E-Magazine, November 2013

NVIDIA unleashes GTX 780 Ti

"We are committed towards the vision of ‘Secure India"

VOLUME 15

ISSUE 3

NOVEMBER 2013

PRICE Rs. 50

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HELLO INDIA

Trends impacting ICT industry

……with security on demand

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T is undergoing never-like-before metamorphosis, thanks to the emerging technology developments in the form of cloud, Big Data, social media and mobility. It is expected that India will have around 91 million active social media users before December 31, 2013.

In India, mobile gadgets are the favoured means of accessing internet. Approximately 19.8 million users in the urban areas use mobile devices to access social media sites. This has been made possible by increasing internet penetration and various affordable data plans launched by service providers throughout the length and breadth of the country. According to one report, by June 2014, there would be an estimated 243 million internet users in the country, overtaking the US as the world's second-largest internet base after China. The US currently has an estimated 207 million internet users, while China has 300 million.

One of the most “connected” countries in the world, India is a prime target of cyber villains. With such phenomenal growth, it has been hey days for the cybercriminals who use state-of-the-art, blended techniques that leverage both web and email channels to deliver malware that has never been seen before and can live undetected for months. Hacking has become a growing threat to the Indian IT industry. Some recent data theft cases by hackers have made India's $100-billion IT industry a primary target. The number of cyber attacks and incidents in India in the past year has led to increased concern about cybersecurity. There has been an exponential increase in the cyber attacks against Indian websites in 2013. This is because the government has built a credible cyber defence system. While cloud is a compelling proposition, security remains a concern which prevents the adoption of the cloud services model.

Another thing that comes to my mind is how the e-commerce industry is transforming traditional retail and its impact on the retail shops and shopping hubs in the country. Though in a nascent stage, e-commerce is showing all signs of rapid growth. With the dramatic changes in the shopping trends being witnessed in recent times, it is to be hoped that with estimated revenues of around US$10 billion, Indian e-commerce industry is all set to become the next big revolution. As is obvious, the shoppers in the urbanized areas of India are the key drivers of the e-commerce model. Efforts are being made to invest heavily in the infrastructure so that non-metropolitan areas can be supported and it would be easy to capture the market.

mohini@varindia.com

How is Aditya Infotech positioned today in the security space?

“Think Security Think Aditya” is the core mantra and belief at Aditya Infotech Ltd (AIL), wherein we are committed towards surveillance and security of the Indian subcontinent. Today, AIL has got the distinction of being amongst top five distribution houses in the world and has got footprints through our nine global offices.

In 2013, we had set another benchmark by selling “3.5 million” security equipments in India. Acclaimed as a “lighthouse” of the surveillance industry, AIL has emerged as a one-stop destination for complete integrated surveillance solution for any need. Aditya Infotech Ltd is committed towards the vision of “Secure India”.

industry as government targets to cover India under surveillance in the next 10–12 years.

What are your plans to expand AIL in the Asian market?

There has been great potential in the surveillance industry of the Asian region. We are growing stupendously year after year and are poised to be the largest security mart in Asia. With an aim to set up new workstations in the Asian countries, we have already started operations in high potential security markets such as Bangladesh, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Sri Lanka, the Philippines, Singapore and the Middle Eastern countries like Iran, South Arabia, UAE, etc. In addition, we have appointed sales force and a team of technical professionals.

Do you have any trainingprogrammes What are the distinguishing facts of or educational approach for system global market as against the Indian integrators and channel partners? market?

Globally, America and Europe are the biggest markets for security and surveillance.

However, India is gradually realizing the importance of deploying surveillance solutions due to recent events and terrorist attacks that had happened in our country, hence pushing demand for surveillance solutions. City surveillance is one of the most potential segments in the Indian surveillance

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Channel empowerment, education and training are key thrust areas for AIL in the future. AIL has put in place a strong backend team to train channel partners on new technologies and products. The product specialists from the respective categories have been hired to spearhead this process. We have been continuously organizing various educational and training programmes for our channel partners and system integrators. 

Aditya Khemka, CEO & Director, Aditya Infotech Ltd Aditya Khemka is the CEO & Director at Aditya Infotech Ltd (AIL). He is the man who had conceptualized and commenced the AIL in 1993 and has continued to contribute significantly to its growth, both in terms of size and capabilities.

Having nearly two decades of experience in channel relationship management, he forayed into electronic surveillance & security business in 2007. Under his leadership and vision, AIL has established strong network of over 6000 channel partners & system integrators across 300 cities.

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CONTENTS Website: www.varindia.com

Publisher: Deepak Kumar Sahu Editor: S Mohini Ratna Executive Editor: Dr. Vijay Anand Associate Editor: Deepak Singh Assistant Editor: Samrita Baruah Sr. Correspondent: Satinder Kaur Copy Editor: C. M. Dutta Correspondent: Sunita Mahanto Art Director: Rakesh Kumar Network Administrator: Ashok Kumar Singh Webmaster: Subhash Mohanta BUSINESS: Commercial Manager: Amit Ku. Jha Circulation Manager: L G Swami Regional Manager (North): Ashok Ranjan Dash Marketing Manager: Dipendra Kumar 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 Branch Manager: L. G. Swami Marketing Manager: Shubhendu Nanda Correspondent: Aswini Kumar Panda #97,IInd Floor,16th Main, 4th ‘T’ Block, Jayanagar, Bangalore- 560041, Tel: 91-80-40939454 Mobile:09916242600/9916134482 E-mail: aswini@varindia.com, swami@varindia.com Mumbai: Bureau office Regional Manager (West): Anil Kumar Sr. Correspondent: Mamta S. Anurag Residency, 204 - “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 Chennai: Bureau office Branch Manager: Pradeep Parida 1/190, Gganga Nagar, 3rd Main Road, Maduravoyal, Chennai-600095, Mobile: 09952982001 E-mail: pradeep@varindia.com Hyderabad: Bureau office Branch Manager: L.G. Swami Correspondent: S.M. Choudhury Plot No. 103, Sagacity Apartments, Street No. 10 Himayat Nagar, Hyderabad - 500029 Tel: 040-32989844/ Cell No. 08374935692 E-mail: swami@varindia.com Kolkata: Bureau office Branch Manager: Kiran Dutta Plot No. B1, Uddayan Apartments, No. 8 Hospital Link Road, Santoshpur, Eastern Park, Kolkata - 75 Mobile: 09903088480, E-mail: kiran@varindia.com 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. 153,DSIDC Complex, Okhla Industrial Are ,Phase-I, New Delhi-110020 and Published at A-84A/3 Rose Apartment, Paryavaran complex, IGNOU Road, New Delhi 110030, Editor - S Mohini Ratna.

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“Profitability for Partners is what Dell Aims at” Dell’s partner eco-system remains as crucial today to its continued success as it has been in the past. As Dell reinforces its focus to establish a stable relationship with its partners, Richard Lee, Vice President, Global Commercial Channels, Dell Asia Pacific & Japan Region shares some of his insights on where he feels Dell stands today and what significance Dell GCC holds for its partners

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ell as an enterprise leader today represents its commitment of supporting its partners wholeheartedly through extensive trainings and education and evolving with them together as it strives forward to achieve new goals. The Dell Partner Direct logo itself speaks of this quality, of Dell being directly connected to its partners.

It is a good connotation of the fact that Dell wants to be close to its partners and explains clearly of what as a principal vendor Dell offers to them and how it communicates with them. “It is also a platform where we recognize the various levels of a partner, whether they are premium partners, preferred partners or registered partners,” explains Richard Lee, Vice President, Global Commercial Channels, Dell Asia Pacific & Japan Region.

Dell’s Global Commercial Channel (GCC)…

Dell’s Channel businessis built around a global perspective with a consistent platform and a common message to reach out to partners from every single country. It first established its Channel presence in US, Europe and then Asia Pacific. GCC started in Australia 5 years back and the Asian region 3 years back in 2010. “We want to have a team locally to understand what the best of the partners want and desire. GCC represents Dell’s holistic approach of how we run the Channel. Our local team on the other hand builds on this global platform and adds a local flavour to it,” says Richard. Like for instance in India, Dell has an initiative of expanding to tier II and III cities.

With the help of its current structure, Dell is trying to adapt to a local environment. GCC hence exists to be consistent globally but deploy locally to cater to local needs.

The GCC Partner Summit covers 3 areas – • To have a worldwide presence in all the regions where Dell sees an opportunity to grow • Do the right amount of public communication in the country where the Summit is held. Partners who have been working with Dell for some time now have established sufficient trust and through this Summit Dell intends to identify these top partners mutually committed to it • This would also be the right place to meet and interact for partners who want to expand to other countries with their knowledge and expertise “We have launched this first ever APJ summit to bring all our partners together on one platform.This will also be an opportunity for them to learn more about Dell. We have dedicated a time slot to share about our new solutions, whether it is health care, education

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Richard Lee Vice President, Global Commercial Channels, Dell Asia Pacific & Japan Region

“Our vision, is absolutely clear – we want to help our customers use IT for growth by turning IT challenges into business advantage” with the audience and partners will get to know about new capabilities they have not known earlier,” Richard reiterates.

Dell’s Positioning in the Enterprise space today…

As an end-to-end solution provider, Dell understands well the business of its customers. There are 4 pillars that support Dell – Transform, Connect, Inform, and Protect. In the enterprise space, Dell ensures to differentiate its products by identifying the right approach to reach its customers. If it is a mainstream product, the approach will be a distribution channel. “If you look at our enterprise product line - low-end storage, low-mid level servers, we want to leverage on distribution channel. This will also be an opportunity for SIs and VARs. But for high-end products, we should be getting the right partners and this is where we are spending more time with global SIs like Infosys,” says Richard.

The kind of acquisitions Dell has completed also speak volumes of its ever rising stature. From acquiring SonicWall to AppAssure and the recent Enstratius, Dell has reaffirmed its leadership strength to one and all in the industry. 

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CHANNEL CHIEF

Oracle driving opportunity through growth-led initiatives In a tete-a-tete with VARINDIA, Srikanth Doranadula, Senior Director – Distribution, Alliances & Channels, Oracle India, shares about his current role and how his contribution has paved the way for Oracle to grow into a Channel-focussed company and reach out to places otherwise untapped, driving business specialization and enablement

Initiating Oracle’s growth…

A partner must be able to independently understand and address the business challenges faced by the customer, discuss custom-fit solutions, articulate the value proposition of the One Red Stack story to the customer and exhibit how Oracle can help in solving the customer's business challenges so that the customer can continue to focus on his core business without worrying about IT performance challenges.

Oracle has been able to successfully enable the partners to deliver this through the A&C team with the help of the distribution partners.

Srikanth Doranadula is currently heading the Distribution business in Alliances & Channels. His job responsibility is to build breadth and depth in the growth partner space in the tier-I and tier-II cities, encourage and drive enablement and specialization across different lines of business, programmatic incremental revenue generation and lastly encourage partners in adopting its lead-generation programme which is called the Open Market Model (OMM).

“I have been with the Alliances & Channels organization all along at Oracle. I have run the Tech Channels Organization and subsequently moved into another role to handle the Distribution business. The primary responsibility was to ensure that all the partners are enabled across all the lines of business, namely Technology, Middleware, Systems and the Applications range of products,” says Srikanth Doranadula, Senior Director – Distribution, Alliances & Channels, Oracle India.

The other approach adopted is to generate revenue in a programmatic approach. This could be in the form of events which are partner-focussed or customer-focussed, telemarketing initiatives, for each line of business.This has helped Oracle in successfully penetrating into different cities and verticals and also has helped to reach out to more partners across the country. As a matter of fact, these are initiatives apart from the business-critical activities like sales interlocks and transactions which form a critical part of Srikanth’s role.

All of the initiatives of Oracle are driven with the help of valueadded distributors who form an integral part of Oracle’s functioning in the Indian market.

Looking at Channel Profitability intensely…

MESSAGE TO THE VARS “There are two key messages that I would like to convey to VARs. Firstly, start building a specialization strategy for themselves and add more product certifications to their kitty so that their revenue pie will constitute an ideal mix of products and services as against pureplay reselling. Secondly, don’t expect OEMs to build the market for you, lead from the front with the customers and collaborate more with OEMs to address customer's business needs.”

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Oracle has a global channel programme, called the Oracle Partner network which has been designed to take into account the profitability of the partners. The Programme encourages partners to specialize in order to differentiate themselves from the pure-play resellers in the marketplace. The partners have two avenues of enhancing profitability – the OPN incentive programme which encourages partners to earn rebates up to 10 per cent at the backend by adopting Oracle strategy and the second is the huge services opportunity that is available at the marketplace. Oracle does not compete directly with partners in the services space and this becomes an ideal opportunity to deliver true Value-Added Services to the customer from a partner's perspective.

Future shaping up…

The two big trends that Oracle sees emerging are customers consolidating their IT infrastructure and the adoption of the Cloud in a big way. “This adoption is seen across different verticals like BFSI, IT/ITeS, Manufacturing, and Government and a couple of telecom companies. These trends are common to all these verticals and our idea is to try and reach out to all the customers in these verticals through our specialized partners,” sums up Srikanth.

Partners are going to play a key role in reselling, developing, customizing and maintaining products and solutions and enhancing Cloud adoption across these different verticals. 

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ROUND ABOUT

Lost Empire of Music and of course films, which drafted people as play back singers only when they became famous. Yet, these men became household names in India, cutting across the language barriers, races and cultures they belonged to.

All India Radio also played a significant role in popularizing music and musicians. Popularity of the songs was not confined to city alone. Hardly was there any place in rural India untouched by the music mania of the yester years. How did this mania come about? I do not know has alone attempted to trace the history of film songs in India. If there is any, I should admit that I am not aware of it. I strongly believe that it is the information technology, which made the musicians popular and for that matter every artist owe their fame and popularity to the information technology, which made communications swifter and faster. Undoubtedly, radio is a major link of the information technology and the role it has played in diffusing news and a source of entertainment cannot be underestimated.

Asoke K. Laha

President & MD, Interra IT A few days back Prabodh Chandra Dey, popularly known as Manna Dey passed away at the age of 95, leaving behind him a rich musical legacy. He had a voice that could mesmerize people.

But not many know, outside Bengal, that he was a wrestler of sort to begin and later became passionate about music. He learnt his first lessons in music from his uncle and later was trained under Hindustani musicians. He sang mostly in Hindi and Bangla but also made his mark in Malayalam film songs and had given that language some immortal hits, which are played often even now in social functions.

Manna Dey, like his great contemporaries - Kishore da and Muhammad Rafi -belonged to a different generation. Music was a passion and a way of life for them. They did not get the support of the sound systems and equipment, which later became a part and parcel of film songs either to enhance the quality of the sound or to improve the rendition. Neither did they have the support of mass media to ride into fame. They were known by the quality of their sound and rendition and hardly did they get the support of media when they were trying their luck in the music industry.

It was a different matter that they attracted media when they had become famous.

That time the strength of a musician was adjudged on the basis of his rendition, finesse of his vocal cord, lyrics and how his or her voice jelled with the accompanying orchestra. Little support did they get from the digital equipment that are used now to embellish songs. They used to complete film songs through numerous takes in sound studios, unlike now. But these people had become living legends at their time when there were no cassettes CDs, internet and social sites to promote them and their creations. The available to them were radios, which used to air film songs at times, theatres

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Theatre artists are another lot of people who were bypassed by the development in the information technology. How many of us could recall the name of a theatre personality who lived large in the stage. Their names were easily forgotten. Luckily, a good many of theatre personalities made into films and there they have become very famous. They would often hark back to their theatre days and vouch for the creative appeal of the theatre. But the fact remains that they have become big and are commanding huge fees only after their advent into films, which is the popular segment of the mass media.

I often wonder, if singers like Mohammed Rafi, Manna Dey or Kishore Kumar were alive and were in the age group of 30-50, what they would have been. Undoubtedly, they would have maintained their iconic status. More than that they would have become part of a multi-billion dollar music industry. Business opportunities in the music business have grown in many-fold in the recent days. As on 2011, the world - wide revenue from industry was close to US $ 68 billion. Of that, world-wide recorded music revenue was at US$ 35 billion. Music publishing revenue was pegged at US$ 9.4 billion and revenue from live music concert was US$ 23.5 billion.

It is important to know who the major players in the field are. The US tops the list with a turnover close to US$ 24 billion in 2011, followed by Japan, the UK, Germany, France, Australia, Canada, Brazil, Italy and the Netherlands. Compared to this Indian music industry, despite its variety and rich history is small.

The Indian music industry has made steady progress in the recent years. It is expected to grow at CAGR of 10.1 per cent to touch US$ 2.63 billion by 2016. The industry estimated to have garnered revenue of US$ 1.63 billion in 2011, growing at 11.5 per cent. Is this growth adequate? I believe it is far below the potential.

Then the pertinent point is how the segment can grow? I have a few suggestions. We have commercialized only a few segments of music like the film songs. But there are vast segment of music still waiting to be tapped commercially. Music concerts have not picked up in India. Except in Tamil Nadu, music concerts have not picked up. These concerts are conducted by famous vocalists. During the season, these singers are heavily booked and the concerts are sponsored by corporations and cultural organizations. During the off-season, these artists should be encouraged to give performance abroad and also to make digital copies of their performances to market abroad. ď Ž

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HOT BYTES

Agilent Technologies inaugurates CrossLab at Manesar

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o strengthen its CrossLab Enterprise Services, Agilent Technologies has

announced the launch of Agilent CrossLab Laboratory at its Manesar campus. This Laboratory will help in increasing the capability of Agilent Service Engineering Team with hands on training on Analytical

instruments from various manufacturers and thereby developing Services protocol to provide comprehensive solution to their customers.

Dr Siva Kumar Pasupathi, Country Head, Life Sciences and Chemical Analysis Unit, Agilent Technologies, said, “We are extremely proud of our CrossLab Laboratory which offers industry’s best facilities to our customers. We understand and recognize that laboratories are often equipped with instruments from a range of vendors."

Samsung announces its Global “Launching People” Campaign

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amsung Electronics has announced its global “Launching People” campaign to strengthen its commitment to unleash the dreams, passions and potential of individuals around the world with ideas and technology.

The “Launching People” campaign can help identify and invest in the potential of inspiring individuals across the globe. Together with Samsung’s support and access to advanced

technology, this potential can be actualized.

