The Hindu Business Line : Encore Software to open up simputer source code

ENCORE Software, the creators of the Encore Simputer, have now decided to open the source code of all applications and tools that it has developed for the Simputer. Additionally, the company will make public the complete hardware design for the handheld device.

Ambitiously positioned as the PC for the common man, the Simputer has managed to sell a mere 2,000 units since its introduction to the Indian market.

Simply put, the decision to go open source is "because we need all the help we can get and going open source will help us to develop, test and support the applications that customers ask us to deploy on the Simputer," company officials said. Incidentally, Encore Software Ltd holds one of the two licences of Simputer.

"We we had customers asking us to install certain applications in it while they did not want other existing features. By throwing the source code open, we hope to meet these demands. On the e-governance side, there are lots of ongoing interesting projects," Mr Samyeer Metrani, General Manager, Mobile Computing Products, Encore Software Ltd, told Business Line.

According to Mr Vinay Deshpande, Founder, Chairman and CEO, Encore Software, the decision to open the source code would lead to development of numerous innovative applications in areas such as micro-banking, utilities, point-of-sales applications, bus-ticketing and e-governance. The company plans to make available online the source code and tools related to the Simputer on www.encoresimputers.com.

On a single unit basis, the pricing for the high end Simputer is in the Rs 25,000 range, the device is available for as low as Rs 12,450. For enterprises interested in "purchasing multiple units of the device the prices will drop down accordingly," Mr Metrani said.