Channel Clueless About Centrino

Centrino is a word that is puzzling a lot of channel partners in India. And Intel is in the midst of making sure that Centrino becomes as common a word as Pentium and Celeron before its introduction in the Indian market next month. It is the first time that Intel has branded a combination of technologies under one name. Centrino is not Intel's latest processor, but a series of components that work together. If one piece of these components were missing, the notebook would not receive the Centrino stamp of approval.

Centrino includes three components--Intel Pentium M processor; Intel 855 chipset; and Intel Pro Wireless 2100. These technologies include a newly-designed microprocessor, integrated wireless capability (Wi-Fi 802.11) with related chipsets and software.

The Centrino mobile technology will make it possible to create thinner and lighter notebook computers with built-in wireless capability, extended battery life and improved performance. The new Centrino mobile technology brand name is represented by a new logo carrying the famous Intel Inside mark. With Intel Centrino mobile technology, the company is working with hardware and software developers and wireless service providers with the goal of delivering an integrated wireless-mobile-computing experience.

With Centrino mobile technology, one can connect from WiFi-certified wireless LAN networks and hotspots all over the world, without hunting for a phone connection or using a special card. Centrino mobile technology-based notebooks are engineered to run productivity-enhancement software. It is uniquely designed for mobility--giving you a wide choice of a whole new generation of lighter, sleeker notebooks.

The Centrino technology extends beyond the processor. Centrino notebooks can outperform P4-M based notebooks with higher clock speeds. The major USPs are the power management capabilities, performance levels and the WiFi capabilities. The system manages power consumption by turning off areas that are not in use. This new approach has showed effectiveness because the processor alone was only a fraction of the overall power consumed by a notebook.

Anuj Sayal, Channel Account Manager, Intel Asia Electronics Inc, said that Centrino platform has the potential for overtaking other existing mobile technologies. Elaborating on the channel strategy, he said, "Centrino is not a mass product, we would have very selective channel partners in India who would push this product in the market." Centrino is not a mass product, but with expanding laptop market in India, sales can see an accelerated market share, especially if one is to compare the relative pricing. in addition, Centrino might not be a very expensive buy and you can get it at as low as Rs 90,000