Technology - Haiti Observer Blog

Haiti is changing the perceptions of the business world that has believed garment manufacturing is the only area Haitian workers are qualified to work in. But two tech startups are changing all of that, training Haitian workers to assemble Android tablets. Both Surtab and Handxoms SAs have begun producing seven-inch touch-screen tablets with Haitian workers on the assembly line, putting the devices together.

Business has been brisk for both companies since they began production in November. Surtab has been marketing the tablets to education and planning ministries within the government, and Handxom had a run on their tablets, with 300 units sold in just a couple of weeks.

Read more →  

Haitians can be found in many areas of history, contributing to posterity through great works of art, insightful literature, inspiring music, or, in the case of Charles Terres Weymann, a legacy in the creation of airplanes.

Born in Haiti's capital on August 2, 1889 to a Haitian mother and American father, Charles Terres Weymann flew as a test pilot for Nieuport during the First World War. The knowledge he accrued from his time as a pilot was put to use in developing fabric bodies for road vehicles. This became a lucrative business for him as he opened three factories in less than a decade, creating a global empire spanning the United States, England and France.

Read more →  

While it seemed the whole world and their grandparents had taken to the Instagram phenomenon like ducks to water, one man had held out of the craze... until now. It was reported, with more than a little humor, that Hollywood thespian and Oscar-award winner Sean Penn has finally taken to the new pastime around the world and posted his first picture on the popular picture-sharing based website.

The post is not of an idle, racy or salacious picture, but rather, one that depicts the plight still faced by many in Haiti, as it shows the devastation of a site still left flattened after the 2010 earthquake, a subject very close to Penn's heart.

Read more →  

We can do great things and this new this first touch-screen tablet manufactured in Haiti is the proof of that.

The very first Android operating system-based tablet, called Surtab will be on record to be a first. This demonstrates great potential as technology is the wave of the future. Surtab is definitely a source for pride and hope for many. It allows you to connect to the interned and relatively not expensive

Belgian entrepreneur Maarten Boute is the owner of the new Surtab company in Haiti. The company is commitment to provide the technology with big-value and make it also available to all

Read more →  

The Haitian Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe had the opportunity to be with the people at the cutting edge of technology as well as the most powerful and successful in term of business.

He met some of the most successful corporate executives of Silicon Valley, including elite tech firms like Google, Facebook and apple to ask for support some of their innovation with Haiti.

Here are some of the most innovative tech Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe visited:

- Internet-connected eyeglasses (By Google)
- Company's driverless car (By Google)

According to Laurent Lamothe, "Technology can help us bridge the development barrier we have today."

Read more →  

Lascahobas is the nexus of an agrarian region situated in the Central Plateau. It lies one hour away from the Dominican Republic border. A population of 7,574 inhabitants lives in the Christian community, but Voodoo practitioners hold festivals several times a year in the foothills.

When Haiti's 2010 earthquake ravaged the island, Lascahobas suffered damage, although its solar panel project proceeded unimpeded. The installation of the last of the panels was finished at the start of 2013. The solar panel project began in 2011 with three partnering entities: Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT), Green WiFi (GWF), and Inveneo. They collaborated to give Lascahobas solar-infused Internet connectivity. The pilot program chose EFACAP school to be the first recipient of long distance Internet and WiFi hotspots.

Read more →  

A new science called biometrics is changing the way governments verify a person's identity for entry into their country. This process is now in application for Haitian entering the country . It consists of taking fingerprints, facial characteristics, iris recognition, retina, and body scents with software applications, designed for such purposes.

Canada will begin checking biometric identities beginning September 4, 2013 each time a foreigner presents a visa or permit to stay in the country for a specified amount of time. Canada has a large number of the Haitian Diaspora living in the country--and more arriving every day--and they will be subject to biometric verification.

Read more →  

The CEO of the first telecommunications company to bring cell phones to Haiti, Haitel's Franck Ciné, was not his usual silent self in a recent interview with Vision 2000 journalist, Valery Numa. He outlined the companies past, leading up its declaration of bankruptcy and the subsequent trouble that's afflicted the struggling Telecom.

During the discussion, Ciné revealed much information about the current status of the company, including the fact that Teleco currently holds a 5% claim to Haitel, following Haitel's failure to make payment to the former company. Apart from stating facts, Ciné laid out statistics, juxtaposing Haiti's 80% unemployment rate for comparison against the benefit to the economy a thriving Haitel provides. He stated that the company provided approximately 3000 jobs directly, which indirectly served nearly 15,000 people in Haiti.

Read more →  

Mobile banking has played an important role in rebuilding after the earthquake. Called the 'mobile wallet' the Haiti Mobile Money Initiative (HMMI) got its jumpstart in June 2010. Though it was initially met with distrust by some who had trouble investing in a purely electronic system it soon caught on with the more than 85% of mobile users in Haiti after the temporary but immobilizing devastation of many traditional banks. Fast forward a few years and Haiti is leading in mobile phone payments in the region.

The mobile banking services include deposits, withdrawals, enumerated records of accounts and funds transfers all done over phone. And the statistics given from one service, TchoTcho Mobile, made available by Scotiabank, Digicel and YellowPepper show 6 million transactions for 2011 alone. Other mobile wallet providers show promising gains as well. Voila, through Mercy Corps, has served over 6,000 Haitians living in rural communities.

Read more →  

Project Cyber Tap Tap has been launched by Martelly, President of Haiti at the National Palace. Many of the youngsters from the disadvantaged areas in Haiti can benefit from this newly designed project. Awareness of ICT or Information Technology and Communication is expected to increase.

Free Access to the Internet

All credit goes to Cyber Tap Tap. Educational games on websites on the internet can be accessed free of charge by high school students. Adequate training will be imparted to instructors, guarantees the Head of State.

Read more →