E-Magazine September Issue 2017

18th ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL ISSUE

©~ [ ´ C~m|Á K9 C $G CN -NGĈ

VOLUME XIX

ISSUE 01 September 2017

PRICE Rs. 50

www.varindia.com

September 2017

1

Y$C / GG

K# K Y9C-G G # C G [9N 9 G § ~ ¿ ©~ ~­­ ­ ´± ­ © Á ´© w´­ ~­­ ~~|­

ON SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL 94 GA $ / AC939K$94 / AC$ K$// ØÕ± ,N4 PRICE TILL 30th oct 2017 x ±mx± ă m m ±mā­ m ď©´x ´­¿ ©~ ~­­āx /~m© ©~ ă ¿¿¿ā©´x ´­¿ ©~ ~­­āx Ċ´ ~m­ ~| 2 September 2017

www.varindia.com

www.varindia.com

September 2017

3

AI

#1

ONE CLICK

ZERO

500M

MACHINE-LEARNING ALGORITHMS POWER OUR TOP DETECTION TECHNOLOGIES

FROM TOP INDEPENDENT ORGANIZATIONS: AV-TEST, AV-COMPARATIVES

AUTOMATIC DETECTION AND REMOVAL. EASY TO USE, HASSLE-FREE.

PERFORMANCE IMPACT, WITHOUT COMPROMISING PROTECTION.

BITDEFENDER’S POWERFUL CLOUD PROTECTS OVER 500 MILLION USERS WORLDWIDE. 24/7

4

BD Software Distribution Pvt. Ltd. September 2017

www.varindia.com

Contact: +91 22 2784 5656 | sales@bdsoft.in | www.bitdefender.in

JOIN US AS A PARTNER CALL : +91 8291705909

SAP partners with KEC

VOLUME XIX

HPE together with PwC to boost Future Cities

ISSUE 01 September 2017

PRICE Rs. 50

SUBSCRIPTION COPY NOT FOR SALE

16th STAR NITE AWARDS 2017 3rd Nov. 2017, New Delhi

Airtel “GST Advantage” to help small businesses to file GST returns

A

irtel Business has launched Airtel GST Advantage – a solution specifically designed to enable small businesses and start-ups to file their GST retur ns a c c u r a t e l y, securely and seamlessly.

Launched in partnership with ClearTax, Airtel GST Advantage is being offered free to all existing Airtel Business customers.

Ashok Ganapathy, Director & CEO, Airtel Business, said, “The new GST regime is a landmark reform for the Indian economy and with Airtel GST Advantage, we would like to enable small businesses with free filing of returns, and free and secure data access. Airtel is also the data hosting and connectivity partner for the GSTN.”

Forcepoint announces acquisition of RedOwl

F

orcepoint has announced the acquisition of RedOwl. This latest milestone in Forcepoint’s strategy arms customers with cybersecurity systems designed for the reality of today’s threats.

“The world has fundamentally changed and the way we think about security must

change, as well. If the cybersecurity industry fails to put people at the center, it is certain to fall short in helping customers protect their most vital assets,” said Matthew P. Moynahan, Chief Executive Officer of Forcepoint. “Forcepoint is absolutely committed to empowering customers with human-centric security systems, and RedOwl fits squarely into this promise.”

www.varindia.com

September 2017

5

HELLO INDIA

India sooner to become factory of the world ….. thanks to the Brand “Make in India”

With 1.9 billion devices expected to get connected in India alone by 2023, the Indian IoT market is forecasted to secure 20 per cent of the global IoT business ecosystem to reach nearly $15 billion in the next three years. In fact, by 2020, India’s Internet of Things (IoT) market will be positioned to secure 20 per cent of the global IoT business, to reach almost $15 billion.

Internet continues to play a crucial role in helping people connect and thrive. According to the World Bank, for every 10-per cent increase in broadband access, a developing country can see up to 2-per cent rise in GDP. Researches show that for every 10 people who get access to Internet, about one person gets lifted out of poverty and about one new job gets created.

The Government is incentivizing new investment in related sectors, which will be unveiled in the New Telecom Policy in 2018. IoT will be generating 10–15 million jobs in India with the adoption of IoT in the next few years and expressed government’s activeness on the issue of 5G. With this, enterprises in nearly every industry want to use the cloud to modernize and create new business opportunities.

It is an absolute fact that computers connected to Internet are vulnerable to cyber-attacks. Data breaches are on the rise and money in banks is at risk.

There is strong requirement for certified cybersecurity experts and professionals by corporates and organizations to protect themselves from hackers and cyber crooks. Cybercriminals are now using highly advanced automation tools to deploy malware with much greater speed and scale. CISOs in India can no longer rely on a manual approach in cyber defence as cyber-attacks have become automated, riding on escalating infrastructure trends in cloud adoption and encryption.

The Indian telecom sector is going through a price discovery process. The consumption pattern indicates a demand for Internet usage, as long as it is affordable and reliable. We have close-to 700 million people who are not connected. The Digital India initiative presents a unique opportunity to get India online and spur local economic development. The Smart Cities story is still evolving and at a very nascent stage as it unfolds across the 100-plus cities, which will further trigger the comparatively 1,000-plus urban clusters, will unlock a huge economic potential and likely help generate incremental GDP growth.

A million-dollar question comes to my mind as to how India will become factory of the world. As of today, China’s monopoly in the global market, Japan has pitched in for making India the factory of the world. Japan is committed to “Make in India”. If Japan’s high-level technique merges with India’s best human resources, the dream of Hon’ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi will come true as he wants to see a “mini Japan” in Gujarat.

Secondly, Shri Narendra Modi showcased to the world that India was on the brink of major economic breakthrough on the basis of its demographic dividend and growing technological and entrepreneurial culture.

Thank you for the feedback you have provided for the Channel Leadership Survey. And I want to express my appreciation to our readers and corporate houses for their unstinted support for all the changes we are implementing and for having stood by us in bringing out this 18th Anniversary Special Issue and making IT a success. I hope all of you will continue to reach out to us in the future also with your valuable feedback.

6

September 2017

www.varindia.com

www.varindia.com

September 2017

7

PC Market Uninterruptible power supply

Multi function printer InkJet MPS Routers

Enterprise resource planning

Electronic Security

Graphic cards Anti-virus

Enterprise Mobility Recovery software

Smartphones

Control Systems Workstation

UTM Application Delivery network Business Intelligence PBX Systems

Multi function printer InkJet MPS Routers

Graphic cards Control Systems Back-up

Anti-virus

Business Intelligence PBX Systems Hard disk

MPS Routers

drive

Multi function printer InkJet

Graphic cards

Anti-virus

Control Systems Back-up Business Intelligence PBX Systems WOMEN POWER IN ICT

Kolkata: Bureau office Marketing Officer: Sunil Kumar Correspondent: Kiran Kumar 67 Sarada Park, Garia, Kolkata - 700084 Mobile: 08100298033, E-mail: sunil@varindia.com Mobile: 09903088480, E-mail: kiran@varindia.com Printed and Published by Deepak Kumar Sahu on behalf of M/s. Kalinga Digital Media Pvt. Ltd. and Printed at Pushpak Press Pvt. Ltd. Shed No. 203 - 204, DSIDC Complex, Okhla Industrial Area, Phase-I, New Delhi-110020 and Published at A-84A/3 Rose Apartment, Paryavaran complex, Ignou Road, New Delhi - 110030, Editor - S Mohini Ratna.

For Subscription queries contact: info@varindia.com Subscription: Rs. 500(12 issues)Rs. 1000 (24 issues)

www.varindia.com

Servers

LaserJet Printer

CMO SPECIAL 26|

CMO Special

CHANNEL LEADERSHIP SURVEY 50|

LaserJet Printer Control Systems

Storage

Recovery software

Application Delivery network

Enterprise Surveillance Workstation Multi function printer Application Delivery network Control

Thin Client

Dot-matrix printer Enterprise Digital Rights Management

Systems

Multi function printer InkJet MPS Routers

Servers

Graphic cards

Anti-virus

Control Systems Workstation UTM50pg

Business Intelligence PBX Systems

Application Delivery network Multi function printer InkJet MPS 86| Google empowering Routers

Graphic cards

78|

Moving towards convergence of voice- data, Cloud and Mobility

FACE TO FACE 24|

68| 70| 84|

90|

A newly designed partner program to define the future growth of Dell EMC

VAR SECURITY 88|

Government – A major power booster of Surveillance Industry

CHANNEL LEADERSHIP SURVEY

TOP 10 DISTRIBUTORS IN INDIA

KALINGA DIGITAL MEDIA PVT LTD

* All disputes are subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of competent courts and forums in Delhi only.

UTM

small businesses with the power of Anti-virus Control Systems Back-up 72| Empowering Women, Internet Business Intelligence PBX Systems Servers Empowering Businesses Multi function printer Graphic cards Hard disk drive Application Delivery network

Hard disk drive

All payments favouring: © All rights are reserved. No part of this magazine may be reproduced or copied in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of the publisher. (1999-2016)

Dot-matrix printer

Storage

Graphic cards Anti-virus

Control Systems Back-up

Business Intelligence PBX Systems

Dot-matrix printer

Servers

Storage

Multi function printer InkJet MPS Routers

Dot-matrix printer

Systems

Graphic cards

Anti-virus

Storage

Application Delivery network

Anti-virus Business Intelligence

Graphic cards

Multi function printer InkJet MPS Routers

Servers

Control Systems

Enterprise Surveillance

Enterprise Digital Rights Management

Business Intelligence

LaserJet Printer

Storage

Recovery software

Dot-matrix printer Enterprise Digital Rights Management

Hyderabad: Bureau office Branch Manager: Sunil Kumar Sahu 32-161/3, 202 Neha Paradise, Nr. Maissamma Temple, Venketeswara colony Ramakrishna Puram, Hyderabad - 500056 Telangana, Tel: 040-32989844/ Cell No. 08100298033 E-mail: sunil@varindia.com

September 2017

UTM

Thin Client

Chennai: Bureau office Branch Manager: Parthiban K A2, R.C.Residency, Cholambedu Road, Thiruvenkada nagar, Ambathur, Chennai - 600 053 Mobile: 098400 55626 E-mail: barani@varindia.com

8

Dot-matrix printer

Servers

Mumbai: Bureau office Regional Manager (West): Anil Kumar Sr. Correspondent: Mamta S. Anurag Residency, 203 - “B” Wing, Plot No-5, Sector-9, Kamothe, Navi Mumbai-410 209 Tel: 022-65561292, Mobile: 08108017479 E-mail: anil@varindia.com, mamta@varindia.com

Control Systems Back-up

Business Intelligence PBX Systems

Enterprise Surveillance Workstation Multi function printer Application Delivery network Control

CORPORATE OFFICE: VAR House, A-84A/3 Rose Apartment, Paryavaran complex, Ignou Road, New Delhi - 110030 Tel: 011-41656383, 46061809 Email: edit@varindia.com Bangalore: Bureau office Marketing Manager: S. Kamala kar Correspondent: L. G. Swami D-103 G.F., Ashish JK Apartments Thubarahalli Extended Road Bangaluru- 560066 Tel: 080-49530399 | Mobile:09886280836 E-mail: kamlakar@varindia.com

Thin Client

PC Market Servers

InkJet

Storage

BUSINESS: Commercial Manager: Amit Kumar Jha Sr. Marketing Manager: Ashok Ranjan Dash Circulation Executive: Manish Kumar Marketing Manager: Dipendra Kumar

Multi function printer

Routers Anti-virus

Digital camera

Workstation Solid State drives

Multi function printer Enterprise Surveillance Enterprise Digital Rights Management

Servers

Publisher: Deepak Kumar Sahu Editor: S Mohini Ratna Executive Editor: Dr. Vijay Anand Copy Editor: C. M. Dutta Deputy Editor: Samrita Baruah Sub - Editor: Aparna Mullick Art Director: Rakesh Kumar Network Administrator: Ashok Kumar Singh Manager-IT: Subhash Mohanta Manager-SEO: Bidyadhar Behera

Business Intelligence Servers

Website: www.varindia.com

Enterprise Digital Rights Management

Inktank printer

CONTENTS Ethernet Switches LaserJet Printer Channel Leadership MPS Graphic cards Projectors Survey – 2017 Control Systems Back-up

Business Intelligence PBX Systems Dot-matrix printer Servers

For Aspect, customers are the strong driving force behind any innovation ESDS anticipates a wider scope for cloud adoption in India “GST would enhance dependency on technology and eventually bring more transparency” Konica Minolta transitioning into a cloud services company

VAR MOBILITY 94|

InFocus: A long-term player in India

95|

COAI underlines the pain points of Telecom industry

VALUE ADDED DISTRIBUTORS IN INDIA 92|

Value Added Distributors in India

REGULARS Round About

10

Hot Bytes

12, 14

On the Ramp

16, 18

Voice N Data

20

Channel Buzz

22

Movers & Shakers

98

www.varindia.com

September 2017

9

ROUND ABOUT

Has the Last Word Been Spoken About Privacy?

T

he recent Indian Supreme Court’s decision on the right to privacy, by any standard, is an epoch-making one. It is not the question of who won or who lost – that may be a trivial point in the entire narration. I should say India won, and our long-cherished democratic institutions won. Some believe that the most important digital grid that India is building a unique identification number scheme, popularly known as Aadhaar, may take a hit since the court’s decision has set some limitations. Yet, the case to decide about the constitutional validity of Aadhaar is pending before the Supreme Court. The cardinal principle of our fundamental right is that it should be subjected to public morality and social harmony.

Debates on privacy laws are not unique in India. All democratic societies have voiced their need for protection of privacy and have expressed concern about the intrusion of the state authorities into individual freedom. For example, Canada passed a legislation known as the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documentation Act (PIPEDA) in January 2001. In a nutshell, PIPEDA specifies the rules to govern collection, use, or disclosure of personal information. The Act also defines what constitutes personal information. It means an identifiable individual, but does not include the name, title, or business address or telephone number of an employee of an organization. The PIPEDA requires organizations to obtain consent before they collect, use, and disclose any personal information, and to collect them in a reasonable, appropriate and lawful way.

All civilized and democratic societies have their privacy laws in place. My reading about the construction of the right is that none of the countries have granted unfettered rights to individuals. They should be subordinated to public interest and morality. It is a happy augury that India has also embraced that principle and come out with an expressed view that the right to privacy is a fundamental right. That signals our respect for human freedom and democratic institutions.

Let me go in detail on what is happening in the United States these days. There is a clamour for making privacy of the individual tighter. Due to outdated laws, technology users are less assured of privacy protection, which is eroding trust in technology platforms such as cloud computing.

However, U.S. law enforcement is pleading for accessing data anywhere in the world in the course of its investigations. However, the current law does not adequately define how data can be accessed overseas. The U.S. accessing data can create conflicts with the laws of other nations.

In the Indian context, there have been different shades of public opinion expressed during the recent hearing in the Supreme Court. It will be a lengthy exercise to mention all the debates and opinions expressed.

Let me limit myself to a few: Senior advocate Gopal Subramanium, while initiating the proceedings on the first day of the hearing on the issue of right to privacy before the nine-judge bench headed by Chief Justice J.S. Khehar, said, “Now can liberty be at all experienced without privacy? Can liberty be exercised without privacy at last with regard to all the Fundamental Rights of the Constitution?” Subramanium referred to the Preamble drawing attention of the court to the words “Democratic” and “Republic” and said that both words had suppressed the meaning of liberty of an individual as reported by Live Law. However, the Central Government submitted to the Bench that the right to privacy is a wholly qualified right and not an absolute right since it covers various aspects of the right to life and liberty.

Now, let us look at the historic judgment and what it portends.

Experts say the judgement has two crucial components. The first is doctrinal. Article 14, which guarantees equality before the law, ensures that state laws cannot be arbitrary in nature or application. They must be reasonable. Article 21 protects life and personal liberty. Without the reasonableness guaranteed by Article 14 to test that procedure, any encroachment into privacy will be arbitrary. Its second component – the philosophical – goes much further. As one learned judge in the bench

10

September 2017

www.varindia.com

pointed out, Aristotle distinguished the public sphere of political life – the polis – from the personal sphere. John Stuart Mill made the same distinction in more absolute terms and limited state power to the public sphere. This distinction cannot exist without the right to privacy. When the state has the right to intrude where it will in a citizen’s life, there can be no effective personal sphere. The judgment also sketches out the evolution of the concepts of human dignity and the right to life, both guaranteed by the Constitution. When a citizen cannot draw a boundary between the state and his personal life, dignity is manifestly impossible.

This judgment, comprehensive and far-reaching, is bound to raise questions as well. The litigation against the Aadhaar programme is still pending in a separate case, but this judgment is bound to bolster it, hampering the benefits the programme can deliver. There are far-ranging implications for digital business models, as well – and, more broadly, for the knowledge economy. The bench’s observations on this front, such as a proposed outline for informational privacy, do not quite take the rapidly-evolving nature of the digital economy into account.

In conclusion, let me be candid in my observations. Undoubtedly, the unanimous decision of the honorable Supreme Court is a trendssetter in many respects. It has told every citizen that they can protect their privacy, subject to limitations laid down in the Constitution, such as reasonableness, public order and morality. What is reasonableness in a globalized world where the commercial transactions and businesses are incrementally expanding beyond national boundaries? The Internet has made communication easier and faster. At the same time, it has expanded the jurisdiction of crime and other offences. While privacy protection is gaining ground, there is an increased demand from the lawenforcing authorities to open the scope of investigations beyond national boundaries. These issues will play out in the coming time. Whatever the outcomes, the judgment must be hailed for establishing an enlightened baseline for the debates to come. n

www.varindia.com

September 2017

11

HOT BYTES

RAH Infotech to distribute Ipswitch products

I

pswitch has partnered with RAH Infotech. RAH Infotech will distribute Ipswitch file transfer and network management software throughout India. With this partnership, customers now have greater access to Ipswitch’s IT management solutions, including the recently released 2017 Plus versions of Ipswitch MOVEit secure file transfer and Ipswitch WhatsUp Gold network monitoring with new cloud capabilities, new layers of security and additional user-driven enhancements.

“We are excited about our partnership with

I

Ipswitch which boasts of range of solutions that address delivery of 24/7 performance and security across cloud, virtual and network environments.

Their solutions help monitor and manage networks, servers and applications while helping meet regulatory compliance,” said Ashok Kumar, MD & CEO, RAH Infotech.

Microsoft acquiring Cycle Computing will help Azure HPC workloads easier, and customers the process of bursting or

M

icrosoft has announced the acquisition of Cycle Computing, which will help make it easier for Azure customers to use HighPerformance Computing (HPC) and other Big Computing capabilities in the cloud and help customers accelerate their movement to the cloud.

Cycle Computing makes optimizing Hybrid

migrating HPC clusters to the cloud more productive.

It offers tools that help companies orchestrate and manage large-scale compute jobs across hybrid environments. Most importantly, by acquiring Cycle Computing, Microsoft can now leverage its expertise in extending and migrating Linux and Windows-based HPC jobs to the cloud.

Airtel and Symantec tie up to leverage Indian business with security solutions

B

harti Airtel (“Airtel”) and Symantec Corp. have entered into a strategic partnership to serve the growing cybersecurity requirements of businesses in India, providing protection and prevention of online threats in an increasingly digitallyconnected world. Under the terms of the agreement, Airtel will be the exclusive Cyber Security Services partner for Symantec in India, and will distribute Symantec’s enterprise

12

September 2017

BSNL and Master SAP partners with KEC EC International India launch K (KEC) has partnered with SAP India GSP services for its organization-wide

security software.

The partnership aims to leverage Airtel’s strength in India’s Business to Business (B2B) segment, helping them address the challenges of the Cloud Generation with Symantec’s innovative Integrated Cyber Defence Platform.

www.varindia.com

n order to promote GST, Masters India has entered into collaboration with BSNL to provide a set of veritable solutions for GST compliance. These solutions are exclusively crafted for BSNL users – both landline and mobile, available on a pan-India level.

The solutions are ready-to-use with ease in registrations. BSNL users can register themselves using their respective account numbers. Post which, they can straightaway file returns without the hassle of waiting in a queue. The solutions can be divided into three categories - Basic Plan (free of cost, comes with 2,000 invoices); Plus Plan (Rs.1, 999, comes with 6,000 invoices alongside other benefits) and Pro Plan (for enterprises).

Micro Focus merges with HPE Software business

M

icro Focus has announced the finalization of its merger with Hewlett Packard Enterprise’s (HPE) software business to create the seventh-largest pureplay enterprise software company in the world. This merger brings together two leaders in the software industry to form a new, combined company.

“Today marks a significant milestone for Micro Focus, and I am honoured to be leading this team,” said Chris Hsu, CEO - Micro Focus.

“We are bringing together a powerful combination of technology and talent uniquely positioned to drive customercentred innovation at enterprise scale – enabling organizations to maximize the RoI of existing software investments."

digital transformation process.

“The time to usher in the age of digital transformation and drive the ‘next’ era of growth for KEC is here,” said Vimal Kejriwal, MD & CEO, KEC International Ltd. “At KEC, in the last few years, we have done a lot to enhance our process excellence. Now with SAP as our partner of choice, we are enhancing it further, to serve our clients and stakeholders better.”

“In the current environment, digital transformation is vital for assured success,” said Subramanian Ananthapadmanabhan, Vice-President, Enterprise Business, SAP Indian Subcontinent. “KEC will continue their success story in the digital age as the pioneer of India’s infrastructure sector. Our objective is to help our customers run a truly live business and ‘Grow with SAP’.”

Atos enters into a new reseller agreement with Dell EMC

A

tos has strengthened its relationship with Dell EMC through a new reseller agreement in which Dell EMC will resell Atos’ highend 8 to 16 sockets x86 Bullion servers.

This new agreement is in line with the ambition of both parties to accompany customers in their digital transformation to support the massive "data-ization" of their businesses.

Eric Grall, Executive VP, Head of Global Operations, Atos, explains, “Atos shows its commitment to engage

with the best technological partners worldwide to offer its customers stateof-the-art technology. The

Bullion reseller agreement is a new step forward in the relationship between Dell EMC and Atos. The objective of this partnership is to deliver high-value, innovative and marketleading solutions to support our customers on their Digital Transformation journey.”

BIAL to create an airport of the future with help of Accenture

B

a n g a l o r e International Airport Limited (BIAL) has signed an agreement with Accenture to set up a co-innovation centre that will help BIAL create an airport of the future at the Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru (BLR Airport). The centre will incubate and develop digital solutions using future-ready technologies to provide more engaging passenger experience.

BIAL has embarked on an ambitious journey to create a digitized and intuitive destination airport

for travellers. Accenture will help define a digital roadmap for BIAL and develop tailor- made solutions using a combination of digital technologies, including Internet of Things, advanced analytics, artificial intelligence, robotics, augmented and virtual reality, in addition to social and mobile platforms.

The focus of the digital transformation is to improve the traveller’s journey, create new revenue opportunities and realize operational efficiencies through an agile approach for BIAL and its business partners.

www.varindia.com

August 2017

9

HOT BYTES

IBM helps Metro Shoes to launch Digital Commerce Platform

I

BM has announced that Metro Shoes Ltd, India’s multi-brand footwear chain, will be launching a new Digital Commerce platform powered by Watson Customer Engagement hosted on IBM Cloud. This would include IBM Watson Order Management and Commerce for seamless digital engagement. Working with IBM Business Partner CEBS Worldwide, IBM solutions will not only help drive superior customer experiences and new levels of convenience but bring efficiencies to the supply chain.

With a countrywide

footprint of 350 physical showrooms, an expanding brand portfolio and changing customer preferences, Metro Shoes Ltd was facing challenges in managing orders coming from multiple online platforms. In addition to its inventory management challenges, Metro Shoes Ltd needed to improve online presence for some of their popular internal brands which were getting low visibility impacting overall sales.

DigitalOcean and Karnataka Government to support start-ups

D

igitalOcean has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with KBITS (Karnataka Biotechnology & Information Technology Services), Department of IT, BT and S&T, Government of Karnataka, to provide cloud infrastructure and support to start-ups enrolled with the Karnataka Start-up Cell.

The MoU was signed at the government’s “Elevate 100” programme.

Under the agreement, DigitalOcean will give $1,000 worth cloud credits for start-ups that are being funded under the government’s initiative.

In addition, DigitalOcean will organize knowledge sharing sessions called “learnups” which will help start-ups learn about recent technologies and best practices from subjectmatter experts to help them scale and run a successful business.

Adobe inks partnership with SSC NASSCOM

A

dobe Systems has entered into a partnership with IT-ITeS Sector Skills Council NASSCOM (SSC NASSCOM) to catalyze the skills landscape in India. According to the company, Adobe and SSC NASSCOM have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to jointly develop and implement a sustainable as well as scalable skillbased program for schools and higher education

14

September 2017

institutions in India.

Dr Sandhya Chintala, Executive Director, ITITeS Sector Skills Council NASSCOM & VP NASSCOM, said, “Skilling is a national imperative for India's youth to achieve its highest potential and to optimize India's demographic dividend. We are happy to associate with long-term industry leader Adobe and share their expertise in software-based training and programs.”

www.varindia.com

Netmagic HPE together with PwC deploys NetApp to boost Future Cities ewlett Packard SolidFire at its H Enterprise (HPE) has announced a new project datacenters with PwC to jointly create a

N

etmagic has announced that the company has deployed NetApp’s SolidFire all-flash scale-out storage system at five of its datacenters in India, to support its Cloud offerings with automated and scalable guaranteed application performance.

NetApp’s SolidFire is a next-generation storage architecture that provides enterprise IT businesses an access to agile, scalable, on-demand storage infrastructure that delivers predictable, cost-effective performance in the cloud.

Anil Valluri, President, NetApp India & SAARC said, “For NetApp, Netmagic is both a partner and customer and we are deeply committed to this partnership."

Wipro and Linux Foundation to accelerate Open-Source Technology

W

ipro has joined The Linux Foundation as a Silver Member.

The Linux Foundation is a non-profit organization enabling mass innovation through opensource technologies.

Wipro has identified open-source technologies as one of the strategic client themes to drive transformation across the enterprise. Open source is empowering enterprises to foray into new areas such as cognitive computing, blockchain, hyper automation, cloud and analytics. Wipro’s dedicated Open Source Practice and Center of Excellence, coupled with global advisory and consulting capabilities provide end-to end open-source solutions and services to enterprises.

Center of Excellence (CoE) in Kolkata. Together, HPE and PwC are capitalizing on the Internet of Things (IoT) landscape to create opportunities for city administrators to optimize their assets and provide citizen-centric services.

“HPE and PwC are working together to offer enhanced services, greater security and improved civic engagement to municipalities around the world, intended to deliver

best-in- class experience to common citizens,” said Som Satsangi, VP & GM, Enterprise Group and MD India, HPE. “By combining HPE technology solutions and services with PwC business strategy, process, people and change capabilities, we are able to help organizations accelerate business and societal transformations, and derive greater value faster from their IoT initiatives."

Commvault now a part of Cisco Solutions Plus Program

C

ommvault has joined Cisco’s Solutions Program.

Commvault Data Platform Solutions will be available in Cisco’s Global Price List from October 2017. This will enable organizations to make an accelerated transition to a hybrid cloud strategy using Commvault software on Cisco hardware.

The availability of Commvault Data

Platformon Cisco’s Global Price List makes it easy for Cisco and its network of resellers to sell and deliver Commvault’s market leading data management solution.

Customers across the globe can acquire and deploy Commvault’s solution to meet their individual unique needs. The Commvault Data Platform is available to deliver proven enterpriseclass data protection and management.

Red Hat expands Cloud Service Provider Program in APAC

R

ed Hat has announced that cloud and managed services providers in India, Indonesia, Japan, and Singapore have joined its Red Hat Certified Cloud and Service Provider p r o g r a m , helping them to better meet customer’s needs for cloud-based technologies.

Since its launch in 2015, hundreds of cloud and service providers have achieved designation to deliver Red Hat solutions across the global marketplace.

Globally, 9 out of the 14 cloud service providers included

in Gartner's 2017 Magic Quadrant For Cloud Infrastructure-As-AService, Worldwide are Red Hat Certified Cloud and Service Providers. In APAC, some of the newest Red Hat

Certified Cloud and Service Providers include: Diadem Technologies Pvt. Ltd (India); Indonesian Cloud (Indonesia), Mitsubishi Research Institute DCS Co., Ltd (Japan); Prodevans Technologies (India), and STT Connect (Singapore).

www.varindia.com

September 2017

15

ON THE RAMP

VIVOTEK introduces CC8371HV Security Camera

V

IVOTEK has upgraded its product portfolio with the new 180° IR panoramic network camera, CC8371HV. The 3-mega pixel CC8371-HV offers an allin-one solution, featuring 180° horizontal panoramic views with an adjustable 25° tilt angle and new 15 metre IR illuminators, providing complete video security at night and makes it suitable for a wide array of both indoor and outdoor environments.

Furthermore, the antiligature design makes the camera also suitable for high security environments.

N

A professional day and night camera, the CC8371HV is equipped with builtin 180° IR illuminators effective up to 15 metres and adopts WDR (Wide Dynamic Range) Pro technology, capturing both the dark and bright areas of an image and combining the differences to create a highly realistic representation of the original scene.

Fitbit introduces new tools to analyse Fitbit Data

F

itbit has introduced a new premium guidance and coaching paid offering designed to analyze Fitbit data and activity level to deliver a custom curriculum of workouts, programs, content and other tools tailored to your specific goals. The first tools to launch with this offering include a new Fitbit Coach app, which rebrands the current Fitstar Personal Trainer app and combines its popular dynamic video

workouts with new Audio Coaching sessions; expert.

Fitbit is also introducing Guided Health Programmes that provides step-by-step guidance, personalized insights, educational tools and rewards to influence positive behaviour change and health outcomes.

Fitbit’s offering will grow to include advanced tools with a library of programmes and workouts developed with Fitbit’s Advisory Panel.

Acer expands Predator Gaming Arsenal with Powerful PCs

A

cer has announced new additions to its premium Predator gaming line, which include the Predator Orion 9000 series gaming desktops with Windows 10, its most powerful to date and the Predator X35 monitor leveraging NVIDIA G-SYNC and Acer HDR Ultra technologies for ultra-smooth performance and stunning visuals. Acer is also offering

16

September 2017

Newgen launches OmniOMS CCM suite 8.0

a new Predator headset and mouse to enhance gaming enjoyment and control.

Acer Predator Orion 9000 Series is designed to intimidate enemies and inspire game play, the commanding aesthetics of the Predator Orion 9000 series feature a blackand-silver spacecraft-like exterior with customizable RGB lighting along the sides of the front bezel.

www.varindia.com

ewgen Software has announced OmniOMS CCM Suite 8.0 which is enabled to meet the security standard compliance such as PCIDSS along with enhanced interactive output generation capabilities and enables HTML5 supported communication to generate dynamic content, among other features.

“The HTML5 capability of this release will help organizations to make their communications more engaging and relevant for their customers, developing an intuitive digital communications’ strategy” commented Diwakar Nigam, MD & CEO, Newgen Software on OmniOMS CCM Suite 8.0 release.

Oracle announces new enhancements to its IoT Cloud

O

racle has announced significant enhancements to the Oracle Internet of Things (IoT) Cloud. The offering now features builtin artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning that powers Digital Twin and Digital Thread capabilities.

As such, customers and partners can quickly gain operation-wide visibility and leverage predictive insights from connected assets.

These insights can increase deployment times, reduce costs, improve business outcomes, and accelerate new market opportunities. Combining Oracle IoT Cloud and enterprise applications, Oracle introduced new industry solutions for digital field service, smart connected factories, and digital fleet management.

Hitachi introduces a Unified Compute Platform

H

itachi Data Systems has announced Hitachi Unified Compute Platform (UCP) RS series, a fully integrated, software-defined data center (SDDC) rackscale platform, powered by VMware Cloud Foundation.

Hitachi UCP RS enables customers to embrace hybrid cloud for faster timeto-market and pay-as-yougo economics. It also gives customers the freedom to optimize their IT investments by leveraging private and public cloud as

an agile extension to their business. UCP RS provides flexibility to customers to either deploy integrated SDDC stack or build their own using Hitachi’s vSAN ready node and VMware software.

John Gilmartin, VP and GM, Integrated Systems, VMware, said, “The new Hitachi UCP RS solution is no exception.

The solution improves productivity, delivers faster time to business value and accelerates the customer’s ability to realize the true power of their data.”

BT launches Business Platform-as-a-Service

B

T has announced details of a new “Business Platform-as-aService”, the first of its kind widely available in the market. The platform, called BT Personalised Compute Management System (PCMS) has been designed to help companies speed up time-to-market for new digital services, disrupt their traditional business models and create new ways to grow.

PCMS is built on the same proven and award

winning cloud management platform used by BT to allow its customers to selfserve, purchase and access cloud services online. BT customers will be able to use the same platform to consume or bring their own digital services to market.

PCMS offers more than 45 fully digitalized business support processes, such as product management, customer management, user authentication, service management and billing and collections.

Strontium introduces NITRO Plus OTG “Type-C USB 3.1”

S

t r o n t i u m Technology has recently launched NITRO Plus On-The-Go (OTG) Type-C USB 3.1 Gen1 flash drive which helps to store and transfer data between new-generation USB Type-C compatible devices (smartphones, tablets and PCs). The new offering comes in the capacities of 32 GB, 64 GB and 128 GB with the amazing performance of up to 150 MB/s Read Speed and 100MB/s Write Speed. It is equipped with both USB Type-C (USB-C) and traditional USB-A connector, with backwards compatibility to your USB 3.0 and 2.0 connection

equipped devices.

Commenting on this, Vivian Singh, President & CEO, Strontium Technology Pvt. Ltd, said, “USB-C is the future and will feature on almost every phone.” Almost all the latest smartphones like Samsung S8, Samsung S8 plus, OnePlus 5, Xiaomi Mi 6, Google Pixel and Pixel XL, LG G6, Samsung Galaxy A7, A5 and A3 have Type-C port and are taking over conventional port.

www.varindia.com

September 2017

17

ON THE RAMP

Juniper Networks launches Contrail Barracuda unveils AI Security to protect applications Networks security policies that Solution Juniper has introduced seamlessly interoperate with

Juniper Contrail Security, a new security and micro segmentation solution which has been specifically designed to enable enterprises and Software-as-a-Ser vice (SaaS) cloud providers to protect applications running in multiple cloud environments.

It enables an innovative response to the heightened risk brought about by today’s cloud workloads and applications. Practitioners will have visibility and control with simplified operations driven by consistent, intent-driven

existing security controls and virtual environments. With Contrail Security, Juniper Networks is transforming the way enterprises and SaaS cloud providers protect, manage and monitor their cloud-native applications in heterogeneous environments.

