SME Channel October 12 Issue by SME Channels

PLUS

HCL (DDMS) to Distribute Dell Products /20

india’s first IT magazine for sme business VOLUME 03 | ISSUE 08 | PAGES 70 | OCTOBER 2012 | RS. 20/-

LEADERS CORNER

/64

Panasonic: : Panasonic SSD to grow 100% this Year

GUEST TALK

/50

MAIT: India Needs Manufacturing for Vibrant IT Environment

SME CHAT

/30

SmartLink: Making of an India MNC

Channel Best

Practices Channel partners are an integral part of any organisations success story. With the increasingly competitive and complex business environment the need to focus on keeping them in good humor has become so important that companies who follow ‘best practices’ have the best chances of surviving the changes sweeping this industry. /34

FEATURE

CAN CHANNEL SCHEMES INCREASE SALES? /46

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PLUS

Aircel Partners NEC for Cloud Solutions /18 www.smechannels.com

india’s first IT magazine for sme business VOLUME 03 | ISSUE 08 | PAGES 70 | OCTOBER 2012 | RS. 20/-

CASE STUDY

SME TREND

/48

Tally: Maritime Company Runs on Tally.ERP 9

/26

Silicon Valley: “Success of Business Starts with Happy Customers”

SME TREND

/28

AGC Networks: “Partners to Decide on the Revenue Goal”

MY EXPERIENCE EDITORIAL

TIME WAITS FOR NONE… SANJAY MOHAPATRA editor@smechannels.com

LET ME START with thanking everyone - the principals, the partners and even the cus-

tomers who have supported us for the entire year. Recently, we have concluded our annual event known as SME Channels Channel Connect- Cum- Achievers’ Awards, which witnessed a number of interesting presentations from ViewSonic, Panasonic Printer Division, Kaspersky Lab and NComputing, and an interesting revelation of Dr. Ajay Kumar, Joint Secretary, Department of IT, Ministry of CIT, Govt. of India that India is being looked upon by many overseas countries to play a major role in Electronics Manufacturing. If things move on the right direction then this country will be a hub of manufacturing. It means India’s long term goal of being self-sufficient in terms of products - be it IT or Electronics - will be fulfilled. This event also witnessed the award ceremony where near about 70 awards were given to the industry performers in various categories. The bottom line of the awards was that one should understand that it takes no time to change the fortune. The leaders of yester years are no more leaders now. They have gone to the 3rd or 4th level. New companies have emerged with innovative product lines and excellent service support arrangements. The industry has changed, customers have changed in terms of their buying the products and usage of products. The traditional way of doing business is no more accepted. The channel business has undergone a lot of changes. The channel partners do not need any temporary financial temptation from the principals, rather they need a forward looking and sustainable road map. In the past most of the partners were showcasing various brands while making any pitch or conversation but today partners are preferring to showcase their own brand. Their visiting cards are no more seen with different brands’ logos. So important here is innovation for both the principals and the partners, which no management book can teach. It can only be done or adopted by looking at the existing market requirement. Coming to the present market condition, the dollar price has more or less settled around Rs.53. This is a good sign - specially looking at the OND quarter, which is believed to be the high yielding quarter for the product vendors. Wish you happy Dussehra 2012!

SanDisk Caching Solution SANDISK, Corporation’s affordable; easy-to-install SSD caching solution lets consumers significantly improve their desktop computer’s performance. This ReadyCache solution can boost a desktop computer’s boot, shutdown and application launch times, allowing consumers to enjoy a more responsive computing experience. It combines a 32 GB 1 2.5-inch SSD that resides alongside a desktop computer’s hard drive with ExpressCache software by condusiv technologies. The software, sold exclusively by SanDisk can be installed on any desktop PC running Windows 7 operating system. After installing the SSD and software, the SanDisk ReadyCache solution’s advanced caching algorithms automatically manage data by caching frequently used files to improve overall performance.

SPECIFICATIONS The SanDisk ReadyCache hardware and software solution enables up to four times faster boot performance FINAL WORDING With 3-years warranty and an MSRP of INR 3759/-, The SanDisk ReadyCache solution is can be tried in enterprise environments. OVERALL RATING

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SME CHANNELS OCTOBER 2012

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Advanced Portable Projectors with High Brightness, Wireless Functions,* and Abundant Features.

I N D I A WA R

Panasonic presents a wide range of projectors which wont compromise your presentations for venues from large conference halls to small classrooms. Easy to use and push-button installation, these Projectors are designed specifically to meet the interactive needs of both the corporate and educational institutions.

CARD

PA N A

PT-VW430 Series PT-VW430 4,300 lm

3,500:1

10-WATT SPEAKER

PT-VW435N

PT-VX505N 5,000 lm

4,000:1

10-WATT SPEAKER

4,300 lm

WXGA 1.6x Zoom 2

XGA 1.6x Zoom

3,500:1

10-WATT SPEAKER

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SPEAKER

PT-VX500 5,000 lm

4,000:1

10-WATT SPEAKER

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SPEAKER

SPEAKER *2

Wireless function: PT-VW435N/VX505N/VX400NT only. | USB memory viewer for projection without a personal computer (Formats: JPG/BMP)

Panasonic India Pvt. Ltd. For sales and queries contact : North: Mr. M.P. Singh - +91-9717007378 - mohinderpal.singh@in.panasonic.com, Ms. Megha Sehgal - +91- 9650023517,megha.sehgal@in.panasonic.com East: Mr. M.P. Singh - +91-97170 07378 - mohinderpal.singh@in.panasonic.com, Mr. Robin - +91- 9007083113 West: Mr.Vijay Rangarajan - +91-9987787513 - vijay.rangarajan@in.panasonic.com, Mr. Varun Agrawal - +91-7738355732 - varun.agrawal@in.panasonic.com, Mr. Amula Gangasagar - +91-9920494835, amula.gangasagar@in.panasonic.com South: Mr. Devesh Divakaran +91-9986717514 - devesh.divakaran@in.panasonic.com, Mr. D. Somasundaran - +91-9884615515 - somasundaran.d@in.panasonic.com, Mr. Jayaprakash Narayana - +91-9963507779, jayaprakash.narayana@in.panasonic.com Join us on : www.facebook.com/panasonicindia www.twitter.com/panasonicindia |

Service Helpline : 1800 103 1333, 1860 425 1860, 044 -4288 9222 | Website: www.panasonic.co.in, E-mail: helpline@in.panasonic.com

breadnbutter /panasonic/118/oct.12

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contents

OCT VOLUME 03 ISSUE 08

2012

ER COV RY STO

india’s first IT magazine for sme business

Publisher: Sanjib Mohapatra Editor: Sanjay Mohapatra Assistant Editor: Karma Negi Reporters: Aparajita Choudhury Executive Editor: Smruti Chaudhury Copy Editor: Neil D’Souza Web Designer: Vijay Bakshi Technical Writer: Manas Ranjan Satya Sagar Sinha Lead Visualizer: DPR Choudhary MARKETING Senior Manager: M Raj Marketing Executive: Rajat Kumar Circulation and Printing: Panchanan Bhoi SALES CONTACTS Delhi 6/102, Kaushalya Park, Hauz Khas New Delhi-110016 Phone: 91-11-41055458 / 9313891660 E-mail: raj@smechannels.com Bangalore Subrat S NO.661, 10th Main, 5th cross, 4th Block, Koramangala, Behind Old Maharaja, Bangalore-560034

EVENT REPORT

Phone: 9886107294 E-mail:info@smechannels.com

/52

Mumbai Hemal Shah B/14, Neel Ashish 92, J.P.road, Andheri (West) Mumbai - 400058 E-mail: info@smechannels.com

Channel Best Practices

Kolkata S Subhendu BC-286, Laxmi Apartment, Kestopur

/34

Channel partners are an integral part of any organisations success story. With the increasingly competitive and complex business environment the need to focus on keeping them in good humor has become so important that companies who follow ‘best practices’ have the best chances of surviving the changes sweeping this industry.

Kolkata-700101 Phone: 9674804389 EDITORIAL OFFICE Delhi: 6/103, (GF) Kaushalya Park, New Delhi-110016, Phone: 91-11-41657670 / 46151993 editor@smechannels.com Bangalore 136/ 9, Ground Floor, Eden Crest Apartment, Grape Garden, Ejipura

SME CHAT AGC /28

“Partners to Decide on the Revenue Goal”

more inside

Vivek Nagar PS Bengalore-560047 edit@smechannels.com

Editorial~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 06

Smartlink /30

“Making of an India MNC”

Snippets~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~10 Partner Corner ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 26, 49

Printed, Published and Owned by Sanjib Mohapatra Place of Publication: 6/101-102, Kaushalya Park, Hauz Khas

TREND SETTER Kingston /32 SSD is the Future

Case Study~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 48 Guest Talk~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 50 Products~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 66

New Delhi-110016

LEADERS CORNER Panasonic /64

Panasonic SSD to grow 100% this Year

PLUS FEATURE: Can Channel Schemes Increase Sales /46

tion can be reproduced without the prior written permission from the publisher. Subscription: Rs.200 (12 issues) All payments favouring: Accent Info Media Pvt. Ltd.

SME CHANNELS OCTOBER 2012

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So Real, So Simple HD Visual COMMUNICATION

Cost Effective

Time Saver UNMATCHED

EXPERIENCE

KX-VC600/VC300

HD Visual Communications System

Enjoy natural conversations with Panasonic HD Visual Communication Solution, delivering real time 3D video. It focuses on enhancing the productivity and collaboration of commercial and professional applications for industries like healthcare, manufacturing and education, etc. For Sales Enquiry: sales.hdvc@in.panasonic.com | www.panasonic.net/hdvc. tm

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SNIPPETS PRODUCT | CHANNEL | CONSULTING | SERVICES

for more log on to smechannels.com

Cisco and NetApp Unveil ExpressPod for SMBs Cisco and NetApp have introduced ExpressPod, a pre-packaged and tested solution for growing small and medium-sized organizations; the addition of new storage clustering capabilities to the FlexPod data

center platform, and the release of a validated VMware solution for Oracle Real Application Cluster (RAC) on FlexPod. For growing small and medium-sized organizations that

are beginning to virtualize their networking, storage, and computing environments, ExpressPod offers pre-packaged and tested solution bundles. Servicing the needs of large enterprise data centers,

FlexPod now features support and validation for VMware vSphere on NetApp Data ONTAP 8 operating in Cluster-Mode. Additionally, for companies that are virtualizing Oracle RAC databases with VMware vSphere and vCenter, Cisco and NetApp offer validated design support, including documented deployment best practices. The Oracle RAC on FlexPod solution, validated with VMware, features secure multi-tenancy, application and data mobility, integrated data protection, and automated provisioning. These features provide organizations with a prevalidated, virtualized production solution to manage more databases in less time and space. To support partners who are looking to deploy ExpressPod, Cisco and NetApp will offer readiness and enablement packages to help them play a critical consulting role with midsized customers. Brian Allison, Director, Business Development, Cisco, said, “Cisco and NetApp are committed to constant innovation to our joint portfolio that helps address the business needs of our mutual customers. Critical to our success is our strong solution offerings that enable our partners to add value and grow their business.”

Microsoft Launches Dynamics NAV 2013 for SMBs Microsoft has launched ERP solution, Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2013, a comprehensive business management solution for small and midsize businesses (SMB). The company’s press release announced that it is the first Microsoft Dynamics ERP solution for Windows Azure giving customers the choice to move to the cloud on their own terms. Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2013 is simple to implement and use, with a familiar look and feel, great integration with other Microsoft technologies and a user interface tailored to the individual/specific organizational roles. Dynamics NAV 2013 combines business process, communications and collaboration capabilities to support SMB operations with secured, seamless integration and in turn enhance productivity. Highly adaptable and rich with features, Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2013 is easy to deploy because of its on-premises or in the cloud capabilities, it stated.

10 SME CHANNELS OCTOBER 2012

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SNIPPETS

SAP Enables Organizations to Gain Insights of “Big Data” SAP AG has announced new analytics software that bundles SAP Business Objects business intelligence (BI) solutions and the SAP Sybase IQ server. The solutions help organizations of all sizes gain better insight into “big data” with advanced data visualization, self-service data discovery, mobile BI and predictive capabilities. The company’s press release said that analytics editions can be important for small and midsize (SME) companies that traditionally face many challenges when entering the field of data analysis. Analytics editions of SAP Business Objects BI solutions and SAP Crystal solutions package data warehousing and data integration products with best-practice content and use cases tailored for key industries and lines of business.

McAfee Rewards Rakshak Partners McAfee India rolled out its latest reward scheme exclusive for partners of the McAfee Rakshak Retailer Program. A registered McAfee Rakshak partner could win cash prizes and accumulated points that could be exchanged for a host of exciting gifts such as Bajaj Pulsar Bike, Diamond Jewellery, Apple iPad, international holidays and lot more. The offer was valid until the 29th of September 2012 on any purchase of McAfee’s 2012 consumer product range: McAfee AntiVirus Plus 2012, McAfee Internet Security 2012 and McAfee Total Protection 2012. Partners could accumulate McAfee Rakshak points on every transaction and win a reward right from a minimum purchase of Rs 7500 to a maximum amount of Rs 3, 00,000.

Digisol Goes Bangkok Calling Smartlink Network Systems has announced its channel reward program “Bangkok Calling”. The program is designed for Digisol Connect Partner and Digisol Select Partners. This scheme is available through purchases made by channel partners from authorized Digisol regional distributor’s all across India. The company informed that the incentive program enables channel partners to aim for various slabs and earn rewards. There are a host of rewards under the Bangkok Calling promotion which includes an all expense paid trip to Bangkok; partners can earn as much as three tickets. Other rewards offered under the promotion includes, double door refrigerator, nettop PC, digital cameras and Big Bazaar vouchers. Sanket Kulkarni, DGM Channels, Smartlink Network Systems, said, “After an overwhelming response from our previous schemes, we are happy to announce “Bangkok calling” for our valued partners, we encourage our channel partners to participate in our schemes and earn well. We are certain that the scheme will be a runaway success and will further consolidate our position as one of the major player in the networking market space.”

MY POINT

“HP helps clients protect what matters most to their organizations by delivering intelligent security solutions.” NEELAM DHAWAN VP AND GM (ENTERPRISE GROUP) AND COUNTRY MANAGING DIRECTOR, HP INDIA

Sachin Tendulkar Unveils Luminous Products Sachin Tendulkar, the brand ambassador of Luminous Power Technologies, unveiled a range of green power backup solutions. These innovative products are targeted at families with limited or no access to electricity. This range of products includes Solar Home Lamps, Solar Lanterns and Solar Inverter. In addition, Sachin also unveiled an affordable power backup solution comprising of 300VA Home UPS and a 80AH Tubular battery. These products will increase the penetration of the Home UPS by opening up new markets for Luminous, especially in the rural areas. For the first time, a hybrid Solar Inverter with grid power option was also launched for the Indian market. The unveiling of the innovative product range coincided with the Annual Partner Meet which brought together top channel partners from all across the country. Sachin Tendulkar presented the honours to the top performing partners of Luminous.

Champion Wins Case Against Samsung In a landmark judgement, a Division Bench of the Delhi High Court ruled that parallel importation is authorized under Indian trademark laws and does not infringe the trademark of the rights-holder. In an appeal filed by Kapil Wadhwa, Director of Champion Computers, the Bench of Justices Pradeep Nandrajog and Siddharth Mridul overruled the findings of a Single Judge, who had held in February 2012 that all imports of trademarked goods into India had to take place through the authorized distribution chain of the trademarkholder Samsung Electronics Ltd. or with their permission, failing which imports would amount to infringement under the trademark law. The suit was initially brought by Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. and its Indian subsidiary Samsung India last year, under which it claimed that Delhi-based Champion Computers was unauthorisedly selling Samsung printers imported directly from foreign markets into India. Speaking of the reversal, Wadhwa said, “We are happy the Hon’ble Court has upheld our point of view and cleared the confusion and fear spread in the market by MNCs which were using trademark law as a tool to thwart competition and protect their own pricing and profit margins.”

