mobile Two Executives Indicted for Roles in Fixing Prices on Automobile Parts Sold to Toyota to Be Installed in U.S. Cars By www.justice.gov Published On :: Thu, 21 Nov 2013 12:59:57 EST A Cleveland federal grand jury returned an indictment against two executives of a Japanese automotive supplier for their roles in an international conspiracy to fix prices of automotive anti-vibration rubber parts sold to Toyota and installed in U.S. cars. Full Article OPA Press Releases
mobile Toyo Tire & Rubber Co. Ltd. Agrees to Plead Guilty to Price Fixing on Automobile Parts Installed in U.S. Cars By www.justice.gov Published On :: Tue, 26 Nov 2013 13:12:01 EST Osaka, Japan-based Toyo Tire & Rubber Co. Ltd. has agreed to plead guilty and to pay a $120 million criminal fine for its role in two separate conspiracies to fix the prices of automotive components involving anti-vibration rubber and driveshaft parts installed in cars sold in the United States and elsewhere. Full Article OPA Press Releases
mobile Stanley Electric Co. Ltd. Agrees to Plead Guilty to Price Fixing on Automobile Parts Installed in U.s. Cars By www.justice.gov Published On :: Wed, 27 Nov 2013 10:37:25 EST Stanley Electric Co. Ltd., a Tokyo-based company, has agreed to plead guilty and to pay a $1.44 million criminal fine for its participation in a conspiracy to fix prices of lamp ballasts installed in cars sold in the United States and elsewhere. Full Article OPA Press Releases
mobile Koito Manufacturing Co. Ltd. Agrees to Plead Guilty to Price Fixing on Automobile Parts Installed in U.S. Cars By www.justice.gov Published On :: Thu, 16 Jan 2014 13:11:13 EST Koito Manufacturing Co. Ltd., a Tokyo-based company, has agreed to plead guilty and to pay a total of $56.6 million in criminal fines for its roles in separate price-fixing conspiracies involving automobile lighting fixtures and lamp ballasts installed in cars sold in the United States and elsewhere. Full Article OPA Press Releases
mobile Four Alleged Members of Android Mobile Device App Piracy Groups Charged By www.justice.gov Published On :: Fri, 24 Jan 2014 16:51:32 EST Four individuals have been charged in the Northern District of Georgia for their alleged roles in piracy groups engaged in the illegal distribution of copies of copyrighted Android mobile device applications, or “apps.” Full Article OPA Press Releases
mobile Justice Department Files Fair Housing Lawsuit Against Owner and Managers of Illinois Mobile Home Park for Discriminating Against African-Americans and Families with Children By www.justice.gov Published On :: Tue, 4 Feb 2014 17:53:46 EST The Justice Department filed a lawsuit today against the owner and those responsible for the management of a 126-space mobile home park in Effingham, Ill., for violating the Fair Housing Act by discriminating against African-Americans and families with children. Full Article OPA Press Releases
mobile Bridgestone Corp. Agrees to Plead Guilty to Price Fixing on Automobile Parts Installed in U.S. Cars By www.justice.gov Published On :: Thu, 13 Feb 2014 10:00:49 EST Bridgestone Corp., a Tokyo, Japan-based company, has agreed to plead guilty and to pay a $425 million criminal fine for its role in a conspiracy to fix prices of automotive anti-vibration rubber parts installed in cars sold in the United States and elsewhere. Full Article OPA Press Releases
mobile Justice Department Enters Consent Decree with National Tax Preparer H&R Block Requiring Accessibility of Websites and Mobile Apps Under Americans with Disabilities Act By www.justice.gov Published On :: Thu, 6 Mar 2014 13:37:03 EST Acting Assistant Attorney General Jocelyn Samuels of the Civil Rights Division and U.S. Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz of the District of Massachusetts announced today that they have entered into a consent decree with HRB Digital LLC and HRB Tax Group Inc., subsidiaries of H&R Block Inc., to remedy alleged violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Full Article OPA Press Releases
mobile Leader and Co-Conspirator of Android Mobile Device App Piracy Group Plead Guilty By www.justice.gov Published On :: Mon, 24 Mar 2014 15:59:36 EDT The leader of a piracy group engaged in the illegal distribution of copies of copyrighted Android mobile device applications and a co-conspirator have pleaded guilty for their roles in the scheme that distributed more than one million copies of copyrighted apps. Full Article OPA Press Releases
mobile Conspirators in Two Android Mobile Device App Piracy Groups Plead Guilty By www.justice.gov Published On :: Tue, 15 Apr 2014 16:29:50 EDT Members of two different piracy groups engaged in the illegal distribution of copies of copyrighted Android mobile device applications have pleaded guilty for their roles in separate schemes, each designed to distribute more than one million copies of copyrighted apps. Full Article OPA Press Releases
mobile Japanese Automotive Parts Manufacturer Agrees to Plead Guilty to Price Fixing and Bid Rigging on Automobile Parts Installed in U.S. Cars By www.justice.gov Published On :: Wed, 23 Apr 2014 09:37:43 EDT Showa Corp., an automotive parts manufacturer based in Saitama, Japan, has agreed to plead guilty and to pay a $19.9 million criminal fine for its role in a conspiracy to fix prices and rig bids for pinion-assist type electric powered steering assemblies installed in cars sold in the United States and elsewhere. Full Article OPA Press Releases
mobile Denso Corp. Executive Agrees to Plead Guilty to Price Fixing on Automobile Parts Installed in U.S. Cars By www.justice.gov Published On :: Fri, 29 Aug 2014 15:15:09 EDT An executive of Japan-based Denso Corp. has agreed to plead guilty and to serve one year and one day in a U.S. prison in connection with the Antitrust Division’s investigation into a conspiracy to fix the prices of instrument panel clusters, also known as meters, installed in cars sold in the United States and elsewhere, the Department of Justice announced today Full Article OPA Press Releases
