Interview with Mark Beckford, VP of Global Business Development, NComputing
Mark Beckford spent 11 years at Intel, where he ran the Emerging Markets Platform Group and served as architect for Intel’s World Ahead programme, which he personally launched in Africa in 2006. Recently, he joined NComputing as VP of Global Business Development. In his new role he is responsible for bringing NComputing’s ultra low-cost computing solutions to Africa.
 Q: Much of the developing world seems to be looking at low-cost laptops. Why is that?
Mark Beckford: Initially, there was a lot of hype and attention created by low-cost laptops because the idea sounded great. But as governments actually pilot the technology in real schools and understand the economics of a broad-scale rollout, they are beginning to understand the limitations and hidden costs of low-cost laptops.
Q: Can you talk more about the low-cost laptop approach?
Mark Beckford: Most developing nations have very limited education budgets – some spend less than $50 per student per year. So does it make sense to spend $200 – $400 per child for what is essentially a learning tool? We believe computer education is important, but so are teachers, buildings, books and supplies. NComputing enables computing access in either computer labs or in classrooms for a tiny fraction of the cost. In addition to the high cost, laptops are also easily stolen, they break down much more often, and they require network infrastructure to make them practical. These are all hidden costs that raise the overall cost to $800 per laptop.
Q: Your new company offers what you call ultra low-cost computing. Exactly what does NComputing do?
Mark Beckford: The NComputing solution is based on a simple fact: today’s desktop PCs are so powerful that the vast majority of applications only use a small fraction of the computer’s capacity. NComputing enables a single PC to be virtualised so that up to 30 students can simultaneously tap the unused capacity and share it as if each had their own computer. NComputing solutions start at about $70 per seat, and for large government tenders/contracts, they are priced even lower. NComputing uses just 1 watt of electricity, which is an important consideration in many countries where electricity is expensive and in limited supply.
Q: Why would you say that is better than a low-cost laptop?
Mark Beckford: First, NComputing is much, much lower in cost – not just acquisition costs, but also maintenance/service costs (typically, a 70 percent savings over laptops). Second, NComputing is more secure because it is locked up in a school. Third, NComputing is more practical because it does not require special IT training, networking infrastructure or broadband access. Finally, it is much easier to deploy – teachers with minimal IT skills can install it.
Q: Does NComputing have any success that you can point to as evidence of your claims?
Mark Beckford: We have sold over a million seats in 100 countries and have large-scale deployments in Brazil, India, Macedonia, Mexico, Turkey and the United States. In fact, the Macedonia project is for 1:1 computing throughout its government school system. In India, a large state just deployed NComputing in 5000 high schools to bring computing access to 1.8 million students. While the laptop programmes have received a lot of media attention, the actual deployments have largely been with desktop PCs and NComputing.
Q: What stands between your solution and broad adoption, and subsequently a technically educated population in Africa?
Mark Beckford: The biggest obstacle in Africa is awareness of NComputing’s solution. That is why we are working closely with channel partners, African governments, and international and regional NGOs that are dedicated to improving education.
www.ncomputing.com
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