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FIVE Ways to Boost sMB ProFItaBIlIty. Partner with McAfee and opportunities abound Millions of small and medium-sized enterprises are in search of a trusted security advisor. When you partner with the leader in digital security, you can take advantage of this tremendous growth opportunity. Here are the top five reasons to say “yes” to partnering with McAfee: 1. Opportunity Increase deal opportunities in the growing SMB market when you partner with McAfee, the largest dedicated security technology company. 2. Flexible Solutions Offer your customers the most flexible security solutions for SMB—from SaaS to on-premise suites. 3. Profitability Start earning more, fast with up to 25% higher margins and lucrative McAfee SMB rewards programs, with quick and easy deal registration. 4. Program Address the needs of your SMB customers with a range of enablement tools, turnkey marketing programs, and exclusive profitability programs. 5. Breadth of Coverage Provide the right SMB solution for every customer need—email, web, endpoint, and mobile security—only with McAfee.

Need more reasons? Learn more at www.mcafee.com/becomeapartner.

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SNIPPETS

Matrix Comsec Launches New Factory in Vadodara Matrix recently inaugurated its new manufacturing unit at Waghodia, in Vadodara. The launch of the factory reinforces Matrix’s vision of providing innovative world-class products and solutions for a better tomorrow. The new manufacturing unit is spread over an area of 78,000 sq. ft., and is operated by well qualified and dedicated team of engineers. The new structure houses departments like production, testing, quality control, stores and despatch. Universally practiced production and quality processes have been implemented in the new factory. It endeavors for harmony with nature and has considered ecological aspects like rain water harvesting and the usage of waste water. The new manufacturing facility envelops various energy conserving techniques which reduces energy consumption and carbon emissions.

D-LINK SHOWCASES 5S SOLUTION D-Link introduced its 5S networking solution for enterprises at Interop 2012 in Mumbai. The company’s 5S Solution incorporates switching, structured cabling, surveillance and storage, security, and software that form a major component of any secure, reliable, and manageable network solution. Talking exclusively about D-Link’s Enterprise road-map, Tushar Sighat, CEO, D-Link (India) Limited, said, “Year 2012 can easily be termed as the year of ‘Big initiatives’ for us at D-Link, and one of the key focus areas for D-Link this year is large Enterprise domain. To address this segment Tushar Sighat, CEO, D-Link we have already defined our strategies for 2012-13 and (India) Limited are committed to acquire substantial market share in near future. Our 5S Networking Solution is another step towards helping Enterprises build a strong and reliable business network.” Elaborating on the D-Link 5S Concept, Sanjay Sehgal, VP (Enterprise & Project Business), D-Link (India), said, “Our robust product portfolio along with integrated approach offers uninterrupted network and cost-effective solution that helps businesses to run efficiently. D-Links’ 5S Solution aims to offer streamlined integration, centralized management, simplified trouble shooting, guaranteed interoperability and ease of use.”

Kasperksy Partner Program for SMB Acknowledging the demands of the channel partners for a structured partner program and with B2B space becoming stronger, Kaspersky has not only launched “Kaspersky Green Team Partner Program” but has also released two specific products for SoHo/SMB space named “Kaspersky small office suite”. “Our past strategy was B2C but now the new strategy is to focus on B2B. Hence for the first time we have launched this partner program for B2B at the APAC level which is almost similar to the global level partner program,” stated Gun Suk Ling, director (Corporate Sales), Kaspersky Lab APAC. She further said that if they can capture even one percent of this customer base it will translate to 1,28,000 new customers. “With the burgeoning of the virus attacks smaller companied need help. They are looking for very simple security solutions that fit their needs in terms of: simple deployment and having management centers. The SoHo market is India is huge and the biggest percentage of business comes from this segment. Hence this solution is for SoHo or organisations with a size of 25 people and below. We will use our existing channel partners to sell KSOS,” informed Ling. The first launch was held in Delhi and will be later carried to Mumbai, Bangalore and other cities. These products, explained Ling, are not only simple but in terms of price are lower by 40% compared to the regular enterprise solutions. The two packs include 15+2 (15 users and 2 file servers) and 25+3 (25 users and 3 file servers). The revenue that comes from global B2B business is 28%, for B2C is 65% and the rest comes from the technological alliances. While for APAC B2B contributes 30% while the rest of 70% comes from B2C.

Emerson Bags Frost & Sullivan Award Emerson Network Power has been awarded the 2012 Frost & Sullivan Asia Pacific Market Share Leadership title in the data centre cooling solutions market. Amit Kumar Singh, Analyst (Energy and Power Systems Practice), Frost & Sullivan Asia Pacific, said, “Emerson Network Power has been able to retain its market leadership position in the Asia Pacific Data Centre Cooling solution market in 2011 for the second year in a row, a feat which is commendable in a market that is efficiency driven and highly diverse in nature. Emerson Network Power’s ability to deliver a strong value proposition -- “Efficiency without Compromise” through world-class cooling products and a vast network of sales and service centres across Asia Pacific, have enabled the company to create a strong differentiation from its competitors and capture the maximum market share in the region.”

WeP Introduces New Dot Matrix Printer series WeP has launched the new Dot Matrix Printer series models named HQ 2650 & HQ 2800, and comes with remote management software. The company informed that this printer features 600 and 660 pages per hour printing speed. These printers offer a low cost of ownership with its High Print Head life of 800 Mn Characters. It also comes with various connectivity options with Serial, Parallel, USB 2.0 and LAN interface. These printers can be used in segments like BFSI, manufacturing and logistics for improving the efficiency of printing.

Lalani e-Tech City Launched In Kolkata Lalani Group, the IT and office automation service provider, announced the launch of its large format tech retail store ‘LALANI e-TECH CITY’ in Kolkata. Partha Chatterjee, IT Minister of West Bengal, inaugurated the store at Ganesh Chandra Avenue. The sprawling 13000 square feet, state-ofthe-art ‘LALANI e-TECH CITY’ will house IT, office automation, mobile phones and all the other premium electronic gadgets of all the leading brands including HP, Dell, Lenovo, Acer, Apple, Microsoft, Sony, Blackberry, etc.

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SNIPPETS

Pantum Enters India

CANON INDIA SUCCESSFULLY CONCLUDES GURUKUL

Chinese printer manufacturer, Pantum has announced its entry to the India market with a distinct focus on SOHO and SMB segments. Part of Seine Technology Co. Ltd., the company will be focusing sharply on the northern market in the initial phase of its entry – including Lucknow, Patna, Ranchi and Punjab, with a parallel focus on the eastern market. Pantum has aggressive growth plans for India and aims to be among the top five printer brands in the country by 2015. Pantum will cover 64 top cities in India by the end of this year and expects to cover over 100 cities by the end of 2013. The company plans to extensively use the IT channel to penetrate the market, beginning with 25 channel partners and about 1000 resellers. In keeping with the aggressive growth plans, the company expects to double these numbers in the next one year. Rashi Peripherals has been appointed as its first printing devices distributor in India. Commenting on the development, Jackson Wang, President, Pantum International, said, “We are committed to India market and aspire to be the top five printer brands within next three years. Our success in international markets in a short time gives us a lot of confidence for the India market and North is one of the key markets for us.”

Canon India announced the successful completion of a two day residential program ‘Gurukul’ designed specially for its Channel partner’s sales team. Organized successfully for the last five years, this year’s theme was “Big Step Bigger Future”, with a big focus on building strong relationship with channel partner’s sales team and providing them with opportunities which will help them to grow beyond ordinance of regular expectations and possibilities. Gurukul, an annual property of Canon is aimed at K Bhaskhar, Senior Director equipping sales team of channel partner’s across the (OIS Division), Canon India country with technical skill sets, better sales tools, product training and is also focused at enhancing their soft skills. The two day session acts as a platform for the channel partner’s sales team to build relationship with Canon senior leadership team. This year the program was attended by authorized partners from across 11 states from western and southern belts of the country, covering sales team of 75 people across 53 channel partners from 34 cities. Commenting on this, K Bhaskhar, Senior Director (OIS Division), Canon India, said, “Gurukul is a platform which has gained strength by adding more and more participants year on year. This forum, over the years has witnessed many participants attending the event consecutively for 3 to 4 years, which itself is a proof of Channel Partners retention of their sales team. We are primarily focusing on equipping the channel partner’s sales teams with better sales tools and product training and enhancing their soft skills by encouraging collective working and bonding amongst each other in this two days annual event.”

EXECUTIVE MOVEMENT

INDIA IT SPENDING TO REACH $71.5 BILLION IN 2013 IT SPENDING IN INDIA IS PROJECTED TO TOTAL $71.5 BILLION IN 2013, A 7.7 PERCENT INCREASE FROM THE $66.4 BILLION FORECASTED FOR 2012, ACCORDING TO GARTNER, INC. INDIA IT END-USER SPENDING FORECAST, 2012-2016 (US$ BILLIONS)

71.5 66.4

2012

9.5

9.1

9.2 3.5

Hardware

47.8

The Aricent Group has appointed Frank Kern, a veteran of IBM, as Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately.

10.3

4.0

Software

Services

Sennheiser Electronics appoints Gunjan Srivastava as Managing Director – Sennheiser Electronics India Hiroshi Honda is new Country Manager Buffalo India. He will drive Buffalo’s overall market strategy and operations in India.

2013 44.7

Cisco has appointed Anil Bhasin to lead its Services division in India and SAARC region

Telecom

Total

Autodesk has appointed Pradeep Nair as Managing Director for its India and SAARC operations.

Source: Gartner (August 2012)

16 SME CHANNELS OCTOBER 2012

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Success Wahin Jahan Link Sahi

ASLI LINK

DIGILINK Structured Cabling ki reliable technology se “Link” Flexible aur customised solutions ka “Link” Localised solutions aur customers ki demand se “Link” Best reach aur behtareen sales support ka “Link” Zyada se zyada channel margins ka “Link” Badiya channel policies se “Link”

CREATIVE INC./DIGILINK/02-12 www.creative-inc.in

Structured Cabling industry ke market leader se “Link”

If you need more information Visit: www.SEreply.com Keycode: 46704Y Call: 1800 180 1707 (MTNL, BSNL toll-free) 1800 103 0011 (Airtel toll-free) 0124-4222040 (Paid)

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SNIPPETS

Aircel Partners NEC for Cloud Solutions

DIGEST

Aircel announced its strategic partnership for Software as a Service (SaaS), where NEC will provide the Cloud Aggregation Platform along with a portfolio of Cloud offerings to Aircel, which has a large customer base. Aircel will be responsible for managing the end-to-end customer relationships, including pre-sales and sales engagements, delivery and support, and billing and contractual relationships. Aircel and NEC will start with a software applications portfolio, which could then subsequently extend to other Cloud offerings. The focus will be on enterprise grade offerings, such as Collaboration, CRM, ERP, HRMS, Business Suite, Video Conferencing, etc. The software services can be adapted to suit a wide variety of business roles, from sales and support, to internal workgroups providing increased efficiencies and greater workforce productivity. Angira Agrawal, Associate VP (Cloud business), NEC India, said, “NEC sees Aircel as a key partner focusing on Cloud, and believes that our partnership with Aircel will fundamentally change the way companies view and adopt cloud services.”

ENVENT SPONSORS ITBP HALF MARATHON

COMGUARD EXPANDS WINMAGIC’S BUSINESS Comguard Networks has been appointed as the national distributor by WinMagic Inc., a Canadabased data security firm, for the India market. The appointment will strengthen WinMagic’s presence and further promote its suite of encryption solutions in the fast-growing Indian market, announced the company. Iain Airey, Director(EMEA Sales), WinMagic Inc, said, “WinMagic recognizes India as an important, growing market and we are pleased to be working with Comguard Networks to help develop and grow our business. As a new entrant into the Indian market we are going to rely on Comguard Network’s strengths and expertise to assist us in gaining market share. Comguard’s extensive channel relationships and growing customer base, particularly in the enterprise market represent an excellent opportunity for WinMagic’s enterprise class data security solutions.” Ajay Singh Chauhan, CEO, Spectrum Group, commented, “We are delighted to partner with WinMagic as the national distributor for the India market. WinMagic is a global leader in data encryption solutions and we are looking forward to help them in expanding their business in India through our dedicated and sustained efforts”.

Envent sponsored the ‘ITBP Half Marathon’ which was held to celebrate 50 years of its existence. This marathon is a celebration of bravery and dedication of the ITBP jawans, an elite border guarding Force and as a tribute to their glorious contribution to the nation in the past 50 years. The company’ press release said that actorphilanthropist Salman Khan added his starry presence to the run and contributed to the marathon’s mass appeal with his charismatic persona. The total number of participants including all categories crossed to over 10,000 making the event a great success, claimed the company.

TECHCOM UNVEILS SSD 352 WEBCAM Techcom has launched the new webcam, the SSD 352 which comes with 3P lens and night vision too. The high quality 3P lens helps provide true picture quality and better resolution while 6 white LED indication lights offer enhanced visibility and sharp, clearer images, even in the dark, claimed the company. The company further informed that this webcam is easily connectible via 2.0 (UVC) high speed USB interface and its built-in microphone of superior quality makes the SSD 352 a very efficient medium for effective and convenient communication, esp. during video chats. It also has powerful zoom options with zooming in possible upto 4X. It is available at a price of Rs. 450 with one year warranty.

GLACIALTECH UNVEILS COMBO CPU COOLER

VMware Unveils Vcloud Suite Updates VMware has unveiled an updated cloud management portfolio, including significant enhancements to the management products in the recently released VMware vCloud® Suite. VMware is also introducing a new product to the suite, VMware vCloud Automation Center 5.1, and is updating the VMware IT Business Management Suite to further simplify and automate management while empowering IT to govern services across multiple, heterogeneous clouds. “Businesses of all sizes are leveraging a decade of virtualization investments to transform IT through the software-defined datacenter,” said Raghu Raghuram, Executive VP (Cloud Infrastructure and Management), VMware. “VMware’s cloud management offerings fundamentally recast management for the cloud era, allowing customers to operate at cloud scale and begin to act as brokers of IT services to the business.”

Axis’ 360 Degree Panoramic Cameras Axis Communications presents 360° fixed mini dome cameras with a 5 megapixel sensor that enables detailed, high-quality 360° or 180° panoramic views of wide areas. The competitively priced indoor Axis M3007-PV and Axis M3007-P Network Cameras provide retail stores, hotels, schools and offices with cost-effective solutions to getting wide overviews that help users detect activities and track the flow of people. The cameras, which are the latest additions to the Axis M30 Series, can be mounted on ceilings for 360° overviews or on walls for 180° panoramic views. Both AXIS M3007-PV and AXIS M3007-P support several viewing modes, including 360° overview in 5 megapixel resolution, as well as horizontal panoramic views and quad views that have been dewarped for easy viewing.

GlacialTech has launched the Igloo i670CU Combo CPU coolers with Intel LGA 775/1155/1156. It is compatible with CPU LGA775/1155/1156. GlacialTech Igloo i670CU Combo with its technicalities is designed to reduce noise generated from the cooling fan. This combo is light weight and consumes less electricity. Its cost effectiveness feature increases CPU’s long working hours. With Igloo CPU Cooler, one can work in a quiet and peaceful environment with optimal price performance benefit as claimed by the company.

MSI UNVEILS POWER EDITION GRAPHICS CARD MSI has released the GTX 660 Ti Power Edition graphics card. The new graphics card incorporates MSI’s Triple Overvoltage technology and PWM Design architecture to boost overclocking potential by up to 18.2%. Perfect cooling is supplied by of the new Twin Frozr IV Thermal Design and exclusive Dust Removal technology automatically removes dust from the heat sink module and maintains optimum cooling performance. Its propeller blade technology increases airflow by 20% as compared to conventional fans and it also reduces the temperature. This graphic card features Military Class III components and incorporates proprietary features and technologies in the power supply, cooling and materials.

