SME Channels Magazine 2019

PLUS

D-Link Drives the 5G Era with Revolutionary 5G Gateway /06 www.smechannels.com

india’s leading IT magazine for channel business VOLUME 09 | ISSUE 11 | PAGES 48 | JANUARY 2019 | RS. 20/-

TECHNOLOGY OUTLOOK FOR 2019 /20 Nutanix: Hybrid cloud set to become the infrastructure of choice for most indian enterprises

TECHNOLOGY OUTLOOK FOR 2019 /28 Zendesk: We expect 2019 to be another exciting year for us in india

CLOUD INCREASED

TECHNOLOGY OUTLOOK FOR 2019 /34 F-SECURE: 2019 WILL GAIN SUPERIOR TRACTION AMONGST INDIAN BUSINESSES

WILL BECOME AN

TARGET IN

AS ADOPTION

GROWS

With the cloud computing becoming preferred choice of the business, p....16

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Dell EMC Channel Partners Summit’ in Lisbon /06 www.smechannels.com

india’s leading IT magazine for channel business TECHNOLOGY OUTLOOK FOR 2019 /22 INSTASAFE: WE ARE AT THE BEGINNING OF A HUGE CONSUMPTION GROWTH EPISODE

SME CHAT/24 ESDS:

THE IT IFRASTRUCTURE MARKET IS GOING TO SEE DOUBLE DIGIT GROWTH IN 2019 AND THE CLOUD MARKET IS DEFINITELY

TECHNOLOGY OUTLOOK FOR 2019/26 COMMVAULT: 2019 WILL BE A YEAR WHERE INDUSTRIES INCREASE COMPETITIVENESS IN INDIA AND GLOBALLY

MY EXPERIENCE EDITORIAL

2019: WOULD IT BE A YEAR OF UNCERTAINTY SANJAY MOHAPATRA

sanjay@smechannels.com

Dear Friends Happy New Year 2019 to you. Like every new year this new year was welcomed by everyone with a lot of excitement and fervor. But unlike last years, this year is going to be different because 2019 is taking us closer to becoming powerful economy by upsetting many of the established economies.

However, on the way to becoming the superpower and upsetting many of the established economies, we would face a lot of obstacles. First and foremost, the political situation in our country is not that conducive. We have the national election this year around April – May, which means half of the year would go under moratorium in many actions, which are of national interest. Secondly the indications from the provincial elections show that the mandate is going to be fractured. It will result in indecisiveness among the policy makers and legislatures towards big budget reforms.

The infrastructure projects that are in the pipeline may also see delaying due to non-availability of the decision making. In this situation the growth projection of 7%+ may hit roadblock.

So, for the partners, 2019 may not be that great. Of course, this is my own opinion, but time will tell how the situation would pan out.

Now from the technology point of view, what I am visualizing that for 2019, it is going to be massive deployment of IOT devices in the country. Energy saving and data analytics would be a strong focus for the market. So, organizations would go for mass deployment of edge computing. There would be a lot of startups who would provide solutions to the market. Partners need to join the bandwagon of the startup ecosystem too. They need to see solutions around IOT and analytics from the startup ecosystem so that the investment becomes less on acquiring technology. The other thing they need to do is to look at cloud very strongly. This is very misleading to say that cloud and blockchain are not cool any more. But to me these two things are going to change the future of technology adoption in the world.

Public cloud would be a great catalyst of SME economy turnaround. Uptill now, India has not yet exploited the potential of SME market. There are huge number of companies in the SME sector, who are responsible for maximum per centage of employment and wealth creation. But due to lack of focus from the government, this sector is still languishing, and my strong feeling is that 2019 would be a year of SMEs again. So, my feeling is that the partners should look at exploring the sme sector.

Happy reading and Happy and Prosperous New Year 2019.

D-Link’s New Exo Router Series with McAfee Protection D-LINK EXO SERIES UNVEILED AT THIS YEAR’S CONSUMER ELECTRONICS SHOW IN LAS VEGAS, NEVADA. Consisting of Mesh-Enabled Smart Wi-Fi Routers and Extenders, Exo provides value-added, premium features that make its range of products superior to average household networking devices. Exo routers and extenders feature D-Link’s proprietary Wi-Fi Mesh technology, which allows you tomix-and-match compatible routers and extenders to create your network and expand your coverage according to your home networking needs

SPECIFICATION: THE POWERFUL 880 MHZ DUAL-CORE PROCESSOR HANDLES INTENSIVE NETWORK ACTIVITY SO USERS CAN ENJOY BUFFER-FREE VIDEO STREAMING, LAG-FREE GAMING, ETC. FINAL WORDING: The McAfee Secure Home Platform automatically protects all devices connected to the network, and emerging threats are identified and blocked thanks to McAfee OVERALL RATING

SME CHANNELS JANUARY 2019

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contents

Trusted Advisor of Channel Business

VOLUME 09 ISSUE 11

2019

JAN ER COV RY STO

Publisher: Sanjib Mohapatra Editor: Sanjay Mohapatra Associate Editor: Deepak Singh Associate Editor: Chitresh Sehgal Designer: Ajay Arya Assistant Designer: Rahul Arya, Deepak Kumar Web Designer: Vijay Bakshi Technical Writer: Manas Ranjan Satya Sagar Sinha Lead Visualizer: DPR Choudhary MARKETING Marketing Manager: Nidhi Kujur, Priyanka Circulation and Printing: Panchanan Bhoi SALES CONTACTS Delhi 6/102, Kaushalya Park, Hauz Khas New Delhi-110016 Phone: 91-11-41055458 / 8587835685 sanjeev@smechannels.com Bangalore #28/1, 3rd Floor, Sri Lakshmi Krupa, Near Shamanna Park, Model House Street, Basavanagudi, Bangalore - 560004 Ph. No. +91 88618 21044 Mumbai Tahmeed Ansari 2, Ground Floor, Park Paradise, Kay-Bees CHS. Ltd.,Opp. Green Park, Oshiwara, Andheri (west), Mumbai - 400 053.

Ph. +91 22 26338546, Fax +91 22 26395581 Mobile: +91 9967 232424 E-mail: Info@smechannels.com Kolkata S Subhendu BC-286, Laxmi Apartment, Kestopur Kolkata-700101 Phone: 9674804389

CLOUD WILL BECOME AN INCREASED TARGET IN 2019 AS ADOPTION GROWS /16 With the cloud computing becoming preferred choice of the business, these are hey-days for the cyber criminals who find cloud as greener pastures for making money by hacking cloud infrastructure. Though public cloud still dominates the market, the hybrid cloud and private cloud are also growing consistently.

EDITORIAL OFFICE Delhi: 6/103, (GF) Kaushalya Park, New Delhi-110016, Phone: 91-11-41657670 / 46151993 editor@smechannels.com Bangalore Bindiya Jadhav #28/1, 3rd Floor, Sri Lakshmi Krupa, Near Shamanna Park, Model House Street, Basavanagudi, Bangalore - 560004 Ph. No. +91 88618 21044 E-Mail bindiya@ accentinfomedia.com Skype ID: b1diyajadhav

GUEST ARTICAL / 30 ”AUTOMATION COULD DISRUPT LABOUR MARKETS”

DESIGNED BY

TREND MICRO TECHNOLOGY OUTLOOK FOR 2019 / 38 ”TALKING TO TREND MICRO ABOUT CLOUD SECURITY CHALLENGES”

Printed, Published and Owned by Sanjib Mohapatra

CITRIX TECHNOLOGY OUTLOOK FOR 2019 / 32 ”2019 THE NEXT PHASE OF TRANSFORMATION”

more inside Editorial~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 03

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PRODUCT | CHANNEL | CONSULTING | SERVICES

Dell EMC Gears up Channel Partners with the ‘India Partner Summit’ in Lisbon Dell EMC brought together its channel partners at its annual India partner summit at Lisbon, Portugal. The four-day event saw over 80 channel partners from India

– distributor, titanium, platinum and authorized resellers – gathered together, alongside Dell EMC’s global and regional leadership.

Held between the 21st and 25th

of November 2018 in Lisbon, Portugal, India Partner Summit comprised a dynamic line-up of a set of sessions and discussions.

Anchored by insightful keynotes,

roundtables, breakout tracks and a ‘Partner Voice’ session where partner shared their opinions and feedback. Anil Sethi, Vice President & General Manager, Channels India, Dell EMC opened the summit in style with ‘New Channel Thinking’, followed by Tian Beng, Senior Vice President & General Manager, Channels APJ, Dell EMC who spoke on ‘Making It Real, Together’. Alok Ohrie, President and Managing Director, India Commercial, Dell EMC revealed insights on ‘Riding the Wave of India’s Digitization Journey’.

“We were thrilled with the content of the conference and the unique experiences through the course of the event and returned with valuable insights and a motivated spirit to ‘Own the Future’.

Some of them even captured their feedback on video to showcase how enjoyable their journey was. The insight was completely different and I am sure all partners must

D-Link Drives the 5G Era with Revolutionary 5G Gateway D-Link Corporation has launched its new 5G Gateway at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. The DWR2010 was named a CES® 2019 Innovation Awards Honoree during CES Unveiled, the official media event of CES that brings together exhibitors and industry analysts.

D-Link’s DWR-2010 is a 5G NR Enhanced Gateway that pro-

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SME CHANNELS JANUARY 2019

vides 5G internet connectivity through an 802.11ac/n wireless network, providing users with internet access with speeds 10 times faster than the current LTE standard. Once connected, users can transfer data and stream media at speeds in the Gbps range, and a multi-Gigabit Ethernet port allows for super high-speed connections to wired devices. Support for D-Link’s

Wi-Fi Mesh technology makes it easy to add additional devices to create a mesh network covering large areas, and options of Zigbee, Z-Wave, and Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) allow for the connection of a range of smart home and IoT devices.

The DWR-2010 also offers customization options for service providers, making it suitable for deployment on a

range of network configurations. It features an embedded 5G NR (New Radio) NSA module and can operate on the sub-6 GHz or mmWave frequencies in 200 MHz (2 x 100 MHz) or 800 MHz (8 x 100 MHz) configurations. TR-069 and FOTA support allow easy remote management by service providers.

SNIPPETS

Kodak Alaris Wins BLI Winter Pick Award Keypoint Intelligence – Buyers Lab (BLI) has recognized Alaris, a Kodak Alaris business with a Winter 2019 Pick award.

The Alaris S2040 Scanner received the Pick award for Outstanding Departmental Scanner.

“The Alaris S2040 was an impressive performer across the board in all of our hands-on testing, The device wraps exceptional media handling capabilities and a robust software package into an easy user experience to help busy departments optimize their business processes where digital solutions and paper intersect The device offers exceptional media handling capabilities that prevent data loss while keeping information flowing seamlessly” said Lee Davis, Keypoint Intelligence’s Editor of Scanner/Software Evaluation.

The Alaris S2040 Scanner’s Embedded Image Processing is fast and effective,

capable of processing 40 pages-perminute/80 images-per-minute without depending on a PC. This model features an 80-sheet automatic document feeder and supports the Alaris Passport Accessory and the Integrated A4/Legal Size Flatbed Accessory, offering users more flexibility to scan a variety of document types.

The S2040 Scanner is bundled with Alaris Smart Touch functionality which streamlines the scanning processes and provides users with one-touch simplicity.

In addition, Perfect Page technology provides state-of-the-art capabilities for image enhancement, ensuring clean, crisp, images even for very challenging documents and mixed document batches.

Alaris has wonmore BLI Awards than any other scanner manufacturerincluding four Scanner Line of the Year awards.

Toreto Forays into Active Lifestyle Product Range with GRAB and GRAB-S Mobile Mounts Toreto has launched 2 new Smartphone gears GRAB Bike Mobile Holder and GRAB-S Car Headrest Mounted Holder have been brought in as active lifestyle products. Toreto GRAB is a perfect fit for any bicycle or motorcycle enthusiast.

Whether you need to see calls, music, maps, time, or location, Toreto Grab will securely mount your device to your handlebars using a premium hard plastic clamp and silicone net. Your device will be secured safely with six points of grip, and the mount will adjust to any angle for convenient viewing while riding. Toreto GRAB-S can be easily assembled and disassembled without using any tools and promises to keep your kids and family entertained during long road trips. The one of a kind easy one-touch mechanism allows you to easily mount and remove your Smartphone with one simple hand motion. Helps you utilize the range, strength, and stability to find the perfect position for your Smartphone.

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MY POINT

“IT’S CLEAR THAT COMPANIES ARE GETTING SERIOUS ABOUT DATA PROTECTION AND WILL INVEST A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF TIME AND MONEY INTO MAKING SURE THEY HAVE THE RIGHTS TOOLS, RESOURCES AND SERVICES TO KEEP THEIR INVALUABLE CORPORATE DATA SAFE.” OUSSAMA EL-HILALI, VP PRODUCTS AT ARCSERVE.

TSC Brings in New Industrial Label Printer TSC, a global provider of quality Auto-ID solutions for various industries brings in Industrial Label Printer “ML240 Series”.

The ML240 Series incorporates a robust die-cast aluminum print mechanism engine that is designed for durability while producing high quality printed labels. The printer is available in 203 and 300 dpi print resolutions and can print at speed up to 6 inches per second. The light industrial ML240 Series features ease of use, intuitive color GUI display, noise-reduced printing, and self-diagnostic TPH Care to streamline the workflow.

The adjustable thermal printhead and its self-diagnostic TPH Care mechanism ensure optimal print quality regardless of the application or label design. The ML240 Series does not require special tools for performing common service and maintenance.

Blue Prism Names Peter Gartenberg Head of India Operations Blue Prism has intensified its strategic focus on India, appointing Peter Gartenberg, Managing Director & President, Indian subcontinent.

Gartenberg joins Blue Prism with over 30 years’ industry experience, the last 18 years based out of India. Most recently Peter was a Microsoft General Manager leading Microsoft India’s Enterprise business. Prior to Microsoft, Peter was Managing Director and President, SAP Indian subcontinent and before SAP, he led the Asia-Pacific operations of Siemens’ Enterprise Telecommunications business as its Chairman, Managing Director and Executive Vice President.