Juniper Contrail Security helps enterprises diminish risk to applications running in any cloud environment by enabling automated application traffic discovery with dynamic policy enforcement to stop the spread of inside threats through:

VMware launches new version of VMware Fusion 10

V

Mware has announced new versions of VMware Fusion solutions and the 10th anniversary of delivering enterprise-quality Windows virtualization on Mac. VMware Fusion 10 Pro, designed for technical professionals that want to build, test and demonstrate Mac, Windows and Linux applications on a Mac, will include advanced capabilities that continue to evolve the solution to support

technical professionals and developers.

“VMware has a proven track record over the last 10 years of delivering innovations in VMware Fusion for the ultimate Windows on Mac experience,” said Dave Grant, VP - Product Marketing, End-User Computing, VMware.

“Fusion has evolved to become increasingly capable for IT professionals."

Fujitsu introduces Mainframe Managed Services Portfolio

F

ujitsu has launched new services designed to ensure that organizations can keep their mainframes running long into the future. Fujitsu Mainframe Managed Services deliver significant choice and flexibility via a modular portfolio of services, methodologies, expertise and solutions to support mainframes, including Fujitsu BS2000 and VME, plus IBM z Systems.

With this, the company has also established an Enterprise Platform Services (EPS) Academy, helping to ensure

18

September 2017

future expertise and career opportunities for mainframe and data center technologies. This aims to maintain and develop essential skills, passing on expertise to a new generation of experts who will be able to keep mainframe systems up and running long into the future. The lineup of Mainframe Managed Services is available directly from Fujitsu. Pricing varies according to services provided.

www.varindia.com

B

arracuda Networks has announced the availability of Barracuda Sentinel, a comprehensive AI solution for real-time spear phishing and cyber fraud defense. Barracuda Sentinel is delivered as a cloud service and utilizes artificial intelligence to protect people, businesses and brands from spear phishing, impersonation attempts, business email compromise (BEC) and cyber fraud.

Barracuda Sentinel combines three powerful layers of artificial intelligence technology, domain fraud visibility, and anti-fraud training,.

It directly connects to communication platforms, such as Microsoft Office 365, which allows immediate access to current and historical data.

Epson launches L1455 Inktank printer

E

pson has introduced its first A3 size multifunctional InkTank printer – L1455 priced at Rs.70,899 in India.

L1455 has been specially designed for corporate use and engineered for convenience and productivity. It prints larger and clearer documents, spreadsheets, diagrams and charts to bring out maximum detail and clarity at A3+ size. The printer also supports copying and faxing.

The L1455 offers PCless operations via a 4.3” colour touchscreen LCD, media card slots and includes USB ports for flash drives.

The printer also comes equipped with a full suite of connectivity features that includes Ethernet, WiFi, Wi-Fi Direct and USB 2.0. It enables the user to print directly from the phone through the printer’s wireless connectivity.

Ricoh launches a series of B&W MFPs

R

icoh India has launched a multifunctional printer series – Ricoh MP2555SP/ MP3055SP/ MP3555SP/ MP4055SP/ MP5055SP/ MP6055SP. Equipped with powerful features that are easy to use, these models support quick, accurate and reliable sharing of high-quality documents, simplifies complex office workflows, thus improving user efficiency.

Yuki Uchida, VP & CMO, Ricoh India Ltd, said, “With a vision to bring brilliant automation tools to our customers, we have launched this new series of

printers that is a complete solution. These innovative devices leverage Ricoh’s advanced Work style Innovation Technology to not only simplify complex office tasks but also customize the overall user experience."

Polycom launches Polycom Pano to share content seamlessly at work

P

olycom has launched Polycom Pano, the easiest way to share content at work, regardless of location or device. Polycom Pano allows up to four people in the same meeting room to simultaneously share, contrast, and compare content side by side, from any device, without the hassle of juggling cables, pucks or dongles. Instead, users can share ideas and visuals of all types – such as videos, live interface,

images, documents, and presentations – with the added benefit of interactive annotation and white boarding features, not seen in other wireless content-sharing solutions.

Polycom Pano simply connects to any display and enables wireless contentsharing from PCs, Macs, tablets, smartphones, and even live video. It is the latest solution in Polycom’s portfolio of intelligent collaboration solutions.

Xerox Trivor 2400 to be an innovation in inkjet production

X

erox India has announced the launch of Xerox Trivor 2400 High Fusion Inkjet Press that produces highquality results direct to

expand their inkjet media range to produce costeffective, higher-value personalized jobs such as direct mail, catalogues, magazines and colour

offset coated paper on the Trivor 2400, removing the need for intermediate coating processes, primers or added hardware.

The Trivor 2400 High Fusion Inkjet Press allows print providers to

books. High Fusion Ink is specially formulated to optimize printing and drying on offset coated media, including matte, silk and glass stock from 60 to 250 gsm, up to 250 feet per minute.

www.varindia.com

September 2017

19

VOICE-N-DATA

Netgear brings two dual-band Wi-Fi Routers for home

N

ETGEAR has introduced R6080 and R6120, two fast Dual Band AC1000 and AC1200 Wi-Fi routers for home that deliver Wi-Fi speeds up to 700 mbps and 900 mbps, respectively.

“To take advantage of higher broadband bandwidth being offered by telecom service providers and to support newer generation AC devices, home users must upgrade their WiFi routers to dual band technology without burning a hole in their pocket,” said Marthesh Nagendra, Country Manager, India and

SAARC, NETGEAR. “The brand-new routers from NETGEAR pack a 3-in-1 bonanza for home users,

combining performance, price and value in one attractive solution,” he added.

Telenor India and Huawei conduct trials of Lean-BCCH technology

T

elenor India and Huawei Te l e c o m m u n i c a t i o n s India have announced successful trials and tests of revolutionary Lean BCCH solutions in India.

A technology standard designed to address spectrum scarcity and broaden the future of NBIoT ecosystem, Lean BCCH can enable Telenor India to offer affordable mobile broadband (MBB) services to customers without any

additional investment.

The observation reveals that spectrum efficiency improved up to 30% after LEAN BCCH trial and the GSM KPIs are comparable even after re-farming of 1.4MHz spectrum out of 5MHz. The solution is supported by advanced technologies and features which helped to control interference and ensured the best utilization of frequency channels in GSM.

AXILSPOT launches series of Managed and Unmanaged connectivity.

Switches The launched

A

XILSPOT has rolled out new comprehensive series of managed and unmanaged switches comprising of 11 cuttingedge switch solutions, offering 5 to 48 ports for varied requirements of enterprises.

The industry-leading switches are scalable, secure and feature rich, designed for high-performance and enterprise-class network

20

September 2017

series includes – in small BusinessUnmanaged Switches the products are ASP-UG4, ASP-UG8, ASP-UG16 and ASP-UG24. In Edge

Switches, the products launched are AS-MG8, ASP-MG8, ASP-MG16, AS-MG24, AS-MG24-L3 and AS-MT48-L3.

www.varindia.com

COAI to form 5G TP-LINK makes Deco M5 available has India Forum TP-Link announced the

T

o strengthen India’s position for use and deployment of 5G technology, COAI has announced the formation of the “5G India Forum”.

The Forum aims to bring together the different voices of the Indian Te l e c o m m u n i c a t i o n s , Mobility & Connectivity ecosystem in order to become the leading force in the development of nextgeneration communications.

Rajan S. Mathews, Director General, COAI, stated, “The 5G India Forum will serve as a strategic national initiative which will address key concerns of all stakeholders, seek inputs from private, public, small and large companies, to meet the challenge of making 5G a reality in India, at globally competitive timelines synergising with the world.”

ERICSSON introduces new 5G offering

E

ricsson has introduced a new radio product, AIR 3246, for Massive Multiple Input Multiple Output (Massive MIMO). AIR 3246 is a complement to Ericsson’s global 5G radio offering and sports both 4G/ LTE and 5G NR (New Radio) technologies and is Ericsson’s first 5G NR radio for frequency division duplex (FDD).

According to the company, this launch will enable operators – especially in metropolitan areas – to bring 5G to subscribers using today’s mid-band spectrum and boost capacity in their LTE networks. Ericsson’s 5G Platform includes three previously launched time division duplex (TDD) radios capable of supporting 5G and Massive MIMO, as well as core, transport, digital support and security elements.

availability of Deco M5 Whole-Home WiFi Systems. It is a mesh networking solution that provides seamless wireless internet coverage and comprehensive security via TP-Link HomeCare.

With built-in antivirus and malware protection powered by Trend Micro, Deco M5 provides a truly secure whole-home Wi-Fi system. Currently available as a three-unit multi-pack, Deco M5 Whole-Home Wi-Fi systems may be purchased from leading entertainment and lifestyle

retailer, HSN and other retailers online and in stores.

Deco M5 systems offer an impressive lineup of built-in security features. It provides exploit and malware protection, powered by Trend Micro, along with an SPI firewall, device access control and secure remote control of the network via the TPLink Deco mobile app.

Indus Towers enhances efficiencies with Oracle Taleo Cloud Services

I

ndus Towers has announced deployment of Oracle Taleo Cloud Services to streamline its recruiting processes for faster recruitment and better collaboration in the cloud. The Oracle Taleo Cloud Service enables Indus Towers to identify and recruit top talent to fill specific telecom industry needs and delivers insights to continuously improve talent acquisition efficiency and effectiveness.

“We are extremely

proud to partner with Indus Towers in their journey towards technological excellence.

We are confident that with Oracle Taleo, Indus Towers will not only be able to increase the overall efficiency of the employees but also ensure that they are connected on a real-time basis. Oracle aims at fuelling Indus Towers’ business objectives in an efficient and effective manner,” said Shailesh Singla, Sales Director, HCM, Oracle India.

Ixia Launches IxLoad-Wireless Test Solution for Cellular IoT

I

xia has announced IxLoad-Wireless, a high-performance LongTerm Evolution (LTE) test solution for cellular IoTenhanced Machine-Type Communication (eMTC) and Narrowband IoT (NB-IoT) technologies. These technologies are new Third-Generation Partnership Project (3GPP)-defined and will help manage the density expected with IoT and lay the foundation for 5G. Cellular IoT provides wireless communications for devices and applications that need low-power and wide-range communication

connectivity, and have infrequent data transmission. A low volume of such devices would have a minimal impact on today’s LTE networks. However,

according to Ericsson’s Internet of Things Forecast, 70 per cent of wide-area IoT devices will use cellular technology in 2022, and the number of cellular IoT devices will surpass mobile phones in 2018.

www.varindia.com

September 2017

21

CHANNEL BUZZ

Canon India flags off its roadshow SPARKLE

C

anon India is celebrating 20 successful years of operations in India, and has commenced a 50-city roadshow, themed “SPARKLE”.

This showcase is conceptualized for and dedicated to the resellers supporting the Consumer System Products outreach in the country.

Complementing its theme “SPARKLE”, this initiative is focussed towards making every moment a sparkling celebration for its partners and customers.

Consumer System Products division, under its Inkjet and Laser portfolios, offers a range of printing products and solutions, designed to address the requirements of varied segments including Home, SOHO, SME’s, Enterprise and Government.

Along with live demonstrations, skilled team of engineers present

on ground would ensure answering all queries to amplify the company’s relentless commitment towards its target audience. This one-of-its kind series of roadshows will also help consolidate Canon’s footprint across regions in the country as a digital imaging leader, offering one stop printing solutions.

C. Sukumaran, Assistant Director, CSP Division, Canon India Pvt. Ltd, said, “Building on our 20 successful years of experience in India. We, at Canon, take immense pride in being an end-to-end solutions provider, our relationship with our customers begins way before the product is purchased and continues for lifetime. This journey would not have become a strong milestone, without the support of our dedicated distribution network."

Dassault Systèmes launches “3DEXPERIENCE on WHEELS” Roadshow for SMEs

D

assault Systèmes has announced the launch of its upcountry roadshow – 3DEXPERIENCE on WHEELS to connect to manufacturing hubs in South and West India.

and industrial manufacturing companies.

The demonstrations capture two overall themes – “From Design to Manufacturing” capturing aspects of product design on CATIA,

The 3DEXPERIENCE on WHEELS, a mobile lounge with 3DEXPERIENCE platform demonstrations will tour the states of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Maharashtra connecting the manufacturing hubs. The campaign was flagged off in Chennai by Samson Khaou, MD, India, Dassault Systèmes, and Prasanta Kr Das, Vice-President, Value Solutions, Dassault Systèmes, India. Over a span of 90 days, the 3DEXPERIENCE on WHEELS will cover 10+ districts in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Maharashtra, which are the key hubs of automotive, aerospace, defence

product simulation on SIMULIA and manufacturing processes on DELMIA alongside Dassault Systèmes Industry Solution Experiences. “Inspiring New Horizons” captures demonstrations on new technologies like Cloud and Additive Manufacturing (3D Printing).

Fourth Dimension Solutions (FDS) has partnered with Dassault Systèmes to provide System Integration services for the latter’s portfolio of applications and industry solution experiences based on the 3DEXPERIENCE platform in the Indian Subcontinent market.

Fortinet organizes partner meet in Kolkata F ortinet has organized a two-day conference for partners in Kolkata to showcase the company’s Security Fabric with its intentionally designed integration beginning with a unified operating system, highly optimized hardware and software processing, unmatched zero-day discovery, and a detection approach that combines behavioural detection, machine learning, and hardware virtualization.

While isolated point products leave gaps in security and limit network visibility, Fabric-based security architecture is designed to communicate between all deployed securities devices in real time, allowing them to dynamically share and correlate threat data and automatically respond to threats occurring anywhere across the distributed network. It ensures comprehensive security protection and automation, without slowing down users who need access to their data, or development teams producing new software features.

22

September 2017

This makes the Security Fabric the ideal security solution to facilitate customers’ digital transformation.

The Fortinet Security Fabric goes beyond what’s possible with a traditional signature-based approach to threat protection, or with siloed security technologies that vendors have begun to superficially stitch together using an overlay platform approach.

Speaking at the conference, Navin Mehra, Regional Director, West, East and Central India, Fortinet, said, “The Fortinet Security Fabric and the FabricReady Partner program are really resonating with our partners and we have been receiving very positive feedback from both our partners and their customers on a daily basis. They feel that this new integrated technology approach allows partners to really give their customers a better experience. The Security Fabric has truly begun to drive long-needed innovation in network security, and is redefining how partners and customers look

www.varindia.com

at network security.”

Channel partners, extending the functionality and intelligence of the Fortinet Security Fabric vision with an open and cooperative ecosystem of partner solutions can more easily: · Bundle, sell, and deploy solution sets without the burden of significant costs and resources usually required for validating technology integration when delivering multi-product, multivendor solutions to customers.

· Provide customers with solutions that have faster time-todeployment coupled with reduced operational expenses and technical support costs.

At the conference, partners learned to help customers undergo changes, such as cloud adoption, increased data collection, and IoT adoption and assess how these developments will impact their cybersecurity strategy, and deploy a security architecture to ensure consistent, end-to-end protection.

www.varindia.com

September 2017

23

24

September 2017

www.varindia.com

Windows 10 Pro means business.

“PACKS PLENTY OF OOMPH” - LAPTOP

Forged from carbon fiber the ThinkPad® X1 Carbon is incredibly thin and immensely powerful.

Call us at 1800 3000 9990 or e-mail us at corpsales@lenovo.com

© Lenovo 2017. All rights reserved. Lenovo, the Lenovo logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Lenovo.

Microsoft and Windows are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the U.S. and other countries or both.

www.varindia.com

June 2017

19

!

"

#

$ %

&

'

%

(

)

$

*

%

$ "

+,-)./), 01 ,

) ) %

26

September 2017

www.varindia.com

www.varindia.com

September 2017

27

CMO SPECIAL

NVIDIA continues to push the curve for developing world-class products Vishal Dhupar Managing Director – South Asia, NVIDIA When NVIDIA invented the GPU in 1999, it caused a paradigm shift in the computer industry. To help developers learn what was possible in an emerging new world of gaming, NVIDIA taught them how to build products to maximize the technology and make games more compelling for users. The GPU had been on the market for only a few years when research scientists began exploring a non-visual use for its powerful programming elements - executing complex computational tasks. To support these efforts, NVIDIA released in 2006 CUDA, a parallel computing platform and programming model that enables dramatic increases in computing performance and significantly expands the industries that can benefit from using this technology.

“In our offices around the world, NVIDIA’s multilevel support for developers is integral to our day-to-day business. We provide them with diverse resources, including courses in parallel programming; enhancement tools for debugging, performance and testing; access to highly skilled engineers and specialists who provide custom services and co-design industry-specific applications; and financial support in the case of university researchers in various scientific disciplines. Additionally, we have established robust mechanisms for communicating with, and facilitating interaction among, developers through targeted discussion forums and conferences. We have learned from two decades in the business the importance of listening closely to what developers want and need. Our world-class designers continually work ahead of the curve to develop products that will contribute to customers’ success and push new standards of creativity, usability and sustainability,” cites Vishal Dhupar, Managing Director – South Asia, NVIDIA. The video game market revenues touched $99.6 billion in 2016, and NVIDIA GPUs are vital in helping to underpin its success. Its support for game developers includes code samples and utilities, best practices, support for its 3D Vision technology, tools to create physics effects, rendering enhancement for PCs, and an authoring framework that allows artists to create high-level, dynamic systems without any programming. NVIDIA also work directly with game companies to help them optimize the power of their GPUs. The NVIDIA Partner Network brings together all those who collaborate to inspire and delight customers with world-class visual computing solutions. Together with its partners NVIDIA works through the end customers to tackle the most challenging problems — from cancer research to quantum physics — and allows millions of gamers to immerse themselves in hyper-realistic virtual worlds.

SAS analytics solution tries to deliver tremendous value to customers Kunal Aman Head of Marketing - SAS Institute India In today’s age of the ‘always on’ customer, CMOs need to be comfortable in operating in a data-driven, customer- centric, multichannel world. If CMOs want to be successful in their role, they have to evolve from being custodians of the brand to being true business partners in driving growth. One of the key reasons of success as a marketing function at SAS is its absolute alignment to business goals and revenue metrics.

“As marketers today, we have access to unprecedented amounts of data and at SAS, we have been relentless in our efforts to foster a data-driven culture that relies on analysis to develop, execute & measure our initiatives. By leveraging the capabilities of various SAS analytical tools, we have effectively transformed ourselves to be in a strong position to strike a balance between art and science, and are able to provide insightful direction and attribute marketing investments to business success. Also within marketing, we give each other the permission to fail. We have to take risks if we are going to stand out in the market – there is no way around it. So my job today, is to create the right environment for people to experiment as opposed to an environment that knows exactly what it’s doing because it’s been tried before,” says Kunal Aman, Head of Marketing - SAS Institute India.

SAS reinvests more than 25% of its annual revenue in R&D for fostering innovation and staying ahead of the curve. That’s the reason SAS has been able to come up with innovations such as SAS Viya, an open, cloud-ready analytics platform, which was cited in The Forrester Wave: Enterprise Insight Platform Suites, Q4 2016, in which SAS was named as the only leader. Even in the space of the much talked about Machine Learning Solutions, SAS earned the highest scores in a recent analyst report across all three categories - current offering, strategy and market presence.

“In this connected world, I don’t believe organizations can survive, much less transform without the right partnerships and solution providers. Who and how many you end up selecting to partner in your journey may depend upon your specific business priorities but each partner will probably bring in something unique which is critical to the success of the transformation journey. A trusted partner will possess a strong understanding of your industry, breadth and depth of products/ services, a keen ability to marry a digital solution to your business problem & a track record of innovation. Working together with the right partner can help enterprises execute on a digital transformation strategy faster and at lower cost while giving them a competitive advantage,” sums up Kunal.

28

September 2017

www.varindia.com

www.varindia.com

September 2017

29

CMO SPECIAL

LG strives to become the most preferred brand for Indian customers Amit Gujral Chief Marketing Officer - LG Electronics India 2017 is a milestone for LG Electronics in India. It marks the celebration of its 20th anniversary in the country. LG has always stuck the right chords with the Indian consumers and taken unique steps to make their aspirations a reality.

“Today our consumers don’t recall us just as a brand, but as a trusted partner that has been an integral part of making their lives better. We emerged as the ‘most-attractive’ brand as per the TRA Research, which is based on brand trust and brand attractiveness. As a brand, LG has not just sold products, but the dream of a better and more convenient lifestyle to the Indian consumers.

Our consumer-centric offerings cater to the consumers’ needs and preferences well and heart touching CSR initiatives for societal betterment has been the success mantra for LG. Some of LG’s noble achievements in the recent past have set the brand a leap ahead of the others,” says Amit Gujral, Chief Marketing Officer - LG Electronics India.

LG created a Guinness World Records feat for its #KarSalaam initiative which was launched at the start of the year. The initiative involved the whole nation to come forward and send in their good wishes for the Indian Armed Forces for their undying spirit of bravery and service to the nation. It also included a donation of 1 crore INR to the CRPF Welfare Fund. With this campaign, LG broke the Guinness World Records by getting more than 150,000 unique handwritten messages from the Indian citizens.

Another noteworthy initiative from LG this year was rolling out of the noble ‘’Hunger Free India’’ campaign. This campaign aims to create awareness amongst individuals, businesses and organizations towards fighting the issues of hunger and food wastage in India. The campaign aims to change the basic thought of how food generally is disposed off without a second thought. LG consumers will now pledge to preserve food and ensure that it reaches the hunger-stricken.

Besides these initiatives, LG is a pioneer in bringing new technologies and constantly supporting all the efforts that are revolutionary in their approach. It is working on aligning its systems with the latest developments, to bring an improved system of buying for its consumers.

Lenovo makes use of data and analysis to enhance customer experience Bhaskar Choudhuri Director- Marketing, Lenovo India Data empowers marketers and gives organizations power during pointy business discussions. “In my view, the most successful marketers are those who know the value of analytics. This goes far beyond measuring return on investment, share of voice, reach, engagement, market share or market growth – although all of these remain important. Our success mantra has been to increase our customer knowledge over the last one year, in the SMB segment. Many organisations pursue greater customercentricity. Certainly, at Lenovo we see this as a high priority,” says Bhaskar Choudhuri, DirectorMarketing, Lenovo India.

Due to its focus on building customer information and reaching out to customers with a dedicated telemarketing engine, Lenovo gained a 5.5% YTY share in the SMB Segment in CY 2016-17 in India (as per IDC Shipment report). An example of Lenovo moving to customer centricity is its own voice of the customer (VOC) project in India (and in Japan), in which it analyses customer comments in social media channels and forums, and share the insights with its customer engagement and product development teams. “Every month this means we have around 700,000 customers giving insight on how to make our products and services better,” asserts Bhaskar.

In a Forester paper commissioned by Lenovo and SAP in January 2016, on average 70% of data within companies goes unused. Organization must continuously watch and listen to their customers and prospects. That means both data and analysis drive the definition of the customer engagement experience. “It applies to your products and services, the way you engage with your customers, and in the way those who talk to customers interact with them (from the CEO through to the customer care technician). Listening for opportunities to discover how customers experience the same from your competitors, or new entrants coming to market, are valuable in reviewing your own approach,” he sums up.

30

September 2017

www.varindia.com

www.varindia.com

September 2017

31

CMO SPECIAL

A strong marketing mix determines the maximum return on investments for Dell Srihari Palangala, Director, Marketing, India - Dell EMC The success mantra of Dell EMC in 2016-17 has been hinged around 4 key pillars • A strong and experienced team with a positive and open attitude - The people at Dell EMC are its greatest strength in terms of delivering value to customers and partners in this environment • Ability to look beyond traditional business horizons and drive marketing innovation – this includes the company’s powerful messages, innovative marketing vehicles and a high-performing marketing mix • Marketing by numbers – anchoring its marketing programs to drive on strong business outcomes and keeping every element of a campaign (segmentation, targeting, outcomes) fully measureable and accountable • Distilling its vast product portfolio into messages - these messages can be easily consumed and absorbed by its target segments combined with making its messages easy and customer-centric “Our campaigns start with looking at any situation with the customer-first lens. Listening and understanding the customer helps us tailor, target and personalize our message. It is also important to drive the sense of agility in everything because digital and its impact on businesses in India today is immense and every business is rapidly transforming today. This diligence on every campaign around “what we say”, “whom we say it to” and “how we say it” – determines our messaging, targeting and marketing vehicle mix. Our choice of the marketing vehicle mix is geared towards driving superior efficiency which enables maximum returns for our investment in terms of both dollars and resource time,” says Srihari Palangala, Director, Marketing, India - Dell EMC. Dell Technologies has a vast portfolio of products and services across the three pillars of IT, workforce and security transformation for organizations.

While the portfolio is vast, it is important that it be complemented adequately with partners for a holistic outcome for its customers. These partners deepen geographic and vertical reach, integrated services, customer fulfilment, and technology capabilities offered to customers. Dell EMC also has a powerful partner program that has been widely accepted and welcomed by partners across India. This combination has helped its reach across the country – as new pockets of growth emerge among tier-2, tier-3 markets beyond cities.

Kingston considers understanding his audience as its key trait Vishal Parekh Marketing Director, Kingston Technology & HyperX – India Kingston has transformed from being a small garage store in 1987 to become a multi-billion dollar conglomerate. The 30 Year journey has been rather exciting as it expanded its portfolio, initially with Flash based products like USBs, and eventually positioned itself successfully as a lifestyle technology brand.

Being the forerunners in the industry and having invested in upcoming technologies, Kingston has built audience interest for its product categories. It has designed promotion and educative campaigns for various segments of the market, which helps them make sense of the new age technology and understand the prowess that Kingston and HyperX bring to the board rooms and market.

“Our success mantra could largely be attributed to delivering a best-in-class quality proposition to the customers at a value price,” cites Vishal Parekh, Marketing Director, Kingston Technology & HyperX – India. “This includes not compromising on After sales services. We have been successful in transforming our challenges into healthy relations tailoring sales and marketing strategies and a healthy communication model defined by the audience. The success has been possible majorly with the team efforts and internal collaborative strategies which led us to be creative and innovate more ways to bring value to our consumers and partners. We are elated and extremely proud to be part of one of the rare success brand stories in the world.”

For Kingston, understanding the Indian Market and requirements is its key trait. “We were the pioneers of the DDR4 technology at a time when the industry was adamant on the older DDR3, again invested in the SSD business when others found it infeasible. Being with Kingston for over 10 years, one thing is clear that the brand works the smart way and this itself gives it an edge,” says Vishal.

Listening to audiences and most importantly to the Channel partners, Media, Corporates, Alliances, and end users to create a stronger product and brand name has been very instrumental in taking the brand to where it is today. Vishal personally has been able to break the traits of the growth in four distinct areas – expertise, leadership, business and personality that has helped Kingston achieve new heights.

In other words, Kingston has been a partner for quite a lot of enterprises and brands to help them make valuable decisions and improve the business productivity. It has helped businesses become digitally mature to improve organizational agility and customer experience. With Kingston’s knowledge and expertise, businesses can manage a smooth transition and become future proof.

32

September 2017

www.varindia.com

www.varindia.com

September 2017

33

CMO SPECIAL

Acer strives to deliver customer experience by simplifying technology to them Chandrahas Panigrahi CMO and Consumer Business Head - Acer India A great marketer knows that his job doesn’t end at just acquiring customers. CMOs need to do give an engaging brand experience right from purchase to after sales and even though some of these departments do not fall under CMOs direct purview it is critical that brand experience is consistent and delightful.

Great CMOs are a sales man, a brand evangelist, a communication expert and of course a great leader.

As the CMO and Head of the Consumer Business at Acer, Chandrahas Panigrahi has been successful in positioning the Acer brand as the fastest growing PC brand. Recently it has opened an exclusive store in Tripura that shows its commitment to deliver brand experience to consumers across the country with full assortment of products.

“At Acer our philosophy of breaking barriers between people and technology drives us to offer a brand experience where we ensure great technology reaches to a wide variety of consumers backed by award winning customer support system. 2016-17 saw Acer being crowned with various awards both in India and globally, notably the Golden Peacock Award, Brand Excellence award and Retail award. This has come on the back of some record breaking launches like the Swift 7, Predator gaming laptops to name a few,” states Chandrahas Panigrahi, CMO and Consumer Business Head - Acer India.

Talking about digitization, Chandrahas says that the country will definitely evolve with the advent of new innovations in both hardware and software space. “The IT landscape has been constantly evolving and changing; many new trends are expected to emerge and some of them will definitely go a long way in improving the lives of users around the country. Digital transformation is a true change agent and with right partners companies can really scale up their business. New technologies and data analytics opens up perspectives and opportunities which businesses can exploit. Having said that with more critical data moving online security should be a paramount infrastructure which if companies ignore will be at their peril. Every day we see new threats coming through internet and both government and companies should have the foresight to ensure data is protected at any cost from malicious agents,” says Chandrahas.

Symantec provides security technologies built for the cloud-based environment Ganesan Arumugam Director - Partner & Commercial Sales, India, Symantec We are living in the cloud generation powered by a fundamental shift in the way enterprises, employees and customers use technology - a time when critical data, applications and infrastructure are shifting from “behind the firewall” to “running on the cloud. Cloud security therefore, has emerged as one of the key priority as it continues to challenge CIOs. In fact, according to Symantec’s ISTR vol. 22, CIOs have lost track of how many cloud apps are used inside their organizations. When asked, most assume their organizations use up to 40 cloud apps when in reality the number nears 1,000,” points out Ganesan Arumugam, Director - Partner & Commercial Sales, India, Symantec.

As Indian enterprises embrace cloud applications and infrastructure, they require security technologies built for this new cloud-based environment to gain the upper hand on adversaries.

Symantec is enabling this transition to the cloud generation through stronger protection, greater visibility and better control of critical assets, users and data.

“Symantec’s Integrated Cyber Defense Platform unifies cloud and on-premises security to protect users, information, messaging and the web, powered by unparalleled threat intelligence. The Integrated Cyber Defense Platform includes the industry’s most comprehensive cloud security solutions to govern access, protect information, defend against advanced threats and protect workloads as they move to the cloud,” says Ganesan.

34

September 2017

www.varindia.com

Everything you need to know to stop ransomware.

Know Your Enemy

Stop Ransomware Now

Ransomware is a $1 billion dollar business that often evades traditional

Sophos InterceptX is proven to stop ransomware in its track by blocking

anti-malware.

unauthorized encryption of files.

Stop Ransomware with Sophos Intercept X The proven CryptoGuard capabilities in Sophos Intercept X block ransomware as soon as it starts trying to encrypt your files, returning data to its original state: • Protects endpoints from ransomware attacks • Automatically rolls back encrypted file changes with no loss of data • Stops both local and remote file encryption

For more details visit www.sophos.com Tel: +91 79 66216838 Email: indiamarketing@sophos.com

www.varindia.com

September 2017

35

CMO SPECIAL

Moving its customers safely to the digital space is the main focus for Fujitsu Santhosh NS Head of Marketing & Communications - Fujitsu Fujitsu had its share of achievements during the year 2-16-17 and success has been mainly due to following reasons • Fujitsu aligned closely with sales team, as it believes that most of the marketing strategy will not be successful if this is not supported by sales team. Moreover they are people who often visit customers and their input is very much necessary to make any marketing engaging a success.

• Last year, Fujitsu India saw almost 3.5 lakhs impressions on its Social media channels.

• Though Fujitsu does not spend large on marketing, but this in a way is very advantage as it needs to keep innovating and generate maximum interests with minimum investment. It has its partners in most of the go to Market strategy and aligns with Intel, Microsoft, SAP and others in most of its marketing activities.

• Fujitsu is constantly building customer reference stories which are public, available on website and Social media channels. Besides, its sales, pre-sales and after service are working hard to have satisfied customer.

“We are today living in a hyper-connected world. It is very much necessary to find out what is our strength and focus more on it. We have been more focusing on promoting our services like business Application Services and Managed Infrastructure services along with our solutions. We did have our share of gaining leadership in specific area - like we are growing our HPC installation across countries YoY. Currently we are more than 175+ HPC Customers across country; SAP India has awarded Fujitsu India as Partner of the Year for our Non-Metro Business and have mentioned that the main reason for us to win this award was that our understanding of customer's behaviour in non-metros,” reiterates Santhosh NS, Head of Marketing & Communications – Fujitsu.

In a recent survey commissioned by Fujitsu, it is found that more than 50% of CIOs believe their organisations will not exist in their current form in five years’ time. Security has never been more important. Organisations and their data are at risk from cyber threats that change daily. The average cost of data breach stands at $3.5M and in a third of cases lead to 8 hours of down time or more (Insurance Journal 2014). It takes 9 months to identify 60% of security threats.

Cloudera helps customers gain valuable insights from the large volumes of data Mark Micallef Vice President, Asia Pacific & Japan – Cloudera There has been a huge shift seen in organizations’ business strategies of late. Before, it was clear that businesses focused on enhancing the overall customer experience and most organizations moved to engage big data and analytics to derive deeper insights. But today with the sophistication of cyber threats and increasingly complex data privacy laws and regulations, business leaders must be tackling these challenges head-on to stay ahead in today’s competitive economy.

“We believe that we are now in the sixth wave of automation – the automation of decisions.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) will take center stage in the year ahead and enable businesses to automate processes and drive information-driven decision making in a more scalable way,” says Mark Micallef, Vice President, Asia Pacific & Japan – Cloudera.

“Cloudera aims to deliver an end-to-end scalable big data solution built on an Open Source platform targeting several industries to enhance customer insights, detect cyber threats and anomalies, maintain compliance with the latest industry regulations and to accelerate business technology roadmaps.”

Cloudera’s mission from the very beginning was to help companies quickly and easily gain value from their rising volumes of data and to do things that weren’t possible before. To accomplish this, Cloudera has focused on building a strong partnership network in the region so that its solutions can reach a wider customer base and benefit more people. Recently, it announced a partnership with Tech Data in ASEAN to offer an end-to-end, ready-to-use solution to drive turnkey Smart City and IoT projects across ASEAN. Other solution providers like Qlik, Talend, StreamSets, Securonix and Informatica are built on top of the Cloudera platform, making it easier and faster for customers to solve their business problems.

“We also believe in continually deepening relationships with customers that have entrusted us to help derive value out of their data. In India, we have enabled organizations like Airtel, NxtGen and YES Bank to develop customized campaigns for consumers and manage data, collect and manage growing volumes of data in one centralized, secure and fully governed platform,” says Mark.

