Bridging the Digital Divide: Projek M.A.IN. PC

The Association of the Computer and Multimedia Industry of Malaysia (PIKOM) officially announced Projek Menguasai Aplikasi INternet dan PC (Projek M.A.IN. PC), a joint collaboration between PIKOM and seven supporting partners to set up serviced Community PC Centres nationwide. The exchanging of documents which took place yesterday was witnessed by the Prime Minister of Malaysia, YAB Dato' Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, in conjunction with the 16th World Congress on Information Technology (WCIT) 2008, currently taking place at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre.

Projek M.A.IN. PC will aim to provide a platform to support PC centres nationwide via a Facilitator-Partner-Host (F-P-H) model. PIKOM as facilitator has engaged seven different partners to provide the necessary equipment and supporting services to specified 'host' PC centres. This project is targeted at the middle to lower income groups.

Led by PIKOM, the project features partners including Microsoft, LIONS CLUB, CyberCare, Hewlett-Packard (HP), INTEL, Telekom Malaysia (TM), and CUSCAPI with the support of the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation and the Ministry of Rural and Regional Development. The primary objective of this project is to equip all citizens with ICT capability in order to realise the nation's goal of building an ICT-enabled knowledge society.

To realise this objective, a nation-wide umbrella network of serviced Community PC Centres will be established. PIKOM is looking at establishing 20 to 30 such Community PC Centres, complete with instructors, by December 2008. At present, through the Ministry of Rural and Regional Development, the project will start with the conversion of 10 EPU telecentres into Community PC Centres. This would serve to benefit the lower income group, which generally do not own PCs. As for the middle-to-lower income group, they might not own a PC at present, but are quite capable of ownership, thus Projek M.A.IN. PC hopes to draw them in via fast food outlets and other fun and exciting 'host' outlets.

Mr. David Wong Nan Fay, Chairman of PIKOM, elaborated on the goals and objectives of the project during the announcement. "As it is widely recognized that there is a great digital divide between citizens in the city and the rural areas, there is a valid fear that the divide is only getting bigger. Thus, PIKOM sees a need to address this issue by bringing ICT capabilities to the people in rural areas. It is our hope that with this project, more people at the grassroots level will be ICT enabled to meet the demands of the 21st century", he said.

According to Mr. Wong, this is merely the first phase of Projek M.A.IN. PC. If successful, the second phase, which is expected to kick off in 2009, will hopefully see more partners chipping in to set up and host new centres nationwide. Projek M.A.IN. PC's long-term goal is to create 150 new PC centres as well as integrate 1,945 existing EPU telecentres by 2010. With the 150 new centres and the 1,945 telecentres included, the project aims to greatly increase both the total learner hours as well as the new learner coverage by 2010. 

The seven partners' contribution to phase 1 of the project (May - Dec 2008) will be based on each partner's core competencies. For example, Microsoft will take care of software, while hardware and network support will come from Hewlett-Packard. CyberCare will provide life coaches, with volunteer human resource from LIONS CLUB. Broadband facilities and the set up of a toll-free call centre will come under TM, while CUSCAPI will handle installation, maintenance services plus technical support. Curriculum development will be overseen by Microsoft, CyberCare Centre and INTEL. Additionally, Microsoft, HP and INTEL have also contributed to the project via funding.

This project is a culmination of several key initiatives that PIKOM has carried out over the past few months which include PS3 and PC Fair International.

Also in attendance at the press conference were Mr. C J Ang, President of PIKOM and key representatives from the seven supporting partners such as Ms. Yasmin Mahmood, Managing Director of Microsoft, and Mr. Danny Lee Pak Cheong, Country General Manager of Hewlett-Packard.

About PIKOM
PIKOM, the Association of the Computer and Multimedia Industry, Malaysia is the association representing the information and communications technology (ICT) industry in Malaysia. Its membership currently stands at over 838 comprising companies involved in a whole spectrum of ICT products and services which commands 80 per cent of the total ICT trade in Malaysia.
PIKOM works to improve the business climate in the interests of all its member companies and to promote industry growth in line with national aspirations.