ICT meet focuses on future technology

The international conference on Information and Communication Technologies and Development (ICTD) held in Bangalore over the weekend saw the presentation of some interesting original and unpublished research work on future technology that could make an impact on society.

Some of the 20 original research papers presented at the meet were: Design of Early Warning Flood Detection Systems for Developing Countries; Interactive Design of A Braille Writing Tutor; Participatory Video for Agricultural Extension and Offline Internet Access at Modem-speed Dialup Connections. Nearly 40 per cent of the presentations were of Indian origin.

The Indian Institute of Information Technology-Bangalore (IIIT-B), one of the event organisers, presented an interesting research "" The Post Consumptive Residues of Information and Communication Technologies "" Transnational E-waste Flows and Developmental Dilemmas.

ICTD 2007 is a multi-disciplinary forum for academic researchers who study or design information and communication technologies for developing economies.

Organised in association with Microsoft Research India (MSR India), researchers from top universities such as Indian Institutes of Technology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Carnegie Mellon University, the University of California, Berkeley, and the London School of Economics presented their findings.

Speaking for the conference, Prof Balaji Parthasarathy of IIIT-B, said, "India is a leader in the field of IT for socio-economic development, and hosting ICTD 2007 in Bangalore is a means of showcasing that work in a distinguished international forum. There is extensive research in this field that is being undertaken here, and the work presented at the conference will have an ongoing impact on the socio-economic transformation of developing countries around the world."

"What we hope to bring to the global discussion is a scholarly approach that carefully evaluates and reflects on the work being done, such that generalised lessons can be drawn. For Microsoft, supporting the conference is very much aligned with our global Unlimited Potential initiative," Kentaro Toyama, assistant managing director, Microsoft Research India, said.

"The research presented at this conference will hopefully inform policy-makers, nonprofits and commercial entities who wish to see economically underprivileged communities benefit from advances in technology. This year's conference builds on the momentum from the first conference held at Berkeley," Parthasarathy said.

ICTD 2007 is the second of an ongoing series of conferences to be held every 18 months, moving from one country to another.