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July 5, 2001
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Money > Business Headlines > Report July 5, 2001 |
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IBM launches low-priced range of home computersIBM on Thursday launched a new series of low-priced high-performance home computers, targeted at the burgeoning Indian middle class, to increase its market share in the $700 million market. The 'Netvista I' range with a price tag of Rs 36,000 plus taxes for the basic fully-loaded multimedia Internet-ready model will be IBM's initial high-pitch foray into the home computer segment which is still dominated by the 'clone' or grey market, IBM country manager Shashi Mal told reporters. The Netvista range has five models -- the cheapest powered by an AMD Duron 650 Mhz processor and the sleek upper-end X40i model, priced at more than 100,000, closing the range -- all with 90-hour free internet access packs thrown in. Mal said the multinational has set up a manufacturing facility at Pondicherry with a flexible capacity to adjust to market demands. But he hedged questions on IBM's current share in the home PC market, which he said was ''negligible as we are just starting''. IBM India formally launched operations in September 1999. ''We are positioning ourselves for the sharp growth in the PC market which is likely to touch three million units, or $2 billion by 2004,'' he said. ''We don't want to set any targets just yet,'' he said. Managing director and CEO, IBM India, Abraham Thomas said the range has been designed to make computing easier for Indian consumers. He said the new range will initially be restricted to those geographical locations where the company has an adequate support base to provide prompt after sales service. Abraham said IBM has invested heavily in India, particularly in the north where it has a state-of-the-art research lab, one of only eight world-wide, and an e-business centre in Gurgaon, which supports its businesses around the world. Currently only 25 per cent of the PC market is shared by international brand-names like Compaq, HP, IBM and Dell. UNI |
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