"Participation Builds Unity"
"MADE IN AFRICA - FOR AFRICA"
"Participation Builds Unity"
"MADE IN AFRICA - FOR AFRICA"
A 'SPECIAL PROJECT' SERVING AFRICA
FREE COM - AFFORDABLE COMPUTERS
ESTABLISHING APPROPRIATE COMPUTER INDUSTRY ALTERNATIVES HAS ENORMOUS BENEFITS:
STIMULATING ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
BRIDGING THE DIGITAL DIVIDE
FACILITATING COMMUNITY BUILDING
CREATING ENTREPRENEURIAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE PREVIOUSLY DISADVANTAGED YOUTH
FREE COM - AFFORDABLE COMPUTERS is an IT Solutions business, better known as Southern Africa’s only dedicated Personal Computer assembly/refurbishing, distribution and skills development business.
Our vision is “Affordable Computers for All”.
In August 2003 FreeCom Group was nominated as a finalist in a national competition, sponsored by T Systems, the SA division of Deutsche Telekom, held to identify companies doing innovative and sustainable work within the Technology sector. FreeCom Group was one of several hundred entrants to the competition and was honoured to be one of the ten finalists in the event.
In September 2003 FreeCom Group was awarded with the status recognized as a Technology Top 100 Company. The award recognizes entities that are highly innovative and that display great technological potential.
There are two inter-dependent parts to our activities;
FreeCom Solutions - a personal computer trading business that distributes new computers, assembled in our own facility, and refurbished personal computers. With regard to refurbished units ‘end of life’ corporate computers, typically about 18-24 months old, are acquired and fully refurbished in the FreeCom Group’s computer workshop facility and made ready for resale into the price sensitive/affordable end of the market. In addition to this FreeCom provides a sensible ‘end of life’ office equipment asset disposal service for corporates, parastatals and government departments. This service enables clients to arrange to have their ‘end of life’ office equipment packed up and removed under strict control. The equipment is either scrapped, according to strict environmentally sensitive procedures, or channeled through to the remanufacturing facility where the equipment is refurbished and made ready for a new life.
FreeCom opened its first retail outlet in Mitchells Plain’s new Promenade Centre in the fourth quarter of 2003 and has opened a second outlet in the Maynard Mall in Wynberg. These stores have enabled FreeCom the opportunity to get much closer to the market. Further store openings are planned for 2004.
FreeCom Group recently signed a Memorandum of Agreement with the Oval Institute of Higher Education, South Africa’s fastest growing and most forward thinking tertiary education business. The Oval/FreeCom partnership will see the formation and set up of Oval/FreeCom Affordable Computer stores in all Oval’s campuses across the country. The vision of the partnership is ‘Affordable Computers for All’. The partnership is specifically targeting students, private individuals, small businesses as well as schools in its focus.
Oval has four main campuses in Durban, Johannesburg, Cape Town and Pietermaritzburg. It is planned that a FreeCom Affordable Computer store will open in each campus during 2004.
The FreeCom Digital Workshop - encompassing a learnership/training facility where appropriate personal computer technology repair, refurbishment and technical support and training skills are taught to learners, predominantly from the previously disadvantaged youth, who are interested in obtaining a practical/technical qualification in personal computer technology. In addition to the technical aspects of the course the learners are also provided with a thorough training in basic business skills as well as appropriate life skills concepts. The vision of this business is to produce the IT Entrepreneurs of the future ie individuals who are capable of running their own FreeCom franchised personal computer sales, training and technical after sales support enterprises.
New industry paradigm
The FreeCom Group has established a credible, second tier computer industry based on factory remanufactured, fully guaranteed personal computers and where appropriate, the use of applicable, smart software.
Our exciting venture has already had an enormous impact on the South Africa IT market as it provides enormous benefits in terms of:
The FreeCom Group’s wider vision is to make a difference by narrowing the digital divide for previously disadvantaged communities by making access to appropriate information, communication and ICT technology more affordable and accessible to all. Affordable computer and telecommunications technology has many applications in the wider market, not just in private homes, schools and community centres.
On the commercial side FreeCom’s primary target market is the first time buyer end of the market – i.e. that large sector of the potential market that has not been addressed by the new equipment vendors. We also have credible and affordable solutions for business applications as well as for the bulk users of computer desk top hardware i.e. schools and government departments.
The key difference is that the cost of such a start up solution, backed with a full factory warranty, is at a fraction of the current new market price for the desired equivalent functionality. Typically a FreeCom refurbished personal computer, inclusive of a full 6 month carry in warranty, will cost about 50% of the price of an equivalent new computer. The impact that this has in terms of making such an IT solution more affordable and accessible to the wider market has huge potential.
FreeCom’s IT Solutions target market stretches right across from first time home users, who have never believed a pc will ever being affordable, to schools, community centres, NGOs, small businesses and also to provincial and government departments. We also envisage the set up of multiple community technology centres, in both schools and community centres, that will see us helping to introduce IT access, via community based computer literacy training programs, across a far wider audience than ever before.
From a schools perspective FreeCom is far more than being just a hardware equipment supplier. We firmly believe in making sure that a sustainable solution model is created and put in place long before the first pieces of hardware get delivered. The pre-planning phase must address many of the hard issues (secure computer class rooms/community computer rooms, adequate security, internet connectivity, Telkom connectivity, electrification, cabling etc) as well as the soft issues (training of the teachers and facilitators, hands on training of the users, after sales support, technical support etc) or else the project cannot sustain itself. The human development and community building opportunities are vast. All of these can have a significant impact on uplifting the local community and in making the project a viable and sustainable community investment.
Strategic Partnerships
FreeCom has a joint venture with eDegree, a Johnnic and PriceWaterhouseCoopers backed on-line educational provider, whereby FreeCom’s role is to ensure that affordable personal computers are made available across Southern Africa so as to make distance learning education, via on-line university and adult based training programs, more affordable and accessible than ever before.
FreeCom has been appointed as a Microsoft business partner and is one of only three Microsoft Approved Refurbishers (MAR) in the Southern Hemisphere.
FreeCom is a member of IBM under IBM’s international dealer/broker network.
FreeCom Group is a registered as an Internet Service Provider (ISP) and now offers affordable internet access to its defined target market.
Conclusion
Rob Packham
Ø Stimulating economic development
Ø Bridging the African IT digital divide
Ø Facilitating community building
Ø Creating entrepreneurial opportunities for the youth
We are committed to working with partners where, together, we can play an active role in helping others to gain a foothold in the industry and to empower them, via access to affordable hardware and appropriate skills, to create and develop opportunities for themselves within the IT industry or to add value to their lives/occupations by the appropriate use of remanufactured and affordable ICT technology.
We are continually striving to link up with strategic partners and like minded advisors, corporate citizens, investors, suppliers, donors and trade partners who share our view and vision of making a difference in the IT, Communications and Education field and who will contribute to increase the value of our all inclusive offering/solution. We invite associations with partners to see this exciting concept develop further throughout Southern Africa.
Managing Director/CEO
FREECOM GROUP
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Contact Rob Packham:
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