COC Handbook 2011

Contents

Dear reader, It is a pleasure to present the Handbook of the 6th edition of VAR COC Awards. As with past editions, the Handbook is a celebration of this year’s winners. This year saw awards being given away in 29 categories including three Editor’s choice awards (Technology Innovation of the Year, Fast Growing VAD of the Year and Best Initiatives in Emerging Markets by a Distributor). They recognize the best achievements of the industry, both by brands and individuals.

This year, the Awards evening was also an occasion to celebrate the successful completion of 150 issues of VAR Magazine. While 2011 was a year of further milestones achieved, the momentum has continued in 2012. The Integrator which was launched first at GITEX 2011 is now on it steady way to becoming a handy publication catering to the interests of the value add reseller and SI segment. Integrator East Africa, which was launched earlier this year in tandem with several other East Africa market initiatives, is set to be further strengthened with inclusion of incisive local market stories. In Search of a Champion, the training platform for frontline sales executives, launched in 2010, has now expanded into new territories and we are hopeful that the original vision to take this event across multiple markets is firmly taking shape. VAR’s operations in the strategic market of KSA has year on year strengthened and this year on the sidelines of our participation at GITEX Saudi Arabia, we also presented the inaugural VAR Arabia Awards.

We are hopeful that we will continue to benefit from continued goodwill from all of you as we strive further to increase the value proposition that we bring to the table. My congratulations, once again, to the deserving winners in all categories!

Vivek Sharma CEO VAR MEA Magazine Publisher: Vivek Sharma Managing Editor: R. Narayan Art Director: Faiz Ahmed Sales Director: Alishan Zaidi

Networking Brand of the Year Cisco - pg 9 Laptop Brand of the Year Dell - pg 9 Security Appliance Brand of the Year Sonicwall - pg 9 Best New Product of the Year Western Digital - pg 9 Monitor Brand of the Year Samsung - pg 10-11 Storage Brand of the Year Seagate - pg 12-13 Security Software Brand of the Year Kaspersky Lab - pg 14-15 Mobile Accessory Brand of the Year Belkin - pg 16 Retail Distributor of the Year Trigon LLC - pg 18 Value Add Distributor of the Year Aptec Holdings - pg 18 Best Training Initiatives Symantec - pg 18 Printer Brand of the Year HP - pg 20 Best Channel Program HP- pg 20 Brand of the Year HP - pg 20 Best Channel Schemes D-link - pg 20 Technology Innovation of the Year Intel - pg 20 Best Distribution Initiatives in Emerging Markets Despec MERA Ltd - pg 20 Champion Distributor of the Year Redington Gulf - pg 22 Best After Sales Redington Gulf - pg 23 Fast Growing VAD Optimus Technology & Telecom - pg 24-25 Best Dealer of the Year Q Line Electronics LLC - pg 26 Most Popular Channel Personality Hesham Tantawi, Vice President, MEA Asbis Enterprises PLC - pg 27 Best Retailer of the Year Carrefour - pg 28 Product Champion Denny Liang, Regional Manager of Gulf, TP-Link Technologies Co Ltd - pg 28 Channel Champion Mohammad Mobasseri, Senior VP, Comguard FZ LLC - pg 28 Outstanding Entrepreneurship Milad Jabbour, President & CEO, GCT - pg 30 Security Integrator of the Year Alpha Data - pg 30 Storage Integrator of the Year GBM - pg 30 Network Integrator of the Year Prologix - pg 30

Sr. Sales Manager: R. Subramanyan Sales Manager: Saad Zaidi Business Development Manager: Mallika Rego Sales Coordinator: Smitha Jithesh

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P.O. Box: 121075, Montana Building 404, Zabeel Road, Near GPO, Karama, Dubai-UAE Tel: 04-3705022 Fax: 04-3706639 Disclaimer: While the publishers have made every attempt possible to get accurate information on published content in this handbook they cannot be held liable for any errors herein.

COC Awards Ceremony | Round-up

6th VAR COC Awards presented at Gala evening The 6th VAR COC (Choice of Channel) Awards were announced and presented at a Gala event that was held to celebrate the 150th issue Milestone of VAR Magazine. The event witnessed a strong turnout of attendees from leading companies in the industry.

This year, there were 29 Awards categories including three Editor’s choice Awards. Nominations were received from companies interested to participate in relevant categories. The online poll was run on www.varonline.

com for a period of over 3 weeks, which saw a much stronger voter participation than in previous editions, that reflect the growing value attached to the VAR COC Awards. The winners were decided on the basis of maximum number of votes won.

The Networking Brand of the Year category included nominations from leading brands that offer a vast product range for SMB and SOHO customers only.

The winner in the category was Cisco which with its Linksys brand continues to have the

strongest recall in its product segments.

The Security Software Brand of the Year is one of two categories that have been carved out of the Security Brand of the Year category. Nominations in this category included leading brands offering AV (Anti- Virus), Internet Security and all-in-one suites. Kaspersky Lab is a first time winner in the category this year. With this award, Kaspersky has demonstrated that it is truly making strong headway in its quest for market leadership.

The Security Appliance Brand of the Year is a category that has been introduced this year to include recognition for the best performing Manufacturer of UTM and other security appliances as perceived by the

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COC Awards Ceremony | Round-up channel. SonicWall, which has recently been acquired by Dell, is the first time winner of this category and the recognition reflects the strong growth that the brand has achieved in the region’s channel.

The Printer Brand of the Year considers vendors offering laser and inkjet printers and Multifunction devices. As in the past, the category has more or less been quite predictable and the fact that HP retained the crown yet again this year reveals its continued dominance over its nearest rivals.

