[India] Making the PC cheaper, village-friendly

["Irfan Khan" <khania2@super.net.pk>]

Making the PC cheaper, village-friendly 

 
SOFIA TIPPOO

TIMES NEWS NETWORK [ MONDAY, MAY 27, 2002  11:27:09 PM ] 
 
BANGALORE: Ingenuity is a hackneyed word for these companies.


Three fleet-footed companies in the city have unleashed a range of 
smallcomputing devices to percolate down the benefits of technology, 
read email, to the rural masses and the middle income segment who 
cannot afford a Rs 30,000-range PC.


Though the market is still undefined, the devices are capable of 
sending and receiving email. It could be important information like 
crop statistics, or banking transactions all clubbed with a Web 
browser to surf the Net.


Most importantly, the companies are looking at local fonts like 
Kannada and Hindi.


Close on the heels of simputer, a handheld Internet device designed 
by the IISc and Bangalore-based Encore Software, came iStation (from 
iNabling Technologies), a device for just sending emails. Now, Sasken 
Communications known for its cutting edge third generation (3G) 
technology for mobile handsets, has come out with a novel email 
device.


Says Rajiv Mody, CEO, Sasken, "PCs will not go away __ but we are 
looking at something which comes in useful for government and rural 
organisations, NGOs, hospitals, pharmacies, insurance companies."


Two devices are rolling out of Sasken after three years of hardcore 
research. One looks like a robust laptop, Aparate, which only 
facilitates email and can also be used to browse the Net. The other, 
Penseive, is a slim box where collaborative work can be done __ say, 
a orthopaedic surgeon in Mangalore needs to consult a paediatrician 
in Bangalore, they can use this device and email the X-rays __ circle 
problem areas and write messages too. If you are not too comfortable 
with the mouse, buttons are there to simplify things. And, these two 
devices will be priced around Rs 10,000 each.


Says Vinay Deshpande, CEO, Encore Software, spearheading the simputer 
drive, "Simputer is slowly making headway in the rural areas. A few 
pilot trials are already well under way with about 150 simputers in 
various applications. Institutional users are in fact using them in 
verticals such as e-governance (land records, health statistics 
collection, etc.), e-education, and enterprise (microbanking, 
hospital data management, order booking, billing, delivery tracking, 
etc) applications." 


The price for the simputer ranges from Rs.10,500 to Rs. 23,500.


The emailing device, iStation, (price: sub Rs 10,000) inaugurated by 
Karnataka CM S.M. Krishna in Mandya last year, swamped with teething 
and marketing problems is now reborn with a more realistic look. 
``Now, we have over 3,000 users spread over three states. Gram 
panchayats in Davanagere and Mandya, revenue departments including 
Tahsildar and Deputy Commissioners as well as the milk federations at 
district and taluk levels are using iStation,'' notes M.K.H.S. 
Gilani, head (Business Development), iNabling Technologies. Soon, the 
newer versions will be Internet enabled, he added.


A small beginning nevertheless, but the first step has been taken 
with price points in mind 
for the rural masses. 



http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow.asp?art_id=11197987&sTy
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