ICT In Learning: The New Wave

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January 1, 2009

Information Communication Technology (ICT) has become, within a very short time, one of the basic building blocks of modern society. Organisations, experts and practitioners in the education sector are increasingly recognising the importance of ICT in supporting educational improvement and reform. ICTs are transformational tools which, when used appropriately, can promote a shift from traditional to a learner-centred environment.

In this post-modern world of technological advancement, rapidly changing markets and increasing competition, teachers are faced with new academic and pedagogical challenges, and the chalk and talk traditional method of teaching often falls short of meeting these challenges.

Let's see how and why multimedia enabled education scores over the traditional way…

Besides being a powerful tool for making presentations, multimedia offers unique advantages in the field of education. For instance, text alone simply does not allow students to get a feel of any of the concepts in Mathematics. In teaching biology, an instructor cannot make a killer whale come alive in a classroom. Multimedia enables learners to experience their subject in a vibrant manner. The key to providing this, is having a simultaneous graphic, video and audio experience.

It provides students with opportunities to represent and express their prior knowledge
Multimedia applications engage students and provide valuable learning opportunities
Students learn more and retain their knowledge better
The collaborative environment helps in grasping concepts better and faster

With the help of multimedia, students learn in a stress free atmosphere and subsequently absorb and retain at a significantly higher level. Studies support distinctive differences in ways students retain information gathered and applied using multimedia versus traditional modes of instruction. It has also been noted that the level of student engagement was significantly higher amongst students with both high and low abilities.

With multimedia, not only does the learning process become fun, it also becomes

Goal oriented,
Participatory,
Flexible in time and space
Tailored to individual learning styles

ICT also helps to enhance the quality of education in ways explained below:

a) Motivating to Learn: ICTs such as videos, multimedia computer software that combine text, sound and colourful animated images can be used to provide challenging and authentic content that will engage the student in the learning process.

b) Facilitating the Acquisition of Basic Skills: The transmission of basic skills and concepts that are the foundation of higher learning and creativity can be facilitated by ICTs through drill and practice.

c) Enhancing Teacher Training: The traditional way of teaching and learning can be made more effective and interesting by using ICTs. For example, when a teacher uses audio, video, or power point presentations in his/her lecture, the whole class becomes more attentive. Such activities also help students understand the concepts better.

The audio visual dimension is at the heart of educational enterprise,
as it offers students and teachers a rich array of new and potentially interesting facts, immensely aids in achieving the objectives of a subject and opens the door to a world of fantastic experience.

NUEPA Report

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digitalLEARNING Network

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January 1, 2009

The report highlights varying regional access to school computers. Barring Delhi, Maharashtra, southern states, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh, access to such facilities remains virtually non-existent to most students in the country

Even as India excels towards the target of elementary education for all, its ICT capabilities, so far as school education is concerned, remains severely challenged by low availability of computers in the schools.

However, according to a report 'Strengthening Education Management Information System in India' , published by the HRD Ministry and the National University of Educational Planning and Administration (NUEPA), the growth in the number of computers in schools since 2004 is truly remarkable. During the period 2003-04 to 2006-07, the number of schools with computers increased substantially, both in percentage and absolute terms.

Since 2004, when just 72,000-odd schools (7.68%) had computers, which has now risen to 1,67,000-plus schools (13.43%) for 2007. The number of schools having provided computers during the year 2005-06 was 120.6 thousand (10.73%), during 2004-05, 93 thousand (8.99%) and in 2003-04, 72 thousand (7.68%). Currently, more than 160,000 primary schools in the country had computers in place.

Rural and urban variations

The percentage of Primary schools having computers is much lower at 6.51% than that of the other school types. It is high at 18.20% in urban areas and low at 5.34% in rural areas. As many as 50,747 Primary schools in 2006-07 are provided with computers of which 75% is in rural areas and only 25% in urban areas.

The percentage of government schools with computer has shown improvement over the previous year (6.57% in 2005-06 to 8.57% in 2006-07). Compared to 8.57% government schools having computers, the percentage in case of schools under private managements is much higher at 34.43%.

This is also true for all other types of schools. About 62% integrated Higher secondary and 59% upper schools under the private managements have computers.

Regional disparities

The report also highlights varying regional access to school computers. Barring Delhi, Maharashtra, southern states, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh, access to such facilities remains virtually non-existent to most students in the country.

