E-Magazine March 2019 Issue

Tech Data inks a distribution agreement with Automation Anywhere

LG expects boost in five-star AC sales in 2019 th

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2019 7th, Friday, June 2019, Hotel Shangri-La’s - Eros, New Delhi VOLUME XX

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R&M completes acquisition of Optimum Fiber Optics Inc.

SonicWall introduces cloud-managed Wi-Fi access points

Innovation, Acceleration and Right Partnership - the key differentiators of the 10th WIITF, Mumbai | 26PG VOLUME XX

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EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES – A BOON OR A BANE? Spotify enters India's streaming market

Swedish company Spotify, claimed to be the world's most popular paid musicstreaming service offering free music supported by advertising on its app has made its debut in India.

Music- and video-streaming have been gaining ground in India over the past few years as high-speed internet becomes ubiquitous and adoption of smartphones gather pace. With more than 400 million users, India is already the largest smartphone market in the world after China.

The launch comes as India's musicstreaming market draws the attention of many global players, including Apple, e-commerce giant Amazon, and China's Tencent Holdings. Apple launched its music-streaming services in India in 2015.

Last year, Amazon offered its Prime Music in India at no extra cost to members of its Prime program.

Cabinet passes Aadhaar as ID proof for banks, sim cards

To open a bank account and for procuring a mobile phone connection, Aadhaar card can now be used voluntarily as an identity proof. The Cabinet has approved this promulgation of an Ordinance on February 28.

The Ordinance was necessitated as a bill. It was passed by Lok Sabha on January 4 but was pending in Rajya Sabha. The Ordinance will now give the effect to the changes in the Aadhaar Act such as giving a child an option to exit from the biometric ID programme on attaining 18 years of age.

Law and IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said after a Cabinet meeting chaired

by Prime Minister Narendra Modi that the Cabinet has approved the promulgation of an Ordinance to give effect to the Aadhaar and Other Laws (Amendment) Bill.

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N E X T G E N E R AT I O N F L E X I B L E H Y P E R C O N V E R G E D P L AT F O R M T U R N K E Y, H C I , H Y B R I D Organisations want an agile, cost-efficient and trusted IT infrastructure which is future-ready, rapidly scales with demand and facilitates their business growth.

A wealth of experience, with over 23 years of building complex on-premise, hybrid and cloud end-to-end solutions

A system which enables them to take full advantage of the latest in hyper-convergence, which comes equipped with a full range of external services such as cloud, applications, security, mobility, and business continuity, while being easy to manage.

Acuutech MESH is the answer. An extensive IT platform specifically developed for agile businesses, built upon the leading technologies of Microsoft and Lenovo. MESH is a proven, turnkey IT solution, its deployment de-risks IT investment and enables organisations to get on with their core task…delivering business success.

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HYBRID Hybrid solutions extend the capabilities of your HCI platform into the cloud providing additional protection and data access solutions.

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P L AT F O R M The root of the platform is the HCI hardware appliance, available in various configurations and topologies. This platform delivers high-performance, highly available storage, networking and visualisation to support your most demanding applications.

Volume replication – Synchronous or asynchronous replication between two sites to enable fast system fail-over and disaster recovery.

Application hosting – Virtual machine creation and management.

Software defined networking (SDN) – Network segmentation and isolation, ideal for organisations wanting to separate tenants or business units.

VM encryption and protection – Encrypt and protect sensitive or secure VM’s from the base platform, allowing secure workloads to be run concurrently with other VM’s.

Managed Disaster Recovery – Fully managed DR, from on-premises to the cloud. Full design and configuration of fail-over, data replication monitoring and application fail-over testing.

Off-site backup to Azure - VM level backup of your HCI appliance, Windows VM, VMWare or bare metal systems, unlimited retention period, coupled with flexible backup snapshot intervals Hybrid File Server - Make any file server share available over the Internet or archive rarely used files to Azure, saving local space.

C LO U D Leverage the benefits of key cloud services. Fully configured solutions, curated and tuned to be simpler to use and manage.

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Infrastructure on demand (IaaS) - Flexible virtual machine and infrastructure services, simplified with support for multiple deployment locations.

Virtual desktop - Azure hosted virtual desktop solution, supporting a wide range of VM types and configurations.

Applications on demand (PaaS) - Enhance IaaS and Office 365 through support for PaaS database services and the Azure Marketplace.

Driving thought leadership in advanced technologies and solution design

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Office 365 - Full support for all Office 365 subscriptions, with migration, support and maintenance built-in.

Multi-factor authentication (MFA) - Provide additional challenge and response for user logins beyond a basic username and password.

Device Management - Control and manage your user’s mobile devices and desktop computers. To protect business-related data and applications.

F E AT U R E E N H A N C E MENTS AND SUPPORT Acuutech MESH is a turnkey solution platform; upgrades and feature enhancements are included, and this approach applies to new versions of cloud-based services and on-premises platform capabilities.

The system fully supports the life-cycle of your users and systems, providing reliability today and into the future.

Platform

Hybrid

Cloud

Hyper-converged appliance

Disaster recovery

Infrastructure on demand (IaaS)

Volume replication and failover

Offsite backup

Virtual Desktop

Application hosting platform

Hybrid-file server

Application Services on demand (PaaS)

Software defined networking

Office 365 Productivity suite

VM Encryption and protection

Multi-factor authentication Device management

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HELLO INDIA

Success mantra of the digital era is Sustainability, Innovation, Collaboration!

Digital transformation is the integration of digital technology into all areas of a business that delivers value to customers. With time, this definition is getting broader. Where digital indicates the rapid pace of change due to adoption of technology, transformation indicates the need for an organization to adopt change and innovation and support existing traditional methods.

Transforming the business to the digital world has now become a necessity and is the only best option available for organizations looking at moving ahead. While we are undergoing the transformation journey, the cloud and the network comes in the way.A question that arises is which one do we choose? The answer is both goes hand in hand – one cannot really exist without the other.

Digital transformation spending will grow steadily, as various emerging sectors such a social media, e-commerce, BFSI, hospitality, taxi aggregators, and even large housing societies are collecting and reusing the data without the consent, which is becoming a concern.

Protective measures have to be taken to secure personal data from unapproved access and data corruption throughout the data lifecycle. Today, many corporates have realised the fact and are working strategically in India to drive digital transformation for businesses across sectors by understanding their business needs and optimizing their digital platform strategy.

At the same time, IoT and IIoT security becomes another complex problem, which requires systematic approach for understanding possible threats and corresponding mitigation methods. There are various types of IoT-based attacks and exploits.

We have entered into various stages of transformation such as Business Process Automation(BPA), Digital Process Automation (DPA) and Robotic Process Automation (RPA), which continues to bring newer demand. Intelligent Process Automation (IPA) is the new trend, applying Artificial Intelligence and related new technologies like Cognitive Automation, Machine Learning and Computer Vision to Robotic Process Automation.

With the global workforce increasingly becoming mobile – with 1.87 billion mobile workers by 2022 -users can now access IQ (Intelligent Quotient) Bot from a mobile device.With this anybody, anywhere one can use it. Advances in AI and cloud technologies are rapidly expanding the market for data capture that brings a $20 billion untapped opportunity.

In the recently held WIITF (Western India Information Technology Fair) event in Mumbai organised by Kalinga Digital Media, it has been observed that the top-performing multinational companies are increasingly now looking to Asia Pacific as a test-bed for innovation in their business models and services before introducing them to other parts of the world. Asia is rated the best at testing on every newer innovations due to higher rates of economic growth and a predominantly young, millennial workforce. The fact is when the economy is growing at 8%, the business is expanding at around 50%.

Lastly, improving customer experience has become a crucial goal – and thus a crucial part of digital transformation.

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Organizations are embracing SD-WAN in unprecedented numbers for all of its advantages.

However, embracing SD-WAN without a clear understanding of its security implications reduces those advantages to empty promises.

Fortinet’s Secure SD-WAN solution delivers on all of the advantages that SD-WAN has to offer but with the added benefit of being part of the Fortinet Security Fabric. Integrated into FortiOS, existing FortiGate customers can easily migrate to Secure SD-WAN. New customers looking to upgrade their WAN infrastructure can leverage FortiGate’s rich mix of networking and security features.

Help your customers get the best of both worlds with Fortinet’s Secure SD-WAN.

For details contact: North: Nitin Gupta, E-mail: nitingupta@fortinet.com, M: +91 93103 62598 South: Binu Ninan, E-mail: bninan@fortinet.com, M: +91 98400 36767 West, East, Central: Navin Mehra, E-mail: nmehra@fortinet.com, M: +91 98925 60700

FORTINET SECURITY FABRIC A Security Architecture that’s Broad, Integrated and Automated

www.fortinet.com/whyfortinet

www.varindia.com March 2019

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CONTENTS

EVENTS | 26

Website: www.varindia.com

Publisher: Deepak Kumar Sahu Editor: S Mohini Ratna Executive Editor: Dr. Vijay Anand Deputy Editor: Samrita Baruah Sub - Editor: Aparna Mullick Correspondent: Lopamudra Das Tech Analyst: Brajendu Das Art Director: Rakesh Kumar Network Administrator: Ashok Kumar Singh Manager-IT: Subhash Mohanta Manager-SEO: Bidyadhar Behera BUSINESS: Commercial Manager: Amit Kumar Jha Sr. Marketing Manager: Ashok Ranjan Dash Circulation Executive: Manish Kumar

Innovation, Acceleration and Right Partnership the key differentiators of the 10th WIITF, Mumbai

CORPORATE OFFICE: VAR House, A-84A/3 Rose Apartment, Paryavaran complex, IGNOU Road, New Delhi - 110030 Tel: 011-41656383, 46061809 Email: edit@varindia.com Bangalore: Bureau office Marketing Manager: S. Kamala kar Correspondent: L. G. Swami D-103 G.F., Ashish JK Apartments Thubarahalli Extended Road Bangaluru- 560066 Tel: 080-49530399 | Mobile:09886280836 E-mail: kamlakar@varindia.com Mumbai: Bureau office Regional Manager (West): Anil Kumar Sr. Correspondent: Mamta S. Anurag Residency, 203 - “B” Wing, Plot No-5, Sector-9, Kamothe, Navi Mumbai-410 209 Tel: 022-65561292, Mobile: 08108017479 E-mail: anil@varindia.com, mamta@varindia.com Chennai: Bureau office Branch Manager: K. Parthiban F1, Meadows Green Apartments, 64, Chetty Street 1st Cross, Mel Ayanambakkam, Chennai - 600 095 Cell No. : 98400 55626 E-mail: parthiban@varindia.com Hyderabad: Bureau office Branch Manager: Sunil Kumar Sahu 32-161/3, 202 Neha Paradise, Nr. Maissamma Temple, Venketeswara colony Ramakrishna Puram, Hyderabad - 500056 Telangana, Tel: 040-32989844/ Cell No. 08100298033 E-mail: sunil@varindia.com Kolkata: Bureau office Marketing Officer: Sunil Kumar Correspondent: B Kiran Dutta 123 SDF Building, Block GP Sector V, Salt Lake City, Kolkata - 700091 Mobile: 08100298033, E-mail: sunil@varindia.com Mobile: 09903088480, E-mail: kiran@varindia.com Printed and Published by Deepak Kumar Sahu on behalf of M/s. Kalinga Digital Media Pvt. Ltd. and Printed at Pushpak Press Pvt. Ltd. Shed No. 203 - 204, DSIDC Complex, Okhla Industrial Area, Phase-I, New Delhi-110020 and Published at A-84A/3 Rose Apartment, Paryavaran complex, IGNOU Road, New Delhi - 110030, Editor - S Mohini Ratna.

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

All payments favouring: KALINGA DIGITAL MEDIA PVT LTD © All rights are reserved. No part of this magazine may be reproduced or copied in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of the publisher. (1999-2016) * All disputes are subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of competent courts and forums in Delhi only.

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REGULARS Round About Channel Chief CEO Speak Hot Bytes On the Ramp Voice N Data Channel Buzz Movers & Shakers

CHANNEL SCORE CARD 8 10 12 14, 18 18, 20 22 24 53

FACE TO FACE 23

ATEN integrates its strong manufacturing &R&D capabilities to cater to different markets

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“With the ease of doing business improving, the number of start-ups will go up”

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INDIA – the DIGITAL SOLUTION hub of the WORLD

E-COMMERCE 44

February 1, 2019 a LandmarkFOR OFFLINE RETAIL

VAR SECURITY 52

Bosch committed to securePeople and Premises

EVENTS 26

Innovation, Acceleration and Right Partnership - the key differentiators of the 10th WIITF, Mumbai

LEAD STORY

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WOMAN OF TODAY FORESEES A BRIGHTER TOMORROW

VAR MOBILITY 54

Yuho Mobiles envisions to be in the 'Top 5' in India by next FY

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ROUND ABOUT

Saga of Innovations – breakthroughs and Jugaads There are good number of people who believe that technology may play a bigger role in medical science than the medical practitioners, so much so that the global IT companies like Google, Apple, Amazon are recruiting medical practitioners and are opening special divisions within their set up to pioneer devices and equipment that can help digitize medical sciences and to take medical science and treatments closer to people. Some of them are working on redefining the medical science with the help of technology and newer concepts.

Health is replaced by the word wellness. Of course, wellness is a wider concept and that underscores use of concepts and devices to help ward off diseases to make people fit and trim. Smart watches attached to smartphones are in vogue. Doctors are trying to develop devices to track blood pressure like what a glucometer can do.Yet another set of scientists are working on genome based customized medicines. Scientists are on the verge of developing a device for detecting the best time for a woman conceiving children and also for preserving eggs taken at the time of ovulation to be fertilized later. Experiments galore! One thing that runs across these experiments is its direct benefit to the people, to ordinary and extraordinary people.

Gaming is another field where technology is bringing radical changes. We are all aware of the blockchain, which disrupted the financial services and how people do business and exchange their goods and services using that medium. Admittedly, blockchains based on the use of algorithms is increasingly getting acceptance across the world. But the same technology is disrupting many other disciplines including gaming and would intensify the explosive growth of electronic sports. The uses in this field could be for extending the life of a game, to make it more interesting and to provide experiences, which the players never experienced before. I am told there is a game called Cooking Mama, where players are tasked to innovate new recipes. Players can change the recipe and cook new delicacies.

The private codes generated for each player can help them to hold on to the recipe after the competitionand can get even a patent to commercialize that.

Innovations can take place even at the grassroot level and not necessarily in the confines of state-of-the-art laboratories or incubators. I understand that there is a new terminology called Jugaad innovation to categorize such breakthroughs. They may look simple and Spartan but can considerably enhance the quality of life of a common man.

Let me take the example of a village school girl from Kerala, Remya Jose. She was concerned about her mother, who was sick and

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have an automated machine, which can prepare sugar cane juice to suit your palate using artificial intelligence, wherein one can feed the preferences like the right quantum of ice to be added, whether it should have sprinklings of lemon juice etc. If such innovations do take place, very soon people would turn to natural drinks, which are made hygienically compared to the bottled beverages.

Globally, there have been many innovations that have either reduced the drudgery or made things easier. I was told of a Folding Microscope, an innovation born out of a project commissioned with resources donated by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

The innovator is an Indian - Manu Prakash at Stanford. Microscope can be assembled from a punched sheet of cardstock, a spherical glass lens, an LED and diffuser panel, and a watch battery. The device can be used to diagnose infectious diseases and costs less than Rs 70 rupees a piece.

had to toil hard with household chores including washing the clothes of the family members.

To reduce the drudgery of her mother she invented a washing machine cum exercise machine, which can run without electricity by peddling a bicycle like equipment. Her video was telecast by Discovery Channel in 2007.

Another person who shot to fame is Jalagaon based Sheikh Jahangir, who invented a multipurpose machine using mobile spray-painting device and four second hand scooters into a super machine, which can work as a mobile sugar cane making unit, a generator, a flour mill and a washing machine. It is a rare feat by an ordinary boy from nondescript village.

Let me take an example of a sugar cane juice extractor. The previous avatar of the juice expeller was one which was handled manually by physically rotating a steering like thing. Of course, those who have got a delicate stomach would become victim of the unhygienic process of juice extraction. Later the juice expellers were connected with a motor and extraction was done mechanically. A breakthrough came when the expeller was connected to a motor to make the process automatic. Now, the vendors use the motor to convert the expeller as a vehicle for moving from one place to the other, which earlier they carried in a cart. I am sure very soon they would hit with an idea to extract juice in a hygienic manner, without any intervention of the human being. That would mean washing the sugar cane in clear water, plucking it from the stored place, keeping it in the expeller and collecting the juice, all by the machine. It may not be a far- fetched idea to

The MittiCool Refrigerator is a class apart.

Conceived by a 10th-grade dropout selling tea at Wankaner in Gujarat, this equipment had evinced a fair degree of world attention.

Mansukh Prajapati, the innovator owns the MittiCool brand that makes and distributes an array of home appliances from clay that keeps food articles cool and resists decay.

MittiCool is now working on clay houses that keeps inhabitants cool in summers and warm in winters.

There is also the story of Ice Stupas built

by Sonam Wangchuk, an engineer from Ladakh and of Three Idiots fame, who came up with the idea conical ice mounds looking like miniglaciers, which releases water for the farming season. For this pioneering effort, Wangchuk received the Rolex Award for Enterprise in 2016. Sonam Wangchuk, the real Phunsuk Wangdu, was conferred the Magsaysay Award in August 2018.

My esteemed readers may indeed ask me what I am really trying to drive home. There are two things that I want to underline. There are innovative and out of box people who tries to do things differently, think differently and act differently. The world may dub them as non-conformists or crazy but almost all inventions and discoveries have come from such crazy people and not from the people who think in a linear manner and not keen to experiment. I can add a third factor and that I would call an urge to create something new. A society can only flourishes if this passion for innovation is practiced and encouraged widely.

After all the world belongs to the future and we need to accept that with courage and openness to innovation.

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CHANNEL CHIEF

Sophos strives to develop its partners into trusted cybersecurity advisors With the threat landscape continually changing, Sophos believes to continually invest and develop solutions in order to stay one step ahead.Aligning with this strategy, partners of Sophos play an important role in consulting businesses of all sizes to adopt a holistic cyber security. In an interview with VARINDIA, SUNIL SHARMA, MANAGING DIRECTOR SALES, INDIA & SAARC – Sophos explains how Sophos assists its partners by simplifying IT security for them which eventually helps them to grow their business significantly Sophos is a channel first, channel best organization.Its efforts are focused on empowering the channel ecosystem by providing the bestin-class pre and post-sales support, training and certification programs, access to world class marketing communications via its Partner Portal and competitive margins.

“We are enabling our channel partners to develop into trusted cybersecurity advisors that customers can rely on. We will continue to support our partners with the right tools, technologies and programs to help them deliver the best service to their customers. Our channel partners continually invest in the training and certification required to make their teams masters in the field and well placed to provide the right cybersecurity guidance to their customers,” says Sunil Sharma, Managing Director Sales, India & SAARC – Sophos.

Sophos’ Partner Program is designed to meet the needs of a growing business. Each partner level is determined by revenue along with Sophos Sales and Technical competency, which is determined by certification requirements. As partners invest more in the relationship through training and certification, they receive greater rewards and increased commitment from Sophos.

