What is digital inclusion? 
Digital inclusion is about ensuring everyone has access to quality digital products to do the things they seek to achieve, regardless of their personal experiences and circumstances and regardless of whether education, work related or other. This doesn’t just include the UK but initial focus is based on the UK population. 

What do we have at the moment ?
Important and worthy strides have been made in the UK over the last 20 years in ensuring the infrastructure and appropriate hardware is in place for a future digital world. However, I don’t think the population is fully ready for it. Technically and very intelligent minded people are great at developing new products and ways of thinking that push the boundaries, but it's feared many lack the understanding of how their products are used day-to-day and the impact involved.    

The technology behind some of the equipment is simply overwhelming for most yet the intensions are often for good. For example, the infrastructure behind Super-Fast fibre allows for graphic rich games to be developed as well as information to travel at lightning speed but elderly users are unlikely to want access to World of War Craft? They might just be happy to use a computer to send an email without constant messages and infinite features interfering with the process.    

At the expense of more traditional means of communication devices are becoming used even more than human interaction.       
What’s missing?

For the most part I think we’re missing the tools we need to use the current technology effectively for the day-to-day tasks we wish to accomplish. This, of course, is different for everyone – we all have personal goals and ambitions and are from differing backgrounds. Education is key here, but I’m talking about ‘life-long’ education - we need to ensure that we’re encouraged to continually learn while at the same time ensuring education allows us to be equipped to take advantage of the technology we use now.    

I think technology is currently missing this element and the ‘human-touch’ and understanding that we need to thrive. I feel it’s almost ‘over-taken’ us and that it’s time we made the technology work for us and not the other way around.    

The Vision 
As an individual over 50 these comments and suggestions, while relevant and based on experience, might not be appropriate going forward but I think they still hold true today. However, I still have a vision that we can begin to take back some control over the technology that has inevitably entered our lives and use it as a force for good within our communities.    

Mission Statement 

The following mission statement underpins the product and company goals and objectives.

  “Be at the forefront in the home & within the education and business sectors, providing innovative software to assist individuals in the use of technology with special emphasis on those who might otherwise have difficulties”

“Where practical and legal seek existing solutions to problems and integrate with Apollo to improve the overall experience for technology users”

“Offer a platform where educational suppliers can advertise within Apollo’s products and reach out to improve their customer base”