New scheme to boost home PC use

24-04-2007

by Maxim Kelly

The Irish Government has given the go-ahead to an IT industry project to improve Ireland's PC penetration.

Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and Information Society Minister Tom Kitt launched the Home Computing Initiative on Monday.

Hardware vendors, large employers and state agencies which signed up to the HCI will offer three complete home computer packages to employees and customers on a low-cost hire purchase scheme. The scheme is expected to work by deducting a few euros per week from employees' salaries in return for a home PC or laptop.

AIB welcomed the Government's initiative and said beyond entering the scheme for the bank's own employees, its Technology Finance Unit will offer asset financing options to businesses wishing to open the initiative to their employees.

Estimates released by the Central Statistics Office in December show that 867,500 Irish households, or 59 percent, have a home computer, an increase of just 4 percent since the same time the year before.

AIB Corporate Banking estimated that if 20 percent of private and public sector employees take up the program, the initiative could be worth a combined total of EUR280 million to both equipment vendors and IT asset finance specialists like AIB's IT division.

"Whether you're young or old computers and the internet enable you to participate in the knowledge society and so enjoy benefits such as cheap and efficient communications, an information resource second to none that can be used for education, research, leisure, entertainment or news," said Taoiseach Bertie Ahern who promised the scheme would be explained to citizens in a jargon-free way.

As it currently stands, the HCI is split into three packages. Plan A is a basic PC for word processing, e-mail and internet use. Plan B includes additional memory for home entertainment functions such as downloading music, advanced photo or video editing and running business software. Plan C is "aimed at those who want superior performance".

AIBIT's senior product manager Cathal O'Connor said the initiative is a tangible step toward driving a sustainable knowledge economy. "Using the corporate citizen to promote the take up of technology in the home is an effective mechanism to reach as many families as possible. It may also have the potential to reach sections of society such as pensioned staff which expands the reach of the initiative significantly. Employees will now have the option of buying a leading edge PC or laptop in a very convenient way," he said.

In a statement, the Department of the Taoiseach said each HCI PC package will include hardware (a PC or laptop), software, virus protection and support. Each should have a three-year warranty and three-year virus protection program. Group purchase schemes will also be available.

Intel (Ireland) and ICT Ireland are understood to be backing the scheme.