Cloud, Social, Big Data And Mobile Technology Reshapes One African City

As one of Africa's fastest urbanizing cities, Accra, Ghana needs to recognize the challenges it faces as it continues to grow.

An unprecedented phenomenon is happening globally. Five disruptive technologies are converging at once: cloud computing, Big Data, social media, mobile computing and the proliferation of sensor networks.

Any one of these innovations alone will be as disruptive. But together, they have the power to reshape how we think of and build the most basic systems and organizations in our economies and societies: whether it's how we organize business operations, develop our energy grids, run transportation systems, or structure interactions between citizens and governments.

Few places are better positioned to benefit from this convergence than Africa. Because of the comparative immaturity of its physical, governmental and economic infrastructures, these technologies have the potential to create greater benefits there than anywhere else.