BizTech

Local vendor Panora tops IDC report 2Q,2008:

Panora ranked No.1 local brand

IDC, the premier global provider of market intelligence advisory services and events for the information technology, telecommunication and consumer technology market, has rated Panora computer brand from Panora Corporation as the number one local brand, and enjoying a market share of 5%-6 per cent. Panora PC market indicated a similar growth pattern in Q1, 2008.

Panora PC manufacturing facility in Mattakkuliya.

Panora(r) is the only PC brand in Sri Lanka with certifications from ISO, Energy Star and Microsoft. Tests are conducted on various aspects of the product to develop further on the product offering.

Chairman Panora Corporation and its group PCH Holdings S.H.M. Rishan, upbeat about the achievement said “Panora has developed dramatically. It has moulded in to maturity since 2003; the promise of quality is one that we profess and enact.

We strive to give the very best in technology, innovation and service to our customers everyday. We have consistently maintained Panora as the best local brand of computers”.

Presently Panora has developed to cover all markets from public, to private, from large to medium scale institutions. A noteworthy growing trend is Panora penetration in the retail market category and the islandwide distribution through its 41 regional distribution and support centres.

Industry research has shown the acceptance of Panora through various channel markets is the result of its pricing strategy; value added services and customer support.

Describing about the PC market in Sri Lanka, The Associate Analyst of IDC Market Research Malaysia Jaygan Fu Ponnudurai has said, “The PC market in Sri Lanka is currently suffering with current economic situations and political instability which explains the poor PC uptake in Sri Lanka”. According to Jaygan, the recent budget announcement is vital for the government to entice PC spending in Sri Lanka both in the consumer and the commercial space through ICT initiatives.

Highly skilled engineers manufacture the locally celebrated Panora computers, and audits are in place to assure satisfaction to all its customers.

The company employs a business model, which includes selling through its channel partners with the purpose to generate a “push” for the product in the rapidly growing market.

Founder Chairman of Panora Corporation and its group PCH Holdings S.H.M. Rishan.

General Manager of Panora Corporation (Private) Limited Rizwan Anisa stated, “Our vigilant R&D team together with the management has identified the economical changes in the country and we are equipped to provide the very best for our consumers at a competitive price.

This is a result of our local manufacturing facility and our 41 retail outlets that strive for top notch service which is spread across the island”.

The IDC report also goes on to analyse how the Sri Lankan PC market has decreased due to rising cost of living as consumer behaviour has changed PC buying patterns due to the necessity like food and fuel purchase and consumption.

“Panora computers, the flagship brand of PCH Holdings, have been in the market for a considerable period, during which, it has transformed into a reliable, versatile and cost effective brand for the Sri Lankan community. Panora is a brand that has a growing trend; it is a result of the focus on the brand and widening its scope of solutions to its users” he further added.

Virtusa Corporation ‘Digital Reach’ reaches out:

Virtusa donates IT lab for Boys’ Home

Virtusa Corporation, a global information technology (IT) services company set up an IT laboratory for the children of the Child Protection Society Boys Home in Maharagama as a part of their CSR initiative “Digital Reach”, recently.

The project was fully contributed by Virtusa employees. This involves the setting up of the IT lab, donating IT related books, resources such as furniture, financial assistance and skills training for the CPS Boys Home. The Virtusa Digital Reach team in addition has laid out a comprehensive Train the Trainer (TOT) programme where two laboratory administrators will be trained on IT functions in the long-term thereby strengthening the project’s sustainability.

Vice President Virtusa Corporation Shanil Fernando said “Being in the committee of the Boys Home, I saw there is immense talent and potential within the children of this home and wanted to give them an opportunity to learn one of the fastest growing and sought after skills in the business world.

I strongly feel this venture is a door -opener for all the youngsters of the home to grow in the field of Information Technology and learn new avenues enriching their future. In the field of Information Technology the global language is Java and C++ where everyone is at the same level. This is a true life enhancing opportunity for the children of this home, and they will be privileged to have access to facilities that are not common in an average home.”

The Child Protection Society of Ceylon will commemorate 80 years of service to the country. At present there are around 30 children in each home ranging from the ages of 5-18. The CPS aspires to give these children a happy, healthy and safe childhood, away from the dangers of the vicious societies they lived in.

Virtusa Digital Reach aims to promote digital literacy through access to useful Information Technology and help to build a more digitally-inclusive society thereby improving the quality of life in the communities in which the company operates.

Sri Lanka Telecom Mobitel launches 3G Delight

Sri Lanka Telecom Mobitel announced the launch of two new features named 3G Daily Delight 50 and 3G Daily Delight 25 on its Pre Paid suite of services recently. The options, which will be available to all SMARTsubscribers by default, will come as convenient bundles of the keyfeatures in the 3G suite of services.

The option 3G Daily Delight 25 will enable a subscriber to enjoy 50 MBs of data, while 3G Daily Delight 50 will provide 100 MBs of data, 100 minutes of Video Calls and 100 SMSs within the day he or she wishes to subscribe.

While accessing Internet through SMART packages, have been popular among light users who surf internet sporadically, the prevalent tariff structure of standard packages could not effectively meet the needs of those heavy yet, sporadic users, who did not want to settle for a package with a monthly commitment.

Thus, the introduction of 3G Daily Delight options is set to fill in this void. The options will come in two flavours- 3G Daily Delight 50 and 3G Daily Delight 25. The 3G Daily Delight 50 is aimed at those subscribers who want to realise the full potential of 3G product suite while 3G Daily Delight 25 is aimed at those who focus only on accessing Internet.

A particular advantage of the above options is the subscribers’ ability to enjoy this feature with a 3G phone or a USB Modem. Those subscribers who want to use their 3G phone as the modem will be able to activate this option with the same phone, while those who intend to use a USB Modem will be able activate this option through an alternative Mobitel phone.

The launch of 3G Daily Delight 50 and 3G Daily Delight 25 options on Pre Paid will provide Sri Lankan subscribers the freedom to taste the full potential of 3G services.

Speaking on the significance of this, Chairperson, Sri Lanka Telecom Mobitel Leisha De Silva Chandrasena said, “Not only did we pioneer the super 3.5G technology in South Asia, but also decided to deploy it countrywide, through our network without limiting ourselves to specific geographic zones with high population density. I am confident that 3G Delight will help alleviate the economic barrier that stood between the Internet and the masses thus effectively bringing it within reach of everyone.”

Chief Executive Officer of Sri Lanka Telecom Mobitel Suren J. Amarasekera explained, “The concept behind 3G Delight is to provide the user with the freedom of choosing his or her own style of internet access depending on their specific requirements. Also, the absence of a monthly commitment will be particularly appealing to the youth segment.”

“Over the past 11 months, we have carefully studied the usage pattern of our subscribers and emerging global trends. We found that there is a sizable segment of subscribers who want to access Internet sporadically and thus do not want to subscribe to monthly packages. We believe that the new packages will effectively fill the needs of such subscribers,” he concluded.