Ken Banks

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Ken Banks
Ken Banks - PopTech 2012.jpg
Ken Banks at PopTech in 2012
Born1966 (age 57–58)
Jersey
NationalityBritish
Alma mater University of Sussex
Occupation(s) Social entrepreneur, mobile technologist
Years active2002 - present
Known for mobile technology
TitleFounder of kiwanja.net and FrontlineSMS

Ken Banks (born 1966) is a British social entrepreneur and author. He is the creator FrontlineSMS, a mobile messaging platform that allows communication in areas with limited internet access worldwide. [1] He is also the founder of Kiwanja.net, an NGO dedicated to the use of mobile technology for social and environmental change, with a particular focus on Africa. [2]

Contents

Early life and education

Banks was born in 1966 in Jersey, Channel Islands. Banks attended Hautlieu School and Highlands College. In 1995, he attended his undergraduate degree at the University of Sussex, studying social anthropology and development studies, graduating in 1999. [2] [3]

Career

In 2001, Banks became a project manager at CERCOPAN in Nigeria. His time there was cut short by a traffic accident in Calabar in 2002, after which he returned to Jersey to recover. During this period, Banks was approached by Fauna and Flora International (FFI), an international conservation organization, and his work there lead to the launch of the Wildlive! Mobile Portal in December 2003. The initiative provided images, animal sounds, conservation-themed games, and live news to Vodafone subscribers. [4]

In 2003, Banks founded kiwanja.net, an NGO dedicated to the use of mobile technology for social and environmental change, with a particularly focus on Africa. [5] In 2004, Banks was approached by Kruger National Park officials in South Africa, asking for a solution to update Bushbuckridge community members on changes in the park using their mobile phones. This inspired him to develop FrontlineSMS, a platform that sends and receives text messages (SMS) via mobile phones without requiring internet access, in 2005. [6]

FrontlineSMS

FrontlineSMS was used by a Nigerian organization called Humanitarian Emancipation Lead Project (HELP) to assist Nigerians in reporting on their 2007 national elections. [7] The BBC ran a story, Texts monitor Nigerian elections, mentioning FrontlineSMS. User downloads and global interest accelerated as a result. [8] In 2009, Banks started a two-year FrontlineSMS Ambassadors Programme with the Clinton Foundation. [9] FrontlineSMS received partnerships and supports from numerous international donors including the MacArthur Foundation, Hewlett Foundation, Open Society Initiative, Rockefeller Foundation, and Omidyar Network, among others. [10]

Additional career

In 2012, Banks launched Means of Exchange, a project aimed at rebuilding local communities through technology. [11] One of the first initiatives was a "cash mob" during the London Olympics. [12]

In 2012, Banks stepped down from the day-to-day running of FrontlineSMS, handing leadership to Laura Walker Hudson and Sean McDonald, respectively. [13] He transitioned to the role of Chair of the Board, and in 2015, he took on new positions, including Entrepreneur in Residence at CARE International and Visiting Fellow at RMIT University in Melbourne. [14]

Other considerations

In 2011, Banks was invited to join the UK Prime Minister’s delegation to the Africa. [15]

Books

Banks has authored three books:

Impact

Banks's work with FrontlineSMS and kiwanja.net, has impact on the use of technology for development and social change, particularly in under-resourced regions. [1]

Recognitions

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SMS</span> Text messaging service component

Short Message Service, commonly abbreviated as SMS, is a text messaging service component of most telephone, Internet and mobile device systems. It uses standardized communication protocols that let mobile phones exchange short text messages, typically transmitted over cellular networks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Instant messaging</span> Form of computer communication over the internet or locally

Instant messaging (IM) technology is a type of synchronous computer-mediated communication involving the immediate (real-time) transmission of messages between two or more parties over the Internet or another computer network. Originally involving simple text message exchanges, modern IM applications and services tend to also feature the exchange of multimedia, emojis, file transfer, VoIP, and video chat capabilities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Text messaging</span> Act of typing and sending a brief, digital message

Text messaging, or simply texting, is the act of composing and sending electronic messages, typically consisting of alphabetic and numeric characters, between two or more users of mobile phones, tablet computers, smartwatches, desktops/laptops, or another type of compatible computer. Text messages may be sent over a cellular network or may also be sent via satellite or Internet connection.

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Founded in 2001, SMS.ac Inc. is a mobile data and Internet communications company based in San Diego, California. With a worldwide connectivity to more than 400 mobile operators, the company offers a platform MMSbox for interpole exchange of MMS and SMS. The company has claimed to serve over 14 billion mobile text messages in 2003, and 25 billion in 2004 where they were widely criticized for charging unrequested SMS services from consumers and for failing to respond to the complaints of users and for FanBox's e-mail activities. The company provides distribution and billing to people buying and selling digital content through (SMS) mobile services and web-based applications. SMS.ac's website integrates its mobile billing technology with various social networking services like photos, videos, music, and comments. SMS.ac claims over 50 million registered users in more than 180 countries.

Mobile advertising is a form of advertising via mobile (wireless) phones or other mobile devices. It is a subset of mobile marketing, mobile advertising can take place as text ads via SMS, or banner advertisements that appear embedded in a mobile web site.

