One-to-One Computing

So what is the big deal about 1-to-1 computing, One Laptop Per Child, Project Inkwell and all of those new initiatives?

Giving each child, starting at the age of 12, their own personal computing device, is like giving a hungry child a fishing rod. Imagine the possibilities!

Learning on-demand, communicating with others across the globe, creating content, organizing, trading, searching the web, collaborating with others on projects, learning new skills ... What an outcome! Imagine everyone getting a chance to do this from the young age of 12, not just in the US and other industrial nations but everywhere around the globe!

Well it sounds very revolutionary and ambitious. However it is possible. It is possible because technology is evolving very fast and devices are becoming smaller and cheaper. The various types of devices like mobile phones, PDA's, web browsers, digital audio players, digital cameras, video recorders, pagers, video games, and many other similar consumer-oriented devices are all converging into a new bread of "converged wireless devices".

The recent Nokia N9300 shown here is a great example of a converged wireless device. It is capable of doing everything from making phone calls to recording videos, but even more ... It is also capable of video conferencing! This means that we could have a teacher in one part of the world teaching as many kids with similar devices around the world in a synchronous video-based learning environment. This device is capable of using the standard mobile phone infrastructure, any where in the world, and is capable of browsing the web and many other things that we would expect from a typical laptop. Is it a perfect substitute of a personal computer? Probably not! However we are getting very close.

Last week I attended a meeting for the members of Project Inkwell (www.projectinkwell.com) which is an initiative of Strategic News Services (SNS) that is run by Mark Anderson, a very well-connected, and well-respected, technology and telecommunication industry visionary. I quote: "Inkwell intends to be the standards body for computing platforms for pre-K through 12 education. " They are creating a set of proprietary specifications that would perfect the design of such a device to meet the needs of pK-12 students. The meeting was attended by representatives of various organizations including hardware manufacturers, software companies, content publishers, network service providers, school districts, system integrators, education marketing companies and many others! I am quite confident that Project Inkwell will produce a very impressive set of specifications, and is going to lead the industry down the right track.

As we discussed in the project Inkwell meeting, the new model of 1-to-1 computing is going to require a new infrastructure, new software tools, new business models and a new perspective! We can't just give the kids fishing rods without teaching them how to swim, how to fish, how to access the bait, what to do with the fish they catch, and so on. Similarly we need to prepare ourselves for this new culture and paradigm shift.

For example: is it reasonable to expect that these new devices will be made available freely to children by their schools in lieu of, or in addition to, text books?

The answer is clearly YES. I know of many such experiments that are going on today in various parts of the US. Most of them are very successful and a few are not. Many of the IT directors that are involved in these experiments will tell you that they were not quite ready for such big leap. There were too many missing components in the support infrastructure. They all hoped for more centrally managed and securely administered software solutions to offer these end-users. Most of them agreed that a Single Sign-On Portal, that could automate the provisioning and administration of software, is needed to support such a project.

So how about making these devices available for free by the schools? Well the cost to schools is not just the cost of the devices, but also the cost of other components involved in the support and operation of these devices: network infrastructure, software licenses, support services, help desks, security, system administration, training, and many other components that need to be included within the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO). Enterprise-centric deployments are not trivial and require well-planned and adequately resourced projects.

So how about the consumer-centric funding model? This is actually very possible given today's utility infrastructure supported and marketed by network carriers like phone companies (both traditional landline and wireless services), cable operators and satellite services. These companies have their own network infrastructure in addition to various resources like service centers that are able to market, sell and support the access devices. They are willing to subsidize the initial up front cost of these devices in return for selling their access services. They may even partner with the schools to market to the students a new bread of devices that are supported jointly by the school and the mobile network carrier.

I am now convinced that AT&T could be the next global virtual school of the future! Wow, and I always thought it was going to be Disney!!