Speaking to The Financial Express, National Semiconductor country manager (India), Mr Sanjeev Keskar said that the focus was on technology building and striking key partnerships with manufacturers in each market. "All the reference designs in the three key segments are single chip solutions powered by the Geode family of processors (X86 200MHz Media GX core).

Besides manufacturing alliances, we are also looking atpackaging ISP services with the products," Mr Keskar said. The new products on the anvil include a CRT (cathode ray tube) Pad christened iPAD, which will be a personal Internet access/browsing device, and an interactive TV (iTV), and an interactive (iDVD) player. The company has entered into an alliance with China-based monitor manufacturer -- Proview, for manufacturing the product.

The iPAD, priced at approximately $300 will hit the world markets by the year-end and India in early 2001. "This product has an integrated 15 inch colour monitor with wireless keyboard connectivity. This can serve both as a browsing device for personal and SOHO purposes," he said. National is currently looking at tying up with IT companies to use their marketing channels to introduce the product into India, while the global markets would be serviced through Proview's channels. On the iDVD player front, the company has developed a technology wherein the DVDs could be embedded with URLs through which a viewer can access specific Internet sites on Web TV.

National Semiconductor was currently in talks with consumer electronics players in the Asia-Pacific region and the product was expected to hit the Asia markets early next year, Mr Keskar said. The iDVD will be slotted in the $240 range. Another new product -- iTV is set to be launched in India by early 2000. National Semiconductor is currently in finalstages of discussion with an Indian consumer electronics giant to manufacture the product. "Our strategy is to take each vertical and create innovative IA products based on our single chip solutions," he added.

While most of its IA products are focussed on the consumer markets, the company is going heavy on verticals like education and banking/corporate with its thin clients. "We have two key OEM's for each of the verticals -- Bangalore-based VXL Instruments and HCL. While we are looking at the education segment with VXL, we are targeting corporate and banking requirements for thin clients with HCL," Mr Keskar said.