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Acer to tie up with CA, plans 'Acer Connect' for channel

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DQC Bureau
New Update

Acer is on the verge of tying up with Computer Associates (CA) to

bundle their enterprise-wide software with every server. CA has tied-up with Acer globally

for development activity. Both the parties want to leverage the global tie-up locally.

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Acer has also lined up several channel-related initiatives. Says S

Rajendran, GM, Marketing, "We have learnt that we need to engage resellers

continuously to convince them about Acer as a brand and as a product." The company

had conducted a survey to find out about the training needs of their channel partners and

learnt that most of their resellers required technical inputs and expertise.

"Most channel partners are today dependant on their technical

executives excessively," says Rajendran. "But there is a heavy job turnover in

the channel. We would therefore like to equip our partners to deal with the technical

aspects of all problems effectively."

In an endeavor to provide this, Acer is planning on a series of branded

training program called the Acer Connect. There are plans to have one program every

quarter covering the top four or five metros.

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The Connect program has been structured in a manner to ensure that 30

to 40 percent time Acer spends with the partner will be on general technology. This would

cover topics like chipset, SCSI-drives, networking or software and would give partners a

full picture on the technology status today.

This training program comes close in the heels of Acer’s recent

tier-two authorization program called ‘ACE Partnership Program’, which was a

channel empower partnership program. (See Channel Chief on page 18)

Kobian shines at Computex 2000

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CYBER NEWS BUREAU

MUMBAI

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Kobian Singapore was the only company owned by Indians that

participated in Computex 2000 held in Taipei. Kobian showcased the Mercury range of

products, which includes motherboards, AGP cards, modems (external and internal), USB

modems, casings, UPS, Keyboard, CD ROM Drives, CD R/W, DVD, Sound Cards etc. 

Since Taipei does not offer fancy tourist nightlife, people who attend

the Computex exhibition are considered as serious buyers and sellers. Besides the good

turnout from the Indian sub-continent, the exhibition witnessed visitors from Europe, Gulf

and Africa.

As a consequence to the response, which Kobian got at the exhibition,

it has decided to open an office in Europe. Kobian is one of the largest companies in

Asia-Pacific which sub-contracts manufacturing of its Mercury brand products in Taiwan,

Korea, Hong Kong and China.

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Sembawang becomes 100 percent subsidiary of SembCorp

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CYBER NEWS SERVICE

NEW DELHI

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SembCorp Logistics (India) Pvt Ltd, formerly Sembawang Shriram

Integrated Logistics Pvt Ltd, has become a 100 percent subsidiary of SembCorp Logistics,

Singapore. The company is a single window solutions provider for corporates, which need to

outsource logistics.

The parent company SembCorp Logistics, Singapore is one of the biggest

integrated

service providers in Asia Pacific region with a strong presence in

China, Thailand, Indonesia, Myanmar, Dubai and Australia apart from India. The group

services the Asian logistics needs of several MNCs trans-nationally.

This acquisition has happened at the end of four years of Indian

operations. The company started operations as a joint venture between SembCorp Singapore

and Shriram Group, Chennai. SembCorp India inaugurated its logistics center in January

1999. Since then the company has commissioned another one at Nagpur, and a third at Pune

will be operational by July this year.

Talking of the company’s future plans, Srinivasan HR, Managing

Director, SembCorp Logistics (India) said, "We are introducing cold chain logistics

with innovative technology shortly. The trial runs have already been conducted and the

results are very encouraging. Apart from that, we have also started an Overseas

Development Center (ODC) for software related to logistics industry and e-commerce

requirements. The company is working on e-fulfillment of supply chain needs."

NIIT partners Sun under iForce initiative

CYBER NEWS SERVICE

NEW DELHI

NIIT and Sun Microsystems have signed an agreement, under Sun's iForce

initiative, wherein NIIT will be licensed to use Sun's products, like Jini, Java, Solaris,

etc, to create B2B and B2C dot-com solutions for customers. Apart from this, NIIT will

also be able to get its people trained by Sun and avail of technologies before they are

launched in the market.

NIIT will also set up competency centers with the objective of

providing dot-com competency where end-user solutions can be evaluated, developed and

tested. These centers will address both industry and horizontal solutions.

According to Lionel Lim, VP and MD, Sun, the company already has

partners like Aptech, ICICI Infotech, SpectraNet, under the iForce initiative. It plans to

further add more partners.

SyncML Initiative announces wide support and new schedule

CYBER NEWS SERVICE

BANGALORE

SyncML Initiative has announced that its official supporter program has

reached a milestone of more than 150 registered supporters. It also announced a new

timetable for the development of the SyncML protocol. Registered supporters now have

access to the SyncML Architecture white paper in the Supporter area of the company’s

web site. As a result of schedules in development work and wide support in the industry,

SyncML initiative now expects a variety of compliant products to be on the market by 2001.

The SyncML initiative has gained the support of more than 150

companies, representing a wide range of industries, including leading Web-based

calendaring, portal, digital imaging and wireless technologies as stated in their news

release. New supporters include Xircom, Visto Corp, BT Cellnet and Corel Corp. Each of the

supporters will work closely with the founding companies to develop, introduce and adopt

of the initiative industry-wide.

Founded in February 2000, the SyncML initiative is committed to

developing and promoting a new open industry initiative that will make the synchronization

of remote data and personal information consistent across multiple networks and devices,

regardless of platform or manufacturer.

i-flex bags order from Shinsei Bank, Japan

CYBER NEWS SERVICE

NEW DELHI

i-flex Solutions, formerly Citicorp Information Technology Industries

Limited (CITIL), a provider of software solutions for the financial and banking industry

worldwide, formed an alliance with Shinsei Bank, Japan, formerly The Long-term credit Bank

of Japan, Ltd to implement i-flex's Flexcube Universal Banking Solution, Flexcube UBS.

This multi-million dollar deal, expected to earn more than Rs 20 crore is one of the

largest Indian software product deals in Japan.

Flexcube UBS will enable Shinsei Bank to enter new market segments

including the retail banking business by attracting new customers with new products, new

delivery channels including Internet banking, mobile banking and 24x7 hours banking.

The solution being deployed by i-flex consists of three main

components. One, Flexcube UBS will support new and strategic retail banking products, a

flexible and integrated corporate banking platform and a multi-currency general ledger

that will enable Shinsei Bank to expand its banking operations. Two, Flexcube will support

new delivery channels viz., Internet Banking, 7 X 24 hours ATM, mobile banking,

tele-banking and call centers and point of sale terminals, allowing Shinsei Bank to reach

out to new target segments and customers.

Finally, i-flex's state-of-the-art data warehousing and comprehensive

information management system will equip Shinsei Bank to access and analyze customer

profitability, product profitability and credit risk management.

The alliance with Shinsei Bank is especially important for i-flex as it

now provides the company a foothold into the quality-conscious Japanese market. It is

especially significant for the company coming close on the heels of it being declared the

second largest selling wholesale banking product in its category in an independent survey

by International Banking Systems, UK.

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