March 30, 2006 12:32 PM PST
Intel eyes PCs for developing nations
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The fully featured, high-quality, low-cost desktop PC platform is aimed at first-time computer users and the design is meant to be carried out by PC makers. The platform was unveiled by Intel President and CEO Paul Otellini at a press event in Mexico as part of Intel's "Discover the PC" effort.
While Intel has not yet released details, the platform is promised to be small, inexpensive, energy-efficient and reasonably priced for the average developing-nation family, according to a statement.
The desktop PCs will also have high-speed Internet access.
Intel is participating in the expansion of WiMax broadband in Mexico. WiMax is a wireless Internet delivery system that can travel much longer distances than Wi-Fi, enabling users in remote locations to pick up signal.
The "Discover the PC" initiative follows Intel's announcement earlier this week of a $50 million venture capital fund in Brazil for the purpose of promote technology businesses in the developing country.
Most consumer PCs are not designed to withstand unusually adverse climate conditions or handle fluctuating power supplies, and that has severely limited their use in parts of some developing countries.
On Wednesday, Intel unveiled in India a fully functional computer called the Community PC. It's well-equipped to handle adverse conditions, according to Intel spokeswoman Agnes Kwan.
Intel's Community PC is designed to withstand temperatures of 113 degrees Fahrenheit and up to 85 percent relative humidity, and has a removable dust filter. To keep the motherboard cool, the chassis houses an integrated fan. The computer operates on a "customized power supply unit," and is designed to consume less than 100 watts while operating, which is another way of keeping the computer's heat in check.
Intel has partnered with Wipro and HCL Technologies to produce the components. Wipro is India's second-largest IT company. HCL Technologies is an India-based company that specializes in remote IT infrastructure.
According to Kwan, Intel is also working with local Internet service providers to develop Internet capabilities for wireless and land-line services.
Previous PCs-for-the-poor projects, such as the Simputer and Nicholas Negroponte's $100 crank computer, have focused on making it possible for people living in rural areas of the developing world to own computing devices. The Community PC, as the name suggests, tunes in to the concept of community sharing that is prevalent in many developing areas.
"Our experience shows that ICT (information and communication technology) 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," William M. Siu, vice president and general manager of Intel's Channel Platforms Group, said in a statement.
Rather than offering several PCs for private ownership in a village, the Community PC program focuses on installing one machine in a village kiosk, where time on the PC can be rented and assistance can be supplied by the kiosk owner.
Because the PC is also a source of income for the kiosk owner, the cost can be higher than other developing world devices that have been limited in functionality by price point. Intel declined to name the price of the machine but said in a statement that it is partnering with local banks to offer payment plans to village entrepreneurs looking to set up a Community PC kiosk. The kiosk program is called "Jaagruti" (pronounced Zhah-grew-ty), which is Sanskrit for "awakening," according to Kwan.
The Jaagruti kiosk Community PC platform will have certificate-based access that will allow lending banks remote-access control over payment plan participants.
Based on several pilot projects conducted throughout India, Intel sees the Community PC as most attractive to villagers seeking a registry for government paperwork they would otherwise have to travel extensively to retrieve and file. (The Community PC, according to Kwan, will also include a printer port.)
Kwan noted that Jaagruti is only part of a long-term and comprehensive commitment to expanding use of technology in developing areas, and that more platforms custom-tailored to emerging markets can be expected from Intel.
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The cybercafes are used by foreign tourists but also by locals: http://www.tomw.net.au/blog/2005/12/cybercafes-in-mapusa.html
The better equipped cybercafes have banks of dangerous looking lead acid batteries to supply power during the frequent blackouts. Some businesses had individual Uninterruptible Power Supplies (UPS) for each PC and even the convent's computer used by the nuns had one: http://www.tomw.net.au/blog/2006/01/networked-nuns.html
As Lombardi write, Intel's Community PC makes more sense than Nicholas Negroponte's $100 wind up one per child computer: http://www.tomw.net.au/blog/2005/11/is-100-laptop-windup.html
Apart from not having an actual useable computer, what will stop Negroponte's wind up computer is dependence on charity. The idea of sharing computers through cybercafes which charge for service will work much better.
Actually the two projects are very complementary. Internet Cafes provide an access point to the Internet for the mesh network of the $100 laptops.
The issues that need to be resolved are:
1) Legality of providing bandwidth. Some broadband agreements in third world countries are outstandingly anal regarding sharing bandwidth even if you're on a business plan.
2) How will the cafes make money by supporting the mesh network? If anyone can find the answer to that, there is no reason why the two (cafes and the $100 laptop) can't coexist and co-prosper.
They make sense to users because there is no capital expense on their part. Families in those income brackets have other Capital Expenditure priorities: A refrigerator, television set, etc. that the whole family can use, vs. a computer which appeals more to the younger members of the family.
Another matter is broadband. Families can't afford to be tied into a monthly service contract for broadband. Income is unpredictable. Cafes provide them a pay per use option.
Computer maintenance is another attraction. If they have their own computer, someone needs to learn how to fix it, or they need to spend to have it fixed. With Cafe computers, users don't worry about maintaining their own computer.
The only comment I have about the photo is that Intel's prototype looks freaking huge. Cafes are always cramped for space. Mini towers, like Dell's small form factor PCs, or the Shuttle PCs are more attractive to cafe owners. It might even help bring down the cost of the PC.
This is just an attempt by Intel to push their computers into India and increase market share at the expense of the local IT business.