Nokia to Enter PC Industry With First Netbook

The world’s top cellphone maker Nokia will start to make laptops, entering a fiercely competitive but fast-growing market with a netbook running Microsoft’s Windows operating system.

Nokia had earlier this year said it was considering entering the laptop industry, crossing the border between two converging industries in the opposite direction to Apple, which entered the phone industry in 2007 with the iPhone. Nokia has seen its profit margins drop over the last quarters as handset demand has slumped, and analysts have worried that entering the PC industry, where margins are traditionally razor-thin, could hurt Nokia’s profits further. “We are fully aware what has the margin level been in the PC world. We have gone into this with our eyes wide open,” Kai Oistamo, the head of Nokia’s phone unit, told Reuters. “There’s really an opportunity to bring fresh perspective to the PC world,” he said, adding that Nokia would introduce extended battery life and continuous connectivity. Nokia has produced PCs before, but divested the unit in 1991 when it started to focus on the mobile phone industry. But Nokia’s first netbook, the Nokia Booklet 3G, will use Microsoft’s Windows software and Intel’s Atom processor to offer up to 12 hours of battery life while weighing 1.25 kilograms. Netbooks are low-cost laptops optimised for surfing the Internet and performing other basic functions. Pioneered by Asustek with the hit Eee PC in 2007, netbooks have since been rolled out by other brands such as HP and Dell. “The question is: How will Nokia differentiate? This is already a crowded market. If they manage to differentiate it’s going to give them competitive advantage,” said Gartner analyst Carolina Milanesi.

Research firm IDC expects netbook shipments this year to grow more than 127 percent from 2008 to over 26 million units, outperforming the overall PC market that is expected to remain flat and a phone market which is shrinking some 10 percent. “Nokia will be hoping that its brand and knowledge of cellular channels will play to its strengths as it addresses this crowded, cut-throat segment,” said Ben Wood, director of research at CCS Insight. “At present we see Nokia’s foray into the netbook market as a niche exercise in the context of its broader business.” Nokia’s choice of Windows software surprised some analysts who had expected the company to use Linux in its first laptop. Analyst Neil Mawston from Strategy Analytics said the technology choices were a good win for the U.S. companies. “We believe ARM and Symbian are among the main losers from the Nokia Booklet announcement,” he said. Shares in ARM were 0.2 percent lower at 1400 GMT, underperforming slightly firmer DJ Stoxx European technology shares index. Shares in Nokia were 1.6 percent stronger at 8.91 euros, while Microsoft was 0.6 percent firmer. Nokia said it would unveil detailed specifications, market availability and pricing of its new device on Sept 2.

A source close to Nokia said the new netbook would use the upcoming Windows 7 operating system. Microsoft says a stripped-down version of Windows 7 will be introduced to netbooks the same time as its general release on Oct. 22. Local media reports in Taiwan have said that Compal, the world’s No. 2 contract laptop PC maker, has pitched netbook models to Nokia, but there has been no official confirmation from either side. Nokia declined to comment on the manufacturer it uses. Most of the world’s top electronics brands typically do their own design work, but outsource the manufacturing process to contract manufacturers such as Compal and its larger rival Quanta.

Airtel Launches m-Commerce Service

Bharti Airtel has announced the launch of its m-Commerce service – ‘mChek on Airtel’ on the voice platform. The service promises seamless and secure use of voice (IVR) for m-Commerce transactions for all Airtel mobile customers. The customer has to call 543219 to access the service which is toll free.

“There is tremendous potential for voice enabled m-Commerce services in India and we are giving a huge thrust in this area,” said, Atul Bindal, President, Mobile Services, Bharti Airtel. Further added, “We believe that m-Commerce has the power to facilitate a paradigm shift in the way mobile users do commercial transactions and business in future.”

The mChek on Airtel service on voice will enable the 100-million-plus Airtel customers to pay Airtel mobile and fixed-line bills, recharge Airtel pre-paid and digitalTV accounts, recharge Delhi-Gurgaon expressway toll tags, pay insurance premiums, buy gifts, tickets and shop using their mobile phones. To avail this service, Airtel customers have to call 543219, create their own 6 digit mChekPIN and link their VISA/Mastercard credit card. The one-time registration links the user’s credit card automatically to the mChek on Airtel service. For all future transactions the user is required to only enter a six-digit mChekPIN on their registered mobile number to authorize the transaction.

mChek on Airtel provides an on-demand solution for mobile payments with a unique two-step authentication process, the mChekPIN and the Mobile Number. mChek on Airtel is already available on various access mediums like SMS, USSD , J2ME and SIM application and WAP.

Post-paid customers can -

- Pay their own postpaid bill
- Pay for others postpaid bill
- Make full or partial bill payment (customer driven)
- Recharge for other prepaid customers
- Pay any Airtel landline Bill
- Recharge his Digital TV account
- Recharge Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway toll tag ( for Delhi/NCR users )
- All other merchant payments

Pre-paid customers can –

- Recharge for self
- Pay Landline Bill
- Recharge Digital TV account
- Recharge Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway toll tag ( for Delhi/NCR users)
- All other merchant payments

Power bills soaring? Turn off the videogame

Don’t blame the refrigerator for your steep power bills: an Australian consumer agency study has found that videogame consoles and plasma flat-screen TVs are major electricity guzzlers, even when left on stand-by.

