rameshmadhavan 4 Report post Posted October 30, 2008 Press Release Date : 10/21/2008 Reliance Communications joins hands with Intel, Acer, Asus ,HCL and Lenovo to offer Free Laptop with Reliance NetConnect - Internet Data Cards " Mumbai, October 21, 2008: Reliance Communications, India’s largest integrated telecom service provider, today announced a strategic alliance with leading IT giants Acer, Asus ,HCL , Intel, and Lenovo to offer branded laptops powered by Intel’s “Atom”, absolutely free with its hi-speed Internet data card service branded Reliance NetConnect. The initiative, in line with the national Internet penetration targets, would offer a laptop free with unlimited Internet package with price as low as Rs. 1500 per month (excluding Service Tax) for two years with no hidden costs. Reliance NetConnect is India’s leading Wireless Internet Service,with over One Million customers is available across 20,000 towns and 4.5 lakh Indian villages. “With a population of close to 1.2 Bn and only 12 Mn Internet connections, the growth potential of Internet Data Services in India is all set to trace the penetration curve of Mobile services which are currently adding over 100 mn new subscribers every year. The growth of Internet services in India is one of the key visions of Reliance Communications ”, said Mahesh Prasad, President – Reliance Communications. “The next phase of growth of Internet penetration in the country is linked to the growth in PC and Laptop penetration offering an opportunity to empower all Indians by making the overall cost of Internet access more affordable”. According to Mr S Rajendran, Chief Marketing Officer , Acer, “We are proud to be associated with Reliance Communications in this innovative initiative which we think is truly disruptive with the enabling ecosystem that is being put together with the potential of creating a sharp inflection point in mobile computing pervasiveness.” Mr. Benson Lin, Corporate Vice President, ASUS commented, “This strategic alliance with Reliance is a part of our initiative to enhance penetration of mobile computing and Internet to new customer segments and will play a key role to boost the Internet penetration in the country." Commenting on the initiative Mr. Rajendra Kumar, Executive. Vice President, HCL Infosystems said, “With the rapid penetration of mobile computing devices, Internet on the move is the need of the day. Therefore understanding the consumer psyche HCL was the first to introduce the small form factor category of ultra portable HCL MiLeaps that offer portability and ease of computing. The Reliance NetConnect Internet Services and HCL Leaptops & MiLeaps complement each other for staying connected while on the go… anytime, anywhere.” According to Prakash Bagri, Director Marketing , Intel (South Asia), “This total Mobility offer is ground breaking and the business model around this will be instrumental in bringing more users to experience the endless opportunities of the Internet. We are very pleased to be part of this launch today.” According to Prasanna Rai, GM, Marketing Lenovo, “The arrival of netbooks coupled with innovative Internet service initiatives like Reliance NetConnect offers consumers extremely affordable access to technology.” Discuss this news here Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
