eWeek: IBM Partners’ $190 Netbook Comes Cloud-Ready

March 26 2010

eWeek covered an IBM announcement made by Kevin Cavanaugh yesterday at Lotusphere Comes to You in South Africa:

IBM, Canonical and Simmtronics Semiconductors have teamed up to deliver a netbook for emerging markets that features IBM cloud services and software for $190.

The Simmbook will be available first in emerging markets such as South Africa, IBM said March 25. "The Simmbook is preloaded with IBM Client for Smart Work, which includes IBM Lotus Symphony, access to IBM LotusLive cloud collaboration services, and [a] choice of adding other IBM Lotus collaboration software like Lotus Notes and Lotus Sametime," the company said.

The Simmbook is designed for mobile computing. "IBM Client for Smart Work is IBM and Canonical's complete desktop package that's open, easy to use and offers a security-rich alternative to costly, proprietary PC software, such as Microsoft Windows," IBM said. "It can help lower costs by up to 50 percent of a typical Microsoft PC."
This announcement continues momentum around IBM Lotus and Canonical Ubuntu going into new markets with low-cost devices and the IBM Client for Smart Work footprint.

Link: eWeek: IBM Partners' $190 Netbook Comes Cloud-Ready >

(Update: If you want to see Kevin Cavanaugh on South African TV related to this announcement, click here for the video from e news channel)

Ed Brill | Highland Park, IL USA Category:  Lotus  Add/View Comments [10]

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  1. 1  Karl-Henry Martinsson http://www.bleedyellow.com/blogs/texasswede | 3/26/2010 1:21:05 PM

    What about other markets? I can see some opportunities in the US and Europe for IBM/Lotus. If I could buy an inexpensive Netbook like that for my nine year old son, I would get him one tomorrow.

    So, what would that do for IBM and Lotus? Well, you would get Ubuntu-based laptops with Symphony and LotusLive out among kids and teenagers. They would get used to theLotus products. What do you think will happen when they hit the job market and workplaces in a few years? I think they will say "oh, I have been using Ubuntu and Symphony/OpenOffice for years and know it really good, let's use that at work too, even if we are using Windows here I can use Symphony and save us money".

    A few well-spoken and enthusiastic people, who know the product and what you can do with it, can change the software a workplace is using. I think a lot of the migrations from Notes/Domino to Exchange/Sharepoint/Outlook is driven exactly by that, one or two people coming from the outside and showing a handful of cool applications and talking about the benefits of the MS stack. The CEO's will listen to them (just like they listen to a consultant but not an internal IT worker saying the same thing).

    I think getting the products out there ("show the product") is much more important than abstract advertising for Smart Planet or Lotus Knows. Yes, those are ways to get the name/brand out there, but how many car commercials do you see where no vehicle is shown?

  1. 2  Daniel Silva http://dansilva.org | 3/26/2010 1:29:38 PM

    Hopefully Brazil will be considered an emerging market? ;)

  1. 3  Bill Geimer  | 3/26/2010 1:29:54 PM

    Well done, IBM!

  1. 4  Albert Buendía http://slug.es | 3/26/2010 1:46:38 PM

    "In addition to African countries, the low-cost Simmbook also will be available in India, Thailand and Vietnam," IBM said.

  1. 5  Travis Retzlaff  | 3/26/2010 2:36:14 PM

    Great question by Karl-Henry. I too am wondering if there are plans to expand this program outside of the countries already mentioned. If not why?

  1. 6  Ed Brill http://www.edbrill.com | 3/26/2010 2:41:37 PM

    We're not in the netbook business, my friends -- so Simmtronics as the device manufacturer decides what markets it is viable to sell in with this simmbook.

    { Link }

  1. 7  Giuseppe Grasso http://www.dominopoint.it | 3/26/2010 2:50:16 PM

    I've found some spec of simmbook here: { Link }

    looks like is plain atom machine, like the asus eee pc line of netbooks; these machines are powerful enough to run notes 8.5.1 at an usable speed with windows xp, I expect performance to be better with an ubuntu based OS.

  1. 8  Giuseppe Grasso http://www.dominopoint.it | 3/26/2010 2:51:17 PM

    (Ed, sorry for the duplicate link, you can delete my comments if you wish.)

  1. 9  Bilal Jaffery http://www.bilal.ca | 3/26/2010 4:14:43 PM

    maybe some folks here can convince the manufacturer to push for other markets ;)

  1. 10  Keith Brooks http://www.vanessabrooks.com | 3/28/2010 8:24:13 PM

    When I interviewed the CEO of Simmtronics back in January, I asked the same question about global sales and when we would see one in the US because I too would grab one for my kids.

    Realistic thought is most non-IT people want a name brand behind a device.

    So they would have to spend heavily to get awareness. In this way they may get better PR and then be able to bring it to a market that before would cost too much.

    As to speed, my netbook, the Lenovo S10e, does much better under Linux than windows xp or vista. Runs Notes, Domino and designer as well as symphony all at the same time so I can do my demos when I present. Yes it's slightly slower but nothing outrageous...while running all of these.