Does anyone have information about how the Community PC platform... -- offers computing and technological opportunities to those who are illiterate or do not read well? -- changes the way that women interact with their community?
I am aware of several projects around the villagePhone and mobile phone initiatives and have been curious about how the PC will do (beyond Negroponte's wind-up laptop that an NPR reporter says offers Google and wi-fi to poor schoolchildren in Africa, the benefit of which I question). I'm especially interested in issues of illiteracy, power, and women in the developing world. On Apr 20, 2006, at 5:51 PM, Anthony Townsend wrote: > > Intel Launches New Ruggedized PC Platform For India > > Also Introduces Special Program – ‘Jaagruti’ – to Empower Rural > Communities > in India > > NEW DELHI, March 29, 2006 – Intel Corporation today officially > launched an > innovative PC platform that has been developed exclusively to meet > the needs > of rural villages and communities in India. Designed as a result of > defining > locally relevant computing solutions based on Intel technology, the > Intel-powered “Community PC” platform is equipped to operate in a > community > setting while accommodating the varying environmental conditions > prevalent > in the country. > > With an objective to bridge the urban-rural divide, today Intel also > announced its “Jaagruti” (“Awakening”) initiative designed to > provide rural > communities in India with greater economic and social > opportunities. By > collaborating with leaders in business, government, education, online > services and Internet service providers, Intel’s Jaagruti program will > support the spread of rural Internet “kiosks” based on the new > Intel-powered > Community PC. These kiosks will help accelerate access to the > benefits of > information and communications technologies (ICT) in villages > across India. > > The aptly named Community PC platform was defined by Intel after > intensive > ethnographic studies in rural India showed that a clear desire for > technology access exists in remote rural communities. > Unfortunately, weather > conditions (heat, dust, humidity) and unreliable power sources can > compromise typical PCs used in such environments. > > To address these issues, the Intel-powered Community PC platform was > developed to be a fully functional, expandable and shared-access > computing > solution. It is a highly reliable, manageable system that supports > remote > diagnostics and control features under low power requirements. Unique > features include: > > * Ruggedized chassis: The chassis has been designed to > withstand dusty > conditions, varying temperatures and high humidity. It has a > removable dust > filter and integrated air fan to regulate the temperature of the > motherboard. The chassis is designed to keep the motherboard cool at > temperatures as high as 45 degrees Celsius and the PC resistant to > humidity > levels of 70 to 85 RH (Relative Humidity). > * CPSU: The PC is equipped with a Customized Power Supply Unit > which is > comprised of an Integrated Power Supply and the UPS > (Uninterruptible Power > Supply) unit, which allow the PC to maintain continuous load power > in the > event of a power outage. > * Low power consumption: The total power consumption of all > peripherals > is less than 100 watts. > * Access Control:The platform comes installed with a > certificate-based > access, allowing banks to verify the validity of installment payments > against the purchase of the PCs. > > Intel expects many of these Community PC platforms to be deployed in > Internet “kiosks” common in Indian villages. The kiosks are > operated by > local entrepreneurs and provide neighboring communities with access to > services such as e-Government forms (land records and marriage > licenses, > among others). This saves time and money for potential users who no > longer > need to spend an entire day and take multiple modes of > transportation into > the main city to complete necessary paperwork. They can now visit a > local > kiosk and have a kiosk “operator” input their data online quickly and > cost-effectively. > > The Community PC model thus provides both a means of improving > efficiencies > for the locals as well as creating entrepreneurship opportunities for > prospective kiosk owner/operators. Intel, after studying this > business model > in detail and identifying the needs and limitations of existing PCs > being > used in rural communities in India, initiated several pilot projects > utilizing the Community PC platform in villages across the country. > > The Intel-powered Community PC platform is part of Intel’s > commitment to > enable individuals, communities and countries to gain equal access > to the > technology tools, skills and educational content they need to fully > engage > in the global economy. > > “Intel actively supports efforts to provide computer technology to > places > where it hasn't previously been available,” said William M. Siu, vice > president and general manager of Intel’s Channel Platforms Group. “Our > experience shows that ICT adoption in developing nations requires > much more > than providing a standard PC; the technology often needs to be > adapted to > the local usage and environment of a particular country or region. In > addition to defining the platform and developing the ingredient > technologies, Intel also collaborated with local hardware, software > and > service companies to deliver on the promise of the Community PC > platform. > Overall, Intel has made substantial investments in technology, > ecosystem > partnerships, and education initiatives in support of this belief.” > > Intel, the world leader in silicon innovation, develops technologies, > products and initiatives to continually advance how people work and > live. > Additional information about Intel is available at www.intel.com/ > pressroom. > > > > --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ TELECOM-CITIES Current searchable archives (Feb. 1, 2006 to present) at http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ Old searchble archives at http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
