Introduction

Institute tablet is a thin device providing access to central server. It will provide input access to write data to server and output to display content from server. First target application of this device is providing capabilities to educational institute to conduct online examinations. Currently the exam logistics is fairly time taking. Question papers and blank answer sheets are printed, carried to exam centers, distributed to participants, collected back, collated from all classes, distributed to examiner for checking and so on. The proposed device will optimize this process with additional facilities which cannot be provided in current method. There are many other areas where this tablet will be applicable e.g. when you enter hospital first time then you are required to fill out a form with your details. This form is collected and keyed in to server by operator. It takes a day or two to get registration number. Proposed tablet will optimize this whole process. Similar usage can be extended to Airports where travelers fill out immigration form, submit to office who key in these details. Tablet will help reduce steps, mistakes and time.

Tablet is only a platform. Several services can be offered with the right kind of applications. Some examples are Outsourcing of evaluations. With answer sheets available in electronic form it is possible to safely ship them without any constraint of distance. CBSE can plan to conduct exams at remote villages but carry out evaluations in Delhi without loss of time. Outsourcing of conducting exam itself. Schools not willing or not equipped can offload it to organizations specialized in conducting exams.

There are already many devices available in market which will provide above mentioned services very easily e.g. laptops, palmtops and smart phones. But the very capabilities which make the device smart and versatile actually prohibit its use in several of the specific application. Example, CBSE will never allow students to use iPad to write exam for fear of direct access to everything in the world no matter how secure your exam hall is. If airports start keeping laptop to fill out immigration forms then it will not be surprising to see people taking more time to fill form than earlier manual method. Laptop is certainly overkill for the application requirement.

Marketing Objectives
After considering the nature of the product and its strategic fit in company profile the marketing objective for this product would be: Increase awareness and inform promising niche market segment about benefits of new product Institutional Tablet and gain competitive advantage leading to 10% growth in sales over next year.

Customer Analysis
To perform the customer analysis we started with reviewing the available market for Institute tablet, interests in product, the driving factor behind the purchase and the activities affecting consumer after the purchase. To understand the above stated behavior we have conducted focus group survey and depth interview with couple of institutes. Secondary analysis is also done based on the data available over the web and other printed journal and reports available.

Primary data collection method:

The project focuses on the target audience required for the product and hence, it is a qualitative research. An estimate of the total market of tablet institutional PCs for the coming years is already known (refer: market scenario) which confirms the quantitative viability of the product in the market. The qualitative research classified as: Qualitative research procedures

Direct

Indirect

Focus Group

Depth interviews

Projective techniques

Here, the product is such that the respondents or the participants need to know about it before taking part in it. Therefore, we have taken the direct research approach. In direct research, we have opted for focus group discussion as it lets people to come up with ideas which sometimes do not click to the other person. Sampling: Geodesic institutional tablet PC is a device for future education system. Also, as this device involves technology it is bound to be more popular with the younger generation than the older generation. Hence, the sample will include people from young generation only. Sample Population: The population for the Sample Survey comprise of College faculties, staff and college students Sampling Frame: The sample frame for the survey will consist of all persons who are between the age group of 18 to 40 Sampling Procedure: As the data to be taken for sampling is too large, diversified and scattered so we take sample based on our convenience. So we choose Convenience Sampling. Hence, we will select those units which are most conveniently available. Sample Size The sample size taken for the focus group discussion is 7-9. No specific formula has been applied as par se.

Sample element: Sample Frame Students Faculty and staff Sample size 4-5 3-5

Editing: The process includes the review of the data to ensure maximum accuracy and no ambiguity. Careful editing early in collection process will often catch misunderstanding of instructions, errors in recording and other problems at a stage when it is still possible to eliminate them from the later stages of the study. Coding: The process includes careful interpretation and good judgment of the data to ensure that the meaning of the response and the meaning of the category are consistently and uniformly matched. Questionnaire design: The questionnaire contains the questions that will help to analyze the consumer perception. Each question is formulated keeping in mind its usefulness and relevance to the project. For focus group discussion questionnaire refer Annexure I. Focus group discussion: Venues: 1. Barista Coffee House, Infinity Towers, Gurgaon- India 2. Cafe Coffee Day, Sector -18, Noida India 3. Barista Cofee Shop, Shipra Mall, Ghaziabad-India Duration: Generally 45 minutes 1 hour No. of people involved: 7-9 + 1 (moderator) Step wise discussion outcomes are as follows: Need for on-the-go device The participants were unanimously agreed that there is a need to have a device for the future education system. DU, one of the largest Indian university, recently declared that it would start redistributing the evaluated exams sheet, as handling and storing the same is getting more & more complex with increased number of students. Need for mobile internet access:

