picopeta and the simputer [edocfind.com]

8/7/2019 PicoPeta and the Simputer [EDocFind.com]

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PicoPeta and the Simputer

Omar BakrGabriel Eirea

Rodrigo FonsecaFrancisco Gracia


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Outline

Introduction

Course Concepts

Market research Licensing

Standards

Strategy

Conclusion


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What is the Simputer?

Simple, Inexpensive, Multilingual Computer Born and raised in Bangalore

Intended to bridge the digital divide

Potential market of 4 billion (2/3 of worldpopulation)

Innovative concepts: Shared model

Multilingual Targeted to illiterates

Open Hardware & Software


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PicoPeta Timeline

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

Initial ideafor

Simputer

Simputer

Trustformed

(August)

PicoPeta

founded

Development Kitsavailable

ManufacturingAliance with BEL

Amidaannounced

Amidalaunched,

50,000 proj1 year

Only 2500Amidas

soldBel toredesign

Projected

start ofsales

Actual

start ofsales


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Value chain

PicoPetaSimputer

Trust

Bharat

Electronics

Application

Developers

User

Specs.

Basic Apps.

Simputer

Solutions

Mfg. Apps.


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Market research

PHASE I: identification of barriers for existing products

PHASE II: beta testing on real users

PHASE III: mass production and comercialization


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Market research: conclusions

Let customers decide: Decision makers:

Not unmet needs, but needs they are willing to pay for

Users: Not perceived needs, but real needs

Without pressure/bias

Lead user methodology: not applicable Targeted to highly skilled people

Capable of understanding the principles of Lead User research


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Licensing

Hardware: Open design and Architecture Third parties required to pay a one time fee to

access the design documents

Software: Free Software licensing basedon Linux and GPL

The license not only applies to infrastructure

software, but also requires applications to befree too!!


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Standards

Simputer design uses mature technologies, benefitingfrom industry standards StrongARM, FlashRAM, USB, SmartCard

Linux

Simputer platform as an openstandard could never moveout of the "Proprietary" stage

PicoPeta was not able to"Influence" the market andachieve large volume

Proprietary

Standardizing

Commodity

time

price


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Strategy

Picopeta: 2001 to today: Simputer-centric solutionprovider Simple, Inexpensive, Multilingual for the common man

Focus on institutional/group projects Did not convince decision makers

Amida: 2004 Launched as global brand, to everyone

Powerful, Portable, Simple 2005

Still didnt sell


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Time to Market

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

Perfom

ance

Simputer

Handhelds

Pric

e

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

Simputer

Low cost PC

$300

$800

MIT $100PC

(promised)

?? ?


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Conclusions

Market research Let users/decision makers identify needs Protection against biased answers

Reduction of lead time (TTM)

Fit to schedule; incremental (train schedule)

Prevent daughter syndrome IBMs PC model would have worked better

Remove restrictions in application development

Open research question: Is it possible to innovate in developing countries?


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Questions

picopeta and the simputer [edocfind.com]

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