'Kompkin', Not Just A PC

Pune-based SumConcepts Technologies, the makers of Kompkin have appointed
around 25 channel partners for its educational PC in Maharashtra alone. In the
future, the company has extensive expansion plans to tap partners across the
country

To begin with, this is not about a Dell or an HP or an Acer and the other
desktop PC brands that you place before your customer, the moment he approaches
you for buying one. This is an educational PC with a difference. Meant for new
age kids, Kompkin has around 300 extensive applications, more than 17,000
e-books, encyclopedia, scientifically designed module on career guidance and
skill-set development. In addition Kompkin also offers 150 educational games,
researched and recommended by psychologists to hone skill-sets like creativity,
analytical capabilities and reasoning in a child.

Designed with an intention to tap the education segment and hence the new age
students, Kompkin is an innovative PC that on the one hand allows a student to
browse the web, download, chat, use spreadsheets, word processor etc and on the
other hand access a bouquet of applications to enhance their general knowledge
and awareness. In a nutshell it works like any other conventional PC but offers
a gamut of applications.

So while Kompkin, the brain child of Pune-based IT Company, SumConcepts
Technologies and Europe-based Technologies UK, is a unique product in itself, is
the PC really worth buying? Or rather if the question is rephrased a little,
will the concept really work, since most of the students today don't access all
the applications? Are schools really looking forward to this PC? While the
makers of Kompkin are convinced that the PC is a unique concept in itself, DQ
Channels took a closer look at the business propositions and value the product
stands to offer.

The idea behind Kompkin

The brain child of, Biren Dharamsi and Chetan Khona, directors at
SumConcepts Technologies, Kompkin came into existence when they realized that
technology needs to be friends with children and not an alien. They pictured
children to be winners, successful people, good citizens and leaders of
tomorrow.

Shared Biren Dharamsi, "India sold close to 26 lakh PCs in households in year
08-09. But there is nothing for parents and kids who are the biggest buyers of
such products."

Being an IT professional and having vast exposure and pan continent contacts,
it was Chetan who took an initiative of shaping the concept with his colleagues
in India and Europe. The functional rich team now consists of teachers, doctors,
career counselors, psychologists and IT professionals from various backgrounds.

"Going forward, SumConcepts has wonderful ideas and big dreams for Kompkin.
Soon, Kompkin will be seen in new formats and concepts and the company is
planning to roll out Kompkin laptops by the end of December. Presently there are
three variants of the Kompkin desktop PC available in the market. WhileChamp the
PC without monitor is available at Rs 17000, Genius is available at Rs 22000 and
Wizard with a 19 inch LCD monitor is valued at Rs 27000.

Opportunity for the channel

In order to distribute the PC, SumConcepts is looking at partnering with
educational institutes aside to adopting the channel route. The vendor has
already appointed as many as 25 dealers across Maharashtra and will be
appointing another 25 by end of December. While Pune-based CyberNet IT has
already partnered with the company, some of the other dealers appointed by them
include Mainframe Computers in Aurangabad, Sujhata Computers in Pune, AceMind in
Satara and Aditya Computers in Kolhapur among others. The company is also
targeting schools and educational institutes for the desktop PC. Some 25-30
schools within Pune have already partnered with Kompkin.

"We have started from Maharashtra and will gradually advance to other parts
of the country once we have created enough awareness around Kompkin. We do not
require to partner with system integrators at the moment since our computer is a
pre-loaded machine and very user friendly. However when we go in for bulk sale,
we will have to look at partnering with them as well. We are in the process of
appointing dealers right now. The margins to these dealers will be at par with
the hardware industry. Besides, a lot of promotions at the school level has also
taken place and the company is working closely with media to generate awareness
about the product. We are also participating in events and exhibitions in major
cities to increase product awareness," added Dharamsi.

Are Schools evaluating Kompkin?

While there is no doubt about the fact that the product is unique in every
sense, the big question that arises is that are schools really going to buy it,
since most of the times, students do not make use of all of the applications?

Medha Pundit, Principal, SPM English Secondary School, Pune, noted, "We have
attended the presentation and are impressed with the desktop PC. While it has
some very useful applications, there are a few limitations to it as well. During
the presentation we were looking for specific author and his compositions and
poems, which we could not find through Kompkin. While it may not be as good as
Internet which allows us to garner any and every information, it has some other
features like attractive visuals to generate interest amongst students, that
makes the PC all the more interesting and useful for them. Schools that are
looking to set up new computer labs can definitely look at availing Kompkin.
Since we already have over 30 desktops as part of our computer lab that are
fully upgraded we are not looking at installing Kompkin right now. However, in
future if we were to look at expanding our computer lab, we will surely go for
Kompkin since the PC is attractive both in terms of applications and price
point."

Tough Competition

When questioned about stiff competition from established and leading players
in the industry, Dharamsi pointed out, "The way we are looking at positioning
Kompkin in the educational segment is different from the way the leading players
are doing it. We want to convey the message that this PC supports various
applications and tools that can assist students in terms of enhancing their
knowledge.While the competition is offering only the hardware coupled with
software we have an edge over them since we have bundled the PC with various
applications that can prove beneficial in terms of enhancing the reasoning and
analytical skills of students. SumConcepts has even partnered with Redington to
look into the service issues, the software and free upgrade for the users will
be provided by the us."

Channel Speaks

Sharing his opinion on the unique educational PC, Aurangabad-based Sanjay
Agarwal of Mainframe Computer who has been appointed as one of the partner by
SumConcepts stated, "We found this concept of an educational PC to be unique and
hence have partnered with the company to further it in Aurangabad and
surrounding locations. We will shortly hold a dealer meet to inform and create
awareness amongst our reseller partners. We are expecting to distribute around
75-100 units of Kompkin PC on a monthly basis."

"The concept is very nice and so far I have never come across a desktop PC
that has such applications pre loaded on it,"noted Naresh Lalwani, CEO of Pune-based
Cyber Net IT.

Lalwani further pointed that the only way to further Kompkin is to market it
well. "Our target customer for Kompkin are the school going students. Hence we
have tied up with some agencies who hold programs for school teachers and
principals on a regular basis. Accordingly we have given presentations in some
13-14 leading schools in Pune and the response has been overwhelming so far."

Puja Sharma

Poojas@cybermedia.co.in