Simdesk
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Simdesk is a software company delivering Software as a Service to governments and telcos. Simdesk's software is widely considered to be a thin client alternative to Microsoft Office. Early in the company's evolution (2002-2003) this was clearly a heavy focus in media coverage of the company. However, it appears that Simdesk has migrated its pursuit towards one of workgroup services delivered over the internet, offering "integrated file, print, messaging, and groupware" across a range of devices.
In addition to fairly standard mainstream channels for small business and individuals, the company has an interesting but unproven approach to underserved US markets and developing countries, offering what appears to be a community-wide license to its service which is positioned as a tool for bridging the digital divide. In this effort, its service-based approach is offered as a "Digital Backpack" that plays along the same lines as that which wireless technologies have done to break down barriers posed by fixed-line broadband infrastructures.
The first example of Simdesk's activity in digital inclusion is a 2001 agreement between the city of Houston, Texas and Simdesk licensing the use of Simdesk's software on all their PCs and free for use for the citizens of Houston. There was some controversy with the project.[1] However, the project was apparently successful and continues to this day.[2] Similar projects exist in Chicago[3] and Indiana.[4]
[edit] References
- 2006 Simdesk Digital Inclusion positioning
- 2006 Simdesk review
- 2006 Simdesk in Vietnam
- 2006 Simdesk in Vietnam
- 2006 Simdesk in Brazil
- 2005 Simdesk in Brasil (Portuguese)
- 2005 LinuxPlanet article
- 2004 Business Week article on Simdesk
- 2004 Simdesk in Indiana
- 2004 Digital Divide in education
- 2003 Slashdot article about Simdesk
- 2003 Houston: News.com article on Simdesk
- 2003 USA Today article on Simdesk