 

The recent study by Choice said Sony Corp’s Playstation 3, closely followed by Microsoft’s Xbox 360 and plasma television sets, consumed the most power out of a list of 16 electronic devices tested, including laptops, stereo systems and DVD players.

 

“Our tests found that leaving a Playstation 3 on while not in use would cost almost… five times more than it would take to run a refrigerator for the same yearly period,” said the study which was published on Choice’s website www.choice.com.au.

 

“The plasma TV set was also a power hungry device, consuming over four times more power than a traditional analogue set. The average desktop computer was third on the list.”

 

The report advised consumers to switch off their electronic devices at the source, rather than just from the remote control, which puts them on power-consuming stand-by mode. “This saves on money, not to mention carbon emissions,” it added.

Minister has a dream: Rs 450-laptop for India’s students

India’s technology institutes should work to develop low-cost laptops not costing more than $10 for students, according to Minister of State for Higher Education D Purandareswari.

“It is a challenge but we have the potential and the capacity to overcome challenges. Who would have thought Ratan Tata would develop a car for Rs 1 lakh?” Purandareswari said in Hyderabad on Tuesday.

The minister was addressing e-India 2009, the country’s largest information and communication technology (ICT) seminar which began on Tuesday.

“We need to put our heads together to bring down the cost of laptops. Power supply is another problem. We have to think how can we ensure schools use laptops and bring technology closer to children,” she said.

Purandareswari said the National Mission on Education through ICT to be launched by the ministry of human resources development would also focus on achieving technological breakthrough by developing low-cost and low-power consuming access devices.

The mission will leverage the potential of ICT, in providing personalised and interactive knowledge modules over the internet for higher education institutions.

“Some people have suggested that a laptop be provided to every student. The government needs to provide subsidy for laptops which cost $100-200, but given the huge challenges the country faces, it can’t afford such huge subsidies,” Purandareswari said.

The minister said developing content for children in their mother tongue would be another major challenge.

“It is through ICT and distance education mode that we can improve our gross enrolment ratio (to higher educational institutions) from 10 percent to 15 percent, a goal set by the Planning Commission. Even this is not comparable to developing countries where the ratio is 60 percent,” she said.

Purandareswari also underlined the need to remove fear of technology among the teaching community.

“Many of our teachers are first generation graduates, who are scared of failing in front of a computer in a class room. They also fear that technology will replace them and there is a need to take them into confidence,” the minister said.

According to her, her ministry is working out a national ICT policy framework.

The government is also in the process of implementing a secondary education scheme called Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan during the 11th plan at a cost of Rs 20,120 crore.

“This aligns with efforts of the ministry of human resources development to assist states to build ICT infrastructure in secondary schools through the scheme ‘ICT in schools’,” Purandareswari added.

Organised by Centre for Science Development and Media Studies, the three-day international conference and exhibition is a platform for knowledge sharing in different domains of ICT among governments, industry, academia and civil society organisations of various countries.

India Gets Its First Cyber Court!

The Indian Government has inaugurated its first cyber regulation court in New Delhi to deal with cyber crimes. The new Cyber Regulation Appellate Tribunal will help prevent all possible cyber contraventions, according to A. Raja, cabinet minster, ministry of communications and information technology, Government of India.
The Tribunal is destined to a path-breaking work to check cyber fraud, cyber crime and even cyber terrorism, says the Government.

Speaking on the occasion, K.G. Balakrishnan, chief justice of India, said, “While administrating the regulations, the Tribunal will face a challenge to strike a balance between the interests of the Government and end users of Internet.”

Speaking on its role, the Department of Information Technology (DIT) said, “It will facilitate and support the functioning of the Tribunal. In view of intermixing of legal and technical issues, a multi-member Tribunal has been constituted to look into the cyber contraventions.”

The Tribunal has been established under Section 48 of the Information Technology Act. The Information Technology Act 2000 came into force on 17 October 2000. The definition of the ‘Information Technology Act’ provides as under: ‘Computer’ means any electronic, magnetic, optical or other high speed data processing device or system which performs logical, arithmetic, and memory functions by manipulations of electronic, magnetic or optical impulses, and includes all input, output, processing, storage, computer software, or communication facilities which are connected or related to the computer in a computer system or computer network.

Section 3 of the Act provides with regard to digital signature and the authentication of electronic records. Section 4 provides the legal recognition of electronic governance in short known as e-governance. For adjudicating of the dispute under the Information Technology Act, Section 46 was enacted which has given the power for adjudication of the crimes. The power has been give to the secretary, Information Technology, and he has power to adjudge the quantum of compensation under Sections 46 and 47 of the Act.

