Ericsson's Networked Society vision, a great opportunity for redefining the 'Economic Value' ?

In recent years business has been viewed as a major cause of social, environmental, and economic problems. The simple act of profit maximization was good in itself; what was good for business was good for society. We have seen the effect of business practices on healthcare, environment, the mortgage crisis; example after example where a whole society has been dramatically hit and left traumatized.
Profit is not inconsistent with society needs, but there is an increasing belief that this profit is made at the expense of the society.

In 2010, The World Health Organization has spent 5BUSD to deliver healthcare solutions to the world. The same year, a global corporation has spent 25BUSD to deliver potato chips to the world. Corporations are incredibly powerful at delivering solutions to problems but they make absolutely no value judgment about which problems they’re going to solve.

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The Ericsson's Networked Society, through its wider and broader impact on the business landscape, leading to business transformation, industry shift and disruptive innovations, could be a tremendous opportunity for a new business practice that creates simultaneously economic and societal value.

It only takes 5USD to help a woman in a small village to start her own business, begin the process of learning to read and receive basic healthcare services.

It has never been so easy and so ‘cheap’ to startup a new business. Through the increasing number of connected devices, combined with a performing mobile broadband infrastructure and cloud technology, a large number of data and information is available for processing. To prevent disasters, fight poverty, empower women in poor countries. The sky really is the limit for sustainable business innovations that definitely generate profits for shareholders and at the same time create thick societal value.

I truly believe that this Networked Society vision can be a driver of economic growth and societal development in this all communicating world…