epages News [Computer Hardware Shops, June 2003]

BPL brand laptops launched

Jun 02, 2003: Kolkata: BPL Telecom, an arm of the consumer electronics major BPL, has launched laptops under the BPL brand. This makes it among the first Indian companies to foray into the domestic market, estimated to grow by 50% this year. Based on Intel's Centrino processors, these machines have been priced at sub-Rs 70,000 level, thus breaking the psychological price barrier of Rs 80,000-plus for branded PCs in this category. Overall sales of laptop computers are estimated to touch 60,000 units this year and BPL is eyeing a modest 3% share of it.

These machines will complement ‘Cybercom’ BPL Telecom’s range of desktop computers introduced last year. In the last eight months, the company has managed to sell 5,000 units, of these desktops PCs, which contributed around Rs 10 crore to its revenue. This, in turn, is expected to contribute 25% to BPL Telecom’s overall targeted revenues of Rs 240 crore for the year.

IBM introduces Linux-based PCs

Jun 02, 2003: Bangalore: Accelerating its relationship with Linux, the fast growing alternative to the Windows operating system, IBM, is for the first time introducing Linux-based personal computers (PCs) in India. A variant of IBM’s NetVista brand of commercial PCs preloaded with RedHat 8.0 Linux operating system is being offered to corporate customers. IBM strongly backs Linux. While a vast majority of commercial desktops run Windows operating system, computer makers and IBM’s rivals such as HP already have Linux-based commercial computers. IBM India expects the Linux system to open new segments such as government and education where its market share is low. Customers are now better able to link the Linux platform to various software applications that they use.

The IBM NetVista Linux desktop is not just another computer with Linux software thrown in. The operating system has been tested for applications which is being offered as a bundled software suite, and fine tuned for the Intel chipset which resides in the system. Along with this, IBM is also offering customers 90 days free telephone support with the option of extending it further by buying it for a cost from itself or RedHat. It is also providing a back up support centre. IBM has a better chance in the battle with competition in the commercial Linux desktop space as it is not just price alone which pulls customers but the overall value a box provides.

Intel launches mobile products, cuts some prices

Jun 03, 2003: San Francisco: Intel Corp., the world's largest semiconductor maker rolled out new Centrino mobile products and cut prices for some mobile products, including six Centrino packages used in laptop computers. Two 1.60 GHz Centrino products, which contain microprocessors, chipsets, wireless technology and software, saw the biggest price cuts among their product family, each down 30% from May 25. The chipmaker cut prices for three mobile Pentium M microprocessors used in notebook computers, with the price of a 1.60 GHz microprocessor down 34% from May 25.

Santa Clara, California-based Intel routinely lowers prices as releases of new products approach. Intel said it launched three new Centrino products, including a processor operating at speeds of up to 1.70 GHz, and said that later this month it will release networking software to provide additional support for Centrino wireless security features. Intel held prices flat for its Pentium 4 desktop processors.

IBM rolls out database for smaller firms

Jun 06, 2003: California: IBM began shipping a new database product for mid-sized businesses, as part of its ongoing battle with rivals Oracle and Microsoft. Paul Rivot, IBM's worldwide director of databases, said the company's new DB2 UDB Express product is built around its core database and adds features such as self-tuning and automatic installation that make it less expensive and easier to use. Pricing for the database software, currently available for the Linux and Windows operating systems and aimed at companies with 100 to 1,000 employees starts at $499.

Samsung launches smallest laser printer

Jun 07, 2003: New Delhi: Samsung Electronics India Information Technology and Telecommunication Ltd. (SEIIT) said that it has launched world's smallest entry level laser printer in the country. With an estimated street price of Rs 16,000, Samsung's ML1710 is targeted at small and home office users, retail consumers and SMEs. The printer could print at 17 ppm and is the next launch in the laser printer category after ML1210 printer. The personal laser printer category has seen a constant and steady growth since Samsung introduced ML1210. Samsung's marketshare grew from 9% to 30% in this category as according to Samsung Electronics India Ltd.