“We believe that technology only begins to have meaning when you put it in the hands of a human being and when this technology collides with people’s potential, amazing things can happen. Over the next year, we will work with people all over the world on new and exciting projects with,” said Sue Shim, CMO, Samsung.

Lenovo India betting big on improving its Customer Services

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enovo has reportedly commenced a multicity marketing activation

out to SMEs and enabling them to choose the right devices and improve their productivity and output.

for industrial clusters starting with Bhiwadi, Rajasthan, followed by Ludhiana. Lenovo “Lead the Change” Campaign is being launched with the purpose of reaching

Ashok Nair, Director – SMB, Lenovo India, stated, “We are glad to start the Lead the Change Campaign, concurrent to our motto of Unstoppable Lenovo India."

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WD completes Virident’s acquisition

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D has completed acquisition of Virident Systems Inc. The acquisition furthers HGST’s strategy to address the rapidly changing needs of enterprise customers by delivering intelligent storage solutions that maximize application performance by leveraging the tightly coupled server, storage and network resources of today’s converged data center infrastructures.

“We welcome the talented Virident team to HGST and look forward to working together to solve customer challenges and drive the evolution of datacenter storage. Virident has advanced PCIe flash hardware and software solutions that accelerate application performance and virtualization of memory and storage resources. Our data center customers will be able to share SSD storage capacity across applications and servers,” said Mike Cordano, President, HGST.

Trend Micro, VMware to secure SDDC

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rend Micro has announced to participate in VMware’s vForum and VSS events across Asia-Pacific.

Trend Micro will be working with VMware to integrate its Deep Security with VMware NSX. Dhanya Thakkar, MD, India & SAARC, Trend Micro, said, "With the rise of SDDC, Trend Micro is excited to work alongside VMware to create a comprehensive security backbone that protects the data center of the future."

Kaspersky Lab appoints VR Infotech as ND

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aspersky Lab has appointed VR Infotech as its National Distributor for Kaspersky Antivirus 2014 and

Kaspersky Pure 3.0 Total Security retail products distribution in India. VR Infotech team will work closely together with the Kaspersky Lab team and hopes to strengthen the market share of Kaspersky Lab in the consumer segment.

Maxim Mitrokhin,

Director of Operation, Kaspersky Lab, AsiaPacific, said, “By appointing a new distributor, we expect to significantly increase our presence in the tierII and tier-III Indian cities where our local Indian competitors are traditionally strong and where we want to get a bigger market share.

And we are confident that VR Infotech, with their good knowledge of consumer market and wider channel network will help us to reach this ambitious goal.”

DOMO selects Advance Computers as their ND

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OMO is reportedly planning to expand their business by appointing Advance Computers as their National Distributor.

Advance Computers is one of the leading names in the distribution of Mobiles and Consumer Electronics.

The primary responsibility of Advance Computers is to generate and address the growing demands of tierII and -III cities towards DOMO smartphones, tablets and accessories.

Mazher Shaikh,

Business Development Manager, DOMO, said, "We are glad to collaborate with Advance Computers who will help us to promote our smartphones and tablets business across India. With Advance Computers muscular distribution set-up, we will be reaching and expanding our business across tier-II and -III cities, apart from the metro cities. We are confident on this partnership and look forward for a mutual growth."

Sanovi to contribute code to Intel’s Project Ladon

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community anovi Technologies developer will contribute to build robust disaster code to the new open- recovery into the platform. source project named The Sanovi capability Ladon to help enable provides a best-in-class D i s a s t e r Recovery for Apache H a d o o p Disaster Recovery Management Software software. The open-source Disaster data protection solution Recovery solution will be to the Apache Hadoop integrated and supported software platform. Openin the Intel Distribution source software, big data for Apache Hadoop analytics, and business continuity are at the software.

“Offering open-source forefront of IT priorities file replication capability today,” said Chandra Coto the Apache Hadoop Pulamarasetti, ecosystem will enable the Founder & CEO, Sanovi.

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HOT BYTES

WatchGuard expands its Channel Base in India

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s part of its focus on meeting demand in the fast-growing Indian network security market, WatchGuard Technologies has announced that it has increased its partner base

by more than 25 per cent in the past quarter. The growth comes as a result of a series of events in tier-1 and tier-2 cities across India to recruit newer partners

and educate network security professionals on the changing needs of security in terms of blended threats, which require multi-function, multi-layered solutions.

Scott Robertson, VP Asia-Pacific, WatchGaurd, said, “We are committed to educating potential partners and customers about the benefits of UTM, and we are proud of the quality of our existing base of partners."

Comstor is now Inflow Technologies Pvt Ltd

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urther to Inflow's p r o m o t e r s completing the buyback of all shares owned

by Westcon Group in the company, Inflow's subsidiary Westcon India will be merged with Inflow. With immediate effect the Comstor India operations will be renamed as Cisco BU, a division of Inflow Technologies. Pvt. Ltd. Inflow has also announced its partnership with Cisco and is back

in the market as a Value Added Cisco Distributor.

It is important to note here that the core team remains the same and will continue to drive the business.

Founded in 2005, Inflow Group is a niche player in IT Infrastructure Distribution & Services providing Value Added Distribution in Networking, Security, Storage and AIDC products & services in South Asia with Rs. 470 crores in revenue.

F1 Info Solutions opens its first Sony Service Centre F1 Info Solutions and Services has inaugurated its first Sony Service Centre at Connaught Place in New Delhi.

Shammi Moza,

Director – F1 Info Solutions and Services, said, “It is an honour for us to join hands with a brand like Sony. The strategic location of our

Sony Service Centre in the Capital City will enable our customers to connect with us conveniently.

We consider this sign-up as the cornerstone for

our relationship with Sony and hope that it will pave the path for our mutual growth. W e seek to generate absolute customer delight."

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Huawei unveils CloudEngine Series Core Switches

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uawei unveiled its latest state-ofthe-art CloudEngine 12700 series high-performance core switch at the Gartner Summit ITxpo in Goa. Vikram Saluja, Head, Enterprise Networking Solutions, Huawei, stated, “Huawei has always been pioneer in bringing advanced solutions to bridge the technology gap and address the Enterprise requirements innovatively. In keeping with the tradition, Huawei has designed yet another product that claims several of the ‘world’s first’ titles in networking products.

As a platinum sponsor, Huawei brings to life its motto of ‘A Better Way’ for enterprises. Huawei will be showcasing its comprehensive portfolio of integrated ICT products and solutions at its own booth and at first-of-itskind learning lab at the Gartner Symposium ITxpo.”

Sify launches “Green Data Centre”

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ify Technologies has announced the launch of its fifth Data Centre at Noida, India.

Constructed at a cost of $30 million for the first phase, this “Green” Data Centre is design-certified as Tier III by The Uptime Institute and features cutting-edge technology and infrastructure. The Data Centre’s portfolio of services will include infrastructure services, core services, managed services, consultancy services, enterprise risk management services and hosted applications.

Kamal Nath, CEO, Sify Technologies, said, “Our Data Centre strategy is the epicentre of our transformation story."

Kingston announces completion of 26 Years

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i n g s t o n Technology Company has announced its completion of 26 successful years in the industry. REX, the superhero f r o m Kingston, was the highlight of the exhibition activity wherein the company showcased four of his upgraded superpowers – HyperX Nitro boosters, USB 3.0, Branded RAM and Solid State Drives (SSDs).

Vishal Parekh, Marketing Director – India, Kingston

Technology said, “We are the leaders in Memory and are elated to complete 26 fruitful years in the industry. Taking

cues from the fantastic response received from the markets, we will continue to build a better experience for our network and end users.

REX is now equipped with newer and secure technologies that will win us more positive feedback.”

Oracle to help Indian Banks with New Solutions

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ntending to help banks mitigate risks while complying with the new Reserve Bank of India’s guidelines in the present volatile financial market, Oracle has announced availability of its Financial Crime and Compliance Management (FCCM) solutions in India.

Gaurav Harode, Senior Director, Financial Crime and Compliance Management, Oracle

Financial Services, said, “Conventional rudimentary anti-money laundering solutions have put several banks at the brim of facing negative reputational risk.

According to a recent announcement by RBI, the number of reported frauds in the Indian banking system over the past decade stands at close-to 1,76,547, and the value is pegged at Rs.31,400 crore.”

Wipro inaugurates Mobility Center of Excellence

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ipro has l a u n c h e d Wipro Mobility Center of Excellence with Kony, Inc. in Hyderabad.The focus of this Center of Excellence (CoE) is to drive multi-channel app experiences based on the Kony Experience Platform. It will enable Wipro and Kony to develop best-in-class solutions based on Kony’s leading mobile application development platform as well as nextgeneration technologies, including mobility, cloud and analytics.

Gaurav Dhall, Global Head, Wipro

Mobility Solutions, said, "Enterprise customers are now seeking greater innovation and value for their business, by leveraging disruptive technologies like mobile, cloud, social and analytics. The CoE will help customers to incubate new products and services across multiple channels using the Kony platform.”

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ON THE RAMP

DIGILITE launches HighTech Power Banks

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n order to recharge USB-powered mobile devices such as cell phones, tablets, iPhone and iPod while on the move, DIGILITE has released three models of high capacity power banks. DIGISOL launched three new models of Power Banks.

Rajan Sharma, VP Sales, DIGILITE said, “As the sales of smart phones and tablet PCs is rapidly increasing, so is the need of power banks for charging these devices

specially when we are on the go . Our new power banks will be the right choice for this need. We have ensured highest quality & specifications in our power bank products.

We look forward to our existing channel to align with us & take advantage of this new product segment.”

Schneider Electric launches UPS System for Tier-II and -III Cities

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PC by Schneider E l e c t r i c has launched the uninterrupted power supply (UPS) system, BackUPS 600 VA BX600CI-IN, which is designed for users requiring performance and protection in varying power conditions.

“The Back UPS 600 VA is one solution that our channel partners can take to consumers to ensure complete efficiency and power saving. The

uniqueness of the UPS lies in its industry first battery saver and high run-time capabilities that guarantees the necessary backup power availability for users to remain up and running and save their work – eliminating the consequences and high costs caused by downtime,” said M. Gurudutt, Direct Channel Business, Schneider Electric IT Business, India.

Dell India adds touch-enabled laptops to Inspiron line

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ell India has u n v e i l e d its updated Inspiron portfolio with a range of new laptops including the Inspiron 7000 series laptops and Inspiron 11 3000 Series. The upscale, feature-rich Inspiron 7000 series laptops is the crown on Dell’s thinnest and strongest Inspiron line ever. The Inspiron 11 3000 Series, featuring a slim design with long battery life will provide users, the convenience of carrying it wherever they go.

“With the number and variety in consumer technology today, consumers look for solutions that are both feature and style rich. With the new introductions, we

take sleek and stylistic to a new level, whilst improving substantially on product specs as well.

The launches also come at a time when the Indian market is gearing up for the festive season. We see this as an incredible opportunity for customers to bring home the latest technological benefit we have to offer,” said P. Krishnakumar, Executive Director & General Manager, Consumer & Small Business, Dell India.

November 2013 www.varindia.com www.varindia.com 2013 2424 November

Acer unveils 3D Projectors Microsoft launches Sculpt Acerintroduced hasits

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i c r o s o f t Corporation (India) has launched Sculpt Mobile Keyboard for laptop and tablet users who spend several hours a day at a keyboard. The keyboard comes equipped with Windows 8 hot keys for easy access to settings, search and share functions and support mobility and portability.

Alka Kaul, Category Lead – Hardware, Microsoft Corporation (India), said, “Microsoft is constantly driven to innovate, to make sure that consumers in India have access to the best designed products from the Microsoft portfolio to suit their needs. The new keyboard from the Sculpt portfolio is intelligent, compact, clean and refined design in action, and will delight users.”

Globus Infocom introduces 'Internet Projector'

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lobus Infocom has introduced an integrated projector which has the ability to convert 2D to 3D content supplied with a wireless keyboard/mouse combo.

The projector is named as “Internet Projector”.

It is an integrated projector, computing engine with the ability to convert 2D to 3D content supplied with sleek wireless keyboard/mouse combo. The key features of this projector include extremely compact and appearing form-factor, an extremely portable and pocket device and weighs just 1.3 kg, 1,000 ANSI lumens LED projection engine with 50,000 hours run time, inbuilt 1.8 GHz processor with 64GB SSD and 2GB RAM, high-definition interface, high contrast ratio, auto keystone correction.

new range of projectors that feature 3000 ANSI lumens. These projectors are also the first to offer a contrast ratio of 17,000:1, ensuring clarity and brighter colours. The projectors come with a lamp life of 10,000 hours.

“With classroom education becoming increasingly interactive, the education vertical has emerged as growing market for projectors.

The present-day business environs demand high quality projection capabilities that are

portable as well as performance-packed.

Always at the forefront of technological innovation, Acer has launched its latest range of 3D-ready projectors that are aimed to address the rapidlyemerging needs for rich imagery from the SME, SMB, SOHO, and education segments,” said S Rajendran, Chief Marketing Officer, Acer India.

ADATA to start LED Lighting Business in India

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D A T A Technology has announced a slew of new products and a new office to affirm its commitment to the India market.

The new memory products include the DashDrive Air AE800 and DashDrive Durable UD320 USB Flash drive.

ADATA has inaugurated its own 3500 sq. ft. India head office in the suburbs of Mumbai at Goregaon.

The bigger surprise came when Executive Vice President of ADATA, Shalley Chen announced the company’s plan to

start ADATA Lighting business in India.

"Our plan is to expand the lighting business in the regions where we are already present through our branches for our storage business. LED lighting business is seeing a rapid growth in India and we are confident that this is the right time to enter market and grow our business," said Chen.

Initially, ADATA India will be looking at the commercial lighting segment and later will spread its wings in other segments as well.

F&D launches Discovery H30 Headphone for Gen Next

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enda Audio has been presenting its customers with the best that technology can offer for past 8 years. Surging ahead on the path of growth and innovation, F&D has announced a new entry to its headphone segment. The new addition has been named F&D Discovery H30.

Rajesh Bansal, Director, FAIPL, said, “F&D today stands for exceptional sound quality and based on high consumer demand we have integrated similar

quality in our headphones too. Headphones are today an integral part of every professional's life and we have loaded our debut product with many striking features.”

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November 2013

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ON THE RAMP

ASUS launches APUready Motherboard

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SUS has released a FM2+ socketed motherboard, A88XM-A which features highendurance 5 X Protection and new UEFI BIOS on the A88X chipset.

T h e

featurel a d e n motherboard is equipped with ASUS 5X protection for all-round protection, best quality, reliability and durability.

The motherboard is also available with the new UEFI BIOS that is friendlier, easier and

more intuitive with all the helpful info added.

USB 3.0 Boost (UASP Support) allows 170% faster transfer speeds than traditional USB 3.0. The Network iControl – realtime network bandwidth management provides an intuitive user interface.

ASUS all-round 5X Protection enables ASUS motherboards to guard PC. The motherboard is equipped with quality components like DIGI+VRM digital power design for precise APU power on demand; ESD units that are tested to strict standards and helps in eliminating electrostatic interference and resettable fuses.

CP PLUS unveils Video Door Phones CP PLUS GmbH & Co. KG, headquartered in Germany and a worldwide leader in electronic security products, introduces their advanced Video Door phones for villas & multiapartments.

Developed at CP PLUS TeknoLogix Labs in Taiwan, these video door phones provide the highest level of security as well as comfort and luxury to the consumers.

Villa video door phones are based on advanced technology and are equipped with TFT

LCD screens in 7’’ and 4.3” variants. Both devices have convenient two-way communication system, Remote Unlock functions, Do Not Disturb (DND) feature and that provides ease and comfort to the users. These VDPs also support Intrusion Alarm feature that alert users of any threats. The high resolution color camera of the outdoor unit, installed at the entry door, provides excellent night vision support for that extra security.

RAPOO launches T120P for Windows 8

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APOO has introduced the customizable smart touch wheel mouse wireless mouse – RAPOO T120P. It comes with f o u r

directional touch scroll wheel with vibration response, which will be a perfect combination to work with

Windows 8. It works on 5GHz technology with strong anti-interference from Bluetooth and WiFi devices, to ensure stability of wireless transmission.

Sunil Srivastava, India Sales & Marketing Manager, RAPOO India, said, "RAPOO T120P combines customizable touch technology with traditional mouse, and ingeniously replaces the wheel of traditional mouse with a tiny touch panel."

November 2013 www.varindia.com www.varindia.com 2013 2626 November

NVIDIA unleashes GTX 780 Ti

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VIDIA has introduced the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 Ti GPU, which delivers smooth frame rates for gaming at extreme resolutions to this fall’s hottest PC games, including Assassin’s Creed IV—Black Flag, Call of Duty: Ghosts and Batman: Arkham Origins.

The GTX 780 Ti is GPU powered by the NVIDIA Kepler architecture, the most efficient GPU architecture ever designed, which provides an advanced, low-thermal-density design that translates into better cooling, quieter acoustics and recordbreaking performance.

The GTX 780 Ti also includes dedicated frame metering hardware to ensure gamers can experience the smoothest, most consistent frame delivery possible.

LiteOn launches eUAU108

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ITEON has introduced a portable optical drive, eUAU108 for MacBook’s and ultra-books. LiteOn’s eUAU108 is a compact and light DVD writer and is powered by USB, but the USB cable is integrated into the drive.

Its Link2TV feature can be connected to TV’s USB port to allow the TV’s media player to access music, video, or pictures stored on disc.

The eUAU108 with its ultra-chic piano-black design is specially crafted for the mobile users who are always on the go.With its Plug-&-Play Simplicity, it can be connected to a USB port for usage without any installation.

The eUAU108 is compatible with all major operating systems, including Windows 8, Windows 7, Vista, XP, Linux and MAC OS.

Jabra launches Solemate Mini Speakers

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hile the festivals and holidays are around the corner, Jabra has announced the launch of its new ultra-portable Solemate mini speakers in the market.

J a b r a Solemate Mini comes with the front-facing speakers with super bass response giving the players choice to play, both in wired and wireless mode. With a long playback time and battery

life of up to 8 hours, the Solemate Mini Speakers can be easily paired using Bluetooth or NFC and wirelessly controlled from

across the room.

Solemate Mini is available in bold range of colours such as red, yellow blue and black.

Bitdefender Antivirus Gets Better, Faster

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itdefender has launched an even faster, more precise new line of products that formfits to each computer for top speed, private data in iron protection and makes the internet a simpler, safer place for users.

