Tulip, a newcomer to the RI computer scene<\/p>\n
In conjunction with the appointment of a sole distributor in
\nIndonesia, Tulip Computers invited Hyginus Hardoyo of The Jakarta
\nPost on June 17 to June 20 to have a close look at its modern
\ncomputer plant in 's-Hertogenbosch, the Netherlands. Following
\nare his reports.<\/p>\n
'S-HERTOGENBOSCH, The Netherlands (JP): Tulip Computers, one
\nof Europe's major computer manufacturers, has joined other top
\nproducers, ranging from IBM and Compaq to Acer, to tap the
\nsteadily growing computer business in Indonesia.<\/p>\n
The Netherlands-based computer manufacturer launched its sales
\nand marketing operations in Indonesia earlier this month in
\npartnership with PT Anugerah Lestaridata Computer (Aldcom), a
\nlocal company specializing in hardware and software distribution
\nnetworking.<\/p>\n
Roelof Lambert, Tulip's marketing communications manager, said
\nthe partnership with Aldcom as its sole distributor in Indonesia
\nis part of the Dutch company's market expansion into Asia.<\/p>\n
\"Although Europe is still the principal sales market for
\nTulip, the promotion realization of growth outside Europe is one
\nof the main objectives,\" he said.<\/p>\n
In addition to its sales organizations in 18 European
\ncountries, the company has operated a regional head office in
\nHong Kong since 1995 with representative offices in Beijing,
\nShanghai and Shenzhen in China as well as in Singapore, he said.<\/p>\n
The Singapore office, set up in November last year, is
\nresponsible for the management and distribution of Tulip products
\nin Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Australia.<\/p>\n
The partnership with Aldcom will undertake network
\nconsultancy, technical support and maintenance service for the
\nIndonesian market, chief executive officer of Tulip Computers
\nAsia, Hans Hartsuiker, said.<\/p>\n
Tulip, which was established in 1979 by Franz Hetzenauer and
\nR.J. Romein, has strengthened its position as a leading developer
\nand manufacturer of microcomputer systems and network components
\nfor the corporate market.<\/p>\n
\"The company has thus far been represented by over 60
\ndistributors worldwide in countries where it does not have its
\nown sales office,\" Hartsuiker said.<\/p>\n
He said his company had become a major hardware supplier and
\nnetwork consultant of NATO, KLM, the Dutch Ministry of Finance,
\nHeineken and Lufthansa.<\/p>\n
\"In Asia its key corporate accounts include, among others,
\nBank of China, San Miguel Brewing China Ltd., the Guangzhou Daily
\nand Business News Agency,\" Hartsuiker said.<\/p>\n
Hetzenauer, who together with Romein is company president,
\nsaid that even though his company entered Asia only recently, it
\nwas not too late.<\/p>\n
Maturity<\/p>\n
\"We are not late as the Asian market is not yet mature despite
\nthe existence of many major computer manufacturers. Costumers are
\nstill looking for other good chances,\" he said. Based on such a
\ncondition, Hetzenauer said, Tulip's entrance into the Asian
\nmarket was still timely.<\/p>\n
He expressed confidence that Tulip would do well in Indonesia,
\nsaying the company was doing well in China judging by the
\nincreasing demand for Tulip products there.<\/p>\n
He was also convinced that only companies capable of offering
\ntheir products and services worldwide would ultimately continue
\nto play a significant role in the computer industry.<\/p>\n
The company's data show that Asia registered the highest level
\nin PC market growth last year with a rate of 26 percent, followed
\nby the United States with 14 percent and Europe 11 percent.<\/p>\n
Aldcom's general manager, Tjandra Subagijo, said that in the
\nfirst two years Tulip computers targeted to have at least a 2
\npercent share in Indonesia's computer market, which reaches about
\n470,000 units per annum.<\/p>\n
\"We will focus only on the business market, not on home
\napplication,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Lambert said that Tulip, which is one of the three leading
\ncomputer brands in the Netherlands and among the top 20 in
\nEurope, manufactures and supplies an extensive hardware product
\nline, ranging from Pentium and Pentium with multimedia extensions
\n(MMX)-based desktops and notebooks to Dual Pentium Pro high-end
\nfile servers. \"It has also incorporated Pentium II into its
\ndesktop range,\" he said.<\/p>\n
In 1994, Tulip Computers was one of the first PC manufacturers
\nto add Plug and Play installation functionality, together with
\nPeripheral Component Interface (PCI) to its complete range of
\ndesktop PCs. In 1996, the company again led the industry with its
\nintroduction of Universal Serial Bus (USB) technology to its
\nentire range of Pentium desktops.<\/p>\n
Tulip computers continued its technology integration in 1997
\nwith the introduction of both MMX and Pentium II processors into
\ntheir Vision Line product range.<\/p>\n
Tulip Computers Vision Line (desktop computers and servers)
\nand Motion Line (portable computers or notebooks) systems benefit
\nfrom preinstalled software, which ranges from Microsoft Windows
\n3.x, Windows 95 to Windows NT 4.0.<\/p>\n
\"Tulip also offers an extensive range of services such as
\nconsultancy, project management, support, training, service and
\nmaintenance providing a complete hardware solution,\" Lambert
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Motherboards<\/p>\n
He explained that Tulip strived to design and manufacture its
\nown motherboards -- the real heart of the computers -- and sought
\nto differentiate its PCs from others on the market by providing
\nthe highest level of component integration.<\/p>\n
\"This saves corporate clients from purchasing additional cards
\nand facilitates timely incorporation of new technologies such as
\nUSB, PCI and Desktop Management Interface,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He claimed that each Tulip PC has a motherboard suited to that
\nspecific PC. This is different from other major computer
\nmanufacturers which create a general purpose motherboard with
\nlots of option slots that must then be configured for each PC by
\nthe addition of extra cards.<\/p>\n
Lambert said his company, which operates its own manufacturing
\ncomplex built at a cost of over US$51 million with a production
\ncapacity of about 500,000 computer sets annually, had made
\nchanges in its production process from the \"build-to-stock\" to
\nthe more flexible \"build-to-customer-order\".<\/p>\n
\"We make products only if the customers achieve more and
\nimprove their productivity. We produce the products that our
\ncustomers ask for and we serve our clients the way they want us
\nto,\" he said.<\/p>\n
New technologies go into new products only if it makes them
\nbetter products and if it is what a customer would appreciate, he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Another significant modification is from flow-production to
\ncell-production, which allows one employee to assemble an entire
\ncomputer ensuring a faster, more efficient, responsible and
\nflexible production process.<\/p>\n
He said that Tulip, which has more than 700 employees, has
\nspecial marketing relations with quality suppliers such as
\nAmerican Power Conversion, Exabyte, Intel Corp, Microsoft Corp,
\nNovell Inc. Santa Cruz Operation and 3Com.<\/p>\n
\"By working closely with these innovative partners,
\ncomplimentary products can be selected and developed for Tulip
\ncostumers. For example, the Tulip Ware Server Edition software is
\njointly developed by Tulip and Novell,\" he said.<\/p>",
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