THE PAST: 1996 – 2006

NetDay has developed a proven track record of ICT implementation in schools and is an acknowledged as possessing international expertise in this field. The period 1996 – 2000 was characterized by NetDay as a typical funded NPO. All work conducted was on the basis of donor funding from entities such as Gemini Consulting and Sun Microsystems. After 2000, and the closure of the IDRC in South Africa, NetDay shifted to a non-profit business model operating under standard business conditions. Work that NetDay was contracted to fulfil, includes the following:

• The 3Com Planet Project: one hundred and sixty computers installed into ten schools;

• The Telkom-Thintana project: three thousand PCs installed into 200 schools;

• SCOPE, a partnership between the Finnish Government, The Helsinki Consulting Group and SchoolNet South Africa. Two hundred PCs deployed into twenty schools in the Northern Cape and Mpumalanga;

• The MST (Maths, Science and Technology) hub site project: which created two centres of excellence in each province;

• Intel: Computer clubhouses located in Soweto, Etwatwa and Johannesburg;

• The Open Society Foundation: small networks and Internet access in Department of Education regional offices in Limpopo;

• MIP Holdings: Linux thin-client disaster recovery centre installation and setup;

• SchoolNet Malawi: designed their business plan for the implementation of a national program around sustainable technologies in education;

• Computers for Zambian Schools: advised on their refurbishment program for low-cost computing in schools;

• Gauteng Online

• South African Association of Youth Clubs: Network installation at their head office;

• NetDay has been consulted in the field of thin-client Linux and managed a pilot rollout for thirty five thin-client computer schools in Nigeria on behalf of SchoolNet Nigeria’s DigiNet project.

• During the Gauteng On-Line pilot phase, NetDay played a pivotal consulting role in the management of the Sahara Consortium in collaboration with Sourcecom Technology Solutions. Sahara went on to win a major portion of the contract as a result of this work by NetDay;

• The Business Software Alliance: deployed confiscated computers to deserving causes;

• Forum for Street Children: designed business plan and computer facilities for at-risk youth in Nazret, Ethiopia;

• NetDay is represented at council level in the Free and Open Source Software Foundation for Africa.

• The Shuttleworth Foundation: supplier of choice for programmed EPROMs;

• Skills House: deployment partner for end-user training in the Department of Justice;

• ISET SETA: NQF Level 4 Technical Support Learnership workplace experience;

• Coza Cares: Deploy and support over 60 Linux thin-client interventions by UniForum SA into schools in Kwa-Zulu Natal, Mpumalanga, Gauteng, North West Province and Limpopo.

• The character of our work has shifted over the years, with a change being experienced from primarily deploying systems on behalf of donor agencies, to deploying directly to sites and end-users requiring our services. There was also an increase in international consultancies from bodies and agencies eager to hear more about our experiences with sustainable solutions, or entities wanting us to help them design similar solutions tailored to their own environments.
  

Our expertise has been recognized by:

• The Linux Users’ Association when we were requested to present an overview of our activities at their annual conference in 2002;

• The Department for International Development of the British Government: invited us to demonstrate Linux thin-client to an ICT in education workshop in London;

• The Open Source in Africa Convention: shared our experiences to much interest and acclaim.
  

THE PRESENT: 2007

The 2006 experience has strongly reflected the shift to product-based sales of specific IT solutions for specific clients.

• Supply and installation of VOIP solution based on Asterisk PABX;

• Cabled and wireless networking solutions: Sinclair Interiors, SchoolNet South Africa, Delta Park School;

• Supply and installation of Linux thin-client computer labs: Sinclair Interiors, NARDEP, UniForum, Blairgowrie Primary School, Sparrow Foundation School, Microtronics;

• Installation and configuration of SME Servers to provide full mail solutions: Blairgowrie Primary School;

• Smoothwall firewalls: for Open Network Group;

• Provision of broadband Internet access to a range of corporate clients and individuals (in partnership with Modiredi Internet Solutions);

• Metalab: technical consultancy on the CSIR Digital Doorway project;

• OpenSea: technical consultancy on mobile computing solutions for identification of at-risk youth in rural KZN and Lesotho;

• Open Network Group – outsourced contractor for Linux servers thin-client services and thin-client terminals;

• Technical support services for clients including SchoolNet South Africa, Sinclair Interiors;

• Avuxeni Technologies: deployment of full computer labs for training on Openoffice;

• Public circuit:

• SangoNET: showcased Linux thin-client at their opensource conference Australian Linux Users Conference: Education presenter.