Inclusive Growth · 2018-10-13 · Inclusive Growth Dear Friends, It has been 30 years since the invention of the personal computer, one of the most empowering technologies of our

M I C R O S O F T I N T E R F A C E • A P R I L - J U N E 2 0 0 7 1

c h a i r m a n ’ s m e s s a g e

Inclusive Growth

Dear Friends,It has been 30 years since the inventionof the personal computer, one of themost empowering technologies of ourtime and today, Microsoft’s foundingvision of “a computer on every deskand in every home” is a reality for onebillion people living near the top of theglobal economic pyramid. A billionpeople in 30 years is no modestachievement, but there is so much moreto be done: for every person withaccess to computers, there are fivepeople who do not have it.

Clearly, for millions who subsist onless than a dollar a day, access totechnology is not the most pressingneed. Clean water, healthcare, food andshelter are so much more urgent.However, there is compelling evidenceto suggest that access to information iscritical to expanding social and economicopportunities and alleviating poverty.Ironically, in many ways, informationaccess may be even more critical to poorpeople and it is therefore essential tobridge the digital divide.

It took an entire generation to reachthe first one billion people. It may takeanother generation to reach the next fivebillion. But the important thing is thatwe start today! We believe three stepswill get us closer to our goal:

I S S U E 5 | A P R I L - J U N E 2 0 0 7

c o n t e n t s

THEME:

Transforming education,fostering local innovation andenabling jobs and opportunities.

Since education is thefoundation of economicopportunity and the generationof young people entering theworkforce is critical to thewellbeing of our nation, weshould begin here.

Ultimately, we will besuccessful as a nation because

of innovation and entrepreneur-ship—not just in large companies butespecially in local communities. Whetherit is a women’s Self Help Group inLucknow doing chikankari designs ona PC and connecting directly withcustomers in urban centers, a smallfactory that is a just-in-time supplier toToyota, a small retail shop that allowscustomers to send orders using SMS ore-mail, or farmers crowding in a ruralkiosk to discover market prices for cropsand decide on what to grow next season,enabling local communities to leveragetechnology to prosper and create jobsin a flat world is a big part of our missiongoing forward.

Helping individuals, communitiesand businesses around the worldunleash their imagination anddetermination to seize opportunitiesusing the amplifying power oftechnology—this is the mission that wehave dedicated ourselves to atMicrosoft. Over the next decade, we willalign our technologies, our talent andresources and our partnerships toensure that all six billion people whoshare this planet have an equal chanceto realize their full potential.

Ravi VenkatesanChairman, Microsoft India

c o n t e n t s

THEME:

Digital Inclusion

2 2 2 2 2 IN FOCUSIN FOCUSIN FOCUSIN FOCUSIN FOCUS

The Unfinished Agenda

of Digital Inclusion

Information and communications

technologies (ICTs) are transforming

the world of individual national

economies into an integrated global

workplace.

4 4 4 4 4 TECH TRENDSTECH TRENDSTECH TRENDSTECH TRENDSTECH TRENDS

Microsoft’s Unlimited Potential:

Relevant, Accessible

and Affordable

Unlimited Potential is an initiative

launched by Microsoft globally that

aims to reach the five billion people

who aren’t yet realizing the benefits

of IT.

6 6 6 6 6 INTERVIEWINTERVIEWINTERVIEWINTERVIEWINTERVIEW

“Government Process

Reengineering will have to be

undertaken, to change the way

services are delivered to the

public.”

—C.K. MATHEW, Principal

Secretary, Information Technology,

Government of Rajasthan

88888 CASE STUDY CASE STUDY CASE STUDY CASE STUDY CASE STUDY

Touched by the Flame of Knowledge

A look at how Microsoft’s Project

Jyoti has transformed Shashi Bala

from a diffident and shy youngster

to an important helping hand in the

home—a hand that brings in the all

important bread and butter to the

table.

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12 12 12 12 12 FACTS & FIGURESFACTS & FIGURESFACTS & FIGURESFACTS & FIGURESFACTS & FIGURES

2 M I C R O S O F T I N T E R F A C E • A P R I L - J U N E 2 0 0 7

Information and communicationstechnologies (ICTs) are transformingthe world of individual nationaleconomies into an integrated globalworkplace.

Knowledge is the Key

Nations have placed the management ofknowledge at the center of economicperformance. The task of developmentis increasingly understood as one ofbuilding “knowledge economies,” wherethe effective management of informationand collaboration and the incentives forinvestment in innovation, becomecompetitive differentiators and the basisfor economic growth. The World Bankhas been a particular leader indeveloping and applying this“knowledge economy” framework toassist the development strategies ofindividual countries and to generateuseful comparisons among them.

ICT as Enabler

ICTs have catalyzed this process, bymaking information more accessible andusable and communications faster andmore widely available to the masses.

In the most productive settings, ICTsenmesh individuals and organizations innetworks of information andcollaboration—whether accessed bymobile telephones, dial-up computers or

broadband Internet terminals—whichheighten awareness and increaseperformance. ICTs have helped narrowthe digital, rural-urban and genderdivides, within nations and acrossgeographic boundaries.