HP merges Indian services divisions

Jun 09, 2003: Bangalore: Global IT vendor Hewlett Packard (HP) has merged the services arm of its India software operations (HPS ISO) with Digital GlobalSoft,the Bangalore-based software services provider. HP's stake in Digital is also being raised to 73.2% from the present 50.6% and subsequently to 76.2%.The public holds 14.4% of Digital’s equity, while the FIIs' stake is 20.95%.

For its existing shareholders, Digital is offering a sop, by declaring a special dividend of Rs 24 per share (240 %).This is to be prior to the issue of equity to HP. Digital Global Soft said the union with HPS ISO will substantially enhance the size of Digital’s resources and talent pool and thus create a stronger Digital, with broader capabilities and exceptional growth potential from new engagements. The Digital and HPS ISO combination gives the new entity and the capability to offer end-to-end software services from infrastructure management right up to high end consulting. Digital’s Financial Year 2003 revenues was Rs 439.9 crore.HP does not disclose the revenues of its Indian software operations, which has two divisions - research and development and services.Market estimates put HP India’s revenue from software operations, which are structured as a cost centre, to be around Rs 300 crore.

NTT develops faster optic-fibre technology

Jun 09, 2003: Tokyo: Japan's Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corp (NTT) have developed a communications technology that will allow Internet users to download a two-hour movie in about half a minute. The new optic-fibre technology will increase communication speeds to one gigabyte per second, up from 100 megabytes per second is now available for homes and offices. The technology developed by NTT, Japan's largest telecoms operator, will make the downloading of movies and games from the Internet easier and give access to faster communications at a low cost. The faster communication speed would mean that a two hour long piece of video footage could be sent or received in 30 seconds, rather than around seven minutes using the speed available now.

Dell, EMC extend storage-equipment agreement

Jun 10, 2003: San Francisco: Premiere personal computer maker Dell Computer Corp. has extended its agreement with leading data-storage equipment firm EMC Corp. to resell EMC gear by two years. The original agreement, signed in October 2001, now runs through till December 2008, the companies stated. The two companies cited market share gains claiming that more than 4,100 customers have purchased Dell/EMC storage systems under the tie-up.

Dell has been working to get a larger share of shrinking technology budgets of customers, selling not only personal computers but also server computers using Intel Corp. processors and networking switches. Recently it started selling computer printers too. EMC, which has sold storage systems to large corporations, has profited by gaining access to the public sector and small and medium business markets where Dell is strong and EMC had a smaller presence. Under the original agreement, terms of which have not changed, the companies said, Dell has sold less costly data storage gear. It was expanded last October when there was a mutual agreement that Dell would make an entry-level data storage machine designed by EMC.

Sun Micro to push for more mobile Java programs

Jun 12, 2003: San Francisco: Sun Microsystems Inc. launched the first ever consumer ad campaign for the Java programming language this week, but it really needs to spur software developers to write "killer applications" for mobile phones and handheld devices. Sun did take some steps in that direction this week at its JavaOne conference in San Francisco, announcing a tie-up among cell phone makers to standardize the process of certifying new applications that use Java in cell phones. Sun said that should help to speed the proliferation of Java-enabled phones.

Sun also announced an agreement with rival Intel Corp., the largest maker of semiconductors in the world and who's Xeon, Pentium and Itanium processors compete with Sun's Sparc processors, to make Sun's Java software for cell phones work better with Intel's X-scale processors that are used in handheld devices and some cell phones. The branding and advertising campaign, to run in the tens of millions of dollars in its next fiscal year, aims to build on the Java brand in the minds of consumers. Java, the programming language that is used to write software programs that can run on many different types of computers and operating systems, has four different varieties at present for Smart Cards, mobile, desktop and enterprise applications.

