Re: business models

Hi, Nicolas - nice to hear from you.   See below...


On Jan 12, 2010, at 6:13 AM, Chevrollier, N.G. (Nicolas) wrote:

> Dear Katrin,
>
> Thanks for sharing this. You mentioned that to scale access and  
> affordability are key. The 4As of Prahalad include Acceptability and  
> Awareness as other dimensions (they would fall under “utility and  
> user needs” that you mentioned). I think this is also key to our  
> field. What are the strategies to make this happen (e.g., co- 
> creation with the end-users, partnership)? Furthermore, to expand on  
> the section Ecosystem of partners or value chain and new business  
> models is what we should be after as well.

Agree.  I like those four - I mention awareness (there is a lot of  
data on the fact that users are not aware of available services even  
if they are affordable and of value to the user) but only in passing.   
I think VALUE is the better term for 'acceptability', though (even if  
it does not start with an A ;).  Many of the NGO-led projects I am  
seeing are not demand-driven or do not provide a clear value to the  
user at the price point they are offered. The ones that are scaling  
rapidly (in South Africa, India, and Kenya/East Africa, namely) that  
we should look much more deeply into ARE, in fact, highly user-centric  
and demand-driven and constantly adjusted to provide clear value to  
the users, in various and different ways. Teasing that apart would be  
very useful.

In regard to expanding this: I had to limit myself to ten pages for  
this paper so was constrained in having to condense A LOT that can be  
extrapolated upon!   I am keen on getting much deeper into the value  
chain, eco system, and what business models we are seeing in the M4D  
space (which, of course, is the area of ICT4D I am most interested in)  
than the limitations of this paper permitted. I  really tried to hit  
the key points there but MUCH more to say on each of these, for sure!

>
> For instance, the report that you site “Frandano, A. K. M. K. P.  
> (2009, March). Emerging markets, emerging models. Monitor Group.” is  
> also a good starting point. They present 7 business models that we  
> could try to apply to the field of M4D/ICT4D but overall the report  
> is not dedicated to ICT and focus mostly on India so we could  
> definitely expand it.

Yes - agree, though some will not apply so we would have to be more  
creative and expansive here to not try to fit this in too-narrow a  
mold but actually take a close look at the projects that ARE, in fact  
scaling and then derive at more of a theoretical underpinning. I am a  
big believer in letting the practice drive the theory rather than the  
other way round :)

Katrin

>
> Best,
>
> Nicolas
>
> From: public-mw4d-request@w3.org [mailto:public-mw4d-request@w3.org]  
> On Behalf Of Katrin Verclas
> Sent: Monday, January 11, 2010 7:46 PM
> To: adesina iluyemi
> Cc: Stephane Boyera; public-mw4d@w3.org
> Subject: Re: business models
>
> We just published a White Paper on Scaling m-Services for  
> Development that touches upon some of the issues related to business  
> models.  Might contribute to this discussion: http://mobileactive.org/scaling-mobile-services-development-what-will-it-take
>
> Katrin
>
> On Jan 11, 2010, at 1:43 PM, adesina iluyemi wrote:
>
>
> Dear All,
>
> I have published a paper on business models on mHealth initiatives in
> developing countries. Based on almost 5 years study of 5 mhealth
> projects from India and Africa. This might be useful in this debate.
>
> Access is on Scribd page.-http://www.scribd.com/Adeiluyemi
>
> Adesina
>
> On 11/01/2010, Stephane Boyera <boyera@w3.org> wrote:
>
> Dear All,
>>
>> i would like to react of Nicolas's mail about business models:
>> http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/public-mw4d/2009Dec/0010.html
>> I didn't have a chance to read the resources he pointed, but i'm
>> realizing that there are very few documented examples of working
>> business models. I just wrote a post about that at
>> http://www.webfoundation.org/2010/01/ict4d-and-business-models/ and i
>> think it would be useful to collect people's experience, or resources
>> they have to come with a better view of what has been tested, how it
>> works, and so on. So, first, please let me know if this is something
>> this group should cope with. Then please share your own experience  
>> and
>> references if you have any.
>>
>> Cheers
>> Steph
>> --
>> Stephane Boyera                   stephane@w3.org
>> W3C                                     +33 (0) 5 61 86 13 08
>> BP 93                                               fax: +33 (0) 4  
>> 92 38 78 22
>> F-06902 Sophia Antipolis Cedex,
>> France
>>
>>
>
>
> -- 
> Adesina Iluyemi
> mHealth Innovator/Consultant
> SINSEPROD LLP, UK
> Sustainable eHealth/Telemedicine in Africa
> Centre for Healthcare Modelling & Informatics
> University of Portsmouth
> T: +44 (0)23 9284 6784
> M: +44 (0)79 5602 6010
> Skype:innovatoris
> W: http://www.linkedin.com/in/adesina1974
>
>
>
> Katrin Verclas
> MobileActive.org
> katrin@mobileactive.org
> + 1 413 687 9877
> skype/twitter: katrinskaya
>
> A global network of people using mobile technology for social impact
> http://mobileactive.org
>
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Katrin Verclas
MobileActive.org
katrin@mobileactive.org
+ 1 413 687 9877
skype/twitter: katrinskaya

A global network of people using mobile technology for social impact
http://mobileactive.org