Intel Launches Low-Cost PC For India

Intel CEO: India Plays Key Role In Intel’s World Ahead Program

New Accessibility, Connectivity and Education Efforts to Boost Digital Inclusion

BANGALORE, India, May 23, 2006 – Paul Otellini, in his first visit to India as president and chief executive officer of Intel Corporation, today described the pivotal role India plays in Intel’s World Ahead Program, which seeks to accelerate access to uncompromised technology and education for people in the world’s developing communities. While unveiling new technologies and digital inclusion projects, Otellini said Intel’s World Ahead Program elements were key parts of the company’s broader investments in India, where US$1 billion is aimed at growing the company’s research and development, venture capital activities, and education and community programs in the country during the next five years.

“India will play a key role in designing and developing computing technologies used worldwide under Intel’s World Ahead Program,” Otellini said. “In India, the program unifies Intel’s local efforts to enhance the lives of the vast majority of India’s population who would benefit from information technology and education, but have not found it within their reach.

“With only 2 percent of India’s population having a PC or Internet connection, the challenge is large,” he added. “By multiplying the effects of computers, the Internet and education we can greatly accelerate the reach of technology’s benefits across India in the next five years.”

Otellini announced several new steps to further these efforts in India, driving technology accessibility, Internet connectivity and effective education. These new steps include:

Intel is bringing its Discover the PC initiative to India, working with HCL*, Millennium*, PCS*, Wipro* and Zenith Computers* to make available a low-cost, fully-featured, high quality and small form factor desktop PC, with an easy-to-use interface designed to introduce a new set of people to the world of technology for the first time. The PCs will be available in 60 days and will be priced 20 percent less than the lowest priced Intel-based PCs in India with similar feature-rich configurations.

Intel and Microsoft* will collaborate to engineer and deliver flexible, pay-as-you-go PC purchasing models in emerging markets. The global collaboration between Microsoft and Intel to implement Microsoft FlexGo* technology is another example of the successful joint activities the two companies have taken on in emerging markets. The pay-as-you-go model enabled by FlexGo makes PCs more accessible by reducing the initial cost and enabling customers to pay for computers through subscriptions or as they use them, through the purchase of prepaid activation cards or tokens. Intel will provide support for the FlexGo capability initially on Intel’s Discover the PC platforms tailored for people in developing regions, such as the recently introduced Intel-powered Community PC in India.

Intel will also collaborate with ICICI Bank* to facilitate loans for PC ownership through the emerging subscription payment model, ensuring long-term viability for computer financing methods.

Intel will work closely with Tata VSNL* to bring Intel-based PC solutions and WiMAX wireless broadband connectivity to Tata’s RailTel cyber cafes across India. This will help extend computing accessibility and Internet connectivity to the 13 million people who pass through the railway stations each day.

Small, affordable and rugged learning devices for students based on Intel’s platform — formerly code-named Eduwise — will be available in India next year. The Intel-powered PC is specifically designed to provide collaborative learning environments for teachers and students in developing countries. The student learning device’s hardware and software was developed at the platform definition center in Bangalore.
“ Intel’s World Ahead Program aims to speed our progress in making technology available to the next billion people, and a big part of this effort is focused within India, for India,” said Otellini. “By working with India’s business and government leaders, and developing technology locally, we want to create a sustainable environment that offers the right tools to meet the needs of local communities.”

With the World Ahead Program, Intel has committed to invest more than $1 billion globally over the next five years to speed access to uncompromised technology and education for people in the world’s developing communities. India is one of the key countries to be covered by this program.

The program integrates Intel’s efforts to enhance lives by driving progress in three areas:

Accessibility: Creating opportunities for widespread ownership and shared access of PCs through affordability, access and content, including the development of fully featured, affordable PCs tailored to regional needs.

Connectivity: Expanding wireless broadband Internet access by cultivating the required ecosystems and encouraging deployment, including the broad promotion of WiMAX trials and deployments.

Education: Preparing students for success in the global economy through education programs and resources, including professional development for teachers worldwide.

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.”

Source : Intel