iCentres'net

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iCentres.net

• Access for Everyone
• Anywhere/Anytime

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General Info

• Statute
• Initiated and funded by the Bulgarian Government
  State Agency for ITC
• Implemented by United Nations Development
  Program (UNDP)
• Term by the end of 2006
• Budget 4,010,000 USD

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Vision Statement

• iCentres aim to narrow the gap between todays
  Bulgarian civil society and the Information
  Society, by improving the technological and
  informational skills of citizens and business in
  rural areas and facilitating the flow of
  information

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Mission Statement

• iCentres allow the affordable distribution of
  educational, informational, and value-add
  services providing forms of content, such as
  voice, video and data to citizens and businesses
  throughout the country.

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Values Statement

• Political
• Provide a cost effective way to distribute
  e-Government information and services to citizens
  and businesses throughout the country. In
  addition, by leveraging the iCentres distribution
  channel, government agencies can also collect
  information about its citizens.
• Economical
• Provide local communities with affordable access
  to information and services while enabling them
  to promote their products, services and local
  know-how. In effect, this allows them to access
  other markets nationally and globally.
• Social
• Give communities the ability to communicate and
  share information with people around the world
  and to get closer to other communities within
  Bulgaria and abroad. Simplifying the life of
  citizens and businesses by delivering a number of
  services electronically.

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Values Statement

• Ethical
• Allow the distribution of a variety of content
  that, in principle, is not harmful or offensive
  to its recipients and may or may not be enforced
  by iCentres directly.

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Our Unique Approach

• Partnering with Bulgarian Posts. Benefits
• Space owner
• Business structure
• Trusted organization (ID confirmation)
• Focus on content instead infrastructure and
  organization only
• Developing and implementing a consistent business
  strategy
• Securing local support

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Competitive Advantages

• Physical coverage
• Space in post offices and municipalities around
  the country
• Existing relationship - Trust factor
• already been established between post office
  personnel and their existing customers
• Government support
• UNDP image and recognition
• Ability to represent the visitor and receive
  payment

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The iCentre Concept
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Chronology

• June 2004 5 pilot telecenters
• September 2004 22 telecenters
• December 2004 Bulgarian Korean Internet Plaza
• June 2005 44 telecenters
• July 2005 Establishment of iCentres Association
• February 2006 Project extention

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Fact Sheet 1

• Customers more than 190,000 people
• Trainees 3,000
• Courses 325
• Offered services 29.
• Instructors 210 (8 of them volunteers from
  Korea).
• Employees 134
• Projects partnering with the telecenters 5
  among which
• Integration of Minorities.
• Development of Tourism.
• Computers in Schools.

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Mobile Telecenter
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Microsoft UP project

• Integrated Learning System MS Learning Gateway
• E-Learning potential
• Continuous education
• Content focus rather than delivery
• Localized content 8 modules
• Instructors trained
• 100,000 USD

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iGovernment

• 10,000 civil servants are being trained in core
  IT skills in 6 months
• 264 locations (all municipalities in the country)
• About 1,000 courses
• 300 instructors
• 370,000 USD

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Ground

• Recognized project
• Several awards
• Proven quality of work
• Organizational maturity
• Contact network established
• Local level
• Central institutions and organizations
• Awareness threshold paced
• Competition outran

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Partners

• Bulgarian Posts
• Agency for ICT Development
• iBulgaria initiative including
• iClass
• iNet
• ESI
• iUniversity
• Others
• IT companies
• Mayors/City Halls
• Local schools

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Courses

• IT Skills
• Core and Expert IT skills
• MS Unlimited Potential
• Cisco Networking Academy
• Linux administration
• Language skills
• E-Reading Essentials
• MM English
• Business skills

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Future

• Recover operation
• 99 telecenters operational end of March
• 160 total
• State Administration training 20,000
• Teachers 20,000
• MLSP 2,000

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Future

• Training
• IT
• English
• IT shop bookstore, applications
• IT tech support iClass
• European and National Projects
• E-Government
• Local content

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Challenges

• New relations with the SAITC
• Operational coordination
• Strategy and priorities
• Level of involvement
• Association iCentres involvement
• BG Posts operational, premises
• UNDP statute,
• Sustainability, project expiration

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Thank You!

