Sridhar Dhanapalan is giving a talk next week about OLPC Australia, pitching it as “Australia’s toughest Linux deployment“. Â It certainly is that. Â He notes their aim to reach each of the 300,000 children and teachers in remote parts of Australia, over the next three years.
From his abstract:
OLPC AusÂtralia aims to creÂate a susÂtainÂable and comÂpreÂhensÂive proÂgramme to enhance opporÂtunÂitÂies for every child in remote AusÂtralia… by 2014.
[T]he most remote areas of the conÂtinÂent are typÂicÂally not ecoÂnomÂicÂally viable for a busiÂness to serÂvice, hence the need for a not-for-profit in the space.Â
This talk will outÂline how OLPC AusÂtralia has developed a soluÂtion to suit AusÂtralian scenÂarios. ComÂparÂisÂons and conÂtrasts will be made with other “comÂputers in schools†proÂgrammes, OLPC deployÂments around the world and corÂporÂate IT projects.
By proÂmotÂing flexÂibÂilÂity and ease of use, the proÂgramme can achieve susÂtainÂabÂilÂity by enabling manÂageÂment at the grass-roots level. The XO laptops themÂselves are… repairÂable in the field, with minÂimal skill required. TrainÂing is conÂducÂted online, and an online comÂmunity allows parÂtiÂcipants nationÂwide to share resources.
Key to the ongoÂing sucÂcess of the proÂgramme is actÂive engageÂment with all stakeÂholdÂers, and a recogÂniÂtion of the total cost of ownÂerÂship over a five-year life cycle.