E-Magazine October - 2015 by VarIndia

Brocade expands Wireless Partnerships

GIGABYTE offers platform to promote PC Gaming in India

Theme: Channel First Friday, 13th November 2015 Hotel Taj Palace, New Delhi

VOLUME XVII

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OCTOBER 2015

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October 2015

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October 2015

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Dell rolls out Data Center Networking Solutions

Juniper announces Advanced Anti-Malware Cloud Service

COVER STORY

IT Associations of India

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VOLUME XVII

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OCTOBER 2015

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It’s an “Adapt or Perish” Branding Approach for Every Vendor 46pg

HP enhances its Flash Storage Portfolio

P has announced innovations for HP 3PAR StoreServ Storage to support the transformation to hybrid IT and all-flash data centers. It includes a new 8000 family featuring the industry’s most affordable all-flash array (AFA), twice the workload performance of previous generations and automated performance assurance with flashoptimized quality of service (QoS) controls. “Regardless of your size, budget, growth rate, quality of service requirements, or even your storage network environment, HP 3PAR StoreServ Storage offers a best-in-class flash solution to power your public, private, or hybrid cloud with uncompromising adaptability from a single architecture,” said Barun Lala, Director, Storage, HP India.

IBM Launches Public Cloud Data Center in Chennai

BM has opened its first public cloud data center in India. Located in Chennai, the new IBM Cloud data center offers local customers and end users increased performance and speed for data traveling to and from the region. The Chennai data center joins IBM’s Mumbai cloud center and is part of an expansive network of data centers that blanket the globe, providing users with the performance and disaster recovery solutions needed to ensure business continuity. IBM is establishing a partnership with NASSCOM to launch Techstartup.in, a digital hub wherein the entire Indian startup ecosystem, including angels, mentors, investors, academia and venture capitalists, can interact with each other to grow the cloud market.

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October 2015

HELLO INDIA

Digital Marketing in India : Opportunities scaling up I

ndia, the world's fastest-growing economy, has earned the reputation of being the youngest start-up nation in the world, with 72 per cent of the founders being below 35 years old. There has also been a 50-per cent rise in the share of female entrepreneurs in 2015 over 2014. It has moved up to the third position in the fastest-growing base of start-ups worldwide. The rapid growth of Indian start-ups has created significant growth opportunities for every stakeholder. The Indian technology start-ups landscape has also seen tremendous growth in terms of emergence of innovative start-ups and creative entrepreneurs. This has been made possible with the right Government policies and initiatives that are aimed at improving the overall start-up ecosystem. Social media is no longer just for the younger generation but also for adult professionals and even the older generation. A study says that there are 134 million active social media users in India, 26 per cent more than last year. Companies and brands are expanding their online presence to actively engage and gain more customers by reaching out to this online community. Many brands have been using social media platforms for online reputation management, acquiring new customers and creating advocacy. Another part of its growth story is that India is sidestepping modern retail and disrupting several businesses by embracing e-commerce and internet technologies in a big way. With the internet backbone of the country getting strengthened, several multi-billion dollar businesses have been created in a shorter period in the e-commerce with a vision to transform India into a connected economy.The rapid penetration of smartphones in India is redefining mobility to create a connected nation. Mobile phone is the single most transformative tool for development. With increasing smartphone penetration and rapidly- growing Internet users, India has moved at a phenomenal pace towards digitization. In summary, smartphones too are forming the backbone of its delivery mechanism by bringing a sea of opportunities for empowering millions in an emerging economy. The other side of the coin presents an opportunity for cybercriminals, with an estimated 38 per cent of organizations exposed to targeted attacks in the first half of 2015. India is fast becoming a strategic target, in part because of the potentially sensitive information that is expected to be digitized through ambitious and high-profile projects such as Digital India. These threat groups seek access to intellectual property, intelligence and critical infrastructure. Lastly, India has already emerged as the top FDI destination, with the country attracting $30.8 billion of S. Mohini Ratna investment in the first half of the year. With this, we would expect a better tomorrow. Editor, VARINDIA mohini@varindia.com

October 2015

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October 2015

Xerox Partners going from a Transactional to a Consultative Selling Approach Sandeep Dhanoa, Associate Director, Key Accounts, XPPS & Business Solutions Delivery - Xerox India speaks to VARINDIA on its new XPPS and how it is readying its partners to be a part of a transformational business landscape India has around 49 million SMBs who are concentrated in major metros but are also found in sizeable number in tier 2 & 3 towns. To cater to this segment (which it already has been doing in the past), Xerox has recently introduced the Xerox Partner Print Services (XPPS) where they are training select channel partners to deliver MPS (Managed Print Services) solutions, primarily to the SMBs. “Technology adoption is really occurring across the spectrum. We see a huge opportunity in the SMB and the accounts above that. Research shows that SMB confidence in MPS is growing with 50% of existing customers expanding their current MPS footprint (MPS expanders) and 43% of non-users (MPS converters) expecting to invest in their first basic print service,” says Sandeep Dhanoa, Associate Director, Key Accounts, XPPS & Business Solutions Delivery - Xerox India. Sandeep has recently been brought in to lead XPPS. MPS is a wide industry term but Xerox’s MPS offering is its own capability and intellectual property, and that is why it has named it Xerox Partner Print Services, to differentiate it from the rest. Its offering is more appropriate for customers who have a minimum of 50 devices in their office environment and have presence in multiple locations. Particularly the offering will present an IT support overhead for small companies who are not adequately resourceful. However, XPPS is not a commercial offering for the market, as pointed out by Sandeep. “It’s a reflection of the partnership we have with the channel partners; they are the prime contractor and we are their sub contractor. This is a recent offering that is designed for both developed markets as well as markets like India,” he says. The Channel Support Channel partners like always play a critical role in providing Xerox the coverage and penetration. “We offer them a unique differentiated value proposition in terms of marketing and our MPS offering. We have developed tools, process expertise and deployed training and skills development to our partners who wish to offer these solutions to their clients. We are helping them through skills development, the right services engagement approach and the actual deliverable to the client.” He further continues, “Since our offering is still in the incubation stage, we need to coach and train the partners effectively as because this is not a traditional equipment sale, where the only difference lies in going from a CAPEX to an OPEX model. That is how other vendors position their products, which is a kind of a sub optimal solution. Our approach is to help the partner develop his skill set so that they can engage their client with the services value proposition from the outset,” assures Sandeep. Traditionally, the relationship between the client and the partner has been restricted to acquiring the technology and contracting the latter for some post sale services. But Xerox is doing it in a slightly different way – it first ASSESSES the current state of the customer, DESIGNS the right solution, IMPLEMENTS and MANAGES it. The acronym Xerox uses for this process is ADIM. The aim is to elevate the

October 2015

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Sandeep Dhanoa Associate Director, Key Accounts, XPPS & Business Solutions Delivery - Xerox India conversation between the customer and the partner to a consultative sale and make it more of a business than a transactional conversation. Xerox will try to do away with unnecessary administrative overhead in managing multiple vendor relationships, procuring technology from different vendors and experiencing delayed post sales service. “We will also bring to India selling skills methodology, which we have deployed in the last 3 years in developed markets for both direct sales and our channel partner operations. The methodology we call it STREAMLINE (Segmentation, Terrain, Ream (as in paper), Link, Investigate, Numbers and Execution). Our effort now is to train our partners through this STREAMLINE methodology to deploy the ADIM process and get those early deals with them,” explains Sandeep. Xerox is already beginning to train select partners in the 3 metros of Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru. So far, 12 such partners have been identified in these cities. The idea is to start with select partners and then expand it beyond. n samrita@varindia.com

