Mobile Computing in Developing Countries

I used to work at Boeing in the factory where the assembled the major sections of the twin aisle aircraft. Sometime back, a Boeing engineer had the opportunity to view how their competitor assembles major aircraft section. Airbus rolled their aircraft very, very slowly along a track within their factory as workers brought parts to the airplane as it moved at a snails pace across the floor. This was opposed to Boeing's tradition of transporting parts and people to a static position as the aircraft was assembled. In other words at Airbus, the airplane was brought to the workers as it passed by each assembly discipline. Before I left Boeing in 2002, the final assembly of 737's and 747's were on the rolling assembly line.

I am writing this blog on my mobile computing device. Instead of bringing my computing/data/image tasks to a desktop computer to process and analyze, I take my mobile computer processor to my tasks.

That is why I am here in Bangladesh, to introduce mobile computing to an NGO in a developing country. To be able to take mobile computing devices to the point of service delivery, instead of transporting reams of paper to those area, and then returning them back to areas with sustained computing infrastructure (i.e. electricity, network connection, etc.) .

On Monday we will deploy the 15 PDA's that were delivered ot the Save the Children USA office here a couple of months ago, as well as testing the wireless mobile device that I brought with me. We have already tested this in the main office in Dhaka, but after validating it's connetion ability withe the Save network via the ubiquitous cell phone coverage in the impact areas, then they will not need ot plan the mobile device transportation logisitcs after data is obtained at the health and food distribution areas. They have alreast directed me to order 135 additional devices for use in their program.

The assembly line slowly moves along, in fact here it comes toward me now...