Annual competition for most promising wireless innovations

VODAFONE AMERICAS FOUNDATION ANNOUNCES CALL FOR ENTRIES FOR ANNUAL WIRELESS INNOVATION PROJECT™ AND mHEALTH ALLIANCE AWARD

Annual competition for most promising wireless innovations runs October 10 through December 31, 2011 with awards totaling $650,000 in cash and prizes

Redwood City, CA (October 10, 2011) – The Vodafone Americas Foundation and mHealth Alliance today announced a call for submissions for the annual Vodafone Americas Foundation Wireless Innovation Project™ and the mHealth Alliance Award, a competition that identifies and supports wireless-related technologies with high potential to solve critical global issues. Proposals will be accepted from October 10 through December 31, 2011, with winners announced in April 2012.

The United Nations Foundation Mobilizing Development through cell phones

As the UN Foundation and Vodafone Foundation Technology Partnership marks the milestone of its five-year, £15 million (approximately $28 million) program, the Mobilizing Development report looks back at the accomplishments of this public-private alliance, highlighting both the achievements and lessons learned through on-the-ground stories and interviews with staff, grantees, partners and beneficiaries.

The report explores the latest trends in this area and identifies shifts in public-private partnerships that will help improve humanitarian response, development aid and the health of millions of people around the world.

Read more about this here.

Three Pioneering Projects Win Coveted Vodafone And mHealth Alliance Wireless Innovation Awards

$650,000 Competition Recognizes Projects with Most Potential to Solve Critical Global Challenges

WALNUT CREEK, CA (April 12, 2011) –The Vodafone Americas Foundation and mHealth Alliance today announced the winners of the third annual Vodafone Americas Foundation Wireless Innovation Project™ and second annual mHealth Alliance Award. The winning projects include a device to diagnose eye disorders, a wireless system that identifies high-risk pregnancies, and a solar-powered apparatus to monitor patients’ medication and relay the information to their local health workers. The projects will be awarded $650,000 in cash and prizes to further develop their projects for implementation and adoption. Team members from the winning projects will accept their awards together at the Global Philanthropy Forum conference in Redwood City, CA on April 14, 2011.

“It is heartening to see that the caliber of entries continues to grow for the Wireless Innovation Project,” said Peter Barry, President, Vodafone Americas Foundation. “The entries for this year’s competition were very inspiring and extremely competitive.”

Wireless Innovation Project

VODAFONE AMERICAS FOUNDATION WIRELESS INNOVATION PROJECT AND
mHEALTH ALLIANCE ANNOUNCE LAST CALL FOR ENTRIES

December 15th Deadline Fast Approaching to Apply for Up to $650,000 in Cash and Prizes for Wireless Projects Demonstrating Promise Of Solving Critical Global Issues and mHealth

Walnut Creek, CA (November 17, 2010)—The Vodafone Americas Foundation and mHealth Alliance announced the last call for entries for the annual competition to identify and support promising wireless-related technologies to address critical social issues around the globe. Applications for the 2010 Vodafone Americas Foundation Wireless Innovation Project™ and mHealth Alliance Award will be accepted through December 15, 2010, with the winners announced at the annual Global Philanthropy Forum in Redwood City, CA in April 2011.

“Previous winners have produced extraordinary innovations that utilized the vast potential of mobile technology to help solve problems and enhance people’s lives,” said June Sugiyama, Director of Vodafone Americas Foundation, “We look forward to this year’s applicants and their ground-breaking projects.”

Mobile phone options in Australia

When's the last time you were visiting Australia? A new mobile phone site has just launched in Australia, allowing users to compare more than 1,000 different handsets and plans. The site, MobileBuddy.com.au, compares the best live deals on Australian mobile handsets, phone plans, prepaid and cap-plan options. So, if you're looking for a comparison website, you may want to take a look. I always use comparison sites and I also rely on customer reviews to guide my purchasing decisions. The other night, I purchased an iPod accessory that had received stronger reviews compared to a similar accessory.

My Australian colleagues tell me that the Australian mobile industry can be quite overwhelming. Just like many other places in the world, Australians have to choose among a wide range of plans and handsets. Which phone is best? What does MobileBuddy.com.au say? How do you compare the networks in your country against those in different countries? In Europe, we see GSM providers that carry devices that you'll never find in North America. What about in Australia?  We know they have Vodafone, Dodo, 3Mobile, and JUST Mobile. You won't find Verizon or Sprint.

Will you find the Apple iPhone or any HTC Android smartphones? Will you also get the same type of BlackBerry devices that you'll find anywhere else?  MobileBuddy.com.au also features a large library of articles exploring new phone technology, emerging features, and things to look out for before signing long-term phone contracts. People are always looking for the best deals and the latest handset features.

Google Nexus One dropping in price

The Google Nexus One has dropped its upgrade price for T-Mobile customers. Instead of paying $379, you'll only have to pay $279 (and if you paid $379, you'll get a $100 rebate).

New T-Mobile customers can get the Nexus One for $179 if they sign a 2-year contract. Speaking of the Google Nexus One running Android, it's coming to Verizon and Vodafone this spring (Spring 2010). If you're on Verizon and you can't wait, then you always have the option of getting the Motorola Droid or the HTC Droid Eris.

