[Telecentres] Re: Basic Telecentre Items - avoid open source debate

[Jacqueline A. Morris]

What's a generic telecentre? I think that the telecentre needs (tech esp)
will definitely vary according to the purpose and community in which it is
based. For example, a telecentre that serves a geographically disperse rural
community would have very different needs from a telecentre that serves poor
urban youth in a densely populated area, for example. In a place where
telephones are common, the telecentre will serve different needs to one in
which it may also have to serve as a basic communications center...
Maybe we can define several kinds of generic telecentre based on community
needs,as well as the type of country it's in and the potential facilities,
such as telecomms.
If we do that, then we can maybe develop the "best" setup for certain types
of centre and that can be a starting point.
Jacqueline

-----Original Message-----
From: telecentres-bounces at wsis-cs.org
[mailto:telecentres-bounces at wsis-cs.org] On Behalf Of Taran Rampersad
Sent: Sunday, 03 October 2004 05:44
To: ashish Saboo
Cc: telecentres at wsis-cs.org
Subject: Re: [Telecentres] Re: Basic Telecentre Items - avoid open
sourcedebate

ashish Saboo wrote:

>Toby, 
>   Taran has reminded us all well in time, the Debate is more on
Telecentres. 
>  I am not siding camps - open source or proprietary. But I am highlighting
issue raised by some members as why Telecentre have not yet organised. 
>  Here in India, in some urban areas the density of ICT center is as high
as 2 centers in every square kilometer despite that all self-funded ICT
centers have failed to organize & the biggest hindrance is the way they all
operate. In order to make there service pricing point acceptable to their
customer base. They are forced to ignore and infringe intellectual
properties. 
>  
>
This is a very valid point. The wholesale and retail PC market in Trinidad
and Tobago is quite similar. I'd be interested to find out how hardware is
dealt with elsewhere outside of the developed world - I spent some time
wholesaling computer parts in Trinidad and Tobago

What software is used? Not the brand name - rather, what functionality does
the software have? Are we just talking about standard office software and
internet access? If we are, then the legal solution that meets the business
need is readily apparent.

>  From my database of voluntarily registered ICT centers, claim an average
hourly rate of a mere 0.30 US dollars. 
>
In Trinidad and Tobago, CyberCafe/Telecentres charge approximately 1 US/hr,
sometimes higher. Most cybercafes do have at least some licensed software,
though. The real problem in Trinidad and Tobago is affordable bandwidth.

>Now that is low and barely meets the retail operation cost. Add to it if
the entrepreneur opts to buy licensed software's his capital investment will
increase by 120%. Thus most opt for the easy way out.  Using pirated copies
may ensure a quick way to make his business sustainable but at the same time
the entrepreneur has cut himself off to participate in the main stream of
prospective opportunities.  
>  
>
And the entrepeneur cannot receive legal and timely updates such that the
systems are as secure and error-free as possible. Telecentre software must
be secure... more so than home user software.

So we're beginning to see examples of how the choice of licensing affects
the Telecentres... But what I really got from this was...

(1) What software functionality is required of Telecentres? Let's work with
a generic Telecentre and specialize from there?
(2) What hardware is necessary?
(3) Bandwidth. I had almost forgotten this one.

--
Taran Rampersad

cnd at knowprose.com