The New Nation - Internet Edition

HP targets Bangladesh market

HP recently reaffirmed its ongoing commitment to Bangladesh through specialized business programs and initiatives in order to leverage on the latest consumer and business trends.

"HP is set to continue delivering what the Bangladesh market wants," said Prasenjit Sarkar, General Manager, Personal Systems Group, Hewlett-Packard Asia Emerging Countries

"It is a rapidly emerging and growing marketplace, and with our end-to-end expertise in consumer and business devices and solutions across all segments, HP is well-poised to remain as the technology brand of choice here," he said.

The key drivers of growth for the personal computing business include the continued user preference towards mobility, greater adoption of international brands, and increasing consumer demand for PCs and notebooks.

HP identified mobility as a key strategic growth area in part because it has the industry's broadest range of offerings for mobile computing - products and partnerships.

On the local front, HP has demonstrated its commitment to the Bangladesh market through a series of significant initiatives during 2007 by:

- Strengthening the local channel network through the appointment of a new Corporate Reseller and a new Authorized Service Delivery Partner;

- Launching the new entry-level business desktop, the HP dx2290 / Tk 34999, which is designed specifically in Asia for Asian emerging markets, as well as a new business notebook, the HP520 / Tk 56288. Both were offered at breakthrough price-points designed for entry-level SMB customers;

- Launching new entry-level consumer desktops such as the HP Pavilion g3118l / Tk 34900, and consumer notebooks such as the Compaq Presario c702 / Tk 48700 at compelling price points;

- Expanding the countrywide channel network to serve customers better. HP currently has 66 Commercial HP Business Partners and 100 Consumer HP Business Partners in Bangladesh;

- Appointing a HP Pavilion Desktop Warranty Support Provider with service centres in Dhaka and Chittagong;

- Establishing stronger HP and Compaq brand identities at several retail outlets in Dhaka and Chittagong;

- Conducting special purchase programs for the education segment at selected universities in Dhaka and Jahangirnagar;

- Conducting special promotions during Eid-ul-Adha, Eid-ul-Fitr, Bengali New Year and other high points in the Bangladesh cultural calendar.

"Clearly HP will be maintaining its focus on the Bangladesh market through more on-the-ground initiatives, specialized customer promotions and partner programs. We are well-poised to drive the growth of the PC and notebook market here," concluded Prasenjit.

HP focuses on simplifying technology experiences for all of its customers - from individual consumers to the largest businesses. With a portfolio that spans printing, personal computing, software, services and IT infrastructure, HP is among the world's largest IT companies, with revenue totaling $107.7 billion for the four fiscal quarters ended Jan. 31, 2008. More information about HP (NYSE: HPQ) is available at www.hp.com.

Panasonic and AeroMobile deliver on board solutions to passengers

Panasonic Avionics Corporation (Panasonic) and AeroMobile are working together to offer airlines the state-of-the-art eXPhone aircraft cellular communications solution allowing passengers to safely use their own cell phones in-flight. For the first time Panasonic and AeroMobile make this capability available to airlines and their passengers in the most efficient and cost-effective manner, taking advantage of Panasonic's market leading position in the supply of in-flight entertainment (IFE) systems.

This effort opens the door for a new wave of in-flight entertainment and communication that can be quickly integrated onboard commercial aircraft. Panasonic eXPhone integrates AeroMobile's mobile phone technology into Panasonic's in-flight entertainment system to support voice telephone, text messaging and GPRS mobile data services such as BlackBerrys®, push email and Internet access services.

Panasonic eXPhone offers benefits to airlines in terms of reduced weight and complexity over two separate cellular and IFE systems.

V Australia has just announced that it will be the launch customer for the Panasonic eXPhone-AeroMobile solution when it launches operations later in 2008. Utilizing the Panasonic eXPhone system incorporating AeroMobile's technology, V Australia passengers will have state of the art connectivity services and be able to send and receive SMS text messages via their mobile phones, and use GPRS devices such as BlackBerrys, Palm Treos® and mobile data-enabled PDAs.

Earlier this month, Dubai-based Emirates Airline launched an inflight mobile phone system, utilizing AeroMobile technology to enable its passengers to use their mobile phones to make voice calls, send, and receive SMS text messages.

Under the relationship, AeroMobile will supply its aircraft 'pico cell' technology to Panasonic, which will also use existing Panasonic units to complete the Panasonic eXPhone system.

"AeroMobile view our relationship with Panasonic as absolutely central to the rapid and efficient roll-out of the AeroMobile service," said Bjorn-Taale Sandberg, Chief Executive Officer of AeroMobile Limited. "Our two companies are the optimum mix of how passenger connectivity can be delivered to the airline industry and its passengers and offers exciting opportunities for new, converged communications and entertainment products," he added. "At Panasonic, we believe that people need to be connected in the air," said Paul Margis, Chief Executive Officer at Panasonic Avionics Corporation. "We have teamed with an exceptional in-flight GSM operator, AeroMobile to deliver our solution, eXPhone."

