The Role of Mobile Web 2.

0
in Advancing Democracy, Human Rights
and Other U.S. Global Interests
Impact, Technology and Applications

Joel Postman
Chief Enterprise Social Media Strategist, Intridea
Author of “SocialCorp: Social
Media Goes Corporate”
 The Role of Mobile Web 2.0 in Advancing Democracy, Human Rights
and Other U.S. Global Interests
Impact, Technology and Applications

Introduction
Mobility, once available only to senior officials and on-call staff in
communications and other disciplines, has become pervasive due to a
number of factors, expanding greatly the viable applications for this
technology. This report will help communications managers, business
strategists and end users understand Mobile Web 2.0; the advances in mobile
technology and Web 2.0 that have converged to bring about the latest wave
of mobile computing; its availability to a broader user base; and some of the
mobile applications currently in use in the advancement of democracy,
human rights, and related fields.

What Is Web 2.0?

The term Web 2.0 has two related definitions. Principally, it refers to a new
generation of the Web, one that is more dynamic, more responsive and more
engaging, with new functionality, like RSS feeds (live site updates), and user
comments on blogs and Web sites, etc. Web 2.0 also refers to a set of
technologies that form the infrastructure on which this new Web is built.
Technical professionals agree that the key to Web 2.0 is AJAX
(Asynchronous JavaScript and XML), two technologies that are long
established on the Web, but which are now being used together to bring this
new functionality to users. It is not important that the user understand the
underlying technology, but it is helpful to know that it exists.

Advances in Mobility
Ten years ago, a mobile computing strategy might have included a few niche
applications running on proprietary, purpose-built devices, like handhelds
designed for inventory taking or data collection, or a fleet of laptops for field
support people. The high cost of hardware and accompanying software
development limited applications to those that were either mission critical,
like security and compliance, or those that generated direct revenue. Mobile
devices, in the form of handheld computers, ranged from $1500 to $3000 or
more, and in most cases required expensive, proprietary development
environments, making it costly and difficult to create and deploy new
applications and functionality.

© 2009 - Joel Postman, Intridea Mobile Communications and Diplomacy 1

The mobile phone, which was less than a decade ago simply a device to
make and receive voice conversations, has become the center of
communications for many professionals, and in many applications, is
replacing the proprietary handheld technology of the past. The traditional
cell phone, with a keypad, microphone, speaker and LCD display has been
replaced by mobile devices like the BlackBerry Storm (touchscreen) and
Curve (keyboard), Apple iPhone, Google Android, and a number of
Windows Mobile Devices. These phones offer advanced features like color
LCD touchscreens, voice recognition, GPS (Global Positioning System or
satellite-based location services), email, text messaging, Web browsers and
the ability to easily synchronize data with popular desktop applications.

So-called “smart” mobile phones and 3rd Generation (3G) devices offer the
integration of Short Message Service (SMS) for text messaging, and
Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS), to allow bi-directional sending and
receiving of files, still images, flash animations, audio, archival video and
streaming video, for a rich, dynamic and highly useful user experience.

At the same time, the devices have become smaller and lighter, and cost less
to own and operate than they have in the past. Most of these mobile devices
are now available for under US $300.

Mobile Web 2.0

The features that make Web 2.0 so dynamic and engaging are now available
any place that has cellular service or a wifi connection. The shrinking
footprint and cost of the latest generation of mobile devices, the rapidly
growing feature set and functionality, and their ability to fully utilize
advances in Web 2.0 like social networking, polling, and streaming media,
have resulted in a convergence that has made the mobile device a powerful
yet affordable computing platform. The addition of GPS, the ability to
“know” where the user is, brings with it a powerful new dimension of
context. If, for example, a farmer in Uganda wants to know the best
irrigation and fertilization for a crop, GPS can pinpoint the farmer’s location,
thereby ensuring that the solution offered is right for the farmer’s exact
conditions. Not only does this improve the accuracy of the information
offered, but overcomes language and cultural barriers by automating the task
of identifying the farmer’s location.

