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To create a meaningful interaction between Indian consumers and organisations active in the area of technology creation, HT Tech4U on Friday initiated the annual Cutting Edge-HT Tech4U Readers’ Choice Awards.
To create a meaningful interaction between Indian consumers and organisations active in the area of technology creation, HT Tech4U on Friday initiated the annual Cutting Edge-HT Tech4U Readers' Choice Awards. The categories for the year 2000 were - best PC, best laptop, best laser printer, best PC monitor, best inkjet printer, best fax machine, best UPS, best cell phone, best scanner and best digital camera. These products were adjudged best according to consumer verdict.
The consumers' response was generated through the ‘Cutting Edge 2000' readership survey carried out by Iris Software. A form carrying all nominations in each category was published in key national newspapers and magazines. These included Business Standard, India Today, PC World, Data Quest and a host of others. The readers were asked to mark the most preferred brand in each category. From the survey, that brought in 29,000-plus responses, the most voted brand in each category was given the award. A total investment of Rs 15 lakh was made in the whole affair.
Compaq emerged the consumers' preferred choice in the PC segment followed by IBM, HCL, HP and Wipro respectively. HP bagged the award for the best laser printer, inkjet printer and scanner as well. For the best PC monitor, Samsung was a clear winner and IBM for the best laptop.
Readers polled Nokia as their favourite cell phone. Sony was voted the most sought after digital camera, Panasonic the most popular fax machine and ACP emerged as the best UPS. The winners were understandably happy. One of them said, "These awards are a recognition of the fact that Indian consumers are getting increasingly serious about technology."
Pramod Mahajan, minister of IT and parliamentary affairs, who was present at the event, said, "The Readers Choice award is an initiative to bridge the gap between technology and its use." However he was quick to point, "None of the winners are Indians; but hopefully in a couple of years the Indian hardware industry would become as strong as its software industry."
The idea of having Cutting Edge 2000 Readers Choice Awards emerged from Hindustan Times' new vision of being "a complete awareness vehicle for the Indian consumer." Keeping this in mind, HT Tech4U, the weekly technology feature, was launched six months back. HT Tech4U published every Monday, is circulated with Hindustan Times in Delhi, Gurgaon, Ghaziabad, Faridabad, Noida, Chandigarh, Lucknow and Jaipur.
Sharing future initiatives of HT with agencyfaqs! Sadashivan, director, media marketing, Hindustan Times said, "In a month's time we would be launching supplements on bio-technology and environment. Currently one million people in Delhi read Hindustan Times and in the rest of the northern states HT is fairly well established. Now our efforts would be to expand the readership base down south and increase our distribution extension across the country."
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