How?

How are we going about it?

We see our role as three-fold:

• Alerting people to the fact that traditional networked computing will never be sustainable in the long term
• Demonstrating that viable alternatives exist now and work in the real world
• Enabling those who could benefit from these new models of computing to get access to it

In terms of technology, our strategy is to combine a novel kind of ultra-thin-client networking hardware with Open Source software.

In the four years that we've been in existence, Ndiyo has stimulated the development, by a new company, DisplayLink, of a novel piece of hardware called the Nivo (Network In, Video Out). The Nivo is an ultra-thin client, allowing provision of a networked computer workstation for something closer to the cost of a VGA cable than that of a PC!

Combining the Nivo with open-source software on an Ndiyo server provides a robust, affordable and more sustainable way of providing a group of networked workstations. You can read about our system here. We are currently operating a number of trial deployments of the Ndiyo system and about to implement some more.

Our object in doing this is to demonstrate that a radically different way of doing networked computing is not just desirable, but eminently feasible. We've found that nothing convinces people like being able to see for themselves.

Ndiyo networking is real, not vapourware! Our main effort now is to work out the business processes and partnerships that will make it economically viable to deliver this to the world.