geee.... i thought that red hat was involved in this. i heard of article in The Telegraph (a leading english daily here), but did not get the chance to read it I think that this can also be a chance to propagate the name of ilug-cal any contacts anyone?? i wud love to help these ppl -cheers- Sayamindu
On Sat, 2002-05-25 at 19:56, Russell McOrmond wrote: > > Is anyone in the LUG involved in this? > > P.S. For an idea of what I'm up to next week, see: > > May 27-31: "Open Source Solutions Showcase" > http://www.flora.ca/osss2002/ > > --- > Russell McOrmond, Internet Consultant: <http://www.flora.ca/> > See http://weblog.flora.ca/ for announcements, activities, and opinions > Want to retain copyright? Author Free Software! > More on Peruvian free software bill / 1841 Copyright speech > > ---------- Forwarded message ---------- > Date: Sat, 25 May 2002 06:54:46 -0400 > From: Michael Gurstein <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subject: [CPI-UA] FW: [bytesforall_readers] Old PCs can give schools new > life > > > > -----Original Message----- > From: Ashish Kotamkar [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] > Sent: May 25, 2002 12:33 AM > To: Bytesforall_Readers@Yahoogroups. Com > Subject: [bytesforall_readers] Old PCs can give schools new life > > > Old PCs can give schools new life > (http://www.propoor.org/news/xar0518.asp#3) > May 18, 2002, Kolkata, India > Source: Times of India > > > All Government-run schools in West Bengal can get free computers if > corporates in the State donate their obsolete machines. > > A software firm has offered to use Linux operating system to bring the dead > machines back to life for use in schools. This will save the State > Government�s depleted coffers of several crores of rupees. > > An Indo-US joint venture firm is in talks with West Bengal Government > through nodal agency Webel to offer zerocost installation of computers and > train teachers in Government schools. > > The programme has already been implemented at 600 schools in Goa. "We tied > up with an NGO to import obsolete 386 and 486 series PCs. Since, they were > treated as junk, we got them for free. Upgraded with Linux, they are now in > use at schools," said Shankar Iyer, training manager of Red Hat India which > initiated the programme. > > Following the Goa success story, NGOs and Governments in Andhra Pradesh and > Kerala have evinced interest. Gujarat was also on the firm�s radar but has > been temporarily removed following the disturbances. > > In West Bengal, the company hopes this will happen as early as next month. > Iyer is now trying to tie up with NGOs in Kolkata to drum up support for the > cause. > > The hurdle comes from unexpected quarters - In India, more so in Kolkata, > old PCs too have value. "We hope large corporates will forgo the monetary > benefit and donate them," he said. > > The company has tied up with Indian Institute of Rural Automation, an > educational society for spreading computer education and total IT solutions > in rural and urban areas. > > This will help the company push Linux training to enterprises in rural and > urban areas. > > With the focus on Government and rural sector for Linux adoption, the > company is pushing its "cheaper and better" USP. Linux costs a fourth that > of other operating systems since it does not follow the proprietory > approach. Since there is no concept of piracy, it is cheaper to implement. > > "We are in talks with West Bengal, Uttaranchal, Kerala and Madhya Pradesh > Governments for implementing it in their e-governance initiatives," he > added. > > - Ashish > > > -- To unsubscribe, send mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the body "unsubscribe ilug-cal" and an empty subject line. FAQ: http://www.ilug-cal.org/help/faq_list.html