The Laptop Brand of the Year included a shortlist of nominees that are leading manufacturers of Laptops, Netbooks, Tablets, Ultrabooks etc. Dell, which has improved its showing in the global market and continues to be quite aggressive in this segment with a very broad and new line-up of devices, emerged the winner with maximum number of votes over other contenders from the channel.

The nominations for Storage Brand of the Year included the top brands that offer storage devices including hard disk drives, Multimedia storage devices, Flash storage devices, NAS Appliances for SMB and SOHO. Seagate wrested its win in this category from the past winner WD. This was the first time win for Seagate in the VAR COC Awards.

All leading brands of LCD and LED monitors were included in the nominees for the Monitor Brand of the Year award category. Samsung was the winner

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in the category underlining its current superiority in the Displays business on the strength of a good range of product models.

For the Mobile Accessory Brand of the Year, names of leading manufacturers of accessories for Mobility products including Laptops, Netbooks, Tablets and Smartphones were included in the nominations shortlist. The award went to Belkin for the second year in a row and reflected the success of its strong go to market and channel as well as retail engagement.

Training initiatives are assuming greater significance in more competitive environments.

The Best Training initiatives award recognizes the Company which is seen to have been most active in training engagements with the channel in the year.

The nominees included several leading brands active in the IT

COC Awards Ceremony | Round-up gagement across markets in the GCC including Dubai through roadshows.

The winner in the Best New Product of the Year is a Product that raised the bar in its product categories and created new benchmarks. While several of the prominent products that were launched by leading brands in the marketplace were included in the shootout, WD’s WD TV Live Hub got the nod from the voters and was a well deserving winner.

channel. This year’s award was won by Norton by Symantec, perhaps an acknowledgement by the channel of its regular en-

The award for The Best Channel Program recognizes the most comprehensive channel program in terms of its vision and its overall execution right through the year as it impacted the reseller Business. HP continues to be the channel’s favorite when it comes to a sustained channel program and is a repeat winner of this category.

Best Channel Schemes is an award category introduced for the first time and the Award recognizes the vendor who came up with maximum number of proactive channel schemes during the year including special promotional drives. D-Link emerged the winner in this category and deservingly so because it continues to motivate its channel through mega promotions frequently.

Brand of the Year Award recognizes the brand that is perceived to have made the most significant growth in Brand recall in the channel through strong communication and marketing initiatives. HP’s dominance in several product categories coupled with its strong go to market methods are perhaps the factors that have helped the company win over other strong contenders in the category.

Technology Innovation of the year is an Editor’s choice Award introduced this year and recognizes a standout technology innovation of the year that has created a new momentum in the Industry. The winner in this category for the year is Intel for its Ultrabook initiative.

The Champion Distributor of the Year award recognizes the channel’s most favorite distributor the year for their efforts at channel development and facilitating sales and profitability through their initiatives.

Redington Gulf was the outright winner in this category.

The Value Add Distributor of the Year, a category introduced for the first time, recognizes the

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COC Awards Ceremony | Round-up

Among some of the other categories, Redington Gulf was the winner in the Best After Sales Category, Despec won the Editor’s choice award for Best Distribution initiatives in Emerging Markets and Optimus Technology & Telecom won the Editor’s choice award as the Fast Growing VAD of the year.

most recognized distributor of the year for Value add initiatives in the channel, based on product and solutions range available, pre sales support, training and other forms of support provided to the channel. Aptec Holdings, which has a growing focus in Value Add Distribution is the first time winner in the category.

The Retail Distributor of the Year award recognizes the distributor that the channel perceives as to have been most focused in the retail segment.

Trigon, which has strengthened its retail focus as well as holds a broader product portfolio now, edged ahead of its competitors to be the winner of the category.

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Carrefour retuned to wrest the Best Retailer of the Year award while Q-line Electronics of the Quality group and one of the well known reseller companies in Dubai received the Best Dealer of the Year recognition.

Denny Liang, General Manager at TP-link was the winner of the Product Champion of the Year category and Mohammad Mobasseri, Senior VP, Comguard was recognized as the Channel Champion of the Year for his efforts with the channel.

Hesham Tantawi, VP, MEA, Asbis was the deserving winner of the Most Popular Channel Personality category while Milad Jabbour, President & CEO, GCT who has been the founder of the company was recognized for his Outstanding Entrepreneurship.

In the three awards categories for Systems Integrators, Alpha Data emerged as the winner of the Security Integrator of the Year category while GBM won the Storage Integrator of the Year award. Prologix was the winners of the Network Integrator of the Year award.

VAR COC Awards 2011

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This is the first recognition from the media that we have had in the region in the past 5-6 years although we have been winning awards in other markets.

Thanks to our channel partners for the cooperation extended and we will continue to support them as always.

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It has always been nice to win an award, especially when it is through votes from the channel. I would like to thanks the channel for the faith they continue to show in us.

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Amanullah Khan, Regional Manager-Home Networking Business Unit, India, MEA, Cisco

I would like to thank the channel on behalf of Dell for this honour and whose contribution is critical to our success. I would also want to congratulate VAR on its continued growth and successful completion of 150 issues

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Kamlesh Lal Distribution Marketing Manager, Commercial Business-ME, Dell

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This award is yet another victory for the already well received WD TV Live Hub. We deeply appreciate the tireless efforts of our channel partners in pushing our latest breakthrough products.

Mohammed Owais Director Sales, Western Digital.

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Shahnawaz Sheikh, Regional Director, SonicWALL

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Monitor Brand of the Year | Samsung

Anupam Birla Business Head of Visual Display Unit, Samsung Gulf

ality to deliver an amazing viewing experience. This year, our focus is on further cementing our leadership position within the display industry by introducing new products such as the Central Station Monitor and MHL (Mobile High-Definition Link) technology enabled, Samsung 550 Series LED monitor in the region.

