Did you know that Hewlett-Packard has a group working on technology enablers for microcredit? Neither did I. But the Microdevelopment Finance Team (MFT) has been around since 2002, combining experts from HP, Grameen Technology Center, and other groups working on microloans. Last month, the MFT began a pilot program in Uganda building an electronic system to manage loan payment and savings information, replacing the somewhat unwieldy manual system. This technology should make it easier to make and manage microloans, and will also connect networks of various third parties (agricultural retailers, gas station managers, etc.) accredited to make financial services more accessible in rural areas.

(Found via Ken Novak's Weblog)