[Africa-ir-public] BRIDGES.ORG LAUNCHES COMPETITION TO SUPPORT INNOVATIVE USES OF HANDHELD DEVICES AT THE LOCAL LEVE

[Rachel Engel]

Good afternoon - I hope the information about the competition is 
something you are able to pass on to your relevant contacts or 
publications on our behalf. We are keen to reach out to as many 
community groups, NGO's and small business to apply. If you require any 
further information please do not hesitate to ask.

BRIDGES.ORG LAUNCHES COMPETITION TO SUPPORT INNOVATIVE USES OF HANDHELD 
DEVICES AT THE LOCAL LEVEL

3 September 2004

Bridges.org has launched a competition to support innovative ground 
level initiatives in South Africa that want to use handheld devices 
(handhelds) to improve people's lives. A total of 120 Hewlett Packard 
H4150 iPAQs will be given to up to ten winning organisations that 
demonstrate a clear strategy to harness the power of handhelds for 
social or economic development. The devices were donated by Hewlett 
Packard (HP) after being used by delegates at the World Economic Forum's 
Annual Meeting in Davos earlier this year.

Bridges.org is looking for projects that use handhelds to fulfil local 
needs in local ways. Winners will be used as case study examples to 
illustrate how these devices can open the door for Africans to gain the 
benefits offered by ICT.

Bridges.org executive director Teresa Peters said, “HP and their 
partners have provided us with a unique opportunity to demonstrate how 
handheld devices can be used for socio-economic development. The 
competition will enable promising projects to try out technology that 
might otherwise be out of reach to them. Handhelds have many advantages 
when compared to traditional desktop computers -- yet they are largely 
being ignored in initiatives aiming to bridge the digital divide. We 
want to change that.”

To enter the competition, organisations are invited to outline a project 
idea that would make use of up to 35 iPAQs. Small businesses, public 
sector organisations (schools, hospitals, clinics, etc.), NGOs, and 
community organisations are encouraged to enter. The deadline for 
entries is 8 October 2004. For full guidelines and more background 
information please see www.bridges.org/ipaq_competition.

The competition is made possible by the generosity of HP, the World 
Economic Forum and DHL, who facilitated the donation and were 
responsible for the safe delivery of the handhelds to bridges.org in 
Cape Town.

ENDS ###

About handhelds
A handheld computer is a small computer that can conveniently be stored 
in a pocket and used while being held. Traditionally handheld devices 
accept handwriting input (the user writes on the sensitive screen with a 
special plastic "pen"), but some devices also feature small keyboards 
for typing and some devices allow both. Handheld devices can be broadly 
described based on the operating system installed; Microsoft Pocket PC 
and Palm OS are two of the most widely used. The latest developments 
show a trend to “smart phones” with the convergence of personal digital 
assistants (PDAs), mobile phones, and wireless technology.


About bridges.org
Bridges.org is an international non-profit organisation based in South 
Africa with a mission to promote the effective use of ICT in developing 
countries to improve people's lives. One area of focus is informing 
policy decisions that affect people's access to and use of ICT. 
Bridges.org also conducts technology research and provides social 
consulting services to ground level projects using ICT, helping with 
project planning and evaluation and relaying lessons learned. It brings 
an entrepreneurial attitude to its social mission, and is committed to 
working with, instead of against, government agencies and the business 
community. For more information please see www.bridges.org.

About Hewlett Packard
HP is a technology solutions provider to consumers, businesses and 
institutions globally. The company's offerings span IT infrastructure, 
personal computing and access devices, global services and imaging and 
printing. HP's mission is to invent technologies and services that drive 
business value, create social benefit and improve the lives of customers 
- with a focus on affecting the greatest number of people possible. 
www.hp.com

About DHL
DHL is the global market leader of the international express and 
logistics industry, specializing in providing innovative and customized 
solutions from a single source. DHL offers expertise in express, air and 
ocean freight, overland transport and logistics solutions, combined with 
worldwide coverage and an in-depth understanding of local markets. DHL's 
international network links more than 220 countries and territories 
worldwide. www.dhl.com

About WEF
The World Economic Forum is the foremost global community of business, 
political, intellectual and other leaders of society committed to 
improving the state of the world. Incorporated as a foundation, and 
based in Geneva, Switzerland, the World Economic Forum is impartial and 
not-for-profit; it is tied to no political, partisan or national 
interests. The Forum has NGO consultative status with the Economic and 
Social Council of the United Nations. http://www.weforum.org

For more information on the competition:
Contact:    Philipp Schmidt, Technology Programme Manager
Email:       ipaq_competition at bridges.org
Tel:           +27 21 465 9313
Fax:          +27 21 465 5917

South Africa: PO Box 715, Cape Town 8000 South Africa
United States: 1887 Newton Street NW, Washington DC 20010
http://www.bridges.org











-- 
Rachel Engel
International Media and Relations Manager

South Africa: PO Box 715, Cape Town 8000
Tel: +27 21 465 9313 -- Fax +27 21 465 5917
United States: 1887 Newton Street NW, Washington DC 20010
US Contact: Ed Cavazos, +1 512 320-9279 -- Fax +1 202 318 7792

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