mobile Members of Three Different Android Mobile Device App Piracy Groups Charged By www.justice.gov Published On :: Fri, 29 Aug 2014 14:19:11 EDT Three federal indictments were unsealed today in the Northern District of Georgia charging six members of three different piracy groups – Appbucket, Applanet and SnappzMarket – for their roles in the illegal distribution of copies of copyrighted Android mobile device applications, or “apps,” announced Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Sally Quillian Yates of the Northern District of Georgia, and Special Agent in Charge J. Britt Johnson of the FBI’s Atlanta Field Office Full Article OPA Press Releases
mobile G.S. Electech Inc. Executive Pleads Guilty to Bid Rigging and Price Fixing on Automobile Parts Installed in U.S. Cars By www.justice.gov Published On :: Thu, 28 Aug 2014 16:12:55 EDT An executive of Japanese auto parts maker G.S. Electech Inc. pleaded guilty and was sentenced today to serve 13 months in a U.S. prison for his role in an international conspiracy to rig bids and fix prices on auto parts used on antilock brake systems installed in U.S. cars, the Department of Justice announced Full Article OPA Press Releases
mobile NGK Spark Plug Co. Ltd. Agrees to Plead Guilty to Price Fixing and Bid Rigging on Automobile Parts Installed in U.S. Cars By www.justice.gov Published On :: Thu, 28 Aug 2014 14:03:15 EDT NGK Spark Plug Co. Ltd., an automotive parts manufacturer based in Nagoya, Japan, has agreed to plead guilty and to pay a $52.1 million criminal fine for its role in a conspiracy to fix prices and rig bids for spark plugs, standard oxygen sensors, and air fuel ratio sensors installed in cars sold to automobile manufacturers in the United States and elsewhere, the Department of Justice announced today Full Article OPA Press Releases
mobile Yokogawa Releases SensPlus Note, an OpreX Operation and Maintenance Improvement Solution for the Digitization of Field Data Using Mobile Devices By www.yokogawa.com Published On :: 2019-11-26T16:00:00+09:00 Yokogawa Electric Corporation (TOKYO: 6841) and MetaMoJi Corporation announce that they have jointly developed SensPlus Note, a low cost and easy to implement solution for the digitization of plant data on mobile devices. SensPlus Note, a solution in Yokogawa's OpreX Operation and Maintenance Improvement family, improves the efficiency and quality of maintenance work and the precision of post-maintenance analyses by enabling data from plant field work to be used more efficiently. This solution will be released in all markets worldwide on January 31. Full Article
mobile Correction to: A universal pipeline for mobile mRNA detection and insights into heterografting advantages under chilling stress By feeds.nature.com Published On :: 2020-05-06 Full Article
mobile Getting started with Kendo UI Mobile By www.adobe.com Published On :: Tue Oct 16 11:06:00 UTC 2012 Build a simple PhoneGap app using Kendo UI Mobile. Full Article
mobile Raikkonen escapes injury after snowmobile accident By en.espnf1.com Published On :: Tue, 13 Dec 2011 10:13:12 GMT Kimi Raikkonen has escaped with just a sore wrist after an accident in a snowmobile race in Austria on Saturday Full Article
mobile Riding the Mobile Wave: The Future of Mobile Computing By webfeeds.brookings.edu Published On :: Fri, 05 Oct 2012 10:00:00 -0400 Event Information October 5, 201210:00 AM - 11:30 AM EDTFalk AuditoriumBrookings Institution1775 Massachusetts Avenue NWWashington, DC 20036 Register for the EventIn his new book The Mobile Wave: How Mobile Intelligence Will Change Everything (Vanguard Press, 2012), CEO of MicroStrategy Michael Saylor examines the transformative possibilities of mobile computing on business, society, economies and everyday life. Saylor argues that mobile technologies such as smartphones and tablet computers – “the fifth wave of computer technology” – will be indispensible tools for modern life and completely alter how we live. On October 5, the Center for Technology Innovation at Brookings hosted a forum on mobile computing and its monumental impact on our future. Moderated by Vice President Darrell West, Michael Saylor discussed key highlights from his book and offered insights as to what sort of change we can expect from the macro level down to the most mundane of everyday humans tasks. Audio Riding the Mobile Wave: The Future of Mobile Computing Transcript Transcript (.pdf) Event Materials 20121005_mobile_wave Full Article
mobile Jumping from fixed Internet to mobile: India is going wireless By webfeeds.brookings.edu Published On :: Wed, 18 Mar 2015 07:30:00 -0400 The mobile economy in China and India has grown by leaps and bounds over the past decade. Mobile technology has the potential to shrink the broadband gap, improve financial inclusion, and support humanitarian efforts. A recent report from the Boston Consulting Group adds another interesting perspective into the existing conversation about the impact of mobile technologies. India appears poised to eschew building up its fixed broadband infrastructure and jump directly to mobile. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in India appeared poised to take advantage of this amazing change. Mobile innovation lower costs and improve performance Source: Boston Consulting Group Maximum download speeds have risen greatly when comparing second generation networks with current fourth generation technology. 2G networks were capable of reaching 20 kilobits per second and 4G technologies can reach 250 megabits per second, which is about 12,000 times faster. At the same time the actual cost of network infrastructure per megabyte is falling dramatically: a 95 percent decrease from 2G to 3G and 67 percent decrease from 3G to 4G. Subsequently, the consumer cost of data per megabyte decreased sharply. From 2005 to 2013, the average cost of a mobile subscription relative to the maximum data speed dropped about 40 percent each year or 99 percent in an 8 year period. Higher speeds and lower costs make mobile a viable development platform for SMEs. In America this had led to the growth of the app economy. In India this effect is even more pronounced. Widespread use of mobile technologies fuels the leap In 2013 India reached 900 million mobile connections and became the second largest market in terms of mobile connections and unique subscribers. Indians spend 45 percent of their incomes on mobile technologies and platforms whereas Americans only spend 11 percent. Source: World Bank Indicators For the