Working on smartphones and tablets with user-friendly tools.

From Anand Parthasarathy in Bangalore
At the Bangalore labs of SmartSky, “human-centric global wireless diffusion” is the ‘mantra’ that underpins the work of a team of young engineers. An Indian start-up focussed on developing customer-friendly featured smart phones and portable computing platforms with visually striking ‘human-centric’ tools and applications, SmartSky draws strength from its corporate DNA …. which can be traced back to Japanese-American wireless technology leader Kyocera.

Last week, CEO Samartha Raghava Nagabhushanam showed me the first samples and of feature phones and tablets under development -- and helped me navigate some of the special features the team has been working on for over 6 months. For example the Smart Organiser widget shaped like a compass, provides multiple functions like analogue time, date and displays; syncs with phone calendar, Google Calendar and Facebook events; a digital compass; real-time, location based weather information. In another application developed at SmartSky for a global client, they have created an electronic programme guide tool enabling the end user to access various features available on a set top box, through mobile phones.
“With tablets the gap between mobile phones and laptops is bridging very fast”, Samartha explains, “However, today’s tablets still cannot run multiple applications simultaneously in the true sense like in the PC world. Smart Sky is working on removing this hurdle and is working to to give tablet users the same familiar look and feel of multi window and concurrent PC applications to the use.” From the work in progress that I could see – they are almost there.
SmartSky has its origins in the wireless business of Kyocera which for a brief period, formed part of Bangalore-based product company MindTree before they in turn hived off the business. Many members of the Kyocera-MindTree Wireless team including the entire leadership, moved with Samartha to start SmartSky last year. The company currently progressing wireless product development tasks for multiple international clients, even as it harnesses its core strengths to create products sharply targeting Indian tastes, preferences and pockets.
The SmartSky tablets may be the first in this category to reach customers in this country.
The company ‘s logo is inspired by the pancha bhutas ( in Sanskrit, the five elements of Nature) Wind, Fire, Ether, Solidity and Fluidity. If their bill of materials and cost projections are any guide – their customer for the tablet design is likely to tout another element beloved by Indians, when the product is marketed: paisa vasool or money’s worth!
www.smartsky.in  
June 19 2011