The line that breaks new ground with Bitdefender Photon, a new technology which tailor-fits to each user’s computer for fast scanning, is now released on the Indian market, where Bitdefender’s reliable partner Venktron Digital System will

distribute the complete range of products.

“We are proud to distribute Bitdefender’s new security solutions on the Indian market and we’re confident we will continue our rise to leadership in the region,” Venktron Digital Systems' Amarjeet Singh (National Sales Head) said. “Our partnership with Bitdefender and this innovative new line of products is part of an ongoing process of further expanding our national footprint to cover all urban centers in India.”

BenQ introduces VL and VW Series LED monitor

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enQ has launched its VL & VW series of LED monitors. The company has launched the series with 20 inch sized model VL2040AZ, featuring a stylish and elegant slim design, with the inclusion of flickerfree technology which makes it an ideal choice for comfortable usage.

In addition to the VL series, BenQ has also launched VW2245Z and VW2430H as an extension to the existent VW series.

BenQ VW2245Z offers similar line-up features as V2040AZ, with additional 22”inch screen size. While

the VW2430H offers VA panel technology, LED backlighting, Macbook compatibility and multiple input options, this high-tech work of art is designed to make the perfect style statement for users seeking premium visual enjoyment, outstanding multimedia performance and versatility in an exquisite, eco-friendly package.

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VOICE-N-DATA

Telit debuts short-range Data Communication Products

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elit Wireless Solutions has announced the market introduction of the LT70-868 terminal and

the LE70-915 module for the multi-kilometre range wired-to-wireless network migration market. The products are designed especially for applications in areas such as solar & wind farms, oil & gas and agricultural automation. The new terminal and module

operate respectively in the European 868 MHz and North American 915MHz ISM licencefree frequency bands, allowing manufacturers to quickly integrate wireless communication into control systems and sensor nodes replacing wired networks with wireless data links meeting full regulatory compliance.

Both products excel in all dimensions critical for original equipment manufacturers. The LE70915’s 142dB radio link budget makes integration with the host hardware simple, lowering BOM costs.

Synology embraces media hub with NAS features

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ynology has introduced a two-bay NAS server, DiskStation DS214play, designed to serve as a full entertainment suite. Optimized for multimedia processing, the DS214play is tailored to users’ needs for highquality video streaming, photo, and music sharing, while keeping all other aspects of NAS uncompromised.

“Designed as the ultimate media hub with complete NAS features, the all-new DS214play will satisfy

users’ complete viewing needs. Users can easily enjoy movies, TV shows, music and more from DS214play right on their best screen in the house,” said Chad Chiang, Product Manager, Synology.

Powered by a 1.6 GHz dual-core CPU, DS214play delivers read/ write speeds of over 110MB/s and 100MB/s, respectively under RAID 1 configuration in a Windows environment.

It comes with a built-in floating-point unit (FPU) and 1GB of RAM.

Brocade to upgrade Ardent Leisure Group’s Network

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isitors to Australia's theme park, Dreamworld will soon be enjoying wireless Internet access

that is every bit as good as the park's 50 rides and attractions, thanks to a major network upgrade programme being rolled out by its owner, the

Ardent Leisure Group.

The group turned to Brocade to provide a high-performance network based on the Brocade ICX family of switches.

Greig Guy, Country Manager for Australia and New Zealand, Brocade, said, "The move from a disparate structure to a centrally managed network design will deliver true business and technology benefits for Ardent Leisure."

November 2013 www.varindia.com www.varindia.com 2013 2828 November

Intel India hosts Broadband NSN doubles downlink data Forum 2013 India, in rates at 1 GB/day Intel association

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uilding on its experience from the commerciallylaunched LTE-Advanced networks in Korea, Nokia Solutions and Networks is enabling operators to double data rates in FDD-LTE and TD-LTE networks.

Additionally, NSN has announced to increase uplink and downlink data rate at 1GB per day.

“Our Smart Scheduler has always been the crown jewel in our LTE implementation.

Together with our innovative approach to carrier aggregation, we’ve proven to have the fastest and most efficient solution for enabling operators to launch their LTE-Advanced networks. Our handson experience with our operator customers in the world’s most advanced markets is a clear testament to that,” said TeroPeltola, VP – LTE, NSN.

Ericsson releases MultiApplication Card for SSR

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ricsson has announced the release of a new multipleapplication card that will support various services concurrently without compromising performance. This board in the Smart Services Routers (SSR) 8000 family is powered by SNP 4000 processor introduced by Ericsson in March 2013.

New application and service models such as network slicing – driven by the adoption of SDN, virtualization and cloud technologies in the network – require the kind of scale and processing power provided by the SNP 4000.

with the Universal Services Obligation Fund, Department of Telecommunications and Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, India, has kick-started the Asia Broadband and Universal Service Leaders Forum 2013. The four-day Forum will address and share their experiences, current challenges and ideas on the topic of “Closing the Digital Divide” in their respective countries.

Debjani Ghosh, MD, Sales and Marketing, Intel

South Asia, said, “A large segment of the Indian population based in the hinterlands is digitally isolated. Intel believes that technology has the power to enable inclusive growth through the power of digital literacy.

Forums like these provide us a platform to come together, understand the challenges and devise solutions to bridge the digital divide and transfer its benefits to the people at bottom of the ‘digital’ pyramid.”

TRENDnet launches NAS Media Server – TN-200

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RENDnet has launched a 2-Bay NAS Media server – TN200 that supports two 3.5-inches SATA hard drives (sold separately), for a total storage of up to 8 Terabytes space.

With a Gigabit Ethernet port, it maintains highspeed connection to the network.

Atul Jain, Country Manager, TRENDnet India, said, "TRENDnet always believes in giving products that

match with the latest technology. TN-200, a powerful networking NAS Media server, is equipped with myriad features which make it unique and unbeatable in the category of media servers. TRENDnet TN200, 2-Bay NAS media server is powered with scalable performance and reliability processor. It is designed to meet the needs of computing-intensive and enterprise-critical applications."

GIGABYTE announces “Feel the Force” Contest

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I G A B Y T E Technology has announced its latest overclocking contest titled “Feel the Force” hosted on HWBOT.org. Prizes of the contest include two GIGABYTE Z87XOC Force motherboards, two CORSAIR Graphite Series 230T Windowed Compact mid tower case and two Force Series LS 120GB SATA 3 6Gb/s SSD. “We are delighted to have this opportunity to once again engage with GIGABYTE and Overclockers around

the world, highlighting our commitment to the extreme PC segment.

These prizes also give us a chance to talk about our first orange Graphite Chassis a perfect match for any Z87X-OC Force build, plus our new range of CORSAIR 2 Force Series LS SSDs,” commented Stan Kwong, Corporate Marketing Director, Corsair.

The GIGABYTE “Feel the Force” contest has started from November 1, 2013 and will continue till December 1, 2013.

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CHANNEL BUZZ

CP PLUS hosts Bright Ideas Campaign in Coimbatore and Kochi

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iming to showcase its preview of upcoming security technologies, CP PLUS has hosted the “Bright Ideas” campaign in Coimbatore and Kochi. The Bright Ideas campaign defines constant innovations in

proud to be partnered with CP PLUS in this part of the world. I appreciate the vision and passion of W. E. Wroldson in taking CP PLUS to the next level of growth.

They have been consistent in providing value-added solutions

surveillance technologies based on the needs of customers by CP PLUS. Under the Bright Ideas Campaign, CP PLUS has organized series of Technology roadshows in Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Ahmedabad.

Aditya Khemka, CEO & Director, Aditya Infotech, said, “Our journey with CP PLUS GmbH & Co. KG, has been extremely successful. We are

to our partners and making CP PLUS as a ‘preferred brand’ for different verticals.”

While concluding the workshop, CP PLUS honoured its Channel Partners and System Integrators with “CP PLUS Excellence Awards 2012-13” and certificates, who have been aggressively contributing and adding value to the CP PLUS business in India.

ASIRT conducts Techday with keynote EVOLVE Session

"

Your Time Has Come" was a member-speak session where free-flowing shares from members about how they chose to improve their profitability, demand better margins and leave the business they found no value in flowed in. This session revolved around the fact that the

IT hardware industry has always been guilty of underselling itself and consequently never been given its due respect for its expertise, skill-set and timecosts by customers. Hence, IT support and deployment services are provided for a pittance and generally there is no regard to man-hours or overall expertise when customers pay for IT

services. In fact, it is the norm that customers expect installation, support and set-up services for free when buying products.

Evolve session also showcased a video talk by industry veteran Manoj Chugh from an earlier channel event. This video inspired the audience so much that most present members promised to take corrective steps immediately.

Kshitij Kotak, President, ASIRT, exhorted members to demand their true and fair value for all value-added services and take first steps to improve their profitability. He also proved with facts and figures that value is not connected with price but with perception and how ASIRT members can lead the way by asking for fair value with precise example of mobile phone industry.

November 2013 www.varindia.com www.varindia.com 2013 3030 November

Axis announces winners at Channel Convergence Conference Axis Communications has announced winners of its annual Axis Channel Convergence Conference awards, held in Phuket, Thailand. Thirteen partners were honoured at the awards across 10 categories, with Honeywell Pacific and Anixter Australia taking the top awards for Solution Partner of the year and Distributor of the

its partners to ensure that endcustomers’ security installations are at the cutting edge of what is available in the market.

Oh Tee Lee, Regional Director, South Asia-Pacific, Axis Communications, said, “We highly value the commitment our partners make and this is reflected in the wide range of partners that

Year respectively for the South Asia-Pacific region.

The honourees were selected according to set criteria, which revolved around the requirement of being collaborative, whilst driving revenue. Axis’ partnership strategy is critical to its success and through various programmes and training courses; Axis supports

we are honouring. Our partners have all played a great role in educating the market on the benefits of IP surveillance."

Working closely with partners gives Axis valuable knowledge and insight into the needs and opportunities in individual markets as well as in target end customer segments.

Rashi and HP Champions rejoice in Malaysia

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s a strategic move to mark appreciation for the Champions managing HP and those who have worked on the field and achieved the HP revenue target in the stipulated time, Rashi has organized a tour to Malaysia.

to the last.”

Additionally, Rashi has also announced that its ninth edition of "Channel Business Forum" (CBF) is about to kick-start on 18th November, 2013. This year, CBF will be held in 30 towns.

This tour was specially organized for 28 members. This trip was an ideal way of interaction between Rashi Peripherals, HP and the Champions.

Rajesh Gadgil, GBM, Rashi Peripherals, said, “This trip couldn’t have been better. We planned everything beforehand and the trip was one of the most organized trips from the first day

This time Rashi has decided to be more innovative and focus on the four most important qualities of a business, i.e. R- Relationships, O-Opportunity, P-Profitability and E- Ethics (ROPE). To achieve ROPE, Rashi team will be aptly showcasing ECS, Intel, SanDisk, Lenovo, Norton to channel partners across 30 towns of India.

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FACE TO FACE

“HP has an aggressive tablet strategy to aid hardware margins” HP started as a serious computing company. HP's genesis as an organization is based on commercial solutions and products. HP products have gone through a transition to more sleek and stylish designs and it is continually proving market leadership.

HP has the right product mix with the best-of-class products in every category – from desktop PCs and AiOs to notebooks and hybrid devices. HP is India’s PC market leader with a 34.1-per cent overall market share in Q2, 2013. HP also leads the market for every single category – from consumer notebooks to commercial PCs and workstations. Combined with HP’s industry-leading support services, it is uniquely positioned in the market to sustain its market leadership and grow with the partners profitably.

As per IDC, India’s PC shipments registered a strong growth in the second quarter of this year, growing 24.5 per cent compared to the corresponding quarter last year. India remains a growth market with specific market segments like young consumers and small businesses driving the market demand. Within the PC markets, specific categories of All-in-One desktops have seen growth over the last few quarters.

VARINDIA recently caught up with Ranjivjit Singh, Head – Marketing, PPS, HP India, to explain more about HP’s current going in the market and some recent strides it has taken to strengthen its presence in the market.

What are the marketing activities that you undertake to build your brand? What is your media mix?

We, at HP, are focussing on building consumer- and customercentric marketing programmes. We are continuously looking at driving new consumer behavior – be it the driving Touch and new form-factors such as detachables with a complete range of devices which are more affordable.

In the PC market, we have been able to build youth connect with initiatives like HP Connected Music service which provides free, unlimited downloads of original, CD quality music from a library of more than a million songs for a year, exclusively to HP Windows 8 notebook users.

Also, we have added more than 200,000 fans to our FB community in India through initiatives around HP Connected Music. Almost 85% of the users of this service are in the age group of 18–24 years and 91 per cent of the users recommended HP because of this service.

In the consumer printing segment, we have been consistently engaging parents with pre-teen kids to drive print relevance with affordable printing that enables their child’s educational excellence as a key proposition to expand the market.

What is your strategy to remain at the top position in personal computers and improve profitability?

We see the market adapting to new form-factors which are augmenting the way people consume traditional IT. We will continue to evolve with these market trends and customer demands. We will strengthen our PC portfolio, including desktops, notebooks, workstations, convertibles, hybrids and AiOs, while expanding our offerings in the growing tablet space.

We view tablets as an extension of our overall personal systems mobility portfolio, and we have an aggressive tablet strategy that aims to gain enough scale to aid hardware margins while driving attached services and software revenues.

HP has recently run a big campaign on the counterfeit on cartridges. How is the response?

As the industry leader, we have the responsibility to protect and safeguard our customers from the fake cartridges. HP’s global Supplies Anti-Counterfeit Programme (ACF) is a worldwide programme run by an independent team within HP. The primary objective of the programme is to safeguard our customers and protect HP’s brand from parties who deal in counterfeit supplies.

However, the initiation of an action is the prerogative of the law-enforcement agencies. HP stays committed to safeguard the interests of our loyal partners and look forward to their support

November 2013 www.varindia.com www.varindia.com 2013 3232 November

Ranjivjit Singh Head-Marketing, PPS, HP India in dealing with the issue of counterfeits.

We have seen a positive impact of this programme in spreading awareness about the originals, which has eventually helped us safeguard our investments and those of our loyal partners and customers.

Keeping the economic volatility in mind, what is the biggest challenge today for marketers?

In times of economic volatility, consumers look for value-formoney the most while purchasing. People turn to brands they trust, they search out good quality and highly reliable products, and take after-sales service more into account. HP has built its reputation on delivering high-quality products, offering best onsite warranty with a vast service and support network across India and is recognized as one of the country’s most-trusted brands.  satinder@varindia.com

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FACE TO FACE

Pega aiming high on India The Pega DevelopersConference is designed to meet the significant demand for knowledge sharing from the growing community of Pega designers and developers in India and has brought together delegates from some of the world’s largest organizations. The city of Pearls, Hyderabad witnessed the first edition of Pega Developers Conference 2013 on 27th and 28th of October. The two days long conference was being attended by over 1,700 audiences to understand how Pega momentum building within developer community.

The Conference, inaugurated by the leadership team, highlighted the company’s Pega 7 technology and spoke about the significant advancements the technology has made, including how it can help accelerate time-to-market for new applications. A quick chat with Suman Reddy, Vice President and Managing Director Pegasystems revealed many of these aspects besides him giving a brief recap of how the company has been focusing on the Indian market from the very start.

Since how long have you been in India?

We have started our operations in August 2007 in a small business centre before going on to building a small R&D centre in DLF, Hyderabad by hiring about 40 people in

Pegasystems has recently acquired Antenna software, what is the rationale in that move?

If we look at the industry today, we are the world leader in Business Process Management / customer relation Management

Alan Trefler Founder and CEO, Pegasystems

(L-R) Suman Reddy, Vice President and Managing Director Pegasystems and Alan Trefler Founder and CEO, Pegasystems during the PDC 2013 2008. The ecosystem for working of our partners and customers is expected to go up to 12000 by the end of this year.

Do you sell your product or solution through channel?

We have our direct sales model. All of our sales are through our partners who actually take us to the accounts. For example if you look at our partner list, we have a lot of Platinum partners such as TCS, Infosys, Wipro, Capgemini, Accenture, Vertusa, Tech Mahindra. Globally we have Accenture, Capgemini, IBM etc. We also have many Gold partners.

What about educating partners and how frequently you conduct?

We have a lot of enablement programs that we do across the world to work with our alliances of teams in terms of educating them. It is an ongoing program.We have a channel alliances team spanning all over the geographies where in we work closely with all the partners. We have dedicated people working with partners to constantly indicate them and give them all of the knowledge that is required.

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and case management software. We have our own mobility and social capabilities in the product. The core capabilities that we have in the product are industry leading and industry’s best. So we thought we should invest in mobile, which is the most emerging technology in the enterprise space, decisioning and analytic software and on top of that if you add the mobile aspect of it, then we are basically covering the entire spectrum for what an enterprise might need.

How do you integrate customers in investing into the ecosystem?

Pegasystems has been there since last 30 years, working with the world’s largest and the most sophisticated companies to optimize cost, work in a reduced time to improve productivity and most importantly to increase customer retention. We have demonstrated 5 point increase in customer retention in large companies. Last and not the least optimizing the customer experience and automating the business operations is another main reason why world’s largest companies look to Pega to solve the problems.

Which verticals are currently drawing your attention?

Traditionally Pega has started about 20

"Our vision for the Pega Developers Conference is to create a world-class knowledge sharing platform to enable the growing Pega community to get hands-on exposure to our latest technologies.

India is a region with immense talent and we are excited to receive such an overwhelming response to the Pega Developers Conference." years back in financial services, banking, insurance and then in healthcare, Retail, Telecom, Oil and Gas and public sector undertakings. Since that is where large companies are able to leverage the technology and get quick benefits, our recent version of Pega 7 is going to be the next big strategy that we will come up with a product perspective.

What is your vision for creating the platform of Pega Developers Conference?

The vision is to create a world-class knowledge sharing platform to enable the growing Pega community to get hands-on exposure to our latest technologies. India is a region with immense talent and we are excited to receive such an overwhelming response to the Pega Developers Conference.

The participants were delegates from various IT domains such as developers, system integrators, business analysts, project managers from leading IT companies in India. 

