Micromax to launch a GSM desktop phone

Christened MMX 3010, Delhi-based Micromax Informatics is all set for a
national launch of its GSM D-Cellular phone. The company had a team of 15
working on the product for over a year before it came up with a prototype.
"We will launch as soon as we get the green signal from the service
provider," said Vikas Jain, Country Manager, Micromax Informatics Ltd.

The company has been talking to a number of operators and Airtel is most
likely to be their first customer. "MMX 3010 offers the convenience of a
mobile phone with features ranging from a two-way SMS capability, caller line
identification, speakerphone, record of missed calls with times-tamps, history
of dialed and received calls, voice mail, phone book to choice of ring tones and
three-way conference call capability," informed Vikas.

One of the first among the channel community to get into the telecom market
by spinning off Micromax Informatics, CEO Rajesh Agarwal, has great expectations
from the product. "We would be doing 5,000 units a month," he said
elaborating that the basic business model is ready and has been arrived at along
with the service operator. Ready for a January 2005 launch the company has
already worked on a manufacturing deal, outsourcing it to an equipment
manufacturer in China.

"MMX 3010 can be best leveraged by an operator which has presence across
the country," said Rajesh. He believes, that the instrument will
cannibalize some of the CDMA fixed-phone market and see customers shifting from
the conventional fixed-line network to GSM. "The comfort level with the
instrument will be high. And now that the price differential between a cellular
and the landline call is hardly of any consequence, the price points and the
tariff plans will be attractive," he elaborated. The enterprising ones can
even put one in their car as well. However, apart from portability, it is the
ease of installation, especially in areas with dense buildings and rural regions
that will drive its adoption, added Rajesh.

NANDITA SINGH