Development and the Internet > Entrepreneurship - Question 1 |
|
|
Rotisserie Question
Please refer to the BusyInternet case study. From the standpoint of promoting economic and social development in Ghana, what are the most important aspects of what BusyInternet is doing, and how do they contribute to development? |
| Sort By: Thread / Author | View: Rotisserie Posts and Comments / Rotisserie Posts Only |
| Expand Rounds: All / 1 / 2 / 3 / None | |
(1) BusyInternet serves as a good if qualified example of the private sector providing access to the Internet in Africa. This contributes to development by providing an example of what More...
An obvious answer with regard to the way the commercial activities of BusyInternet contribute to the economic and social development in Ghana would be to point to the harnessing of More...
The ‘partial response’ makes good references to the study materials. It emphasises the importance of a positive environment if individual initiatives are to be successful; the complexities of the digital More...
I think this response raises an important point, that of the perception and preferences of those who are in power. In fact, this means that the rules and values shown More...
BusyInternet is in a position to create power. It can control communication access and innovation based on that access.
Another good question is how will the American Business ethics of More...
Most important aspects of what Busy Internet is doing: networking, education, and teaching technology awareness and a set of strategies.
Contributions to development: training citizens and corporations; stimulating interest in More...
This response is somewhat vague to me. I assume that you are referring to the business incubator and other programs on the upper floors. But why is "networking, education, and More...
This seems to be an ideal win-win solution however we will know the strategy is working when similar solutions work outside the capital and improve connectivity and skills in rural More...
http://www.isc.hbs.edu will provide most valuable insight to the title.
In addition, NEW Technologies, Innovative products to be developed may assist Countries with attracting Foreign Direct Investments and responsible Networks in More...
BusyInternet appears to have made a big impact on the region. To me, it just shows the effects of bringing people together and the natural interaction and interplay that we More...
BusyInternet is an illustration of support toward the building and implementation for local knowledge capacity.
This initiative leverages the impact of capacity building strategies by meddling or advocating the development More...
deleted
The social aspect of the hub is vital from several perspectives:
1) The formation of communities of practice is facilitated. This may result in rapid improvements in the level of More...
Yes, IT allows for practitioners elsewhere in Africa and elsewhere in the world to engage with practitioners in Ghana.
There is a kind of Western free market tilt to this More...
It is effectively a vital component toward the setting of social planning. Both on the grounds of human capital and social capital dynamics the hub is an enlargement for capacity More...
Steve, I think we are all grappling with the dilemma of how African veloping countries can survive in a globalised world. Part of this must involve the composition of exports More...
With this case --BusyInternet-- are meshed two distinct components in the context of socio-economic modelings for developing countries. The argument for the expansion of public/private partnerships is paramount with the More...
I apologize, but I have serious difficulties to understand your analysis. Could you please re-formulate your answer to question 1? - I think you have an important message to us, More...
Response:
I agree with Urs, what does this analysis mean? Does it suggest that BusyInternet is a public private partnership or that the success of BusyInternet makes public private partnerships More...
Regret I can't really re-write my reply as you ask. What I said was probably said better elsewhere. I wonder how I can improve my style. Any tips and feedback More...
I agree with Urs, what does this analysis mean? Does it suggest that BusyInternet is a public private partnership or that the success of BusyInternet makes public private partnerships more More...
I see this case, as an element of success (best practices) that could leverage the expansion of public/private partnerships. If we do examine this issue within the context of capacity More...
BusyInternet's uniqueness is expressed in the overwhelming stability of their quality of service access to the internet, combined with their focus on delivering this access to ordinary Ghanaians.
The quality More...
Thanks for putting (very-small aperture terminal, a two-way satellite link) after your reference to VSAT. I've sort of known the meaning of VSAT - but its been niggling me that More...
In my reading, some of the most important aspects of what BusyInternet is doing are the following:
First, and from an economic perspective, BusyInternet provides an excellent example of a More...
Is BusyInternet profitable? If not, then a critical element of success is missing. How much positive entrepreneurship is developing as opposed to negative entrepreneurship such as criminal activity and fraud. More...