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HCL (DDMS) to Distribute Dell Products Digilife Distribution and Marketing Services (DDMS), the distribution arm of HCL Infosystems to distribute Dell’s Enterprise class products to partners in emerging markets. This is a first-of-its-kind engagement for DDMS and Dell in the market. DDMS will deal in a wide array of Dell’s Enterprise product categories including servers, storage and networking products in India. The partnership with DDMS will enhance Dell’s Enterprise solutions reach beyond tier-1 cities and propel its focus to target mid-market customers with open, easy to deploy and affordable solutions. The partnership is geared to promote and extend businesses for both Dell and HCL Infosystems; under this deal DDMS and Dell will collaborate on marketing, sales and technical areas and overall go-to market activities. DDMS will take care of the marketing related activities for Dell Enterprise products and services, and further help promote, participate and extend the sale of the Dell products through activities such as market research, advertising, trade shows, internet marketing etc.

Suse Manager 1.7 Manages Enterprise Linux Server

HP INTRODUCES PROLIANT GEN8 SERVERS HP unveiled two new HP ProLiant Generation 8 (Gen8) four-socket servers that facilitate customers’ move to cloud while delivering increased compute power in less space and a return on investment within three months. The industry’s first four-socket servers to incorporate HP ProActive Insight Architecture,the HP ProLiant BL660c and DL560 Gen8 servers significantly reduce the time spent on maintenance tasks through high levels of automation and continuous monitoring of system health, saving IT staff more than 30 days of administration time a year. As building blocks for HP Converged Infrastructure, these multiprocessor servers satisfy the need for high-end compute power that enables clients to extend end-to-end virtualization and provide a foundation for creating private and hybrid clouds. With a three-to-one server-consolidation rate and reduced server footprint in the data center, the HP ProLiant BL660c Gen8 server offers four-socket density in half the size of the previous generation, and reduces total cost of ownership (TCO) by up to 30 percent. Additionally, the HP ProLiant DL560 Gen8 server provides a space-minimizing four-socket server in a 2U form factor without compromising performance, scalability or expansion requirements.

Suse has released Suse Manager 1.7, the latest version of its systems management solution for enterprise Linux environments. Suse Manager’s capabilities help enterprises to comprehensively manage Suse Linux Enterprise Server and Red Hat Enterprise Linux servers with a single centralized solution. Version 1.7 includes flexibility and compliance enhancements that help customers grow their Linux deployments while reducing management effort. The company further informed that Suse Manager 1.7 helps reduce both the total cost of ownership and complexity of managing Linux systems while also helping to improve compliance with corporate policies and external regulations. Suse Manager 1.7 supports the open source PostgreSQL database. It gives customers the choice between using an external Oracle 10g or 11g database, an embedded commercial enterprise database or an embedded PostgreSQL database to accommodate a wide range of deployment and scalability scenarios.

Boxlight Launches SoundLite+

Winknet Unveils Next Gen Tabs

Boxlight has announced audio speaker and wireless microphone combo, SoundLite+. It is a digital speaker system combining two high efficiency, full range 10W speaker with a dual channel 20W class D amp and wireless handheld mic / transmitter. With its portable design, the SoundLite+ has proven to be the best speaker worldwide and is now being launched in India, claimed the company. This portable, wireless, high sound quality speaker comes with the new 2.4G technology. The SoundLite+ is easy to install and perfect for both ceiling and polls wit snap - together assembly and auto channel sync for connectivity. The SoundLite+ uses frequency expansion technology to reduce the signal noise and enhance the transmission reliability of the wireless microphone. Priced at Rs. 21,000, it comes with one year warranty.

Winknet has launched the next generation tablets “Ultimate” (TWY300) and Wonder (TWY100). It comes with an ultraportable 9.7” and 7” screens respectively and is powered with a 1.5 GHz processor. These tablets operate on the Android 4.0 version. The Ultimate Tablet features a 2 megapixel rear camera and a 0.3-megapixel front camera while Wonder sports a 0.3 megapixel camera which provides smooth transition and seamless HD video and flash playback for a rich entertainment experience, informed the company. NafisKazim, COO, Shyam Networks, said,“Looking at the Indian market and how it has evolved, tablets have emerged as converged devices. Winknet range of Tablets allows the consumers to experience a perfect and seamless web content experience, enjoy diverse range of multi-media content even while on move.”

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SNIPPETS

Sandisk to Deliver CFast Memory Cards

BRIEF NEWS

SanDisk Corporation has announced that it is developing flash memory cards based on the new CFast2.0 specification introduced by the CompactFlash Association (CFA). The new specification enables next-generation photo and video applications by delivering up to four times faster performance than the CompactFlash memory cards currently used in DSLR cameras and other imaging devices. Professional video applications are growing more powerful than ever before, with 2K video enjoying widespread use and full-frame 4K video already gaining adoption in high-end production environments. These next-generation video applications can produce videos with incredibly high resolutions and large file sizes. The CFast2.0 specification supports advanced video applications through higher interface bandwidth and much higher levels of Video Performance Guarantee to meet the requirements of 2K/4K digital intermediate compressed production environments.

STRONTIUM IN GITEX 2012

TRANSCEND LAUNCHES TWO NEW DDR3 MEMORY MODULES Transcend Information launched two new DDR3 memory modules: a 32GB DDR3 1333MHz Registered DIMM (RDIMM) and a 16GB DDR3 1600MHz Very Low Profile (VLP) Registered DIMM. Featuring stable signal integrity at high frequency operation and an onboard thermal sensor for better system thermal control, these high capacity RDIMMs provide better expandability options to server administrators. Additionally, both new modules feature high quality aluminum heat spreaders to ensure optimal heat dispersion and stability. Aimed at high-powered servers, Transcend’s largest capacity 32GB DDR3-1333 modules significantly increase memory density in servers that support 32GB RDIMMs (up to a maximum 2TB), such as IBM’s System x3850/3950 X5 and BladeCenter HX5, announced the company’s press release. The new modules are rated at 1333MHz with timings of 9-9-9-24, and operate at industry standard 1.5V.

Logitech Strengthens Solar-powered Products Logitech has expanded its tablet accessories as well as solar-powered product portfolio in India with three new products namely Logitech Ultrathin Keyboard Cover and Logitech Solar Keyboard Folio which are made for the new, third-generation iPad as well as the iPad 2 and Logitech Wireless Solar Keyboard K760 for Mac, iPad or iPhone. Subrotah Biswas, Country Manager, Logitech (India and South West Asia), said, “Logitech believes in providing a superior consumer experience, to people from different walks of life, which is aimed towards aiding productivity. The new Logitech keyboard cases with their sleek, smart design and extended keyboard battery life that provide a convenient way for consumers to do more with their iPad, while the Wireless Solar Keyboard K760 will appeal to Apple users. We pride ourselves on being a consumer-centric organization and we are committed to provide consumers the joy of being immersed in the digital world.”

Antec Launches TrueQuiet 120 Case Fan Antec has introduced the TrueQuiet 120 case fan for the Indian market. This fan brings proven cooling and quiet computing to the system. The company informed that this fan is equipped with silicone grommets and a uniquely-designed fan blade to reduce turbulence, vibration and noise for overall quiet operation. Its plastic tool-less mounting screws allows users toinstall very easily and quickly. The TrueQuiet 120 comes with 2years warranty on parts and labor. Kevan Li, Head (Sales and Operations), Antec India, said, “With increasing computing needs, taking care of overheated and noisy PCs is often a concern. The AntecTrueQuiet 120 case fan is a blessing in disguise for users who wish to optimize the performance of their PC through cool and Quiet Computing. This is an extremely fine offering from our cooling accessories portfolio and is designed for not just great performance but also easy installation.”

Strontium Technology showcased its range of memory products at GITEX 2012 in Dubai from 14th to 18th October. The highlights were SATA3 SSD, ultra-high speed memory cards and USB 3.0 flash drives. Anshuman Gupta, CEO, Strontium Technology, said, “Gitex will be a significant opportunity for us to showcase our products and to show our commitment to the consumers and partners in Middle East and Africa region.”

DIGILITE CELEBRATES 1ST ANNIVERSARY Digilite celebrated its one year of successful business with “Digilite 1st Anniversary Channel Meet” in Goa from 20th to 22nd September. The meet was attended by more than 75 attendees which included Digilite Omega Platinum Partners from across the country along with Digilite sales and management team. Rajan Sharma, VP (Sales), Digilite, said, “Today as we celebrate our first anniversary we are happy to note that within the first year of our brand Digilite’s presence in the Indian market we have already achieved a milestone of shipping 2,00,000 motherboards. It is exciting to see that over such a short period of time we have made tremendous in-roads in this highly competitive market place.”

GIGABYTE LAUNCHES NEXT GEN AMD FM2 SERIES MOBO Gigabyte Technology has launched its latest FM2 series motherboards supporting next generation AMD A-Series APUs. The Gigabyte F2A85X-UP4, the flagship of the Gigabyte FM2 series, incorporates Gigabyte Ultra Durable 5 technology, digital power delivery and other exclusive features that guarantee you’re getting the most from AMD’s new ‘Trinity’ technology. The flagship Gigabyte FM2 series motherboard comes in the shape of the Gigabyte F2A85X-UP4 motherboard, designed to push AMD A-Series APUs to the limit with Gigabyte Ultra Durable 5 technology. Digital power controllers ensure high capacity, high current power delivery which, when coupled with high speed memory support, combine to push the onboard AMD 7000 series graphics processor to the absolute maximum.

ASUS TWO GRAPHICS CARDS Asus has launched dual-fan GeForce GTX 650 Ti DirectCU II graphics cards for home multimedia, graphics-reliant productivity and detailed gaming. It features DirectCU II thermal design for 20% cooler and 3X quieter operation, DIGI+ VRM and Super Alloy Power for extended longevity and greater stability. The cards further support four-screen displays via NVIDI 3D Surround technology. The company’s press release said that these cards offer high-output products well-suited to a wide range of PC DIY needs. The TOP version uses GPUs that are aggressively-tested and factory-overclocked to 1033MHz boost clock (105MHz above reference). The OC version runs 954MHz boost (26MHz above reference). Both cards ship with 1GB GDDR5 video memory set to 5400MHz.

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Axis is the

world leader

Axis wins “Best Surveillance Brand 2012”

in IP video and surveillance cameras

And your #1 choice for quality, innovation and expertise. > The founder of the world’s first network camera > The world leader in network video, driving the shift from analog to digital > Sweden-based company, with over 16 years of experience in IP video and nearly three decades of network know-how > Installations worldwide in sectors ranging from retail and transportation to education and city surveillance

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> Dedicated partner network offering unrivaled expertise > Solutions delivering enduring results, even in the most extreme conditions and remote locations > Open standards only, for easy integration and scalability Get the Axis picture. Stay one step ahead. Visit www.axis.com

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SNIPPETS

Dell Ships First Equal Logic Storage Blade Arrays Dell has informed that it has begun shipping its first enterprise-class storage blade arrays that simplify and consolidate data centers by combining with Dell blade servers and networking switches inside a single blade chassis. The convergence of these technologies represents the example of Dell’s approach to support customers seeking data centers that are easy to set-up, manage and scale as needed. Moreover, Dell EqualLogic Blade Arrays Enable Converged Infrastructure to Help Simplify IT. It provides customers all of the functionality and enterprise-class features of traditional EqualLogic arrays inside a Dell PowerEdge M1000e blade chassis. The blade arrays combine with Dell 11th or 12th generation Dell PowerEdge blade servers and Dell Force10 or PowerConnect networking, enabling customers to run an entire data center within a single, compact blade enclosure that can help streamline IT management and operations.

F5 Extends Dynamic Networking to Hype V

IBM ENABLES KWALITY DAIRY IBM announced that Kwality Dairy India Ltd. (KDIL) has selected IBM cloud to improve the dairy’s operational efficiency and productivity in its bid to become a global milk and milk products company. KDIL has one of the largest milk procurement operations in North India. The Dairy was facing challenges in managing its cash operating cycle effectively and wanted to streamline business processes and improve efficiency across various operations to deliver superior quality products. KDIL was previously using non-integrated solutions, which did not help address the business issues and further impacted operational efficiencies. Sanjay Dhingra, Chairman & MD, Kwality Dairy (India) Limited, said, “We were looking for a technology partner who could help achieve our vision and goals. With IBM’s industry knowledge and expertise we are rest assured to meet the ever-increasing demands and ease of management.” As the solution will be based on IBM SmartCloud, it will provide KDIL with a pay-as-you-go model, and the flexibility and scalability required to manage a growing set of requirements. IBM will help KDIL develop foundational business intelligence and reporting capabilities while processing efficiencies through inbuilt industry practices. “IBM’s SAP Dairy solution is designed to make KDIL more flexible in addressing new business challenges and opportunities for growth,” said Kamal Singhani, Partner, CPG, Retail & Smarter Commerce Industry leader, IBM Global Business Services – India/South Asia. “IBM is committed to the success of companies like KDIL and is making significant investment to help these companies succeed. We view these companies as engines of global economic growth, innovation and industry transformation.”

F5 Networks announced the F5 Network Virtualization Solution for Microsoft Windows Server 2012 HyperV. The solution gives F5 customers the flexibility to use the BIG-IP platform to deploy network services in cloud-driven data centres that are built on Windows Server 2012 Hyper-V. With this solution, the same network-based services that the BIG-IP platform provides—such as local and global load balancing, advanced traffic steering, access control, and application security and acceleration—can now also be used to deliver applications in the Microsoft cloud and virtualized network environments. The solution is enabled by F5 BIG-IP Local Traffic Manager (LTM) Virtual Edition (VE) running on Windows Server 2012 Hyper-V. The F5 solution also opens up a revenue opportunity for channel partners, who will be able to sell it as a new, specialized SKU in support of Windows Server Hyper-V network virtualization solutions in production environments.

Epson Empowers Partners Epson has launched nSolutions partner engagement program with the aim to intensify its relationship with partners. This program covers 16 cities to reach 1500 partners across India. The company also aims to empower and educate SIs and office automation partners on their products and solutions. Epson showcases some products in this program which comprises Label writers, a potable scanners weighing 325 grams, 3D home theatre projectors, short throw projectors, L series printers with refillable external ink tanks and the K series mono Inkjet printers, A3 multifunctional color printers at a price of Rs. 28000, Multimedia projectors which shortens the projection distance, prevents shadows and provide greater installation flexibility. S.M.Ramprashad, DGM (Consumer Products, Epson), said, “Our key focus areas are education, SMEs, government and health sector. Our last turnover was Rs.603 wand expected to grow 20-25% in this year.”

WatchGuard’s UTM Product Grows 18% YoY WatchGuard’s Q2 billings overall grew 16% YoY and 18% YoY for its core firewall and next generation Unified Threat Management (UTM) products. This is the sixth straight quarter WatchGuard’s core products have achieved double-digit growth, averaging 16 percent year-over-year during that time. The company attributes gains primarily to its enhanced manageability features designed for enterprises, resulting in increased demand for its XTM Series UTM products, including its XTM 5 Series for mid-sized businesses which grew by 19 percent YOY. WatchGuard also experienced combined growth of 37 percent YOY for its XTM 8 Series, 1050 and 2050 products, which are scaled for organizations with 1,000 or more employees. However, in India, WatchGuard has witnessed a substantial uptake of their enterprise solutions with a 219% growth in 8 series and above.

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K7 Security solutions for Large Enterprise: Efficient web 2.0 based end-point security management. Provides sophisticated application control, URL filtering and device control. Automate IT security policies globally across end-points. Zero effect on system performance and enhances productivity.

K7 Security solutions for Small Businesses: Easy to deploy and configure. Does not require specialized IT support. Enterprise class security for SMBs. Unique Flexi licensing system & Recharge packs.

Join Forces with army: Provide best-in-class security for your clients at competitive pricing. Expand client services and product portfolio. Certificate programs for engineers. 365 days safeline & support. Support clients of any size - 10,000+ end points. Attractive partner incentives & offers.