HP to bring back Pavilion range

Jun 13, 2003: Hewlett-Packard (HP) India has decided to re-introduce its HP Pavilion range of PCs - phased out six months before its merger with Compaq. HP now intends to retain both the Compaq Presario brand and the Pavilion range to gain share in the consumer PC market, a segment which accounts for 33% of the total market. HP's share in the PC segment has been declining in comparison to its closest competitor HCL. HP's market share in the March '03 quarter stood at 7.6% against 7.9% in the March '02 quarter. HCL's share stood at 8.9% in March '03 quarter.

HP sold 46,265 units in the March '03 quarter, compared to the 54,260 units sold by HCL in the same period. The introduction of the new Pavilion will enable HP to get sufficient critical mass and achieve size. The Pavilion range of consumer PCs, priced between Rs 42,000 and Rs 80,000, comes with attributes such as a TV tuner card, digital content access and editing movies. The Presario, to be made available in the white-box segment, will be priced between Rs 30,000 and Rs 50,000.

Samsung to use Dell model to push PC sales

Jun 14, 2003: Hyderabad: Taking a leaf out of Dell's dollar-business model, the Solutions Group of Samsung India Electronics is working a similar model to tap the high growth software and business process outsourcing companies in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka for personal computer sales. The dollar-business or 'build to order' (BTO) model is specifically focused on the two states that have seen aggressive corporate buying of personal computers. The company's regional manufacturing base in Goa will complement the logistics operation in both states in responding to corporate needs faster.

Most big software companies, being STPs, are allowed to import hardware in dollar payments and avail duty exemptions. STPs are allowed set-off their foreign exchange earnings by the dollar spent on importing hardware. Based on the success in AP and Karnataka, the company may replicate the model in other markets in India. Of the 22 lakh PCs sold in India per annum, the company aims to touch an All-India sales figure of one lakh PCs, and capturing 12% market share by December 2003.

Govt to set up task force on hardware

Jun 15, 2003: New Delhi: Government would soon set up a taskforce on IT hardware comprising exclusively of industry members which would suggest measures to make India a global IT hardware destination. The taskforce would compile the demand list of the IT hardware industry, while also recommending ways to promote India as a manufacturing destination. The task force will help identify 40-50 companies, approach them directly, list their needs and persuade them to make India one of the key electronics and hardware manufacturers directly.

Sun to launch offensive against MS

Jun 16, 2003: San Francisco: Network-computer maker Sun Microsystems is going on the offensive against arch-rival Microsoft by building its Java software as a consumer brand. At the same time, Sun is still in defensive mode, as speculation persists that it may be a take-over target in light of the 92% drop in its stock since a record closing high of $64.31 in September ‘00. Introduced by Sun in 1995, Java is a programming language used to write software applications. In the ensuing eight years, Java has matured and is now found in everything from Java smart cards to printers, computers, servers and cell phones, and has spawned a community of 3m software developers.

Until recently, most PCs were shipped with Microsoft’s version of the Java Virtual Machine software that is needed to run programs written in Java. Sun had filed suit against Microsoft alleging that Microsoft had altered Java to make it work best only on Windows machines. The Palo Alto, California Company also announced an agreement with Intel Corp., the largest chipmaker whose Xeon, Pentium and Itanium processors compete with Sun’s Sparc processors, to make Sun’s Java software for mobile devices work better than Intel’s X-scale processors.

Force introduces ATCA-710 single board computer

Jun 17, 2003: Bangalore: Force Computers, a leader in embedded computing, has introduced the ATCA-710 single board computer, claimed to be the first commercially available board based on the new Advanced TCA (ATCA) series of open specifications. "Designed for control and data-plane processing, ATCA-710 supports high-end communications including 2.5G/3G wireless and broadband wireline applications," a company release said. It has a robust 1.85 GHz Mobile Intel Pentium 4 processor-M and support

for carrier grade Linux, it said.

Sun Microsystems deep in identity crisis

Jun 17, 2003: California: It was the leading supplier of the computer servers that fuelled the dot-com boom, the Silicon Valley star whose name was nearly synonymous with New Economy chic. But after two years on the bleeding edge of the bust, Sun Microsystems has fallen victim to the commoditisation of the computers that do corporate America's heavy lifting. Sun is deep in identity crisis as its executives try to reinvent the company. There's been loose talk of Sun as a possible takeover target, and some analysts are wondering whether Sun will ever return to the days of strong revenue growth and record profits.

