Expert Speak

A Year of Wireless, Notebooks and Higher Yields

Wireless

As the year draws to a close, there are a lot of questions that run through the mind. Like, what will be the cash-rich technologies in 2004? Which product/segment will yield the highest return on investment? Which markets will have a higher growth rate compared to the rest? And so on.

p____p Here’s my take on some of these issues.

p____p While the Indian IT industry will continue to see wider adoption of recently introduced technologies like WiFi and 64-bit computing and better integration of enterprise applications, it will be the wireless products/applications that will be hogging the limelight next year.

p____p For years, wireless technology has been on the periphery of the IT arena, as the products were either unaffordable or not very user-friendly. A few years ago, Bluetooth was the much-talked-about technology, which generated a lot of interest, but few sales. Then came 802.11x, whose high price points scared most buyers away. Now, it’s the time for 802.11g, and though the pricing of products with this technology is still on the higher side, it won’t be long before the price tags get more affordable, for even somebody like me.

p____p I also think 2004 will be the year of the notebook. These little black boxes have waited a long time for their turn in the spotlight. From being the ultimate status symbol in corporate circles, the notebook is slowly and surely seeping into the lower rung of corporate hierarchy.

p____p While a notebook is still costlier than a desktop, it is definitely more affordable today than a few years ago. You can now pick up a branded notebook for Rs 35,000 onwards. And once the white-box notebook guys get their act together, the prices could come down to even Rs 25,000 and lower.

p____p A notebook offers a number of advantages such as it occupies less space, mobility and above all the same functionality as a desktop PC. I think by the end of next year, this product will be well-entrenched in the home segment as well.

p____p On the market front, I think year 2004 will also be the year when B & C class city markets will finally start generating those promised “returns”. The groundwork has been done, the base established. The setting up of service centers and the focused attention partners in these cities have been receiving means the money was invested rightly. Now it’s time for these markets to start proving their worth.

p____p This year saw a slightly more active hinterland market. Year 2004 should see this momentum growing and should also see the SME segment becoming a proactive buyer in this market.

p____p Will my predictions come true? For the first time I can end my column by saying, “Only time will tell!’

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