BANGALORE, INDIA: Intel India announced the launch of an industry-wide movement called the 'Connected Indians' where government,
industry associations and private enterprise have come together for the common cause of connecting a billion Indians.
The movement is intended to mobilise people, resources and infrastructure to connect citizens to information, ideas, people, capital and services leading to overall development and future success.
R Sivakumar, managing director, Intel South Asia, said: "Intel recognises that the Internet is capable of transforming lives and the future of our country. At the same time we also recognise that there is an urgent need for industry and government to collaborate to enable people to connect to the Internet. Through the 'Connected Indians' movement we hope to achieve precisely that. This movement is privileged to be supported by the government, ecosystem partners as well as numerous other industry stalwarts. This coupled with the slew of affordable computing devices now available will go a long way in driving connectivity. We expect to see the momentum for this initiative building up rapidly."
Thiru A Raja, Hon'ble Union Minister of Communications and Information Technology, Government of India, said, "Earlier this year in May I outlined my digital vision for India at the World Congress of IT (WCIT) in Kuala Lumpur: 500 million Indians connected to the Internet and its unlimited opportunities, with more than l00 million broadband connections, and 100 million broadband enabled devices to drive this 'Connected Indian' milieu leading to the development and growth of a vibrant economy – all by 2012. Since then we have made much progress and my ministry is well on its way to executing this task."
"The Internet will be the force that propels India into the next decade. The 'Connected Indians' movement will spur effective broadband deployment which in turn will directly contribute to the country's competitiveness. This rapid technological change will ensure India's future success. I therefore congratulate Intel for having facilitated the unique 'Connected Indians' movement with significant contribution from key industry partners and support from the government."
Affordable low-cost device to drive Internet access
The Intel Atom processor was launched earlier this year to enable an emerging class of affordable Internet-centric devices called Netbooks and Nettops. Intel today further announced a range of affordable devices which are expected to be available in the market over the next several months starting from a ground breaking price point of Rs. 5000/-. These devices will leverage existing displays and enable new users to experience the internet and its endless opportunities.
Netbooks are compact mobile devices that children, first-time Internet users and people who desire an extra PC can use for basic computing applications, listening to music, e-mailing and surfing the Internet. They can also be used for playing basic online games, social networking and making voice over IP phone calls. Intel showcased various designs of Nettops and Netbooks today from multiple OEMs including Acer, Asus, HCL, Lenovo, Intex, Novatium, Wipro, Zenith as well as local system integrators.