PRODUCT OF THE MONTH

Swipe Telecom Halo Value+ S

wipe Halo Value+ supports data and calling via 2G Dual-SIM and video calls through Skype. With Dual-SIM, one can have double mobility and operate two different calling networks. Swipe Halo Value+ Tab has a call receiver that allows one to make and receive calls just like any other smartphone. Swipe Halo Value+ is crafted to offer superior performance with the latest and fastest version of Android Jelly Bean 4.1 OS. The tablet is powered with 1.2 GHz dual-core processor which is a must for graphic heavy games and complex applications and comes with a 1GB or 512MB DDRII RAM. Swipe Halo Value+ supports high-speed browsing and calling via EDGE 2.75G and video calls through Skype. The 7inch Display of Swipe Halo Value+ enhances the video quality and it will make viewing experience more pleasurable. The gigantic 3000mAH battery ensures the tablet gets throughout the day with even the heaviest use.

Weighing only 380 gms, the Swipe Halo Value+ has a 2MP rear and a 0.3MP front cameras that help in clicking high-quality pictures and video chat effectively. Music admirers can enjoy their favourite music on the go with the superior stereo speakers. The Tab is pre-loaded with amazing applications covering games, entertainment, education and social networking in addition to the 60,000+ available through Google Play Store. There is ample space for all requirements such as applications, movies, etc with 4GB in-built memory expandable up to 32GB through the Micro SD card. Swipe Halo Value+ also loaded with Bluetooth, FM, GPS and Wi-Fi.

www.varindia.com 2013 www.varindia.com November November 2013 3737

FACE TO FACE

Canon believes in “Concept Selling” T

he Indian scanner industry has made giant strides in recent times in improving its offering in terms of cost, technology and speed. Analyzing the market scenario in India, it is found that there is a set of industry players which are growing systematically and regularly. Canon is one of those leaders of the Indian scanner industry, which has developed a reputation as a visionary company with a commitment to developing technologies that enhance multiple aspects of people's lives. Canon has the distinction of having an impressive client portfolio for its scanning solutions. K. Bhaskhar, Senior Director, Office Imaging Solutions Division, Canon, throws some light on the company’s portfolio, recent path-breaking offerings and market and channel strategies.

Shed some light on the latest scanner trends in India?

As the digital era has come, people are willing to take everything from documents to photographs in digital form. In the office space, we have professional scanners and document readers called DR scanners, while in the home space we have recently launched P201 scanner, which is compact, easy-to-carry mobile scanner. We want to position it as “My Personal Scanner”. The key feature of this scanner is the quality of scanning which is far superior to any other scanner available in

have three separate verticals. One is through online with sites like Flipkart, StarCJ, etc.

The second is, of course, IT resellers who are engaged in this activity and the third one with which we want to enter the market is retail. In retail, we already have our own 130 CIS stores. In the near future, we would like to add many more retail outlets.

How many scanner offerings do you have presently?

For every level of requirement, Canon has a different scanner. Canon’s portfolio of scanners includes 22 devices which include categories like Cheque scanners, flatbed scanners and high- speed document scanners targeting different verticals like SMBs, home users and businesses. Cheque scanners are meant for the banking requirement where users want to scan every cheque presented in the bank. In a flatbed scanner, users can scan single document manually. It starts from 15 pages in one minute to 100 pages in a minute.

So, we have the complete range to cater to the requirements of every category of users.

Where do you look Canon in five years down the line in India?

Presently, we are holding number-one market share in MFDs. We would also like to hold good share in DR scanners. In the scanner business, we have been able to look for about 30% of what we are looking in the market share. We are a very dominant player there,

K. Bhaskhar Senior Director, Office Imaging Solutions Division Canon

"Today, it is the era of concept selling – and not product selling.

The more you look to product selling, then you look for market share and things like the market in this price range. When you try to scan a document via a mobile phone and try to expand it, there may be a lot of pixel breakage. So, Canon has good scope in the office space. We are expecting to experience a growth rate of almost 25 per cent during 2013.

What are the marketing activities that you undertake to build your brand? What is your media mix?

As regards our “go-to-market” strategy, we

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because Canon’s products are far superior in technology and the output is unparalleled.

There are a lot of scanners available in the market, but the quality is not up to the mark.

Sometimes, images get blurred and at other times the fine dots are missing. All these things are not found in the Cannon scanners.

The precision quality is superb. We will still be positioning ourselves as a technologydriven product and whatever products we offer are far superior in technology. And that gives us a niche to be a No. 1 player in the market.  satinder@varindia.com

that. Some things like organized selling are happening out there."

EVENT

DISTREE debuts first APAC Summit in Singapore A

iming to bring high-level buyers into productive contact with vital vendors, DISTREE creates a platform that allows vendors to build in-depth relationships with key customers from across the regions.

DISTREE Events, a Paris−based company owned by Infopro Digital has been organising events in the ICT & CE channels across the emerging markets of Russia & CIS, Latin America and the established markets of Europe and the Middle East. To emerge in the APAC region, for the first time, DISTREE concluded its DISTREE APAC 2013 at Shangri-La Rasa Sentosa Resort in Singapore.

The event primarily focuses on the consumer channel for ICT and CE (Consumer Electronics) products. It brings together technology Distributors, Retailers and e-tailers under a platform to showcase their gamut of products. In its three days event, 12th -14th November, 300-plus delegates representing APAC’s most influential channel partners, plus vendors from across the globe gathered together. More than 150 companies were represented at DISTREE APAC 2013. The delegate list includes 90 retailers and e-tailer executives, 60 distributor executives, 100-plus technology vendor executives, as well as expert speakers, channel analysts and media partners.

DISTREE APAC 2013 was supported

by Platinum Sponsor HP, Gold Sponsor Strontium and Silver Sponsor Energy Sistem; Event Partners GfK, IE Singapore, Pikom

and AiTI; Content Partners CONTEXT, Forrester, VIA. VARINDIA participated as a media partner this year.

DISTREE APAC offered a compelling combination of pre-scheduled one-on-one meetings, conference programme, exhibition, awards, new technology showcases and workshop sessions to deliver a comprehensive business development platform for both vendors and channel partners.

In a unique and unbiased way of recognising the outstanding vendors, DISTREE APAC 2013 included the popular ‘60 Seconds to Convince’ awards programme, which gave vendors the opportunity to deliver a one minute elevator pitch for their latest product. Using a live electronic voting system, channel partners selected the top entrants in three categories: Best Product Innovation, Best Product Design and Best Presentation.

Incipio secured the Best Product Innovation award after successfully showcasing its ATLAS Waterproof Ultra-Rugged Case for iPhone.

Parrot bagged the Best Product Design award for its AR Drone product. Incipio also received the Best Presentation award after an entertaining pitch demonstrating just how rugged its smartphone cases really are.

HP and Samsung were the standout vendors, picking up three awards. HP emerged winning in the PC and Printing categories and was also recognised as Outstanding Vendor of the Year by retailers and distributors participating in

"DISTREE now a part of Infopro, focuses only on channel events for the consumer across the entire emerging market and the technology channel sector. Our plan is to increase the number of events beside the already existing five events. We want to grow our brand in other regions as well.

Our next focus would be the Africa event. Even though we are present in EMEA, but in Africa, the positioning would be different. The African event will be focused only on the Reseller channel. For each event we look at the geography, the market situation and then based on the local conditions, and is positioned slightly differently."

Farouk Hemraj Managing Partner, Distree Events

“Bringing together retailers from across the region to explore common channel issues can offer real insight. The presence of hundreds of vendors, distributors and retailer executives in one place at one time gives delegates an opportunity to look at the bigger picture and work together towards positive solutions. The conference programme forms a core part of the overall DISTREE experience and adds real value. As an independent event, we can bring together channel experts from multiple research houses, giving delegates access to different perspectives on market development.”

Ashish Kapahi, Regional Director Asia Pacific DISTREE the voting.

The ‘APAC Channel Academy: 2013 Awards’ covered 13 different product categories, plus one special award for outstanding performance during the last year.

A Strategy Forum session was also included, allowing senior executives from across the industry to hold open talks on major issues impacting the channel, and work together to develop possible solutions. Topics covered were multichannel strategy, future growth opportunities, retail experiences and the evolution of traditional channels in APAC markets.

Each participating vendor was able to pre-schedule a personalised agenda of one-onone meetings with channel partners that suit their precise business needs. Each vendor had a standard booth in the exhibition area where they conducted their one-on-one meetings and showcased their latest products. 

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FACE TO FACE

‘5C Syndrome’ delaying NOFN Project – N. Ravi Shanker C

reated by SPV Bharat Broadband and approved in October 2011, the National Optic Fiber Network (NOFN) project is one of the ambitious e-India projects with an outlay of Rs.20,000 crore.

The National Optic Fiber Network (NOFN) project has a clear perspective to take broadband to the 2,50,000 Gram Panchayats.

The project is facing numerous challenges in the form of underutilization of the USO fund, few unsupportive state governments and most prominent being the timeline of two years to complete.

NOFN: The journey began with challenges The optical fibers, which are recognized as the medium that takes broadband in India, have not penetrated well beneath the 6,600 developmental blocks. Presently, most of the rural areas have old copper wires which don’t support high-speed broadband. So keeping that in view, the Indian Government (on the basis of TRAI recommendations) approves an incremental optical fiber of 2 KM per Gram Panchayat. There are about 2,50,000 Gram Panchayats. So, it gave an indication that the project may require 5,00,000 KMs of incremental VoIPs. As far as the teledensity in the rural areas is concerned, it is about 41–42 per cent presently, which is again a big challenge. According to the national telecom policy, India needs to have a teledensity of 70 per cent by 2017 and 100 by 2020.

NOFN: The current stage 59 Gram Panchayats in three developmental blocks across three states have been covered with optical fiber, which ensures 100 Mbps availability at the Gram Panchayats. This would be in the form of pilot projects. The three developmental blocks are Arian Block in the Ajmer district of Rajasthan, Parwada Block in Visakhapatnam district of Andhra Predesh and Paanisagar Block in North Tripura district of Tripura state. Incremental OFC has been late in all of these and the pilot projects completed as of 15th October, 2012. Subsequent to that, several e-Gov applications have been tested by the Department of IT, wherein three state governments are working alongside.

Regarding the state government’s support to BBNL to embrace the ambitious fiber network project, Ministry of Communications and IT's Additional Secretary, USO Fund administrator and Bharat Broadband Network Limited (BBNL) CEO N. Ravi Shanker explains that the project has been conceptualized as a participatory project, wherein the participation of the state government was necessary for implementing this project. At this point of time, BBNL has entered into agreements or MoUs with several State Governments and

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N Ravi Shanker, IAS Addl. Secretary & Administrator, USOF & CMD, BBNL Union Territories. Only 4–5 are left.

NOFN: The reason for delay Pilot projects are meant to validate a few assumptions like how to go about the optimal route, how to do the root planning, how to tap the available fiber and to see that you are able to take it in the least cost. N. Ravi Shanker says that the project’s primary functions of planning have been completed. "The survey work is also near completion. Now, we know the total link needs to be sorted out. Three public sectors – BSNL, RialTel and PowerGrid – are interested in the implementing function where BBNL has been created as the executing agency. The role of the executing agency is to avail funds from USO and do the master planning in order to get the work implemented."

The second aspect which delayed the project is the public institutional framework. Various tenders have to be invited. Presently, most of the tenders are being finalized. The delay is on account of finalization of the tenders to get the best rates for executing one of the major public projects. It is expected that in the course of two months or so, BBNL, along with BSNL, RialTel and PowerGrid, would be in a position to come to a degree of finality on the decision relating to tenders.

Adding more to it, N. Ravi Shanker further says, “Given the complex nature of the project and its disparate locations, we have advised the Government that it would be better to implement the project in three phases. The phase one will cover about one lakh of Gram Panchayats by April 2014; the phase two will cover another lakh by March 2015 and the rest

by September 2015. Here, I would also like to say that the response from the telecom sector has been less than satisfactory and we do need to work in close coordination with the telecom sector and the ISP to see that the infrastructure so created actually has the requisite impact.”

NOFN: The role of USO Fund The USO Fund’s contribution to the telecom infrastructure segment is aimed at two main components – mobile towers and mobile broadband and it has played a key role in the

development of the telecom sector. On 1st April, 2013, the notional balance of the USO Fund was Rs.20,000 crore. On the allegation about underutilization of the USO Fund, N. Ravi Shanker adds that underutilization is an observation that depends upon the balance amount which is left. The more important thing that needs to be addressed is finding the schemes to utilize the fund. Presently, we are in the early stage of implementation of the NOFN project. Given the fact that the original estimate of 5 lakh KM would now be actually transformed to 6 lakh KM, clearly there is 20-per cent increase. The estimates that have been arrived at in 2010 may undergo a little variation due to the time factor. He stresses that the significant portion of the USO Fund would be utilized by the NOFN over the next two to two and a half years. The total approved cost of the project is Rs.3,000-plus crore, of which Rs.1,500 is CAPEX and the rest is OPEX over a period of five years. In his opinion, the CAPEX would be utilized over the next one and a half years.

NOFN: The expected completion The broadband ecosystem has a number of components. Actually, it is a “5C syndrome”.

5C syndrome comprises of Connectivity (challenge for telecom sector), Cost of devices (challenge for the electronics sector), Competitive tariff plans (challenge for telecom sector), Computer literacy (challenge for the education sector) and Content (challenge for the IT sector). All of these when stuck like a glue will ensure the growth of broadband.

According to N. Ravi Shanker’s projection, the time when we can see the real spike of broadband, is between 2016 and 2019. The infra will take on account of three factors. The NOFN rollout may occur by 2015. 3G and BW are also likely to roll out at the same time and we also have to see it in real tandem with the INB sector, where quite a lot of penetration will occur into the rural areas by 2015. This will form the framework on which the things can be capitalized.  satinder@varindia.com

FACE TO FACE

Netgear’s Indian Odyssey S

ince it started its operations in India, Netgear has witnessed stellar growth in India. What sets the company apart from competition is its wide range of product portfolio encompassing networking, storage, wireless and security all under one brand, accompanied by complete client focus and strong channel strategy.

In the last more than a decade, the networking giant Netgear has come a long way in making its presence felt in India. All these years the company has devoted its energies to developing, producing and marketing high-value networking and inter-networking products. In the process, Netgear has been able to create a stronger brand proposition.

When Patrick Lo, Founder, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer, NETGEAR INC, recently visited India, he was all praise for India, “India is a strategic market for us. From Netgear’s point of view, our focus will be to bring new innovative products at a great value.

Secondly, we will also focus on strengthening our market reach."

"India is also a high-growth market vis-àvis the rest of APAC market. Our clientele is growing handsomely.” says Mr. Patrick reiterating company’s commitment to India and Indian subcontinent.

Netgear is synonymous with SMB infrastructure. The company is unique in the sense that no other company in the industry has such vast range of products encompassing networking, storage, wireless and security all under one brand. With the advent of faster broadband in India and cloud based services, SMB/SME organisations can have strong and fast connectivity to the internet. “NETGEAR is known as a company which provides the largest and most capable range of broadband connected and cloud enabled secure network and storage infrastructure,” says Patrick.

Netgear’s strength comes for constant product launches and updates which helps it keeping its range of product updated and relevant. NETGEAR is a very nimble company with its ears to the ground. “We are

constantly evaluating what works best for the customers and are quick to act on new product ideas and modifications. We are also very focused on SMB/SME which helps us marshal our resources better.”

“Like others we do not want to focus on enterprise and SMB/SME together, we are very clear about the value proposition we bring to the table and we would like to be the no 1 infrastructure brand ( networking , storage and security) for SME/SMB.” Netgear’s core competency lies in product development. A cent percent channel oriented company with singular focus on SME/SMB, the company is creating specific and logical product for the focus segments. “We are not a price player and believe in delivering value through improve features, specification and easier operability.”

NETGEAR identifies itself with solving the need of the SMB/SME customer. Its value proposition is to be best in class by developing product for the specific segment. The company will not create products for SMB by simply taking away a few enterprise features. On the contrary it focuses on building products which have enterprise class features in a more user friendly and affordable way.

Finally…

Patrick Lo Founder, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer, NETGEAR INC.

India stands high in Netgear’s scheme of things, and making its presence forcefully felt was always going to be a major challenge for the company. However, with sustained efforts to understand the needs of this important market, Netgear continues to rise to the expectations.

Richard Jonker, VP Emerging Markets, Commercial Business Unit, NETGEAR Netherlands, opines that Netgear’s products and services have allowed SMBs to positively impact its business results. The company will have a much accelerated growth this year because its plans are executed at the right time and in the right direction. Patrick says, “Netgear India is growing faster in this region because of our innovative products and solutions.” 

How do describe Netgear as company in the technological landscape?

The whole world is moving to cloud computing which has revolutionized the technological landscape. Lot of applications are either cloud based. This has given us a lot of opportunity to expand beyond our traditional market because more and more infrastructure has moved into cloud. As applications are moving to cloud it is of utmost importance that the network access should be fast. We are providing the access to the cloud in an efficient way.

How important is channel for you?

Channel is 100 per cent important for us. Unlike all our competitors we don’t go direct. Ever single deal of ours is inked by our resellers and distributors.

Tell us about your security business.

Richard Jonker VP Emerging Markets, Commercial Business Unit, NETGEAR

Though we have been in security business, unfortunately we have not been that very successful. We have to concede that. Netgear has its line of security products like firewalls, UTMs, content filtering appliances.

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INDUSTRY WATCH

Multi-Function Printers in, SingleFunction Printers out The current Printer market in India is on a steep rise as pointed by many but the trends share a different story. With technological advancements taking place in the printing space, printers will not be looked at as just a printing device anymore but a multi-tasking device with lot more capabilities. The growth story of Multi-function printers begins here….

T

he Indian printer industry has evolved significantly in the last decade and with technological developments it has grown manifolds. The market is growing at a steady rate with high growth witnessed in many of its segments. These segments include inkjets for home and businesses, laser MFPs and wireless-enabled printers. On the whole, the industry is still on a growth path

Nitin Hiranandani Director - Printing Systems, PPS HP India in India as against the global markets where it is fairly static.

“The Quarter starting from July to September has seen a flat growth with a minimal 1-2 % rise when talking of the overall printer market. Epson is one of the many brands that have clocked a high growth rate in terms of quantity and value shipments.

And if we compare this figure with our growth last year, we have grown at a rate of 35%,” explains Ram Prasad, Deputy General Manager, Consumer Product Group, Epson India. Epson has caused quite a stir in the market in the last few quarters by launching many of its printer models on a new printing solution, the very unique ink tank system technology.

