We believe in having long-term business plans here." NCR, which marked its presence in India four years ago, has made a significant mark in automated teller machines segment - having installed about 850 ATMs across the country.

The company is now chalking out plans to expand its data warehousing business and has already kicked off the process. According to NCR India businesss manager (Teradata Solutions Group) Amrish Rau, the company is in talks with leading dotcoms, such as Satyam Online and leading telecom companies such as BPL, for the same. The Reserve Bank of India is also in the process of implementing a major DW initiative. UTI bank too is in the process of implementing the data warehouse. Globally, NCR is strong in providing DW solutions in sectors like banking, insurance, retail, telecom and airlines.

In China, the company is working with the Shanghai Stock Exchange to build a data warehouse for processing its huge volume of data on transactions and stock registrations. When fully operational, this is expected to be the largest data warehouse in China, serving more than 50 million clients and storing more than 10 years' worth of historical data for ready access.

Says Mr. Nyberg: "In India, we plan to expand our presence from ATMs to data warehousing in all the areas where we have global strength. We expect the traditional growth for ATMs to pick up speed in India, since there is a huge middle class in India. We will have to find out how this can be done." NCR India is the market leader in both ATMs and payment solutions business in the country.

For data warehousing, NCR is looking at markets with a large consumer base and high competition. "The potential for DW in India is astronomical and in the next five years, India will be a different market. And we would be the undisputed leaders,'' said Mr Nyberg, stressing that the time between technology deployment in the US that in India, is compressing. In India, ICICI has already initiated the data warehousing process for all its various group companies.

NCR India is also working closely with service providers for the purpose of demand creation for DW. Earlier, speaking at the general session here at NCR Partners 2000 - an annual event which brings together innovators to share the latest trends, best practices and technological advancements in DW, customer relationship management, and e-business - Mr Nyberg said: "Our ambition is to be the forerunner in data warehousing. NCR as a whole expects a good second half, led by a strong fourth quarter. I fully expect this to be the strongest half in my five-year tenure with the company." With 2,900 attendees from 43 countries and 180 sessions being held on a 52,000-sq-ft exhibit space, the NCR Partners 2000 conference is said to be one of the largest data warehousing events.

When the world was too small for five computers
Here are some interesting quotes highlighted at the NCR Partners seminar: For starters, we have some predictions made at the birth of the computer age. In 1943, Thomas Watson, chairman of IBM, said: "I think there is a world market for maybe five computers".

In 1949, Popular Mechanics magazine made a startling forecast: ``Computers in the future may weigh no more than 1.5 tonnes''. (Imagine running your 1.5-tonne laptop through the baggage check at the airport!).

And here's a quote from Ken Olson, chairman and founder of Digital Equipment Corp: ``There is no reason anyone would want a computer in their homes''. The year in which he made this Delphic pronouncement? Circa: 1977Or try this: ``640K ought to be enough for anybody''. This pronouncement was made -- in 1981 -- by a person called, you guessed wrong, Bill Gates.

Even quotes from 1990s can show a serious lack of perception. Consider this from Forbes magazine: ``An old-line hardware manufacturer, NCR is hoping to make it as a supplier of data warehousing systems and services. Colour its chances dim''.