With a focus on developing simple, inexpensive mobile phone user interfaces for everyone, IBM has announced an Open Collaboration Research (OCR) project with the Industrial Design Centre (IDC) at the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay (IIT Bombay). The unique research collaboration will focus on the development of new designs for mobile device interfaces that can easily be used by people who are semi-literate or illiterate, as well as individuals who have limited or no access to information technology.
The collaboration, regardless of geography or education level, aims to introduce new levels of ease-of-use to mobile phone interaction via developed software technology that will be made available to the public through open source.Â
"IBM believes that close collaborative innovation with world-class academic institutions such as IIT Bombay, is the key to finally bridging the digital divide and putting the power of information sources and services in everyone's hands," said Dr. Manish Gupta, Director, IBM Research - India and Chief Technologist, IBM India/South Asia. "Together, IBM and IIT Bombay will develop smarter technologies around mobile devices that will help individuals and businesses around the world transcend many boundaries - geographical, economic and social."
The new research partnership with IIT Bombay is third such engagement in India under IBM's OCR programme. IBM is aiming to drive new intelligence into the underpinnings of the mobile Web to create new efficiencies in business operations and people’s daily lives.
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