Before coming to India, he held executive roles with Siemens in China, Europe and the US. Peter started his career with IBM in San Francisco, California. Peter hails from Berkeley, California and is a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley.

Speaking on the new role, Peter Gartenberg said “I’m looking forward to working with our partners and the Blue Prism global organization to accelerate that momentum”.

SNIPPETS

NetRack Unveiled its Innovative Training Program NetRack recently conducted an exclusive SI partner meet at Clarks Exotica Convention Resorts, Bengaluru. The partner meet was followed up with the walk through of NetRack’s ultra-modern manufacturing plant located in Magadi Road, Bangalore.

NetRack’s key partners spread across government BFSI, IT/ITES, Hospitals & Hospitalities made their presence at the meet. The main agenda of the gathering was to exchange thoughts, get ideas on addressing challenges and exploring trending opportunities in the market. NetRack experts enriched the partners with core knowledge on technology products and shared company’s business roadmap for the coming years. The meet helped NetRack to create a healthy and long term relationship with their partners.

Ravi Raj, Brand Head, Director, Sales & Support at NetRacksaid, “SI partners are very crucial for our business. They play a key role in amplifying our product reach and also enable us in building our brand image across various verticals. Indeed! This is a great opportunity created to meet up people who drive us to journey of success.”

iValue Partners with Arcserve for Hybrid Cloud Data Protection Solutions iValue InfoSolutions has entered into a VAD agreement with Arcserve for their Business Continuity Solutions – for Data Protection, Replication & Recovery Solutions, for both on premise & cloud of every organization.

Arcserve provides next generation data protection solutions that is feature rich and instantaneous on usage. Arcserve’s solutions help in increasing organization’s productivity and reclaim up to 50% more time while eliminating gaps in business continuity strategy while protecting every single byte from one management console. Arcserve solutions, specializes in Hybrid Data Protection, Backup and Data Recovery for Physical and Virtual Environments, & Replication and High Availability that provides organizations with the assurance to recover their data and applications when needed.

Nikhil Korgaonkar – Regional Director, India & SAARC, Arcserve said – Arcserve Business continuity solutions for over 3 decades have helped organizations worldwide to prevent data loss, manage regulatory compliance, minimize downtime & protect mission critical data. We are pleased to partner and leverage iValue’s vast customer and partner base, for effectively addressing evolving data availability & security needs of customers. Arcserve is committed to invest and grow India business along with iValue.

Subodh Anchan, Co-Founder & VP Alliance, iValue said – “Arcserve has been a catalyst for IT transformation by redefining how organizations should protect their priceless Digital Assets for more than 3 decades. Both iValue and Arcserve’s objective are aligned to protect the future of every business. Arcserve’s range of offerings are relevant and compelling.

Arcserve offers Data Protection solutions effectively address the Business Transformation needs of Enterprise customers. We are confident that this partnership will be a win-win for both parties and excited with the prospects for our customer and partners.”

INDIA NETWORKING MARKET SHOWED A 67.1% YOY GROWTH IN Q3 2018: IDC India networking market which include Ethernet Switch, Routers and WLAN segments witnessed a 67.1% YoY growth in Q3 2018 with increased investments across the enterprise and service provider deployments.

2.6% 2.8%

Kaspersky Lab has appointed Tsuyoshi Fujioka as the new General Manager of Kaspersky Lab Japan

3.3% 6.7% 65.7%

SOURCE: IDC ETHERNET SWITCH TRACKER, Q3 2018

10 SME CHANNELS JANUARY 2019

Global cybersecurity leader Forcepoint has announced Matt Preschern has joined the company as chief marketing officer (CMO).

R&M has appointed Industry veteran Murugesan. R as Senior Director, Sales – Private Networks (India & SAARC)

18.9% INDIA TOP 5 ETHERNET SWITCH VENDOR MARKET SHARE 208Q3

By VENDOR REVENUES

EXECUTIVE MOVEMENT

Conduent Incorporated has appointed Rahul Gupta as Chief Technology and Product Officer (CTPO).

Based in Florham Park, Rahul will be responsible for end-to-end product and platform management.

SNIPPETS

Kaspersky Lab Names Fujioka as New General Manager for Japan Global cybersecurity vendor Kaspersky Lab has appointed Tsuyoshi Fujioka as the new General Manager of Kaspersky Lab Japan, effective January 1, 2019.

Fujioka is expected to extend the market footprint of Kaspersky Lab’s newest technologies, including the company’s solution for critical infrastructure. He will also take charge ofstrengthening relationships with key channel partners in the country.

Commenting on his appointment, Tsuyoshi Fujioka said: “With Kaspersky Lab’s comprehensive security portfolio tailored to the cybersecurity needs of our customers,corporate partners,and even the critical verticals we have in Japan, I am sure that we can drive towards a brighter future here in the Land of the Rising Sun.”

ZAAP brings in Splash-Proof “Hydra Xtreme” Wireless Bluetooth Speakers ZAAP, a market leader that has revolutionized customer experience with its lifestyle-driven design and innovative technology has strengthened its musical line-up with its latest Waterproof Bluetooth speakers – Hydra Xtreme.

Hydra Xtreme is a next-generation Bluetooth speaker developed and designed by ZAAP USA for the Indian market. The rubberized Bluetooth speaker is a premium rugged device which provides ultimate impact resistance while promising the users a sporty look due to its exterior.

Resistant to water, shock, dust and snow, Hydra Xtreme comes with a compass and carabineer clip for those adventure junkies who wish to carry the Bluetooth speaker anywhere and everywhere including trekking and camping.

ZAAP Hydra Xtreme, compatible with iOS, Android & Windows devices comes with an astonishing battery backup due to its 2,000 mAh battery. This speaker can give up to 8 hours of play time with just one full charge. Hydra Xtreme further allows the users to accept or reject phone calls, change tracks or adjust the volume all with the help of its built-in microphone.

The Bluetooth speaker comes with 12 watts 250 mm drivers and passive subwoofers which deliver pure sound and rich bass experience. The advanced 3.0 Bluetooth technology connects to your Smartphone, Tablet, and Laptop etc. in less than 6 seconds, with a super-optimized version of Bluetooth that consumes less energy and delivers crystal clear sound.

NETGEAR Demonstrates Varied Range of Wi-Fi Devices NETGEAR demonstrated its top of the line solutions for Home and SMB’s at CES 2019 in Las Vegas. Following the 5G trend this year, NETGEAR unveiled the Nighthawk 5G mobile hotspot which is set to make a huge wave among audiences. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has already started the process of auctioning the 5G spectrum in India and according to the analysts; the 5G or the fifth generation cellular technology is set to be fully adopted in India by 2022.

Speaking at CES 2019, Marthesh Nagendra, Country Manager – India & SAARC, NETGEAR quoted “NETGEAR is committed to pushing the boundaries with innovative technology and solutions. With the introduction of Nighthawk 5G Mobile Hotspot, NETGEAR is all set to revolutionize the telecom and communications sector. With the launch, NETGEAR aims to benchmark the Indian telecom sector and provide the necessary communications tools for the upcoming 5G era”.

Microsoft Intelligent Cloud Hub program Microsoft will set up the core AI infrastructure and an IOT Hub for all selected campuses. The company will also offer a wide range of AI developmental tools and Azure AI Services such as Microsoft Cognitive Services, Azure Machine Learning and Bot Services. Training will include development workshops to help both the faculty and students build their skills and expertise in cloud computing, data sciences, AI and IoT. Manish Prakash, Country General Manager-PS, Health and Education, Microsoft India, said, “AI, the defining technology of our time, is fast transforming our lives, industries and society. Jobs of tomorrow will require a very different set of skills, and collaborating, training and working with AI will be as important as collaborating with people. It is now more critical than ever for education institutions to integrate new cloud and AI technologies. We need to ramp up the institutional set-up and build capability among educators to equip the workforce of tomorrow. The Microsoft Intelligent Cloud Hub Program aims to catalyze this with technology insights, cognitive skills, and a practical, in-depth understanding of developing intelligent connected solutions for application across industry and citizenship scenarios.

Huawei Unveils Industry’s HighestPerformance ARMbased CPU Huawei has announced the industry’s highestperformance Advanced RISC Machine (ARM)-based CPU. Called Kunpeng 920, the new CPU is designed to boost the development of computing in big data, distributed storage, and ARM-native application scenarios. Huawei will join with industry players to advance the ARM industry and foster an open, collaborative, and win-win ecosystem, taking computing performance to new heights.

“Huawei has continuously innovated in the computing domain in order to create customer value. We believe that, with the advent of the intelligent society, the computing market will see continuous growth in the future. Currently, the diversity of applications and data is driving heterogeneous computing requirements. Huawei has long partnered with Intel to make great achievements. Together we have contributed to the development of the ICT industry. Huawei and Intel will continue our long-term strategic partnerships and continue to innovate together,” said William Xu, Director of the Board and Chief Strategy Marketing Officer of Huawei. “At the same time, the ARM industry is seeing a new development opportunity.

The Kunpeng 920 CPU and TaiShan servers newly released by Huawei are primarily used in big data, distributed storage, and ARM-native applications.”

SME CHANNELS JANUARY 2019

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SNIPPETS

Canon India Strengthens Momentum in Telangana

Kodak Alaris hosts Technology Day

Canon India announced the installation of its flagship imagePRESS C8000VP at iCards Printers, a first for Telangana.

Puneet Datta, Director, Professional Printing Products (PPP), Canon India said, “At Canon, we are committed to lead by innovation and adapt newer technology at par with the ever changing requirements of our customers. Our flagship model, imagePRESS C8000VP echoes our efforts at revolutionizing the professional printing space and empowering small businesses in the country. Taking digital colour printing to the next level, we are happy to see the iPR C8000VP get its first footprint in Telangana, through iCards Printers. Our second association with iCards, is a testimony to the trust that has been instilled by our customers, which always drives us to do better. We are positive that the installation will prove to be an important milestone in their growth journey.” “With this installation, this space has become like a Canon hub, with a Canon Image Square, our retail store and our flagship Professional Printing product DreamLabo 5000, both available at a walking distance. This is a tangible proof of our commitment to this geography, including Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.”

Kodak Alaris hosted over 50 premier partners and distributors at its Technology Day. The event provided partners across India with a better understanding of Kodak Alaris’ comprehensive range of information capture solutions, as well as the company’s vision and business strategy for the coming year.

Held in Mumbai on November 27, the event brought together senior management from Kodak Alaris APAC and India, with representatives from its leading partners, providing a platform to strengthen their relationship as they pursue the mutual goal of driving digital transformation (DX) in organizations across the country.

Vivek Naidu, Vice President, Information Management, Alaris India Cluster said:“Partner engagement is at the heart of Kodak Alaris’ go-tomarket strategy in India and events like this are designed to recognize the crucial role our partners play in the Alaris IN2 Ecosystem Following the traditional and auspicious Lighting of the Lamp ceremony, Kodak Alaris hosted an awards presentation, recognizing partners that have demonstrated high performance over the past year with trophies inscribed with special citations.

Over 5000 Consumers Experience Modern Technology at RP tech India’s TEL 2018

Over 5000 people including students, consumers, Gamers and channel partners experienced the latest technology in RP tech India’s Touching Everyone’s Life (TEL) 2018 event concluded recently. The multi-city technology show organized in association with world renowned brands such as HP, Western Digital, SanDisk, Lenovo, Fitbit, Belkin and Plantronics received an overwhelming response from visitors. The event received footfall of 3000+ consumers and 2000+ channel partners in 40 cities; highest in any consumer technology event in India.

One of its kind in the industry, TEL is the ambitious initiative by RP tech India, which aims to bring modern technology closer to its consumers. The event showcased over 150 products and solutions including smart watches, Bluetooth speakers and Gaming accessories. Organized in the 7 phases, TEL also tapped potential retail channel partners in C and D class cities through ‘Retail Connect’.

“The utility of the technology is not recognized until it is accessible to end users. Our vision behind TEL was to allow consumers the touch and feel the experience of high-end accessories and gadgets”, said Rajesh Goenka, Director, Sales and Marketing at RP tech India.

ZAAP brings in Splash-Proof “Hydra Xtreme” Wireless Bluetooth Speakers

Western Digital Hosts ‘Data innovation Bazaar’

ZAAP, a market leader that has revolutionized customer experience with its lifestyledriven design and innovative technology has strengthened its musical line-up with its latest Waterproof Bluetooth speakers - Hydra Xtreme.

Hydra Xtreme is a next-generation Bluetooth speaker developed and designed by ZAAP USA for the Indian market. The rubberized Bluetooth speaker is a premium rugged device which provides ultimate impact resistance while promising the users a sporty look due to its exterior.

Hydra Xtreme comes with a micro USB charging cable, 3.5 MM Aux-in cable, Carabiner, Compass, and a 12-Month Warranty card. ZAAP’s Hydra Xtreme Bluetooth Speaker is available at an exclusive seasonal price of INR 3,299/- from Amazon, Snapdeal, Zaaptech.com & selected retail stores.

Western Digital hosted the Data Innovation Bazaar in collaboration with Startup India and Invest India.

“From the world’s first helium-filled hard drive to the latest advancements in 3D NAND technology, we at Western Digital continue to drive innovation to shape the future of data. Data Innovation Bazaar is a way of harnessing technology to inspire the next generation of game-changing and innovative thinking, by realizing the possibilities of data. This is a significant milestone in our partnership with the government of India and its strategic initiatives, including Invest India and Startup India, and is a testament to our commitment of fueling innovation for a better and a newer India. I congratulate the teams for their enthusiastic response to the Data Innovation Bazaar challenge and wish them the very best,” said Dr. Siva Sivaram, of WD.

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SNIPPETS

HPE Achieved The Number 1 Spot in India x86 Server Market

DIGEST

The overall server market in India witnessed a year-over-year (YoY) decline of 8.1 percent in terms of revenue to reach $276.6 million in Q3 2018 versus $300.9 million in Q3 2017, according to the latest IDC Asia Pacific excluding Japan (APEJ) Quarterly Server Tracker, Q3 2018. The x86 server market has degrown for Q3 2018 which accounted for 91.6 percent of overall server market in terms of revenue.