One of the significant trends in the printing industry today is the impact of the market forces and the adoption of mega trends viz cloud, mobility, security, BYOD

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in their product and solutions portfolio by printer vendors through enhanced features that enable easier adoption of these trends.

The ever-growing MFP market…

With an ever growing market for MFPs in India, this segment is clearly growing much faster. There has been a major shift in demand of laser based MFPs over ink MFPs. Demand for Multifunction Printers (MFPs) is increasing as they deliver enhanced functionality and productivity for an organization. Also, multifunctional devices have the edge over single function devices because of its increased adoption by small, medium size businesses as well as large enterprises. The other primary factors leading to MFP adoption are higher level of efficiency, lower total cost of ownership (TCO), high quality prints, ease of use and value that they offer. And now MFPs also have in-built capabilities that enable printing from cloud and mobile devices. These days they help workplaces of all sizes increase productivity and sustainability significantly and are a true enabler of BYOD scenarios with outstanding security features.

“Multifunction printers are definitely growing aggressively, both in the market and for Xerox. We have seen huge opportunities especially in the MFD segment which is largely due to its adoption by the SMB market and large enterprises. The laser MFD market is faring pretty well and provides us with a lot of business opportunities,” says Vipin Tuteja, Executive Director, Technology, Channels & International Business, Xerox India.

He further continues, “Today’s professionals need to operate beyond their office hours. Keeping that in mind, ConnectKey multifunction printers offer fully integrated mobile, scanning and cloudbased solutions. Xerox ConnectKey enabled MFPs come armored with many industry first features and connect the critical aspects of the future workforce- cloud, mobility, BYOD and security,” says Vipin.

“HP’s continued thrust on innovation has

pushed the frontiers of printing technology over the years. However, across consumers and businesses, there has been a shift from single function to multi-function printers," views Nitin Hiranandani, Director - Printing Systems, PPS, HP India. Nitin also observes how in the MFD category modern inkjet printers are matching a laser printer in printing speeds and sharp printing quality.

"Clearly, businesses looking for a smart, fast and affordable printing solution today have a great available selection when choosing an inkjet printer that perfectly matches their needs,” he says.

As per IDC, the laser segment grew last year by a whopping 44 per cent because of a sharp decline in prices. Laser printers have become more affordable with several models being available in the Rs sub-5k category as well. Under the LaserJet category, HP has introduced printers that help cut costs and streamline efficiency through productivity features, such as HP Smart Install and HP

V. Balakrishnan, Executive General ManagerMarketing, Sales & Marketing Division, Konica Minolta Business Solutions India Pvt. Ltd. Auto-On/Auto-Off technology. It has been the leader in LaserJet technology and offers SMBs an unrivaled opportunity to accelerate growth through industry-first printing technologies and products that pay back.

Konica Minolta is in the Laser space with growth witnessed in both Single Function

INDUSTRY WATCH

Vipin Tuteja Executive Director, Technology, Channels & International Business, Xerox India and Multi-Function Printers. “With superior technology and product performance we have been able to establish leadership in Production Printing and A3 Colour MFP segments as well. We have also done well in A3 Mono MFPs by consistently achieving the 2nd or 3rd position for the past few quarters. Our most recent foray is into the A4 segment,” shares V. Balakrishnan, Executive General Manager-Marketing, Sales & Marketing Division, Konica Minolta Business Solutions India Pvt. Ltd.

‘Green’ is the way ahead…

'Green' is the new mantra that every vendors are found chanting today. Paperless environment and Green measures are areas that companies are constantly investing in and deploying worldwide. The trend is slowly picking up in India too and a majority of enterprises and SMEs are exploring green printing and green IT. “Konica Minolta was one of the first organizations to embrace Green Technologies in our products. Our Simitri Toner is ‘Green’. It has a very low melting point and enables us to save energy consumption in the thousands of devices we have installed since its introduction over 10 years ago. Similarly, there are many innovations in our products that enable organizations to achieve their ‘Green Objectives’,” says Balakrishnan.

Moreover Konica’s MFPs are designed on an Open API Platform that enables it to be integrated with many industry standard Document Management Systems, thereby once again enabling customers to limit their paper consumption and facilitating their paperless workflows.

Print consolidation and green initiatives are driving corporates to relook at their printer deployment and explore opportunities for savings; this is an area where HP is working with such organizations in providing solutions for balanced deployment and print fleet management, managing their work flow and helping adopt eco-friendly methods to save printing costs. “Additionally, we have introduced a range of printing solutions for large businesses that help them manage and optimize their imaging and printing infrastructure,” says Nitin.

Vipin explains, “We understand that not all prints are equally valuable; some are more

valuable than the others and so we want to participate more in valuable print services.

On the other hand, the areas which would be less valuable - typically what used to be called data centre printing, bank statement, HR communication etc that will go electronic - we need to help these companies go digital. Therefore the first strategy is to be where printing is valuable and the second strategy is to help companies become more digital, help them look at their business processes and take advantage of technology.

We at Xerox have a role to play in both these sectors.”

Trends in the Printing Market • Multi-Function capability will continue to expand, primarily through integration with various solutions that are being developed world over to achieve higher efficiency in handling workflows • The printer landscape in the future is going to be dominated by the ability of printers to multitask. Customers these days prefer one printer which can do multiple jobs for them and in the process enable maximum profit margins. As a result clearly the multi-function printers are going to be in constant demand over the single function printers and are going to dominate the printer landscape in the future • The ability to print from anywhere with enhanced security and similar applications which will reduce and ease human work will dominate the printer landscape. The adoption of cloud and wireless enabled printers at homes and offices will continue to see printers evolve as platforms that complement people’s digital lives and therefore play a role much larger than simply print pages • Among the large businesses, a growing interest in managed print services (MPS) and printing infrastructure optimization solutions are two major trends • Customers are deploying integrated printing and document solutions; a big shift from the products approach of the yester years.

Not without the Channel…

It would be wrong to overlook the role of the Channel here because it is they who know the market well and what the preferences of this market are like. While it has not been a very excellent year for them given the current economic conditions, vendors nonetheless have encouraged the Channel to put their best feet forward by introducing interesting schemes and programs suiting their needs.

“Our go-to-market strategy is completely through our partners and they are the face of the company to the outside world. Today,

we ensure that our partners are well equipped not to just sell boxes but sell intelligent printing solutions,” shares Balakrishnan.

“At Xerox we believe that the partners are the face of the company to the customers and that they should have the knowledge of the entire Xerox portfolio. Channel partners are our extended team and they are the interface between Xerox solutions and our customers.

The growth has been mutual; we have grown and expanded in India and have helped them grow in their businesses,” Vipin replies.

Reiterating its commitment towards the Channel community, Xerox has recently successfully concluded the Xerox Partner League. It was a platform to reward and encourage Xerox channel partners who had delivered remarkable performance, over achieved business targets and had provided new inroads for Xerox businesses.

“Our new programs are enabling partners to emerge as solutions provider and not just mere box pushers. New programs like Managed Print Services are designed with an aim to offer cost cutting features to the end customers while empowering partners in the growing market of India’s SMBs and mid-market segment. With the introduction of HP Partner One program we have made it simpler for our partners to enjoy a profitable business with us,” points out Nitin.

Few years down the line…

Printer market is still showing a growth trajectory as more and more people take to print. The need for printing is set to grow further as the economy expands. Optimistic of growing this market, vendors have set eyes on the MFP segment that has been doing extremely well and has topped the trends

Ram Prasad Deputy General Manager, Consumer Product Group, Epson India dominating the printer space. However, given the not-so satisfactory growth reported in the last few quarters and more so in the festive period, what is left to be seen are the strategies vendors will be employing to increase both their sale and market share.

A lot depend on how innovatively will they introduce features and new technologies in their products without impacting the cost that will in some way help in boosting demand and eventually sale.  samrita@varindia.com

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CIO SPECIAL

Driving ROI with Cloud T

oday, IT has become a part of the strategic decision-making rather than just supporting the day-to-day business needs.

IT plays a vital role for not only maximizing ROI but also helps in realizing the value of technology, and also transforming and evolving businesses. IT should focus on enabling new business opportunities, revenues, and new scenarios for their organization. Bipul Parua, CTO, Knowlartity Communications, opines, “IT can play the role of a catalytic agent across each and every management function whether it is human resources, marketing, customer service or IT. Marketers can improve their return on investment by filtering channels that are inefficient or provide low returns on investment. Human resource can be optimized by providing them with real-time data and information allowing them to maximize their training. Similarly, customer service can be proactive rather than reactive once they have access to centralized records of customer database.”

To maximize ROI, it is also important that IT enables the business to make careful and justified selection of investments in alignment with the strategic business drivers

"IT can play the role of a catalytic agent across each and every management."

Bipul Parua CTO, Knowlartity Communications -

and facilitates tight execution.

IT should also be involved beyond implementing and configuring technology.

They should help the users adopt technology and ensure from time to time that technology is being efficiently used to meet the intended

"Businesses should smartly evaluate the build Vs buy Vs outsource Vs share options related to technology."

Kshitij Jain Manager, Technology Marketing Advaiya

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purposes. In this way, they can ensure that the technology delivers the value for which it was considered in the first place and, in turn, justify the investment made in technology.

For reducing IT cost, Cloud Computing plays an important role. Cloud computing has been called the way of the future. With the rapid development of cloud-computing technologies, technology and applications have become more accessible and more business applications and the entire business functions have moved into the cloud. IDC predicts that, by 2016, line-of-business (LOB) executives will be involved in 80 per cent of all the new IT investments and will function as the lead decision-makers in more than half of those investments.

Cloud computing is helping organizations drive business agility, reduce cost and address the issues of elasticity of demand.

Going beyond the realm of virtualization, which helped organizations ensure optimum utilization of infrastructure, Cloud is providing enterprises with the flexibility to size and pay for normal workloads using the infrastructure that they already have. With

CIO SPECIAL

"Companies need to decide what applications are required to be used by them and how to train people for using them."

the flexibility of adopting a private, public or hybrid Cloud model, enterprises now have the choice of balancing their fixed and variable costs on account of infrastructure befitting their business model. Sridhar Pinnapureddy, Founder & CEO, CtrlS, opines, “Cloud and its various flavours, BYOD, Big data are three frontiers, not necessarily new, but are changing the way we do business. Cloud has changed the traditional models of investment in IT and at the same time, has brought about major efficiencies in service delivery.”

Cloud computing is an intelligent way to cut IT cost In general, the cost of running an IT system can be divided into two parts: fixed costs and variable costs. The cost of setting up IT systems constitutes a considerable outgo for most businesses starved of funds and it does not get any better with variable costs eating into profits. A smarter way for businesses is migrating to cloud services.

Cloud service providers offer a managed service which means businesses don’t have to worry about big upfront investments on technology and leasing out property and can start right away without committing to heavy IT costs. Cloud is about driving new levels of process efficiency, collaboration and insight.

IT generally reduces the cost of doing business. The trick lies in making the wisest decision while opting for the IT-oriented infrastructure and services to cover your needs. The IT market is offering vast services generating enough variety to choose from, but that might very well lead to confusion.

Possessing at least some knowledge of IT would lead to having an upper hand in the deal. Kshitij Jain, Manager, Technology Marketing, Advaiya, has shared his views on this. He says, “There are a couple of aspects to this. Businesses should smartly evaluate the build Vs buy Vs outsource Vs share options related to technology in order to take the right decisions that will have the most important bearing on the business.”

In addition, IT should focus on rationalizing the redundant resources and share and optimize usage of existing capacities between multiple departments, offices,

Venkatesh Swaminathan, Country Head, The Attachmate Group

applications, etc. Another important aspect that IT should focus on is having an elastic infrastructure for future needs, i.e. acquire resources to meet demands and then release these resources when demands are met. This can be fulfilled using leveraging the as-a-

service models.

The simplest and most visible method to cut down on the cost of IT is to move to an IAAS model, rather than invest CAPEX on your IT. Infrastructure outsourcing reduces the investment, maintenance cost, manpower cost and at the same time increases efficiencies.

"Cloud and its various flavors, BYOD, Big data are changing the way we do business."

Sridhar Pinnapureddy, Founder & CEO, CtrlS

Cloud computing can definitely help in maximizing return on investment, while decreasing IT cost, but only if it is planned wisely. Moving to Cloud helps in having a consistent and predictable cost model. Thus, you pay only for the amount of infrastructure or application or service that you use. By adopting Cloud, businesses can also shift some of the risks to the Cloud service provider such as the risk of obsolescence of the current technology. In addition, if your existing infrastructure is Cloud-ready, the time to value to moving to the Cloud is considerably high. There are many other similar benefits.

Another aspect to be looked into is how wisely an organization plans for moving to the Cloud. One of the approaches can be – first, assess the current IT infrastructure to determine its readiness for moving to the cloud, and identify the gaps that need to be closed to make the IT infrastructure Cloudready.

Further, develop a clear roadmap for moving to the Cloud and define projects to make the infrastructure Cloud-ready and Cloud migration. Identify less critical workloads that can be primary candidates for moving to the Cloud. Moving these to the Cloud first will bear less investment and the ROI can be quickly assessed.

Reducing IT cost is also associated with the use of open-source applications.

Venkatesh Swaminathan, Country Head, The Attachmate Group India, opines, “In general, companies are required to be inquisitive to look at things and have a couple of alternatives for the solutions which are running to reduce IT cost. They can work on things like open source. However, companies need to decide what applications are required to be used by them and how to train people for using opensource applications.”

Finally…

At the end, it is true to say that the Cloud industry will continue to see growth and will form the foundation block for driving business agility. As enterprises leverage the capabilities and potential of social media, big data and analytics, and the power of mobility to create disruptive business models, the Cloud will act as a great technology lever and base to drive these business requirements.  satinder@varindia.com

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VAR PANCHAYAT

AIT playing a watchdog for rescuing Traditional Channel business The rise of the online and LFR stores has spelt a doom for traditional Channel business.

Bangaluru's AIT (Association for Information Technology)is taking up the cudgels for the Channel to look into the matter and rescue it from perishing further by taking corrective actions with distributors and vendors

W

ith the growing popularity of online store as a shopping hub, there has been a change in perception in the buying habits of an otherwise fickle-minded Indian consumer who would not buy a product without having a ‘touch n feel’ experience of it. But times have changed and so does an Indian customer. The coming up of online and Large format Retail (LFR) stores have marked a new ‘era’for Indian gadget shoppers.

While it is a boon to a customeron one hand, on the other this rise spells a big threat for the Channel Partner community that has been hit really hard by this sudden spurt in these new medium. The multitude of options being offered to a customer and the disparity in the prices raise an alarm and the Channel is faced with cut-throat competition.

“This has become a burning issue for us. We at AIT feel that channel partners who have promoted products of Vendors for more than 20 -25 years are finding it difficult to survive in the market under current circumstances. We have been getting numerous complaints from the members that they have started losing sales against online and LFR,” says Nalin R Patel, President – AIT. AIT therefore has decided to take up this matter in the following manner at the Meets that ensued • Firstly in the Fellowship Meet that saw the participation from around AIT members, a brain storming session was held with the fellow members that tried to dig into the matter ofthe exact problem the fraternity is facing and what needs to be done to ease the situation.

Some members opined that they should boycott the selling of products with immediate effect which are offered online if the vendor doesn’t support for a level playing field and fail to direct online shopping sites and LFRs to maintain an MOP. This will ensure sustenance and survival for everyone.It was also decided that a meeting with National distributors and wholesalers should be convened very soon to find out their role in deciding the pricing.

• In the Fellowship Meet that took place last month,several NDs and Wholesalers were invited and had a brain storming session together wherein they said that as far as the price of a commodity is concerned they don’t have any role and that only vendors are supporting them on the price front. In this Meet, NDs like Ingram Micro, Rashi Peripherals, Iris Computers, Compuage, Neoteric, WP Holdings, Savex, Global Infonet, Avnet, Digilife and many other Regional/Sub Distributors participated to give their consent.

• AIT decided have a next fellowship meet with vendors on 12th of November but it could not materialize as most of them have kept their sales review meetings on the 2nd week of the month due to Diwali holidays. They all requested their participation at a next convenient date. Hence now this meeting has been postponed for the month of December.

“We are planning to have discussion with vendors as to why there is so much price disparity on the same product offered by channel, the online store and LFRs. We want to convey them that they should give a directive to online and LFR to maintain MOP so that we all channel, online, LFR and vendors can survive together and grow together,” Nalin shares.

As payments are not coming in time and to avoid partners landing into any kind of financial trouble, members are requested to maintain minimum stock so that they are not stuck with a huge inventory.

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Nalin R Patel President – AIT

Points discussed with Distributors at the Fellowship Meet on September 25th, 2013

• The Distributor generally does not have any role in clearing and passing on special discounts. It is the Vendor who is involved in pricing, which could be considerably lower because of the high volume from a single buyer • In some cases Distributor is instructed to pass on discounts from Marketing Fund of some Vendors • Online stores also buy from Channel. This is supported by some Vendors. Distributors are not the only source for Online/LFRs • Big Deals happen in Mumbai. Sourcing of Online/LFRs happen from there majorly • Sometimes, there is a very small difference between MRP and Partner pick up price. This puts the Channel into trouble.

This happens more during Dollar fluctuation. MRP will be at older price while the Channel pickup price is based on Dollar. This works both ways due to Market dynamics.

Neither Vendor nor Distributors have policies to handle such situations • Dell seems to have created a separate SKU only for Online.

However pricing gap as compared to similar specifications will still exist • There seems to be grey market material available in the market carrying distributor labels. This is a serious issue again • AIT to become a bridge between Vendors and Channel • Members are also required to give best services to the customers if they find problem with any product. They should be able to help them in sorting out their problem and not just asking them to call on the toll free numbers to lodge the complaints.

AIT also wishes to take up this matter jointly with theentire South Indian State Association (SIITA) with the participation from all four associations. “We are required to address this issue in the interest of our Fraternity. I request all State Presidents and their Executive Committee membersto come out with a joint strategy and take up this matter under the umbrella of SIITA for further action,” sums up Nalin.  samrita@varindia.com

MOVERS AND SHAKERS

Vishak Raman quit Fortinet, India & SAARC

As per the latest update, Regional Director of Fortinet India & SAARC region, Vishak Raman has revealed that he will be leaving Fortinet after working with the company from the last 10 years.

Prior to joining Fortinet, Raman served as Country Manager for India at WatchGuard, where he was responsible for growing Watchguard’s channel strategy in India, and grew sales to more than half a million USD in two years.