As an Open Source company, education, upskilling, and knowledge sharing have always been part of the Cloudera ethos. Since 2016, Cloudera has launched BASE (Big Data Skills Enablement), an industry-led ecosystem that is designed to groom a future workforce of data professionals.

36

September 2017

www.varindia.com

www.varindia.com

September 2017

37

CMO SPECIAL

The ‘channel first’ strategy has helped Sophos to grow faster than its contemporaries Sunil Sharma Managing Director – sales for India & SAARC, Sophos Sophos has grown both its network and its endpoint business faster than the market growth during fiscal year FY17, ended March 31st 2017. It has done this by remaining steadfast to its “channel first” commitment to build products and programs that drives business for its partners. Sophos now has a channel ecosystem of more than 30,000 partners worldwide. In addition, Sophos has continued to innovate to provide customers with next-generation endpoint and firewall protection that is required to protect against today’s sophisticated threats.

“The channel has a critical role to play in helping Indian businesses through digital transformation. To add real value, partners will need to act as a trusted advisor, understanding the unique challenges and threats of each organization. It is imperative for them to drive innovation that delivers customer needs, learn from feedback and always strive for excellence.

In addition, with today’s global economy it is important that as trusted advisors, they understand the regulations that govern data protection for citizens in any country that their client might operate – such as GDPR which governs data protection for citizens in the European Union,” says Sunil Sharma, Managing Director – sales for India & SAARC, Sophos.

IT security in India has evolved as the most sought after discussion in the industry and until recently there have been several triggers to it. Last year Sophos Labs analysed the attacks that happened all over the world and predicted some of the threat trends · Financial infrastructure at greater risk of attack - The use of targeted phishing and "whaling" continues to grow. These attacks use detailed information about company executives to trick employees into paying fraudsters or compromising accounts. Experts expect attacks on critical financial infrastructure to continue in 2017. · Destructive DDoS IOT attacks - Cybercriminals will find it easy to extend their reach because there are so many IoT devices containing outdated code based on poorly-maintained operating systems and applications with well-known vulnerabilities · Shift from exploitation to targeted social attacks - Cybercriminals are getting better at exploiting the ultimate vulnerability - humans. Ever more sophisticated and convincing targeted attacks seek to coax users into compromising themselves.

Marketing continues to strengthen Vertiv’s new brand positioning Dipti Singh Head – Marketing & Communications - Vertiv India Today’s hyper-competitive business landscape is rapidly organising itself around the customer. More so because the internet and evolving distribution models have changed the way consumers discover, engage and relate to brands. What once depended less on data and more on psychology and creativity now relies on both. This is most exciting times for CMOs as they are experiencing a shift in the technology and are being as creative as they can.

“Marketers are innovating with their strategies to approach new customers, engage with existing and potential customers and finally creating a brand perception to retain them. Our resolution to offer best in class customer service will only help us in creating better relationship with our customers,” states Dipti Singh, Head – Marketing & Communications - Vertiv India.

She further continues, “At Vertiv, this year is the most promising year for us to get identified as the new independent entity from the Emerson umbrella. And now as challenges and demands grow, marketing continues to find better ways to help strengthen its brand positioning, recall, mindshare and image. Our portfolio spans power, thermal and infrastructure management products, software, services and this year Vertiv team could roll out events across these solutions.

Being an integral part of the company, marketing served as the centrifugal force to drive more than 100 events in a span of 9 months from its launch on Dec 2nd 2016.”

Marketing managers are typically responsible for the brand image today. Being inherited with strong views, they view the business holistically, working closely with other departments and ensuring that marketing activities are connected to wider company goals and objectives. The onus lies on them to ensure that every customer is attended with utmost priority providing the best solutions be it in-person interaction at events, digital platforms, press releases, advertising, ATL promotions, e-mail marketing, schemes, offers and many more.

“We are witnessing an era of disruption, with technology progressing and evolving at a faster rate, organizations are taking initiatives to be on top of the game. With government announcing initiatives like providing 24x7 electricity by 2019 or moving towards a cashless economy has widened horizons for companies like Vertiv to be a part of rapidly emerging technologies. Even the need to increase storage capacity, big data generation, and the strategy of companies to expand by establishing local datacentres are propelling the demand for datacentres across the country,” concludes Dipti.

38

September 2017

www.varindia.com

Designing tailor-made solutions for its customers has been the Mantra at CtrlS B S Rao VP – Marketing, CtrlS Datacenters Customers seek solutions for their challenges. Product and Services companies are expected to focus on building innovative solutions to address their pain points. CtrlS Datacenters achieved enviable growth fundamentally driven through innovative services and solutions and global expansion to address the needs of markets spread across the continents.

“While customer acquisition is a key focus for every business entity, ensuring timely delivery of services (within the defined quality parameters) has been a key to our customer success, postsales services support, pro-active and timely resolution of issues have led to a healthy NPS score reflecting high customer satisfaction reflecting their loyalty to us,” asserts B S Rao, VP – Marketing, CtrlS Datacenters. “The Mantra at CtrlS has been to design innovative solutions, customizing solutions to the help our customers overcome their business challenges – thus allowing them align technology and business in line with their organizational goals. Lastly, we ensure customer delight through automation and process driven post-sales support and strict adherence to committed SLAs. This has helped us achieve industry lowest customer Churn, 40% YoY revenue growth and an enviable EBITDA.” As a CMO, Rao’s role has been that of a ‘Change Agent’, focused on ‘Marketing Transformation’, working closely with the CEO/Board, crafting customized strategies focused on enabling growth, achieving company objectives (enhanced brand performance, brand awareness) in alignment with stakeholders – both internal (CEO, Board, LOBs etc) and external (Customers, Alliance Partners, Regulatory Agencies, Analysts etc) with a 360 degree engagement and 3C approach (Consult, Collaborate, Calibrate). Metrics based approach, leveraging marketing analytics for forecasting, optimizing, making informed decisions has helped the company maximize its success.

CtrlS had to initially cope with multi-cultural, localization of messages, positioning, differentiation across Indian Ocean, South East Asia, APJ, Middle East, Americas and Europe by leveraging digital platforms, offline marketing tactics to make inroads into the minds of prospective customers through localized (customized) tactics and strategies. But with time everything started falling in place and the company is today positioned as Asia’s largest Tier-4 Datacenter company and the world’s 1st Tier-4 Cloud Player (Cloud4C) with Global Footprint across 17 countries (40 countries by 2019).

Western Digital is driving the digitalization wave in the entertainment industry Kinny Nayyar Marketing Head - India & South Asia, Western Digital Corporation Western Digital believes that the customer is the king and brands that understand their customers’ needs will succeed. “For us, the India market is important and our investments in the country continue to be strong. We have a very strong R&D center based out of Bangalore. Our association with the media industry has given us a big impetus this year specifically in the Indian market. Last year we collaborated with Clean slate productions and Fox Star Studio for the movie, “Phillauri” and continued the association this year with Fox Star Studio for the Siddharth Malhotra and Jacqueline Fernandez starrer, A Gentleman – Sundar, Susheel, Risky. This has helped manifold the brand in increasing its penetration into a new segment of media and entertainment. Digitalization is away forward for this industry and the entertainment business has generally been a front-runner in adopting new technologies. Western Digital’s association with Fox Star studio is a long standing one and has led an innovation march in the entertainment business. Understanding these technologies and predicting the trends and sectors is critical for any business to grow and expand,” explains Kinny Nayyar, Marketing Head - India & South Asia, Western Digital Corporation.

One primary focus for Western Digital now is on strengthening its team and creating a pillar to pillar strength in India to ensure that it has a very strong core built, thereby creating a robust value system for the customers.

Kinny asserts that the role of CMO is changing day by day because of the evolving technology. They play a major role in acquiring customers today and contemporary marketing is getting redefined by the use of technology. From acquiring customers to giving them an unforgettable experience, technology has become a game changer and an enabler for ensuring better business practices. For CMOs today, listening to customers has become one of the key ingredients shaping their success in connecting brands with customers.

“Marketers used to initially rely on the traditional marketing tools, however, customers today go through different stages of the buying process, enabling a stronger understanding of the customer which is more important than ever before. Today, brands are looking at innovative ways to engage with the customers so that they feel comfortable making the purchase whenever they are ready. As the customer market is becoming more complex, brands are struggling to simplify and survive. It is best to create a quality, personalized experience for each customer,” sums up Kinny.

www.varindia.com

September 2017

39

CMO SPECIAL

Trend Micro tries to be in sync with technology changes to address new threats Nilesh Jain Country Manager- (India and SAARC) - Trend Micro “Recently, there has been a surge in banking transactions across various digital platforms resulting in a lot of confidential data flow, an easy access for hackers looking at monetary gain or creating large scale disruption. As the country is moving towards digitisation and a cashless economy, the threat landscape is also rapidly evolving, especially across the financial and BFSI segment. Organisations and customers’ vulnerability to data and security breach in the new economy is expected to rise. From a business standpoint, there is a huge potential in the current market for global security experts like Trend Micro to address the challenges of enterprises,” opines Nilesh Jain, Country Manager- (India and SAARC) - Trend Micro.

There is a whole new market for IOT (Internet of Things), which has created a new ecosystem and a new threat landscape. Trend Micro’s investments today are on the users’ side and on the deployment of cloud technology. Also, network functions are being virtualized. And so it feels that Trend Micro has to be in sync with the technology changes, as hackers can exploit the new threats and these include the main areas of research.

From endpoint to gateway to data centre and the cloud, Trend Micro offers software and services that target the specific needs of enterprises. It offers solutions to meet the demands of small and big enterprises from various sectors. Cloud and networking are one of the key focus areas of Trend Micro.

Recently, it invested in Next Gen Endpoint security, Breach Detection System, Endpoint Detection and Response, Security Information & Event Management and Identity & Access management. Its flagship product, Deep Security provides solutions secure software defined security network environment.

The Trend Micro Smart Protection Network, which powers its market-leading solutions, contributes to high customer satisfaction, which in turn generates opportunities for Trend Micro complementary solutions. Trend Micro delivers market-leading security solutions that address three important and expanding business opportunities - User Protection; Hybrid Cloud Security; Network Defense.

“We have structured our channel strategy to deliver better solutions to enterprises; overall in India and APAC. We help the channels service their customers better, because in the end it helps us yield better results in business. Retaining customer in this volatile market is difficult, but we aim to achieve it by attending to our customer’s requirement proactively,” says Nilesh.

NetApp concocts a success story around Flash Storage Parag Amalnerkar Marketing Leader, India & South Pacific – NetApp NetApp believes that “Intensity” is better than “Extensity” – which means instead of spreading resources over multiple messages, choose the best story and invest all resources in it. For NetApp, the best story is Flash (due to the most complete and differentiated portfolio in the industry) and it has duly invested in it.

“We are the fastest growing flash vendor globally; growing faster than the market with over $1B of annualized revenue. In India too, we have frequently attained #1 position in terms of market share. Of course, it’s marketing that acts as the headlights of an organization and guides to what’s the next best bet towards success. For instance, all data suggested that All Flash will be in excess of 50% of the external storage market by CY2020.Therefore, since we had the obvious advantages of Flash in terms of power, cooling, density and reducing prices, it made sense for NetApp to bat on the front foot and move the battle away from legacy leaders; to fight with this new approach. The results speak for themselves. We are increasingly the predominant and preferred All Flash brand of choice in enterprises and our QoQ and YoY growth is amongst the highest in the market,” says Parag Amalnerkar, Marketing Leader, India & South Pacific – NetApp. On digital transformation, Parag cites that each enterprise must undergo digital transformation to remain competitive. To do so, they should first and foremost define milestones with clear KPI’s supported by adequate market expertise to help outline and measure these goals. Secondly, the enterprises need to focus on the best of both technology and talent – a convergence of in-house and partnership skills that will aid this journey. And last but not the least, this transformation has to be CEO led but driven by the CIO.

40

September 2017

www.varindia.com

Digisol wants to see itself emerging as a ‘Made in India’ brand Mandar Joshi Head Channel Business - DIGISOL Systems One of the main focuses last year was to position DIGISOL as a major “Made in India” brand, giving importance to locally manufactured products. Today DIGISOL has emerged as a string 'Made In India' brand in the Indian Networking market which is today flooded with other foreign brands, especially Chinese that are slowly killing profitability in this space.

“We want to establish ourselves as an Indian brand. We have technology and infrastructure to do that and that makes DIGISOL different from other brands. We wanted to make it a pull brand from a push brand and therefore, we wanted to make sure that our channel knows DIGISOL very well and they are confident to sell the products. We have seen good growth in wireless market after the massive marketing and promotion activities,” comments Mandar Joshi, Head Channel Business - DIGISOL Systems.

As per IDC, 2016 report, Digisol is among the top four brands in wireless products for unit shipment. Last fiscal year was good for DIGISOL as it emerged as a strong player in home and SOHO segment and got good mind and market share for broadband routing. It also did good business in wireless segment and is now amongst the top brands in Wireless.

With advent of Digitisation, mobility and social media consumer awareness is increasing and is also reflecting in consumer buying behaviour. Digisol realizes that in today’s time, the brand presence on digital media is a must. The presence on online channel increases the visibility of the products and some customers who see the product online call the offline stores for products. In other words, online visibility brings business to the traditional channel as well. Nowadays it is essential to be online to maintain the presence online that is a must for maintaining the brand image as well.

“We have big focus and budget to promote DIGISOL brand on digital media. While advertising in print media remains a part of our promotion, we will be very active on social media front on sites such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc,” sums up Mandar.

Commvault believes business leaders need to shelve their traditional roles Jezmynn Koh Director of Communications - Commvault APAC As CEOs continue to strengthen and normalize their leadership teams, temporal roles will either fall out of fashion or be calibrated to drive the key digital, data analytics and customer programmes in 2017. It will be no surprise that traditional and functional roles such as the Chief Marketing Officer and Chief Financial Officer will evolve, and new customer and business-centric functions will emerge.

Jezmynn Koh, Director of Communications - Commvault APAC gives away some top tips for business leaders to deliver business value to their organizations using data · A License to Innovate: Data Driven Decisions throughout Organizations Organizations must tap into their greatest assets – their employees – to win in a customerled and digital-centric market. A data-driven mindset and collaboration through the entire organization is the key to success. Insights from one department can be used to shape another, as case in point. Customer patterns, employee lifecycle, turnover rate can be used to co-relate with employee benefits and incentives from the finance team. For instance, when using data gleaned from sales performance, sales compensation needs to be tied to attainable metrics of success every quarter, to ensure a consistent level of business delivery, employee satisfaction and engagement.

Upskilling and Development: Preparing Leaders for the Future When organizations continue to invest in employees, development of new skills that allows them to cope with the transformation of roles and job scopes is also crucial. Workshops, skill development programmes, and grassroots initiatives are all important in boosting morale, also allowing businesses to reduce turnover and build a strong company culture.

Go Your Own Way: Build Your Own Talent Acquisition Capabilities Another key to success is finding your own talent. Most organizations rely on agencies and recruitment managers to find talent, but using data internally could yield better results. Building your own talent acquisition capability is a viable solution, using data-centric tools to start building a proactive sourcing engine which can identify and cultivate talent ahead of an opening, instead of always running behind.

This is particularly crucial in a period of hyper growth, where it is extremely important to have a strict process in place to ensure there is consistent cultural measurement. In such times, there is always a temptation to hire rapidly, but it is important to screen candidates for culture fit, have them embedded in the company culture so as to become meaningful contributors to it.

www.varindia.com

September 2017

41

CMO SPECIAL

McAfee constantly tries to simplify cyber security for a wider audience acceptance Rupa Roy Head of MArketing, APAC - McAfee McAfee’s focus as one of the largest pure play cybersecurity players has been to be torch bearers for the industry. “We have been leading the way to promote awareness through all our marketing efforts and sensitize consumers as well as enterprises about evolving security threats. Awareness prompts readiness and owning this onus has been a major imperative for McAfee. We also engage with our stakeholders and customers on a regular basis because cybersecurity has now moved from a back-office reality of IT into the boardroom. Since Cybersecurity is a complex domain, we are also constantly working on how we can simplify the message for it to resonate with a wider audience since it’s something that concerns everybody. This has been our success mantra leading to many major achievements in 2016-17,” explains Rupa Roy, Head of Marketing, APAC - McAfee.

Owing to India being the hotbed for growth, it’s one of the fastest growing markets for McAfee in APAC. The company has been growing in double digits over the last several years and it expects to continue that trajectory across public and private sector. As a testament of this growth, McAfee in India has partnered with approximately 49% of ET 500 and aim to cover 60% of ET500 companies, with an overall target to increase the customer base by 20%.

Additionally, building on established ongoing relationships with leading OEM manufacturers like LG & Samsung, McAfee now also associated with one of the leading consumer electronics company Micromax. With these marquee partnerships, it has successfully expanded its security footprint in India.

McAfee believes that any organization’s digital transformation needs a connected architecture to share intelligence and orchestrate security operations in real time. Rupa explains, “When a house is being built, a number of factors are considered. All these factors are considered as standalone and as a whole i.e. how they would impact other considerations.

Example, a bigger drawing room could mean a smaller kitchen. Digital transformation can be considered on similar lines where security is inherent and not an afterthought. Isolated products create coverage gaps, impair visibility, sap budgets, and leave incident responders dealing with targeted attacks, scrambling and reacting.”

To enable such industry leading collaboration, McAfee’s Open DXL leverages the McAfee Data Exchange Layer (DXL) that enables unprecedented collaboration in an open, real-time system.

eScan endeavours to provide better customer experience through its customizable security solutions Rajat Sahu Head of Marketing - eScan A happy customer is always easy to engage and retain, hence eScan’s major focus is always to provide a seamless service that helps increase customer satisfaction. “Our single mantra for success is customer satisfaction with over the moon product experience. In our constant endeavour to achieve the same, we strive to improve these two aspects of the business continuously. One achievement I can speak of is when we were able to provide a highly customizable security solution or one of our valued customers in quick time, which in turn help them execute the projects seamlessly,” says Rajat Sahu, Head of Marketing – eScan.

Apart from that eScan also made its strong presence among the IT channel with higher satisfaction level that helped it to grow its channel network to more than 8300 active partners across India.

“As mentioned, one of eScan’s key mantra for growth is customer satisfaction and great product experience. Our constant effort towards building a channel friendly culture as well as stay ahead with global standard product quality helped us gaining market share across the business and consumer segments. We also constantly stay engaged with our customers& partners through various forums and platforms to reach out and resolve any problem at its budding stage. That has helped us garner the leadership position, at par with many international players,” reiterates Rajat.

According to Rajat, digital transformation is here to stay and though it might be complicated but it is inevitable for any enterprise to survive the change and grow. “Digital Transformation not only empowers the enterprise to increase its speed, efficiency, agility but also adds to profitability and faster growth. Digital transformation is the backbone of every business it becomes crucial and critical to safe guard the business and confidential DATA secure but also makes the business services accessible 24 x7 for the customers,” points out Rajat.

Hence, a robust and strong IT policy will help organisations harness the powers of digital while making it agile to the times of change and faster growth.

42

September 2017

www.varindia.com

Lenovo understands the value of analytics in its business success Sriram Gopalaswamy Head of Commercial Marketing - Lenovo Data empowers marketers and gives them the power during pointy business discussions. In the views of Sriram Gopalaswamy, Head of Commercial Marketing – Lenovo, the most successful marketers are those who know the value of analytics.

“This goes far beyond measuring return on investment, share of voice, reach, engagement, market share or market growth – although all of these remain important. Our success mantra has been to increase our customer knowledge over the last one year, in the SMB segment. Many organisations pursue greater customer-centricity. Certainly, at Lenovo we see this as a high priority,” points out Sriram Gopalaswamy, Head of Commercial Marketing – Lenovo.

Due to its focus on building customer information and reaching out to customers with a dedicated telemarketing engine, Lenovo gained 5.5% YTY share in the SMB Segment in CY 2016-17 in India (as per IDC Shipment report).

“An example of us moving to customer centricity is our own voice of the customer (VOC) project in India (and in Japan), in which we analyse customer comments in social media channels and forums, and share the insights with our customer engagement and product development teams. Every month this means we have around 700,000 customers giving insight on how to make our products and services better,” he says.

In a Forrester paper commissioned by Lenovo and SAP in January 2016, on average 70% of data within companies goes unused. Organization must continuously watch and listen to their customers and prospects. That means both data and analysis drive the definition of the customer engagement experience.

“It applies to your products and services, the way you engage with your customers, and in the way those who talk to customers interact with them (from the CEO through to the customer care technician). Listening for opportunities to discover how customers experience the same from your competitors, or new entrants coming to market, is valuable in reviewing your own approach,” says Sriram.

For Sify, Relationship Marketing is a prime focus for its brand positioning Arvind Saxena Group Marketing Head - Sify Technologies Ltd. Sify invests in making a difference to the lives of all those that the brand touches – be it Customers, Shareholders, Employees, Partners. “We call it Relationship Marketing. We maximize the time we invest across various touch points and gather insights constantly to address the needs of the ecosystem.

Our 360 degree customer outreach strategy gives us deep insights on enterprise buying behaviours, customer journey mapping, in addition to the broader technology shifts and whitespaces therein.

Media being the biggest catalyst of change and change-makers, has helped us share our POVs and strategic positioning in the market, with industry peers across Print and Digital,” explains Arvind Saxena, Group Marketing Head - Sify Technologies Ltd. Sify Technologies has built a knowledge-sharing community of Thought Leaders over the past 1 year that supports each other with rich insights on technology best practices across industries. “The fact that we are on Gartner’s Magic Quadrant for the fourth consecutive year reinforces our standing as a leading service provider. Enabling customers on their transformation journeys has helped us maintain high satisfaction scores among our 8500+ customers,” says Arvind.

In the past year, Sify introduced additional layer of services with the intent of helping enterprises scale rapidly. In the network space, its offerings such as SMACnet and Managed WiFi service have ascended from enterprises requiring workforce collaboration in an era of hyper-connectivity. Similarly, its WAN Transformation solution enables a unified cloud based network management replacing the hassles of managing disparate networks and vendors. Sify has been a leading player in Applications such as SAP, helping enterprises with their ERP transformation.

To re-define their business from both a strategic as well as a technology standpoint, Sify partners with its customers for ideas. In verticals like BFSI, it has been able to lay the groundwork for firms to enable seamless digital transactions, payment gateways and fintech start-ups along with new forms of technology based insurance models.

2016-17 has been a year of Customer Delight coupled with industry recognition for its work in the space of Product Innovation and Business Impact from leading industry analysts and publications. Being crowned the “Business Superbrand of the Year” and CIO Review’s “Most Promising Data Center Solutions Provider’, Microsoft’s “Cloud Partner of the Year” among a slew of other awards is a testimony to the increasing confidence of its customers and partner community. “The trophies were for us, but our gratitude is for our customers,” asserts Arvind.

www.varindia.com

September 2017

43

CMO SPECIAL

Digital and marketing analytics is an important component at Netmagic Prasenjit Roy Senior VP & CMO – Netmagic (An NTT Communications Company) With the growing number of tools available to aid marketers in understanding consumer behaviour at a faster rate and a deeper granularity, the digital space is constantly evolving. Due to this evolution, marketers across multiple industries are still not in the same wavelength when it comes to understanding the potency of digital technology and the changes it can engender.

“Netmagic places significant emphasis on the importance of digital and marketing analytics that will help us to shape, execute and support the growth agenda while delivering on our customer promise. Our digital marketing strategy drives a successful lead-generation tactic that is targeted to meet several criteria. Our actionable leads are primarily generated through – search engine marketing (SEM), Social media advertising, email marketing, direct email, events or trade shows, and so on. Few of the key ones are – • Reaching a specific audience of our target customers; • Generating and tracking a large numbers of marketing qualified leads for the company; • Creating funnel of sales qualified leads • Measuring the costs and ROI. Moreover, companies are increasingly deepening their customer relationship by leveraging what they know about a given customer to personalize offerings. We engage them vide customer round tables, surveys, and promotion through media and analyst reports. We organize our customized customer forums or events to learn more about their requirement and accordingly feedback to our Sales and the Product Development team,” explains Prasenjit Roy, Senior Vice President & Chief Marketing Officer – Netmagic (An NTT Communications Company).

Netmagic today is at the tipping point of leveraging the mobility and disruptive technologies to enable clients to implement truly Digital IT. It has its unique identity, position play and specialization in Hybrid IT – the management of complex IT environments including multi-cloud scenarios by a single solution provider. Moreover it is the only end-to-end infrastructure Solution Provider who can act as a one-stop shop for needs pertaining to MultiClouds, Dedicated Hosting and Managed Services. Its continued investment in efforts and innovation of its services line has not only been appreciated by its customers, but also by several CIO and analyst communities.

Ricoh sees itself as an emerging player in the cloud application area Yuki Uchida VP & CMO - Ricoh India Ltd. To acquire customers, the first thing is to know the requirement of the market and the consumer. You then need to create value for the consumer through innovative offerings that fosters a virtuous cycle of improvement.

“In the past year we focused at capitalizing on new cloud and collaboration capabilities to power digital transformation projects,” says Yuki Uchida, VP & CMO - Ricoh India Ltd. “Our strategy was to respond to changing market conditions and customer needs through secure access to apps, data from any device or in the cloud and streamline complex workflows with the help of advanced document management platform.”

During 2016, Ricoh had put development focus on bringing new user experience in its cloud application, RicohDocs 3.0, an office automation platform that enables users to manage all unstructured content & automate all business processes with absolute ease. “At the same time, we listened to various customer needs and brought many business process workflows such as Expense Reporting, Travel Authorization, etc. incorporated into the application. Ricoh will keep focusing on delivering the easy-to-use and effective solutions for customer needs,” says Yuki.

He further continues, “Ricoh is well known name when it comes to imaging solution and IT services. But we still need a long way to go to position ourselves as a leader in cloud application area.

With our new business proposition, ‘Empowering Digital Workplace’, we will improve workplace by using innovative technologies & services hence enabling individuals to work smarter. We will continue focus on the user experience and effective and efficient workflow, which save both time and money for the customers. Once we develop the workflow, we will release it as packaged solution for the customers who require the similar needs to widen our application coverage and customer base.”

On the topic of digitization, Yuki opines that in this era, enterprises need to transform their existing business processes and models. They are looking for the right partners and service providers who can help them easily adapt to the change and harness the power of innovative technologies like IoT, cloud, mobility, big data, unified communications, etc. The success of the partnership and the customers is rooted in factors like increased productivity and business efficiency, enhanced customer experience and engagement, managing security threats and drive revenue and growth across geographies.

44

September 2017

www.varindia.com

VBS transitioning from a sales approach to a vertical propositions approach Monalisa Sahoo Senior VP – Marketing, Vodafone Business Services Vodafone Business Services (VBS) takes an insight-driven approach to marketing that puts a lot of emphasis on understanding its customers, their business priorities and challenges, and partnering with them in their journey towards achieving key milestones.

“One of our most successful and award winning marketing initiatives last year was the ‘Ready Business’ campaign designed specifically for the Small and Medium Enterprises. Based on the insight that SMEs are keen to leverage technology to digitalize and scale up their business but need a trusted partner to help them navigate through this journey, we designed this marketing initiative which starts with a Ready Business Survey to assess how digitally ready they are, and then through a consultative approach Vodafone helps them identify the right solutions to meet their business ambitions. So far, we have conducted more than 2 Lac surveys (through both digital and face to face method), which is one of the largest done for SMEs in India. This has further led to mapping the right business solution for the customers, resulting in a significant impact on sales. The Ready Business campaign has won multiple awards including the Effies India and Aegis Graham Bell Marketing Innovation award,” says Monalisa Sahoo, Senior VP – Marketing, Vodafone Business Services.

One of the key growth drivers for Vodafone’s enterprise business is the SME segment that has delivered about 30% growth year-on-year. VBS has moved from a sales approach based on offerings, to a vertical propositions approach i.e. creating solution packages tailor-made for specific industry verticals like hospitality, manufacturing, construction, ITeS and more. The focus therefore is on customer needs with customised solution bundles. This, combined with the Ready Business survey specially designed for SME, has positioned VBS as an industry leader for this segment. “In fact, we have won Frost & Sullivan ICT award for SMB segment for 2 years in a row,” she states.

VBS is aggressively adopting a digital approach for customer engagement to deliver an omni-channel experience to its customers. Some of these initiatives are • Self-care customer portals for multiple services: For higher control and transparency to customers • Digital adoption to enhance internal processes: For delivering reliable service • Deployment of analytics: Optimizing customer experience with front-end offerings and enhancing back-end processes

D-Link fosters a cordial relationship with both its customers and partners Anoop Jarial VP – Product Marketing, D-Link (India) While acquiring customer is an important aspect of business, engaging with them on a regular basis is crucial. Understanding customer needs, connecting with them, and aligning business processes to deliver desired output that meet their needs is the key to fostering a long term vendor-customer relationship.

With the accelerating pace of change, the role of marketing in an organization has also broadened and is more aligned towards business growth. While marketers continue to reach out to their market place through traditional medium, it is imperative to also adapt to newer trends which encompasses use of digital platforms which has almost become ‘voice of the customers’ these days.

“In today dynamic market place, strategic & focused marketing plays an important role as it provides for competitive edge and leads to long term success of the organization. In the process it is essential to analyze market conditions, customer buying pattern, take a note of external environments that influence markets like economic, cultural, political, and then accordingly device a strategy that will help meet both short-term & long-term company goal. At D-Link, we have a multipronged strategy to reach out to both distribution network as well as end-consumer.

Throughout the year we connect and engage with channels/re-sellers/LFRs/eCommerce partner and empower them to address growing demand for D-Link networking devices. Similarly we reach out to end consumers through various informative and innovation campaigns to update them on our latest products/solution offerings. Our marketing approach includes a mix of tradition media like print, and new age digital platform like social media that aims to foster a long lasting customer relationship,” says Anoop Jarial, VP – Product Marketing, D-Link (India).

D-Link realizes the importance of a sound & effective customer engagement strategy. With its marketing campaigns in the past, and also as it moves forward, D-Link seeks to extend its innovative networking solution to the masses as well as business enterprises and help differentiate the brand positioning basis the product & service offerings.

“At D-Link it is our unique positing & brand reliability that has helped D-Link retain market share across different product segments. We continue to be undisputed leaders in Wireless & Switching. D-Link is certain to carry forward the success in future. The present government focuses on driving the country's economy and digital infrastructure has broadened the horizon for brands like ours, and we look forward to being a part of nation building process in this digital era,” says Anoop.

www.varindia.com

September 2017

45

CMO SPECIAL

Epson looks to adapting its business model as per customer needs Tushad Talati Director - Brand & Communication, Epson India Epson is a customer-centric organization and believes in adapting its business model to suit the growing consumer demand. Constant technological advancements coupled with increased adoption of IT amongst consumers is ensuring that expectations are ever changing. Key to these expectations are lower costs and higher efficiency. The consumer is no longer willing to accept what is thrown at them by manufacturers.

“At Epson, our belief is to always innovate and offer revolutionary products that appeal to the changing needs of people,” reminds Tushad Talati, Director - Brand & Communication, Epson India. “Our biggest achievement was to secure the No.1 position in the Inkjet printer market (by Volume in addition to Value) in Q1 as the market leader in terms of Unit share for the first time ever. Epson captured 42.9% of the Inkjet market by Volume. Epson’s Value market share (where we have been No. 1 for a few years now) increased to 51.8%. We now have an amazing 2 million InkTank printer users in the country, a landmark we recently crossed. More and more number of people are realizing the value Epson InkTank printers provide over cheap cartridge printers,” he says.

As per IDC’s latest Hard Copy Peripherals (HCP) Quarterly market report for 2017 Q2, Epson’s Inkjet market share is 34.4% as per volume &47.4% as per value. In the projector category, Epson is the No.1 brand as per the latest data published by FutureSource Consulting, registering a consistent growth with 29.7% market share in terms of unit shipments. In POS printers and DMP, Epson’s share is in excess of 50% and we are the clear No. 1 brand.

In achieving all these, a CMO plays a crucial role, in the way he performs the marketing function. “CMOs have a larger role as the “representation of the customer” across companies as they respond to significant changes in the marketplace. There are huge and tectonic shifts taking place in marketing at the moment. The consumer and his/her expectations are evolving with mind boggling rapidity. The consumption of media has changed and keeps changing constantly. The CMOs role is evolving constantly and with the growing focus on Digital, it’s imperative for CMOs to keep themselves abreast of latest trends in the Digital space and the ever evolving consumer. Companies must focus on broadening the role of marketing in general and the CMOs in particular. They should be entrusted with playing a more active role in shaping the company’s public profile, helping to manage complexity, and building new capabilities within the marketing department,” Tushad concludes.

Rashi Peripherals has conceptualized many innovative programs to enable its partners Rajesh Goenka Vice President, Sales & Marketing - Rashi Peripherals The role of CMOs has marked a significant transition from a Marketer to a Business enabler over the years. Today, a CMO’s major responsibilities include business consistency, creation of new revenue streams and the company’s internal and external positioning. There are many factors that influence the success of a CMO but in my opinion Conviction, Leadership and Trust are the three major parameters that determine a successful CMO. “In the span of over 13 years, I have identified numerous business prospects for Rashi Peripherals and its stakeholders. In my capacity as a Vice President, Sales & Marketing, I focused on identifying new growth opportunities that commensurate with the objectives of the organization. It is said that Innovation is a key to success. I have driven many innovative marketing campaigns, which were highly applauded in the industry,” says Rajesh Goenka, Vice President, Sales & Marketing - Rashi Peripherals.

He further continues, “Robust and loyal channel base is very critical criteria for an organization’s success. I conceptualized innovative channel programs like ARP (Authorized Rashi Channel program) and RSI (Rashi System Integrator program) to build a strong and committed channel ecosystem. These programs were highly appreciated among partners and enabled Rashi Peripherals to have one of the most loyal channel base in India. In fact, a survey conducted by GFK in 2013, assert our commitment towards partners. In the survey, Rashi emerged as a strong relationship oriented organization with high scores on channel friendliness and partner involvement.”

Rajesh also conceptualized special programs for partners’ families such as NSC certificates for their children’s education, gifts to their spouse, and foreign tours. “My foreign trip programs way back in 2001 were one of the first in the industry, where we took almost 100 partners to Star Cruise and 60 partners in Tokyo, which was unheard during those days,” he says.

Rajesh takes a lot of pride to say that irrespective of market conditions Rashi Peripherals has marked a consistent growth of 25% percent CAGR over the last 15 years. Apart from being instrumental in this fascinating growth journey, Rajesh has extensively worked towards representing Rashi Peripherals as a holistic IT solution provider company with a more diverse and balanced product portfolio. “Today, we have a healthy mix of Component business (23%), PC business (25%) and Mobile business (about 25%). I can vouch that no other distributor in the world can have such a balanced portfolio. I consider this as my one of the biggest achievements as a CMO,” he sums up.