average Indian, mobile is the only point-of-entry to the Internet. Mobile devices are much more common than computers. The PC penetration rate in India of 5 percent stands in stark contrast to the 75 percent rate for mobile devices. Rates of fixed broadband Internet usage increased at a snails pace in India and at the same time mobile cellular subscriptions soared. More and more people in India are choosing to access Internet solely through mobile devices. Currently about 34 percent of people in India access the Internet exclusively from mobile devices. Flipkart an Indian e-commerce company predicts that 75 to 80 percent of their customer’s traffic will come on mobile platforms. The proliferation of mobile technologies in India provides incentives for SMEs to focus on developing mobile oriented business models. Existing mobile focused SMEs lead the leap SMEs in India place a greater emphasis on mobile platforms compared to companies in other countries. About 25 to 35 percent of surveyed SMEs in India are identified as mobile leaders, firms that use mobile productivity tools, operational tools (real-time job tracking or mobile data analytics) and sales and marketing tools. In developed countries such as Germany, only 14 percent of the surveyed SMEs are mobile leaders. Further, mobile oriented SMEs are thriving in India in a variety of fields. India’s largest E-commerce marketplace Flipkart Sidesteps has seen its traffic grow twice as face on mobile when compared with PC. Anti-violence apps such as FightBack and mobile health initiatives such as Swasthya Samvedana Sena are also experiencing great success. India is in the midst of a mobile revolution that is categorically different than other parts of the world. Without existing complex legacy systems, businesses in India are now in the unique position to leapfrog terrestrial Internet technologies and reap the full benefits of a truly mobile economy. Yikun Chi contributed to this post Find more content about techpolicy on TechTank Authors Joshua BleibergDarrell M. West Image Source: © Ajay Verma / Reuters Full Article
mobile 3 ways mobile helped stop the spread of Ebola in Nigeria By webfeeds.brookings.edu Published On :: Thu, 19 Mar 2015 07:30:00 -0400 During the height of the Ebola crisis in September 2014 there were 21 confirmed cases of the virus and 8 deaths in Nigeria. The African nation has the continent’s largest population, a high poverty rate, and the government spends relatively little on health care. At the time many were worried about a scenario where the virus spread throughout Nigeria. But, the Nigerian Minister of Health Onyebuchi Chukwu disagreed with that assessment. He commented to Forbes, “Nigeria will be as clean as any other country as far as Ebola virus disease is concerned.” His comments were proven to be accurate in the coming months. There were a variety of factors that contributed to Nigeria’s success at combating the disease. One important factor was the use of mobile electronic health records programs. How mobile fights disease 1. Training Healthcare Workers Training health care providers was a priority at the beginning of the Ebola outbreak. A survey found that 85 percent of health care workers in the country believed you could avoid Ebola by abstaining from handshakes or touching. Correcting these myths about the disease was a critical part of the response effort, especially for health care workers. 2. Rapid Deployment One of the virtues of mHealth is its speed and flexibility. Mobile allows officials to quickly disseminate the latest information to front line health care workers. Increasing the speed of communication is a general boon to any large public health response. 3. Virtual Records Ebola Treatment Units (ETU) greatly benefitted from using digital rather than paper records. Paper records cannot be removed from an ETU. Deborah Theobald co-founder of Vecna Technologies that created the mHealth platform in Nigeria has pointed out that, “If the patient is isolated, so is their paperwork”. Electronic records are easy to share and also lower the risk of infection for health care workers. Mobile health policy challenges Despite the potential benefits of mHealth, barriers in some countries prevent the full positive impact of these technologies from coming into effect. Many developing nations lack the electrical infrastructure that is necessary to power mobile devices. Health care regulations are often too overly bureaucratic and burdensome. This makes it difficult for innovators to develop and equip workers with mobile tools and applications. It often takes an emergency situation like the Ebola crisis to make substantive changes. Success in the long term is only possible if leaders create an environment that is more hospitable to mHealth. Mobile interventions have also demonstrated potential to address important public health issues. Recently experts gathered at the Brookings Institution to discuss how mHealth can improve health outcomes. Apps like Mobile Midwife and Text4Baby can encourage healthy pregnancies by providing valuable tips to expecting mothers. Mobile health platforms are successful because they directly inform caregivers. The proliferation of mobile phones through the developing world presents a health opportunity to communicate with the people who need help. Authors Joshua BleibergDarrell M. West Image Source: © Stringer . / Reuters Full Article
mobile Updating communications law and regulations for the mobile era By webfeeds.brookings.edu Published On :: Tue, 24 Mar 2015 10:00:00 -0400 Event Information March 24, 201510:00 AM - 11:00 AM EDTSaul Room/Zilkha LoungeBrookings Institution1775 Massachusetts Avenue NWWashington, DC 20036 Register for the EventThe last time policymakers substantially reviewed federal communications policy, it was the early 1990s. At that time, the Internet was only beginning to reveal itself to be the dynamic technology seen today. Mobile devices and services, such as 100 megabit broadband, smartphones, applications, social networks, tablets, and digital streaming, were barely imagined, let alone factored into policy discussions. As the recent debate around net neutrality highlights, policymakers today can be hamstrung in efforts to fit today's communications technologies and services into last century's communications law. Given that most major communications laws are out of step with today’s advanced mobile capabilities, what shape would smart, updated legislation and regulatory changes take? What are the major changes to U.S. communications law that most need to be addressed and implemented? On March 24, the Center for Technology Innovation at Brookings hosted a conversation with Craig Silliman, general counsel and executive vice president for public policy at Verizon, to examine what 21st century communications polices might look like. Video Updating communications law and regulations for the mobile era Audio Updating communications law and regulations for the mobile era Transcript Uncorrected Transcript (.pdf) Event Materials 20150324_communications_law_transcript Full Article