Vodafone partners with the mHealth Alliance

I'm currently working on an international health project that involves mobile phone in other countries. This press release caught my interest, so I'm sharing it with you:

New mHealth Alliance Award to Spur Innovation in Wireless Solutions to Global Health Challenges

Award provides dedicated mHealth funding as part of Vodafone Americas Foundation’s Wireless Innovation Project

Walnut Creek, CA & Washington, DC (December 9, 2009) -- To spur innovation in the development of wireless solutions to global health challenges, the Vodafone Americas Foundation and the mHealth Alliance announced today a partnership that will expand the Vodafone Americas Foundation’s Wireless Innovation Project to include the new mHealth Alliance Award. The award will be granted to the developer of an innovative wireless technology with the most potential to address critical health challenges, especially in developing regions.

“In places where roads remain unpaved, and where basic infrastructure such as clean water and electricity are scant, mobile phones already have become an empowering force for millions,” said David Aylward, Executive Director of the mHealth Alliance. “The mHealth Alliance Award challenges innovators and social entrepreneurs to use mobile technology to advance health delivery in even the most remote environments, such as through improved diagnosis, treatment or access to information.”

The winner of the mHealth Alliance Award will receive a cash prize and benefits totaling $50,000, including participation in Santa Clara University’s Center for Science, Technology, and Society’s Global Social Benefit Incubator Program (GSBI™), a highly competitive program that connects innovators with a Silicon Valley support network and provides instruction on how to achieve maximum sustainability and impact in social enterprises. In addition, the winner will receive strategic and networking assistance from the mHealth Alliance, an umbrella group founded by the Rockefeller Foundation, United Nations Foundation and Vodafone Foundation that supports cross-sector collaboration in delivering healthcare to the furthest reaches of wireless communications.

“We are thrilled to partner with the mHealth Alliance to further encourage new technology in the field,” said June Sugiyama, Executive Director of the Vodafone Americas Foundation. “This is an ideal partnership because we share a common goal of improving livelihoods through wireless and mobile technology.”

The Vodafone Americas Foundation Wireless Innovation Project is now underway, with applications being accepted through February 1, 2010. Although projects may be global in scope, the applicants must be from nonprofits based in the United States. A panel of judges from the fields of wireless engineering, international development, social entrepreneurship and business will evaluate the applications for their potential to solve a critical global issue in the fields of education, health, access to communication, the environment or economic development. Vodafone Americas Foundation will award first ($300,000), second ($200,000) and third ($100,000) prizes, and the new mHealth Alliance Award. The winner of the mHealth Alliance Award is eligible for the first three prizes as well. mHealth Alliance Award and Wireless Innovation Project winners will be announced at the Global Philanthropy Forum in April 19, 2010.

2009 Wireless Innovation Project Winners
Last year’s Wireless Innovation Project winners included two second prizes awarded to mHealth related technologies-- CellScope, a mobile microscope capable of identifying infectious diseases such as TB and malaria; and CelloPhone, a mobile blood and fluid analyzer that can identify and transmit results from fluid samples in the field, The first prize was awarded to EnHANTs, a disaster recovery system that can locate people trapped by fires or structural collapse. Complete detailed information about eligibility and an application can be found at http://www.project.vodafone-us.com/

About the Vodafone Americas Foundation
Vodafone Americas Foundation is part of Vodafone’s global family of foundations. We are affiliated with Vodafone Group Plc, the world's leading mobile telecommunications company, with ownership interests in 31 countries and Partner Markets in more than 40 countries. As of June 30, 2009, Vodafone had approximately 315 million proportionate customers worldwide. In the U.S., our foundation directs its philanthropic activities towards the San Francisco Bay and the Metro Denver Areas where most of our employees live and work, and where we strive to make a positive and enduring impact on our communities. The Foundation is driven by a passion for the world around us. We make grants that help people in our communities and around the world lead fuller lives. For more information about the Vodafone Americas Foundation, visit http://www.vodafone-us.com/

About the mHealth Alliance
The mHealth Alliance is dedicated to enabling the delivery of quality healthcare to the farthest reaches of wireless networks in the developing world. Created by the United Nations Foundation, Rockefeller Foundation, and Vodafone Foundation, the Alliance’s mission is to be a catalyst and accelerant, supporting leaders, celebrating successes, creating hard research, filling gaps, making connections, and forging public-private partnerships. More information is available at www.mhealthalliance.org or info@mhealthalliance.org.

About Santa Clara University’s Center for Science, Technology, and Society
Santa Clara University is committed to educating leaders of competence, conscience, and compassion who will help fashion a more just, humane, and sustainable world. As a University center of distinction, the Center for Science, Technology, and Society undertakes three integrative activities: educating students, engaging the public, and exemplifying the realization of social impact through our flagship Global Social Benefit Incubator Program (GSBI™). In so doing, we forge strong connections across local and global businesses, civic and academic institutions, and the technology innovators of Silicon Valley in the context of Jesuit values of service. For more information visit www.scu.edu/sts or contact Sherrill Dale at sdale@scu.edu.

Press Contact:
Adele Waugaman, United Nations Foundation
(o) 202-887-9040, (e) awaugaman@unfoundation.org
Denise Lamott
(o) 415-381-8793, (m) 415-235-6458, (e) Denise@DeniseLamottPR.com