Wipro to launch 8-CPU Intel-based server in Jan. 2000

BANGALORE: Wipro said it plans to launch an eight-CPU server with an aim to strengthen its recent entry into the Intel-based server segment. Wipro had recently launched its second Intel-based server, Netpower 5210, targeting the small and medium enterprises. No further details were available on the new server, which is expected in the market in the next two months.

The NetPower 5210 features Pentium III with 500 MHz speed, 128-MB memory and 3 x 9.16B paid disk subsystem is priced at Rs 3,15,000. Wipro is currently focussing on the server range, as Wipro chief executive, computers and systems integration Suresh Vaswani said, "Our focus is to consolidate our server business, because we are expecting a boom in this segment. We will leverage on the Internet and web technology, that promotes servers and, therefore, the server business will grow exponentially and the market in terms of units will grow by 100 per cent a year. The idea is to address the middle and entry level server segment."

The target is to sell around 300 servers by March 2000, he said adding, "Our focus on servers help because a lot of desktops go along with the servers."

As for the home segment, Mr Vaswani said that Wipro was aiming to be one of the top three brands in a year's time. It currently enjoys fifth position in this segment. As part of its plans to achieve this, it has introduced products for all the segments. He also said, "We are projecting our PC in the corporate markets strongly, like in the case of Bank of India where 3,000 Wipro PCs have been installed and NIIT, which has about 4,000 Wipro PCs."

To increase its relationship with customers in the home segment, the company plans to open a 12-hour Home Support Service Center in Bangalore in a month's time. It is also coming up with a Web site "Rishte.com" which is a relationship building program and will enable ordering of Wipro PCs online. With these initiatives, Wipro Computers and System Integration division aims to ship 28,000 PCs in the next six months to achieve the 50,000 mark by the end of the year.