Ahmedabad: Bhavyank Patel - 9227100612, Bangalore: Omprakash - 9243307255, Girisha N. Aradhya - 9742191111, Chandigarh: Sumit Gautam - 9876657188, Chennai: Saravanan M - 9281000605, Prem Kumar - 9282408765, Ganesalingam - 9282421386, Senthil Kumar - 9840395941, Cochin: Sibin Augustine 9249092004, Coimbatore: Santhosh – 9282408764, Delhi: Rohit Gautam - 9212594758, Piyush Verma - 9910868090, Hyderabad: Balaji.S - 9246260027, Jaipur: Prakul Pareek – 9610009324, Kolkata: Chiranjeev Mazumdar - 9833808409, Madurai: Chellappa M - 9244201799, Mangalore: Dayaprasad Shetty - 9964318079, Mumbai: Ved Pandey - 9820093251, Alok Singh - 9004238602, Nagpur: Amit Pote - 9850118324, Pondicherry: Kamal – 9751112526, Pune: Pranit Gosavi 7875191117, Salem: K.Padmanabhan - 9944139063, Secunderabad: Kiran – 7799281678, Trichy: Sabareesh - 9791817134, Trivandrum: Shiyas – 9633982272

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PARTNERS CORNER

SILICON VALLEY

BHUPESH MALHOTRA, CEO, SILICON VALLEY TECHNOLOGIES

“SUCCESS OF BUSINESS STARTS WITH HAPPY CUSTOMERS” In today’s competitive business, customer is the king and organizations need to focus on customer service, this is what Silicon Valley Technologies believes in. SME Channels spoke to Bhupesh Malhotra, CEO of Silicon Valley Technologies to know more. Excerpts…

Brief us about Silicon Valley, its turnover and product portfolio. Silicon Valley Technologies in joint venture with Varite Inc., USA,was launched in March 2009. It has been engaged in retail and distribution of IT hardware and software with major business in south Haryana. It operates its retail outlets under the banner of Imax Gadgets World and Imax Accessories. There has been a 100%+ growth every year both in retail and distribution. The Company is very aggressively working on launching few very exciting Electronic Gadgets in its own brand name. We also believe that the success of a team or organization starts with Happy Customers thus; we have ‘Customer First Policy’. This is an effort towards making our customers feel special and delighted about buying from us. We feel and realize that our Customers are the King and they should be treated like one. Our major differentiator in the market today is our Customer Service. Who are your major customers? Our Major customers apart from 160+ Channel Partners in South Haryana are various engineering colleges, schools, major online companies, multinationals and large corporates. What strength the company has in terms of software selling? We believe that “What gets promoted gets done” and that’s exactly what we did and now realize the fruits in terms of sales and customer satisfaction.

We are very happy and excited for Trend Micro as they have superb line of products. We knew the brand for years and luckily got into it when it was launched for consumer business. We would give all the credit to our sales team and majorly to the quality of the product. How do you see the security market in India? Due to the rapid evolution of malicious threats, with worms and viruses being generated in seconds compared to days and weeks earlier, the Security market in my opinion is going to grow by atleast fives times in the next one year. How do you find Trend Micro as a product? What is the strength and weakness of this security product? The main plus point of Trend Micro is its lightness on system resources. The performance of an Atom based Netbook is very nice and smooth after installing Trend Micro as compared to any big name in the competition. As it is a total security product, it comes with lot many goodies, the encrypted vault, the file shredder, and system tuner and protection for android device. It’s strengths lies in its simple steps and is easy to load; removes/uninstalls the earlier version on its own; has additional features like system tuner, parental control, and vault with remote file lock; extremely light on system; and excellent pricing

for total security product category. While its weaknesses lies in the delayed launch in the consumer market but anyway it’s never too late and another is the missing sandboxing (as per only one customer feedback). How many resources do you have for Trend Micro? We have a team of fully trained six sales people for Trend Micro who work for different market segments like channels, SMBs, and end-users. How do you plan to grow Trend Micro business? We have already seen a phenomenal growth in Trend Micro sales in the last two years and it’s because Trend Micro’s management focussed its efforts towards promotion and marketing. We have no doubt that this financial year we alone would do more than 3 million worth of business and we expect that to double next year. What activities are you pursuing to achieve the growth? We want to focus on helping, instead of selling, set and review targets, focus on benefits not on features, distribute samples (trial packs), generate referrals, work on relationships and sale will happen on its own, take advantage of testimonials, make it easy for people to do business with us, associate with positive and successful people, believe in the product or service you sell and refer quality products/services only. SME

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SME CHAT

SAYED NAVED SHAFI, VP (SME & CHANNEL BUSINESS), AGC NETWORKS

“PARTNERS TO DECIDE ON THE REVENUE GOAL” AGC Networks recently announced a channel partner incentive program, Achievers’ Club’. Talking with SME Channels Sayed Naved Shafi, VP (SME & Channel Business), AGC Networks gives some more insight into this unique initiative. Excerpts.

Provide us an insight into AGC Network’s ‘Achievers’ Club’. “Achievers’ Club” is a Channel Partner incentive program from SME & Channel Business of AGC Networks. This innovative program was launched during “Accelerate”- AGC Annual Channel Partner Meet 2012, Goa. The uniqueness of this program is the fact that the partners are given an opportunity to decide on the revenue goal for the business they would like to do with AGC Networks for FY12-13. This initiative has helped us strengthen our relationship with the partners by instilling faith into their minds. We were overwhelmed by the response of the partners committing more than we had expected during the launch itself. We have also launched the program for the rest of the channel community and are expecting a minimum of 80-100 partners to be associated with us through this program. What is the sole objective of this program? At AGC Networks, we believe in ‘collaboration’ and team work. This ethos is evident in our technology offerings, business relationships and channel partner engagement. The objective of the program is to move beyond the conventional incentive program where the principal company decides the target slabs and incentives are attached to those. At Achievers’ Club the partner decides his goal for the entire year and based on the scale of achievement gets rewarded. How is it different from your earlier schemes or programs? In the past, we have rolled out a number of incen-

tive based programs like the WIZ program which was time bound & slab based. Through this program we were able to reach out to the larger channel community and established the first level of relationship. Achiever’s club aims to take this relationship to the next level by providing the partners the freedom of choosing their own destiny by deciding their revenue goal with AGC Networks. Our partners are entrepreneurs by nature and are business owners by role. We are confident that they know their market best and have the zeal to grow which will ensure that they serve customers to the best of their capabilities. Tell us about AGC Networks’ aggressive channel business strategy. As the name suggests, ‘SME & Channel Business’ at AGC Networks focuses on the SME segment and delivers the AGC products, solutions & services suite through a wide network of channel partners spread across 45 cities in India. We have a two pronged ‘Go-to-market’ approach. Our direct team works closely with the SME customers and at the same time supports our partner network to maximize reach. In both scenarios, AGC Networks ensures that the fulfillment happens through our channel partners only and they are face of AGC for customers. This puts responsibility of training and equipping partners with right set of communication and training tools so that our solutions are aptly presented to customers. This approach has helped us develop a well-trained team of partners, gain their assurance and also capitalize on the business and reach.

Elaborate on the plans to penetrate into the tier II markets. AGC Networks has a strong network of 179 channel partners across 19 states in India. These are our extended arms that not only sell our solutions but also service our clients in the locations. And we intend sprucing it up aggressively. Today in Tier II cities like Ghaziabad, Lucknow, Coimbatore, Raipur and Nagpur we have seen immense untapped potential. In parallel we are working closely with some leading technology alliances to customize solutions specifically for SMEs. Today cost of technology adoption has gone down drastically and benefits are well understood in SMEs, one just needs to bring out right solution fulfilling their need and we can see transformation in these regions. What new products and solutions should we expect in the coming quarters? SMEs are revising their demands from just basic voice and data; they are going the convergence way through IP. So for our channel and the SME business, we are introducing the recently launched IP Telephony system. The IP telephony is experiencing more penetration with the channel partners even more than cloud computing technology. How much of contribution does SME and channel business make to your business? Our SME & Channel Business contributes over 10-15% of the current business.

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SME CHAT

BIMAL RAJ, CEO, SMARTLINK NETWORK SYSTEMS LTD.

“MAKING OF AN INDIA MNC” Not many Indian manufactures are seen with the teeth to bite the bullets of the adversity. But, Smartlink Network Systems has the tenacity and capability to do so. Only thing left for the company is to make its presence strongly felt in the global market. SME Channels spoke to Bimal Raj. CEO, Smartlink Network Systems Ltd. to know about its strategy. Excerpts.

Brief us about SmartLink’s present position? Established in 1993, Smartlink Network Systems Ltd. is one of the most experienced and respected IT companies in India. Smartlink has two decades of experience in product design, development, manufacturing, marketing, sales & service with its own brand. The company addresses the needs of customers ranging from Enterprise to SME/ SMB and SOHO to home users and from across the verticals i.e. Government, BFSI, Education, Manufacturing, Hospitality, Healthcare, Retail, to name a few. Smartlink brand portfolio includes DIGILITE, DIGISOL & DIGICARE. The company has also built the support functions required to succeed, and to take these three businesses to newer heights in the Indian market. Coupled with the Government’s increased focus on promotion of Indian manufacturing, SmartLink is confident to be amongst top three brands in next three years. The company is also listed in BSE and NSE since 2001. What are the product lines the company is offering at present? Under DIGISOL brand we offer complete end-toend networking solutions which includes unmanaged, web managed, managed switches, Wireless, Broadband Routing, Converged Communication, Print Servers, Media Converters and IP Surveillance products. And under DIGILITE brand we offer Motherboards and other peripherals. How do you differentiate these products with other brands?

The key attributes of DIGISOL products are Performance, Scalability, Reliability and Eco Friendliness and other key differentiator is our service and support. We are amongst very few IT companies which have its own Service Support division DIGICARE, which gives us an edge over our competitor. Our high quality and reputable after-sale-services are strategically built to deliver customer satisfaction. What is your distribution and channel strategy now? Traditionally ours is strong regional distributor sales model, over the period we have upgraded skill levels of many of business partners in to System Integration and solution /Services offerings. Our channel structure is a three tiered one, Tier 1 consists of National Distributors for NSI business, ISP Business, SAARC Business and Large requirement. Tier 2 layer consist of Regional Distributors who in turn cater to SI/ Stockist/VARs in their territories. Tier 3 is stockist partners who are aligned to RD and cater to resellers and dealer community. How many partners do you have? We are present in almost all the locations in India either directly or through our Distributors or Dealers. We have 22 exclusive territory distributors, 400+ dealers and 4000+ resellers across the country. Who are you major partners? Few of our distributors are, Eastern Comnet, Data Systems, Cache Technologies,

Shani Peripherals, etc. Are you also looking at more partners? Channel expansion within India is a continuous process. Soon we will be launching products in SAARC and Middle East market, we already have many partners showing their interest in carrying our products in the region. Are you launching any scheme now? We have introduced several schemes in past such as “Lucky Bonanza”, “Karo Dil Se” and recently we have introduced “Bangkok Calling” for our channel partners. We are getting overwhelming response, which is encouraging us to introduce new schemes quarter on quarter. Any changes in the manufacturing and R&D activities? Smartlink Network Systems Ltd has long experience in manufacturing of electronic products for IT, Networking and Telecom Industry. The Existing manufacturing facility of 1,20,000 sq. feet is located at Goa. At present we have 2 SMT lines and we are looking at expanding our manufacturing capacities in the future. What is your turnover and growth for this year end? In the very first year of our post BTA with Schneider we achieved turnover of Rs.72.7 Cr in the FY 2011-12. In 2012-13 we are aiming for significant growth.

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Flexible. Efficient. Affordable.

Looking for a classic file, print, mail or database solution? A reliable basis for your groupware or terminal-server infrastructure? Then take advantage of the many years of Fujitsu and Microsoft expertise and combine the Fujitsu PRIMERGY TX120 S3p or PRIMERGY TX140 S1p. This combination is designed to cope with the challenges of your daily business – now and soon-to-be. Both servers are ideal for SMEs, smaller retail premises and branch offices. Whether ultra-compact form factor with record-breaking energy efficiency or high scalability with hot-plug storage drives and optional redundant power supplies: the Fujitsu PRIMERGY Tx120 S3p and Tx140 S1p offer affordable performance tailored to your needs.

Fujitsu PRIMERGY TX120 S3p -For small environments with high demands The perfect server for environments where space, high server functionality and low TCO are crucial. The TX120 S3p is an excellent choice for smaller retail premises branch offices. Besides sporting a power supply with 94% efficiency and 0-watt functionality, the TX120 S3p keeps running costs and the environmental impacts low. The ultra-compact form factor and the Intel® Xeon® processor E3 series performance make it a unique combination.

Features • The PRIMERGY TX120 S3p fits everywhere, in either tower or desktop position. • 2x 1Gigabit LAN as standard and optional 2.5-inch hot-plug hard disks. • The Intel® Xeon® processor E3 family-based platform and the highly efficient power supply unit with 0-Watt functionality. • The onboard remote management controller (iRMC S3), and the optional front service LAN port, makes it easier to service your TX120 S3p.

Fujitsu PRIMERGY TX140 S1p -The expandable SME All-Rounder The ideal solution with high scalability, and best availability through optional redundant power supplies. As the company evolves, so too does the TX140 S1p. Storing up to 12 TB of data, the TX140 S1p can easily handle large files. At a later stage, the TX140 S1p can be included in a rack cabinet with dedicated storage systems.

Features • The Intel® Xeon® processor E3 family-based platform with low energy consumption. • Up to 12 TB of storage possible. • 2x 1Gigabit LAN as standard and 3.5-inch (max. 4) or 2.5-inch (max. 8) hot-plug hard disks optional tower to rack conversion kit and extensive connectivity options.

To know more, call: 1800 102 3457 or email: marketing-india@ts.fujitsu.com

Published by Fujitsu Technology Solutions,© Copyright 2012 Fujitsu Technology Solutions Fujitsu, the Fujitsu logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Fujitsu Limited in Japan and other countries. Other company, product and service names may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners. Technical data subject to modification and delivery subject to availability. Any liability that the data and illustrations are complete, actual or correct is excluded. Designations may be trademarks and/or copyrights of the respective manufacturer, the use of which by third parties for their own purposes may infringe the rights of such owner.