McNealy, who declined to make himself available for this article, is more likely to be talking about cutting costs - or how his sales team is now offering customers a "whole-system" approach. To many ears, such a strategy sounds strikingly similar to the mantras of IBM, Hewlett-Packard and other competitors. Sun still has to convince outsiders that it can both survive and thrive. It will take time for Sun's strategies - and an above-average R&D budget at 15% of revenue to pay off. Java also could pay off if Sun's $1 billion private antitrust lawsuit against Microsoft is won or settled favourably, though some consider the case a distraction.

HP introduces new range of desktops

Jun 20, 2003: New Delhi: Hewlett Packard India Pvt Ltd introduced a new range of business desktop computers under the Presario brand. The new HP Compaq business desktops - d220, d330 and d530 series have hyper-threading technology and P4 processors and starts at an entry price of Rs 35,990 for d220, a company release said. The d330 is priced at Rs 49,990 and d530 is priced at Rs 60,990, it said. "With our extended and enhanced product line, we intend to be the number one player in the commercial PC segment", Ravi Swaminathan, VP, PSG, HP India said.

Sun Microsystems aims to exploit IBM's Unix woes

Jun 21, 2003: San Francisco: Sun Microsystems Inc., looking to poach customers from a rival in a weak market for server computers, said it had begun contacting companies that may be worried about a legal challenge to IBM's rights to the Unix operating system. Sun, which has been hit hard along with rivals IBM and Hewlett-Packard Co. during the high-tech recession, said the effort to contact customers began this week was backed by a campaign also aimed at exploiting the legal dispute between International Business Machines Corp. and SCO Group Inc. Sun's servers use its own proprietary microprocessors or Intel Corp. chips and its Solaris version of Unix as well as Linux. That puts Sun in competition with servers running the freely available Linux operating system as well as IBM servers that use its AIX version of Linux. Sun is reaching out to its own customers who also have IBM systems running AIX, an expansion of a long-standing Unix-to-Unix migration push Sun has mounted.

Intel introduces faster Pentium 4 processor

Jun 23, 2003: San Francisco: Intel announced a faster Pentium 4 microprocessor with performance-enhancing hyper-threading technology, as the world's largest chipmaker rolls out ever-faster chips. Intel said that its latest, and fastest, Pentium 4 will run at 3.2 gigahertz, or 3.2 billion cycles per second. With the hyper-threading technology, a PC with that chip can convert one minute of digital video to the MPEG 4 standard while also converting 26 minutes worth of music to the MP3 format more than four times faster than a Pentium III chip running at 1 gigahertz. Intel now has desktop microprocessors, the brains of personal computers, running at 2.40 gigahertz to 3.2 gigahertz, and costing $163 to $637, the price of the latest Pentium 4. Intel's hyper-threading technology allows software written for it to "see" two processors instead of one. It was first included in server and workstations, but Santa Clara, California-based Intel has now brought the technology to its Pentium 4 chips.

Intel expands supercomputing presence

Jun 24, 2003: While supercomputing has been predominant in research institutions, more and more companies, like banks, are using it for applications such as complex number crunching. Of the top 500 supercomputers in the world, 119 were based on Intel chips, up from 56 systems six months ago and three a year ago, according to the semi-annual Top 500 List, compiled by researchers at the University of Mannheim in Germany, the University of Tennessee and the National Energy Research Supercomputer Centre at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Nineteen Intel Itanium-based systems were on the list, up from two six months ago and one a year ago. In addition, systems with as few as 92 Intel processors are appearing on the list for the first time, Intel said.

More than one-third of the world's most powerful computers with Intel processors are used by corporations for intensive data crunching. An Intel Itanium 2-based system, at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland, Washington, broke into the top 10 for the first time and an Intel Xeon-based cluster was No 3 on the list, Intel said. Later this week, Intel will announce a new version of Itanium 2 for large-scale clustering.

