Device will target vertical markets BANGALORE, INDIA – Bangalore-based Mistral Software has designed a Linux-based handheld computer around the ARM9TDMI RISC (reduced instruction set computing) processor from Samsung Electronics, that aims to target vertical markets such as navigation, health care, logistics, and hospital management.“We have made the handheld very customizable, so that we can add modules that make the product more suitable for a specific application, without requiring a change in the basic platform,” said Anees Ahmed, president and chief executive officer of Mistral. “For a customer in Europe, for instance, we have added a GPS (global positioning system) module so that the device can be used for marine navigation applications.”Called the “Smart Handheld” because it is highly customizable, the device can be configured to incorporate a variety of modules, such as support for GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications), 802.11 a/b wireless LANs (local area networks), Bluetooth, MP3, PCMCIA (Personal Computer Memory Card International Association), and a hard disk. The Smart Handheld is one of a number of attempts by Indian designers to build a handheld computer. Academics from the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore, for instance, teamed up with engineers from Bangalore-based Encore Software Ltd. to design a Linux-based handheld called the Simputer. However, the Simputer has not been successfully commercialized because of inadequate resources for producing and marketing the products.Mistral is avoiding the high costs involved in producing, branding, and marketing a product. The company is offering to customize and license the design to OEMs (original equipment manufacturers), who will manufacture and sell the product.The “Smart Handheld” is positioned as a customizable platform for multiple applications. “We are not in the PDA (personal digital assistant) market, as that market is already cluttered,” said Ahmed. “While most PDA vendors have tried to address the vertical market with a one-size-fits-all approach, we offer a design specific to each vertical segment.” The basic platform, which operates as a full function PDA, can be produced with a bill-of- materials (BOM) of about $130, according to Ahmed. Software DevelopmentTechnology IndustrySmall and Medium Business