ICTworks by Inveneo

Today, Inveneo is proud to introduce the Super-Duper Performance Computing Station exclusively for sub-Saharan Africa use. Based on the Cray Pi supercomputer, the Inveneo Super-Duper Performance Computing Station generates 3.14159265 petaflops of computing power utilizing over 1 million Intel 4004 microprocessors in a redundant centrifugal cluster, reminiscent of the original Cray design.

"This awesome computing power - the greatest man has ever known - will silence critics who assume the developing world is getting second best," said Inveneo CEO and co-founder Kristin Peterson. "The Inveneo Super-Duper Performance Computing Station will be available exclusively to rural and underserved communities first. To increase its appropriateness, we've reconfigured the hardware for our core clients so it will not quit, even if they sit."

The Inveneo Super-Duper Performance Computing Station has these key design modifications that increase its usefulness to for organizations that provide vital services - education, healthcare, economic development - in the developing world.

1. Low-power operation: Using an innovative energy capture system to harness hype, Inveneo is able to power the system solely off the energy of Mac fanboys, starting with our CIO, Mark Summer.
2. Full Goat*Net compliance: Right out of the box, the system self-connects to Inveneo's ever expanding Goat*Net, long-distance WiFi network
3. Comfortable form factor: The cold plastic and metal of traditional computers has been replaced with soft cushions and easily-cleaned fabric, and the original Cray form factor is resurrected so the computer can also be a couch during offline community meetings

The Inveneo Super-Duper Performance Computing Station will be available through our network of Inveneo Certified ICT Partners. Contact them for local pricing.

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Electrical power is an issue across Africa - or more accurately, the lack of reliable, affordable electricity is one of the greatest barriers to the adoption of information and communication technologies.

But good businessmen look at barriers and see opportunity. If rural areas lack a reliable national power grid, then develop solutions that do not need that electrical infrastructure and capture market share from technology vendors still waiting for KPLC or NEPA.

Solar Power Computing

Instead of looking to government, look to the sun for electrical power and high-efficiency ICT solutions to use that electricity cost-effectively. You can even use this sample solar power computing setup:

1. Deploy eight 90W solar panels, three 200Ah deep cycle batteries, two 30A charge controllers using the Inveneo power configuration model.
2. The solar panels convert sunlight into energy, which is stored in the batteries through the charge controllers. The solar power system is designed to require an average of five hours of sunshine to fully charge the batteries.
3. Install ten Inveneo High-Performance Computing Stations, one Inveneo R4 server, a wireless LAN hub, and 7W DC lamps. At full charge, the batteries can run the ten computing stations and server for up to ten hours.

Winning Government Contracts

Now that sample setup is nice and all, but your real question is, "Who would buy solar power computing?" And for that I have a good answer and great example.

The Computers for Schools programme in Uganda is an effort by the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) to establish functional computer laboratories with modern equipment in selected schools.

In August 2009, the UCC held a competitive bidding process for a contract to supply computer labs to 52 schools. These schools are all located in regions with limited or non-existent electricity supply, so the computers must rely on solar power.

CLS, a Certified Inveneo ICT Partner, bid and won the competitive tender for 52 ICT centers by offering the best value for the UCC - deploying Inveneo High-Performance Computing Stations and the solar power to operate them using the solution described above. This March, CLS completed the installation of all 52 labs ahead of schedule.

The CLS contract is just one of many government tenders won when IT companies realize the benefits of solar power computing done right. Isn't it about time you did the same?

The cost of electricity is a huge barrier to ICT adoption in the developing world. Rolling blackouts are common in cities, while in peri-urban and rural areas, there's no gird electricity infrastructure - its all solar or generator power. Yet petrol or diesel generators are hard to maintain and solar power is expensive - $10+ per Watt.

In an effort to make every Watt count, Inveneo develops low-power computers that are highly energy efficient. We've brought down the power draw of a Inveneo Computing Station to 17 Watts thanks to custom LCD screens and Intel Atom chipsets. But what does that really mean for an end user?

Let's compare and Inveneo High-Efficiency Computing Station with a traditional desktop computer:

To be truthful, even we were blown away by the difference. We knew the Dell would burn through the standard deep cycle battery pretty quickly. It lasted only 3 hours. But we didn't expect the Inveneo Computing Station to last for 60 hours - 20x longer.

For everyone from a cybercafe owner to a school to a microfinance institution, this should be an immediate "wow!". With Inveneo you can go 1.5 weeks on a single charge, reducing dependency on grid power or generator usage. And your solar power costs will be 1/10th or less than a traditional computer.

Learn more about Inveneo Low-power Solutions

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