Renesas to make 1 GB flash memory chips from September

Jun 26, 2003: Renesas Technology, a chip joint venture of Hitachi and Mitsubishi Electric, said it will begin producing 1-gigabit flash memory chips in September to meet strong demand. A 1-gigabit flash memory chip, used in digital cameras and camera-equipped mobile phones, is capable of storing more than 100 high-resolution still pictures. Toshiba Corp, an industry leader along with South Korean chipmaker Samsung Electronics, is currently producing 1.5 million 1-gigabit chips a month to meet booming demand from mobile phone and camera makers.

Renesas Technology was formed on April 1 after Mitsubishi and Hitachi had shifted the bulk of their highly volatile semiconductor business. Japan's industrial electronics conglomerates have shut plants, shifted operations to joint ventures and slashed tens of thousands of jobs over the past two years as they struggle with a protracted info-tech slump and tough competition from foreign rivals such as South Korea's Samsung.

Global monitor sales flat in Q1, LCD sales rise

Jun 27, 2003: Amsterdam: Global shipments of computer monitors were stable in the first quarter, but flat panel displays gained market share at the expense of cathode ray tube monitors. A total 28.6 million monitors were shipped in the first quarter, down one % versus the same quarter of 2002. Flat liquid crystal displays (LCDs) amounted to 10.6 million units, or 37% of the total, up from 30% in the previous quarter. LCD prices have plummeted in recent quarters. Demand for LCDs grew strongest in Europe, by 19% versus Q4 compared with a three % fall in US sales. Europe has become the largest market for flat computer displays.

US computer maker Dell was the world's number one LCD brand, growing shipments by 182% year-on-year and commanding a 16% global market share. South Korea's Samsung Electronics remained number two despite losing some market share at 8.9% while US-based Hewlett-Packard gained share at 7.5%. Samsung is still the world's largest manufacturer of unbranded LCDs. It supplies to other companies like computer makers which put on their own brands. Korea and Taiwan are the two countries where most of the flat monitor makers are based. Including tube monitors, Samsung is just ahead of Dell as the world's largest displays supplier. Semiconductors to control the LCD monitor and LCD televisions rose by 69 % year-on-year to 15.3 million units. Genesis Microchip lost some share but still made about half of all chips.

Epson Market share touches 19.42%

Jun 28, 2003: Bangalore: Epson said it's market share in printers had grown by 5.24 % to 19.42 % during 2002-03, as against 14.18 % during the previous financial year. Quoting IDC, Epson said its flagship inkjet drove the increase with sales during 2002-03 growing by 39,796 units to touch 1,12,991 units. "Our growth over the last 12 months was fuelled by the introduction of products in all categories and backed up by marketing strategies," Epson India said in a statement.

Semiconductor sales rise 2% in May

Jun 30, 2003: New York: Global semiconductor sales rose 2% in May from April, helped by an increase in demand from the telecommunications sector. The Semiconductor Industry Association said sales of electronic chips used in everything from computers to automobiles were $12.5 billion in May, compared with $12.26 billion in April. The association said sales in Asian markets had suffered from the spread of the SARS virus, which crippled retail sales of electronics, especially in China, in the spring. It said the lifting of restrictions to check the epidemic should help. Chip companies are struggling to recover from the industry's worst downturn ever, marked by a lack of corporate spending and a global economic slide that followed the greatest boom period in its history in the late 1990s.

Earlier this month, the SIA cut its 2003 sales growth outlook nearly in half to 10.1 % from the 19.8 % forecast in November, citing weaker corporate spending on technology, the outbreak of SARS and the war in Iraq. The figures come five days after Advanced Micro Devices Inc., the No. 2 U.S. chipmaker, said its sales for the second quarter would fall short of its target because of weaker sales for computers and cellphones in Asia due to SARS. Earlier this month, AMD's larger rival, Intel Corp., narrowed the range of its revenue forecast for the current quarter, but left the midpoint of the range unchanged at $6.7 billion.

 
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