The decline is majorly due to the absence of multi-million dollar deals from IT and ITeS service providers and spillover of telco deals in the coming quarters.

Modernization of traditional infrastructure remains as the core priority for the enterprises across different verticals in India. Almost more than 90 percent of the enterprises are planning to invest in digital initiatives from creating new business models, to reimagining their existing business through process reengineering to attract and retain their existing customers and enhancing their customer experiences creating a demand for the compute to meet these business objectives.

a leading global software and cloud expert, had recently organized 4 City Excellerate Partner Summits series in Mumbai, Chennai, Delhi and Kolkata. Crayon invited its most valuable partners for a networking evening to attribute its success and to thank them, who have played a significant role in transforming Crayon’s business into a successful endeavour.

AGC Networks announced acquisition of Black Box Corporation a leading digital solutions provider in the US. The acquisition will also help add US$600 million to AGC’s revenue, taking the company’s combined revenue to over US$750 million, and global headcount to more than 4,000 people serving clients worldwide.

Cisco Retained The Top Spot in Indian WLAN Market with a 24.8% Market Share India networking market which include Ethernet Switch, Routers and WLAN segments witnessed a 67.1% YoY growth in Q3 2018 with increased investments across the enterprise and service provider deployments.

According to IDC’s latest Asia/Pacific Quarterly Ethernet Switch Tracker, the Q3 2018 Ethernet Switch market in India stood at USD 160.3 million (By vendor revenue) with an excellent YoY growth of 34.4%. ADC and Layer 3 categories predominantly drove the overall growth with high double-digit individual YoY rise, while Layer 2 also saw a YoY growth, though only marginal. Government’s push towards digitalization through upgrade of public infrastructure and multiple smart city initiatives; telecom infrastructure modernization drives and banking sector’s continual investment in network infrastructure to improve customer experience, is expected to drive growth in the coming quarters.

Cisco continues to dominate the Ethernet Switch market with a 65.7% share in Q3 2018, followed by HPE and Huawei.

HID Global Extends HID goID for Government Agencies HID Global has announced that its HID goID solution has been extended to provide an end-to-end system for deploying and managing a mobile citizen ID program. From issuance through verification, HID goID is backed by the same high security standards for data, communication and privacy protection that are used in today’s physical electronic ID (eID) programs.

Key HID goID solution components include an issuance system, utilizing HID Global’s renowned Integrale modular software suite for the management of physical and mobile IDs; a gateway for mobile ID provisioning which can be managed locally by governments or offered as a service; a software development kit (SDK) for the development of the citizen app to meet local requirements.

Panasonic Unveils New Range of Android-based Handheld TOUGHBOOK Devices Panasonic unveiled its next generation of highly capable handheld TOUGHBOOK, FZ-T1 & L1 – A series of slimline, rugged model perfect for today’s evolving mobile workforces seeking an all-in-one solution. The brand new TOUGHBOOK devices are one of the most versatile and compact android based offering that are boasted by Panasonic’s industry-leading reputation for durable design and flexible functionality.

On the occasion, Hiroaki Sakamoto, Managing Director of Mobile Solutions, Business Division, Panasonic Corporation said, “We have designed the FZ-T1 & L1 to mirror those needs for the consumers, perfectly integrating the old with the new.

CRAYON SOFTWARE EXPERTS,

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES HAS COMPLETED THE ACQUISITION OF IQMS, a leading manufacturing ERP software company, for $425 million. With the acquisition of the California-based IQMS, Dassault Systèmes extends the 3DEXPERIENCE platform to small and midsized manufacturing companies seeking to digitally transform their business operations.

FORTINET HAS BEEN NAMED THE FIRST CYBERSECURITY founding partner of the World Economic Forum (WEF) Centre for Cybersecurity and CEO Ken Xie will serve as a member of the Centre for Cybersecurity Advisory Board.

HCL TECHNOLOGIES (HCL) HAS BEEN RECOGNIZED AS A LEADER

by ISG in its recently published report, “ISG ProviderLens Research Quadrant for Finance & Accounting Outsourcing Digital Operations, U.S. Market, 2018.” According to the report, HCL has a strong presence in the U.S market and is using it to expand its footprint in finance BPO. HCL has invested heavily in advanced automation and analytics, which makes it a favorable choice for clients that want high-end automation of their finance processes.

DIGISOL SYSTEMS HAS DEBUTED THE NEXT GENERATION WIRELESS ROUTER- DG-BR5411QAC, that operates on both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz (Dual Band) along with a transmission speed of up to 1200 Mbps. Equipped with the next generation Wi-Fi standard IEEE802.11ac, the wireless router facilitates seamless surfing and sharing files such as HD video, movies, music and documents. The device uses intelligent antenna technology to transmit multiple streams of data which enables you to receive wireless signals faster at your home.

SME CHANNELS 13 JANUARY 2019

SNIPPETS

Ingram Micro Organises Pinnacle, A Strategic Platform For Vendors, Resellers and Consumers Value Added Distributor (VAD), Ingram Micro hosted Pinnacle 2018 at the St. Regis, Mumbai. A strategic event in the Indian ICT industry which comes as a forum for leading technology providers, resellers, and consumers where top ICT vendors and partners from across the country gather and discuss their current performance and potential for the coming years.

Expressing his views on Pinnacle, Diego Utge, SVP & Chief Executive, India said “Pinnacle 2018 is an initiative by Ingram Micro to bring together the leaders and partners in the ICT industry in India to discuss the market scenario and future trends.

As market leaders, our endeavor is to create new benchmarks on how the market operates. With 35% market share in India, Ingram Micro is aiming to grow substantially over the next coming years.”

HP Showcases Displays, PC and Security innovations at CES At CES 2019, HP introduced a series of bold new product innovations thoughtfully designed for the changing ways people live, work, and play.

HP’s latest products provide powerful new ways for customers to connect, create, and compete – including a lineup of new Elite innovations featuring the next generation of the award-winning SureView privacy screen; and, the jaw-dropping OMEN X Emperium 65 with Soundbar.

“HP is leading the category into the future with beautifully designed devices that reflect personal style, incredibly immersive displays that bring computing to life in vivid detail, and next-level performance, versatility and security that empowers people to connect with confidence from anywhere, anytime,” said Vinay Awasthi, Vice President Commercial Computing, HP Asia-Pacific and Japan HP Inc. “Whether it’s the beauty of our Spectre lineup, the industry-leading security features of our latest Elite innovations, or the game-changing additions to our OMEN ecosystem, HP’s CES 2019 lineup is reinventing possibilities for our customers.”

As consumers demand devices that proudly express their personal style and offer greater flexibility and performance, HP debuted new design and display innovations within its awardwinning Spectre lineup HP also unveiled a new line of Pavilion displays that immerse users in whatever they are creating or watching. The HP Pavilion 27 Quantum Dot is the world’s first Quantum Dot on glass display2, offering over a billion viewable colors. The HP Pavilion 27 FHD offers a variety of unique features including built-in B&O audio and a pop-up privacy camera, and the HP Pavilion 32 QHDis a dynamic display with immersive QHD resolution and stunning vantage points from almost any angle.

Symantec, Fortinet Partner for Cloud Security Service Symantec and Fortinet have an expansive partnership agreement to provide customers with the industry’s most comprehensive and robust security solutions. Fortinet’s industry-leading Next-Generation Firewall (NGFW) capabilities are planned to be integrated into Symantec’s cloud-delivered Web Security Service (WSS).

Additionally, Symantec’s industry-leading endpoint protection solutions are also planned to be integrated into the Fortinet Security Fabric platform. The technology partnership provides essential security controls across endpoint, network, and cloud environments that are critical to enforcing the Zero Trust security framework.

WSS is a simple-to-use, cloud-delivered network security service that provides protection against advanced threats, provides access control, and safeguards critical business information for secure and compliant cloud application and web use.

TechnoBind Shares Crucial Insights on Data Governance at its Chennai Partner Meet TechnoBind, India’s first specialist distributor for data and associated domains, recently conducted partner’s meet in Chennai. Attended by over 50+ channel partners, the event was aimed to assist partners gain insights about how they can help their customers manage their Data over its lifecycle. With channel engagement at the core, the event mainly offered a platform to share business pain points associated with data storage, protection, security & management.

Prashanth G J, CEO at TechnoBind, said,“The agenda of the event was to develop a strong educated partner base, ensure they remain relevant in this ever changing market & enable them to deliver the right solutions to their respective customers.”

14 SME CHANNELS JANUARY 2019

Akamai to acquire CIAM specialist Janrain Akamai has announced an agreement to acquire customer identity access management (CIAM) specialist Janrain.

Janrain enables enterprises to enhance digital trust by offloading login and registration workloads, and its integration with Akamai’s Intelligent Edge Platform is expected to provide world class security, regulatory compliance and massive scale to online engagements.

As enterprises continue to adopt cloud technologies and digitize their businesses, web security and identity awareness have become increasingly integral to keeping businesses safe and secure and establishing digital trust.

Akamai already secures its customers’ websites, apps and APIs from DDoS attacks, application vulnerabilities, bots and other advanced threats, with hundreds of millions of login transactions taking place daily on the Akamai Intelligent Edge Platform. The acquisition is expected to add critical complementary capability that will help Akamai’s customers establish and maintain digital trust with their users by providing a highly secure and resilient environment for collecting and storing sensitive user information, managing privacy controls, defending against identity fraud, and improving engagement and brand loyalty.

SNIPPETS

Fujitsu Signs Distribution Agreement with Tech Data Fujitsu India has entered into distribution agreement with Tech Data to market and sell its portfolio of IT products and solutions across India.Local partners from Tech Data will now have easier access to the portfolio of Fujitsu’s products: desktops and notebooks and more complex Data Center solutions. They will be offered the opportunity to join Fujitsu’s SELECT Partner Program, which is designed to support its channel partners in their transition from resellers to providers of managed services by enabling them to embrace new opportunities and become trusted advisors who can guide their customers on digital transformation journeys.

Tech Data will support SELECT channel partners efficiently enabling them to offer the complete range of Fujitsu product and solutions adding value and allowing them to open up new business opportunities.

“We are pleased to announce our distribution agreement with Fujitsu in India and look forward to working closely with our customers offering the entire range of Fujitsu products and solutions to the end users,” said Sundaresan Kanappan, Vice President and Country General Manager, India, at Tech Data.

Mehul Doshi, Head of Product Business at Fujitsu India, said, “We are pleased to announce our association with Tech Data and this partnership is important to Fujitsu’s distribution portfolio.

Sonata Software to acquire Australia-based Scalable Data Systems Sonata Software announced that it has signed definitive agreement to acquire Scalable Data Systems, headquartered in Brisbane, Australia.

Scalable Data Systems is a highly respected provider of business solutions in the Australian market, with a history of more than 25 years and has built a solid reputation in providing Microsoft Dynamics 365 F&O solutions for industry leading clients in Australia especially in the Manufacturing and Wholesale & Distribution.

Scalable’s IP for Commodity Trading “CTRM” has now earned market leading reputation globally with due recognition accorded to the company as a Microsoft Gold and an ISV Partner.

Sonata software has been focused on being a Digital Transformation Partner of choice for customers in Retail, Distribution, Manufacturing, and Travel industries with their unique Platformation methodology, end-to-end digital platforms and alignment to be a strategic partner for Microsoft in their digital transformation initiatives, based on the Dynamics 365 Cloud based solution.

Qlik Enhances Enterprise Data Management with Data Catalyst 4.0 Qlik has released Qlik Data Catalyst 4.0. The latest version of Qlik’s data management product (rebranded from Podium Data in Q4 2018) now supports single server and AWS-based architectures, meeting the growing enterprise need for an agile solution to organizing and unifying raw, disparate data sources for analytics wherever they reside. This evolution in Qlik Data Catalyst 4.0 supporting data sources beyond Hadoop will further enable enterprises to overcome their overall challenge of data management and availability of analytics across the organization.

“Enterprises are looking to make better use of all their data, be it in the cloud, a data lake or traditional data warehouse environments,” said Paul Barth, Qlik’s Managing Director of Enterprise Data Management. “Qlik Data Catalyst is expanding to meet customer data management needs wherever their data resides and in whatever form it takes. This brings more order and value to all of an organization’s data today and in the future.”

A dream doesn’t become a Reality through Magic, it takes Sweat, Determination, and hard work.

By delivering cutting-edge software solutions, hardware systems, and IT services, Raamaya Technologies has been lending the right technological edge to governments and businesses.

This has enabled us to achieve our organizational objectives efficiently and effectively to scale our businesses to newer heights. We have been participating in several e-procurement programs and are delighted to be a software and hardware partner on GeM. Team Raamaya Technologies is humbled to be recognized by Government e Marketplace (GeM) as one of the top 5 sellers/suppliers on GeM. This growth and success are credited to our

stakeholders and business-friendly policies and processes of the Government.

Over the period of time, we have created a niche for ourselves by providing a wide range of radical technologies to synergize solutions that are fast, efficient & permanent. With new targets and a closer vision, we have ventured into 2019 to provide the best to the best. As an organisation who is dynamic and driven in its culture and ethics, Raamaya Technologies is set to lead with innovation and change.

It will be a technology-laded and a growth-oriented year for us at Raamaya Technologies.

Our journey has just begun.

SME CHANNELS 15 JANUARY 2019

COVER STORY

CLOUD INCREASED WILL BECOME AN

TARGET IN

16 SME CHANNELS JANUARY 2019

COVER STORY

AS ADOPTION

GROWS With the cloud computing becoming preferred choice of the business, these are hey-days for the cyber criminals who find cloud as greener pastures for making money by hacking cloud infrastructure. Though public cloud still dominates the market, the hybrid cloud and private cloud are also growing consistently.

BY DEEPAK SINGH

deepak@smechannels.com

O

perating in the cloud has become the new normal for organizations, so much so that our employees do not think twice about storing and sharing sensitive data in the cloud,� says Rajiv Gupta, senior vice president of the Cloud Security Business, McAfee.

