Text to Change

Text

to C

hang

e

Text

to C

hang

e

Mobile telephony: public-private partnerships in emerging markets

Mobile Africa Revisited Research Program, ASC Leiden December, 9th 2010

Hajo van [email protected]

@hajovanbeijma

Text to Change (TTC) and mobile phones in Africa and South-America.

TTC is a mobile content provider working on:-Health;-Education;-Economic Development;-Accountability.

-Offices in The Netherlands and Uganda;-7 people staff;-120,000 participants in 2009. 200,000 in 2010;-Working in: Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Cameroon, Madagascar, Namibia and Bolivia;-Clients: Mobile providers, UN, Governments, NGO’s, Companies.-Scale to 16 countries in 2011 and 2012 via the Connect4Change consortium.

Overview – Partnerships - Future

Text to Change and Public-Private Partnerships:

From pilot to scale, through:-Collaboration;-Low-tech for end-user, high-tech web-based server system;-Local content from local partners;-Long term contracts with all mobile providers;-Free services for the end-users;-Servicing governments, NGO’s and companies.

Overview – Partnerships - Future

TTC as a Public-Private Partnership:

2008: TTC received seed funding from Merck & Co in the USA-Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, AIC Uganda and ZAIN joined.2009: TTC establishes contracts with: MTN, WARID, UTL-Clifford & Chance and PriceWaterhouseCoopers join for the business plan and contracts.-2009: TTC and IBM enter a long term research contract on mobiles for development.-2009: TNO, TTC and KIT start a partnership.-2010: TIGO, Vodacom and Orange join as mobile providers. Unicef, IICD, Cordaid, FHI and many other NGO’s complete the list.

Overview – Partnerships - Future

Mobiscopy: KIT, Laboratories and TNO

Overview – Partnerships - Future

F.C. Barcelona and UNICEF

Overview – Partnerships - Future

Mobile providers: -Short term: CSR and press releases-Long term: focus on core business

For mobile providers the customer market in Africa is getting saturated, it’s time for content to provide stickiness for the customer and social brand awareness.

Overview –Partnerships - Future

Text to Change: Why does it work?• Partnerships with mobile operators, telecom industry, NGO's and governments;• Software that will work in Africa;• Demand driven programs;• Local content;• Evidence based;• Interactive education.

Overview –Partnerships - Future

Challenges: * Learn from failures, they do exist…

Overview –Partnerships - Future

Challenges: * Learn from failures, they do exist…* Pilotitis…* Sms services in local languages;* Improve text message software;* Zero rating the service;* Service over all mobile networks;* Better data analysis;* More partners;* Local content;* Create sustainable programs;* Better training of peer educators on text messages;* Open Source system to establish interoperability between mobile for development systems.

Overview –Partnerships - Future

Challenges: * Learn from failures, they do exist…* Pilotitis…

Overview –Partnerships - Future

Scalability:

Only way is: large scale operations with mobile infrastructure partners: Companies, NGO’s and Governments.

The momentum for mobiles for development is now! Focus: End User.

Text: ttc to 3669 (In The Netherlands €1,50 per message)

www.texttochange.com+31 20 486 [email protected]

Overview –Partnerships - Future