“Our simple, flexible and profitable Partner Program supports our partners as they scale to the next level of business growth. Whether they resell our products, offer managed services, or have a dedicated security practice, we give them the industry’s most advanced offering of awardwinning security products. With solutions that are easy to demo, easy to sell, and easy to manage, partners can grow their business successfully, with the reassurance that they are fully supported by our channel-first sales team,” explains Sunil.

Advice to VARs

Partners & the security landscape

With the threat landscape continually changing, Sophos believes to continually invest and develop solutions in order to stay one step ahead.

It understands that point products are no longer enough to effectively protect an organization, but organizations need multi-layered cybersecurity solutions to detect and remediate threats.The channel partners play an important role in consulting businesses of all sizes to adopt holistic cybersecurity that works together as a system.

Sophos helps its partners to be trusted security advisors with hands-on training and sales tools. As a pioneer of synchronized security, it continues to enable more of its portfolio with capability to share information directly to automate and improve the time taken to respond to potential threats.

Managed through its flagship cloud management platform Sophos Central, synchronized security now offers even more effective and comprehensive security for customers. Channel partners have embraced this innovation and see it as a unique market differentiator and a successful proposition for their customers.

“At Sophos we take pride in our promise to simplify IT security for our partners and their customers. We are dedicated to helping our channel togrow their business successfully, with the reassurance and support of our dedicated channel team.Sophos is supporting its partners who want toscale their business and develop an MSP model to deliver these security solutions for their customers who may not have the resources or skills to manage and prioritize the volume of security incidents they face,” says Sunil.

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“Many organizations are no longer building strategies for “if” they suffer a breach but “when”. This will have huge impact on partners as their customers will feel increased pressure to protect and secure company information. These organizations will rely on channel partners to recommend best protection against these ongoing and sophisticated attacks. We believe channel partners have a significant opportunity to improve their customers’ protection with minimal impact and grow revenue opportunities.”

Furthermore, Managed Service Providers will be in demand as the attack surfaces increases with the number of businesses, according to Sunil. Partners are seizing this opportunity to specialise in cybersecurity to better protect businesses of all sizes.

Going forward

Sophos will continue to focus its efforts on empowering the channeland enable partners with the right tools to help them drive this goal.

“Cybersecurity will continue to remain a priority for businesses.

However, many organisations still don’t understand what technologies are needed and will rely on channel partners to manage their security for them.

2019 will see an increased focus on our managed service provider (MSP) program for our channel partners,” sums up Sunil. n

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Odisha Computer Application Centre

Excellence in IT Solutions

• Developing a well planned, robust and futuristic IT architecture for the state to ensure good governance, ushering higher economic growth and attract investment in IT & ITeS Sector through industry friendly policies.

• Nodal Agency to develop e-Governance road map for the state, provide technology support and capacity building • Implementing various e-Governance projects under National e-Governance Plan (NeGP) like OSWAN, SDC, CSC, SSDG, e-District etc. as State Designated Agency.

• Strong Industry Facilitation & IT Promotion Cell to function as the single window for the entrepreneurs in the IT sector.

Odisha Computer Application Centre E & IT Department, Government of Odisha

Govt. of Odisha

OCAC Building, Plot No. N-1/7-D, Acharya Vihar, Bhubaneswar 751 013, Odisha, India EPABX : +91-674-2567295, 2567064 Fax: +91-674-2567842 Email : contact@ocac.in Website : www.ocac.in www.varindia.com March 2019

11

CEO SPEAK

R&M inaugurated its state-of-the-art production hub in a sprawling facility in Bangalore. This manufacturing facility is built under the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Make in Indiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; initiative and is dedicated to production and warehousing of Fiber Optic solutions for data centers and FTTx applications.

On having opened this facility and adding another milestone in deepening its commitment to India, Hans Hess, Chairman - Board of Directors, R&M speaks exclusively to VARINDIA on what he thinks is the India market like in the structured cabling space and about his investment and future expansion plans in this market HANS HESS Chairman - Board of Directors, R&M

R&M continues its growth strategy and commitment for the India market What potential does India market show as far as manufacturing is concerned?

What will be your R&D and manufacturing roadmap for the country?

We have invested in manufacturing in India with the idea of serving the customers in India.

But we have now seen that Indian employees can offer high level of quality supported by us. So we are thinking of using this facility to not only produce for our Indian customers but also for our customers in Europe and United States. We are also thinking of taking up some R&D here for the purpose of not only customizing our products for the Indian market but also develop together with our suppliers great quality products for our international customers.

What business advantages do you see in India today? How do you plan to give shape to it while also driving profitability in mind?

We are convinced that India has a very attractive workforce here who can produce toplevel, Swiss quality products for our international customers, clubbed with the knowledge of efficiency that we can bring from Europe. This will give us highly competitive products for this market as well as the international market, giving rise to a profitable business eventually.

How do opportunities like Make in India and Digital India lend 12

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further support to your ambitions How is R&M doing worldwide and goals for the India market? in terms of driving the structured Make in India is an opportunity for us, cabling market?

because we are one of the few international players in our segment that has a sizeable operation in India. So we can proudly say to our customers in India that we deliver world-class, Swiss quality, Made in India products and this combination is unbeatable.

What will be your future expansion and investment plans for India?

For the time being we will scale our operations here through which we can produce at least three times more products, so this is going to be our first step. But the rate at which we see the Indian market developing currently, we might have to set up a second operation here, again for both the India and the international customers.

What will be your further plans in expanding current production unit with more sophisticated fiber assemble units?

Our worldwide operations for fiber optics is in Bulgaria and we have been increasingly bringing these products to India, to manufacture them for both Indian and international customers. So we will increasingly have products made in India and this Indian operation in Bangalore will be the most important and our biggest facility in the world.

R&M has been investing significantly into expanding our product offering for international customers. We are a company that is present globally in our field and we will continue to develop this international business potential in the direction of smart cities and other such initiatives which are offering a scope of growth for the structured cabling market and other products that we have.

What new technological enhancements would you be looking forward to in your products and solutions in coming days?

R&M has plans to go beyond the structured cabling market and invest into datacenter, which is a very interesting market particularly here in India. We already have a high quality product portfolio, but recently we entered into the telecom business as we see a lot of opportunities in public networksto allow more people to use fiber optics. So we are a part of that attractive journey with leading providers of internet telecom networks in India.

We are one of the leaders in this field and have made huge investments in highly competitive product range. We combine this with a very powerful distribution network in India and deliver this with reliability and relationship to our Indian customers. n

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HOT BYTES

Vodafone joins hands with ARM over IoT deployments

Arm and Vodafone have entered into a strategic agreement that will significantly reduce complexity and costs faced by organisations when implementing Internet of Things (IoT) solutions. Expanding on the companies’ previous collaboration around integrated SIM (iSIM) technology, this partnership brings together Vodafone IoT global platform and connectivity, and Arm’s IoT software and network services to provide enterprises with programmable, connected system on chip designs that eliminate the need for traditional SIM cards. This allows customers to securely deploy, remotely provision and manage massive numbers of IoT devices across global markets at a significantly lower cost and complexity.

This strategic partnership between Arm and Vodafone enables remote provisioning for devices using Narrow Band-IoT (NB-IoT) and Long Term Evolution for Machines (LTE-M) technologies and provide secure, open, standards-based deployment to any application and service provider across the globe.

Tata Communications to enable IGL’s pre-paid smart gas metering system

Indraprastha Gas Limited (IGL) has awarded Genesis Gas Solutions for the roll-out of its pre-paid smart gas metering system.The new smart meters supplied by Genesis Gas Solutions in partnership with Tata Communications’ LoRaWAN Internet of Things (IoT) network will enable its customers to monitor their gas use more accurately in real-time against available credit and pave the way for greater operational efficiency for IGL. This is the first time that this technology is being deployed by any CGD (City Gas Distribution) company in the country. Tata Communications already has an established LoRaWAN network in Delhi NCR, which has now been extended to Rewari.

As the first stage of deployment,5,000 pre-paid Genesis smart gas meters have been installed in Rewari by IGL. Underpinning this is Tata Communications’ IoT infrastructure based on an ultra-low-power, longrange LoRaWAN- a network that has been specifically designed for IoT devices such as smart meters.

BlackBerry acquires Cylance

BlackBerry Limited has finalized acquisition of Cylance, a privatelyheld artificial intelligence and cybersecurity company based in Irvine, California.

John Chen, Executive Chairman & CEO, BlackBerry, says, “Today, BlackBerry took a giant step forward toward our goal of being the world’s largest and most-trusted AI-cybersecurity company. Securing endpoints and the data that flows between them is absolutely critical in today’s hyperconnected world. By adding Cylance’s technology to our arsenal

of cybersecurity solutions we will help enterprises intelligently connect, protect and build secure endpoints that users can trust.”

Cylance’s machine learning and artificial intelligence technology is a strategic addition to BlackBerry’s end-to-end secure communications portfolio. As the President of BlackBerry Cylance, Stuart McClure will continue to apply his visionary math-based approach to threat detection, prevention, and response, as well as lead the business’ large team of highly-skilled engineers and data scientists that deliver trusted products and services for more than 4,000 companies around the world.

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Tech Data inks a distribution agreement with Automation Anywhere

Tech Data has signed an India distribution agreement with Automation Anywhere, the global leader in Robotic Process Automation (RPA). Automation Anywhere pioneered RPA to enable organizations to automate business processes while freeing up existing employees to spend more time on strategic tasks.

Under this agreement, the two companies will now support mutual partners in delivering solutions that augment human workforce with a digital one to focus on higher business value, while improving customer engagement and innovation.

“Robotic Process Automation is the latest revolution in productivity enhancement and offers impressive savings in terms of time, effort and cost,” said Naresh Desai, Vice-President, Specialist Business, Asia-Pacific, Tech Data. “We are excited to partner with Automation Anywhere to help meet the growing demand for RPA solutions delivered to end-customers through our partner community in the Indian market.”

“Automation Anywhere is expanding its reach to a diverse set of clients in India through a growing cadre of boutique partners and emerging service providers,” said Milan Sheth, Executive Vice-President, India, Middle East and Africa, Automation Anywhere.

Syniverse launches managed IPX network interconnection

Syniverse and Tata Communications extend their relationship to create the first fully-managed, end-to-end IPX network interconnection partnership. It will offer operators better visibility, customer service and control of the data flowing across their interconnected networks.

The way data travels across networks today via interconnection means that an operator’s IPX provider has no visibility or control of the data once it’s handed off to an interconnected network. This strategic IPX network partnership means that Syniverse and Tata Communications will work closely together to manage traffic so that there is higher quality service, greater global reach, increased capacity and improved connectivity for data travelling between the two companies’ networks. The partnership is backed by their network expertise and platforms that support 5G and internet of things (IoT), creating a comprehensive and reliable foundation for mobility services worldwide.

Dean Douglas, Chief Executive Officer and President, Syniverse, says, “Syniverse is the world’s most connected company and the partnership will help further both our and Tata Communications’ abilities to provide improved service assurance between our respective customers that goes beyond ‘best effort’ connectivity.”

Zoho completes acquisition of ePoise Systems

Zoho has acquired ePoise Systems, a hiring automation product startup for an undisclosed amount.

Zoho's forty plus business applications in areas of CRM, HR, Finance, Office productivity and Customer Service are used by 45 million users worldwide. They are available separately as well as under a single user license as Zoho One. Founded in 2013 by Sachin Agrawal and Bishan Singh, ePoise automates multiple screening steps for each role including a set of assessments leading to a video interview thus bringing significant efficiency to the hiring process for high volume recruiters.

Sridhar Vembu, CEO, Zoho, says, "The combination of Zoho's global footprint and depth of product portfolio and ePoise product capability and talent will add value to our customers. We are open to such tech-focused acquisitions."

www.varindia.com March 2019

15

HOT BYTES

HP inks MoU with APIS and APEDB to build CoE for additive manufacturing

HP Inc India has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Andhra Pradesh Innovation Society (APIS) and Andhra Pradesh Economic Development Board (APEDB) to build a Center of Excellence (CoE) for additive manufacturing powered

by HP’s 3D printing technology.

The CoE is part of the state government’s vision to accelerate adoption of 3D printing in various industry sectors such as automotive, aerospace, defence, consumer goods, healthcare, apparel and construction. It will be equipped with HP’s cutting-edge 3D printers that can handle short run production and functional prototyping.

HP will be the key knowledge provider for this initiative and will bring in its global 3D printing expertise to support various training programs that will be conducted at the CoE. Andhra Pradesh Innovation Society (APIS) will provide infrastructural support and enable necessary certifications and accreditations. Andhra Pradesh Economic Development Board (APEDB) will drive and encourage the usage of the CoE by government departments, Defence and Public Sector enterprises.

Subex bags a 5-year multi-million dollar contract with BTC

Subex has signed a five-year multi-million-dollar deal with Botswana Telecommunications Corporation Limited (BTC), a leading telecommunications services provider in Botswana. As part of the deal, Subex will be implementing its integrated ROC Revenue Assurance and ROC Fraud Management Platform (iRAFM), along with its ROC Partner Settlement and ROC Route Optimization. This deal also marks the continuation of Subex and BTC’s long-standing partnership which dates back to 2010.

BTC is a telecommunications services provider offering fixed line, mobile services (voice, SMS, data) and fixed broadband through ADSL, Fixed LTE and fiber to individual consumers, enterprises and other licensed service providers. BTC has interconnections and relationships with multiple service providers in the region making it a trusted partner for both provisioning of services to neighbouring countries and as a partner for transit product and services.

Through the multi-solution deployment of iRAFM, Subex will enable BTC with an out-of-the-box solution to combat prevalent frauds such as Subscription Fraud, Internal Fraud, Premium Rate Service Fraud (PRS Fraud), and International Revenue Share Fraud (IRSF), amongst others.

Audio-Technica enters into partnership with RP Tech India

Audio-Technica has forged a new strategic alliance with RP Tech India.

Under this partnership, RP Tech India will act as a National Distributor for Audio-Technica’s consumer headphones range. This will elevate and strengthen Audio-Technica’s touch-points, helping them reach customers across 750 towns through more than 9,000 partners and retailers.

Audio-Technica is confident that this partnership with RP Tech India will not only help them, reach their customers in more cities but also deliver the right customer experience, both pre- and post-sales, thanks to RP Tech India’s customer-centric sales force, tactical expertise in delivering products as well as its spread of service centres in over 50 locations.

To ensure customers have an easy access to Audio-Technica offering, Audi-Technica and RP Tech India have decided to adopt a multi-pronged approach to reach customers.

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Creative Peripherals ties up with Thermaltake

Creative Peripherals has announced its tie-up with Thermaltake. This tie-up with Creative shall advance Thermaltake's reach, enhance efficiency and improve service outcomes across India, consequently allowing both brands to meet the growing demands of the gaming community in India.

Kenneth Chang, Account (Sales) Manager, Thermaltake Technology Co. Ltd, says, "Thermaltake is committed to fulfilling the corporate mission of 'Delivering the Perfect User Experience' by providing consumers and fans the newest technology through our comprehensive product portfolio. By partnering with Creative Peripherals, Thermaltake can now better fulfil the needs of PC DIY and gaming enthusiasts in India by bringing a wider range of LCS products and advanced gaming gear."

Ketan Patel, Chairman & Managing Director, Creative Peripherals & Distribution Ltd, comments, "We are delighted to partner with Thermaltake for distributing superlative gaming products to our customer base at the most competitive prices. We, as a Value-added Distributor, are committed to create mutual benefits for brands, partners as well as customers through this tie-up on a long-term basis."

ACT Fibernet inks a strategic partnership with Netflix

ACT Fibernet and Netflix have announced a strategic partnership. As part of this partnership, ACT Fibernet’s existing and new customers who select from the newly launched 6-month and 12-month ‘Entertainment’ plan variants will be able to seamlessly pay for their monthly Netflix subscription through their ACT Fibernet bill. This will also enable customers to receive an assured cashback of up to INR 350 per month on their ACT bills, which will be added to their ACT accounts. The offer will be available for ACT Fibernet customers from March 6, 2019 across Delhi, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and will be subsequently expanded to other markets.

Ravi Karthik, Marketing Head, Atria Convergence Technologies Ltd. says, " In line with our brand philosophy Feel the Advantage, we are excited to partner with Netflix, one of the most preferred choice of entertainment for our customers, and provide exceptional benefits and convenience to our users who will now be able to stream and enjoy the best of 4K and HD content seamlessly.”

R&M completes acquisition of Optimum Fiber Optics Inc.

R&M has announced the acquisition of Optimum Fiberoptics Inc., a U.S. fiber optic cable and connectivity specialist based in Elkridge, Maryland. Founded in 1997, Optimum is a premium manufacturer and supplier of fiber management products for the commercial, industrial and governmental market. It has developed strong customer relationships in Washington D.C. and the Mid-Atlantic states supported by its quality products and its agility to provide customized solutions within short lead-times.

Markus Huber, Executive Vice President R&M North America, says, "Optimum is an excellent addition to our current activities based out of our North American Headquarters in the Silicon Valley and will enable us to accelerate our ambitious growth strategy. Furthermore, it will give us excellent access to the fast-growing data center market area in Washington D.C. and Northern Virginia."

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www.arraynetworks.com | sales@arraynetworks.com www.varindia.com February 2019

15

ON THE RAMP

SonicWall introduces cloudmanaged Wi-Fi access points

SonicWall has introduced new cloud-managed Wi-Fi access points and wireless planning tools designed to ease the deployment of global wireless networks.

SonicWall President & CEO Bill Conner says, “Cybercriminals take advantage of unintentional gaps left in the security architecture fabric.

SonicWall’s core mission is to empower organizations to improve their security posture and better protect against growing vulnerabilities. As our platform evolves, expands and integrates, we continue to deliver proven

security solutions to organizations looking to enhance visibility, streamline processes and implement cost efficiencies.”

To enhance wireless security and performance for SMBs and distributed enterprises, SonicWall delivers a range of new cloud-based deployment and management solutions.

SonicWall Wi-Fi Cloud Manager and SonicWiFi mobile app simplify wireless access, control and troubleshooting capabilities across networks of any size or region, with single sign-on (SSO) access provided by the cloud-based Capture Security Center to ensure proper security measures are taken.

Aspire Systems launches imagyn.ai to boost customer intelligence at banks

Aspire Systems has announced the launch of imagyn.ai, a revolutionary customer intelligence framework that powers insightful customer engagements for banks and financial institutions. With the company having a dedicated practice for Artificial Intelligence; imagyn. ai is one of a kind AI/ML driven framework that transforms account centric legacy systems to client centric producing intuitive interactions with customers.

Poor data quality and customer segmentation are one among the many challenges banks face today. To achieve intuitive customer interactions, the framework channels all perspective information like account history, transaction details and customer profile into creating a one true version of each banking customer.

Anand Subramaniam, Head, Artificial Intelligence Practice, Aspire Systems, says, “We are extremely pleased to launch imagyn.ai. The greatest challenge banks face today is the lack of clean, consistent and precise data.