mobile How mobile apps will empower health care consumers By webfeeds.brookings.edu Published On :: Mon, 20 Apr 2015 11:15:00 -0400 Choosing a health plan on one of the new public or private exchanges is no easy task. That’s especially true for those with medical conditions who want to be very sure the plan they enroll in will provide the services they need. This challenge is not unique to buying health plans, however. It’s always hard for consumers to buy complex and technical services or products when they have little or no expertise in the field. Health insurance can be especially daunting, with so many factors to consider, and even the terminology can be confusing. Standardizing choices and terms can be helpful to a point. Grouping health plans according to premiums and out-of-pocket costs – bronze, silver, gold and platinum plans – has worked well in the public exchanges. But standardization will always be in tension with innovation, and the reality is that most exchanges will carry a larger inventory of plans than what the typical consumer wants to scroll through. So the question of “choice architecture” – how the plans are filtered or screened – will come to the fore. Consumers will have many questions. What is the price? How do I assess the trade-off between lower premiums and higher cost sharing? Is my doctor in the plan’s network? Are the drugs I take in the formulary (whatever that is)? Things can get real complicated real fast, and it can feel like there are too many, not too few, choices. No wonder some call that “choice anxiety”. But that view overlooks how technology is likely to reduce choice anxiety in health care, just as it has for other complicated searches. It used to take a librarian to find an obscure article or a travel agent to plan a vacation. Today a few keystrokes on Google locates the article, and Travelocity makes vacation planning a cakewalk, with everything from on-time flight arrival data to pictures of hotel rooms and customer reviews arranged by star ratings. Expect technology to have the same dramatic impact on buying health coverage in the near future. There are several reasons for this: The presentation of consumer information will get better. When large new markets for products and services are created and the demand for buyers’ information rises sharply, the incentive for entrepreneurs – both for-profit and nonprofit – to provide customer-friendly information also rises. We’ve already seen this in parts of the health care market where there has been plenty of choice. Millions of federal employees have for many years been able choose among a wide range of plans with differing benefits. Many have turned to the highly regarded Consumers’ Checkbook to help them understand and readily compare plans in the federal program. Checkbook has launched a similar comparison tool for the Illinois exchange and recently won the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s (RWJF) first "Plan Choice Challenge," a nationwide competition to design a technology application that helps people choose their best health plan options. Navigation technology will make searches simple and quick. Most consumers don’t want to spend a lot of time comparing plans; they want to find the best buy for their situation as quickly as possible. That’s why brokers have traditionally encouraged employers to offer their employees a carefully limited set of shopping choices, but we expect plan navigation technology to constantly improve the shopping experience in ways that will help customers search a larger inventory and still make choices more easily. Stride Health, a San Francisco startup and finalist in the RWJF Challenge, has developed a recommendation technology that searches massive data sets on networks and formularies in seconds to help consumers find a “match” that fits their budget and health care needs. (Full disclosure – author Joel Ario is an investor). Stride is one of more than 40 “web brokers” that has met federal consumer protection and privacy standards enabling it to work with the federal exchange to enroll subsidy-eligible individuals in coverage. Expect increasing collaboration between public exchanges and private vendors, with a surge of apps and gadgets to make navigation easier and easier in health exchanges. Technology will allow choices to be tailored to medical history. Advances in technology won’t just make it technically easier to pick and choose by price and reputation. These advances will also empower Americans to base their choices on their likely medical needs. Today, tailoring your coverage to your medical condition usually means trying to get a doctor– or several doctors– to help you figure out what you should look for in a plan. Even with that help, for the average person it’s still a hit-or-miss proposition. But new forms of choice technology are beginning to utilize questions about medical history to guide buyers towards the plans that are most suited to their condition. Checkbook and Stride already allow consumers to enter more detailed health histories and get more sophisticated assistance, and this will only improve as exchanges publish more data in machine readable formats. Expect more and increasingly sophisticated customized navigators, especially as patients get more access to their electronic medical records. Also expect sellers to respond with products than bundle services to meet the new demand. Does this mean that an iPhone app will be all that’s needed to ensure that every consumer can find his or her perfect plan? Not quite. Health insurance marketplaces will continue to present thorny regulatory challenges. Insurance regulators will need to guard against unfair practices, such as insurers’ designing benefit plans to drive away applicants with certain health conditions; privacy concerns will be raised whenever apps ask for medical history; and new forms of provider integration will test antitrust doctrine. But one thing is clear. Improving technology will soon make picking the right health plan a far more precise and simple process – easy enough for many of our children to do on their smart phones or whatever gadget comes next. Authors Joel ArioStuart M. Butler Full Article
