handset Service Provider Barriers Development and support Deployment Costs and business models But lots of barriers Copyright © 2009. World Wide Web Foundation. All rights reserved

6. Strengths Available on all phones and networks, free reception of content Using a well-known feature of the phone Lasting and reusable Information Many free and open-source tools and examples Easy to implement, without external interventions (operators, etc.) Work with unstable, unreliable network connection Weaknesses Textual content not supporting many languages No discoverability, no bookmarking High costs for service providers: network + hardware Limited interactions SMS Copyright © 2009. World Wide Web Foundation. All rights reserved

7. Principle Calling a number Using your voice or the phone keypad to interact with the application Strengths Available on all phones and networks Natural way of communication Offer solutions to provide services to illiterate people and in all languages of the world Using a well-known feature of the phone Can be bookmarked Many free and open-source tools and examples Easy to implement, without external interventions (operators, etc.) Voice Copyright © 2009. World Wide Web Foundation. All rights reserved

8. Weaknesses Connected mode only (e.g. no offline use, no lasting/reusable information) Requires expensive infrastructure No discoverability High costs for users or service providers Limited interactions Solutions Proprietary, platform/infrastructure specific option Standardized application platform integrated to the Web: VoiceXML family of technologies Voice (2) Copyright © 2009. World Wide Web Foundation. All rights reserved

9. Principle: Using a mobile browser on phone and Data services (GPRS…) Strengths Cheaper than SMS or Voice (up to 1000 times) Web technologies: easy to develop, many free hosting services, hardware independent, powerful interfaces, multimedia… Lots of resources and very active domain: W3C Mobile Web best practices, Geolocation, tools... Discoverability Replicability Mobile Web Applications Copyright © 2009. World Wide Web Foundation. All rights reserved

10. Weaknesses Require Data-service and minimal features on phones Configuration and training required Lots of potential but lack of awareness Off-line browsing not working well Solutions Opera mini or similar browsers Widgets, widgets engines, and widget stores Mobile Web Applications (2) Copyright © 2009. World Wide Web Foundation. All rights reserved

11. USSD, Native applications, IM, SN… Lots of interesting stories but Issues Very specific applications Operator Dependence Expert Programming Lack of tools Support … Other technologies Copyright © 2009. World Wide Web Foundation. All rights reserved

12. Short term Voice applications Bridging gaps with traditional media, particularly radio Simple Mobile Web applications Mid term Widgets Longer term Multimedia Web applications (video…) Guidelines for interfaces for illiterate people Guidelines and support for new languages in the ICT world Future Copyright © 2009. World Wide Web Foundation. All rights reserved Copyright © 2009. World Wide Web Foundation. All rights reserved

13. Mobile Phones are Swiss Army Knives Identify the local context and the local challenges Select the most appropriate technology Share, collaborate and reuse what others have done Rely on local human networks, knowledge and structure The domain is changing quickly Data-service, broadband Handsets Technologies Conclusion Copyright © 2009. World Wide Web Foundation. All rights reserved

14. W3C Mobile Web for Social Development Interest Group MW4D Roadmap: http://www.w3.org/2008/MW4D/wiki/roadmapv2 MW4D repository of resources: http://www.w3.org/2008/MW4D/wiki/ MW4D home page: http://www.w3.org/2008/MW4D/ W3C Workshop on the role of Mobile technologies in Development December 2006, Bangalore, India: http://www.w3.org/2006/07/MWI-EC/exec_summary.html June 2008, Sao Paulo Brazil: http://www.w3.org/2008/02/MS4D_WS/exec_summary.html April 2009, Maputo, Mozambique: http://www.w3.org/2008/10/MW4D_WS/exec_summary.html World Wide Web Foundation: http://www.webfoundation.org References Copyright © 2009. World Wide Web Foundation. All rights reserved