The aAQUA Approach: Innovative Web 2.0 Tools for Developing Countries
Krithi Ramamritham, Anil Bahuman, Saurabh Sahni, Malathy Baru, Chaitra Bahuman, Arun Chandran, Manjiri Joshi · IEEE Internet Computing · 2008
aAQUA is a multilingual, multimedia agricultural portal that lets rural farmers and agribusiness employees ask and answer questions online. The system incorporates novel database systems and information retrieval techniques, including intelligent caching and offline access with intermittent synchronization. aAQUA's large-scale deployment provides avenues for researchers to contribute in the areas of unstructured information and knowledge management, cross-lingual information retrieval, delay-tolerant Web application design and content provision for rural populations. Apart from agriculture, aAQUA can be configured and customized to provide expert advice in education, healthcare, and other key domains for developing populations.