What are the mainstream screen sizes that are now more popular? How do you position different screen sizes?

Some of the mainstream monitor screen sizes that are

The Best Picture Anupam Birla, Business Head of Visual Display Unit Samsung Gulf Electronics speaks to VAR Magazine in the following issue about shifting trends in the Monitor market.

Is the PC monitor business a growing one globally and in the region, especially in the face of the onslaught from the Mobility category devices?

The future of PC monitors is certainly an exciting one. We expect many innovations within this realm globally and regionally.

In 2012, Samsung introduced products that extend the monitors role of being a PC peripheral to becoming the center of users’ desks by incorporating complete multi-media solutions and mobility options. By adopting this strategy, we ensure that the demand for monitors remains strong and therefore anticipate the regional market for monitors to expand further as more

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consumers embrace the latest technologies. Today, Samsung is leading the UAE monitor market and this growth is fueled by our successful line-up of LED and LCD monitors in the country, which offer sophisticated functionalities and enhanced multimedia experience.

Elaborate on the breadth of your portfolio from LCD to LED and in terms of screen sizes?

Samsung offers a comprehensive line-up of both LCD and LED monitors to suit the needs of different consumers. Our screen sizes range from 19” to 27” across both categories and offer elegant design, stunning display quality and convenient function-

popular in the consumer segment are the 22”, 24’’ and 27” sizes. Different screen sizes are positioned to suit the needs of various consumers. The 23” monitors are generally used by mainstream consumers who are looking for a PC peripheral that supports their basic PC needs, web browsing, etc. The larger sized monitor such as a 27” one is used by consumers who usage needs includes graphic design, gaming or large format works.

The larger monitor is ideal for consumers that seek maximum viewing experience, mobility and productivity. One such offering is the Samsung 550 Series LED monitor (model: S27B550) and the much-anticipated Samsung Smart Station.

Consumers who want to be connected directly to their

smartphones from their desktop PC can opt for the Samsung 550 Series LED monitor. This new monitor includes the revolutionary MHL (Mobile High-Definition Link) technology that users can use to connect their MHL certified smartphone to the Samsung 550 Series LED monitor using the supplied MHL cable. Alternatively, consumers that seek maximum viewing experience, mobility and productivity can choose the Samsung Smart Station that is fitted with multiple connectivity options thereby allowing users to connect to their Notebook PC or Android based mobile handsets, providing an expanded workspace and reduced desktop clutter.

Are LED Monitors now outselling LCD monitors in the PC segment?

Both LED and LCD Monitors continue to experience rapid growth and adoption as they cater to the different needs of consumers. It is important to understand that while the technology of the displays of LCD’s and LED’s is basically the same, the LCD monitor uses cold cathode fluorescent lamps as back-lights as compared to the LED monitors that emit diodes. Another major difference between LCD monitors and LED monitors is energy consumption. LED’s are unarguably better on power consumption. On average they use 40% less power than their LCD counterparts, a percentage that really starts adding up, especially for computers that are used regularly in a home or office setting. Another distinc-

tion between LCD monitors and LED monitors is the angle of view-ability. LCD monitors are better viewed directly on. If you go too far to one side or another, or if you go too far to the left or to the right, the computer display distorts. LED’s have a much sharper image, even from an angle. Finally, the biggest difference between LCD monitors and LED monitors is, currently, their price. Being a relatively new technology, LED monitors tend to be priced higher than LCD monitors.

A comparison of LCD and LED monitors brings us to the reasonable conclusion that while LED monitors by far provide a better overall picture, with better clarity, resolution, and color, the LCD costs considerably less so it will depend on what you plan on using your computer monitor for that will determine whether you want to invest in an LED or an LCD computer monitor.

From energy efficient and performance driven LED monitors to lightweight, slim LCD monitors, Samsung caters to a wide variety of users depending on their needs.

Discuss if 3D monitors are also being preferred by certain verticals? Are special glasses required for these displays?

In the Gulf, 3D monitors are mostly preferred by the general consumer segment as users seek an exceptional 3D viewing experience while using their desktop at home. Samsung achieves the highest standard in extreme 3D

imaging through its intuitive 3D HyperReal Engine. This cerebral technology allows the Samsung 3D LED Monitors to control features like color, contrast, 3D effects and motion for incredible results. One such offering is the Samsung TA Series 3D LED Monitor that was introduced in the region in the second half of 2011. The TA Series monitor provides the best picture quality with the use of the most advanced visual display technology and delivers superior contrast, richer colors, deeper blacks and sharper images with the use of Mega DCR and LED BLU technologies. Unlike conventional 3D monitors, users can enjoy almost all variety of 3D content due to its high compatibility with various consoles such as 3D BD player, 3D game console, 3D digital camera, 3D camcorder as well as PC. Samsung offers 3D glasses as a bundle package with 3D enabled monitors.

Do you see large display monitors used widely in workplaces, key verticals etc?

From a user perspective, Monitors are used quite widely in the business environment. Industries ranging from government to education and hospitality continue to adopt the latest monitor display products that are ideal for power users who need high resolution, crisp, clear viewing and a wide array of features that help maximize productivity. As a tool for business, Samsung Monitors serve as a powerful computing platform for workers who need to extend the role of their PC beyond the desktop.

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Storage Brand of the Year | Seagate

The drive ahead Ayman Al-Ajouz Channel Sales Manager-GCC, Seagate

Seagate emerged the VAR COC Storage Brand of the Year for the first time. The Manufacturer has steadily consolidated and enhanced its portfolio in recent years.

