MSI India to launch wi-max-enabled laptops

New Delhi: Micro Star International (MSI) has announced that it is ready with its wi-max-enabled laptops and will be offering them into the Indian market, starting Jan 2010. The entire range of MSI laptops including its U-series ultra-portable netbooks, the stylish X-slim series and the classic series will incorporate Wi-Max in the forthcoming models.

MSI anticipates a good market for its Wi-Max-enabled products, once the Wi-Max services go live on a commercial scale in India. As the newest generation of wireless communication, it is poised to become an ubiquitous application. The Wi-Max forum had predicted that the combined equipment and service revenues from Wi-Max in India would be worth $13 billion in 2012 and capture 19 million Wi-Max subscribers, or 20 percent of the world's Wi-Max user base. The forum cites commercial availability of Wi-Max technologies, affordable device price-points and government support for additional spectrum auctions as proof-points for the forecasts.

MSI has invested significant R&D and funding to prepare for the implementation of the fourth generation of wireless communications. The ultra-light, power-saving X-slim series X340 and X600 models from MSI are the first Taiwan-based brand to receive Wi-Max forum certification. While MSI Wind U120 is the world's first ultra-portable netbook capable of supporting Wi-Max.

With a population of more than one billion and a growing economy, India is a huge market for broadband and needs rapid deployment of wi-max service. Currently, broadband penetration in India is four million, which is one broadband connection per 300 consumers. “MSI Wi-Max-enabled laptops will help in bridging the digital divide in India through the delivery of wireless broadband services anytime and anywhere with higher efficiency in a cost-effective way,” said Johnny Lin, National Product-Sales and Marketing Manager, MSI India.