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Ashish Saboo's Blog
Microsoft recently announced FlexGo technology to make computers affordable. The development is important to people in developing economies that still can't afford to pay the high price for the technology but need the most.
I compliment FlexGo not as a technology breakthrough but as a paradigm shift in Microsoft's thinking.
For a long time it’s been debated on whether the Bottom of the Pyramid does really needs it? / Deserves it? Or can they afford it? , With FlexGo at least it indicates me the big daddy is finally ready to engage the BOP people.
With every new initiative there are certain positives, certain doubts, certain challenges.
Here I add my 3 pointers to each :
FlexGo, The good idea :
1. It’s a fine attempt as a go between to make the technology affordable. Rishab Iyer Gosh mentions for an average Indian a Windows & Office copy costs 14.5 months Income.
2. People at the top are practically resigned to the fact of rampant piracy. Chris Anderson of the 'Long Tail' even in a way advocates "Just enough piracy" but the sad part is it is baptism to criminal mentality. From my experience working with Cyber Cafes in India, I find the biggest fear is using pirated software. Your conscience beats you even before the fear of getting caught treads in. But the steep prices bring like a solace in justifying it & do bring justification for place of Robin hood economics. FlexGo cuts in the middle path.
3. If the concept of FlexGo does get acceptance then it really promises to bring in a new ecosystem of local technology. & rejig with technology options.
FlexGo & the disappointments
The prepaid model in cell phone industry is a fine inspiration but it requires you to be creative in imitation. In the BOP market, where the oral communication skills are stronger than written skills, the cell phone has a rich utility value. Unfortunately the windows platform offers little utility. The emerging market seeks solutions not product.
1. FlexGo offer an access to leverage to many credit unworthy people but we need a solution to and opportunity to make money. Remember you got to pay your loans too. Can FlexGo give me sustainable work opportunity?
2. FlexGo address to windows XP home system, but a large part of the market is still happy with MS-windows 98 systems. The primary use of PC is for information. Commerce is still a distance. The numerous patches & virus protection are unnecessary & many features are resource hungry. FlexGo fails to address the existing user base. MS is unwilling to shed the extra stuff, which a user may not want. Why burden me?, Windows XP starter editions, (supposed to be a stripped down version of XP professional ) was a nice beginning in India but they don't seem keen to push the product.
3. Finally the critical point is pricing, there is no subscription price indication. Until then I worry about 'rogue lending' system
FlexGo & the challenges
1. Windows might is due to many application products running on the platform. Graphic tools ‘Photoshop’, Web development tools Dreamweaver, Translation tools Trados, and Stock price charting tools Meta Stock, Quicken for accounting. Window is the door to many such applications. They are niche products but are de-facto in their segment. How many are willing to accept FlexGo?
2. Identifying the right market segment is the biggest challenge. The cost of collecting these small changes too is steep. Aggregating these small changes will need the right catchments and different strategies.
3. The consumer in the emerging market has a dual challenge of grasping how to read & write but also achieve digital literacy at the same time. Somebody needs to hold their hand before they will be willing to pay for higher end products.
FlexGO & some lingering doubts:
1. How the real usage time is going to be measured? Will it include idle time? It’s not unusual to keep your computer on always.
2. How many will be willing to add another utility bill? Further nimble Mobile phones are replacing of computer in many ways.
3. & Finally I feel it’s too little too late. In a broadband connected environment. Browser has long replaced desktop as my primary interface. Gmail has replaced my outlook express, RSS feeds/ ezines by bloglines, Bookmarks etc by My- Yahoo, The only reason I come back to windows is when I use word processor & spreadsheet & other applications.
In all many question only the time will tell us.
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June 5th, 2006 @ 12:55PM |
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No , I did'nt knew who Simon Wiesenthal was until I read his obit in today newspaper editorial.
The wikipedia entry http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simon_Wiesenthal
Wiesenthal dedicated most of his life to tracking down and gathering information on fugitive Nazis so that they could be brought to justice for war crimes and crimes against humanity.
What interested me is his quote : " The history of man is a history of crimes Information is a defence. through this , we can build, we must build , a defence against repetition "
Only if we had blogs & wikis before , maybe we could have been saved from the holocaust . Still its not too late to reach out speak many crimes perpetrated daily.
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September 22nd, 2005 @ 6:55AM |
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Finally the Indian regulators wake up to the presnece of numerous shared community Internet access provider , popularly refered as " Cyber cafe " .
Don't expect a hot java brew in an India Cyber cafe , All you get is affordable access to ICT tools on a pay per use model. I wonder how many countries have defined " Cyber Cafe " in their regulatory frame work.
