Mailbox

The penguin comes to India
The article ‘Desktop Linux gains ground’ [Express Computer, May 12] opines that Linux on the desktop is making inroads into the Indian PC market. Of late, many PC vendors have been selling PCs loaded with the Linux operating system. With the low cost of Linux-based PCs this comes as no surprise. But awareness about Linux is still very low in India. Customers are wary about opting for a technology, which is commonly perceived to be a part of the geek world. Companies like Red Hat, and also vendors incorporating Linux with their offerings, should take steps to educate the market about the benefit of using Linux compared to more popular OS. The price factor will definitely play a big role in improving the acceptability of Linux in India.

— Arvind Tapia
Mumbai

Integrated security
This is with reference to the article ‘Cisco weaves security with networking’ [Express Computer, May 19]. The article seems to predict a convergence of networking and security products. As usual Cisco is setting the trend even in this space. Customers will definitely benefit from this packaged offering. This will also establish Cisco’s monopoly in both these sectors. In an era where integrated security is becoming more and more important, Cisco’s move could prove to be beneficial in the long run for customers.

— Alexander Jones
Bangalore

Reflections
Apropos your article ‘Reflections on the .NET platform’ [Express Computer, May 12]. I completely agree with your views on the .NET platform. In fact, I have had similar feelings since the announcement of .NET. It may be a good technology but it has not yet proven its capabilities. And I feel that at this stage it is very risky to begin a new real-life project with .NET.
I sincerely feel that “The eye behind the camera is more important than the camera.” I have more than 16 years experience in the IT industry. And I have seen many technological changes during this period. But Microsoft’s strong marketing tactics have not fully convinced me about .NET. I congratulate you, from the bottom of my heart, for this excellent article and expect to see many more such pieces in the future.

— Deepak Gokhale
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Corrigendum
In the article ‘Sify eyes buyout targets, plans listing in India’[Express Computer, May 19], the photo of Satyam Computer Services chairman B Ramlinga Raju was inadvertently carried instead of Sify’s CEO R Ramaraj.

The error is regretted.

Made in India hardware
The not so enthusing results by the likes of Wipro, Satyam and other stalwarts of the Indian IT industry is one more reminder of the fact that it is high time for the IT industry to change tack. India should replicate its success in software in the hardware arena as well. Depending on imports to meet the hardware requirements could also prove detrimental to the security of the country. China had refused to accept hardware from the US, which incorporated just 128-bit encryption. But even today our defence sector imports most of its hardware from the West. It's high time we designed, developed and manufactured our own hardware not only to resolve the security issue but also to stay ahead in the IT game.

— Arun Samak,
Delhi

Baan future and its Indian employees safe
The article ‘Baan up for sale—Fate of Indian staff hangs in balance’ [Express Computer, May 12] does not paint a true picture of the actual situation. The second part of the headline that doubts the fate of Indian employees in the face of the situation is incorrect—the company officials never stated this in the interview. The truth is that the Baan Indian staff is not going to be affected by the change of ownership, as actually foreseen by the company. In fact the IT capabilities of India are known world-over and anyone would see the strong R&D centre of Baan in India as a highly useful asset, which any new partner would definitely leverage. Also, the story says that worries for Baan are manifold, which again is not true. It will be business as usual for Baan in the near future in India, as change of ownership is not going to alter the business operations. In fact it will help Baan in getting future investment and thus help serve our customers better. Baan will concentrate on its existing products and devices as before, and there would not be any retreat in its implementation projects with clients.

— Ravi Kathuria
General Manager (Enterprise Solutions)
Baan Info Systems India