STOCKHOLM, Sweden, Sept. 19, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --
* In New York from September 21-24, Ericsson is participating in global conversations about technology and social good * Mashable, UN Foundation, UN Development Programme (UNDP), Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and Ericsson host the Social Good Summit at 92Y September 22-24 * Report on broadband and sustainable development from a task force led by Ericsson to be released on Saturday, September 21 * Ericsson furthers its work in Technology for Good, improving lives for teachers, students, and health care workers as well as those affected by conflict With the backdrop of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, Ericsson (NASDAQ: ERIC) is participating in a number of events and initiatives that highlight the potential of technology to offer solutions to some of the world's major challenges. Ericsson President and CEO Hans Vestberg will appear as a panel speaker at the Social Good Summit, where the main theme is #2030Now. Vestberg will be speaking on the topics of: technology and peace; and the role of broadband in sustainable development. At another panel, Ericsson Vice President of Sustainability and Corporate Responsibility, Elaine Weidman-Grunewald, will discuss big data and social good. The entire three-day Social Good Summit will be webcast. Additionally, Ericsson and UNDP are collaborating in regional Social Good Summit events in Istanbul, Nairobi, Sao Paolo, and Stockholm. Vestberg will be participating in the Broadband Commission for Digital Development meeting where he will present the report "Transformative Solutions for 2015 and Beyond," which is an output from a task group he has led for the past six months. Vestberg says: "Ericsson has been a leading advocate of technology to address global challenges like the Millennium Development Goals for many years. We see that the role of Information and Communications Technology can play an even more important role in the future sustainable development agenda, when in the near future, 85% of the world will have access to mobile broadband. We expect this trend to continue. This tells us that people are using mobility, broadband and cloud to transform their lives - and society. "For example, more than 17,300 students now have access to secondary education thanks to our Connect To Learn initiative in 33 countries. We are also building on our long-term commitment in the Millennium Villages and to Community Health Workers, in sub-Saharan Africa, by supporting the 1 Million Health Care Worker campaign," says Vestberg. Weidman-Grunewald says: "People come together in New York during the week to discuss topics of great importance, and these gatherings bring the global conversation to the masses, empowering them to influence their communities and society at large." Activities to round off the week include the Clinton Global Initiative, where among other activities Vestberg will speak at an official dinner on the topic of education: "From Basics to Excellence: Putting quality education in the reach of every child." On Monday, September 23, Ericsson executives will open NASDAQ at the Times Square headquarters of the stock exchange. Vestberg summarizes: "While in New York, we are able to drive important discussions on how our technology should be used responsibly as a force for good. We care deeply about our role as a trusted partner in each of these conversations and look forward to the feedback we receive from everyone ranging from bloggers at Social Good Summit, to our executive-level customers, to our partners in the public and private sectors." Watch the livestream at http://new.livestream.com/mashable and follow Ericsson during the week at @ericssonsustain on Twitter and technologyforgood on Facebook, as well as on Google+ and LinkedIn. To request interviews with Ericsson during the Social Good Summit, contact Corporate Communications on the e-mail below. NOTES TO EDITORS www.mashable.com/sgs Download high-resolution photos and broadcast-quality video at www.ericsson.com/press Ericsson is a world-leading provider of communications technology and services. We are enabling the Networked Society with efficient real-time solutions that allow us all to study, work and live our lives more freely, in sustainable societies around the world. Our offering comprises services, software and infrastructure within Information and Communications Technology for telecom operators and other industries. Today 40 percent of the world's mobile traffic goes through Ericsson networks and we support customers' networks servicing more than 2.5 billion subscriptions. We are more than 110,000 people working with customers in more than 180 countries. Founded in 1876, Ericsson is headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden. In 2012 the company's net sales were SEK 227.8 billion (USD 33.8 billion). Ericsson is listed on NASDAQ OMX, Stockholm and NASDAQ, New York stock exchanges. www.ericsson.com www.ericsson.com/news www.twitter.com/ericssonsustain www.facebook.com/technologyforgood www.youtube.com/ericssonpress FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT Ericsson Corporate Communications Phone: +46 10 719 69 92 E-mail: media.relations@ericsson.com Ericsson Investor Relations Phone: +46 10 719 00 00 E-mail: investor.relations@ericsson.com Ericsson: ICT Fundamental to Global Sustainable Development: http://hugin.info/1061/R/1730084/578134.pdf [HUG#1730084]
