Nigerian education selects Intel-powered Classmate PC with Mandriva Linux

I have decided to post the press release issued by Mandriva on the contract to install Mandriva Linux OS in the Intel-powered Classmate PCs donated or supplied to Nigeria, because an anonymous respondent said I was conflating a different contract to supply 17,000 Classmate PCs with the 3,000 Classmate PCs donated by Intel.
I insist that the so called raw deal Mandriva is pointing accusing fingers at Microsoft for, is within the context of the ICT project sponsored by Intel in Nigeria. Mandriva is raising dust over nothing, because Microsoft has not done anything wrong in this case.

Nigerian education selects Intel-powered Classmate PC with Mandriva Linux


Mandriva today announced that the Nigerian government has selected Intel-powered classmate PCs running on Mandriva Linux for educational use in nationwide pilot in Nigeria. Mandriva is working with Intel Corporation and Technology Support Center Ltd. to provide 17,000 Intel-powered classmate PC. The aim of this project is to improve the quality of technology delivered to students, and to help teachers and parents.


The Intel-powered classmate PC is a small, rugged, mobile educational solution specially designed for primary students in emerging markets. Shipped in May this year, this fully functional PC is currently being piloted in more than 25 countries around the world. Nigeria was one of the first countries to run pilots of Intel-powered classmate PCs in their schools.
Nigerian government’s decision to choose Mandriva Linux to run on classmate PCs reaffirmed Mandriva Linux as one of the most popular Linux distributions in the world. Mandriva's emerging market strategy is based around a network of local partners and OEM agreements with hardware providers. Mandriva has been working with Intel on classmate PCs since the very beginning, making Mandriva Linux one of the first operating systems to run on the machine. The classmate PCs provided to Nigeria will run a customized version of Mandriva Linux 2007 built on Mandriva Flash technology. This edition has been tailored to classmate PCs hardware with a unique launcher application which makes it easier to access the most commonly needed applications.
"We are delighted to participate in this project along with our partners, and to help bring Mandriva Linux and open source applications to Nigeria. This operation validates our approach of cooperating with Intel on the classmate PC and of leveraging our local presence in a country such as Nigeria," said David Barth, CTO and Vice President of the Consumer Business Unit for Mandriva.


The Intel-powered classmate PC will be used in local Nigerian schools by teachers, parents and students. Students will use them to learn about IT technology and to assist them with class research. Teachers will use them to improve their computing skills and to help them track students and projects.
"Based on the needs of the community, the Intel-powered classmate PC will assist a communities that have been previously underserved. The classmate PC's features for teachers and parents will also help them focus on education," said Dele Ajisomo, President of Mandriva West Africa.

Intel-powered classmate PCs use a low power Intel processor for good performance and battery life. These mobile PCs feature a 2 GB of internal flash storage, WiFi mobile technology, as well as anti-theft applications, classroom management and a content filter. These mobile PCs are designed to deliver the right performance to support essential learning applications and experiences.
“The TSC is proud to open the doors of Technology Enabled Learning and to be part of the team enhancing the quality of education delivery in Nigeria. The Technology Support Center and Mandriva working together provide high quality open source solutions to facilitate technology adoption, knowledge based economic empowerment, technology diffusion in some of the most remote and underserved areas of Africa”, said Nyimbi Odero, CEO Technology Support Center .



About Mandriva
Mandriva, formerly known as Mandrakesoft, is the publisher of Mandriva Linux, the innovative and easy-to-use operating system. It is one of the most popular Linux editions in the world. Mandriva is dedicated to making open source technologies accessible to all users, and offers a full range of products and services to individuals, enterprises and government organizations. Mandriva products are available online in 80 languages and in more than 140 countries through dedicated channels.Headquartered in Paris, France, the company is publicly traded on the Euronext Marché Libre. More information at http://www.mandriva.com.

About Technology Support Center, Ltd.
The Technology Support Center is a technology diffusion company focused on providing feature complete solutions to some of the most challenging problems facing Africa. A regional leader in the design, development, implementation and support of computing, pedagogical and healthcare solutions in rural africa.
More information on the Classmate PC is available at http://www.Classmatepc.com.

Press Contacts
Vanessa Wall - vwall@mandriva.com - +33 (0)1 40 41 97 29
Caroline Garlatti - cgarlatti@mandriva.com - +33 (0)1 40 41 67 67