Intel Corp was one of Silicon Valley’s pioneers having started way back in 1968. And if Tom Foldesi, Senior Director (New Devices Group), Intel, is to be believed, the company is determined not to miss out when it comes to the growing ecosystem of connected devices (to the Internet), or wearables.

Research firm IDC says that 11.4 million wearables were shipped between January to March 2015, a 200 per cent increase over the corresponding period last year. Foldesi acknowledges the “tremendous market potential” of wearables; but maintains that Intel will continue to be an “enabler” rather than taking products directly to the market.

In an interview with BusinessLine , he talks about wearables, new tie-ups and Intel’s India plans. Excerpts:

How big are wearables for Intel right now?

At the high level, our strategy is to collaborate with industry leaders across fashion, lifestyle and sports. The idea is that every time you use or put wearable technology on your body, it’s an intensely personal experience.

The key to success we believe would be marrying design with fashion and technology. Our long term vision is that the glue between these devices will be the Cloud.

Can you elaborate on your global tie-ups in this regard?

Some of the collaborations made by us last year include the Bio Sport ear-phones (that can monitor heart beats) by SMS Audio; fitness tracker enabled devices by Basis; and a smart wristlet by Opening Ceremony.

Since then we have announced a multi-year R&D tie-up with Luxotica (premium, luxury and sports eye wear); a direct collaboration with Oakley; and with Fossil for watches.

The concept of wearables sounds nice in mature markets or for luxury brands. But in India, the market is skewed towards mass offerings. What do you feel?

Some of the associations that we have are for low power devices. A proliferation (of wearables) in the mass market is already happening with the ODM (original design manufacturers) ecosystems in Asia very quickly turning to low-cost solutions. I think there will be enough room for higher volume and low cost solutions as well. Today, the best selling wearable (the cheapest one), is priced at around $349. But, going forward there will definitely be space for different price tiered products.

What segments will you target in India?

Everyone will have their requirements based on the utility curve.

In a lot of markets around the world, especially where lower cost technology is becoming popular, the expectation was to skip the PC and go with tablets. However, today it is unclear how the wearables market will evolve or what will be the most popular – watches, eyewear or something else.

But like I said, there will be room for both lower cost and higher cost solutions to exist side by side.

Like your tie-up with Lava (for smartphones), are you looking to partner Indian vendors for wearables?

The tie up with Lava (Xolo branded smartphones) was a successful one.

However, I will say the easiest way to enable a broader ecosystem is to provide turnkey solutions and that is exactly what we are doing.

Going forward, does Intel plan to be a direct-to-consumer company especially with focus on wearables?

Although we are a powerful consumer brand, we have no intention of being a direct-to-consumer one. That has not been our bread and butter. But we will remain an enabler to our partner.

However, in certain limited instances, to kick-start a product in the market, Intel products have come to customers. But they have been very limited.

(The writer was at Computex 2015 in Taiwan at the invitation of Intel.)

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