46

September 2017

www.varindia.com

For Juniper existing customers are as important as potential customers Anshul Tripathi Director Partner Marketing- APAC & Head MarketingIndia and South Asia, Juniper Networks For Anshul Tripathi – Director Partner Marketing- APAC & Head Marketing- India and South Asia, Juniper Networks, marketing should be looked at a strategic department and an important function.

“Marketing is very important to be aligned to the business, whether it is the kind of vertical that the business is focusing upon or the products and solutions that we want to take to the market. So that’s how I want the people in my organization to see marketing as a strategic department. My first objective for the year is alignment to my business. As a B2B marketing organisation and a marketing person in the company, we work around integrated campaigns around key offerings which is cloud, network transformation and security. So by integrated campaign what I mean is that we have a sustained engagement with the customer, right from offering him digital content - which is how a customer is consuming information these days to working together with the partner ecosystem. We have a good partner visibility as we don’t go to the market directly. Anything we do in India is through partners. So it also becomes important for us to work along with the partner while we drive the customers and hence we work on joint campaigns. From the acquisition, retention and engagement point of view, I personally feel that retention is a key aspect for an organization,” explains Anshul.

So retention for Juniper as a marketing organization is the key to retaining the existing clients.

For that it becomes important for the company to demonstrate the value of its products to its existing customers which will take them to the next level and they in turn deliver value to their customers. Juniper does it by building a customer community which helps it and also its customers and partners to support the complete product cycle, whether that be through marketing & sales support, customer relationship and lastly product support.

2017 has otherwise been a very good year for Juniper. In this calendar year – from January to December, Juniper has seen a stellar performance. In India Juniper today is a well established organization and its business identifies some key verticals. “With everything going digital nowadays, every vertical that is adopting a digital strategy is a prospective business vertical for us,” concludes Anshul.

Consumers are the brand ambassadors for Dell Ritu Gupta Director, Marketing, Consumer & Small Business - Dell, India An innovative product/solution is at the heart of any brand’s relationship with its customers. Dell’s innovation to consistently deliver solutions that match varying user needs has been instrumental in defining the trust it has built with customers over the years. “It is this innovation around which customer engagement is built. Product innovation, accessibility across various media, sustained conversations, and extended support beyond the point of purchase, come together to create a cushion of trust between the brand and its consumers,” says Ritu Gupta, Director, Marketing, Consumer & Small Business - Dell, India.

She further continues, “While our products are the focal point, sharable content and content around the Dell brand also feature as a part of our content strategy. Dell delivers consumer campaigns through the year, which are crafted to cater to various audiences based on their unique technology requirements and usage patterns. Our campaigns engage with various user groups including students, youth and young professionals to encourage the use of the PC for the fulfilment of personal and professional aspirations.”

Dell’s most recent initiative Dell Aarambh, a pan India ‘PC for education’ initiative, was born out of an in-depth evaluation of the consumers’ attitude towards the personal computer and the role it plays in their lives.

As a technology brand, Dell’s users are always scouting for information they can use in their day to day lives. Social media, as a tool offers extensive reach to interact - listen and respond, with its audience. The customers, for whom it builds innovative technology solutions are Dell's brand ambassadors. A business is successful when it delivers a compelling value proposition to its customers. A comprehensive marketing strategy enables customers to wholly understand this proposition. No consumer brand can make an impact on its target audience without winning a certain level of the consumer’s trust. A well-crafted strategy not only builds customer’s trust but also ensures that the relationships between the brand and its customers is sustained.

“Our belief in understanding our customers’ needs enables us to deliver technology that can transform their lives. This fulfilling relationship ensures that our customers see us not just as an enabler, but as a technology companion who can complement their capabilities and can maximize their achievements,” concludes Ritu.

www.varindia.com

September 2017

47

CMO SPECIAL

For CP Plus, customers form the company’s backbone Anupam Sah Senior Marketing Manager - CP Plus India CP Plus believes that keeping its customers at the center of what the company does has been the winning way for it, because, in the end, a brand’s value is directly proportional to the level of its customers’ experience.

Some of its major achievements have been are • CP Plus is India’s No.1 Video surveillance brand with the largest market shareholding as per HIS Survey.

• Its winning campaign “UparWala Sab Dekh Raha Hai” was bestowed with the prestigious Silver Abbey Award at the Goa Fest’ 16 • The brand was recognized and approved by DGS&D • It was awarded the India Video Growth Surveillance Excellence Leadership Award 2016 by Frost & Sullivan for outstanding contribution to the growth of video surveillance.

• It is the youngest and fastest brand to enter the Global Top 4 and Asia Top 2 Club.

“CP PLUS is a market leader in CCTV surveillance in India with more than 40% market share. We have a market penetration unlike any other. With more than 6500 partners and system integrators spread across the country to provide service, CP PLUS has managed to reach the remotest nook and corners with a strong customer base,” reiterates Anupam Sah, senior marketing manager - CP Plus India.

Despite being a relatively new industry, the surveillance industry comprises of both the organized and the unorganized sector. While buyer behaviour is steadily changing, one thing remains constant – the value that a brand brings to the table. Being a customer oriented company has kept the company moving forward through the competition. “Be it through better products or improved service, we always try to bring more value to our customers which, I believe, should be the most important criteria for any brand,” says Anupam.

An effective marketing strategy helps Supertron become a brand name V.K. Bhandari Chairman and Managing Director - Supertron Electronics Marketing is an integral part of any organization and the CMO plays an important role in connecting organization vision and corporate affairs with the outer world. “It stands true for us as well,” says V.K. Bhandari, Chairman and Managing Director - Supertron Electronics. “FY 16-17 has been an eventful journey for us and we are not only focused on retaining customers but also focused in accruing new customers in every vertical. In the prospective of IT distribution, the customers for us are partners through whom we sell our products to the end customers.”

A few important aspect of its marketing strategy helped in promoting successfully Supertron as a Brand by itself in the market. It employs an effective marketing investment for relevant business goals, creates linkage between marketing & business objectives, emphasizes on its forte of distribution with a strategy revolving around New Business, New Market, New vision & Ideas, focuses on improved customer experience through constantly evolving operation process and effectively utilizes technology in marketing. All these marketing activities have helped to differentiate Supertron from the crowd.

Supertron also has a robust CRM (Customer Relationship Management) process that enables identifying the right market and partners, basis the product requirement. It uses the Telesales approach for optimization of flow of information and brings about customer delight by personal touch. Supertron is also present and active in all forms of digital platform and it keeps updating information for its customers.

Schneider Electric leveraging digital transformation to target its customers Bidisha Nagaraj Chief Marketing Officer - Schneider Electric India

48

September 2017

Schneider Electric is currently going through a digital transformation by focusing on Innovation at every level to transform the places where people live, work & play and riding on the wave of the Internet of Things, making everyone and everything more connected. As a global specialist in energy management and automation, it seizes the opportunities from today’s megatrends: urbanisation, industrialisation, and digitisation.

“To address these megatrends and make our customers future-ready we look at influencing customers around Thought Leadership and Demand Generation at stages of Discovery, Preference and Order closure. Our marketing ammunition primarily involves all levels of Digital and Event-Led tools,” says Bidisha Nagaraj, Chief Marketing Officer - Schneider Electric India.

In the coming years, Digitisation will remain at the core of how Schneider engages with its customers in this new and changes world of experiential economy. As part of Schneider’s EcoStruxure architecture the company works with start-ups and other IT leaders to sharply provide the best analytics and cloud capabilities solution for customers. www.varindia.com

www.varindia.com

September 2017

49

PC Market Leadership Survey 2017 Ethernet– Switches LaserJet Printer Control Systems Back-up

Dot-matrix printer

UTM

Recovery software

LaserJet Printer Control Systems

Storage

Servers

Business Intelligence PBX Systems

Application Delivery network

Workstation Multi function printer Application Delivery network Control

Enterprise Surveillance

Thin Client

Dot-matrix printer Enterprise Digital Rights Management Servers

Graphic cards

Anti-virus

Dot-matrix printer

Multi function printer InkJet

Storage

MPS Routers

Systems

Control Systems Workstation

MPS Routers

Multi function printer InkJet

Storage

UTM Application Delivery network Business Intelligence PBX Systems

Graphic cards Control Systems Back-up

Anti-virus

Business Intelligence PBX Systems Hard disk drive

Multi function printer InkJet MPS Routers

Graphic cards

Anti-virus

Control Systems Back-up

Business Intelligence PBX Systems Servers

Servers

Hard disk drive

LaserJet Printer Multi function printer

Inktank printer

Workstation Solid State drives Thin Client

Enterprise Surveillance

Projectors PC Market Servers

Anti-virus Business Intelligence

Graphic cards

Enterprise Digital Rights Management Multi function printer InkJet MPS Routers

Graphic cards

Anti-virus

Control Systems Back-up

Business Intelligence PBX Systems Dot-matrix printer

UTM

Recovery software

LaserJet Printer Control Systems

Storage

Graphic cards

Digital camera

Application Delivery network

Enterprise Surveillance Workstation Multi function printer Application Delivery network Control

Thin Client

Dot-matrix printer Enterprise Digital Rights Management

Multi function printer InkJet MPS Routers

Systems

Servers

Graphic cards

Anti-virus

Dot-matrix printer

Multi function printer InkJet MPS Routers

Enterprise Digital Rights Management

Storage

Multi function printer Enterprise Surveillance Enterprise Digital Rights Management

Smartphones

Control Systems Workstation Business Intelligence PBX Systems UTM

Application Delivery network Multi function printer InkJet MPS Routers

Storage

Business Intelligence Servers

Business Intelligence PBX Systems Dot-matrix printer Servers

Uninterruptible power supply

Servers

Control Systems Back-up

Enterprise Mobility Recovery software

Business Intelligence

Graphic cards Channel Anti-virus

Anti-virus

Electronic Security

Enterprise resource planning

Multi function printer InkJet MPS Routers

Graphic cards Control Systems Back-up

Anti-virus

Business Intelligence PBX Systems Servers

Graphic cards Hard disk drive Application Delivery network

Technology is growing in leaps and bounds, we, on the occasion of our 18th Anniversary special issue of VARINDIA, have attempted to outline the major trends across the IT spectrum, where we have drilled down into the segments which have shown how technology is getting transformed through the enablers called VARs. In the eighteenth year of VARINDIA’s Annual Channel Leadership Survey (CLS), our endeavour will be to present the feedback of thousands of solution providers, who casted their votes and recognized vendors in the categories of partnership, support and product innovation. The winners will be felicitated at the Star Nite Awards – 2017, which is slated to take place on 3rd November, 2017 in New Delhi. The survey focusses on the emerging technologies and contemporary product evolution (hardware / software / services) by technology vendors for addressing the needs and challenges of today’s customers.

50

September 2017

www.varindia.com

There is no denying the fact that technology will only help the world become a more prosperous and more equal place and that it will benefit all in the society, wherever they are in this world. We have reached a new phase in the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Today, we see that technologies like Artificial Intelligence and robotics, virtual & augmented reality, blockchain, cybersecurity, autonomous driving, drones and biosciences are being applied to solve global challenges. Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) for predictive diagnostics and fleet management and many more is enabling businesses to handle the massive amounts of data collected in the hyper-connected world. And this has become possible only with the Technology Pioneers from the areas of hardware, software and service. Opportunities also seem promising for the growth of technologies by the innovative start-ups.

CSS Corp

Citrix

Canon

eScan

Cisco ForcepointNetmagic Lenovo

Sophos

Dell EMC

Huawei

CSS Corp Trend Micro

Juniper Networks

McAfee

VMware

Netmagic Trend Micro VMware Lenovo

HP Inc

NVIDIA

VMware

CSS Corp Dell EMC Sophos

VMware Lenovo Forcepoint Huawei Netgear Huawei eScan

NetApp McAfee HP Inc Canon Vertiv

Citrix NVIDIA HPE CSS Corp Hitachi Data Systems

Symantec

Huawei NVIDIA

Kingston

D-Link

Vertiv D-Link

Netgear

Vertiv

McAfee NVIDIA

CSS Corp

McAfee NetApp HP Inc

CSS Corp

VMware

Juniper Networks

Commvault Citrix NVIDIA HPE CSS Corp Hitachi Data Systems HP Inc Hitachi Data Systems

Netmagic Trend Micro

CSS Corp VMware D-Link

Huawei

Dell EMC Lenovo

CSS Corp

Vertiv

NVIDIA

Sophos

Symantec

Kingston

Huawei

D-Link

HPE HP Inc

Huawei

Cisco

NetApp

DellLenovo EMC

Sophos

D-Link

Vertiv D-Link

NVIDIA

NetApp McAfee HP Inc Canon

VMware

Netmagic Trend Micro VMware Lenovo

Huawei

Corp Dell EMC NVIDIA CSS Sophos

HP Inc

Lenovo Forcepoint VMware Fortinet Netgear Huawei Lenovo Symantec Fortinet NVIDIA D-Link Symantec Huawei Huawei

CSS Corp Trend Micro

Netgear

Juniper Networks D-Link McAfee VMware

Canon

Citrix

HP Inc NVIDIA

NetgearLenovoLG Vertiv Cloudera

CSS Corp

VMware Fujitsu McAfee Juniper Networks Trend Micro

eScan

D-Link

Juniper Networks

Citrix NVIDIA HPE CSS Corp Hitachi Data Systems eScan

Dell EMC

Vertiv

Cisco

Juniper Networks

Sophos

Symantec

Huawei

Kingston

Juniper Networks

Cisco ForcepointNetmagic NetgearLenovoLG Vertiv Cloudera Dell EMC

D-Link

Inc HPE HP NetApp DellLenovo EMC

Hitachi Data Systems

To complement the efforts, the Government has taken some concrete steps on Data Protection Framework for India. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has constituted an Expert Committee, headed by the former Supreme Court Judge, Shri B. N. Srikrishna, to identify the key data protection issues in India and recommend methods to address the problems.

Fujitsu

D-Link

VMware Juniper Networks Lenovo Cisco Forcepoint Netmagic NVIDIA

Hitachi Data Systems

There is also a global challenge around cybersecurity – everyone is asking the same question: can the world get better at cybersecurity?

Cybersecurity impacts every connected device at home and at work, every server, every network, every cloud, every sensor. Cyber-crooks are ready and are able to exploit weakness or opportunities in these new technologies or services.

Hitachi Data Systems

Globally, data consumption is continuing to grow exponentially with emerging technologies, such as Cloud Computing, Internet of Things, Machine to Machine, Virtual Reality and Artificial Intelligence. In India too, applications such as Aadhaar-based e-payments, e-authentication and e-commerce are growing manifold, transforming the everyday life of citizens. In this increasingly hyper-connected world, there is a need for new, dense networks Fortinet NVIDIA Trend Micro D-Link Symantec Huawei Inc HPE HP NetApp McAfee VMware based on extremely high data speed and lowHP Inc DellLenovo EMC NVIDIA Commvault Sophos response time.

Netgear LG Vertiv Cloudera Juniper Networks

Commvault Sophos

Netmagic

Vertiv

Sophos

Huawei

Netmagic

NVIDIA HPE

Lenovo

eScan

Dell EMC

Vertiv D-Link

Symantec

Kingston

The recently introduced GST regime has Forcepoint VMware Huawei put the countrymen under “One Nation One Citrix NVIDIA Huawei Hitachi Data Systems NetApp CSS Corp Tax” administration. The reform is aimed at HP Inc McAfee HP Inc VMware Trend Micro NVIDIA CSS Corp Dell EMC Sophos Canon bringing in transparency in taxation with a CSS Corp Trend Micro Netgear Lenovo Forcepoint VMware Juniper Networks D-Link Fortinet Netgear goal of safeguarding the interests of consumers McAfee VMware Lenovo Symantec Huawei as well as business houses and industries. The Government has also issued the Public Procurement (Preference to Make in India) Order, 2017. With the launch of the Make-in-India and Digital India initiatives, the Government has recognized the criticality of boosting ESDM (Electronics and IT Hardware Manufacturing) in order to meet the Prime Minister's vision of Net Zero imports by 2020. An upgraded version of Make in India 2.0 is being rolled out. The sectors include aerospace, pharma, electronics manufacturing, automobile and defence. Make in India 2.0 is expected to give a further impetus to the manufacturing sector in the country.

D-Link

We strongly believe in, and fully endorse, the role being played by technology in transforming everyday life. The kind of security technologies and principles we follow today are a far cry from those required.

However, if new-age technologies become mainstream, it would disrupt the normal course of information sharing and bring about an unprecedented change in the security world. We will continue to transform everybody’s life by giving technology updates for delivering smarter and secure networks. www.varindia.com

September 2017

51

CLS 2017

IT Vendors gear up for the Digital transformation era!

With the rapid development in ICT, the Technology sector in India has seen massive transformation happening in the last couple of years. To vet the current technology landscape, we spoke to a few technology vendors to understand the trends that they foresee in the prevailing market and the feedback from almost every one of them has surprisingly pointed out to one single fact and that is the digital transformation. Digital being the new norm, every corporates are going to see themselves investing in new-age technologies that will essentially help in transitioning their businesses to the digital future.

Anil Sethi Vice President, Channels, Dell EMC India

Nishikant Nigam EVP & Chief Delivery Officer CSS Corp.

Rajesh Maurya Regional Vice President, India & SAARC, Fortinet

52

September 2017

www.varindia.com

2017 for Dell has been unique so far, as there’s a lot of untapped opportunity in the OEM space and Dell sees huge opportunity in IoT and other advanced technologies.

“From Artificial Intelligence to Augmented & Virtual Reality to Cloud Computing, the process of Digital Transformation has successfully made its way into enterprises across industries. Businesses are moving to a more evolved thinking framework where technology will be seen as a tool to create elaborate and compelling user experiences. We at Dell EMC have invested a lot into an advanced technology center creating an ecosystem of labs and individual technology products built into architectures and transformational business solutions. We believe that cutting-edge business solutions will be an essential provider of the infrastructure of the digital future, supplying the channel and its customers with the technology they need to make advancements in every corner of the business world and society at large,” says Anil Sethi, Vice President, Channels -Dell EMC India.

“Digital is the new normal," says Nishikant Nigam, EVP & Chief Delivery Officer, CSS Corp. "Digital is prompting organizations across industries to reimagine their customer engagement strategies for better business success and outcomes. To survive in this digital age, companies must view digital as an opportunity, rather than as a threat. Instead of fearing away from digital transformation, embracing it will help one evolve.

Companies must invest in advanced data analytics solutions that aggregates customer interaction data from various touchpoints, converts that into recognizable patterns and recommends actionable insights resulting in faster issue resolution.”

Today's Networks include on-demand infrastructure, cloud-based services, software defined perimeters and the growth of smart devices and IoT. What’s missing however is a security strategy to protect these new environments.

“We need to protect data whether it's in the cloud, or on a mobile or IoT device, or inside the network. In addition, security also needs to look at a variety of behavioural analytics to determine the intent of an attacker. That’s why Fortinet has created the Fortinet Security Fabric, an integrated approach that provides the comprehensive protection today’s networks need.

The core of the Security Fabric is simple. Security tools that are integrated deep into the network, while also operating seamlessly across a variety of environments, from IoT to the cloud. They are then woven together into a single, fabric-based

framework that allows them collect, share and correlate threat intelligence between security and network devices, centrally manage and orchestrate policies, automatically synchronize resources to enforce policies, and coordinate a response to threats detected anywhere across the extended network,” comments Rajesh Maurya, Regional Vice President, India & SAARC - Fortinet.

According to Manoj Kanodia, CEO – Inspira, virtualization will drive the commoditization of hardware. “The next wave of commoditization will happen within networks software-defined networks (SDNs). Social Media, Mobility, Analytics and Cloud are the foundations that will enable the Digitization. The world is racing toward everything as a service (XaaS), which encompasses not only software and hardware but also areas such as data management, business process management, and content. With the surge of social media, digitization, connected devices, and sensors, vast amounts of data from different sources—each offering unique context—will be gathered and converted into insights using big data and data science. Security strategies will move beyond the era of stand-alone defense systems to include the broader spectrum of prevention, detection, response, and recovery.”

Handheld devices have become an instant source of access to internet these days. As a result more & more people are getting connected to the internet like never before. Technology has truly led to a connected world where distance is no more a barrier. Smartphones and Apps today are playing a major role in driving demand for connectivity devices. In my view we are heading towards a digital transformation and that is being majorly driven by Mobility, Cloud and Internet of things (IoT). In India the present day government is making significant investment in building digital infrastructure through its Digital India and Smart city programs. It has also rolled out initiatives that aim to educate& empower people on technology through its National Digital Literacy Mission (NDLM).

Today’s businesses are increasingly relying on IT to deliver innovative solutions to solve complex business problems. As digital transformation drives change, new tools have emerged to meet the issues of both IT and end users. The vision we set forward falls in line with VMware’s key strategic priorities that aims to accelerate the digital transformation process for customers,” cites Sundar Balasubramanian, Senior Director - General Business (Commercial Sales & Partners), VMware India. This happens through

Transform your business, transcend expectations with our technologically advanced solutions.

Data Center Services

1800 103 3130

Cloud Services

Network Services

Managed Services

Hosting Services

marketing@netmagicsolutions.com

www.varindia.com

September 2017

53

CLS 2017

Sundar Balasubramanian Senior Director - General Business (Commercial Sales & Partners), VMware India modernizing Data Centers, integrating Public Clouds, empowering the Digital Workspace and transforming Security.

“D-Link is in the forefront when it comes to delivering efficient technology solution that offers the latest & best in networking domain.

D-Link helps both businesses and customers Connect to More. Our enterprise solution enables organizations to connect to their customers; while our consumer range lets people to connect to their friends, family and a plethora of experiences.

D-Link continues to lead the networking industry with innovative products that provide highperformance and cost-effective products to deliver better connectivity, security, efficiency, and

Raghuram Krishnan Director, Partners/ Alliances Hitachi Data Systems, India

JN Mylaraiah Director, Sales – Enterprise Business for India & SAARC

54

September 2017

www.varindia.com

Vivek Sharma Managing Director of Lenovo Global Technologies India cost savings solutions for both home and offices,” points out Tushar Sighat, Executive Director & CEO, D-Link (India).

“Business Enterprises are looking to adopt technology/architectures that provide them an ability to be agile and scale up or scale down as per their business demands,” says Vivek Sharma, Managing Director of Lenovo Global Technologies India. “The Software Defined Datacenter today provides alternatives to business to adopt architectures such as Hyper Converged Infrastructure that bring together the compute, storage, network all into a single appliance of sorts and facilitate a build as you grow model with extremely simplified administration & operations management. Adoption of such software defined solutions is also becoming the business differentiators between those that have and those that have not.”

Being a pure play IT security Solution and product developer, eScan has been constantly at the cusp of growth with the ever evolving cyber threats. “IT security is the corner stone of any IT Infrastructure that facilitates business continuity needs a robust security solution as an integral part of business continuity in a connected world.

We as the security solution developers have been continuously building and strengthening our technology that use the latest Artificial Intelligence to IoT based specific solutions to be ready for the next wave of change in IT adoption," says Sunil Kripalani, Senior Vice President - Global Sales & Marketing – eScan. "We see a tremendous growth hack coming in the next few years with the major thrust on digitisation and smart city projects.

India being a growing country is fast adopting the technology across industries to government sectors to facilitate ease of reach, convenience and accessible round the clock for the new age consumers.”

When talking of digital transformation, there are three predominant areas that have started gaining prominence, according to Raghuram Krishnan, Director, Partners/ Alliances, Hitachi Data Systems, India. “The first category is datacenter trends, followed by technology trends and IT/OT/IoT trends. With the explosion of new technologies redefining the path of digital transformation, predictive and real time analytics is definitely paving the way forward in machine learning. However, the catch lies in using this explosion to our advantage and creates different ways to increase productivity."

In the building networks, Commscope sees a greater trend towards mobility. With the

Manoj Kanodia CEO Inspira penetration of smart phones and mobile apps on the rise, consumers want to be connected all the time inside or outside of the building. “This has led to one critical connectivity need that is W-Fi. Wi-Fi is of course ubiquitous and it is currently the dominant form of in-building wireless technology.

We believe that Wi-Fi and cellular technologies are complementary rather than substitutes for one another. Ultimately there will be a co-existence of Wi-Fi, other unlicensed technologies and licensed spectrum especially inside buildings. Managing spectrum to minimize network performance issues remains a mission-critical concern,” says JN Mylaraiah, Director, Sales – Enterprise Business for India & SAARC.

Tushar Sighat Executive Director & CEO D-Link (India)

Sunil Kripalani Senior Vice President - Global Sales & Marketing, eScan

www.varindia.com

September 2017

55

CLS 2017 Anti-Virus

 





Indian market witnessing a strong demand for AV solutions

  



$17.38 (in billions)

Market Size

Key Takeaways: According to Gartner, the security spending is expected to grow over 10 per cent CAGR to reach $1.67 billion by 2020. Many organizations have started to invest not only in security solutions but also in the workforce handling the solutions to counter security breaches. The enterprise segment per se is going to make significant contributions this year in not only anti-virus solutions but complete security solutions.

$11.62

2015

Key Vendors: Norton, McAfee, Kaspersky, Quick Heal, Symantec and others including Sophos, Trend Micro, eScan, ESET, K7 Computing.

2020

Global Anti-Virus Market

Application Delivery Net work

 



SMBs pushing the ADN market towards growth







  



$5.82

2015

2018

Global ADN Market

Key Vendors: F5, Radware, Citrix, Cisco and others including A10 Networks, Akamai, Array Networks, Symantec Brocade, Palo Alto, Riverbed, RSA (Dell Technologies)

Business Intelligence / Analytics



(in billions)

Key Takeaways: Organizations are embracing BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) which is offering its employees the freedom to work from anywhere and any device. This is one of the major drivers of this market, as any increase in network virtualization in a BYOD environment will enhance scope for ADN market.



Market Size

The Application Delivery Network is helpful to meet greater application mobility and security in a distributed enterprise, besides helping in classifying and prioritizing applications, content and user access in real time. It is expected that worldwide the ADN market will be worth $5.82 billion by 2018. The factors that are driving the growth of ADN market are data center consolidation and virtualization and increasing adoption of cloud and enterprise mobility. The major pull for ADN is witnessed from small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), which are shifting from manual load balancing techniques to advanced ADN technology.

The job of a load balancer is to distribute traffic across multiple servers. For example, you can place a load balancer in front of multiple web servers or email servers. This will enable high availability, better performance and scalability.







As the number of internet users across various verticals has been growing constantly, the demand for Anti-Virus (AV) solutions to avoid data breaches is also increasing. Not only has the number of cyber threats increased but so has the complexity and modes of attacks. So it could be confidently stated that any device connected to the internet is not completely safe from malware attacks. Experts believe that enterprise security spending is on pace and will continue to grow. According to the market pundits, the Global Antivirus Software Package market will grow at a CAGR of 10.88 per cent over a period of five years, i.e. from 2013 to 2018. In India, the government has launched free anti-virus for PCs and mobile phones and has also approved Rs.900 crore for NCCC to keep an eye on the cyber attacks on the Indian internet domain. The IT Ministry, along with Cert-In, has set up a National Cyber Coordination Centre (NCCC).



 









Shift to cloud catalyzing next round of investment in BI 

The Indian market revenue of Business Intelligence (BI) software is projected to reach US$245 million in 2017, up by 24.4 per cent increase over 2016 revenue of US$206 million. This revenue forecast includes BI platforms (comprising of traditional and modern BI platforms), data science platforms, analytic applications and CPM Suites. The global BI and Analytics software market is predicted to reach $18.3 billion in 2017, an increase of 7.3% from 2016. It is expected that the market will grow to $22.8 billion in revenue by 2020.

Key Takeaways: A significant change is taking place in the data and analytics market. The changes include adoption of machine learning in techniques for data management and analytics and settling of hype around big data through more mature data storage, and processing and analytic solutions. A shift to cloud and hybrid data management, emergence of modern BI, etc are acting as a catalyst for the next round of investment. Moreover, Indian companies in segments like consumer packaged goods (CPG) and manufacturing sector are focussing largely on IoT, data integration, data management and analytics.

Key Vendors: Tableau, Microsoft, SAS and others including IBM, Oracle, SalesForce, Qlik, SAP, Tibco

56

September 2017

www.varindia.com



  



Cloud Backup/Recovery Soft ware

  









Cloud Back-up market to grow on the back of increased cloud adoption 

The backup/recovery market is expected to grow from US$1.30 billion in 2017 to US$4.13 billion by 2022, at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 26.1 per cent during the forecast period. The demand for this market is driven by factors such as huge volumes of data generation, lower costs, greater efficiency, growth in on-premises backup and growing adoption of SaaS. The APAC region is projected to be the fastest-growing region with the highest CAGR due to the rise in data generation in many of the countries. The emergence of Cloud as an important trend among businesses and the mandatory government regulations are simultaneously helping boost the growth of the cloud backup market in this region.



  



Key Takeaways: The cloud backup market is expected to gain a major traction during the period from 2017–2022 mainly on the back of the increased adoption of cloud computing among enterprises and the need to manage voluminous amounts of data. The adoption of backup solution has increased due to its various benefits such as simple management and monitoring, real-time backup and recovery, simple integration of cloud backup with enterprise’s other applications, data de-duplication, and customer support.

Key Vendors: Dell EMC, Commvault, IBM and others including HPE, Actifio, Arcserve, NetApp, Veeam, CA, Sysmantec,Veritas

Data Center

 



Digital India program to be a big influencer for the growth of datacenters







 



Valued at $2.2 billion currently, the Indian data center infrastructure market is expected to touch $4.5-billion mark by 2018. Experts also predict that India would move to be the second-largest market for data centers in Asia-Pacific by 2020, with investments soon reaching $7 billion. Growth demand for data centers will come from verticals like BFSI, telecom and IT-ITeS. Organization’s dependence on data and their inclination towards optimization of business processes is also driving the demand for data centers. Also, state initiatives like Digital India and eGovernance are also leading to the growth of data centers in the states.







Key Takeaways: The focus on data center market is not restricted to the private sector alone, but the Government is also increasingly reliant on IT-intensive services to improve their performance and organize their services to the citizens. The Digital India programme enumerates the enormous projects that the Government has planned and aims at promoting rigorous internet penetration by connecting one billion population and efficient delivery of services electronically through mobile, thereby placing a demand on more data centers to come up. Going forward, mobile phone companies and social media companies are to have data centers in India to comply with the new data security privacy policy.

Key Vendors: Sify, CtrlS, Netmagic, ESDS and others including Amazon, BSNL, Go4Hosting, IBM, GPX Global, Pi Datacenters, Net 4, Tata Communication, Ricoh, Reliance, Microsoft

Dot-Matrix Printer

 









BFSI and retail segment expected to boost Dot-Matrix Printer sales 



For the past few decades, dot-matrix printers have been dominating the Indian printing market.

While the market has registered a decline due to the demand of new technologies like laser and inkjet printers, a type of market is still present there that demands dot-matrix printers. Dot-matrix printers are still relevant and useful in certain markets, mainly because of their facility to print carbon copies, use continuous paper and be less expensive than other printers to maintain. Some businesses find all these characteristics appealing.



 



Key Takeaways: In the coming years, it is assumed that this market will witness growth from the Indian BFSI and the retail segment in the country. Having said this, dot-matrix printer vendors are concentrating on other verticals as well. However, the technology is now also moving towards the POS market. When it comes to price, it is an easy decision – dot-matrix models are less expensive than their thermal counterparts. Though prices will vary between product lines, thermal printers are almost always pricier.

Key Vendors: Epson, TVS-E, and WeP

www.varindia.com

September 2017

57

CLS 2017 Electronic Securit y / Control Systems / Biometrics

 

Smartphone and internet usage to have a positive impact on biometrics market









The growth percentage for the country’s biometrics market during 2016-2021 is projected to be at a CAGR of around 31 per cent. The wide deployment of biometrics technology across various government projects such as Aadhaar programme (UIDAI), national ID cards, coupled with issuance of e-passports and visas define the growth of the biometrics market. In addition, rising security concerns, increasing deployment of fingerprint, iris and voice recognition systems are also underpinning growth in the Indian biometrics market. The market for authentication systems is also poised to grow at a higher pace owing to increased security concerns and inflating security budgets all over the world, as compared to the intruder alarm and perimeter security systems market.

Biometrics, however, is the major contributor to the authentication systems market. The growing consumer electronics sector in the country also offers huge growth opportunities for integration of biometrics technology.









 



Key Takeaways: Increasing industrialization and the growing presence of various IT/ITeS and manufacturing industries in the western and southern parts of the region will further throw up huge opportunities for this sector to grow. Rising number of ATMs, coupled with growing number of smartphone and internet users, will also have a huge positive impact on the country’s biometrics market during the period 2016-2021.

Key Vendors: Honeywell, CP Plus, HIK Vision and others including Bosch Security, HID, Matrix, Solus, Smart Eye, Spectra, Zicom

Enterprise Digital Rights Management (EDRM)

 

EDRM market allowing organizations for a seamless, secured way of information sharing















As workplaces have transformed to digital workplaces, companies are now seeing beyond the perimeter and adopting solutions, ensuring that data and files are persistently protected wherever they travel, including while they are at rest, in transit, or “at work”. Enterprise Digital Rights Management (EDRM) solutions allow organizations to share information, without worrying about where it might end up, or who might get their hands on it. Implementation of EDRM is highly helpful for telecom, utilities, government to drive demand for digital rights. The EDRM market is estimated to grow to US$3,000 million by 2020.



$2,898.9 (in billions)

Market Size

Key Takeaways: The recent developments in technology have given rise to different kinds of concerns pertaining to the internet. With downloading speeds becoming faster and more files are getting distributed over the internet, the market for EDRM solutions is also booming. It promises to be the most flexible and pervasive future technique to protect files regardless of whether they travel in an internal or external environment.

 

$1,066

2015

Key Vendors: Microsoft, Seclore, Vaultize and others including Giga Trust, Vaultix

2020

Global EDRM Market

Enterprise Mobilit y

 

BYOD and IoT adoption: The driving factors of Enterprise Mobility

 

Enterprise Mobility has been one among the trending technologies for the last few years.