The amount of data banks derive from their customers is erroneous but deriving the right insights from them has always been a trial.”

EY along with Blue Prism to offer "RPA as a service" on Microsoft’s Azure cloud

EY and Blue Prism have announced their collaboration to offer “RPA as a service” powered by Microsoft’s Azure cloud to organizations across India. The two companies have jointly commissioned several large-scale RPA deliveries in core and support business functions across financial services, ITeS, manufacturing and healthcare industries.

EY is the only global organization in Blue Prism’s ecosystem to receive Platinum certification for delivery along with Gold certification for capability.

EY and Blue Prism have been paving the digital transformation journey of organizations across the globe by providing them access to the cutting-edge-cloud, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and cognitive automation capabilities. Through this collaboration,Blue Prism’s automation technology and Microsoft’s Azure platform coupled with EY’s market leadership in global robotics services and diverse industry experience, organizations can now accomplish significant cost savings and new capabilities across functions such as finance, HR, supply chain, IT and sales and marketing.

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Dimension Data brings in next generation Managed Services

Dimension Data has announced the launch of its next-generation global managed services to help clients simplify the management and operation of their technology.

Dimension Data’s Managed Services Platform now offers near real-time insight and reporting, managing over 9,000 IP networks and supporting over 13 million users across the globe. Meeting increasing client demands, the platform liberates IT and operations teams to focus on more strategic, value-add tasks such as improving the customer experience, maximising cost efficiencies, and exploring emerging technologies.

Adapting to the elevated needs of the digital world has left IT teams relying on complex IT estates to meet rapidly shifting consumer demands.

These often disparate, multi-vendor setups with public, private, and hybrid cloud aspects all need to be constantly maintained and managed.

This means there is often a reliance on already stretched IT teams with a lack of resources, which is hampering the efforts of many B2B IT support operations attempting to digitally transform. It also prompts security concerns, as businesses fear they do not possess the adequate inhouse skills/resources to defend against incoming threats.

LG expects boost in five-star AC sales in 2019

To push the sale of five star air-conditioners, LG Electronics has dropped the price difference between the five-star and the three-star variant. This strategic move will boost its value share in the Indian market.

The price difference between a five-star and three-star air-conditioner has been reduced from Rs 8,000 last year to Rs 4,000 this year. With this the company is expecting 70% of its AC sales to be coming from five-star models this year as compared to 20% last year.

This year it has launched 22 models of five-star rating AC as compared to 14 models last year.

The company is hopeful to acquire leadership position in India market. It is aiming for a 40% growth in AC sales this year.

The company is only selling inverter air-conditioner models in the country whose contribution to total AC sales has gone up from 12% in 2016 to 32% in 2017, shooting up to 60% in 2018 with fall in prices. LG has also launched inverter models in window AC.

Forcepoint launches digital transformation acceleration strategy

Forcepoint has announced the Forcepoint Converged Security platform which accelerates enterprise and government agencies’ digital transformation journey by enabling secure migration of data, applications, and business operations to the cloud. Through the new converged security platform, Forcepoint is addressing CISOs business-critical need today for consolidated, cloud-based security solutions in a deployment agnostic delivery model.

The first s o l u t i o n available on the new platform, Forcepoint Dynamic Edge Protection, will enable enterprises to transform their network and security architectures with seamless connectivity to take full advantage of the cloud across distributed application and network environments.

This is the next phase in the company’s commitment to transform the fundamental approach to cybersecurity by understanding the behavior of users as they interact with critical data and intellectual property across global IT systems.

Predictive Intelligence

Big Data Analytics Multifactor Authentication

ArtiďŹ cial Intelligence

KYC & Fraud Detection Smart Surveillance

OSINT Monitoring

Facial Recognition

Information Security

Report Investigation

INNOVATING FOR THE FUTURE CYBER SECURITY & DATA ANALYTICS Top 3 start-ups in 2016 felicitated by Minister of Commerce

Top 5 companies for cyber excellence globally in 2016

Security Product Company of the year by DSCI, 2018

Learn more at: www.innefu.com www.varindia.com March 2019

19

ON THE RAMP VMware announces firewall to protect apps and data on-premises

VMware has launched the new VMware Service-defined Firewall, an innovative approach to internal firewalling that reduces the attack surface for on-premises and cloud environments with security that is an intrinsic part of the infrastructure. Through the proven capabilities of VMware NSX and VMware AppDefense, the VMware Service-defined Firewall combines unprecedented application visibility and understanding of known good application behavior with intelligent, automated and adaptive firewalling capabilities to help better protect apps, data and users.

Tom Gillis, senior vice president and general manager, networking and security business unit, VMware, says, “Intrinsic security is different

than integrated security. Integrated security repackages existing solutions, such as taking a traditional firewall and making it a blade in a data center switch. It doesn’t fundamentally change the firewall. Intrinsic security takes advantage of the unique attributes that are built in to the virtualization platform, allowing us to create very new and unique security services.”

Dell EMC launches Isilon All-Flash storage system and ClarityNow solutions

Dell EMC has announced a new addition to its flagship Isilon AllFlash storage system, along with the release of new Dell EMC ClarityNow software to give organizations visibility, control and mobility of unstructured data both on-premises and in the cloud.

Nikhil Madan, General Manager & Area Director (India &APJ Global Accounts) - Data Lake & Object Storage, Dell EMC, says, “As we move towards a data driven ecosystem, modernizing the IT infrastructure is an essential first step for driving digital business initiatives and managing all of the accumulated data more effectively. The Dell EMC Isilon F810 scale-out NAS storage addresses these challenges by delivering extreme performance and efficiency to support demanding unstructured data workloads.”

The Isilon F810 delivers up to 250,000 IOPS and 15 GB/s bandwidth per 4U chassis with predictable, linear scalability up to 9M IOPS

DigitalOcean announces Partner App Marketplace

DigitalOcean has announced the launch of Marketplace, a new platform that connects developers with easy-to-use partner-built solutions to enable easier app development, deployment and scaling with DigitalOcean's signature 1-click simplicity. DigitalOcean Marketplace is the company’s first partner-led offering, extending its platform and allowing third-party providers an easy way to build, market and sell their software stacks with DigitalOcean.

"Our goal is to help next generation developers and small- and mid-sized businesses spend less time thinking about infrastructure, and more time creating modern apps — partners are critical to realizing this vision," said Mark Templeton, CEO of DigitalOcean. "As our 3.5-millionstrong community looks for new ways to simplify app creation from start to finish, our Marketplace will serve as a hub to connect them with partners that deliver fully-integrated, readymade apps and tools that can be launched in less than 60 seconds. Our initial offerings focus on the types of apps most used by our

community of developers, businesses and teams."

ManageEngine brings in Log360, UEBA in its SIEM solution

ManageEngine has announced that it has introduced user and entity behaviour analytics (UEBA) into its SIEM solution, Log360. With scorebased risk assessment, threat corroboration, anomaly detection powered by machine learning, and other new capabilities, the Log360 UEBA addon helps security professionals identify, qualify, and investigate internal threats and anomalies by extracting more information from logs for better context. UEBA delivers more robust and accurate threat detection by using machine learning to set a baseline of a user’s normal activity, and then flag any deviations from that baseline.

Manikandan Thangaraj, director of program management at ManageEngine, says, "In today’s IT security landscape, rigid alert rules and conventional threat detection systems no longer make the cut. The need of the hour is a system that can learn and adapt to continuous change. Log360 UEBA does just that and improves the accuracy

of threat detection, helping SOC personnel qualify and and 540 GB/s of aggregate throughput in a single investigate threats that actually merit investigation."

144 node cluster to meet demanding performance requirements.

Palo Alto Networks launches Cortex, an AIbased continuous security platform

Palo Alto Networks has introduced three significant advancements aimed at harnessing the power of advanced AI and machine learning to transform how security will be managed in the future.

Cortex is the industry’s only open and integrated, AI-based continuous security platform. Cortex is a significant evolution of the Application Framework designed to simplify security operations and considerably improve outcomes.

Deployed on a global, scalable public could platform, Cortex allows security operations teams to speed the analysis of massive data sets. Cortex is enabled by the Cortex Data Lake, where customers can securely and privately store and analyze large amounts of data that is normalized for advanced AI and machine learning to find threats and orchestrate responses quickly.

Cortex XDR is the first-of-its-kind detection, investigation and response product that natively integrates network, endpoint and cloud data. Cortex XDR uncovers threats using behavioural analytics, accelerates investigations with automation, and stops attacks before damage is done through tight integration with existing enforcement points.

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Salesforce launches myTrailhead platform for the future of work

Salesforce has announced the general availability of myTrailhead, a learning experience platform that empowers organizations to create a culture of learning to continuously re-skill and skill up their employees. As the Fourth Industrial Revolution reshapes how we live and work, 33% of all indemand skills will be new by 2020.

With myTrailhead, organizations can skill up employees at scale with a reinvented and fun approach to learning that is customizable to their brand and personalized for every employee.

Sarah Franklin, EVP of Developer Relations and GM of Trailhead, Salesforce, says, “Business leaders recognize that investing in their people and building a deep culture of learning is a key strategy to moving their company forward.”

With myTrailhead, companies can combine the power of Trailhead, Salesforce’s personal learning cloud, with their own brand, voice and tone in just a few clicks. Using the guided set-up, companies can easily pull in their existing content (including videos or presentations), create custom new content or use the existing free, public Trailhead content to create their own culture of learning.

Branding is absolutely critical to a business because of the overall impact it makes on your company and it is more important when trying to generate future business.

The BRAND BOOK is aims to deliver the best of experiences to the featured corporates which help them further reach out to their target audience .

CIOs stress transformation starts by educating the board, gaining trust of CEO and CxOs, and influencing the process to drive digital transformation.

Brand Book speaks about the Top priorities for Eminent CIOs of India in 2019.

WWW.MYBRANDBOOK.CO.IN

www.varindia.com March 2019

21

VOICE-N-DATA

Ericsson with Vodafone Idea to deploy 5G-ready LTE equipment

As a VIL partner, Ericsson has bagged the project of deploying nextgeneration technology with built-in customizations and innovations to deliver rich consumer experience while building a robust, future-proof network, from Vodafone Idea.

As part of the contract, Ericsson is supplying radio access and transport equipment from its 5G-ready Ericsson Radio System portfolio, including the MINI-LINK 6000 microwave backhaul solution.

These deployments will provide VIL’s network with advanced LTE capabilities, high-capacity, low-latency microwave backhaul and enable rapid deployment 5G services in future. It will also improve VIL’s spectral and energy efficiency while increasing overall network capacity.

VIL customers will enjoy higher speeds while using apps, uploading and downloading files.

Nunzio Mirtillo, Head of Ericsson South East Asia, Oceania and India says, “We have been strategic partners to both Vodafone India and Idea Cellular for several years, and now we enter a new phase of partnership with this deal with VIL. The 5G-ready solutions in the Ericsson Radio System portfolio will help boost the capacity of VIL’s LTE network and broaden the availability of high-quality mobile broadband services for its customers.”

HPE and Samsung join hands to boost 5G adoption

Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) and Samsung Electronics (Samsung) have entered into collaboration to jointly provide solutions that help communications service providers (CSPs) accelerate 5G deployment.

Offerings will include solutions for virtual radio access networks (vRAN) and for 5G core networks, enabling CSPs to capitalize on the demand for data-intensive, low-latency services.

Fully leveraging the potential of 5G requires a transformation of telecommunications networks towards an open-standards-based architecture, including the replacement of the current proprietary edge appliances with virtual radio access networks (vRAN) running on standardIT systems. With this collaboration, HPE and Samsung will combine their respective strengths in edge-to-core infrastructure, data management and radio networks to provide end-to-end solutions that enable a fast and smooth 5G transition.

Phil Davis, President – Hybrid IT, Chief Sales Officer, HPE, says, “5G enables a new world of interconnectivity and will transform every sector in society, from automotive to healthcare. HPE is proud to join forces with Samsung to support communications service providers as they evolve their infrastructures to effectively deliver new 5G services to consumers and businesses.”

Gemalto becomes the first to make 5G SIM available

D-Link unveils DGS-3130 Series Lite Layer 3 stackable managed switches

D-Link has announced the availability of its new generation of Lite Layer 3 Managed Gigabit Switches – the DGS-3130 series in India.

The switches are available in 24 or 48 10/100/1000BASE-T Mbps or SFP Gigabit Ethernet port models, including two models with full PoE support to provide a complete 10G managed switch portfolio. The series is the first on the market with six built-in 10G stacking/ uplink ports providing high physical stacking bandwidth (up to 9 switches with 80G bandwidth) and flexibility with a variety of port combinations.

Three software images are combined into a single, unified software image to provide powerful Layer 2 and Layer 3 features necessary to fulfil a wide range of different application requirements.

The DGS-3130 series offers reliability and complete management options. RJ-45 console/management ports provide out-of-band Web UI access. A dedicated management port that is separate from data ports continues to function even during traffic congestion, equipment malfunction, or network attacks.

MediaTek and Keysight exhibit 5G NR data call using Helio M70 multimode

MediaTek and Keysight Technologies have announced successful demonstration of a 5G New Radio (NR) IP data transfer call using a 5G multimode modem with integrated baseband.

The demonstration used MediaTek’s multimode modem Helio M70 and Keysight’s 5G network emulation solution to achieve the theoretical maximal throughput rate over 100MHz NR bandwidth, for both NonStandalone (NSA) and Standalone (SA) modes. These high-level data rates are needed to deliver enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB) for applications such as virtual reality, augmented reality, and ultra-high-definition video streaming.

JS Pan, General Manager, MediaTek, says, “MediaTek’s active development of 5G technology is bringing reliable and fast broadband to consumers around the world. The joint demonstration with Keysight highlights another pivotal step forward for the roll-out of 5G. Device manufacturers working with us can integrate multimode modems into their designs and accelerate the delivery of 5G NR mobile devices to the market.”

The two companies initiated their collaboration to accelerate 5G technology development more than two years ago.

Bharti Airtel to test Nokia’s fronthaul solution

Gemalto has announced the industry-first 5G SIM in order to meet operator requirements for the new generation of network deployments which will emerge in 2019. Compliant with the latest ETSI 3GPP specifications and SIM alliance recommendations, the 5G SIM is defined by them as the only solution capable of securing 5G network access. The Gemalto 5G SIM brings not only improved data privacy and seamless 5G global roaming imposed by the latest standards but is also the first to add enhanced protection against hacking to anticipate future requirements.

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Nokia has announced that Bharti Airtel will trial its homogenous fronthaul solution which can support 4G, 5G and enterprise services through a common platform. This trial is part of Bharti Airtel’s strategy to make its network future-ready to meet the growing demand for high-speed data driven by the digital revolution in India. Nokia’s solution under this trial has the potential to improve the performance of service providers’ existing network even as it prepares the network for 5G and to meet the future demand. It allows service providers to meet the growing demand for bandwidth and enables to deliver 5G services.

Fronthaul is the link between baseband unit and radio, and modernization of this part of the transport network is essential to deliver high-speed and low latency of 5G services. Nokia’s converged fronthaul transport solution helps bring down fiber requirement through multichannel bidirectional transmission on a single fiber. The solution supports multiple interfaces, including Common Public Radio Interfaces (CPRI) and enhanced Common Public Radio Interfaces (eCPRI).

FACE TO FACE

ATEN integrates its strong manufacturing & R&D capabilities to cater to different markets Mike Chiang is the head of ATEN International’s Sales division 1 comprising of South Asia, South East Asia and Middle East/Africa.

He joined ATEN in the year 2018 and was previously associated with companies such as AOPEN and ACER and has a total of 22 years of experience. Mike has taken time out of his business schedule during his 1st business trip to ATEN India to talk to VARINDIA about his vision for ATEN in India and how it will contribute to India’s technology journey What will be your business and marketing strategies for 2019?

We are focused on creating an efficient Partner Channel ecosystem.

In Taiwan, our strength lies in strong manufacturing and R&D team. We integrate the same value when it comes to India. At ATEN, we build a value chain for our customers with the support of local partner’s competence in technology and customer service. We strive to create an open environment where channel partners, customers and ATEN can discuss, share and grow together mutually benefitted from one another, thus making the business bigger and successful.

What products and solutions will ATEN target for the Indian customers in 2019?

We manufacture high quality technology products such as KVM, ProAV and eco PDU which are trusted by our customer. What sets ATEN apart, regardless of the competition, is the expertise we provide in integrating all our technology together and giving our customers the flexibility to remotely monitor and control all devices on a network.

Our key to winning is not just the value of the individual devices,but also the value that we provide to our customers– complete technology integration and compatible systems that we have built for practically maximizing security and ease of use.

What role will the channel play in helping ATEN build its presence in the country?

ATEN strives to create a channel based value chain ecosystem. We have four extensive R&D operation facilities, one in Canada, two in Taiwan and one in China, doing progressive product development and research. The resourceful knowledge generated by our R&D experts is passed on to our channel partners, thereby equipping them to provide sustainable solutions to end-clients, rather than just passing on specs or product details.

We provide extreme importance to sharing the technology learnings and skilling up our channel partners, which makes our sales experts equipped with the technical details. We use ‘Trust’ as our capital investment and bank on it to build our brand value, giving us an edge over competitors.

What new opportunities do you see in the market that you plan to put to your advantage?

Even though our strength lies in the two business lines of KVM and Pro AV products, we are currently focusing on integrating ProAV solutions with the KVM technology and also upgrade the software to control it, thereby creating a new segment. Using our latest technology ATEN can truly support India’s path towards true digitalization. We have an all-round expertise in providing better connections from analog to digital, or hardware to cloud thereby aiming for a perfect connectivity solution in India.

How difficult or easy is it to focus on the SOHO,

MIKE CHIANG

Head of Sales, South East Asia and Middle East- ATEN

SME, Start-up customers in the country?

With a strong R&D and production capabilities, ATEN can cater to all kinds of customer who want to change their business tools from analog to digital. All companies start small, may it be SOHO, SME or Start-up.

ATEN plays a paramount role in providing the right connectivity solutions for the company to expand using the current infrastructure.

ATEN’s widespread reach in ‘Military’ segment is proof of our product’s value and reliability. We play a vital role in providing local as well as remote connectivity solutions custom made for military and government sectors.

What kind of a future do you see in the space of connectivity, amidst latest trends like hybridcloud, hyperconvergence, security/back-up?

ATEN products are not just popular for the spec or diverse features they provide. The amount of research and product development done in the initial stages of a project is immense. In our custom made business model, we collect regular feedbacks from our end client and update our solutions systematically. We try to know the complete scenario, application and the demand for a particular product or solution in line with the user behaviour which gives us an extra advantage over our competitors.

What is your vision or strategy for ATEN this year?

Create our own value added ecosystem with the help of our channel partners, which begins from ATEN and is transferred to our end-clients.

We scale our technology expertise, strengthen core offerings, up skill, our channel and localise our presence for enhanced customer experience.

