Poverty-stricken areas could and should launch E-business to take full advantage of its strengths and usefulness. E-business, the key infrastructure to facilitate the local economical development, is the most cost-effective and efficient means for local people in poor areas to strive for a better life.

Western China boasts a general abundance of natural and human resources, some of which are unique to this region. However, inconvenient transportation and lack of effective communication systems cause people here to continue their dependence on manual labor, tilling the hard ground to bring about a meager livelihood. The East-West Interconnect platform, initiated by Town and Talent Technologies, targets to connect the large potential overseas and eastern Chinese markets to the resources available in western China. Unlike the 'bubble Internet' economy, the current construction of the East-West Interconnect platform is based on more than one hundred member schools and digital centers distributed over as many as 15 provinces mostly in western China. Meanwhile, the web-site www.17888.com serves as an e-business operation platform. As such, it enables the participating businesses to take advantage of the “Cross-Net- eXpress”，a multi-net-based operations and service capabilities provided by the platform. With further expansion of member schools and digital centers, the East-West Interconnect platform is targeted to become a platform capable of running extensive projects.

To date, four businesses are currently up and running on the East-West Connection platform. They are
1) Talents Mobilization from West to East;
2) Information Networking using Inter-Net-eXpress and Cross-Net-eXpress;
3) Remote Employment;
4) Care for Western China e-Charity.
Other kinds of businesses are under development.

1,Talents Mobilization from West to East:

Western China boasts a large labor force which could potentially meet the corresponding great demand for labor in large enterprises in other highly developed regions. Through digital centers and participating member schools, Town and Talent Technologies recruits employees for businesses. Applicants are mainly graduates from vocational middle schools, junior high schools and senior high schools.

Talents Mobilization from West to East program is different from the ordinary labor market set-ups in that it depends on the E-business platform and local digital centers. Because of its reputation from the good deeds done to the areas, Town and Talent Technologies can more effectively attract hopeful job seekers for the participating businesses. Over one hundred digital centers across the nation publicize and recruit employees for enterprises of all types and sizes. After being qualified by employers over the Internet, these migrant workers will travel as a group and be escorted safely to their final destination workplace indicated by recruiting corporations.

In 2005, Town and Talent Technologies' digital center in Gulang helped Shing Tak Shoes Group in Guangdong Province recruit more than 900 workers, and escorted them to destination workplaces.? The amount of money made by the these workers for their hometowns could be more than 10 millions RMB per year.

2,Remote Employment:

The goal here is outsourcing of brain-works to talents in impoverished areas: to seek ?and supply the most suitable and qualified part-time or contract professionals for enterprises located outside this region. The required task is normally carried out and successfully completed by the contracted staff in the region. Through the East-West Interconnect platform the faraway employer not only gets the final products delivered as promised, but is also able to supervise the whole process. Also, the selection process for the most suitable and qualified personnel is critical to achieving satisfactory results. The area digital centers ensure the effective local management and operations, and Town and Talent Technologies keeps an efficient information network running work hand-in-hand to maintain the high standard of the outsourcing service.

Digital Centers in Gulang, Chengdu and Zhengzhou facilitate Tomorrow Technologies Co., Ltd. in outsourcing flash cartoon works to remote designers.

2,Information Networking using Inter-Net-eXpress (InX) and Cross-Net-eXpress(XnX)

There is no need to waste your time, to make large amount of investment in hardware, and to have your own network specialists. By the InX and XnX web-tools, you possess all your need to operate a systematic and multi-functional website. What you need to do is to update your web content. The InX and XnX Website Platform on www.17888.com will do the rest: website establishment, management, customer service and more. The businesses using the 17888 web-tools will be able to take advantage of the e-business opportunities in the East-West Interconnect.

4,Care for West China e-Charity

The“Care for West China”Project provides a platform for donors to demonstrate practical love and care to benefit more than hundred member schools and their surrounding areas. Individual donors who show their love in this way can manage their own projects via the Care for West China e-charity platform. They are able to personally track the project progress and communicate with their beneficiaries whenever they choose to.

Donors wishing to do so can create their own “Love and Care”websites. They do not need to have a thorough grasp of computer knowledge in order to do so. As long as they are able to start up a computer, get online, and surf the Internet, the Care for West China e-charity platform will do the rest.

Characterized by transparent and convenient management, the Care for West China e-charity platform enables these donors to receive up-to-date reports and regular feedback.

All donated materials and funds by individual donors are sent directly to beneficiaries, to prevent any possible loss during transaction. This will eliminate any 'middle-agent' charges. Thus, www.17888.com is truly a 'digital caring platform', over which people's care can be directly transferred to the beneficiary. It will help bridge the digital divide between urban and rural regions, and therefore make long-term contributions to the development of western China.