About 71 per cent of enterprises regard mobility as a top priority. NASSCOM estimates the global enterprise mobility market to be worth $140 billion a year by 2020. However, mobility is still an emerging technology and an extremely fluid space. New paradigms emerge by the day, and there is no standardized way to apply or govern technologies. Similarly, the global Enterprise Mobility market is estimated to grow at 24.7 per cent CAGR over the forecast period of 2015-2022.

Key Vendors: Cisco, Aruba HPE, Dell EMC, Airwatch, BlackBerry, Huawei, Ruckus and Cambium Networks









 



$140 (in billions)

Market Size

Key Takeaways: Enterprise Mobility is fast becoming a top priority for large organizations, both for workforce mobilization and customer engagement. To increase productivity and achieve greater operational efficiencies, enterprises are adopting Enterprise Mobility. It helps in increasing top-line and improving bottom-line of an organization by its reach, reducing information islands and improving business performance. Apart from BYOD, another big push for this market is the increase in IoT adoption.



2016

2020

Global Enterprise Mobility Market

58

September 2017

www.varindia.com

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)

 









ERP market expects to deliver $41.69 billion by 2020 



The enterprise resource planning (ERP) software is witnessing a robust growth, especially among the SME groups. Analysts believe that the global ERP software market is expected to deliver $41.69 billion by 2020, registering a CAGR of 7.2 per cent during the forecast period of 2014-2020.

Gartner has also asserted in its 2016 report that the enterprise application spending in India (which includes spending on ERP) will grow to $2.39 billion in 2017, with an increase of about 17 per cent. Due to various factors like low operational and infrastructure cost, faster deployment, low IT manpower, data backup and agility, SMBs are adopting this software increasingly, thus making them the key drivers to deploy ERP. The adoption of cloud ERP is believed to grow at a CAGR of 27.6 per cent, while in SMEs it is expected to grow at a CAGR of 23.9 per cent by 2020.





$38.99

$36.84

(in billions)

Market Size

Key Takeaways: Due to the rising demand from SMEs, the Indian market is expected to grow at a larger pace in the near future, which at present is not as strong as its counterparts. Analysts believe that competition and globalization are the main driving force behind the deployment of ERP among SMBs. As a result, the ERP vendors are aggressively focussing on SMBs. The deployment is expected to grow more dynamically due to the emerging trends of cloud and increased access via mobile devices. SMBs are also forecasted to drive the cloud ERP market, more than that of large enterprises.

 

$31.56

2016

2018

2019

 

Smart city mission – an unprecedented opportunity for the video surveillance industry The video surveillance market is anticipated to reach Rs.5, 718 crore (US$841 million) in 2016, with a CAGR of 32.49 per cent. It is expected to touch US$2.4 billion by 2020. Currently, though analog-based surveillance systems have accounted for majority of the share (68%) in the overall market, yet IP-based surveillance systems are expected to increase in the next five years due to increasing IP infrastructure, declining prices and demand for remote access. According to “India CCTV Camera Market Outlook, 2021”, the India CCTV camera market is expected to grow with a CAGR of about 27.16 per cent in the period from 2016 to 2021. However, the video surveillance analytics market is also projected to grow at a CAGR of 35 per cent during 2017-2023.

2017

Global ERP Market

Key Vendors: Microsoft, SAP, Tally, Oracle and others including Marg, Ramco, Infor, Ginesys, Deskera

Electronic Surveillance

$33.87















 



Key Takeaways: The rising incidents of crime, burglary, bank robbery and growing awareness about benefits of constant surveillance among the people have primarily driven the Indian surveillance security market. In the wake of the government’s Smart City mission, the video surveillance industry is standing on the verge of a golden opportunity. Lastly, Smart City models will operate on information gathering, storing and its distribution through ICT for communication and the tool that can aid in achieving all the above is surveillance systems.

Key Vendors: Honeywell, CP Plus, Hikvision, Zicom, Sparsh and others including Axis Communications, Bosch, Canon, Dahua, Impulse, LG, Oncam, Panasonic, Pelco, Samsung, Tyco Security

Ethernet Switches

 

Digitization to encourage the growth of Ethernet Switches Generally, business uses a switch to connect computers, printers, servers and other devices within a building or campus to form a network. In India, the Ethernet Switch market has seen a growth of 12.4 per cent year-on-year in Q1 2017. The value of this market is worth US$126.6 million (by vendor revenue). The growth of this market is being driven by sectors like telecom, BFSI, professional services, government and education. Apart from this, government’s initiatives like digitization will attract investments and further propel growth in this segment. Due to increased spending from both enterprise and service providers' segments, Cisco continues to be the leader in this market, followed by HPE and Huawei.















 



Key Takeaways: The Ethernet Switch market is expected to grow in single digits in terms of compound annual growth rate (CAGR) for 2016–2021. As the demand for bandwidth and high data speed is continuously increasing along with growing number of internet users across the globe, Ethernet Switch market is expected to experience decent growth during the forecast period and rollouts will catalyze the demand for network infrastructure investment.

Key Vendors: Cisco, HPE, Dell EMC, Juniper and others including Digisol, D-Link, Edimax, Honeywell, Huawei, Netgear, TP-Link

www.varindia.com

September 2017

59

CLS 2017 Graphic Cards

 





Graphic card market can growth with support of technologies like Deep Learning







In the context of the computer hardware market, a research firm in its 2017 Q1 report has estimated that GPU shipments decreased by 17.5 per cent seasonally as compared to Q4 of 2016. It has also asserted that the yearly trend also witnessed a 4.5-per cent decrease in desktop GPUs. Also, the dedicated graphics industry has observed the yearly decrease of 17.5 per cent. Apart from this decline, brands like AMD and NVIDIA have come out as market leaders. Vishal Dhupar, Managing Director, South Asia, NVIDIA, says, “W are keenly focussed on fostering key partnerships with the ecosystem to accelerate the growth and adoption of GPU technology.”



 





Key Takeaways: A new generation of super-smart cars requires serious Artificial Intelligence.

A newer technology “Deep Learning” is at the core of the development of autonomous cars. A part of Artificial Intelligence, Deep Learning allows computers to perform tasks for which they have not been specifically programmed. With the support of Graphics Processing Unit (GPU), originally developed to power video games, Deep Learning is accelerated for real-world deployment. Large amounts of training data are fed through sophisticated algorithms to build Deep Neural Networks (DNN), which are complex mathematical models which mimic the human brain.

Key Vendors: NVIDIA, AMD, Qualcomm and others including Broadcom, Gigabyte

HDD

 









Innovation of high-storage portable external hard disks boosting market growth With the decline of the PC market, the Hard Disk Drive (HDD) market has been adversely affected. Another factor that has affected the market is flash-based SSDs. Adoption of SSDs in laptops and PCs is gaining momentum which, in turn, is hampering the traditional HDD market.

However, the trend that helped to boost the market growth is the innovation of high-storage portable external hard disks, though the hard disk drive market and its prices are likely to continue to drop in the coming years.







$410

(in billions)

Key Vendors: Seagate, WD and Toshiba





Market Shipment

Key Takeaways: Increasing demand and adoption of cloud storage and other enterprise applications are driving the growth of the hard disk and drive market. Consumers are inclining towards portable wireless storage solution rather than the traditional HDD market. This shift will hamper HDD shipments. The increased usage of CCTV and DVR for security purposes may offer growth for both internal and external drive market.



$376 2015

2017

Global HDD Market

Ink jet Printers / Ink Tank Printers

 



Ink Tank Printer market grows due to sturdy demand from SMEs 

The Inkjet printer market has registered 15.4-per cent growth YoY. According to IDC’s latest Hard Copy Peripherals (HCP) 2017 Q1 report, the increasing shift is seen happening towards Ink Tank printers. The growing demand for Ink Tank printers over Inkjet printers is due to the low-cost ownership. The report considers that the demand from SMEs has fuelled the growth of Ink Tank printer shipments in 2017 Q1.

Looking ahead, the market for Inkjet printers is expected to grow at a higher pace than Laser market because of the Ink Tank printers. The commercial segment that was earlier completely dominated by the Laser printers is now being penetrated by the Ink tank printers. Overall, HP stands as the leader in the InkJet category, while in the Ink tank space Epson enjoys the maximum share.

Key Takeaways: A report says that the global market for inkjet technologies will see a growth to $12.6 billion by 2021 at a five-year annual growth rate (CAGR) of 24.6 per cent. It is also predicted that its sales will hit double-digit growth rate.

Key Vendors: Epson, HP, Canon and others including Brother, Ricoh.

60

September 2017

www.varindia.com







 







LaserJet Printers

 









Laserjet market witnessing decline due to low pull from government and enterprise 



The Laser HCP (Hardcopy Peripherals) market has witnessed a decline of 10.2 per cent in Q1 of 2017 compared to Q1 of 2016. In this segment, HP Inc. maintained the leadership position, whereas Canon registered a growth of 12.6 per cent for the same period and occupied the second position, followed by Samsung. A decrease in the number of large government deals affected the Laser market complemented by the low pull from the enterprise segment in the A4 printer base segment.

 





Key Takeaways: It is almost a year that the printer market is undergoing a technological shift from entry-level laser printers to cost-effective and high-yielding ink tank printers. This shift has also been triggered by vendors with their marketing strategy. Following the implementation of GST tax slabs, confusion has prevailed as printers are listed in both 18 per cent and 28 per cent, respectively and so the industry is waiting for a clarification on it, while the channel partners are holding back on inventory stocking which may affect printer shipments.

Key Vendors: HP, Epson, Canon and others including Konica Minolta, Kyocera, Ricoh, Xerox.

Managed Print Services (MPS)

 



Organizations driving business value by adopting MPS



  



$50.78 (in billions)

Market Size

Key Takeaways: While cost will always be the primary reason for adopting a managed print service, organizations are relooking to achieve more than just cost savings to drive business value; security remains top of the agenda. The need for secure print solutions and services remains at the top for CIOs, given the fact that 61 per cent of organizations reported at least a single print-related data breach in the past year. It is expected to reach US$94.97 billion in revenue by 2024, rising from US$26.18 billion in 2015. The market is estimated to expand at a CAGR of 14.8 per cent during the forecast period 2016 to 2024.







The Managed Print Services market is still in the nascent stage of adoption in the Indian market and hence there is a vast untapped opportunity for the market to expand with many Indian enterprises yet to embrace these technologies. It is seen as an important driver for ushering the Digital India initiative. Xerox continues to maintain the leadership position in the global managed print services (MPS), according to the latest market landscape report by the analyst research group Quocirca.

A large number of firms globally are now considering MPS to cut operational expenditures, both to reduce the printing activities of employees and to achieve a more seamless workflow within the organization.



$28.40

2016

2023

Managed Print Services

Key Vendors: HP, Xerox, Canon, Ricoh and others including HCL, Konica Minolta, Kyocera, WeP.

Multifunction Printers/Devices (MFPs/MFDs)

 



Tier II & III markets in India fuelling the demand for MFPs 

The last few quarters have seen Indian consumers shifting their preference towards MFP printers over normal document printers. The growing internet penetration and rise in the usage of digital content is responsible for attracting consumers to target more reliable and cost-effective printing solutions. Interestingly, the increasing small and medium businesses, especially in the tier-II and -III cities have further fuelled the demand for MFPs in the country. Also, vendors and the government taking up initiatives like increasing the number of government kiosk centres will help to further increase the penetration of multifunction printers. In terms of unit shipments, Hewlett Packard led the market, followed by Canon and Epson.









  



Key Takeaways: The demand for MFPs is increasing as they deliver enhanced functionality and productivity for an organization, thus redefining office life and helping organizations to consolidate their investment, maximizing the use of space and simplifying workflow processes. This, in turn, is increasing the sale of these products and hence this segment is clearly growing much faster and has been undergoing many changes in its functionalities.

Key Vendors: HP, Canon, Epson and others including Brother, Kyocera, Ricoh, Xerox.

www.varindia.com

September 2017

61

CLS 2017 Open Source

 









Open Source - A critical technology for the Digital India programme 

The Open-Source software market is gradually gaining momentum in India. India as a market is the biggest contributor and user of this technology. It has witnessed remarkable growth and adoption in the market, as presently it is more matured and flexible. Open source is critical for the success of Digital India programme, especially for e-governance projects and electronic delivery of services to citizens. The Government of India is encouraging the nation to embrace Open Source which was supported by the government’s policy on Open Source.



  



Key Takeaways: Microsoft now says that 60 per cent of the software it sells from its Azure marketplace for developers is interestingly Linux-based, and this has influenced the CIOs to embrace the technology to drive digital innovation to support various business processes with a new angle. It is a preferred technology by SMBs which created positive impact on their businesses. As most of the businesses are undergoing digital transformation, it makes imperative to include Linux into virtual appliances and varied web servers.

Key Vendors: Red Hat, Suse, Micro Focus and others including Ubuntu, Mongo DB, Black duck, Redfish, Symbian.

PBX Systems / Unified Communications

 





Organizations preferring IP-based products over PBX systems







Businesses hold off new PBX purchases as companies are evaluating cloud alternatives and investing in unified communications (UC) applications instead of PBX. Due to this, the PBX market continues to struggle. The market marginally recovered due to the uptake of Pure IP Telephony (Pure IP PBX, IP Phones and Voice Gateways). However, shortfall continued in traditional systems such as PBX/Key systems and AD phones as enterprises preferred IP-based products rather than traditional PBX systems. The revenue-generating industry segments for this market, including finance, telecom and manufacturing, restricted growth as they curtailed the spend due to their own lacklustre performance. As in the last year, Cisco, Avaya, NEC and Mitel led the combined PBX and unified communications market by global revenue.



  



Key Takeaways: Hosted PBX and UC services are a growth market that has moved well beyond early stages and expected to take off in India too. Both the Enterprise Telephony and Enterprise Telephony market in India recovered slightly by a single-digit number. However, if seen globally, IP telephony (IPT) is still typically one of the main drivers for organizations that are provisioning new communications technologies.

Key Vendors: Cisco, Microsoft, Mitel, Avaya and others including Alcatel, Matrix, Panasonic, Polycom.

PC Market

 





PC market continues to be subdued in first half of 2017

Key Takeaways: Many PC vendors believe and are expecting the sale of PCs to fuel up after small businesses are demanding for GST-enabled systems, as they need to comply with the latest GST norm. This is expected to further lead the market to growth of PCs in India.

Key Vendors: HP, Dell, Lenovo and others including Acer, Apple, Asus.

62

September 2017

www.varindia.com







The global PC market has witnessed a continuous slump for five years, as reported in the Q2 2017 report of Gartner. While HP Inc. retained the top position in the market followed by Lenovo, Dell and others, the market has registered a significant decline of 4.3 per cent from the same of previous year. Analysts believe that the component shortage for DRAM, solid- state drives (SSDs) and LCD panels have impacted the sale of PCs in the market. While in the countries like Russia and Germany, PC shipments have shown sustained improvement, but for markets of India and the Asia-Pacific region the shipment figures indicated a pitiable condition dedicated to the various market scenarios.



  



Point of Sale (POS)

 



Government initiatives triggering the demand for POS machines The Government plans to transform the country’s commercial economy to a cash-less economy by encouraging the adoption of digital payment methods. As a result, the demand for POS terminals in the world’s second most populous nation is at an unprecedented high. The share of the Indian POS terminal market is poised to surpass US$3 billion by 2021, while the portable POS terminal documented highest revenue contribution in the market. This growth was triggered by major deployment in end-user markets like hospitality, government and retail.











  



Key Takeaways: As an impact of Demonitisation, POS devices are likely to grow at CAGR of 30% in 5 years; with this the terminal market will further witness a huge demand owing to the advantages offered by technologies such as enhanced security, free floor space, and minimized customer waiting time. The Government’s emphasis on creating a cash-less economy has substantially increased the demand for these machines from banks, propelling the growth of the Indian POS terminal market. The Indian Government has been encouraging banks to deploy over one million terminals after demonetization to meet the rising demand and address the major cash crunch crisis.

Key Vendors: EPSON, VeriFone, TVSe and others including HoneyWell, Posiflex, Toshiba Visiontek, WeP.

Projectors

 

Projector sale swells with high demand coming from education sector Projectors have become a must-have for small businesses, besides its increasing demand in the corporate sector, media and BPO. With the latest HD and short throw projectors, home entertainment is also getting a shot in the arm. 3D projectors are also making this category more attractive for 3D gaming and entertainment. Projectors also are one of the fastest- growing product lines in India, thanks to the booming education market. Analysts believe that the market is growing with a CAGR of 21.74 per cent over the past four years and is expected to grow at a much faster pace. The Indian projector market has registered 0.13 million units in CY H1 2016. While comparing to the same of previous year, it has registered a significant growth of around 38 per cent. Among the major brands, Epson has emerged as the new market leader in CY H1 2016.













  



Key Takeaways: Owing to the adoption of digital learning initiatives, the demand of projectors has increased. However, one cannot ignore the factors such as high installation cost and lack of awareness which are restraining the growth of the projector market.

Key Vendors: Epson, BenQ, Hitachi and others including Acer, Canon, Casio, LG, Panasonic, NEC, Sony.

Routers

 



Router market up in 2017, witnesses YoY growth of 33.5% in Q1 

The router market in India has witnessed YoY growth of 33.5 per cent in Q1 2017 and stood at US$92.5 million (by vendor revenue), as reported by IDC in its report. A research firm has also forecasted that the market will witness a steady growth and will post a moderate CAGR of close-to 7 per cent during the forecast period of 2017 to 2021. According to experts, the 4G services demands are driving the growth of routers in India. The growing demand for data centers and cloud-based deployments are also expected to boost the sales in future.









  



Key Takeaways: The market reports assert that the high-end and mid-range routers have fuelled the growth in the enterprise sector. Also, the recently introduced and future government schemes and projects are also expected to contribute to robust sales. Telecom 4G rollout and government projects comprising of various e-governance, surveillance and digital initiatives will contribute to sales in the coming quarters.

Key Vendors: Cisco, HPE, Huawei, Dell EMC and others including D-Link, Netgear, TP-Link, Digisol, ZyXEL.

www.varindia.com

September 2017

63

CLS 2017 Servers (X86/non x86)

 





Server growth to be boosted by increased IT investments by SMBs







The x86 server market in India saw a steep decline of 16.8 per cent quarter-on-quarter in Q4 2016, with 30,501 units shipping in Q4 2016 as against 36,668 units in Q3 2016. This was primarily because of the absence of large multimillion dollar deals. However, majorly due to the sale of highdensity servers, in terms of revenue there was a 4.2-per cent quarter-on-quarter growth as registered in Q4 2016. The non-x86 server market declined by 31.0 per cent quarter-on-quarter in terms of unit shipments and 34.7 per cent in terms of revenue in Q4 2016. Market verticals like banking, manufacturing and telecommunication were the strongest contributors to the non-x86 market, with IBM dominating the market in terms of revenue with the share of 62 per cent at the end of Q4 2016.





 



Key Takeaways: Digital India initiatives continue to drive investments in the Government, led by access of Government services on mobile devices and expansion of broadband services. Indian server market has so far witnessed a difficult quarter. In the coming days however, growing SMBs, IT investments from enterprises towards data center consolidation will be some of the factors that will boost the growth of the server market. Deals from Government towards digitalization, e-governance, smart city and surveillance projects that are in the pipeline will further fuel the growth of the Indian server market in the coming quarters.

Key Vendors: HPE, Dell EMC, Cisco and others including Huawei, Fujitsu, Lenovo, Oracle.

Smartphone

 

Smartphone market keeps up a strong pace of growth











The global smartphone market remained resilient in the first quarter of 2017 and registered sales of 380 million units, which showed a 9.1-per cent increase over the first quarter of 2016. The Indian market has witnessed 27 million smartphone shipments in CY Q1 2017 with a 14.8-per cent growth over the same period of 2016. This is even after the Indian market witnessed the introduction of demonetization and the newly-introduced GST tax reform.











For the past few quarters, the Indian market has been completely dominated by the Chinese brands like Huawei, Oppo and Vivo and Xioami. Hence, they continued to strengthen their position and capture 51.4-per cent share of the smartphone shipments in India with 16.9-per cent sequential growth and striking 142.6-per cent growth over the same period last year. On the contrary, the home-grown vendors slumped to 13.5 per cent in the Q1 2017 from 40.5 per cent in Q1 2016.

Key Takeaways: Various economic factors were earlier believed to be negatively impacting the smartphone market, but vendors and retailers are deploying various tactics to ensure the smartphone market to grow more. Hence, the figures show a positive status of the Indian smartphone market which is expected to accelerate the growth in the coming years. Apple remains as Apple.

Key Vendors: Samsung, Xiaomi, Vivo, Oppo and others including Apple, Micromax, Lenovo, Intex, Lava, LG.

Solid-State Drives

 

SSD market poised to grow three-fold













$156 (in billions)

2016

2023

Global SSD Market

64

September 2017

www.varindia.com



Market Size

Key Vendors: WD (SanDisk), Seagate, Samsung and others including Kingston, ADATA.





In the overall storage device market, the solid-state drive (SSD) segment has recorded high growth over the last three years in India. It is a niche area of the data storage device market. The SSD market is predicted to reach nearly $156 million by 2023. Though India’s storage market is dominated by Hard Disk Drive (HDD) segment, but it is also a fact that the SSD segment is poised to grow three-fold in the next six years. This is because it is faster, crash- proof, the data remains secured and reduces power consumption, thus leading to good cost savings.

Key Takeaways: The rise in advanced connected devices, growing high-end PC market, need for higher performance & capacity storage devices, increasing IT spending, and the growing number of data centers are a few factors that would continue to trigger the growth of the SSD market in the country. Amongst the application market, this segment grabbed the lion’s share of revenue in the market.



Storage

 



Emergence of hyper-converged infrastructure to determine growth of the Storage industry













The storage market in the country has seen a good traction, the key contributors being banking, professional services, manufacturing and government. As in Q4 2016, the external storage market witnessed a growth of 17.5 per cent quarter on quarter and stood at $77.8 million. Dell is the clear leader in the Indian storage market with a market share of 44 per cent and HPE being in the second, followed by IBM and NetApp achieving significant growth due to uptake from banking, telecom government verticals and UPI platforms in the last quarter. In addition, securities, transportation, education and insurance also drove incremental growth in the storage market. 2016 has also been significant for witnessing a year-on-year growth for All Flash Arrays (AFA), due to uptake from banking, IT/ITeS and manufacturing verticals.







Key Takeaways: The growth of hyper converged infrastructure, software-defined storage and flash storage in data centers are getting more relevance to more users in the Indian organizations, which eventually will lead to the rise of the storage industry in the times to come. The external storage market is further expected to grow in single-digit for the 2017– 2021 time-period. Huge storage spending is expected to come from banking and government segments in the coming quarters.

Key Vendors: AMI, Cisco, EMC, Dell, Hitachi Data Systems, HPE, Huawei, NetApp, Netgear, Oracle, QNAP, and Quantum

Thin Client

 

Corporates relooking at Thin Client as a renewed computing strategy











Thin client is a computing device that is connected to a network, unlike a typical PC. It is evolving in newer forms like the VDI (Virtual desktops). In fact, India happens to be the fourth-largest market for VDI in the world and has overtaken Japan this year (2016). The business market in India contributes close-to 5.5 per cent of the VDI segment worldwide. HP continues to dominate the thin client market, followed by Dell Wyse and NComputing. The increasing demand for Thin Client comes from sectors such as business process outsourcing, banking & financial services, education, government, retail, aviation and healthcare, among others.



 





Key Takeaways: Though the demand for Thin Client is waning among CIOs of today’s businesses, it is still an attractive option for businesses across diverse verticals, such as healthcare, banking, education and retail. An improved outlook for the thin client market is, however, expected going forward, especially as companies begin to re-think their computing strategy. APAC is, however, expected to be the fastest-growing region for the global industrial thin-client platform market due to the rising investment in the industrial sector. Countries like China and India are attracting a substantial amount of FDI due to flexible government policies.

Key Vendors: Dell Wyse, Fujitsu, HP, NComputing, RDP, and VXL Instruments

UPS

 





UPS market continues to grow due to expansion of various Industries





$12 (in billions)

Key Takeaways: The market is also expected to strengthen along with the technological advancements and M&A changes in the near future. Experts, however, believe that the transport infrastructure market will generate the highest revenues by the end of 2021.

 

Market Size

Also, expansion of digital and technological demand across various sectors such as IT, healthcare, retail, educational institutes, telecommunication, textile industry, etc are also further contributing to the demand for UPS in the country.







The UPS market forecasters has estimated the Indian UPS market to reach $1.2 billion by 2021 and are expecting the Indian market to grow at a CAGR of 8.4 per cent over the period 20142019. The global industrial UPS market is also likely to witness a steady growth and expected to post a CAGR of over 6 per cent by 2020. Due to factors like the rise in demand of uninterrupted power, voltage fluctuations affecting the systems and to prevent data loss, the requirements of UPS especially among the end-users in enterprises per se is growing and hence leading to the growth of UPS market in India.



2016

2022

Indian UPS Market

Key Vendors: APC by Schneider, Vertiv, Luminous, Delta and others including BPE, Microtek, Numeric, and Socomec

www.varindia.com

September 2017

65

CLS 2017 UTM / next generation firewall

 





UTM market trippling its size for last five years









 The Unified Threat Management (UTM) market makes 50 per cent of the worldwide revenues  in the Security Appliance market. The growth of the Security Appliance market continues with the UTM market tripling its size over the last five years. The market recorded a revenue of $5.7 billion  for 2016 and year-over-year growth of 17.3 per cent, the highest growth among all sub-markets.

The Asia-Pacific (including Japan) region contributes 29 per cent of the global security appliance  market revenue. The market reported the strongest growth in 2016 with yearover-year revenue growth of 21 per cent, followed by Japan with 16.9-per cent   revenue growth compared to 2015. The matured markets of the world, the United States and Europe and the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) together    accounted for 38 per cent of the total security appliance market revenue.

 

 



  





      

Key Takeaways: The major forces driving the UTM market are strict        data protection directives and cyber-terrorism. The market is growing rapidly         because of growing security needs of Internet of Things (IoT) and Bring Your         Own Device (BYOD) trends, and increased deployment of web and cloud-   based business applications. Increase in cyber threats and rising enterprise mobility demand for mobility is pushing vendors to offer advanced UTM appliances. SMBs, mid-market and enterprises are also adopting UTM these days.

      

Key Vendors: Cisco, Check Point, Dell EMC, Fortinet and others including IBM, Sophos, Juniper, Palo Alto, SonicWall, Trustwave.

Video Conferencing

 

SMBs rapidly adopting Video Conferencing solutions Video conferencing refers to a service that enables real-time, two-way communication, across geographies. It also helps in enhanced productivity and faster decision-making. With CAGR of 8.3 per cent, the global video conferencing market is expected to be of US$8,958.7 million by 2025.

The forecasted period is from 2017 to 2025. It is also visible that SMBs are rapidly adopting video conferencing solutions for communication. Its growing demand is driven by a focus on simplification, lower prices and enhanced meeting experience by end-users. These trends are being witnessed in the Asia-Pacific enterprise video conferencing market and are pushing the market towards growth.





















Key Takeaways: There is some good news for the worldwide enterprise video conferencing equipment market – revenue and video endpoint shipments (units) saw both sequential and annual growth in 3Q16, although some regions showed decline. Moreover, emerging trends like mobile workforce and BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) have affected cloud-based video conferencing services. On the contrary, high initial investment and installation costs are shortcomings of this market.

Key Vendors: Polycom, Cisco, Vidyo and others including Avaya, Business Octane, Huawei, Lifesize, PeopleLink, Panasonic.

WLAN

 

The need for last-mile wireless connectivity will influence WLAN growth The fourth quarter of 2016 (4Q16) saw the combined consumer and enterprise worldwide wireless local area network (WLAN) market segment decreasing 0.1 per cent year over year. However, it increased 3.1 per cent for the full year, thus finishing at $2.43 billion. The enterprise segment grew 3.1 per cent year over year in 4Q16 to reach $1.41 billion, and 7.2 per cent for the full year 2016 reaching $5.4 billion. The Asia-Pacific (excluding Japan) (APeJ) market saw the maximum 4Q16 growth by having grown to 22.7 per cent year over year in 4Q16 and 21.7 per cent for the full year 2016. Cisco with its largest share continued to be dominant in Q4 2016 with 65.74-per cent market share, followed by Huawei and HPE. Due to increased investments in the enterprise space, Avaya too has posted a significant growth in the quarter.

Key Takeaways: Digital transformation efforts contintue to grow the market with vendors competing against each other to addrress the emerging segments that includes opportunities like smart cities and IoT. As in the previous years, the WLAN market is expected to grow on the back of increasing number of hand devices coupled with the need to be connected for a wireless last-mile connection.

Key Vendors: Cisco, HPE-Aruba, Huawei, Ubiquiti and others including D-Link, Ruckus, Netgear, Cambium Networks, Extreme Networks, TP-Link, Digisol, ATI, Zebra.

66

September 2017

www.varindia.com





















www.varindia.com

September 2017

67

CLS 2017 Workstation

 









Mobile Workstations to grow at a faster rate than desktop workstations 



Workstations offered higher performance than mainstream personal computers, while the PC industry showed a slight recovery. As per the estimate of VARINDIA, there is a single-digit growth in the workstation market in 2017. The growth of the workstation market globally has resulted from the rise in demand for professional 3D animation software, digital content creation, and networking and graphics over the last few years. Mobile workstations will grow at a faster rate than desktop workstations, but the latter will continue to hold their ground, although growing at a slower rate.

With increased mobile workstation performance, work can now be done in real time as opposed to a tower workstation.

Key Vendors: HP, Dell, Lenovo and others including Apple, Fujitsu.





4.3% Volume

Key Takeaways: The workstation market trend shows favourable results. The challenge for vendors is to educate the IT managers of the benefits of a workstation over a PC without increasing the IT budget. The demand for mobile workstations is going to further increase in the areas of oil & gas exploration applications, to mention a few. The overall global workstation market is expected to witness a CAGR of 9.8 per cent during the period of 2016-2023, in which the mobile workstation segment is expected to account for the maximum share.





2016

2026

Global Workstation Market

ESDS anticipates a wider scope for cloud adoption in India Sanjeev Kumar is the National Head Government & PSU, Channels & Alliances.

He joined ESDS early this year and holds over 17 years of experience in the IT & Telecom industry. Besides being accountable for developing and implementing effective business strategies for verticals like Government, PSU, Channels and Alliances, Sanjeev is also responsible for BI & Analytics including Data & Infrastructure guidance, on-demand, Proactive Predictive and Advanced Analytics.

“My forte is Channels, Account Management/ Distribution, Alliances and People management.

I specialize into offering complex IT Infrastructure Solutions like Servers, Storage, Virtualization, Cloud Services, Hosting, Managed Services, MPLS, VOIP and System Integration (DC/DR).

My role at ESDS will be to align our Products & Services towards Partner Business. Since partners are the next growth engine, the role of me and my extended team will be to enable our partners,” says Sanjeev as he introduces himself.

While talking about his industry experience, Sanjeev shares how he used to spearhead the channel business operation during his stint at firms Like Dell, HCL, Bharti Airtel etc. “I have a 17+ years of experience out of which 10 years was with Dell International Services

68

September 2017

www.varindia.com

India, where I was instrumental in setting up the Channel Business in West for their products.

I played the key role for establishing Channel Business in Airtel Enterprise, HCL Peripherals to name a couple,” he says.

Speaking on his relationship with stakeholders in the industry, he says, “I have a great rapport with most of the alliances and partners in India.

Most of the Premium Partners are in Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Kolkata and Chennai. At ESDS too, I am positive of aligning the partners in a way that will be instrumental in its growth path. Since bottom-line is a major concern for most of the partners today, I am coming out with a few innovative partner centric business models where Partners will be more profitable.

Together with ESDS offerings, partners can show a value addition to their customers.”

While throwing light on the present business growth, he also shares his views on the current challenges and the future plans of the company in context of the Indian market. “There is no challenge as such. I believe we are right sized with the right strength, in the right place at the right time.

We are creating good business models for the Partners which will help us on our fast growth track along with our growth partners. We have dedicated channel Managers who will be taking care of all the Premium Partners & Alliances in Mumbai/Delhi/Bangalore in first phase and in next phase we will cover rest of the Cities,” states Sanjeev.

While the Government (Meity) has empanelled 11 Cloud service providers and is coming out with the policy on Cloud as well, this will act as a big boost for ESDS. “We have a great presence in the Government/ PSU vertical in India and I see that the State and Central government are getting very supportive for the cloud Business. In most of the Smart cities tenders, a good portion of IT component goes as cloud offering. We are one of the most aggressive partners for all the leading prime bidders for smart city opportunities in India.

Our expertise is also giving benefits to all the prime bidders in terms of technology and cost effective solution. The cloud Business in India will multiply in coming days and so will our business,” sumps up Sanjeev. n

Think Fiber Think CommScope Wherever your network is headed, b|Ľv ];মm] |_;u; b|_ C0;u 1omm;1ঞ b| ĺ o|_bm] ;Ѵv; o@;uv |_; vr;;7 -m7 -]bѴb| o u ]uo bm] m;| ouh 7;l-m7vŌ-m7 mo om; 0 | oll"1or; 7;Ѵb ;uv |_; bmmo -ঞ ; C0;u 1omm;1ঞ b| voѴ ঞomv you need to power the high-speed, _b]_Ŋ0-m7 b7|_ m;| ouhv o= |olouuo ĺ

© 2016 CommScope, Inc. All rights reserved. AD-322962-EN

Visit CommScope.com/ThinkFiber

www.varindia.com

September 2017

69

FACE TO FACE

“GST would enhance dependency on technology and eventually bring more transparency” accountants, lawyers, Tax compliance professionals, software developers, SAP ERP solution providers and technology partners that is supporting us in capitalizing on creating awareness and affinity towards the change across business circles.

Each seminar saw an audience of over 300 professionals and businesses across various circles of the GST ecosystem. Targeting over 6,600 people across the country, we have already accomplished over 2,000 registrations and migrations. The rationale behind these seminars is to spread awareness and get businesses onboard with GST for increased compliance.

What are your views on how the newly introduced GST is going to revolutionize the taxation system in the country?

GST came as the biggest reform in the area of Indirect Tax in the history of independent India.

Consolidating the numerous Central and State Taxes into one Single Tax, it has truly delivered on its objective of levelling the playing field for all businesses and ensuring “One Nation, One Tax.” But like any other change, teething troubles are bound to surface in implementation phase.

Especially the smaller businesses across sectors of the economy are being impacted temporarily as they embrace and adapt to digitization which is essentially for GST compliance.

For a SME, the biggest dilemma is whether to focus on the business or to understand the modalities of the GST. Moving beyond the much engraved traditional way of functioning to the automated systems require them to invest time, money and effort. However, it is important for them to focus on the larger vision and long term benefit.

