Today, we are pleased to launch the VNI Service Awards. This rewards program runs from March 26 to May 10, 2013. The five top finalists will share USD $10,000 in cash prizes. The VNI Service Awards is complementary to our VNI Service Adoption research. This work forecasts global trends in how users are adopting 27 residential, business, and mobile services. It’s now time to tell your story. How are you using these networking services and devices in your daily life? If you’ve created a service, what impact has it had on your clients?

Get Involved and Share Your Story 

We are looking for stories about how you have used network services such as mobile video and gaming, video conferencing, SMS, and social networking. Whether you own a business, manage a non-profit, or involved in community services, we want to hear from you. Read More »

Tags: awards, education, healthcare, mobile applications, research, service adoption, vni, VNI-SA

By Molly Mattessich, Guest Columnist

We all know about crowdsourcing where ideas are solicited to launch new products, or suggest solutions to problems. In a recent interview with Molly Mattessich of National Peace Corp Association, she told me about a contest called Young Farmers Idea.  Molly is part of our guest blogging program focused on identifying creative uses of various telecom services as referenced in our VNI Service Adoption research.

Molly had previously written a blog about the use of mobile applications in rural Africa, so I knew she would have an atypical experience to share with us. The VNI Service Adoption research shows that for Middle East & Africa, the use of consumer mobile devices will grow from 906 million to 1.3 billion by 2016. Africa is now the second largest mobile phone market in the world.

Solving Local Problems with Local Ideas

Crowdsourcing ideas from members of local communities is not limited by economic and geographic boundaries. The objective of the Young Farmers Idea program is to provide local solutions to local problems. Using technology connected better with Generation Y who tended to migrate to the cities and not as interested in farming. It’s this younger generation who will lead the way to a more sustainable future. Read More »

Tags: africa, agri-business, farming, Peace Corp, service adoption, vni, VNI-SA

Across the education landscape, student text messaging is a bone of contention among teachers. It’s not an issue in the lower grades because most K-5 schools successfully ban cell phones during school hours. Where it’s a problem is within grades 6-12, when teachers realize it’s a losing battle to separate students from their phones for eight hours.

The overarching discussion among educators is texting’s utility in providing authentic experiences to students, the type that transfer learning from the classroom to real life. Today, I’ll focus on a piece of that: Does text messaging contribute to shortening student attention span or destroying their nascent writing ability.

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Tags: education, service adoption, sms, teaching, text messaging, vni, VNI-SA

By Shirley Bloomfield, Guest Columnist

I wish I could say this is my story, but it’s not. It’s the story of some hard working women looking for a way to be connected in the global economy. And it’s the story of my daughter, Kelsey Patterson, who is dedicating her talent and skills to help these women. My heart glows with pride when I share the work that she is doing in Mozambique.

Kelsey, a global development and international affairs major, is in her third year at the University of Virginia. She received a grant this year to develop a marketing plan to assist women crafters in Mozambique who are selling their homemade crafts by the roadside.

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Tags: africa, economic impact, research, rural broadband, service adoption, vni, VNI-SA

By Deepa Arora, Guest Columnist 

College is a time to learn and gain new experiences. It’s a time that graduates will reflect on for the rest of their lives. Social media outlets, such as Facebook and Twitter, can assist educational institutions by informing students of opportunities and news, while also engaging graduates that still hold their alma mater in a special place.

As the Communications Director at Santa Clara University (SCU), I believe there is true value behind social media for our community of faculty, staff, alumni and students—both prospective and current.

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Tags: education, santa clara university, scu, service adoption, social media, vni, VNI-SA