Blackwell Reference Online

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Information is critical to the social and economic activities that comprise the development process. Communication technology as a means of sharing information is not simply a connection between people, but a link in the chain of the development process itself (→  Development Communication ; Technology and Communication ). In general, the ability to access and share information can contribute to the development process by improving: • efficiency, or the ratio of output to cost (for example, through use of just-in-time manufacturing and inventory systems; through use of information on weather and soil content to improve agricultural yields); • effectiveness, or the quality of products and services (such as improving health-care through telemedicine); • equity, or the distribution of development benefits throughout the society (such as to rural and remote areas, or to minorities and disabled populations); • reach, or the ability to contact new customers or clients (for example, craftspeople reaching global markets on the Internet, or educators reaching students at work or at home). Communication technologies may improve efficiency and productivity in several specific ways. First, communication technologies offer price information. Producers such as farmers and fishermen can compare prices in various markets, allowing them to get the highest prices for their produce, to eliminate ... log in or subscribe to read full text