Intel brings laptop assembling to channels

30 Jun 2006 00:00 IST

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Channel partners can now assemble laptops. In a unique ini-tiative,
chip-major Intel has brought BTO (build to order) notebooks to the channels,
facilitating them to assemble laptops on their own.

This is expected to propel the growth of notebooks in the country and the
'one million laptops by 2007', projected by Amar Babu, Director-Sales and
Market-ing Group, South Asia, Intel, looks achievable. Babu had remarked in the
DQ Channels SP Summit held in Mumbai early this year, “India is an opportunity
of one million laptops by next year.”

“Now, we are just facilita-ting that,” said Ashok Nair, National Sales
Manager, Intel Technology India. Intel has signed up with three ODMs (original
design manufac-turers) namely Compel, Asus and Quanta to supply bare bone
products to the channels and it is part of their world-wide initiative. “So
now, the channels can just buy the bare bone and start assembling their own
laptops. The BTO concept will help both the channel and customer to get the
product of their choice. The major factor is compati-bility/inter-changeable
opt-ions, which is not currently available with any branded laptop,” pointed
out Nair. Intel is distributing the bare bone products through Redington.

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“Channels can also keep their inventory low as any bare bone product will
gel with the other sourced from our three suppliers (Compel, Asus and Quanta).
It was a two-year long negotiation process with suppliers for having a common
design, better pricing and quality product which turned out fruitful,” he
quipped. Intel is providing service support through its own network.

Bloom
rolls out first Intel BTO NB

Coimbatore-based Bloom
Electronics, a GID and key channel partner for Intel, claims it is the
first reseller in the country to roll out Intel's BTO notebook in the
market. Bloom assembled and delivered the first laptop to a customer at an
event held on June 10 in Jenney Club, Coimbatore. The event, which was
jointly organized by Intel and Bloom, aimed to educate partners about BTO
notebooks and train them on assembling laptops. "The response was
good and we are getting many enquiries everyday from resellers. Intel's
initiative facilitating channels to assemble notebooks is welcomed by one
and all. Bloom has made many revolutions in the market in association with
Intel and this one will also be a sure hit," said S Karthikeyan,
Director, Bloom Electronics.

Bloom offers customized
notebooks in collaboration with third party vendors such as Intel,
Kingston, Sony, Seagate, Mitsumi and Panasonic, among others. The BTO
concept allows customers to own a product of their choice, with enough mix
and match to suit their taste. The upgrade option is also very easy and
affordable for the buyers. "Intel has opened the doors for assembling
laptops and soon the day will come where even a small reseller will
assemble the laptop, as they do desktops today," he added.

To start with, Intel has launched the dual-core model of bare bones and when
it is assembled (integ-rated with other compo-nents) by the channels as a
complete product, the price would come up to Rs 50,000. “We will roll out the
entry-level models in a quarter or two,” informed Nair.

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The VBI program is open to all and any channel partner can buy bare bone from
the distributor to assemble and sell it in the market. “We have not fixed any
numbers (targets) for bare bones and in the first year we will concentrate more
on building the fundamentals and training the channel partners. Intel will be
actively engaged with more than 200 channel partners across the country under
the VBI program,” he explained.

S Gopikrishna Chennai, June 22

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