Tulip, a newcomer to the RI computer scene
In conjunction with the appointment of a sole distributor in Indonesia, Tulip Computers invited Hyginus Hardoyo of The Jakarta Post on June 17 to June 20 to have a close look at its modern computer plant in 's-Hertogenbosch, the Netherlands. Following are his reports.
'S-HERTOGENBOSCH, The Netherlands (JP): Tulip Computers, one of Europe's major computer manufacturers, has joined other top producers, ranging from IBM and Compaq to Acer, to tap the steadily growing computer business in Indonesia.
The Netherlands-based computer manufacturer launched its sales and marketing operations in Indonesia earlier this month in partnership with PT Anugerah Lestaridata Computer (Aldcom), a local company specializing in hardware and software distribution networking.
Roelof Lambert, Tulip's marketing communications manager, said the partnership with Aldcom as its sole distributor in Indonesia is part of the Dutch company's market expansion into Asia.
"Although Europe is still the principal sales market for Tulip, the promotion realization of growth outside Europe is one of the main objectives," he said.
In addition to its sales organizations in 18 European countries, the company has operated a regional head office in Hong Kong since 1995 with representative offices in Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen in China as well as in Singapore, he said.
The Singapore office, set up in November last year, is responsible for the management and distribution of Tulip products in Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Australia.
The partnership with Aldcom will undertake network consultancy, technical support and maintenance service for the Indonesian market, chief executive officer of Tulip Computers Asia, Hans Hartsuiker, said.
Tulip, which was established in 1979 by Franz Hetzenauer and R.J. Romein, has strengthened its position as a leading developer and manufacturer of microcomputer systems and network components for the corporate market.
"The company has thus far been represented by over 60 distributors worldwide in countries where it does not have its own sales office," Hartsuiker said.
He said his company had become a major hardware supplier and network consultant of NATO, KLM, the Dutch Ministry of Finance, Heineken and Lufthansa.
"In Asia its key corporate accounts include, among others, Bank of China, San Miguel Brewing China Ltd., the Guangzhou Daily and Business News Agency," Hartsuiker said.
Hetzenauer, who together with Romein is company president, said that even though his company entered Asia only recently, it was not too late.
Maturity
"We are not late as the Asian market is not yet mature despite the existence of many major computer manufacturers. Costumers are still looking for other good chances," he said. Based on such a condition, Hetzenauer said, Tulip's entrance into the Asian market was still timely.
He expressed confidence that Tulip would do well in Indonesia, saying the company was doing well in China judging by the increasing demand for Tulip products there.
He was also convinced that only companies capable of offering their products and services worldwide would ultimately continue to play a significant role in the computer industry.
The company's data show that Asia registered the highest level in PC market growth last year with a rate of 26 percent, followed by the United States with 14 percent and Europe 11 percent.
Aldcom's general manager, Tjandra Subagijo, said that in the first two years Tulip computers targeted to have at least a 2 percent share in Indonesia's computer market, which reaches about 470,000 units per annum.
"We will focus only on the business market, not on home application," he said.
Lambert said that Tulip, which is one of the three leading computer brands in the Netherlands and among the top 20 in Europe, manufactures and supplies an extensive hardware product line, ranging from Pentium and Pentium with multimedia extensions (MMX)-based desktops and notebooks to Dual Pentium Pro high-end file servers. "It has also incorporated Pentium II into its desktop range," he said.
In 1994, Tulip Computers was one of the first PC manufacturers to add Plug and Play installation functionality, together with Peripheral Component Interface (PCI) to its complete range of desktop PCs. In 1996, the company again led the industry with its introduction of Universal Serial Bus (USB) technology to its entire range of Pentium desktops.
Tulip computers continued its technology integration in 1997 with the introduction of both MMX and Pentium II processors into their Vision Line product range.
Tulip Computers Vision Line (desktop computers and servers) and Motion Line (portable computers or notebooks) systems benefit from preinstalled software, which ranges from Microsoft Windows 3.x, Windows 95 to Windows NT 4.0.
"Tulip also offers an extensive range of services such as consultancy, project management, support, training, service and maintenance providing a complete hardware solution," Lambert said.
Motherboards
He explained that Tulip strived to design and manufacture its own motherboards -- the real heart of the computers -- and sought to differentiate its PCs from others on the market by providing the highest level of component integration.
"This saves corporate clients from purchasing additional cards and facilitates timely incorporation of new technologies such as USB, PCI and Desktop Management Interface," he said.
He claimed that each Tulip PC has a motherboard suited to that specific PC. This is different from other major computer manufacturers which create a general purpose motherboard with lots of option slots that must then be configured for each PC by the addition of extra cards.
Lambert said his company, which operates its own manufacturing complex built at a cost of over US$51 million with a production capacity of about 500,000 computer sets annually, had made changes in its production process from the "build-to-stock" to the more flexible "build-to-customer-order".
"We make products only if the customers achieve more and improve their productivity. We produce the products that our customers ask for and we serve our clients the way they want us to," he said.
New technologies go into new products only if it makes them better products and if it is what a customer would appreciate, he said.
Another significant modification is from flow-production to cell-production, which allows one employee to assemble an entire computer ensuring a faster, more efficient, responsible and flexible production process.
He said that Tulip, which has more than 700 employees, has special marketing relations with quality suppliers such as American Power Conversion, Exabyte, Intel Corp, Microsoft Corp, Novell Inc. Santa Cruz Operation and 3Com.
"By working closely with these innovative partners, complimentary products can be selected and developed for Tulip costumers. For example, the Tulip Ware Server Edition software is jointly developed by Tulip and Novell," he said.