Needed to make a Company Presentation recently so thought I would add it here.

South Sudan

Is a complicated place. Statistics on the country are shocking:

Some words about hedging

The Bitcoin market is pretty fresh and unstable at the moment. It is greatly affected by any news on this market. We expect slow grow of exchange rates in the long-term. This assumptions is based on the following facts:

We have been hard at work developing and improving the Nokia Data Gathering solution, and will be launching an exciting new version in May 2012. The Nokia Data Gathering 4.04 (Dazzling Dourado) release will include bug fixes and new features on the Java mobile client, as well as a brand new Nokia Data Gathering server and user interface. We will also be launching the first Windows Phone client of Nokia Data Gathering.

Come discover and try out Nokia Data Gathering 4.04! On 16 May 2012, the Nokia Data Gathering team will be at Seton Hall University to tell you all about the new Nokia Data Gathering 4.04 server, the new Windows Phone mobile app, mobile data collection case studies from around the world, and to give you a chance to try out Nokia Data Gathering 4.04 for yourself.

Please join us!

Event Nokia Data Gathering 4.04 workshop Date Wednesday, 16 May 2012 Time 09:00-12:00 AM Place Seton Hall University, 400 South Orange Avenue, South Orange, NJ 07079, USA Room Beck Rooms A, B, and C (Ground Floor of Walsh Library)

Nokia Data Gathering 4.04 is the result of a collaborative effort between Nokia, the Center for Mobile Research and Innovation at Seton Hall University and Microsoft. Learn more at http://projects.developer.nokia.com/ndg/

For more information about the workshop and/or Nokia Data Gathering, please contact kulsoom.ally 'at' nokia.com

Despite the rapid growth of mobile data and mobile internet, many (most) people in developing countries do not have access to mobile data. For example in Africa, there are around 45 basic mobile subscriptions but only 2 data subscriptions per 100 inhabitants. Peer to peer communication, voice calls, SMS and 'beeping' are the standard communication tools and techniques currently in use.

The success of Twitter and other group communication tools has been undeniable and the development and introduction of mobile app based messaging systems remains active. But would it be possible to design a group messaging system for people who only have access to a basic feature phone with standard GSM features available on every mobile phone?

Tangaza is a mobile phone based group messaging system targeted at moderately low income users. Through the use of missed calls, a basic SMS command set and concise touch tone menu, Tangaza is designed to enable affordable spoken communication among flexible groups of users. Developed in collaboration between Nokia US and African research units, Nokia Tangaza was piloted in Kenya in 2009 and a research paper (.pdf) on this pilot and on Tangaza's design decisions was presented at the 1st Annual Symposium on Computing for Development in 2010. The software has now been open sourced under the AGPL and I have just submitted an ITP to the Debian Bug Tracker. We aim to have Tangaza in the next Debian release and the Debian VOIP team are helping with this effort.

Tangaza runs on Linux and you will need to have

• Perl 5
• Python 2.6
• MySQL 5.0
• Django 1.2
• Kannel 1.4.3
• Asterisk 1.6.2

installed on your Debian based system if you want to build Tangaza before it reaches the main repositories . You need to

git clone https://github.com/tangaza/Tangaza

git checkout -b upstream --track origin/master

(The '--track' option alters your .git/config file and adds a [branch "upstream"] section telling Git where you fetched it from. That means you can later just say "git pull" and you will get both the 'master' and the 'upstream' repository merged into your repository automatically.)

git checkout master

git-buildpackage --git-ignore-new --git-builder=debuild -i.git -I.git -us -uc

and install the resulting .deb package

During the last development cycle we built Tangaza a web enabled administrative interface in Django where the groups, members and organization information can be modified and the messages (called Tangazo's) can be listened to We also wrote some documentation about the API calls we make available through RPC for developers who want to build applications on top of Tangaza.

There is some interest in using Tangaza as an agricultural early warning system in East Africa. A Humanitarian Innovation Fund expression of interest passed through to a call for a full proposal which is pretty exciting both in terms of potential impact and also for the new features which can be developed with increased funding

I have just published the software I wrote for my MBA in Strategic Management of Technology Innovation.

A slightly customized version of the software is currently in use as a innovation funnel at INdT.

It is a commonly accepted fact in business that social projects bring some tangible benefits to an organization. Unfortunately, even if the project is very successful this often does not impact directly on the financial bottom line. And, in a world of razor-thin margins, a set of activities that drive up corporate cost without any directly identifiable return is a tough sell, no matter how worthwhile and noble the project might be. The business case for social projects is therefore contingent on finding a suitable method for valuation — one that allows managers to understand the implications of an indirect benefit and then make ’intelligent’ decisions about which projects to choose and the most feasible level of resources to commit.

I approached the problem using techniques from agile development. Scrum sizings were run with stakeholders experienced in the type of project under evaluation which estimated the intangible values present in the social project.The values were then passed into an algorithm which ran an economic analysis of the project with its associated series of estimates as projected 'cash-flows'. The economic indicators calculated are net present value, internal rate of return and efficiency of investment

Projects are then ranked on their efficiency of social investment score.

