Briefs

PC scheme for students, WB Government staff

Microsoft has announced a partnership with the Government of West Bengal and Intel Technologies for the state-wide roll-out of Gyandeep, the People’s PC Programme, and Gyanbridhi, the Students’ PC Programme, initiatives aimed at accelerating IT penetration in the state. Under the partnership, two new programmes

have been launched which include the Students’ PC Purchase Programme and the Government Employees’ PC Purchase Programme. They will be available across 19 districts in the state through authorised retail outlets of Microsoft’s hardware partner, Intel.

The programmes were launched by Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, Chief Minister of West Bengal, in the presence of Manabendra Mukherjee, IT Minister, Government of West Bengal; Ravi Venkatesan, Chairman, Microsoft India; and Siddhartha Das, Director, Public Affairs & Strategic Initiatives, Intel India Development Centre.

Gyanbridhi will enable students across government and private schools from classes IX to XII and those obtaining higher education to purchase a PC with the help of attractive finance options from Syndicate Bank and Bank of India. For students, the offering on both the hardware and software would come at an EMI of Rs 499. The combo comprises four specially configured PC solutions. The hardware will include PC hardware (Pentium IV 2.66/ Celeron 2.4/2.53 MHz), software (Microsoft Windows XP Starter Edition/ Windows XP Home/Office XP Professional, Encarta and car-racing games), and animated educational curriculum as prescribed by WBSEB, IIT and medical entrance tutorials. To avail the benefits of the scheme, students need to obtain signed letters from the heads of their institutions.

The students’ programme has been designed based on research findings of AMI Partners, which revealed that a majority of students were interested in purchasing PCs through finance schemes. It held true even for those students who were from government schools and belonged to lower-income brackets.

Gyandeep will enable government employees to buy PCs for use at home through flexible and affordable finance schemes spread over 12 to 48 months. The programme makes available PCs configured for users across varying levels of expertise, including the first-time PC user.

Said Venkatesan, “There is a need to make IT more accessible to a larger population. If we closely examine the uptake of IT in India, we remain massively under-invested. In the context of the growing digital divide, the figures are disturbing in the case of people in the metros with limited or no access to IT, as well as those in smaller towns and rural areas. Realising this, Microsoft is committed to create a digitally-inclusive society wherein we reach out to a larger majority of Indians with affordable and localised IT solutions. With the launch of Gyandeep, we are confident that together with the Government of West Bengal and Intel we will be able to provide affordable access to relevant technology solutions for the people of the state.”

Added Das of Intel: “We acknowledge the support that the WB Government has lent to provide the masses with better access to information technology.”