Digital Library: ØI Cafe
O knows the power of education, and provides opportunities for the local community by establishing computing access with up to 30 networked stations.
Registered local community members are provided free computing access.
Tourists are asked to sign-up online for Internet access.
Summary
A
modest size shade and rain-protecting tent-based cafe providing healthy,
nutritious, and strictly local foods and drink. In addition it provides multiple
small terminals with access to either internet access or an
online library.
Operations
Operating hours: 9-8pm
Marketing
Promotional marketing:
Remote monitors display ads and info of O and partnering for-profit and NGOs when idle.
Screen
savers display the O emblem, market position
("Have fun saving the world"), easy to remember contact info (info from
Casa Oro), and an easy cost breakdown (e.g. icons of vehicles and
people, and accompanying cost; some activities like "Mayan
eco-paintball" equipment rental $5, pellets $10 per 100 pellets, and
call for reservations (skype) mobile internet unit
Design (layout and theme):
modest tropical village theme made of light renewable materials. Tree stump chairs, hanging chairs, hammocks and thatch mats; Wooden slab tables, all monitors with keyboards are within lockable boxes.
Staff
Program
Finance
Partners/ Charitable Donations
Technology
The Internet Cafe will ultimately be require a LAN Ethernet and WiFi network.
The
FON network will provide the wifi hotspot. The FON network provides a
wireless router that creates a secured site for the administrators
similar to existing technology. In addition, the router has a
secondary public channel allowing FON club members to receive free
Internet access, while other visitors will need to pay per day for
access.
Adjacent to the internet cafe, and tied in with the administrative camp, O shall provide up to 30 small access terminals. Most units are expected to be used for
internet browsing and internet based applications, but some are used to
run a single dedicated application (generally in a manufacturing or
data entry environment).
NComputing's
multi-user technology enables greatly expanded computing capabilities
by allowing up to 30 users to simultaneously access a single PC. This
multi-user desktop experience supports simultaneous users at a speed
similar to the host at lower costs and power usage while not
constraining the host CPU, memory or LAN performance.
Waste-Free component
Most of the
power of modern PCs is wasted because people typically use less than 10% of the
available capacity. Unused computing cycles may seem to cost nothing,
the real costs that quickly add up. Ncomputing products save O money while they help reduce climate change and
hazardous e-waste. These products address the five bottom lines.
- Cuts PC costs by 70% (due to removal of up to 30 individual PCs and hardware and software that lasts 10 years)
- Slashes electrical consumption by 90% (Personal computers draw about 110 watts. NComputing access devices draw only 1 to 5 watts)
- Compatible with standard PC technology
- Drastically reduces IT complexity
- Eco-friendly (lower hazardous e-waste, electrical consumption, cooling system requirements)
Today's PCs are so powerful that the vast majority of applications only use a small fraction of the computer's capacity. Virtualization software and hardware tap 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 access device. The access device itself has no CPU, memory, or moving parts—so it is rugged, durable, and easy to deploy and maintain. The result is the lowest possible cost for computing access.
On the environmental aspect, 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. No PCs to throw out either.
References:
Ncomputing Internet Cafe Products
Ncomputing Presentation
Ncomputing Green Advantages worksheet