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Leading global IT vendor, Acer, has joined forces with top South African soccer club Kaizer Chiefs to make technology available to communities around the country while simultaneously promoting entrepreneurship and self-sufficiency.
The Amakhosi boast 13,1-million supporters and 220 active supporter branches throughout Southern Africa. Acer is to provide the latest computer equipment to establish Chiefs Cyber Centres for supporter branches over the next three years.
Acer equipment, including workstations, servers, storage and networking solutions, will ensure each Cyber Centre is equipped with state-of-the-art equipment. Acer will also be providing training to staff of the Cyber Centres so that the equipment can be managed and utilised to its full potential.
”We’re not simply supplying IT equipment and walking away,” says Stella Helwick, marketing and communications manager at Acer. ”Acer has lined up a host of top organisations in the IT and training arenas to provide appropriate software and training for the Cyber Centres.”
This project is also expected to provide a base for online micro-e-businesses. ”We anticipate a variety of micro businesses springing up around the centres as individuals with basic IT literacy skills sell their services to other members of the community,” she explains.
The first learning centre will be established in Johannesburg, with the rest of the centres to follow. The centres will be equipped with a powerful AcerAltos server, networked to eight Veriton 3200 and two multimedia Veriton 9100s.
Kaizer Chiefs is the first and only sports body in South Africa to begin the journey across the digital divide. This initiative will establish online communications within the Kaizer Chiefs community around the country, with an intranet connecting the local branches.
Kaizer Motaung, owner of Kaizer Chiefs says, ”There is a great need for computer literacy in this country, and through the Chiefs branches we have an ideal base from which to access the community. This is our way of giving something back to the supporters who have supported our team so loyally over the years. And we’re pleased to be involved with Acer in making this project a reality.”
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