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October 2015

Channel Chief

October 2015

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October 2015

CONTENTS Website: www.varindia.com

Publisher: Deepak Kumar Sahu Editor: S Mohini Ratna Executive Editor: Dr. Vijay Anand Assistant Editor: Samrita Baruah Copy Editor: C. M. Dutta Sr. Correspondent: Aparna Mullick Art Director: Rakesh Kumar Network Administrator: Ashok Kumar Singh Manager-IT: Subhash Mohanta Manager-SEO: Bidyadhar Behera BUSINESS: Commercial Manager: Amit Kumar Jha Circulation Executive: Manish Kumar Marketing Manager: Dipendra Kumar Marketing Manager: Shubhendu Nanda 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:08904205750/9916134482 E-mail: kamlakar@varindia.com, swami@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: Parthiban K A2, R.C.Residency, Cholambedu Road, Thiruvenkada nagar, Ambathur, Chennai - 600 053 Mobile: 098400 55626 E-mail: parthiban@varindia.com Hyderabad: Bureau office Branch Manager: L.G. Swami Plot No. 103, Sagacity Apartments, Street No. 10 Himayat Nagar, Hyderabad - 500029 Tel: 040-32989844/ Cell No. 08374935692 E-mail: swami@varindia.com Kolkata: Bureau office Marketing Officer: Sunil Kumar Correspondent: Kiran Kumar New Korola, Near Alampur, Land Mark Asian International School, Howrah - 711302 Mobile: 08100298033, E-mail: sunil@varindia.com Printed and Published by Deepak Kumar Sahu on behalf of M/s. Kalinga Digital Media Pvt. Ltd. and Printed at Pushpak Press Pvt. Ltd. 153, DSIDC Complex, Okhla Industrial Are ,Phase-I, New Delhi-110020 and Published at A-84A/3 Rose Apartment, Paryavaran complex, Ignou Road, New Delhi 110030, Editor - S Mohini Ratna.

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October 2015

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October 2015

ROUND ABOUT

Towards A Proactive Science Education I

was tossing several ideas for writing, before penning this piece. First, I thought of writing on net neutrality which was in the vortex of public debate for right or wrong reasons. I abandoned that idea since that issue has become more polemic on account of various reasons. Some feel that internet.org created by the Facebook goes against net neutrality, which a section upholds as the fundamental right of every netizen. People ranging from political leaders to ordinary mortals have taken their own stand about the issue, though I am not very sure how many have understood the concept clearly. There was a reason for me not to write on the issue. The other day in one of the editorial columns of a national daily, there was a central page article against the people and organizations promoting net neutrality, almost calling names on those who opposed the author’s idea. According to the article, net neutrality will act as a stumbling block for the penetration of the internet in the developing counties, which face chronic deficiency of it. On the other hand, the Facebook’s internet.org which will piggy ride with service providers will make accessibility to net more easy and convenient. To make it simpler, net need not be accessed with a standalone PC but can be through a mobile connection inserted by an instrument manufacturer. I am not dwelling on it further. Later, I thought of writing about Digital India, which is, more or less, connected with the theme mentioned above. More so, it has come into sharp focus on account of the recent visit of the Prime Minister to the US and his interface with the digital CEOs of the world, which is expected to kick-start a spate of investment in the country. Perhaps, six months down the line, I might write on that when concrete results are more visible. But the last trigger for writing on the present subject has come from a conversation that I was privy to. A concerned mother about the well-being of her daughter told to several people in my presence that she had persuaded her daughter, who is not so good at her studies, to opt for music rather than taking a science subject – be it Chemistry, Physics or Mathematics. Her explanation is that the subject – music – has least to do with mathematics since the girl gets frightened even at the mention of the word mathematics. I was in for a shock. As a student of science and engineering, I have reasonably good grounding in mathematics. I have studied Fibonacci numbers and tensor algebra. But I was unaware about its applications in various disciplines. Fibonacci golden notes of music are basic to every kind of music, particularly

October 2015

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piano. The keys that one is playing is set to certain mathematical precision. Many consider Pythagoras, the great mathematician, had a genius disposition in mathematics, philosophy and music. His invention had come up on his close observance of the nature at various times. Mathematicians lived through centuries and geographies and their contributions were substantial. India also has a coveted place in mathematics. We are credited with the discovery of value for zero, decimal point and trigonometry. If so, why we are lagging behind now in these streams? Contributions of Aryabhatta, Bhaskara and more recently of Ramanujam to mathematics are substantial and deep. Is it due to lack of policy initiatives or over the years we had developed inertia and closed our eyes to the art of inquisitiveness, which is basic to nurture scientific temperament? Admittedly, we have to introspect on these aspects to arrive at a pragmatic solution. Do we have a science policy to groom up young and bright minds? Why our students are averse to taking science, particularly mathematics? What more do we have to do to ignite interest in science among our young minds? These are some of the issues that we have to look at dispassionately. Things have not changed much ever since we have got independence in the science education. There are a few valid reasons for that. Teaching art subjects is less costly since it does not involve setting up costly laboratories. In those places, where science education is there, laboratories and other

facilities are either inadequate or nil. The last one is a perennial problem being faced by our education system. I feel that the interest among the students for the science subjects are adversely affected by the inexperienced teachers who have very little skill sets to teach a subject like mathematics. It is time that we introspect why we are not attracting better teaching talents in schools. One reason could be the low salary that we are offering to them, which of course is not comparable to corporate ones. We should have in-built systems within the education hierarchy itself to pay higher salaries and perquisites to deserving candidates not only to attract them, but also to retain them in the job. Equally significant is the training of the existing teachers to update their knowledge and skills. Even in some of the more prestigious schools and institutions, onsite job training is totally missing. It is also often said that a teacher continues to do the same job since his or her entry till the retirement, leaving no scope for diversion or undertaking other scholastic works which can shape one’s outlook and approach. In the West, sabbatical leave is very common for teachers who have completed specified years of service, particularly in the universities, where they can hone up their skills and competence by undertaking research studies or special assignments in an environment new to them. I can tell you with some degree of understanding that this is the malaise which is affecting our IT field. A good number of people from prestigious organizations opt for jobs in the IT sector. Most of them are performing tasks which can be easily undertaken by students of other science streams, whether they are working in a corporate environment or with a multinational bank. Upon them concentrating more on research such as electronics and higher applications of information technology, they can come out with excellent ideas for chip manufacturing, evolving complex solutions, etc, which immensely help the country to move up in the technology value chain. It is interesting to note that the upcoming technologies like artificial intelligence, speech recognition, require sound knowledge in mathematics. It is time that we shun our disdain for science education. We are laying emphasis on bringing investment in the country. Undoubtedly, that is important. But more important is to invest in our science education that will give more dividends to us in the future than any other investment. n

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October 2015

HOT BYTES

Microsoft makes Cloud Services available from Indian Datacenters

icrosoft has announced availability of Microsoft Azure services via local datacenter regions in India. As the first public cloud provider, Microsoft has opened three new regions – Central India in Pune, South India in Chennai and West India in Mumbai. Built on security, privacy & control, Microsoft cloud services are designed to enable individuals and organizations to achieve

more. Bhaskar Pramanik, Chairman, Microsoft India said, “The Microsoft cloud in India will transform the way computing is done in the country. The hyper-scale cloud will empower governments, businesses and users and offer enough computing power that will support all their existing workloads. We are happy to partner with Government and businesses to make the Microsoft cloud work for India and for Indians."

Matrix to participate in GITEX 2015, Dubai

atrix Comsec is participating in GITEX Technology Week 2015, Dubai. During this event, Matrix will showcase its complete range of VoIP-GSM gateways, Business IPPBXs, Converged Voice & Data platforms and allnew range of Terminals. The company will also feature its IP Video Surveillance Solutions, Access Control and TimeAttendance. “GITEX is the largest technology event in the Middle East region, bringing ICT professionals

under a common platform. Matrix is participating in GITEX this year to showcase its latest telecom and security solutions. We look forward to meeting service providers and key decision- makers to explain how our telecom and security solutions are redefining business communication and providing competitive advantage to our customers worldwide,” said Prashant Kaushik, Marketing Manager, Matrix Comsec.