Ayman Al-Ajouz, Channel Sales Manager – GCC, Seagate Technology LTD speaks to VAR Magazine about the company’s focus across productlines.

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How is the growth in the 3.5 inch internal HDD market, especially in the region from Seagate’s perspective?

The TAM for 3.5” HDD has been recovering since the Thailand disastrous flood that the industry suffered in Q4 2011. In general, if we consider the pre-flood figures, the HDD 3.5” market was growing but in single digit percentages.

Has the 2.5inch HDD market outstripped the 3.5 inch drives market in direct correlation to the growth in the notebook market vis-à-vis the desktops market?

The 2.5” internal drive category was not directly affected by this growth despite the fact that notebook market has grown simply because the notebook assembly business is still low as tier one brands dominate the sales.

categories in 2011 that have created technology breakthroughs and are also quite successful in the regional market As Seagate we had two first to market products in 2011; the first one was the Goflex Satellite external drive which I personally call it the “the Tablet buddy”.

It is the 1st external hard-drive introduced in the market operating on battery and has a built in WiFi. What is really interesting about it is that it acts like a personal cloud in your pocket - 8 users can connect to it and stream at the same time and the battery life is 7hr. In addition to that, when you connect to it you don’t lose your Internet connection - This product was a really breakthrough in the market especially for tablet uses who usually suffer from capacity limitation in their devices.

Discuss some of the significant products in the external drives

On the other hand, Momentus XT was another Break though - It

is the first Hybrid Hard-drive introduced in the market with 500GB and 750GB capacities. It is the first hard drive combining both technologies the SSD Technology and the regular hard drive technology - with it you will get the SSD speed and performance in addition to the the normal hard-drive capacity point for quarter the price of an SSD. The Momentus XT is 3 time faster than Normal HDD. In the three broad external drives categories – external desktop, external portable and network drives, discuss how each category is faring in the region for Seagate?

At Seagate, we have been noticing that the market trend is towards higher capacities across all product range, whether it was 2.5”, 3.5”. or even NAS products this means the need for storage is getting higher and higher year after year - As for the trend on external drives, 2.5 inch is on top when it comes to demand, but still Desk or 3.5” External Drives are highly demanded especially on capacities of 2TB and above.

In the NAS category, we are experiencing higher demand in the market and the products are now being more accepted by end users and not only business.

We believe that the future of NAS is promising.

How is the current distribution

strategy structured? do you have specific distributors for specific markets or product lines or regional distributors covering most territories and product lines?

Currently, we have 3 regional distributors handling both product lines externals and internals in addition to 1 regional distributor who is handling only internals drives.

tainment segment in terms of sales in the region? What are the products currently in this category?

We currently have the GoFlex Cinema line which includes a hard drive (1TB,2TB and 3TB) this is the only Multimedia drive we currently have in our product line.

Do you see growth in tablet shipments pushing the

“At Seagate, we have been noticing that the market trend is towards higher capacities across all product range, whether it was 2.5”, 3.5”. or even NAS products - this means the need for storage is getting higher and higher year after year”

Discuss the expansion in the local team here as well as your engagement with the local channel over the past year?

A quarter back, Seagate hired an additional Sales representative in Dubai to take care of Core business in Dubai and manage the distributors - Seagate has also hired a new Representative in Egypt to cover the Egyptian market.

Discuss the momentum achieved in the home enter-

growth of your external drives where you can store on the go wirelessely?

Tablets shipments have been increasing quarter on quarter. As a result, we have seen the growing demand for our GoFlex Satellite as the only wireless storage solution for tablets. As most critics define the main weakness of tablets to be the limited storage capacity, the need for external storage becomes a must and we expect to see more growth moving forward.

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Security Software Brand of the Year | Kaspersky Lab

Aman Manzoor Channel Manager, Kaspersky Lab ME & Turkey

market-space where the key to success lies.

Effective strategies The VAR COC Award this year for the Best Security Software Brand of the Year for Kasperksy Lab underlines the growth and success the brand has achieved in the region. Aman Manzoor, Channel Manager, Kaspersky Lab ME and Turkey speaks to the Integrator in the following interview about trends in security and the growing engagement with the channel.

The award reflects Kaspersky’s growing acceptance and success in the channel. Discuss some of the strong initiatives you delivered over the past year in the channel as well as in the consumer market We accept this award as a edict from the channel community that we are taking the right path to develop the business in the region. The initiatives that we have launched vary from channel recruitment initiatives & channel development initiatives to Joint Marketing Program (MDF), Deal Registration program, Renewal protection program along with support to Pre-sales, Post-sales and Consulting Support Initiatives. Further,

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the initiatives in the retail space wherein we are training the frontline sales personnel of the key retailers have increased the product sell out and has resulted in ensuring that we retain the most chosen antimalware solution in the region.

Would you say that the Brand is now into a phase of consolidation in the regional market?

The region that we are working is vast and full of opportunities.

We may be consolidating in certain markets at the same time, we are expanding in certain others and while we are new entrants in the few markets. It is finding the right balance and promoting overall growth in the

While you have made headway in KAV and KIS, does the success reflect in the all in one and other product categories as well in the region?

As I have mentioned earlier that in certain market-spaces we are new entrants and the all in one product category demonstrates this perfectly. We have unlocked a whole new approach to the market where the choice is given consumer to choose how he wants to and which device he would like to use the protection.

Kaspersky One is a product that we are very excited about and we are working with the entire channel to take our offering to our customers.

A successful retail visibility and availability is perhaps one of the secrets of your sustained success. Discuss how retail availability has been key to your growth?