© 2009 - Joel Postman, Intridea Mobile Communications and Diplomacy 2

Developing for Mobile Web 2.0
The development environments for these devices have also become very
affordable even for the smallest organization, and in some cases, are offered
at no charge.

Ideally, users of Mobile Web 2.0 should be able to interact with a set of
services, perform the same tasks, and retrieve the same kind of information
regardless of what mobile device they are using. A company or
organization’s regular web site can be adapted for viewing on mobile
devices, but it is not automatic. Mobile Web sites can be developed that
detect the type of device accessing them and present the user with an
appropriately scaled version of the site, with a user interface adapted to the
user’s particular platform. This is dynamic, and generally requires no user
intervention, vastly simplifying mobile access to Web-based information and
services.

Since there are many mobile platforms and hardware types, there are other
factors developers must consider. Some of these include adapting to varying
screen sizes (resolutions), JavaScript and Flash support, etc. Often users do
not have access to a high speed data connection, so complex screens may not
load quickly, requiring changes to the user interface in the mobile
environment. Limits to bandwidth, along with the reduced processor power
and memory availability in the typical handheld platform as compared to a
desktop or notebook computer, require that processes be kept compact so as
not to impact performance in a way that limits utility to the end user.

For example, the typical desktop or laptop does not have a touchscreen,
while the mobile device might. There are also graphical considerations.
Complex, high resolution graphics, which might make a regular Web site
more visually interesting, might be nothing more than a nuisance on a
mobile device. Information also needs to displayed differently, to allow the
mobile user to navigate efficiently in a small screen space. This might
involve splitting complex web pages into multiple mobile Web pages.

Accomplishing this level of simplicity is not trivial. In order to make this a

reality, device manufacturers must publish well-documented and
comprehensive Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) that allow
applications to “talk” to each other and interact to share data and
functionality. An API will, for example, allow one application to share your
name and other personal data with another application, eliminating the need

© 2009 - Joel Postman, Intridea Mobile Communications and Diplomacy 3

for double input. An API can also allow a specialized application, like a
currency conversion calculator, to “pass” information to another application,
such that it is displayed in the other application. This allows developers to
combine the functions available in a number of different applications to
integrate all of the functions the user needs.

Ubiquity of Smart Mobile Devices, User Habits Expand Access and

Utility of the Mobile Web
The ubiquity of smart mobile devices and user habits in many parts of the
world make Mobile Web 2.0 a compelling platform for delivering
information and services from government, non-governmental (NGO), non-
profit and other organizations with humanitarian and democratic missions.

In many countries, landline (hard wired) telephones are close to impossible

to procure, so residents instead opt for mobile phones, often having no wired
phone at home. In many cases these mobile phones also take the place of
personal computers as the only communications device and the only means
of access to the Internet.

Mobile Web 2.0 is also extremely useful in emergencies and natural

disasters when access to desktop computers may be severely limited by
power failures and hard-wired business and home Internet service
interruptions. In the United States, for example, the Red Cross has made
extensive use of mobile technology during natural disasters, particularly
SMS, to allow citizens to communicate their status and to allow emergency
workers to provide users with information on the availability of housing,
food, medical care, and clean water. In this manner, they take advantage of
Web-based communications without requiring users to have access to a
desktop computer.

Access to mobile services is expanding globally, even in the broadband area.

According to research organization Ovum, “The number of mobile
broadband users -- both through handsets (mobile devices) and laptop
computers -- should top two billion in 2014, up over 1,000 percent from 181
million in 2008, with the Asia Pacific (region) emerging as a key driver. The
most aggressive growth comes from emerging markets, where the

© 2009 - Joel Postman, Intridea Mobile Communications and Diplomacy 4

unavailability of fixed broadband offers a major opportunity for mobile
broadband.”1

Exane BNP Paribas and Arthur D. Little forecast “As consumer demand for
mobile broadband services reaches critical mass - telecom operators can
expect that 50 percent of the European population will access the internet
through broadband on their mobile phones by 2012”2

At these rates, mobile broadband will become almost commonplace in the

next few years, extending the reach of Mobile Web 2,0 services, particularly
those that use video and other streaming technology to improve the user
experience.