Qualcomm to invest up to $150 Million in Indian start-ups

u a l c o m m Incorporated has announced its intention to invest up to $150 million in Indian start-up companies as part of its commitment to India during a meeting with Prime Minister Modi at the Digital Economy event in San Jose. Qualcomm Ventures will advise and direct Qualcomm’s activities with respect to these strategic investments. Qualcomm has been investing in promising Indian start-ups since 2007 and there are more than 20

October 2015

Indian companies as part of its global portfolio. “We share Prime Minister Modi’s vision to transform India into

a digitally empowered society and knowledge economy. India is at the cusp of a technology revolution and mobile technologies will lay the foundation for Digital India,” said Dr Paul E. Jacobs, Executive Chairman, Qualcomm Incorporated.

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Brocade expands Wireless EMC signs Partnerships alliance with has Dimension Data introduced its Brocade

imension Data and EMC have announced the Catalyst Alliance, a strategic market development initiative designed to speed the adoption of hybrid cloud as a platform for transformation for the midsize enterprise. Through the Catalyst Alliance both organizations will make investments to develop and jointly market and sell solutions that allow clients to realize value from business strategies based on hybrid cloud and enable them to adopt new technology while managing risk. Dimension Data and EMC plan to deliver clients comprehensive solutions that span private cloud on or off premises, public and hybrid cloud including advanced managed services for storage.

Google to come under its holding company – Alphabet

fter a long-awaited restructuring, Google is finally about to change into a holding company called Alphabet Inc., a move that will give the Internet giant more room to experiment outside of search and advertising. The goal of the step is to free Google CoFounder & CEO Larry Page up from running the business day to day so he could brainstorm the next Google. Larry Page, Google's Co-Founder, wrote in an announcement that the company is operating well today, but they think they can make it cleaner and more accountable. So they are creating a new company, called Alphabet.

Open Mobility Solutions Program designed to assure customers that their current, and future, wireless networks will perform well when running on a Brocade wired network infrastructure. This program addresses the need for advanced future-proof capabilities to support growth and new technologies, such as Software-Defined Networking (SDN),

while offering customers a unified wired and wireless experience with wireless network vendors. “The Program will deliver a best-in-class wired foundation for wireless networks and to optimize customers’ campus environments,” said Jason Nolet, Senior VP of the Switching, Routing, and Analytics Products Group, Brocade.

HCL brings Digital Service Exchange Platform

CL Technologies (HCL) has announced the launch of a new Digital Service Exchange platform enabled by ServiceNow software. This platform provides Service Integration and Management (SIAM) capabilities to enterprises allowing them to request and receive business services efficiently across their organizations. The Digital Service Exchange platform is where service demands such as content requisitions from various departments

will be generated and standard catalogue with defined service utility and warranty will be provided to business, and IT and users, which can then be consumed via multiple access channels. This offering combines ServiceNow’s service management platform with HCL’s expertise in enterprise service management process design, process and technology integration and organizational change enabling a united service experience.

Lenovo kick start its “Start up with Lenovo” program

enovo has announced the launch of its “Start up

countries like South Africa (18%), Turkey (49%) and Malaysia

with Lenovo” initiative to increase PC usage in Karnataka. This is part of the ongoing initiative by Lenovo to jumpstart India’s computer penetration, which is currently at 10% and is the lowest among developing

(64%). This program is a significant step by Lenovo tying in into the “Digital India” program of the current Government. Lenovo is also widening this initiative to empower the youth in tier-2 markets across India.

HOT BYTES

Elitecore to merge with Sterlite Technologies

l i t e c o r e Technologies will soon be merged into Sterlite Technologies, a part of the Vedanta Group. Elitecore has laid the foundation for its future success and growth to the benefit of all its customers, partners and stakeholders. The merger would strengthen Elitecore's position in the BSS/ OSS space and increase our global footprint. The move would add momentum to innovate and deliver best-

of-breed next-generation solutions and help us leverage Sterlite’s global reach, delivery capabilities and financial strength. Nikhil Jain, MD & CEO, Elitecore Technologies, said, "As the role of BSS is becoming critical to succeed in today's evolved next-generation telecom market, the combined entity is strongly positioned to support our customers transform with our industry-leading product and services."

GIGABYTE offers platform to promote PC Gaming in India

ver the years, GIGABYTE Technology has been offering attractive platforms for dedicated PC gamers to showcase their skills, by promoting quality gaming events in India. In line with this, the company was a part of some of the classiest gaming competitions held recently in the country that included the RageQuit Cup Season 3 in New Delhi, and Dota2 Pubstomp 2015 in Bengaluru. These events gave GIGABYTE an exciting

stage to connect with the fast-mushrooming Indian gaming community. Sunil Grewal, Director, GIGABYTE Technology (India), said, “GIGABYTE is always on the lookout for avenues to promote the e-Sports culture in India. Events like RageQuit Cup or Dota2 Pubstomp encourage and inspire gaming enthusiasts to live out their passion, display their skills, give them instant recognition, and also, open more doors of opportunities for them for the future."

Pegasystems to innovate device solutions for IoT clients

egasystems is increasingly working on solutions in the sector. The US-based company is devising solutions for its clients such as Philips as a part of its suite in customer services business. Alan Trefler, Founder, Chairman & CEO, Pegasystems, said that customer support services contribute to around half their revenue in one form or the other. One of the new sectors are manufacturers who work in the space of IoT using their services in

October 2015

the warranty to service machinery and consumer facing devices. They have utilized their core technology with process automation, tracking and fulfilment services effectively. Currently, there are about 15,000 trained and certified staffs on its platform Pega which is used by companies such as JP Morgan Chase, Bank of America and others. The demand for Pega trained personnel will increase by 20-30% every year and the company will replicate the model globally.

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MoUD selects Smart City Consultants

he Ministry of Urban Development (MoUD) has finalized 37 consultants for 88 smart city projects for preparation of citywise Smart City Action Plans. The remaining 10 cities in the North-Eastern states and Union Territories will finalize their consultants by this weekend, whereas Uttar Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir are still to nominate one city each for smart city project. CRISIL Risk and Infrastructure Solutions, in association with Pri Move Infrastructure Development Consultants and Probity Soft Private Ltd, have bagged contracts for six cities. All citywise Smart Cities Plans will be evaluated in the second stage of City Challenge competition for identifying the top ranking 20 cities.

Infor acquires GT Nexus

nfor has completed acquisition of GT Nexus. The deal was valued at $675 million. The acquisition of GT Nexus enables Infor to create the first global commerce cloud with end-to-end control and visibility for the production of the products that companies make and deliver to their respective markets. Credit Suisse and Bank of America Merrill Lynch served as financial advisors to Infor in connection with the transaction. Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP and Kirkland & Ellis LLP served as Infor’s outside legal counsel. GT Nexus was advised on the transaction by Morgan Stanley; Wilson Sonsini, Goodrich & Rosati; Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP and KPMG.

NSDC to boost up skill development in Semiconductor Manufacturing

he National Skill Development

Both parties will develop a joint curriculum for skill

Corporation (NSDC) has signed an MoU with Infineon Technologies, in order to give a major boost to the Government’s “Makein- India” campaign and “Skill India” movement.

development programmes in semiconductor manufacturing. The MoU was signed by Dilip Chenoy, MD & CEO of NSDC, and Arunjai Mittal Member of the Board at Infineon Technologies.