In this way, ICTs are playing a crucialrole in both national wealth creation andglobal competitiveness. Indeed, theacronym “ICT” might be thought of asstanding for the integration ofinformation and the collaboration ofindividuals and organizations whichresult in the transformation of political,

i n f o c u s

social and economic activities.While the existing efforts of the

Government and private sector to ensurethat ICT is accessible to a vast majorityof population are laudable, more needsto be done. The fact is only a fraction ofour global citizens have been touchedby technology. There are many acrossthe world, who still stand on the otherside of the digital divide. Specifically,technology is reaching only a smallfraction of the youth and young adultsthat need it most, the citizen-consumersthat are the heart and soul of tech-centered innovation and commerce inthe “more developed world.”

“Computers and connectivity are stilltoo expensive for private ownership bythe poor, and applications as well asinformation resources that are appropriateto this group have been slow to emerge,in part because the poor themselves havenot been involved in creating them,” saidC.K. Prahalad, author and professor atthe University of Michigan’s Stephen M.Ross School of Business. “In order tohelp create the applications and start thebusiness dynamo that unleashes theirpotential, the people at the bottom of thepyramid need to have reliable, affordableaccess to technology and to learncomputing skills.”

Ironically, if this gap is not bridged,the digital divide will eventually lead to

By Ram Narayanan, Director, Emerging Segments Market Development





“Computers and

connectivity are still

too expensive for

private ownership by

the poor, and

applications as well as

information resources

that are appropriate to

this group have been

slow to emerge, in

part because the poor

themselves have not

been involved in

creating them.”

—C.K. Prahalad


a growth retardation in most economies.Therefore, nations have to use ICTs toensure an equitable growth across allsections of society and geography. Thetime is to do it now but only with twocaveats: it has to be sustainable and witha long term perspective.

Relevant political, social andeconomic conditions need to be createdwithin nations to strengthen the impactof ICT and convert it into a powerfultool for digital inclusion. One has toensure affordable access to computingin areas which are relevant to people andwill be enablers for further adoption,education and jobs. This is no easy taskand will require us to innovate andcreate unique solutions and services forunique scenarios and challenges.

Social Development: Expanding

Education and Digital

Workforce Skills

The fact is that investments intechnology will do little to alleviatepoverty or improve the lives of theunderprivileged unless they are matchedby efforts to build the capacity of targetpopulations to harness the opportunitiesthat ICTs offer. Education and skillsdevelopment are critical components inhelping individuals, communities, andeven entire countries thrive in the globalinformation economy, and thereforeshould be central elements of anydevelopment agenda.

The Government, academia andindustry are therefore working inpartnership to take IT education toschool children, teachers,underprivileged women, the disabledand people residing in the hinterland.

Focused on “catching them young,”IT education initiatives have beenintroduced in Government schools,especially in emerging and developingnations. The use of ICTs to addresseducational demands is being appliedin all types of learning environments—primary, secondary, university, graduateand vocational, as well as through thedistribution of content to individuallearners. Curriculum is being developedand adapted to utilize the interactivecommunications potential of ICTs, aswell as to enhance presentation skillsthrough writing, computation and visualmultimedia. Likewise, the ICTs promotethe more efficient operation of schools

and schoolsystems, whichallows moreresources to bedevoted to learningrather thanadminis t ra t ion.Finally, thei n c r e a s i n gaccessibility ofinformation andpresentations on aglobal basis hasstimulated thepotential of“distance learning” to reduce disparitiesin access to the best curriculum, contentand teachers.

This revolution in IT education isvisible across the world, especially inemerging nations. Ghana, in Africa, forinstance, is looking at introducinguniversal ICT education into its basiceducational system in September 2007. In India, millions of school children, aswell as teachers are getting empoweredby a special program called Shikshaunder the Partners In Learning (PIL)initiative unveiled by Microsoft in 2001.Aimed at skilling the teachers on the useof IT in classroom teaching, it hasalready trained over 110,000 teachersimpacting over 5.5 million students.

In this way, Governments areprioritizing education and learning,providing skills development andworkforce training opportunities andcreating digital inclusion initiatives toenable as many people as possible toparticipate fully in a technology-driveneconomy.

Economic Development:

Investing in Infrastructure

and Innovation

Information isolation is one of the greatimpediments to the broad-baseddevelopment of knowledge economies.Many ICT applications therefore dependupon the expansion of networkinfrastructure to provide access to thecontent and communication thatunderlies the power of ICTs. No singlearchitecture or network technology isadequate to this task, and in fact, thediffusion of networks is likely to occurthrough a proliferation of interoperabletechnologies: wired copper, co-ax andfiber networks of both narrowband and

broadband capacity, mobile cellularnetworks, wireless WiFi and WiMaxfrom fixed transmission devices andsatellites.

Governments, therefore, areinvesting in the necessary hardware,software, networking and connectivitytools and applications that make it easyfor people to harness the power of ICT.

In order to promote innovation, theGovernment, academic and the privatesector are also working closely,undertaking basic research and sharingthis knowledge with the public.Companies in the private sector areusing some of these technologies incombination with ongoing investmentin research and development to createcommercial products, that are relevantfor the common man.

All these endeavors are a step in theright direction. After all, digital inclusionis a goal that can only be achieved in aclimate which is conducive to thegrowth and proliferation of ICT. It needsan environment where people-centricinitiatives, targeted at building a digitallyinclusive society flourish and achievefruition.

