``We have already got 30 customers who are sold on to the idea of thin client networking, and 60 more pilot projects on hand,'' said IBM country head Ashish Kumar in a seminar on networking organised by CII. What is more, IBM is shifting its focus from its main hardware - the computer to other web browsers which facilitate thin client networking.

The thin client use allows cost savings to the tune of 50 per cent to 70 per cent in terms of obsolescence. Earlier studies showed that only 45 per cent of the functionsof a traditional PC got used by the end user. Only 19 per cent was used more frequently and 12 per cent got actually used continuously. Meanwhile sudies also showed that for business applications (like SAP, and other distributed products) the life span 8-9 years while lifespan for a desk top was just 3 years and those of office application products (like spread sheets etc) was 2 years.

By using thin clients and computer work stations , costs could be optimised as upgrades were facilitated in the server rather than in the client.

In the next two to six months IBM will be bringing in a slew of products following a formal announcement where the browser will be used as a front end rather than the PC. These will be in the areas of digital signal processing products allowing for mobile computing with wireless application protocols. ``The edge of network devices will be cheaper,'' Kumar said. IBM will go into every aspect of serving information effectively to non-conventional screens and other inteligentdevices.