Cisco buys Bangalore based company

n it’s first-ever acquisition in India, Technology giant Cisco has acquired Bangalore based Pawaa which provides security solutions and cloud-based file-sharing software. It will be integrated with Cisco’s Software Platform Group. The company has not yet divulged the amount of money paid for the takeover. Pawaa was a part of Cisco’s Entrepreneur-inResidence programme, an initiative that supports early-stage entrepreneurs working on the next big ideas in technologies, such

as big data analytics, smart cities, cloud computing and enterprise security. Prakash Baskaran, the Founder of Pawaa has been appointed as Chief Technology Officer for Cisco’s security solutions division. Cisco has also invested in many Indian companies like Covacsis, MobStacs and MobiKwik but Pawaa is the first acquisition by the company in India. To improve the capabilities of the company and tap new markets, the company follows the strategy of acquisition and co-development.

Adobe partners with Dropbox to streamline work with documents

dobe and Dropbox have announced a partnership to enable people and organizations greater flexibility to work the way they want with documents at home, in the office or onthe-go. The two companies are integrating their applications and services on mobile devices, desktops, and the web for faster and more seamless access to all of the mission-

critical content stored as PDF files. Customers of Adobe Acrobat DC and Adobe Acrobat Reader can access and take common actions on over 18 billion PDF files stored in Dropbox directly from within the Adobe apps. Dropbox users can open, edit and save changes to PDF documents in the Adobe apps directly from the Dropbox website, iOS app, or Android app.

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October 2015

ON THE RAMP

HDS releases new advancements to support smarter societies

itachi Data S y s t e m s Corporation (HDS) has announced new enhancements to its Hitachi Visualization solution portfolio Hitachi Visualization Suite 4.5 with Hitachi Visualization Predictive Crime Analytics (PCA) and Hitachi Video Management Platform (VMP) 2.0. “Our initial Hitachi Visualization release was designed to give lawenforcement, emergency

management and other security organizations greater situational awareness and the capacity to more effectively extract insights from a broader range of data sources to ensure faster response times when a situation developed. Today, we are empowering them with the ability to take a proactive approach to crime and terrorism,” said Mark Jules, VicePresident, Public Safety and Data Visualization, HDS.

Fortinet’s new Web Application Firewalls protect customer data

ortinet has announced the launch of its new FortiWeb 4000E and 3000E Web Application Firewalls (WAFs), designed to help customers prevent identity theft, financial fraud and denial of service through specialized, layered application threat protection. FortiWeb appliances now offer advanced security services backed by FortiGuard Labs’ advanced threat intelligence,

providing real-time threat protection at the application level. These new FortiWeb solutions are also integrated with Fortinet’s FortiSandbox and offer support for new enhancements. These new additions bolster Fortinet’s broad end-to-end cybersecurity platform that protects customer data.

Juniper announces Advanced Anti-Malware Cloud Service

uniper Networks has announced advanced anti-malware with zero-day threat protection from the cloud, redesigned security management and the latest firewalls for enterprise

Series Services Gateways to provide customers with the sophisticated threat protection, security management, automation and scale needed to defend against threats at any point in the network

campus and branch networks, as part of its new Juniper Networks Unite architecture. The latest security solutions include Juniper Networks Sky Advanced Threat Prevention, Junos Space Security Director and Juniper Networks SRX

without hindering network performance. These advancements will deliver better visibility to the network through a simplified, intuitive management platform and ensure pervasive, dynamic threat protection with cloud intelligence.

October 2015

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Axis offers Four-Camera Surveillance Solution

Dell rolls out Data Center Networking Solutions

Communications has added AXIS F34 Main Unit to its flexible and modular AXIS F Series. Together with previously launched products, the company is now able to introduce AXIS F34 Surveillance System, a complete hardware and software package that allows for easy set-up of a highly discreet HDTV surveillance system covering four closely situated indoor areas. “With AXIS F34, we have focussed on putting together a smart and efficient solution that is easy to buy, install and use,” says Erik Frännlid, Axis’ Director of Product Management. “Everything that is required for a video surveillance system is in one box."

AMD rolls out PRO A-Series Processors

MD has introduced its most powerful line of AMD PRO A-Series mobile and desktop processors (formerly codenamed “Carrizo PRO” and “Godavari PRO”) to deliver exceptional value and performance for today’s challenging workloads. The new line of AMD PRO A-Series processors offer enhanced performance, reliability and opportunity to business users and IT decision-makers and are designed for the future with Microsoft Windows 10. With its AMD PRO mobile processors, AMD powers some of the firstto-market Windows 10-enabled commercial notebook systems for those looking to upgrade.

ell has expanded its networking portfolio to address growing complexities in campus networking and bandwidth demands in the data center. For the campus, Dell introduced a new unified-campus architecture powered by the new Dell Networking C9010 Network Director switch and companion C1048P Rapid Access Node. Manish Gupta, Director, Enterprise

Solutions Group, Dell India, said, “Our new solutions are designed to address some critical customer requirements. Combining the most useful innovations in the networking space and taking an integrated approach makes it a very convenient and easily deployable solution."

Polycom celebrates Silver Jubilee with innovative solutions

olycom has u n v e i l e d innovative collaboration solutions focussed on advancing the workplace of the future globally. The solutions are - Polycom RealPresence Trio, Polycom RealPresence Centro, Polycom RealPresence Debut, Polycom RealPresence Medialign and Polycom Concierge. In order for collaboration and teamwork to thrive in the workplace of the future, organizations need the

right tools. Polycom’s latest solutions are engineered to uniquely address challenges with elegance and simplicity. Peter Leav, Polycom’s President & Chief Executive Officer, said, “As we celebrate our 25th year of innovation and leadership, we are announcing breakthrough collaboration experiences that uniquely place people at the heart of collaboration enabling them to work better, smarter and more efficiently."

NComputing rolls out vSpace Server 8.3 and L350 Thin Client

Computing has launched two new products, vSpace Server 8.3 and the L350 thin client, adding to its already comprehensive solution-set for the education market and small- to medium-sized businesses. This new range is strategically developed to catapult companies and institutions towards the next level of growth. The NComputing vSpace Server software aims to provide the best value for customers deploying Windows-based desktop computing. The vSpace Server 8.3 is the latest release with support for the most recent

Microsoft Windows Server operating systems. Complementing the vSpace Server software are a range of NComputing thin client devices that provide options for

different customer use cases. The L350 is the latest offering in the vSpace thin client family and becomes the premium model with the highest performance specifications.

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October 2015

ON THE RAMP

WD enhances its Cloud storage portfolio

D has introduced enhancements to WD's family of My Cloud personal storage devices. These include a redesigned My Cloud OS 3 operating system, Software Developer Kit (SDK) to enable better app integration, and new My Cloud Mirror Gen 2 personal cloud storage device with faster processing capability. "Availability of better infrastructure such as 4G and increased

broadband speeds has made it compelling for our consumers to adopt personal cloud. They tell us they are confident in the privacy, control and anywhere access we provide them,” said Khalid Wani, Director, Content Solutions Business, India, MEA, WD.

Fujitsu enhances its storage portfolio with ETERNUS CD10000

ujitsu has introduced the second-generation FUJITSU Storage ETERNUS CD10000, its hyperscale softwaredefined storage system. The ETERNUS CD10000 S2 provides more powerful tools to meet the data handling challenges of the petabyte age. Bernhard Brandwitte, Vice-President, Global Storage Business, Fujitsu, said, “The ETERNUS CD10000 revolutionizes the way that organizations

deal with ever-increasing online data. Fujitsu was the first global storage technology provider to enable organizations to regain control over spiralling storage costs, by removing system bottlenecks with a hyperscale, open-sourcebased storage optimization platform for online storage. We can now store ten times more data at the same data center space while reducing costs per terabyte by as much as a factor of ten."