Atul Sareen joins Infor India as MD

Infor has appointedAtulSareen as Managing Director to head its India business.

In this role, Atul will foster the next phase of growth for Infor; cultivate client and partner engagements; drive innovation and further scale its growing business operations.

Overall, Atul will be responsible for all Infor business across India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Pakistan.

Atul brings with him over two decades of experience in enterprise applications and business solutions and has played an instrumental role in steering leading IT organizations on a growth path.

Polycom appoints Minhaj Zia as MD, India and SAARC

PolycomappointedMinhaj Zia as Managing Director, India & SAARC. Minhaj will be responsible for leading Polycom’s growth and revenue share in the region and drive new opportunities in the company’s key South Asian markets.

In his new role, Minhaj’s chief focus for India and SAARC will be to drive growth by addressing the needs of the video conferencing market in the region.

He joins Polycom with extensive technology and sales leadership competencies and will look to build on the strengths of established local teams.

In his previous roles, Minhaj served as Sales Director for Cisco’s UC Collaboration business in India & SAARC and has led sales teams for Avaya and Alcatel.

EMC India COE appoints Srikripa as Senior Director

As per a latest update, Srikripa Srinivasan has joined EMC India Center of Excellence (COE) as Senior Director – Finance.

Srikripa will be leading EMC India COE’s finance operation with the responsibility for financial reporting, indirect procurement, tax, legal, compliance and real estate. She will also be a key member of the Leadership Team at EMC India COE that contributes to the growth and evolution of the center. This appointment further reiterates EMC’s commitment towards diversity and inclusion in its workforce.

Srikripa joins EMC India COE after a seven-year stint at Microsoft India and previously with GE Capital and PricewaterhouseCoopers.

She is a certified Chartered Accountant and a Cost Accountant from India.

Juniper Networks appoints Greg Yoder as VP, APAC

Juniper Networks has appointed Greg Yoder as Vice President of customer service and support for the Asia Pacific region.

Yoder leads a team of 460 delivering professional, advanced, maintenance and education services across the theatre. He joins Juniper’s APAC leadership team at a time of rapid change in the services domain, with the company transitioning to a new services partnership program and introducing innovative services packages to address new market segments.

Yoder has held leadership positions at Alcatel-Lucent and AT&T and was most recently the GM of a Cisco managed services subsidiary in Malaysia.

MAIT appoints Amar Babu as new President; DebjaniGhosh as VP

MAIT has appointed Amar Babu, Managing Director, Lenovo India as its new President and DebjaniGhosh, Managing Director (Sales & Marketing), Intel South Asia as the new Vice-President, during its 30th Annual General Meeting for the term of 2013-14.

Amar Babu, President, MAIT, said, “I believe it is time that we should focus more on the ease of doing business and thereby attract more investment towards local manufacturing.

DebjaniGhosh expressed, “I am excited about my role and would try my best to work towards achieving the objectives of MAIT, particularly during the current challenging times.”

KP Unnikrishnan appoints regional marketing director in Palo Alto

KP Unnikrishnan now joined Palo Alto as a Regional Marketing Director after quitting from Brocade , . KP Unnikrishnan is part of Palo Alto Network’s regional leadership team, responsible for the company’s growth strategy, building brand and visibility, driving opportunities and growth in new and existing markets, and growing demand for Palo Alto Networks’ next generation security solutions.

Anand Naik bids adieu to Symantec India

Anand Naik has quit Symantec. He was Managing Director of Symantec for India & SAARC since April 2012.

Naik joined Symantec in 2006 executing various roles at the company with success starting from pre-sales engineer, Director (west) – technology to Director-technology sales for India and SAARC. Before he joined Symantec, he was head of GSA Team at IBM from 2004 to 2006 before his stint for four years at EITA; Sun MicroSystems.

“Anand Naik, Managing Director, Sales, Symantec in India has left Symantec on Nov 01, 2013 to pursue entrepreneurial aspirations. We would like to thank Anand for his contributions to Symantec and wish him good luck for the future.

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COVER STORY

Encryption is the key I

n not so distant past, it was an easy proposition to keep corporate data protected by keeping it within an established perimeter—protected by established access controls and passwords. With the

Amitabh Jacob Channel Director, India & SAARC, Symantec prolifertaion in smartphones and tablets that model has been blown apart. Added to this, file sharing services which empowers users with accessibility and usability is adding to the concerns of information security managers.

These are not trends that organizations can ignore at their disadvantage. They urgently need solutions to help secure confidential data and limit access. This is where encryption comes into play.

Encryption is essentially insurance for loss or theft of a device containing sensitive information; both encryption software as well as insurance are bought with the hope that we’ll never truly need it. When businesses lose a device containing data, such as the personally identifying information of their customers, the business (in many countries & sectors) is required to disclose the loss and notify all parties who may be affected. Needless to say, this can be time-consuming and costly and damages a company’s reputation. “It’s therefore important to deploy encryption for intellectual property or other confidential information irrespective of the device or platform - desktops, laptops, data tapes, servers, removable media or the cloud,” says Amitabh Jacob, Channel Director, India & SAARC, Symantec.

Symantec has a complete range of encryption solutions that address the needs of all customer segments from the largest enterprises and government organizations to small businesses and individuals. “Symantec thus enables organizations to deliver data protection and further provide standards-based technology, centralized policy management, compliance-based reporting, and universal management for the encryption products,” says Amitabh.

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BYOD and Encryption The popularity of BYOD is increasing fast This is because businesses are in the process of allowing employees to bring their personally owned computers, smartphones, and tablets into the workplace and access corporate applications. The advent of BYOD has allowed application availability anytime, from anywhere, and helps business slash procurement costs.

However, the increasing popularity of these devices will create several problems for IT departments as they attempt to mitigate risk, and this signals a tough future for PC and laptop manufacturers. When it comes to BYOD, one of the most overriding threats is the loss and theft of these devices.

In order to address the balance between usability and security, organizations are taking a variety of steps. Apart from the vulnerability of the devices, the sensitive company data residing on these devices is also at risk. Here, encryption software can play a part in mitigating risks.

Srinivas Tadigadapa Director, Enterprise Sales, Intel South Asia Vishak Raman, Senior Regional Director, Fortinet India & SAARC, Fortinet, says, “BYOD provides a variety of advantages to organizations, ranging from improved productivity to increased ROI for IT departments. However, a BYOD environment also lacks many of the traditional security controls that organizations have relied on to secure their data, leaving gaps in their data and device protection strategy.”

Most of the security threats plaguing BYOD are also common in mobility. There is a need on the part of the companies to encrypt data at the device level. Companies should also ensure that the user is not allowed to override it.

Mobile Security Mobile devices continue to outgrow PCs

as preferred primary computing devices.

According to Gartner, by 2016, at least 50% of enterprise email users will rely primarily on a browser, tablet or mobile client, instead of a desktop client.

This new mobile environment means higher security risks, as inherently unsecured mobile devices carry increasingly more business-critical information. Applications are playing a key role, offering more capabilities.

While the opportunities mobile presents are significant and mobile has become an enterprise requirement, there are a number of challenges clients face like compliance with corporate policy, development and deployment of mobile applications with secure connectivity to corporate infrastructure.

Most of the security threats plaguing BYOD are also common in mobility. Like personally owned devices, those issued by the organisations are also vulnerable to theft or loss. There is a need on the part of the companies to encrypt data at the device level.

Companies should also ensure that the user is not allowed to override it.

Vishak says, “Finally, the mobile client itself is at risk from attack when off the home network. Fortinet secures mobile clients – laptops, smartphones, and tablets – protecting end users while they are travelling or simply working from outside the office. Fortinet has solutions aimed at the endpoint itself that allow for protection of mobile devices and encrypted communications from any location, ensuring that users are communicating securely from wherever they are located.”

In particular, our FortiOS5.0 operating system released in late 2012 is a milestone in helping us provide mobile security to enterprises.

Encryption in the Cloud For many organizations cloud computing is the way out for their IT woes. It has taken a centre stage in the technology world.

Cloud computing has gained momentum, and its growth is really impressive. Cloud

Rajesh Awasthi, Director Telecom & Cloud Service Provider, NetApp

COVER STORY

Kartik Shahani Country Manager, RSA India computing infrastructure is elastic, scalable, highly available and accessible, but is it safe?

There are certainly concerns and pain points such as network encryption in third party environments, address and topology control, and connectivity need to be addressed from the enterprise and business application perspective.

With cloud computing becoming preferred choice of the business more so in uncertain economic landscape, these are hey-days for the cyber villains who find cloud as greener pastures for making money by hacking cloud infrastructure.

Srinivas Tadigadapa, Director, Enterprise Sales, Intel South Asia says, “Today we are witnessing aggressive deployment for cloud in the APAC region, Cloud users will begin to demand standardized, open, interoperable platforms for cloud computing. As businesses begin to rely on the cloud for general business operation, the demand for unrestricted use - bringing data in and out of the cloud – is increasing."

Rajesh Awasthi, Director Telecom & Cloud Service Provider, NetApp India, says “Since we are primarily a storage and data management company, which is where customers keep their data be it enterprise data or business applications they are hosting, their concerns are two-fold basically.

As part of infrastructure, one of the things which they want from us from security perspective is that their data should be secure when it is in play (at rest). And when the data is on the move, they should also be secure when they are in the move. When it is stored in the disk drives of the storage system it should be secure. Here NetApp supports encrypted disk drive so the data that get stored on encrypted disk drive is safe. Only those people who are authorized can have access these data. When it comes to data in motion, for SAN Access we have a technology which we license to one of our partners, called Brocade who encrypt the data."

Neeraj Mediratta- CEO, Ace Data Devices Pvt. Ltd, says, “Our cloud solution is fully secure with FIPS certified AES 256 bit encryption before moving the data out of the customer’s network. This helps us ensure that data is secure. The encryption keys are defined by the customer’s system administrator. Apart from these key software

features, our environment is protected with firewalls, security tools and anti-virus tools being updated regularly to ensure that the data is safe.”

Over the past year, we have seen a steady growth of cloud adoption in India. Almost all IT vendors in India have already made their presence felt in the market with their cloud offerings. Even global players operating in India have tailored their cloud offerings to suit the domestic market. Cloud has been successful in India for multiple reasons. One of the most significant reasons is the demand from global companies, which is met by the IT industry in India. The micro, small, and medium businesses, which tend to be budget-constrained when it comes to hiring information technology (IT) professionals and building IT infrastructure, find cloud computing beneficial in bringing down the cost of ownership. Productivity gains and cost savings are other factors driving adoption of cloud in India.

“While market is still maturing to cloud, in India, Security is one of the key deterrents for the industry to adopt cloud,” says Kartik Shahani, Country Manager, RSA India.

According to Symantec’s recent ‘Avoiding the Hidden Costs of Cloud 2013 Survey’, Indian organizations are widely migrating to the cloud to gain competitive advantages

Sunija Rishi Co Founder and CMO at Nevales Networks around speed, agility and flexibility.

According to the survey, there is an increasing complexity and the proliferation of "rogue clouds" - business groups implementing public cloud applications that are not managed by the company's IT infrastructure. The survey found that nearly two-thirds organizations have lost cloud data (60 percent of enterprises and 70 percent of SMBs), and most (80 percent) have experienced recovery failures.

In short, performance and security are the two major concerns that rankles the client’s minds when it comes to the cloud. In many cases cloud security encryption issues have been successfully addressed.

“Encryption is now embedded across many Quantum solutions and it is done on the fly without sacrificing performance. Quantum's solutions have built-in encryption including the ability to do on the fly encryption or encryption at rest, whichever the customer

Symantec offerings for Data Encryption •

•

•

Endpoint Encryption is offered for drives (full disk encryption for all data) on desktops, laptops, and removable media and for removable storage units Email and Mobile Encryption (solutions for desktop, gateway, and mobile email including the iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch) Files, Folder and Cloud Encryption – for files on networks and servers and also for the command line

prefers.” says Jim Simon, Senior Director of Marketing Quantum Asia-Pacific.

A major trend is expansion of cloud computing. Owing to cloud the benefits, enterprises of every scale are beginning to adopt cloud services and SaaS at a greater rate. This trend presents a big challenge for network security, as traffic can go around traditional points of inspection. Additionally, as the number of applications available in the cloud grows, policy controls for web applications and cloud services will also need to evolve. “Amplified adoption of cloud-based computing is impacting the way security is consumed. The overall scenario will lead to more managed security service providers through cloud delivery. More on the way is expected, such as data-loss prevention, encryption, and authentication as technologies are aimed to support cloud computing mature," says Sunija Rishi, Co Founder and CMO at Nevales Networks.

The market is shifting to more integrated systems and ecosystems and swiftly drifting away from loose varied approaches.  edit@varindia.com

Neeraj Mediratta CEO, Ace Data Devices Pvt. Ltd

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INDUSTRY WATCH

A Peep Into ADN A

n Application Delivery Network (ADN) is a set of technologies that, when deployed together, provide application availability, security and acceleration. IDC, Gartner and the likes define Application Delivery Networking as the combination of WAN Optimization Controllers (WOCs) and Application Delivery Controllers (ADCs). “We are in a time were consolidation is happening in a big way in the ADN market space. ADC companies are adding WAN optimization to their portfolio and vice versa. Recently Array acquired Certeon, a leader in software based WAN Optimization technology so has Riverbed. In the next couple of months there is expected to be further consolidation in the ADN space.

Since it's a very niche and highly critical technology, we have witnessed some of the bigger names opting to retreat from this space,” says Shibu Paul Country Manager – IN, ME and ASEAN at Array Networks.

Today companies around the world are increasingly deploying web-based collaboration applications and static content sharing to leverage the machine-tomachine interactions between distributed enterprises. This makes networking a

Robert Healey Marketing Evangelist, Riverbed

APAC

&

Japan,

very crucial part of various businesses.

Companies are facing conflicts due to existing corporate network bottlenecks in moving their business-critical applications over the Internet to minimize the cost and complexities associated with the data center deployments and to ensure higher application performance and security.

The move by IT to allow BYOD by employees hits mainstream; the corporateissued laptop begins to become a bygone piece of equipment. IT realizes that it's able to control devices remotely through

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virtualization while simultaneously allowing individuals to use the devices that make them happiest and most productive.

Businesses are adopting Bring-YourOwn-Device (BYOD), which allow employees to share business-critical data over mobile devices such as smart phones, iPads, laptops, and others. However, existing corporate networks are not designed to handle large application traffic.

To address these challenges, the network vendors have come up with the concept of Application Delivery Network (ADN) that offloads application provisioning to a highly secure external network that provides reliable application delivery without load and latency.

Application Delivery Network overcomes the networking bottlenecks and addresses the demand for greater application mobility and security in distributed enterprises. ADN classifies and prioritizes the business applications, content, and users in real-time, accelerates the applications across distributed enterprises, and provides security against malicious applications and content. While controlling rising network management costs, ADN can deliver fast, secure, and available applications across the distributed enterprise.

A combination of WAN Optimization Controllers (WOCs) and Application Delivery Controllers (ADCs), Application delivery Networking is a technology that provides application availability, security, acceleration and visibility. As defined

by Gartner, “ADCs provide functions that optimize enterprise application environments. Enterprises use ADCs to optimize reliability, end-user performance, data center resources use and security for a variety of enterprise applications.”

While the challenges of consolidation and mobilizing global IT resources are far from simple, one can start to tackle them by learning how to achieve greater application visibility, acceleration and security within the infrastructure.

The Application Delivery Network answers the demand for greater application mobility and security in a changing global business environment. Application Delivery network helps you see applications and users and how they behave on the network. It accelerates mission-critical applications, streaming video, SSl and other enterprise applications.

Riverbed, Bluecoat, CISCO, Array Networks, Allot, F5 Networking, Silver peak and Citrix are the prominent players in the space.

Robert Healey, Marketing Evangelist, APAC & Japan, Riverbed says,

Shibu Paul Country Manager - IN, ME & ASEAN at Array Networks

About ADN • A suite of technologies • Can be deployed in corporate networks or data centers • Used to provide application availability,

visibility,

and

security.

“Riverbed has redefined the Application Delivery Controller, from a simple device performing protocol offload and server load balancing, to support new functionality such as web application firewalling (WAF) and web content optimization (WCO), to boost application security and performance.

Stingray products, being pure software, are free to download for application developers, allowing security and performance testing to be incorporated into application development and reducing time to market.

In addition, Stingray looks and works exactly the same, regardless of where it is hosted -- in a private data center, public cloud or in a hybrid environment, allowing true flexibility for your IT infrastructure, today and tomorrow.”

While competing vendors are struggling to retrofit physical application delivery appliances into virtualized versions, the Riverbed Stingray ADC has been leading

INDUSTRY WATCH the way in virtual environments – including Enterprise, Service Provider and Cloud for over ten years. “This, combined with the WAF and WCO functionality makes Stingray's ADC product deliver much better flexibility and value than legacy hardware ADC platforms in today’s modern IT environments. Frost & Sullivan recently recognized Riverbed Technology with the 2013 North American Frost & Sullivan New Product Innovation Award for developing Riverbed Stingray, the first software-only ADC in the market.

Gartner also describe Riverbed Stingray as “Visionary” in this space,” says Healey.

Riverbed Technology has recently announced the availability of Riverbed� Stingray9.5 traffic manager software onAmazon Web Services (AWS) GovCloud. AWS GovCloud is a specific, isolated region of the AWS cloud that is designed to allow US government agencies, contractors and customers to move more sensitive workloads into the cloud by addressing their specific regulatory and compliance requirements.

Riverbed provides hundreds of government organizations around the world with solutions to meet their most demanding IT goals. Now, with the availability of Stingray onAWS GovCloud, U.S.federal agencies can optimize, scale, secure and improve the performance of their mission-critical applications in the cloud.

Stingray is a virtual and software-based Layer 7 application delivery controller (ADC) with integratedweb content optimization (WCO) capability. Optimized to work incloud environments,itis easily integratedinto an application stack.By implementing Stingray on AWS GovCloud, U.S. federal, stateand local agencies gain agility and cost savings and at the same time significantly improve the performance and scale of their critical application workloads and services.

Stingray also reduces the strain placed on application infrastructures with innovations such as protocol optimizations and application-specific measures such as dynamic compression and caching.