Maharashtra has the highest number of schools – 28,882, which constitutes 33.42% of its total schools – that have computers in schools, followed by 19,154 schools in Andhra Pradesh, 16,064 schools in Madhya Pradesh, 13,336 schools in Rajasthan, 11,603 schools in Tamil Nadu.

In terms of percentage of schools which have computers in each state, Delhi stands first (68.85), followed by Kerala (60.9), Maharashtra (33.42), Gujarat (24.03) and Tamil Nadu (22.13).

Except for Delhi, Chandigarh, Kerala, Gujarat, Lakshadweep, Maharashtra, Orissa, Puducherry, Sikkim and Tamil Nadu, the percentage of computer penetration in primary schools is below double digit in the rest of India.

The lowest numbers, 12 Schools, of computer facility is in the Dadra & Nagar Haveli, followed 15 schools in Daman & Diu, 22 schools in Lakshadweep, and 119 schools in Andaman & Nicobar Islands. In Bihar too, the percentage of schools with computers was found to be low at 2.62 or 1,436 schools.

However, the spread of computer education has been limited to just 6.51% of all primary schools in the country. And except for Delhi, Chandigarh, Kerala, Gujarat, Lakshadweep, Maharashtra, Orissa, Puducherry, Sikkim and Tamil Nadu, the percentage of computer penetration in primary schools is below double digit in the rest of India.

The NUPEA survey highlights the major strides India has taken in terms of making the very basic tool for ICT delivery available to schools. But it also underscores the huge number of schools that are without it and hence only
on the fringes of the access to online and audio-video content, which is being looked at with such enthusiasm for addressing the issue of distance and infrastructure.

State of elementary education in India

In yet another proof of the poor state of elementary education in India, latest data shows that school rooms in many states have as many as 100 students to a class, with a single teacher in-charge of 67 or more. The 2006-07 District Information System for Education data, compiled by NUEPA, reveals that Bihar (92), Jharkhand (79) and Uttar Pradesh (53) have one of the highest Student Classroom Ratios (SCRs) in primary schools. Assam is at 45 students per classroom, Madhya Pradesh (43) and West Bengal (50) are also on the higher side. As many as 16.45% schools have SCR of 60 and above. The report lauds Himachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir for their ratios of 15 and 14, respectively.

Another key indicator that influences classroom transaction is the pupil-teacher ratio (PTR), and there too the same set of states is at the end of the tally. Against the average of 40:1, Bihar has a ratio of 67:1 in government schools. Interestingly, the case is even worse in privately managed schools. Uttar Pradesh has a ratio as high as 55:1. However, overall the country has shown an improvement in PTR, with the ratio dropping from 36 to 34% from 2005-06 to 2006-07. States like Arunachal Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Delhi reported ideal PTRs, ranging from 16 to 25.

Classrooms For The Future

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digitalLEARNING Network

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January 1, 2009

It is exciting times for India, with the emergence and potential of it becoming a global power. However, if it is to reach such heights there is no doubt that Education will play a huge role in ensuring that this undoubted potential is fulfilled.

As we enter the 21st Century, technology will continue to play a vital part in the success of India. India now has one of the highest number of IT graduates in the world and what is clear that the Classroom now needs to catch up fast with the modern IT environment of the workplace.

As we subject young people to technology in the working environment we must now put some of this technology in to education sector creating classrooms of the future. The younger the students are subjected to such an environment the quicker they will adapt to this technology and develop the skills needed for the economy in the future.

This is where Genee Solutions India comes in! We have been developing 'Classrooms for the Future' for the last 10 years all around the world! We have played and are still playing a key role in developing thousands of classroom in the UK with this new technology. This technology includes Interactive Whiteboards (Genee Power Boards), Visualisers (GeneeVision), Voting Systems (Classcomm & Census) and Wireless Slates (Genee Slates).

However, this technology is only successful if it incorporates Interactive Learning Software and this has always been our specialism since 1999.

Where does this drive, determination and focus come from. Well, I myself was a teacher for 10 years in the UK with the responsibility of integrating Information Communication Technology (ICT) across the curriculum in a variety of secondary schools. I saw ten years ago what impact such technology could make to learning and there is now no doubt that as a company we have made a huge impact in this area. So much so that we are now one of the largest providers of ICT equipment to schools (as GeneeWorld or Interactive Education) in the UK.

What excites me the most is that I can now see this revolution happening in India – the place which my family calls 'home'. Having developed thousands of classrooms in the UK and the US, me and my company Genee Solutions India feel privileged that we can now make this happen in India itself!

