Simputer will be sold through channels

Encore Software has announced its plans to recruit VARs and master
distributors to promote and sell Simputer in the country. Shashank Garg, Product
Manager, Encore Software, is leading the company´s recruitment initiative for
professional organizations to become their authorized resellers.

"It is our goal to build a premier distribution channel that is
dedicated to working with its clients to understand and address their business
needs. We are talking to several entities and it´s premature to talk about them
right now," says Shashank.

The
recruitment effort will focus on resellers and master distributors that have a
strong desire to successfully sell Simputer, a full-featured budget pocket PC
for users in the small- to medium-size business entities. "We see
India as a potential and attractive market for this new product. We also foresee
growth and are confident of acquiring a major share in this niche market
space," says Shashank. The company plans a soft launch of Simputer by
starting shipments from mid-November. However, a formal launch has not been
planned yet.

The key features of the Encore Simputer are the built-in Smart-card
reader/writer, connectivity options like modem, IrDA and USB, and multi-language
capability for Indian languages. The simputer comes with a Linux operating
system.

Despite carrying several features of a PDA, Encore does not plan to compete
directly in the lifestyle product market. Instead, Encore is looking at
applications and solutions for specific niches.

According to the company, the Simputer will be priced between Rs 11,000 to Rs
25,000, depending on specific configurations and volumes.

SUNILA PAUL