The fact is that investments

in technology will do little to

alleviate poverty or improve

the lives of the

underprivileged unless they

are matched by efforts to

build the capacity of target

populations to harness the

opportunities that ICTs offer.


t e c h t r e n d s

Unlimited Potential is an initiativelaunched by Microsoft globally thataims to reach the five billion people whoaren’t yet realizing the benefits of IT. Itreflects the company’s long-termcommitment to harness technology,training and partnerships to helpdigitally disenfranchised people achievetheir full social and economic potential,using the power of technology.

The three core principles ofUnlimited Potential: Relevance,Accessibility and Affordability, have allfound reflection in the countless on-the-ground steps taken by Microsoft toachieve digital inclusion in India.

A Matter of Relevance

It is well accepted that for India to catapultinto the next phase of growth, it needs toensure that education, jobs andinnovation keep pace with the emergingknowledge economy. For any reasonablerate of growth, IT intervention will play acritical role. The Unlimited Potentialinitiative is aimed at doing just that. Itdelivers “relevant” technology solutionsaround three key areas of economicopportunity: Transforming Education,

Fostering Local Innovation and EnablingJobs and Opportunities.

Enhancing Education

Until now, Microsoft has beenparticipating actively in this area, throughits institutional efforts. It has worked withten state governments to provide IT skillstraining to government school teachers.Project Shiksha has so far trained over110,000 school teachers from eight ITacademy centers across the country andthereby impacted favorably theclassroom teaching environment for over5.5 million students.

Today, however, there has been ashift in Microsoft’s strategy for theeducation market. Microsoft is nowmoving from an institutional perspectiveto an individual focus. The aim is toreach out to individual students, fromKindergarten through Class 12. Workingon the principle of a “ConnectedEducation Framework,” which linksinstitutions, teachers, students andparents in the entire learning life cycle.With this model, learning will bedelivered to school students in the K-12 segment through a combination of

both offline and onlinemedia, MSN EducationChannel, the FamilyEducation PC and the mobileplatform.

The Family Education PC,for instance, is a speciallytailored, affordable systemwhich will provide specializededucational content forschool students. This willinclude a composite MS Stack(Windows, Office, Student2007, Encarta, OfficeCertification), and content

from Partner companies such as Karadi,Brilliant, NIIT and PACSoft that haveexpertise in specific subjects and areasincluding the “English as the SecondLanguage (ESL)” arena, competitivetutorials, IT skills, etc.

Fostering Local Innovation

Bringing technology to the next fivebillion will require new and innovativebusiness models that go beyond the PC.We need to look at solutions andservices beyond the much establisheddesktop model. Microsoft Research inIndia and the Microsoft IndiaDevelopment Center based in Bangaloreand Hyderabad are continuouslyevaluating scenarios which hamper thegrowth of IT computing in emergingmarkets and creating new technologiesand solutions to overcome them.Further, Microsoft India is also workingwith several Systems Integrators (SIs)and Independent Software Vendors(ISVs) to create relevant and innovativeapplications which are specific to theneeds of the Indian Industry and theglobal IT sector. The “India isInnovation” program is an effort whereinMicrosoft provides softwaredevelopment assistance, qualitycertification, venture capital funding,business skills training, and marketincubation for the local startupcommunity.

Another key initiative launched byMicrosoft globally, which has alsogained popularity in India, is the ImagineCup. An annual competition for studentsto explore technological and innovativeinterests outside the classroom, theinitiative provides opportunities for GenNext to compare ideas, gain practicalexperience and stretch the limits of their

Microsoft’s Unlimited Potential:

Relevant, Accessible

and Affordable


Microsoft’s biggest launch to date,Windows Vista is already available in 10languages, including Hindi, Tamil,Marathi, Gujarati, Konkani, Bengali,Malayalam, Kannada, Telugu andPunjabi. While Office 2007 is on offer inHindi, it will have at least 13 languageversions going forward. AlreadyMicrosoft has LLPs (Local LanguagePartnerships) in 14 different languagesfor Office and XP. Microsoft has alsoworked closely with several stategovernments on the localization of e-governance applications in the relevantlocal language. The Bhasha Online Com-munity portal (www.bhashaindia.com)has become one of India’s leadingcommunities for Indian languagecomputing.

Microsoft is also pushing theelement of accessibility to new levelsthrough its advanced tools for teachingand learning such as Microsoft Math,Live Classrooms and Digital Study Hall(DSH). DSH, in fact, is a young researchproject that seeks to improveeducational opportunities in urban andrural low-income areas. MicrosoftResearch is playing a key role in DSH.As part of this Project, live classes,taught by skilled teachers in localschools, are digitally recorded, made intoDVDs, and transmitted via the“Postmanet,” essentially using thepostal department to deliver content towhere most needed. The teachers’lessons are stored in a worldwidedatabase, where they can be then sentto schools that need them.

Further, Microsoft is also trying tomultiply the access of whatevertechnology currently reaches theunderserved communities. MicrosoftResearch has developed a solution:

information andtechnology, and moreimportantly, equippingthem with the properskills to actually usethis technology andexpand theiropportunities.

Ensuring Access

In addition to creatingrelevant content andprograms, Microsofthas also tried to ensurethat there is access tocomputing. Microsoft is working withNGOs and industry corporates as partof Project Saksham to enable the setup of over 50,000 rural kiosks. Aninitiative aimed at being self sustainable,Saksham will provide localentrepreneurs with the opportunity toset up and manage kiosks for contentand services.