As one of the most prominent retail executive in our region proclaimed, “partnership is the key� and we agree. The success that we have seen in the region is due to various factors and the key among them has been the local partnership that our republishing distributors have built to ensure that product is available across the stores in the region. This relationship drives the stock visibility, availability and ultimately the success of the product.

Discuss growth in the global

security software market for the brand Kaspersky Lab operates in more than 100 countries worldwide.

The company has its own territory offices in 30 countries and its products and technologies provide protection for over 300 million users worldwide. Kaspersky Lab currently employs over 2,500 highly qualified specialists.

Kaspersky Lab is one of the fastest growing IT security companies in the world. It is positioned as one of the world’s top four leading vendors of endpoint security software. Kaspersky Lab continues to further improve its market position, demonstrating significant growth in all regions.

According to the company’s 2011 financial results, Kaspersky Lab’s global revenue grew by 14% compared to the previous year and exceeded US $600 million.

Do you see cybercrime being combated successfully with security software?

The dark side of the cyberworld is has highly-organized, well financed and trained professionals, as our CEO Mr. Eugene predicted that “there will be more and more attacks on companies and the attacks will become more and more successful at achieving their aims. Attacks on industrial systems (like Stuxnet) can’t be ruled out. And such attacks will become the main news items of 2012.” We have seen the same rolled out in the first couple of quarters of this year.

The only way to combat this epidemic is not with software

( From L MD, Kaspersky Lab Middle East & Turkey receiving Tarek Kuzbari, the award from Vivek Sharma, CEO, VAR Magazine

alone, but a combination of the right hardware, user education and applying the best practices of security in the environment.

Discuss your initiatives in the channel in recent past as well as the planned activities for the rest of the year?

The roll out of the partner program and other initiatives have ensured that the overall channel community has garnered the ability to address the opportunities in the market in a more effective and profitable manner.

We have tripled the number of certified engineers in the channel to enhance both presales and post-sales support to the end-user customers.

The various channel recruitment

initiatives that we have started have increased the number of channel partners working with us to almost double. The number of partners receiving the premier status and having their names listed in our website has increased the number of leads that have been generated for our premier partners.

The initiatives in the retail space wherein we are training the frontline sales personnel of the key retailers have increased the product sell out and has resulted in ensuring that we retain the most chosen antimalware solution in the region. We will develop the programs this year along this line.

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Mobile Accessory Brand of the Year | Belkin

Youssef El-Arif Sales Manager, MEA, Belkin

Belkin has emerged the winner yet again of the VAR COC Award for Best Mobile Accessory Brand of the Year. Youssef El-Arif, Sales Manager, MEA, Belkin speaks to VAR magazine about the accessories market and how Belkin has continue to have a substantial presence across the fast moving product categories

Significant gains Discuss your sales growth in specific accessory categories.

Our mobility category has grown incredibly for the past few years and specifically in the last year.

For sure the success of Apple and Samsung smart phones and tablets had an impact on our accessories growth in this region.

We are looking for more growth this year because of the additional launches from Apple and Samsung. Also key to our success will be our home entertainment category that it will be launched in the near future.

We expanded our presence in the region and became a solid player in every category we represent . Many factors have given us a chance to grow in this region and be different. So in summary, we have a lot of

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exciting things happening at the same time and we are very positive about how our business is heading.

How significant is the Accessories Business in contribution to total turnover in the region for Belkin?

We have watched this category grow more and more every year. I believe the demands for accessories have increased dramatically by everyone: the end customer, the retailer and the distributor. It has become an important category that requires effort and focus.

While the new Ipad and some of the other successful brands like the Galaxy Tab continue to show rapid growth, do you see the accessories market also

to tag along on the growth curve?

Yes definitely, and the growth ratio can be even higher. If you buy a device you buy multiple accessories either for protection or power or entertainment. Now people tend to use those devices for different purposes and for sure they want accessories that facilitate each type of usage.

What are the fast moving product lines in accessories?

From belkin product line perspective the Apple and Samsung accessory range are fast sellers particularly for cases, chargers, cables, and FM transmitters. Additionally we move lot of laptop accessories like bags, hubs, and cooling pads.

Retail distribution is definitely key to this product line. Discuss your current distribution structure for retail?

Our distribution module is indirect. We work very closely with our distributors to serve the retail market. We have distribution presence in the majority of the region where our product is available in country supported by a sales force and solid logistics solution. Being a consumer focused brand, the key to increase our sales is to be on the shelves

and to manage our category properly.

Discuss some of the innovative products very briefly in accessories like the keyboard Folio for instance.

The keyboard folio for the new iPad allows a comfortable typing experience anywhere you use your iPad. This versatile and protective folio stand has a built-in computer-style keyboard with well-spaced TruType keys.

A spring mechanism underneath each key ensures a tactile response with every stroke, helping you to type faster and with less error than on a touchscreen.

Plus, function-specific keys let you easily copy and paste text, moderate volume and control music. Adjustable angles allow you to find just the right position whether you are typing or viewing Do you see consumers in the region ready to pay an additional premium for a brand they are familiar with and trust visa-a-vis a cheaper lesser known brand in the mobile accessories category?

I think there are two scenarios.

Some people tend to pay a high amount for a device but they go for cheaper/unknown brand for accessories. After it breaks or

does not charge properly or has some other malfunction, they quickly realize the error of their ways and switch to a trusted brand. Of course they end up paying more as they are buying twice. The second case is people that appreciate and understand the importance of a quality brand and are willing to pay a little bit more from the beginning to have peace of mind.

What makes you a favorite brand for the channel to carry?

The channel partners are under a lot of pressure from different vendors and suppliers. They deal with so many brands and so many suppliers every day. And of course every supplier comes with products and schemes.

