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History
simputer device

The Simputer project was conceived during the organization of the Global Village, an International Seminar on Information Technology for Developing Countries, conducted during Bangalore IT.com event in October 1998.

A discussion paper highlights the need for a low-cost mass access device that will bring local-language IT to the masses. The initial concept paper ( PDF version) expanding on the initial discussions introduced the term Simputer as an obvious twist on the word Computer. For the purpose of establishing originality, a slightly more complex acronym was invented to fit the name Simputer: Simple, Inexpensive, Multi-lingual comPUTER. And finally in order to appeal to computer geeks, ridiculously complex recursive acronym was also coined: Simputer: SIMPle compUTER, which expands to Simple, In-expensive Multi-lingual PeopLE's compUTER. The concept paper outlines the technical requirements of the Simputer as well as the applications. However, this paper is quite dated, and useful only as a historic reference.

The writing of the Bangalore Declaration on Information technology for developing countries clarified and fortified the concept of the Simputer and its role in the larger picture. A few items in the Declaration, specifically highlight the role for a Simputer-like device.

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The Simputer Trust is a registered non-profit trust with the broad goal of harnessing the potential of Information Technology for the benefit of the weaker sections of society.

Inquiries & questions to <simputer AT csa dot iisc dot ernet> dot in.
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