280 - DATAWIND: Bridging the Digital Divide through AffordableSmart Devices - Silicon India

DATAWIND: Bridging the Digital Divide through AffordableSmart Devices

Pankaj Kundwani

Monday, October 6, 2014

Out of the 7 billion world population, there are about 4 billion people who still do not have access to internet. These are the forgotten billions whose aspirations have been challenged by the single determinant factor of affordability. Coming to India, the estimated internet penetration is about 100 million, which is less than even 10 percent of the total population of the country. 

With a vision to deliver to the aspirations of a huge un-served population, DATAWIND, a leading provider of wireless web access products and services, takes pride to have breached the affordability barrier by giving the world’s lowest cost Android tablet PC while creating a new segment of products that focus on customers at the base of the pyramid. 

As smartphones offer triple advantages of portability, connectivity and basic computing, mobile technology emerges to be the most reliable and affordable way for developing countries to meet their internet penetration objectives. Holding several international patented and proprietary cloud computing technologies, DATAWIND addresses the challenges of both affordability and internet infrastructure deficit. Its breakthrough technologies strive to solve the bandwidth limitations of cellular networks by accelerating content delivery by factors of 10x to 30x – resulting in a superior mobile web experience at a lower cost. DATAWIND’s web delivery platform harnesses a parallel processing environment that enables it to shift the burden of memory and processing power from the tablet/device to backend servers thus, allowing users to access web with a lower cost device at the lowest cost possible.

Bringing to the World the Lowest Cost Android Tablet PC

As part of its plans to link 25,000 colleges and 400 universities in an e-learning program, GoI’s MHRD announced the government’s decision of empowering all students and the teaching community in India with a low cost computing device. 

This device was supposed to give them an environment of blended learning and flexibility of learning on the go. The proposed cost for the specifications that were finally released for manufacture of this device was only $35. Seeing it akin to an impossible task, none of the global or domestic electronics majors in the ICT domain were willing to participate in this project. DATAWIND was the only company that arose to the challenge of realizing the Government of India’s vision and delivered ‘Aakash’ to India and ‘UbiSlate’ to the world, the lowest cost Android tablet PC at sub $35 price. The launch of Aakash tablet at this price-point shook the very foundations of the global tablet PC market that never deemed it fit or attempted to produce a device that caters to Base of Pyramid (BoP) population. 

Going to the Next Level

DATAWIND is expanding through organized and modern retail tie-ups to make its products more accessible to customers. The company has recently tied up with UniverCell and is looking at similar arrangements in the whole country. Its R&D team based in Montreal, Canada is focused on finding ways to drive the cost further down by 50 percent to once again create a new benchmark in low cost web access devices. “We’re focused on empowering people and helping them bridge the digital divide. We are going to find ways and means to breach new affordability levels by driving the cost lower. In times to come, we see ourselves as a leading low cost internet connectivity access provider and we hope to forge such partnerships and adopt business models that allow us to move further on our mission,” saysSuneet Singh Tuli, CEO, Datawind Ltd.

Panel:

Products:Aakash, UbiSlate

Offices: London, UK; Montreal and Mississauga, Canada, Dallas, USA, Amritsar and New Delhi, India.

Key Management:

Suneet Singh Tuli, CEO 

Suneet has 23 years of experience as a serial entrepreneur, having previously launched two successful companies that conducted Initial Public Offerings (IPOs) on the NASDAQ stock market. He has been recognized by Forbes magazine in its 2012 Impact 15 list as a “classroom revolutionary” using innovative technologies to reinvent education globally and has also received other significant recognitions.

Achievements: 

1.MIT Tech Review 2014, names DataWind to the list of 50 Smartest Companies

2.Aakash launched by the UN Secretary General, Ban Ki Moon

3.Aakash launched by the President of India, PranabMukherji

4.DATAWIND recognized by Forbes Magazine in 2012 Impact 15 list as classroom revolutionary

5.DATAWIND as UK’s Most Innovative Mobile Company Award

6.digitalLearning’s Shiksha Ratna Award for DATAWIND amongst others.

279 - Makers of Aakash Tab to launch INR 2000 Android phone with free internet for lifetime - INDIA TODAY

Makers of Aakash Tab to launch INR 2000 Android phone with free internet for lifetime

IndiaToday.in  New Delhi, September 19, 2014 | UPDATED 14:36 IST

DataWind, a Canadian wireless web access service provider that won the contract of Aaksh Tablets back in 2011, is likely to come up with a smartphone for INR 2000, with free lifetime internet access before Diwali this year. The company made the official announcement on Thursday and expects to double its sales by the year end with the new lunch.

