Nivio to capture Asian cloud computing market

Chennai : Cloud
computing service provider Nivio has proposed to tap the $10 billion market in
Asia through its services. Cloud computing is the process of offering
applications through Internet in a service model (SaaS).

Nivio offers Windows desktops
and applications through their website www.nivio.com,
where a user can store data up to 5GB (extendable memory). Users need to
register themselves on the website which would enable them to access Windows
desktop from anywhere across the world through a web browser.

"We don't have a full fledged
cloud computing service in India, but we hold a clear edge over other service
provider such as Google, Microsoft, Salesforce.com,
etc who just provide a single service. Nivio offers 100 percent security with
virtual desktop, where there are no viruses or data loss problems. Most
importantly, the official desktops needn't be used for the personal use and this
desktop is just like laptops, which is virtually portable," claimed Iqbal
Gandham, Chief Business Strategist, Nivio.

A minimum configuration
computer is all what a user need to have with a broadband configuration for the
bandwidth purpose. The processor in the main server takes care of the speed of
computing.

With Nivio, a user who has an
OS with Linux and Mac would still be able to work on a Windows desktop and
access Microsoft applications without any hassles through Safari, Mozilla, etc.
Nivio charges Rs 149 per month to provide the Windows OS and Rs 399 for a
desktop with Microsoft office as a service.

The company has planned to
tie-up with three sets of channels. "We would like to associate ourselves with
independent or low-cost system builders and integrators with the Internet
service providers (ISPs) and the hosting companies. We feel that the unbranded
or independent system builders can add value to their customers by offering them
our solution. ISPs could play a major role in offering our service along with
the other services they provide to their customers," Gandham informed.

At present, Nivio is in talks
with major ISPs and is in the process of identifying the low-cost and
independent system builders. "The independent and low-cost systems have played a
major role in increasing software piracy. We would like to educate and convince
partners to offer original OS at a very manageable cost to their customers," he
added.

Nivio has a strategic tie-up
with Microsoft to offer this service. Gandham views every Internet user as a
potential customer for Nivio and informs that the company mainly targets the SME
segment and the end-users predominantly.

Though at present Nivio is
just offering Windows and few open source applications, it is looking to add
more mission critical applications, provided the bandwidth supports those
applications. "We would like to add CRM or ERP in the offerings of Nivio, but we
need to see to that those applications doesn't eat out the bandwidth. We are
also welcoming more such application developers to be a part of Nivio," Gandham
said.

He feels that India is two
years behind the rest of the world in using the cloud computing concept and
therefore cites this as a huge potential to tap the market in the country.