Zinox, NComputing partnership to crash PC prices

Acclaimed manufacturers of Nigeria’s first internationally certified branded computers, Zinox Technologies Limited, has entered into a strategic and exclusive partnership with a United States-based NComputing, for the provision of ultra low-cost computers.

Chairman, Zinox Technologies Limited, Dr. Leo-Stan Ekeh, said that the strategic partnership strengthens the ability of Zinox to deliver on her resolve to bring computing to millions of Nigerians who are ready to embrace Information Technology (IT), but simply cannot afford it.

According to him, access to computing technology is the spring board for educational, social, and economic development in the 21st century.

“This partnership will play an important role in closing down the global digital divide and in particular enhance the realization of the MDGs and vision 20: 2020,” he said.

Ekeh also said that the NComputing innovation is ideal for government projects from local and state to federal, stressing that educational institutions, manufacturing concerns, large agric firms, small and medium enterprises, research laboratories, cyber cafés and homes.

“… Because it’s central concept of the shared PC,” he said, noting that NComputing has internationally acquired the reputation of being more rugged than the most durable PC due to it could run anywhere; factory floors, assembly lines, distribution centers, warehouses, plant offices, ERP terminals, dusty and dirty areas, high-heat locations, high-vibration areas.

NComputing, he further said, has been found suitable for healthcare, namely hospitals, clinics, examination rooms, nurses stations, laboratories to name a few as well as general offices.

The Zinox boss explained that the product is the perfect answer for affordable serious knowledge rebranding.

Explaining further, he said that NComputing solution is based on the simple fact that today’s PCs are so powerful that the vast majority of applications use only a small fraction of the computer’s capacity.

“NComputing taps the unused capacity in a PC and shares it among multiple users as if each person had his own computer. Each person enjoys a full PC experience by connecting their own monitor, keyboard and mouse to an NComputing access device, which is then connected to the shared PC,” he said.

Ekeh emphasized that maintenance and running costs are minimal because only the shared PC requires on-going service or upgrading.

The NComputing solution, as virtual desktops have broken the cost barrier to digital acquisition by over 35%, and supports both Linux and Windows platforms.

“There are technically two major products; the Zinox X-series and the Zinox L-series. The X-series supports up to eleven simultaneous users on a single shared PC. The X-series provide a rich PC experience that includes wide-screen resolutions and full-screen video,” he asserted.

A single PC, he said, could support 11 users, which means the main host PC itself and 10 virtual PCs.

He explained that the Zinox L-series access devices connect to the shared computer via standard Ethernet networks. That way, users could be any distance from the shared PC - whether it’s across hall, campus, or the world.

“L-series products come in a variety of configurations, with options that support USB flash drives and two-way audio. Up to 30 L-series can share a single PC,” he said.

Noting that both Zinox X-series and L-series are perfect solutions to the digital needs of corporate Nigeria,

“Governments – Federal, State and Local, SMEs, NGOs,” he said, expressing optimism that for once Nigeria would not procrastinate but embrace NComputing proactively just as the leading States in the USA, Asia and Europe have deployed millions of units.

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