Mobile Technology Use World-Wide

All of these factors, behavioral, economic, sociological and technical, have
combined to bring about a revolution in the use of mobile Web
communications in development, competitiveness, literacy, democratization,
nutrition and other related areas.

Mobile computing is the great democratizer, bypassing the censorship of

oppressive regimes and the barriers of the high cost of desktop computing to
bring billions of users worldwide onto the Internet, with everything that
entails. This has led to the introduction of applications, and improved access
to information and services, on a global basis, that is nothing short of a
revolution in how the Internet is being used to make life better and safer for
the world’s citizens.

Following are a few examples of how this technology is in use by

governments, research organizations and NGOs.

Mobile Web 2.0 and Public Diplomacy

Mobile Web 2.0 has also played a role in democratizing corrupt
governments. In a widely publicized case, Robert Mugabe was unable to rig
the election in Zimbabwe because mobile phones (and community radio)
were used to monitor elections, allowing citizens and election monitors to
1
Asia to drive mobile broadband Internet access, March 26, 2009, AFP
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090326/bs_afp/asiatechnologytelecombroadband
2
50% Mobile Broadband Penetration in Europe Within 5 Years, March 27, 2008,
Cellular-News http://www.cellular-news.com/story/30149.php

© 2009 - Joel Postman, Intridea Mobile Communications and Diplomacy 5

bypass state-controlled media outlets. In Ghana, for example, people called
community radio stations with news that voters were being prevented from
voting at certain polling stations.

Not all Moble Web 2.0 “applications” benefit the public good. Mobile
phones were used to encourage insurrection after a rigged election in Kenya
in 2007. “On January 1, 2008, as word spread throughout Kenya that
incumbent presidential candidate Mwai Kibaki had rigged the recent
presidential election, text messages urging violence spread across the
country and tribal and politically motivated attacks were perpetrated
throughout Kenya.

The Web proved the great equalizer in this story, however, and when “the
violence escalated out of control… a group of Kenyans … (launched) an
online campaign to draw local and global attention to the violence taking
place in their country. Within weeks they had documented in detail hundreds
of incidents of violence that would have otherwise gone unreported, and
received hundreds of thousands of site visits from around the world,
sparking increased global media attention.”3

As we look to the future, progressive governments are seeking to use mobile

technology to improve the democratic process. Estonia, for example, has
announced its intention to allow mobile phone voting in 2011.4

Using Mobile Systems To Manage Commodities Pricing

With its speed, simplicity and low cost, SMS is being used to allow farmers
to track commodity pricing and get the best prices for their crops. “The
Kenya Agricultural Commodity Exchange (KACE), in conjunction with
mobile telephone company Safaricom, developed a system which will cost
farmers only 15 shillings (about $0.20 USD) per use, giving them access to
price information that was previously only available directly at the market.
The system includes prices for all major agricultural commodities and their
prices at markets throughout Kenya. KACE is encouraging farmers of the

3
Digitally Networked Technology in Kenya's 2007-2008 Post-Election Crisis, Harvard
University, Berkman Center for Internet & Society, September 29, 2008
http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/node/4703
4
Estonia to vote by mobile phone in 2011, Associated Press, December 12, 2008
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28197990/

© 2009 - Joel Postman, Intridea Mobile Communications and Diplomacy 6

same crop to check prices in a shared-use model, spreading the cost of the
SMS over more people. The SMS system allows farmers to bypass
exploitative middlemen, who often charge below-market rates to farmers
with few other options in terms of crop sales. In addition, the system will
help farmers manage their trips to market, which can become expensive in
terms of travel costs and lost time in the fields.” 5

Improving Healthcare with Mobile Computing

Healthcare and the delivery of health services via mobile devices is a
promising but relatively new field, with many applications in use, and others
in development and trial phases.

