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Gone are the days when home networks were primarily confined to IT freaks and technophiles as most families had to compromise because of the affordability level of the computers. But in this age of information, the computers are not only used for e-mail, rather they are extensively used in other fields also like in schools, governmental sectors, instant messaging, downloading internet contents and for enjoying games. Nowadays computers have become part and parcel of almost all families and one computer is not able to satisfy their needs to all extent.
Therefore, in a household with more than one computer, a home network plays a very vital role and in turn becomes a necessity. Moreover the Internet has educed vast changes in the place of work. These changes in turn generate a need for home networks. Not only this, since the Corporate world is constantly and continuously changing and everybody is opting for cost-cutting measures these days and many employers believes that telecommuting practices are clicking, which in turn give rise to the demand for such networking solutions. The demand for home networking products and solutions are also gaining rapid momentum because households containing business is very common thing these days and therefore all will need small-business solutions that work well in a home environment and for that all will need such kinds of solutions.
Mohit Anand, Managing Director, Belkin India, informed that Belkin India offers a complete range of solutions for Home Networking which includes wireless routers, wireless modem routers, wireless USB client adapters, wireless PCI cards for desktops and also home base and Network USB hub. Talking about the market opportunities for such Home networking solutions, he said, The home networking market is a very big market and since broadband penetration is increasing very rapidly in home, the market will continue to grow. Moreover the IDC forecast suggests that the growth will be 50% year on year and we expect this category will become more important in the time to come and therefore the opportunities are really huge.
Mentioning further about how they identify and understand consumers need and design solutions accordingly, he informed that they are designing networking solutions keeping 3 types of customers in mind. These are Basic users- who are having basic needs and simply connecting for the first time, Technology enthusiasts- who like video streaming, stuff like sharing and uploading etc. and the third type are the Power users- who are using the technology over a considerable period of time, handling business using the technology from home etc.
He further informed that areas on which the company is focusing on are home consumers including Sohos and SMEs, and in a big way the focus these days is on Governmental segment because it is growing very fast, educational sectors are also being focused on because lot of colleges, schools and universities are going Wi-Fi these days and providing students with laptops and other standard modes of educational devices and lastly the focus is also on Business service category which includes enterprises with employees strength between 5-20.
On being asked about the benefits of wireless home networking, he said, The main advantage of such networking is mobility i.e. anything could be accessed from anywhere, no maintenance costs like breakage of wire and all, ease to set up and use device etc. Commenting on the future of Home Networking market, he said, The future is certainly very bright and already the market is growing and it is also forecasted by the analysts that by 2013 this market will be around $100 million in India.
In future there will be a lot of penetration in B&C class cities, Tier II and Tier III cities and thus the demand for PCs will increase which in turn will give rise to the demand of internet and broadband and henceforth the market for Home Networking will grow immensely, he told.
Rohan Dholakia, Marketing Head India, 3Com, informed that 3Coms product offering is segregated into three verticals SME, Enterprise and Government. For the home networking segment, 3Com has a diverse portfolio of switches, routers (WAN/Internet) and firewall. Their switches comprise of next-generation and highly affordable Layer 2 managed, unmanageable 10/100 and Gigabit models. Their wireless products offer high-performance, cost-effective and reliable wireless adapters and Cable/DSL or ADSL routers.
Talking further about what motivates them to foray in to providing such solutions, he said, Considering the continuous demand for such products, 3Coms always been geared to develop and design highly competitive solutions. For the home segment 3Coms primary focus is to distinguish itself with a very reliable solution (defect-free), while keeping costs at a minimum.
Mentioning further about how they identify and understand consumers need and design solutions accordingly, he informed that they keep up with the rapidly changing technologies by offering innovative, easy-to-use and reliable home networking products for the deployment of wireless digital homes. These devices are built with the consumer in mind and which not only help simplify usability but also create a premium user experience.
Moreover, nowadays consumers are looking for home networking devices which are easy to setup and use as they may not be familiar with the technical jargon of home networking. Cisco addressed that with a simple, visual software interface that will ease the adoption for users who are new to networking technology. On being asked about the companys aim regarding the home networking solutions, he said, Our aim is to make the devices simple and accessible for anyone to enjoy the wireless home experience and create experiences that help consumers become comfortable with using technology to enrich their lives.
Commenting on the market opportunities and future of home networking market, he said, India has been at the forefront in adopting new wireless technologies, largely fuelled by the rapid growth in broadband penetration. According to TRAI, there would be 20M broadband connections and 40M internet connection by 2010. Moreover, the wireless industry been backed by the Government of India. Hence we have seen the Indian market, gain traction.
In addition, the country is on the threshold of a digital revolution resulting in unprecedented demand for digital content. Consumers are beginning to demand more from their network and this presents a huge opportunity for wireless networking, he told.
Analyzing the above verdicts, it is as clear as a crystal that the Home networking market has an exceptional future in the offing and in coming time this market will be poised very comfortably
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