GoogleSMS: Technology Migration from the First World to the Third World using a Low Cost— No Cost Corporate Social Responsibility Model

The low cost evidenced by the GoogleSMS model is interpreted as being indicative of the low cost involved in “testing” the Third World market. This is construed to imply the idea is tenable and companies have a “built-in” opening to affect consumer behavior as it takes shape around solutions they create to take advantage of the largely “uncharted waters” in the innovation space. As the GoogleSMS experience has demonstrated, the applicability has a back-ripple effect informing the design of new suites of products from “old” technologies in the First World.

This research evaluates the efficacy of the GoogleSMS platform in third world economies drawing specific insights from the implementation of this application on the MTN mobile network in Uganda. Projections, of future, market trends, are made on the basis of observations of the outcomes of the implementation of GoogleSMS.

Key Findings:

• Third world entities possess competence to contribute significant benefits to partners of first world countries in joint ventures.
• Technologies created to solve problems unique to the third world market can be “reverse-engineered” for other uses in first world markets
• The GoogleSMS project reveals milestones through which knowledge transfer can occur between first world and third world entities
• The evolution of SMS-based services in sub-Saharan countries is to the mobile phone what the Internet was to computers in first world economies

Companies in Report:

• Google
• Essar Telecom
• Grameen Foundation
• Marie Stopes International
• MTN Uganda
• Waird Telecom Uganda

Audience:

• Software Developers
• Social Entrepreneurs
• E-commerce Specialists
• Governmental Organizations
• Network Operators and their Suppliers