According to a February 2009 article on ReadWriteWeb:

“a recent study released by the UN and Vodafone titled, "mHealth for

Development: The Opportunity of Mobile Technology for Healthcare
in the Developing World," (outlined) over 50 of these types of
initiatives throughout 26 countries … The biggest adopters of mobile
technology were India with 11 projects and South Africa and Uganda
with 6 each.

Examples of the mHealth projects included:

Sending mobile phone owners updates on diseases via SMS.

Letting health workers in Uganda log data on mobile devices
from the field.
In South Africa, the SIMpill is a sensor-equipped pill bottle with
a SIM card that informs doctors whether patients are taking their
tuberculosis medicine.
In Uganda, a multiple-choice quiz about HIV/AIDS was sent to
15,000 subscribers inviting them to answer questions and seek
tests. Those who completed the quiz were given free airtime
minutes. At the end of the quiz, a final SMS encouraged
participants to go for voluntary testing. The number of people
who did so increased from 1000 to 1400 over a 6-week period.

5
Kenyan Agricultural Commodity Exchange
http://www.kacekenya.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=12&Itemid=
26

© 2009 - Joel Postman, Intridea Mobile Communications and Diplomacy 7

 In the Amazonas state of Brazil, health workers filled in surveys
on their phones about the incidences of mosquito-borne dengue
fever.
In Mexico, a medical hotline called MedicallHome lets patients
send medical questions via SMS6”

HIV/AIDS research and treatment is clearly a global priority and this is

reflected in the efforts being made in Mobile Web 2.0 development efforts.
Dimagi, which describes itself as “a dedicated group of clinicians and
programmers looking for ways to improve quality of life and quality of care
around the world,” has been working on a study to develop software to
screen HIV/AIDS patients using a handheld mobile device. The study's goal
is to determine the feasibility of using these devices as a screening
mechanism to determine a patient's immediate need for medical care. The
devices will be put to use for a three-month period in hospitals in Tygerberg,
South Africa. The software is built to run on any Windows Mobile 5 device,
including most PDA's and Windows Mobile Smartphones.7

Mobile Web 2.0 Adoption Positively Affects GDP, Competitiveness

In addition to delivering useful services, applications and information,
Mobile Web 2.0 is actually seen as a catalyst for the growth and
competitiveness of entire nations. This effect has been documented in both
the emerging and developed worlds. The World Wide Web Consortium
(W3C) reports“the impact of mobile phones and associated services on
productivity and social development, (shows) that 10 more mobile phones
per 100 people increase the GDP of a Developing Country by 0.6 percent.”8

The European Union’s Mobile Cooperation and Coordination Action

(MOCCA) believes that mobile communications will play a significant role
in making the EU the “most dynamic and competitive knowledge-based

6
Mobile Phones to Serve as Doctors in Developing Countries, ReadWriteWeb, February
20, 2009
http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/mobile_phones_to_serve_as_doctors_in_develop
ing_countries.php and http://www.unfoundation.org/global-issues/technology/mhealth-
report.html
7
Dimagi HIV Mobile Decision Support http://www.dimagi.com/content/hiv-support.html
8
White Paper on Mobile Web for Social Development, World Wide Web Consortium,
December, 2006 http://www.w3.org/2006/12/digital_divide/ajc

© 2009 - Joel Postman, Intridea Mobile Communications and Diplomacy 8

economy in the world,” by accelerating development in Eastern and Central
Europe.9

The Future of Mobile Web 2.0 in Advancing Democracy, Human Rights

and Other U.S. Global Interests
Technological advances and research well underway will increase the
number and usefulness of Mobile Web 2.0 applications contributing to
advancements in democracy, human rights, health and other areas.

