Encore to open Simputer source code to public

Thursday, 02 December 2004, 20:30 IST
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BANGALORE: Encore Software Ltd is opening the source code of its low cost Simputer (simple computer) to enable developers to create more applications. The Bangalore-based IT product firm said Wednesday it will put Simputer's hardware designs in the public domain for building a commercially viable business ecosystem around it. Encore chairman Vinay Deshpande told reporters here that Simputer could be customised for varying requirements to become a cost-effective multi-functional device. "The opening of our source code will lead to the development of numerous applications that will play a crucial role in e-governance and micro-banking enterprise solutions," Deshpande said. Among the mobile computing products Encore has developed are low cost, programmable handheld devices called Chhota and Sathi, a product for the Indian Army. The company plans to develop more vertical product lines based on the Simputer platform and customise them for government, enterprise and developmental needs. Though the company sold only 4,000 Simputers, it is targeting to market about 50,000 devices in the next 12 months, including 25 percent abroad. "From this year, we are looking at mass manufacturing of the Simputer to market it in the Far East, Middle East and the US," Deshpande said.
Source: IANS
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