Being a multi-category vendor gives us an advantage to approach the channel as they have to deal with only one brand that has a wide range of unique products. Our product variety gives a chance to the channel to manage their volume and profitability.

To keep the support going, we have loyalty program put in place to motivate the channel as well as making sure they can be more profitable while working with us.

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VAR COC Awards 2011

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All credit to our Retail and Channel Partners who voted for us. We have been more focused in expansion of Retail & Corporate business and this award is proof that our strategies in retail are paying off. We will continue to invest and remain focused in these domains and intend to do better.

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Arun Chawla CEO, Trigon

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I am happy to receive this award on behalf of Aptec group. Aptec management and the whole team were putting a lot of efforts during the last few years in building and implementing value-added distribution strategy. This award shows that we are on the right way, because it reflects the satisfaction of our customers. We listened to our customers and were able to give them the best solutions, services and innovations.

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Svetlana Sorokina Regional Marketing Manager at Aptec Holdings

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Thanks to the channel for this award and it is a recognition for our channel initiatives which we constantly undertake. Congratulations also to VAR on their 150th issue success.

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Tamim Taufiq Head of Consumer Sales MENA, Symantec

VAR COC Awards 2011

BRAND OF THE YEAR & BEST CHANNEL PROGRAM

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Tony Merhej Channel Sales Manager, Gulf Countries, Intel

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I would like to thank the entire channel for supporting D-Link and appreciating our efforts. We will continue to have channel friendly strategies as always.

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Sakkeer Hussain Sales & marketing Manager, D-Link MEA

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The credit for these recognitions goes to all the partners who work with us. These recognitions are also a proof of HP’s channel focus and leadership.

Alok Mohan Managed Enterprise Solutions Manager, IPG- HP ME

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Despec continues to make investments in emerging markets of Africa in new territories. We see this Award as a recognition of our efforts.

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Thank you for this award. The Ultrabook has truly been one of the outstanding technology initiatives of the year.

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Faisal Jamal COO, Despec MERA

Champion Distributor | Redington Gulf

Redington is widely believed to be the leading IT distributor in the region.

The channel voted for it yet again as the Champion Distributor for 2011 at the VAR COC Awards. Aloysius Fernandes, President - IT Volume, MEA who received the award on behalf of the company speaks about some of the recent initiatives to consolidate the Business growth.

Aloysius Fernandes President-IT Volume, MEA, Redington Gulf

Please elaborate on some of the key highlights of Redington’s further consolidation in distribution business across the MEA region in 2011.

Redington as a group made great strides in different avenues of business in 2011. Investments were made into setting up new businesses. We entered new markets, re-organized existing structures and processes to be more responsive to Partners and consumer trends and also expanded the brand portfolio considerably.

Elaborate on some concrete expansion initiatives in other GCC & African markets in the year gone by Strategic initiatives were spread across the MEA regions and included changes to the internal & external processes and organiza-

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tion structure. Wherever markets posed an opportunity, measures were taken to explore them in depth and steps taken to circumvent any challenges. The overall ethos was to be at close to the partners with the brands & products we distribute.

Has there been any restructuring of the teams / units?

Business processes have been sharpened to be more productive & efficient with response to both Vendor & Partners alike. We will continue to consolidate our existing businesses and focus on some of the new initiatives started in 2011. These include further growth in KSA, East, West & North Africa with a focus on CIS operations.

Does volume distribution continue to be a significant

percentage of the business overall volumes at Redington? Do you think leveraged structures are quite necessary to support further growth and profitability especially in the distribution business?

Yes, Volume distribution continues to be the dominant contributor to the Redington business. In today’s market, the most pressing issue in the distribution space is the presence of multiple vendors, multiple distributors and limited resellers selling same or similar products.

This puts a lot of pressure on the players resulting in higher risks and lower returns. Nevertheless, there have been positive indicators from a cash flow and lending perspective, which is good.

On the other hand, parts of the region are still recovering from the instability created by political overhauls of last year.

Sethuraman S Sr. Vice President-Services, Redington Gulf

Best After Sales Services | Redington Gulf

Sathish K.L. Regional Manager, Redington Gulf Redington was the winner yet at again in the Best After Sales category of the 6th VAR COC Awards. The leading distributor has beefed up its services arm to support its all around profile as distributor. Sethuraman S Sr. Vice President - Services at Redington Gulf speaks about the company’s services focus

How important is after saels support for the channel?

After-sales support is today a part of the sales pitch for the product to be sold through the Channel or Retail partner to an end-consumer. Hence, the need to an after-sales support partner becomes more real to our partners - Channel & Retailers alike.

Over the years we have serviced the after-sales needs in almost all product categories, PCs, Printers, scanners, consumer electronics, mobiles & smartphones etc.

Elaborate on Redington’s after sales service infrastructure?

Redington’s Support Services division has established a total of 55 Centers across 20 Countries across Middle East and Africa.

With a workforce of 450+ Certified Professionals, we are poised to take care of all kinds of Support services requirements in the regions we operate.

Elaborate on all after sales

services you provide?

We provide Warranty Services, Out of Warranty Services, Parts & Accessories, Carepacks & Service Packs, Onsite Support, Return to Bench Support, Networking & Solution Services, Data Recovery Services as well as Call Center & Tech Help Desk Services.

Which are the vendors for which you are the authorized service partners?

We are authorized service partners for Acer, Dell, EMC, Fujitsu, HP, IBM, Lenovo, Sonicwall, Sony, Toshiba & TrendMicro .

What are the range of products covered by services you provide?

Does it cover the end to end portfolio as sold through the Redington Volume team?

Yes, we do provide end to end support for products sold by our Volume and value teams.