The low-budget device will run on Android OS and have a 3.5 inch screen size. 

The company is negotiating the deal with three mobile service providers for free lifetime internet offer but did not disclose and details as things are yet to be materialized. 

Presently the company has a lineup of three smartphones, five Tablets and has an average sales figure of 40-50 thousand per month. With this move DataWind is trying to carve a niche space for itself in the cluttered Indian smartphone market. 

It may be noteworthy that DataWind's Aakash Tabs were disapproved by IIT Jodhpur, which handed over the project to the company and shared the detailed specifications of the devices. But later on the project was further assigned to IIT Bombay, DataWind was asked to improve the quality of the product.

Though the company has previously attempted to enter the market of low budget devices but was not really successful due to the quality issues. Taking a cue from its previous attempt, coming up with a low budget device without compromising with the quality has become fundamental for the company. Nonetheless, the future of the new device still remains speculative.

278 - Datawind to launch new phone with free lifetime Internet for Rs 2,000

Datawind to launch new phone with free lifetime Internet for Rs 2,000

#DATAWIND PHONE

22 Sep 2014 , 08:43

With an aim to double its volumes, low-cost mobile devices maker Datawind on Thursday said it will launch a Rs 2,000 smartphone before Diwali that will come bundled with free Internet for life.

The company said the device will be based on Android operating system and have a 3.5 inch size.

Datawind currently has three smartphones and 5 tablets under its portfolio and is selling 40,000-50,000 devices every month.
“We are looking forward to launch our Rs 2,000 smartphone and few other devices before Diwali and intent is to double our sales by the end of this calender year,” Datawind Executive Vice President Rupinder Singh said.

He added the company is in talks with three mobile operators for the lifetime free Internet offer but refused to divulge more details as the deal is yet to be finalised.

Asked about manufacturing in the country, Singh said the company has aggressive plans but did not mention any timeline for implementation.

Datawind had won the contract to supply 1 lakh units of Aakash tablets priced at $49.98 apiece in 2011, translated into a price of Rs 2,276 at that time.

The project was then handled by IIT Jodhpur which provided the specifications for the product. It, however, ran into controversy following IIT Jodhpur rejecting the devices manufactured by Datawind.

The project was then shifted under IIT Bombay and Datawind was asked to supply better version of the product, Aakash 2.
Singh said the company had in May last year shipped all the tablets to the government.

The Aakash project was former minister Kapil Sibal’s brainchild. 

The idea was to provide low-cost computing device at subsidised rate to students to enable them access Internet for educational purposes.

Communications and IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad in a recent press conference said Aakash project needs better specifications.

Asked if Datawind would be interested if the government comes out with a tender for Aakash, Singh said,”Absolutely we will be interested in that. Just a couple of months before the elections, a tender was opened for Aakash 4 by DGS&D and we emerged as the lowest bidder.”

PTI

277 - Bids for UPA’s Aakash tablet project may be scrapped

Bids for UPA’s Aakash tablet project may be scrapped

Chetan Chauhan, Hindustan Times  New Delhi, September 11, 2014

The government may scrap bids for the latest version of the Aakash tablet as none of the vendors, short-listed by the previous UPA government, were able to meet the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay’s technological specifications.

Aakash was launched by former HRD minister Kapil Sibal as the world’s cheapest access device under the National Mission on Education in 2010 with the initial price tag of about US $ 35.

Soon after the launch, questions over quality of the device were raised and a technical committee was constituted under Rajat Moona of IIT-Bombay to evolve specifications for next generation of Aakash.

The tender for Aakash IV tablet was put out by the government’s procurement arm the Director General of Supplies and Disposals and eleven models were submitted by 10 vendors in January 2014.

Five were short-listed but none of the samples met the specifications. With the last UPA government keen on the Aakash tablets, conditional certificates — that new samples should meet the specifications — were issued to all vendors and they were asked to submit bids by mid March 2014.

The new samples again failed to meet the specifications.

According to government sources, the technical committee had, on a ministry proposal, suggested relaxation of some of the specifications to meet the technological handicaps including —the tablets not having webcam, 3G modems and upgraded hard drive.

“We may go for re-bidding for five million Aakash tablets as relaxing the tenders can be highly controversial. The government prefers to start on a clean slate and we have recommended re-bidding,” a senior government functionary said.

The final decision in this regard is likely to the taken by the Prime Minister’s Office.

