The CATIA (www.catia.ws) programme aims to enable poor people in Africa to benefit from the opportunities offered by ICTs and to act as a strong catalyst for reform. It is a three-year programme of the Department for International Development (DFID) in close collaboration with other donors and role players.

Open Research is conducting research into low-cost and refurbished PCs as part of Component 2a of the CATIA programme: Low-cost computers and Open Source software being developed and tailored for the African market.

Project Synopsis

While the price of PCs may vary greatly depending on whether they are new or refurbished, the initial purchase price still only accounts for a small percentage of the total cost of deploying hardware and maintaining it over the lifetime of the equipment. The total cost of ownership (TCO) for PCs goes beyond the outright purchase price and takes into account the overall impact on the organisation of keeping its computers operational. This may include, for example, the cost of the operating system and applications, the ongoing maintenance of the machine, the sustainable life span of the PC, the overall productivity of the operator or the loss of productivity through equipment failure, viral outbreaks and data corruption. Industry figures indicate that the PC support and maintenance component of PC ownership can contribute as much as 60% to the lifetime costs of hardware. This is particularly the case when organisations are utilising low-cost and refurbished PCs. And while second hand PCs, refurbished locally or internationally, may initially present a low-cost alternative, the ongoing costs of managing refurbished equipment over periods comparable with new equipment may well shift the balance of benefits away from refurbished PCs to newer equipment.

Open Research is researching the factors and drivers contributing towards the five-year ownership cost of both new and refurbished PCs in the development, education and small business sectors in Southern Africa.

For more information mail Open Research at: info@openresearch.co.za