Making the Internet more accessible to students, Technikon Pretoria has set up an Internet caf'e in partnership with Sun Microsystems and outsourcing company Cyber Connections.
At a cost of R8 an hour (less than half the standard price), students at Technikon Pretoria are given access to computer packages, e-mail and the Internet.
Sun Microsystems is providing Technikon Pretoria's Internet caf'e with three bundles of SunRays. Each bundle contains 25 SunRays (an 'enterprise appliance')*, with one free E250 server.
"Sun, which stands for Stanford University Network, has its roots in education," says Rodney Smith, account executive at Sun Microsystems SA. "Sun believes in helping the education community. In this case, we're providing free SunRay servers, a free Solaris operating system (which includes a firewall and directory services), as well as free StarOffice, a productivity suite of software which includes word processing and excel spreadsheet capabilities."
Herman van der Merwe, director of telematic education at Technikon Pretoria, says: "our new education model is driving students towards the Internet where they can access the vast accumulated knowledge of the World Wide Web and expand their learning beyond traditional classroom and textbook education.
"Through our Internet caf'e we aim to empower our 25 000 students, including the previously disadvantaged, with knowledge that goes beyond the bounds of the classroom."
In future, Cyber Connections plans to turn its Internet caf'es into fully fledged e-commerce marketplaces, where each student uses a Sun 'smart card' for billing and other purposes.
"The Internet connectivity is the base service - we plan to roll out other services which will enable the students to be more effective in their education as well as prepared for their vocation," says Mark van der Linde, CEO of Cyber Connections. "We've embarked on a phased approach to eventually delivering on the promise of the new economy for students."
Wits Technikon (both the Auckland Park and Doornfontein campuses) is another institution which is currently running pilot Internet caf'es in conjunction with Cyber Connections.
In addition, Cyber Connections has signed contracts with Unisa, Technikon SA, and Vista University and plans to implement Internet caf'es in as many tertiary institutions as possible over the next three years.
The SunRay appliance is a stateless device which utilises smart card technology. It does not need to be upgraded, has no moving parts, requires no desktop administration, and is low cost. SunRays are designed to free the computer user from the constraints of a fixed location, such as a desk or workbench.
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