KOREA: Microsoft Trains Over 15,000 Seniors to Use Computers

SEOUL, South Korea (Associated Press) May 31, 2006: Mun Sung-tok, a 72-year-old retired community relations worker for the U.S. military in South Korea, was ecstatic. With the help of 13-year-old granddaughter Bo-suk, he was learning to send an e-mail to his son, and had just spoken via Web camera with Microsoft Corp. Chief Executive Steve Ballmer -- who was all of 50 feet away. Mr. Mun's brief Internet chat with one of the world's top businessmen was staged in front of some 1,000 people, mostly senior citizens, last week on the leafy grounds of a former royal palace in the heart of Seoul. Mr. Mun said he was glad "to meet a world famous CEO." Mr. Ballmer called Mr. Mun "a cool grandfather." The event was part of Microsoft's "Unlimited Potential" program, the goal of which is to bridge the so-called digital divide by helping people without access to technology get it. How the program is carried out depends on pressing social or demographic issues in a given country. South Korea, with the highest per capita rate of high-speed Internet connections, is one of the world's most wired nations. It's also one of Asia's fastest aging societies, so the focus is on training senior citizens to use computers. In mostly rural Indonesia it's geared toward helping farmers use computer technology to improve livelihoods. "This is great," said Mr. Mun, sitting with his granddaughter under a tent on a sunny day in the courtyard of Kyunghee Palace, competing with other intergenerational pairs to send messages to family members at home or work. Mr. Mun said the event was helping foster communication between generations, something he feels has weakened since his younger days. Mr. Ballmer, wrapping up a trip to Asia, stressed that age should be no hindrance to leading a technologically engaged life. "Korean citizens really have unparalleled access to the Internet," he said. "And we are sure that it is really time that seniors, as lifelong learners, are given the opportunities to use technologies to stay connected and continue contributing to society." Mr. Ballmer said Microsoft has already taught 15,000 senior citizens at community centers in South Korea, with 1,000 of them already becoming qualified to teach others. "We hope that we can train over 100,000 seniors in the course of the next five years," he said. "I hope I get a chance to hear from some of those seniors," he added, then announced his e-mail address. "Your grandchildren will help you with that if it doesn't mean anything today. We want to hear from you." The global program, which began three years ago, is ambitious. "Our goal worldwide is to help enable 250 million people, a quarter of a billion people, by 2010," said Oliver Roll, a Microsoft spokesman. He couldn't immediately say how much of that target has been achieved. By Kelly Olsen The Associated Press Copyright 2006 Associated Press. All rights reserved