About AeroMobile AeroMobile Limited is a UK-based company owned by ARINC Inc and Telenor ASA. It has been pursuing the objective of allowing the safe use of passengers own mobile phones and PDAs since 2003 in response to market demands. AeroMobile is the first in-flight mobile technology to be commercially available and first flew in June 2005 on Boeing's 777-200LR 'Worldliner' demonstrator aircraft. Its innovative systems are already in use with Emirates Airline, and will be launched by V Australia and Turkish Airlines later this year.

AeroMobile is teamed with Panasonic Avionics Corporation, the Panasonic's market-leading in-flight entertainment (IFE) systems provider, to offer the AeroMobile aircraft technology under the eXPhone brand as an integral part of Panasonic's IFE systems.

Lucky winners rewarded

On 30 HP Personal Systems Group (PSG) arranged a prize giving ceremony for the lucky winners of "'HP Notebook Pc and HP Desktop Pc Bonanza"". This campaign was conducted from 15th January to 29th February 2008. Under this campaign, each consumer acquired a coupon with every purchase of selected models from HP Desktop and Notebook Pc. A website was created specifically for this campaign, where the customers had to register the purchased product coupon serial number. From the registered coupon numbers, three Lucky winners were chosen through a lottery process. HP business partners were present at the time of the coupon draw. Selected models under this campaign were: HP Pavilion Multimedia Pc, Compaq Presario C573TU Notebook Pc, HP520 Notebook Pc, Compaq Presario C702TU Notebook Pc, Compaq Presario V3648TU Notebook Pc and Compaq Presario V6602TU Notebook Pc.

Three Lucky Winners of this Bonanza Programme are: Saiful Azim Muhim, Event Manager- The Daily Prothom Alo (HP 520), Capt. Hafizur Rashid (Hp 520) From Tangail and Md. Didarul Islam (Compaq Presario 702TU). In reaction, the winners expressed their gratitude and admired the campaign whole-heartedly. According to them, quality of products from HP is comparatively better than the other brands. Besides, they also advised the guests to use HP Notebook, Desktop Pc and ensured about the hassle-free usage.

Hp's business partners, customers and journalists from different newspapers were present at the event.

Blu-ray updates technology

Daniel Nicholas

The popular Japanese company Sony announced on Thursday that it would update PlayStation 3's Blu-ray technology in a move that would add nice interactive features to movies played in the high def format and not only. Thanks to the new upgrade people will also become able to download games, video content and even ring tones to their gaming consoles.

Called the BD-Live, the upcoming upgrade that will bring PlayStation 3's users the Blu-ray Disc Profile 2.0 is also part of an overall system software update to the PlayStation 3. Among many other new features Sony announced that thanks to the new overall update, users woul be allow to copy music and photo playlists from their PlayStation 3 gaming consoles to PlayStation Portable, Sony's other highly popular handheld video game player. "With these regular firmware updates and future-proofed technology, SCEA is making the 10-year life cycle of PS3 possible," said Scott A. Steinberg, the vice president of product marketing for Sony Computer Entertainment America, which a division of Sony that is responsible for the PlayStation 3 in the U.S.

According to Sony, the BD-Live upgrade will require at least 1 GB of local storage and an Internet connection.

Through this move, Sony is trying to keep its product evolving in order to make it able to face its everlasting rivals, Nintendo's Wii and Microsoft's Xbox 360 similar gaming consoles. Secondly, Sony is probably trying to gain as much as it can from the fact that Blu-ray won the format war against HD DVD. Related to the BD-Live release, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment will launch two new movies on April 8: Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story and The 6th Day. These movies will contain exclusive downloadable content.

Butterfly to introduce LG Desktop PCs

Butterfly, the market leader in electronics home appliances in Bangladesh. announces the launching of whole range of innovative and exciting LG Desktop PCs to the Bangladesh market. These products are being displayed at "BCS IT Expo 2008", at ECS Computer City, Multiplan Center, New Elephant Road, Dhaka from March 30 to April 5. The product range would include High-end to Mid-end W-Series and L-Series.

The W Series comes with Front USB/Audio ports situated on the top for convenience, Dual-Core Readiness, Faster Cooling and Finger Print & Blue Tooth (optional). The L Series comes with Front USB/Audio ports situated on the top for convenience, Dual-Core Readiness, Faster Cooling, Glossy & Silver (Living Room PC).

For the commercial PC market, LG is planning to introduce new features like X-Protect - that is, software for both data access and security and Finger Print Reader - to allow authenticated user access.

LG Butterfly has also launched a Bengali New Year Offer (Scratch Card: 100%, 75%, 50%, 25% discount and also up to 10,000 Taka discount) on their desktop PCs called "Boishakhi Zhar".

LG Butterfly has also announced a Special Offer (discount up to 1490 Taka) for BCS IT Expo 2008. Both offers are applicable for BCS IT Expo 2008 (Mar 30 - Apr 5) only.

Visit LG Butterfly Stall in BCS IT Expo 2008 and buy an LG PC immediately