As Gartner recently reported, the DC spending in India was up by 2.6% Year over year (YOY) in comparison to the global growth of 4.5%. Cloud adoption is definitely on the rise and the Indian market for the calender year grew to upwards of $1.8Billion at 30-35% CAGR. Global cloud markets grew to $186Billion with SaaS and IaaS driving the highest adoption. “The cloud spending in India will cross the $10 Billion mark by 2020 with SaaS being the highest

SME CHANNELS 17 JANUARY 2019

COVER STORY

”THE CLOUD SPENDING IN INDIA WILL CROSS THE $10 BILLION MARK BY 2020 WITH SAAS BEING THE HIGHEST SPEND CATEGORY WITHIN THE PUBLIC CLOUD SERVICES“ RANJIT METRANI, EVP SALES & CHIEF REVENUE OFFICER, ESDS SOFTWARE SOLUTION PVT. LTD

CLOUD WILL BECOME AN INCREASED TARGET IN 2019 AS ADOPTION GROWS

18 SME CHANNELS JANUARY 2019

“THE PUBLIC CLOUD MARKET IS MATURING, AND WE EXPECT TO SEE A HUGE APPETITE FOR CLOUD SECURITY IN 2019,” TIM JEFFERSON, VP, PUBLIC CLOUD, BARRACUDA NETWORKS.

spend category within the public cloud services.

As for the IT/ITES vertical, this segment accounts for 30-35% of total cloud spending,” says Ranjit Metrani, EVP Sales & Chief Revenue Officer, ESDS Software Solution Pvt. LTD. “The public cloud market is maturing, and we expect to see a huge appetite for cloud security in 2019,” says Tim Jefferson, VP, Public Cloud, Barracuda Networks.

In fact, Gartner predicts that by 2020, 80 percent of cloud breaches will be due to customer misconfiguration, mismanaged credentials, or insider theft, not cloud provider vulnerabilities.

Cyber criminals will also get more clever at using compromised accounts in ways that will be difficult to detect. “Instead of using a massive amount of new resources for cryptomining, which causes a noticeable spike in usage, they’re starting to use already-approved resources and stealing some cycles from those instead, which is easier to hide.

I expect to see more attacks like that in 2019,” says Tim Jefferson “Over the last decade, we witnessed the foundation of cloud and the steady transition from legacy systems to cloud-first. Having understood how this technology’s efficiency can be maximized, cloud maturity levels have risen amongst businesses in India. This is further validated by the research firm Gartner’s prediction that the revenue of SaaS (Software as a service) which is the

COVER STORY

“ACCORDING TO GARTNER, IT’S ESTIMATED THAT MORE THAN $200 BILLION IN ANNUAL IT SPENDING WILL SHIFT TO CLOUDRELATED CATEGORIES IN THE NEXT TWO YEARS” HUZEFA MOTIWALA, SENIOR DIRECTOR, SYSTEMS ENGINEERING, APAC AT COMMVAULT.

largest segment of cloud, is set to grow 17.8% in 2019,” says Makarand Joshi – Area Vice President and Country Head, India Subcontinent, Citrix.

AI: Making its presence felt across sectors Enterprises across sectors are increasingly looking toward this technology to enhance their internal and external processes. AI has recently gained prominence owing to its ability to integrate with technologies like cloud, analytics and security solutions. Further, owing to the rising storage costs and increase in the number of connected devices, AI has now taken a front seat in an IT setup. This is further validated by a Gartner forecast that pegs AI-driven business value to reach $3.9 trillion in 2022.

When analytics is integrated with machine learning and AI, it can bring forth profound changes for businesses. In the exceedingly competitive landscape that exists today, in 2019, analytics and AI will play a huge role in getting ahead of the curb. The scope for AI adoption will further expand with sectors like education, transport,

healthcare as well as government owned entities taking up this technology to improve their efficiency.

2019 will witness the evolved transformation phase of technology adoption. Enterprises must ensure that they are reaping the most out of these offerings and are driving business growth with ‘change’ at the core of their processes. Change is constant and the only way to excel is to be a part of this change.

“Businesses have derived great value from emerging Internet of Things (IoT) strategies – serving as vehicles to fuel critical operations and drive efficiency. By 2020, there will be more than 20 billion devices connected to the IoT, according to research consultancy Gartner. Additionally, within that projection, they estimate more than 8 billion of those connected devices will be within the enterprise space – up from about 3 billion in 2017,” says 2019 Insights from Zebra.

Gartner predicts that start-ups will overtake industry leaders in markets like AI by 2019. This illustrates that level of disruption that’s already being seen in the market. The more open a busi-

“OPERATING IN THE CLOUD HAS BECOME THE NEW NORMAL FOR ORGANIZATIONS, SO MUCH SO THAT OUR EMPLOYEES DO NOT THINK TWICE ABOUT STORING AND SHARING SENSITIVE DATA IN THE CLOUD,” RAJIV GUPTA, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT OF THE CLOUD SECURITY BUSINESS, MCAFEE

“OVER THE LAST DECADE, WE WITNESSED THE FOUNDATION OF CLOUD AND THE STEADY TRANSITION FROM LEGACY SYSTEMS TO CLOUDFIRST.” MAKARAND JOSHI, AREA VICE PRESIDENT AND COUNTRY HEAD, INDIA SUBCONTINENT, CITRIX

ness ecosystem is, the more seamlessly data can be leveraged within it to drive desired customer and citizen outcomes. The ability to track, collect and share data across dispersed systems is what allows companies to create customised solutions that target exact customer requirements. This open, extensible nature is vital within a next-generation platform.

We believe data is the lifeblood of an organization and in order to attain its true value, organizations must understand how to harness power of this data with its seamless movement across environments. Through our solutions, we are enabling our existing customers, who have been using traditional storage solutions, to move into the application of flash arrays, hybrid cloud and hyper-converged infrastructures to handle mixed workloads. In fact, the worldwide public cloud services market is projected to grow 17.3% in 2019 to total $206.2 billion, up from $175.8 billion in 2018, according to Gartner.

According to Gartner, it’s estimated that more than $200 billion in annual IT spending will shift to cloud-related categories in the next two years, says Huzefa Motiwala, Senior Director, Systems Engineering, APAC at Commvault.

SME CHANNELS 19 JANUARY 2019

TECHNOLOGY OUTLOOK FOR 2019

“THE ADVENT OF THE HYBRID IT MODEL WILL CHALLENGE ENTERPRISES TO WORK SMARTER TO MANAGE THEIR APPLICATIONS.”

20 SME CHANNELS JANUARY 2019

TECHNOLOGY OUTLOOK FOR 2019

ANJAN SRINIVAS

SENIOR DIRECTOR OF PRODUCTS, NUTANIX INDIA

HYBRID CLOUD SET TO BECOME THE INFRASTRUCTURE OF CHOICE FOR MOST INDIAN ENTERPRISES Most customers will start to lead with HCI as their primary requirement in order to transform their datacenters says Anjan Srinivas, Senior Director of Products, Nutanix India, in an interview with SME Channels. Excerpts from the Interview.

How do you expect the year 2019 for India from the industry perspective?

The Indian IT industry will continue to adopt best of breed IT solutions, like many other major IT economies. However customers understand that HCI is not just a niche technology, and now realise the true value in enterprise OS and hybrid IT. As outened in our recent global study, The Enterprise Cloud Index, most customers will start to lead with HCI as their primary requirement in order to transform their datacenters.

Which verticals are likely to invest more in 2019?

As a horizontal technology and solution, Nutanix will continue to serve all verticals. That said, there are a number of early adopters who are driving adoption such as IT/ITES, Healthcare, FSI, SP and Govt. We will of course, ensure these verticals get the full support they require to completely re-define their business.

How is the HCI market going to evolve in 2019?

Recent research suggests that Hybrid cloud is set to become the infrastructure of choice for most Indian enterprises, as they seek to separate the country from regional and global peers.

How does Nutanix envisage the year from new technology and new market point of view? l HCI will become the infrastructure of choice l Automation – India enterprises are set to jettison their dependence on traditional infrastructure and operation , and explore new ways to orchestrate and automate their enterprise infrastructure as they strive to transform into digital enterprises l Smarter, more flexible enterprises and Intelligent management - As true connected enterprises emerge technologies, like AI and Machine learning will start to play an important role in ensuring high availability and proactive root cause analysis. Areas such as cost analysis and security compliance will also get help from machine learning algorithms to make accurate assessments

What kind of potential challenges do you foresee for the year from the HCI point of view?

The advent of the hybrid IT model will challenge enterprises to work smarter to manage their applications. Enterprises will not be able to maintain traditional operations or even business models, and will adopt software to better manage their time, effort and efficiency How would you mitigate and stand different from the competition?

The future is smarter, more flexible enterprises.

Enterprises that have access and intelligence form all their data – wherever and whenever, and use that to guide and drive the business. That will require a single operating system, OS, that can access, communicate, translate and manage any hardware, platform and technology. And the primary reason why Nutanix continues to see adoption from the most demanding enterprise functionality.

SME CHANNELS 21 JANUARY 2019

TECHNOLOGY OUTLOOK FOR 2019

SANDIP KUMAR PANDA

CEO AND CO-FOUNDER INSTASAFE

WE ARE AT THE BEGINNING OF A HUGE CONSUMPTION GROWTH EPISODE 2019 will bring a continuing stream of new cyber threats that cut deeply into the IT systems of companies of all sizes.A review from Sandip Kumar Panda CEO and Co-founder InstaSafe How do you expect the year 2019 for India from the industry growth perspective?

Various studies show that two main factors driving the rapid growth of service based IT are increased business agility and democratization of innovation which indirectly will trigger an exponential expansion of cloud’s value proposition. Flexible consumption is becoming the need of the hour which are easily possible with the cloud-based everything-as-a-service (Xaas) models. With these kinds of cloud-based flexible consumption models, companies are able to leverage the expertise of both, the biggest technology companies of the world as well as upcoming whacky start-ups instead of opting/buying costly scarce technologies.

Artificial Intelligence and Blockchain are other concepts which will reach momentum in 2019 as well. With the world turning into a single network and people and devices becoming interconnected identity/ privacy protection in another thought for concern from the industry perspective. Combinations of the above said technologies like blockchain and biometrics may also lead to sudden growth dynamics in the industry.

Do you think 2019 election will slow down the market growth in India therefore the investment on technology from the industries?

India is one of the largest single markets worldwide and we are at the beginning of a huge con-

22 SME CHANNELS JANUARY 2019

sumption growth episode. So the latent growth will be maintained irrespective of elections or change in governments. A stable and growth policy-oriented government will expedite this growth story and India has the potential to grow faster.

Which verticals are likely to invest more in 2019?

Cybersecurity is becoming a strategic part for every vertical today. With the Srikrishna Committee report on data protection, the new IT policies coming up and the awareness amongst the masses on GDPR and related issues it is evident that Cybersecurity is becoming an immediate necessity. Globally, cyber breaches are happening every day and continue to create new records with the recent being the Quora and the Marriott breaches leading to compromise of millions of customers and users data.

So it is very well evident that cybersecurity is becoming the cornerstone of innovative and well organized IT infrastructures of every vertical in the market be it BFSI, Manufacturing, Retail, Education, Healthcare and others.

Which technologies are going to gain prominence in 2019, therefore gain more investment from the industry?

First, I believe that 2019 will bring a continuing stream of new cyber threats that cut deeply into the IT systems of companies of all sizes. Our busi-

ness systems are so interconnected that attacks on small to medium-sized businesses can enable the penetration of large enterprises in virtually all of the critical sectors of business and vice versa.

Advanced persistent threats can be embedded in these networks to provide continuing access to the networks and the information stored in them.

Today, large enterprises spend millions of dollars on cybersecurity, but small to medium companies spend very little, not just because of the relatively large cost of cybersecurity systems, but also because of their inability to hire the necessary talent to operate these systems. To solve this problem the cybersecurity industry must become more affordable and more automated. Much of the focus of the cybersecurity industry during the remainder of this decade will be focused on bringing machine learning, artificial intelligence and big data analytics to their products. In addition, there will be more focus by the industry on integrating the various tools into consolidated platforms that require fewer people to operate and can be provided as a service requiring less capital investment by the customers.

How InstaSafe envisages the year from new technology and new market coverage point of view?

We plan to increase our product reach as we became an advanced technology partner in AWS. We plan to build our strong presence in the Amazon Web Services Marketplace and all other such online marketplaces to help our common customers move faster in this agile environment

TECHNOLOGY OUTLOOK FOR 2019

with effective cost.

Talking about the company growth and market coverage, as we entered into global markets, we plan to extend our arms and thus have a successful global expansion plan in place and execute it effectively. With the appointment of channel partners across the globe, we plan to empower them about InstaSafe’s offerings and collaboratively work towards a common goal.

The main aim of InstaSafe is to make the internet safe, open and connected, by eliminating the gaps in the traditional network and security tools.

One of our main products is InstaSafe Secure Access, which with its zero trust network concept also known as Software Defined Perimeter Technology, first authenticates your remote users and thus authorizes one to enter your network. We have also introduced one new product line, SafeHats, which is a managed bug bounty platform enabling enterprises to connect to thousands of verified ethical hackers registered in our platform to detect critical vulnerabilities in their applications in return for a bounty amount.

What kind of potential challenges do you foresee for the year from the Cyber Security point of view?

The connected world now needs to change the traditional way to protect itself and adapt to the newer models to protect themselves. Both businesses and individuals. Data being central to the attacks, innovative ways to protect it from outsiders will be one of the key trends that will emerge stronger. The concept of Zero trust networks or SDP security (that hides your assets from the public by hiding the IP completely), will enable private networks to remain invisible from any unauthorized users by pre-authentication. Simply put, deny all and allow only by authorization with bindings of devices, real-time OTP and rolebased granular access will be one of the norms to emerge.

What are the major CIO challenge for 2019, how would you mitigate and stand different from the competition?

Today CIOs believe that their role has shifted from being the technology hand-holder of the company to becoming the partners in shaping the business strategy. While shaping the business strategy, in today’s world, a majority of CIOs, as per Gartner have deployed or plan to deploy cybersecurity solutions in the next 12 months.

