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Thiruvananthapuram , Nov. 10

A HIGH-LEVEL delegation from the Kerala State IT Department has held discussions with a Simputer team in Bangalore to evaluate the possibilities of utilising the Simputer mobile computing platform in the Akshaya e-literacy project.

The Simputer is targeted as a shared computing device for a local community of users. A local community such as the village panchayat or the village school, or a kiosk, or even a shopkeeper should be able to give this device out to individuals for a specific period of time and then pass it on to others in the community.

This requires that the device be personalised for individual use on a changing basis, a spokesman of the Kerala IT Mission said here.

A low-cost personal mobile computer with multiple connectivity options, the Simputer could prove useful for a computer e-literacy project like Akshaya. It is designed to be modular and extensible, and based entirely on free software from the Open Source Initiative.

Its primary input is a touch-sensitive overlay on the LCD display panel. It is based on GNU/Linux software technology that is open and modular; Linux Kernel version 2.4 is what has been has been ported.

An important feature is the SmartCard Reader/Writer. The SmartCard is emerging as a credible delivery vehicle for financial transactions on the Internet and has become an important tool for electronic commerce.

A detailed presentation explained the functionalities and the scope of utilising the Simputer on a wide variety of social and economic applications including e-commerce, healthcare and agricultural marketing.

The Simputer offers a wide range of connectivity options because of its primary focus as an access device. The primary connectivity option is a V.34/V.90 Modem. There is also an IrDA interface for inter-working with PCs and IrDA-compatible peripherals such as printers.

Finally, there is a built-in USB Host port that can be used for extension and peripherals that cannot be integrated within the device.

The operating system, tools and the main application reside in flash ROM so that the system can quickly start operation when powered up.

User profiles can be stored in flash memory as accessible files or also in the SmartCard.

The Simputer platform technology, being a cost-effective platform, can be used to develop several other products such as Thin Clients, Kiosk Computer, cost-effective point-of-sale terminals and in embedded systems.

As a concept/tool, it has the potential to put computing power in the hands of the masses in the true sense of the word. It is one innovation that can break barriers that prevents the common man from using computing devices which are not only high priced but also exotic.

In the context of Akshaya project, it is being felt that the Simputer can be positioned as a low-cost option that would also facilitate mobile computing. To take the idea forward, it was decided that a top-level delegation from Encore Software, who developed the product, visit Kerala during the last week of November to demonstrate the usability of the Simputer in line with the rollout of Akshaya and other eGovernance programmes.

A pilot run of the Simputer running two or three applications in Malappuram district, where Akshaya project is being piloted, was also decided on.

The Kerala delegation was headed by Ms Aruna Sunderarajan, Secretary, IT, while the Simputer Team was led by Mr Vinay Deshpande.

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