Nothing short of remarkable
In the brief time since we started shipping our virtual desktops, they have been deployed in 70 countries around the world. The word spread quickly: from teacher to teacher, superintendant to superintendant, minister of education to minister of education. They all have a passion for sharing the solution.
The solution is catching on especially quickly in regions with limited resources. Under-resourced is a term we hear a lot. It is a nice way to describe areas that can’t afford what richer countries can. Under-resourced does not mean lack of demand. To the contrary, human capital flourishes given the means, and emerging economies often look to technology as a way to break the cycle of poverty and join the information economy.
Big impact on a big scale
Once considered the least developed of the former Yugoslav republics, Macedonia is leaping into the 21st century. Thanks to low-cost virtual PC technology from NComputing, Macedonia is the first country ever to provide a 1:1 computing experience (one computer per student) to its public school population. The Macedonian government wants to create a knowledge-based economy and computers are taking a leading role in education. The "Computer for Every Student" initiative is the largest and the most important education undertaking in the 15-year history of the Republic of Macedonia. (Read the case study.)
Big impact on a small scale
A training center for women in the plains of Kandahar. A mountaintop school above the clouds in the Andes. A remote village in India where elephants make the deliveries. Wherever you find eager minds and visionary leaders, you will find stories of accomplishment based on the simple fact that when the price of technology drops low enough, the impact can be staggering. It doesn’t have to be on a country-wide scale to spur you to action.
Consider the 259-student school in a lower socio-economic area of New Zealand that had unhappy teachers, very high truancy rates (30% plus) on Mondays and Fridays, and very low levels of communication, expression, and writing. With affordable computing access based on NComputing virtual desktops installed, the principal reported that the teachers were amazed at the impact on their students: truancy dropped to 10%; kids who were in trouble with the police re-engaged with the teachers, and were much more productive in school; and because both students and teachers were engaged to a much greater degree, reading and writing skills increased substantially.
More for less
Today's PCs are so powerful that the vast majority of applications use only a small fraction of the computer's capacity. NComputing taps this unused capacity so that it can be simultaneously shared by multiple users. Each user’s monitor, keyboard, and mouse connect to the shared PC through a small and very durable NComputing access device. And these devices are everything you want them to be: rugged, durable, and easy to deploy and maintain (because the device itself has no CPU, memory or moving parts like a PC), so you can:
- Cut PC acquisition costs by 60%
- Reduce IT complexity dramatically
- Lower electrical consumption by 90%
- Minimize risk of theft
- Increase security from viruses and malware
Sustainable solutions
History is riddled with well-intentioned programs that feel good in the giving but fail quickly after the handshake. Instead, NComputing has taken a real-world, no nonsense approach. Our products are both inexpensive and incredibly durable. They survive where all others have failed. Our access devices don’t grow obsolete like most technologies. When you upgrade to a faster shared PC, you can keep your current NComputing access device. A PC typically consumes more than 100 watts of electricity, while our access devices consume as little as 1 watt per user, and at most 5 watts. When you do eventually replace our access devices, the e-waste is minimal. Throw out a PC and you throw out about 10 kg of waste. NComputing access devices weigh about 150 grams.
How does it work?
NComputing offers two product lines. The X-series is best for workgroup clusters, where all of the users are located close to the shared PC. It also is the most economical solution and provides the best multimedia experience. With the X-series you need to open the PC and insert a PCI card, so a basic level of PC knowledge is required. But the L-series uses standard Ethernet networks, so it is a simple matter of plug and go. In either case, setup couldn’t be simpler.
Getting started
Our customers in emerging markets have established a predictable and repeatable formula for success that you can follow, too. Consider establishing a relationship with a local NComputing authorized reseller who will have a vested interest in the success of your project. If these are your first PCs to be deployed on a broad scale, you may need to address infrastructure issues such as electricity, Internet connectivity, delivery and installation services, etc.
Get hold of an X-series or L-series kit and set it up in your facility, because seeing is believing and you will want to show a wide variety of stakeholders how well it works. And we’ll bet it won’t take more than a couple days of testing to make everyone believers. Next step, pick a school for your initial installation. When it comes time to evaluate this first rollout, talk to everyone involved.
Are the students taking to the technology? Did you learn anything form the rollout that you can apply in the future? Is you support staff sufficiently trained? Are the teachers adopting the technology in the classrooms? We think you’ll find it isn’t a matter of whether or not to expand your population of NComputing virtual desktops, but when. Then talk to NComputing or your reseller about how to exoand your success to other schools and regions. The parents, teachers, administrators, and most of all the kids, will be glad that you did.
Next steps