| Laptop for everybody |
February 16, 2007… Forty of the brightest undergraduate entrepreneurs, from four universities, took a part in one of a kind competition hosted by Illinois Institute of Technology and sponsored by Motorola. Playing field? – Downtown Chicago. Focus? – Creation of a new concept Motorola phone. One of DePaul University’s teams came in fifth, proposing a concept/idea that three years later will be picked up by some. May 12, 2010… Gdgt.com is on a live tour. A massive crowd of geeks and geek wannabes await by Gallery 233, downtown Chicago, for the start of the event. Some interested in free merchandise, some in free booze, but all united with passion for technology. An impressive list of sponsors onboard showcasing their products: KIN, Windows Phone 7 Series, HTC, Logitech, Boxee, Cherrypal, Nero,Drobo and more… Cherrypal is what caught my attention. Max Seybold, the founder of Cherrypal, became interested in finding a way to bridge the “digital divide”. He believed that everyone should have access to technology and the benefits of the Internet, not just those who can afford to spend $500 or more on a new computer. The idea is simple; the business plan is brilliant. Focus on emerging markets as well as third world countries and you get a very precise target market that covers the mammoth part of the World’s population. This market is often overlooked, yet it provides arguably the largest buying power. The demands of this target market are much less sophisticated allowing for major development cost savings. Focusing on features that most people needed - check emails, listen to music, surf the web, watch the occasional video and use an office suite - a laptop was created that used ninety percent less energy and eighty percent fewer parts, thus making it affordable to the target market. This is a very “responsible” concept answering to human rights and environmental safety. Information is power, and internet is the easiest way to information. Why not make the World a better place, while making a fortune?.. Cherrypal’s first product, C110, received 2.5 million hits on the website the first day leading to a complete sellout. The latest Cherrypal’s product is called Africa, it is a 7” mini laptop that costs $99. I am proud to have been a part of DePaul University’s team that have clearly put this concept forward. Intersog was recently contacted by a British company, will keep them anonymous at this stage, to partner on a similar venture. We are asked to take charge of developing an interface for the new device. Check back to stay in the know about the unfolding of this probable project. Yuriy Nekrasov, Social Media Specialist |