InstaSafe is one of the first few Indian companies globally, to create one of the states of the art Cyber Security solution, that is disrupting the way networks are designed or maintained today.

Our Secure Access Solution is built with a layered architecture, that protects private applications from publishing over internet, that means the IP of application is no more visible and at the other hand it prevents any unauthorized access to the network, by multilevel authentication to devices and bindings, thus allowing organizations to minimize their attack surface while allowing a highly elastic and scalable model to manage its end users.

We also plan to familiarize the concept of bug-bounty platform among the masses in India.

Being the industry first in this field in the region, with SafeHats, we plan to evangelize the concept of leveraging the power of crowdsourced ethical hackers to keep enterprise applications secure against malicious/ bad intention hackers. We want to help enterprises connect with hundreds of highly skilled ethical hackers, each with their unique skill set, trying to recreate the same kind of environment to conduct offensive application security testing and reporting their findings through our platform in lieu of bounty amounts offered.

SME CHANNELS 23 JANUARY 2019

SME CHAT

PIYUSH SOMANI FOUNDER MD & CEO ESDS SOFTWARE SOLUTION PVT. LTD

THE IT INFRASTRUCTURE MARKET IS GOING TO SEE DOUBLE DIGIT GROWTH IN 2019 We are going to see IoT play a crucial role next year along with Machine Learning, ERP implementation and robotic automation and so we are prepared to offer a very strong and robust platform for all these new generation technologies

How do you expect the year 2019 for India from the industry growth perspective?

Now-a-days when we generally talk about 2019, the first thing which comes to our mind is the 2019 general elections but evidently it is also going to be an important year from an industry point to view. Since the last decade, we have seen a lot of corrections that has happened in the industrial sector, equity markets and banking sector in regards to certain trends or processes because a lot of things were heading in the wrong direction which are now being corrected. In 2011-2012, I noticed a trend among small industry owners who wanted to cease their operations and get into real estate because they thought this field has a lot of money to offer. Obviously this did not go as planned because the real estate market collapsed post 2013. Similarly, there was another trend where certain industrialists wanted to take huge debts and run their businesses but later they were denied to draw more debt because of huge losses.

And then there were genuine industries which needed small funding for their business but never got any. So a lot of rectification has happened over the years which has now finally set the tone for aggressive growth of industries. Today I see new generation start-ups and small industry owners

24 SME CHANNELS JANUARY 2019

who are very well aware of their goals and thus work passionately rather than getting into realestate or Share Market or switching their field and hence this is exactly why the future of industries is shaping up nicely and we can see double digit growth in 2019.

Do you think 2019 election will slow down the market growth in India therefore the investment on technology from the industries?

The entire election season or the government which wins, is hardly going to make an impact on the industry or the industrial growth because certain policy corrections which the economy needed has been done and implemented. Banks will have the required money back with them to lend it to organizations and industries because the Supreme court and RBI has very stringent policies and are now better at monitory decisions. Henceforth, any new government which wins the election, won’t be able to make colossal changes and so nothing much would be changed. The 2019 elections don’t mean much to me considering the industries are moving in the right direction.

Looking at India’s rapid growth, we have more than 100 crore people amongstus with Millions of them seeking to be entrepreneurs and indus-

trialists and they are definitely going to positively shape India’s future.

Which verticals are likely to invest more in 2019?

This year a major part of investment would be reserved for the infrastructure growth in the country. Infrastructure investment in India is lagging 20-30 years behind top 2 developed countries and that is why we need to continue with major investments for building road and rail networks so that the entire investment project boosts the industries to focus on road transport. I predict 2020 will be the year where we are going to witness huge investments in the aviation industry.

Technology is one such area which is going to see a lot of investments due to new generation developments which are crucial for the growth of IT scenario in India. We have power supply 24/7 and mobile networks which has put our entire backbone in place so that technology can start transforming India which will also drive the growth for small industries from next year onwards.

How IT Infra market is going to evolve in 2019?

The IT infrastructure market is going to see double digit growth next year and the cloud

SME CHAT

“WE BELIEVE THAT CHANNEL NETWORK PLAYS THE MOST DOMINANT ROLE IN THE OVERALL MARKET SUCCESS OF A BRAND.”

market is definitely going to witness more than 50% growth in 2019 due to majority of businesses which wish to move on a Pay-Per-Use business model, Pay-Per-Consumption business model or an OPEX business model because they desire to stay CAPEX lite. A business grows much faster if it is CAPEX lite and if you invest less in plant and machinery and more in promoting your business.

So next year the IT infrastructure market is going to proliferate and if India is set to become a 3 trillion economy in the next 2 years, then IT infrastructure is definitely going to play a very crucial role in this expansion.

At ESDS we offer cloud services to our customers such as Infrastructure as a Service and Platform as a Service which enables them to make their technologies relevant to their end customers.

In 2019 our focus would be to enable a very strong platform and infrastructure to ensure that the ISVs and technology providers focus on special business cases as we help them reach the end customer by rolling out our services very efficiently. We are going to see IoT play a crucial role next year along with Machine Learning, ERP implementation and robotic automation and so we are prepared to offer a very strong and robust platform for all these new generation technologies. We will be completely

supporting our ISV partners and channel partners so that they have maximum success in their business.

What kind of potential challenges do you foresee for the year from the Enterprise Infrastructure point of view?

India has always been a price sensitive market and the issue goes deeper and deeper when government organizations and SMEs negotiate very intensely while procuring infrastructure. We see multiple rounds of negotiations which are carried out between the officials and lenders before procuring a product, which dent the future hopes of Indian organizations while converting a deal. Currently there is no trace of equity infusion from foreign players in Indian firms and our banks are not able to lend huge amounts to industries because businesses are not making the kind of profit they should make in India. The big IT firms of India are making a fortune in foreign markets but are not able to do the same in India due to the price sensitiveness culture in Indian enterprises. So the change needs to happen soon or else the Indian enterprises will face serious consequences due to price sensitiveness among Indian enterprises, gov-

ernment and SMEs. Any channel specific growth are you expecting, please elaborate?

Like the insurance industry, the channel business in India has proved to be very successful for the information technology companies. There are a lot of examples of large OEMs and vendors who have entered India and have been enjoying huge success through the channel network. Similarly, we too expect to bring business from outside of India through the channel network. We have been working aggressively on building a strong channel and alliance ecosystem by offering good margins to our channel partners for building lifetime relationships. And unless we do not offer our partner a good deal for lifetime, our business will be irrelevant because our vision if to create lifetime relationships. So we do not want to be in a situation where we had previously offered a very lucrative deal to the partner but in future, we won’t be able to offer them anything better. We discuss with our partners our intentions and we very clearly let them know that we do not want to take-over their customers in the future but instead we want the partner to be with us till the lifetime of the contract and the end customer.

SME CHANNELS 25 JANUARY 2019

TECHNOLOGY OUTLOOK FOR 2019

RAMESH MAMGAIN

AREA VICE PRESIDENT INDIA AND SAARC REGION COMMVAULT

2019 WILL BE A YEAR WHERE INDUSTRIES INCREASE COMPETITIVENESS IN INDIA AND GLOBALLY Commvault takes a look at the technologies that will rule the roost in 2019. In an interaction with SME Channels, Ramesh Mamgain, Area Vice President, India and SAARC Region, Commvault, delineates on what can be expected in 2019 for India from the industry growth perspective.

How do you expect the year 2019 for India from the industry growth perspective?

The year will be one of experimentation for the Indian market as it is trying to regulate the use, access and management of data. The trend for businesses to consolidate their data management solutions will accelerate in 2019. With data flow increasingly exponentially, and with companies working across borders and integrating technologies into operations, the need for better data management only continues to rise. Regulations are increasing the impetus for organizations to have better management and visibility over their data.

Cyber threats have instilled fear over businesses this year, even in the public sector. The global economy is facing a skills shortage as companies race to adopt new technologies, making it much more difficult to manage data platforms and environments across clouds and on-premise infrastructures. Consolidation will provide businesses with insights to manage inventory, organize and review data, act upon alerts and finally, automate decisions to improve data management, including governance and risk policy changes.

Which verticals are likely to invest more in 2019?

2019 will be a year where industries increase competitiveness in India and globally. We are planning to invest our resources to educate our customers and partners to better navigate the changing landscape of data, and cultivate modern approach to manage and protect their increasingly critical

26 SME CHANNELS JANUARY 2019

asset – data. Automation will hold the key to achieving success in a competitive environment.

Data volumes have been exploding, and this trend is bound to continue as businesses accelerate their digital transformation journeys. With the widespread adoption of automation and smart technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning and Internet of Things, data will now be generated automatically to provide businesses with much more insights to leverage for business decision-making – only if they are able to manage, protect and use this data the right way.

Which technologies are going to gain prominence in 2019, therefore gain more investment from the industry?

The cloud is now a critical element of all corporate IT environments. Enterprises will continue to pour investments into cloud initiatives, focusing increasingly on technologies and services that enable them to transform the cloud from merely a storage location into a solution that enables new and more agile ways of working. Specifically, organizations who moved data and workloads to the cloud last year and disconnected from onpremise servers, are making a return with more zeal in having control over their data. Technology providers will increasingly move to deliver this agility by offering native support for multiple cloud providers and other powerful cloud tools that equip enterprises with a single interface for efficiently, effectively and responsibly managing applications, workloads and data across both on-

premises and cloud environments. In 2019, multicloud management will be the choice solution, providing capabilities to run multiple accounts from a single cloud provider using one solution.

The new year will be the time for businesses to conquer modern data protection in the cloud.

How IT Infra market is going to evolve in 2019?

Digital transformation has been the accelerator for long term business growth and it will go on to continue. Though the promise of digital is full of new possibilities, most companies are currently experiencing the growing pains of hybrid IT complexity. l Paving a Path for 5G - 5G is not only about speed and digital experience, its more about rethinking with futuristic vision for smart cities driverless cars and remote and robotic surgeries.

Every industry has the potential to benefit from the endless possibilities of 5G. investments will increase in 5G by clients and performance and cost optimization will be critical to set the stage for 5G. l Artificial Intelligence - According to PwC research, AI will spur global GDP to grow 14% by 2030 to the tune of $15.7 trillion. AI will continue to make way into our business and personal lives. AI is undergoing a disruptive change in every industry in areas ranging from agriculture to cybersecurity to commerce to healthcare, and more. Today we are interacting with technologies in new different way. from giving voice commands to washer-dryers to playing advanced

TECHNOLOGY OUTLOOK FOR 2019

gesture-controlled video games. Artificial intelligence will open ways to access more external data sources for accurate predictions and will help enterprises to secure data transaction marketplaces. l Data Privacy - Data privacy will be one of the drivers of change in the year 2019. With nearly 3 billion new connected devices powering the data privacy has become a larger issue.

Data privacy will be one aspect which will continue to impact every corner of the business world. With data analysis becoming the foundation for all business and beyong – data privacy will continue to dominate in 2019 How Commvault envisages the year from new technology and new market coverage point of view?

Data volumes have been exploding, and this trend is bound to continue as businesses accelerate their digital transformation journeys.

With the widespread adoption of automation

and smart technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning and Internet of Things, humans will no longer be the only generator of data. It will now be generated automatically and provide businesses with much more insights to leverage for business decision-making – only if they are able to manage, protect and use this data the right way. Additionally, primary storage is going through a massive transition from disk to flash while secondary storage has become a major new battleground as its growth outpaces primary.

Self-driving backups will be the key to unlocking efficient recovery readiness in 2019.

In fact, simplified backup solutions are driving demand in the mid-market. Backup software should no longer serve as simple solutions that manage recovery objectives. Solutions that deliver smart, simple, automated and complete backups will lead the industry in the upcoming year.

What kind of potential challenges do you foresee for the year from the Backup point of view? l Primary storage is going through a massive transition from disk to flash while secondary storage has become a major new battleground as its growth outpaces primary. Self-driving backups will be the key to unlocking efficient recovery readiness in 2019. In fact, simplified backup solutions are driving demand in the mid-market. Backup software should no longer serve as simple solutions that manage recovery objectives. Solutions that deliver smart, simple, automated and complete backups will lead the industry in the upcoming year. l The data lake will begin to disappear in favour of technology which can discover, profile, map data where it lives, reducing storage and infrastructure costs while implementing data strategies that can truly provide insights to improve operations, mitigate risks and potentially lead to new business outcomes.

SME CHANNELS 27 JANUARY 2019

TECHNOLOGY OUTLOOK FOR 2019

KT PRASAD

COUNTRY SALES DIRECTOR- ZENDESK

WE EXPECT 2019 TO BE ANOTHER EXCITING YEAR FOR US IN INDIA Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning continue to be technologies that our customers are keen to invest in and adopt. The public cloud is the next exciting thing and will provide opportunity for the developer communities particularly in India.

How do you expect the year 2019 for India from the industry growth perspective?

It’s an exciting time to be scaling a cloud-based software business in India as the country is one of the fastest growing markets for Zendesk. It also presents a rich start-up culture where people are disrupting traditional businesses and traditional economies, and one can also see some great innovations happening here in the technology space.

The level of potential interests us, as there are so many potential consumers in India. That gives us a green field where we could invest in while providing us an opportunity to learn about the next generation of SAAS and digital native companies.

There are a few areas that we are going to focus on delivering for our customers during the next year. We just launched our Sunshine CRM platform and we believe this platform will be of greater value for our customers. We have five or six major AI and ML extensions in our cart right now that is based on our Answer Bot technology.

Our aim is to double down on those engineering efforts and see how we can weave more intelligence into the product.

Many believe that artificial intelligence is going to impact every aspect of enterprise software in the coming years. However, Artificial intelligence isn’t a product, and shouldn’t be a product really in itself. Every technology that a layman uses is

28 SME CHANNELS JANUARY 2019

available from cloud providers, open sources and other places. What we need to understand is the way one applies it and to what extent does it make the lives of your customers better from using it?

For me, that’s the most important innovation.