Printers & Peripherals, Note-

Mohammed Jeweid books, Desktops, Servers, Country Sales Networking Products Manager, Iomega Are there any franchisee centres as well?

We have franchise center in countries like Lebanon, Jordan etc, where there is a lack of a stable economies and governments at the moment. In these markets we have seen that a franchise model works best to take care of the needs of the consumers and partners.

Are these centres only catering to customers of your channel partners?

In general all service centers provide services for products irrespective of source of purchase according to the guidelines of the vendors we represent. The Support Services has its own portfolio of brands for which it provides after-sales support and is designated as an ‘Authorized Service Partner’ by the vendor.

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Fast Growing VAD | Optimus

On the fast track Meera Kaul Managing Director, Optimus

Optimus was awarded the Editor’s choice award of fast growing VAD. Meera Kaul, Managing Director, Optimus Technology & Telecommunications speaks about the company’s vision that is driving it on a fast growth trajectory as a Value add distributor.

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What have been the defining features of your approach towards value added distribution?

Optimus’ go-to-market is designed to take Value- centric product vendors to the value supply chain by creating, executing and supporting the value added infrastructure required for partners and end-customers to appreciate and sustain a pure value model. Because of this focused value association, Optimus has been the champion of propagating a solution based value distribution model, which has been unparalled in strategy and execution in the regional channel so far.

VALUE means a multi- pronged approach to connect the dots that define the needs of the channel ecosystem to make the entire channel more profitable for all its players. One of the value propositions involves encouraging customers to adopt new technologies, new services attached to those technologies and financial models that these innovations bring to the fore.

We use the channel capabilities

to provide to the end customers a deeper portfolio of vendor products and its product alliances. We focus on developing vendor business in our markets through a huge network of resellers and system integrators who understand the semantics of a value business. Training and helping to certify resources on ground to sell and implement multivendor technology by creating customer centric solution portfolios is a key deliverable of our strategy. We are responsible for Marketing vendor solutions, products and services into these diverse high growth economies to cater to huge opportunities of business. We ensure end- customer satisfaction across vendor solution implementations and maintain vendor goodwill to support customer retention.

As relatively a newer distribution company, discuss the advantages it gave you in adopting new processes, methods as well as new directions?

Though Optimus is a fairly young entity, the Optimus management team has been a part of the channel ecosystem for

more than a decade in the roles of value resellers and system integrators. This experience gave Optimus the advantage of having understood its niche market strategy even before it started operations.

Optimus was formed to cater to the inherent quality gap in the technology ecosystem in our region. This inherently gave Optimus the opportunity to create innovative value modeled business which catered to fill the need for value added services in the channel ecosystem.

Is investment in trained resources a priority for the company?

Optimus has invested with its partners substantially to make available to its channel trainings and resources at no extra cost. This has built immense capabilities within the channel to execute and support technically sophisticated projects. Optimus also enables strategic resources on an outsourcing basis to its reseller base. Optimus also works with its channel to create a viable business solution based on viability and efficient use of combined resources in its ecosystem.

The solutions cover technology infrastructure, convergence, applications and the integration of these to cater to requirements of specific industry verticals.

What are the key solution domains you would look to cover?

We are always looking at the lat-

est global technology trends and use our local presence in Silicon Valley to bring the latest technology, global best practices and training programs to the Middle East. We scout for new products and solutions, which will complement our existing product portfolio. Our aim is to offer customers a complete solution to meet their requirements and the needs of their end customers. Bringing a value proposition to our channel entails having an entire solution portfolio that may be designed to meet the requirements of the end customer and the reseller focus.

You have mentioned in an earlier interview that Optimus has been investing in thought leadership internally. Please elaborate.

Optimus is one the few companies in the region that has moved to new business models and created innovative value propositions for its channel by constantly choosing to be ahead of the regional technology adoption curve. This in essence is an outcome of the Optimus though leadership culture where the team at Optimus is exposed to the cutting edge development and technology business models the world over. With an extremely intense understanding of the local Middle East and African markets, the team at Optimus us able to connect the dots on a viable evolution of its product,services and innovation portfolio to bring to the region

products and services that are appropriate for the technology lifecycle of our region. Optimus is proud to be a thought leader.

Please elaborate on WAFA, your loyalty program for the channel? Is this continuing?

WAFA is our tiered Loyalty program created to reward our loyal partners by ensuring that the more they spend with Optimus the more they earn back.

Through this program, channel partners are able to earn and redeem the accumulated points for conducting business with Optimus.We are still continuing this program as it has been well received by our channel partners since it was launched last year and is one of our most successful partner programs to date.

Discuss your presence in other GCC markets and plans for expansion into other markets?

Optimus has increased its presence in all GCC countries and other markets as well. We are planning to further expand our footprint by recruiting new channel partners in various countries in the MENA region as well as adding highly qualified members to our own team as well. Over the last 12 months, we have added new members to our teams in UAE, Qatar, KSA, Kuwait, Oman Pakistan, Afghanistan & Jordan to enable better channel business development support across the region. This includes 3 new solution architects and 6 new account managers.

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Best Dealer of the Year | Q-Line Electronics

Discuss your growth year on year in terms of business – both export and local. Was 2011 a year of considerable growth for the company?

For Qline, the year on Year growth had been steady and we consistently hit a healthy growth rate until 2009. From 2010, we saw 5-7% drop which was largely a fallout of the overall market challenges. However, this year, we are better placed so far and are confident about registering a higher growth rate.

Has printer supplies been your best product line in terms of revenues and growth?

While we are quite strong in printer supplies as a reseller, we also deal in other product lines including Printer hardware, notebooks, desktops, copiers etc and we do well in these product lines as well. This gives a good spread of product portfolio.

