VIA picks India as its hub for innovation

VIA Technologies is to set up its first technology innovation centre in Mumbai to develop new VIA pc-1 PHD computing and connectivity appliance.

VIA Technologies is to set up its first technology innovation centre in Mumbai to develop new VIA pc-1 PHD computing and connectivity appliances that combat power, heat, dust and other environmental challenges in developing markets around the world.

The VIA Technology Innovation Centre in Mumbai will work closely with government, industry and educational institutions such as the IITs in various parts of the country, to define and develop affordable PHD appliances that consume much less electricity than traditional desktop PCs, and are specifically designed to withstand the rugged conditions found in rural communities in India and other parts of the world.

In addition, the centre will also work on the development of advanced server appliances featuring wireless mesh networking technologies in order to enable easier and more affordable high bandwidth "last mile" Internet access in both urban and rural communities.

"It makes good business sense for us to establish our first technology innovation centre in Mumbai because of India's world-beating software base and innovative design expertise", said Wenchi Chen, President and CEO of VIA Technologies.

"India will not only be a research base for our business in India but also for Taiwan, US and Europe, and is a key element of our VIA pc-1 Initiative aimed at making computing and connectivity more accessible throughout the developing world".

Unstable currents and voltages create a major infrastructure problem for implementing computing technologies in most developing countries, so designing power efficient, power saving, rugged platforms is key to delivering computing and connectivity to rural areas.

"The convergence of computing, communication and content is underway, yet computers in the developing world, especially in remote and rural areas, have to work on unreliable power and connectivity infrastructures", said Ravi Pradhan, India Country Manager, VIA Technologies.

"While VIA has already invested considerably in reducing power consumption, such that our new family of PHD appliances can run on car batteries for several hours, the aim of the VIA Technology Innovation centre is to further improve power efficiency and develop enhanced platforms that will set the computing and communications standards for the future".

Two major technological challenges to Internet connectivity facing developing countries are low bandwidth and high cost of Internet access, especially for large land-mass countries like India that needs to link hundreds of thousands of villages, many of which have poor power infrastructures.

"Last-mile connectivity has major cost and logistics implications for both developed and developing nations alike, for which wireless mesh technologies can provide a viable solution", said Richard Brown, Vice President of Corporate Marketing for VIA.

"By focusing on creating innovative wireless connectivity solutions, the VIA Technology Innovation centre can help us achieve our goal of much wider access to the benefits of computing and connectivity".

VIA has played a major role in bringing down the price of personal computers in India and around the world.

It has set up affordable computing laboratories in various IITs, including those in Mumbai, Chennai and Bangalore, and was first to introduce PCs priced below 10,000 Rupees (US $225 approx) and laptops below 30,000 Rupees (US $675 approx), in close association with its OEM partners in India.

"VIA has by far the largest share of the Indian thin client market and has helped banks, insurance and other financial and educational institutes reduce costs on basic IT infrastructure", said Pradhan.

"The opening of this innovation centre will further our goal to develop the right building blocks to enable the next one billion gain access to the global community online, and will also help stimulate local technology growth catering to both the domestic and global markets", added Chen.

"By choosing India as our innovation hub, we are clearly demonstrating our long term commitment to the Indian market, and to bringing low cost, reliable computing to the masses".

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