We have found that what is most challenging and most needed are systems that include:

• development of absolutely appropriate technology for villagers' exact expressed needs and
• financially sustainable solutions, that is, profitable solutions for local entrepreneurs. This requires community buy-in and very careful business planning and implementation that include focus (not afterthought) on training and follow up.

These solutions can only be done with end-users, with villagers.

These solutions must also take into account these variables locally:

For best results each local and regional entrepreneur will need to determine their best solution in dialog with trusted others with critical knowledge, often relatives. Here is the solution Jhai has developed with about 200 volunteers and a few contractors over five years of work.

1. JhaiPC 2.0 and Communication System Hardware and Software

A. JhaiPC 2.0 ™ / server: Form factor Mini-ITX; custom power supply; 2 watts steady state, 24 watts normal use; 1.5GHz speed, 1GB or 2GB RAM, 8 GB flash storage onboard. Windows or Ubuntu (pendrive or hard drive) Linux,; comes with Open Office, mail client, Mozilla Firefox. Jhai Networks™ (at dial up speeds) supports audio, video, whiteboard, text, all file sharing, all multi user apps and other apps specific to local needs. For more detailed specs and description please sign a non-disclosure agreement with Jhai. In production proposed price (one-off) $224+/-. Proposed price (10,000+): $186+/-.

B. Novatium clients: Form factor Mini-ITX, external power adaptor (12V); board two processor embedded platform; DeviceOS: Linux embedded; Terminal/Server OS: Any Linux;Windows 2000/3 server; < 5 watts steady state, 8.5 watts (peak); Ports: RJ45-10/100 Base T, 4 x USB 2.0, mike in, speaker out: please see ftp://novatium.com/httpdocs/FTP/NetPC%20spec%20sheet.pdf Proposed price: $120+/- in quantity.

C. Neurosynaptic ReMeDi telemedicine solution: Includes self-contained re-chargeable battery, five probes, 2 way A/V at low bandwidth, low cost. Proposed price: $735+/- in quantity. Please see http://www.neurosynaptic.com/products_ReMeDi_MDAU.htm

D. Peripherals: printer/scanner, keyboard, mouse, switch, cables, webcam, headset. When used off-grid, various power options can be chosen, depending on local conditions, including bicycle-generators, solar, wind, hydro, and others.

E. Displays: 12 watt, 12.1 inch LCD operates on 12V or 110-240V AC. Proposed price $110+/-.

2. Jhai Networks ™ communication package

Peer-to-peer and conference multi-media communication; deployment in intranets, extranets and the public Internet; collaborate on any type of document - no need for the related application to be installed on the client; annotate document in real time - also save and print the annotated documents; your tiny download installs an application that sits right on your desktop and is ready to go at anytime; share documents without compromising security - all data transfers are encrypted; simultaneous view up to 4 Web Cams while collaborating using both Voice as well as redlining; record the whole session and playback locally to review at anytime; iconographic/no written text on app; on Windows now, Linux version later this year. Will test A/V with conferencing translation service this month. (More detail upon request with NDA.)

3. Jhai Systems

Jhai Systems includes licensed, profitable, participatory, accountable, scalable sustainable franchise templates and consulting for entrepreneurs and donors who want to empower village entrepreneurs to help themselves and their villages by using ICT. These templates are based on eight plus years of participatory, sustainable field experience with ICT in Lao PDR, a least developed nation.

It works like this:

A social entrepreneur licenses the Jhai Systems from us for a particular locale with 50-10,000 villages or more. In the villages entrepreneurs choose a site in a business, school, community centre or clinic.

The template provides for a hub facility in a market town and for individual village businesses. The hub facility provides certified trainers, maintenance by contract, equipment spares and business support.

Village entrepreneurs from 10 villages are trained-by-doing in one village and certified in village buy-in, business planning and operations (including bookkeeping), computer operations, and connectivity (for example, mesh-networked wifi).

While functions of the centres will vary according to local conditions and capacity, they may include on a fee and up to 24/7 basis: telemedicine, VOIP with video, vocational, technical and general education, microfinance and remittance facilitation, business and agricultural services, outsourced business, e-commerce, e-government, shipping, and ISP via mesh networked wifi and many other specific income-producing services.

Jhai Systems provides access to all hardware and software needed, all assembled as close to sites as possible, if one chooses the JhaiPC 2.0 and communication system. Jhai Systems also works for other purposes and with other equipment.

Jhai Systems will provide consulting services to determine with the licensee the correct alternative power and connectivity solutions, given financial, connectivity, and power grid constraints. Jhai Systems will provide other consulting services as required and will be available on-call for five years. (More details provided on requests.)

4. Field test of system in schools, community centres, businesses and clinics

• Lao PDR: deployment in Phonsavath, Lao PDR in May 2008 using Windows Server 2003, hard drive and nine Novatium clients, off-grid, using discounted satellite connectivity.
• 1500 village Global Health Partners telemedicine implementation with in Uttar Pradesh in full launch this summer. Neurosynaptic and Jhai completing testing for launch. Sixty village test in Tamil Nadu slotted for summer includes Jhai Systems. Requests from many projects.
• Ghana: Working with Ghana-India Kofi Annan Centre to create opportunity for 10 village community centre test using Linux version and Jhai Systems.
• Companies, NGOs and governments in 60 countries have requested working relationship with Jhai Foundation, Jhai Systems. Our notion is to train trainers through a Jhai Systems-India company and to move to commercial on the Jhai machine in an orderly way. We expect all assembly will be done as locally as possible.

Current (6/08) partners include Indian Institute of Technology-Madras, Argusoft, Neurosynaptic Prv Ltd, Novatium Prvd Ltd, Global Health Partners, Datamation Foundation Trust, Ghana-India Kofi Annan Centre for Excellence in ICT, World Links (with funding from Japan Fund via World Bank Institute), Via Technology - Taiwan, and others.

Jhai won the 2001 Stockholm Challenge award for ICT in Education and laureate status Tech Award for JhaiPC 1.0 in 2003 as well as six ‘best practices’ designations.

Jhai Foundation is led by Lee Thorn, an ICT4D strategist. Lee Thorn has worked in poorer communities for 35 years. He has worked as a management consultant and a graduate school business teacher. He co-founded Jhai Foundation in 1997. Lee has studied basic science, politics, planning, Asian Studies and business at the University level. He earned a BA in political science at UC Berkeley and an MBA at the University of San Francisco (Jesuit). Lee is a combat Vietnam veteran who has helped create strategies for veterans working for jobs, recovery from PTSD, and peace for 40 years. He is married and has three children.

Operations in Laos have been led since 1999 by Vorasone Dengkayaphichith, an engineer, educator and manager with over 20 years of experience. Vorasone has advanced degrees in robotics and computer science. Vorasone has two children.

We have been helped in this integrated solution by about 200 volunteers and minimal staff over five years. Vorasone and Lee very much appreciate their priceless efforts and the support of all our donors. (Revised 22 June 2008)