Microsoft executives have always believed that the magic of software could change the world, and many of them have witnessed firsthand how technology has solved key global problems. But high-tech innovations have largely changed lives for the small percentage of people who can afford to buy them, so Microsoft is making investments and taking action toward bringing these same benefits to the rest of the world.
This effort is central to Microsoft’s Unlimited Potential Group (UPG), which seeks to engage the more than five billion people in the developing world who have yet to experience technology’s full benefits. One part of that effort, Rural Shared Access Computing, focuses on driving relevant innovation to people who make between US$2 and $5 a day, live in rural communities and have yet to harness the potential of the information society.
Michael Aldridge, group manager of the Unlimited Potential Group says-
“Historically, our company has focused on the one billion people at the top of the economic pyramid. However, UPG was given the charter to think creatively on how we can touch the next five billion potential customers through new solutions that will engage and develop socioeconomic value in their lives. We see our work as a great example of how Microsoft is leading the industry in this area.
How we innovate for this population requires three core tenets: a focus on relevance, accessibility and affordability. Through the years, we have learned that technology for technology’s sake is not a solution to the complex challenges faced by rural populations in China, India, Southeast Asia or Africa. If something is not relevant, it doesn’t matter how cool the technology is, it will fail.
Our primary focus in the Rural Incubations team has been to look at ways to provide shared access to computing in rural areas that will help give people in these areas opportunities to gain 21st-century skills that can lead to new jobs and opportunity. We are also looking at how we can think about mobile solutions to help provide more value through mobile phones, which are being adopted at an incredibly rapid rate in the developing world.”