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TREND SETTER

KINGSTON

SSD IS THE FUTURE

In 1987, Kingston entered the market with a single product. Today, it has grown to be one of the world’s largest independent manufacturers of memory products. BY KARMA NEGI

karma@smechannels.com

ingston’s founders started out in a humble garage in 1987 manufacturing revolutionary memory modules, and since then the company has grown tremendously creating a host of storage and memory solutions – flash drives, flash cards, SSDs, memory modules and wireless solutions like the Wi-Drive. It has not only grown in terms of expansive product line but also in terms of employees. With over 4000 employees working in offices all over the world, it says its market share globally is also over 50% making Kingston one of the leading brands in this space. Having completed 25 years in this industry, a visibly excited Vishal Parekh, MD, Kingston Technology, remarks, “The journey has been incredible for us so far. This company has grown so much over these 25 years.” On the Indian soil Kingston has completed almost 7 years, and has established a strong brand name. It proudly states that its product line reflects the brand qualities of excellence, innovation and reliability. “Our marketing strategies have always been unique and creative – we’ve taken technology into the space of lifestyle, entertainment and sport. We wanted to make technology less daunting and more exciting and fun. The product line we have is something that works perfectly in a market as diverse as India – there are products for every consumer and for all requirements,” claims Parekh. Likewise, it has also developed a network of channel partners across the country which has ensured a strong market position for them. It believes that by giving a great deal of importance to the qualities of trust, partnership and commit-

VISHAL PAREKH, MD, KINGSTON TECHNOLOGY

“WE WANTED TO MAKE TECHNOLOGY LESS DAUNTING AND MORE EXCITING AND FUN. THE PRODUCT LINE WE HAVE IS SOMETHING THAT WORKS PERFECTLY IN A MARKET AS DIVERSE AS INDIA – THERE ARE PRODUCTS FOR EVERY CONSUMER AND FOR ALL REQUIREMENTS,” ment, has given the brand much more credibility. Parekh says, “In turn these qualities help all of us as employees to stay close knit and united even during challenging times. Personally, I feel a deep sense of pride being part of a vibrant, growing organization and I am grateful to have colleagues

that have become family to me. It’s exciting when you think of how much we have grown and I believe that there’s a lot more in store for us.” Over the past few years, Kingston has gone on to become one of the key players in the memory and storage market. This has been achieved,

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KINGSTON

thanks to an excellent product line, constant innovation and the best post sales service that covers over 50 cities in the country. “Kingston has been one of the leaders when in comes to technological innovation – you can see this from the exhaustive range of products we have to offer. Products like the Wi-Drive, our secure flash drives and system specific memory modules reflect Kingston’s vision and innovation,” points out Parekh. “We have always been proud of our futuristic vision,” says Parekh. He informs that for instance, Kingston was one of the first to promote SSD technology as the technology of the future even at a time when our competitors and market experts believed that the Indian market wasn’t ready for it. It undertook several educational initiatives to create a better awareness of this amazing technology. “Today, we feel proud to see how much the SSD market has grown. Kingston’s SSD range also reflects the growth the market has seen too. I believe it is this vision that is one of our strengths and we will continue to strive to stay ahead of the curve through our innovative market strategies,” explains Parekh. Having a diverse product folio Kingston doesn’t focus on just one portfolio, where each product line has something unique to offer the Indian

market and the memory company attributes importance to all of them. “Our products are also diverse enough, so we have something to offer each vertical. We have paid equal attention to all verticals – consumer, corporate and channel, and we will continue to do so. Over the past couple of years however, we have been promoting our SSD range because we believe this novel technology is the future,” says Parekh. Kingston had some great product launches this year. It recently launched the new HyperX Predator, which it says, is an excellent memory kit that gamers and technophiles will love. It will also soon launch the DataTraveler Workspace that will be compatible with Windows To Go feature on the much anticipated Windows 8. It has also released the E100 SSD series that is perfect for business and enterprise use. Parekh says, “We’re excited about all the new products this year and we will definitely focus on promoting all of them.” While the HDD prices have started to show signs of declining, will the sudden surge that SSD had witnessed earlier wane. Parekh doesn’t believe so. “Honestly, I don’t believe that one can compare HDDs with SSDs simply because HDDs are primarily storage devices while SSDs are more

TREND SETTER

performance driven. Therefore, I don’t think that HDDs are really a challenge to SSDs even at a lower cost. This is because we have observed that typically consumers who choose SSDs over HDDs are knowledgeable about the advantages SSDs offer. We prefer to call them prosumers.” From their point of view, the only challenge, he feels, is a lack of awareness of this technology, which is why they have a dedicated set of distributors selling SSDs in India. These distributors work closely with Kingston’s sales team to identify, train and support their channel partners who in turn work extensively with corporates and enterprises to educate them about the benefits of using SSD technology. “Our aim is to emphasize to consumers that if they’re looking for speed, performance and value for money, SSDs are their best choice,” maintains Parekh.

Finally… Every organisation has a set target in terms of revenue and Parekh avers that no doubt revenues are crucial. “However more than revenues, our focus will continue to be on introducing more refined solutions, strengthening our position in the market and enhancing our post sales customer service,” he concludes.

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COVER STORY

BEST PRACTICES

Channel Best

Practice Channel partners are an integral part of any organisations success story. With the increasingly competitive and complex business environment the need to focus on keeping them in good humor has become so important that companies who follow â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;best practicesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; have the best chances of surviving the changes sweeping this industry. BY KARMA NEGI

karma@smechannels.com

ith the changing technological landscape, organisations need competitive edge to manage their channel partners, keep them efficient, profitable and happy. They can no longer take this relationship for granted and if they want the marriage to work, they need to keep them happy. If organisations seek to grow and progress, they need to enrich the lives of others too and in this case channel partners. They have to be treated as a part of their extended family. To make the channels perform better vendors

too need to chip in and demonstrate to their channel partners that they follow best practices and are always behind them to deal with any kind of daunting tasks that they may face. Engaging them in their strategies and policies, giving them the required training, building relationships, and creating value around them is what it will take to build long term relationships. Keeping the channel partners in good humor is no longer an option, but a necessity. Channel community appreciates working with a vendor who invests in their overall growth and not just sees them as contributors for the next financial

quarters. Trust is an important asset. In this complex and competitive business channel partners want someone who always has their back, and that their relationship is just not a marriage of convenience. This sets a solid foundation for shared risks and rewards. Vendors like Cisco have realized that the partner community appreciates working with a vendor who invests in their overall growth. Cisco has a very structured partner program and constantly engages with partners to understand their areas of expertise and to help them address their

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BEST PRACTICES

COVER STORY

es SME CHANNELS 35 OCTOBER 2012

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COVER STORY

BEST PRACTICES

SAYED NAVED SHAFI VP (SME & CHANNEL BUSINESS), AGC NETWORKS LIMITED

“We also regularly undertake tele-calling activities and support our partners with all required collaterals like eDMs, brochures, etc,”

MANISHA SOOD COUNTRY MANAGER & DIRECTOR, INDIA & SAARC, SANDISK CORPORATION:

“Select partners from various regions will be invited and enrolled into the program at the base level and depending on the performance will be upgraded to higher levels with additional rewards and benefits”

pain points. Today, partners don’t want to be just box sellers but technological entrepreneurs. This is the way they can weather the ever changing technological landscape and keep their heads above water, otherwise, they know, they will sink. And this calls for empowerment through trainings, support and sales processes and regular training camps/ backend programs that ensures them healthy profitability. Upgrading skill sets, thus keeping them abreast with the changing technology in the industry is a necessity.

Let’s Talk Open dialogue with channel partners help vendors understand partner needs and their pain points. Vendors need to be open with their channel partners, apprising them of their strategies and plans. Transparency is the key word here. Axis regularly has open dialog with its partners through its partner forums and regular surveys to better understand both our end users and partner needs/feedback for improvement. “We treat our channel partners as natural partners-in-profit. We work towards fortifying our relationship with them and nurture a long lasting bond that is mutually beneficial,” says Sudhindra Holla, Country Manager, Axis Communications India. Building value into the channel partner relationship and treating them as ‘partner in rewards

RAVISHANKAR CO-FOUNDER & CEO, NEVALES NETWORKS

VISHAK RAMAN SENIOR REGIONAL DIRECTOR, FORTINET INDIA

“Our sales training and service partnership programs for partners are unique to our model and they are key to our partner’s success by winning new and retaining old clients,”

“By working closely on every opportunity identified by our partners, we ensure our partners have the shortest sales cycles, client conversion costs in the industry.”

and risks’ helps foster this relationship. “At Trend Micro, the basic philosophy remains that, our channel partners are our extended family and we treat them as one of us,” goes Rajat Sahu, Product Marketing Manager, India & SAARC, Trend Micro. “Our channel ecosystem plays a crucial role in making our products and solutions widely available and we have new channel initiatives which are designed to empower and make them profitable.” Says Harish Rai, AVP (Products), Comguard Networks, “We share vision of a long term partnership for mutual growth and benefit. We empower them with knowledge on our products by proper training. We believe in protecting partner’s interest in every transaction by maintaining absolute transparency.” NEC India adopts a transparent approach and therefore senior managers interact with the key partners on frequent basis to share ideas and address grievances. NEC has a regular practice of conducting overseas channel partner meets every six month. Such meets helps to boost the better understanding of business issues and effective brainstorming sessions, feels NEC. “It is very essential to maintain camaraderie with the partners to have a long term business relationship therefore we make all the efforts to maintain the same. We have always encouraged

the concept of keeping the channel partner on good humour for the betterment and smoothening of the work process,” maintains Zubair Alam, GM – Enterprise Business, NEC India. LG has a website called www.lgchannels.in exclusively for its partners where sub distributors upload sales figures on a regular basis. Regular interactions with its channel partners, branch and corporate office keeps LG updated and aware about its inventory ageing, stock shortage etc. Maintaining efficient relationships with its partners is what R&M totally swears by. “We aim to engage with and assist our partners with a high degree of sales and technical support so they win more customers faster. We have sales and technical representatives for each region who can offer direct assistance, as necessary. The appointment of six new regional distributors in 2012 is an important part of improving our channel relationships whereby our regional distributors can deliver required products and solutions as per partners’ timelines,” says Shailendra Trivedi, Director (Operations and Channel Development), R&M India. LG conducts channel meets at frequent intervals so as to hear from its partners. Expressed Sanjoy Bhattacharya, IT Head, LG India, “We at LG have a large number of sales representatives with whom we meet on a regular basis to gather their insights. LG has also opened a corporate

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COVER STORY

BEST PRACTICES

KEVAN LI HEAD (SALES AND OPERATIONS), ANTEC INDIA

MANU BANSAL VP (ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY, CHANNELS), CISCO INDIA

SUBHASISH GUPTA COUNTRY MANAGER - INDIA & SAARC, ALLIED TELESIS

SUNIL PILLAI CO-FOUNDER AND MD, IVALUE INFOSOLUTIONS PVT LTD

“We also conduct quarterly product training to the partners to ensure their team receives the latest information on products, and continuous upgrade of technical information about the products.”

“Cisco has a number of on-going programs and promotions for partners at any given time, and intelligently customizes the model to be able to address its partners’ needs.”

“As a vendor, we try and see as much as possible to absorb the impact of the above. However, there are times, when the impact is high enough to be passed on to the end customer.”

“We feel it’s necessary for vendors to support partners in such exceptional situations and where ever vendor does not we have pitched in from our side.”

window via the website www.lgchannels.in where in the partners can write to us directly on their various concerns. I personally monitor most issues daily and ensure a solution within the next 48 hours.” Schneider Electric IT Business India is rolling out “Channel Partner Program” as an incentive which includes country wide partner training initiative to enable its partners differentiate themselves in the market place. “Some of our core program objectives are to strengthen business relationships with existing partners, align partner’s core competencies to our business requirements, understand market challenges and turn them into new opportunities through innovative solutions that are easy to sell and help partners differentiate themselves in the marketplace through better understanding of product portfolio and today’s market opportunity,” articulates Gurudutt M., Director (Home and Business Networks), Schneider Electric IT Business India.

Your Problem, is My Problem Challenges are a part and parcel of business; no matter how much we wish it to go away, it never does. Helping channel partners and being empathetic to their problems during situation like price fluctuation so that they do not have to resort to underselling or cross selling, and giving them healthy bottom lines do go a long way in garner-

ing lifelong channel partners. With the double digit inflation that the economy has witnessed in the last couple of months, has also led to price increase by vendors on their products. While this may not sit well with the channels or end customers but vendors say that during such situations, which is unavoidable, they try to reach out to the partners with complete transparency and openness. Antec says that whenever there is any price change, it usually provides the distributor buffer time to stock more at old price, and then take time to reach in the market so the channel partners and end users would not have major impact on their purchases. As the sudden price increase takes toll almost everywhere, in-depth discussion with the partners, explaining them the reasons behind rising price with detailing is imperative. Communication, once again plays a pivotal role in such situations. Through communication and open dialogue with their channels, vendors say that they can handle the situation well. Comguard ensures to present a clear justification on the reason for price increase, and at the same time try to bundle some other product/ services to reduce the impact of higher pricing. While R&M ensure that they communicate with them about any changes the instance they know about it. “Most fluctuations are results of external

changes such as variances in the prices of copper or in the rate of foreign exchange. These are aspects that our partners are already aware of and we ensure that we communicate with them about any changes the instance we know about them,” informs Trivedi. “Being in international market helps us in understanding component price movement well in advance and we plan in advance with the channel partners. We try to keep them updated with possible shortage or chipset movement. Still if there are any unseen circumstances, we try to protect them as much as possible to ensure minimal loss to our partners,” remarks Sushmita Das Country Manager (India), Kobian Pte Ltd. “In case of an indication of a sudden price increase due to unavoidable reasons, we intimate our business partners several days in advance (usually 2 weeks). We have in place a robust price protection policy,” conveys Rajiv Rao, Director (SMB), Lenovo India. System to absorb the sudden price increase due to dollar fluctuation etc., also forms part of channel price protection policy of vendors. Shibu Paul, Country Sales Manager, Array Networks, answers, “Our channel price protection policy is focused on protecting our channel. We have a system to absorb the sudden price increase due to dollar fluctuation etc.” iValue prides itself in not increasing prices despite steep rupee depreciation absorbing the hit

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COVER STORY

BEST PRACTICES

SUDHINDRA HOLLA COUNTRY MANAGER, AXIS COMMUNICATIONS INDIA

“We treat our channel partners as natural partners-in-profit. We work towards fortifying our relationship with them and nurture a long - lasting bond that is mutually beneficial.”

RAJAT SAHU PRODUCT MARKETING MANAGER, INDIA & SAARC, TREND MICRO

“At Trend Micro, the basic philosophy remains that, our channel partners are our extended family and we treat them as one of us.”

in most cases with some support from a few vendors. “We feel it’s necessary for vendors to support partners in such exceptional situations and where ever vendor does not we have pitched in from our side,” says Sunil Pillai, Co-Founder and MD, iValue InfoSolutions Pvt Ltd. However, the extent to which the vendors can absorb the prices may reach a limit, and at the end may not have any choice but to pass it on to end customers. Subhasish Gupta, Country Manager (India & SAARC), Allied Telesis, says, “As a vendor, we try and see as much as possible to absorb the impact of the above. However, there are times, when the impact is high enough to be passed on to the end customer.”

Rewards and Recognitions Rewards and recognitions validate the hard work done by the channel partners and make them feel appreciated. Organisations consistently announce various schemes and promotional activities to help the channel partners and the sales people earn higher rewards for every successful transaction. Almost every quarter a new scheme is released with foreign junkets thrown in for the winners. “Cisco has a number of ongoing programs and promotions for partners at any given time, and intelligently customizes the model to be able to address its partners’ needs, considering that particular market. This is therefore very well received by the partner community across geographies,”

HARISH RAI AVP (PRODUCTS), COMGUARD NETWORKS

ZUBAIR ALAM GM – ENTERPRISE BUSINESS, NEC INDIA

“We share vision of a long term partnership for mutual growth and benefit. We empower them with knowledge on our products by proper training.”

“We have always encouraged the concept of keeping the channel partner on good humour for the betterment and smoothening of the work process.”

informs Manu Bansal, VP (Advanced Technology, Channels), Cisco India. In addition to regular visits and discussions with them, Antec also launches schemes and rebate programs during the season of slower sales out to encourage the distributor sales out. Says Kevan Li, Head (Sales and Operations), Antec India, “Apart from that, we are also continuously involved in various marketing activities. We also conduct quarterly product training to the partners to ensure their team receives the latest information on products, and continuous upgrade of technical information about the products.” Fortinet offers both Turn Over Bonus (TOB) and FortiReward schemes where partners gain for every box they sell. “By working closely on every opportunity identified by our partners, we ensure our partners have the shortest sales cycles, client conversion costs in the industry,” conveys Vishak Raman, Senior Regional Director, Fortinet India. Sales and pre sales incentives also play a major role in ensuring the partners’ success. “Array Networks has been following the policy of quality rather than quantity when it comes to Channel. We always take the initiatives to make our partner’s sales cycle shorter and delight their customers. Array Networks has developed simple but effective sales and pre sales incentive programs and ensure our partners maintain a healthy bottom line always,” informs Paul. Even Nevales provides end-to-end support to its partners by complimenting their efforts with

joint sales visits, pre-sales support, and solution deployment. “Our sales training and service partnership programs for partners are unique to our model and they are key to our partner’s success by winning new and retaining old clients,” proudly states Ravishankar, Co-Founder & CEO, Nevales Networks. Having worked with Indian IT Channel community for decades, Kobian has seen the repercussions of over inventory and stock pile practices, hence “We do not believe in ‘dumping stocks’ to dealers. Thus we ensure that no Mercury dealer is carrying excess stocks. We plan with every partner and then plan the stocks to them,” asserts Das. SanDisk introduced ‘Premier Circle’ loyalty program early this year. It is specially designed by SanDisk to identify, map and reward its select partners who have continuously achieved target sales and maintained consistent top market share for the brand. “Select partners from various regions will be invited and enrolled into the program at the base level and depending on the performance will be upgraded to higher levels with additional rewards and benefits,” informs Manisha Sood, Country Manager & Director, India & SAARC, SanDisk Corporation.