Discuss the vendor brands that you partner with in your dealer business?

Our business is centered around partnerships with some of the leading brands in the market.

We are the preferred Partner for several brands including HP, Dell, Canon and Lenovo.

Is counterfeits a major menace in printer supplies market?

Counterfeits have been a menace for long and have affected the channel business. However, in recent times, the influx seems to be a lot controlled due to harsh and concerted actions

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Sunil Lalwani Director, Q-Line Electronics

Q Line Electronics LLC emerged the Best Dealer of the year at the VAR COC Awards. The company, established in 1993, is a major supplier of Office Automation, Consumables, C.C.TV systems & Digital Surveillance products. Sunil Lalwani, director of Q-Line Electronic discusses how the company continues to forge ahead in the face of challenges

Steady growth that have been taken by leading vendors along with the Dubai Government.

as well the convenient location of our store and the stock availability most of the times.

Discuss some of the strong reasons that have enabled you to sustain your growth and operations even when times were challenging for many in the channel?

We have been operating for nearly two decades now in Dubai and have established a strong presence. We are getting stronger day by day due to our global sourcing, competitive prices and wide range of stocks & after sales support. We have achieved this leading position in the market by focusing on the high quality, functionally rich and competitively priced consumables & C.C.TV products.

One of the major strengths of our operations is the strong team that we have invested in

Elaborate on some investments that you may have done in order to grow or fine -tune your business We are planning to have a state of art warehouse in future to accommodate market growth and demands.

While Qline also has the IT security solutions business, are there any additional domains you are looking to enter?

The Security Business (like surveillance) has seen a convergence with the IT business especially with IP security cameras coming in. Most of the products in security business are now IT based. Further we intend to grow our dealer sales with more aggressive stock supplies and providing competitive prices.

Most Popular Channel Personality

Hesham Tantawi Vice President, MEA, Asbis

Do you see a sufficient number of promising companies that are ready to look at value add opportunities?

We suggest to our partners to look at the local market opportunities. If they focus on Tenders based opportunities, they would do better rather than dealing in export markets. In local markets, they can add more value to the products they sell. We are seeing more companies following this.

You have been involved with

At the forefront Hesham Tantawi, Vice President,MEA Asbis Enterprises PLC emerged as the Most popular channel personality in VAR COC Awards. He has been a veteran in the local channel and has been closely associated with DCG. In the following interview, he discusses the company’s vision for the channel which he has been spearheading Please discuss some of the significant ways that Asbis has tried to help the channel tide over Business challenges in the recent times.

We do believe that we cannot do Business on our own without the channel. We work closely with our partners and help them develop their Businesses profitably.

We constantly introduce new technology products that can offer higher margins and profits for our partners. We suggest to them on how to better manage their stocks and receivables. In short, we help them enhance their Business processes which in turn helps improve and grow their overall Business.

DCG activities at times. Discuss this association?

We have worked closely with DCG from its early days. One of the major achievements in recent times was the removal of the customs duty on PCs. We have worked with DCG on credit insurance initiatives, on maintaining credit limits for the channel etc. Asbis was by the way the first to introduce credit insurance in the UAE IT channel.

How important is building good rapport with the channel for you as a distributor?

The key operative word for us is ‘partners’. We believe always in maintaining win-win relation-

ships with our partners. If we have a common understanding and a healthy relationship with our partners in addition to clarity, that is how Business can grow.

Do you insist with your your team to work closely with the channel?

The Asbis team is well instructed to create and nurture good rapport with the partners. We have the most loyal customers in the industry which has been the key to our continued success.

Discuss some of the new markets that you have started addressing as an expansion strategy?

We see ourselves as sort of emerging markets specialist.

We commenced UAE operations about 12 years ago and have consolidated here through all these years. We started KSA operations about 3 years ago and have as many as 25 people in the team there. We have had operations in Egypt for several years now and have an office in Algeria in Tunisa as well. We treat each market as unique with its own characteristics and introduce international Business practices in local markets.

Do you see channel business outlook looking better than it was in 2011?

The channel seems to have matured a lot more. Some of the resellers who indulged in unhealthy business practices have exited and this has been a blessing for the channel

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VAR COC Awards 2011

“

Thank you for this recognition yet again.

I would like to thank the vendors and distributors who have contributed to the great organization that is Carrefour.

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Ganesh N.R. International Negotiator- Non Food, Carrefour

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Thanks to all TP Link partners. We are one of the newest entrants to this market but with the support of our channel, we have seen very good growth. We hope to maintain the growth this year.

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Denny Liang General Manager, Gulf, TP-Link Technologies

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We are extremely thankful to VAR MEA magazine for recognising our efforts and rewarding us with such a prestigious award.

Although, it is an award for the acknowledgment of an individual’s effort but the credit to the whole team of Comguard for achieving coveted trophy of Channel Champion of the Year Mohammad Mobasseri Senior Vice President at Comguard

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“

This is the second award in a row since last year’s awards for Alpha Data but in a different category. As in the past 30 years, we will continue to pursue excellence.

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Aditya Sahaya Director, Business Development, Prologix

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We are very honored to have been awarded Storage Integrators of the Year. Storage integration is one of our core competencies and we are very confident that we can add value in this space.

Andreas Weiss Director of IBM Systems and Technology Brands

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Rajan T. N Director Sales, Alpha Data

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I would like to thank those who voted for me as the recipient of the VAR Choice of Channel Award for Outstanding Entrepreneurship 2011. It is truly an honor to be bestowed with this honor by the industry themselves.

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Over the past decade, Prologix has built up considerable expertise and credibility as a leading SI of the region.

This award further endorses that we are heading in the right direction.

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Milad N jabbour President and CEO, GCT