I have pasted ApiAp's statement on the proposed changes :
------------------------------------------
To,
Hon’ble Minister for Communications and Information Technology,
The Hon’ble members,
The expert committee on the amendments to IT ACT 2000.
At the outset, on behalf of the Association of Public Internet Access Provider, I compliment the esteemed members of the expert committee for their efforts in re drafting the IT act 2000 and inviting us the citizen of India to participate in this historic reframing of an important law.
About us:
Our organization offers the platform for numerous independent micro entrepreneurs offering shared Internet access in Public places, popularly termed as ‘Cyber Café’.
With the ownership of computers and requisite software to be more than twice the annual income of a common man in India, Our members makes effort to bring in the various Information Communication tools to a price point acceptable to the common consumer thus our vast dispersed and marginal players contribute immensely in bridging the digital divide in our country.
On behalf of these numerous micro entrepreneurs, I wish to draw the attention of the honorable members of the expert committee on a few issues related to our member’s trade.
While a major effort of the expert committee has gone is redefining certain terminologies used in the act, prominently figured is change of word Digital to Electronic. I pray on the same pattern the revised act does not offer as a harbinger to the third draft where in the new terminologies are clarified.
The case in point in the use & definition of terms like ‘Intermediate’, & ‘Cyber café’
Term 'Intermediary' has been defined in Chapter I, Section 2(w).
"Intermediary" with respect to any particular electronic record means any person who on behalf of another person receives, stores or transmits that record or provides any service with respect to that electronic record;
We feel the above definition does not clearly distinguishes nor represents the role of numerous participants in the Information Technology arena and may lead to ambiguity & may take the judiciary’s precious time in clearing the term this may impact the several regulations proposed on this definition.
The role of various participants in the Information & Technology arena needs to be better understood and needs to distinguish their role as an Intermediary and/or Facilitator
I quote Cambridge Advanced Learner’s dictionary:
Intermediary noun [C]
Someone who carries messages between people who are unwilling or unable
to meet:
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/define.asp?key=41483&dict=CALD
&
Facilitator noun [C]
As enabling other people to work in the way that suits them best.
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/define.asp?key=27498&dict=CALD
Certain participant's role is as much as a facilitator like network service providers, Internet service providers, search engines including on-line auction sites, online-market places , shared Information, communication tools ( ICT) service provider.
It is important that we appreciate, the opportunity that Internet offers to explore as a ‘facilitator’, which effectively makes information accessible which until now would not have been feasible for small players. Like online market place company E-bay has brought small merchandiser an easy access to the world market. The roles & responsibility do differ in delivery and execution of the contract . I request the honorable members to dwell further on the terminologies.
Further Under the term ' Intermediary' you propose to:
include, but not limited to, telecom service providers, network service providers, Internet service providers, web-hosting service providers, search engines including on-line auction sites, online-market places, and Cyber Cafes.
Sirs, the nomenclature ' Cyber Cafe' is an undefined term but only a popular phrase which have a very broad interpretation.
In the Western Europe, Cyber Cafe term, has been variously defined as "An Internet cafe--or cyber café--is a place where one can "rent" or use a computer with Internet access. Usually per minute or per hour fee is charged. In general, there is usually a drink service in an Internet cafe"
(Retrieved : http://goeurope.about.com/od/cybercafes/f/internet_cafe.htm
Retrieved on 17th Sept 2005, 6.27 pm )
Thus entertainment and fine dining is the quintessential reason of existence of a Cyber Café.
In the Indian context, such a term is a misnomer. The high cost and lack of sufficient orientation of the use of ICT tools is raison d’être of shared computing access.
The business model known popularly as cyber cafe is truly transient and may perhaps extinguish ones the costs are reached within the means and the orientation sufficiently acquired . Thus the term 'Cyber Cafe " should suitably changed to " shared ICT tools provider " and which should reflect the following attributes :
"open to the general public to access the Internet, other network facilities and/or a variety of information communication technology tools on a temporary contract basis (pay per use) without the necessity for the users to own hardware or software themselves."
( http://www.ci-journal.net/viewarticle.php?id=68&layout=html
Retrieved on 17th Sept, 2005 )
The current meaning attributed to " Cyber cafe "
as in 2C " Cyber Café means a place where access to electronic form is provided to the public " may lead to multiple interpretation.
" if a vendor who provided the service of copying video clippings on to the mobiles. may also technically be termed a Cyber Cafes. ( quote referred by: Adv Na.Vijayashankar on Cyberlaw-india@yahoogroups.com, news forum )
All the participants as defined as Facilitator as explained above may be brought under Section 79 for Exemption from liability of "intermediary" ( facilitator ) in certain cases.