What excites me the most is that the Curriculum Content Development and Research & Development for all out products is done in India. No longer will we develop technology and content to be then shipped to the UK and US to benefit students over there, but our children in India will also be the benefactors of this technology.

In this way we are very different from our competitors. Most of them have developed their content in the US or UK and are now adapting the same content for Indian market. We develop our hardware and software in India by listening to the needs of our Indian schools and then providing the exact solution that they require.

Overall, I personally, as well as my company, are looking forward to playing a key role in moving Indian schools forward so that our education system can meet the demands of the 21st Century and also secure our children's future. The most important thing to me is to ensure that we achieve our potential as a future global power in the world by ensuring our children have access to technology tools in their education to achieve their as well as thecountry's potential.

ASER Report

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January 1, 2009

The number of girls and boys dropping out of their schools education has gone down, while more and more young people are accessing formal and informal schooling, says the Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) for the year 2007.

The third definitive survey of status of school education across rural India, conducted by non-governmental organisation Pratham, indicates major progress over last two years in enrollment and availability of schools, teachers, toilets and water in most states.

The findings of the survey also show a jump in mid-day meals, state-run free lunches to retain students in the schools. Another significant finding of the survey is increase in aanganwadi Integrated Child Development Scheme coverage, especially in the North India.

Drop-outs drop

Overall proportions of out of school children have dropped in the year 2007, since last year. This decline is visible in all age categories for both boys and girls.For boys and girls in seven to 10 year old age group, the percentage of out of school children in 2007 stands at below 3% for rural India.

For girls in the age group 11 to 14, the percentage of out of school children has dropped from above 10 to 7.4 %. For Rajasthan and Bihar, the percentage of out of school children in the 6 to 14 age group was above 10% in 2006. This number has decreased to 6.5% in both the states in 2007. Overall, enrolment in private schools has increased from 18.7% in 2006 to 19.3% in 2007. The rise in private school enrolment is noticeable in the older age group of 11 to 14 years. Private schools include government aided, unaided, recognised and unrecognised schools.

More young children accessing education

The survey also reported a substantial increase in the number of children attending pre-schools (anganwadi or balwadi). In 2006, 61.2% of kids three-years of age were attending pre-schools as compared to 75.3% in 2007. For four year olds, there is an increase from 71.9 to 81.8%.

Major increase in the proportion of children in pre-schools (anganwadi or balwadi) has been reported in states like Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Orissa, Chhattisgarh and Kerala with anganwadi-balwadi enrollment showing a rise of more than 10 percentage points between 2006 and 2007. Himachal Pradesh shows highest increase of 30 percentage points.

Learning levels improve

Overall reading levels showed improvement over 2006. Across the country, the proportion of children in first standard, who could not even recognise alphabets has dropped from 38.4 in 2006 to 31.9% in 2007.

The proportion of children in standard one and two, who can recognise letters, read words or more has gone up nationally from 73.3% in 2006 to 78.3% in 2007.

Many states show improvement in reading levels for children in Standard 1 and 2 and there is considerable variation across states. In particular, Rajasthan, Arunachal, Manipur, Assam show an improvement of more than 10 percentage points. Increases are also visible in Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Karnataka.

National figures in 2007 show 58.3% children in Standard 5 can read Standard 2 level text. The same figure for 2006 was 53.0%.

States in which there are significant improvements in the ability of children in Standard 3 to 5 to read Standard one level text (easy paragraphs) or more are the following: Himachal Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh where the improvements are over 10 percentage points. Improvements are also visible in some states in the North East such as Arunachal, Nagaland and Manipur.

Problem solving

All children were orally asked two problems. Both problems were about money and involved children subtracting numbers from INR 50. Children could give the answer orally or in written form.A small proportion of 6-8 year-olds could correctly answer the problems. In this age group, 18% of school going children could answer questions as compared to 6% of non-school going children of the same age group.

The ability to solve these problems is higher with older children: 50% of 9-10 year old children can solve both problems and almost 74% children in the 11-14 age group can do the same.

For older children (aged 11-14), of those who can correctly solve written numerical subtraction problems, about 66% can solve the word problems. Of children who can solve written division problems, close to 94% can solve the word problems.

Comprehension improves

ASER 2007 has explored the relationship between a child's ability to read and comprehend text by asking children oral questions based on texts of different levels.

