UAE, 19 August 2007 - Following the launch of the Intel-powered classmate PC, developed at the Platform Definition Center in Cairo, Intel and Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka of the Republic of South Africa joined by the Gauteng Department of Education MEC Angie Motshekga announced the implementation of an innovative mobile e-learning program, as part of a holistic corporate social responsibility initiative in South Africa.  A township school in Mabopane, Gauteng, South Africa will take the first tentative steps into this program.

The Abel T Motshoane High School in Mabopane is the site of a pilot project for the Intel-powered classmate PC mobile e-learning solution, a collaborative initiative between the Gauteng Department of Education and key industry players. This will be the first deployment of a mobile e-learning environment in South Africa using the classmate PC as well as the first school in the country to make use of the new WiMAX wireless broadband access technology.

The Intel-powered classmate PC, designed by Intel Egypt's Platform Definition Center in Cairo, offers a complete solution with integrated software and hardware, delivering an end-to-end solution for education involving students, parents, teachers and schools in a student-friendly form.  The product is set to enhance students' learning experience at an affordable price with minimal IT infrastructure.

"We are thrilled to see Egyptian innovations implemented across different nations.  Last year we launched similar initiatives at a girl's school in Nigeria and have started to see the benefits that have transpired to students," said Khaled Al Elamrawi, General Manager, Intel Egypt, LEVANT and North Africa.  Elamrawi added that the Intel-powered classmate PC was part of the company's bid to provide technology to the next billion users as part of the Intel World Ahead program. A team of ethnographers had conducted extensive research on the needs of the underdeveloped markets and concluded that in order to provide connectivity to the next billion citizens, affordable tailored IT solution had to be made available to remote communities.

Two Grade 8 classes of the Abel T Motshoane High School, which serves a total of about 1000 students, will receive specially designed classmate PCs, providing students and teachers with access to technology in an effort to improve the education process and enhance the skills of learners. The classmate PCs are completely mobile units that that are capable of networking wirelessly both with the school's network infrastructure as well as with the Internet via WiMAX, providing students and teachers with access to a rich set of tools for enhanced learning.

WiMAX is expected to enable true broadband speeds over wireless networks at a cost point to enable mass market adoption. It is the only wireless standard today that has the ability to deliver true broadband speeds and help make the vision of pervasive connectivity a reality. Intel and Telkom signed a WiMAX Carrier Trial Agreement in 2005 and have since collaborated on the WiMAX trial and evaluation. Telkom is providing a 802.16d WiMAX link to the school which offers a speed of 512 Kbit/s Downlink and 256 Kbit/s uplink.

The Gauteng Department of Education will appoint and place up to 1000 Learners and Interns over a three year period. Fifty young IT people across the Province have been given an opportunity to be part of this ground breaking programme by being offered internships up to now.  These young people will provide IT support to Abel T Motshoane High School, already seven of them have been allocated to the school.

The key to a collaborative Corporate Social Responsibility program is to take a holistic approach. Instead of a single company trying to shoulder the responsibility alone, the collaborative approach sees a group of companies, each able to donate something of value, working in conjunction with the government in order to create a solution that fits into the government's plans for education as well as meets the needs of the community as a whole. The learnings from this pilot will be used to scale the solution more broadly in an effort to support the government in its drive to bridge the digital divide through better education for all.

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About Intel World Ahead Program
The Intel World Ahead Program aims to enhance lives by accelerating access to uncompromised technology for everyone, anywhere in the world. Focused on people in the world's developing communities, it integrates and extends Intel's efforts to advance progress in three areas: accessibility, connectivity, and education. Intel's goal is not only to extend affordable PC access but to develop the PCs tailored to local needs, drive critical connectivity, cultivate sustainable local capabilities, and provide the technology education needed to make a meaningful difference in people's lives.

As part of the Intel® Education Initiative, Intel invests $100 million per year in education in collaboration with governments and educators in 50 countries.

The Intel® Teach program has helped more than 4 million teachers in more than 35 countries effectively integrate technology into their classrooms to improve student learning. In the next five years, Intel plans to train 10 million more teachers on the effective use of technology in education, with the possibility of reaching another 1 billion students.    The Intel® Learn Program is a community-based effort in which underserved youth ages 8-16 learn technology, critical thinking, and collaboration skills using an engaging, project-centered approach.  To date, the program has been launched in eight countries and has reached more than 450,000 learners.

Intel Computer Clubhouse Network is an after-school, community-based learning program aimed at youth in underserved areas. As of 2006, more than 110 clubhouses have served 50,000 youth across 20 countries.

The Intel® Education Program works with more than 150 universities in 30 countries to advance technology innovation and develop a pipeline of technical talent.

To support the effective use of technology in education, Intel plans to donate 100,000 PCs to classrooms in developing communities.  In 2006, Intel has already shipped 10,000 PCs.

About Intel Corporation
Intel donated 100 Intel-powered classmate PC's to the school as part of the Intel® World Ahead Program. Intel also provided teacher training, digital education content through the Skoool.co.za portal, technical expertise to design the solution and will be rolling out the Intel® Teach Program to all teachers at Abel Motshoane.

For more information please contact:
Riham El Adl
Hill and Knowlton
Tel: + p: +971 4 3344930 ext: 625
E-Mail: riham.eladl@hillandknowlton.com

Rola Zaarour
Corporate Communications Manager
Intel Middle East
Turkey and Africa
Tel.: +(971) 4 369 2653
Email:  Rola.zaarour@intel.com

© Press Release 2007