Do you want to contribute to social change in LATAM through mobile solutions?

The Road Map for M-Inclusion is one of the main results in the project. M-Inclusion Roadmap is a detailed guide containing: the needs of the identified end users (people with disabilities, chronic patients, people form isolated areas and low-income), suitable technological solutions for these needs, gaps encountered, emerging technological trends and recommended actions in order to fully tackle social inclusion objectives in health, education, economy and mobility, from the current LATAM demography perspectives. 

It also includes the impact that these tendencies will have on the key stakeholders identified: developers, public bodies, financial bodies and industrial partners.

A Roadmap for M-Inclusion Summary is available on (Road Map summary): http://www.m-inclusion.eu/content/public-results

And the complete version of the Roadmap can be downloaded at: http://www.m-inclusion.eu/sites/default/files/D6.1_Roadmap%20for%20M-Inclusion_vfinal.rar

Mobile revolution brings mixed benefits to Brazil

According to the World Bank, 98% of the population of Latin America now have a mobile phone signal, with Argentina and Panama in particular seeing an explosive growth in subscriptions. 

Predictions are that by 2015, at least half of Brazil's population, or 100 million people, will have a mobile phone with internet access. Despite having sky-high tariffs on mobiles and too much legislation and regulation, Brazil will soon see a smartphone revolution.

Meanwhile the favelas, the illegal settlements in Brazil that spring up on the fringes of urban areas, known as shanty towns, which tend to be crowded, lack basic amenities and sanitation, and have informal market conditions, have experienced their own mobile revolution but not always a legitimate one.

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The First Open International Forum of mobile solutions for social inclusion

The First Open International Forum of mobile solutions for social inclusion will be held on 20th and 21st of November in Barcelona, Spain (in parallel to the Movil Forum Conference 2012). It will be focused on analyzing and raising awareness about the needs and mobile-based solutions for groups under risk of digital exclusion in LATAM (low-income and isolated communities, chronic patients and people with disabilities). Relevant stakeholders from all over the world will participate providing their expertise from technological, social and politic-economical perspectives.

During the First Open International Forum it will be organized:

• M-Inclusion Internal Workshops: it will be held on Telefónica’s facilities located next to Barcelona’s Forum during the first day, 20th November, of the Open International Forum (registration required).
• Conferences: on 21st of November in Barcelona (in parallel to the Movil Forum Conference 2012).
• The winner announcement of M-Inclusion Challenges: The M-Inclusion awards for “Apps4Change” Challenge Program 2012 will recognize groundbreaking mobile solutions for social inclusion (10.000$ prize).

Download the press release of M-Inclusion
More information about the First Open International Forum of mobile solutions for social inclusion.

Why the future is Latin American

“This 21st century will be our century, the century of Latin America,” wrote Sebastián Piñera, the president of Chile, in a recent article for The Economist. Piñera is right and the bet on “LatAm” as financiers like to refer to it, is a bet that is almost certain to come off.

Latin America has always been sexy and exciting, but now it is also a good place to make millions. A report from Deloitte last year said that the number of millionaire households in Brazil would pass a million by 2020.

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