The ability to comprehend is closely linked with the ability to read. What is revealing is that when children are given a text that is more advanced than they are comfortable reading, a section of children is still able to tackle the text and understand it. For example, among all 6-10 year olds, 23% are comfortably able to read words but not as yet able to read sentences fluently. Of these halting readers, about 11% can answer questions based on the Std 1 level text and about 6% on Std 2 level text. Note that the Standard 1 and 2 level texts are higher than what the child can read comfortably.

Among the children reading a Std 1 level, 66% of children in the 6-10 age group can answer questions from a Std 1 level text. Even though these children cannot comfortably read a Std 2 level text, 23% can answer questions based on a Std 2 level text.

Similar patterns are visible among the older children (11-14 year) as well. Not only can a majority of children answer questions based on the level of text that they are comfortably reading but a significant percentage try to read a higher level of text and understand it.

School infrastructure gets better

The number of schools with fresh water supply has risen from 67 to 72% for primary schools and 73 to 77% in middle schools. Similar improvements are also seen in terms of toilets.

However, there are still a little over 25% schools that either do not have water or if they do have water it is not usable. The corresponding figure for toilets is 40%. In about 92.6% of the schools visited on a random day in October/November 2007, midday meal was seen being prepared or served.

This figure is much higher than the comparable figure in 2005, which stood at 71.1%. Well over 75% of all teachers had received TLM grants for 2006 and over half had received them for 2007.

Similarly, for school maintenance grants, over 80% of schools had received their grants in 2006 and over 60% in 2007. It is likely that the remainder of grants May be sent to schools and teachers by the end of the 2007-08 financial year.

In India, due to low enrollments in small habitations, children in about half of all classes in visited schools, during the ASER survey, sat with students belonging to another standard. This number ranges from close to 70% in states like Bihar and Jharkhand to as low as 3% in Kerala.

The findings from ASER 2007 shows that rural India's schools are well on course towards the goal of universalising elementary education. It also highlights non-formal schooling providing vital support for the first generationof rural learners. The decline in drop-out rates and increase in teacher attendance are a promising signs of emerging quality education in rural schools.

Harnessing The Magic of Software

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digitalLEARNING Network

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January 1, 2009

DreamSpark is a software giveaway for students

Bringing Lessons To Life

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January 1, 2009

The New FX

Building An Education Platform Through SMART Technologies

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digitalLEARNING Network

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January 1, 2009

It is a rare occurrence in K-12 education when a technology moves from being a useful classroom tool and becomes an education platform upon which an entire teaching philosophy is built. But that is precisely what has happened over the course of the last two decades, as interactive whiteboards from SMART Technologies (Calgary, Alberta, Canada) have become the focal point of the technology-driven, 21st- century classroom. Technology companies like SMART that have created a fundamental shift in education all have one thing in common: they provide an overall solution that is greater than the sum of their product's component parts.

SMART Technologies' overarching philosophy to provide a complete solution is a key reason that the company has been able to effect a monumental change in K-12 education. At the core of this philosophy, according to David Lapides, Director, Education Market Development at SMART Technologies, is the company's ability to design and develop products that enable teachers to successfully complete the same educational task in multiple ways. 'Today,' says Lapides, 'SMART offers a robust set of resources and a full ecosystem of support

Educosoft Offers New Directions for Teaching and Learning

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January 1, 2009

Promising to improve the quality of Math and Science education through online learning activities, www.educosoft.com was launched in India on April 21, 2008 by Educo International Inc, an American company owned by Non-resident Indians.

The launch of the portal was preceded by three years of work on aligning their content with NCERT curriculum and other secondary boards in India. The Educosoft platform offers unique and powerful features to empower teachers with state-of-the-art content and comprehensive Learning Management System (LMS).

The portal is unique because it has several distinct characteristics; some of these are listed below.

It is online, available 24×7 from anywhere to teachers, either for class discussions or for self professional development, and to students for self study or to complete their assignments. For schools where Internet is not available or is slow or they do not want to use, they provide Local Area Network (LAN) solution. The LAN content is piped to the classrooms and learning labs in real time mode.
Each topic contains several learning activities that are interactive and are presented in Macromedia Flash with dynamic graphics and animations. The activities include: a) Multimedia Electronic Teaching Notes for teachers and Tutorials for students, embedded with dynamic graphics, and pedagogically sound animations; b) Several examples on each topic to re-inforce the concepts; c) Several sets of practice tests for each topic; d) Progress and activity reports for students; e) Tools to create and administer online surveys; and f) Several communication tools like announcements, internal and external e-mails, and chat session between the teacher and students.
The assessment component of this portal is also unique in the sense it is in free response format where a student has to do his/her work in the notebook and enter the answer on the computer, instead of just clicking a choice as in multiple choice questions provided by other platforms. Teachers can create and assign different types of assessment including online homework, quizzes or tests, or practice tests. Students get different but similar assessments that are self graded and recorded. All assessments after completion provide instant feedback, performance analysis, and step-by-step solutions.
For students, it offers Self Learning Portal that provides all the learning activities and assessments for each section and chapter of the respective course. Students register online or through any of the regional centers of the company.