Which verticals are likely to invest more in 2019?

We have observed that the vertical that remains the fastest growing is the digital-native disruptive businesses. It could be a food delivery brand or a transportation brand or an accommodation brand, and these businesses all over the globe turn to Zendesk for their Customer Experience requirements. Digital native disruptor-type businesses are where we got our start and we expect this segment to only grow further in the coming year.

Which technologies are going to gain prominence in 2019, therefore gain more investment from the industry?

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning continue to be technologies that our customers are keen to invest in and adopt. The public cloud is the next exciting thing and will provide opportunity for the developer communities particularly in India. As a company, we are also investing in our partnership with Amazon Web Services.

How IT Infrastructure market is going to evolve in 2019?

From what we have been seeing, cloud has become an essential part of the IT industry and many companies are trying to identify applications to move to the cloud. Not just at Zendesk but across all tech companies, innovations are happening around the cloud.

I would say cloud is the technology tool for any organisation to make a difference for their customers, employers, partners, etc. This could be achieved either through AWS, Azure, Google cloud as a platform and it could be through SAAS providers like us.

If you look at the traditional non-SAAS products, it is hard to remember when was the last innovation that was launched that we could leverage on. I think any organisation that does not embark on cloud will lose heavily, as it will be limited when it comes to innovation for the product or to simply scale.

What are the major CIO challenges for 2019, how would you mitigate and stand different from the competition?

Following the GDPR regulation, most CIO’s have had to look at their data management more carefully. They were suddenly accountable for how

TECHNOLOGY OUTLOOK FOR 2019

“THE PUBLIC CLOUD WILL OFFER US THE NEXT TECHNOLOGY SHIFT ALONG WITH AI. I BELIEVE, THE PUBLIC CLOUD WILL GIVE US THE ACCESS TO BIG DATA STORAGE SYSTEMS, THAT COULD BE EVENTED BASED ON TIME SERIES DATA. THIS WILL GIVE US AN OPPORTUNITY TO COLLECT ALL THE DATA ON THE CUSTOMER TO IMPROVE THEIR EXPERIENCES.” their customers data was being accessed and for what purpose. The recent legislative hearings with Facebook and Google are also evidence of this spiralling trend. I think tightening of infrastructure security and data management will continue to be a priority as we move into the next year.

At Zendesk, we handle so many businesses across the web and a key goal for us is to maintain the trust of our users by meeting regulations on time, while also enabling tools that meet their needs.

Any channel specific growth are you expecting, pls. elaborate?

For us, it’s an ongoing process as we work with channel partners across the globe, and we think about channel partners in different categories.

We work with our technology partners to enable richer experiences for our customers, and there is

so much innovation in this space and continues to be a key focus for us.

We plan to work with system integrators, business process outsourcers and resellers to allow our customers to drive the experience that they visualize in different ways.

Any growth from the coverage point of view you are expecting?

Last year was extraordinary in terms of numbers for Zendesk APAC and in India, and we continue to be excited about our growth opportunities in this market.

In 2018, we saw over 26% Year on Year growth of customers in the APAC region. If you look at India, Zendesk is doing really well since we launched here in 2016. Two years in the country with over 2500 customers on board and at a 25% Year on Year growth rate, we are now one of the

Top 10 markets globally for Zendesk.

What kind of turnover / market share growth are you expecting for the year 2019 globally and India?

We recently surpassed the $600 million annual revenue run rate, and are well on track to reach our goal of $1 billion by 2020.

In 2018, globally we saw a strong revenue growth of 38% year over year, driven by healthy market dynamics and a dedicated focus on executing against our key priorities. APAC continues to surpass our global growth, at a rate of approximately 40% year-on-year. India is one of our fastest growing markets, where the number of customers is increasing more than 25% year on year. This makes India one of our top 10 markets globally by number of paid customers and we expect 2019 to be another exciting year for us in India.

SME CHANNELS 29 JANUARY 2019

GUEST TALK

AUTOMATION COULD DISRUPT LABOUR MARKETS For policy makers, embracing automation needs to be accompanied with measures to enhance skills and promote job creation, and by rethinking incomes and social safety nets

BY- ISHA BHATNAGAR

The impact of automation technologies is already being felt in the developed world. The worldwide number of industrial robots has increased rapidly over the past few years. Falling prices of robots which can perform round-the-clock without interruption are making them cost effective as compared to humans for manufacturing operations. In the services sector, computer algorithms can execute stock trades in a fraction of a second, much faster than any human. As these technologies become cheaper, more capable and more widespread they will find even more applications in the economy.

In a study published by McKinsey Global Institute (MGI), based on the data from the US department of Labor, more than 2,000 work activities across 800 occupations across the economy can be easily automated. Overall, MGI estimates that 49 percent of the activities that people are paid to do in the global economy have the potential to be automated by adapting currently demonstrated technology. While less than 5 percent of occupations can be fully automated, about 60 percent have at least 30 percent of activities that can technically be automated.

Research has also found certain new and emerging job categories and functions that experts expect will become critically important by 2020.

Two types of jobs stand out : l Data analysts, who can make sense and derive insights from the big data generated by

30 SME CHANNELS JANUARY 2019

automated technological disruptions, l Specialized sales representatives, as practically every industry will need to become skilled in commercializing and explaining their offerings to business or government, clients and consumers, either due to the innovative technical nature of the products themselves or the targeted new client types with which the company is not yet familiar.

Other new specializations include new types of human resources and organizational development specialists, engineering specialties such as materials, bio-chemicals, nanotech and robotics, regulatory and government relations specialists, geospatial information systems experts and commercial and industrial designers.A particular need is also seen in industries as varied as Energy and Media, Entertainment and Information.

For businesses - manufacturing as well as services - the performance benefits from automation are relatively clear, but the issues are more complicated for policy-makers. They should embrace the opportunity for their economies to benefit from the productivity growth potential and put in place policies to encourage investment and market incentives for continued progress and innovation. At the same time, they must evolve and innovate policies that help workers and institutions adapt to the impact on employment. This will most likely include rethinking education and training, income support and safety nets, as well

as transition support for those who get dislocated due to modern technologies. At the same time, individuals in the workplace will need to engage more comprehensively with machines as part of their everyday activities, and acquire new skills that will be in demand in the new automation age.

Automation will have wide ranging effects across sectors and geographies. Four economies - China, India, Japan and the United States are the key as these countries account for just over half of the total wages and almost two thirds of the number of employees associated with activities that can be automated by adapting current technologies.

The composition of jobs in advanced countries has consistently shifted over the past decade towards the employment of more highly qualified people at the expense of those low-qualified. Significant labour market imbalances are expected to persist in advanced economies in the coming decades. While imbalances in the form of over-qualification are prominent in advanced countries, under-qualification is an issue in lowincome countries which results in poor literacy, low productivity growth and low potential for economic diversification.

Experts disagree on the extent of the impact that automation will have on the workforce. While some warn about large scale unemployment, others point out that technology will create new job opportunities for displaced workers. A third

GUEST TALK

“AUTOMATION WILL GIVE BUSINESS LEADERS OPPORTUNITIES TO IMPROVE THEIR PERFORMANCE AND ENTER NEW MARKET,”

group argues that the computers will have little effect on the future of employment. Uncertainty about the timing of automation adoption and its potentially variable impact on different sectors of the economy, countries and workplaces make the challenge of preparing for it even more complex.

As people make education and career choices, it will be important for them to be made aware of the factors driving automation in various sectors, to help them identify the skills that could be useful for them to acquire from a labor-market perspective, and which job will be complement automated activities.

High-skill workers who work closely with technology will likely be in strong demand, and may take advantage of new opportunities for independent work as the business models change and project work is outsourced by companies.

Middle-skill workers whose activities have the highest technical potential for automation (predictable physical activities, collecting and analysing data) will have to seek opportunities for retraining to prepare for changes in their jobs that will complement automated activities.

Low-skill workers working with technology will be able to achieve more in terms of output and productivity but may experience wage pressure given the potentially large supply of similar lowskill workers.

Education systems will need to evolve for a changed workplace, with policy makers working with education providers to improve basic skills in the STEM fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, and put a new emphasis on creativity, as well as on critical and systems thinking. For all, developing agility, resilience, and

flexibility will be important at a time when everybody’s job is likely to change to some degree.

Workers will need to work more closely with technology, freeing up more time to focus on intrinsically human capabilities that machines cannot yet match.

ISHA BHATNAGAR IS A STUDENT AND WRITES ON VARIED TOPICS ON HER PERSONAL BLOG

SME CHANNELS 31 JANUARY 2019

TECHNOLOGY OUTLOOK FOR 2019

2019 THE NEXT PHASE OF TRANSFORMATION

The next wave of transformation through cloud technology will be through its integration with AI, machine learning, analytics and robotics says Makarand Joshi – Area Vice President and Country Head, India Subcontinent, Citrix who summarizes key technology trends to shape the next stage of transformation, in 2019.

BY SANJAY MOHAPATRA

sanjay@smechannels.com

T

he dependence on technology has never been as pronounced as it is today. Mountains of data are generated each day and organizations across the world have been in the constant search to harvest this data, and analyze it to gain a competitive edge.

It is all this, that has made the adoption of secure data management and collaboration tools that much more significant. AI, analytics and machine learning with existing cloud led platforms has opened new facets of efficiency in organizations across the globe, especially so in India.

We at Citrix have been on a journey of innovation that is taking us one step closer to a digitized future. While we continue our dedicated approach in helping our customer transform digitally, we have also been transforming internally. With offerings like the Citrix Workspace App and Citrix Analytics, we are aiding organizations in their workspace evolution journey.

Having realized the steady shift of the industry toward solutions that can digitally enhance the workspace while also contributing to business growth, we believe that the following trends over the next year will play a critical role in shaping the next league of transformation.

Cloud Integration Over the last decade, we witnessed the foundation of cloud and the steady transition from legacy systems to cloud-first. Having understood how this

32 SME CHANNELS JANUARY 2019

technology’s efficiency can be maximized, cloud maturity levels have risen amongst businesses in India. This is further validated by the research firm Gartner’s prediction that the revenue of SaaS (Software as a service) which is the largest segment of cloud, is set to grow 17.8% in 2019.

The next wave of transformation through cloud technology will be through its integration with AI, machine learning, analytics and robotics. Further, with millennials and GenX comprising a major segment of employees across organizations, cloud enabled SaaS applications will be leading the way forward.

Diverse needs of a multigenerational workforce The workplace today has experienced a growth of millennials joining the ranks, who are eager to learn and grow with the organization. However, the shift can also create challenges. On the one hand we have digital natives who are tech savvy and tend not to let the location hamper their work, and on the other we have senior employees who have adapted themselves to legacy infrastructure.

At a workplace like this, HR leaders are tasked with addressing the concerns of a multi-generational workforce. Companies must endeavor to understand the needs of their employees, the way they work and their thought processes. HR policies must be developed by both the business and HR heads and must have a spirit of inclusivity

in them. Flexible or mobile working options can enable employees to avoid commute time and work from home, work on the go, from a customer site or even from home, removing the limitations of a physical workplace. This will boost productivity and also promote an adaptable culture. In 2019, enterprises would have to focus on their management practices for a remote working environment and consider changing their organizational infrastructure accordingly.

Tightening the Security Lens 2018 has been crucial in terms of data generation, data management and security. Developments like the rolling out of GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation), draft bill and report for India’s own Personal Data Protection Bill and the data localization regulation introduced by the government and RBI (Reserve Bank of India) have created a jolt of uncertainty across organizations in India and globally. The importance of securely managing personal data and ensuring consent is now more pronounced than it was before. The journey to data security is a marathon but the finish line is still a little blurry. Enterprises have been in the process of completely understanding existing policies and the complexities that surround it as well as allocating resources to ensure compliance.

Throughout the following year, organizations must make concerted efforts towards fully adapting to policies and regulations. Enterprises will

TECHNOLOGY OUTLOOK FOR 2019

MAKARAND JOSHI AREA VICE PRESIDENT & COUNTRY HEAD, INDIA SUBCONTINENT, CITRIX

“THE NEXT WAVE OF TRANSFORMATION THROUGH CLOUD TECHNOLOGY WILL BE THROUGH ITS INTEGRATION WITH AI, MACHINE LEARNING, ANALYTICS AND ROBOTICS.”

need to view regulations like the GDPR as an opportunity to encapsulate their solutions and processes in a secure IT layer. Further, companies must also focus on placing the needs of consumers before anything else and treat data with respect.

AI: Making its presence felt across sectors Enterprises across sectors are increasingly looking toward this technology to enhance their internal and external processes. AI has recently gained prominence owing to its ability to integrate with

technologies like cloud, analytics and security solutions. Further, owing to the rising storage costs and increase in the number of connected devices, AI has now taken a front seat in an IT set-up. This is further validated by a Gartner forecast that pegs AI-driven business value to reach $3.9 trillion in 2022.

When analytics is integrated with machine learning and AI, it can bring forth profound changes for businesses. In the exceedingly competitive landscape that exists today, in 2019, analytics and AI will play a huge role in getting ahead

of the curb. The scope for AI adoption will further expand with sectors like education, transport, healthcare as well as government owned entities taking up this technology to improve their efficiency.

2019 will witness the evolved transformation phase of technology adoption. Enterprises must ensure that they are reaping the most out of these offerings and are driving business growth with ‘change’ at the core of their processes. Change is constant and the only way to excel is to be a part of this change.

SME CHANNELS 33 JANUARY 2019

TECHNOLOGY OUTLOOK FOR 2019

RAHUL KUMAR

COUNTRY MANAGER INDIA AND SAARC AT F-SECURE

2019 WILL GAIN SUPERIOR TRACTION AMONGST INDIAN BUSINESSES Cybersecurity has traveled a long way from where it was a few years ago and now realization has downed on the businesses that they can softpedall the issue of Cybersecurity at their own peril. It is now being viewed as a higher priority by businesses, says Rahul Kumar, Country Manager India and SAARC at F-Secure

How do you expect the year 2019 for India from the industry growth perspective?

