From: "Deranged Mutant" <WlkngOwl@unix.asb.com>
Date: Wed, 26 Jun 1996 19:38:16 +0800
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: RFD: Developing Nations and crypto (based on excertp from Edupag
Message-ID: <199606260805.EAA01587@unix.asb.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
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An interesting possibility: information tech expands and 'centers' in 
third-world/developing countries, since (1) they need to skip 
industrial techs to catch up to N.America, Europe, etc. (2) they 
aren't bogged down in older ways of doing business, communicating, 
etc. (3) 'emerging democracies' might embrace crypto tech as a 
safeguard against Orwellian practices, to use digital authentication 
to protect from fraud, etc. (4) cheaper costs for rent, wages, etc. 
[though in many cases exploitavily cheap] may outweigh building an 
infrastructure from scratch, (5) building an infrastructure from 
scratch has advantages of building in flexibility towards uses that 
were not built into older structures in N.Am, Eur., etc. (6) desire 
for investment (7) desire for skills or tech to drive education etc. 
in region



------- Forwarded Message Follows -------
From:          Edupage Editors <educom@elanor.oit.unc.edu>
[..]
DEVELOPING NATIONS SEE BRIGHT FUTURE IN SMART CARDS
When it comes to full-scale trials of smart card technology, developing
countries such as Zambia and Thailand are way ahead of the U.S.  The new
payment systems are finding greater acceptance in countries where
traditional banking practices are not so firmly entrenched.  "No one's in a
hurry for a new payment system here because our system already works," says
a U.S. programmer who designed Zambia's smart card system.  "Our country is
expanding, and we don't have enough banks and no automated teller
machines...  The lines are very long,"  says a spokesman for the Zambian
embassy in Washington.  And smart cards provide valuable access to other
technological advances:  "Developing nations are using smart cards to
leapfrog the need to build telecommunications infrastructures," says a Visa
VP.  (Investor's Business Daily 25 Jun 96 A8)
[..]
Educom Update ...  is our twice-a-month electronic summary of
organizational news and events. To subscribe, send mail to:
listproc@educom.unc.edu with the message:  subscribe update Charles Revson
(if your name is Charles Revson;  otherwise, substitute your own name).
[..]
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