All the other details of this system including demos, training programmes, regional seminars, and pricing structure are explained on www.educosoftnews.com . It costs less than Rs.160/pm for 24×7 access to Self Learning Portal for students. Students can have free access to the Self Learning Portal if their schools adopt the LAN version of the system. With LAN solution school gets access to all courses for K 6-12 for mathematics and sciences, and free access for their students from home for the first year.

For more information, contact Pushpish Chandra Tel: 011-45553888, Email: pushpish@educo-int.com or Vinay M R Tel: 080-23463680/77, Email: vinay@educo-int.com

Intel Education Initiatives

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January 1, 2009

When did a teacher know that information would be just one click away? Thanks to technology, the teachers of today are not restricted to the age old chalk and blackboard methods of teaching. Information and Communication Technology has come of age and has permeated in all areas of our lives and is a significant factor in increasing productivity in different fields.

ICT is now being used in Science and Technology education and
in other areas of the curriculum.

Intel's foray in the field of education through various initiatives like contests in best technology practices, has effectively integrated technology into classrooms.

The main objective behind these contests is to inspire teachers to try out 'new tools' and assist the students in increasing their understanding of various topics. It also acts as a motivational force, guiding the students to go after their goals. These contests serve an important purpose of spreading knowledge and determining the progress and ICT strength of the schools.

As part of these contests, a number of interactive sessions are conducted which boost the confidence level of the students and improve their 21st century silks like communication, technology literacy, collaboration, critical thinking etc.

Such contests are jointly organised by Intel Teach Program and Navodya Vidyalaya Samiti every year to identify 'Best Practices of Technology Integration in Education'. Held in collaboration with NVS schools across the country, these contests are a platform for rewarding the outstanding and innovative practices adopted by schools in the remotest parts of the country. Each year, several teams of students compete and awards and certifications are presented to winners at both district and final competitions.

Recently, a state-level competition on 'Best Use of Technology in Education' was held in Tamil Nadu on November 10, 2008. The purpose was to motivate teachers on effective implementation of Project Based Learning and showcase the projects done by teachers and students.

Ten teachers from the districts of Chennai, Cuddalore, Kanyakumari, Krishnagiri, Madurai, Thiruvarur, Tiruchirapalli and Virudunagar were selected as State level winners. The projects developed and implemented for the contest helped create an impact in their communities. The highlight of this event was a project on 'Creating Awareness on Evil Effects of Usage of Tobacco.' A group of students explained how they motivated the entire village to refrain from consuming tobacco.

On December 3, 2008, Intel with support from Department of State Education Research and Training (DSERT) Karnataka, organised a contest in Bangalore and felicitated students, teachers and principals who have done exemplary work in innovative use of technology. The contest has been organised since 2004, and the response was overwhelming this year, with more than 300 entries received from government schools across the state.

Betting Economic Slowdown

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digitalLEARNING Network

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January 1, 2009

Stephen Dukker
Chairman & CEO, NComputing

Imagine the schools that do not have adequate budget for buying Computers. Imagine the schools that have computers in their lab, but keep investing to upgrade their computers in few months or years. Imagine the running cost they bear on electricity bills.

There is no second say to the fact that users tap only 4-5% of a computer's processing power for their requirements which are limited to office applications, browsing, entertainment,…etc. Whereas the PCs available today are capable of delivering more, adding more to this minimal power. Now imagine, if the PC is used to its fullest! Imagine, if the power wasted can be banked on for
productive use!

'Aligning ourselves with this fact, we are committed towards enabling affordable access to computing; computing for education, which is one of the national priorities for India. We are continually looking for innovative and affordable technology solutions that can sustain social and economic progress.' Stephen Dukker, Chairman and CEO was sharing the bright, innovative thoughts of NComputing with the Digital Learning team, while visiting India recently.