That’s the direction we resonate with our customers, the market and our employees within the company. With this kind of value added approach, there is no doubt that every year we can aim to have a 30% increase in revenue, from the connectivity solutions for true digitalization. n

www.varindia.com March 2019

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CHANNEL BUZZ

eScan organizes Goa incentive trip for its Channel Partners

eScan has launched a Silver Jubilee offer to reward its channel partners with 2 nights and 3 days trip to Goa. The offer has been launched exclusively for Mumbai region, and about 79 people from the region have been to the destination.

The 2 Nights & 3 Days luxury outing to Goa has been packed with tranquil sightseeing in South Goa, enjoying water sports on the beach, followed by a boat cruise in Mandovi River. Be that as it may, the highlighting feature of the outing is extravagant gala dinner at the Hotel Fern Kadamba. The whole excursion includes stay at a luxury 5-star hotel, aside from visiting beaches and local shopping in Goa. R. K. Balu, General Manager, Channel Sales for India, eScan, says, "Trips like these help us to establish a closer bond with our partners and understand their needs. With a tremendous response and satisfied partners, we are planning towards more such attractive schemes and trips for our partners in the coming future." eScan values its relationship with the channel partners and with this scheme rewards their commitment for their contribution to making the company reach the end-users. Being a channel-oriented brand, it has always supported its partners with different and exciting offers and rewarding them for their dedication and consistent efforts towards the brand.

Tally Solutions hosts successful workshop “Step Up” for SMEs in Pune

Tally Solutions’ TX partner Velocity Infovision has conducted a successful workshop “Step up” for SMEs in Pune. The workshop is an initiative under the Tally Xcelerator (TX) program. Velocity Infovision is a premium consulting organizations, striving towards supporting SMEs and mid-sized corporates in designing their goals, training their manpower and building next level leadership. The workshop was held in Pune and was attended by close to 100 business owners from diverse sectors.

The program focused on creating successful organisations by mentoring and creating effective processes to achieve business growth.

Joyce Ray, India Business Head, Tally Solutions, says, “With the TX initiative, our aim is to upscale and upskill the businesses which can ultimately contribute towards the growth of the country’s economy. We have been fortunate to have very capable TX partners in every state to ensure that we reach out to the maximum number of SMEs in the country, and help and guide them in their progress and development. Tally is closely associated with the SME community and understands the challenges that this segment needs to navigate in day-to-day operations."

With the TX Program, Tally aims to build focus on small and medium enterprises (SMEs) that play an important role in the country’s economy.

The training module will be beneficial to SMEs in terms of improved strategic, operational and technical skills.

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Fortinet enables Lucknow partners with new strategies and solutions

Fortinet has conducted PartnerSync at Lucknow last week to enable local partners to have a deep understanding of new network security strategies and objectives in order to help them improve their current customer support and services. The conference attended by more than 50 partners had sessions by Fortinet experts providing updates on threat trends and attack vectors, the existing security infrastructure, and how to reconfigure that infrastructure and integrate security into a fabric as networks becomes more distributed.

Jitendra Ghughal, Director Channels, India & SAARC, Fortinet, says, “Our goal is to reach out to partners in every city and help them get aligned with our Partner Program to accelerate their business and drive unprecedented growth and profit by delivering superior security technology solutions to their customers. We arm partners with the right programs – like deal registration, renewal tracking, incentives for promoting our technologies, and trade promotions – to drive profits.”

The Fortinet Security Fabric provides partners with foundational security architecture that they can build their businesses and practices around. Fortinet’s vast breadth of integrated solutions span the entire digital attack surface – from IoT, to endpoints, web applications, and multi-cloud networks – and provide an ideal entry point for security consolidation that channel partners can build their “security stack” around.

Partners have the flexibility to offer pre-validated technology solutions from Fabric Ready alliance partners ensuring investment protection for customers through the seamless integration with existing infrastructure.

Additionally, our partners themselves can leverage broad API integration to develop their own custom services within the security fabric opening up additional business opportunities.

To stay ahead of today’s highly-advanced cyber threats, partners must be constantly updating and honing their skills. This is the aim of PartnerSync and enablement training sessions Fortinet will be conducting across the country through 2019.

NetRack concludes its SI Partner Meet in South India

NetRack has conducted a meet up for South India SI partners in Bangalore. The main agenda of SI partner gathering was to have a mind share in addressing challenges and exchange ideas in exploring new opportunities in the market.

NetRack's key SIs from Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka states, serving clients among various verticals made their presence at the meet up.

The event started with a walk through of state of the art manufacturing plant located in Bangalore. NetRack's handpicked team of technically qualified engineers delivered innovative product training on design and framework of appropriate solutions that can be customized to meet specific needs of the client.

Interacting with the SI partners, Ravi Raj, Brand Head, Director, Sales Support at NetRack said, "We are delighted to have the crucial people of our business here. Systems Integrators help us to broaden our brand image and cater our products among various verticals and markets. Explaining about the advantages of being associated with NetRack, he further added, "Understanding the technology behind the product is equally important for a system integrator. NetRack offers complete product training for SI partners which help in mutual growth.

NetRack's expert team of technicians and engineers, design the solutions to be more scalable, enhance the performance and flexible to meet the growing demands of the data center market. " The meet helped NetRack to create a healthy and long-term relationship with their partners. The event was followed by a certification session by Ravi Raj to their partners. The day ended with a cocktail party.

FACE TO FACE

ARRAY NETWORKS to pour $20m in India for product innovation and DESIGN CENTER Array Networks Inc is investing $20 million in India to set up and run Array Center for Technology Innovation (ACTI).

It is focused on product innovation and design center, as well as augmentation of highly skilled research and technical manpower. Array Networks aims to increase its manpower by 500% by the end of 2019.

remain in our ability to be nimble yet provide leading-edge technology solutions that truly benefit our customers."

Array Networks envisages a progressive growth and ROI from its <technology research center> and expects to increase its high-skilled technical workforce for the lab by 5x.

Fiscal 2018 saw a promising YoY growth of 40% in the India market. The major chunk of this impressive growth came from the government, BFSI, aviation, media and education verticals. With this investment Array Networks will 'Design in India' by developing innovative, cutting-edge technology solutions from India for all its global requirements.

Michael Zhao, President and CEO, Array Networks said, "India is one of the fastest growing regions for Array Networks, and we are excited to see the growth momentum our India team has been able to achieve under the leadership of Shibu Paul. We are aiming to address larger and strategically important customers in the region and add to our skilled technical manpower to drive even more growth. The key to our continued success will

The lab will help Array Networks design custom-made solutions for global customers and enable the company to launch new products in shorter timelines. Apart from the ACTI, Array Networks also intends to set up an advanced repair center for customers in the region.

MICHAEL ZHAO President and CEO Array Networks India is one of the fastest growing regions for Array Networks, and we are excited to see the growth momentum our India team has been able to achieve under the leadership of Shibu Paul

"With a strong recognition of current Indian market dynamics, Array Networks aims to focus the team's expert knowledge on tapping into the right resources at the right time," said Shibu Paul, Vice President of International Sales, Array Networks. "Our goal is to bring about a paradigm shift in terms of planning, approach and implementation of Array's products and solutions in India and the extended region by making use of our state-of-the-art technology." n

HMD to double the production of feature phones in 2019 HMD Global, the manufacture of Nokia is aiming to increase its participation in the 4G feature phone segment in India by forming new partnerships. Florian Seiche, chief executive officer said that it is planning to double down on feature phones in 2019.

“We see great opportunities at the entry-level feature phone and looking for various strategies including offline and online strategy or through possible operator partnerships in India. In this competitive market, we work with different strategies at HMD. Our long-term goal is to become one of the top three players in India. We are happy with the progress, but we have a lot of work to do,” says Seiche.

“We managed to triple our smartphone user base in 2018 vs previous year. We saw strong growth. By 2018 end, we actually made it to top five in many key markets including big regions like all of Europe, North Africa, Middle East, and Russia.

Whereas, India is still a key strategic market and single largest market globally because the opportunity is very big and still offers a lot of room to grow,” Florian further adds.

Speaking on channel strategy Seiche said that it is really focused on

the quality of its retail execution in India and has now an increased footprint in retail presence. It also sees great progress in offline space by entering the tier 4 and rural areas of India.

“Our strong association with Flipkart is going well, which is our main focus. In India, we definitely see both online and offline therefore influences our marketing and consumer approach. At the same time we want to promote our own online channel. Our own online channel is the most profitable channel. It gives a lot of insights into consumer demand and behaviour,” says Florian.

About further increase in capacity Florian says that HMD is in discussion with other players into contract manufacturer to increase production capacity in India. “India has the potential to become a manufacturing hub for the company for other countries. We have the vision to bring component ecosystem to India,” he concludes.

The focus now is to fully utilize the Indian ecosystem capability to source local technology and components.

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EVENTS

(From L-to-R): Denis Thomas, Director – Banking & capital market- Capegemini; Advocate Prashant Mali, Expert in Cyber Security in India; Kersi Tavadia, CIO - Bombay Stock Exchange; Dr. Deepak Kumar Sahu, President & CEO- VARINDIA; B R Nath, CTO - Edelweiss; Shankar Jadhav, MD - BSE Investments Ltd; Piyush Somani, Founder & CMD - ESDS Software; Jayant Goradia, CEO - Savex Technologies; Om Kumar Singh, Chairman - Global TekQ; Parimal Merchant, Director - Global FMB Program, S. P. Jain School and Bhavesh Mehta, Chief Technology Officer - Acuutech

Innovation, Acceleration and Right Partnership the key differentiators of the 10th WIITF, Mumbai 15th March, Mumbai: Innovation in the technology industry was on display and more than 150 Tech professionals, VARs and vendors exhibited at the 10th edition of Western India Information Technology Fair (WIITF) at Hotel Taj Lands Ends, Mumbai. WIITF 2019 was a unique event where partners, CIOs and vendors conglomerated under one platform to showcase their innovation and expertise. The event witnessed high-profile delegates discuss and debate on various issues related to business, security and the future of Hyper Converged Infrastructure/back-up.

We are in an era of accelerating complexity in design and engineering challenges. To combat this changing landscape, and with the increasing presence of E-commerce companies in the country, it is time for VARS and partners to work more closely so that businesses could turn into greater supply chain collaboration. 80% of the partners in this industry say that active and meaningful engagement with tech vendors is essential for the success and they are bullish on the newer Technologies to scale-up their business. As new technologies emerge, marketers will continue to reach out to new consumers through these new medium.

The focus of this year’s WIITF event was “Ease Of Doing Business”. To complement the event, there were vendors that included ACUUTECH which is into HCI & data back-up; Dell EMC which is into end-to end technology solutions; Savex Technologies which is into

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Technology distribution space; ESDS which is a Software leader in managed cloud datacenters in India and Innefu, which is an Information Security R&D start-up, providing cutting edge Information Security & Data Analytics solutions.

The event offered a 360 degree advantage for the solution partners to scale-up their business.

This year’s event attracted an enviable roster of delegates from across the country. The keynote address was presented by Kersi Tavadia, CIO - BSE India; Prof. Parimal Merchant, Director - Global FMB Program at S. P. Jain School and Advocate Prashant Mali, Expert in Cyber Security in India. There were other prominent speakers from India and overseas

including Philip Moss, Chief Product OfficerACUUTECH; Piyush Somani, Founder & CMD - ESDS Software; Kiran Giri - Pre-sales lead for MDC Solutions – Commercial business - DELL EMC; Jayant Goradia, CEO - Savex Technologies and Bhavesh Mehta, Chief Technology Officer, Acuutech, an industry pioneer from UK with strong edge over HCI and back-up portfolio to his credit.

The event was supported by various IT Associations including FAIITA, TAIT, ISODA, ASIRT and TEKQ Global.

Dr. Deepak Kumar Sahu, President & CEO-VARINDIA welcomed the guests and in

PANEL DISCUSSION “Powering The Digital Economy”

Shankar Jadav, MD - BSE Investments Ltd.; Purshottam Purswani, CTO - ATOS India; Denis Thomas, Director – Banking & capital market- Capegemini; B R Nath, CTO - Edelweiss; Meheriar Patel, Group CIO - Jeena & company and Lakshmana Vadaga, GM & Head IT - Adlabs Entertainments

The theme of the Panel Discussion was “Powering The Digital Economy” and the session invited experts to discuss on the topic. The panelists were Shankar Jadav, MD - BSE Investments Ltd.; Purshottam Purswani, CTO - ATOS India; Denis Thomas, Director – Banking & capital market- Capegemini; B R Nath, CTO - Edelweiss; Meheriar Patel, Group CIO - Jeena & company and Lakshmana Vadaga, GM & Head IT - Adlabs Entertainments, and the session was moderated by Dr. Deepak Kumar Sahu, President & CEO -VARINDIA. The focus of the discussion was more into security, which is the forefront in everyone’s mind these days. The security services market in India is to witness a $1 billion in 2019, an increase of 13 per cent in comparison to 2018. Organizations continue to feel the pressure to find the right people with the right skills to grow their security teams, particularly given the 24/7 nature of security operations functions.

his welcome note he addressed, “VARINDIA’s commitment has always been partner focused and is continuing its vision to serve the Partners like a platform. Digital transformation is creating tremendous opportunities for the VAR community too and at the same time they are also facing disruptions from E-commerce companies including Flipkart, Walmart, and now Udaan, Moglix and a few others who had entered earlier in the B2C segment and now have become active in the B2B segment too.

Today’s business climate carries a great deal of uncertainty for companies of all sizes and industries. Unpredictable demand makes it difficult to focus on long-term planning. Instead, companies are looking for more short-term and shifting their investments only into their most compelling projects.”

Dr. Sahu further also spoke on how today's modern workloads demand modern data protection that legacy solutions often aren't able to provide. “We are entering a new world in which data may be more important than software and people who are really serious about software, should make their own hardware,” Dr. Sahu spoke.

There were 7 Partners from Western India who received the coveted awards of the IT

The panel also felt that to power the Digital economy, there is an ongoing shortage of skills that are driving demand for security services, particularly security outsourcing, managed security services and security consulting. CIOs and CISOs are under increasing pressure to ensure their organizations do not become victims of external attackers, while simultaneously maintaining compliance with regulations.

The discussion also deliberated on how to compete in the era of digital economy. The panel felt that banks can’t compete with Fintech’s if they do not digitize the digital economies in the current climate of cyber-crime still outpacing cyber-security sophistication.

Lastly, the discussion talked about the use of digital technologies in changing the business models, and driving revenue and value versus digitization - conversion of data to digital formats.

The event witnessed highprofile delegates discuss and debate on various issues related to business, security and the future of Hyper Converged Infrastructure/ back-up

industry, who were adjudged for their hard work and commitment towards the ICT industry.

The awards are were given away by Kersi Tavadia, CIO - Bombay Stock Exchange; Champak Raj Gurjar, President - FAIITA; Bhavesh Mehta, Group CTO- Acuutech and Dr. Deepak Kumar Sahu, President & CEOVARINDIA. The winners were - Bluecom Infotech Pvt Ltd., who received the award for Best VAR, Western India; M Tech Solutions India Pvt. Ltd. for Best VAD, Western India; VDA Infosolutions Pvt. Ltd. for Best Solution Partner, Western India; Pentagon System and Services Pvt. Ltd. for Best System Integrator, Western India; Essen Vision Software Pvt. Ltd. for Best Information Security Partner, Western India; Shivami Cloud Services Pvt. Ltd. for Best Cloud Solution Partner, Western India; and Business Connect Ad Networks for Best Cyber Security Partner, Western India.

There was also a lucky draw session which was sponsored by the house of ESDS Software, and three lucky winners walked away with goodies.

It was an event where the People present had a chance to share their experiences. Overall the event proved to be an interesting day.

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EVENTS

KIRAN GIRI Pre-sales lead for MDC Solutions – Commercial business, Dell EMC

PRASHANT KUMAR Business manager Savex Technologies

JAYANT GORADIA CEO Savex Technologies

“Our dependency on technology has become so much today that there are times the only person we do not connect to is probably our own self. And that is how technology is impacting, transforming and changing our lives nowadays. We have lost sight of the average human span as a result of this technology. Everything you ask me today I can ‘Google’ it or find it on the net easily.

This has taken down our attention span from 12 seconds to 8 and we no longer depend on our knowledge. Dell EMC has been a part of the digital transformation journey; this is evident from the fact that the kind of conversations that we used to have in 2010 is so much different from the conversations we are having now.”

“Savex was established in 1986 and this is our 33rd years of our operations and in this journey we can proudly say that we are the third largest ICT distributor in India. This has been possible only because we constantly transformed ourselves to the needs of the market. We do telecom and IT products. Our last year revenue was 11, 500+ cr. We have created a big national network for ourselves and are located today in 33 towns pan India. We have huge warehouses in all these towns; and through these towns we are catering to channel partners in about 650 cities. We have our partners in corners of NorthEast and cater to the market of Srinagar. I can proudly say that we have close to 40 partners even in a market like Srinagar. So that is the level of penetration and reach we have achieved for ourselves.”

“We have engaged with a lot of vendors and brought on board many products and technologies. One such vendor is Huawei, for whom we have initiated its entire security portfolio and gradually we have increased our business size there. We successfully demonstrated the value that Savex can provide on the table to partners and the customers.

We have also recently signed up for a vendor called INFINIDAT, a storage organization founded in 2011 and based out of Israel. They are setting up their presence in India with the help of the Savex team. Then we have just signed up Acuutech for its turnkey and modular IT platform - Acuutech MESH. It has been specifically designed to meet the business needs of small to mid-market organizations and builds on Acuutech’s extensive partnerships with Microsoft and various hardware vendors.”

PHILIP MOSS Chief Product OfficerAcuutech “The power of software is defined to empower IT platforms. If we go back to 2003, we used to build systems purely on storage, networking and compute and run our applications on physical hardware. Move to 2008, we saw the birth of virtualization, when we moved our applications on virtual machines which gave us scalability and flexibility. Move further to 2012, we see the birth of the cloud and datacenters, when we started taking advantage of software to build infrastructure solutions. We stopped using monolithic storage, networking and compute and started using services via software. Talking about today, in 2019, the world is talking about hybrid. We embrace the world with internal on-premises systems and integrate that seamlessly with cloud-based systems to deliver advanced infrastructure IT platforms that meet the needs of our business and customers. So today’s buzzword is software-defined datacenter.”

KERSI TAVADIA CIO - BSE India “In the IT industry, you can get carried away by what everybody is doing or talking about rather than what I want to do. A lot of new technologies will keep on coming every day; you need to jump into it just because it is available. You need to assess whether you need it or not or whether it is of any benefit to you and your organization. The technology that has been working for you for last couple of years may still work for you, maybe little less efficiently. So I think IT guys need to think in these tangents before taking up any such projects. And that is when IT will be giving value to the business. Today the time is changing and IT leaders are given added responsibility to take business decisions.”

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PROF. PARIMAL MERCHANT Director - Global FMB Program, S. P. Jain School

ADVOCATE PRASHANT MALI Expert in Cyber Security in India

NILESH MISTRY National Head Channel & Alliance - ESDS Software

“We all understand that technology has been evolving. Amazon has been doing eCommerce for last 20-25 years and the concept of robotics has been there since the 60’s. It is not that these things have come up yesterday. But it is true that in today’s time the discussions revolving around these topics have increased and people have been increasingly talking about these technologies at forums and seminars. But there is nothing to fear for small and mid-level businesses. The only thing that they have to do is transition themselves and take advantage of it. This is where our people suffer a lot because of the kind of fear that has started generating. Technology is not going to break down businesses, rather it is going to help them do those things which would not have been possible a few years back.”

