Hitachi partner program reaches India

Hitachi Global Storage Technologies (Hitachi GST) rolled out Hitachi Partners
Privilege program (HPP) in India. The program was initiated in China and Taiwan
in 2007, and is now hitting the Indian market.

Under HPP, resellers, system integrators (SIs), system builders and retailers
of Hitachi can earn points and redeem gifts by selling the entire product line
of Hitachi GST desktop hard disk drive (HDD) products. Special quarterly
promotions will also be available, for example, in the second quarter of this
year, mobile hard drive products will also be available for the program.

“India is one of the key strategic markets with huge market potential in
Asia, and we have a substantial channel base established here,” said Robert Chu,
VP-APAC, Hitachi GST. “By rolling out the HPP program, not only can we reward
our partners and recognize their efforts, but we can also together explore and
identify more business opportunities, tap fast-growing markets, and thus enhance
HDD sales across India,” he added.

The HDD market in India has grown rapidly alongside growth in the desktop
market, which, according to IDC, grew by nearly 11 percent in volume and reached
4.5 million in unit shipments in India during the last FY. Personal computer
shipments rose by 20 percent in 2007, and are projected to reach a compound
annual growth rate of about 20 percent over the next five years.

“HPP program is a great initiative to help channel partners like us to tap
India's rapid growing PC market,” said Malhar Shah of Arihant Systems. Ramesh
Purohit of Omshakti Computers added, “Through the HPP program, we can maximize
many other market opportunities.”

HPP members, who join by invitation from Hitachi GST, can earn points and
redeem gifts on selling eligible Hitachi GST HDD products. Hitachi GST has
set-up a system to facilitate the points earning and redemption process, whereby
sales data will be collected from HPP members periodically. Members can then
redeem incentives of their choice, including a wide selection of latest
lifestyle and technology devices.