Dukker has spent his entire career driving down the cost of computing. He brings more than 30 years of experience in computer manufacturing and retailing to NComputing. Prior to NComputing, he was the founder and CEO of eMachines, a company dedicated to making computers affordable.

NComputing's shared computing solution taps the unused capacity of a PC so that it can be simultaneously shared by many users. NComputing uses only 1 watt of electricity and is rugged, durable and easy to maintain.

'NComputing is a great complement to the desktop computer business as it enables budget-strapped schools and business to maximise their PC infrastructure,' Dukker explains. In addition to lower up-front purchase costs, the NComputing solution also significantly reduces ongoing costs. NComputing access devices only use 1 watt of electricity compared to 110 watts or more for typical PC. This massive reduction in energy consumption is especially critical in places where electricity is limited and expensive.

The X-series desktop virtualisation kits are needed to enable a PC to serve 11 people at once. The kits come with NComputing access devices, a PCI plug-in card and vSpace virtualisation software. And users need their own mouse, keyboard and screen. Dukker says, NComputing created the software and access devices to turn that excess capacity into an ultra-low cost computing system for schools, businesses and other organisations.

11 users sharing one PC

This leading provider of shared computing technology, recently has been chosen to supply a massive computer education programme in the Indian state, Andhra Pradesh. The programme is slated to provide computing access for the first time to 18 lakh school children throughout the state. Each of the 5, 000 secondary schools will have a 10-seat computing lab with 2 desktop PCs and 8 NComputing systems.

'The decision to deploy NComputing's low-cost and eco-friendly solution will establish the Andhra Pradesh government as an innovator in educational computing and as a model for other governments considering similar projects', Dukker hopes.

'NComputing is proud to have been chosen by Andhra Pradesh to fulfill its vision to improve learning and computer literacy throughout the state. By leveraging NComputing, the government will save nearly INR 80 crore in up-front and ongoing costs. The government will also use 90% less electricity compared to a traditional all PC solution. At about INR 4,500 per seat, our solution is the ideal platform to enable schools, business, and government to maximise their PC investment. We are the world leader in desktop virtualisation and the scale of this deployment further extends our leadership position,' Dukker comments on being chosen for this pivotal role of bridging the digital divide in government schools.

The Andhra Pradesh programme is based on an innovative outsourcing model developed by the Andhra Pradesh government. The model is referred to as Build, Operate, and Transfer (BOT) and requires outsourcers to install, staff, and manage the labs for a five-year term. This arrangement helps ensures that the labs are installed quickly and strict performance benchmarks are met.

The other best technologies and the qualified educational IT companies that are associated with NComputing's shared-computing solution to help secure the deal, includes NIIT, ECIL, Educomp, Everonn, IEG, Terasoft, and Social Computers.

NIIT will be responsible for managing 2,005 of the schools. The NComputing solution will be integrated with desktop PCs which will be supplied primarily by Acer and HCL. These computer makers have tested and endorsed the NComputing solution and will integrate the NComputing hardware and software at their factories.
'Desktop virtualisation is the solution that spins the old technology for a new revolution. It takes those 95% otherwise wasted cycles and shares them among multiple users at a fraction of the cost of buying more PCs. It's like the old dumped terminals and mainframes, except today's PCs are the mainframes,' Dukker discusses on some more technicalities.

NComputing can deliver high-end computing to more users compared to traditional PCs by turning a single computer into a shared network. Each additional user shares the CPU and memory of the host computer. This enables superior savings towards outlay of hardware and software maintenance. Computers normally use more than 250~ 300Watt. NComputing products can dramatically save electricity with a maximum of 1Watt consumption per terminal.

'You load the virtualisation software onto the shared PC. It allows multiple user accounts to be used simultaneously. The hardware is called an access device. It is a simple box that each user's monitor, keyboard, mouse, and headphones plug into.

Then you run a cable from the access device to a PCI card (also included) in the shared PC. Each advanced X-series kit delivers a rich multimedia computing experience to an additional five users on one PC for a list price.

You can install 2 kits into one PC, so that gives you 5 + 5 + 1 users, or 11 total on one CPU. The kids even notice that an NComputing station is faster than the old PCs used in the labs,' Dukker says.

In less than two years, NComputing has shipped more than one million seats, making it the largest provider of ultra-low-cost computing solutions. NComputing's simplicity and ease of use have contributed to rapid worldwide acceptance. Anyone with basic PC skills can install an NComputing solution and the savings are immediate. Over 25,000 organisations in 100 countries have deployed NComputing to slash their computing costs and electric consumption.

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