GPS capabilities will become universal in mobile devices, allowing more

access to location-based/contextual services. Video, with its ability to
convey huge volumes of information in a short time, will become more
useful with the growth of broadband and improvements in video delivery
technology. “On-the-fly” (realtime) translation will reduce language barriers
that might currently limit the delivery of information and services.

A technology called Locomash, described as a “mobile mass-observation

system,” allows a group of users with mobile phones to create highly
accurate photographic records of elections, inaugurals and other important
events. Groups of individuals can use mobile camera phones and GPS to
contribute images and location data to create real-time photographic
“mashups” of a particular event or place.

Translation is also an emerging area of interest. “IBM’s researchers are

developing new technology to facilitate speech between individuals who
speak no common language with the goal of free-form dialogue facilitated
by a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant, another term for a mobile computing
device). IBM technology is already allowing travelers using PDAs to
translate menus in Japanese and doctors to communicate with patients in
Spanish. IBM real-time translation technologies will be embedded into
mobile phones, handheld devices and cars.”10

9
Mobile and Wireless communications - An opportunity for Emerging Markets in Europe
and Community Level Action, European Union’s Mobile Cooperation and Coordination
Action, February 2005 www.ovum.com/mocca/content/tt3/record.pdf
10
IBM kicks off universal translator, mobile soul removal, Mobile Industry Review,
April 28, 2008
http://www.mobileindustryreview.com/2008/04/ibm_kicks_off_universal_translator_mob
ile_soul_removal.html

© 2009 - Joel Postman, Intridea Mobile Communications and Diplomacy 9

There are other areas that will see advancements as well. Improvements in
the ability of information technology (computer servers, software and
network connections) to “scale,” for example, (process huge transaction
volumes without service interruptions or lost data), may some day make it
possible for countries as large as China or the United States to conduct
online elections or to allow every citizen to participate in the development
and review of new legislation.

Conclusion
Whether by improving the crop prices realized the farmer in Kenya,
guaranteeing that every vote is counted in an election in Zimbabwe, or by
gathering critical information to help treat the AIDS patient in South Africa,
Mobile Web 2.0 has already proven to be the great democratizer, affording
the world’s citizens a level of participation in the democratic process and
access to information and services unparalleled in our history.

Exponential growth in the availability of this technology, triggered largely

by reductions in acquisition and development costs, broader availability of
mobile Internet connections and faster, less expensive application
development costs, will only broaden the demand and use of these
applications in planting and growing the seeds of democracy, health,
nutrition and freedom on a global basis.

Governments, NGOs and other organizations that learn these technologies

now, and understand their power and implications, will be quick to realize
positive results, always a priority but a more acute one in this time when
global financial hardships are hampering the effectiveness of such
organizations in pursuing their missions.

About Intridea
Intridea is a full service developer of Enterprise 2.0 applications, services,
and technologies. The company offers design, development and strategy for
large companies, government organizations, non-governmental
organizations and non-profits wishing to implement and make the most of
social media in communications, collaboration and other areas of their
business.

© 2009 - Joel Postman, Intridea Mobile Communications and Diplomacy 10

Intridea is based in Washington, DC. The company’s clients include many of
the Fortune 500 (names like Comcast, AARP, GEICO, McKinsey & Co) and
a number of Government Agencies (NASA, NIH, NSA).

Intridea, Inc.
1875 I St. NW Suite 520
Washington, D.C. 20006

Phone: 888-968-IDEA (4332)

Fax: 202-280-1472
Web: http://www.intridea.com/
E-Mail: info@intridea.com
Twitter: @intridea

Information in this report is copyright Intridea or original sources.

© 2009 - Joel Postman, Intridea Mobile Communications and Diplomacy 11

For more information contact:
Yoshi Maisami
Cofounder & Senior Partner, Intridea
yoshi@intridea.com
202.494.9383

Viq Hussain
Senior Partner, Intridea
viq@intridea.com
443.838.7106

design / development / strategy