Jeotex
Jeotex Inc. was a Canada-based electronics company that developed low-cost mobile internet devices, including tablet computers and smartphones. Founded in 2001 in Montreal, Quebec, the company was known for the Aakash tablet, developed for India’s Ministry of Human Resource Development and sold commercially as UbiSlate. DataWind listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange in 2014 and transferred to the TSX Venture Exchange in 2018. It was delisted in 2021 and declared bankrupt on 10 June 2021.
History
DataWind was founded in Montreal in 2001 by brothers Suneet and Raja Tuli.
The company gained international attention in 2011 with the launch of the Aakash tablet as a low-cost educational device. DataWind completed an initial public offering in 2014 and traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol "DW". In October 2018 it transferred its listing to the TSX Venture Exchange, and in April 2019 shareholders approved a change of name to Jeotex Inc.. The company was delisted in 2021 and subsequently declared bankrupt on 10 June 2021.
Products and technology
The company’s products included PocketSurfer handheld devices, UbiSurfer netbooks, and UbiSlate tablets. Devices used a server-side compression and acceleration system intended to reduce bandwidth consumption and render pages on low-bandwidth networks. Contemporary reviews noted quick page-load times on GPRS networks alongside mixed overall evaluations typical of first-generation devices.
As DataWind, the company produced the Aakash/UbiSlate tablets, including devices supplied under a government procurement programme in India and models sold commercially. The Aakash received coverage for its low price; the BBC described it as the “world’s cheapest tablet” at launch.
Business model
Analyses and interviews described the company’s strategy as targeting entry-level consumers with low hardware margins, supplemented by recurring revenue from services and partnerships such as bundled data, content, warranties, and advertising. In some markets the company operated as, or in partnership with, a mobile virtual network operator to bundle basic internet browsing with devices. Several device launches in India were accompanied by offers for a period of free or bundled internet browsing delivered via the company’s proxy-based browser, with data arrangements provided through local operators. Statements about this model largely come from the company and contemporary business reporting; independent evaluations of its long-term effectiveness are limited in the cited sources.
Content and application partnerships
Company announcements and press coverage described a number of content arrangements intended to preload educational and news applications on some devices. These included materials from the CK-12 Foundation for mathematics and science, news apps and subscription offers from The Indian Express Group, and Yahoo services, with Yahoo India set as the default browser homepage on certain models. In December 2013 the firm said it would work with Happiest Minds Technologies to develop an application store designed for first-time Android users of UbiSlate tablets. Sources chiefly report the existence of these partnerships and intended offerings; independent assessments of the breadth of deployment or user impact are limited in the citations available.
Network operator partnerships
DataWind announced operator tie-ups in multiple markets to support bundled browsing offers, including Vodafone in the United Kingdom and BSNL and Reliance Communications in India.
Social initiatives, contests and hackathons
Media and company announcements described limited initiatives around education and app development, including tablet donations and app-development contests in partnership with non-profits and UN-affiliated programmes, as well as hackathons with Geeks Without Bounds in 2012–2013. Coverage emphasized the programmes’ aims; independent evaluations of impact are limited in the cited sources.