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'There are no hardware-manufacturing plans for
India. There are lower cost countries to consider'

Jeff Mason is IBM's general manager in charge of the solutions development group. Earlier in the day he delivered the keynote address on the second day of the Comdex seminars. His topic was 'Partnering with solution developers for e-business'.

Immediately after the talk, he snatched a few moments with R Vijay Shankar for a quick Q&A with Rediff On The Net:

T O D A Y

• Jeff Mason's keynote • Q&A: Jeff Mason • E-cash alternatives • Selling on the Net • Internet telephony • Knowledge strategy • Q&A: Rick Inatome • Looking forward

In terms of security, how safe is the Net for e-commerce today?
The only major problem is the people's perception that e-commerce is not entirely secure. I think the security standards for business on the Internet are quite the same as anywhere else. In fact, e-commerce is safer than many other modes of doing business. We have to convince users about this.

Do you have an estimate of the current revenue generated through Internet commerce?
It is probably $2-10 billion year.

What is your reading on the possibilities of e-commerce in India?
Even in the US, it has taken time for the concept to come into practice. India could be one of the leading e-commerce markets. But a lot depends on the government's decisions.

How will India accept Java?
Java is at a critical stage now. India is no different from other major IT countries and I am sure Java will become an industry standard here too. Maybe it will take about five years to evolve.

What will be the role and importance of the proposed IBM partnership centre in India?
The centre being established here is a reflection of the Indian marketplace. The next centre is being planned for Japan. A visit to the Bangalore centre (one of the seven worldwide centres of the IBM solution developer group) would show how vibrant and active it is. Programme testing, educational courses, support for all server platforms and IBM Middleware (especially Java) are the major areas of activity.

Is IBM planning any hardware-manufacturing center in India?
There are no such plans. There are lower cost countries to consider.

What are the skill resources here as compared to China?
The skill capabilities here in India are certainly much higher. That is the reason that the USA and Europe turn to India for Software work.

Also: Jeff Mason's keynote address

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