276 - Engg college distributes Akash tablets among students, faculty - Hindustan Times

Engg college distributes Akash tablets among students, faculty

HT Correspondent, Hindustan Times  Rupnagar, September 04, 2014

As part of the activities of the remote centre established by Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay at Institute of Engineering and Technology (IET), Bhaddal, Aakash tablets were distributed among final-year students of computer science engineering (CSE) on Thursday.

Tablets were also given to faculty members of CSE, information technology (IT) and master of computer application (MCA) department.

Speaking on the occasion, IET director-general R Jha thanked IIT Bombay for selecting IET Bhaddal campus for Aakash projects and congratulated Sanjay Singla, professor and head, department of CSE, for taking the initiative to collaborate with IIT Bombay for conducting workshop and faculty development programmes for the faculty and students. This had enhanced teaching skills of teachers and empowered students, he added.

275 - Aakash Tablet Maker, Datawind Raises Rs.168 Cr. Via Ipo, Lists

Aakash Tablet Maker, Datawind Raises Rs.168 Cr. Via Ipo, Lists Shares In Toronto

Pooja Sareen on July 15, 2014 at 7:58 am

Maker of low cost tablets, Datawind has raised Rs.168 Cr. i.e. C$30 Mn (Canadian Dollar) through an IPO that closed in July 8 and has listed company shares on Toronto Stock Exchange.

“Our IPO (initial public offer) on the TSX (Toronto Stock Exchange) represents a major milestone for Datawind, and gives us the resources to implement the next stage of our vision to bring the internet to billions of unconnected people in the developing world,” said Suneet Singh Tuli, Datawind President and CEO.

Datawind plans to use the raised funds for expanding business across emerging markets. The company now will also be focusing on developing solutions that can facilitate access to internet services at affordable prices.

In its documents filed last month, the company had stated that it plans to sell between 5.2 Mn and 6.3 Mn shares, at a price of between C$4.75 and C$5.75 a share.

Datawind was the first one to make tablet PC Aakash, which cost the government Rs.2,276 per unit. It has also been selected for supplying Aakash 4 (expected to cost around Rs.3,500) and will also support 4G services.

“The world suffers from an internet infrastructure deficit, however, we believe our patented cloud based web delivery technology can effectively leverage existing cellular telephony networks to deliver affordable internet to 93 per cent of the world population,” said Datawind Co-Chairman and CTO Raja Singh Tuli.

Recently, Datawind was recognized by MIT Technology Review in its 2014 list of the world’s 50 smartest companies, as it is acknowledged for its ability to break the affordability barrier with tablet computers for the population at the base of the pyramid, while delivering internet access on existing networks.

DataWind is on the mission to bring internet to billions of unconnected people in the developing world. The Company’s Internet Delivery Platform offers a low-cost Internet browsing solution by bundling an affordable tablet device with an inexpensive, pre-paid, 2G Internet service plan.

274 - India Seeking For New Makers Of Aakash, The World's Cheapest Tablet

India Seeking For New Makers Of Aakash, The World's Cheapest Tablet

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As tablets become a lot more and far more frequent in schooling – as seen in the United States, in which wealthy schools shift from textbooks to tablets – a less costly choice may let a more substantial population to join in. Suneet Tuli, CEO of Datawind, the maker of Aakash two, stated that, “I get college boards and colleges from the US and Canada often calling us up, asking for products. Inner-city colleges say to us, ‘It’s not just a problem above there – forty% of our little ones really don't have accessibility to PCs and the Internet.’”

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273 - Akash tablets for 300 students in five villages - TNN

Akash tablets for 300 students in five villages

TNN | Jul 3, 2014, 02.16AM IST

PUNE: As many as 300 students in five villages near Pandharpur will receive Akash tablets loaded with science applications that will enhance their learning and interactive skills.

The project will be launched by the Rajiv Gandhi Technology Commission and the free wi-fi network for the tablet user has been provided by the National Knowledge Network.

Two more applications for farmers will also be launched by the commission by next week in the ongoing Pandharpur pilgrimage.

"The project is called 'Shikshan Pandhari' and schools in five villages including Chale, Anawali, Kasegaon, Khardi and Kasegaon Road located within 20 km from Pandharpur, will receive these tablets supplied by Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay," said senior scientist and chairman of the commission Anil Kakodkar at a news conference on Wednesday at the Maharashtra Knowledge Corporation Limited (MKCL).

"Web-enabled educational material is being developed in Marathi which could be accessed through the network. Students using the tablets would get access to interactive learning, develop skills to access open educational resources available on the web, utilise communication and information technology for self- learning and get benefit of knowledge network," he said.

The educational content is being developed by MKCL and the project is aimed at taking low cost ICT- enabled education to remote villages.

