It would seem to me that a business case for a drop-in computer lab would need the following local conditions:
1. Lack of computers. 2. Lack of connectivity. 3. Lack of suitable space. 4. Lack of skilled instruction. 5. Lack of software. 6. Temperate climate. If a few of these conditions exist at the candidate location then local agents would weight the cost of setting up a lab themselves (building or leasing) with the cost of a drop-in lab. To maximize the revenue generated you can do one of two things: First, charge slightly less than the cost of setting up a lab for short term engagements. The value proposition is that you will be saving them money on fixed costs (lowering their sunk costs). Second, charge less than a lease for long term engagements thereby lowering their variable costs. In the second case, you would essentially become a leasing company so researching that well established business model might be instructive. Conditions such as these might exist in war torn areas or disaster areas where something needs to be set up quickly (and removed just as quickly); in remote areas like mining sites, or Native reserves, where connectivity, facilities and hardware are lacking. There might also be a case in the developing world for call centres and data entry. As for building these things, I would get them assembled overseas; Taiwan perhaps; wherever they assemble transport containers. I would expect that these items would depreciate very quickly, probably over three years or less, with very little residual value (except the container). Also, it seems that you would need to build several of them all in one go in order to gain any economies of scale and without a market it is difficult to determine capacity. My $0.02 on the matter. Kelvin Wong Department of Computer Science University of Victoria Victoria, British Columbia, Canada _______________________________________________ DIGITALDIVIDE mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://mailman.edc.org/mailman/listinfo/digitaldivide To unsubscribe, send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the word UNSUBSCRIBE in the body of the message.
