Low-cost Aakash is not the only solution, says Ncomputing

‘The screen size of the tablet PC is still small and opening multiple browsers is difficult’.

End-to-end desktop virtualisation company, Ncomputing, which has deployed 420,000 Ncomputing virtual desktops in major state education projects in Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Punjab and Maharashtra, claims low-cost tablet PC, Aakash, is not the answer to the woes of India's education sector.

Will Poole, co-chairman and president, Ncomputing, said, "The screen size of the tablet PC is still small and opening multiple browsers and indulging in research activities is difficult on Aakash. It is a very good product, but we see it as a complementary device, rather than competition." He added since Ncomputing's technology saved energy and reduced costs by 75 to 90 per cent, the government should adopt the Ncomputing model to save customers' and taxpayers' money.

In June, Ncomputing had opened computer laboratories in 2,000 secondary schools in Rajasthan to provide access to computer learning and information technology to school children. Each such school would have a 10-seat computer laboratory, made possible by attaching Ncomputing virtual desktop devices and desktop virtualisation software to a PC. Ncomputing devices use only one watt of electricity, compared with 120 watts for a PC, an important advantage in areas that face electricity supply constraints.

After working with schools in over 20 states in India, the US-based company is now looking for opportunities in the enterprise segment. It has signed on original equipment manufacturers like HCL, Wipro, Acer and HP as partners, and this enables their computers to be shared on the Ncomputing model. "Software partners like NIIT have helped us provide e-learning software for schools in Andhra Pradesh," said Poole said, who recently signed a deal with a large Mumbai-based industrial firm. The agreement would see the industrial firm adopt Ncomputing's desktop virtualisation, and saving up to 40 per cent on its capital expenditure. The business, according to Poole, has seen a 150 per cent year-on-year growth.

In the higher education segment, Ncomputing is working with Amity University in Noida, Maharashtra Knowledge Corporation Limited and a college in Kerala. "We are looking for better opportunities with colleges and universities in India, and we believe it is never too late for a good idea," Poole said. The company has also signed a pact with the Employee State Insurance Corporation (ESIC), according to which NComputing virtual desktops are used at ESIC hospitals.

With nearly 150,000 units deployed for small and medium businesses and 50,000 units for enterprises, Poole said strategic focus on growing its network of channel partners would further help increase the adoption of Ncomputing solutions in the market. On the challenges the firm faced in India, Poole said, "The most important test was to deal with the unpredictability of the business, especially while dealing with bureaucracy." He added there was no slowdown in the desktop virtualisation market in India.