CEO Spotlight, Asghar Mostafa, Entourage Systems Inc.
McLean, Va.-based Entourage Systems Inc. just made their first appearance at the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) where they introduced an entirely new consumer electronics category, the dualbook, with their product the enTourage eDGe—an all-in-one tablet netbook, notepad, e-reader, video player and audio recorder.
By Avery Fellow | February 1, 2010
The new enTourage...
How did the idea for the enTourage eDGe come about?
We saw a gap in the e-reader market for a device that could combine reading with note taking, Web surfing, email, Word/PowerPoint/Excel and music and video playing and recording, which would ultimately enhance the learning process. My teenaged kids confirmed it, saying they couldn’t do much with just a dedicated e-reader. They wanted Internet connectivity, email, Facebook, games; they’re part of a very tech-savvy generation that has high expectations for gadgets.
What did enTourage participation at the recent 2010 International CES mean for the company?
CES was our launch platform for the enTourage eDGe, which enabled us to seamlessly reach thousands of tech industry veterans and media simultaneously. As we have created a new consumer electronics category, the dualbook, this venue was a perfect way to reach this audience.
Being at CES also allowed us to get feedback directly from our target audience, which was valuable to fine-tune the enTourage eDGe for production as well as for possible future models. It also gave us the necessary exposure needed to make our product a success. Over the course of the event, we received nearly 10,000 daily hits to the Web site and saw a significant uptick in pre-orders.
Sales and Web site visits aside, we were delighted with the response to our product during and after the event. The enTourage eDGe was recognized as Design & Engineering Innovations, CNET Best of CES, Laptop Best of CES and Last Gadget Standing finalists, as well as receiving a high degree of press attention.
enTourage has recently entered deals with McGraw Hill, Oxford University Press and John Wiley & Sons. Who are you looking to partner with next?
The beauty of having our own e-book store is that it’s constantly evolving, and we can shape it in response to customer demands. We want to keep expanding with that in mind, and especially cater to the education and other vertical markets, making sure we give our customers the tools to make the enTourage eDGe as comprehensive a device as possible for their niche needs. In addition, we have entered deals with Google, Marvell, Blackboard, Ingram Digital, Liber Digital, Dataviz. We are going to continue to expand our partnership with other companies.
What is your favorite use or feature of the enTourage eDGe?
The best feature of the enTourage eDGe is that I do not have to carry my PC and many other documents in my briefcase anymore. I have stopped printing documents for the last couple of months since I can read and annotate and even sign most of the contracts and other legal documents directly from my enTourage eDGe and send them to my clients/partners. I have full access to my office email, documents, books, and music. Having everything bundled and accessible in one device, I am traveling very light with just my enTourage eDGe.
What was your first download on the enTourage eDGe eBook store?
The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown.
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