In addition to physical access,Microsoft has also worked to removeone of the primary barriers tocomputing. Language. Under itsProgram Project Bhasha Microsoft iscommitted to provide local languageinterface packs for its productsincluding Vista, XP and Office.

Microsoft’s Focus

on Digital Inclusion

PROJECT SHIKSHA : : IT skills training for

government school teachers

PROJECT JYOTI : : IT skill straining to rural communities

and women through CTLCs

PROJECT BHASHA : : enabling language computing

PROJECT SAKSHAM : : creating access for rural India through

self sustaining kiosk model

PROJECT VIKAS : : enhancing competitiveness of SME

through IT adoption

MULTIPOINT : : multiplying value of a single computer

TECHNOLOGY through innovative technology applications

DIGITAL STUDY : : increasing access to relevant and

HALL PROJECT standardized educational content

“INDIA IS : : fostering growth of Indian ISVs

INNOVATION” PROJECT

imagination to create solutions thatapply to the real world.

Enabling Jobs and Opportunities

In 2005, Microsoft launched ProjectVikas, with an investment of US$ 15million over five years, to enhance theglobal competitiveness of India’s Smalland Medium Enterprises (SME) sector.Being implemented in association withthe National Manufacturing CompetitiveCouncil (NMCC), Project Vikas not onlyhelps Indian SMEs address their “soft”challenges, it is boosting the job marketand fostering growth in softwaredeployment at the regional level.

Microsoft has also launched in Indiain August 2004, Project Jyoti, a programthat focuses on building CommunityTechnology Learning Centers (CTLCs)that act as hubs for providing trainingand facilitating greater interaction.Project Jyoti, in partnership with NGOsreaches out predominantly to ruralcommunities and women, in villages andsemi urban areas, and empowers themwith technical tools to start microenterprises and engage in basic trade.This is complimented by efforts tointegrate, facilitate and benefit theindividual, the family and society at largeby giving them access to relevant


“MultiPoint,” which enables multipleusers to share a single PC using severalmice at one time.

Handling the Issue of

Affordability

In order to take the “right technology”to the right people, the company hasfinely segmented the market andadopted the “Good-Better-Best” productapproach. Simply stated, it means thatMicrosoft is offering differentiation touser segments based on theirfunctionality requirements.

The new Windows range ofofferings for instance, features the top-of-the-line Windows Vista Ultimate,which is targeted at the expert customer,and comes with more capabilities at ahigher cost. At the other end of thespectrum is the Windows Vista StarterEdition, which is aimed at first time usersand offers basic features, at a price tagthat’s suitable for ordinary citizens. Thelow cost version of Windows firstappeared on the Microsoft horizon in

2004, when the companyannounced the availability ofWindows XP Starter Edition,a competitively priced,customized and localizedtechnology. A similarsegmented product strategyfor business users is visiblewith offerings such as OfficeProfessional, Office Standardand Microsoft Works.

Special licensing schemesand imaginative pricing andmarketing models, forGovernment and academic communities,have remained a hallmark of the company’sbusiness strategy for the country.

Microsoft has also announced a“pay-as-you-go” business model enabledby its FlexGo technology that makes PCownership a reality for consumers andsmall businesses in emerging markets.Pay-as-you-go computing uses thefamiliarity and flexibility of prepaid mobilephones and applies it to personalcomputer hardware and software.

Another major licensingbreakthrough, the Microsoft StudentInnovation Suite, will take affordable andreliable software packages togovernments purchasing and givingWindows®-based PCs to primary andsecondary students for their personaluse at home and for schoolwork. Theeducation suite will become available inthe second half of 2007 for US$3 toqualifying governments that purchaseand supply PCs directly to students.

“Another goal we should have is to gobeyond helping the billion people who

use technology today, and bringingthat to the other 5 billion. Now, that

will take time, andthere are many

priorities, many thingswe need to do to drive

equity on a globalbasis. But one of those

over time is to makesure that access totechnology, to the

information and theempowerment that’s

being developed on the Internet, thatevery kid and everybody who wants

can have access to thosecapabilities.”

“Education is the most importantinvestment for the future, an we’vealready been able to have asignificant impact. We’ve been able to

train 2.6 millionteachers on a globalbasis. And we’ve got todrive this forward.Technology is going tobe a critical element ofthe classroomexperiencing, having amachine, even thoughit’s shared, thatstudents can get on and

work with, and having the teachers,and the curriculum, and all theelements that connect up to that.”—BILL GATES


i n t e r v i e w

How is the role of the government evolving

in the new economy?

There have been a couple of legislationsthat have been passed in the last fewyears that have changed the very waywe look at work in Government. Amongthese legislations are what we refer toas the 73rd and 74th amendments, whichgive wide ranging powers to local bodiessuch as Panchayats and Municipalities.In a way, the devolution of power to thelower levels of Governmentorganization, or local self Governmentis the major shift we have made. Theconstitution has been amended to givethem substantial powers and financialstrength to carry out the local levelprograms to ensure that citizen servicesare delivered more efficiently and to thedoorsteps of ordinary people. The aimhas also been to take the benefits of ITto the grassroot levels, to the unreachedin rural and semi-urban India and builda more digitally inclusive society.

