Most of the target audience in the Middle East is still very disenfranchised from the information revolution, yet computers are becoming more and more affordable. Absolutely. We have seen since our entry into the Middle East market how costs have been driven down and computers have become more affordable. And also the carriers, the telecoms companies, are making access more affordable. But if you just have a computer with no Internet access, it doesn’t help. You need both together. Does there come a stage where the cost of keeping up with technology advances reaches a plateau for a user? I mean, will we have to keep junking our old computers? Well, you know, computers are finite life appliances and that is something to take advantage of by constantly improving the technology. So, if you like the latest technology it at least will always be coming down in cost terms. It’s also true that all the curves are generally heading downward, so computers each year are more and more affordable. You probably wouldn’t want the computers from four years ago today. The Internet is very Western and has been from the start. However, more and more people from nations such as China, India and those of the Middle East are going online. It’s going to change the balance of power in the online community, isn’t it? How will it do so? You already see Chinese and other languages coming up very strongly on the Internet. It has already been predicted that Chinese will be the most common language on the Internet. So, I think our next billion customers will certainly come from the Middle East, from Asia, from South Asia and from Africa. You cannot create more customers in the developed world. So the developing world is certainly the big opportunity. Do you think penetration has peaked in the developed world? Well, it’s more of a replacement phenomenon. New computer models mean new processors, new displays, new technologies that create a replacement just like in cellphones where you choose to have the latest device. That is somewhat true of the PC. And there are sectors, whether it is education, smart homes or small businesses, where you don’t have the degree of computerization that could have happened. Do you see a convergence at some point with computers in the home entertainment segment? Has it happened yet, and if not, when? It’s happening in some homes. We are offering media center computers that have the ability to do just what you are saying, to bind television, stereo, video, movies and PCs into one device. But we are not there yet. Well, we are selling millions and millions of such devices. I think the technology-savvy user is already beginning to use media centers. I wouldn’t look for a particular day when you can say that it has happened. Do you see at some point in the future a single hub that will provide all entertainment services in the household? One device? No, I don’t see that. I see many, many devices: little ones; big ones; devices in each room; devices you carry around; devices you park. All networked? Yes, I think that what is converging is the data, not the devices.

   Email This Post      Print This Post