Acer India introduces New Range of Projectors

cer India has unveiled its latest range of projectors, including the new V7500

projector with superb clarity packed into a sophisticated design, the Acer P1285B feature-rich Projector with multimedia playback and Auto Keystone correction, the 1080P resolution P5515 with 2D keystone and 4 corner correction, the Acer H6517BD with

October 2015

VMware announces new NFV Offerings

magnificent video quality, the award- winning C250 pico projector, and the P1387W projector for bestvalue projection in the Indian market. With varied features and functions, the projectors aim at providing optimal solutions to different industries. S. Rajendran, Chief Marketing Officer, Acer India, said, "The new range of Acer projectors target various consumer segments and keeps in mind their respective requirements."

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Mware has announced new network functions virtualization (NFV) offerings to help communications services providers (CSPs) accelerate their implementation of NFV. The announcement includes the general availability of the VMware vCloud NFV platform, a new VMware Ready for NFV accreditation program and new carriergrade services delivered by VMware and VMware partners. “A common platform approach supports a sustainable business model and is the only approach that breaks the linear connection between growth and cost,” said Michael Kennedy, Principal Analyst, ACG Research. “The low-cost NFV nodes of the common platform and ability to produce sustained labour productivity and asset efficiency gains are shown to achieve payback in under a year."

Array Networks introduces Application Firewall Appliances

rray Networks has announced AWF Series web application firewall appliances. Three new hardware appliances and a software appliance for virtual environments protect web applications and cloud services from a variety of attacks that slip through general-purpose security solutions. Array's AWF Series extend beyond traditional firewalls and intrusion detection systems (IDSs)

to provide comprehensive protection for businesscritical web applications. The AWF Series not only detects the complex web application attacks of today, but also blocks the attack traffic in real time without affecting the normal flow of business data traffic. They provide extremely fine-grained attack detection and analysis capabilities.

Kingston releases USB Type-C Flash Drive

ingston has announced the release of DataTraveler microDuo 3C USB Flash drive. DataTraveler microDuo 3C has a dual interface that works with both standard USB Type-A (3.1, 3.0, 2.0) and USB Type-C ports. USB Type-C is an upcoming reversible connector standard that allows for slimmer and sleeker devices in the future. It enables a single port to function as a point for data transfer, video output,

charging and even power external devices. “DataTraveler microDuo 3C has a dual interface that accommodates both USB Type-A and USB Type-C ports to give users easy access to the latest USB interface,” said Nathan Su, Flash Memory Sales Director, APAC Region, Kingston. “Our drive provides more storage, features fast data transfer speeds and helps make the new technology more accessible to consumers.”

Lapcare launches TP-LINK introduces 10,000mAh its Bluetooth Portable PB50 Speaker iTunes

apcare has launched its latest Portable Bluetooth Speaker – ‘iTunes’ which is all about one thing Loudness. It promises to ‘bring the loud’ with the stellar option in the budget category boasting high quality music in a small frame. Delivering a seamless experience with the latest Bluetooth 4.0 technology, & offering reliable audio transmission it boasts incredible sound. The speaker also comes with an auxiliary port to let users connect other devices like an MP3 player and other audio sources via a 3.5mm audio port.

P-LINK has introduced the Portable Power Bank PB50. This power bank resembles hip flask design which gives it a classy touch and professional feel altogether with 10,000mAh capacity which will ensure that your smartphone charges 3~5 times, keeping your devices running all the time. For safety features, PB50 comes equipped with Lithium polymer battery cells from LG which offers durability and heat resistance of batteries by applying nano ceramic coating and through reducing of short circuits

inside the battery by using porous PO material with high ventilation. The TPLINK PB50 Power Bank comes with 6 safety features which include: protection against short circuit, Overcurrent protection, Overdischarge, Over-Voltage, Over-charge and Overheating. These are features which must be considered while purchasing a Power Bank and TP-LINK has certainly met all the prerequisites for a reliable Power Bank with the PB50.

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October 2015

VOICE-N-DATA

Uninor becomes Telenor

ith a promise to be the best in basic services including voice and Internet for mass-market customers, Telenor India has introduced its new brand identity. The company has retained its prominent position as Sabse Sasta (most affordable) operator and has extended its commitment to deliver excellence through fair and easy services. Telenor India will invest significantly in transforming its network and retail presence across circles. Unveiling the new

brand, Vivek Sood, CEO, Telenor India, stated, “The new identity makes us a part of a global organization with 160 years of heritage in empowering societies through advanced telecom services across Europe and Asia. We will continue to offer the most affordable services and deliver innovative solutions like call drop reimbursement, customized product offers and build excellence in customer service through easy and fair means using digital and self help solutions.”

Nokia plans leadership and organizational structure

okia has announced planned leadership and organizational structure that it intends to implement after and subject to the successful closing of the public exchange offer for Alcatel-Lucent securities. Nokia expects to create an innovation leader in nextgeneration technology and services for an IPconnected world, and to position the combined company to create the

foundation of seamless connectivity for people and things wherever they are. "We are making very good progress on being ready to operate as a combined company when the proposed exchange offer closes," said Rajeev Suri, President & CEO, Nokia. The combined company is expected to have a common sales organization across the business groups.

Ericsson signs pact with LG Uplus over 5G and IoT

o collaborate on the development of 5G and Internet of Things (IoT) technologies, Ericsson and LG Uplus have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU). The agreement will initially run until 2020. Ulf Ewaldsson, Chief Technology Officer, Ericsson, said, “By enabling essentially unlimited access to information anywhere and anytime, 5G can deliver enormous benefits to people, business and society. Realizing this transformative vision requires a strong industry ecosystem, and we are

October 2015

delighted to partner with LG Uplus to lead the development of both 5G and IoT platforms.” Kim Suntae, Chief Technology Officer, LG Uplus, stated, “We will prepare for the 5G era based on a combination of our network management know-how and Ericsson’s strong technological power. The two companies will lead network evolution by introducing advanced network technologies to domestic and overseas markets through close collaboration.”

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BT announces new Cloudbased UC Solutions

T has announced global availability of three new cloud-based solutions that enable customers to easily integrate collaboration tools and services from disparate technology platforms and different vendors. Freedom of choice, security and great user experience deliver the promise of “Cloud of Clouds” to multi-vendor unified communications and collaboration environments. Andrew Small, VP for Unified Communications and Customer Relationship Management, BT Global Services, said, “Our customers want choice, security, a great user experience and a single way of managing their options. For that, integration is the key.”

Airtel announces Platinum 3G infrastructure

harti Airtel has launched new-age network infrastructure, called Platinum 3G to boost its data services in Lucknow. Through this, the company will provide customers better 3G speed, voice clarity and also help increase battery backup in smartphones. The new technology will enable Airtel to use its own infrastructure for providing 3G service across the city. The new technology will now help the company to provide better indoor coverage, enhance voice clarity, deliver faster internet speeds and offer a superior network experience for customers in Lucknow. The company will also help optimize the backend engagement between the network and mobile devices.

500 Indian Railway stations to get Wi-Fi

hile addressing a gathering which was adorned by top Silicon Valley CEOs, Prime Minister Modi announced his plans to create more Wi-Fi hotspots. This plan includes 500 railway stations across India. It will be done in collaboration with Google. Modi also said that schools and colleges will also be connected with broadband. To him, building I-ways are equally important as highways. He

is also looking forward for an aggressive expansion of the National OpticalFibre Network. Google said that the busiest 100 stations should be online by the end of 2016 and that Internet access would be provided to about 10 million Indians. Furthermore, Google CEO Pichai said that it will be the largest public Wi-Fi project in India and among the largest in the world in terms of potential users.

