June 17, 1999 | Read Time: 2 minutes
The first annual Ericsson Internet Community Awards have recognized three non-profit organizations for their innovative technology ideas.
The winners will each receive data-base software and tools from the Oracle Corporation and share $250,000 worth of technology assistance to carry out the Internet projects they proposed in their applications:
* Kids’ HealthLink, in San Francisco, will help poor children with serious illnesses use e-mail and the Internet to communicate with their friends and with other sick children and to keep up with their school work. The project will also help their families use technology to communicate with the children’s doctors, find medical information on the Internet, and participate in on-line support groups.
* Medical Training Worldwide, in Novato, Cal., which teaches surgical techniques to doctors in developing countries, will build an on-line data base to coordinate information about its volunteers, donated medical equipment, and training sites. Ramon Berguer, chairman of the organization, said the award “will allow a smaller group of people to run a larger mission — not necessarily a larger organization, but to project our mission much more broadly.”
* The National Library for the Blind, in Stockport, England, provides Braille reading material to people around the world. The library plans to add more information about its books to its Web site — which is designed for people who have vision problems and use speech-synthesis software, screen magnification, or soft Braille displays to gain access to the Internet — so that library members can choose their own books, rather than having to rely on the recommendations of others.
Sponsored by Ericsson, a Stockholm telecommunications company, the contest received 1,400 entries from groups in 50 countries.
The full text of applications submitted by 20 finalists is available on line, as are summaries of each of the 1,400 entries. The company hopes this information will help charities think about new ways to use technology in their work and find other organizations to collaborate with.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Go to http://www.ericsson.com/erica.
