Good Returns On Investment In Digital Inclusion

Infoxchange Australia’s email Community Infocast is reporting that its now officially launched Digital Inclusion Initiative (DII) has benefits calculated to be worth $12 million over the projects’ first five years.

Some Detail

• Infoxchange Australia is actively involved in grassroots activities to ensure that all those wishing to access new technologies can do so irrespective of income, ability or disadvantage
• AT Kearney is partnering Infoxchange on this project. It is a global management consulting firm that takes a ‘collaborative approach to achieve tangible results’, its mission
  

  “to help the world’s leading corporations gain and sustain competitive advantage, and achieve profound, tangible results for our clients.”

• DII is a nationwide project in which nearly 1500 households have received free computers, with internet access and training attached
• Residents in two inner Melbourne housing estates – Atherton Gardens, Fitzroy, and Collingwood – have been the early recipients

Phil Harkness of AT Kearney says:

“Most Atherton Gardens residents use the internet to gain employment and education…
Thirty-nine residents were employed as a result of accessing the internet, and 52 residents gained better employment. In summary, the project has been generating income of $4 of every dollar invested.”

Andrew Mahar of Infoxchange maintains it’s essential that all parts of society – government, not-for-profit and business – get together to work towards digital inclusion. The project team is looking for commitment to make digital inclusion a key issue in the networks in which we all live and work, as there is:

“clear evidence that digitally inclusive communities provide social returns on investment.”

DII Website – Online Pledge To Help

The DII at www.digitalinclusion.net.au is now live and you can complete an online pledge card and promise to make a financial or in-kind contribution to DII projects, either in the form of ICT equipment, volunteering or partnering. To keep informed about the progress of the DII project, you text your first and last name to 0429 883 440.

You can contact Infoxchange Australia by email community@infoxchange.net.au