Aircel to roll out IoT Services with Tech Mahindra

ircel has selected Tech Mahindra to roll out a comprehensive set of IoT service offerings. Tech Mahindra is providing the IoT services in association with Aeris Communications. Aircel’s strong presence in enterprise market combined with the IoT solutions from Tech Mahindra will give an edge to position it as one of the leaders in machineto-machine (M2M) and IoT services in India. “M2M and IoT

are enabling business transformation around the world and are expected to see an unprecedented growth in the Indian Market,” said Suren Amarasekera, Chief Enterprise Officer, Aircel. “The need of the hour for digital enterprises is innovative technologies that would transform the way organizations operate. With Tech Mahindra and Aeris, Aircel is well poised to deliver on this through a comprehensive suite of M2M and IoT services.”

NETGEAR launches D3600 Wi-Fi Modem Router

ETGEAR has introduced a new modem router that supports blazing-fast dualband WiFi speeds, better range, and more devices than typical modem routers in the equipment bundle from your Internet Service Provider. The NETGEAR Modem Router D3600 with 802.11n DualBand Gigabit is designed for Faster Wi-Fi speed up to 600 Mbps† The NETGEAR Modem Router D3600 with dual-band technology provides Wi-Fi connectivity throughout your home for all your Internet-enabled devices.

It also has GIGABIT wire, which makes it ideal for HD gaming and WAN for fibre connections and NETGEAR geniemanager for easy installation and home network management. S u b h o d e e p Bhattacharya, Regional Director, India & SAARC, NETGEAR, said, “With the growing use of Internet, demand for better in-home Wi-Fi has also increased. Hence, we, at NETGEAR, have introduced D3600 Wi-Fi Modem Router to cater to these demands."

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October 2015

CHANNEL BUZZ

FAIITA IV Conclave focuses on “Growth with Unity”

AIITA IV Conclave this year has been hosted by COMPASS. The theme of the conclave was “Growth with Unity”. It was attended by over fifty leaders from countrywide State associations and federations. The event started with a welcome address by Pawan Jajodia, President, Host association COMPASS; Saket Kapur, General Secretary, FAIITA; and visionary address by Champak Raj Gurjar, President, FAIITA. This was followed by a lamp lighting ceremony by all the office-bearers of FAIITA. Well-curated agenda included in the opening session for State Presidents to express parochial iffy issues, followed by a review of progress of Committees formed during III conclave in Mumbai. The predatory pricing and warranty issues of brand owners will henceforth be dealt with proactively by the OLS Committee. Grievances and business disputes amongst members and members with ND/

RD/Customer will be settled fairly through ADR. The highlight of the event was a brilliant presentation by Nick Chen of FOXCONN, who flew specially from Taiwan at the behest of President Champak Raj Gurjar with an offer for FAIITA members on their IIDM and ODM product distribution tieups. The audacious statement by Nick Chen on the opportunity of every FAIITA member to become Steve Jobs through their High Tech India and Export India initiatives received a rapturous applause from the leaders. President Champak Raj Gurjar announced commencement of the SME Chapter in FAIITA with the sole objective for its members to take advantage of business emanating from the Government of India initiatives.

CIITA elects K. L. Lalani as President

he Confederation of Indian IT Associations has announced K. L. Lalani of COMPASS as its President. He was unanimously elected as the President at the Second Annual General Meeting of the Confederation held in Kolkata. Arun Rungta, President of Bihar IT Association (BITA), and Sushil Kumar, President of Jharkhand IT Association, were appointed as Vice-Presidents of CIITA. Arun Dey, President of IT Association of Orissa (ITAO), was elected as the Secretary and Arun Jalan, Past President of COMPASS, was elected as the Treasurer. Amitabh Vidyarthy of Jamshedpur IT Association was elected as the Joint Secretary and Rajesh Rathi of IT Dealers’ Association of Siliguri (ITDAS) was elected as the Joint Treasurer of CIITA. Navin Gupta, the outgoing Vice-President of CIITA, said, “It is very heartening for all of us to see that CIITA has accomplished the goal of setting up a National Level Association comprising of IT associations from all parts of the country. CIITA had taken this

October 2015

initiative along with other leading associations in North India, to form a national-level body (FAIITA) which has brought together State associations from Kerala, Karnataka, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh and Punjab, including those from the East comprising of West Bengal, Assam, Odisha, Bihar and Jharkhand. Several leading associations from various UTs, cities and towns have also come under the FAIITA membership.” K. L. Lalani, the incoming President, said, “CIITA will work towards providing total support to all the memberassociations in the East and will continue to play a leading role at the national level. The next two years will see unprecedented growth and opportunities due to government initiatives. CIITA is geared up to meet the challenges and opportunities that are coming up and our new team of office-bearers will take all the necessary steps to ensure that our members are supported and can derive direct benefits from these initiatives."

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ASIRT Techday concludes successfully

n this September session of ASIRT’s Techday, the association has brought to its members the interesting journey of Chetan Shah through five cardiac bypass surgeries to cycling to world's highest motorable pass in Ladakh - "Turning your life on Two Wheels". Along with this,

quality and reduction in Total Cost of Ownership, eliminating easily damaged components is what Canon aptly demonstrated. Canon also trained the correct pitch and unique benefits to specific customer verticals and segment, only ASIRT members understand and propagate value

there was other power-packed agenda from Platinum Sponsor Canon, and Gold Sponsors Asus and NPAV. Canon had supported ASIRT in the year of inception and also sponsored Annual Day celebrations and continued as its Platinum Sponsor. Showcasing products and talking about technology that is a gamechanger in terms of lasting

proposition to the end-customer as they lead brand sales from the front. Asus has always launched new products exclusively at ASIRT Techday over the past three years. The products received thunderous response. Vodafone signed up with ASIRT as Gold sponsor and introduced the opportunities they bring to ASIRT members.

TAIT Concludes COM-IT 2015

AIT has concluded the 8th edition of its successful Franchise - COMIT 2015. It got to a great start with the inauguration ceremony being presided by Hon'ble Justice M.L. Tahaliyani, Lokayukta (Maharashtra State). Prominent leaders and IT

finest IT show of the country. The exuberance and excitement amongst TAIT members was evident. The visitors queuing up at the registration counters is proof that people are interested in fresh technology. At the inauguration, there was the traditional lamp lighting

Industry stalwarts were present in large numbers to witness what has come about as the

ceremony and a keynote speech by the chief guest, Hon'ble Justice M.L. Tahaliyani.

