Category: Asia

NGO WebOrganic Benefits from new Google Datacenter in Hong Kong

Posted on by Elliott Williams

Google will inject US$300 million as a long-term investment in its Hong Kong datacenter that will go live in early 2013, said the company after the ground breaking ceremony in Tsueng Kwan O Industrial Estate last week.

The company said it will also launch a community program in Hong Kong to provide annual grants ranging from US$5000 to US$50,000 to organizations that focus on the issues such as technology literacy and innovation, renewable energy innovation, and new economy entrepreneurship.

To get this effort started, Google is making a grant of USD50,000 to Hong Kong-based NGO WebOrganic to support their efforts in providing affordable laptops and digital literacy programs to underprivileged children in Hong Kong, the company added.

WebOrganic’s main focus is to promote eLearning to the underprivileged and give those people that were formerly without access to the internet.  The company regularly teams up with organizations in the Hong Kong area to further these goals.  It also provides technical support for internet problems for the Hong Kong Family Welfare Society and supports training and mentorship programs for the YMCA and other groups.  The company supports an impressive 150,000 students from lower income families.

Google launched a website on the facility at http://www.google.com/about/datacenters/locations/hong-kong, where people can ask the firm questions and find more information on the project, and job opportunities, the firm noted.

See the original article:  http://www.pcworld.com/article/245982/google_invests_300_million_in_hong_kong_datacenter.html

Read more about WebOrganic:  http://www.weborganic.hk/EN/node/6

Google Internet Bus Exposes Offline Population in India to Internet

Posted on by Will Petrovic

Google is taking the Internet on the road with its Internet Bus Project in India.

The Internet Bus Project is an attempt to educate people about what the Internet is, and how it may be beneficial to their lives, by taking the Internet experience to them through a customized Internet-enabled bus, which will travel to several towns and cities across India. You can see pictures of its travels here.

This unique project has great potential for starting the spread of Digital Literacy in the cities and towns that it travels to by educating people about the internet who may otherwise have no way to access it.

For more information and pictures, please visit:

http://www.labnol.org/internet/google-internet-bus-in-india/7015/

http://www.google.co.in/intl/en/landing/internetbus/

Cyber Cafe Association of India Brings Internet to the People

Posted on by Daniel Kent

Editor’s Choice “Best Practice” for Digital Literacy

How does an enterprising association empower the people of an enterprising country with the power of the Internet?  The Cyber Cafe Association of India (CCAOI) brings the world class infrastructure that entrepreneurs and citizens require to the masses – and is helping to facilitate the significant economic growth that India is enjoying.  Part of the CCAOI’s success is because they work closely with the Government, Regulators, Policy Makers, and mjaor Industry Chambers.

Digital Literacy is enabler and a catalyst for change in India.  The impact of this association is significant – providing Internet access through it’s 180,000 cyber cafes and 75,000 Public Internet Access Providers.

This initiative is helping to bridge the digital divide for millions of Indians in a cost-effective manner, enabling users to access the Internet for information, communications, and entertainment.  Digital Literacy’s editors agree that CCAOI affiliated cafes have redefined the positioning for cyber cafes, essentially as service provision stores, and has awarded CCAOI as a Digital Literacy’s Editor’s Choice

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For additional information, click on the website image above or visit:

http://www.ccaoi.in

http://www.apira.org/news.php?id=339

http://www.andhranews.net/India/2009/September/4-Cyber-Caf-eacute-26641.asp