Aptivate

Aptivate is an NGO and not-for-profit organisation based in the United Kingdom.

Aptivate combines good ideas from the commercial software businesses and international development organizations. It makes ICT services to improve communication for communities that do not have good access to the Internet.

Aptivate made the open source website service called Loband. The company started on 1 December 2002 with the name Aidworld. It changed its name to Aptivate in December 2006.^[1]^[2]

Aptivate is a member of the Humanitarian Centre.

Loband

Loband was developed in 2004. Loband simplifies web pages so they download faster over slow Internet connections. This is very useful in poor countries.^[3] Loband was originally named Aidbase.

History

Aptivate was called Aidworld. It was founded in 2002. Two aid workers in Nepal started the company. They were working for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. They had experienced communications problems in developing countries. They tried to find a way to improve communications. They worked with some friends who had technical knowledge. They founded Aidworld. They started by supporting the humanitarian aid sector.

In 2006, Aidworld changed its name to Aptivate. Since then, Aptivate has been working with other non-profits, charities, NGOs, facilitators and trainers, web/software developers and technical consultants.

2004

Awarded £75,000 DTI SMART Award.
Loband (then called Aidbase) pilot project in Kenya.

2005

Loband version 2.
The email service (later rebranded as Enclusion) launches at the World Summit on the Information Society in Tunisia.

2006

Published guidelines for websites that are better for low bandwidth users.
Aidworld renamed Aptivate.

2007

Network for Information and Digital Access (NIDA) website started.
INASP-backed web design guidelines produced.^[4]
Interface project for UNFAO and WHO's research access programmes started.

References

↑ "Aptivate news site". Aptivate.org. 1 December 2004. Archived from the original on 9 October 2007. Retrieved 29 April 2010.
↑ "BOND Directory". Bond.org.uk. Retrieved 29 April 2010.^{[permanent dead link]}
↑ "The Loband Project". Aptivate.org. Archived from the original on 30 March 2010. Retrieved 29 April 2010.
↑ "low bandwidth web design guide". Aptivate.org. Archived from the original on 19 April 2010. Retrieved 29 April 2010.

Other websites

[1] "Aptivate news site". Aptivate.org. 1 December 2004. Archived from the original on 9 October 2007. Retrieved 29 April 2010.

[2] "BOND Directory". Bond.org.uk. Retrieved 29 April 2010.^{[permanent dead link]}

[3] "The Loband Project". Aptivate.org. Archived from the original on 30 March 2010. Retrieved 29 April 2010.

[4] "low bandwidth web design guide". Aptivate.org. Archived from the original on 19 April 2010. Retrieved 29 April 2010.

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