“If you look at my LinkedIn post today, I hacvve been talking about what countries are facing with a game called PUBG. For last four years I have been demanding to have an online gaming regulator. The games that have been positioned in the Indian market for Indian kids is not culturally or in any ways evaluated. These games have been immediately given in the market which kids have been playing and as a result there are so many psychological and physical problems that kids are facing. So my concern is - if a game like cricket, Kabaddi, football has a regulator or even online gambling gets regulated, then why not online gaming. My second point is people keep on saying that there are very less skill force in cyber security. But I feel that if somebody is saying this then he is very new to this field because security is an upgraded version of what you are learning in colleges and not a field in itself.”

“ESDS has been a strong 13+ year old company into datacenters and cloud services and our presence has been expanding across five continents. We have a robust plan in place to go across 16 new countries that are there. We are fueling our growth with the partner ecosystem. The complete team strength that we have is about 650 employees, of which 400 of them are from the technical teams at our India datacenters. The total client base that we have is 40,000+, of which 80+ are Govt. accounts, 300+ are BFSI clients, the ecommerce space we have 50+ clients and so on. So we have a mix of customers covering the entire spectrum and this is what our channel partners are catering to in today’s market. The ESDS Channel Partner Program that we have formulated for 2019 is called ‘Circle of Trust’.”

AWARDS & RECOGNISATIONS BLUECOM INFOTECH PVT LTD. Best VAR, Western India M TECH SOLUTIONS INDIA PVT. LTD. Best VAD, Western India VDA INFOSOLUTIONS PVT. LTD. Best Solution Partner, Western India

(Group picture of the award winners) PRINCIPAL PARTNER

PENTAGON SYSTEM AND SERVICES PVT. LTD. Best System Integrator, Western India

ESSEN VISION SOFTWARE PVT. LTD. Best Information Security Partner, Western India SHIVAMI CLOUD SERVICES PVT. LTD. Best Cloud Solution Partner, Western India BUSINESS CONNECT AD NETWORKS Best Cyber Security Partner, Western India

GOLD PARTNERS

NETWORKING PARTNER

PRODUCT DISPLAY KIOSKS

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EVENTS

Strategies and best practices of CIOs

VENKATA SATISH G Director-Security – Rediff.com

KERSI TAVADIA CIO - Bombay Stock Exchange

“Earlier CISOs had many challenges and it was very difficult for them to get any budget to take up any kind of programs to run. But now with the advent of cyber security and the cyber crimes that are happening, CISOs are playing a very big role in protecting all the data and the infrastructure from cyber criminals. So it is becoming important for all banks to have a CISO who should report directly to the Board.

We have got a lot of cyber security programs lined up. We are working towards getting an ISO 27001 certified and that is the roadmap we are having at Rediff.com.”

“The role of a CIO is very critical today for running any kind of business enterprise. They are more of thought leaders today and they are responsible for defining the business strategies.

They sit next to the CEO or business heads or other stakeholders and give very strong inputs in defining business strategies. So they are playing a leading role as far as business is concerned. They are no longer only problem solvers but solution providers. So they are looked upon in a different role as of today.

In 2019 we are looking to increasing our participation in other products of investments. From a technology perspective, we are going to evolve more in open source and focus more into the security aspects.”

DEEPAK KALAMBKAR IT Head & CISO - Marvel Data Services LLP “The CIO role is definitely changing because they are going into business level to understand it and developing apps and using technology to grow business. In traditional ways, CIOs were only looking after IT infrastructure. But now it has totally changed. In our organization we are doing more meetings with our business partners on how to grow business with new technologies. Considering their views, we are developing new apps and by this we are observing that the business is growing.

In 2019 we have already started developing new apps like creating a dashboard for business partners which will give them a clear view of their business. We are also putting the applications on web so that they can check it on their mobile when they are not in office.”

B R NATH CTO – Edelweiss “Today innovation is like air. You cannot live or breathe without air, which is effectively 100% of the work that CIOs have to do at the digital transformation stage. And that is how the companies will be able to do business, progress, and survive. Just imagine one simple thing – how has the complete buying and requirement of day-to-day things changed by ecommerce giants like Amazon and Flipkart. So we will have to understand that digital transformation is all about giving customers the delight and experience. This is one aspect that is going to change the business and that is the key thing. And the most important part of this delivery always lies with the CIOs and CTOs. So unless we are able to understand the requirements and look at the convenience that digital transformation will bring in, we will not able to succeed and survive in the business.”

SITESH SRIVASTAVA Group CIO - Alankit Technologies “The digital business is the life for any enterprise or organization. All digital businesses are flowing from one country to another. Apart from that, the way social media is growing, like online selling on Amazon, Flipkart etc., business has gone from manual to digital platform. As far as our organization is concerned, we are into financial, e-governance, insurance and healthcare sector. In terms of e-governance, we are the largest. Earlier it was manual, but now we have taken steps to conduct business through digitization and digital transformation.

CIOs are getting to play a great role for the transformation of the organizations. There are many organizations where people are still not very comfortable with the computer systems and so they are afraid of adopting a new technology. But a CIO will make it easy for adopting any technology.”

PRASHANT BOKLI Head IT- Being Human Clothing “Previously the role of CIOs was limited to Information Technology. But now the role has been drastically changed because now CIOs have to work with CHOs, CMOs and other heads of the organization. Now, in any industry, Information Technology has a very big role to play, just because of digital transformation and newly emerging technologies. So every organization today requires new initiatives in IT and so the CIOs are being taken more seriously now.

We want to digitally transform our organization in terms of our on-premise solutions under cloud. Moreover as we are in the retail industry, we are thinking of going in E-commerce more.”

Delegates at the Event

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FACE TO FACE

Ajeya Motaganahalli works as the Senior Director for Engineering Programs, Strategy and Business Operations at NetApp India and heads NetApp’s first ever start-up accelerator program called the NetApp Excellerator (startup.netapp. in). In this era of digital transformation, Ajeya aspires to provide pioneering leadership in transforming product strategy and execution by developing high quality engineering inputs into top quality outcomes.

AJEYA MOTAGANAHALLI Senior Director, Engineering & Leader NetApp

“With the ease of doing business improving, the number of start-ups will go up” Ajeya Motaganahalli, Senior Director, Engineering & Leader – NetApp Excellerator while highlighting the present start-up eco-system in India gives an account of the NetApp Excellerator program There are several ways in which one can assess and rank various start-up ecosystems. Some may do it in terms of sheer number of start-ups, while a few others may do it based on amount of funding received. Each approach leads to slightly different answers.

“We have seen about 7000+ start-ups come up in India in the last 5 years itself. With the ease of doing business improving in India, we will only see this number go up. As per a 2018 Nasscom report, India is home to 18 Unicorns which is a phenomenal feat in itself. On that yardstick, India ranks third worldwide only behind US and China. We are really proud of that fact. I would like to use that as a parameter for success of an ecosystem rather than only looking at sheer number of start-ups or number of funding offers,” says Ajeya Motaganahalli, Senior Director, Engineering & Leader – NetApp Excellerator.

The key growth drivers, according to Ajeya are start-ups in the enterprise software, fintech, health-tech and ed-tech sectors. Additionally, data analytics, AI and IoT start-ups are also witnessing fast adoption across various industry verticals.

However there are several challenges which the start-ups face. Lack of mentorship and guidance, capital investment, fund-raising, lack of direct contact with the end-customers or access to large enterprises who are potentially great customers for their solutions are some of the challenges that they face.

“These challenges can be overcome by proper knowledge of the industry and applying that knowledge in the functioning of the start-ups,” says Ajeya. “Also, go-to market was previously learnt through trial and error because of lack of suitable mentoring. But with so many upcoming accelerator programs and Government of India’s start-up initiative, I believe it is becoming easier for start-ups to create a long-term value.”

The NetApp Excellerator program

NetApp is one of the leading data management companies and a cloud solutions provider and NetApp Excellerator is the company’s

flagship accelerator program designed with an aim to help start-ups create world-class products and innovative solutions for the market.

NetApp Excellerator program is designed in such a way that start-ups in the data-driven space directly benefit from NetApp’s expertise in data, cloud and hybrid cloud fields. They undergo a four-month long program where they have access to NetApp’s technologies, platforms, tools, HR, marketing and legal support.

Through the NetApp Excellerator program, NetApp provides technical and business mentorship to emerging B2B ventures operating in the deep-tech space.

The start-ups get access to an array of unique offerings such as collaboration and productivity tools, a co-working space out of NetApp’s global centre of excellence in Bengaluru as well as networking opportunities with potential investors, partners, and customers. Each graduating start-up is also provided an equity free funding of $15,000 and a faster IP filing process.

“Sometimes, start-ups fail to focus on value creation. Valuation and subsequent funding is a follow-on effect which is the most desired outcome for any start-up,” observes Ajeya. “NetApp Excellerator helps them fine-tune their products using the expert knowledge provided by the team and in turn create value. As a tangible example of value creation, FirstHive and Cardiotrack from the recent cohort have joined NetApp as strategic alliance partners, which means that we will co-create solutions and go to market with us. They have joined the strategic alliance partners BlobCity, SigTuple, Nanobi and Scalend from the last two cohorts,” he sums up.

NetApp Excellerator Program’s alumni include SigTuple - a medical technology start-up which has raised USD 19 from Accel partners and IDG Ventures, and Vaultedge – a company that uses AI to help banks and BPOs perform loan underwriting and secured an investment of USD 1 Million recently.

NetApp has recently announced the graduation of its third cohort during the NetApp Excellerator Demo Day. The third batch of six start-ups focused on technologies like Artificial Intelligence, Cloud, Cyber Security, Analytics, applied in wide-impact areas like operations, marketing and healthcare. n

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CHANNEL SCORE CARD

INDIA - the

DIGITAL SOLUTION

hub of the WORLD about 70% of global digital talent present here

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India is currently the second-largest telecommunications market in the world.

Internet penetration in India stands at about 28.7 percent now. It has been broadly estimated that a 10 percent increase in broadband penetration in a country could potentially lead to an over 1 percent increase in GDP. The Ministry of Communications & IT says that the Digital India programme is a $1-trillion business opportunity.

The growth of connectivity largely depends on the increase in the number of Wi-Fi hotspots in the country. In the current scenario, a significant portion of the population does not have access to an internet connection. It is important to chart out a definite plan to work towards the government’s vision to have 7.5 lakh WiFi public hotspots by the end of this year.

At the same time cyber threat is the biggest concern.

Even some “next-generation” solutions don’t provide enough protection, leaving a company’s staff to integrate a patchwork of endpoint agents.

Technology will play an increasing role in healthcare consultation, patient care and medicine delivery. We expect that digital adoption will be a significant contributor to the overall Indian healthcare market that is worth $100 billion and is expected to grow at a 23% CAGR to reach $280 billion by 2020. At the same time, there is also a sharp increase in the adoption of E-commerce in India.

with pre-sales and post-sales support, marketing support and training. Vendors that were able to work with partners and provide high-quality products at good prices were rewarded with high scores.

With the strong penetration of E-commerce companies (From B2B to B2C segments) including Flipkart, Amazon, Alibaba, Udaan and few others in India from Tier to II to Tier VI cities in India, there are various vendors which have gained a good number of market share. eCommerce companies like Naaptol is targeting houses.

New Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) rules in E-commerce , intended at providing a level-playing field to Indian brick-andmortar stores, came into effect since February 1. The government’s new FDI rule has also debarred online marketplaces from manipulating the price of products or offer deep discounts.

CRITERIA Channel Profitability Channel Policy Pre Sales Support Post Sales Support Price Performance Product Availability Training & Certification

Going forward, the age of Robotic Process Automation (RPA) will give way to the new wave of Digital Process Automation (DPA) and Business Process Automation (BPA). Intelligent Process Automation (IPA) is also a new trend, applying Artificial Intelligence and related new technologies like Cognitive Automation, Machine Learning and Computer Vision to Robotic Process Automation.

ROLE OF DISTRIBUTORS AND VADS IN THE INDIAN ICT INDUSTRY

Intelligent & Robotic Process Automation (I&RPA) is a new and revolutionary process which is driving cost-effective business operations through the rapid automation of administrative processes, with or without deploying machine learning and artificial intelligence.

Distributors and value Added Distributors (VADs) possess a very important role in the overall growth strategy of the corporates.

Moreover, channel partners are integral to overall success of the corporates go-tomarket strategy for delivering an excellent customer experience.

CHANNEL SCORE CARD

The distributors are well on their way to align their business models more closely with their tech vendors by providing highly-skilled technical support to offer deep expertise for world-class customer satisfaction.

Similarly, Value Added Distributors (VADs) are accelerating the sale of product and solutions into the market place with focus on incentives to drive reseller growth. Secondly, VADs are aimed at creating an enhanced and superior level of service for partners and customers on the latest technologies and the role is built on a unique business model with a specialized resource portfolio optimized for increasing adoption and market development

The score card (that is ranked on a scale from 5 star to 3 Star) brought out by VARINDIA in this issue is based on Seven (7) important factors - Product Availability, Price Performance, Channel Profitability, Pre -sales support, Training and Certification, Channel Policy and Post-sales Support. This score card is based on the response we could gather from the feedback received from 300 partners in the Metros and A class cities in India. However, this report does not reflect any response from the customers and users.

VARs look to vendor partners for help

of specialty solutions.

This year, distributors have realized the massive opportunities in E-commerce , Cloud Computing and Cyber Security. Thus, majors like Ingram Micro, Redington, Savex are positioned as the top three players in the Indian market, while other distribution majors including Compuage, Supertron, Rashi Peripherals, Brightstar and HCL Infosystems have gone very aggressive, by promoting various offerings to the channel through cloud and security as services for enabling digital transformation for industries.

The report we could receive from the partners who are directly dealing in the partner eco-system doesn’t include the sales that happened through various E-commerce companies in India, which is a big chunk and the figures are very difficult to find.

The reason behind this is most of the vendors have cleared their old inventories, through the E-commerce players to reach to the remote parts in the country, where certain distributors and partners were directly involved in the transactions with E-commerce companies. With rising use of the Internet and smartphones in India, online retailers have doled out discounts to lure people to shop online for everything from basic groceries to large electronic devices (PC, Laptop, Printer, Camera, Mobile phones and various accessories).

E-commerce has transformed the way business is done in India. During 2018, electronics is currently the biggest contributor to online retail sales in India with a share of 48 to 50 per cent. After Flipkart, Amazon, Alibaba, Snapdeal and OLX, Udaan is now disrupting the B2B business in India.

MARKET FORECAST The market is shifting with various disruptive mechanisms existing in the market and we have seen the influence of hardware growing steadily, which will really hit its stride in 2019.

The leading enterprises of the world are looking to deploy their technology opinion quickly and at global scale. From 5G to mobility to mobile gaming, this ambition requires a “go anywhere” model that enables cloud-style infrastructure in hundreds or thousands of locations. Lastly, in 2019, “edge computing” is to take the front seat, reason it is near to the source of the data, rather than relying on faraway cloud datacenters to do the work. The edge will become the most exciting frontier in the cloud.

With the shifting of technology, there are massive opportunities coming in the marketplace, where customers will look into channel as their trusted advisor. HP and Dell has emerged as the strong channel player.

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CHANNEL SCORE CARD

CHANNEL SCORE CARD PRODUCT CATEGORIES Data Backup & Recovery Software Enterprise Mobility Hyper Converged Infrastructure (HCI) Inkjet/InkTank Printer Laptop/PC Server Storage Structured Cabling UTM Wi-Fi

Commvault

Veeam

DELL EMC

Airwatch Nutanix

IBM HPE Simplivity

SOTI VMware

HP Inc. DELL/HP Inc. HPE DELL EMC CommScope Fortinet Cisco

Epson Acer DELL EMC HPE Schneider Check Point Aruba - HPE

Canon Lenovo Lenovo NetApp D-Link Sophos D-Link

(*Response received from 300 channel partners up to December 2018) Channel partners are a key stakeholder of HP and its commitment to partners will continue to grow deeper and stronger. The recent initiative by HP Inc. has revealed a new financing solution and training enhancements to help provide further support for its channel partners in their services-led model in the market through HP Integrated Financial Solutions (HPSC). It offers instant credit approval, mobile apps, automated document management, electronic signature and invoicing for customers.

At the same time, Dell Technologies Partner Program aims a hooping $70B channel sales in 2019. This is quite impressive and is possible with the continued evolution of its GTM programs, profitable storage initiatives, impactful marketing campaigns, and improvements with the partner for closing deals and helping them grow their business in double digits. In 2018 Dell spoke about USD 43 billion business in the channel for Dell Technologies. Over the past 12 months, Dell Technologiesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; global channel has delivered over USD 49 billion in orders. It means that the channel has grown its businesses by USD 6 billion.

At the same time, CISCO are building an adept channel army for the modern world and pursuing different GTM for the broader ecosystem - beyond resellers and distributors - ensuring maximum partner profitability.

Commvault who is into enterprise backup, recovery, and data management is showing its commitment as a pure channel play. Similarly, Fortinet feels that partners have a sizable business opportunity in helping customers successfully address todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s security challenges. Sophos has continued its position as the channel first organisation, with a strong presence of 2000+ channel partners across major tier 1, 2 and tier 3 cities and towns that enable organizations of all sizes to deploy cloud enabled next-generation cyber security.

1. Data Backup & Recovery Software Data recovery software is a type of software that enables the recovery of corrupted, deleted or inaccessible data from a storage device.

Asia Pacific is expected to show high growth rate during the period from 2018-2023. The growth is primarily driven by adoption of recovery software in sectors like BFSI and IT. The deployment of data recovery software in the cloud is encouraging the enterprises to adopt flexible pricing on pay per usage basis. The demand for data recovery solutions is influencing the digital transformation across several verticals.

Incidents involving sensitive business data can happen in any sector of business, owing to which the backup and disaster recovery space has been growing rapidly over the years.

Businesses will be unable to manage new data types and deployment models, or increased workload volumes. In financial services that store a large amount of personal and financial data, the need and importance to keep a safe and consistent back-up is always there. Corporates are seen opting for specialists for taking care of their data recovery issues.

Channel Players: Commvault, Veeam, DELL EMC, Veritas, Micro Focus, Barracuda, VMware and Rubrik.

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2. Enterprise Mobility The term Enterprise Mobility commonly refers to the use of mobile devices, such as smartphones and tablets, for business purposes. But it also covers the mobility of corporate data and of workers themselves. Therefore Enterprise Mobility is an approach to work in which employees can do their jobs from anywhere using a variety of devices and applications.

Enterprise Mobility in India is slowly gaining grounds. In a survey by IDC, 37% of Indian organizations have rated enterprise mobility as a high priority. In yet another research produced

by Microsoft in partnership with IDC, by 2021 digital transformation will add an estimated $154 billion to Indiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s GDP and increase the growth rate by 1% annually. Enterprise mobility together with digital transformation will become a big market to focus for and are poised for big growth.