Array Networks has recently expanded their support team headquartered in Bangalore to address the support related queries of their partners & customer. With this expansion Array Networks demonstrates its commitment to customers and partners success by providing faster around the clock technical assistance. Array

According to Marketsandmarkets, Application Delivery Network (ADN) Market will be worth $5.82 Billion by 2018.

Networks' support team will offer services that help their partners and customers enhance and operate their network and applications more effectively and with minimum interruption.

The support calls will fall under Level 1, Level 2 categories depending on the support contract purchased. Array

Networks technical support is delivered over the telephone or online by e-mail. The 24X7 telephonic supports can be availed on the toll-free number 18001027729 backed by a dedicated team for assisting with partners and customer's queries. The Email support can be availed by sending queries to support@arraynetworks.net.

Array also provides 24x7 online support via Array Technical Assistance Center (TAC) website.

Factory repaired or replacement units shipped back within 10 days of receipt at factory (depends on support contract purchased) Shibu Paul said, "We have expanded our support team to serve our partners and customers more effectively and at a faster rate. The assistance our support team now offers ranges from installation to training to advance hardware replacement. Our support team is committed to our partners and customers success by ensuring that the network runs smoothly and efficiently."  edit@varindia.com

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MARKET WATCH

Service Support – still Far from Reality for Indian Channel

While vendors boast of giving the best services for its products, it is not always that

these services are readily available to partners. Even after constant follow-ups, the response time for a product stretches to 4-5 months creating a helpless situation for both the partner and the customer. Do vendors have an answer to this?

S

upport is what a customer today looks for while buying a product and forms an integral part of his informed buying decision. More than anything, while deciding his choice of product, a customer enquires about the after-sales service that will be offered along withthe product’s features and other specifications. In other words, after Sales Service is a major factor to ensure customer satisfaction in a highly competitive domain,be it Security or for that matter any IT product.

Service issues continue to alarmPartners…

Successful brands definitely understand the value of 'support' and try to leave no stone unturned to make the support mechanism as robust as possible. “It is a genuine concern for channel partners because they are the face of the brand in front of the customer and they depend entirely upon the vendor for 'support' function. It is as simple as that - when they don't control the 'support', the dependence can make them feel uncomfortable at times,” relates Sunija Rishi, Co-Founder

M Gurudutt, Direct Channel Business, Schneider Electric IT Business, India

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and CMO at Nevales Networks.

However there have been instances when the support issue has been overlooked by vendors and the latter coming under the scanner for their lackadaisical attitude.

And there are adequate reasons in support of why service has sometimes been given

Rajan Sharma VP – Sales, DIGILITE a backseat despite it being an important concern. India is a vast geography and hence logistics is a major issue in maintaining aturnaround time. Also sales figures are not uniform due to market conditions as demands keep changing,for which vendors are always in a dilemma of how to manage spares, buffer, stock across the vast geography. These constraints sometimes result in delays which cause disturbances in channel.

“What we are witnessing in India is a huge boom for mobile and computing devices across retail.Most of the service issues relate to that of these retail products.

Issues usually arise of not having sufficient spares and lack of an efficient forecast system for spares and support,” observes Shibu Paul, Country Manager – IN, ME

and ASEAN at Array Networks.

Also, India follows a versatile and open market for any product segment. This allows customers to shop for products from a very lower range to many multiple steps up. “In some of the cases since the profits are so thin it becomes unviable to run sustainable support operations. However that is not sustainable long term business model especially in a very sensitive & emotional market like India,” Shibu adds.

Rajeev Singh, Country Head BenQ

MARKET WATCH

Sunija Rishi, Co-Founder

Subhasish Gupta, Country

Shibu Paul, Country Manager – IN,

and CMO at Nevales Networks

Manager - India &SAARC at Allied Telesis

ME and ASEAN at Array Networks

India, agrees,“Product models are changing very frequentlyeffecting majorly Spare Parts arrangement, especially after a particular model goes obsolete.”

However, this is not the case with software product as services for such products is provided either onsite or through remote. “To ensure that our customers enjoy uninterrupted computing experience, we provide 24x7 Free Online Technical & Telephone Support to our customers in India. Also the Free eScan remote Support function available in our products helps us provide faster support to our end customers and that is one of the reasons that why we have a very loyal base of customers who have been using eScan for more than a decade,” says Anil Gupta, AVP – India Sales at eScan.

Service support having been a longstanding issue in the Channel has drawn the ire of IT Associations very often and they have voiced their angst on the poor service situation leading to protests and ban of sale of those products. But their grievances most of the time fall on deaf ears, according to them.

“IT Associations are valid in having this angst with regards post sales scenario, but in India due to varied conditions of handling, wear & tear sometimes the exact reason of failure is very difficult to understand, but nevertheless all vendors , sub-distributors & partners have very

good working relationships where-in such escalations are managed smoothly,” says Rajan Sharma, VP – sales, DIGILITE. “We are absolutely for it,” confirms Sunija.“Vendors should give proper warranty/replacement/repair policies.

Nevales offers cloud managed security services for enterprises with multiple branch office locations. We offer free hardware replacement to our customers as part of our managed security services offerings,” she further adds.

Vendors geared up to take up Support challenges…

With a huge market share comes the responsibility towards Dealers and Consumers, as they are the pillars of success for any vendor. Adding to this is the absence of a standard Warranty / Replacement/ Repair policy that puts the partner further in a fix. “We take the post sales services very seriously, which is why we have a wide spread dedicated service team in India,” retorts Saurabh Grover, Director, AOC India.

AOC has more than 200 ASPs across India. Ithas an average resolving time of 0-5 days on most of the service issues (86%).

“We have a Director, 2 Senior Managers and 8 Zonal managers to look after the Service team activities across the centers.

For the best of the services and ease of the customers we have three completely

dedicated in house Call Centre toll free numbers where customers can directly connect with us and email us,” explains Saurabh.

In current market dynamics, upcountry and non-metro C, D, E markets are very crucial to a vendor to sustain its sales growth.“We have internal commitments to ensure these markets are addressed on priority and should be treated with same turn-around-time as any metro and big cities. Also, we have in place our process where we can pick-up & drop the products from any locations across India if a call is registered at our call center. Response time is treated with equal importance irrespective of Partners. We target to resolve all service queries within 48 hours and complete the repairs within 7 business days,” explains Rajan.

As a brand DIGILITE has well published warranty, repair policy which is available on its website (or) can be shared with partners on requirement. “We at DIGILITE ensure in very urgent cases the call can be handled by our sub-distributors & also our distributors.Our aim is to ensure channel profitability and to assure channel that they will not lose money due to post sales issues in our products,” Rajan shares.

The responsibility of support for an enterprise brand like Allied Telesis is a joint one- support from Allied to its partners and from partners to the

Anil Gupta, AVP –

M AMannan, Country

Saurabh Grover,

India Sales at eScan

Manager at Corsair Memory India

Director, AOC India

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MARKET WATCH

Dead On Arrival (DoA)

Rajeev Singh, Country Head, BenQ India end customer.Being one of the global networking vendors of Japanese origin, Allied is specific about support in any market. As a result, almost half a decade back the company has invested heavily on building a comprehensive local support policy. “We have invested and continued to invest further in a local RMA depot facility with lot of stocks to provide NBD ship support across the country. However, product failures are only one part of the support. At times, customers want support with respect to changes in their network design with the addition of more switches.

For this the partner needs to have skilled engineers to do the needful,” points out Subhasish Gupta, Country Manager - India &SAARC at Allied Telesis.

Allied Telesis has last year implemented a completely automated system, wherein partners can create a one-time login id and log in support calls and track it at any given point in time.Any software related issues are always addressed on escalation through its partners and Allied Telesis support team and has same priority for customers across the country.

“APC by Schneider Electric has the widest and the best in class service network. We have close to 150 Service centers in approx. 100 cities of India.

While other companies may struggle to cover the country to provide decent service to customers, we at Schneider Electric take pride in providing doorstep service for all of our products across countries,” says M Gurudutt, Direct Channel Business, Schneider Electric IT Business, India.

Nevales on its part has a ticket system and an escalation matrix for its customer support. Customers can directly raise the tickets for their support issues. Alternatively partners can raise the tickets on behalf of customers as well. The response time varies depending upon the severity of the issue.

Nevales Networks Operation Center (NOC) is based out of Mumbai and Bangalore and it offers remote support.

The usual issues can be fixed remotely by its security specialists. “We are a service oriented company and offer a free replacement warranty for our security

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DoA is a function of product quality. Any product that fails within the first initial days of its installation at the customer premises and is not able to perform as per the specificationsis considered as DoA. However, in case of any external factors causing the product failure, it is not considered as DoA. Different vendors have their own DoA policy that is uniform across the country.

DoA can imply different things to different people. From the manufacturer perspective, if a product does not perform as per stated specifications when the product is freshly taken out of the box then it is DoA. However, for a customer if the product does not work in his environment then it is DoA. There are many factors that drive DoA, for example how things are handled during shipment/ transportation, customer handling of that product, integration errors, compatibility issues or real product issues. devices. When the device cannot be configured remotely and needs to be replaced, it's just a matter of re-shipping the devices.Our warranty/replacement policy is very clear and transparent to our partners and customers,” Sunija explains.

BenQ has a Service Toll Free number along with email support on which maximum 4hrs response time is maintained for all Product line. It has an On-Site Service Support reach across India through localized ASPs where its Service policy remains same for 2 Working Days.

Service support having been a longstanding issue in the Channel has drawn the ire of IT Associations very often and they have voiced their angst on the poor service situation leading to protests and ban of sale of those products. But their grievances most of the time fall on deaf ears, according to them.

“One of the first areas we worked on was the service and support,” remarks Shibu.

Array has appointed a very well known agency to run its repair & maintenance services and ensured that it has ample supply of appliances and spares to meet its customer SLAs. “In our case, Array owns the SLA and the customer support in all sense. Further we have setup a TAC center in Bangalore offering round the clock services. Though our exposure to Tier C, D, E markets are very limited, our RMA partner has a coverage in all the states and most of the cities. We don’t have a separate policy for these markets,” he says.

MicroWorld has a state of art technology at its Head Office Support Facility in terms of IVR and separateToll free numbers for

partners, where the partners can get in touch with the service desk , Technical Specialist or log a call automatically to its CRM which is then handled within a maximum response time of 2 hours round the clock. Apart from the telephone support it has an Email and a Chat channel available for them.

In addition, MicroWorld has a global SLA (Service Level Agreement) on all its products that includes all aspects of Warranty/Replacement and Repair Policy and covers countries and regions that have much stricter laws than India.

Corsair policy is to offer replacement with a new product against any defective PC and there does not arise any question of repairs as it does not have the confidence of repairing it. “Talking about Corsair we offer the best possible support through our service center in terms of technical support, RMA, replacement etc. But sometimes, delays do happen due to issues like goods stuck up at customs, delay by couriers etc. which ends up as a problem for the partners, but nothing here is intentional and out of bound for the vendors,” says M AMannan, Country Manager at Corsair Memory India.

In the end…

Every reputed brand has a proper agenda to provide the best possible service to its customers, though in most of the cases dissatisfaction occurs due to operational issues which end up in a wrong review on service. Given the size of the Indian market and the multitude of issues arising, it seems just next to impossible to provide services in real-time. What will best work under such circumstances is an arrangement based on mutual understanding that needs to be worked out between the partner and the vendor.

It goes without saying that players who are doing well have remarkably paid attention to their support mechanism.So service support is undoubtedly the need of the hour and is something every vendor should take it as a priority.  samrita@varindia.com

FACE TO FACE

Advaiya to expand its customer base D

erived from the Sanskrit word describing ‘intrinsic oneness’, Advaiya was established with a view to removing the apparent dichotomy of business and technology in 2005. Within less than a decade, it has rapidly evolved to extend the breadth of its experience and depth of its capabilities for large, niche players as well as innovative startups. Today, with offices in Washington and Silicon Valley, Advaiya offers its high value services to many of the top companies around the world.

With highly proficient professionals having deep capabilities, rich experience, embedded knowledge, productive relationships, and relevant intellectual property, Advaiya upholds the right focus towards consumer experience. It has over 80 professionals worldwide working with 50+ valued customers like Microsoft, Google, VMware, Citrix, AT&T etc, Advaiya has completed 1,200+ projects averaging 5,000+ deliverables per year. VARINDIA talked to Manish Godha, CEO and founder of Advaiya, who shares his thoughts on Advaiya.

Tell us some key decisions Advaiya has taken in recent times.

and conviction in the value that we offer. We have built partnerships to bring a wider range to our offerings, associated new investors and expanded our board, added offices and invested in addressing the Indian market in a big way. We believe that as business sentiment eventually improves these initiatives would give us a significant edge.

What are your expansion plans?

Advaiya is geared up to expand its customer base in India, Middle East, Europe and Eastern US in the coming future. It endeavors to serve Indian IT Industry with right expertise in both technology and marketing areas and to partner with them for their technology led business innovation. The big challenge we foresee is the ability to scale while maintaining expertise in the latest technologies and enterprise architecture based approach. We are deeply conscious of need to guard our position as a highly trusted and efficient service provider with rich intellectual assets; and that does make recruitment difficult.

According to you, what verticals are in the forefront of attention We have—against the curve—taken a series of strategic decisions betting on the long term these days? strength of the economy, our own capabilities

Different verticals have taken different

Manish Godha CEO and Founder of Advaiya paths, and the speed has varied with time. For example, BFSI has traditionally been a leading sector, whereas travel/ hospitality was a bit slower—this has changed in last few years.

Overall sectoral trends have been important, as they set the pace and resources available for investment in technology innovation. A big pull is the availability of specific industry adoption success stories at similar organizations – these very powerfully propel the businesses in a sector to consider newer technologies. 

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MARKET WATCH

Festive Season ‘OR’ A Discount Carnival F

estivals in India are celebrated with élan and heighten consumer spending. So, it is true to say that the October-November-December quarter is, undoubtedly, the most important period in the whole year as consumer buying sentiments are supposed to be buoyant during the festive season. In order to boost sales, various companies offer discounts and freebies with their products during the festival season. Everyone looks forward to some special treat during festivals. Like every year, even this festive season, buyers are flocking to grab some of the best deals. Atul Jain, Senior Vice-President & Business Head, Samsung – Consumer Electronics Division, comments, “People buy extensively during the auspicious festival season in India. To add to these celebrations, Samsung has planned multiple celebratory offers for consumers.

Atul Jain, Senior VP & Business Head, Samsung - Consumer Electronics Division Some of the exciting offers include assured gifts, instant cashback, free installation and service to delight consumers.”

Banking on the opportunity of getting better sales and earn more revenues, HewlettPackard India has announced attractive offers on its select models of Notebooks and Desktops during this festive season.

The Notebook series includes HP Envy (Windows 8 models), HP Pavilion 11/14/15 TouchSmart, HP Split x2, HP Slate x2 and HP Pavilion 14/15 (Windows 8 and DOS models). The Desktop series includes HP Envy, HP Pavilion TouchSmart, HP

Ritesh Chopra Country Manager, Norton by Symantec

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Pavilion, HP 18 Windows 8 models, H9, HP 500, HP 110 Windows 8 models.

With the commencement of the festive season when gifts and freebies make a comeback, ASUS understands the cultural potential of Indian festivals and has an amazing offer to showcase. To spread happiness and cheer this festive season, ASUS India introduced its “Khushiyon Ki Diwali” limited period offer for the festive season. With this offer, consumers got to win assured gifts with their purchase of select Intel-powered ASUS notebooks. Lucky buyers get a chance to win a brand new Tata Nano car which is also the bumper prize.

Ranjivjit Singh Head – Marketing, PPS HP India

Other lucky buyers can win Bikes, LCD TVs, ASUS Padfone and Gift vouchers from ASUS. Symantec has also tried to understand the needs and wants of the consumers as well as channel. Ritesh Chopra, Country Manager, Norton by Symantec informs, “The ‘Norton Maha Rewards’ is a national programme, especially conceptualized for channel partners across India. The Maha Rewards offer entitles any Channel Partner (after registering on the Norton Champs programme) to win incredible rewards on the purchase of Norton Consumer Retail Products.

MARKET WATCH

Amitabh Jacob, Channel Director, India and SAARC, Symantec Channel partners, during the programme period, can purchase products from any of the two Norton Authorized Distributors (Fortune Marketing and Rashi Peripherals) and Norton Premier Partners across the country. This offer is valid for purchases made during the period of October 7, 2013 and May 28, 2014. For Symantec’s enterprise product offering, Amitabh Jacob, Channel Director, India and SAARC, Symantec, says that the company has rolled out “Stack up your Backup”, an offer for channel partners catering to enterprise customers. This is a special offer on Symantec Backup Exec 2012.

With this offer, Symantec partners can buy a BE 2012 media server licence + any three agents (Linux, Mac, Application & Database pack, Windows server and Library Expansion option) along with maintenance licences for 12 months for a fixed price of US$2,000. This offer is valid on orders placed through Ingram Micro India Ltd and Redington India Ltd from November 1, 2013 to December 25, 2013.

According to S. Rajendran, Chief Marketing Officer, Acer India, the company has joined hands with ICICI bank that provides consumers additional benefits such as bundled gifts, cashback offer and extended warranty on the purchase of any

S. Rajendran Chief Marketing Officer, Acer India

Vineet Taneja Country Head, Samsung Mobile & IT Acer notebook/ convertible. Through this attractive offer, consumers stand to gain the best deals while they make the purchase.

Under the Festive Frenzy offer, consumers can avail cashback worth Rs.8,000 on the purchase of one of the Acer’s flagship products. Consumers can buy one of the Aspire series of Notebooks and Ultrabooks

Unaez Quraishi Director Sales & Distribution ASUS India Understanding the sentiments with which Indians celebrate the festive season, ECS as a global player in networking and storage solutions industry has made every possible attempt to make shopping an enjoyable experience for its customers. ECS just announced a marketing promotion to appreciate the partner’s efforts by launching a Diwali Special Scheme where lucky partners stand a chance to win Samsung 32” LED TV. Along with the grand prize, ECS along with Rashi Peripherals provides a chance to win 2 Nokia cellphones, 15 cash vouchers and 30 backpacks.

Karen Chen, Sales Manager, Pan India Sales Department, Sales & Marketing Division, ECS, adds, “We expect that customers will take advantage of our offerings and will have an enjoyable experience while shopping Buffalo’s products.”

Economic Volatility is impacting sales and take home a Denon AH-D340 Music Maniac Lifestyle Headphone worth Rs.9,999 at a special price of just Rs.1,999.