Cybersecurity has traveled a long way from where it was a few years ago and is now being viewed as a higher priority by businesses. This has been driving demand and the industry is expected to experience a CAGR of 19% from 2018 to 2023.

Our constant efforts have been able to keep cyberattackers on the hook this year and we are determined to do the same in 2019. The industry growth is on a positive trajectory with more businesses coming under the ambit of digital infrastructure. We believe that 2019 will gain superior traction amongst Indian businesses.

Do you think 2019 election will slow down the market growth in India, therefore, the investment on technology from the industries?

It is true that every market needs certainty to smoothly function. Market players, and therefore markets become cautious during uncertain events such as General Elections and the same stands true for India. So, a period of volatility can expected till Lok Sabha election gets concluded.

But having said that, cybersecurity market is also somewhat impervious to such developments.

Digital infrastructure is now a vital element of any business’ day-to-day functioning, making its pro-

34 SME CHANNELS JANUARY 2019

tection imperative. It can be said that the upcoming general elections will have little to no impact on the cybersecurity investments in India.

Which verticals are likely to invest more in 2019?

The MSME sector will be a prime growth driver in 2019. Other market verticals that will be aggressively investing in cybersecurity will be the BFSI sector, manufacturing sector, and IT firms alongside others.

Which technologies are going to gain prominence in 2019, therefore gain more investment from the industry?

IoT technology continues to be a Gordian knot for businesses. It is an embryonic technology that adds vulnerability to the broader IT infrastructure of a business and yet is indispensable in the modern market scenario. The industry is moving towards more evolved AI-driven Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR), rather than relying solely on Endpoint Protection Platforms (EPP).

Market players are also increasing all possible sources from where they can gather cybersecurity data. This is driving more investments towards honeypots, or clone IT services replicating a real IT environment. These honeypots convert cyberattackers into ‘rats within a maze’ and are

used to study their TTPs (Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures). Further complementing this approach with Machine Learning technology and data analytics, the industry is pre-emptively rapidly evolving cybersecurity techniques to prevent more global outbursts like WannaCry. This is possibly where investments will be from the industry.

How IT Infra market is going to evolve in 2019?

In 2019, we believe many of the 2018 trends will persist within the IT infrastructure market. We will continue to see more IoT integration amongst across-the-board processes. Also, as more businesses come under the fold of digital technologies, we are expecting more organizations to do away with infrastructural handicaps by leveraging cloud services.

Speaking particularly about IT security, a move towards Big Data and AI-driven solutions is being registered because of their wide-ranging benefits, which include real-time and all-encompassing threat response, shorter dwell time, etc..

Any channel specific growth are you expecting, pls. elaborate?

We believe that channel network plays the most dominant role in the overall market success of a brand. So, we work proactively with our channel partners, offer them the right training, and

TECHNOLOGY OUTLOOK FOR 2019

“WE BELIEVE THAT CHANNEL NETWORK PLAYS THE MOST DOMINANT ROLE IN THE OVERALL MARKET SUCCESS OF A BRAND.�

constantly seek the first-hand feedback that they receive from our end-users. This helps us in developing a solution that fits the unique requirements of our customers. We, moreover, extend incentives to maintain channel hygiene and boost their market performance. Presently, our channel network in India comprises 100 partners.

Any growth from the coverage point of view you are expecting?

We are expecting a rapid growth in the versatile areas wherever Cybersecurity concerns are rising due to the technological advancements, whether

it is the south India with a major development in IT firms, or whether it is the North India, states like Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, etc. where manufacturing of pharmaceuticals is at a peak.

It would be slightly early to comment from the percentage point of view as there is a huge space where India is still acknowledging themselves with need of such Cybersecurity solutions for securing the enterprises.

What kind of turnover/market share growth are you expecting for the year 2019 globally and India?

The growth is rapid and still it would be a little early to specify on the numbers when we are talking about the Cybersecurity Market in India. The best thing is now the importance of Cybersecurity solutions and their role in an enterprise is clearer in comparison to the previous time. The global regulations like GDPR have boosted the acknowledgment in many countries those were not aware earlier even of the basic cybersecurity measures.

The concerned authorities need to solidify their grip over the big tech giants.

SME CHANNELS 35 JANUARY 2019

SECURITY CORNER

AI IS USEFUL IN VARIOUS ELEMENTS OF AIRLINE To optimize airline revenue management (RM)- organizations need an approach that will provide fair pricing – which many experts believe Artificial Intelligence can provide.

Wondered how airlines price their tickets? Optimizing Airline Revenue Management and Ticketing with Artificial Intelligence In recent times, a large part of the airline industry’s success has been due to an ability that many industries have struggled with – Optimizing revenue using Artificial Intelligence.

Airline ticket prices are decided by algorithms that change fares depending upon several factors such as past bookings, remaining capacity, average demand per routes and the probability of selling more seats later etc.; all of which can be included in a strategy called “Airline Revenue

36 SME CHANNELS JANUARY 2019

Management”. Sabre the largest Global Distribution Systems provider for air bookings in North America describes this as a system that is “used to determine the optimal price of selling a seat at any given point in time”.

Airline revenue optimization, though, is becoming increasingly difficult citing several factors, not the least of which is the upward trend in candidates to the cheap carrier segment and the ever-increasing list of competitive in-flight services.

Plus, with increasing competition in the industry and market volatility, the airline industry is looking for solutions that will offer ways to maxi-

mize profits and deliver better customer experience and customer service.

CHANGING AIRLINE ‘DYNAMIC PRICING’ SCIENCE As CRM systems and e-commerce strategies go through the transformation to adapt to changing buying patterns, preferences, the inability for airlines to implement an effective dynamic pricing strategy is one of the biggest challenges that the industry faces in the digital era.

This is where Artificial Intelligence comes in.

Welcome to a sophisticated dynamic pricing science powered by AI, cognitive algorithms and

SECURITY CORNER

machine learning technology. Today, AI is doing more than just providing a seat. AI has unlocked the previously untapped data to enable more informed decision making across the airline industry.

To optimize airline revenue management (RM)- organizations need an approach that will provide fair pricing – which many experts believe Artificial Intelligence can provide.

AI and cognitive technologies are used to make sense of data that can streamline and automate analytics, customer service and machinery maintenance and other internal processes and tasks. AI is useful in various elements of Airline operations, which includes revenue management tasks.

Here is how they implement data analytics in RM. FLIGHT ROUTES IN DEMAND While revenue management (RM) is all about the best ways of selling a service, carriers use Artificial Intelligence to answer a very specific question – “Where to fly?”

Data Scientist Konstantin Vandyshev of Transavia, a KLM company explains “To define air routes, specialists have to analyze data and make decisions based on the insights. When researching a demand for a destination among different customer groups, they can rely on such data sources as search history and macroeconomic factors (for e.g. GDP)” It has industry-specific standards that the experts use to determine the customers’ willingness to pay.

WILLINGNESS TO PAY Airlines collect and crunch data about customers to understand their preferences and buying behavior well enough to suggest them offers they

are most likely to buy. Therefore, revenue managers start by measuring “willingness to pay” (WTP) – i.e. “is when the customer is likely to pay the maximum price to buy one unit of a product”.

In terms of airline ticketing, customers in general are ready to pay more when there is less time before the departure of the respective flight.

The Willingness to Pay in the airline industry thus, depends upon a factor called “day before departure”.

So, in practice, the experts define the average WTP price, which would be something that at least 50% of customers would likely pay for a specific ticket on a particular ‘day before departure’.

Such, willingness to pay is equivalent to price elasticity (the number of passengers that would buy a ticket if the price drops by a certain percentage) with some hypothesis between the market demand and supply.

This particular metric is connected to “dynamic pricing”- which is the practice of pricing a product on the basis of customer’s will to pay. To calculate the WTP correctly, data must be selected accurately. Revenue management in the airline industry combines elements such as similar markets, differentiate peak and non-peak seasons, business destinations, holidays and weekends to accomplish this.

EXPECTED MARGINAL SEAT REVENUE The expected marginal seat revenue (EMSR) is an optimization model that is calculated after the WTP is set. This metric can be explained as the expected value of the current seat and requires allocating a seat to a particular fare class.

Data Scientists measure the EMSR by multiplying the sales profit by the probability of selling additional (i.e. marginal) seat allocated to the

specific fare class.

Altexsoft writes “The moment comes when sales probability of a higher-fare ticket is so low that the expected revenue in a lower fare class will be bigger. So, knowing these probabilities you can determine the fare-class allocation for each day before departure”.

In a best case scenario – the scientists will have to know the sell-up probabilities in the different fare classes and the days before departure in order to find the WTP and the EMSR accurately.

The sell-up probability will show if the customer will buy a higher priced ticket if their request is denied. Flight grouping as per flight dates and destinations are needed. The revenue management team will also perform a “clickstream” analysis which figures out the number of customers that saw a webpage displaying a specific price. Airlines also use historical sales data to find out willingness to pay and the EMSR. ANCILLARY PRICE OPTIMIZATION This is another method used to drive airline revenue via analytics based pricing. It allows the data scientists to learn about a customer’s inclination to purchase ancillaries (add-ons) like baggage. Like for instance, experts determine the markets and days on which travellers are more likely to spend more to check their bags.

CONCLUSION: INTELEGAIN VIEW Any modern commerce needs to work at a break-neck speed, this means that airlines need to respond to customers with a precision and consistency across all channels. Of course, vendors that respond first win most percentage of the deals.

Static, outdated prices that were once designed to protect profit margins today represent lost revenue.

Dynamic pricing based on AI technology offers what any modern trade needs to sustain in today’s competitive airline industry- speediness, fiscallysound deals that are consistent across all channels.

The core of a successful modern venture lies in their ability to price dynamically – based on the insights gained from data science, creating experiences that enhance customer loyalty. Thus, by leveraging AI and accepting dynamic pricing grounded on cognitive technologies as the foundation of how they sell, the airline industry will be able to synchronize their pricing strategies consistent across all channels in real-time- present to the right customer on right time at the right price.

Airlines who will keep their operations innovative, embracing a science-driven business will be able to stay in this competitive market and capture opportunities that otherwise would be lost without sacrificing margin or leaking revenue.

SME CHANNELS 37 JANUARY 2019

TECHNOLOGY OUTLOOK FOR 2019

NILESH JAIN

VICE PRESIDENT, SOUTHEAST ASIA AND INDIA, TREND MICRO

TALKING TO TREND MICRO ABOUT CLOUD SECURITY CHALLENGES In today’s cyber threat landscape, every organization, large or small, is at risk of an attack. Security is becoming complex with the each passing day and IT managers are under pressure to secure the company’s digital assets and network. As far as how threat landscape will look like in over the next 12 months, Nilesh Jain, Vice President, Southeast Asia and India, Trend Micro, says “Globally, we expect to see more breaches to stem from misconfiguration during cloud migration.”

What will the threat landscape look like in over the next 12 months?

Globally, we expect to see more breaches to stem from misconfiguration during cloud migration.

India, as a market of bustling cloud migration activities, is at a high risk to this. With the rise of DevSecOps and the use of cloud containers across the world, we also anticipate a growing volume of vulnerabilities to be discovered in the cloud environment.

Some of the observations from Trend Micro include: l Enterprises relying on machine learning (ML) technology as their sole security solution will be up for a challenge as more cybercriminals will use more malicious tactics to infect systems. l Targeted attacks by well-funded threat actors will start to use techniques powered by artificial intelligence (AI). l Attackers will continue to rely on known vulnerabilities that remain unpatched in corporate networks for 99.99 percent of the exploits, as this remains a successful tactic. l Business Email Compromise (BEC) will go

38 SME CHANNELS JANUARY 2019

two levels down the organisation chart, as cybercriminals will target employees further down the company hierarchy. l Automation will add a new layer of challenge in securing business processes against Business Process Compromise (BPC). l In 2019, we will see cybercriminals using the maximum fine for noncompliance with the GDPR as a guideline or ceiling for demanded ransom. l We will also see more data breach disclosures overall in 2019 than in the previous year due to GDPR. The threat landscape portends a lot of challenges for almost all sectors of the internet-using public in 2019 even as faster internet, for better or worse, looms on the horizon with the 5G rollout. But the available tools and technologies should empower users and enterprises to position themselves more securely in the fight against cybercriminals and other emerging threat actors.

What will be the biggest drivers for security spending in 2019?

Cloud migration continues to ramp up in India

with many enterprises moving to cloud. According to the Nutanix Enterprise Cloud Index report, India will lead globally in hybrid cloud usage and adoption over the next two years. In this context, the spending by Indian enterprises in securing their cloud environment would see an acceleration this year.

Advanced endpoint technologies such as endpoint detection and response (EDR) are generating a lot of interest among our customers too. This is driven by primarily two factors. First, many modern attacks – such as fileless malware - are designed to evade traditional security controls.

Second, after an attack is discovered, the security teams are under pressure to find out the root cause, and how it spread. EDR is like the black box for cyberattacks.

Related to EDR, we also expect more enterprises to take up managed detection and response (MDR) from security vendors like us. The reason is that, although advanced tools like EDR and network defense provide thorough analysis, these technologies require tedious work and cybersecurity skills that are hard to find in the market.

For organizations keen to have EDR capabilities

TECHNOLOGY OUTLOOK FOR 2019

“WITH THE RISE OF DEVSECOPS AND THE USE OF CLOUD CONTAINERS ACROSS THE WORLD, WE ALSO ANTICIPATE A GROWING VOLUME OF VULNERABILITIES TO BE DISCOVERED IN THE CLOUD ENVIRONMENT”

but don’t have the resources or skillsets to do so, MDR is the answer. Plus, customers are increasingly looking for security automation and network-wide visibility, which MDR will help them achieve.

Trend Micro takes a unique approach to MDR. Instead of only analyzing data collected from endpoints – like most of the vendors do in the market, our team of experts are able to pull and study data from the network as well. This approach allows us to correlate data from two touchpoints, increasing accuracy of threat detection.

What are the biggest cybersecurity threats IT leaders should watch out for?

Attackers will implement emerging technologies like AI to better anticipate the movements of executives. This will lead to more convincing targeted phishing messages, which can be critical for BEC attacks. Additionally, it is likely that BEC attacks will target more employees who report to C-level executives, resulting in continued global losses.