The customization used at INdT is that instead of using scrum estimates the software has values assigned by answering questions. This makes the software then useful for all kinds of projects.The following questions were used

• What is the quality of information presented.?
• How much does this project align with strategy?
• What is the probability that the project will build competencies?
• The project opens new, significant markets for customers (What is the potential for market and revenue creation?)
• What is the project's capacity to leverage competitive position (Impact on competition)
• If the project is approved what is the span of possible applications that the resulting product might be applied to?
• Are there any IPR implications?
• What is the technological feasibility of the project?
• Assuming the project is implemented the set up costs of it are likely to be?
• What are the technological risks?

and the software also has a 'stage-gate' built in now so that projects can be eliminated early on if some basic requirements are not met. Things like the project conflicting with the current portfolio or not adding value fit this description.

The software is published under the AGPL and it uses a standard Django set up. It should be relatively bug free but YMMV depending on what you want to do with it. The full thesis - How to choose social investment projects by calculating their efficiency of investment using agile software development techniques - is available to download here. Enjoy!

NDG has been shortlisted for the Just Means 2011 – Social Innovation Awards, an important program which recognizes innovative software in the social and environmental areas. The result will be published during the event “2011 Redefining Value”, which will occur on the 25th of March, in London.

The software is competing in the category ‘Most Strategic Use of Philanthropic Funds’, disputing the prize with other three companies – Nature’s Path Foods, Oracle Corporation and Barclays PLC.

“The initiative to submit NDG to the prize came from Nokia's Corporate Social Investment team. Those involved believe that the work done recently with the software has brought many positive effects to communities in need worldwide and for this reason we have the potential to compete,” explains Ian Lawrence, a software developer at INdT, whom along with Rodrigo Ramos – also an INdT developer – works on the NDG project in Manaus, developing new features and offering support to NGOs and companies which wish to use the tool.

NDG was launched in 2008, and it is used for the collection of field data, substituting the use of paper survey forms and allowing the secure transfer of this information to a server, in real time. In 2009, the State of Amazonas’ Secretary of Health (SUSAM) adopted the software to conduct a campaign to fight Dengue Fever in Amazonas.

The results were so significant that NDG was adopted worldwide by many different organizations. Examples are the Philippines’ Government who along with the WWF use the tool to map the agricultural sector in the country and the Kenyan Government who run child birth registration programs in rural areas.

Some time ago I wrote a post about a project we were working on called Ubuntu Liquid. Well since then a lot has happened.The Bossa Conference came to Manaus with a great plasma mobile talk, the project changed its name to Kubuntu Mobile, the awesome KDE and Kubuntu communities became involved and we managed to finally get a Technology Preview release out of the door for Ubuntu Maverick!.

Nokia Data Gathering is released on a six monthly cycle. At the beginning of a new development cycle, community developers, NGO's and interested users gather to help shape and scope the next release of NDG (3.04).

The road mapping meetings are open to the public, but they are not conferences, exhibitions or other audience-oriented events. Rather, they provide an opportunity for software developers -- who usually collaborate online -- and technically orientated system integrators to work together in person on specific tasks related to the planning of the next Nokia Data Gathering release.

We were really fortunate for 3.04 that the University of Nairobi allowed us to hold the meeting at the Computer Science Department and that so many passionate staff, students and users came along and made the meeting so special. I think we all (well I am sure I did anyway) learned a powerful lesson about software development.

Build features which people want, need and will actually use rather than what we think people want.

We came with many great shiny new ideas for data gathering but it was simplicity, accessibility and security which were requested.

When that new feature I wanted to build (to scratch my own itch in all reality) falls over and a field worker in Liberia for example cannot send a Birth Registration Form no-one recognizes that child as a member of society able to receive medical treatment, go to school or find legal work. I can sleep well hungry, penniless, lonely or cold but I cannot sleep well knowing that is because of me.

Maybe itch scratching is an easy trap to fall into after working for so long on free software projects but it nearly bit me here and I am eternally grateful to Africa and to our community for the heads up and guidance. A big shout also must go out to Peter Wagacha and the rest of the team at the University for giving us this chance to learn and finally special congratulations and new mobile phone go to Bryann for the winning proposal for the release name. The next release will be called Brave Batian and it promises greatness!

The peak of Batian (17,057 feet) is the highest peak on Mount Kenya, the second highest mountain in Africa. Mount Kenya has a girth of about 95 miles at 8,000 feet, from which it rises boldly to its restricted summit zone. Mount Kenya is the source of the name of the Republic of Kenya.

This is a nice initiative that Nokia is spearheading with Capgemini and The World Bank to explore and foster the innovation eco-system in Africa.

It's called the Open Innovation Africa Summit and it's happening the week of November 29th 2010 in Nairobi, Kenya!

The summit aims to promote creation of new innovation services and collaboration models, which ensure continuous alignment between different players of the innovation ecosystem as well as to embed end-user driven co-creation and open innovation as critical elements to African innovation systems.

They've launched a great ideation platform as part of it that revolves around the four main streams for the event:

• Ecosystem for Innovation
• Emerging Market Business Models
• Mobile Services Revolution
• Human Capital - Education for All

You can check out the website and find more information here: www.innovateafrique.com

We're launching official communication about the event next week but I wanted to let readers of this blog know about this extraordinary initiative and to get your help providing insights and ideas (there are also 8 seats dedicated to the top contributors and readers here could for sure contribute greatly at the event itself, so I thought I'd give you all a heads up :)

The road mapping meeting for the 3.04 Nokia Data Gathering release takes place directly after this event at the School Of Computing And Informatics, University of Nairobi.