mobile Connected learning: How mobile technology can improve education By webfeeds.brookings.edu Published On :: Tue, 01 Dec 2015 00:00:00 -0500 Education is at a critical juncture in many nations around the world. It is vital for student learning, workforce development, and economic prosperity. For example, research in Turkey has found that raising the compulsory education requirement from five to eight years increased the percentage of women having eight years of school by 11 percentage points, and had a variety of positive social consequences. Yet despite the emergence of digital learning, most countries still design their educational systems for agrarian and industrial eras, not the 21st century. This creates major problems for young people who enter the labor force as well as teachers and parents who want children to compete effectively in the global economy. In this paper, Darrell West examines how mobile devices with cellular connectivity improve learning and engage students and teachers. Wireless technology and mobile devices: Provide new content and facilitate information access wherever a student is located Enable, empower, and engage learning in ways that transform the environment for students inside and outside school Allow students to connect, communicate, collaborate, and create using rich digital resources, preparing them to adapt to quickly evolving new technologies Incorporate real-time assessment of student performance Catalyze student development in areas of critical-thinking and collaborative learning, giving students a competitive edge Downloads Download the paper Authors Darrell M. West Image Source: Adam Hunger / Reuters Full Article
mobile Des services financiers mobiles en forte progression dans l'UEMOA By webfeeds.brookings.edu Published On :: Tue, 14 Jun 2016 12:00:00 -0400 La monnaie électronique a émergé dans les pays de l'Union Economique et Monétaire Ouest Africaine, à la faveur de l'adoption, en 2006, d'une Instruction de la Banque Centrale, instaurant un cadre réglementaire souple et incitatif pour l’exercice de cette activité. L'implication des opérateurs de télécommunications dans l'offre de services financiers basés sur la téléphonie mobile a donné, dès 2009, une nouvelle dimension à cette activité par l'accroissement du nombre des utilisateurs et des volumes de transactions. Une activité en expansion A fin septembre 2015, 22 millions de personnes, soit près d'un quart de la population de l'Union, ont souscrit à des services financiers via la téléphonie mobile. Environ 30% de ces abonnés réalisent au moins une opération sur une période de 90 jours. Près de 500 millions de transactions ont été aussi réalisées au cours des neuf premiers mois de l'année 2015. La valeur cumulée des transactions atteint 5000 milliards de FCFA (8,5 milliards USD) à fin septembre 2015. De septembre 2013 à septembre 2014, cette valeur est passée de 1000 milliards à 2068 milliards de F CFA, soit une hausse de 107%. Le réseau de distribution des services financiers via la téléphonie mobile suit également cette tendance haussière, en passant de 93 621 points de services en 2014 à plus de 132 658 points de services à fin septembre 2015. Source: BCEAO Le contexte socioéconomique de l'Union explique pour une large part, le succès des services de paiement via la téléphonie mobile. En effet, ce mode de prestation des services de transfert ou de paiement se révèle particulièrement adapté pour les personnes n'ayant pas accès au système bancaire classique, tout en offrant l'opportunité à des institutions non bancaires, en contrepartie de dépôt d'espèces, de mettre à la disposition des usagers une monnaie autre que fiduciaire, dont l'encours leur permet d'effectuer des transactions financières diverses. L'implication croissante des opérateurs de télécommunications Les partenariats entre les banques et les opérateurs de télécommunications occupent une place dominante sur le marché. En fin 2015, sur les 33 émetteurs de monnaie électronique sous licence, 25 appartenaient aux dits partenariats. Au titre du modèle non bancaire, sept acteurs non bancaires ont été agréés pour émettre la monnaie électronique en qualité d'Etablissement de Monnaie Electronique (EME).[1] Source: BCEAO Un cadre réglementaire rénové A la faveur de l'expansion des services financiers via la téléphonie mobile et de l'implication croissante des opérateurs de télécommunication, la Banque Centrale a rénové son cadre réglementaire afin de renforcer la sécurité et la qualité des services de paiement adossés à la monnaie électronique. Les principaux axes d'amélioration portent sur: une responsabilisation accrue des émetteurs en clarifiant leurs rôles dans les partenariats avec des prestataires techniques. Ainsi, les activités de prestataire technique sont limitées, sous la responsabilité de l'émetteur, au traitement technique de la monnaie électronique ou à sa distribution. De même, les émetteurs demeurent responsables, de l’intégrité, de la fiabilité, de la sécurité, de la confidentialité et de la traçabilité des transactions réalisées par chacun de leurs distributeurs; une stimulation de la concurrence par la transparence de la tarification avec l'obligation faite aux émetteurs de publier leurs tarifs; la formulation d'exigences spécifiques en matière de gouvernance et de contrôles interne et externe pour les établissements de monnaie électronique, en exigeant l'honorabilité des dirigeants, le respect du secret professionnel et des audits réguliers des infrastructures; une