The other major legislative changeis the Right of Information Act. Withtransparency becoming a part ofGovernment working style, the way itfunctions and performs, is now open topublic scrutiny. These changes haveforced the Government and all itsofficers to take a fresh look at theirprocesses, the manner in which thedelivery of public services is taking placeand the way normal functions are beingperformed for the good of the people.

How is technology enabling the

Government to become more citizen-

centric?

Simultaneously, with these legislativechanges sweeping across the country, theGovernment has realized the need to have

technology work for good governancewithin its environment. A year-and-a-halfago, the Government approved theNational e-Governance Plan (NeGP), tocompletely change the way public serviceswere delivered to the common man.According to the NeGP, these publicservices have to be transmitted in atransparent manner and on a 24x7 basis.

To do this, infrastructure has to beput in at huge costs by the Government.That is not all. The Government also hasto change the processes by which itdelivers these services to citizens. TheNeGP allocation is almost Rs. 25,000 croreover the next five years. As part of this,the Government will set up State WideArea Networks (SWANs). Every state willhave a data center. Optical fiber cableswill be laid in the field, perhaps even upto the small villages. Village kiosks willbe set up, where citizens will be able theaccess the services. All this infrastructurewill cost the Government a big amount.Simultaneously, the processes will haveto be changed. Government Process

Reengineering will have to beundertaken, to change the way theservices are delivered to the public. TheImplementation Plan is in operation. It hasalready begun to be rolled out. All thestates in the country, including Rajasthanare working to achieve its goals.

What are some of the challenges the Govern-

ment of Rajasthan is facing in reengineering

itself to create Digital Inclusion?

The difficult part is changing the entireprocess of working in the Government,which has to be completely reengineered.The biggest challenge we are facing todayis to redefine the mind set of the peopleworking in the present system. We haveto make them understand that it is in theinterest of the common person for them tochange the way they are working. It isimperative to move into the electronicprocess, and then ensure that theguidelines are specified clearly, thattimeframes are specified clearly. If timelinesare not being followed, there should besome penalty or deterrent to ensure thatthe person gets the service delivered atthe right time, in his own village.

Are Panchayati Raj institutions getting

impacted by technology?

Certainly, because most of the functionsat the village level have already beentransferred or are being transferred underthe administration. Today, the PanchayatiRaj institutions are very much a part ofthe NeGP. In fact, in Rajasthan, they havethemselves put up a communicationssystem that links all the 1100 Panchayatsusing radio technology.

In this new technology backed environment,

can Panchayati Raj institutions play a role in

“Government Process Reengineering

will have to be undertaken,

to change the way services

are delivered to the public.”

—C.K. MATHEW, Principal Secretary, Information Technology,

Government of Rajasthan

The aim has also

been to take the

benefits of IT to the

grassroot levels, to

the unreached in rural

and semi-urban India

and build a more

digitally inclusive

society.


bridging the digital divide?

Yes, definitely. All it needs is trainingand skills development. Already, a largemonetary component has been allocatedfor the purpose. Unless a huge programof change management is brought in,alongside capacity development, NeGPwill not function. NeGP, therefore, alsoprovides funds for training and skillsupgradation. We have also started outon this journey. There are six lakhGovernment officers in the state ofRajasthan. We will have to cover themover the next three years so that oncethey get used to working on thecomputer and understanding thingsdigitally, they themselves realize itsbenefits. We should take them to a pointwhere they see how much simpler andstreamlined their work has become owingto computers. Under the overallguidance of the NeGP we can movealong those lines.

What role do you see for Microsoft in this

new environment, where it catalyzes the

goal of “Digital Inclusion”?

There are two or three things I can thinkof. When the use of computers becomeswidespread across the state, Microsoftmust think in terms of developinginexpensive software. I recentlyattended a Microsoft conference inMumbai and was very happy to learnthat costs are coming down. I believefor a country like India and a state likeRajasthan, Microsoft should worktowards developing low-cost solutions.

Low cost also means these solutionsshould be replicable. If you have a costlysystem, it will only be used in a fewplaces in the state. Microsoft should riseto the challenge of the NeGP andprovide innovative software solutionswhich can be dispersed across thestate—from the far flung villages to thestate headquarters. Microsoft can alsohelp us develop computer applicationswhich have relevance to the delivery ofpublic services. For instance, what kindof software is required for the issuanceof ration cards? As part of the NeGP,Microsoft can come forward and advisethe state government, (considering itsvast global experience) and suggestways to build the applications. It canhelp us find the least expensive way ofdeploying the solutions and help us inachieving the goals of the NeGP.

Touched

by the

Flame of Knowledge

education was sufficient for her, and girlsdidn’t need to venture out of the housefor either higher learning or a job, was aHerculean task. Heated debates anddiscussions followed, until she was ableto finally wear out the opposition, andmake a strong case for joining a computercourse. Then came the issue of money.“My father could not afford to fund mycomputer course. Even a fee of Rs. 250 amonth meant stretching his resourcesand dipping into the already inadequatefamily income. I knew I would have tosupport myself, which led me to starttuitions to generate the fee money,”

Meet Shashi Bala, 22, a resident ofSangam Vihar, New Delhi, a clear-headed,confident young woman, who’s lookingforward enthusiastically to what thefuture holds.