Enterprises are adopting Enterprise Mobility to increase productivity and achieve greater operational efficiencies. Over the last couple of years, with enterprises of all sizes trying to go mobile, they have started to innovate with mobile applications to increase productivity and optimize costs. The increase in IoT adoption, smart and connected devices are going to be another push for this market.

Channel Players: AirWatch, Citrix, IBM, SAP and BlackBerry.

3. Hyper Converged Infrastructure (HCI) Hyper-Converged infrastructure is one of the most rapidly-growing methods for deploying IT in the datacenter, as IT departments seek ways to adjust to their new role in business and new responsibilities entrusted on them. Over the past few years, large and mid-size enterprise organizations have recognized the value of HCI due to the simplicity of deployment, ease of scaling and cost efficiencies.

HCI is a convergence of compute and storage infrastructure that is easy to deploy and manage with a single UI. HCI removes complex manual steps in deployment and is designed for simplicity. Because it is designed to be administered by virtualization or cloud administrators, HCI eliminates the need for team members with specialized hardware skills in storage, compute, or networking. HCI technologies are seen gaining traction across verticals.

India has already seen the benefits of hyper-convergence for its customers and has begun adopting it in large scale. Hyper-convergence in India is about USD 35 to 40 million at present. Because of its rapid year-on-year growth at the rate of 46 to 50 percent, the market is expected to be USD 63 to 65 million by 2019 in India alone. The demand for HCI will come from various verticals like BFSI, IT & Telecom, Healthcare, and government sectors, among others, considering its advantages over traditional converged infrastructure.

Channel Players: Nutanix, HPE SimpliVity, Dell EMC, VMware, Nutanix, NetApp, Cisco, Huawei, Microsoft and Acuutech.

4. Inkjet/InkTank Printer InkTank printers are driving the market in major cities in India, clocking a quarter on quarter growth of 6%, making up for 40% of the overall printer volume and 74% of the Inkjet volume. Inkjet printers led the market with 53.3% share. Demand from tier 3, tier 4 cities was the main catalyst behind this growth, with Mumbai, Delhi and Chennai remaining the top 3 cities in terms of sales volume.

Inkjet printer shipments grew by just single digit (YoY) and demand for low-cost printing among SOHOs and SMBs in Tier 3 and Tier 4 Cities generated approximately 54% of the InkTank sales volume. Seeing the demand coming from the upcountry markets, some key vendors refreshed their InkTank portfolio in this quarter. The commercial segment that was earlier completely dominated by the Laser printers is now being penetrated by the InkTank printers. The upcoming elections and channel expansion will further fuel the growth. Going ahead, the market for Inkjet printers is expected to grow at a higher pace because of the InkTank printers.

HP Inc. maintained its leadership in HCP market share; Epson remained at 2nd position (the growth is primarily attributed to Epsonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s increased shipment to the online channel & LFR stores) and Canon recorded growth with 3rd position in the HCP market with the help of its Inkjet and the Laser Copier segment. Canon especially focused on its InkTank models through its channel schemes.

Channel Players: HP Inc., Epson, Canon and Brother

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CHANNEL SCORE CARD

5. Laptop/PC Market Notebooks contributed to 60 per cent of the overall India personal computer (PC) market with 45.2 per cent year-on-year growth bolstered by demand across both the consumer and commercial segments. This was mainly driven by ultra-slim notebooks, which now account for 20 per cent of overall notebooks. Vendors targeted different use cases and provided schemes such as back-to-school offers with extended warranties, cashback offers, adding that players launched exclusive models for both online and offline channels. The sale is declined due to CPU shortages.

Intelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s processor shortages.

The Indian PC market shipments for the year 2018 was at 9.3 million units with a decline of 2.8% Year-on-Year. The market has witnessed challenges in both consumer and commercial segment owing to the aggressive stocking of inventory being carried forward from 2018. The overall commercial PC market recorded a total shipment of 1.08 million units in 2018 Q4, a decline of 22.1 % over last year. Moreover, challenges in getting the enterprise orders due to

HP Inc. led the overall India traditional PC market with a 31.0% share in CY2018 and recorded a YoY shipment growth of 0.6%. Dell remained second with a 23% share in CY2018 but witnessed a soft decline YoY in shipments by 0.2% in the overall traditional PC market.

Lenovo held the third position with a 20.6 % market share in the overall India traditional PC market in CY2018. However, the company saw strong growth in the Enterprise and SMB segments.

Channel Players: HP, Dell, Acer and Lenovo.

6. Server Server sales in India declined for the first time due to weak demand from IT services firms, whose clients are increasingly renting space on the cloud to host applications instead of setting up their own infrastructure. The sales however are moderate due to digital transformation initiatives being driven across all industry verticals and government.

The decline is majorly due to the absence of multi-million dollar deals from IT and ITeS service providers and spill over of telecom deals into the subsequent quarters. Manufacturing and banking were slow during the period due to limited new deals and small upgrades. Experts say that there were examples of organisations not renewing server deals since they had adequate empty storage space with movement of applications to the cloud.

these business objectives.

IDC said modernization of tech infrastructure across industry sectors was causing a reverse trend, but that there was still demand for servers. This is creating demand for servers to meet

Deals from Government towards digitalization, e-governance, smart city and surveillance projects that are in the pipeline will further fuel the growth of the Indian server market in the coming quarters. Growing SMBs, and IT investments from enterprises towards datacenter consolidation will be some of the other factors that will boost the growth of the server market.

Channel Players: Dell EMC, HPE, Lenovo, Cisco and Oracle.

7. Structured cabling A structured cabling system is a complete system of cabling and associated hardware, which provides a comprehensive infrastructure of the telecommunications industry. This infrastructure serves a wide range of uses, such as to provide telephone service or transmit data through a computer network. It should not be device dependent.

The rise in number of Internet users and rapid adoption of digital services have resulted in an increase in the volume of sensitive data being collected by organizations. Coupled with it is the growing IoT data, the need for business automation, growing demand for copper cables, surging datacenter market, rising demand for better bandwidth and rising competition have significantly boosted the demand for structured cabling systems. The need of the hour is the need of the proper infrastructure, which could connect people and technologies through every evolution with end-to-end solutions includes critical infrastructure since, customers need to build high-performing wired and wireless networks.

As much as technology changes, the goal remains the same - to help customers create, innovate, design, and build faster and better.

Channel Players: CommScope, Schneider, D-Link, Molex, Avaya, R&M and Ciena.

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8. Storage Storage is a process through which digital data is saved within a data storage device by means of computing technology. Storage may also be referred to as computer data storage or electronic data storage.

Increased storage spending from professional services organizations drove the incremental growth. The country’s robust banking system has triggered this growth as it rapidly adapts to changing data storage patterns and catches up with the digitization wave. Other than the banking system, sectors such as professional services, manufacturing, telecommunications and government have contributed heavily to the storage space.

There is also a strong organizational demand for high performance and low latency storage solutions that led to a triple digit YoY growth for All Flash Arrays. Majority of the OEMs are focusing on new technologies and innovative pricing models to ensure traditional external storage consumption in the market in the wake of increasing acceptance of cloud storage solutions across organizations.

Dell Technologies leads the Enterprise Storage market, followed by HPE with its H3C Group and NetApp making it the third largest vendor during the quarter. Other vendors are also expanding their market which includes Hitachi Vantara, Lenovo, IBM and Huawei.

Channel Players: Dell EMC, HPE, NetApp, Hitachi Vantara, IBM, Oracle, Huawei and QNAP.

9.

UTM/Firewall

Firewalls block unauthorized access to or from private networks and are often employed to prevent unauthorized Web users or illicit software from gaining access to private networks connected to the Internet.

The Firewall segment has seen a good growth in India. The fast paced growth was contributed by the strong growth of the IT/ITes industry in India. Vertical-wise, BFSI and E-commerce verticals continued to dominate. Key drivers include the increasing number of organizations shifting toward the Web front and the rising Internet penetration rate, the evolved threat landscape and increasing migration from web application into the cloud observed in large organizations.

As per our estimate 40% of hacked websites belong to small to medium-sized businesses, and 50% of small businesses have suffered a hacking attempt. Small businesses suffer far more.

Unified threat management was a natural outgrowth of firewall software.

UTM vendors continually add new functions on UTM platforms, and therefore, they encompass the feature set of many other network security solutions, including: • Firewall • Intrusion prevention systems (IPSs) • VPN • Secure web gateway (SWG) • Centralized management console.

Channel Players: Check Point, Fortinet, Palo Alto Networks, Cisco, SonicWall, Sophos, Juniper Networks and Huawei.

10. Wi-Fi Wi-Fi is a type of wireless network technology used for connecting to the Internet. The frequencies wi-fi works at are 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz, to ensure no interference with cell phones, broadcast radio, TV antenna and two-way radios are encountered during transmission. Mobile network data usage in India is significantly higher than other forms of Internet usage mainly due to cost and affordability of broadband services, depth of fixed-line coverage and lesser number of public Wi-Fi zones.

The Internet has become the most integral part of everyone’s life and Public Wi-Fi hotspots are the new mantra for people to stay connected. India's internet base crosses 500 million mark, driven by Rural India and it is to reach 627 million by end 2019 and 790 million by 2020.

Digital adoption is now being propelled by rural India and figures show that it has registered 35% growth in internet users over the past year. Increased availability of bandwidth, cheap data plans and increased awareness driven by government of India is pushing the Digital India programme.

Channel Players: Cisco, HPE Aruba, Ruckus, Cambium Networks, Extreme Networks and Zcom.

As the industry adopts new technologies like AI, machine learning (ML), data analytics, automation, robotics, blockchain, cloud and the Internet of

Things (IoT), companies with legacy systems and obsolete workforce will face challenges to survive the disruption. www.varindia.com March 2019

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CHANNEL SCORE CARD “WE BELIEVE IN A STRONG COLLABORATION BETWEEN PARTNERS, COMMSCOPE AND CUSTOMERS”

“WE SEE OURSELVES AS A BUSINESS PARTNER WHO CAN BUILD BEST-IN-CLASS SOLUTIONS WITH OUR PARTNERS”

MYLARAIAH J N

SAMEER BHATIA

Director, Enterprise Sales, India & SAARC CommScope

Country Manager, India and SAARC Seagate Technology

“We see several trends emerging that will impact channel growth.

Firstly, there has been substantial investments in the tier two cities in India. These investments will include critical infrastructure that will lay the foundation of high-speed broadband as the nation embraces digitalization. We will also see more opportunities as new start-ups from installer base join the partner ecosystem.

We will continue to see greater opportunities on the shift from ‘old school’ datacenters to Hyperscale and Multi-Tenant Data Centres (MTDCs). CommScope believes that strong collaboration between Partner, CommScope and customer—sharing the goal of solving a problem, is the best way to bring CommScope solutions to market.

While CommScope continues to lead the charge towards development of technologies especially around fiber capabilities in the datacenters, the channel partners will play an integral role in the efficient delivery of these solutions. From design to delivery, we become faster and are able to service our customers better in an evergrowing market at a more rapid pace.”

“Seagate understands the challenges facing IT and storage managers, and as such we evolve our programme in line with our channel partners’ needs and concerns to create a vital platform for them to become more successful in this dynamic industry.

We see ourselves as not just a storage provider, but a business partner who can build best-in-class solutions together with our channel partners – from the first stage of projects to developing a solutions pipeline to provide consultation, establish systems and provide technical support.

We connect with our customers and partners in the local markets through the Seagate Partner Program. Seagate has been continuously building a robust partner base through this programme, providing comprehensive training sessions and seminars as well as working on co-marketing initiatives. Seagate also continuously provides training for partners to better understand evolving opportunities in addition to regular products and technology trainings. Our aim is to support our partners in maximizing their results by offering the best and most optimal storage solutions to their customers.”

“HYBRID CLOUD WILL BE THE GAME CHANGER IN THE COMING TWO TO THREE YEARS”

“PARTNERS HAVE EMERGED AS A CRUCIAL ELEMENT OF OUR GROWTH ENGINE”

RAJESH GOENKA

VISHAL PAREKH

Director, Sales & Marketing RP tech India

Marketing Director Kingston Technology India

“The YoY channel business growth will be double digit in 2019.

However, consumer products will slowly move to E-commerce and commercial business opportunity will come to channel partners.

In short, it is imperative for channel partners to focus on SMB, Enterprise and Government business for long term sustainability and growth. Further, they need to step into Software and Cloud space and thereby get into indirect services, which will improve their customer stickiness with them.

Flash is already replacing the standard hard drive market and this transition is happening at a rapid pace. Hybrid cloud will be the game changer in the coming two to three years as it provides safety, security and save on the capex cost. Educating the end customers, training them and implementing their projects will be the key for channel partners in this transition.

As the economy is doing fair, Government spending is on the rise and elections are settling in May, it is a right time for channel partners for business acceleration. However, the growth will be in the B2B business and may not be in B2C.”

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“Kingston has always believed in extending its support to our channel network and create benefits for the end users. With our definite and competitive business strategies in 2019, part of our focus area will involve channel engagement and empowerment activities, developing our network and rapidly increasing channel strength to establish a strong foothold in various regional markets.

The structure that we have integrated in our business operations is crafted to build a profitable relationship which has helped us in creating a robust and responsive network of partners in the country.

In a volatile market like India, our partners have emerged as a crucial element of our growth engine by bridging the gap between us and the customer through constant communication. Hence, we are aiming to help our channel partner to develop a deeper understanding of consumer preferences through a better model of communication.

At Kingston, we believe in adopting a channel friendly approach and growing with our partners. We work towards strengthening the ecosystem for our partners and we assure that this year will bring numerous business opportunities.”

“WE ARE REACHING OUT TO A MUCH BROADER CHANNEL BASE TO COVER THE INDIA MARKET”

“WE WILL ENSURE THAT ‘LIFE IS ON EVERYWHERE, FOR EVERYONE AND AT EVERY MOMENT”

SANDEEP BHAMBURE

M GURUDUTT

Managing Director - Veeam Software India & SAARC

Channels (India & SAARC) Schneider Electric

“The vision for 2019 is to grow our business and be relevant to the marketplace. So if you look worldwide, the space where Veeam has been operating, we have seen a double digit growth in consecutive several quarters. India and SAARC business has specifically been doing extremely well for us. We have seen a triple digit growth in customer acquisition and revenues and have been able to put together a very strong sales team. In order to cover a large base of commercial and SMB businesses, we have formed an inside sales organization as well. So with this we are able to address a much larger base of customers across India and SAARC. We are a 100% channel organization and are now reaching out to a much broader channel base to cover the India market. The beauty about Veeam’s portfolio is that the ticket size for Veeam sales can be from a few hundred dollars to a million dollars, which means that we are capable of addressing the back-up and availability challenges of not only small and medium sized businesses but also big enterprises.

We cut across different verticals. The relevance of Veeam to address customer challenges is observed across every verticals that you can think of.”

“The channel business has evolved over the years and the hunger to improve the business has led both partners and vendors to try different business models to stay relevant in the market. We are hopeful to witness a similar trend during this year as well.

“WE WILL CONTINUE TO INVEST IN OUR PARTNERS TO ENSURE THEY REMAIN COMPETITIVE”

“VERTIV IS BULLISH ABOUT THE NEW TECHNOLOGIES THAT ARE CONTRIBUTING TO DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION”

We have a revamped online portal for our IT Channel Partners.

Through the portal, Schneider Electric ensures significant updates have been made to partners’ personal pages to help them track their requirements, allowing for sales, presales and owners to access what is most important to them.

In 2019, our focus for the Partner Program will be largely on EcoStruxure and Edge Initiatives. We have been working consistently to bring together an array of components to meet the needs of customers with the support of our partners. Whether our partner is from the electrical, IT, security, building automation, structured cabling systems or any other segment, we aim to support our partners in excelling in their business field and develop new areas of expertise.”

DIWAKAR DAYAL

SANJAY ZADOO

Managing Director Tenable

Country Head - Channel Business, Vertiv

“We collaborate with leading security resellers, distributors and ecosystem partners worldwide. These partners are critical to our Cyber Exposure mission of empowering organizations of all sizes to manage, measure and reduce their cyber risk.

Our go-to-market strategy is completely partner driven. As a channel-first company, we will continue to invest in our partners to ensure they remain competitive in the rapidly changing marketplace.

In 2019, we will continue to focus efforts on increasing our depth of partner training and certification ensuring that they have the technical expertise to provide customers with world-class service.

Channel partners play a crucial role in Tenable’s success. Our Tenable Assure partner program is one of the only programs in the industry that is built on a partner-first model, ensuring that Tenable’s own sales team supports partners in generating new business.

We will continue to double-down on enablement for partners to provide valuable services to our joint customers.”

“Cloud computing has slowly gaining momentum, which a few years back was still a buzzword. Another dimension of this technology has stated picking up, which is edge computing. And along with it various other technologies like AI, 5G, and Robotics are picking up. This is giving rise to a lot of localized solutions which we as a company are really bullish about.

This has become a critical part of our business in India, especially in the areas of warehousing, manufacturing, healthcare towards which we are aligning our products. We also see a lot of processes being automated – like decision making is becoming faster because of the amount of work that is going into artificial intelligence as a technology. Also we are seeing a lot of interfaces getting created between the user and technology and we as a company proudly become a part of it, if not supporting it directly but passively. For instance, whenever a datacenter is created, Vertiv applications like power, cooling, infrastructure management solutions, smart solutions are integrated.”

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CHANNEL SCORE CARD

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customers dustry as in l e n n a gies that e IT ch s and strate ct year for th u t d n ro a p rt r o p aim is to look fo be an im d easy. We riven and n d a ta “2019 will a th d o o re tand data, ey sm become mo they unders ation journ t rm a o th sf n continue to a so tr l rs their digita and partne it."

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E-commerce

February 1, 2019 a Landmark FOR OFFLINE RETAIL

For the last few years, there was a hue and cry in the traditional IT channel community in India regarding price disparity between the online and offline marketplace. The E-commerce platforms were attracting buyers with hefty discounts and offers which in turn were affecting the traditional distribution model.

Various IT associations across the country pleaded for justice but it was unheard. The offline channel community has always looked upon the government to intervene so that justice should prevail in terms of a level playing field in the market.

Ultimately, the new Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) regulation in E-commerce introduced by the Government of India, which came into effect from February 1, 2019 has instilled hope among the offline channel community.

As per the policy, E-commerce platforms will be barred from selling products in which they own equity or form exclusive marketing arrangements with sellers, or indirectly influence the price of their products.The policy has also refrained companies from selling more than 25 percent of their March www.varindia.com via 2019 any single E-commerce 44sales marketplace.

This step has been taken by the government to ensure a level playing field and fair competition among the different retail channels. The E-commerce rules allow 100 percent FDI in the marketplace model,but they cannot hold inventory that it sells and should bridge the gap between the buyers and merchants.

India, especially the IT channel community.

The move has been a respite for the brick and mortar stores who were till date perishing under the steep discounts offered by the giant online marketplaces. The new rule is like a new ray of hope for those small retails which generate employment for the country and also contribute to the growing GDP of India.