protection accrue des détenteurs de monnaie électronique avec d'une part, le cantonnement des fonds dans des comptes dédiés, et l'exigence d'une équivalence continue entre l'encours de monnaie électronique et les soldes des comptes de cantonnement et d'autre part, l'obligation de la mise en place d'un mécanisme de recueil et de traitement des réclamations des porteurs de monnaie électronique; le renforcement du dispositif de supervision, par la réduction des délais de reporting des activités des émetteurs à la Banque Centrale, et l'adoption de sanctions pour les infractions aux dispositions réglementaires. L'offre de services financiers via la téléphonie mobile L'offre de services financiers via la téléphonie mobile comprend trois catégories de services. Il s'agit des services qui impliquent l'usage des espèces (monnaie fiduciaire), de ceux qui sont effectués en monnaie électronique et des services dits de « deuxième génération ». Le premier type de services concerne essentiellement les dépôts d'espèces ou rechargements de porte-monnaies électroniques, ainsi que les retraits. Ils représentent 24% des transactions effectuées par les utilisateurs. Les dépôts d'espèces sont prédominants et permettent aux clients d'approvisionner leurs comptes de monnaie électronique. La monnaie électronique rechargée est utilisée à hauteur de 76%, prioritairement pour les achats de crédit téléphonique, les paiements de factures, l'exécution de transferts de personne à personne, de personne à entreprise et aux Administrations publiques. Les principaux services de paiement dans l'UEMOA sont liés au règlement des factures relatives à la consommation d'eau, d'électricité, l'abonnement à des chaînes de télévision satellitaires, l'achat de marchandises dans les grandes surfaces ou de carburant dans les stations-service. Des paiements d'impôts et taxes auprès des Administrations publiques et le remboursement des échéances de microcrédit sont également effectués, mais de façon très marginale. Dans l'UEMOA les services dits de « deuxième génération », à savoir la micro-assurance, la micro-épargne et le micro-crédit, font leur apparition. Leur développement pourrait constituer une opportunité de bancarisation des utilisateurs de ces services. Enfin, un début d'interopérabilité est mis en œuvre sur la base de conventions bilatérales entre les acteurs, notamment en vue d’offrir des services de paiement transfrontaliers entre les Etats membres de l'Union. Les défis à relever L'examen de l’évolution des services financiers via la téléphonie mobile dans l'UEMOA fait ressortir quelques obstacles à un développement plus rapide de ces services financiers au sein de l'UEMOA. Il s'agit de: la faiblesse du taux d'utilisateurs actifs, en raison du coût élevé des services; la méconnaissance des services, du fait d'une éducation financière insuffisante; la faible digitalisation des circuits de paiement des Administrations publiques; l'insuffisance des partenariats entre les émetteurs bancaires et non-bancaires pour le développement d'une offre de services plus inclusifs, dits de « seconde génération » En collaboration avec toutes les parties prenantes, la Banque Centrale a développé une stratégie d’inclusion financière visant à améliorer l’accès et l’utilisation de divers services financiers personnalisés et aux prix abordables. La mise en place de ces actions, comme décrite dans la stratégie d’inclusion financière conçue par la BCEAO, devrait résoudre les défis mentionnés ci-dessus. Lire en anglais » [1] EME: toute personne morale, autre que les banques, les établissements financiers de paiement, les systèmes financiers décentralisés, habilitée à émettre des moyens de paiement sous forme de monnaie électronique et dont les activités se limitent à l'émission et la distribution de monnaie électronique. Authors Tiémoko Meyliet Koné Full Article
mobile Mobile financial services are making headway in WAEMU By webfeeds.brookings.edu Published On :: Tue, 14 Jun 2016 11:49:00 -0400 Electronic money, or e-money, emerged in the countries of the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU) following the adoption, in 2006, of a Central Bank Instruction establishing a flexible regulatory framework aimed at encouraging e-money business. The activity expanded in 2009 with the involvement of telecommunications operators in the provision of mobile telephone-based financial services, which increased the number of users and the volume of transactions. A growing business At the end of September 2015, 22 million people, or nearly a quarter of the people in the union, subscribed to financial services via mobile phone. Approximately 30 percent of those subscribers carried out at least one transaction per 90-day period. Some 500 million transactions took place over the first nine months of 2015. The cumulative value of the transactions was 5 trillion CFA francs ($8.5 billion) by the end of September 2015, a growth of 142 percent from September 2014. Between September 2013 and September 2014, this value grew from CFA 1 trillion to CFA 2.068 trillion, an increase of 107 percent. The mobile phone financial services distribution network followed a similar upward trend, rising from 93,621 points of services in 2014 to more than 132,658 at the end of September 2015. Figure 1. Trends in the value of transactions The socioeconomic environment in the union goes a long way to explaining the success of mobile telephone payment services. Indeed, this method of providing money transfer or payment services is particularly well suited to people who lack access to the mainstream banking system, and also affords non-bank institutions the opportunity to offer users non-cash money against cash deposits, which can then be used for a variety of financial transactions. The growing involvement of telecommunications operators The market is increasingly dominated by partnerships between banks and telecommunications operators, which represented 25 of the 33 licensed or authorized e-money issuers at the end of December 2015. In the framework of this model, known as the bank model, the bank has responsibility for issuing the e-money. The other seven non-bank institutions, under the non-bank model, are authorized to issue electronic money as “Electronic Money