AISECT

INTRODUCTION
Provides IT and vocational education in rural areas. Creates 10000 entrepreneurs in an year. Gives certification in various computer related fields. Almost 100000 students get some kind of computer education each year through a curriculum which is available in 32 languages and is a approved by IGNOU.

IMPLEMENTATION ISSUES
In a country like India, hardware in the field must face all kinds of extremities. From the vagaries of Indian weather, which can range from sub-zero temperatures to fifty degrees centigrade, to erratic power supply, which, when it does get supplied, is rarely at the correct voltage or frequency. These problems are often compounded by the hostility of the users to the device. IT is usually used to monitor the people who use it, which does not auger well with them. The other major problem is the lack of connectivity. While the world is moving to a web based, centralised computing model, India still does not have reliable Internet or WAN connectivity in most parts of the country.

SOLUTIONS
AISECT work on hardware such as thin clients, hand-helds and ruggedised servers, which can withstand the environments our customers work in. We address the power, heat and dust problem, by making our devices consume very low power. This enhances battery life. Lower power consumption leads to lower heat dissipation, leading to heat resistant and compact devices. Dust proofing is also achieved because heat dissipation eliminates the need for cooling fans that suck dust. Our devices have no moving parts. All the storage is done on solid state media. This greatly enhances the life of the product, and leads to lower downtime and less servicing. Since the deployment area of these devices is diverse, higher MTBFs mean significantly reduced travelling times for service personnel.

SOLUTIONS
AISECT creates Linux based operating environments under the brand name of AINEX. AINEX is designed to derive maximum processing from the low power components used in our hardware. The OS provides 24x7x365 uptimes, remote management and monitoring, remote application upgrades, support for various peripherals, Indian language localisation, small footprint, etc. The freedom of open source gives us the power to customise the operating environment to unique needs of the customer. Often projects don t demand general purpose computers. They require single-purpose devices focussed on achieving the business goals of the project.

SOLUTIONS
A major problem in deploying dispersed IT systems is the lack of guaranteed bandwidth. AISECT works around this problem by providing multi-modal transport of data between the client and the server. Our systems support DSL, Ethernet, VSAT, WiFi, packet radio, leased line, cable, dial-up, GPRS/EDGE/3G, CDMA, and other forms of data connectivity. We even provide limited connectivity over SMS. AISECT provides , the ability to run on-line applications in a connected-disconnected environment, by replicating the entire server side database and application stack on the client device. The local and central databases are kept in sync through the intermittent connectivity available.

Features of AISECT for Rural Tele-centres

An operating system that extends upon the legendary stability and security of Linux. AINEX has an inbuilt recovery mode and read-only base, that ensures that no matter what goes wrong on the field, the system can be recovered on-site. Preconfigured drivers for all the hardware devices that one is expected to attach to the computer. Pre-installed applications that enable common computing tasks such as browsing and document preparation. These applications also cover the syllabi of common computer courses that the telecentre operator may wish to deliver. Compatibility with most popular Windows software. Localisation. One can access Hindi and other Indian language websites and create documents in Devanagari under AINEX. Moreover, AINEX itself can display most software menus and help in Hindi, Tamil, etc. This is a boon for rural students and users.

Features of AISECT for Rural Tele-centres

Support for connectivity through dial-up, DSL, CDMA, GPRS, Wi-Fi and VSAT. Built-in VPN connectivity. Remote Management: AINEX gives you the ability to remotely configure, upgrade, control, inventory, view and reboot your computers, from anywhere in your network, through a simple browser-based interface. This greatly simplifies the task of managing a heterogeneously connected network of thousands of computers. Remote Monitoring: To help run the project successfully, AINEX provides you with details like uptime, connectivity issues, resource utilisation (such as number of printouts). These statistics are collated and made available at the central monitoring location. Unified Communication: AINEX has built in support for all modern forms of communication email, chat, VoIP and video-conferencing. The centres can use these services to communicate with you and each other, and also offer these as services to the village folk.

Features of AISECT for Rural Tele-centres

UI Customisations: When a computer centre is set-up by a new entrepreneur, the user will face a number of teething problems. This leads to frequent support calls. We minimise these in two ways.

First, the entire UI is customised to be very user-friendly. All the software and tools that they commonly require, are placed in a handy and organised manner. On-line help and tutorials (localised to Hindi) guide them through common tasks like taking their first printouts.

Secondly, we provide on the screen, a number of status icons. When the user calls up for support, the personnel can ask for the state or colour of each icon, and quickly determine the cause of commonly occurring problems. This is very helpful in debugging problems with printing or Internet connectivity.

The above software consumes a disk space of less than 512MB.

Net savings with a Rural Computer: 1. Up to Rs. 3,000.00 per year in energy costs. 2. Rs. 3,000.00/year in battery replacement costs (assuming 2 year life of battery). 3. Rs. 8,000.00 upfront saving in cost of acquisition of battery and charger. 2 Assuming eight hours a day of usage, cost of panel Rs. 170 per peak watt, four hours of peak radiance per day, and extra cost of charger and fittings at 10% of panel cost.

How does it work ?

When a new centre is opened, advertisement is done in the village through the traditional means of word of mouth and by presenting a road show through the village. As soon as someone curious to know more about the centre or someone who wishes to learn something comes to the centre, he/she is registered along with their address and other details. Then the whole concept and idea, benefits behind AISECT is explained to them in their own regional language. Then a record of the previous academic history of the individual is taken, and a report is prepared. This report enlists the employability of the person at present and his employability after a certain course is done.

How does it work ?

Then the best course of action is explained to that person and further registration is done based on his/her consent or approval for joining the course. A nominal fee of Rs 350 is charged from that person which he can pay over a period of 3 months, an incentive is given , if he pays the amount immediately or within one month then a discount of Rs25 is offered. All the members of the family are counseled and are told of their employability at present and after doing the course or vocational training.

Conclusion
When a new centre is opened usually it is slow to start with as everyone has got some inhibitions about it, but as soon as someone gets some kind of job after doing a course or starts his own business, then it starts to spread and the flood gates open. When the common man starts to see the change that we can bring in his life then he starts believing in us and comes to us with open arms and also most importantly with an attitude and a mind set to learn something and improve his life.