Getting Note PCs into smaller markets and building a good brand recall for Samsung in this product line is Ramanjeetīs prime objective currently. He is especially keen on promoting the Trusted Platform Module technology, which will be introduced by the end of this quarter in Note PCs. This feature helps users to trace out whether his data is hacked by someone or not. It allows hardware lock and transfer of data through a very secured path.

What challenges do you foresee for Samsung to gain marketshare in India? 
For any latecomer in the market, there are negative and positive points. The pros are that we can learn from the experiences and case studies available in the market and thus focus as per marketīs needs. There are many challenges ahead of us to gain momentum in the notebook market. At one point, low awareness about our Note PCs in the market was a big challenge. To increase awareness about our product range and enhance the acceptability of these notebooks are some challenges we are aggressively working on. 

What USPs do Note PCs offer to customers that will help it gain this marketshare?
We are offering unique features through the Note PCs range. It is the thinnest and lightest notebook in the market. We have specialized products for various customer segments. There is a complete range of note PCs ranging for life style customers to entry level customers. Series X is for the lifestyle range of customers, where we are offering the lightest and thinnest notebook. 

The Series P is targeted at the corporate segment and is known as a multifunctional notebook. Series Q will attract senior management officials and travelers who require a low-weight notebook. Finally, there is Series M, which has a wide screen, AV portability and more enhanced resolution capacity. Through this series, we are targeting doctors, architects and gamers. Apart from this, we are offering a comprehensive three-year warranty support to customers.

What is the present market scenario in India and how Samsung is positioned in it? 
The notebook market in India is evolving. As per IDCīs predictions, the notebook market is expected to go up to 3,00,000 in terms of volumes by the end of fiscal 2005. However, IDC showed that around 1,60,000 notebooks were sold in 2004. 

The ratio between PCs and notebooks is 1:12. But nevertheless, the Indian market is expecting a growth of 100% in the notebook market. Market segments are categorized as price sensitive, technology savvy, enthusiasts-customerīs segment and corporate. Samsung caters to all these segments. 

In terms of market share, as per IDC's report, Samsung is among the top six players of the Indian notebook market. We have 5% market share of the notebook market and are targeting to expand it to 10% by the end of the current fiscal.

Now that Samsung wants to double its marketshare, what expansion plans has it outlined, especially in terms of service support? 
We are expanding at a good rate. Right now, we have service support centers in 24 locations across India. By the end of 2005, we are targeting to expand our service center locations to 45 cities. 

What is your strategy for channel expansion? How many partners will you are add to your network this fiscal? 
At present, we have around 150 channel partners covering all regions in the country. We will increase this to 400 by the end of this fiscal. We have a very clear channel strategy in place. Our Note PCs will be distributed in the market through two channels, consumer retail channels and conventional IT channels. For IT channels, we have three categories -- silver, gold and platinum partners. 

Do you have any exclusive focus on building relations with system integrators and solution providers, as they are considered a huge potential for business?
Yes, synergy with SIs and VARs is crucial for our business. We are dedicated towards strengthening our relations with SIs. Currently, we have 20 of them as our partners and are spread in eight locations across India. We plan to have 40 SIs as partners by the end of this fiscal. 

Samsung has introduced value-adds like biometric security solution in its notebooks. What other new features will you offer in your products in the near future?
Note PCs have the Biometric security solutions. Now we are planning new things like Trusted Platform Module (TPM) enabled Note PCs. This is another dimension of securing the data inside the notebook. Through TPM technology, the user can easily trace out whether his data is hacked by someone or not. It allows hardware lock and transfer of data through a very secured path. We will introduce this feature by the end of this quarter. This will be enabled in Series P where we are targeting the corporate sector.

FAIZ ASKARI
NEW DELHI

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