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October 2015

FACE TO FACE

Clover Infotech is all set to contribute in Smart City Projects Growing at a good pace over the years with a wide array of offerings and under the guidance of Kunal Nagarkatti, Director – Sales, Clover Infotech is positioned well in the industry. Focussed on technological innovations along with providing best services in a cost-effective manner and also ensuring to provide customized solutions to its customers, Clover Infotech is confident to perform well in the industry. With technology offerings around Data, IoT, Digital, analytics and mobility, the company is poised to contribute to the present government’s dream project of creating smart cities and also e-Governance. Positioning Clover Infotech, an end-to-end solution provider, offers a wide range of product portfolios from application services to database management services. It has distinct verticals within each area of service to provide niche expertise across technologies, functions and sectors. Furthermore, it also has strategic business units which cater to areas such as analytics, governance, risk and compliance (GRC) solutions and digital transformation services. “Our belief has been to constantly leverage our indigenous technology expertise and innovation capabilities to provide the most cost-effective solutions to our customers and add significant value to their business. We have been growing at a good pace over the years. Our endeavour has always been to become a partner of choice for our customers. We believe in ensuring that every customer gets personal attention and we create customized solutions which are structured for their growth. With this approach, customer’s trust in us has become a natural corollary and has resulted in significant orders coming our way,” says Kunal Nagarkatti, Director – Sales, Clover Infotech Private Ltd. Strategy Since inception, the company has focussed on domestic markets which are extremely price sensitive. Hence, it relies heavily on technology to ensure that they provide best services in the most cost-effective manner. So the strategy revolves around technology innovations and enabling the customers to offer a seamless brand experience to their end-clients across technology platforms. With Digital, Analytics, Mobility and IoT heralding a technology revolution, Clover Infotech is well poised to leverage its technology expertise and offer serious value to customers. The company leverages the mentioned technology and avenues such as governance, risk and compliance (GRC) solutions, to offer its customers the edge in today’s tech-centric world of business. “Due to technology innovations, we have been able to provide best-of-the-breed solutions and services to our customers. The delivery mechanisms and price points have also been well suited for their requirements. Hence, our customers have constantly sought us as the first port of call, in spite of the market becoming increasingly competitive and dynamic,” explains Kunal. The company counts India’s leading private-sector banks and insurance companies as their customers. Apart from BFSI, the major verticals include IT and ITeS, manufacturing, retail, pharmaceuticals, heavy engineering, etc. Smart City and e-Governance as an opportunity The company has geared up for anything that involves technology like digital, analytics, GRC solutions and mobility. “We see a play in each of these areas and the IoT in the smart city projects initiated by the government,” says Kunal. The company is very keen on offering governance, risk and compliance (GRC) solutions and has already partnered with one of the GRC solution providers to offer such services to clients. The company also sees the e-governance projects of the government as a natural extension to the capabilities that Clover Infotech is building in this area. “I think we can emerge as a strong player in this space by combining our expertise in GRC, data analytics and digital,” adds Kunal.

October 2015

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Kunal Nagarkatti Director – Sales, Clover Infotech

"Our belief has been to constantly leverage our indigenous technology expertise and innovation capabilities to provide the most cost-effective solutions to our customers and add significant value to their business" As far as Smart City projects are concerned, Clover Infotech feels Data, IoT, analytics, mobility and digital would form the bedrock of it. “We are well poised to offer our technology IP in such areas and contribute towards the government’s vision of creating smart cities. We are in talks with multiple partners across the globe to jointly develop products and services that cater to the aforementioned areas. We aim to enable seamlessness in rendering information, analyzing trends, leveraging mobility and providing a great experience for citizens of these smart cities. We will also leverage our technology expertise and alliances to create solutions that can facilitate better administration and management of these cities,” concluded Kunal. n aparna@varindia.com

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Launches projecto How your projector are different from other brands? Canon projectors use cutting edge technology which offers unique features mix to customers. Canon LCOS projectors offer a unique feature mix with interchangeable lens offering wide installation features like edge blending, stacking etc., which makes these projectors suitable for segments like Boardroom solutions , museums, planetariums, events, auditoriums and Home theater segment. Canonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s strong presence in more than 5000 cities in India through Canon Care Centers and franchisees makes canon service offerings unique in the Industry.

What is LCOS technology for projectors

Well, you could think of it as a hybrid between LCD and DLP. LCD uses liquid crystals, one for each pixel, on glass panels. Light passes through these LCD panels on the way to the lens and is modulated by the liquid crystals as it passes. Thus it is a "transmissive" technology. On the other hand, DLP uses tiny mirrors, one for each pixel, to reflect light. DLP modulates the image by tilting the mirrors either into or away from the lens path. It is therefore a "reflective" technology.

LCOS combines these two ideas. It is a reflective technology that uses liquid crystals instead of individual mirrors. In LCOS, liquid crystals are applied to a reflective mirror substrate. As the liquid crystals open and close, the light is either reflected from the mirror below, or blocked. This modulates the light and creates the image.

The light from the xenon lamp travels through a polarizing beam splitter (PBS), which is reflected off the LCOS device, then passed through the projection lens and onto the screen. High brightness and high resolution are achieved using a reflective LCOS device with a high aperture ratio (93%) and high-density pixels, providing real resolution with pixels that blend almost seamlessly together. High contrast is achieved using vertical alignment liquid crystals of normally black operation and a high-precision optical system. Analogue gradation makes it possible to reproduce dark areas with high S/N (signal-to-noise ratio) because the LCOS device has an S-shape response. In combination with the high-speed response of the vertical alignment liquid crystal, LCOS technology makes it possible to reproduce smooth, noiseless motion pictures with clear, sharp high definition and film-like picture quality

The Advantages of LCOS LCOS projectors have several key advantages over the more popular technologies. First, due partly to inherent high resolution, and partly to high fill factors (minimal space between pixels) on the chips, visible pixelation on an LCOS machine is nonexistent. Even close up the pixel structure is less visible than you get with the high resolution 1280x720 DLP Mustang chip. So the resulting video image can be smooth as silk. Second, with LCOS the pixel edges tend to be smoother compared to the sharp edges of the micro-mirrors in DLP. This gives them an analog-like response, whereas micro-mirrors add high frequencies that accentuate their digital nature. In practical terms, this gives the

October 2015

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LCOS image a smoother, more natural look and feel, while DLP tends to impart a synthetic sharpness to the image that some would describe as harsh. (On the other hand, some people prefer the sharper image that DLP delivers. This is a matter of personal taste.) Third, LCOS and LCD projectors deliver continuous red, green and blue simultaneously onto the screen. Single-chip DLPs deliver color sequentially, alternating between red, green, and blue one color at a time. Though DLP projectors can be capable of delivering rich, well saturated colors, both LCOS and LCD products tend to be superior in this regard. We believe this is due to the way color is managed sequentially in the DLP machines.

ors with LCOS technology How LCOS based Canon XEED projectors are best solutions for corporates, boardrooms, hospitals and training industry Setting new standards in their class, XEED projectors provide crisp, high quality projection for large businesses and imaging professionals. These uniquely compact projectors employ LCOS technology to deliver lattice-free images with exceptional contrast and brightness.

Quiet Operation XEED projectors are designed to operate at whisper quiet levels. Each element of the projector, from the optical array to the ventilation system, has been designed to allow the efficient passage of air through the unit. This ensures that heat is dispersed efficiently and reduces the need for powerful cooling fans. The design of the unit allows the inclusion of twin exhaust fans with large rotors. As these spin at a reduced speed, they contribute significantly to the projectorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s low noise level.

Colour Management and Image Modes

Canonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s colour management technology has been applied to XEED projectors in order to give superior fidelity to the source images. In addition to support for the industry standard sRGB colour space, selected models support the Adobe RGB space for professionals in studios, design offices and printing. Dynamic Gamma automatically retains contrast in moving images, while colours can be fine-tuned with 6 Axis Colour Adjustment.

Support for DICOM SIM Mode Projection capabilities go even further as DICOM ( Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine ) in 2 modes ( blue & Clear base ) is supported. Like wise the color tones can be adjusted according to preferences. Mr. Parveen Sahni said- "Canon India visions 100 Crore revenue by expanding its Product Portfolio in

Projection. We are excited to bring our globally leading projectors equipped with world-class technology and user-friendly features to customers in India. The projectors offer quality and brightness along with lower operating costs enabling both businesses and end-users to deliver optimum results at a minimum cost. Projection requirements of Indian customers have evolved over the years. Apart from being used for projecting data, customers are now using it to project movies, videos and games as well. The new Canon projectors are equipped with high quality optics to cater to such needs. The XEED series offers picture by picture for high quality image projection and USB projection further compliment the trademark promise of Canon. The projectors are targeted at sectors like large corporate, education, medical and government. The XEED series of projectors can also be leveraged by the simulation industry. Canon is proud to introduce path breaking eco-friendly features, which include an enhanced lamp lighting system and a standby mode consuming only as low as 0.7W (In Network Off Mode) thereby significantly reducing CO2 emissions. These features add to environmental reservation as well as help in reducing running cost.

