Philips is a world player of stature. As from the end of the 19th century this company has been producing carbon filament lamps and has, since then, started to position itself better and better in the market for health care, light and consumer lifestyle. Philips produces services, products and solutions that are grafted, one by one, onto the brand promise "Sense and Simplicity".

In 2005 Philips engaged itself as a sponsor for a humanitarian project in the Brazilian slums. “Voices in your hand”, a simple voice email-handset which is a cross between an MP3 player and a dictaphone, was developed in collaboration with Achilles Associates. With the portable appliance, people from the bottom strata of the economic pyramid (inhabitants of slums or in the remote countryside) can participate in digital life and enjoy the advantages of this. In local public tele-centres the appliance is connected to a computer via a docking station, so that the file transfer can take place. This way spoken messages and web casts, and also photos and useful information can be exchanged or obtained. Because everything works with images and sound, so without text, the barriers of analphabetism and minority languages are transcended. Also the interface of the small unit is designed to be very user-friendly: No numbers and letters, only icons and buttons.