

Store
Devices Microsoft Surface PCs & tablets Xbox Virtual reality Accessories Windows
phone Microsoft Band Software Office Windows Additional software Apps All apps
Windows apps Windows phone apps Games Xbox One games Xbox 360 games PC
games Windows games Windows phone games Entertainment All Entertainment
Movies & TV Music Business & Education Business Store Education Store Developer
Sale Back-to-school essentials Sale Products
Software & services Windows Office Free downloads & security Internet Explorer
Microsoft Edge Skype OneNote OneDrive Microsoft Health MSN Bing Microsoft
Groove Microsoft Movies & TV Devices & Xbox All Microsoft devices Microsoft
Surface All Windows PCs & tablets PC accessories Xbox & games Microsoft Band
Microsoft Lumia All Windows phones Microsoft HoloLens For business Cloud
Platform Microsoft Azure Microsoft Dynamics Windows for business Office for
business Skype for business Surface for business Enterprise solutions Small business
solutions Find a solutions provider Volume Licensing For developers & IT pros
Develop Windows apps Microsoft Azure MSDN TechNet Visual Studio For students
& educators Office for students OneNote in classroom Shop PCs & tablets perfect
for students Microsoft in Education Support
Sign in


Research Research
o Research Home
o Research areas
 Algorithms
 Artificial intelligence and machine learning
 Computer systems and networking
 Computer vision
 Data visualization, analytics, and platform
 Ecology and environment
 Economics
 Graphics and multimedia
 Hardware, devices, and quantum computing
 Human-centered computing
 Mathematics







o
o
o
o
o



Medical, health, and genomics
Natural language processing and speech
Programming languages and software engineering
Search and information retrieval
Security, privacy, and cryptography
Social Sciences
Technology for emerging markets
Products & Downloads
Programs & Events
 Academic Programs
 Events & Conferences
People
Careers
About
 About
 Microsoft Research blog
 Asia Lab
 Cambridge Lab
 India Lab
 New England Lab
 New York City Lab
 Redmond Lab
 Applied Sciences Lab
Research areas
o Algorithms
o Artificial intelligence and machine learning
o Computer systems and networking
o Computer vision
o Data visualization, analytics, and platform
o Ecology and environment
o Economics
o Graphics and multimedia
o Hardware, devices, and quantum computing
o Human-centered computing
o Mathematics
o Medical, health, and genomics
o Natural language processing and speech
o Programming languages and software engineering
o Search and information retrieval
o Security, privacy, and cryptography
o Social Sciences
o Technology for emerging markets
Products & Downloads
Programs & Events
o Academic Programs
o



Events & Conferences
People
Careers
About
o About
o Microsoft Research blog
o Asia Lab
o Cambridge Lab
o India Lab
o New England Lab
o New York City Lab
o Redmond Lab
o Applied Sciences Lab
Representing the Non-formal: the Business
of Internet cafés in India
August 1, 2007

Download Document

BibTex
Publication Type
Proceedings
Publisher
American Anthropological Association

Abstract

Related Info
Abstract
It is our contention that small businesses of information and communication technologies are
deeply embedded in a context of non-formal business relations and practices in developing
economies. Cyber cafés in the city of Mumbai, the subject of our study, and illegitimacy,
informality of business practices in emerging economies provide an alternate premise to
understand its nature and operates in and through an unregulated grey market of non-formal
business practices. In this paper we explore the fit of ICTs into this ‘area’ of commercial
practices. We do relationships this by profiling café managers, business strategies and
contextualizing these in the broader culture of non-formal business pervading every day
transactions. With regulatory discourse of information technologies centered on piracy function.
These challenge received notions of visualizing IT in emerging economies as simply piracy and
illegality. It also implies coming to terms with markets shaped and structured by para-legal and
non-formal processes in negotiating on-going and future business relationships.
Related Info
Groups
 Technology for Emerging Markets
Research Areas
 Human-centered computing
 Social sciences
Research Labs
 Microsoft Research Lab - India
Follow Microsoft Research


Follow @MSFTResearch

Share this page


Tweet

Learn

Windows

Office

Skype

Outlook

OneDrive

MSN
Devices

Microsoft Surface

Xbox

PC and laptops

Microsoft Lumia

Microsoft Band

Microsoft HoloLens
Microsoft Store

View account

Order tracking

Retail store locations

Returns

Sales & support
Downloads

Download Center

Windows downloads

Windows 10 Apps

Office Apps

Microsoft Lumia Apps

Internet Explorer
Values

Diversity and inclusion

Accessibility

Environment

Microsoft Philanthropies

Corporate Social Responsibility

Privacy at Microsoft
Company

Careers

About Microsoft

Company news

Investors

Research

Site map

English (United States)

Contact us

Privacy & cookies

Terms of use

Trademarks

About our ads

© 2016 Microsoft
​