Institutions” (EMIs) [1]. In WAEMU, e-money issuers are supported by a regulatory framework that was revised in 2015 to ensure increased security and quality of payment services backed by electronic money. Figure 2. E-money issuers in WAEMU Note: DFS denotes microfinance institutions. A revised regulatory framework With the expansion of mobile phone financial services and the growing involvement of telecommunications operators, the Central Bank has revised its regulatory framework with the aim of enhancing the security and quality of payment services backed by electronic money. The most salient improvements must focus on: Increasing issuer accountability by clarifying users’ roles in partnerships with technical service providers. With this goal in mind, the activities of technical service providers have been restricted to technical processing or the distribution of e-money under the responsibility of the issuer. In addition, issuers are responsible for the integrity, reliability, security, confidentiality, and traceability of all transactions carried out by all of their distributors; Stimulating competition through transparent pricing with an obligation for issuers to publish their rates; Specific requirements in terms of governance and internal and external audits for electronic money institutions, standards of integrity on the part of the management, professional secrecy and regular infrastructure audits; Increased protection for bearers of electronic money, including keeping funds in dedicated accounts, requiring a constant equivalence between the amount of e-money and the balances in the dedicated accounts, and mandatory creation of a mechanism to take in and deal with complaints by bearers of electronic money; Reinforcement of the supervisory mechanism by reducing deadlines for reporting on issuers’ activities to the Central Bank and adopting sanctions for violations of regulatory provisions. Provision of mobile-phone-based financial services Mobile-phone-based financial services provided in WAEMU include three categories of services, namely services involving the use of cash (banknotes and coins), e-money services, and so-called “second generation” services. The first type of service essentially involves deposits of cash or refilling of electronic wallets, as well as withdrawals. This type of service represents 24 percent of user transactions. Cash deposits predominate; they allow customers to provision their electronic money accounts. Seventy-six percent of the funds deposited into e-money accounts are used, above all, for purchases of telephone credit, payment of bills, person-to-person money transfers, and money transfers from individuals to businesses and from individuals to government agencies. The main payment services found in WAEMU pertain to payment of water or electricity bills, payment of satellite television subscriptions, and purchases of goods in supermarkets or fuel at service stations. Payments of taxes or income taxes to government agencies and payments of micro-loan installments are also made through mobile phone financial services, but are much less common. So-called “second generation” services, namely micro-insurance, micro-savings, and micro-credit, are currently emerging in WAEMU. Their development could be an opportunity to provide access to the banking system for the users of the services. Finally, interoperability is just beginning to be implemented based on bilateral agreements between stakeholders, particularly with a view to offering cross-border payment services between member states of the union. Challenges A review of the development of mobile phone financial services in WAEMU reveals some obstacles to the rapid development of this type of financial service within WAEMU. They include: a low number of active users, due to the high cost of the services; the fact that the services are not well known due to inadequate financial education; the low rate of digitization of government agencies’ payment systems; and insufficient partnerships between bank and non-bank issuers with a view to developing a more inclusive range of “second-generation” services. In collaboration with all stakeholders, the Central Bank has developed a financial inclusion strategy to continuously improve, access to and use of diverse, tailored and affordable financial services. The implementation of these actions as described in the Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO) financial inclusion strategy should support the challenges mentioned above. Read in French » [1] EMI: any legal entity, other than a bank, financial payment institution, or decentralized financial system, that is authorized to issue payment instruments in the form of electronic money and whose business activities are restricted to electronic money issuing and distribution. Authors Tiémoko Meyliet Koné Full Article
mobile Mobile Technology’s Impact on Emerging Economies and Global Opportunity By webfeeds.brookings.edu Published On :: Wed, 10 Dec 2014 10:00:00 -0500 Event Information December 10, 201410:00 AM - 12:00 PM ESTFalk AuditoriumBrookings Institution1775 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W.Washington, DC 20036 Register for the EventWebcast Archive:Advances in mobile technology have transformed the global marketplace, especially in emerging economies. How has mobile technology changed economic progress in emerging economies? Who has benefited and why? How can emerging economies further take advantage of the mobile revolution to propel growth? Which challenges and decisions do policymakers currently face? On December 10, the Center for Technology Innovation hosted an event to discuss mobile technology’s role and potential future in developing economies as part of the ongoing Mobile Economy Project event series. A panel of experts discussed what is needed to ensure that emerging mobile economies continue to grow, and how intellectual property, spectrum policy, and public policies contribute to sector development. Join the conversation on Twitter using #TechCTI Audio Mobile Technology’s Impact on Emerging Economies and Global Opportunity Transcript Transcript (.pdf) Event Materials 20141210_mobile_technology_transcript Full Article