How is Alankit trying to close that gap through its offerings and generating awareness among the small businesses?

GST has revolutionized the way businesses function in India but its implementation is bound to be faced with some temporary logistical and infrastructural roadblocks. While most large corporates have the knowledge and ability to evaluate multiple solutions being offered in the market to adapt the best suited technology for effective compliance, there are many small players facing multiple challenges not only in understanding nuances of GST regime but are also clueless on how to go about choosing the right partner who may handle hold them through the process for seamless transition.

GST service providers should realize that different businesses have different requirements, and should thus precisely work on developing customized solutions which are best suited to a specific player’s needs. Alankit realizes that offering the following services serves a worthy purpose of assisting businesses in complying with GST through the requisite features it offers as part of its cloud based solution which will reduce the cost of compliance for SMBs. GST Muneemji also allows the customers to use their existing account system or change the account system as per their requirements.

It allows the users to download any file format and upload it on GST Muneemji and comply

70

September 2017

www.varindia.com

What kind of operational challenges do you still face in the IT infrastructure created for GST implementation?

Ankit Agarwal, Managing Director - Alankit Limited in a chat with VARINDIA how the current GST tax structure will counter various issues in the previous taxation system and how Alankit will contribute to it through its own solutions and generating awareness among its customers accordingly. We are also having an all India GST evangelization drive across 22 cities to spread awareness and get businesses on-board with GST. Many small businesses lack the technology and familiarity to incorporate GST into their operations. For such businesses, we offer PoS Terminal solutions which include a tablet, a debit/credit card swiping machine, a small printer, and a finger print scanner for Aadhar enabled payments.

Have you partnered with any vendors and partners for conducting the 22 cities evangelization drive?

Alankit has a network of over 5,000 centers in 673 cities across India. Through this wide network, we are organizing evangelization drives in metros and tier II towns (Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Cochin, Ahmedabad, Indore, Guwahati, Raipur, Vishakhapatnam, Lucknow and Chandigarh).

We have an established network with chartered

GST as we know has changed business processes drastically. Adoption of technology and moving away of businesses from a complex indirect tax structure, to the new revolutionized tax regime has been a paradigm shift for all Indian corporations. While the new regime promises and offers long term benefits, it does come with certain immediate and short term infrastructural and implementation challenges.

As the new regime get implemented, tax experts foresee certain challenges such as tracking interstate transactions, designing and developing a suitable IT infrastructure, and all of this needed to be created on a fairly large scale.

But these are temporary concerns and are being tackled well by experts from a technology and taxation domain. Some immediate challenges include increase in volume of return filing. With moves like demonetization, direct tax filing by individuals has gone up by 25% to 2.82crore, GST is expected to have a similar impact on indirect taxation and such a change would enhance dependency on technology. Therefore, with increased burden on technology, need for real time scalability of solutions interacting with the GST network also become another challenge. Yet, all these challenges would be resolved as implementation begin full throttle in coming months.

What is the future you foresee for GST in the country?

GST has been positively implemented in around 140 countries including Brazil and Canada. In fact, France was the first country to introduce GST. Tried and tested in other countries, GST will play a significant role in transforming the current tax structure, and therefore the economy. n

www.varindia.com

September 2017

71

WOMEN POWER IN ICT

Aruna Sundarajan

Secretary to Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, GoI

Shirley Daniel

Head - Business Development and Inside Sales, India& SAARC - McAfee India

Meerah Rajavel

Chief Information Officer Forcepoint

Arati Naik

COO DIGISOL Systems

72

September 2017

www.varindia.com

Neelam Dhawan

VP & GM - HPE and Country Manager Director - HP Inc

Deepa Krishnan

Daisy Chittilapilly

Managing Director, Partner Organisation - Cisco India & SAARC

Simran Bagga

Associate Director - Seller Experience - Flipkart.com

Regional Channel Sales Director, Asia Pacific - Cambium Networks

Mohua Sengupta

Pooja Kheterpal

EVP & Global Head of Services, 3i Infotech

Kamolika Peres

VP and Head - Strategic Customer Program, SAP Indian Subcontinent

CFO ARM Worldwide

Jaya Jagadish

Corporate Vice President, Design Engineering - AMD

Empowering Shikha Rai

Vice President, Canon India, Managing HRO, HRD, IT& QEHS

Women, Empowering Businesses With the firm conviction that every woman is endowed with the ability and capability to lead and bring about a positive change in society and world at large, we, at VARINDIA, are pleased to present this section which talks about the woman leadership in the Indian ICT industry. This section is aimed at those who understand the importance of gender diversity and advantages of having a woman’s unique perspective in building bigger, bolder, smarter businesses today. This

Shubhangi Singh

Principal Marketing Specialist - Citrix India

initiative “Empowering Women, Empowering Businesses” highlights the women leaders in the ICT industry and will offer an opportunity to learn from them and be inspired by their professional profiles.

Equality of opportunity between men and women is a key indicator of long-term social stability and economic advancement. By empowering women and promoting gender equality, we can enable communities, economies and businesses – including our own – to prosper and result in redefining women leadership for the 21st century. After years of struggle for change, today’s women leaders have finally succeeded in breaking down the institutional barriers, stereotypes and inequalities that their predecessors may have faced. They are the pioneers in championing the cause of women empowerment and equality while also highlighting the type of support required to flourish in a rapidly-

Komal Somani

Chief People Officer - ESDS Software Solution Pvt. Ltd.

changing business world.

A growing number of women are holding leadership roles in leading ICT companies around the world. It is encouraging to know that India has a better ratio of women in the ICT workforce at about 30 per cent, less than 1 per cent in the C-Suite. But nevertheless this ratio needs to change and organizations need to further build a conducive work culture for women managers to rise up to the leadership rank.

However, things do get daunting at times. But flexible working hours, facility to work from home when needed and support from a positive peer group make things easier.

By bringing together the successful and highly accomplished

Deepti Sharma

Marketing Head - India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh & Nepal - Suse

women leaders who have made a difference in their businesses and communities, we attempt to present a platform to express what it takes to be leaders of tomorrow, from the ones of today.

www.varindia.com

September 2017

73

WOMEN POWER IN ICT Shirley Daniel Head - Business Development and Inside Sales, India& SAARC McAfee India

Shirley Daniel is a Sales leader in McAfee India driving Business Development and Client Acquisition for the Midmarket Business. In her last 2 year stint with McAfee, she has led key go to market initiatives that have significantly contributed to the business outcomes. She and her team of inside sales and field sales representatives were recognised worldwide for highest number of new customer wins in FY16. She is passionate about building high performance team and successful business partnerships.

Shirley’s passion lies in her ability to simplify complex tasks, creativity in solutions, innovating new ideas, initiating winning Go-to-Market strategies, bringing uniqueness in campaigns and setting-up new benchmarks utilizing her business acumen. Furthermore, she is a strong believer of People, Planning, Process, & Performance.

She believes in creating leaders and developing world class team and leads by example. Her actions inspire team members to dream more, learn more, do more and become more.

Jaya Jagadish Corporate Vice President, Design Engineering - AMD

Jaya joined AMD as a Design Engineer, right after her Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering from University of Texas. AMD works in the niche semi-conductor space and very few women take up a career in hardware engineering but Jaya was passionate about building and designing products and knew from the start, that this was her calling. After a short stint at Mentor Graphics and Analog Devices, Jaya returned to AMD and was part of the founding team that set up the company in India in 2005.

One of the high points of her career has been to build a high performing engineering team at AMD India - grounds-up. When Jaya first joined AMD, there was limited talent in the CPU design space. AMD hired fresh graduates and trained them internally to build the talent pipeline. Today Jaya leads 400+ engineers as part of the silicon design team and it plays a critical role in driving AMD’s product roadmap. In addition, as India site lead, Jaya works with the leadership team in the country to drive cutting edge innovation to fuel AMD’s global growth.

Simran Bagga Regional Channel Sales Director, Asia Pacific - Cambium Networks

Simran is an extremely energetic, passionate and committed Sales and Marketing leader having an enviable 22 years track record in emerging markets with global brands like Microsoft, IBM, Compaq and Hewlett Packard across dynamic markets in India, Africa, Middle East and Turkey. She is currently the Regional Channel Sales Director (APAC) for Cambium Networks, focusing her efforts relentlessly in India and the APAC region.

Simran is a highly respected business leader who invests in developing solid relationships with a WIN -WIN approach and leverages these to effectively negotiate, influence, lead and manage change to deliver sustained top tier results while continuing to be the driving force in the Channel ecosystem. She is strategically oriented, innovative and culturally astute. Her role at Cambium Networks is very challenging and demanding. The extensive geographic responsibility requires her to be proactively engaged with multiple stakeholders, both internal and external and she is walking the markets nearly 3 weeks every month.

Meerah Rajavel Chief Information Officer - Forcepoint

Meerah Rajavel is the chief information officer (CIO) for Forcepoint. Rajavel brings more than 25 years of experience in information technology to Forcepoint. Most recently, she was the CIO at Qlik, a visual analytics company, where she led efforts to build an IT infrastructure and operational excellence strategy to support rapid growth on a global scale. Before joining Qlik, Rajavel led IT cloud services for all McAfee products at Intel Security. Earlier in her career, she held IT leadership, research & development and product development roles at Cisco Systems, Infosys, Nortel, Cybersource and Solix.

Rajavel holds a Bachelor in Computer Science & Engineering from the Thiagarajar College of Engineering at Anna University in Chennai, India. She also holds a Master of Business Administration from the Leavey School of Business at Santa Clara University in Santa Clara, California.

Shikha Rai Vice President, Canon India, managing HRO, HRD, IT& QEHS

WE@Canon stands for Women Empowerment at Canon where the senior women leaders are advisors to the CEO to support initiatives that can bring positive change in the organization’s gender ratio. Managing the functions of Human Resources, Information Technology and QEHS at the organization is a strong woman leader, Shikha Rai. She has an inspiring journey of close to 30 years holding various positions in different organisations.

Rai has been associated with the organization for 15 years, contributing towards the progress of the imaging brand in the country. Under her leadership, the employee commitment & satisfaction has seen a significant improvement and Canon India can boast of being an employer of choice. As the head of IT, Ms. Rai has led the organization’s digital transformation. Rai and her team of over 30 IT professionals have been working on enhancing security, integrating web systems and making the transaction systems GST ready at Canon India.

74

September 2017

www.varindia.com

Kamolika Peres Vice President and Head - Strategic Customer Program, SAP Indian Subcontinent

team at PwC.

In her role, Kamolika is the custodian of SAP’s largest and deepest customer relationships in the subcontinent.

She works alongside top customers to collaborate and co-innovate, specifically in the areas of digital and cloud transformation. With over 20 years of experience, Kamolika is a business leader with an extensive track record in consulting, digital transformation and has been instrumental on many first-of-a-kind technology implementations in India and emerging markets. She has domain expertise in the mobility space, with extensive knowledge of mobile technology and excels in the areas of strategy, outsourcing, consulting, business intelligence and program management.

Prior to joining SAP in 2016, Kamolika has held leaderships positions in IBM’s consulting team across India, South East Asia and Central Europe markets, where she worked with key players in the telecommunications and manufacturing sectors. She started her career with the Tata Administrative Services and thereafter moved to the consulting

Daisy Chittilapilly Managing Director, Partner Organisation - Cisco India & SAARC

Daisy Chittilapilly leads the Partner Organization for India and SAARC and plays a fundamental role in the execution of Cisco's partner strategy across the region. Her charter is to identify and develop existing and new partnerships to drive Cisco business in the marketplace. In her current role, Daisy helps build and evolve Cisco's Partner Organization, and work with the team to direct investments at the right market opportunities. She is involved in creating partner practices which drives scale and revenue growth for Cisco while maintaining profitable growth for partners.

In her previous role, Daisy led the ITS business for Cisco across the India and SAARC region and was responsible for driving strategy for IT Services, a key vertical for Cisco in India. An industry veteran with over 20 years of experience in the technology industry, Daisy has been with Cisco for 11 years and has held positions across sales management in Enterprise & Commercial businesses; Strategy & Operations and played a key role in achieving several strategic wins for Cisco India.

Mohua Sengupta EVP & Global Head of Services, 3i Infotech

Mohua Sengupta comes with 24+ years of experience in Banking & Financial Services Industry and IT Services industry, across the globe. Over the past 24 years, Mohua has worked in various organizations spreading across Canada, US, India and Europe. After starting her career in Unit Trust of India as an Assistant Manager, Mohua shifted her base to US and then to Montreal, Canada joining the Canadian FS giant, Royal Bank of Canada. Her IT Industry stint includes, Wipro Technologies, Accenture, Mphasis, and iGate.

In her own words Mohua is a passionate student of Banking & Financial Services Industry and its everchanging operations, business processes and technologies. She is extremely passionate about the issue of Gender Diversity in the workplace and mentoring younger women to continue in their career path.

Nithya Krishnan Director, Marketing – India & SAARC, Trend Micro

Nithya Krishnan leads the Country Marketing at Trend Micro in India and plays a key role in building and maintaining strategic relationships with internal and external stakeholders, top regional agencies and clients.

She joined Trend Micro India in Sept 2016, to lead marketing for the high growth, IT security market.

Prior to Trend Micro, Nithya headed Marketing for global leader in cloud technology in India. Nithya has also held various positions, with marketing expertise in new market entry, competitive intelligence and marketing strategy, and a major portion of her professional career based in United States and India.

She holds an MS & MBA degree from Johns Hopkins University, where she graduated with top honours and scholarship recipient, and a Bachelors from Bangalore University, India.

Arati Naik, COO - DIGISOL Systems

DIGISOL as a brand has emerged as a strong Indian brand in the IT networking market. The most strategic step taken was to bring about a large focus on local manufacturing under the "Make in India" initiative that brought about a major push for the brand, specifically in the WLAN market, where the products manufactured are 100% tested and are of top quality and standard. This year a complete range of Structured Cabling Products were also introduced that has got an overwhelming response from the channel and SI partners Arati brings a lot of fresh focus for the company with an aim to transform the Brand and reinvent networking products with the changing times and market demand, which is her core strength thereby making DIGISOL a household name. Reaching out to newer product markets and creating a niche for each product line is her current focus.

www.varindia.com

September 2017

75

WOMEN POWER IN ICT Shubhangi Singh Principal Marketing Specialist for Citrix India

Shubhangi Singh is the Principal Marketing Specialist for Citrix India. Having joined the company from a sales background five years ago, she has cemented her position in the organization with her contributions towards Citrix’s marketing strategy. She has also played an instrumental role in revitalizing Citrix’s brand and customer communication, thus aiding in establishing them as a trusted and industry acclaimed solutions provider.

In her current role as Citrix’ India marketing head, she focuses on identifying long-term beneficial opportunities and associations for Citrix and ensures articulation of global messaging in an impactful manner.

Considering Citrix’s strong focus on the channel community, Shubhangi leads the India mandate and has been at the helm of its sustenance and network expansion program.

Pooja Kheterpal CFO #ARM Worldwide

Having worked in the ICT industry for more than a decade, numbers, financial analysis and storytelling have been Pooja’s forte. Coming from a family with a mix of marketers, trainers and entrepreneurs, she pursued her MBA in finance.

In a career spanning 18 years, she has worked in companies like Genpact and Fidelity in roles that involved a lot of number crunching and financial planning and analysis. Pooja joined the communication and advertising industry ten years back and has worked in companies like StarcomMediaVest, Synapse and now #ARM Worldwide and since then served a myriad of clients.

Heading the finance verticals, which has a skewed ratio of women, Pooja spearheaded a number of strategic level decisions with directors, CXOs, business heads and investors for company valuations, investments, compliance, optimize cost and maximize the profitability of organisations.

Rekha Sathe Account Manager, Gujarat - Fujitsu India Private Limited

Rekha carries a rich experience of more than 20+ years in diverse field areas. She has been instrumental in handling various roles throughout her career.

Rekha joined Fujitsu in April 2016 with a challenging task of building up the base for Fujitsu India in Gujarat.

She played a vital role in addressing some of the local issues of the channel partners & the customers. Because of her continuous engagements with the clients in the region she was successful in restoring the confidence of the customers back on the brand. As far as Channel Management is concerned, she has ensured to build up a strong partner network in the region. She has worked closely with channel partners by understanding their concerns and getting them addressed from time to time thus ensuring to build up a dedicated partner community for Fujitsu in the region.

Deepti Sharma Marketing Head - India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh & Nepal - Suse

Deepti Sharma has been contributing in taking SUSE business to the next level and beyond. Currently, Deepti is responsible for leading the Marketing function at SUSE across four countries and is responsible for driving marketing operations, marketing ROI, budget management, strategies across multiple channels, branding, lead generation, digital presence and other customer/prospect outreach program. She also oversees expansion of the company’s business through strategic alliances and partnerships. Being Head of Marketing, she supports and holds the team and management to a consistently high standard of work.

Deepti brings over 10 years’ experience in the field of Marketing and Communications across different industry verticals and has been critical part of SUSE’s marketing team. She always believes that women are unique in many ways as they come with stronger conviction, social values, ethos, diversity and resilience.

Deepa Krishnan Associate Director - Seller Experience - Flipkart.com

As the Associate Director for seller acquisition, on-boarding and experience at Flipkart, 37-year-old Krishnan is involved in finding more sellers for the site to help boost its products as well as managing the operations of seller experience.

While Krishnan has found support for her ideas at Flipkart and credits her rise to a supportive family, she stresses that women have to believe strongly and have conviction about their ideas to take them to completion.

A lot of times women tend to limit themselves thinking that they are women and there are certain things not suitable for them. But Deepa believes that it is very important to be persistent and not get bogged down by obstacles or criticism that one might face.

76

September 2017

www.varindia.com

Girija C Major Account Manager - Fortinet Girija C has a passion for travelling and meeting people – a passion she carries with her in her role as Major Account Manager at Fortinet. With a rich experience of over 15 years in IT solution selling and business development, Girija possesses the confidence to introduce new technologies to the market and grow their market share over time. Her ability to relate to the needs of large enterprises has won many key customers for Fortinet.

Thanks to her flair for customer service, Girija is an expert in acquiring competitive accounts. Her acumen for engaging C-level executives helps her manage and collaborate with large customers and partners. Both traits enable her to consistently exceed her performance targets. Girija’s mantra for success is to learn new skills quickly, adapt to changing business trends, and create a collaborative environment where the broader team can thrive. In her earlier years, Girija has held key roles in IBM, Wipro and Dimension Data.

Komal Somani Chief People Officer - ESDS Software Solution Pvt. Ltd.

The 2 biggest influences that drove Komal Somani into the world of HR were her close connection to people and go getter attitude to take ESDS from gold to platinum. She is the woman behind cultivating innovative mindsets at work. Under her leadership, people tend to deliver their 100% efforts towards the organization, as she lets them do what they do best. One has the freedom to explore infinite opportunities and to create wonders in their areas of interest. Komal leads a team of zealous HR individuals who strive towards accomplishing her dream of creating a culture of "Thank God It's Monday" within the organization. She lives by the faith that people must love their work days as much as their no work days.

Komal has earned a degree in Computer Engineering; she understands technology well and hence is fully equipped to manage people, product and process related issues, effortlessly. She delivers this strategy through managing all aspects of human resources, including employee experience, professional development, talent management, compensation, staffing and employee relations. She has always put her people first, motivated and engaged them and the business results flows.�

www.varindia.com

September 2017

77

Top 10 Distributors IN INDIA

Distributors:

Moving towards convergence of voice- data, Cloud and Mobility The Indian electronics and hardware industry is expected to see a 10-per cent growth and reach $112–$130 billion by 2018. Import of electronic components in India is rising and so is the demand. This is also enhancing India’s electronics manufacturing capabilities, leading to an overall 50–60 per cent of demand in the market. Many PC vendors are also expecting that sales would fuel up after small businesses start buying computers as they need to comply with the GST norms.

Also, the owners have started revitalizing their IT infrastructure to become more GST compliable through developing GST-enabled machines and with this the demand for GST-enabled systems will help the growth of PC sales in India.

The Indian PC market shipments declined by 18.9 per cent QoQ to 1.75 million units during the quarter ended June 2017 (Q2 2017) due to the impact of implementation of the Goods and Services Tax. In the previous quarter, the Indian PC industry shipped 2.16 million units, posting a growth of 12.5 per cent QoQ after the impact of demonization settled. But soon as cash flowed into the economy, implementation of GST reduced PC unit stocks which led to lesser sales during Q2 2017, IDC said. A much higher impact was felt on the consumer segment when compared to the commercial PC segment.

The distribution ecosystem for IT products has played a very important role in taking the technology and its products within easy accessibility of all classes of the Indian consumer. As the technology distribution industry has evolved from a linear to a nonlinear marketplace, partnerships and collaborations amongst industry torchbearers have become more imperative than ever. The contribution of the IT sector to India’s GDP stood at 7.7 per cent in 2016. The domestic revenue of the IT industry is estimated at US$38 billion and export revenue is estimated at US$117 billion in FY17.

Distributors also felt the opportunity and they have started the cloud computing model and find tremendous potential for enterprises looking to accelerate sales and revenue without having to rely on their own IT resources. Microsoft, Amazon, IBM, Alibaba and several data center providers have come out with cloud solutions to enable partners to offer their customers access to enterprise-level IT at affordable price points With the 4G revolution driving the Indian

78

September 2017

www.varindia.com

market in 2017, the consequences have been revolutionary. The 4G mobile revolution will transform India and with this we can expect promising growth both in rural and urban markets on mobile, cloud and broadband distribution in the country. Companies need a mobile-first strategy to create value in India in the coming decade.

Ingram Micro leads the Top 10 Distributors Club with a double-digit growth of 10 per cent with robust sales in advanced solutions and partially offset by a decline in demand for PCs, tablets and smartphones towards the end of the year. The Ingram Micro Cloud Marketplace is an ecosystem of buyers, sellers and solutions that enable partners to purchase, provision, manage and invoice a wide range of cloud solutions from a single portal. Ingram Micro’s Cloud Marketplace also provides multi-language support and multi-currency functionality.

With this, partners can leverage nearly 300 dedicated Ingram Micro Cloud employees who are specialists in global cloud marketing, sales, operations, service delivery and support.

The program has been designed to strengthen customer relationships and expand cloud sales by allowing channel partners to provision, bundle, invoice, manage and support Microsoft cloud offerings, including Microsoft Office 365, Windows Intune, Enterprise Mobility Suite, Azure, and CRM online subscriptions with greater ease and efficiency.

Redington provides end-to-end supply chain solutions for all categories of IT products (PCs, PC building blocks, networking, software and enterprise solution products) and consumer

and lifestyle products (telecom, digital lifestyle entertainment and digital printing machines) to over 100 international brands. In FY 2015-16, the company tied up with Xiaomi for distribution of smartphones in a number of cities across India.

Redington is a broad-line distributor in India covering both volume and value distribution in IT and mobility space. The most significant development for Redington was the setting up of Cloud Practice by developing Digital Transaction Portal, putting in place the cloud leadership team, entering into partnerships with key vendors in the cloud space and starting cloud journey in a small way. In FY 2016-17, Redington would work towards engaging with the relevant partners in the Digital India and Smart City projects. The company is also putting in place systems and processes in preparation of the introduction of GST in FY 2017-18.

With pan-India presence, Savex Computers offers its vendors access to more than 7,000 channel partners in over 475 cities and towns of India. In FY 2015-16, the company has signed new partnership with Aruba, HP (PC and Printer) and HP Enterprise (servers, storage and networking). In FY 2016-17, the company is focussing on growth in existing lines as well as expansion of existing product portfolio.

In 2016, Rashi Peripherals has seen a solid growth of 25 per cent and being one of the topmost IT distributors, Rashi Peripherals has partnered with over 9,000 channel partners in more than 750 towns and cities. The company has done extremely well in components, peripherals, PCs, networking and mobile business. In FY 2016-17, the company has created a strong IT

infrastructure and unique marketing platforms that have helped to put their partners on a pedestal. At 25 per cent CAGR for the last 15 years, Rashi Peripherals is one of the fastestgrowing companies in India. Their vendor names include ADATA, AMD, APC, Apple, Asus, ECS, Fitbit, Google, HP, Intel, Logitech, Lenovo, Leadtek, Micron, Nvidia, Plantronics, SanDisk, Toshiba and many other worldrenowned brands.

Brightstar Telecommunications India Ltd, formerly known as Beetel Teletech, is No. 1 specialized wireless distributor in the world and leader in innovation and diversified services for the wireless industry. Softbank-owned Brightstar has introduced buyback, trade-in, device protection services for smartphones.

The company also distributes Apple, Samsung, Huawei, Panasonic and ZTE smartphones in the Indian market and all the smartphone brands have performed exceptionally well in FY 2016-17. Recently, the company has announced new distribution partnership with Samsung Knox Platform. Brightstar’s cloud solutions in SaaS and PaaS will provide strong offerings in and around “Video-as-a-Service”, “Contact Centre-as-a-Service” and “Wi-Fi-as-a-Service”.

Brightstar feels 2017 is an inflexion point for the Indian telecom and IT industries.

HCL Infosystems is one of India’s largest consumer distribution networks for mobility, consumer electronics and appliances and has an extensive strength of 1,800+ channel partners.

In FY 2016-17, the company having posted revenue of Rs.3,738 crore, HCL Infosystems becomes exclusive pan-India distributor for all Microsoft devices. The company focusses on both Enterprise and consumer space.

In FY 2016, Compuage Infocom forged relationship with Commscope, Hanwha Techwin andTargus, apart from existing vendors including Checkpoint, SAP, Lenovo, Reliance Jio, Tyco, BenQ and SanDisk. The company has 9,000 channel partners spread across 650 cities and plans to expand 11,000 partners spread across 700 cities in FY 201617. In 2016, India’s IT sector declined by 8.9 per cent, while the company’s revenues grew

31 per cent to Rs.3,107 crore as it forayed into newer geographies, reinforced its reseller base, widened its domestic footprint, signed three new clients, trebled sales of CISCO products in India and SAARC countries (via Singapore) and the revenue mix, which is 85 per cent and 13 per cent, respectively for IT and mobility products, respectively, and will become 60:40 over the next three-four years due to the faster growth of the Indian smartphone market.

Supertron Electronics has emerged as one of the leaders in the Indian IT hardware industry.

The company has signed up with Gionee as their regional distributor for South India. The company has grown 22 per cent during the year 2016-17 as compared to 2015-16. Since H1 of this FY, Dell and Acer account for majority of its business. The company estimates put revenue contribution from sales of Dell at 28 per cent, while Acer continues to account for 30 per cent of its major business. Milestones achieved that include best India distributors by Seagate, Dell premium product champion & Dell Premium champion & Dell Diamond award and the company feels that the growth of the IT industry in India is consistent and expected to grow at a better pace with GST implementation

as all major establishments have to invest in IT infrastructure.

Global technology distribution houses are eyeing the Indian market as the sweet spot of investment and there is great amount of transformation happening. Globally No. 1 distributor Ingram Micro is now under the control of HNA Group, following the completion of the Chinese conglomerate’s $6-billion acquisition of the US-based company. Tianjin Tianhai Investment Company has taken control of Ingram Micro. WPG Holdings is expanding their presence in India by supplying, distributing and trading of electronic components, and micro controller power devices. Lastly, the merger of Avnet and Tech Data has given them an advantage in different geographical markets, vendors, and technology strengths. Tech Data is very strong in Europe, but not in Asia. Avnet is strong in the Americas and in Asia.

India is the fastest-growing market for e-commerce in the world. Unfortunately, the benefits of digital payments also increase risks and the principal concern over the rush to a digital economy is the growing threat of cyberattacks and data leakage.

Ingram Micro India Pvt. Ltd.

Company’s Turnover (2016-17): Rs. 22,000 Cr Company’s Turnover (2015-16): Rs 19,800 Cr Company’s Turnover (2014-15): Rs 15823 Cr Head of the Organization: Jaishankar Krishnan, Managing Director Address: 5th Floor, Block B, Godrej IT Park, Pirojshanagar, LBS Marg, Vikhroli West, Mumbai 400079.

Contact No.: +91-22-39894645 Website: www.imonline.co.in Company Profile: With a nation wide presence and one of the top distribution company, Ingram Micro India is a subsidiary of Ingram Micro Inc. The company has a reputation as a wholesale provider of Computer Systems & Components, Peripherals and Printers, Networking Solutions, Computer Storage Systems, Supplies and Accessories, Application Software and Support Services.

From a single source, the company has expertise to provide a comprehensive product line. Ingram Micro is committed to be the best wholesale provider of IT products and services in India providing real value to customers and principals.

Products & Solutions: Ingram Micro has 75+ brands with them. To name a few, Microsoft, Apple, IBM, HP, Intel, Acer, Cisco, Autodesk, Emerson, Samsung, Lenovo, Fortinet, Logitech, Riverbed, etc.

www.varindia.com

September 2017

79

Top 10 Distributors IN INDIA Redington India Ltd.

Company’s Turnover (2016-17): Rs 15,779.9 Cr Company’s Turnover (2015-16): Rs 15,000 Cr + (approx.)

Company’s Turnover (2014-15): Rs 14,610 Cr Head of the Organization: P.S. Neogi, Joint Chief Operating Officer (IT Division) Address: Ground Floor, "Centre Point" Plot No. 8 and 11 (SP) Thiru-Vi-Ka Industrial Estate, Ekkaduthangal Guindy, Chennai - 600 032 Contact No.: 04442243353 Website: www.redingtonindia.com Company Profile: Incepted in the year 1993, Redington is a broad-line distributor in India. It is into Volume and Value distribution in the IT as well as Mobility solutions in the Communications space. The distribution company has partnership with all the major technology vendors of the world and has a robust channel of 14000+ partners. Headquartered in Chennai, Redington has 46 sales offices spread across the country. Apart from its distribution business, Redington offers Support Services through its wholly owned subsidiary Ensure and 3PL logistics solutions through ProConnect, another wholly owned subsidiary. In the year 2007, Redington listed itself on Indian stock-exchanges.

Savex Technologies Pvt. Ltd.

Company’s Turnover (2016-17): Rs 9,000 cr Company’s Turnover (2015-16): Rs 7,070 cr Company’s Turnover (2014-15): Rs 5,905 cr Head of the Organization: Anil Jagasia, Chairman & Managing Director Address: 124, Maker Chambers III,12th Floor, Nariman Point, Mumbai - 400 021 Contact No.: 022 - 2279 9999 Website: www.savex.org Company Profile: With a headquarter in Mumbai and 86 sales offices and 42 stock locations spread across the country, Savex Technologies has an expertise of more than two decades in distribution.It has a channel eco-system of more than 7000 Channel Partners, Retailers, Corporate Resellers, VARs & System Integrators. The core competencies of Savex in distribution are better Logistics, efficiently monitored Inventory management, flexible credit financing for dealers, a national channel reach and an excellent reseller account management system.

Journey in 2016: During the past year Savex has grown by 30% (YOY), primarily driven by growth witnessed by the existing vendors. Savex works closely with both vendors and partners be it pre-sales, site survey, POC’s, T3 events, Marketing activities to help grow the business.

Current focused of the company : Savex is focusing on the growing its Enterprise business. It is also working closely with HP Inc. to increase footprint of HP World (exclusive HP Retail Outlets).

Plan for 2017: Savex is optimistic that post GST, demand for Information Technology products will increase and hence provide the trade enough opportunity to grow. It will continue to explore new partnerships to drive further growth.

Products & Services: Aruba Networks, BenQ, D-link, Lenovo, Logitech, Microsoft, HPI & HPE, Samsung Mobiles & Ubiquiti Networks.

Rashi Peripherals Pvt. Ltd.

Company’s Turnover (2016-17): Rs 4,000 Cr Company’s Turnover (2015-16): Rs 3,200 Cr Company’s Turnover (2014-15): Rs.2,984 Cr Head of the Organization: Suresh Pansari, Director Address: Ariisto House, 5th Floor, Junction of N. S. Phadke Road, Telli Gali, Andheri (E), Mumbai – 400 069 Contact No.: +91-22-61771771/72 Website: www.rptechindia.com Company Profile: Leading IT & Mobile brands have put their trust in Rashi Peripherals to penetrate into the vast Indian market since 28 years. The company has partnered with over 9000+ dealers, retailers, and customers in over than 750 towns & cities. To cater to this vast customer base, Rashi has branch & service operations in over 50 towns of India.

Value addition has always been a major thrust at Rashi Peripherals. It has always thrive to provide value add services to vendors and partners through dedicated service wing and innovative marketing campaigns.

Current focus of the Company: Rashi Peripherals majorly focused in Consumer, SME and SMB segment. It is also working to tap the enterprise and government sector to get vertical growth in the organization. At the same time, it is doing a lot of internal realignment, training and process improvements to improve overall efficiency and effectiveness.

Journey in 2016: It is gradually moving from a value added distributor to a value added solution provider on one side and smartphone distributor on the other side. It also has the privilege to provide service support to a lot of products and brands that it distributes. This year Rashi has introduced several new product lines in motherboards, CPU, accessories, surveillance drives, gaming notebook and so for.

Milestones achieved in 2016: It is rightly said that efforts made in a right direction always get due credit. Rashi is always been appreciated by its vendors outstanding performance. It has recently won Highest Revenue Distributor, Fastest Growing Distributor and Key Distributor award from Logitech. Western Digital honored Rashi with Best Customer Breadth India award. Toshiba recognized it for exceeding 1Mn Units of Internal HDD2016.

Plan for 2017: Rashi’s vision is to cross double digit growth in 2017-18. Rashi Peripherals aims to make its products distributed and available in each of the 716 districts in India. It is poised to be the leading distribution company with a real value addition.

Products & Solutions: Rashi is probably the only distribution company who provides most holistic IT solutions to end users. Started with the Components and Peripheral business, today it has the most diverse and balanced product portfolio. IT & Mobile, Lifestyle, and Gaming are our core strengths and it works with all the major Component and PC brands.

80

September 2017

www.varindia.com

Brightstar Telecommunications India Ltd.

Company’s Turnover (2016-17): Rs. 4,000 Cr (approx.)

