Internet access has become something we take for granted in the developed world. The majority of people are now permanently connected to the Internet, almost as though an imaginary umbilical cord exists between them and their mobile phone or laptop. For many, the thought of being cut-off from the online world for more than a few hours can cause great anxiety and distress. Being unable to access one’s email or see what a friend has commented on your Facebook status can be simply unbearable.
Maybe we should spare a thought then for the millions of people in African nations who have little or no access to the Internet. Due to a severe lack of fixed telephone lines, the high cost of smartphones and data connections, the possibilities to take part in the global networking phenomenon have been greatly restricted. Only one in twenty people on the continent have access to Facebook, the world’s most popular social network.
With now over 500 million users worldwide, Facebook has certainly made its mark since launching in 2004. The social networking site has become an integral part of modern-day social life and has enabled countless numbers of people to reunite with friends and loved ones with whom they had lost touch. Facebook has created an unparalleled networking platform that brings people together from all over the globe and helps to sustain relationships.
It is no wonder then that the people of Africa are desperate to get involved. The problem though is how a continent that is lacking in sufficient fixed telephone lines keeps up with the rapidly developing online social networking tools and messaging services. According to a report by Mobile Monday, there are now over 500 million mobile phone subscribers in Africa, which far outstrips the 46 million fixed telephone line subscribers across the whole of Africa and the Arab States. It is understandable therefore that ForgetMeNot Africa looked to mobile phones to bring social networking to Africa.
ForgetMeNot Africa’s Message Optimiser technology enables customers to access Facebook, email and online chat via any SMS-enabled mobile phone, without the need for internet access. Since it launched in September 2009, this innovative technology has enabled 47.5 million people in Africa access to the world’s most popular social network.
Language barriers have now also been broken as the application has been translated into French. Warid Congo’s WaridMessenger service, launched in November 2010, has already made Facebook available to over 450,000 French speaking Africans in the Republic of Congo, setting a precedent for other Franco African operators to follow suit.
Considering the African people’s enthusiasm to connect with the rest of the world, it is incredibly pleasing to see ForgetMeNot Africa’s technology breaking through the conventional methods used to access online chat, email and social networking sites. Furthermore, significantly improving ease of communication between Africa and the rest of the world opens up a wealth of new opportunities and has the potential to bring about immeasurable positive social and economic change.
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