The commission has organised a mobile exhibition on rural technolgies which will be launched in the ongoing Pandharpur pilgrimage. The commission has developed a technology called -- Maharashtra Network Technology and Innovations hub for Rural (Mahanetra) which enabled dissemination of appropriate technology in agriculture, livestock, etc.

Another application developed by the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre on biogas plant, low-cost water filters, etc would also be displayed, Kakodkar said.

272 - India’ll have 500 Million Tablet Users in 5 Yrs: Datawind CEO - New Indian Express

India’ll have 500 Million Tablet Users in 5 Yrs: Datawind CEO

By Express News Service

Published: 30th June 2014 07:21 AM

• Datawind chief executive officer Suneet Singh Tuli making a point while speaking at a curtain raiser on IIT alumni global conference at Indian School of Business in Hyderabad on Sunday | NEERAJ MURALI 

HYDERABAD: With the growing demand for digital learning across the country, the market for tablet computers is likely to rise exponentially, Suneet Singh Tuli, chief executive officer of Datawind, the maker of low-cost Aakash tablets for government of India, has said.

In the next five years, akin to mobile phone reach to masses in the country, one can witness 500 million tablet users in India, he has projected.

“Currently, 4 million tablet users are being added to the lot of tablet users in the country. That means, in less than five years one can expect 70-time increase in the reach. This scenario is no less than that of mobile phone user base expansion in the country,” he observed.

He was at the Indian School of Business on Sunday to participate in the curtain raiser  on the IIT Global Conference-2014 to be  hosted by IIT-Hyderabad in Hyderabad in December.

“The paltry 5 to 7 percent of Indian students who have access to digital content and the Union government, which promises to promote digital education, should work better for the tablet market in the country,” he said.

“The party at the helm of administration at the Centre has vowed to take steps to expand the digital education tools across the country and mentioned it in its manifesto. So, this augurs well for the tablet market,” he said, adding that one lakh Aakash tablets had been supplied to the government of India.

First Such Meet in Hyderabad

For the first time, IIT Global Conference-2014 will be held in Hyderabad from December 19 to 21. It will be hosted by IIT-Hyderabad.

Last year, the conference was held in Houston city in the United States. The event was announced by the organising committee at the Indian School of Business.  The prestigious global conference which draws IIT alumni from across the world is expected to see a participation of 3,000 IITians, who are currently working in diverse industries, academia and government globally.

With the active support from the Telangana government, the three-day event is likely to host many internationally-acclaimed personalities and focus on promoting entrepreneurship, research and innovation in Telangana and rest of the country. 

An IIT alumnus and managing director of  Talent Sprint Santanu Paul said the conference would help Hyderabad regain its position in drawing investors.

271 - DataWind, makers of Aakash tablet, plans $28 million IPO - IBN Live

DataWind, makers of Aakash tablet, plans $28 million IPO

Toronto: DataWind plans to raise about C$30 million ($27.41 million) via an initial public offering on the Toronto Stock Exchange that will value the discount tablet maker at about C$117 million, according to documents filed with regulators on Wednesday.

Mississauga, Ontario-based DataWind has grabbed headlines in recent years as the maker of the world's cheapest tablet device, UbiSlate (Aakash tablet) that was initially developed as a budget device for the Indian market.

The entry-level version of the device is now being sold for roughly $38 in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom.

DataWind has grabbed headlines in recent years as the maker of the world's cheapest tablet device.

In documents filed with Canadian securities regulators on Wednesday, DataWind said it plans to sell between 5.2 million and 6.3 million shares, at a price of between C$4.75 and C$5.75 a share.

Based on the mid-point of the offering size and price range the IPO is expect to raise about C$30 million, and up to C$34.5 million if the book-runners exercise the over-allotment options on the offering.

If the over-allotment option is exercised in full DataWind will have 22.22 million shares outstanding after completion of the offering, valuing it on paper at roughly C$117 million.

The DataWind IPO comes close on the heels of another tech IPO in Canada, Kinaxis. The Ottawa-based software company earlier in the week said it plans to raise C$100.6 million via an IPO and a secondary offering.

Although many have predicted a slew of Canadian tech IPOs this year, activity so far has been relatively muted, and many much talked about names in the sector such as Shopify, HootSuite Media and Desire2Learn, have yet to move on an IPO.

Toronto-based Baylin Technologies, a maker of antennae for mobile devices, was the last technology company to go public on the TSX via an IPO late in 2013 that raised roughly C$50 million.

The DataWind offering is being underwritten by a syndicate led by Canaccord Genuity, as sole lead bookrunner. The syndicate includes National Bank Financial, Cormark Securities and Haywood Securities.