It’s wasn’t this way even a year ago,when Shashi was still searching for thatone big thing that she could hold on toand build her life. One of three children,born to a modest middle-class home,where her father, a tailor has beenstruggling to make ends meet, feed thefamily and educate the children, Shashiknew she would have to take her destinyin her own hands.

Life certainly wasn’t easy in thosedays. With many mouths to feed and avery meager income, Shashi’s father washard pressed to provide her with theeducation she needed. Computertraining was an expensive, far off dream,not even a blip on the family radar.

Shashi however, felt differently. Alittle adrift after completing herschooling, she sought friends who couldguide and mentor her about what to doand where to go to gain skills that wouldset her on the path of economicindependence.

Interactions with peers who wereattending computer classes andthoroughly enjoying the experience,made her see a goal and direction thathad not existed until then.

She decided to join a computercourse that would train her on the latestsoftware and prepare her for the newworkplace. Having joined acorrespondence course at IGNOU, toacquire a B.A degree, Shashi Bala, waskeen to add another feather to her cap—computer knowledge.

However, getting past conservativeparents, who believed that school

“The

atmosphere

appealed to

me right away.

Not only did

the Center

have an

adequate number of

computers, the

Instructors also appeared

very knowledgeable and

approachable. For

someone like me, who

had never experienced

computers, it took some

of the fear and

uncertainty out of my

mind,”

—Shashi Bala


“One year ago, I could

not have imagined I’d be

in this position. From a

time when my parents

were upset with my

decision to take up

computers, to now,

when they proudly tell

everyone about my job

and improving

prospects, the

changeover has been

complete,”

—Shashi Bala

A look at how Microsoft’s Project Jyoti has transformed Shashi Bala

from a diffident and shy youngster to an important helping hand

in the home—a hand that brings in the all important bread

and butter to the table.

data entry operator, who is comfortableworking in any environment—be itWord, Excel or PowerPoint.

“It is really thanks to the Center thatI have gained these skills. It was farbetter than the earlier place where I hadenrolled. Both the theory part and Labsessions were more detailed and handledby good professionals. I have beenlearning at this Center since August,and today, can work efficiently on thecomputer,” Shashi Bala informs.

It was in November 2006, however,that Shashi received her biggest break—one that would completely transform herlife. The announcement by the UdyanCare Head Office in Lajpat Nagar, NewDelhi, that it was looking for a computerliterate person for data entry, had herinstantly applying for the job. It wasn’tlong before Shashi Bala was carryinghome a pay packet of Rs. 4,000, a sum

informs Shashi Bala.An institute close to home, where

she paid Rs. 350 as admission fee, washer first training destination. However,the center was not properly geared upand the faculty untrained. Barely a 15days into the program, and Shashi Balaknew she needed a better environmentto gain computer proficiency.

Her search for a good computerschool ended when she walked into theCenter run by Udyan Care, a reputedNGO. Set up with the support ofMicrosoft—under the aegis of ProjectJyoti, an effort to empower womenthrough digital literacy—the Center, well-equipped with PCs, friendly instructorsand providing training on MS Office,seemed the right learning choice.

“The atmosphere appealed to meright away. Not only did the Center havean adequate number of computers, theInstructors also appeared veryknowledgeable and approachable. Forsomeone like me, who had neverexperienced computers, it took some ofthe fear and uncertainty out of my mind,”Shashi Bala says.

The good news that the Center hadtrained over 300 students over the lastyear, (of which 79 were women) and thataround 30 learners had managed to baggood jobs, added to her sense of hopeand anticipation.

“The Center opened a whole newworld to me. It was almost magical—typing on the keyboard, creating apresentation in Power Point and learningthe basics of Web designing. It was allso exciting, so new and so very useful.It suddenly felt like I had found apurpose in life,” she adds.

From someone who could barelyfollow the cursor on the computer screen,Shashi Bala has evolved into a proficient

well beyond here wildest dreams andexpectations.

“One year ago, I could not haveimagined I’d be in this position. From atime when my parents were upset withmy decision to take up computers, tonow, when they proudly tell everyoneabout my job and improving prospects,the changeover has been complete,”Shashi states smilingly. Among the breadearners in the family, Shashi Bala is beingviewed with new respect by her parents,two brothers and friends.

A memorable occasion for her waswhen Microsoft recognized hereachievement at a special function in thecapital, where she was in the spotlightfor the first time in her young life.

Having come so far, Shashi Bala isgoing for bigger, more ambitioushorizons. The B.A. will be followed byan M.A. and accompanied by a diplomain computers, which will take her to thenext step in her IT learning journey. Amarriage is also on the cards and Shashihopes it will be to a “computer man!”The future is looking extremely brightfor this confident and lively youngsterwho left behind her shyness,uncertainty and feeling of despondencywhen she made friends with thecomputer.

There are many more examples likeShashi Bala. Their lives have taken ona new meaning through “Project Jyoti.”Launched in 2004, Project Jyoti focuseson improving lifelong learning forunderserved young people and adultsby providing technology skills throughcommunity-based technology andlearning centers. Till date, in India,Microsoft has made grants of Rs. 35crores to over 11 NGOs and set uparound 500 CTLCs.

c a s e s t u d y


i n f o b i t s

After nearly two years public beta, thenew Windows Live Hotmail waslaunched worldwide in 36 languages.The successor to MSN Hotmail,Windows Live Hotmail represents themost significant update to Microsoft’swebmail service since 1996. The servicehas been built from the ground up,incorporating feedback from more than20 million consumer testers. Using theseinputs, Microsoft has developed a morepowerful service that keeps customerssafer online, enables people to be moreproductive with a look and feel more likeOutlook, and provides more ways forusers to access their e-mail seamlesslyacross the Web, mobile devices and PCs.