The participants were unanimously agreed that there is a need to have mobile internet access. The idea is to go beyond just the exam tablet sheet and more as notebook tablet, which can access university/college resources. Paper sheet V/S exam on tablet Some of the respondents seldom were bit reluctant and were not sure about the success and usage of tablet for exams. However, most of the respondent agreed that this can be tested for all the professional/ technical courses, where students are already aware of new technology and its usage. iPad, Laptop V/S institutional Tablet: There is definitely a need for a product between a smart phone and a laptop category in changing education system. On seeing the iPad video, participants were amazed at the benefits the product offered and were interested to know more about it. After hearing the retail price though they though it to be a bit out of budget. According to them, it was priced as much as the laptop and is not that much worth the money spend. Geodesic tablet v/s iPad The participants were briefed about Geodesic tablet. After the briefing most of the participants, were eager to know more about the product and its availability. However, after hearing that the product is indigenously developed in India, some of them were skeptical about the quality of the product. After much discussion they reached to a decision that the product is far better than iPad but due to its new entry in the market and unknown quality they will only opt for it if it is available at a much lower price than iPad. Also, they didnt feel any snob value attached to the product. Thus, there is no advantage factor associated with the product. Price When told about the price (INR 12000 approx.) of the Geodesic, participants were not surprised. They became however skeptical about the quality and reliability of the product. When told that the price is just introductory and the actual price will be around INR 15000, participants gave a positive reaction. According to them, the price of the product is too low to believe and that leads quality doubts.

Final verdict: Will institutes go for Geodesic? The discussion was ended with a final verdict of the participants about whether institutes will buy Geodesic Institute tablet. They were asked about the type of institute which can opt for Geodesic. The common characteristics listed by the participants are as follows: Private Professional Institutes Like IIPM Deemed Universities/Colleges Like Amity University Private Coaching Institutes like Career Launcher IITs/IIMs/NIT

 Brand Level Expectation For gaining insight into brand level expectation of institutes we focused our survey on understanding the after sales services, Price factors and adaptability for tablet as well. Some of the main points are o After sales service of Institute Tablets affect the brand perception of consumer Institute customers do not have high level of technical expertise to handle the maintenance of the tablets. Thus after sales service for these institutes is of prime importance while purchasing tablet at the organization level. Price a determining factor for competitive tablet market. With growing competition from various communication device vendors, prices of the product do affect the purchasing decision for any institute. Adaptability Consumers expect the installation of application over the tablet to be a cleaner and much smarter process. Tablets should be able to support multiple apps which are customized developed for institutes and specific to their needs.

Conclusion
Geodesic tablet PC has many technological advantages over similar products in the market. Concept is new in business and the product too is a new category in it itself. On top of that, it carries the made in India tag which makes the buying decision very skeptical. So, certainly the company should take care of these points while launching the product. The price should definitely stay low but not cheap. They should not highlight the price as a tool for sales. The price tag should be around 12000 15000 INR in the starting i.e. skimming pricing and then maybe they should go for penetration pricing once they are stable. Target audience for the product can be both institutional and retail. There is no ambiguity if two people falling in two extreme age groups use the same product. Recommendations:

Segment: Target: Positioning:

Internal Environment Analysis

Analysis of the Value Chain in terms of Porters Value Chain Framework
Primary activities Input Logistics Geodesic depends on the reliability and viability of variety of software development tools owned by third parties to develop their products. If these tools are inadequate or not made available the strength of Geodesic to release a competitive product in market could be delayed or hampered. Also certain parts and components used in hardware are from single vendor which poses the threat in operating results as its from a single source. Operations Geodesic has achieved excellent organic growth in the last annual year due to its constant focus on fundamental cost control, launch of new products, cash optimization and return on capital. Company is expanded in Automated Cluster utility meter and taking up innovations migrating audio and video as part of cloud computing. Outbound Logistic The nature of Geodesic operations is majorly dealing in software development, which does not require holding inventories. For hardware company maintains the stock at Roorkie and Bangalore. Transportation is contracted with 3PL model reducing the fixed costs. Marketing and Sales Geodesic market and sell products through direct sales organization, independent value added resellers, OEMs and system integrators. A substantial portion of revenue is achieved through sales to dealers and OEMs. Any hindrance or changes in relationship with dealers or reduction in sales effort by them could have impact on business operations. Services Company provides variety of services and after sales service for the products which make them competitive with new and established companies with similar Communication, Collaboration, Content and Entertainment services. Support Activities Human Resource Geodesic has set up a scalable recruitment and resource management process which enables it to attract and retain high caliber employees. Technology Development Geodesic leverages its existing content and collaboration platform and mobile solutions to ensure they stay ahead in the technology curve.

Infrastructure Geodesic has developed infrastructure in 3 strategic locations in India. There is also global presence for Geodesic with 2 foreign subsidiaries and 8 foreign steps down subsidiaries and an associate company. Procurement Procurement at Geodesic has selected its preferred suppliers and standardized terms and conditions of contracts it negotiates with them. It uses advanced technology to optimize the relationship with the supply base.

