'Motobus' takes technology education direct to the people
6 April 2006
News
Motorola, which has been working in conjunction with the GSM Association (GSMA) for the past year on a project to develop and supply in the region of six million affordable handsets to the emerging markets, is now taking this technology to the masses in a major local education drive.
Having developed its range of sub-$30 handsets as part of the GSMA's Emerging Market Handset (EMH) programme - with features designed specifically for the unique and often rugged African environments, such as long battery life and a 'lantern' feature to provide a source of light where access to electricity is scarce - the company has now launched an awareness initiative called Motobus.
"Motobus is an outreach programme that has as its goal to educate South African consumers about cellphone features and benefits, in order to empower these individuals to better leverage the power of wireless communication," says Stephen Nolan, Motorola's general manager for southern Africa. "The aim is to empower consumers to unlock social development potential, thereby enriching and enhancing their lifestyle, and the Motobus will engage and connect with, train and uplift communities to use cellphone technology in a seamless manner."
The Motobus 2006 programme will visit approximately 30 rural towns throughout the country. According to Nolan, the travelling road show comprises experience zones, celebrity entertainment and opinion leader involvement within communities. With entertainment and cellular technology, from 3G and SMS to music and photography, it will also provide the ideal showcase for the affordable Motorola C-range handsets.
Motorola’s C113 is one example from the range which is designed for those on a budget. It has an extra large monochrome display, impressive battery performance, and also alarm, calculator, stopwatch, games and currency converter
"Since radio is the primary source of news for many African consumers, the C11x handsets incorporate a radio, and focus more on providing high quality voice facilities than on data functionality, although they can be used very effectively as a connection between computers and the Internet," he says. "We have found that many of the consumers targeted by the EMH programme are less interested in SMS or data facilities."
For more information see www.hellomoto.com or contact 0860 10 10 39.
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