Sify launches broadband initiative

Sify Anywhere will allow users access to the Net from anywhere.

Sify, a leading player in the internet and enterprise services space in India, has launched a new initiative called Sify Anywhere that will allow broadband users to access the internet even while on the move.

Sify broadband subscribers will now be able to access their accounts from any Sify kiosk at airport, hotels or Sify iWay cafe.

"Subscribers can use a laptop and can use the same account as a dial-up account or walk into any of the over 3,500 iWays across the country, or access using Sify Wi-Fi hotspots," said Naresh Ajwani, president, consumer infrastructure and operations, Sify.

The internet service provider has also announced a briefcase facility that will let users to store files which will open up as a default desktop page whenever they log in from any iWay cafe, Wi-Fi hotspot or even on a dial-up connection.

This way subscribers can access files from wherever without a laptop.

Ajwani said iWay and the broadband-to-home operations will be his priority for the company.

"We are trying to reach more iWays, up to 3 iWays a day from next month, and are looking at partnering more cable operators so that we can reach out to 300,000 from the existing 225,000 broadband consumers by the end of this year," said Ajwani.

Sify's Anywhere service outrides Reliance and Bharti's broadband services since none of the service providers at present provide a unified remote access service.

"We are a step ahead of Reliance, which has only 200 cybercafes, and Bharti has no cybercafes as of today to allow remote access," claimed Ajwani. Consumer services contributes 32.6 per cent of Sify's revenues, and Ajwani expects this to reach 45 per cent by the year-end.

Sify is also supporting Microsoft with internet access for Microsoft's path-breaking IQ PC initiative that seeks to unlock unlimited potential.

The PC, aiming at families with school-going children which include 100 hours of free internet access.

This is over and above the Microsoft suite and its partner offerings from Brilliant, Pacsoft and Edurite.

Ajwani said Sify will offer value-added services so as to transition its iWay cafes into e-stores.

The services include all forms of electronic fulfillment such as subscription-based browsing and computing for the lower-end of the market, rich graphic interactive content across a range of topics of interest to consumers including Sify specialised portals, access to e-commerce services that include train tickets, air tickets, holiday packages, bill payments and online games.

"The objective is to give more people more reasons to walk into the cafes for empowerment of various kinds while increasing the revenue streams of the cafe," he revealed.