| IBM launches Ubuntu-based distro in Africa |
Sep. 23, 2009
 IBM and Canonical are introducing an Ubuntu Linux-based distribution and related cloud services for netbooks and thin clients in Africa. The IBM Client for Smart Work works locally or via "VERDE" virtualization to make IBM's Lotus-based software "affordable to new, mass audiences in Africa," says IBM.
Part of IBM's Smart Work Initiative, the IBM Client for Smart Work is now available across Africa and is being piloted for other emerging markets worldwide, says IBM. IBM announced its Ubuntu-based distribution last December, touting it as a more affordable "Microsoft alternative" virtual desktop that also incorporates VERDE virtualization technology from Virtual Bridges. The software includes Linux versions of IBM's Open Collaboration Client Solution software (OCCS), based on IBM Lotus Symphony, Lotus Notes, and other Lotus applications.
The Africa-targeted version of the software is said to include open standards-based email, word processing, spreadsheets, unified communication, social networking, and other software. The suite is targeted at netbooks, but also compatible with laptops, older computers, and a variety of mobile devices, says IBM. Use of the Open Document Format (ODF) contributes toward the savings of up to 50 percent per individual seat versus a Microsoft-based desktop, when factoring in licensing, administration, and maintenance, says IBM.
Netbook sales are hot in Africa, says IBM (Source: IBM)
The standard Ubuntu-based IBM Client software includes Lotus Notes or iNotes, a form of Lotus Notes delivered as a Web-based service), Lotus Symphony, Lotus Sametime, and LotusLive components. The package can be modified to add WebSphere Portal intranet software, Lotus Connections for on-premise social networking, and Lotus Quickr for file and repository management, says IBM. The company did not detail which version of Ubuntu the project is using. (The netbook-oriented Ubuntu Netbook Remix release is being introduced this fall in a Moblin v2 version.)
The IBM Client for Smart Work package also provides an option to run IBM's LotusLive, enabling collaboration and social networking services such as file sharing, online meetings, instant messaging, and social networking. Offered at a price starting at $10 per month, LotusLive is said to offer secure communications across firewalls with people in other organizations. LotusLive can help businesses create cloud-based communities with partners, suppliers and customers, and expand service to new areas, says IBM.
VERDE virtualization
Another option is Virtual Bridges' Virtual Enterprise Remote Desktop Environment (VERDE) virtualization software, which will be made available locally through business partners such as Inkululeko, as well as through voice technology collaboration pilots through IBM Research. Announced by Virtual Bridges in October 2008, VERDE is said to be a Linux-based virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) product, offering a desktop that is distributed from Linux servers to "any laptop, browser, or mobile device," says IBM. Features are said to include an integrated connection broker, KVM-based VM technology, multimedia and sound support, and local printing.
The IBM Client for Smart Work stack also provides IBM's voice integration software. IBM is touting the capability as a tool for physicians who make visits to rural villages. For example, a doctor could send voice-enabled messages with documents that diagnose a patient's condition, and receive recorded and live expertise from remote medical experts, delivered in part by voice, says the company.
Local service providers including Inkululeko and ZSL Inc. are expected to extend the IBM Client throughout Africa to government, educational institutions, and businesses, says IBM. The company is also collaborating with universities such as Uganda's Makerere University to seed the software in African educational institutions.
Is Linux still at 30 percent of netbook share?
According to IBM, netbook sales are strong in Africa, and it cites a study by "AIB Research," which we presume is meant to be "ABI Research," stating that netbook sales are expected to quadruple from 35 million in 2009 to 139 million by 2013. The study also projected that Linux will outgrow Windows on netbooks by 2012. These figures were indeed reflected in an ABI study earlier this year.
IBM also claims, however, that "more than 30 percent of netbooks are sold with Linux." The company seems to suggest this figure came from the same study, but ABI has not recently made any such claims as far as we know. While Microsoft's claim that fewer than 5 percent of netbooks are sold with Linux appears to be grossly exaggerated, most observers have noted that Linux netbook share has decreased sharply over the last year after Microsoft slashed the cost of Windows XP and applied other marketing efforts.
Stated Mark Shuttleworth, founder, Canonical, "Starting with Africa, we see that this smart client package can help realize our vision of eliminating barriers to computer access for emerging markets."
Stated Professor Venansius Barya Baryamureeba, Dean, Faculty of Computing and IT, Makerere University, "Most of the good software is unaffordable by most of the users in developing countries, hence most users in developing countries have resorted to pirated software and free software. But most free software packages can be a nightmare of setup woes, training costs, and processes that just don't fit your organization. The hope lies in affordable software that is as good as proprietary software, which benefits from economies of scales as a result of targeting a mass market."
Availability
The IBM Client for Smart Work has started to roll out in Africa, says IBM, with price varying depending on configuration and support requirements.
-- Eric Brown
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