External Environment
Threats
a. The cost of technology and the services that technology makes available are coming down in price. As setup cost, equipment cost and other variable cost decreases the competition starts to increase in this segment. b. iProf a focused player already offer an education tablet and ecosystem with learning centres. c. Indian government tablet Aakash, the 35$ Android tablet from government of India jointly developed by the London based company and Indian Institute of Technology could be a threat in the educational segment when commercially launched. d. As tablet gradually takes the role of laptops and desktop PCs, Security becomes an important

threat to the Institutional tablets. The security vulnerabilities present in the Android based Institutional Tablet could threaten the confidentiality in an education institute.

Opportunities
a. This could also be a platform to showcase the Geodesic other products or even bundle the other products and services provided by organization. Such as providing spyder, walletWAP, MunduTV and MunduRadio with the Institutional Tablet. b. Institutional tablets can also be fitted with variety of different educational related gadgets providing ready access to students and faculty. E.g. Online Library, Office tools, communication tools, messaging tools etc. c. With tablet PCs the opportunity for growth is very high. Constant improvement and evolution are integral to substantial revenue growth.

PEST Analysis
PEST analysis is done for Geodesic to understand the macro-economic factor affecting the organization.

Political and Legal

Geodesic needs to understand the labor laws in India and political implications of different states in India. Mobile market in India is still regulated and government interventions can take place.

Economical
The demand for Tablet PCs is elastic. Any downturn of the economy would have impact on the institutional revenues and growth this might thus hamper the sales of Institutional Tablets. Economies thus play a key role in profitability of this product.

Social
Society and education institutions are quite receptive to the advances in technology. Rise of information need within society has made telecommunications increasingly important to consumer, both in terms of work and leisure. Thus we dont perceive much impact due to this factor.

Technological
Tablet industry is marked by drastic technological changes. Innovation such as Institutional tablet and launch of product at a faster pace would be key aspects of success.

Competitor Analysis

Applying Porters Framework for analyzing the competitor behavior.

Intensity of Existing Rivalry

Fast industry growth rate As the industry size for the tablet is increasing the competitors are involved in increasing revenue by targeting new customers instead of sharing market share. Such a scenario positively affects the growth of Institute tablets which can concentrate on targeting specific segment of industry. Relatively few competitors Table specifically catering to the needs of Institutes is where there is relatively less competition. There are major players in the market such Apple, HP which provide the same but their the very capabilities which make the device smart and versatile actually prohibit its use in several of the specific application Large Market Size As the market size is already large it prevents the tablet producing companies from stealing the market share of other competing companies. This poses a good platform to introduce the Institute Tablet in the realm of large market size.

Threat of Substitutes
High Switching Cost There are very limited Institute Tablet substitutes available in markets of India. Thus switching to another substitute product with same benefits and price, the options are very limited. Thus high switching cost would affect Institute Tablet positively. Substantial Product Differentiation There are less comparable products in market which cater to specific needs at Institutional level. Thus the product seems to fit and display a substantial differentiation. Less substitute available There are very limited Institute Tablet substitutes available. Thus customers have limited options to fulfill their needs and services. This holds a good plot for Institutional tablet.

Threat of New Entrant

High Capital Investment Creating a Tablet computer involves high to moderate capital investment. Thus on front of threat from new entrant the product is well placed.

Strong Brand Affiliation Consumer purchasing behavior is dependent towards the brand of the manufacturing company. Thus new entrant has to be a strong establish brand to enter the market. High end and advanced technological requirements Tablet manufacturing involves high end and advanced technology. This reduces the threat of new entrant in market as the new entrant has to develop technologies before effectively competing. Economies of Scale Economies of scale help producers to lower their cost by producing the next unit of output at lower costs. When new competitors enter the market, they will have a higher cost of production, because they have smaller economies of scale.

Bargaining Power of Buyers

High Volumes Institute Tablets would require manufacturing of Tablets in bulk. E.g. education institute would require tablets for conducting examination for students in bulk. Thus, there would be corresponding bulk order to suppliers. When suppliers are reliant on high volumes, they have less bargaining power, because a producer can threaten to cut volumes and hurt the suppliers profits.

Bargaining Power of Consumers

Product Importance As the product would be of high importance and give a technical edge to institutions, they would be ready to accept the stated prices and also premium for specific needs. High Volumes The product would be purchased in large quantities by institutions as stated above. The consumer would have high bargaining power. This would impact the revenues of our product in Institution Tablet. Limited Buyer Choices Consumers dont have many choices to choose institutional tablet in India. Thus Geodesic can leverage and expect a premium for catering to Institutions with this product. Limited Information Availability It would not be easy for consumers to have the detailed information about the product as its a new product and catering for special needs. Thus when there is limited information availability with consumer Geodesic can capture the premium to their advantage.

Pricing strategy Promotion and communication strategy