S. Rajendran comments that Acer has introduced a number of special offers. We expect this to bring in the necessary cheer in the market, spurring consumer purchase.

Karen Chen, Sales Manager Pan India Sales Department, Sales & Marketing Division, ECS

The market has been a mixed bag, with the Rupee depreciation impacting the product prices and inflation riding high. Agreeing to this, Jaideep Rathore, COO, Digiworld, opines that an average Indian household plans and saves for big buys and other products during the festive period. Shopping during

Jaideep Rathore COO, Digiworld

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MARKET WATCH

Sharath Santhakumaran, Director – Lifestyle, HARMAN International (India) the festival period is considered auspicious and the additional benefits provided by the manufacturers and retailers add to the joy.

The ecstasy of shopping in this period is unsurpassed for the shopper. Keeping this in mind, Digiworld launched “Khushiyan Hazaar Muft Uphaar” offer. Through this promotion, the company targeted more than 100% sales growth over the same period last year and has been successful to achieve the same.

However, despite a slowing economy and high inflation, consumers are loosening their purse strings as different companies and retailers are trying to woo them with special offers in the festive season. Here, it is noteworthy that, in the times of economic volatility consumers look for value-formoney the most while purchasing. Throwing more light on this, Ranjivjit Singh, Head – Marketing, PPS HP India, says, “People turn to brands they trust, they search out good quality and highly reliable products and take after-sales service more into account.

HP has built its reputation on delivering high-quality products, offering best onsite warranty with a vast service and support network across India and is recognized as one of the country’s most trusted brands.”

Intending to deliver the value and volume, Asus has decided not to pass on the burden to the Indian consumers.

Asus intends to retain the current market scenario and strategies for the company and is targeting to achieve a share of 10 per cent in the consumer notebook market. Unaez Quraishi, Director Sales & Distribution, ASUS India, opines, “We are anticipating a big traction in phablets (smartphones with tablet functionality) as this technological device collates the functionality of two devices into one, diminishing the requirement for having two separate devices.”

Regarding customer’s response on sales, Vineet Taneja, Country Head, Samsung Mobile & IT, comments, “Samsung has witnessed robust growth across the categories. In the mobile category, our new launches were received very well by customers. The sale of mobiles during Dhanteras was very good this year. It was almost double versus normal days.”

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B. Rajesh Manager – Corporate, Buffalo

Last year’s market scenario The market indicated positive growth last year. Consumers tend to purchase highend consumer electronics during the season.

Being optimistic for this year also, B. Rajesh, Manager – Corporate, Buffalo, expects, “This year, we hope to have good sales as we plan to continue with one or other schemes for the partners till November end. This will not only be beneficial for Buffalo but for our partners as well, to make good use of the scheme and take maximum benefit.

We are very much confident and our expectations from the markets are high and we hope to get a good response. Agreeing to this, Sharath Santhakumaran, Director – Lifestyle, HARMAN International (India), says that he is confident that consumers will continue to invest in brands that provide the best value-for-money even during the times of uncertainty. Service and support is also a huge incentive in this market. Sharath further adds, “We are strengthening our support by introducing a toll-free number as well as opening various service centres across major cities in India in order to cater to our customers more effectively.

We also hope to see the HARMAN brand become more prevalent in the market in the coming months. We will continue to make our products more accessible to our customers.”

The latest trend of shopping: Online purchase As we all know, shopping online and e-commerce in general has taken the world by storm. It not only help users in finding a wide range of products, but it is convenient to check out how a certain product retails at different stores due to the online price comparison tools that most e-commerce stores are equipped with. Sanjay Sethi, CEO & Co-Founder, ShopClues.com, speaks, “In this festive season, even the thrifty customer has shown confidence in shopping online, where he enjoys the convenience, wide variety, attractive discounts and very competitive prices. When we do notice some

Sanjay Sethi CEO & Co-Founder, ShopClues.com change is that the price-conscious customer is seeking better bargains, is looking for product combos that offer cost-savings, and will buy even low ASP products online like costume jewellery, kitchenware, kids apparel and even consumables.”

Sanjay also added that online marketplaces will continue to ride the wave if they have attractive offerings and right efforts are made to grow the customer base.

At the end…

Finally, it is true to say that the economic slowdown, high inflation and the bad job situation are not deterring consumers from spending during this festive season.

Well! All I can say on this festive season to readers is “Have a wonderful Festive shopping spree!”  satinder@varindia.com

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uitable for securing locations such as small businesses, restaurants, hotels or residences, the intuitive SPARSH ZSecure Series offer best-in-class image quality and professional monitoring capabilities.

The key features of ZSecure Series incdue 1/3â€? Sony CCD & Sony EfďŹ o-E DSP , resolution up to 976 X 528, Texas Instruments DaVinci Technology, multiple H.264, MPEG4 and Motion JPEG streams, triple mode streaming, motion detection & audio detection and heart beat keep alive mechanism . Features such as internal SD allow network video products to record directly to a local storage device such as SD cards.

Since, cameras are robust and less prone to failure but still if it crashes due to unavaiblity of power backup & unavoidable circumstances. With the fail safe feature your device can be centrally access and diagnose, could resolve the issue in minimum time & minimizing equipment downtime.

The ZSecure supports Multiple H.264 and Motion JPEG, MPEG4 streams can be provided simultaneously, individually optimized for different quality needs and bandwidth constraints.

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Zebra & Innovation go side by side Z

ebra Technologies is a global leader respected for innovation and reliability. Manufacturers, retailers, healthcare and service organizations and governments worldwide its our products and solutions to see more and do more.

Zebra offers an extensive portfolio of products and services, incorporating barcode and RFID technologies, censoring and visibility software, which transforms the physical elements of a business, such as assets, people and actions, into the digital.

This transformation allows organizations to know—in real time—the location, condition, timing, accuracy and speed of the events occurring throughout their value chain.

VARINDIA talked to IP Singh, Head of Barcode and Supplies, India and subcontinent, Zebra Technologies, who shared his insights about the company.

IP Singh Head of Barcode and Supplies, India and subcontinent Zebra Technologies

Brief us about Zebra With a global presence, Zebra is known for innovation and reliability.

Zebra provides enabling technologies that allow customers to take smarter actions.

The company’s extensive portfolio of barcode, receipt, kiosk and RFID printers and supplies, as well as real-time location solutions give a digital voice to assets, people and transactions that provides greater visibility into mission-critical information.

Please describe Zebra’s barcode portfolio in India Zebra has been innovating printers catering to the needs of various verticals.

Innovation has been the strength of the company. We understand the basic need of the end customer and based on that we come out with new and innovation products. We are very close to the end customer.

We have a huge portfolio in Barcode space catering to the requirements of different verticals. The launch of HC100 was step in the direction of catering the needs of healthcare vertical. In short, if you are not customercentric, it is very

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difficult to innovate new products.

Millions of companies around the world rely on Zebra's barcode label printing products to help improve data management and accessibility, strengthen access control systems, and increase productivity.

What’s your global presence?

We are an American company with its footprints all over the world. Though business from America and Europe is stronger, APAC region is also showing signs of growth. APAC region stands high in Zebra’s scheme of things. When I refer to APAC I am talking about countries where growth opportunities are huge.

These countries include China, India and Malaysia.

How are focusing the B and C class cities in the country?

We are a channel company. We are going for an exceptional geographical expansion. That is possible when we have more channel partners in b and C class cities. We consider these places virgin

areas and we intend to tap them. Hence we are strengthening our channel partners in these places across every part of India.

Which verticals focussed on?

is

Zebra

These days we are doing well in Government vertical which is key for us in India. Healthcare is another area where we are strong. Manufacturing and logistics are other important verticals for us.

What are your initiatives to increase the brand awareness of Zebra and its products among the customers?

Everyone is in the known that Zebra has a portfolio of quality products. Hence branding is absolutely in place. We focus our attention where it is due. Though a channel company we never lose sight of the fact that we have to be close to the end customer. This makes us understand the unique needs of the end users. The initiatives are accompanied by marketing activities like organizing exhibitions.  edit@varindia.com

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“As a first step, we are focussed on strengthening retail presence” T

he Indian smartphone market has matured a lot over the past decade and the rate of evolution is nothing less than exponential. According to the latest reports

by Strategy Analytics, Huawei ranks third in the global smartphone market with a 5-per cent market share (12.7 million units) in the Q3 of 2013.

Huawei has witnessed growing popularity of smartphones in India as well. Even the IDC’s Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker states that vendors shipped a total of 9.3 million smartphones in Q2 2013 compared to

– smartphones, tablets and datacards. In smartphones, we have about 6 models starting from Rs.4,000 to Rs.25,000. In tablets, we have a couple of models. Our multiple product strategy helps us target youth, young professionals, enterprise and home family segments.

What kind of marketing and promotional tools do you have to position your brand in the market?

We have Chetan Bhagat as our brand ambassador in India. He is a youth icon and he has been a game changer in his field.

Chetan is a big influencer in the online space and enjoys a huge presence on Facebook and Twitter, with more than 4 million fans. Being a Huawei evangelist, he widely uses Huawei devices for his personal and professional use.

Do you have any pricing strategies for your handsets? What are the key points do you consider while pricing your products?

3.5 million units in the same period of 2012.

Smartphone shipments in India grew by more than 50 per cent quarter on quarter (QoQ) from 6.1 million units in Q1 2013. Huawei has been selling via operator partners over the last ten years in India.

VARINDIA talked to Anand Narang, Marketing Director, Huawei India, to know the latest offerings, channel strategy, pricing strategies and future plans on the company’s front.

How many models do you have presently and what is your current market share in this segment?

We have products catering to different segments of target audience. Huawei offers products in three different device categories

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In India, there is a broad categorization of consumers. Some are price sensitive and therefore we have products in different price sections. We have four series of products. Our Y series is designed for youth for whom pricing is an important factor and therefore all the products in the Y series fall in the price range of Rs.5,000 – Rs.10,000. Then, we have the G series which is the Gold series which falls in the price range of Rs.10,000 – Rs.20,000. The P series is the Platinum series which falls in the price range of Rs.20,000 – Rs.30,000. And, above Rs.30,000 is the Diamond series which is known as D series.

What are the channel and retail strategies for your offerings?

As a first step to establish the brand in India, we are focussed on strengthening our retail presence and channels. We shall be focussing on selling our smartphones through our retail partners. We already have presence in nearly 2,000 smartphone stores in India.

In these stores, we offer better consumer experience with a shop-in-shop branded area supported with a promoter and live demo

Anand Narang Marketing Director, Huawei India devices.

What are your future plans for the Indian mobile device market?

Today, mobile phones are just not meant for calling but are in themselves a style statement for a large number of users.

Mobile manufacturers are not competing on hardware anymore. So, our focus going forward in India would be to build experience for the users which is all about customization and relevance of innovation. When it comes to relevance of innovation, India being the second-largest mobile market, consumers here are evolving and their appetite for technology is increasing which means that the demand for phones that are sleek, stylish and power packed will drive the growth in this segment.

In India, we want people to get comfortable with the Huawei brand by customizing the product according to the Indian market. We offer good products, good technology, good after-sales service and we would be focussing on creating a good brand image as well as availability across pan India.  satinder@varindia.com

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Nokia Lumia 1020

The Nokia Lumia 1020 takes photos and videos that no other smartphone can match with a 41- mega pixel camera sensor, PureView technology, Optical Image Stabilization and amazing high-resolution zoom. The Lumia 1020 runs Windows Phone 8 with Nokia's "Amber" updates and the 1.5 GHz Qualcomm S4 processor. The Nokia Lumia 1020 leaves most other nonprofessional photo-taking devices behind, making you jump with joy over the crisp, sharp, as perfect as life pictures that you click on the phone. Aided in its quest for camera domination, the camera comes with Optical Image Stabilization that makes those annoying blurred edges a thing of the past and PureView technology that harnesses resolution, sharpness and clarity, captures the essence of life itself without loss in transmission – an unbeatable feat. Nokia Pro Cam on the Nokia Lumia 1020 lets you shoot in super-high resolution, which means you can zoom in close to your shot after you have taken it. Then, you can rotate, reframe, crop and share new images as many times as you want. The smartphone from Nokia comes with the Vyclone app that lets you create, sync and edit different views of a moment you have with your friends. A birthday party becomes so much more interesting when you put together all the photos that have been taken into one hilarious, entertaining video that you can have a lot of fun all over.

Gionee GPad G3

The Gionee GPad G3 comes equipped with a 5.5-inch capacitive panel donning 854 x 480 pixel resolution. And, it comes with quad-core power. It is also powered with a lightning fast 1.2 GHz Quad Core Processor. With a superb 13.97cm (5.5”) large LCD screen display, GPad G3 provides wider angle of view along with super smooth multitouch interface for enhanced multimedia experience backed by the latest Android OS v4.2 Jelly Bean. GPad G3 comes with a stunning 16 million colour output display, faster internet connectivity and quick processing multi-tasking capabilities which enhance the user’s experience. Gionee GPad G3 comes with a sharp 5MP Auto Focus back camera with LED flash light. Additional features like skin tone enhancer, gesture shot and smile detection enable a superior picture capturing experience. The camera experience is further enhanced with HD video recording option and 0.3MP front facing camera for all your business and personal needs. Its powerful Wi-Fi capability makes the device the ultimate choice for on-the-move data consumers. The Dual-SIM, Dual-Standby GPad G3 is powered by a powerful 2250 mAh battery to provide a long-lasting backup for all the needs of entertainment and style. GPad G3 guarantees to deliver breathtaking multimedia experience.

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VAR MOBILITY

Samsung expands its GALAXY series with new launches

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amsung Electronics has launched two new Androidbased smartphones – the GALAXY Trend (GTS7392) and GALAXY Star Pro (GT-S7262).

Both Samsung GALAXY Trend and GALAXY Star Pro are equipped with Android’s 4.1 Jelly Bean operating s y s t e m and I GHz single core processor.

Vineet T a n e j a , Country H e a d , Samsung Mobiles & IT, said, “GALAXY Trend and GALAXY Star Pro will provide our consumers an exceptionally rich mobile experience in the regional languages with the ability to access an array of

apps in their preferred language. We believe these new devices coupled with the innovative language capability will help us address a larger set of consumers.”

The GALAXY Trend will be available in black, red and white colours at an attractive price of Rs.8,290/-.GALAXY Star Pro would be available for Rs.6,750/-.

Expanding further its G A L A X Y portfolio, Samsung has l a u n c h e d G A L A X Y Golden – a p r e m i u m flip phone with a golden coloured accent.

G A L A X Y Golden is specially designed for discerning consumers seeking innovation, stylish design and convenience.

Micromax unveils “Canvas Turbo” Smartphone in India

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icromax has announced new Canvas Turbo A250, offering super-fast speed and seamless experience.

The first full HD smartphone from Micromax, the Canvas Turbo boasts a 5” SHARP FHD CGS (Continuous Grain Silicon) powersaving display that offers a dynamic contrast coupled with superior 360-degree wide angle viewing and colour clarity making visuals appear brighter and more vivid. Powered by a 1.5 GHz quad-core processor and a 2GB RAM, the Canvas Turbo promises to take care of all you are multitasking and gaming needs. Canvas Turbo comes with a unique: “Camerazzi” camera which offers a host of innovative features,

including 360-degree panorama, Cinemagraph and Object Eraser. The camera offers a 360-degree panorama feature for the first time on a Micromax smartphone.

With an MOP of Rs.19, 990/-, the Turbo is available in two colours (white and blue) across all the leading retail outlets in India.

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Intex introduces LG debuts Dual-SIM G Pro Lite Smartphone in India new Aqua Electronics has phones in India its latest LGlaunched

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ntex Technologies has announced additions to its Aqua series – Aqua N2 andAqua i6.

Aqua N2 is a 3Gequipped smartphone designed ideally for heavy mobile internet users who wish to watch movies, browse internet, download songs and share multimedia files without any lag or interruption.

Sporting a 4” WVGA LCD display and 1.2 GHz dual-core processor, the smartphone runs on latest version of Jelly Bean OS 4.2.2. The phone has a 5MP rearfacing camera with Auto Focus and LED Flash and a 1.3MP front facing camera. The phone has a 1,400 mAh battery which delivers up to 5 hours of talk-time and 220 hours of standby time.

Aqua i6 is powered by recently introduced MediaTek second generation quad-core platform, MT6582.

Based on a 28nm process, the chipset is designed for smartphones with high performance using four energy efficient Cortex A7 cores, clocked at 1.3 GHz and a Mali400MP2GPU – both from ARM. Aqua N2 is priced at INR6, 990 while Aqua i6 is priced at INR 8990.

smartphone device, LG G Pro Lite Dual, in India.

This dual-SIM Phablet features hot key, which allow users to manage two phone numbers from a single phone easier than ever. The new phablet comes with 5.5-inch qHD IPS display, runs on Android Jelly Bean and packs a huge 3,140mAh removable battery along with 8MP BSI camera and 1.3MP front camera which produces detailed and sharp imagery which gives clarity even when zoomed in.

In addition to its large IPS display that produces true to nature colours and clearer images, the newly launched G Pro Lite has a qHD resolution and is powered by a 1GHz Dualcore processor along with 1GB of RAM.

Soon Kwon, MD, LG India, stated, “The LG G Pro Lite is a feature and experience-rich smartphone specifically designed to provide communication flexibility to our growing customer base. We are strengthening our mobile portfolio by continuously adding-in feature and experience-rich devices so as to provide our customers with competitive devices. The market for smartphones with displays over five inches will continue to grow and LG is in a great position to capture these new customers."

BlackBerry launches Z30 Smartphone in India

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lackBerry has reportedly introduced the new BlackBerry Z30 smartphone in India.

BlackBerry has also introduced BB 10 OS version 10.2.

The new alltouch BlackBerry Z30 smartphone comes with a 5” display and the

Z30 smartphone offers a unique and engaging user experience with features like the powerful BlackBerry Hub, its exceptional touchscreen keyboard and industryleading browser.

BlackBerry Z30 is the ultimate smartphone for the urban youth and consumers who

largest battery ever on a BlackBerry smartphone.

It has been designed to keep you hyper connected, productive and always in control, and lets you share like you are there and collaborate with ease.

“The new BlackBerry

are looking for a bigger screen size, long-lasting battery performance and a best-in-class productivity experience on the go,” said Sunil Lalvani, MD for India, BlackBerry.

The product is priced at Rs.39,990/-.

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