Company’s Turnover (2015-16): Rs. 4,300+ Cr Company’s Turnover (2014-15): Rs.1092.513 Cr Head of the Organization: Deval Parikh, Chief Executive Officer, India Address: Beetel Corporate Center, First Floor,B Wing, Plot No.16,Udyog Vihar Phase IV , Gurgaon-122015 Contact No.: +91 124 4823500 Website: www.brightstarcorp.in Company Profile: Brightstar Corp, a global subsidiary of SoftBank Group Corp, is the one of the leading mobile services & technology solutions company. Brightstar entered the Indian market after acquiring a majority stake in Beetel Teletech in 2014. It is structured into multiple business segments encompassing distribution, mobile handset and accessories, communication devices (including mobile broadband devices [3G data cards] and memory products), IT infrastructure products (including networking, servers and storage) and Enterprise solutions (covering key industry verticals of board room solutions, voice and data solutions and network solutions [last mile connectivity]). Adding to its current portfolio are a range of new services which bring immense value for customers and consumers alike, Financial services, Gadget Insurance and Buy back and Trade in.

Journey in 2016: The journey so far has been quiet exciting and fruitful for Brightstar. The company has been successful in few new initiatives as well as the regular business has improved multifold.

Focused Verticals: The company is looking forward to its Distribution business to be the preferred partner for all OEMs in retail business. In services, the company would like to offer its platform for device protection as well as future price commitment to across all leading mobile & telecom brands.

Products & Solutions: Beetel, Apple, Motorola, JBL, Huawei, RAD Data Communications, RADWIN, Actelis, BELDEN, XCEL-FI, Zyxel, AirPro, Oscilloquartz, Ruckus Wireless, Versa Networks, R&M, Polycom, biamp, AMX, Extron, Panasonic, Avaya, Unify, Arista, Accedian Networks, Samsung, ZTE, Alcatel, Kingston Technology.

HCL Infosystems Ltd.

Company’s Turnover (2016-17): Rs. 3,738 Cr Company’s Turnover (2015-16): Rs. 3,718 Cr* (July-Mar) Company’s Turnover (2014-15): Rs. 6,270 Cr Head of the Organization: Bimal Das, Joint President- Enterprise Distribution Address: E-4, 5 & 6, Sector 11, NOIDA 201 301, UP Contact No.: +91 120 2526518/19, 2520977 Website: www.hclinfosystems.in Company Profile: An IT Services, Solutions & Distribution Company, HCL Infosystems provides the choice of multi-brand global technology products and the capability of best-in-class, business-aligned IT services and solutions. It offers IT and System Integration services, value-added distribution of enterprise technology and consumer mobility products. This year the company has posted a revenue of Rs. 3,738 crore in FY 2017 and overall the Enterprise Business which includes Enterprise Distribution has achieved a revenue of Rs. 2117 in FY16-17. The Enterprise Distribution business with a revenue of Rs. 1168 Crore continued its consistently robust performance with 20% increase in YoY revenue.

Journey in 2016: During FY’17, the Consumer Distribution business of the company has forayed into a multi-brand, multi-platform business model since January 2017 to expand in the high-potential consumer products. During the year, the business was appointed as the distributor in General Trade channel for a leading global mobility company’s handsets in three Indian states. Very recently this business has also signed a Distributor Agreement with a leading device manufacturer to further gain traction. The long industry experience & reach, the state of the art automation & technology platforms coupled with a strong market perception both amongst mobile brands & distributors, this business is expected to further grow.

Focused Verticals: HCL Infosystems focuses both on Enterprise and Consumer space. In Enterprise business during the last Financial Year the company configured a robust Go-to- Market (GTM) organisation branded as Enterprise 360 which combined its extensive product portfolio of leading global brands with comprehensive suite of IT services and solutions.

Compuage Infocom Ltd.

Company’s Turnover (2016-17): Rs.3551 Cr Company’s Turnover (2015-16): Rs.3107 Cr Company’s Turnover (2014-15): Rs. 2378 Cr Head of the Organization: Atul Mehta, Chairman & Managing Director Address: D-601/602 & G-601/602, Lotus Corporate Park, Graham Firth Steel Compound, Western Express Highway, Goregaon (East), Mumbai - 400 063.

Contact No.: 022-67114444 Website: www.compuageindia.com Company Profile: Compuage Infocom, incorporated in 1987 and BSE & NSE listed company, is an IT and Mobility Distribution Company which offers global products and services.

Compuage caters to dynamic requirements of all Consumers, SOHO, SMB, Mid size, Large Enterprise and Government organizations across various industry verticals. Compuage’s products and solutions complement all the IT needs be it Hardware, Software, Networking, Data Management or Storage.

Journey in 2016: In last one year the company has focused more on Training & Development of its Employees which in turn will contribute to organizational goals and driving 5 verticals.

Milestones achieved in 2016: Compuage has received Awards like Cisco Best Performer, LG Best Performer, Samsung Security & Surveillance

www.varindia.com

September 2017

81

Top 10 Distributors IN INDIA Best Partnership Award. It has organized one of a kind channel partner Event for 1200 Channel Partners in Bankog Pataya and the largest off site sales meet in Goa, attended by more than 350 employees. Everyone related to Sales, be it ZMs, SM, ASM, TMs, ISRs and Support Team were a part of the sales meet. In this sales meet not only the objectives for coming times were set but a lot of Team Building Training activities were arranged which build the morale of our Employees.

Plan for 2017: Compuage aims to grow by 20%, focusing more on skillset improvement of the internal teams and supporting SI’s by imparting technical training.

Products & Solutions: Our Products and solutions are in 5 major categories: PC Components & Peripherals (Laptops, Desktops & AIOs, Peripheral supplies, Projectors, Memory Products, Accessories), Mobile Devices (Smart Phones, Tablets, Mobile Accessories), Enterprise (Software, Passive Networking, Active Networking, Power, Security, Audio Video Products, Digital Signage), Physical Safety & Security (Video Surveillance, Fire Alarms & Public Address systems, Notification & Response, Access Controls), Cloud Computing (Security, Communication & Collaboration, Business Applications, Vertical Solutions, Cloud Management Services, Infrastructure)

Supertron Electronics Pvt. Ltd.

Company’s Turnover (2016-17): Rs. 2,743 Cr Company’s Turnover (2015-16): Rs. 2,300 Cr Company’s Turnover (2014-15): Rs. 1954 Cr Head of the Organization: V. K. Bhandari, Chairman & Managing Director Address: No. 2, Cooper Lane, Off R. N. Mukherjee Road, Kolkata – 700 001 Contact No.: +91 33 4037 1000 Website: www.supertronindia.com Company Profile: The brain child of Mr. V.K. Bhandari, Supertron Electronics is a leading Information Technology and Telecom company in India. Graduated from regional to national level, the success of products and some of the strategic tie-ups with more than 20 big MNC players has bolstered the growth of Supertron and helped the company to strengthen its position among the leading distribution houses in India.

Since inception Supertron has been patronized for its highest standards of business ethics and delivering to keep its promises each and every time with an aim to provide cost-effective products and solutions to the customers in all areas of information technology.

Current focus of the Company: Supertron’ business verticals are IT distribution, Mobile & telecom, Enterprise business, LFR & E-Retail.

Journey in 2016: Supertron has grown by 22% during the year 16-17 as compared to 15-16. It is strong in terms of network and have the flexibility to adopt a roll from national distribution to regional distribution or vice-versa as per the product category. Supertron’s product portfolio and better service support has enabled the partners to work with Supertron comfortably. Supertron specializes in providing end-to-end product distribution with strong logistics network and supply chain systems. Our capability and nature of sharing growth and helped them to gain the trust of the partners. The Company takes pride in having more than 11000 active partners across the country.

Milestones achieved in 2016: Best India Distributor by Seagate, Dell Premium product champion & Dell Diamond award, Best Brand Strategist of the year by ASSOCHAM etc.

Plan for 2017: Supertron’s key priorities in the next fiscal are to enhance supply chain efficiencies, expand the reach across the country, and scale a brand’s growth in the shortest possible time and at the lowest cost.

Products & Solutions: The company has associations with more than 22 World class brands like Dell, Samsung, Lenovo, Acer, Seagate, ZOTAC, Maxtor, Corsair, AMD, Xerox, Sapphire to name a few of them.

Tech Data Technology Solutions (India) Pvt. Ltd.

Company’s Turnover (2016-17): NA Head of the Organization: Sundaresan K, Country General Manager Address: A 301,3rd Floor, Supreme Business Park, Behind Lake Castle, Hiranandani Business park,Powai,Mumbai-400076 Contact: 022-44200200 Website: www.in.techdata.com Company Profile: One of the leading IT solution distributor, Tech Data helps its partners to succeed by connecting leading technology suppliers with more than 100,000 customers and provides them cost-effective, value-added services and solutions. It addresses the business needs of the enduser customers both locally and globally by collaborating with its customers and suppliers.

Plan for 2017: It aims to add more advanced analytics, IOT, cloud solutions to the portfolio through alliance with key vendors and geographical expansion.

Products & Solutions: Virtualisation, Security & Networking, Storage DR and BCP, Enterprise System management, collaboration & mobility, Industry solutions and information management.

WPG C & C Computers & Peripherals (India) Pvt. Ltd.

Company’s Turnover (2016-17): NA Head of the Organization: Rajeev Bajpai, President Address: D-18/1, Okhla Industrial Estate, Phase - II, NEW DELHI - 110020 Contact No.: 91-98-99224444 Website: www.sa.wpgholdings.com Company Profile: Headquartered in Taipei, Taiwan, WPG Holdings is among the leading Semiconductor Distributor and electronics distributors in Asia. Performing comprehensively in semiconductor distribution, it provides value added services like as Demand Creation, Turnkey Solution, Technical Support, Warehousing, Logistics and E-commerce to meet diverse needs of OEM(Original Equipment Manufacturer), ODM(Original Design Manufacturer), EMS(Electronic Manufacturing Services) and SME(Small and Medium Enterprises). In 2016, it has achieved a revenue of US$16.65 billion.

82

September 2017

www.varindia.com

0 02'(/ 12

+3( 3UROLDQW 0/ *HQ 6HUYHU

+3( 3UROLDQW '/ *HQ 6HUYHU

+3( 3UROLDQW 0/ *HQ

+3( 3UROLDQW '/ *HQ 6HUYHU

+3( 3UROLDQW 0/ *HQ

+3( 3UROLDQW '/ *HQ 6HUYHU

+3( 3UROLDQW '/ *HQ 6HUYHU

+3( 3UROLDQW '/ *HQ 6HUYHU

+3( 3UROLDQW '/ *HQ 6HUYHU

+3( 3UROLDQW 0/ * 6HUYHU

+3( 3UROLDQW '/ * 6HUYHU

+3( 3UROLDQW '/ * 6HUYHU

+3( 3UROLDQW '/ * 6HUYHU

3$57 12

'(6&5,37,21

35,&(

+3( 3UR/LDQW 0/ *HQ ,QWHOŠ ;HRQŠ ( Y *+] FRUH 0% :

'L00V 6ORWV *% ''5 5$0 /)) LQFK 1RQ +RW 3OXJ 6$7$ +3( 7% 1RQ KRW SOXJ /)) 6$7$ ,QWHO 567 6$7$ 5$,' &RQWUROOHU [ :DWWV 1RQ +RW 3OXJ '9' 5: 3RUW (WKHUQHW 6HUYHU $GDSWHU ;

<U 2QVLWH ZDUUDQW\

5V

3 5DFN ,QWHOÂ&#x160; ;HRQÂ&#x160; ( Y *+]_ FRUHV_ 0 &DFKH_ : *% H[SDQGDEOH [ *% 8',00 # 0+] *% ''5 8 0HPRU\ /)) LQFK 1RQ +RW 3OXJ 6$7$ 2SHQ %D\ +3( '\QDPLF 6PDUW $UUD\ % L &RQWUROOHU +3( 6$7$ -% 2SWLFDO +':5 +3( '/ *HQ 8 1+3( : 368 +3( (WKHUQHW *E SRUW L QHWZRUN $GDSWHU RU %&0 +3( L/2 )LUPZDUH +3( L/2 <UV 1%' 6XSSRUW

5V

3 7RZHU ,QWHOÂ&#x160; ;HRQÂ&#x160; ( Y *+]_ FRUHV_ 0 &DFKH_ : *% H[SDQGDEOH [ *% 8',00 # 0+] *% ''5 8 0HPRU\ /)) LQFK +RW 3OXJ 'ULYH 2SHQ %D\ +3( '\QDPLF 6PDUW $UUD\ % L &RQWUROOHU +3( 6$7$ -% 2SWLFDO +':5 [ +3( : 9 +RWSOXJ $&& 3ZU 6XSSO\ +3( (WKHUQHW *E SRUW 1& L $GDSWHU +3( L/2 )LUPZDUH +3( L/2

<UV 1%' 6XSSRUW

5V

8 3 5DFN ,QWHOÂ&#x160; ;HRQÂ&#x160; ( Y *+] FRUH 0% : *% H[SDQGDEOH [ *% 5',00 # 0+] *% ''5 5 0HPRU\ /)) LQFK +RW 3OXJ 'ULYH 2SHQ %D\ +3( '\QDPLF 6PDUW $UUD\ % L &RQWUROOHU +3( 6$7$ -% 2SWLFDO +':5 [ +3( : $& 9'& 3RZHU 0RGXOH +3( (PEHGGHG 'XDO 3RUW L $GDSWHU 1HWZRUN ,QWHUIDFH +3( L/2 )LUPZDUH +3( L/2 <UV [ +U 6XSSRUW

5V

3 7RZHU ,QWHOÂ&#x160; ;HRQÂ&#x160; ( Y *+] FRUH 0% : 'L00 6ORWV *% ''5 5 0HPRU\ /)) LQFK +RW 3OXJ 'ULYH 2SHQ %D\ +3( + *E SRUWV ,QW 6PDUW +%$ +3( 6$7$ -% 2SWLFDO +':5 [ +3( : $& 9'& 3RZHU 0RGXOH %URDGFRP 'XDO SRUW *E +3( L/2 )LUPZDUH +3( L/2 <UV [ +U 6XSSRUW

5V

8 3 5DFN ,QWHOÂ&#x160; ;HRQÂ&#x160; ( Y *+] FRUH 0% : 'L00 6ORWV *% ''5 5 0HPRU\ 6)) LQFK +RW 3OXJ 'ULYH 2SHQ %D\ +3( + *E SRUWV ,QW 6PDUW +%$ +3( 6$7$ -% 2SWLFDO +':5 [ +3( : $& 9'& 3RZHU 0RGXOH +3( (WKHUQHW *E 3RUW L $GDSWHU +3( L/2 )LUPZDUH +3( L/2 <UV [ +U 6XSSRUW

5V

8 3 5DFN ,QWHOÂ&#x160; ;HRQÂ&#x160; ( Y *+] FRUH 0% : 'L00 6ORWV *% ''5 5 0HPRU\ 6)) LQFK +RW 3OXJ 'ULYH 2SHQ %D\ +3( + *E SRUWV ,QW 6PDUW +%$ +3( 6$7$ -% 2SWLFDO +':5 [ +3( : $& 9'& 3RZHU 0RGXOH +3( (WKHUQHW *E 3RUW L $GDSWHU +3( L/2 )LUPZDUH +3( L/2 <UV [ +U 6XSSRUW

5V

8 3 5DFN VHUYHU ,QWHOÂ&#x160; ;HRQÂ&#x160; ( Y *+] FRUH 0% :

'L00 6ORWV *% ''5 5 0HPRU\ 6)) LQFK +RW 3OXJ 'ULYH 2SHQ %D\ +3( + *E SRUWV ,QW 6PDUW +%$ +3( 6$7$ -% 2SWLFDO +':5 [ +3( : $& 9'& 3RZHU 0RGXOH +3( (WKHUQHW *E 3RUW L $GDSWHU +3( L/2 )LUPZDUH +3( L/2 <UV [ +U 6XSSRUW

5V

8 3 5DFN +3( '/ *HQ ( Y *+] FRUH 0% : /)) ,1 6YU 3URP 'L00 6ORWV *% ''5 5 0HPRU\ /)) LQFK +RW 3OXJ 'ULYH 2SHQ %D\ +3( 6PDUW $UUD\ 3 *% FRQWUROOHU 12 '9' 5: 6XSSRUW YLD H[WHUQDO 86% [ +3( : $& 9'& 3RZHU 0RGXOH +3( (WKHUQHW *E 3RUW L $GDSWHU +3( L/2 )LUPZDUH +3( L/2

<UV [ +U 6XSSRUW

5V

+3( 0/ *HQ ( Y *% 6)) 6YU ,QWHOÂ&#x160; ;HRQÂ&#x160; ( Y *+] FRUH 0% : 'L00 6ORWV *% ''5 5 0HPRU\ 6)) LQFK +RW 3OXJ 'ULYH 2SHQ %D\ +3( 6PDUW $UUD\ 3 DU * &RQWUROOHU +3( 6$7$ -% 2SWLFDO +':5 [ +3( : )6 3ODW +W 3OJ 3ZU 6XSSO\ .LW +3( (PEHGGHG *E (WKHUQHW SRUW L $GDSWHU +3( L/2 )LUPZDUH +3( L/2 *% 1$1' <UV [ +U 6XSSRUW

5V

+3( '/ *HQ ( Y ,QGLD 6YU ,QWHOÂ&#x160; ;HRQÂ&#x160; ( Y *+] FRUH 0% : 'L00 6ORWV *% ''5 5 0HPRU\ 6)) LQFK

+RW 3OXJ 'ULYH 2SHQ %D\ +3( 6PDUW $UUD\ 3 DU * &RQWUROOHU +3( 6$7$ -% 2SWLFDO +':5 +RW 3OXJ_ +RW 6ZDS [ +3( : )OH[ 6ORW 3RZHU 6ORW +3( (PEHGGHG *E (WKHUQHW SRUW L $GDSWHU +3( L/2 )LUPZDUH +3( L/2 *% 1$1' <UV [ +U 6XSSRUW

5V

+3( '/ *HQ ( Y 3 * ,QGLD 6YU ,QWHOÂ&#x160; ;HRQÂ&#x160; ( Y *+] FRUH 0% : 'L00 6ORWV *% ''5 5 0HPRU\ 6)) LQFK

+RW 3OXJ 'ULYH 2SHQ %D\ +3( 6PDUW $UUD\ 3 DU * &RQWUROOHU 12 237,&$/ '5,9( +RW 3OXJ_ +RW 6ZDS [ +3( : )OH[ 6ORW 3RZHU 6ORW +3( (PEHGGHG *E (WKHUQHW SRUW L $GDSWHU +3( L/2 )LUPZDUH +3( L/2 *% 1$1' <UV [ +U 6XSSRUW

5V

+3( '/ *HQ ( Y 3 * ,QGLD 6YU [ ,QWHOÂ&#x160; ;HRQÂ&#x160; ( Y *+] FRUH 0% : 'L00 6ORWV *% ''5 5 0HPRU\ 6)) LQFK +RW 3OXJ 'ULYH 2SHQ %D\ +3( 6PDUW $UUD\ 3 DU * &RQWUROOHU 12 237,&$/ '5,9( +RW 3OXJ_ +RW 6ZDS [ +3( : )OH[ 6ORW 3RZHU 6ORW +3( (PEHGGHG *E (WKHUQHW SRUW L $GDSWHU +3( L/2 )LUPZDUH +3( L/2

*% 1$1' <UV [ +U 6XSSRUW

5V

*67 ([WUD

)RU DQ\ TXHU\ NLQGO\ FRQWDFW RQ EHORZ GHWDLOV _ 0RGL ,QIRVRO 3YW /WG +HDG 2I¿FH % 2NKOD 3KDVH , 1HZ 'HOKL

%UDQFK 2I¿FH 6NLSSHU FRUQHU 1HKUX 3ODFH

6DQMD\ -KD _ VDQMD\#PRGLLWKXE FRP _ $QRRS .XPDU _ DQRRS N#PRGLLWKXE FRP _ 9LYHN 0RGL _ YLYHNP#PRGLLWKXE FRP _

www.varindia.com

September 2017

83

FACE TO FACE

Konica Minolta transitioning into a cloud services company In a chat with VARINDIA, V. Balakrishnan, EGM, Konica Minolta Business Solutions India, discusses about its cloud-based integrated DMS solution Konica Minolta is poised to leverage the adoption of digitization by users in India. Konica Minolta, with its new solution – “ebizVAULT”, is offering a solution that is integrated to its MFP platform and will help organizations to enhance user experience in the DMS (Document Management Services) segment and employee productivity.

“Konica Minolta is one of the two brands that has grown consistently in the past five years in India. Our focus on ‘adding value’ and enhancing ‘user experience’ has been a key factor for this success. With the launch of ‘e-bizVAULT’ a fully functional DMS on the Cloud, we now offer our customers an integrated solution that will enable them to process a document in ‘print and digital’ forms. Transitioning from being a print provider to a services provider is the key,” says V. Balakrishnan, EGM, Konica Minolta Business Solutions India.

Current focus of Konica Minolta

Konica Minolta is looking forward to offer an integrated platform so that customers do not need to perform multiple steps to leverage DMS. Konica Minolta customers will be able to leverage this solution to perform tasks as they happen instead of in a batch mode. This will ensure that business is captured as it happens all the time across the organization.

“When my customer can scan a document on my MFP and use the metada captured to do multiple tasks it enhances the employee’s productivity. A study has revealed that people spend in excess of 30% of their time searching for information. With this solution in place, it will only be a click away!” explains Balakrishnan.

He further adds, “We are also getting into capture and workflows which is again an integration into our MFP platform. We will help organizations to automate, capture and process of information in some key tasks such as Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, HR Processes, etc. We are working on this area and will be launching it in the next quarter.”

DMS Market

Organizations are welcoming cloud solutions and customers have faith in Konica Minolta’s solution. Enterprises and SMBs are the major adopters of this solution. Apart from this, Pharmaceuticals and Statutory Compliance across organizations is also emerging as a potential area.

“Adoption of cloud is going up. Organizations are feeling very comfortable about it. The fact that we come from Konica Minolta and we have the reputation of delivering what we promise has been a positive point. We have a lot of test sites that are running and three full production sites will go live by August. These sites are at Bangalore, Bombay and Delhi,” highlights Balakrishnan.

Competition with other DMS Players

In the DMS market, there are many big and small players offering similar solutions but nobody is offering complete DMS functionality integrated into MFP platform. So Konica Minolta solution has no comparison with others and also it adds maximum value to its customers.

“Primarily, DMS has been positioned as a solution on the Konica Minolta platform that is quick and easy to implement and grow as per your need. It is all about agility and user experience,” concludes Balakrishnan. n Aparna Mullick aparna@varindia.com

84

September 2017

www.varindia.com

V. Balakrishnan EGM, Konica Minolta Business Solutions India

“Primarily, DMS has been positioned as a solution on the Konica Minolta platform that is quick and easy to implement and grow as per your need. It is all about agility and user experience”

www.varindia.com

September 2017

85

FACE TO FACE

Google empowering small businesses with the power of Internet Google is been deeply committed in partnering with small businesses and address their issues by enabling them to use the power of technology to grow. Throwing more light on this, Shalini Girish, Director - Google Marketing Solutions, Google India talks to VARINDIA about the various initiatives that it has started to empower these businesses in the country -

I

ndia has the second largest Internet user base in the world with 400 million connected users. The country has an incredibly healthy and growing digital ecosystem with huge potential for scale as India is expected to hit 650 million Internet users by 2020.

Smartphone adoption in India has also grown rapidly reaching over 300 million Indians.

“Over the last year, we have seen significant changes in our broadband infrastructure - both wireless and wifi - leading to unprecedented growth in internet consumption,” points out Shalini Girish, Director - Google Marketing Solutions, Google India. “The growth brings with it huge opportunities for the start-ups to get onto the digital platform and reach to a larger target audience across the country.”

Google’s mission in India is aligned with the vision of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi of “Digitizing India” which aims to build an inclusive internet - for everyone, whether it’s a small sari shop owner in Chandni Chowk or a web or app developer working from a room in their house. But across all these initiatives, Google’s underlying objective is to overcome barriers that hinder Indians from getting the full value of internet.

In a joint study done by Google with KPMG to find the impact of internet and digitization on SMBs in India, it found out that 68% of the 51m Indian SMBs are still offline.

It also reiterated that digitally engaged SMBs grow twice as fast compared to offline SMBs. The report also revealed that, digitally engaged businesses are able to grow their customer base significantly with 52% catering to customers beyond their home city versus only 29% offline SMBs. Highlighting the macro-economic impact of the internet, the research found that rising penetration and greater uptake for digital

by SMBs could help increase their contribution to India’s GDP by 10 percentage points, taking it up to 46-48% by 2020.

“One of the main reasons for only 32% of small businesses in India leveraging the power of digital to reap the benefits of the digital economy is simply because there is a lack of understanding of the benefits of digital technologies and technical skills amongst the start-ups of the country,” says Shalini. “This is why Google is investing in ecosystem initiatives of training SMBs through “Digital Unlocked” campaign and helping start-ups to solve for the needs of Indian users by providing them the best of Google tools, platform and mentoring.”

86

September 2017

www.varindia.com

Public-WiFi Project....

However access to the internet is at the core of this digital growth. Google understands that creating abundant access to the internet is important part of bringing the Internet alive for lndia. Towards this goal Google has partnered with RailTel and Indian Railways to create an unparalleled public WiFi infrastructure and experience for users across 400 Railway Stations.

To implement this project, Google has developed Google Station a technology

stack which enables any venue owner to deploy public WiFi services. In many ways, this project has revived the importance of investing in high speed public WiFi infrastructure in the country and is a shining example of what can be accomplished with public private partnerships to reach the digital India vision. “Most importantly, today, our RailTel project is live at 150 stations and 6.5 million Indians use the service every month,” says an exuberant Shalini. n

Google initiatives for small businesses and start-ups

Training

Digital Unlocked is a learning program for business owners across India, to help them fully understand the what, why and how of digital. Businesses can choose a learning format that works best for them - online, through Google website or through its mobile app or classroom training sessions across India. These sessions are held in partnership with FICCI. Google further plans to host 5,000 workshops will across 40 Indian cities, over the next three years.

Since launch, over 500,000 individuals have engaged with Google’s skilling platform and 15,000 businesses are now certified.

Tools

Primer, a free mobile app which delivers lessons in a fun and interactive format. The apps also work offline. In a span of 8 months of the apps’ launch, Google has received 2.5 million downloads of Primer.

Website with Google my business, a free tool to help local businesses showcase their unique offering on Google Search and Maps. 270,000 Indian businesses are already using Websites with Google My Business and are finding newer ways to connect with consumers. It recently announced a new feature in Google My Business that allows business owners to manage their business listings right from Google Search.

Recognition

Google discovers and recognizes SMBs that are successfully using digital to unlock growth in three categories - Business Innovation through Digital, Impacting Change through Digital, and Woman Business Leader.

www.varindia.com

September 2017

87

Government – A major power booster of Surveillance Industry In a chat with VARINDIA, Darpan Seth, Head - India & SAARC, Impulse Networks, highlights the growth factors and opportunities of surveillance industry The Indian market is witnessing a rise in demand in security solutions and systems.

The demand in the surveillance market is majorly driven by government and the evolving technologies. This growth is actually the result of the need to secure and monitor people, resources, critical infrastructure, etc. Moreover, these days, government bodies are also keen to protect public places which work as a prime factor to boost the industry.

“The surveillance market is driven by surging demand from government and evolving technologies targeted to improve functional expertise and operational efficiency.

Security solutions and systems represent a vital component of the government plan. CCTV and video surveillance systems are witnessing strong growth driven by rising need to secure and monitor people, resources, assets, critical infrastructure against the backdrop of increasing safety and security concerns. Government bodies focus on safeguarding public places such as airports, railway stations, bus stations, universities, hospitals, public parks, etc,” says Darpan Seth, Head India & SAARC, Impulse Networks.

Analog to Digital

Though India security and surveillance market is shifting from analog to digital, but still it is a fact that analog-based CCTV systems dominate the lower and economy segments.

The IP- based cameras are majorly used in large installations. India is a very dynamic market and rapidly adopting the technological innovations like software-based solutions.

“In India, currently, analog-based CCTV systems dominate the market in the lower and economy-based segments. Large installations are generally pure IP camera-based installations.

IP cameras are used increasingly in different verticals such as hospitality, retail, manufacturing, homeland security, transportation, BFSI, and government. The Indian market for surveillance and CCTV is fast changing with new technologies

88

September 2017

www.varindia.com

being introduced coupled with the technological advancement being more towards softwarebased solutions than hardware-based. IP-based CCTV cameras allow smart edge video analytics, reducing computing power required for serverbased video analytics for features such as facial detection, line crossing, missing / abandoned object, counting and perimeter intrusion,” explains Seth.

Challenges & Strategy

Talking about the challenges, Seth mentions, “Delay in awarding of large infrastructure projects to large EPCs, and its eventual completion remains the biggest bottleneck.

Besides this, we are also hopeful that CCTVs become mandatory in all commercial and government establishments via a proposed amendment to the National Building Code.”

Though a lot of competition is present, but Impulse has its niche market. Video surveillance is the focussed area for Impulse in critical competition.

“There are plenty of international companies present in the Indian market.

Despite the competition, Impulse has a unique niche. Impulse focusses on video surveillance solutions for critical infrastructure. We understand the requirements of this market based on our extensive global experience. All our offerings are customized to provide end-toend video surveillance solutions for this vertical.

We provide UL Listed IP Cameras; UL Listed Industrial-Grade Network Switches; WorldClass Video Management System Software and Scalable Video Recording Hardware to complete the portfolio.

All our CCTV cameras are ONVIFcompliant which means that if the customer has a heterogeneous environment, our products are compatible and can sync along with the existing ONVIF infrastructure. Our products are thoroughly tested and are UL listed,” explains Seth.

Opportunities for Channel

The market is brimming with opportunities as surveillance has become mandatory for commercial and government settings. Also, cloud-based monitoring solutions will gain

Darpan Seth Head - India & SAARC, Impulse Networks grounds in India which will further enhance the prospects for the channel community.

“The surveillance market in India has tremendous growth prospects.

CCTVbased surveillance is almost mandatory in all commercial and government settings, creating new challenges related to designing, installing, commissioning and managing IP CCTV systems infrastructure. We also foresee private cloudbased monitoring solutions to pick up the pace in India which could be an added benefit for the channel,” says Seth.

He further adds, “Video surveillance products are essential in all infrastructure projects and now require increased integration with thirdparty infrastructure such as fire systems, toll gates, boom barriers, access controls, weighing stations, etc. Impulse is committed to supporting its channel partners in ensuring seamless system integration on Impulse products with open protocol / API-based systems.”

Future

Discussingthe future of the industry he mentions, “The Indian CCTV market is seeing enormous growth from sectors such as city surveillance, hospitality, critical infrastructure security, BFSI, retail, BPO, manufacturing, and education. The government, in general, is the biggest segment in terms of volume demand. We see increased system integration of CCTV cameras with traffic enforcement and access control systems. There is also demand for premium analytics software for ANPR (Automatic Number Plate Recognition) and Traffic RLVD (Red Light Violation Detection).” n Aparna Mullick aparna@varindia.com

www.varindia.com

September 2017

89

FACE TO FACE

A newly designed partner program to define the future growth of Dell EMC A merger does not only mean a union of two companies but also the amalgamation of channel partners, who make the path easier towards success for companies. And for that companies need to structure their partner program well. Talking about the Partner Program post the merger of Dell and EMC, Anil Sethi, Vice President, Channels - Dell EMC India talks about the transformation it has brought about in the channel community and how it has been accepted among the partners -

I

t has been a year since the most talked about and the largest merger in the IT history took place, the amalgamation of two tech giants - Dell and EMC. It was a merger worth $60 billion. The merger was successful in creating a unique family of businesses that provides the essential infrastructure for organizations to build their digital future, transform IT and protect their most important asset, information.

The merger has been accepted really well among the partner community. The new partner

program that came out of the merger is now based on three tenets – Simple, Predictable and Profitable. “While the erstwhile Dell program was profitable in terms of backend rebates which have now been included as a part of the new program, hence making the program profitable. The legacy EMC system which was based on a half yearly target system as compared to a quarterly audit on the Dell side has now been incorporated into the program. This makes the program predictable. The earlier EMC program also had a strong training program which has again become a key aspect of this program. There is now a single deal registration system now for all partners, thereby ensuring simplicity. The partners now get access to the world’s best portfolio - end to end. All the way from desktops, notebooks, servers and EMC’s entire storage portfolio,” states Anil Sethi, Vice President, Channels - Dell EMC India.

The new channel partner program is the best in class in the industry according to Anil. The main objective of the new program is to increase reach as well as improve partner profitability. The program offers a simplified portfolio with access to products across enterprise and commercial.

The unified partner program from Dell

90

September 2017

www.varindia.com

EMC has also been well accepted by its channel partners. It has been created focusing on the feedback mechanism and redefined the plan keeping in mind to build trust in the channel.

“The unified Dell EMC channel partner program has been created from ground up based on a strong feedback mechanism, thereby differentiating it in various ways. We had to redefine the plan in a promising way with the most important part being to build trust in the channel. The community responded positively owing to the seriousness of the commitment with which we were engaging with them. The erstwhile Dell program was profitable in terms of backend rebates which have now been included as a part of the new program, hence making the program profitable. The unified program combines the best aspects from both programs – legacy Dell and EMC,” says Anil.

Partner enablement – a key part…

It is very important for any organization to have a roadmap before entering into digital transformation journey and for that training and certification program is required. The company is focusing on training of both external stakeholders and internal teams.

“To provide an enhanced customer experience to customers and grow revenues with a business first approach, prior to beginning the digital transformation journey, it is extremely important for organizations to prepare a roadmap for successful transformation. This is

where a comprehensive training and certification program for channel partners comes in. These training modules are not just for external stakeholders but also internal teams. This along with a Smart Pricing concept the time to give a quote to the customer has reduced. We have specialized teams in all the core areas, be it storage, compute and networking,” asserts Anil.

Opportunities for the new channel…

Digital transformation in the country is a huge opportunity now in the country. The wave of digital transformation in the country offers a 2-4 trillion dollar opportunity in India. it is the best time for new age channel partners should invest in technologies to help customers transform digitally. The new partner program framed is also in line with this digital transformation. The transformation, according to Anil needs to happen in businesses across the three key pillars: IT, Workforce and Security transformation.

In 2017, the channel has been the key focus for Dell EMC and it is going to be crucial for them even going ahead. Towards this goal, the newly framed program will aim to be very aggressive and will cover every single product and types of market in India, allowing cross selling opportunities across enterprise and commercial in the country.

This also means that there will be incentives for new businesses and eventually more profitability for partners. n

PRODUCT OF THE MONTH

Netis WF2409E 300Mbps Wireless Router Enjoy fast connection with Netis Router WF2409E. Connect to your computers, smartphones, wireless cameras and other WiFi devices with 300Mbps high speed. Bundled with three 5dBi high gain antennas, it ensures a better wireless coverage and allows you to enjoy the wireless freedom anywhere around your home and is ideal for faster downloading, Internet calling and HD video streaming.