The issue of profitability could do more to increase widespread access than more altruistic motives. I am sure we will continue to see digital divide activist initiatives. But, the entire More...
I agree %100 percent.
In my opionion BusyInternet is doing five major things to contribute to social and economic development in Ghana:
-first, they are providing access and SME services of a quality that More...
Some good and perceptive points here. What perhaps strikes me as raising some difficulty is the fact that the emergence of the incubator is not from within the existing human/economic More...
One must start somewhere, though. The market seems ideally suited to experiment with new opportunities and learn, through experience, how they may best be used. Much technology has produced unexpected More...
Indeed - BusyInternet is an ideal starting point. My concern was directed against the lack of information regarding the role of the Ghanaian government in investing in the human infrastructure More...
Cyber cafes are a mixed blessing to small entrepreneurs. The Internet is a conduit for information, no more and no less. Rather, the information itself makes the impact, although the More...
The Internet is just a conduit for information, as are the telephone and television. However, the communications technology developed in the last century has become an influence that goes beyond More...
ICT has a role to play in development. However, the question is who benefits via the 'link in the chain'. There are a number of initiatives - such as The More...
It sounds to me as if BusyInternet is basically an "internet cafe" that never really intended or intends to serve a role in government. But I do agree with the More...
I would like now to address the last aspect of the intervention above. The point is an important one, since schollars said Internet and other ICTs were a critical factor More...
It is probably too early to predict the demise of the State. Due to infrastructural bottlenecks, it is admitted that the full potential of Internet is not yet tapped, but More...
Since BusyInternet offers a place where people can go to experience technology not otherwise available in the surrounding area, it draws people together who have in common a curiousity about More...
One of the key issues to BusyInternet's success is that it was able to offer all the technological structure while respecting the Ghanaian's culture, interests etc. I am sure we More...
I agree: a thorough understanding of context for the use of any kind of intervention--whether social, health, government or business services-- is critical to success. And the deeper the contextual More...
I like your example of the Brazilian government. But would you allow complete unrestricted access? What if it was mainly used for, say, gambling and gaming sites? Stimulate commerce yes, More...
practicing religion and practicing science must be set apart. It is like the west and the east or to be announced the north and the south. our main objectice here More...
Perhaps it's true that "religion" and "science" are "east" and "west," and never the twain shall meet. I'd like to know more about the pros and cons of that proposition. More...
BusyNet is a magnet for entrepreneurs; providing facilities, support, business advice, role models and opportunities for networking – this is person to person networking, not just virtual. It could be More...
Allowing local people to network for informations or business opportunity to address "their" immediate needs, change from within rather than outsiders building infrastructure and information push of irrelevance! hub for More...
Wai, I agree that networks and networking are critical. Offering the opportunity to connect and work together, share ideas, create new knowledge -- this is powerful!
I always first think of models where this local community knowledge has come about because a local community is networked together! Where in the USA? Where in Europe? I guess More...
Wai says:
<<Busy is offering a living example of options and opportunities based on a model that, although not entirely "western," springs from the western experiences of its founders.>>
Before More...
Steve says:
<<I was also left with some questions that related not just to economic capital, but social capital.>>
Interesting point, balance between economic and social capital - which will More...
BusyInternet is providing a clean, well-lighted place to compute, communicate, and to be seen by your colleagues who are doing the same. It fills the same need in Ghana in More...
No arguments that BusyInternet is probably a clean place conducive to socializing, but people are likely driven to demand clean water whether or not a business like BusyInternet happens to More...
I'm interested by the idea that the success of BusyInternet as a local ICT-related business could lead to other successes for the people who live in the Accra community. And More...
True, spearheading a movement for water purification areas, wells, or other forms of general response to needs would indicate an 'over and above' sense of community development. However, I'm not More...
It may sound superficial, but there are three aspects of BusyInternet that favorably reflect the old maxim.
1. The venture is obviously located so access is provided to a variety More...
Well reasoned analysis...
BusyInternet is trying to capitalize on a new market. It is providing a bevy of services and tools that may help some businesses and organizations expand and develop in Ghana. More...
And just who is 'Ghana' ? I'd argue that it would be best if the local market and BusyNet investors determine whether the BusyInternet and perhaps its' BusyLabs model are More...
