Information and Communications for Development 2012

The Information and Communications for Development Report has become the World Bank's main flagship vehicle for publishing research on ICT policy and market trends. The first volume, Global Trends and Policies, was published in 2006 followed by the second issue, Extending Reach and Increasing Impact, in 2009. Over time, it has a gained a reputation for informed analysis and insight. The 2012 Information and Communications for Development Report, the third in this series, highlights the transformative potential that mobile applications holds for different sectors of the economy – health, agriculture, financial services – and the potential they bring for stimulating economic growth and entrepreneurship in developing economies, and engaging a citizen-centric approach to the delivery of government services. The report positions mobile applications as more than just software code running on a mobile handset, but rather highlights the need to develop an ecosystem of supporting services to ensure that mobile applications achieve their full development potential. IC4D is a biannual publication of the World Bank Group. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ""...an essential and practical guide for policy makers, government officials, and academic practitioners who are working to ensure that their countries seize the opportunities offered by ICT."" ---- Dr. Craig R. Barrett, Chairman, United Nations Global Alliance for ICT and Development, and Chairman of the Board, Intel Corporation