SIM-swapping and SIM-jacking will be a growing threat to take advantage of remote employees and everyday users. Additionally, the smart home will be an increasingly attractive target for attacks that leverage home routers and connected devices.

Growing 5G deployment and adoption will begin to expand the attack surface area. IoT-based threats will become more sophisticated and move beyond massive DDoS assaults to new, more dangerous forms of attack. Defenders will depend increasingly on AI to counter attacks and identify vulnerabilities.

SME CHANNELS 39 JANUARY 2019

TECHNOLOGY OUTLOOK FOR 2019

AVINASH GARG

DIRECTOR, CHANNELS & ALLIANCES, FIREEYE, INDIA

ONE AREA WE EXPECT TO SEE GREATER ATTACKS EMERGE IS THE INTERNET OF THINGS In today’s cyber threat landscape, every organization, large or small, is at risk of an attack.

Security is becoming complex with the each passing day and IT managers are under pressure to secure the company’s digital assets and network. Avinash Garg – Director, Channels & Alliances, FireEye, India, talked to SME Channels to know the cyber security challenges for 2019 What will the threat landscape look like in over the next 12 months?

One area we expect to see greater attacks emerge is the Internet of Things. Some attacks which target the IoT are likely to be complex and difficult to defend against.

There are other major upcoming technologies that will change the threat landscape drastically.

One such example is artificial intelligence, which has been a buzzword for a while. Imagine artificial intelligence being used to not only probe, but to specifically tailor attacks against organizations and other targets. We’re already seeing some of this with deep fakes, the ability to copy the voice and mannerisms of a person to create something that looks and sounds as though the real person said it.

As a result, new strategic defenses will arise as part of technology architectures to combat such threats. There will, of course, always be emerging next-generation endpoint, network, cloud and other security technologies to help, but it will be

40 SME CHANNELS JANUARY 2019

an uphill battle.

What will be the biggest drivers for security spending in 2019?

The biggest driver of security spending in India is likely to be very public, highly damaging incidents which raise awareness, and the possibility of new regulations to strengthen compliance requirements.

What are the biggest cybersecurity threats IT leaders should watch out for?

While we have a lot to look forward to this year, we also have a lot we need to address and a lot we need to get right. Some of our top concern areas include – l Attackers Eyeing the Cloud: With cloud, there’s a new, and expanding attack surface that can be left undefended or without the proper safeguards in place to protect important data. l Supply Chain as a Weakness: As organizations have improved their posture and built up their

CYBER CRIME HAS SURPASSED ILLEGAL DRUG TRAFFICKING AS A CRIMINAL MONEY MAKER. EVERY THREE SECONDS AN IDENTITY IS STOLEN. IT IS A TRUISM TO SAY THAT CYBER CRIMINALS ARE NOW DESTROYING LIVES RATHER THAN COMPUTERS. THEN WILL STOP AT NOTHING TO STEAL ANYTHING YOU’VE GOT: YOUR MONEY, YOUR IDENTITY, EVEN YOUR REPUTATION. ADDED TO THIS, THEIR METHODS ARE GETTING SOPHISTICATED AND MORE DEVIOUS WITH EACH PASSING DAY.

TECHNOLOGY OUTLOOK FOR 2019

“THERE ARE OTHER MAJOR UPCOMING TECHNOLOGIES THAT WILL CHANGE THE THREAT LANDSCAPE DRASTICALLY, SUCH EXAMPLE IS ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, WHICH HAS BEEN A BUZZWORD FOR A WHILE”

perimeter defenses, attackers will shift their focus to compromising third party vendors, customers or partners with the goal of gaining access to a target’s network. l Threats Targeting the Aviation Industry: Because airlines are trusted by their customers with a wide variety of sensitive personal

data, they are also frequently targeted by cyber criminals looking to gather data to enable other types of fraud. l The Rise in Breaches Due to Lack of Attribution and Accountability: Without risks and repercussions for malicious activity carried out on the internet, attackers will keep

attacking and organizations will keep getting breached l The Widening Skills Gap and Lack of Trained Experts to Fill Security Roles: According to various industry estimates, there are at least two million cyber security jobs that will go unfilled by the year 2020.

SME CHANNELS 41 JANUARY 2019

TECHNOLOGY OUTLOOK FOR 2019

TRENDS OF 2019 TO WATCH OUT FOR THE SURVEILLANCE INDUSTRY Johan Paulsson, Chief Technology Officer, Axis Communications, writes about the key technology trends that will have a significant impact on their business over the coming year and the security sector as a whole as 2019 promises to be another exciting year in bringing new technologies to market in increasingly useful ways

BY SANJAY MOHAPATRA sanjay@smechannels.com

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE In our industry today, machine or deep-learning is mostly used for video analytics, but we expect the technology will be an important component in many different applications and products in the future. Over time it will become a common tool for software engineers and will be included in many different environments and devices.

But, again, its application will be driven by the most compelling use cases, not by the technology itself. There is a temptation in the surveillance and security sector to over-promise in relation to new technologies. This has been true of AI in video analytics and, particularly, in some of the claims made around the current application of deep learning. With AI and deep learning, as with any new technology, we’re committed to making sure its implementation is robust, reliable and addresses real customer challenges. Research and progress will continue, steadily, and bring incremental improvements and benefits over the next year rather than radical change.

CLOUD AND EDGE COMPUTING Cloud computing is based on the centralised computing in one or many data center, and as the proliferation of connected, Internet of Things (IoT) devices grows exponentially, so does the amount of data produced. Even as more data centers with ever-increased capacity are created, this tsunami of data could become overwhelming. This can be particularly critical in areas such as video surveillance, where despite the development of technologies designed to reduce storage and bandwidth needs, data demands are still significant.

This is where the benefits of edge computing

42 SME CHANNELS JANUARY 2019

come to the fore. In simple terms, as its name suggest, edge computing puts more data processing at the ‘edge’ of the network, close to where the data is collected by the sensor and before transfer to the data center.

In our business, edge computing means processing data within the camera itself. Firstly, initial processing of data within the camera can significantly reduce the bandwidth demands of both data transfer and storage. Additionally, data can be anonymised and encrypted before it is transferred, addressing security and privacy concerns. Ultimately, cloud and edge computing will not be an ‘either…or’ decision; the two will work in balance to the greatest benefit.

PERSONALIZATION VS PRIVACY In years to come, 2018 might be considered as the year when broad awareness of data privacy reached its highest point, particularly that associated with personal information. To those in the public and private sectors, the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) bought a higher level of scrutiny than ever before to how organisations collect, store, share and use personal information (including that captured by video surveillance).

To the broader consumer, however, it is more likely to be issues relating to Facebook’s use of data which has heightened awareness and concern regarding what happens to the personal data given away online.

Ultimately, we live in a world where we have been given valuable online services in exchange for knowingly or unconsciously handing over a significant amount of personal data. Indeed, this

data is used by the likes of Facebook, Amazon, Google and others to increase the value of these services through a high degree of personalisation. To many, however, it feels like a line has been crossed between useful personalisation and invasion of privacy, and the rumours that home voice assistants listen in to domestic conversations will only cause this unease to increase.

Ultimately, the trust between an organisation and its customers is becoming an increasingly important and tangible asset. Concerns about a company’s approach to privacy and the use of personal data will be one of the most impactful aspects of trust in business moving forwards.

CYBERSECURITY Can something continue to be a ‘trend’ when it appears every year, and is a constant concern?

Whatever your answer to that question, it’s impossible to think about issues that will affect every sector this year without a mention of cybersecurity. Indeed, in relation to the previous point, the fastest way to damage trust between a company and its customers (and shareholders) is through a cybersecurity breach.

Cybersecurity will never be solved, because the cybercriminals (and increasingly nation states) will never stop trying to find and exploit vulnerabilities. These organisations are incredibly wellfunded and organised and can innovate much more quickly than companies that need to adhere to industry regulations. Attacks are becoming more sophisticated, at a time when the number of connected devices mean that potential vulnerabilities and insecure network end-points are growing exponentially.

TECHNOLOGY OUTLOOK FOR 2019

JOHAN PAULSSON CHIEF TECHNOLOGY OFFICER, AXIS COMMUNICATIONS

“CLOUD COMPUTING IS BASED ON THE CENTRALISED COMPUTING IN ONE OR MANY DATA CENTER, AND AS THE PROLIFERATION OF CONNECTED, INTERNET OF THINGS (IOT) DEVICES GROWS EXPONENTIALLY, SO DOES THE AMOUNT OF DATA PRODUCED.”

One particular area of vulnerability that has been highlighted recently is in the supply chain, where either a lack of good cybersecurity practice or even deliberately malicious actions can result in cybersecurity breaches being achieved through both software and hardware. The provenance of products is ever more critical than ever, with manufacturers needing to be confident that every link in their supply chain is a secure as it should be.

SMART TECHNOLOGY TO DELIVER ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS We’ve already seen how video analytics can be used as an operational planning tool by organisations looking to improve energy efficiency within offices, with the subsequent positive benefits for the environment. But new types of sensors can more accurately measure environmental impact across an organisation’s sites, effectively acting as highly sensitive artificial ‘noses’ calibrated to different forms of output, and thermal imaging can

be used to pinpoint areas of energy wastage.

For instance, one critical area where such sensors can heighten awareness, understanding and, increasingly allow for remedial action is in air quality. Whether inside buildings or in the external urban environment, the negative impacts on health and associated costs are becoming an evergreater issue.

SENSOR INTEGRATION DRIVING SMART ACTIONS Smart sensors will have a central role to play in addressing the problem globally. Such applications add value to organisations through efficiencies and cost savings (and, hopefully, health benefits), but also help them reach their own environmental and sustainability goals.

In themselves, individual sensors such as those described above can deliver significant benefits. But a final trend that we’re confident will be increasingly prevalent in 2019 will be combining

and integrating sensors to prompt ‘smart’ actions.

For instance, in a smart city, a motion sensor connected to a barrier could trigger a camera which, in turn, would trigger an alert in the operations center, allowing for rapid and appropriate response. Or an environmental sensor could again trigger a video or thermal camera to quickly identify fires or spillages, again prompting alerts which will create a more rapid and effective response.

When the range of sensors are considered – from thermal to motion, from atmospheric to video – the ways in which they could be combined are endless, as are the potential benefits of doing so.

Technology continues to develop at a rapid and accelerating pace. While it can be easy to become distracted by the potential of every new trend or innovation, each must be considered in relation to the use cases that are going to deliver maximum positive impact and value to organisations and citizens.

SME CHANNELS 43 JANUARY 2019

TECHNOLOGY OUTLOOK FOR 2019

HOW CHANNEL BUSINESS WILL LOOK LIKE IN 2019 The year 2018 was the most volatile year for the channel fraternity in India. While the repercussions of the GST continued to affect the channel business, the storm created by E-Commerce during the festive season and the nationwide protest by the brick and mortar, adversely impacted the channel business. Rajesh Goenka, Director, Sales & Marketing, RP tech India, discuss what he predicts will be the big trends to watch in 2019.

BY DEEPAK SINGH deepak@smechannels.com

T

he traditional channel is transforming and expanding its business horizons to sustain in the industry. Here are four key trends which will dominate the channel in 2019.

SECURITY BUSINESS TO BE THE ALLTIME HIGH With the advent of growing awareness about security (both physical and digital), the security and surveillance industry will continue to grow in 2019. The government initiatives like Smart City and Safe City projects have triggered a huge demand for security hardware such as CCTV cameras, storage and solutions such as cloud and AI. According to ResearchAndMarkets.com, India video surveillance market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 16.4% during 2018-2024. As the IT business is growing through stagnancy, security is the next growth destination, channel partners should head to. In 2019, we will see channel partners expanding verticals and stepping into the security area for better ROI and sustainable business in a big way.

CLOUD COMPUTING TO GROW FURTHER With minimum operating cost, the cloud has

44 SME CHANNELS JANUARY 2019

emerged as the most cost-effective option to manage the workloads and processes. As a result, many small and mid-level organizations are shifting on the cloud. Though public cloud still dominates the market, the hybrid cloud and private cloud are also growing consistently. While enterprises have started their cloud journey, there is still a significant untapped segment of the market which provides huge opportunities for partners in the cloud business. Various cloud environments offer vast opportunities for partners. A right choice of platform and vendor along with domain expertise will be the key for the success for cloud channel partners in 2019.

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IS THE NEW WAVE Though at a nascent phase currently, the AI business will bolster in 2019 due to rising demand for AI solutions from different industries. According to IDC, the worldwide market for AI and cognitive systems reached $8 billion in 2016 and will expand to more than $47 billion by 2020. While the adopters of AI are largely the enterprises, the trend will change as vendors embed the technology in software applications and make it available as service via the cloud for mass consumption.

The enterprise channel has huge prospects in this

RAJESH GOENKA DIRECTOR, SALES & MARKETING, RP TECH INDIA

“AS THE IT BUSINESS IS GROWING THROUGH STAGNANCY, SECURITY IS THE NEXT GROWTH DESTINATION, CHANNEL PARTNERS SHOULD HEAD TO.� flourishing business vertical which is the near future of the industry.

A RETROSPECTIVE OF THE BUSINESS NEED OF AN HOUR While the industry is transforming on a rapid pace and moving towards software define everything where technologies such as Cloud, IoT, AI will become a key part of business operations, the partners will be seen embracing the new wave of technological transformation. Value addition will continue to remain the key factor for growth and channel partners will focus more on services than mere box pushing. Customer satisfaction will be crucial and partners will focus on improvising the overall customer experience. In short, partners will pay attention towards overall organizational health check in 2019.

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The Orbi RBK20 covers homes up to 4,000 square feet with strong WiFi signals and the Innovative Tri-band Wi-Fi helps maximize the Internet speeds available.

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Works with a single WiFi network name and has dedicated Tri-Band WiFi for 4K HD video streaming and gaming. The RBK20 eliminates dead spots due to challenging building materials, as it’s easy to add another satellite if needed, under the same network name.

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