• Any questions?

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Marketing Plan
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Target Audience

• Consumers A Mass Marketing Approach
• Citizens
• Students
• IT Enthusiasts
• Unemployed
• Businesses A Mass Marketing Approach
• Municipalities A Relationship Marketing
  Approach
• Embassies A Direct Marketing, Content
  Collection Approach
• Partners Direct Marketing, Relationship
  Management Approach
• Vendors (Cisco, Microsoft, SUN Microsystems, IBM)
• Government

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Marketing Plan Positioning

• Positioning
• An iCenter is a place where you can find
  information and tools that you need in order to
  make your life easier
• Slogan
• iCenters, providing content people need

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Marketing Plan Products
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Targets
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iCentres Opening Schedule
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iCentres Life Cycle
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Exit Strategy

• Once the project becomes mature enough, it is
  span-off as a daughter company belonging to
  Bulgaria post. All capital assets, human
  resources, processes and procedures are
  transferred to the new legal business entity
  which continues all iCentres operations.
  Furthermore, all established services and content
  provider agreements are transferred to the new
  company

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Risks Internet Cafes

• No regulations, no constrains
• Local contacts
• Short-term profit-oriented hence, sensitive to
  any competition
• Mitigation Strategy
• partner instead competing
• let them join our content program if they meet
  our criteria (certify/license them)

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Management and Organization

• Management team
• Project Manager
• Core Team
• Technology coordinator
• Content Coordinator
• Financial and Business Analyst
• Local teams
• Telecenter Managers
• Associates
• Office Team
• UNDP Administrator
• Office Manager/Administrative Assistant
• Technical Assistant/Driver

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Project progress

• Pilot phase completed
• 5 pilot telecenters open
• Equipment procurement/installation
• Internet access
• Staff hired
• Space arranged
• Official openings
• Staff training
• Initial services launched
• Training program launched
• Lessons learned

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Maturity levels

• Level 0 Initial (Internet club) Internet,
  PCs, network,
• Level 1 Repeatable (training focus)
• Level 2 Managed (business focus)
• Level 3 Defined (integrated with central
  management)
• Level 4 Measured (development)
• Level 5 Optimizing
• More

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Selection Criteria Needs

• Population
• Min 2,000 total
• Young people (under 30)
• Schools at least high school
• Initiatives
• Social projects
• Other information projects/ideas
• Local business needs
• Regional contribution

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Selection Criteria Space

• Space
• Min 3 sq. m. /workplace
• Easy access
• Handicapped access
• Hygienic requirements bathroom, light
• Ergonomic requirements
• Power cables
• BTC proximity
• Licenses/permissions

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Selection Process

• Nominations
• Site visits and evaluations
• iCentres Eligibility Calculator
• Weights
• Formula
• Recommendations
• Approval and affirmative action

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Telecenter Types

• By size
• Small 5 to 10 PCs
• One server/switch/router/printer/scanner
• Medium 10 to 20 PCs
• beamer/one more server/more MM
• Large 20 PCs
• more
• Mini telecenters 2-3 PCs
• Standalone PCs with some Internet

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Telecenter Types

• By functionality
• Communication centers
• Consultation centers on e-Government
• Training centers
• Multimedia centers
• E-Business units

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Telecenter Equipment workstations

• Class A computers Internet, basic
  multimedia/videoconferencing, office tools,
  edutainment
• Class B computers heavy applications (MM design)

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Telecenter equipment Servers

• Server class S
• Linux Firewall, Internet access,
• Windows 2000 Exchange, IIS, ..
• Server class L
• Distributed database system
• Content management
• Server class XL
• Central database
• High reliability

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Telecenter Equipment Network

• Internet access
• Small router
• Modems
• Local area network
• Switch
• Structured cabling

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Telecenter Software Platforms

• Open source platform
• Linux servers
• Applications under MS Windows
• Windows platform
• Windows 2003 servers - MSDN
• MS Office applications