Information and communication technologies for development

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An OLPC class in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.

Inveneo Computing Station

Information and Communication Technologies for Development (ICT4Dev) is a general term referring to the application of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) within the fields of socioeconomic development, international development and human rights.
The dominant term used in this field is "ICT4Dev". Alternatives include ICTD and development informatics.
ICTD (Information and Communication Technologies and Development) is the application of technological solutions to the problems of the developing world. In theory, it is differentiated from Information and Communication Technologies for Development (ICT4D). ICT4D focuses on using digital technology to deliver specific development goals (most notably the Millennium Development Goals). ICTD looks much more broadly at use of ICTs in developing countries.
This is a difference that is rarely understood or used in practice.^[1]
There is a - somewhat loose - community of researchers that has grown up around the annual ICTD conferences, the latter of which ^[2] took place in London, England. The main feature of this community is its integration of both technical and social science researchers working in the field.
The concept of ICT4Dev can be interpreted as dealing with disadvantaged populations anywhere in the world, but is more typically associated with applications in developing countries. It concerns itself with directly applying information technology approaches to poverty reduction. ICTs can be applied either in the direct sense, wherein their use directly benefits the disadvantaged population, or in an indirect sense, wherein the ICTs assist aid organisations or non-governmental organizations or governments or businesses in order to improve general socio-economic conditions.