Tech Shout!

Leading microprocessor company, Intel has teamed up with two Saudi Arabian software companies, as they have plans of developing an electronic version of the Quran, the Holy Book of the Islamic religion. Intel is also developing a training computer for teachers, which is loaded with the government-approved syllabus for school-going children.

Yesterday, Intel said that these two projects are part of a bigger picture, in which the computer chip maker intends to bring low-cost computing and Internet access to emerging markets.

The E-Quran is a small computer, which has wireless Internet access. This electronic version of the Holy Quran contains the text of the Islamic holy book, audio recitations in over 40 different languages, and also contains interactive interpretations of the same material that is cited in the Holy Quran.

In fact, Craig Barrett, Chairman, Intel, attended this product launch, which took place over the weekend in Saudi Arabia. His attendance was part of an overseas trip to unveil the wireless Internet technology that Intel had installed in the small city of Oseem in Egypt.

Intel has partnered with Dar Al Rasm Al-Othmani, which is a software company that focuses on religious content, and contracted with an outside firm to have the E-Quran portable computers manufactured.

The other product is called E-Curriculum and was developed with Semanoor, which is an educational software company. This device, which is meant for trainee teachers, is a portable computer that has been designed by Intel. It has been integrated with software that contains Saudi government-approved curriculum for kindergarten right up to the 12th grade.

According to Semanoor, E-Curriculum is currently being implemented in public as well as private schools throughout Saudi Arabia.

Both the E-Quran and the E-Curriculum devices from Intel have been powered by low-power Intel processors, which act as the calculating brains of the computer.