== Overview ==

Akhter Computers plc is a British company, founded in 1979 by Humayun Akhter Mughal. The company forms the major part of Akhter Group plc, a privately owned company. Akhter Computers deliver systems and software integration services, manufacture PCs and Notebooks, develop network management solutions, and supply leading brand peripherals and servers. <br />

UK Manufacturing

Akhter Computers manufacture PCs and Laptops in their UK factory based at Harlow in Essex; a fact that enables the company to respond quickly to demands for differentiated and high specification computer requirements. Coupled with a strong R&D focus, and in-house installation teams the company has the capability to take on challenging specifications. <br />

Major Markets

Education Specialist<br />
Akhter is UK based and has been supporting the Education ICT market since 1979. Since that time the company has completed installations at thousands of sites. Akhter supports professional development of school ICT Managers and Co-ordinators informing them of the advantages of emerging technologies via seminars run in conjunction with Intel or Microsoft. <br />

Working with the MOD<br />
Akhter have served the MOD since 1987, supplying PCs and peripherals and IT support and consultancy. Akhter remains today one of the elite IT service and product suppliers to the defence sector.<br />

Key Industry Partnerships

Since the company began, Akhter has worked with leading players in the IT industry; developing products and services that are fully compatible with the standards of the day. Akhter is an Intel Channel Premier and Microsoft Certified Gold Partner. Akhter supply customers with leading brand peripherals from Lexmark, HP and Epson and others. <br />

Quality

Akhter Computers was one of the first British computer manufacturers to gain BS5750 / ISO9002 quality assurance and maintains ISO9001:2000, the prevailing quality standard. Akhter aims to deliver the highest possible quality of products and services.<br />

Products Developed In-house

Akhter invests heavily in Research and Development delivering IT products to resolve the needs of education customers. The in-house software team, specialise in developing network management tools that support school ICT infrastructure including: network migrations and upgrades, user-friendly software for network administration by teaching staff. New product innovation includes:<br />

Video Intranet Integration<br />
Vidflow was designed by Akhter technicians and formally launched at BETT in January 2007. The Vidflow system comprises a dedicated video server and one or more Vidflow Workstations, to record edit and broadcast video across a network. Developed primarily with education in mind - Teachers have the resource to build a curriculum related video libraries that are accessible to students and staff, both in and out of school over the school’s Intranet. Broadcasts can be made to numerous classrooms simultaneously and videos accessed on demand by individual students. Vidflow integrates with Microsoft SharePoint. The Vidflow System enables:<br />

- The production and editing of videos
- Teaching using a video projector and whiteboard
- Video via the school intranet for individual study
- Broadcast video transmission to an entire School<br />

School Furniture<br />
Designed in the UK in 2006 for Akhter, Desk8 is a modular interlocking desk system that can be used to build hundreds of different class furniture layouts and adapt through multiple classroom revamps. The Desk8 System provides security for Notebooks and Tower PCs, plus flat screen monitors, in a manner that keeps the desktop surface clear. Desk8 can be used as single workstations (for exams) or linked together to form Octagons or Hexagons or extended shapes that support different group sizes.<br />

ICT Classroom Control<br />
Akhter designed “Teacher Console” software in-house. This enables teachers to control the use of ICT in the classroom. Facilities to block access to certain applications, send messages to students and monitor individual student activity are included.<br />

Network Management<br />
Another Akhter product “InterJigsaw” enables network management functions that include resetting passwords, adding user accounts to be handled by teachers without the aid of technical staff.<br />

Network Migration<br />
Akhter carry out Network Migration as a service to schools, and have developed specialist software tools to automate much of the work, these enable migration to be completed in a relatively short period, minimising any downtime.<br />

ICT Seminars

Akhter regularly run seminars, showcasing new and powerful working methods and network management tools. These events offer ICT Managers an opportunity to keep up to date with current technology solutions and explore any issues they may be facing Akhter technicians and partner speakers. Seminars are a free service, although pre-registration is required for those wishing to attend.
Details of the seminar schedule can be found on the website [www.akhter.co.uk Akhter]<br />

Akhter Education Trust

As an organisation, Akhter is focussed on education customers and has established the Akhter Education Trust to support selected individuals or projects that will advance education in the UK. The company also sponsors the annual “Experience Pakistan” project, which gives year 10 students and their teachers the opportunity to win a trip to Pakistan, through an Internet based presentation competition.<br />

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External Links

Akhter Computers<br />
Schools Experience Pakistan Competition<br />