Rich Communication Services (RCS) is a communication protocol standard for instant messaging, primarily for mobile phones, developed and defined by the GSM Association (GSMA). It aims to be a replacement of SMS and MMS on cellular networks with more modern features including high resolution image and video support, typing indicators, file sharing, and improved group chat functionality. As for MMS, mobile service must be activated. Development of RCS began in 2007 but early versions lacked features and interoperability; a new specification named Universal Profile was developed and has been continually rolled out since 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SMS language</span> Abbreviated slang used in text messaging

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jaxtr</span>

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Bulk messaging is the dissemination of large numbers of SMS messages for delivery to mobile phone terminals. It is used by media companies, banks and other enterprises and consumer brands for a variety of purposes including entertainment, enterprise and mobile marketing.

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RapidSMS is a web framework based on the Django web framework which extends the logic and capabilities of Django to communicate with SMS messages. Initial development was done by UNICEF's Innovation Unit for use in mobile data collection and polls. A side effect of the work was pygsm, a Python library for interacting with GSM modems, including cell phones which handle the Hayes command set. The software has been deployed in numerous countries, including Senegal, Mauritania, Uganda, Somalia, Zambia, Kenya, Nigeria, Malawi, and Ethiopia.

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References

  1. 1 2 Burbank, April. "How Ken Banks Built a Startup One Text Message at a Time". Forbes. Retrieved 2024-10-15.
  2. 1 2 Butler, Rhett A. (2007-04-15). "Cell phones, text-messaging revolutionize conservation approaches". Mongabay Environmental News. Retrieved 2024-10-15.
  3. ↑ "Ken Banks, BA in Social Anthropology and International Development (1999) talks about his career". University of Sussex. 2018. Archived from the original on December 18, 2018. Retrieved December 18, 2018.
  4. ↑ Sitas, Nadia (2008-04-16). "Mobile game to help save gorillas". EDGE of Existence. Retrieved 2024-10-15.
  5. ↑ Imani M. Cheers (2013-02-25). "Changing the World, One SMS at a Time". International Reporting Project. Archived from the original on 2013-12-03. Retrieved 2017-12-03.
  6. ↑ "Ken Banks revels in extraordinary pursuit of life as a social innovator in new book". Cambridge Independent. 2022-05-13. Retrieved 2024-10-15.
  7. ↑ Stuart Thornton (2011-01-21). "Spreading the Message". National Geographic Society. Archived from the original on 2017-12-07. Retrieved 2017-12-07.
  8. ↑ "Texts monitor Nigerian elections". BBC. 2007-04-20. Archived from the original on 2017-12-07. Retrieved 2017-12-07.
  9. ↑ "FrontlineSMS Ambassadors Programme". Clinton Foundation. Archived from the original on 2016-11-10. Retrieved 2017-12-12.
  10. ↑ Livingston, Steven, ed. (2014). "FrontlineSMS:Grassroots M4D Innovation and the Challenges of Success". Bits and Atoms: Information and Communication Technology in Areas of Limited Statehood. Oxford University Press. pp. 84–85. ISBN   978-0-19-994159-9 . Retrieved 2017-12-07– via Google Books.
  11. ↑ Kathryn Cave (2015-01-15). "Ken Banks interview: Technology for social good". IDG Connect. Archived from the original on 2015-08-06. Retrieved 2017-12-10.
  12. ↑ Monty Munford (2012-08-15). "Cash Mobs: how the internet can revive local shops". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 2017-12-10. Retrieved 2017-12-10.
  13. ↑ Monty Munford (2012-08-15). "Cash Mobs: how the internet can revive local shops". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 2017-12-10. Retrieved 2017-12-10.
  14. ↑ Rob Goodier (2016-05-12). "Five Questions with Ken Banks: ICT4D Writer, Editor and FrontlineSMS Founder". Engineering for Change. Archived from the original on 2016-08-11. Retrieved 2017-12-10.
  15. ↑ "In the Spotlight with Ken, Head of Social Impact at Yoti". Yoti Blog. 2018-04-17. Retrieved 2019-03-10.
  16. ↑ "The Rise of the Reluctant Innovator". LPP - The London Publishing Partnership. Retrieved 2024-10-15.
  17. ↑ Banks, Ken (2016). Social Entrepreneurship and Innovation: International Case Studies and Practice. Kogan Page. ISBN   978-0-7494-7591-8.
  18. ↑ Banks, Ken (2022-02-21). The Pursuit of Purpose: Part Memoir, Part Study - A Book About Finding Your Way in the World. Ken Banks. ISBN   978-1-7397717-0-6.
  19. ↑ Tides. "Tides Awards the 2011 Pizzigati Prize to Ken Banks". www.prnewswire.com. Retrieved 2024-10-15.
  20. ↑ Zeichner, Baruch (2015-11-01). "Curry-Stone Design Prize Winner 2011: Frontline SMS - Ken Banks, Sean McDonald & Laura Walker McDonald". Paradigms Podcast. Retrieved 2024-10-15.
  21. ↑ "The Association for Computing Machinery Awards Ken | Ashoka". www.ashoka.org. Retrieved 2024-10-15.
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