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The Power of M in billions of hands across South Asia:
Osama Manzar
As one would argue, putting together in shape a mobile expo which is as diversified and wider from this very first edition of the mBillionth Awards is a credibility issue. But with the valuable exhibitors and partners coming together to share innovations, applications and practices in mBillionth 2010 has made the real difference.
An idea leads to vision, vision leads to action, and action leads to transformation. This is how I would like to see the mBillionth mobile platform taking shape today as we all played our part in its ideation, implementation and its carry forward. It took little more than a year to transform the idea of mBillionth Awards and Congress into execution. In between the story is of idea sharing, trust building, partnership forging, image building, getting innovations entry, seeking and receiving best minds as Chief Guest, jurors, speakers, advisors, and many sub stories took shape. And as a culmination we are celebrating bright ideas, innovations, practices, robust partnerships and many more bright and beautiful through our collective effort – the mBillionth Awards South Asia 2010, recognizing South Asia’s best mobile innovations and applications towards digital empowerment.
From initial dilemma and uncertainty to a level of real things happening, it’s a conviction come true, the conviction to facilitate the launch of a supporting, enabling and nurturing platform for the creators, innovators in the mobile domain. The support of well wishers and support pillars has gone tremendous into this, for which no thanks giving is enough.
The great empowering factor that worked as a fundamental pillar is the urge to take the mBillionth idea-concept to the Office of the Secretary, Department of Information Technology, India and seeking the Department’s endorsement to a cause which mattered most, how to rationally use the growing mobile infrastructure, networks, services, and energy of the emerging players towards meeting information and service enabled development and governance needs of millions. The endorsement came, the support was unwavering and passion rode high to work relentlessly to retain the faith to a cause that has manifold ramifications in days to come. My sincere gratitude to DIT remains intact as always.
Nothing works in unison in this age of networking, partnership and relationship building with shared energy, passion and commitments. And this is what mBillionth Platform got to see as reinforcement to this fact. The consent of OnMobile to discuss the mBillionth idea, understand its essence and finally willing to come on board as a principal partner went on to prove the point that public-private association can lead to wonderful outcomes like the mBillionth South Asia Mobile Awards & Congress 2010.
Post deliberation of the mBillionth idea and the wonderful support and consent from IMImobile worked as a ‘m’powered booster for platform cause. In case of VeriSign, it took no time to share mutual ideas, concerns, prospects and outcomes for mutual gain through the mBillionth Platform. What struck the chord with One97MobilityFund was the prospect of working together with mobile powered brilliant ideas, excellent innovations for nurturing and handholding for greater operability and reaching to the next level of value addition. As an acknowledgement, my humble gratitude goes to all these brilliant and understanding partners for their unwavering support today and tomorrow.
Partnership with Information Communication Technology Agency, Sri Lanka (ICTA) is a real time experience and has turned to time tested association with the Manthan Awards earlier and this time in the very first launch of mBillionth Awards. The magnanimity of ICTA to become a co-partner for this South Asia programme, and readily agreeing to host the first mBillionth Awards Jury in Colombo went a great deal in providing a great deal of institutional support to a common cause.
With the World Summit Award, Austria, the journey is getting close to a decade of mutual respect, understanding, sharing common concerns and solutions in every possible moments of this digital journey. Its endorsement of the Manthan Awards South Asia on best digital content and applications as a global mentor and advisor is years now and no wonder this stupendous faith continued for the mBillionth Awards as well. My sincere gratitude to WSA and its pioneer, Prof. Peter Bruck for this wonderful support.
Let me make an honest admission here. It is only two years of professional relationship with the National Internet Exchange of India (NIXI), but its support for DEF community programmes, the Manthan Award and now for the cause of the mBillionth platform has been tremendous and much encouraging. NIXI is one of the many national entities that have chalked out national priorities through programme s like Dot.IN domain to make India really a ‘Digital Bharat’.
DEF’s first tryst with Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) was through the Manthan Awards. It took no time that this tryst -into- partnership found enough space to explore one another’s working territory, scope of work, scope for mutual accommodation and support base. And this has been carried forward to the mBillionth Mobile Congress and Awards event with of course, a great value addition. And this great value contribution is the IAMAI-DEF launch of the Mobile Application Developers Community (MAD) Community during the 2010 mBillionth Congress. With IAMAI the relationship is always of continuous trust and bonding.
As one would argue, putting together in shape a mobile expo which is as diversified and wider from this very first edition of the mBillionth Awards is a credibility issue. But with the valuable exhibitors and partners coming together to share innovations, applications and practices in mBillionth 2010 has made the real difference. On behalf of the mBillionth Board and as Chairman of the mBillionth Awards, I sincerely acknowledge the valuable role and participation of the invaluable exhibitors and practitioners.
My acknowledge is incomplete without reference to the advisory board members of Digital Empowerment Foundation, whose continuous guidance, inputs and stand by support have made things really different and meaningful. mBillionth is no exception.
Here, one cannot ignore the minds and hands working behind the DEF and the mBillionth Award pillars and making it sustain and grow. You must be wondering how the team that works behind the Congress & Awards would be? Well, no big surprises. We have very basic team to put together this award, but the only thing that made things workable and happening is the team effort and dedication to a cause that DEF stands for.
My warm acknowledgement to my dedicated team of young and bright minds in Maria Rizvi, Amarendra Srivastava, Pritam Sinha, Ravi Kanta, Satya Prakash, Sunil Kumar, Jasbir Singh, Neeraj Kumar Singh and Shahid Ahmad and many who worked with us, left us, but we have their best wishes. My special affection and gratitude is for Shaifali Chikermene, my better half and constant companion and support pillar in all my endeavours and especially her credible effort in contributing her all design skills in bringing out this special edition.
With this the mBillionth South Asia Mobile Congress & Awards platform hopes to receive continuous support, guidance, inputs and warmth not only from India but from well wishers in South Asia and beyond to enlarge the nascent digital movement for desirable outcomes. Let us connect for the larger vision of knowledge and digitally enabled societies worldwide.
Dear readers may ignore any errors and omissions in this book as humanly mistakes and enjoy the flavour and flow of digital diversities of the mobile world thereby.
Warmest regards,
Osama
osamam@gmail.com
“Let us connect for the larger vision of knowledge and digitally enabled societies worldwide”
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