However, E-commerce companies often manipulate the marketplace by procuring goods using exclusive market agreements with specific brands and then selling those goods to controlled sellers. This in turn helps the cash rich companies to offer huge discounts and attract buyers.

The new regulation has put a stop for online marketplace in manipulating with prices of products and the huge discounts offered during the festivities. It has also barred the marketplaces in stocking huge inventory from a single vendor and selling of exclusive products.

Post implementation of the new policy, VARINDIA garnered feedback from the traditional offline channel community representatives - IT associations across India to understand their views about it.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;The amendments in the E-commerce Policy of Government of India, which came into effect from 01st February 2019, are with the view to debilitate 'might is right" of E-commerce giants, begetting unfair deep discounts to mislead unsuspecting customers. These amendments are a result of raft of representations made by various trade Associations including FAIITA,â&#x20AC;? says Saket Kapur, General Secretary, Federation of All India Information Technology Associations (FAIITA).

Opinion on new FDI rule The new FDI rule that has come into effect from February 1, 2019 has been welcomed whole heartedly by small retailers across

“The new FDI rule which debarred online marketplaces from manipulating the price of products or offer deep discounts, selling products exclusively on a platform and barring them from stocking a quarter or 25 percent of their inventory from a single vendor is a welcome move by the Government of India. It will definitely provide a levelplaying field to the Indian offline sellers and channel partners,” believes Alok Gupta, President, Progressive Channels Association of Information Technology (PCAIT).

It is considered to be one of the effective moves taken by the Government of India towards protection of interest of the small retailers who were suffering under the malpractices of the online marketplace.

“We feel this is the first effective pro active steps from the government for protecting our market from the steep discounts and foreign money burn. Companies like Amazon and Flipkart are now looking to include more third-party sellers into their system,” feels Pratheesh Mathew, Secretary, Confederation of Information Technology Associations (CONFED-ITA).

The new rule has also crashed monopoly of the cash rich giants who their stake in online retail biggies. It also affected the privileges which the companies used to enjoy.

the has has big

“The new E-commerce rule is set to benefit small retailers - both offline and online, breaking near monopoly of cash rich giants like Amazon and Walmart who had their stakes in retail giants like Cloudtail and Appario which gave them preferential treatment, “says Pankaj Shah, President, Association of System Integrators & Retailers in Technology (ASIRT).

Reiterating the same, Gunasegharan K, President, Infotech Software Dealers Association(ISODA) says, “It is a wonderful move by government. It is encouraging small medium companies to participate in the market place and thus avoiding monopolistic move by biggies. If this is strictly implemented with letter and spirit I am sure discounting in big way will not happen, which will surely increase footfalls in brick and mortar companies.”

“Trade was waiting for such relief from nuisance of E-commerce since long. This is the least government could have done to offer level playing field to all Small and Medium size entrepreneurs,” says Samir Parekh, President,Trade Association of Information Technology(TAIT).

Believing in the new regulation, Naveen Gupta, President, Jammu Computer Dealers Association (JCDA) says,“It is a good move by government and it really affected and decreased the gap of price. The regulation will definitely protect the interest of the brick and

mortar stores and will curb the price parity.”

Effects of the new regulation The effectiveness of the new rule is quite promising. With the implementation of the new regulation, online players have to rework on their marketing strategies to attract buyers.

The prices of IT products at online platforms are almost at level playing field now with the MOP. “The E-commerce Large Market players have to rethink their India strategy and some products have already gone offline. Prices of many IT products have become comparable with offline MOP (Market Operating Price). I read this week that Future Group has tied up with 7-Eleven, a Japanese Group, to expand their business through small Retail footprint stores,”observesPankaj Shah of ASIRT.

SAMIR PAREKH President, TAIT

The regulation has hit hard on the private businesses of the E-commerce platforms. It is also going to affect foreign investments in India. The international biggies have invested enormous amount of money in the Indian market but with the regulation in place, it will hamper their business growth in the country.

“One of the biggest impacts is on the private label business built by Flipkart, Amazon and Myntra. The new E-commerce rule has discouraged foreign investment. Amazon has invested billions of dollars in India operations and Wal-Mart spent $16 billion this year to buy Flipkart. While Amazon and Flipkart were thriving, they were creating a large number of warehouse and supply jobs. The new rule has put restrictions on them which might dampen their business growth and thus hit investment and reduced jobs for Indians,” viewsHiren Shah, General Secretary, Federation of IT Associations of Gujrati (FITAG).

Difference has been felt by the IT channel community after the FDI regulation.

The prices of the products have become reasonable, which is a noticeable aspect in the business.

PRATHEESH MATHEW

Secretary, CONFED-ITA

“After the regulation, we are feeling the difference, prices shown on E-commerce portals have a reasonable difference because earlier these companies were burning the cash and gave huge discounts from their pockets,” says Mahinder Aggarwal, President, All Delhi Computer Traders Association(ADCTA).

Not only prices of the product are at levelplaying on the online and offline stores but the massive discounts which were offered to the consumers has also been reduced. Moreover, it has infused optimism among the retailers and the channel partners.

“The changes are already evident as the online marketplaces have reduced their hefty discounts and removed many products from their platform, whereas there is a sense of optimism in physical stores owners and

ALOK GUPTA

President, PCAIT

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E-commerce channel partners. As it is only a month since these new regulations came into existence, it is too early to comment on the business growth and profits generated by the offline sellers,” highlights Alok Gupta of PCAIT. With similar views, Pratheesh Mathew of CONFED-ITAs ays,“We found major impact in online portals immediately after the implementation of new policy. The exclusive sellers like Cloudtail, WS Retail all have increased their pricing in their listing immediately and we can realize no more enthusiasm for the customer to go with their listings.”

Effectiveness of the regulation

GUNASEGHARAN . K President, ISODA

The new rule is not only protecting the interests of the retailers but also helping consumers to get a touch and feel experience so that they can be sure of the product before buying. The vendors are also shifting their focus towards the channel community.

“It will be the first step to bring in fair competition between convenience offered by E-commerce platforms and the touch and feel offered by Brick & Mortar Stores. In my view only after number of iterations, this problem can be permanently rooted out,” says Saket Kapur of FAIITA. “The regulation is working from day one, and not only it protects the interest of brick and mortar stores, but it also helps customers to buy after having a look and feel and buy confidently, knowing who is responsible for support.With this policy in place, vendors/ brands have now shifted focus to support their offline channels. Really hope and wish good sense will prevail,” says Samir Parekh of TAIT.

PANKAJ SHAH

President, ASIRT

It is a fact that the Indian economy is immensely dependent on the brick and mortar stores. It creates job opportunities for the people and so the channel community believes that the government should protect their business interests and create a level playing field for them.

“Brick and Mortars are the sources, who created jobs for government and Indian economy is running on their shoulders. It’s a fact that government never shown concerns for these brick and mortars and always giving incentives to bigger industries. We are not hoping anything special from the present or upcoming government, we just want it should give us a level playing field with these multinational funded E-commerce giants,” wishes Mahinder Aggarwal of ADCTA.

HIREN SHAH

General Secretary, FITAG

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policies, deep discounting and malpractices in Tax Compliancy by sellers on E-commerce marketplace will be restrained which in turn will help brick and mortar stores with level playing field. This will ensure continuity of jobs of lakhs of employees and their families will get true peace of mind,” highlights Pankaj Shah of ASIRT.

Price disparity

If implemented in an effective manner, the new rule indicates that good time will come (“Achhe din aayenge”) for the channel community. It will create a level playing field for them and it will mechanise the distribution model and also bring price control in the market.

“The new norms will definitely going to ensure a level playing field and pave way for fair competition between different retail channels. These regulations will act as a catalyst for traditional distribution models and help bring about some kind of price control in the market.

According to a study by rating firm Crisil, the new rules can create a level playing field which could impact sales worth ₹35,000 crore to ₹40,000 crore for the country’s top online retailers. Whereas physical retailers are expected to lap up ₹10,000 to ₹12,000 crore in the top line in FY20.

These figures ensure that the brick and mortar store owners will witness improving revenues, profitability and better cash flows in the near future and they could be in for even better times ahead,” opines Alok Gupta of PCAIT. The IT channel community of India is not against E-commerce but they highly condemn the money burn and the price disparity of the online marketplace. They believe the interests of the traditional channel should be protected by the government and hygiene should be maintained in the market.

“We strongly believe that this regulation will help the interest of our traders in the country and gave more sanity to the market in terms of reality in price. Domestic traders are the back bones of Indian economy, government always should protect and safeguard them from the foreign giants.

We are not against any form of OLS sales but we are against the money burn and price disruption funded from foreign companies in OLS portals,” puts forward Pratheesh Mathew of CONFED-ITA.

It is expected that if the regulation is implemented effectively, it will not only regulate the pricing policy and deep discounts but will also eradicate the malpractices in tax compliance by the online platforms.

Being optimistic, Gunasegharan. K of ISODA says,“Yes it will curb price parity between both the channels. Lifeline of Indian markets is the small and medium business which provides employment too.”

“If the new E-commerce Regulation is implemented in full then predatory pricing

Vendors or principal companies also feel that both online and offline channel should

NAVEEN GUPTA President, JCDA

function without disturbance. The principal vendors are also taking initiatives for a peaceful co-existence of both the channel by signing Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to ensure price parity.

“I think the price parity will be the guiding force for principal companies too, who will want both online and offline Channel to coexist without much disruption. In our IT industry we have already seen these principals making sincere efforts and have signed MOU with FAIITA to ensure One Price through All Channels, though it may take time to stabilise but in the long run it will help benefit all players in the eco-system,” underlines Pankaj Shah of ASIRT.

SAKET KAPUR

General Secretary, FAIITA

To sum up

After analysing the feedbacks from the IT associations pan India, we conclude that this move by the government has been viewed in an optimistic way by them. They also expect the revival of business in coming days when the policy will be effectively implemented.

The channel community has welcomed the move and is expecting a level playing field in the market. They are also hopeful that the nuisance that is prevailing in the market will also come under control.

But it should also be kept in mind that the deadline for feedback submission on the draft

MAHINDER AGGARWAL President, ADCTA

policy on E-commerce has been extended.

The E-commerce platforms operating in the country will have time till March 31st to submit their feedback on it.

Keeping aside all the assumptions, it is evident that the policy will be effective if it is brought into action properly. “It is a direction towards curbing the menace. The reprieve will last only as long as the canny E-commerce portals are able to find a work around thus shifting the balance of convenience in their favour,” concludes Saket Kapur of FAIITA. n

TekQ Global CIO Forum takes place at Mumbai A CIO Dineout Dinner meet held at Hotel Marriot Courtyard Andheri was organised by TekQ Global CIO Forum in association with VARINDIA as the media partner, which was attended by 25 CIOs. TekQ Global CIO Forum was established in 2016, with more than 4200+ members on the board. The objective of TekQ Global CIO Forum is to establish and create an ecosystem to provide empowerment and helping CIOs, CTOs and CISOs in getting the right kind of job, training, financial help and best practices in establishing them in their entrepreneurship journey.

As a part of empowering the IT fraternity, TekQ Global CIO Forum established its Western India chapter under the leadership of KRC Murty (Kotak Mahindra Bank), Shankar Jadhav (BSE), Mukesh Mehta (B&K Investments).

The TekQ Global CIO forum has started initially as a CIO dine-out in October 2018 with a footfall of top

30 CIOs from the industry. With the help of the Mumbai chapter, the team managed to arrange the CIO Dineout with 25 leading CIOs from the Mumbai region on 28th Feb 2019.

The event kick started at 6.45 pm with the help of Chandrakant Kamath, V.P - IT, Barclays Bank. All respected dignitaries from the western region attended the session and continued up to 12.45 AM. The event started with the introduction of all members. At the end every member committed to work very closely in terms of jobs postings references and other key important things to empower the fraternity.

The event was well addressed by the CIO, CTO and CISOs from BSE, Hiranandani NBFC, Volkswagen Financial, Mahindra Club, Adlabs, Crompton Greaves, Gratitude, JM Financials, RBS, Adani power, Being Human and Edelweiss, etc.

Overall, the event was a grand success. Every member who attended the session spoke on the success and suggested on more such kind of interactive sessions to get organised.

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LEAD STORY

WOMAN OF TODAY FORESEES a Brighter Tomorrow

It is an irony that people in India worship female gods but until few years, women of the country were unable to find their true position in the society and their voices were unheard.

Earlier the country had a typical viewpoint about women buthas ultimately enhanced its outlook in due course. The mind-set has changed with time and women have also proved their worth. They have excelled in any and every role.

India Development Report, women account for approximately 17 percent of senior management.

In India technical fields are considered to be suitable only for men. The social biasness, limited opportunities, gender gap, inequality and dissuasion deter women from choosing their right path. Most of the women try to keep their work-life and personal-life balanced.

But there are many instances where burden of household weighs them down to quit their careers.

MOHUA SENGUPTA

EVP & Global Head of Services, 3i Infotech

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March 2019 www.varindia.com

There have been innumerable debates on womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s position in the society, their education, health, economic position, gender equality etc. In India, women make up 42 percent of new graduates, but only 24 percent of them are entry-level professionals. Out of 24 percent, about 19 percent reach senior-level management roles. As per the World Bank-

KARYN PASTORINO

Global Channel Marketing & Operations Cambium Networks

AKTA JAIN

Director, Enterprise Mobile Engineering Dell Digital

In a country like India, where high number of female infanticide is faced, it is the need of the hour to address gender diversity at a social, individual and organisational level. As a society, everyone needs to focus on gender inclusion or empowering women in crafting equal opportunities for them, based on their choices and capabilities.

PAST AND FUTURE OF WOMEN ACHIEVEMENTS

Women are the pillars of the society. The role of women in society has ensured stability, progress and long-term development of nations. Globally, women comprise 43 percent of the world’s agricultural labour force – rising to 70 percent in some countries.Women, formal and informal labour can transform a community from a relatively autonomous society to a participant in the national economy.

Keeping this in mind,Akta Jain, Director, Enterprise Mobile Engineering, Dell Digital, says,“As women we’ve come a long way in terms of achievements. There is no significant field where you don’t see women creating an impact be it sports, politics, Space, Science, Technology, Banking and the list is endless.

The future looks extremely positive and I can’t be more optimistic than this in terms of growth and career for women globally and specially in India. The gender difference in India is gradually vanishing thanks to the global corporate culture, proactive education, cultural pollination. There is definitely an increasing acceptance to the role of a woman in various walks of work and life. I am certainly looking forward to a future where we inculcate a very meritocracy based environment and hence the gender of the individual becomes irrelevant. I definitely think we are headed in that direction and we will very soon be experiencing the work environment where every women feels inclusive and creating more value propositions.”

The Information Technology industry is majorly dominated by men, but with time the mindset is also changing. The industry is not male dominated anymore, as females are gradually filling various position in tech jobs.

Karyn Pastorino – Global Channel Marketing & Operations, Cambium Networkswho has been in the tech industryfor over the past six years says, “I’ve seen a noticeable increase in the number of women in tech jobs. In my first year at Cambium Networks, there were fewer than 10 women that I knew of at my company. This was somewhat of a culture shock for me from my previous career in educational publishing, where women outnumbered men greatly.

But in the past few years, more and more women are filling positions in engineering, channel, marketing, finance, sales, operations, and supply chain. I’ve seen the number of women filling varied functions at many of our global partners increase dramatically as well.

It’s great to see that women are being given opportunities in this typically male-dominated industry and being recognized for their strong skills and business acumen.”

Technology has been proven tobe a boon for women as it eradicates the need of physical strength and the presence required at work location, where the women lacks. Besides this, a change in the mindset of the people and dual income family trend helps to enhance the position of career women.

Mohua Sengupta, EVP & Global Head of Services, 3i Infotech thinksthat women have come a long way from where we were even a generation or two back. “A big part of it is because of huge improvements in technology, which has helped replace the need of physical strength and the need to be at work location all the time – the two things which kept most jobs off limits for women. But together with this came the need to have dual income families and a huge change in our mind-set.

So, we see the glass ceiling for career women getting pushed more and more upwards – we see women achieving a lot of success, not just in jobs that were traditionally earmarked for women but also many other so-called nontraditional roles,” she says.

In future, Mohuasees the glass ceiling

BIDISHA NAGARAJ

CMO Schneider Electric-India

ANITA KUKREJA

Head – Marketing & Channel Sales, IceWarp India

breaking completely. She does foresee equal representation from men and women, not only in junior levels or middle-management jobs, but also in the coveted c-level jobs.

The society’s perspective towards women has taken a paradigm shift. Women now realises their true worth. Irrespective of any arena, women are reaching pinnacle. Schneider Electric as an organization encourages contribution of women and supports diversity and inclusion.

Bidisha Nagaraj, CMO, Schneider ElectricIndia, says, “However, there has been a significant change over the years. Women in India are starting to recognize their true potential. They are beginning to break the barriers and earn a respectable position in the world. Women are excelling in several areas of work and there is no arena which remains unconquered by them. Whether it is politics, sports, entertainment, literature, and technology, everywhere, women are leading the roles all along.

Owing to the focus on female education and empowerment, the future looks great for women. With several women-centric policies and programmers, companies are working towards increasing the representation of women at workplace. At Schneider Electric our focus is on ensuring well-being of the employees by providing equal opportunities to everyone, everywhere through workplace inclusion. It is our endeavor to create a workplace where women can contribute to their full potential.

We strongly advocate diversity and inclusion (D&I) as our core values to promote gender balance. Accelerating women in leadership is one of the top priorities of the company by embedding diversity of all kind within the work culture. The company is committed to increase representation of women at intake to 40%, and in top positions to 30% by 2020. In 2019, women make up 20.5% of managerial positions at Schneider Electric.”

Though there is a slow recognition and representation of women in IT, they are creating

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LEAD STORY

SANJUKTA KULKARNI

VP and Head Legal Larsen & Toubro Infotech Limited

ripples in the industry and championing in it.

Vinny Sharma, Marketing Head, Forcepoint India & SAARC, says, “There has been a slow and steady stream of work to improve the recognition and representation of women in IT from big businesses and outreach organisations alike. With women participating in nationalist movements, to being pushed into the domestic household space, to their revival as super-women today, women in our country have seen it all.

Talking about the future for women and work, women are creating waves as they charge into the tech industry, meanwhile championing others to enter the same field. According to a survey in 2018, 96 percent of women in tech want to stay in the industry (source). This could be fuelled further by various policies such as flexible hours, work-from-home, antiharassment policies, conveyance, etc. Such policies and training in tech industry, need to be provided to women in order to retain them and create paths for them towards leadership roles. This is a future-of-work trend and it serves well for women who have in the past resisted executive leadership because of time pressures and life balance.”

According to Anita Kukreja, Head – Marketing & Channel Sales at IceWarp India, women are more empathetic and considerate in handling their roles and responsibilities including their team. She says, ‘”Women today stand tall, next to their male counterparts and are shaking hands in the boardroom. Having said that, there is still room for improvement since there are very few women in the Board in most of the companies.

Indeed, the leadership role should be truly on merit but there are capable women who failed to be recognized, since the acceptance of women in senior positions will always be biased due to family responsibilities and taking care of kids. Also, there is a stupendous sense of insecurity that lurks amongst the male counterparts.”

