Every Bit You Make

With an objective to bridge the urban-rural divide, today Intel also
announced its ³Jaagruti² (³Awakening²) 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, Intel¹s Jaagruti program will
support the spread of rural Internet ³kiosks² 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 ³kiosks² 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 ³operator² 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 Intel¹s 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.

³Intel actively supports efforts to provide computer technology to
places
where it hasn't previously been available,² said William M. Siu, vice
president and general manager of Intel¹s Channel Platforms Group. ³Our
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.²

Intel, the world leader in silicon innovation, develops technologies,
products and initiatives to continually advance how people work and
live.
Additional information about Intel is available at
www.intel.com/pressroom.