Lead Generation This highly competitive market demands that companies strive hard to generate more and more leads. To run a successful channel business and to grow along with them it’s imperative that vendors

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COVER STORY

BEST PRACTICES

SHAILENDRA TRIVEDI DIRECTOR (OPERATIONS AND CHANNEL DEVELOPMENT), R&M INDIA

“We aim to engage with and assist our partners with a high degree of sales and technical support so they win more customers faster.”

SANJOY BHATTACHARYA IT HEAD, LG INDIA

“LG has opened a corporate window via the website www.lgchannels. in where in the partners can write to us directly. I personally monitor most issues daily and ensure a solution within 48 hours.”

share leads with the channel partners. Trend Micro has put lead generation at the heart of its strategy to provide new opportunities for the partners. Says Sahu, “We run marketing programs and go-to-market initiatives along with our partners both locally and nationally. All our programs are designed to work towards supporting the channel segment for their sales and technical related requirements.” Onsite promotions, developing targeted schemes and initiatives to keep the motivation level high; informing about the latest opportunities in the industry, and help create differentiators in their offerings; organize conferences, road shows, workshops, and run exciting offers on online portals are some of the ways that vendors resort to, to generate leads. AGC Networks generates leads through various activities like road shows with OEMs, “Wherein we invite the SMEs in T1 and T2 cities where we work closely with local channel partners. We also regularly undertake tele-calling activities and support our partners with all required collaterals like eDMs, brochures, etc.,” says Sayed Naved Shafi, VP (SME & Channel Business), AGC Networks Limited. Conducting market development programs for each target vertical and addressing specific verti-

GURUDUTT M DIRECTOR - HOME AND BUSINESS NETWORKS, SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC IT BUSINESS INDIA

“Some of our core program objectives are to strengthen business relationships with existing partners, align partner’s core competencies to our business requirements, understand market challenges and turn them into new opportunities through innovative solutions.”

cal markets is what Fortinet and Allied Telesis do. Fortinet shares its Leads with partners based on certification level, geography, past experience and customer traction. SMB, for Lenovo, is currently at a nascent stage on lead generation. It enables its channel partners generate leads and support them with adequate information to convert leads into sales. “In addition, we support our channel partners with an inside-sales lead-gen engine which engages end customers, explore business opportunities, and connect them to our channel partners. This is a model we have adopted from our successful large enterprise business,” says Rao. ‘iStorm CXO conclave’ is an annual customer events wherein iValue host’s an overseas event along with its vendors for key decision makers. “This event helps us sell concepts, generate interest and create opportunity for our partners in a large scale in addition to inside sales initiative,” says Pillai.

Technical Support With the cut throat competition, companies will be performing no less than hara-kiri if they underestimate the importance of technical support. With the emergence of new technologies technical support has become a critical part of any

SUSHMITA DAS COUNTRY MANAGER- INDIA, KOBIAN PTE LTD

“We try to keep them updated with possible shortage or chipset movement. Still if there are any unseen circumstances, we try to protect them as much as possible to ensure minimal loss.”

business operations. And it will be compounded more with the development of technology. Call centers or local toll free numbers, dedicated pre-sales and post-sales support team, technical support team have been put in place to handle all sorts of enquiries for the partners. Trend Micro also has field technical team supporting our channel on ground with local language and geographies. Axis offers technical support through both phone and chat services. For technical enquiries NEC has a team of presales engineers who help the channel on devising proposals, offerings , and SLAs. “We provide all the assistance which is required for the technical enquiry. Periodic training session is also on the agenda for our partners support team. We keep on arranging the focused training sessions on certain time intervals regularly,” informs Alam. “We have a very robust and capable backend post sales support team out of India, and render high quality of support to our partners. Again from a presales support, we have a very solution driven and market savvy team,” says Allied Telesis’ Gupta. Array Networks has a TAC with a local toll free number in India, along with a strong pre-sales team in place to offer technical support to our partners and customers.

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Information Security

Networking

Wireless/WiFi

Storage/Back-up

Cloud Computing/ Virtualisation

Services/Managed Services

World Class Information Management Solutions Under One Roof We are into the business of providing you comprehensive information management solutions, in simple words we provide peace of mind. We are a technology distribution giant, that along with our world-class business associates, provide cutting-edge technologies to organizations of all sizes. Our stringent focus on client satisfaction and maximizing their return on investment makes us a comprehensive information-infrastructure solutionsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; provider! Today, we are amongst Indiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leading IT Distribution Houses providing high-end LAN/WAN solutions, intranets and extranet gateways, storage & security strategies and effective high performance solutions for large corporate LANs. We also provide holistic technology consulting services in the areas of networking, security solutions, data centers and wireless communication. Every now and then, we do set industry standards. While our competitors call us True Value Added Distributor, we fondly call ourselves an extended arm of our OEMs, partners and customers. We are curious to know how we can add value to your business. Please call us on +91 124 4101978 or drop us a mail on info@rahinfotech.com. You can visit at www.rahinfotech.com before you allow us to visit you.

An ISO 9001:2008 company

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COVER STORY

BEST PRACTICES

RAJIV RAO DIRECTOR SMB - LENOVO INDIA

“In case of an indication of a sudden price increase due to unavoidable reasons, we intimate our business partners several days in advance. We have in place a robust price protection policy,”

“Edimax has improved its technical support over the last six months by adding professionals to handle end-user and resellers queries. We provide technical support in the form of post-sales as well as pre-sales,” informs Eric Yang, Country Manager – India, Edimax Technologies. Fortinet provides level 2 and level 3 postsales technical support services. It also recently announced a toll-free number to make it easier for its partners and customers to reach them.

Healthy Atmosphere Competition is good, say vendors. It keeps them on their toes and helps bring out the best in them. They do not have the luxury of being lax or, otherwise it will spell disaster on their businesses. But the cut throat competition means there will be under selling or cross selling of products. This is nothing but the means to survive. And given the kind of competitive atmosphere, maintaining the right balance and have a healthy environment, which proves to be win-win situation for everybody, is quite a task at hand. Relationship, says AGC Networks, is the key success factor of any channel business. It proudly states that they maintain a win-win relationship with its partners by providing them various value added benefits (pre & post sales support, lead sharing, implementation support, solution designing support etc.). “Our partners are aware and continuously experiencing AGC’s knowledge domain which makes them stick to us even in this highly competitive market,” says Shafi. There is no denying the fact that the above

SHIBU PAUL COUNTRY SALES MANAGER, ARRAY NETWORKS

ERIC YANG COUNTRY MANAGER – INDIA, EDIMAX TECHNOLOGIES

“Our channel price protection policy is focused on protecting our channel. We have a system to absorb the sudden price increase due to dollar fluctuation etc.”

“Edimax has improved its technical support over the last 6 months by adding professionals to handle enduser and resellers queries.”

VENDORS ALSO NEED TO UNDERSTAND THAT TO STAY AFLOAT, ESPECIALLY IN THESE UNCERTAIN TIMES, PARTNERS ALSO NEED SOMETHING MORE TO EXPAND THEIR BUSINESSES, INCREASE THEIR BOTTOM-LINES.

issues are an everyday challenge and there is no definitive solution on the same. Some vendors follow strict policy on cross bundling or under selling. The case in point is Kobian, since marketing schemes are run every month, it is ensured that no transactions are below the established approved price; otherwise they disqualify any such transaction. Antec too, does not allow its channel partners to sell under their cost. “We ensure reasonable margin to every channel partners to maintain a healthy atmosphere. We maintain a selective set of resellers in each city to focus on the targeted segments, territory and products,” says Li. Vendors also need to understand that to stay afloat, especially in these uncertain times, part-

ners also need something more to expand their businesses, increase their bottom-lines and have products which differentiate them in the market. Says Cisco’s Bansal, “By sharing intellectual capital with partners, rather than competing with them, Cisco helps partners expand their businesses, increase revenue, and create market differentiation. Aligned to their business models, partners integrate smart capabilities into their service practices, delivering more value to their customers and in turn increasing their revenues and volume simultaneously.” Lenovo follows a ‘protect and attack’ strategy. “In executing the strategy, we are dedicated to protecting our core businesses and while attacking new market opportunities. This translates to clear objectives on where-to-sell-what. We ensure that our partners are in sync with the same, and eliminate conflict by selling our PCs to maximize the customer-value. We have seen tremendous success on this front, and our market-share rise is testimony to our strategy, and execution tactics,” maintains Rao.

Conclusion New technologies are changing the whole way business is done, making it more competitive and complex. In such a changing scenario it has become rather imperative to keep the channel partners in good humor, if one wants to grow and progress. It should not only be about creating trust with channel partners but emphasis also needs to be put upon solid foundation for shared risks and rewards.

44 SME CHANNELS OCTOBER 2012

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FEATURE

CHANNEL SCHEMES

CAN CHANNEL SCHEMES INCREASE SALES Channel schemes can do wonders not only for the sales of a company, but also help position a product in the minds of the customers and with exciting freebies thrown in these schemes help vendors garner customers. BY KARMA NEGI

karma@smechannels.com

hannel schemes play a pivotal role in the business strategy of any organisation. It not only helps in boosting the sales but also strengthening the bond between partner and the enterprise. It can help position a new product, target new segments, bundling products together, pushing slow-moving or profitable high-end products, creating product awareness and attracting or acquiring customers. Sanjay Kathuria, Group Business Manager, neoteric infomatique ltd., says, “A scheme boosts sales. A scheme helps create mindshare in people and prompt them to at least consider the concerned product, if not buy it. Even when one is not planning to buy the product, he might consider the ‘value for money’ of the product and contemplate buying it at a later time. Freebies that are usually part of these schemes play a crucial role in attracting the customer to consider or buy the product under the scheme.” But coming out with any scheme won’t do they have to be innovative and out of the box, which will get the attention of the partners. A program should deliver much more than just incremental sales maintain AGC Networks. “It actually needs to strengthen the bond between a partner and the enterprise. We are confident that Achievers’ Club is one such platform which will not only deliver these two aspects but also evolve into a larger relationship metamorphosis,” informs Sayed Naved Shafi, Vice President - SME & Channel Business, AGC Networks Limited. Schemes or excess schemes are required at the time when one wants to buy market share, clari-

“WE DO NOT SCOUT FOR MARKET SHARE. WE ENSURE BUSINESS PARTNERS ENJOY PROFITABLE GROWTH WITH US.” DEEPAK DEVESHWAR- HEAD RETAIL & CONSUMER BUSINESS, BUFFALO INC, INDIA

fies Buffalo. “We are looking for profitable growth over a period of time. We do not scout for market share. We ensure business partners enjoy profitable growth with us,” maintains Deepak Deveshwar- Head Retail & Consumer Business, Buffalo Inc, India. Executing a scheme is not a simple affair; a lot of factors go into the planning process. It’s also important that schemes are achievable for participants thus helpful in boosting sales and achieving the desired revenue goal of the organization. “Nature of the product, seasonal trends, its past history, vetting and studying our competitors’ offerings and end-customer segments, gathering inputs from the sales team, vendors, productteams and eventually, take a call on the periodicity of the plan and the best time or season for the launch of the scheme. Also, we strive to keep our scheme easily understandable and executionable,” informs Kathuria. “At AGC Networks, we study the partner’s performance for previous year; technological shift expected this year, the growth opportunities which these schemes might create and the achievable benefits from the partner network. It is also an imperative to have a continuous excitement around it,” Shafi informs. Buffalo looks for potential volume growth for the quarter and endeavour to reach out to the end customers with its wide range of products. S Sudhir, MD, Inspan Infotech Pvt Ltd, Chennai, says, “Our focus will be more into attracting the partners to log in for the scheme (enrollment) as soon as they receive the Scheme, before that

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CHANNEL SCHEMES

“A SCHEME HELPS CREATE MINDSHARE IN PEOPLE AND PROMPT THEM TO AT LEAST CONSIDER THE CONCERNED PRODUCT, IF NOT BUY IT.” SANJAY KATHURIA, GROUP BUSINESS MANAGER, NEOTERIC INFOMATIQUE LTD

we will make sure that the present sales should increase to our expected level with the scheme planning to float.” No doubt, channel schemes do help in creating a buzz around the products, but with the problem of overstocking, is it is a way to get rid of old stocks. Vehemently disagrees vendors. “No. Schemes are not for clearing our old stocks, schemes are floated only to motivate the channels to do more business with us and just to ensure that partners will make extra profit apart from the front end margin which they make other than this backend,” elucidates Sudhir. Agrees Buffalo’s Deveshwar, “Not at all. Schemes are just part of the promotions we use.” Kathuria explains that a scheme is not designed just to get rid of old stocks. Freebies or product schemes drive partners to achieve the targets; for customers, it usually offers the product at the same price but with additional benefits. Since AGC is in Solutions Integration space, it says, it do not need to carry product stocks except for a very few fast moving products for our run rate business. Products like EPBX, Pocket Projectors, etc. do get stocked at their end but these are procured after detailed analyze of sales and business opportunity. “Secondly we have an ecosystem wherein we work extremely closely with our OEM partners. Any urgent support when needed is always available,” says Shafi. But vendors do agree that somewhere down the line it does impact the bottom line, albeit in a positive way. “A scheme helps in a number of ways. It also helps in offering a skew-mix and pushing

FEATURE

“WE HAVE MORE THAN 60 TECHNOLOGY ALLIANCES AND PLANNING OF STOCKS IS CLOSELY DONE WHILE BEING REGULARLY MONITORED.”

“OVERSTOCKING IS A REGULAR PHENOMENON WHICH HAPPENS WHEN MARKET TREND DOESN’T GO AS PER OUR PLAN SO WE HAVE TO ADOPT SOME OTHER PLANS.”

SAYED NAVED SHAFI, VP (SME & CHANNEL BUSINESS), AGC NETWORKS LIMITED

S SUDHIR, MD, INSPAN INFOTECH PVT LTD, CHENNAI

ageing products. All these have a positive impact on the bottom line,” enunciates Kathuria. A successful scheme means that vendor has been able to achieve the targeted numbers as per their plan. “A program has to affect the bottom line and that too in a positive manner and that decides success of our program. Achievers’ Club also is expected to help build a healthy bottom line from SME & Channel business while ensuring the top line growth,” opines Shafi. Sudhir says, “Definitely this will not affect our Bottom line as this will be like TOD (Turn Over Discount) to increase our revenue and numbers.” Overstocking is a regular and unavoidable phenomenon which the vendors encounter. Explains Inspan: “Overstocking is a regular phenomenon which happens when market trend doesn’t go as per our plan and various reasons so we have to adopt some other plans to come out of overstocking if it happens to be.” No matter how prudent the organisation is to avoid the situation of excess inventory, but sometimes during sell-outs, seasonal impact etc., the business does entail the situation of ‘overstocking’. “During such times, we have worked out best ways to deal with it and overcome the situation. The overstocking situation may be diluted by offering and bundling with the most-in-demand SKUs. Sometime this takes time but this becomes the mantra,” reveals Kathuria. Buffalo doesn’t allow its distributors to overstock. “So as of now we are neither entrapped nor pressurize our distributors to clear off excess inventory, for which you have to keep offering

some new schemes to deal with overstocking. We are working towards balanced, supply & demand chain.” Even AGC Networks says that overstocking is never an issue. Shafi says, “We have more than 60 technology alliances and planning of stocks is closely done while being regularly monitored. Our engagements are closely knit with our technology partners where we discuss overall business picture with them which is inclusive of SME and Channel business.”

