Scott Phipps, the new international relations manager at Via Technologies, and marketing manager Keith Kowal put a young face on Via’s efforts to provide Internet access to poor villages in the developing world.

They also display an enthusiasm for saving the environment as they talk about building energy-efficient computers for Internet community centers powered by the sun and wind.

So far, their efforts helped Via open its first solar-powered computer center on the South Pacific island of Samoa, in the village of Ulutogia. The Via pc-1 Information Community Centre gives local users access to the Internet for a range of purposes, including education and e-health. The center boasts three power-saving PCs, a Via pc-1 server, and an external fax/scanner/copier/printer, all powered by a dual 175-watt photovoltaic solar panel from Taiwanese supplier Motech Industries. Now, work is progressing on 10 more Via infocenters in Samoa in the islands.

The success of the project so far shows that Via may not be as big as rivals such as Intel and Advanced Micro Devices, but the company isn’t skimping on corporate largesse when it comes to bridging the digital divide.

In an interview with IDG News Service, Phipps and Kowal presented Via’s vision to build sustainable community centers in remote villages, and encourage the use of its energy-efficient products in countries trying to cut down their national electric bills.

IDG: How did you guys get involved in projects like these?

Phipps: I’ve been working at nongovernmental organizations [NGOs] for 10 years now, and I was brought onboard Via to use that experience on digital divide projects. You need the appropriate technology, you need sustainability like alternative energy, you need to have connectivity to remote communities and you need durability, and you need to teach people how to maintain the systems. Otherwise, it’s just technology sales with no long-term benefit.

What we did in Samoa was we set up a pilot community information center in a remote community which runs exclusively off of photovoltaic cells. We tweaked the system so they could maximize the daily sun and get more power out of it, and now the prime minister wants to set more up and has asked the United Nations for funding. We’re also looking at using wind power.

If I had used a different processor [than Via C7D], then this project would not have been feasible. [Note: Via announced the C7D in mid-October, a 1.5GHz to 1.8GHz processor designed to save on electricity, with a maximum power consumption of 20 watts. Via also promises to ensure the processor is carbon free for companies and countries involved in the carbon-free movement, through energy conservation, reforestation and alternative energy projects.]