Bridging the digital divide
Dr.Rajesh Rajora

Bridging the digital divide

"The story of the cow and the computer is a parable showing that sometimes the simplest information is the most valuable."
- The New York Times

Information Technology has the potential to impact and transform the lives of the people, and become a harbinger of social change. It can provide transparency and bring about accountability in the corridors of power. IT can also act as an enabler to the e-governance initiatives by enlisting the participation of people and empowering them. But so far it has remained the propriety of a few and presents many impediments in penetration. The digital divide does exist - the lack of access to the tools and knowledge increasingly marginalise a large chunk of the populace. But is there a way out?

A community network project, christened Gyandoot, was conceived, installed and made operational by Dr Rajesh Rajora, an IAS officer and the then Collector, in the Dhar district of Madhya Pradesh in a short span of two months. The project broke down the barriers and obstacles imposed by technology in the social milieu and brought IT to the doorsteps of the remote and isolated households in the community.

The project has been globally recognised and honoured by the Stockholm Challenge Award, 2000, and CSI 2000 Award, in a nutshell, can be acclaimed, "…as a unique government effort to develop community networks. It is recognised as a breakthrough in e-governance, demonstrating a paradigm shift, that has given marginalised tribal citizens their first ever chance to access knowledge, with minimum investment".

The book, Bridging the Digital Divide: Gyandoot A Model for Community Networks encompasses the first-hand revelations that surfaced during the conception, planning and execution stages of the project. The book dwells on the concomitant hurdles and opportunities that emerged while taking technology to the resource-poor. The book discusses the viable technology for community networks and emphasises on the role of people participation in the success of such a project.

The project broke down the barriers and obstacles imposed by technology in the social milieu and brought IT to the doorsteps of remote and isolated households in the community.

The next economy
will you know where the customers are?

Traditional marketing is dead. As spending begins to shrink, companies that will prosper and thrive in the coming decade will be the ones that recognise the importance of delighting their customers. The dramatic shift in economic power from the retailer to the customer is evident.Elliott Ettenberg, an ace marketing expert and consultant, has taken a close look inside scores of businesses in almost every industry, from traditional retail, manufacturing, and packaged-goods firms to the dotcoms battling for a foothold in today's e-commerce arena.

The lesson derived is that, within the next decade, customers, who already hold a lion's share of economic decision making power, will be in total control of what is sold, how, where and why.

Today's buyer's market is just a precursor of what The Next Economy will bring an era in which all marketers, will have to reinvent what they do to justify their continued role. The traditional "Four P's" of marketing will lose their relevance to declining customer loyalty, increasing price pressures, shrinking profits, reliance on price promotions that will kill profits and the widening credibility gap between cynical customers and the brands and businesses they once trusted. In fact, Ettenberg dubs the next ten years The Decade of Solitude during which Baby Boomers, the current economic group, will retreat from the marketplace and decrease consumption.

So, what's a business to do to survive? Businesses will have to move from merely satisfying the customer to delighting the customer. In this book, Ettenberg offers a fresh strategy for marketers to change their habits in four crucial ways to win in the next economy, where companies can thrive in future despite a decrease in consumer buying.

Christina A Gold, Chairman, President and CEO of Excel Communications, Inc. opines, "This book is a must read that clarifies many of the issues facing companies today. We have said all along that the customer is king or queen but it is clear that we have not built our businesses on this premise. The Next Economy provides a stimulus for action and a road map to the future".

Ettenberg dubs the next ten years The Decade of Solitude during which Baby Boomers will retreat from the marketplace.