Section 46 provides for appointment of an adjudicating officer not below the rank of a director to the Government of India. Every adjudicating officer shall have the powers of a civil court, which are conferred on the Cyber Appellate Tribunal under Section 48. The Act provides for penalty for damage to computer, computer system etc: penalty for failure to furnish information return; residuary penalty and publishing information which is obscene in electronic form etc.

Infosys Becomes First Corporate To Get CISF Cover!

Infosys Technologies and the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) have announced the deployment of CISF personnel at the Infosys campus in Electronic City, Bengaluru. This marks a historic event as Infosys becomes the first corporate organisation in India to be provided security cover by the security force. The security cover will be rolled out in three phases.
On receiving the CISF cover, Mohandas Pai said, “The CISF is India’s premier security force, entrusted with the security of India’s key assets, including government organisations, nuclear power plants, space installations, industrial organisations, airports and heritage sites. As an organisation committed to protecting our employees, premises and honouring client commitments, we are confident that the protection offered by the CISF will enhance security on our campuses.”

Earlier this year, Infosys and other companies had approached the Home Ministry with a petition for a protective cover over and above the capabilities of their own private security wings and agencies.

To mark the commencement of the CISF deployment on the Infosys campus, Infosys hosted an event at its Bengaluru headquarters which saw participation from R. K. Mishra, IPS, inspector general, CISF and senior Infosys management including N. R. Narayana Murthy, chairman and chief mentor and Mohandas Pai, member of the board. The programme included the hoisting of the CISF flag by N. R. Narayana Murthy, followed by the Ceremonial Guard of Honor by CISF and the official handing over of the ’security key’ by Infosys.

Speaking on the occasion, R. K. Mishra said, “This is the first time, since its creation in 1969, that the CISF will be providing security cover to a corporate organisation in India. We are pleased and proud to be entrusted with the responsibility of security at Infosys.”

It’s Official: Microsoft Joins Forces With Yahoo!

The two companies have announced a 10-year advertising and search agreement to give the Internet search giant, Google, a viable competitor.

To battle Internet search giant Google for online customers and ad sales, Yahoo!’s Carol Bartz and Microsoft’s Steve Ballmer have joined hands to change the search landscape. The two companies have announced a 10-year agreement to improve the Web search experience for users and advertisers.
Microsoft will acquire an exclusive 10-year licence to Yahoo!’s core search technologies, and Microsoft will have the ability to integrate Yahoo! search technologies into its existing Web search platforms. In simple terms, Microsoft will now power Yahoo! search while Yahoo! will become the exclusive worldwide relationship sales force for both companies’ search advertisers.

Microsoft’s Bing will be the exclusive algorithmic search and paid search platform for Yahoo! sites. Yahoo! will continue to use its technology and data in other areas of its business such as enhancing display advertising technology. Self-serve advertising for both companies will be fulfilled by Microsoft’s AdCenter platform, and prices for all search ads will continue to be set by AdCenter’s automated auction process.

“Through this agreement with Yahoo!, we will create more innovation in search, better value for advertisers and real consumer choice in a market currently dominated by a single company,” said Microsoft’s chief Steve Ballmer. “Success in search requires both innovation and scale. With our new Bing search platform, we’ve created breakthrough innovation and features. This agreement with Yahoo! will provide the scale we need to deliver even more rapid advances in relevancy and usefulness. Microsoft and Yahoo! know there’s so much more that search could be. This agreement gives us the scale and resources to create the future of search.”

Each company will maintain its own separate display advertising business and sales force. Under the agreement, Yahoo! will innovate and ‘own’ the user experience on Yahoo! properties, including the user experience for search, even though it will be powered by Microsoft technology. Microsoft will compensate Yahoo! through a revenue sharing agreement on traffic generated on Yahoo!’s network of both owned and operated (O&O) and affiliate sites. Yahoo! will continue to syndicate its existing search affiliate partnerships.

Microsoft will pay traffic acquisition costs (TAC) to Yahoo! at an initial rate of 88 per cent of search revenue generated on Yahoo!’s O&O sites during the first five years of the agreement. Microsoft will guarantee Yahoo!’s O&O revenue per search (RPS) in each country for the first 18 months following initial implementation in that country.

“This agreement comes with boatloads of value for Yahoo!, our users, and the industry. And I believe it establishes the foundation for a new era of Internet innovation and development,” said Carol Bartz, chief executive officer, Yahoo!. “Finally, this deal will help us increase our investments in priority areas in winning audience properties, display advertising capabilities and mobile experiences.”

The agreement does not cover each company’s Web properties and products, e-mail, instant messaging, display advertising, or any other aspect of the companies’ businesses. In those areas, the companies will continue to compete vigorously.

At full implementation (expected to occur within 24 months following regulatory approval), Yahoo! estimates, based on current levels of revenue and current operating expenses, that this agreement will provide a benefit to annual GAAP operating income of approximately $500 million and capital expenditure savings of approximately $200 million. Yahoo! also estimates that this agreement will provide a benefit to annual operating cash flow of approximately $275 million.

The transaction will be subject to regulatory review. The companies expect the deal to close in early 2010.