Finally This quarter, Inspan will be launching a new scheme which will reward gold vouchers and home appliances for the targets achieved. AGC Networks has launched a unique partnership program called Achievers’ Club where a partner chooses his target for FY12-13 with AGC Networks rather than us giving them a target. Post commitment, the partner becomes a part of this club. The whole program is structured in a manner to motivate partners to challenge themselves The new schemes for the partners of Neoteric will be more backend in nature. “This will enable our partners in bundling offers. The schemes that we launched in the last few quarters have been good. We hope to leverage this festival season and reach out to our customers in an even bigger and better way,” states Kathuria. As far as Buffalo is concerned, “Schemes have never been our strength instead we are focusing on educating customers and partners about our products.”

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CASE STUDY

TALLY

MARITIME COMPANY RUNS ON TALLY.ERP 9 “We found that Tally is very fast and one of the best account package known to us.”

MR. K THIRUMURTHI GENERAL MANAGERFINANCE, PUYVAST MARITIME INDIA PVT. LTD.

uyvast Maritime India Pvt. Ltd. is a reputed cargo/ship brokers in India. Established in 1997, the company is engaged in various maritime transport activities including stevedoring, C&F activities, containers handling, project cargo handling, vessel chartering, etc. Since beginning, they have been using Tally software for accounting purpose. When asked why they have been using Tally, Mr. K Thirumurthi, General Manager (Finance), Puyvast Maritime India Pvt. Ltd., says, “We found that Tally is very fast and one of the best accounting packages known to us. It took us only two to three days to implement the software annd after that we were up and running. So it is time saving and offers effective mode of accounting and information.” Since the company is into service business, MIS is very important for them. So using Tally, Puyvast Maritime is able to generate MIS at the beginning of every month, which helps the

CONTACT Tally Solutions AMR Tech Park II, No. 23 & 24, Hongasandra, Hosur Main Road, Bangalore – 560 068. India.Tel +91 80 66282559; Fax +91 80 30228775; www. tallysolutions.com

BENEFITS

l Very fast l Time saving l Offers effective

mode of accounting and information l Flexibility in monitoring

top management to keep track of the business on regular basis and plan accordingly. Mr. K Thirumurthi adds, “We are really happy with Tally. With the help of Help menu we can continuously learn and it is very user friendly. Similarly, with the help of migration tool, we got the data migrated during earlier years, now it is very simple and in auto mode. Beside, IT Catalyst, the MTP, is very cooperative with us. Any time we have any issue, they come to our rescue. For example, recently they updated the software for remote access of data, which helped a us a lot in terms of flexibility in monitoring and managing the data from remote locations.” Asked about which features he found most useful, Mr. K Thirumurthi rated BRS and cheque book management as very good features. Praveen Urs, Managing Partner, IT Catalyst Software India, says,” Puyvast Maritime India Pvt. Ltd. is one of the very good clients for us.

During the initial days they wanted centralization of data in the HO from their multi-locations, which was made possible using Tally.ERP 9’s synchronization feature. They also wanted remote access of data, which was also made possible. Now they want to use the software for payroll and we have already updated the feature and they are waiting for the management to give them a go ahead. So overall the experience has been very good.” He adds, “Besides, Puyvast Maritime is under our AMC. We regularly update whenever there is any new release and if they require the same, they implement. If they face any problem with the software, they get in touch with us.” Finally… At present Puyvast Maritime India Pvt is only using minimum feature of Tally. ERP 9; but in future, (according to Mr. K Thirumurthi), the company may opt for implementation of available features, such as, service tax bank auto reconciliation, payroll, etc.”

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PARTNER CORNER

COMMITMENT TO THE PARTNERS IS THE PILLAR OF TALLY BUSINESS

MR. PRAVEEN URS, MANAGING PARTNER, IT CATALYST SOFTWARE INDIA PVT. LTD

“TALLY IS NEXT TO NONE WHEN IT COMES TO EASE WITH WHICH IT CAN HANDLE COMPLEX REQUIREMENTS”

ased out of Bangalore, IT Catalyst was founded in 2003 by Mr. Praveen Urs and Ms. Suma. The managing partner of the company - Mr. Praveen Urs, aft er finishing engineering in electronics in 1994, joined JL Computer Services as a customer support executive but later handled various portfolio, which gave him exposure to various aspects of Tally and realized that there is a long term future for the software. Similarly, his partner - Suma (Managing Partner – IT Catalyst) joined JL Computer Services as a programmer and also handed various portfolio like sales and marketing in terms of enterprise business. During 2003, both decided to quit and start something on their own. Thus IT Catalyst Software India Pvt. Ltd. came into existence. After nine years, IT Catalyst is a very strong company in its core areas. It has a very experienced team for various projects and has developed vertical expertise for educational institutions, travel houses and add-ons. Tally. ERP 9 is being used by most businesses in India, and IT Catalyst enables integration of secondary sales and stock data from their business network (distributors, dealers, consignment agent etc.) very quickly and efficiently. The company has also helped many software developers in integrating their software systems to Tally.ERP and increase their reach and serviceability. IT Catalyst has a very strong partner network

in Bangalore and across Karnataka. They are optimistic that going forward, exponential growth can come only through partners. Mr. Praveen maintains, “We do everything we can from sales support to grooming of their resources. We believe with India having over 8 million registered businesses and Tally having sold to only about 10% of them provides a huge opportunity for partners to grow fast. We are always on the lookout for partners who are interested in making use of this opportunity.” After initial couple of years’ struggle, in 2005 IT Catalyst was recognized by Tally as a potential long term Partner and appointed as Direct Channel Partner (now called Master Tally Partner). In 2008 the company started playing a major role in partner management for Tally India Pvt. Ltd. Being MTP, the company has helped more than 250 Tally Partners, and has converted 25 partners to Tally Service Partners by demonstrating the potential in Tally Services. Their solutions and services have made many com-panies happy. Mr. Praveen says, “Solutions provided to KSBCL, Speed-A-Way, KSCMF and Toyota have been very fulfilling and a huge learning for the team. It has also helped us understand the requirements of large companies.” The way Tally Solutions has handled change and supported its partners has always been the source of motivation for IT Catalyst. Tally Solu-

tions has always provided the best support and the push required to take the business to the next level,” Mr. Praveen continues. The reason for IT Catalyst being formed was the bright future it saw in the Tally product. Tally is next to none when it comes to the ease with which it can handle complex requirements and with every new version and release the development platform has only become more and more powerful and solid to deliver solutions for any complexity. “With the impending release of Tally.ERP 9 Series B, we see it making deep in roads into large enterprise systems, retail, manufacturing etc. I believe the commitment that Tally has shown towards their Partners is the pillar of the Tally business and I am grateful for the same. This has always instilled confidence in partners to take Tally to more and more customers each day,” Mr. Praveen concludes. Finally, IT Catalyst has set a goal to reach Rs.100 crores by 2015-16, which is three times the growth year-on- year.

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GUEST TALK

INDIA NEEDS MANUFACTURING FOR VIBRANT IT ENVIRONMENT Due to the global shortage and price rise of components, along with the dollar price rise had a very bad impact on the growth of the IT market in India. India as a country which was growing very fast giving competition to China slowed down.

DR. ALOK BHARDWAJ President, MAIT and SVP, Canon India.

BRIEF PROFILE Dr. Alok Bharadwaj is Leading business operations of sales, marketing, PR & Corporate communications, Govt affairs for Canon in India, Operations are spread over 5 Business Groups which are P&L centres headed by directors with different domains. As Sr VP, also taking leadership roles for the industry as President- MAIT, Chairman CII- OA & Imaging Division & member of National Council of CIIVice president from 2005-2007. In the past also Dr.Alok has worked in comapnies like Motorola India as Head of Channels-India & SAARC. Similarly, he also has worked with Usha International as Marketing Manager-India. He is an alumni of IMD (International Institute for Management Development) - Business Programs, Faculty of Management Studies University of Delhi, PEC Technical University Chandigarh, etc.

IN TERMS of manufacturing in India, 2012 has been figured out as the very difficult and unique year which received negative sentiments both from the consumers and investors in investing and spending. On the other hand, rupee devaluation has been quite steep for technology industry which also added to the woes. So, overall 2012 marked a very complex year for business. Today, no matter whether manufacturing industries, traders and companies manufactured outside India or have done sales and services outside India, the impact was almost same. In fact the impact was bigger because India was not the manufacturing center for the technology company. Information Technology has been considered as the import centric industry in India. Dr. Alok Bhardwaj, President, MAIT and SVP, Canon India, explained, “Broadly it is a global industry, so regardless of where the products are manufactured and where it is consumed and the business moves all over the world, the connection of supply and the demand is not very strong within the periphery of the boundary of a country.” Due to the inadequate connection of supply and demand, there were free flows of goods across the world because that was the dynamics of the industry. The reason for being India a highly import centric is that it did not produce adequate IT electronics and IT hardware products. Therefore the situation would always be vulnerable owing to the currency fluctuation but such wretched situation has been experienced in the past because at that point of time rupee was rather stable. “During the peak of economic boom in India, fiscal deficit was not a big problem at that point of time because overall percentage was too high. Therefore everybody was spending and the future looked good and everybody was seeing better tomorrow than yesterday and it created a momentum all round. Therefore even though the manufacturing was in India and the rupee was stable, this urgency wasn’t felt and today it is an intense sense of urgency that manufacturing must move to India at a macro level but at the level

of doing whether it moves or not that fact is that we would continue to have complexity and till the time the expansion becomes better, investments expands, so that the industry technology growth picks up very fast.” said Bhardwaj. With the intension to make manufacturing visible in India, a positive policy has been announced and the government has also declared a modified scheme in the electronic manufacturing area. So, it was a positive sign for the local manufacturing and it was also positive to expect that the government would do a preferential treatment to the products which were produced for its procurement. But at the same time it also brought a positive ray of hope for people who preferred to manufacture in India. As the electronic industry was identified as a cluster oriented industry, so the announcement has been made to create clusters. If all the vendors need to be located in a cluster then ecosystem is very much necessary. Afterwards the cluster became their own world, so the new cluster policy which has been announced aimed to give a benefit to create a creation of cluster is a positive sign. Bhardwaj maintained, “If you look at selling a manufacturing units in India, it is an investments whether by local manufacturers, local companies or multinationals regardless of that, it has an investments and these investments are a functions of your comfort in the form of your sentiments of how positive India is in comparison to other countries so when we look at that prospective, we find that the stability of policy and the overall predictability of the situation is missing.” Finally… The nation has become more homogeneous with the changes in government. Politics in the country is very much fragmented today, so also the leadership. And in a fragmented leadership it is impossible to expect stability. There is different societies and cultures within the country, but with the integration and movement of people around, there is better homogeneity today than 50 years ago, which is a good thing.

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EVENT REPORT

SME ACHIEVERS AWARDS 2012

P OW E R E D BY

GOVERNMENT TO INITIATE NEW POLICY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF ELECTRONICS As the Indian IT industry undergoes transformationn from products to solutions to services, SME Channel Connect –cum -Achiever Awards 2012 was a mile stone in reviewing and recognizing the industry performers.

nformation technology has become a buzz word today. Revolution of IT has turned the whole world into a global village. Not only IT but also telecom sector has allowed people on the move to be connected across the world that to in very cost effective manner. Today, both the technologies have come closer to each other to offer the consumers and enterprises a complete solution. The industry is no longer hwat it was some years back. Products have taken a back seat and solutions have come to the fore. People do not require product any more but solutions for their needs. So on premise things, which are basically products have given way to cloud computing, virtualization, hosted computing, etc. Even solutions are are being seen as not something to be acquired but subscribed as service. So the role of service providers and ISPs is becoming much more important than the product vendors. Reviewing the industry progress, SME Channels Magazine organized its Channels Connect – cum - Achievers’ award 2012 at Hotel Eros, Managed by Hilton, Nehru Place, New Delhi on 5th of October. The objective of the event was to create an ambience where vendors and their partners could revisit their strategy under an informal atmosphere and the magazine recognized and

encourage the industry by conferring them with awards. The event was inaugurated by Dr. Ajay Kumar (IAS), Joint Secretary, Ministry of Communications & Information Technology, Department of Information Technology, Govt. of India as Chief Guest. He is also responsible at the central bureaucratic level for IT and Electronics manufacturing of the country. Other key highlights of the event was the presentations from vendors like ViewSonic, Panasonic, Kaspersky and NComputing. These companies presented how they are moving with time and ViewSonic launched a new interactive display solution. While the event was presented by Luminous, it was supported by other leading industry players like ViewSonic as Platinum sponsor, Panasonic and Ncomputing as Gold Sponsor, TelExcell, OCZ, D-Link, Epson, TechCom, RAH Infotech and Kaspersky as Silver sposnor. Awards were given out in 70 categories which inncluded Top Products, Top Solution Vendors, Top Solutions Providers, Top VADs, Top Innovative Products, etc. The event was witnessd by around 500 people from the Indian IT industry. Mr. Sanjay Mohapatra, Editor, SME Channels welcomed the guests and Mr. Sanjeev Mahapatra,

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52 SME CHANNELS OCTOBER 2012

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SME ACHIEVERS AWARDS 2012

EVENT REPORT

P OW E R E D BY

A View of Esteemed guests at SME Channels Achievers’ Awards 2011 (from left to right) Mr. Sanjay Mohapatra, Editor, SME Channels and Mr. Sanjeev Mahapatra, Publisher, SME Channels, Mr. Nafis Kazim, COO, Shyam Networks Limited, Mr. Ashok Singh, Assistant Vice President Enterprise Business Group, Luminous Power Technologies, Dr. Ajay Kumar (IAS), Joint Secretary, Ministry of Communications & Information Technology, Govt. of India, Mr.Sanjay Yadav, Country Head - Retail, Dell India, Mr. Ramsunder Papineni, Deputy Managing Director, McAfee India, Mr.Ausim Khan, Country Manager-Channel business, Emerson Network Power India, Mr. Kuldeep Ramaiya, Country Manager at ViewSonic Technologies India Pvt. Ltd. and Mr.Altaf Halde, Managing Director, Kaspersky Lab – South Asia

Publisher, SME Channels, gave vote of thanks. Dr. Ajay Kumar (IAS) Joint Secretary, Ministry of Communications & Information Technology, Department of Information Technology, Govt. of India: Addressing the gathering at the event, Dr. Ajay Kumar said, “We have remarkable stories from electronics sector in India when it comes to IT. With US$100 billion dollars of turnover and 50% of the outsourcing in the world and nearly two and half million people employed, we are importing over 90% of the electronics in value terms.” “Very soon - sometimes between 2018-2020 the import bill of electronics would exceed that of oil. Oil is today India’s largest import. Every time the rate of oil increases the world over, it has cascading effects in the economy whether it is the domestic prices, inflation etc. The same is true in case of electronics. The situation today is that electronics is increasingly dominated in few hands and over 40% of the electronics is produced by one country.” “Apart from the huge economic impact on the import, there is also a huge security implications, as the networks, the defense equipments,

the space missiles and the nuclear plants are all driven by electronics and all these chips are being imported, unlike in software where conformity assessment is reasonably advanced with all tests exist to show that whether a chip actually does what it requires to do, whether it is meeting the performance criteria. In US, a senate community which was involved in the defense ministry did a study and informed that millions of electronics chips and chip components which had entered into the supply chain in US had malware and are all mission critical. For example, recent smart grid failure that happened

Sanjeev Mahapatra, Publisher, SME Channels offering bouquet to the Chief Guest - Dr. Ajay Kumar (IAS), Joint Secretary, Ministry of Communications & Information Technology, Govt. of India

few months back which was not actually due to hardware failure. But five years hence when the smart grids are more pervasive, someone remotely could actually trigger a blackout throughout the country or through a wide region. Traffic lights today in Delhi, Mumbai, and Kolkata are totally computerized and networked; if the traffic light for the whole city are switched off, one can just imagine the kind of chaos it will create. So the large scale import of the electronics for a country like India is not sustainable and therefore 95% of the electronics have been imported and with this determination government has set about to initiate a whole new policy program for the development of this sector. Brief on Electronics Policy Decisions: A scheme called modified special intensive package has been approved and the scheme provides subsidy for investments in capital expenditure - 20% for investments in SEZs and 25% in nonSEZs. It also provides for reimbursement of CVD/excise for capital equipment for the nonSEZ units. For high technology and high capital investment units, like fabs, reimbursement of central taxes and duties is also provided. The incentives are available for investments made

