Talking computers.

Provided by 7DAYS.ae

It is a sunny day by the River Main as the city of Frankfurt, GermanyCOs financial powerhouse, gets ready for a long, hot summer. But while the outside landscape is awash with colour, our hosts, Fujitsu Siemens Computers (FSC), have gone to considerable expense and effort to keep things strictly black and white.

I fail to get confirmation out of chief marketing officer Barbara SchEndler that FSC employees were instructed to dress accordingly for the event, but my suspicions linger as they, the interior design at the venue and even the waiting staff all appear to be colour-coordinated. In the press briefing prior to the trip, there had been talk of the European computer manufacturer launching a new Cydesign languageCO across all its consumer and business products. What could this puzzling term mean ; If the press corps was looking for a clue before the conference began, it was all around us - in black and white.

Essentially, what the company is looking to do is let every one of its products say CyFujitsu SiemensCO without having to actually say CyFujitsu SiemensCO on it. The joint venture company, founded in 1999, may not exactly roll off the tongue like concise rival brand names such as Dell, Acer, or even HP, so why not let the design speak for itself ;

And design does matter. People buy a mobile phone not just for the camera, the memory space or other features, but because they like the look, or even feel of it. C[pounds sterling]Our business is more turning into an emotional business,C[yen] Herbert SchE[micro]nebeck, FSCCOs senior vice president for consumer and devices, tells 7DAYS. C[pounds sterling]ThatCOs why we want to transport emotions from one corner to the other, so people can have the same kind of experience if they have any product from Fujitsu Siemens in their hands.C[yen]

One and a half years ago, FSC realised that the laptop could not be the only portable item where design didnCOt play a part - and decided to turn design into a key brand driver. Since then, C[pounds sterling]far less than one million eurosC[yen] has been spent on design development, according to SchEndler. C[pounds sterling]But when you look at the marketing activities that weCOre now going to run, then itCOs double-digit millions.C[yen]

So why black and white ; C[pounds sterling]We wanted to transport our brand values,C[yen] she adds. C[pounds sterling]WeCOre well known for high quality, so we wanted to be able to show the technology. The black piece inside reminds people that there is a lot of technology in there. But then we wanted to create some desire. We needed to make the user-interface look more user-driven and people-driven instead of technology-driven - and thatCOs the idea of the core and shell,C[yen] she adds, referring to the name FSC has given to its design.

Of course, the decision on which design to go for was not taken after a show of hands at an FSC board meeting. Three alternative CylanguagesCO were invented: one very robust, the other stylish with an emphasis on design, and a third somewhere in between. Following extensive market research across Europe, comprising 1,200 interviews, design won the day.

C[pounds sterling]Both in the north of Europe and the south of Europe, the design affinity is higher than in the centre of Europe,C[yen] explains SchEndler. Interestingly, the Latin countries preferred eyecatchers, while the Brits, Germans and Russians wanted something pure and elegant. C[pounds sterling]We then decided: if you go for a compromise, you will probably lose those markets that have a high desire for design and you wonCOt gain anything in the central part of Europe. So we said weCOre going to make a courageous step - weCOre really going to have a unique design and something that differentiates, instead of saying: CyLetCOs make half a step - we still believe that those people who are a little bit less interested in design will like it, particularly when it doesnCOt cost you that much.COC[yen]

The new design language would be a splendid idea, several members of the press thought, if only someone else hadnCOt done it first. Though FSCCOs research found that 80 per cent of its products bearing the hallmarks of the new design were recognised as the same CyfamilyCO, could the company match the uniformity of design so brilliantly achieved by Apple ;

SchE[micro]nebeck admits than AppleCOs success with its common design was C[pounds sterling]one of the factors beside othersC[yen] for FSC deciding to create a new design language, though he insists that Apple is far from his biggest enemy. C[pounds sterling]Apple is certainly a company we can learn from, as is HP... as is Acer,C[yen] he says. C[pounds sterling]We are open enough to know that we donCOt need to re-invent all the wheels a second or third time - we can look at what others have done. Apple enjoyed the success of the iPod, and theyCOve been able to transport that to the notebook and partly to the desktop business as well.C[yen]

So can the catalyst for AppleCOs blossoming do something similar for FSC, or is there a risk this binding decision could backfire ; C[pounds sterling]We know from our research that we will not be able to address everybody,C[yen] SchE[micro]nebeck concedes. C[pounds sterling]The more you are different, the more you are polarising. In the end, the idea is to cover everybody, but not with just one design and colour scheme.C[yen]

Good news then for anyone wanting more colour at their fingertips, whether a consumer or a bulk-buyer for businesses. The new FSC language will evolve, taking on additional CydialectsCO further along the line through secondary colour schemes. But first up is the Amilo 3000 consumer product line (pictured), from entry-level PC down to USB stick, which will be hitting stores in the UAE from mid-August. Take a good look... does it speak to you ;

For more information visit www.fujitsu-siemens.com

SCREEN DREAMS: Do you care what your laptop looks like ;

Rijuraj Rajendran, 7DAYS IT manager

C[pounds sterling]I donCOt look at the design. I want a laptop to be very slim but then I would mostly go for features: speed, the latest software and wireless capability.C[yen]

Maya Kheshen, PR executive

C[pounds sterling]Of course. As Oscar Wilde said: CyIf you canCOt be a piece of art, you should wear a piece of art.CO Both design and features are important but for me, design matters more. My ideal colour would be beige.C[yen]

Dave Battiston, Air Miles

C[pounds sterling]A while ago I would have said no because functionality is key for me. But then I saw the MacBook Air, so now ICOd say yes. I like something thatCOs light but big and good-looking as well.C[yen]

Sharon Garrett, Virgin Galactic

C[pounds sterling]The RAM is most important but then design would sway it as I donCOt use all the features on a laptop. The main factors for me are the weight, an appealing look and the size of the keyboard. Ideally I would go for something silver.C[yen]

A[umlaut] 2007 Al Sidra Media LLC

Provided by Syndigate.info an Albawaba.com company