User needs in emerging markets 16 May 2007

From InfoWorld (quoting Bryan Ma, Director of Personal Systems Research at IDC Asia-Pacific):

"...Users in emerging markets also want to see more value from PC vendors, Ma said, citing the success of Nokia's 1100 handset, which has been a hit in India because it includes a flashlight -- a useful feature in a country that suffers from frequent power outages.

"'At the end of the day it's not the technology or the device, it's the application people are looking for,' Ma said.

"One application that has proven popular in many emerging markets is access to commodity prices, which lets farmers and fishermen know when and where they can get the best prices for their goods. Other popular applications include communications, such as video conferences that allow people to speak face-to-face over the Internet, and access to government services, he said."

[via Emergic]