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EVENT REPORT

SME ACHIEVERS AWARDS 2012

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in a project within a period of 10 years from the date of approval. The scheme is open for three years from notification. Approvals for incentives not exceeding Rs. 10,000 crores will be granted during the XII Plan period. The projects with incentives of Rs 10,000 crores have potential to create employment for nearly 0.5 million persons. On the other hand, Electronics manufacturing clusters provide support for developing infrastructure like power, road, water, common testing facility, logistics and ware housing for a cluster of units. In this cluster, government of India will provide 50% of cost at a rate of Rs.50 crores for every 100 acres of land. Along with the Electronics manufacturing cluster, there are huge networking projects like national optical fibre project which plans to make broadband reach every panchayat in the country. It is a 20,000 crores project, to be implemented in the next two years. The National Knowledge Network which proposed to provide gigabyte level connectivity to one thousand five hundred universities in research activities across the country, the national governance project and under the e-governance project, over nearly 50 mission mode projects are getting implemented and some of the projects like the MCA project or the passport projects are of the tune of thousands of crores. The national e-governance projects is itself a huge driver of demand for electronics goods purchased by the government. With the digitalization in demand, by end of 2013, the whole country will be

receiving 200 million set top boxes for digitalizing the country’s broadcasting network which will again trigger a huge demand for electronics goods. Under the Rajiv Gandhi, Vidyutikaran Yojana, nearly 2 crores BPL families are going to be provided LED lights by the government. In addition to all these procurements, preference will also be given to domestically manufacture economic policy. One of the crucial problems that market is facing is from the large numbers of sub standards electronics goods coming into the market. So government has developed a whole new institution which will mandate registration of electronics goods and several other initiatives. India is going to be a major hub for Electronics manufacturing. Even other countries are looking forward to India playing a crucial role in manufacturing of Electronics goods. Dr. Ajay Kumar concluded, “We believe that if 90s and the first decade of 21st century were for the IT and ITeS, the next decade and possibly the decade after that would be for Electronics and this is the new sunrise sector.” He also welcomed the present gathering to take advantage of the new Electronics policy and participate in the Electronics revolution in the country.

LIGHTINING THE GLORY AT THE AWARD FUNCTION

Dr. Ajay Kumar (IAS), lighting the lamp flanked by Mr. Sanjeev Mahapatra, Publisher, SME Channels, Mr. Sanjay Mohapatra, Editor, SME Channels, Mr. Nafis Kazim, COO, Shyam Networks Limited and Mr. Ashok Singh, Assistant Vice President Enterprise Business Group, Luminous Power Technologies

Mr. Nafis Kazim lighting the lamp with Mr. Ashok Singh and Mr. Sanjay Yadav on the right

Mr.Girish Mamtani National Sales Manager, ViewSonic Technologies India Pvt Ltd. Giving presentation, Mr.Girish Mamtani said, “ViewSonic was established 25 years back in Walnut, California, USA by founder James Chu. The com-

Mr. Ashok Singh lighting the lamp

Mr.Sanjeev Mahapatra lighting the lamp

Mr.Sanjay Yadav lighting the lamp

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A View of the registration counter

booth of Luminous

Booth of Panasonic

PRODUCT DISPLAY AREA FOR DIFFERENT VENDORS ACROSS THE GLOBE

Booth of Epson

Mr. Ranjan Chopra, MD, Team Computers in the event

Guests at the event

Booth of ViewSonic

Booth of D-Link

pany is basically a display centric company and all are solutions geared towards the best of the display. We have products like monitors, projectors, emerging technology of digitizers which is integral to e- governance. We also have smart display which capitalizes on the cloud computing, e-posters for digital signages. We are bringing innovations and excellence in today’s connected world delivering world class performance with industry’s leading devices to fulfill business and consumer needs.” He further added, “Our major product lines are desktop displays, large format displays and projectors. Our mission is to be the preferred global brand of visual solutions. ViewSonic is dedicated to the needs of our customers generating profitable growth through efficient operations and delivering value to our share holders and all these happen keeping our core value in mind which are customer focus, integrity, entrepreneur spirit, team work and employees’ partnerships.”

He further claimed that they have been the first display manufacturer to offer a full line of LED display. Their core business is traditional desktop display where there are different series of monitors going from the professional VP series to the graphic series and the affordable VA series for the SOHO segment. For entertainment, the company has 3D monitors and overall they have shipped 30 million units across the world. Since its inception, ViewSonic has had a remarkable record of being awarded in 3000 various types of awards across the globe. Globally ViewSonic is associated with some very renowned customers like Microsoft, HSBC, etc. Speaking about the channel strategy, Mamtani said, “We are engaged with the channels for the last 25 years where viewsonic has a history of superior support for the channels. The award winning French club partner programme empowers resellers to grow business and earn more with exclusive benefits which include the special

distribution pricing programs, volume discounts, project based pricing, specialized sales promotion, lead generation and opportunity creation, discounted demo unit program, national service and support.” Mr. Priye Choudhary Marketing Manager, Printer Division, Panasonic India “Today Panasonic is well identified as household product and brand and the company is divided into two different SBUs. One SBU is consumer department, which takes care of all household businesses, consumer electronics, consumer durables, which includes the brown goods as well. The second SBU in Panasonic is about system sales division which is a kind of integration division business and which is related to the office, SMEs and SOHO. Starting from the Panasonic acidition camera which the broadcasters use for security, video processors, display units of his automation

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GUESTS’ VIEWS Mr. Sanjay Mohapatra, welcoming the guests

Chief Guest, Dr. Ajay Kumar (IAS) is addressing the gathering

Mr.Girish Mamtani, National Sales Manager, ViewSonic Technologies India Pvt Ltd. Giving presentation

AWARDE E MR. NAFIS KAZIM, COO, SHYAM NETWORKS LIMITED, GIVING AWAY THE AWARD OF BEST UC BRAND TO CISCO SYSTEMS(INDIA) PRIVATE LIMITED

MR. ALTAF HALDE GIVING AWAY THE AWARDS OF TOP EMERGING DISTRIBUTORS 2011-12 to TECHNOCRAT INFOTECH PVT. LTD.

MR. ALTAF HALDE GIVING AWAY THE AWARDS OF TOP EMERGING DISTRIBUTORS 2011-12 TO ABACUS PERIPHERALS PVT. LTD.

MR. AUSIM KHAN GIVING AWAY THE AWARD OF BEST MOTHERBOARD TO GIGABYTE TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.

MR. ALTAF HALDE GIVING AWAY THE AWARDS OF TOP EMERGING DISTRIBUTORS 2011-12 TO PARK NETWORK PVT. LTD.

MR. SANJEEV MAHAPATRA GIVING AWAY THE AWARD OF BEST TABLET (SAMSUNG GALAXY TAB) TO SAMSUNG INDIA ELECTRONICS PVT.LTD

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Mr.Priye Choudhary, Marketing Manager, Printer Division, Panasonic India giving presentation

Mr. Altaf Halde, Managing Director, Kaspersky Lab- South Asia giving presentation

Mr.Yogendra Lakra – Regional Sales Head – North, nComputing

Mr. Sanjeev Mahapatra is giving vote of thanks and inviting the guest to cocktails and dinner

E ES 2012 MR. ALTAF HALDE GIVING AWAY THE AWARDS OF TOP EMERGING DISTRIBUTORS 2011-12 TO TEXONIC INSTRUMENTS

MR. SANJEEV MAHAPATRA GIVING AWAY THE AWARD OF BEST PC TO DELL INDIA PVT. LTD. AND THE AWARD OF BEST NOTEBOOK TO DELL INDIA PVT. LTD.

MR. SANJEEV MAHAPATRA GIVING AWAY THE AWARD OF BEST VERTUAL PC TO NCOMPUTING SALES & MARKETING PRIVATE LTD

MR. SANJEEV MAHAPATRA GIVING AWAY THE AWARD OF BEST SERVER X86 TO IBM INDIA PRIVATE LIMITED

MR. SANJIV KRISHEN, CHAIRMAN, IRIS COMPUTERS GIVING AWAY THE AWARD OF BEST SERVER NON-X86 TO IBM INDIA PRIVATE LIMITED

MR. SANJIV KRISHEN, CHAIRMAN, IRIS COMPUTERS GIVING AWAY THE AWARD OF BEST HOME UPS AND THE AWARD OF BEST BATTERY FOR INVERTER TO LUMINOUS POWER TECHNOLOGIES LTD.

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MR. SANJIV KRISHEN, CHAIRMAN, IRIS COMPUTERS GIVING AWAY THE AWARD OF BEST ENTERPRISE STORAGE SOLUTION PROVIDER TO EMC DATA STORAGE SYSTEMS INDIA PVT. LTD

MR. NAFIS KAZIM, COO, SHYAM NETWORKS LIMITED, GIVING AWAY THE AWARD OF BEST PRINTER BRAND IN DOT MATRIX AND THE AWARD OF BEST POS BRAND TO EPSON INDIA PVT LTD.

MR. NAFIS KAZIM, COO, SHYAM NETWORKS LIMITED, GIVING AWAY THE AWARD OF BEST UPS BRAND TO EMERSON NETWORK POWER (INDIA) PRIVATE LIMITED

MR. ASHOK SINGH GIVING AWAY THE AWARD OF BEST PROJECTOR TO EPSON INDIA PVT LTD.

MR. ASHOK SINGH GIVING AWAY THE AWARD OF BEST SURVEILLANCE BRAND TO AXIS VIDEO SYSTEMS INDIA PVT LTD.

MR. ASHOK SINGH GIVING AWAY THE AWARD OF BEST HDD (INTERNAL) TO WESTERN DIGITAL CORPORATION

products which includes like panaboards, interactive boards, PBX and SDVC, the media, computers like Toughbooks we have. Out of this division, we have imaging division, which has laser multi functional printers in A4 segment, high-end scanners, panaboards and interactive boards and fax machines.” According to Gartner’s report, in global data, A3 segment witnessed 115%, so the actual growth is 15% YoY but in A4 laser segment growths, it is 185% which is 85% growth YoY. So earlier Panasonic was in A3 business but it shifted its focus towards A4 business as people and users are turning towards A4 printing. As per the recent IDC report, laser A4 multifunction printers acquired 14% of market share. Choudhury averred, “We have grown significantly and Q2 figures were 14% which actually left behind Canon which stood at 12%. In color segment, we have 6000 series which is 20 pp m - a multifunction printer and again in mono we have actually from 18 ppm to 32 ppm. The MB300 series a 32 ppm heavy duty machine, known as the work horse, is substitute to copiers. And we have 2000 series which is 24 ppm and our USP is that we offer a printer in laser MFP which is space saving, easy at operation and which is versatile in nature. Besides we have composize cartridge series. Our USP is we offer Laser MFP, which gives ease in operations, saves space, and is versatile in

TOP 5 VADS 2011-12

INFLOW TECHNOLOGIES PVT LTD COMGUARD NETWORKS PVT. LTD M.TECH SOLUTIONS PVT. LTD. IVALUE INFOSOLUTIONS PVT. LTD RAH INFOTECH PVT. LTD

DR. AJAY KUMAR (IAS) GIVING AWAY THE AWARD OF TOP 5 VADS 2011-12 TO COMGUARD NETWORKS PVT. LTD.

DR. AJAY KUMAR (IAS) GIVING AWAY THE AWARD OF TOP 5 VADS 2011-12 TO M.TECH SOLUTIONS PVT. LTD.

DR. AJAY KUMAR (IAS) GIVING AWAY THE AWARD OF TOP 5 VADS 2011-12 TO IVALUE INFOSOLUTIONS PVT. LTD.

DR. AJAY KUMAR (IAS) GIVING AWAY THE AWARD OF TOP 5 VADS 2011-12 TO RAH INFOTECH PVT. LTD.

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nature.” Mr. Altaf Halde Managing Director, Kaspersky LabSouth Asia “With the organization allowing users to use smart phones, tablets and devices into their offices, lot of security loopholes has been developed within an organization whether it be a SOHO or mid, small or a medium and large enterprises. Exposure of malware has become a major concern; Kaspersky lab detects 1, 25,000 threats every day. Kaspersky products are basically retail products, but for the last one and half years, a lot of focus has happened within the organization on the business products. We recently launched some new products in the business space and we are taking care of the organization whether it is SOHO, small, medium and large enterprise. We start off with the handheld devices, laptops we protect the smart phones, tablet, desktops, servers, mail servers, internet gateways and we provide a 360 degree protection for an organization. So we are not only in the consumer space but also have very good solutions in the B2B space.” Kaspersky further informed that it has got the largest number of OEM tie ups in the world with more than 130 OEMs. A lot of organizations in India who are using BlueCoat appliances, Sonic Wall or CheckPoint are already using the engine of Kaspersky at the gateway level. So the product has already been used in India by a lot of large corporate houses. Halde maintains, “We have Sachin Tendulkar as our brand ambassador. We are also running a scheme whereby we get our partner to meet Sachin if they qualify with the x number of licenses and we have already received a lot of positive response for this particular scheme. Kaspersky lab is a 15 year old organization headed by Eugene Kaspersky. We operate in 200 countries and regional offices in 30 countries and we have 2500 people and out of these 800 people are in the R&D space and we have an average of 10 million product activation per month and these consumer product as well as corporate products.” Mr. Yogendra Lakhra Regional Sales Manager - North, NComputing “NComputing is all about shared computing, simple, powerful and affordable desktop virtualization. For the last six to seven years, the trend of virtualization has gone up and it is more limited to the enterprise segment. It is the company which has brought virtualization to schools, colleges and education sector and universities, although we have the solutions for big corporate too. Over the last five to six years, we have been the leader

MR. AUSIM KHAN GIVING AWAY THE AWARD OF BEST DESKTOP MONITOR TO VIEWSONIC TECHNOLOGIES INDIA PVT LTD.

MR. SANJAY MOHAPATRA GIVING AWAY THE AWARD OF BEST NETWORKING BRAND (SME) TO D- LINK ( INDIA ) LIMITED

MR. SANJAY MOHAPATRA GIVING AWAY THE AWARD OF BEST AIO LED MONITOR TO SAMSUNG INDIA ELECTRONICS PVT.LTD

MR. SANJAY MOHAPATRA GIVING AWAY THE AWARD OF BEST INDIAN PERIPHERAL BRAND TO TECHCOM TECHNOLOGIES PVT. LTD.

MR. NAFIS KAZIM, COO, SHYAM NETWORKS LIMITED, GIVING AWAY THE AWARD OF BEST SECURITY SOLUTION BRAND TO MCAFEE INDIA SALES PVT. LTD.

MR. ASHOK SINGH GIVING AWAY THE AWARD OF BEST UTM TO CHECK POINT SOFTWARE TECHNOLOGIES LTD.

MR. AUSIM KHAN GIVING AWAY THE AWARD OF BEST GRAPHICS CARD TO ASUS TECHNOLOGY PVT LTD

MR. AUSIM KHAN GIVING AWAY THE AWARD OF BEST MEMORY MODULE TO TRANSCEND INFORMATION. INC.

in desktop virtualization technology. We have about 30 lakhs devices deployed globally, and 6 lakh devices in India. We are present in about 140 countries with 50 thousand customers.” From 2008 to 2012 the company added 850 channel partners across India. This include some

of the large system integrators which are working in government space and are doing large volume tenders. In addition, there are about 15 sub-distributors. Redington is the exclusive distributor for India. Corporate customers of the company comprise of Mahindra Finance, Reliance, Sahara,

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DR. AJAY KUMAR (IAS) GIVING AWAY THE AWARD OF TOP 10 SME SOLUTION VENDORS 2011-12 TO DELL INDIA PVT. LTD.