RIOS INSTITUTE ANNOUNCES LAUNCH OF
SILICON VALLEY TECHNOLOGY
FOR DEVELOPMENT RESOURCE GUIDE

iGUIDE is first-ever Directory of Local Technology
For Development Initiatives and Will Serve as a Global Blueprint

Berkeley, CA - May 8, 2008 - The RiOS Institute announced today the release of its iGUIDE: ICTD Resources in Silicon Valley and the San Francisco Bay Area. The publication will be launched at the Global Forum of the United Nation's Global Aliiance for ICT and Development (UN-GAID), which will be held in conjunction with the 16th World Congress on Information Technology (WCIT) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, from May 18 to 20, 2008

The iGUIDE is the first-ever comprehensive directory of ICTD (Information Technology and Development) initiatives in Silicon Valley and the San Francisco Bay Area. It comprises entries from corporations, the social sector, including social enterprises and nonprofit organizations, academia and foundations. The iGUIDE is a joint initiative of the RiOS Institute, the School of Information at UC Berkeley and the U.N. Global Alliance for ICT and Development.

Intel Chairman Craig Barrett, who is also chairman of the U.N. Global Alliance for ICT and Development, notes in his welcoming remarks that "this print directory will enable ICTD practitioners from all sectors to reference each other's work and on the basis of mutual knowledge establish collaborations that will leverage resources. Intel is glad to support this important initiative to strengthen the local ICTD community."

"We look forward to this first iGUIDE blueprint being used by our partners in India, Brazil, South Africa and Russia and other countries and regions where ICTD initiative are growing," said RiOS Institute executive director, Paul Brand. "The aspiration is for the iGUIDE to help make connections and become a catalyst for exchanges and collaborations."

The iGUIDE sponsors are Intel, Microsoft, NComputing and Internet Speech. Other organizations represented in the iGUIDE include: AMD, HP, UC Berkeley, Stanford University, google.org, the Skoll Foundation and the Global Catalyst Foundation, among others.

About the RiOS Institute

The RiOS Institute is an independent research organization committed to the goal of harnessing information technologies for global development. The RiOS Institute works towards that objective by creating a people-centered, research-driven feedback loop that informs decision-makers on what really works, to catalyze social change and economic development through the use of technology. The RiOS Institute is headquartered in Berkeley, CA, with offices in Campbell, CA, Washington, D.C. and the United Kingdom. For more information please visit www.riosinstitute.org.