NComputing currently has a small base of authorized dealers and resellers in major cities and is expanding its network selectively. Talking about their solutions, Shah shared that NComputing offers employees affordable computing that works just like traditional PCs, while ensuring that the environment gets the green benefit

Brief us about the products and solutions in you portfolio.
The NComputing solution is based on a simple fact: Today's PCs are so powerful that the vast majority of applications only use a small fraction of their computing capacity. NComputing's technology taps this unused capacity so that it can be simultaneously shared by multiple users. We have two product lines-the X-series and the L-series. The X-series enables a single PC to be shared by up to seven users at the same time. The L-series enables up to 30 users to share a single PC or server. By using NComputing, schools, business and governments can cut their computer acquisition costs by 50 percent, electrical consumption by 80 percent and maintenance budgets by 70 percent.

How different is the NComputing device from a thin client?
The main benefits of thin clients are around low-cost and ease of management support. However, the user-experience has been lacking. End-users want a full computing experience in terms of refresh rates and speeds. NComputing technology delivers this high PC-like experience so that there is no compromise between low-cost and high performance.

Will the channel have a role to play in your strategy? Have you appointed any distributors or will you be taking the direct route?
The channel is our strategy, so it's not a question of role-they are central to our strategy and success. We currently have a small network of authorized dealers and resellers in the major cities and are expanding the network selectively. We want to grow carefully and select committed dealers who understand the value of our solution for their customers and are willing to invest in the training and marketing of the product in their regions.

What activities are you undertaking to push your products in the Indian market?
We work directly with our channel partners to sell our products in the Indian market. We have a comprehensive channel program that includes channel sales/technical training, joint marketing initiatives and demo kits.

In what ways can NComputing benefit a company?
There are three key benefits of NComputing for a company (lets, assume small enterprise). One, the initial outlay for computers is reduced by at least 50 percent. Our X-series costs about Rs 4,000 per seat. Add on a keyboard, mouse and monitor, and the total cost is less than Rs 8,000-that is less than half the cost of a dedicated PC. Second, the support costs are greatly reduced. Instead of taking care of seven PCs in the small office, only one PC needs to be managed and eventually upgraded/replaced. Third, we reduce electrical costs by 80 percent.

Which regions are you targeting and will upcountry be a focus area for you?
Our long-term strategy calls for a presence throughout India, as our products fit in every region, city, town and village.

Which other players are in this segment and what gives your solutions an edge over them?
We don't have any competitors in this segment that have the technology, simplicity and cost benefits of our solution. The traditional thin-client vendor may occasionally be competitors to our solution, but they are usually focused on large enterprises only-their solution is too complex/expensive for SMEs, education and general business.

Ruth Samson
ruths@cybermedia.co.in

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