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GAURI BAJAJ

Director and APAC Head, Managed Security Services, Tata Communications

GENDER WAGE GAP

The Gender wage gap is highest in India where women are paid 34% less than men. It is believed by many that there is a disparity in the way women are paid in spite of having equal or better potential than their male counterparts.

Sanjukta Kulkarni - VP and Head Legal at Larsen & Toubro Infotech, comments, “The World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report 2017 estimates that at the current rate it will be another 217 years before we achieve gender parity. This is an alarming statistic and one that we need to take note of.

40 percent of today’s global workforce are female yet just 5 percent of global CEO positions are held by women, according to a PWC report. Only 14.2 percentof the top five leadership positions in S&P 500 companies are represented by females, according to a CNN Money analysis. The responsibility to cause change is with each one of us and Men have to believe that they need to be a partner to create this change.”

Sumati Sahgal, General ManagerConsumer West, Lenovosays, “Pay disparity is a reality especially in certain traditionally male dominated fields. Employers need to be professionally committed to market-based and function-based remuneration completely dissociated from gender. It is important for business leaders and corporate human resources functions to acknowledge and take corrective steps when needed.”

It is been sometime that there is a realization among all about women advocated equality of thought, commitment and ownership to their workplace. They are now leading in many verticals. Parity in pay which is an issue across the globe is now changing as many women are occupying leadership roles and ensuring equality among all.

According to Ruhi Ranjan, Managing Director and Lead Asia Pacific Financial Services, Accenture Technology Services, “There has been an all-round realisation that

SUMATI SAHGAL

General Manager- Consumer West, Lenovo

women bring equality of thought, commitment and ownership to their workplace, they have become leaders in several spheres of industry.

Today, most organisations make a conscious effort to encourage diversity at workplace to ensure they leverage the talent which diversity of gender and culture brings.

Parity in pay is an unquestionable requirement to ensure that organizations can attract and retain the best talent irrespective of gender. There is a significant shift already in countries worldwide to ensure the right parity and will further change as more women move into leadership roles and take accountability of ensuring equality benefits across all talent pools.”

MESSAGE TO WOMEN All the leading ladies conveyinspirational messages to the women believing that every woman herself is tomb of empowerment.

Believing this Akta Jain of Dell Digital, says,“With current cultural diversity it is hard to find a field where you would not see a woman role model. Right from army, navy, pilots, to engineers, doctors, lawyers and bankers, women are creating a huge impact. It is much easier than before where you’d be the first one to go down that path. Women should inculcate a feeling of self-belief, display a go getter attitude. We have more and more women creating a mark in fields that were unheard of before like sports, politics, entrepreneurship, IT etc. Women should be self-aware of her basic rights and make sure to be heard when any of these rights are violated. There is definitely no replacement for hard work and that is irrespective of the gender. You would feel far more confident if you’ve worked hard enough to know what got you here which you totally deserve. Please learn to say “No” when you have to. Be 100% passionate in whatever you do and respect, credibility and empowerment will just follow.”

JAYA VAIDHYANATHAN President, Bahwan CyberTek

Karyn Pastorino of Cambium Networks,says, “Women should feel empowered to explore male-dominated industries. Successful companies see the value of differences—different genders, different cultures, and different backgrounds. Such a mix provides the basis for growth and prosperity, fresh ideas, and equality. This is the type of company you should work for! It doesn’t matter if you do not have the industry experience—many of your skills will transfer and benefit another industry. Don’t feel afraid to apply for a job in an unfamiliar industry. I went from publishing to tech—it’s the skills I brought that were important; you can learn the industry!”

Bidisha Nagaraj of Schneider ElectricIndia, comments, “Empowerment comes from within. Believe in yourself and the fact that you were born to conquer the world. Remember, as a woman you are already running several establishments including your home, your children’s future, your family. You are already a CEO! “ Sanjukta Kulkarni of Larsen & Toubro Infotechshares her experience as once she noticed a mother of two children interacting with her son who was a couple of years younger to her daughter. “Both the children were urging her to get them ice-cream from the store freezer where they were standing. The woman was asking the boy about his choice while the girl was trying to get the attention of her mother to give her choice. It pained me to see the mother ignoring the girl’s request and only turning her attention to her son.

Eventually she might have bought the ice cream for both but the girl had to make do without her choice or voice being heard. This incident left an indelible impression in my mind and it is these biases that we as Women, Mothers and Daughter need to correct. We should create an atmosphere where our opinion truly matters. “ Sumati Sahgal of Lenovo, also conveys the same. She advices to be confident of strengths

DR. KARNIKA SETH

Cyberlaw Expert & Founding Partner of Seth Associates

and abilities and do not shy away from taking up challenging tasks. Hard work, focus and determination play a huge role in determining every ones trajectory. It is equally important for every woman to speak up and be more demanding.

VINNY SHARMA

Marketing Head, Forcepoint India & SAARC

Jaya Vaidhyanathan, President, Bahwan CyberTek,comments, “Empowerment to me is all about having the freedom to making your own choices. In order to do that, I urge the women to come forward and take charge of their future by equipping themselves with the skills required to succeed in their professional space. Dream big, prioritize and have the commitment in the journey to make your dreams a reality. Let go of small fights in the pursuit for your dreams.”

Gauri Bajaj, Director and APAC Head for Managed Security Services, Tata Communications, says, “The corporate world today has become more welcoming of women employees. While some level of stereotype continues to exist in the industry, it is imperative to keep making a conscious effort, across the

RUHI RANJAN

MD & Lead Asia Pacific Financial Services, Accenture Technology Services

board, to bring about a behavioural change.

At Tata Communications, diversity and inclusion are integral to the culture of the company and ensuring the progress of women remains a key priority. The company’s programmes and policies to nurture an equal opportunities environment through unbiased applicant screening, allowing leaders to follow their natural leadership style, flexibility of work hours and location to maintain balance between personal and professional life – all contribute to creating and sustaining a conducive work environment for employees, both women and men, to advance and thrive in their careers.

Such initiatives make Tata Communications a preferred employer of choice in the industry.”

Dr. Karnika Seth, Cyberlaw expert & Founding Partner of Seth Associates has also opened up her heart about the position of women. She feels, “Women have realised they have a voice of their own and they need to speak up. Women will excel in every sphere of their lives. They are bold and confident and will make a mark in anything they do.”

Dr. Seth suggests women to believe and express themselves freely in all that they do.

She also puts forwards, “Remove shackles of stereotypes; remove the shackles of self inhibiting fears and rise and shine.”

AT LAST Gone are those days when women were restricted only to household jobs; they have come to prove themselves in every spheres of life, be it house-hold work, armed force, pilots, engineers, doctors, lawyers, bankers etc. They have very well strengthened their position in the society. People and society have also broadened their perspective regarding the capabilities of women. It is expected that in coming years the differences that are still there in a fragmented way will be eradicated soon. n

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Bosch committed to secure People and Premises With engineering as core, Bosch comes up with solutions for the present while also keeping the future in mind. It continues to create integrated solutions with HD camera, Analytics, IP conferencing systems etc.

In a chat with VARINDIA, Sudhir Tiku, Business Head, Security Systems, Bosch India discusses the trends, strategy, challenges and future of the surveillance industry The India security and surveillance market is gradually shifting from security in closed private space to public areas. This transition is mainly due to increased crime rates, and security breaches causing loss of human life and assets.

This shift has resulted into an increased spending from both the government and the private sector.

“The security and surveillance market in India is currently at a dynamic stage as the industry moves from security in closed private spaces to security of public places. This has resulted in spending from both government and the private sector. A prominent rise in security threats has propelled governments from different countries to prioritize the development and advance the adoption of surveillance techniques.

Increasing crime rates and growing instances of security breaches across leading to massive loss of human life and assets, are the major drivers of the electronic security market. We believe in providing sophisticated hi-tech security solutions to its clients. The need of today is for a smart city with connected solutions that constantly monitors data from across the city and helps make better decisions, a need that Bosch is committed to address,” describes Sudhir Tiku.

TRENDS

As India is inching towards building Smart Cities, the need for video surveillance is becoming critical. Bosch believes that with technological improvements, efficient urban mobility and a safe environment can be built.

“India is on its way to develop its first ‘100 Smart Cities’. Modern cities, however, must look to put in place smart security solutions to combat challenges such as criminal activity, incidents of violence and terrorist attacks. Bosch believes that a more efficient urban mobility and a safer environment can be achieved via technological improvements. Video surveillance, fire alarms and protection, access control, intrusion alarm, public address and emergency evacuation systems are some of the important safety and security

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building blocks for a smart city. A smart city needs to have such solutions properly planned and effectively deployed and monitored by the administrative agencies. As the drive to build smart and secure cities is gaining momentum, the significance of video-based surveillance to ensure safety at home, workplace and beyond is increasing multi-fold. Not just people but business themselves are now initiating the need of video surveillance in the living environment,” states Sudhir.

STRATEGY

The core strength of Bosch is its engineering and on basis of this, the company builds its solutions. It helps to convert cities into a vibrant, attractive and sustainable place with its varied solutions.

“Bosch has a strong engineering core and creates solutions for the present and with the future in mind. Bosch has an ongoing process for transforming the cities of the future into vibrant, attractive, and sustainable places for people to be. It has a wide range of networked solutions for efficiently monitoring public areas in cities and effectively managing security, safety, and communications. Bosch is all set to change with the onset of smart cities, where buildings will be specifically designed to accommodate advanced technology and installing video surveillance solutions will become imperative. In addition, it is to be noticed that the application and importance of video surveillance will move from just security to tracking, monitoring, crimeprevention, disaster-prevention, among many others. Our systems are IP-driven and are on open platforms, hence our products can be configured to many potential applications and can fit into any vertical. With the impetus that the Smart City Mission has received in the last four-five years, we are working closely on some projects,” explains Sudhir.

Talking about the challenges that are dampening the growth of the security surveillance market, Sudhir says, “In India, the first challenge is social in nature. Citizens must be informed of the capabilities that security solutions possess in order to set reasonable expectations. At the same time, product quality must not suffer amidst the pressure to provide solutions effectively. Market research that allows organizations to better understand the industry is a time and labour intensive process, made more complicated by mass migrations within the country that end up changing the audience profile.” n

SUDHIR TIKU Business Head, Security Systems, Bosch India

FUTURE OF SURVEILLANCE The security surveillance market has leapfrogged in recent times, pushing the market towards growth. Verticals like government, transport, banking etc. have contributed to this growth.

“The safety and security surveillance market in India has tremendous growth aspects. It has grown multi-fold on itself in the recent past. Some major market verticals which hold a significant share in the surveillance industry are Government and Transport, Banking and Financial verticals and Commercial spaces. The rising incidents of crime, theft, bank robbery and the growing awareness about benefits of the electronic security devices among the people have primarily driven the electronic security market,” highlights Sudhir.

He further adds, “At Bosch we will continue to churn out integrated solutions consisting of high definition cameras, Analytics, IP conferencing systems, Professional Sound Systems, robust Fire Alarm, Access Control systems and Building Integration Software that will add value to the operational experiences of our Customers.

Bosch Security and Safety Systems is committed to securing people and premises, wherever lives and property are at risk. With Bosch you can feel safe.”

Aparna Mullick aparna@varindia.com

Movers & Shakers

Forescout appoints new channel chief for the India market

Paytm Money ropes in Suresh Vasudevan as its Chief Technology Officer

Forescout has appointed Surojit Dasgupta as its new India channel chief.

Earlier, Surojit was the channel head for CrowdStrike in India.

Forescout is a solution provider of device visibility and control for organisations across the globe.Surojit will head the Channels, Alliances and Commercial Sales for India and SAARC at Forescout. Surojit Dasgupta to support the growth of its channel community in India.

“This is a strategic market for Forescout in the APJ region. Partners play an integral role in our success to help us reach enterprise organizations,” it said.

Paytm Money announced the appointment of Suresh Vasudevan as its Chief Technology Officer (CTO). Suresh will be leading the overall engineering and technology functions at Paytm Money and will be based out of Bengaluru.

Suresh Vasudevan comes with over 20 years of experience in product development for various startups and enterprise product companies across payments, E-commerce and fintech domains. He has also worked at Amazon as the Head of Engineering for Alexa Skills Certification platform.

Dailyhunt appoints Sunil Mohapatra as its CRO

Check Point ropes in Sharat Sinha as VP for Asia-Pacific and Japan

Dailyhunt has announced the appointment of Sunil Mohapatra as Chief Revenue Officer (CRO). Sunil will be based in Bengaluru and report to Umang Bedi, President, Dailyhunt.

In his new role as CRO, he will be leading all revenue-related teams across the Dailyhunt group comprising of top strategic accounts, large enterprise accounts, mid-market, national and state government business and ad networks.

The move comes in the wake of Dailyhunt's continued leadership as India's undisputed leader in news and regional language content.

K7 Computing appoints K Purushothaman as its new CEO

K7 Computing Private has announced the appointment of its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO). K Purushothaman joined as the new CEO from the 1st of March 2019.

Purushothaman joins from NASSCOM, where he served as Senior Director for over a decade. In his previous roles; he has been the Head of Communications for Aircel and has also been associated with Hyundai Motor India Limited. He brings with him strong experience of over two decades in Sales & Marketing.

Kesavardhanan has also been appointed as the first CEO of AVAR.

Citrix names Ravindra Kelkar as Area VP, Sales & Services, India Sub-continent

Citrix has announced the elevation of Ravindra Kelkar to Area Vice President, Sales & Services, India Sub-continent, from his previous role as Senior Director, Enterprise & Public Sector, Citrix India. He will be responsible for accelerating business growth in the Indian subcontinent (India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Mauritius and Nepal), building a robust partner ecosystem and transforming customer engagement model.

Kelkar will manage Citrix’s business in enterprise and commercial sales, consulting services, technical pre-sales and the post sales functions

Check Point Software Technologies has announced the appointment of Sharat Sinha as Vice-President for APAC. He will be responsible for driving Check Point’s market and business growth in the region, focusing on sales strategy and operational plans.

Sinha has over 25 years’ experience in senior sales and marketing position in the cybersecurity and enterprise IT sectors. He joins from VMware, where he was VP for Asia-Pacific and Japan for four years.

Prior to this, he was the Theater VP and General Manager for APAC at Palo Alto Networks for two years.

Plantronics ropes in Ankur Goel as MD, India & SAARC

Plantronics has appointed Ankur Goel as Managing Director for India & SAARC. Goel will oversee both Plantronics and Polycom business in India and manage the company’s joint business spanning voice, video, content and cloud solutions for customers a s they work, share, collaborate, and play.

He is dedicated to providing customers with the best collaboration solutions to help their digital initiatives and expanding Plantronics’ footprint in the government, commercial and SMB sectors. He reports to Pierre-Jean Chalon, Senior Vice President, Asia Pacific.

Tally Solutions appoints Jayati Singh as Global Head- Marketing

Tally Solutions has appointed Jayati Singh as Global Head- Marketing. A seasoned marketer and entrepreneurial leader, Jayati brings with her 18+ years of experience across sales and marketing in FMCG and FMCD. In her current role, Jayati will be responsible for Tally’s marketing activities spread across India and overseas.

She started her career with P&G India working across customer business development, market strategy and planning. Prior to Tally, she was associated with BRITA India water Solutions as Marketing Director and had previous assignments with Usha International and Philips India.

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Yuho Mobiles envisions to be in the 'Top 5' in India by next FY Yuho Mobiles aspires to be in the top in the Indian mobile industry by having a good understanding of cortex, technology and market strategy. With already a factory in Gurgaon, Yuho is planning to build another one in the next financial year. The company has developed 450 service centers all over the country, targeting tier-2 & 3 business.

In a chat with VARINDIA, Capt. Chanpreet Singh, Country CEO & Managing Director, Yuho Mobiles, discusses about the Indian market, new products, channel strategy, R&D etc. Chinese mobile phone companies have taken over the Indian market shares, which in past years used to be occupied by Indian mobile phone brands. Brands like Micromax, Lava, Karbonn used to enjoy a good market share, but eventually they had to shade it off to give way for Chinese brands to fill in. The Chinese companies have developed latest technologies and are able to deliver better products, and hence consumers and channels have come to accept the Chinese mobile phone brands.

According to Capt. Chanpreet Singh, “The Indian market is still empty and our vision is to be in the top five position in India; after Oppo, Vivo we will be the next participant in the industry. Right now we are going to bring good smart phone experience to the consumers and good working experience to the channel. In terms of technology, our technology partner is very well versed with the making of the mobile phone. This is a unique combination of good technology and market expertise.”

In the surging competition of the Indian mobile market, where every day new brands are pouring in, Yuho takes it as a common problem.

In last two years many brands have entered the India mobile market space but have also left.

Singh says,”Competition is a very common problem which everyone has to face. The other important thing is that goods have to reach the market place. You will have to make sure that the goods reach where we want them to reach. It requires certain amount of expertise in the skill set of the people who are handling this market

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“We have a rich combination of third party and our own service centers.

The production points or level one and two service points are handled by third party with whom we work very closely. On the other side the technology is handled by the brand itself.

The L4 and L3 centers in the district are taken care by Yuho whereas the L1 and L2 centers in the districts are taken care by the third party service providers. In that way we have 450 service centers all over the country.” so that the goods reach the required people and they will make an effort to sell them.”

STRATEGY Yuho Mobiles has come up with a direct strategy connecting distributors and retailers. In this context Singh claims, “Right now we have a few distributors. Around 250 distributors and 10,000 retailers are working with us right now.

The strategy we are following while we are a consumer centric brand is that we want to be friendly with the channel partners. Our products and policies are focused towards the consumers.

As an entity we don’t believe in having many layers. We have warehouses in almost every state and from there we deliver goods to the distributor and then to the retailer."

Singh further adds, “We have started promoting our products from the beginning of December of 2018. The idea behind it is to attract as many consumers and channel partners to come into our fold. Our entire strategy is around our products. The value will be decided by our other flagship product that we are launching in April.”

SERVICE AND SUPPORT Yuho believes that without service and

support no brand can survive.

Talking about it Singh adds, “It is a very important part of our strategy. For this reason we have a rich combination of third party and our own service centers. The production points or level one & two service points are handled by a third party vendor with whom we work very closely. On the other hand, the technology is handled by the brand itself. The L4 and L3 centers in the districts are taken care of by Yuho whereas the L1 and L2 centers are taken care by the third party service providers.

In this way we have 450 service centers all over the country.”

R&D Yuho thinks R&D is an integral part of the technology business and it is done by the design team in China.

“Right now we are trying to do assembling; the factory we have in India is able to assemble our products. By the next financial year we are trying to move the motherboard assembling to India. The R&D required for this kind of thing is already been done by our principal vendors in China. A large scale of our profit goes into R&D,” concludes Singh. n

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December 2018

5

RNI - NO 72399/1999

Reg. No: DL-SW-01/4030/18-20

Printing Date 18 & 19

Date of Posting 20 & 21 every month

Welcome to

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Where Pay-per-use IT Outcomes are finally on-premises FLEX CAPACITY • BACKUP • SAP HANA • AND MORE

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56 pages including cover