ICT Technology Projects

As an enterprise company we are dedicated to keeping the economy and communities in Argyll and the Islands to the forefront with new methods of competing in global commerce markets and in the tourism sector.
We are also seeking ways to use technology to overcome the communication disadvantages faced by of our communities and businesses. One such innovation is the use of Video Conferencing which is a core part of our joint venture with Argyll and Bute Council in the 3 Islands Project on Islay, Jura and Colonsay.

Other projects which reflect this ethos are the Argyll and the Islands Community Web Portal, the Colonsay Exchange Activate trial and the Tiree Community Wireless Broadband project.

Community Web Portal

The aim of this project is to allow community groups in Argyll and Bute along with those on the islands of Arran and the Cumbraes to be able to use web technologies to reach a wider audience by broadcasting their activities on the Internet. By using database driven web sites with content management systems (CMS), email list management and event modules these groups will be able to have quality web sites which will be completely updateable by members of the group. All this will be achieved without the group members having to understand any complicated web editing or coding and be carried out with a simple web browser based system on their own computers.

Thus we overcome most of the barriers faced by small community groups when trying to develop their own web sites. The other element of this equation is cost. The portal system will allow them to construct and operate their own web sites for a low annual cost which is the other element that hinders community groups from fully utilising the Internet.

The portal site will also serve as a gateway to the voluntary service community here in Argyll and Bute along with those in Arran and the Cumbraes. The site will be administered by the Federation of Councils for Voluntary Service. All five of the areas CVS organisations will be represented on the site, Argyll CVS, Islay Jura CVS, Arran CVS, Bute Community Links and Mull and Iona Community Trust along with the voluntary training sector in the shape of the Argyll and Bute Volunteer Centre. The site will also link to the new national CVS Network site, the Volunteer Network Centre site and the Volunteer Development Scotland site.
  
If you would like to find out more about this project for your own community group visit our temporary web site at www.argyllcommunities.org and fill in the online form or use the link in the left hand menu panel to go directly to our form to register your interest.    

Tiree Community Wireless Broadband

Due to difficulties of limited reach that the current ADSL Broadband technology is prone to the community on Tiree would have faced a situation where only 50% of the population would have been able to get the service. The solution was for them to develop their own wireless system.

With the aid of funding from the SJ Noble Trust, the Tiree Community Business is leading a team which will set up a community owned Broadband service provider. With the aid of a satellite feed, part funded by the Scottish Broadband Incentive, along with wireless transmitters and receivers they will set up a Broadband wireless network that will cover the whole island.

HIE's not-for-profit company, Hi-Wide, will give technical assistance and HIE Argyll and the Islands, in partnership with Argyll and Bute council and Argyll College, are looking into training provision to help make the project fully sustainable by employing local inhabitants to run and maintain the network. Discussions are also underway with the community on nearby Coll regarding extending the wireless network to the island.

Both Tiree and Coll were part of the North Argyll Islands Digital Community project which saw the communities benefit from free computers and Internet access organised by Argyll and Bute Council and funded by the Scottish Executive. With a take up of almost 98% it means that there is a high incidence of computer and Internet literate households on all 13 of the islands who took part and the logical conclusion would be to try and extend the community wireless network to all 13 islands