Netis has incredible wireless high speed of up to 300 Mbps, great for faster downloading, Internet calling and HD video streaming. MIMO high gain 5dBi antennas provide maximum range and stable connections, Dual operation modes - Router, Bridge. This router comes with various WAN connection types in AP Router mode - DHCP, Static IP, PPPoE, L2TP, PPTP, Dual Access, WISP, Multiple wireless modes - AP, Repeater, AP+WDS, WDS, Client, Multi-SSID providing up to 3 additional separate networks for guests and friends.

Netis Router WF2409E has easy wireless security setup at a push of the WPS button. It has the intelligent bandwidth control to manage the bandwidth usage for each computer reasonably.

Internet Access Control- IP filtering, MAC Filtering, Domain Filtering based on time, Quick setup and with built-

L IĘU « ±±¢

&« sĖÂĘ ¾ÂÈ

ͤȾs¤ ªĘ¤s»È±» ͎

U8

ı

&«È ¤ĘéüñêĘ $âĘ KÍs Ę ±¾ ĘI¾± ±¾

ñ÷ñññăč

éèüíĘ$±Í¾Â

sÈÈ ¾ÝĘ s ¢Í»

ééüîĔĘ$ Ę Â»¤sÝĘP ¾ «

Ę L

PUĘP± È×s¾

sÖs ¤s~¤ ĘĹ

GST Ready

¤¤ « Ęs« Ę ±Í«È «

P± È×s¾

¤ »0s¾È

IsÝȪ

͎

éê÷ñññăč

more details visit: www.rdp.in

sales & support: 040 4816 1111 ªsⱫ

s¤Â±ĘsÖs ¤s~¤ Ę «ĘéìüéĘ «

éüĘU Ę sÂ Ę ¾ ½Í « ÝĘ ÂĘéüììĘ $âĘs« Ę Í¾ÂÈĘ ¾ ½Í « ÝĘ ÂĘͻȱĘéüñê âüĘĘĘêüĘUsÜ ÂĘs« Ę s« ¤ « Ę s¾ ÂĘs¾ Ę ÜȾsüĘĘ&«È ¤÷Ę&«È ¤Ę ȱª÷ĘÈ Ę&«È ¤Ę¤± ±Ęs« ĘÈ Ę&«È ¤Ę&«Â ʤ± ±Ęs¾ ĘȾs ªs¾¢Âʱ Ę&«È ¤Ę ±¾»±¾sÈ ±«Ę «ĘÈ ĘZüPüĘs« ă±¾Ę±È ¾Ę ±Í«È¾ ÂüĘĘd « ±×ÂĘ ÂĘsĘ¾ ÂÈ ¾ ĘȾs ªs¾¢Ę± Ę8 ¾±Â± ÈĘ ±¾»±¾sÈ ±«Ę «ĘÈ ĘZ« È ĘPÈsÈ ÂĘs« Ę±È ¾Ę ±Í«È¾ Âü

www.varindia.com

September 2017

91

VALUE ADDED DISTRIBUTORS IN INDIA (VAD) ComGuard Infosol Pvt.Ltd.

eCAPS Computers India

Head of the Organization –Mr. Harish Rai Designation: Country Head-India Address - MBC Centre, G.F., 143/A Ghodbunder Road, Opp. Cine Wonder Mall, KapurBawdi, Thane, Mumbai – 400607 Teleph one/Fax– 022- 61934800 Website: www.comguard.in

Head of the Organization – Mr. Gunasegharan Krishnan Designation: Director Address - 123, Ramalingam Colony, Near Avinashilingam Home Science College, Coimbatore-641043 Telephone/ Fax – 422-2205-100 Website – www.caps.in Core competency: Caps was incepted in 1993 when business and industry began to adopt computers and computing. In 1997, Caps emerged as complete networking solutions provide, along with major tie-ups with leaders in industry like DAX networks, EICON networks and NORDx CDT. In 2005 it came up with Brand " Netfox", its own brand catering to Passive Network.

In 2007, Caps joined hands with Kaspersky to market their security solutions across South India. In 2011 Caps made its way for pan India operation by signing up with Karspersky as National Distributor for Corporate Licences.

Presently, Caps has emerged as one of the leading Value added Distributor for IT products with a very large network of channel partners.

Core competency: A part of the Spectrum Group and established in 2002 with headquarter in Dubai, ComGuard Infosol is among the top Value Added Distributors in IT security space. It has a reach across Middle East and North Africa.

The strength of ComGuard is skill set which has helped it to become the fastest growing Value added Distributor in the region. ComGuard relies on its strong channel support to penetrate into nascent markets.

For past few years, it has added over 300 resellers to support its extensive product portfolio that is studded with 27 leading network and security vendors.

Inflow Technologies Pvt. Ltd.

Inspira Enterprise

Head of the Organization – Mr. Byju Pillai Designation: President & CEO Address - “Inflow House”, No. 33 & 34, Indiranagar 1st Stage, Off 100 Feet Road, Bangalore - 560038, India Telephone/ Fax – 9379190083/80-41265152 Website – www.inflowtechnologies.com

Head of the Organization –Mr. Manoj Kanodia Designation: CEO Address – 23, Level 2, Kalpataru Square, Kondivita Lane, Off Andheri-Kurla Road ,Andheri (E), Mumbai -400 059 Telephone/Fax – 022-4056 9999/22 4056 9966 Website - www.inspira.co.in Core competency: With a pan India presence with offices in five metros and teams in all major state capitals & tier 1 cities, Inspira helps its customers perform efficiently. It leverages talents with technical, expertise & domain wide experience, management philosophy and comprehensive portfolio of services. It has varied groups focused on large capacity IT projects, telecom services, biometric applications and solar photovoltaic based grid connected renewable energy plants. It is also a value added distributor with core competency in technology and understands evolving technology and OEM expertise. It has a strategic alliance with more that 20 global OEMs.

Core competency: Inflow Technologies, incepted in 2005 and a niche player in IT Infrastructure Distribution & Services market in India/South Asia, helps to fulfill the needs of the organizations to manage and secure information in a better and efficient way. It offers Value Added Distribution for Information Security, Networking, Automatic Identification and Data Capture & POS, Infrastructure & Application Software, Storage Management, Electronic Security products & related Services. Headquartered in Bangalore, its has presence in 18 locations and has a robust partner eco-system of more than 1350 channel partners. It also has direct relation with over 40 global technology vendors.

iValue InfoSolutions Head of the Organization – Mr.Sunil Pillai Designation: CEO Address –Shree Arcade, No.1391/16/1, 3rd Floor, 19th Main, 4th Sector, HSR layout, Bangalore 560 102 Telephone/Fax - 80 6532 9944/ 9535999473 Website - www.ivalue.co.in Core competency: With the mission to empower businesses with profitable growth through effective management of customer’s “Digital Assets, Network and Application” through partner network, iValue was formed. iValues helps businesses to adopt latest technology solutions and services in a consultative manner in the field of Security, Storage & Networking. Team iValue holds an experience of over 15 years in Digital Asset Protection and Data, Network and Application (DNA) management areas and built tremendous expertise in understanding and addressing customer’s challenges across size and verticals.

It has partnered with more than 6000 customers, across size and verticals in their “Digital Asset” management. Its customers span across SMBs to Large Data Centres with key verticals such as BFSI, ITeS, Telecom, Manufacturing, Hospitality, Pharma and Education.

92

September 2017

www.varindia.com

M.Tech Solutions (India)

Presto Infosolutions Pvt. Ltd.

Head of the Organization –Mr.Bhavin Bhatt Designation: Regional Director, India & SAARC Address – Sri Narayani NPSR Plaza, No: 25, Third Floor, 7th Cross Road, Vasanthanagara Extn, Bangalore – 560 052 Telephone/Fax – 80-4097 7238 Website - www.mtechpro.com

Head of the Organization – Mr. Krishan Girdhar Designation: Director Address –6, Community Centre, East of Kailash,New Delhi -110065 Telephone/Fax – 91-11-42336600 Website – www.presto.co.in Core competency: Presto, a value added distributor, offers an array of Networking and security products and also offers IT consulting and training services focused on helping their customers to identify improvement areas, analyzing business problems and optimizing their IT infrastructure.

Presto pioneers in architecting and deploying secure enterprise networks, Data Center, Video Integration Solutions and Boardroom Solutions that consolidate, integrates and enables management of information for mission critical applications.

It offers emerging technologies to its customers like government and enterprises in India and SAARC. It is present in more than 20 cities in India. It is also globally present in two countries- Singapore and UAE to address business opportunities in SAARC, Middle-East & Africa.

Core competency: Established in 2002 and headquartered in Singapore, M. Tech has a network of 32 offices in 17 countries. It visions to be the preferred cyber security and network performance solutions provider for integrated and intelligent end-toend security management of the internet, systems and applications infrastructure. It has a wide array of products which fulfills the requirements from firewalls, web security, intrusion prevention and security analytics to cloud networking and network virtualization.

RAH Infotech Pvt. Ltd.

Satcom Infotech

Head of the Organization – Mr.Ashok Kumar Designation: M.D. & CEO Address – 6 A/B/C, Tower B-4, SpazeiTech Park, Sohna Road, Sector - 49, Gurgaon – 122 018 Telephone/Fax– 124-4101978 Website - www.rahinfotech.com Core competency: A specialist in Enterprise and App Security and Application Delivery, RAH Infotech is one among the leading value added distributor (VAD) and solution provider in Network and Security domain. Incepted in the year 2005, it is one of the fastest growing VAD that aids its customers with evolving technologies.

RAH Infotech continuously study the latest IT trends and remains up to date about solutions those are fit for market niches. It always evaluate the product’s strength and positioning before introducing it to the market.

It also carries out extensive product assessment and testing, prior to adding them to portfolio.

Head of the Organization – Vinod Kumar Designation: M.D. Address - 303, Arenja Corner,Sector 17, Vashi, Navi Mumbai – 400 703 Contact - +91 22 67911039/40/42 Website - www.satcominfotech.com Core competency: Headquartered in Mumbai and present in major cities like Delhi, Bangalore, Hydrabad, Chennai and Jamnagar, Satcom Infotech is a provider of end-to-end Security solutions for all categories of Information Technology products. It is also a value added distributor (VAD) with four sales location across India. It has Certified Engineers for Pre-Sales and Post Sales and they are highly skilled and committed professionals.

The company is built on very strong ethical and commercial fundamentals which have helped Satcom to grow consistently. For last 12 years, the company has recorded a compounded annual growth rate of more than 20% which has helped the company generate a higher revenue during fiscal years, underlining the very strong foundation and prudent practices on which the company’s business practices have been built.

TechnoBind Solutions Head of the Organization – Mr. Prashanth G Designation: CEO Address – Amar Plaza, No.19, Krishnanagar Industrial Layout, Hosur Road, Koramangala, Bangalore - 560029 Telephone/ Fax – +91-91418 44555 Website – www.technobind.com Core competency: Present in major cities like Bangalore, Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai and Hyderabad, TechnoBind is a specialist distributor offering a hybrid distribution model placed synergistically between broad-based and niche distribution. It helps partners implement solutions which solve specific business pain points arising out of these challenges.

It has a focus on technologies which help the customer handle Data and the associated challenges related to Data Treatment. This hybrid approach backed by the strong domain knowledge of the management team makes TechnoBind more efficient, relevant and effective than traditional distributors in the region.

www.varindia.com

September 2017

93

VAR MOBILITY

InFocus: A long-term player in India T

he Indian market is currently shifting towards 4G and it will continue to trend till next year. It was expected that, after the implementation of GST, online sales will climb down, but it remains a strong channel as it was before.

“In India, every month both in the feature and smartphone segment, one crore of feature phones and smartphones each get sold out. We continue to see the growth in the smartphone market next year. The Indian feature phone market will shift more towards 4G next, but it continues to be very strong in India till next year.

Everybody was expecting that after GST, online sales will go down and everyone will prefer offline, but I do not think that is happening now.

Online is being very strong and they are as strong as they were before implementation of GST. So, online will continue to be a strong channel along with offline. As a brand, we want to be present in both the spaces – online and offline,” said Piyush Puri, Vice-President, Sales & Marketing, InFocus Smartphone and Sharp.

Strategy

India, a market with immense opportunities, is getting competitive every day with new handset vendors entering it. So to better position the brand, InFocus is all focussed to offer value-formoney products to the consumers.

“The Indian market is becoming tough day by day. New brands are pouring into this market. So it is becoming very competitive. We are trying to position our brand very carefully in both online and offline space. In both the segments, we want to offer best of the value to the consumers unlike other brands who built up on the price, charge premium and they give benefit to the channel, retail partners, spend a lot on marketing and finally they take out the marketing cost to offer to customers. But when the product is available for consumers, the price goes up. Unlike these companies, we do not want to do it and straightaway want to give best-value products to the consumers,” says Piyush.

Channel strategy

September 2017

Service Support

InFocus has tied up with Accel Frontline to provide a robust service support to its customers.

As it is an important aspect for any brand, InFocus makes sure to have a service centre when they venture into distribution in new places.

“For service support, we have tied up with Accel Frontline and currently we have 326 service centres in the country. It is covered around 240 cities. Accel has been supporting us. Wherever we are starting our distribution, we always start out service centres first and then only we go. By the end of this year, we are committed to open 500 service centres in India so that no consumer faces any problem in getting the service.

“We monitor the Turn Around Time (TAT).

Now 70% of phones that come get closed in 48 hours, the rest 20% get closed in 72 hours and another 10% may take 7–10 days, which we are trying to reduce by opening more hubs,” states Piyush.

Adding to it, he says, “In feature phones we have a policy of giving a 100 days replacement, though there are not much of issues in this segment. But still if any customer faces any problem within 100 days of buying then he can come to the retailer and can take a replacement.”

Revenue Target and Investment Plans

As India is a mass market, the retail presence of a company is very important for the consumers as they want to have a touch-and-feel experience.

InFocus has a retail presence of 30,000 outlets to cater to the customers who want to have handson experience.

“Currently, we are available in 30,000 retail outlets, these are not experience zones. Out of this, we have 350 Experience Zones where one

94

can go and have an experience of the product, rest they keep the product and sell it. Depending upon the investment, we want to increase the number of experience zones. We will take the number to 500 by the end of this year and rest of the stores will be selling points where customers can go and buy,” explains Piyush.

He further adds, “We will continue to build up our brand in online and the repel effect of online comes into offline also. So we continue to offer best-of-the-value products in online and keep on building on our offline structure also.

We will not leave online space and continue to be an aggressive player in this segment.”

Talking about the revenue target and investment plans, Piyush reveals, “In terms of volume, this year we are targeting to sell six million phones in India. Out of that, we have already achieved close-to one million and the balance we are going to achieve. This year we are going to invest $10 million in India.”

Roadmap & Future Plans

www.varindia.com

InFocus has a focussed roadmap of three

InFocus will continue to focus aggressively on its online channel strategy and offer bestvalue products to customers. In a chat with VARINDIA, Piyush Puri, Vice-President, Sales & Marketing, InFocus Smartphone and Sharp, discusses about the Indian market, its strategy, investment plans in India and roadmap years. In these three years, the brand will concentrate on setting up its distribution, marketing, etc.

“We have three years of roadmap. This year we have to set up our distribution, product and marketing team. Next year we would start investing in marketing, both at ground and over the air. In the third year, major investment will come in marketing.

In India, we are going to have InFocus and Sharp strategy and we are a long-term player in India. We will continue to invest in growing the market in India. Under the InFocus brand, we are going to offer the best-value products to the consumers starting from Rs.655 to Rs.999 in feature phones and in smartphone from Rs.4,599 to Rs.11,999. Then, we are going to launch our Sharp brand which will be more of a premium device. By December, we are going to launch this brand in India,” concludes Piyush. n

VAR MOBILITY

Samsung Galaxy Note8 launched with Bixby feature

S

amsung Electronics has come up with its flagship smartphone Galaxy Note8 in India.

Samsung will also

introduce Bixby Voice capabilities with ‘Make for India’ innovations in its intelligent interface Bixby in the next few weeks.

Bixby will be available on

Galaxy Note8 and Galaxy S8 & S8+ devices.

With Galaxy Note8, consumers get a big, immersive Infinity Display that fits comfortably in one hand, S Pen to communicate in more personal ways, and Samsung’s best-ever true Dual Camera with dual Optical Image Stabilization (OIS) to capture stunning photos in all conditions.

The Note series will also come with the revolutionary mobile payment service, Samsung Pay, and Samsung’s defense-grade security platform Samsung Knox. Galaxy Note8 is designed for the way consumers lead their lives and lean on technology today. a finer tip, improved

Micromax unveils Canvas Infinity priced at Rs.9, 999

M

i c r o m a x Informatics has announced the launch of its latest mid-range smartphone “Canvas Infinity” in India at a price of Rs.9, 999.

The Canvas Infinity is packed with features such as 5.7-inch screen with 18:9 aspect ratio, 16MP

selfie camera and 13MP rear camera. The phone is equipped with 2,900mAh battery, Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, 3GB DDR3 RAM and has 32GB internal memory which is expandable up to 128 GB. The Canvas Infinity also offers 4G Volte and comes with gesture and motion

keys that simplify tasks such as music switching, snoozing alarm, etc.

Rahul Sharma, CoFounder, Micromax Informatics, commented, “At the very beginning of 2017, we aligned our product roadmap basis the consumer needs and committed ourselves to focus on the four key trends – Camera, Screen, Battery and Security. In the last couple of months, we have launched smartphones with Dual cameras, 4,000mAh battery, compelling security features and more, to provide solutions to consumers who use their smartphones as a life hack.

With Micromax Canvas Infinity, we are focussing on bringing the best-inclass display experience with an all-rounder device that packs in the best of everything.”

Xiaomi unleashes Mi A1 with Google

X

iaomi has, in collaboration with Google, announced Mi A1, a device to run on the evolved Android One program. Mi A1 runs on stock Android to offer a high-quality software experience designed by Google. Priced at Rs.14,999 in India, Mi A1 combines hardware innovations, including an optical zoom dual camera setup, with great Google-designed software.

Mi A1 would be available in India and also in more than 40 markets around the world, including Indonesia, Vietnam, Russia, Poland, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Ukraine, and Mexico. Local pricing in these markets will be available at a later date.

Mi A1 incorporates a dual camera configuration with a wide angle and telephoto lenses used to incredible effect. The two lenses allow Mi A1 to calculate what is in the foreground and what is in the background, creating a depth-of-field effect that typically requires a DSLR lens to achieve, allowing the user to create photos of unparalleled clarity and colour. Mi A1 supports 2x optical zoom, which makes photos of distant subjects remain clear, while 10x digital zoom is also supported.

Mi A1 is Xiaomi’s first Android One phone, with a software experience designed by Google, offering users a simple, pure Android phone that stays fresh over time with OS upgrades.

As an Android One smartphone, Mi A1 comes with the most popular Google services built-in as default, such as free unlimited high-quality storage from Google Photos.

Available in Black, Gold and Rose Gold, Mi A1 has an attractive full-metal body design that measures just 7.3mm in thickness.

Vivo unleashes V7+ with 24MP Selfie Camera

V

ivo has come up with its flagship device of the year – V7+ in India. With the camera and music brand, Vivo aims to strengthen the selfie trend by its revolutionary 24MP HD selfie camera and Full View Display in V7+.

Priced at Rs.21, 990, the Vivo V7+ will be available in Champagne Gold and Matte Black colours at stores near you from September 15, 2017 and can be pre-booked in stores, on Flipkart and Amazon.

Kent Cheng, CEO, Vivo India, said, “With the festive season around the corner, we are committed to furthering our brand promise and add a surprise element for our valued customers with innovative devices. Through V7+, we are confident that

its premium design and superior camera feature with Full View Display will offer great value to our customers.

The forthcoming quarter

shows real promise, and we are confident that our latest offering will gather positive response from the customers.”

With the help of an advanced Bokeh mode, users can blur the background with sharper contrast and visual appeal of the subject.

Motorola unleashes Moto G⁵S and G⁵S Plus otorola has extended its Moto G family with Moto G5S and G5S Plus.

Moto G5S flaunts an

with phase detection autofocus (PDAF). It also brings stunning 1080p entertainment to life on a vibrant 13.2cm (5.2”) Full HD display and backed

all-metal unibody design crafted from a single piece of high-grade aluminium, making it stronger than ever. It comes with great battery life, rapid charging with TurboPower charging for up to 5 hours of battery life in just 15 minutes.

It features a highresolution 16MP camera

by a 1.4GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon Octa-core processor. Moto G5S Plus will be available exclusively on Amazon.in and Moto Hub stores at Rs.15,999 and Moto G5S will be available at Rs.13,999 across the leading mobile retail stores, Moto Hubs and on Amazon.

M

www.varindia.com

September 2017

95

VAR MOBILITY

COAI underlines the pain points of Telecom industry In a chat with VARINDIA, Rajan S. Mathews, Director General, COAI, discusses about the implementation of GST in the country, challenges being faced by the telecom industry and how to revive the telecom companies

Can you share your views on the implementation of GST? We are in agreement with the Government for introducing the GST reform. It is a positive measure which will boost the economy and streamline the tax structure.

The only issue is what are the industry needs which have to be taken into consideration while fixing the tax rate from 15% to 18%.

The government is being extremely open, flexible and accommodative. There had been multiple forums in which we have been allowed to meet, present and explain the situation. So that has been a very helpful process as far as the government is concerned. So they did not rush into a lot of things but fixed a very clear deadline and said let’s move forward and then we will try and work out the things. So we are still in conversation with the government.

The particular areas that we dealt with were rate and implementation. So, on the rate side we said increasing the tax rate from 15% to 18% does not make any sense when digital connectivity is in the uppermost mind of the government. So we requested the government to reduce it. So that’s hopefully an ongoing discussion that the government will continue because if it can put railways and economy airline ticket into five per cent bracket, handsets at 12% tax slab so putting telecom into 18% does not make any sense. The Government said that telecom companies have an offset of three per cent but we have written to the Government that we do not have that type of offset and at the most it is less than one per cent. So it’s a real-time increase to the

96

September 2017

www.varindia.com

consumer. So hopefully the government will give due consideration and bring down the tax rate.

On the implementation side, there are certain new answers that are unique to our industry. For example, when GST is broken down by Centre and State jurisdictions, our licence under which we operate is multijurisdictional. So, in Delhi our licence service area includes Haryana and UP including Delhi. We report in that area. But now with GST it’s a different configuration. Our systems obviously have to be reconsidered to support this. So we have conveyed to the government that it is time-consuming and not easy as we service 1.1 billion consumers and the government has been very considerate and working with us.

The other area is when you have 1.1 billion consumers or connections the time frame to change the billing side, 95% of the connections are prepaid that means that on a real-time basis you give them feedback of the usage, the rates, the plans, etc. Whenever you are in a real-time environment, the effort to change the backoffice is much strenuous and has to be tested much more thoroughly.

So again that takes time.

The third thing that we highlighted again was the fact there are some technical issues in terms of certain transactions. One of the transactions we underlined was we have a bunch of prepaid cards in the hands of the point of sale that paid the previous service tax of 15%. Now those cards cannot be discarded or you cannot ask to pay extra three per cent at the point of sale. But the government was very careful and they

helped us to be able to transition. These are the areas where we are working with the government and working for new answers.

The other issue was to place a business.

At what point do you tax the transaction because this is a service, is it at the point of sale or at the point of use.

What are the key challenges they have and how COAI is going to address the issues?

The first and foremost issue is where and how are we are going to raise tons of money that is required to make this dream a reality.

So according to our calculations we need Rs.50,000 crore in the next three years to be able to invest in our networks to take the network to all gram panchayats, villages and convert people to digital and make sure that they have affordability. So the investment has to be raised by us and we are the private sector and the government does not subsidise. In the present situation, because of the financial distress in the industry it is becoming extremely difficult, banks are not willing to increase the exposure, investors are asking for clarity on various policy and regulatory issues. So that is raising the whole issue of saying yes we are committed to PM’s Digital India. We want to connect the one billion and we know how to achieve the target.

One of the things is address the financial condition because we go to the government as it gets 30% of every rupee from us.

Because of that if the government had not got that much of money, we would say let the dynamics of the marketplace address

it. The government takes eight per cent as a licence fee, another five per cent as usage charge, other levies we collect on behalf of government. So we are asking the government to address these financial issues. The Government is one of our largest debt holders as they sold the spectrum at an exorbitantly high price so that is why we are going back to the government and saying that it is the approximate cause of the issues. Most of the money is coming to the government and it is putting it to other developmental issues. We are asking the government to leave the money within the industry so that it can grow. So that is why our whole focus is on the financial matter.

One of the impediments to reach out to one billion and connect them is at every state and locality feels compelled to extract money from us. So the right away is the accessibility of timely clearance and permissions to start putting up our towers, lay the fiber, etc.

There is consolidation happening in the telecom sector, how the financial health of this sector could revive?

We have talked about the financial burdens. So the banks and the regulator have prescribed certain things to adjust the tenure of the debt that the banks hold, reduce the interest rate, licencee payment, SUC, redefine the adjusted growth revenue.

All these things are already there.

Going forward, one of the things that we need to do is to make sure that the regulatory environment ensures a level-playing field.

For example, we lost 30% of our revenue to WhatsApp and we are not standing in the way of the app. We are saying if you allow WhatsApp to offer voice which is under our licensed activity and charge nothing then also do not charge us. We are not saying to bring it under the regulation. The same service must attract the same rules. We cannot compete with WhatsApp. Every time I earn something from my customer I must pay 14% and WhatsApp pays zero.

So looking at all the present situation in terms of disparities in the regulatory, policy licensing condition that allow people to take advantage of the constraints of licences.

Secondly, regarding price, consolidation will take care of it. We are in the phase of consolidation so we will be down to three to four major players that it will bring some sort of discipline in the market.

But the opportunities we are looking at are Machine-to-Machine, Internet of Things, Cloud Computing and we are seeing that consumers, enterprises are moving quickly to the adoption of these new technologies.

Reliance Jio has entered the market and 4G has been established as a dominant technology, affordability of data has come into play, networks have started rolling out faster, customers have more choice. So, these are the positive things that have happened.

Now we are looking at introducing phones

to bring down phone prices so that access to data becomes easier. We are probably losing money today but we are hoping that consumers and enterprises will adopt these new things.

Is India ready for 5G? From 2014, the Government has made clear in its policy that when it sells spectrum it is going to be absolutely agnostic in terms of technology. The Government has decided to put up various bands for bidding but a bidder needs to decide about it. So the particular technology that is going to be used for bands that are coming up for sale will be up to the bidder.

Before, different bands were allocated on a different technology basis. For 2G it is 900 and 1800, 2100 for 3G and 2300 for 4G. That world is gone. In today’s world every band will support multiple technologies.

This is why a handset will look for a 4G network and in case it can’t find it the device will look for 3G and then 2G network. All bands are becoming LTE compliant. So both 4G and 5G will go parallel. There is always a demand for spectrum for 4G for the consumer and there is also a demand for emerging world of 5G principally from the enterprises like car manufacturers for autonomous cars, e-Medicine, e-Education, etc. So enterprises are looking at those types of solutions. n

Cambium Networks tries to be the network partner of choice for its customers Rajiv Kapoor, Vice President, India & SAARC - Cambium Networks tells VARINDIA briefly of how innovation in its products is the way forward for the company and what kind of connectivity challenges it ties to address of its customers As the demand for connectivity continues to grow for both business and residential customers, Cambium Networks looks at providing industry leading spectral efficiency enabling network operators to achieve the highest possible information throughput in the least amount of precious spectrum.

“This keeps the company on the cutting edge of innovation,” says Rajiv Kapoor, Vice President, India & SAARC, Cambium Networks.

“Wireless connectivity is proven to provide reliable and cost effective connectivity solutions.

The limited resource that wireless depends on is RF Spectrum. Our most recent achievement being the PMP 450m multipoint distribution access solution, which uses massive, MU-MIMO and beam forming technology to communicate with seven subscribers simultaneously and provide throughput to stream video in a narrow 20 MHz channel.”

India is moving ahead with digital transformation that is expected to create a virtuous cycle of knowledge sharing. The benefits of digitization are to bring significant social changes and Cambium understands this very well. To complement the digitization wave, Cambium has a slew of applications and products that are for both residential and industrial purpose. For residential applications, Cambium Networks wireless broadband connectivity solutions provide a rapidly deployable, affordable solution that connects communities and reduces the digital divide. For enterprises its cnPilot solutions provide indoor and outdoor 802.11ac Wi-Fi connectivity to

provide a seamless blanket of coverage across the entire business, whether it’s retail, hospitality, education, or public venue. For industrial customers seeking to achieve the efficiencies of IIoT solutions, Cambium’s cnReach solutions provide wireless connectivity for field sensors and controls, enabling a completely connected field operation for utilities, oil and gas, and mining operations.

At the same time Cambium tries to transform the entire business processes of its client’s organisation resulting in its tremendous business visibility. It does this by supporting the initiatives of enterprise and industrial users who see the cost efficiencies in reducing leased lines and their associated recurring costs. “These customers see the operation benefits in owning and operating their own network and managing connectivity and security tailored to meet their specific business requirements. They will have faster access to information and controls, which will eventually help them make informed decisions to respond appropriately and faster when facing an opportunity or any business challenge. These customers are experiencing the benefits of a connected operation, and are leaders in their respective markets,” explains Rajiv. n

www.varindia.com

September 2017

97

Movers & Shakers

PAYBACK India names Ramakant Khandelwal as new CMO

Capgemini ropes in Ananth Chandramouli as Head of LBS for India and ME

PAYBACK India has appointed Ramakant Khandelwal as the new CMO to help drive the growing business operations of PAYBACK in the Indian market.

Ramakant Khandelwal joined the organization in 2010, as part of the core management team and has served across various roles in Partner Management and Acquisitions prior to this. He will be leading the company’s marketing strategies, including customer engagement, brand visibility, creative, content, digital and product marketing besides managing P&L responsibilities for digital and performance marketing verticals. He has 18 years of experience in sales and marketing roles across industries.

Capgemini has appointed Ananth Chandramouli as the new Head of Local Business Services (LBS) for India and the Middle East. In this role, Ananth Chandramouli will be responsible for formulating LBS’ go-to-market strategy, driving its revenue growth, managing client relationships, collaborating with partners and developing its talent for the Indian and Middle East markets.

Ananth Chandramouli has more than two decades of rich, crossfunctional experience in technology, consulting, delivery and sales driving sustainable growth for organizations in both developed (US and UK) and emerging (India) markets.

Rima Qureshi to take over as chief strategy officer at Verizon

Rajiv Kapoor joins Cambium Networks as Vice-President

Rima Qureshi will join Verizon as executive vice president and chief strategy officer just six months after leaving her position as head of North America at Ericsson and reporting to Verizon Chairman and CEO Lowell McAdam.

Qureshi will replace Roy Chestnutt, who had previously announced plans to pursue opportunities outside of the telecom giant. Qureshi will start on Nov. 6 and Qureshi will take over “responsibility for development and implementation of Verizon's overall corporate strategy, including business development and strategic investments.

Shrikant Shitole appointed as FireEye’s new country head

According to his LinkedIn profile, Rajiv Kapoor of Ruckus Wireless has left the company and joined Cambium Networks as Vice-President.

He has taken up the new responsibility in August 2017. In the profile, he has not mentioned about the responsibilities of his new role.

Prior to joining Cambium Networks, he held the position of Country Director – India & SAARC at Ruckus Wireless for over one and a half years. In the company, he was responsible for Enterprise Business across India & SAARC region and held a complete P&L ownership.

With an experience of over 20 years, he was also associated with ILANTUS Technologies as Chief Operating Office – Product & Services Business (India, US & ME).

Sterlite Tech announces new Senior Appointments

The intelligence-led security company FireEye has appointed Shrikant Shitole as its new India Chief.

“Shrikant will be the senior director and country head for India. Based in Mumbai, Shitole is now charged with leading FireEye’s growth efforts in India,” confirmed an official statement.

Shrikant was most recently managing director of Symantec’s enterprise security business in India in a stint spanning a little over two years.

Shrikant is a security industry veteran with over 25 years of experience in information technology. Shitole has held senior roles at several firms in the IT and telecommunications segment, including Cisco, Nelco (Tata Enterprise), Avaya, Sify and the last role as India MD for Symantec.

Sterlite Tech has strengthened its leadership team with the appointment of Nischal Gupta as Chief Transformation Officer, Manish Sinha as Chief Marketing Officer and Sanjeev Bedekar as Chief Delivery & Technology Officer, Telecom Services. These leaders will drive Sterlite Tech’s leadership position in designing, building and managing broadband networks.

Dr Anand Agarwal, CEO, Sterlite Tech, said, “Nischal, Manish and Sanjeev bring diverse skills and global experience across technology and digital domains. As we witness digital transformation globally with macro shifts in network technologies and data-consumption patterns, our leadership team will lead and drive the next phase of growth.”

Sunil Jose resigns as MD - Teradata

NetApp appoints Kaushal Veluri

According to a news source, Sunil Jose has resigned from the position of Managing Director of Teradata. He joined the company in July 2014.

In his capacity, he was responsible for overall management and strategic direction of India business of the company. He also looked after the sales and customer management, professional services, support, alliances and marketing initiatives.

Before joining Teradata, Sunil was associated with Oracle as VicePresident and was responsible to manage the company's business operations, overseeing licence sales, product management and sales consulting in India.

The company has confirmed his resignation and also said he left the company to pursue an opportunity outside Teradata.

98

September 2017

www.varindia.com

NetApp has strengthened its leadership team with the appointments of Kaushal Veluri as Director of Channels & Alliances for India & SAARC. According to the company, Kaushal joins NetApp post an entrepreneurial stint running his own marketing consultancy firm – Kanso Consulting. In his current role, he will oversee channel strategy for NetApp in India and SAARC. With over 23 years of experience in organizations like 3M, IBM, Oracle & Citrix, he is well known in the partner community, largely due to his relationships across resellers, regional/global system integrators, distributors and alliance partners.

Kaushal Veluri said, "I'm eagerly looking forward to connect and work with the strong partner ecosystem of NetApp, to establish the company as the data authority in the hybrid cloud world."

www.varindia.com

September 2017

99

RNI - NO 72399/1999 Printing Date 18 & 19

Reg. No: DL-SW-1/4030/15-17

100 September 2017 www.varindia.com

100 pages including cover

Date of Posting 20 & 21 every month