The Hindu Business Line : Intel to set up shop in Kerala

Mr G.B. Kumar, Director-Sales, South Asia, Intel Technology India Pvt Ltd, told Business Line that the company would soon open an office in either Thiruvananthapuram or Kochi as part of this process. Also on the cards are a series of `business advantage' seminars for its customers in the State. Besides, the company will also focus on building partnerships with the educational sector, Government and small and medium businesses, he added.

On top of the company's list of programmes for Kerala is a project to implement Wi-Fi (wireless fidelity) technology in University campuses in the State. As part of this initiative, among the first of its kind in the country, the company plans to work with Universities in Kerala to enable them to use Wi-Fi technology on their campuses and thus enhance the learning environment, said Mr Kumar.

Similarly, the company will also work with schools, especially in smaller towns in Kerala, on improving the usage of computers, he said. Typically, the company's initiatives in this area also include measures to help schools design and build computer labs, he added. Other educational initiatives that are likely to be promoted in Kerala include the company's `Teach to the future' programme that helps schoolteachers develop methods of incorporating technology tools and resources in the school curriculum.

The company also plans to work with the Government of Kerala on e-governance projects, said Mr Kumar. In fact, it has already started working with the State Government on several initiatives, including the `Akshaya' project, he added. The company's contribution to e-governance projects will not be limited to technology alone, but will also extend to definition of problems, development of business models and so on, he explained. Besides, the company also hopes to add value to e-governance projects in Kerala by sharing `best known methods' from similar projects implemented across the world.

For small businesses in Kerala, Intel's efforts will be on helping them use computers as an asset that makes them globally competitive. The company will work with small businesses from select "verticals" or industries and focus on developing customised solutions, said Mr Kumar.

Typically, the company chooses `verticals' that are of relevance to the State, he pointed out. Here too, the company can add value by bringing `best known methods' from around the world, he added.