Launched on the eve of Microsoft’s8th Annual Strategic Account Summit,Windows Live Hotmail is a cornerstoneonline service for Microsoft, as also thee-mail backbone for telco partners likeBell Canada, as well as Microsoftservices like Office Live and WindowsLive @ edu, a program which is beingadopted by more than 250 university andalumni associations worldwide.

Windows Live @ edu was recentlychosen to power “Penn Live”for the University ofPennsylvania, includingthe Wharton School.

Windows LiveHotmail showcases howMicrosoft will deliver morevalue as a company with itsblend of software and services. Thecompany has announced that WindowsLive Hotmail will allow customers to accesstheir accounts for free via Outlook 2003 andOutlook 2007 with the Microsoft OfficeOutlook Connector (formerly asubscription-only feature). The webmail

service plus, a premiere client offering, willenable a more powerful solution forcustomers with rich synchronization of e-mail, folders and contacts and offline access

to Hotmail with Outlook. A beta ofthe connector will be available

in 11 languages in thecoming weeks. Microsoftis looking at deliveringricher software and services

solutions for customers as itmakes additional investments

in free consumer e-mail client software,moving forward.

Over the next few months,Microsoft will be reaching out to its 280million customers to update them to thisnew, more powerful service. Consumerscan visit http://www. hotmail.com to

sign up for a newWindows Live Hotmailaccount. Current MSNHotmail customers canalso update theirexisting account toWindows Live Hotmailby logging into theiraccount and clickingon the green JoinWindows Live Hotmailbutton.

It’s Hot Again!

Microsoft launches Windows Live Hotmail, to up the ante on

webmail services.

Microsoft’s Imagine Cup 2007 iscurrently underway. The World’sPremier Student TechnologyCompetition, kicked off in November,2006, has invited students to applytechnology and artistic talents to“Imagine a world where technologyenables a better education for all.”

Now in its fifth year, Imagine Cupcontinues to challenge students tovisualize a better world empowered bytechnology and created by their talentand innovation. This time around,students will compete in nine categoriesspanning software design and a shortfilm to challenges involving algorithmsand programming. The students’ workwill reflect valuable, real-world solutionsthat address the pressing global issueof education while giving them theopportunity to compete for generouscash prizes.

After advancing through the online,local and regional Imagine Cupcompetitions, qualifying students arescheduled to convene at the worldchampionships in August 2007 in Seoul,Korea, to present their entries to a panelof judges from academia and thetechnology industry. The finalists willbe selected, and a worldwide winnerfrom each category will be announced.Prizes for Imagine Cup 2007 will totalmore than US $170,000 across the ninecategories. Additional information onthe Imagine Cup is available at:http://www.imaginecup.com.

The Cup that Fires

the Imagination

Microsoft’s Imagine Cup 2007 to

fuel innovation among students

MICROSOFT SPEAK

“Windows Live Hotmail

represents an extremely

compelling end-to-end

e-mail experience that

makes it easy for

customers to get best-

of-breed e-mail access

across PCs, mobile

devices and the Web.”

—Steve Berkowitz,

Senior Vice President,

Online Services Group,

Microsoft


i n f o b i t s

Microsoft is providing a unique e-mail IDfor every kind of Indian powered byWindows Live Hotmail, in an effort tocustomize e-mail for consumers in India.All that users need to do for the e-mail IDthey want, is to use a feature called customdomains. The residents of Lokhandwalain Andheri, Mumbai, have alreadyexperienced the joys of this facility andgained for themselves a special e-mail IDcalled www.lokhandwalarocks.com.

Microsoft research—which hasrevealed that people use e-mail as theprimary mode of contact and henceconsider it important to have a uniquee-mail—spurred the company to launchthis initiative. Now Windows LiveHotmail will give users a high degree ofcustomization along with its features ofsafety, productivity, stability and speed.

Interestingly, Microsoft also tied-upwith the movie Shoot Out at Lokhandwala.Users took part in a contest using theirlokhandwalarocks.com e-mail IDs to winpasses for the Asia premiere of the film.Going forward, Microsoft will be offeringa a wide range of innovative, cool andfunky e-mail IDs using domains likewww.mumbairocks.in, www.goarocks.com, etc. which will give every user a

Choose Any E-mail You Want

Microsoft has E-mail IDs for every kind of Indian!

Microsoft is getting aggressive aboutstrengthening its presence in India. Thecompany is geared up to open offices insix additional cities in India, which willtake its presence to thirteen cities, fromthe existing seven. As part of theexpansion strategy Microsoft willundertake the following:• establish a direct sales

infrastructure, broadening thepartner eco-system and marketeducation initiatives and programs.

