Tag Archive for 'Economic Development'

Nokia plunges into emerging markets with Series 40 platform

Published on May 30, 2011 in Emerging Markets. 0 Comments Tags: , .

Mobile technology is spreading like wildfire in developing markets, and application developers often find themselves scrambling to keep up.

In Asia, mobile subscribers are growing at by 20 percent every year, and will total more than 3 billion by the end of this year.

Cue Nokia’s Series 40 Web App platform, the company’s bid to nail down emerging markets early in the game, while extending news, entertainment and information services to millions of new mobile users. Series 40 phones may look outmoded in Silicon Valley, but given their adoption in developing markets throughout Asia and Africa, they just might be the world’s most relevant handheld device. Nokia certainly thinks so [Source].

These markets in Asia, in particular, have embraced the platform’s functionality. Developers across the continent are using Nokia’s web tools to build diverse apps for the masses. Highlighting these success stories, Nokia has created a web video series featuring developers talking about how the Series 40 platform has extended their reach.

APEC Leaders Call for New Growth Strategies

Published on November 15, 2009 in Emerging Markets. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , .

Singapore APECStimulus spending and other emergency measures have set the stage for global economic recovery, but nations must push ahead with free trade and investment to ensure growth, President Barack Obama and fellow Asia-Pacific leaders said Sunday.

Obama and 20 other leaders, meeting in Singapore for the annual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum, rejected protectionism and agreed to develop long-term strategies that take into account the diverse needs of economies in a region stretching from Chile to China [Source].

Developing World Venture Capital

Published on December 8, 2007 in Emerging Markets and International Finance. 2 Comments Tags: , , , , .

Kiva LoansMicro-loans made to third-world entrepreneurs are changing lives and fortunes around the world. CNBC published an article on success stories on Kiva’s microfinance loans here.

The Kiva wesite was founded by Jessica and Matt Flannery. They were newly weds – he a software engineer, she an MBA student at Stanford – who were convinced they could use the Internet to put people in need together with people willing to help. Anyway, this is how Kiva works.

Kiva Loan Cycle

Something to be proud of…..

Published on November 3, 2007 in International Business. 0 Comments Tags: , .

Global Development

According to research conducted by the Center of Global Development (a think-tank), the Netherlands has the most effective policies to help the developing world. The report grades 21 rich countries on how well they support development. Each is assessed on seven areas including aid, trade, migration and the environment.

Netherlands is shortly followed by Denmark, Norway and Sweden. However there is still much room for improvement. Needless to say, rich countries can never do too much in improving the life of the lesser gifted ones.

Netherlands must make great improvement in the area of

Ending Global Poverty | Microfinance

Published on April 3, 2007 in Emerging Markets and International Finance. 2 Comments Tags: , .


Today I watched a very inspiring speech given by Muhammad Yunus (Founder and Managing Director, Grameen Bank; 2006 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate) at the Council on Foreign Relations on Microcredit. Anyone interested in Microfinance and economic devleopment, please check out this inspiring speech of Muhammad Yunus.

Micro Finance

 

Basically Microfinance envisioned providing financial services such as Microcredit, Microsavings, or Microinsurance to the poor people in this world, in order to empower those people to become self-sufficient. Amongst others I really like the Microcredit peer-to-peer business idea by Kiva. You and I can provided small loans to entrepreneurs in developing countries.

In 2005 The Economist already published a special survey on Microfinance. In a previous post I already wrote about Kiva.