The market of ultra low cost personal computers (ULCPCs) has all chances to grow rather significantly due to economic downturn and in a bid to popularize its microprocessors aimed at inexpensive microprocessors Via Technologies started up a program called “Global Mobility Bazaar” (GMB) under which it will help to develop notebooks, netbooks and other mobile systems powered by Via Nano or C7 chips.

The GMB program is a collaborative effort between Via Technologies, Microsoft Corp., American Megatrends (AMI), ITE Technologies, SanDisk, several China-based makers of mobile computers as well as a number of infrastructure partners. Under the program, Via as well as AMI, ITE and Microsoft will help manufacturers to develop netbooks, notebooks and other mobile devices based on various central processing units (CPUs) by Via. The latter will also ensure that the quality of actual products is high enough.

The Taipei, Taiwan-based CPU developer remained tight-lipped how exactly it would help to implement its platforms. Theoretically, Via could provide reference designs for various computers to its manufacturing partners along with certain guidelines how they could customize it to provide certain functionality or hit a particular price-point. But given rather modest resources that Via has nowadays, it is hard to believe that the company is able to create tens of reference designs for variety of devices. On the other hand, with the help of numerous partners, the GMB alliance may create many designs over time.

Still, Via Technologies claims that its GMB program will indeed substantially help its partners. Perhaps, not exactly with hardware development, but with finding the right business opportunities for little-known companies as well as ensuring they can get components from companies like SanDisk at the lowest prices possible.

“As the fastest-growing segment of the PC market, mobile computing offers significant opportunities for the members of our new Global Mobility Bazaar program. We are excited to be partnering with them to develop a broad spectrum of devices that will meet the increasingly sophisticated demands of mobile users in both developed and emerging markets,” said Richard Brown, vice president of marketing at Via Technologies.

Tags: Via, Nano, C7