Re: [GKD] Making Computers, Software, Bandwidth Affordable (India)

[Mullinax, John (J.)]

Promising ideas. Not unique by themselves, but the first time I've seen
someone actually attempt to put them all together. The key questions:
1) Where do you start?  and 2) How to get critical mass?  I certainly
won't claim definitive answers, but here are some thoughts:

1) Start with the client machine -- the cheap PC, the network computer,
whatever you want to call it. You can't deploy many in the beginning,
but you have to have this designed and operational in some fashion. 
This needs to include network access. Vanilla 802.11b (wi-fi) is
probably not right. See www.locust.net for one solution that turns wi-fi
access points into a "wireless mesh", bottom-up network using freely
available software to control off-the-shelf access points. Include some
kind of microphone and speaker capability, and Voice over IP voice
communication service (i.e., a "telephone system") can be made available
to all on the mesh.

These networks -- or any peer-peer bottom up network based on 802.11
will only be able to access the public Internet if one of there is a 
gateway hooked to the Internet -- and all the usual fees apply
(bandwidth and/or equipment, etc.).  This solution does not
automatically yield affordable Internet access.  Internet prices will
fall, and can be made cheaper, of course.  And naturally it should be
pursued.  I'm only suggesting the system should be constructed to add
value to the users even if Internet access was down, or unavailable to
some users due to costs.

This leads to the second question:

2) A critical mass of content for users to access needs to exist to make
the appliance/service useful. The Internet can not necessarily be
relied on to provide this. And the Application Service Provider (ASP)
model especially requires application content (i.e., spreadsheets, word
processing, etc.). One way to get the mass needed is to focus on the
utility applications that made computing and the Internet so valuable in
it's early days. First, email for all machines connected to the
wireless mesh (the bottom-up network). Even if Internet connectivity is
not available or remains expensive for some time, this will provide
exponential value as more client machines are connected to the mesh (a
village at a time, perhaps?)

Second, word processing, spreadsheets, small database applications, etc.
With the proper training, these can provide productivity enhancements 
for small businesses that might not otherwise use computers at all.

Third, games -- and networked games. This gets the younger generations
engaged and familiar with the technology so that they have shorter
learning curves with other applications as they grow up.  (Just make
sure they don't overwhelm network capacities or require cutting edge
video cards/memory in the client machines!).

Finally, make Internet style content available within the mesh.  Enable
people with client machines to build and manage sites (centrally hosted
for most, but distributed hosting is possible if people have the proper
equipment and meet appropriate guidelines). Deploy and host more
sophisticated content on behalf of the users. It could someday be the
world's largest intranet -- and be a valuable resource for many even if
the price of public Internet access never falls into the price range of
all.

My very best to you.

John Mullinax




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[GKD] Making Computers, Software, Bandwidth Affordable (India)

[Frederick Noronha]

Low cost computers, affordable software, bandwidth = India 3.0?

By Frederick Noronha

Rajesh Jain hit the headlines when he sold his IndiaWorld site for a few
thousand million rupees. Today, his focus has shifted -- to taking
computing to the commonman.

"Most technology has been priced in dollars, putting it beyond the reach
of a large number of businesses and consumers in emerging markets like
India. The computer, which is the lynch-pin of an economy, is still seen
as a luxury by many," he argues.

But, Jain believes his lateral thinking and innovative solutions could
battle the stumbling blocks. "We're working on something that could
really make a difference," Jain told this correspondent.

Currently, he argues that India needs "computers for Rs 5,000 (rpt five
thousand) so that there can be one in every home and office; ubiquitous
and cheap high-speed wireless communication; and software as a service
for Rs 250 per month so that it is affordable".

This, says Jain, would create a mass-market for the adoption of
technology in India.

No, these are not pipe-dreams for the managing director of Netcore
Solutions who earlier founded IndiaWorld Communications, that grew into
one of the largest collection of India-centric websites (comprising
Samachar.com, Khel.com, Khoj.com and Bawarchi.com -- portals dealing
with news, sports, Indian search-engines and food).

Jain, who made history in Indian cyberspace when his earlier firm was
acquired by Satyam Infoway in November 1999, says his goals are entirely
feasible.

"Fulfilling the list (of what Indian needs) may seem like a tall order.
But the interesting thing is that the building blocks to put the
solutions together already exist," argues Jain.

Netcore, his current firm, is working to lower the cost to make
computing affordable. To reduce computer prices, Jain suggests we go
away from the "treadmill of enforced obsolence".

New software is driving hardware upgrades every 3-4 years, he says.

Thin Client-Thick Server Computing. That's Jain's new mantra.

The solution, he believes, lies in making the computers discarded by the
developed markets into thin clients. These clients don't need a hard
disk or CD-ROM drive, they just need the bare minimum processing power
and memory to run a windowing server (like the X Server).

Essentially, the recycled PCs become graphical terminals, which connect
to "thick servers". All computing and storage happens on these servers.
The 'thick server' can actually be the latest desktop system, with
enhanced memory and processing power.

While the Indian market is pushing out slightly older models of
computers, Jain suggests the large-scale use of recycled computers from
developed markets. The US itself is disposing -- read, upgrading --
computers at the rate of more than 25 million each year.

Netcore is working on a thin client-thick server solution. This means
older, lower-configuration PCs would work off more powerful new
computers.

"The Rs 5000 computer can provide all the functionalities that users are
accustomed to seeing on a computer in the corporate environment The
next 500 million users across the digital divde are just as hungry as we
(in universities) were a decade ago," he argues.

Says Jain: "Technology is essential to bridge the digital divide. Yet,
most technology has been priced in dollars, putting it beyond the reach
of a large number of businesses and consumers in emerging markets like
India.

"The computer which is the lynch-pin of an economy, is still seen as a
luxury by many. What can be done to create mass-market adoption of
technology? What can be done to ensure that there is affordable and
ubiquitous access to Internet-connected computers in developing
countries like India?"

The first India, argues Jain, built on its Independence to become
agriculturally self-sufficient and feed its own people. The second India
produces more software engineers than any other country and is a force
to reckon with in the world of outsourced technology services. And yet,
the technology revolution has touched but a handful.

Yet much of India still remains "frozen in time". For India to progress,
Indians have to progress. For Indians to progress, technology has to
become a utility for the masses.

Jain points to some interesting figures: The installed base of computers
is 7 million for a population of 1 billion. Annual computer sales are
stagnating at between 1.5-2 million since 2000. New computers still cost
more than Rs 25,000, with the basic additional software (MS-Windows,
MS-Office and anti-virus) costing an additional Rs 25,000. There are
only about 6 million Internet connections in India, even as an hour of
connectivity  could still cost more than Rs 30.

In a word: India is a great concept, but with poor execution.

Interestingly, Jain is suggesting a switch-over to the Free/Libre and
Open Source Software (FLOSS) solutions based on GNU/Linux.

Says he: "The total cost of these applications: zero. At a conservat