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Designing for the BOP
As readers of this page are now well familiar, companies worldwide are rapidly becoming aware of and pursuing markets at the base of the pyramid (BOP). I’m often dismayed, however, by how many of these efforts are essentially just scaled-down or lower-cost versions of existing products or...
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The Impact of Low-cost Handsets
A number of articles appeared this week that trumpeted both the success and growth of mobile telephony in emerging economies. The first gives an update from the Emerging Market Handset Programme (EMHP), highlighting GSMA’s six month extension of its endorsement of Motorola as the program’s...
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Jeff Sachs and the End of Poverty
Jeff Sachs, Director of the Earth Institute at Columbia University in New York City, spoke Tuesday, March 14 at the Center for Global Development here in Washington. Professor Sachs has long been identified as a strong proponent of a publicly-led drive against global poverty. As Director of...
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Reminder: BiD Challenge Deadline
Just a reminder, the deadline to submit your business plan for the BiD Challenge is this Monday, March 20th.The Bid Challenge is offering ?150.000 in start-up finance for plans thatcombine income generating business with poverty reduction in a feasible way. Both new ideas and plans to...
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Interview with George C. Lodge, the man behind the World Development Corporation
In January, I wrote about the proposed creation of the World Development Corporation (WDC), a new institution which would harness the capabilities of MNCs to confront global poverty while at the same time reviving their legitimacy and maintaining shareholder value. The for-profit entity would...
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Microsoft Redeems Itself!
My post last Thursday criticized Microsoft’s potential release of a stripped down version of its forthcoming Windows Vista operating system for emerging markets. I thought this was the wrong approach; rather than strip features out, Microsoft should be figuring out which applications to add...
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Rounding up the herd of $100 laptops
If you’ve been watching news of the $100 laptop in the last five months, your head is probably spinning. Not to worry. I’ve rounded up the various NextBillion activity capsules and blog entries just for your pixel-strained eyes.Barebones PCs : Asiatotal , AMD Personal Internet Computer,...
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Safe Water for Indian Slums? Let It (Cash) Flow
The Acumen Fund Blog today reports a new for-profit water services project launched in one of India’s poorest urban neighborhoods. The provider, Heritage, receives strategic management support and assistance raising capital from the Acumen Fund. I am excited to hear companies saying that "...
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