mobile Taxing mobile phone transactions in Africa: Lessons from Kenya By webfeeds.brookings.edu Published On :: Mon, 05 Aug 2019 18:26:05 +0000 Abstract Taxation on mobile phone-based transactions and on airtime has been introduced in Kenya and is spreading to other African countries. Some countries in sub-Saharan Africa view mobile phones as a booming subsector easy to tax due to the increasing turnover of transactions and the formal nature of such transactions by both formal and informal… Full Article
mobile Figure of the week: Taxing mobile transactions in Kenya By webfeeds.brookings.edu Published On :: Wed, 07 Aug 2019 20:34:01 +0000 This week, the Africa Growth Initiative at Brookings published a new policy brief, “Taxing mobile phone transactions in Africa: Lessons from Kenya.” The brief discusses the limited ability of increased tax rates on mobile money transactions and mobile phone airtime to raise a significant amount of new tax revenue. According to the brief, these taxes… Full Article
mobile For this mobile phone charger, just add water By www.treehugger.com Published On :: Thu, 02 May 2013 17:41:35 -0400 A micro fuel cell could extend mobile battery life and charge up portable devices, with just the addition of a little water. Full Article Technology
mobile Stealthy, modern van conversion is one designer's mobile home & office (Video) By www.treehugger.com Published On :: Fri, 12 Oct 2018 15:05:20 -0400 This furniture designer's stealth van conversion has been created as a "test lab" for mobile, "democratic" small space design. Full Article Design
mobile Pushmaster integrates a kitchen, laundry and tent into one mobile unit By www.treehugger.com Published On :: Wed, 04 Nov 2015 07:00:00 -0500 Steven M. Johnson beat the GrubHub by 25 years. Full Article Living
mobile Keep on Trucking: More Ideas Going Mobile, From DNA Testing to 3D Printing By www.treehugger.com Published On :: Mon, 10 Sep 2012 15:21:00 -0400 The future is mobile as businesses dematerialize and hit the road Full Article Business
mobile Mobile solar 'sail' powers Shigeru Ban's spherical auditorium in Paris (Video) By www.treehugger.com Published On :: Wed, 14 Jun 2017 13:59:18 -0400 Looking like a "great ship," this solar-powered music venue is a new gateway into the city. Full Article Design
mobile Mobile Fruit Stands Fight Unemployment and Food Deserts in Chicago By www.treehugger.com Published On :: Mon, 15 Oct 2012 05:00:00 -0400 Innovative model brings fresh produce and jobs to areas and people in Chicago that need it most Full Article Living
mobile Old buses turned into mobile shelters for Hawaii's homeless By www.treehugger.com Published On :: Fri, 26 Jun 2015 15:18:08 -0400 Decommissioned buses are getting a second useful life as mobile shelters for Honolulu's homeless. Full Article Design
mobile Mobile solar-plus-storage device could be an entry-level gateway to clean energy By www.treehugger.com Published On :: Thu, 19 Jan 2017 17:02:55 -0500 The SolPad Mobile device offers a scaled-up solar charging and battery solution for both home and off-grid applications. Full Article Technology
mobile Theatrical mobile unit creates multifunctional micro-apartment for two By www.treehugger.com Published On :: Tue, 28 Aug 2018 13:03:57 -0400 Inspired by theater set design, this versatile volume holds storage and other hidden furniture. Full Article Design
mobile Mobile coworking bus lets professionals work, hike, bike & surf (Video) By www.treehugger.com Published On :: Thu, 08 Dec 2016 14:25:57 -0500 This renovated bus is a mobile coworking space that brings location-independent professionals out into the great outdoors, combining work with a hike, a bike trip or a surf ride on the waves. Full Article Design
mobile The Honda IeMobi is a mobile autonomous living room and the future of self-driving cars By www.treehugger.com Published On :: Wed, 03 Jan 2018 10:31:21 -0500 The car changed the design of our houses; the AV will change our houses and the way we live. Full Article Design
mobile It's Bitcoin in a box as Nordcoin introduces Mobile Mining Containers By www.treehugger.com Published On :: Wed, 20 Jun 2018 15:22:21 -0400 It's a moveable feast of cheaper, cooler, greener electricity for building blockchains. Full Article Design
mobile Volkswagen designs "micromobiles" for life after traffic collapse By www.treehugger.com Published On :: Fri, 19 Jul 2019 11:00:59 -0400 From scooters to cargo bikes, a bunch of alternatives to driving that car. Full Article Transportation
mobile IKEA introduces foldable furniture for the modern mobile lifestyle By www.treehugger.com Published On :: Tue, 11 Jun 2019 09:12:17 -0400 This is, whether we like it or not, the future of furniture design. Full Article Design
mobile Mobile Bay Alabama's First Line Of Oil Defense Is Bigger Boom On 2,000 Pound Anchors By www.treehugger.com Published On :: Wed, 12 May 2010 11:50:12 -0400 A most painful demonstration of Murphy's Law - that Full Article Business
mobile Health benefits of walkable cities won't be realised without reducing automobile use By www.treehugger.com Published On :: Thu, 04 Jul 2019 10:24:42 -0400 Yet more ways that cars and trucks are killing us and ruining cities. Full Article Design
mobile Mobile Game Encourages Real-World Sharing By www.treehugger.com Published On :: Wed, 11 Jul 2012 10:52:12 -0400 The sharing economy is built on reputation. So is online social gaming. Now the two are coming together. Full Article Business
mobile Guerilla Architects build mobile office in a trailer By www.treehugger.com Published On :: Thu, 03 Nov 2016 15:32:03 -0400 And they figure out where to put it, because "future architecture means city-hacking." Full Article Design
mobile Public charging station powers mobile devices with footsteps and solar panels By www.treehugger.com Published On :: Mon, 15 Sep 2014 15:25:38 -0400 The ENGO charging station uses kinetic tiles and solar panels to charge up to 14 smartphones at a time, and provides free WiFi access and an emergency phone. Full Article Technology
mobile "Mobile Gardening," the Hottest New Trend? 6 Ways to Mash-Up Bikes and Gardens By www.treehugger.com Published On :: Fri, 24 Feb 2012 07:22:11 -0500 With this clever new trend, you can take your herb garden for a spin, create a grass mohawk in the spokes, and more. Full Article Living