Sir , Further we wish to draw your attention : Whilst Computers & Internet revolution mushroomed by, the developers kept in mind an individual consumer’s need. The shared access concept that at best fits countries like ours with scarce resources were never kept in mind . The dominant players in the IT industry are now waking up to the need of a shared Public access version to a personal computer desktop.
Cyber Cafes too play a role of facilitation: They offer the tools to the people who do not have access to the ICT tool for self-determination. A cyber café at just Rs 20/- an hour makes power of computer accessible for those who cannot afford to invest Rs 30000/-. At the click of the mouse button, the cyber café’s customer votes to visit the site of his choice. It is very much beyond the control of the café manager, as in the same way as the control of the Postmaster to scan every mail or the Telephone Company to check every conversation transmitted through the network. or a newspaper to track the veracity of every advertisement paid for publishing in advance.
Today in India there are nearly as many cyber cafes as the number of post offices. The note worthy point is their sheer number & volume of transaction and the ticket value of the transaction. While accountability and trace ability is critical for the development of the Digital Society but unfortunately a feasible & viable technical solution is not yet visible. The Regulation should certainly look into this transition environment of a cyber society.
Further it is important for the success of the ICT environment to be ubiquitous to realize its full potential but at the same time. The essential ICT tools as Desktop Computers , software, connectivity have not been notified as Essential goods, nor are their pricing can be insured as reasonable and within reach of every one. Fro example in India , A cost of essential software as Microsoft Windows And Office cost over 14 months per capita Income in India.
The proposed revision under section 87, seeks to empower the Central Government to make rules, We seek the honourable members be reminded to see that in this transient environment where tools are yet being developed and tested and as well as the cost yet to be within a common Indian’s reach, do not thrust as many regulations as to make their business unviable. It is only due to the enterprise of the several young people of India that ICT tools have reached to them. every care and opportunity should be taken to nurture this young enterprise and let every citizen can reap the benefit of Information communication tools for development and progress.
Respectfully
Ashish Saboo
President
The Association of Public Internet Access Provider
A self Help group for entrepreneurs operating Shared Internet Access in Public places
URL: http://www.apiap.cybernook.net
Blog: http://apiap.blogspot.com , http://internetcafenews.blogspot.com/
Email : apiap@rediffmail.com
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September 18th, 2005 @ 4:52AM |
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For reasons unknown , I am unable to post replies to DDN discussion forum . I am pasting my comments for the benefit of members .
On Mon, 09 May 2005 Dr.Steve Eskow wrote :
>I find images of medicine more useful to my thinking.
>
>There is no medicine, no wonder drug, that is useful for any ailment, any
>patient.
>We practitioners need to adopt for our work the model of "diagnosis" before
>"prescription."
>
>If a "community" is the "patient," we doctor-practitioners have to study the
>symptoms of that community to determine if a particular drug will be
>beneficial now..
>
>In the case of the powerful drug called a "telecenter," there are times and
>communities when that drug needs to be delayed or avoided until there is a
>readiness to benefit from it.
Your analogy is interesting but I suspect you forgot the basic difference i.e. the entry barrier. The easy access to information offered by the modern ICT tools and relative low entry barrier in setting up the information infrastructure.
While knowing a few medications cannot make me a doctor, imagine treating cancer with paracetamol tablets.
Deploying the modern ICT tools do not require extensive training, as
Elizabeth Carll described illiterate rural Bangladeshi women's experiment with making video films! That British couple may be thanked for offering a powerful visual communication in tackling their challenges like sorting and storing paddy seeds or abhorred for offering a tool to make a porn movie. Just give those Bangladeshi women a choice to align with options where their progress remains.
What people in Iraq or Afghanistan or Vietnam seek is self-determination & empowerment. American administration entered these countries with the same noble intention as you think and we all know the consequences.
Modern ICT tools, be it community radio or Telecentre offer a powerful medium for self-ex-pression and self directedness. Its impossible to put a lid.
This also reminds me an analogy with communication tools used in the cold war.
In India, I remember American consulate used to distribute heavily subsidized copies of ' Voice of America’, & soviets used to distribute 'Sputnik' Magazine. They were the best compiled magazines in India had a wide circulation much to the satisfaction of their publishers but the truth was nobody read them but they were in demand because they made great paper bags!!
It would be interesting to watch what creative use do the Iraqis really put your sanitized Tele-centers to.
Best of Luck
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May 11th, 2005 @ 4:44AM |
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