Dell in talks with Google over Chrome OS
Dell in talks with Google about Chrome operating system; to release new smartphone in China in coming months; hopes to release Streak tablet in China this year, no date; China growth to outpace market growth of 15-16%
Dell Inc is in talks with Google Inc over the use of the Chrome operating system on its laptops, a top company executive said on Monday. Google said this month it expects to release its Chrome computer operating system in the "late fall” as it aims a competitive strike at rival Microsoft’s Windows.
Google is working with PC giants Hewlett-Packard Co, Lenovo Group, Acer Inc and Asustek Computer Inc in designing and developing devices for the operating system.
The Chrome operating system will be centred around the web browser, with all software including high-end applications such as those used in photo and video editing housed in external servers known as a cloud.
Dell, the world’s third-largest PC maker, was in talks with the Mountain View firm about the Chrome system on its laptops, but had no announcements to make as yet, Amit Midha, Dell’s president of Greater China and South Asia told
"We have to have a point of view on the industry and technology direction two years, three years down the road, so we continuously work with Google on this,” Midha said.
"There are going to be unique innovations coming up in the marketplace in two, three years, with a new form of computing. We want to be on that forefront ... So with Chrome or Android or anything like that, we want to be one of the leaders,” he said.
Streak into China
Dell, which is releasing its 5-inch tablet device called "Streak” in the United States in July, hopes the device will be released in China this year but has no firm release date, Midha said.
Dell’s growth in China will also outpace the market growth of 15 to 16% in the coming few years. Dell’s chief executive said in March that the firm’s China revenue will near $5 billion this year.
"We are continuing to gain share as we are growing much faster than the market,” said Midha. According to him, Dell’s current market share is around 12%.
Dell which entered the smartphone market late last year with release of Mini 3 in China, will release another new smartphone in the coming few months.
The phone will have an in-built television tuner and will be a full-featured smartphone to run on the TD-SCDMA network, China’s homegrown thirdgeneration mobile network.
The new smartphone would be released with China Mobile, Midha said. "(This) is really going to open up the potential (of the smartphone market in China) because there is not a lot of choices or availability of handsets on the TD side,” he said.
China Mobile is the world’s largest mobile carrier by subscribers.
