Top computer maker Dell is shifting its hardware design unit from its R&D centre in Bangalore to Austin and Taiwan, a top company official said.

“Hardware design is being slowly phased out from the centre here to our centres in Austin and Taiwan”, Pallab Talukdar, enterprise strategy group director of Dell India, said.

Dell’s R&D centre in Bangalore has shifted focus from hardware design to software, management and testing, he said, adding, Dell plans to ramp up the R&D centre, which has a current strength of over 500.

The company also launched a new server – Poweredge M-series – which it claims consume up to 19 per cent less power and achieve about 25 per cent better performance per unit.

The M-series also provided lead-free configurations, delivering a “green” solution that further helps customers minimise their environmental impact, he said.

Dell reported $600 million in revenue from its business in India in 2007. Source: domain-b.com

Small is definitely big this year. HCL Infosystems today launched a laptop for only Rs 13,990.

With a little help from Intel, Indian hardware manufacturer HCL Infosystems on Tuesday launched an ultra portable range of laptops with mobile Internet computing experience under Rs 15,000. And no, they are not called Classmate!

The self-branded laptops called HCL MiLeap X and Y Series have been designed exclusively for India, claimed the company.

HCL already has an existing range of its laptops called Leaptop. The entry-level laptop however does not have a hard disk and runs on Linux, though Microsft Vista can be added in the high-end Y Series.

Like Classmate PC from Intel, the two new models with a 7 inch screen size are ultra-light and weigh under-one kg. But there have been modifications made and customisation done for the product to suit to the needs of other user segments than just students.

Despite the price, the new range offers a full PC functionality with Internet experience unlike Classmate, and at a price much lower than Classmate.

‘MiLeap’ is targeted at consumer who needs to stay connected, informed, entertained and productive-anytime and anywhere. It’s lightweight and small in size makes it so convenient, that one does not think twice about carrying it to the office, home, gym or park, or using it in a train, bus, plane or metro, claimed the company.

Said HCL Infosystems chairman and CEO Ajay Chowdhry, “HCL is proud of its heritage of leading the technology revolution in India. With a legacy of having pioneered India’s first micro-computer, the country’s first desktop PC and the first home PC, at HCL it’s always been our endeavour to create technologies that touch lives.

“MiLeap’ Leaptops will herald in a new category of computing devices, opening up a wide range of new usage scenarioes and application areas,” he added.

Speaking at the launch of HCL’s new product, Intel’s managing director, sales and marketing, South Asia, Ramamurthy Sivakumar said, “In a world where the access to information technology is really the passport to the 21st century, Intel and HCL are determined to broaden the number of people who can get access to the Internet.”

MiLeap Leaptops’ ultra portable form factor makes it convenient to carry and open up new possibilities in usage among a much larger number of people in corporates and particularly small businesses.

The price of MiLeap X Series starts at Rs 13,990 and it will be available in both flash-based and disk based storage versions. Its design makes it dustproof, shock-proof and durable just like Classmate. Source: economictimes.indiatimes.com

Infosys has won a crucial tax battle in the Supreme Court, reports CNBC-TV18. The case was slapped against Infosys by the I-T Department. The Supreme Court has said tax cannot be claimed on ESOPs granted before 2000

he Bangalore I-T Department had held Infosys liable for failing to deduct tax at source for income earned by its employees through an ESOP scheme created in fiscal 1998. Under the scheme, Infosys had transferred 7.5 lakh warrants at 1 rupee each to an employee trust. These warrants carried a five year lock in period before employees could use them to buy shares.

The Supreme Court said that warrant is a right without obligation to buy. Therefore, perquisite cannot be said to accrue at the time when the warrants were granted. Source: moneycontrol