Busy is offering a living example of options and opportunities based on a model that, although not entirely "western," springs from the western experiences of its founders. From the case More...
Funding and bringing of know-how are most important contributions. From there any local initiative can be brought up.
Of the several BusyInternet's contributions we can point out: (i) the incubator and its ability to stimulate various sectors of the Ghanaian economy while using ICT services to bring useful More...
The incubator effect may probably be judged ultimately in the medium to long term. But it maybe worthwhile to mention the immediate effect of providing worldclass connectivity to Ghana.
The BusyInternet model shows how powerful social entrepreneurship can be. BusyInternet acted as a “hub” to bring together different players to respond to a need.
It started a exciting idea More...
Well, the most important aspects is that BusyInternet is making the path for others to follow.
Response to In tune with the eco systems:
I am not convinced that BusyInternet is in fact in tune with the ecosystems. The response to the current system failures seems More...
A number of concerns about the contributions made by BusyInternet are;
> (i) states that the incubator brings ‘useful information’ to the local population. However this raises a number of More...
Several entities are looking at bridging the last mile. One of them is the Open Knowledge Network <www.openknowledge.net> which is translating into local languages and helping connect other distribution media More...
With regard to African Lawyer's perceptive comment that BusyNet is not 'in tune' with the local systems as it bypasses, or makes provision, for bypassing faulty ones such as the More...
With regard to African Lawyer's perceptive comment that BusyNet is not 'in tune' with the local systems as it bypasses, or makes provision for, bypassing faulty ones such as the More...
Aren't answers to this question at this point hopes and hypotheses about how and whether the Internet contributes to development?
Out text says this:
<<The discussion so far has made More...
Yes, it might be as you say "hopes and hypotheses" but still, something has happened in the community where BusyInternet is having their business and that will effect the economy More...
This is probably a fair observation. The governance challenge will be to translate opportunities into realities - in that sense the fledlging infrastructure provides a good basis. Not only is More...
The most important aspects of BusyInternet is that they provide a wide range of service to a lot of different people, whohas different purpose to use the Internet. But not More...
The success of BusyInternet also depends on local political forces and even local economic influence groups.
BusyInternet is building an ICT Centric Agora providing critical services for social and economic development. The most important aspects of BusyInternet operations are, providing access 7x24, technical assistance, office space, More...
BusyInternet is like an oasis.And it serves that purpose for the information hungry. One of the most pressing concerns in the developing world probably is access to information, be it More...
I think the approach tries for a balance between commercial and social enterprise in that BusyInternet provides a resource for NGOs and an incubator for new entrepreneurs. Africa has only More...
Busynet enables consumers to become internet users, and enables internet users and local enterprises to try their hand at providing online content and services. It's not an (enterprise) incubator in More...
BusyInternet is expanding access to information. This is foundational for democratizing access to educational opportunity, which is, in turn, foundational for democratizing access to economic opportunity.
Hard to overstate the More...
Busy Internet provides competition to the other 200 cyber cafes. I wonder if the prices are comparable? It certainly seems successful and can serve as a model for even more More...
Innovation (specifically dealing with economic innovation) is a major impetus of growth. The innovation of BusyInternet is simply that fact that this entrepreneurial venture is actually operational and it is More...
The most important aspects of Busyinternet are the entrepreneurial and the community capacity building: they are not only doing business but they are also providing skills and means for individuals More...
Including anyone into the "market" in the name of community development is the "capacity building of that person" to be a service provider for the market. When millions of people More...
I agree with the basic idea that the Private Sector can be one of the most important tools to bring opportunity to local populations. And I also believe that real More...
In keeping with the ecosystem analogy offered by the authors of this module (Moore et al.), achieving the 'just right' frameworks to optimize the value-add of PSD may equate to More...
Great response. Agree with your points on entrepreneurial and community capacity building. Defining "basic services" could be very different from one person to the next.
Do you really want more monitoring and control, especially in the context of developing countries emerging from military dictatorships and becomming democratic?
I agree there is a problem because better More...
''Busyinternet '' is interesting example and even more interesting experience both for the investors and end users, but I would be most interested what other aspects than ''love for that More...