• enable the small and mid marketorganizations to easily access acomprehensive portfolio of itsproducts and services, deploycustomized solutions faster and availof increased support from bothMicrosoft and its partners

• work with broad channel partners toimpart information on Microsoftproducts and licensing to serve IT

As part of its effort to promote local

language computing in India through

Project Bhasha, Microsoft has made

available the localized Hindi version

of 2007 Office. The Hindi edition will

be available with the Microsoft

Office Professional 2007 and

Microsoft Office Standard 2007

2007 Office

Released in

Hindi

versions. Microsoft will also be

launching Language Interface Packs

(LIPs) for 2007 Microsoft Office in

thirteen Indian languages including

Marathi, Gujarati, Tamil, Punjabi,

Bengali, Malayalam, Kannada,

Nepali, Konkani, Telugu, Urdu,

Assamese and Oriya before the end

of 2007.

MICROSOFT SPEAK

“It was our endeavor to

bring in the fully localized

version of 2007 Office in

Hindi, immediately after

the launch of 2007

Microsoft Office. This is a

break through product

which will enable people

work faster and better and

be more productive both

at home and at work.

—Pankaj Ukey, Office

System Product Lead, Microsoft

needs of the business customers inthe territory.

• catalyze its ISV partners to providelocalized solutions for the market.

• set up offices in Ahmedabad, Indore,Nagpur, Chandigarh Cochin, andCoimbatore.The expansion plan is in keeping

with Microsoft’s vision to empower abroad section of SME organizations andhelp them understand the role whichtechnology can play in driving thegrowth and competitiveness, of the localindustry, in the domestic and globalarena. The direct team in each city willbe supported by the respective regionalbranches for deeper functional expertise,in accordance with Microsoft’s Hub andSpoke model. Microsoft will also forgerelationships with IndustryAssociations in each city to understandand address local business challenges.

Microsoft to Strengthen Pan India Foothold

Six city Geo expansion plan to address the SME market

“We are really excited to

empower consumers to

make Windows Live

Hotmail their own by

providing the ability to

choose a meaningful

e-mail address that has a

deeper connection with

their own identity and

interests. India has also

been one of the first

countries where we rolled

out the faster, safer and

more powerful free E-mail

service.

—Abhisht Arora, Director

Product Management,

Microsoft Online Services

Group

unique personality online. With theseIDs, users can also sign on Windows LiveMessenger and Windows Live Spacesand connect with friends and family in amore fun and personal way.


The digital divide is narrowing as citizens

in emerging markets get online via

computers and mobile phones, with

some regions now on a par with

developed nations. These are the finding

of the annual “e-readiness” study,

published by the intelligence unit of The

Economist.

According to the Study, this is the

first time a level playing-field between

developed and developing nations is

being seen in terms of connectivity.

Within China and India, regions such as

Bangalore and Shanghai have almost the

same level of Internet and mobile-phone

connections as developed nations.

The survey looks beyond basic

Global Digital Divide is Narrowing, says Study

connections and also studies how the

Internet is being used to improve

productivity and reduce costs, including

online access to public services.

Here’s what the Study indicated:

> The difference between the

world’s Web-savviest nation,

Denmark, and the least e-ready

country, Azerbaijan, remained

nevertheless huge, with respective

scores of nine and 2.9 out of a

possible 10.

> India and China, including their less-

developed provinces, scored 4.25 and

4.02, ranking 53 and 57, respectively.

> Switzerland entered the top

three, replacing Sweden, which

dropped to fourth place, while the

US held on to its number two spot.

> Denmark remained number one in

taking advantage of the Internet,

both in connecting citizens securely

over broadband and wireless

networks, as well as in using its

near-ubiquitous hook-ups for

Internet banking and government

services such as tax returns.

> Six nations in the top 10 were

European, taking advantage of

cheaply available broadband

offerings and good education. The

US, Australia, Canada and Hong

Kong completed the top 10.

Technology for the Disabled

Forrester Study shows that accessible technology can benefit the physically challenged.

Table B-1

Likelihood to Benefit from the Use of

Accessible Technology by Type of Difficulty/

Impairment among Working-Age Adults

Difficulty Working-Age Percentage

/Impairment Population Likely to

(millions) Benefit

Mild Visual 27.4 16%

Severe Visual 18.5 11%

Mild Dexterity 31.7 19%

Severe Dexterity 12 7%

Mild Hearing 32 19%

Severe Hearing 4.3 3%

Table B-1 clearly demonstrates the need for

accessible technology among US working-age adults.

Table B-2

Majority of Working-Age Adults

Likely to Benefit from the Use

of Accessible Technology

Degree of Likelihood

Difficulty to Benefit

from Accessible

Technology

No/Minimal 40% Unlikely

Mild 38% Likely

Severe 22% Very Likely

Table B-2 provides more evidence of the

potential benefits of accessible technology.

According to the table, some 60 percent of

US working-age adults are likely or very

likely to benefit from such technology.

A 2004 Study conducted by Forrester Research, Inc.,

centered around US working adults, shows that although

people with disabilities are represented in the workforce,

there is still a great opportunity for improvement in this

area. How many more people with disabilities would be

listed under the employed category if accessible

technology were more available? The Forrester Study

shows that as more technology becomes available,

people with disabilities, who otherwise would have been

unable to work, will join the workforce.

f a c t s & f i g u r e s

Documents

Inclusive Growth · 2018-10-13 · Inclusive Growth Dear Friends, It has been 30 years since the invention of the personal computer, one of the most empowering technologies of our