‘A really cheap laptop is a myth’

1 Sep, 2008, 1202 hrs IST,TNN
http://infotech.indiatimes.com/articleshow/msid-3430906,flstry-1.cms


NEW DELHI: Having identified mobility, green IT and virtualisation as trends driving computing, PC major Dell is running a global road show--Future of Computing Tour--to discuss these trends.

Inaugurating the India leg of the tour, Dell India general manager Sameer Garde told ET what these trends translate into for the PC maker and how its retail strategy in India differs from other markets. Excerpts:

What is the Future of Computing Tour all about?
It’s a global Dell platform for discussing key trends with our customers and showcasing our products, services and solutions. We do this is in all of the 150-odd countries we’re present in.

What’s behind the choice of these trends?
Mobility, green IT and virtualisation are the top three trends which the customers are telling us. Customers are no longer asking for ‘this much memory’ or ‘so many giga hertz’.

Most companies are concerned about power consumed by their data centres. Five years from now, data centres in India would need about 20,000 mw.

To address this, we are working on redesigning data centres so that they consume less power, as well as using virtualisation and blade servers that use 25 per cent less power and take much less space.

These are initiatives for the ‘connected’ or existing PC users. What about the ‘unconnected’?
We have launched a range of affordable Vostro PCs for the SMBs who want to get connected to the Internet. However, there is a great need to increase broadband penetration in the country.

How about a low-cost PC?
Affordability is a key aspect of buying IT products, but it’s not everything. A really cheap laptop is a myth and I don’t think consumers are really looking for it. They are looking for a reasonably-featured and good-looking product.

You announced a tie-up with retailer Croma for distribution in India. But no such tie-ups after that. Why?
The India market is really different. In markets like the US, Europe and China, the consolidation of retail is very high. In India, a lot of consumers still prefer to buy from their regular, small multi-brand stores.

So, we are present through such smaller multi-brand stores in about 150 cities. We are careful about over-distribution, which companies tend to indulge in, leading to competition among channel partners.

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