For Dealership Enquiry: North & East: Mr. Vivek Kumar-09958222331 South: Mr. Pankaj Puri : 09560627979 Canon Call Centre: 1800 208 3366

West: Mr. Milind Bokil-09820488073 For AV Consultants & Rental Enquiries: Mr. Pankaj Puri : 09560627979 www.canon.co.in

www.varindia.com

October 2015

SIITF 2015 Retells the Digitization story with support from SMBs

(From Left to Right) - Mr. Anil Sahu, Regional Sales Head - West, VARINDIA; Mr. Subin Thankabai, Regional Sales Manager – vCentric Technologies Pvt Ltd.; Mr Karthikeyan, President - SIITA; Mr Nalin Patel, Vice-President - SIITA; Mr. Deepak Kumar Sahu, CMD & Publisher - VARINDIA; Shri M. N. Vidyashankar, President, India Electronics & Semiconductor Association (IESA); Mr. Murali Krishnan, Managing Director - N J Dataprint Pvt Ltd.; Mr Ravi Kanakarajan, Head of Commercial & EBG Sales – South, Lenovo; Mr B S Rao, VP – Marketing, CtrlS Data Centers Ltd.; and Mr Suresh Subramaniam, Enterprise Head - Inspira Enterprises India

he Silicon Valley of India, Bengaluru witnessed a host of CEOs from corporates, Small and medium Enterprises (SME), IT associations and VARs from the ICT sector coming together to witness the 6th edition of Southern India Information Technology Fair (SIITF) 2015. Organized by VARINDIA, the event was themed around ‘Digitization opening up opportunities for SMBs’. The event was designed to discuss and showcase excellence in technology innovations and entrepreneurship, while being a unique platform for the SME and VARs to understand the scope of digitization that will open up big opportunities for them in due course of time. The event commenced with the lighting of the ceremonial lamp in the presence of Shri M. N. Vidyashankar, President, India Electronics & Semiconductor Association (IESA), who graced the occasion as the Chief Guest. Besides, the other eminent guests present at the event included Mr. Satyen Vyas, CEO - Symphony Summit; Mr. A L Jagannath, Director Marketing, India and SAARC- VMware; Mr. Sandeep Nagpal, Director-Marketing- SAP INDIA; Mr. Ravi Kanakarajan, Head of Commercial & EBG Sales – South- Lenovo India; Mr. B S Rao, VP – Marketing - CTRLS Data Centers Ltd.; Mr. H T Suresh, Regional Chief- HUDCO India; Mr. Suresh Subramaniam, Enterprise head- Inspira Enterprises India; Mr. Prakash, President- AIT; Mr. Karthikeyan, PresidentSIITA; Mr. Soumit Bhattacharya, Head Services - Inflow Technologies; Mr Nalin Patel, Vice-President, SIITA; Mr Karthikeyan,

October 2015

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Shri M. N. Vidyashankar President, India Electronics & Semiconductor Association (IESA) “All of us are in the midst of a world with digital wonders where every problem has a solution and every shortage is converted into abundance. Digital entrepreneurs world over are responsible for exponential growth in productivity and economy. 50% of the population is still dependent on agriculture; despite that the sector contributes only 12% to the overall economy. The Manufacturing sector employs 12% of the labour force and this percentage has remained constant for past 25 years. 90% of the people are employed in the informal sector and only 10% in the organized sector. We talk about Make in India but how do we add fire to this economy. For a person even with an iota of entrepreneurial instinct, there could not have been a proper time for him to encash than the kind of opportunity available today in the country. If you ask about the opportunities, then sky is the limit.”

President - SIITA. Lauding the role of SMEs in driving the IT scenario in the country, Mr Deepak Kumar Sahu, CMD & Publisher, Kalinga Digital Media, said in his address of how 2015 will be a remarkable period for both large enterprises and SMEs. “Going by the trends in technologies in 2015, statistics show that adoption of IoT will rise, particularly in the SMB market and larger organizations that were not early adopters. Industry consolidation is a key driver for wider IoT adoption, combined with more rigour on IoT cybersecurity – which will decrease Machineto-Machine complexity. These developments will drive user’s confidence and lead to new business models, better outcomes and RoI

that is more clearly defined and understood.” While the Chief Guest for the evening, Shri Vidyashankar enlightened the audience on the scope of manufacturing and opportunities for the entrepreneurs in the coming days, the audience had the opportunity to listen to Shri Syam Madanapalli, Architect and Innovator of IOT, who spoke on how IOT will be the next wave of growth in the Industry. From the corporates, Lenovo, LG, Canon, vCentric, Tally and Inspira actively participated in the discussions by showcasing their technology areas and discussing market strategies. The event also took the opportunity to felicitate the Channel community from

the Southern region in different categories. The resellers, distributors, VADs and system integrators recognized were Systech Services Ltd, N J DataPrint Pvt. Ltd, Inspira Technologies, Value Point Systems, Future Businesstech India, Redington India and JITSMEA. Besides this, VARINDIA also recognized HUDCO LIMITED this year for Affordable Smart and Resilient City Initiatives. The event ended on a good note and drove home the message that Digitization is indeed the big thing. While the dawn of digitization is anticipated in the country, SIITF tried to gear up its advent by throwing light on the opportunities that it would bring to everyone, particularly to SMBs.

Panel discussion

How SMEs are empowering a change in India

(L to R): Mr B S Rao, VP – Marketing, CtrlS Data Centers Ltd.; Mr Satyen Vyas, CEO - Symphony Summit; Mr Subramanian S, DGM- Telecom, POWERGRID; Mr Nalin Patel, Vice-President - SIITA; Mr Karthikeyan, President - SIITA and Mr Prakash, President – AIT. The Panel discussion of the evening was moderated by Mr Deepak Kumar Sahu, Chief Editor - VARINDIA, and deliberated on issues like how SMEs are empowering a change in India, the biggest challenges they face and how they can leverage the SMAC wave. The panelists included Mr B S Rao, VP – Marketing, CtrlS Data Centers Ltd.; Mr Satyen Vyas, CEO - Symphony Summit; Mr Subramanian S, DGM- Telecom, POWERGRID; Mr Nalin Patel, Vice-President - SIITA; Mr Karthikeyan, President - SIITA and Mr Prakash, President – AIT. Mr B S Rao hinted on the fact that the SME can play a very significant role. “The entrepreneurial eco-system is driving the wave currently in India and now is the era of start-ups where employment is getting generated in a large amount. Out of the 300 million entrepreneurs globally, around 45 million are in India alone. So this is good news for us.” Mr Satyen Vyas also echoed a similar statement. “Smaller companies being the real generation of job opportunities and with technology being the backbone for not only large enterprises but also mid-sized and smaller companies, I think this is the right time for SMEs to play the rightful role in making the Indian economy grow.” Mr Subramanian S threw light on how PowerGrid is helping SMEs grow “We are having a power transmission network of about more than 1 and a half kilometers across the country. We have laid the optical fibre cable on these power lines and are providing an entirely different route for reliable telecom and data connectivity for the enterprise segment. We are also having an MPLS network; in a way we are supporting the small industry in a big way. Powergrid is one of the implementing agencies for providing the national knowledge network and through these links we are also providing support of Internet services, data services for the businesses of SMEs, most importantly in remote locations too.” Mr Nalin Patel also agreed that the SME sector is going to have a very good future. “With the Make in India campaign started by the PM, it’s necessary that people will have to grab the opportunity.” Mr Karthikeyan chose to speak from a channel perspective. “If we see there are around 5000 partners in South India alone, of which only 10% are VARs. There is a huge opportunity indeed to empower them. We see opportunities that are humongous for these people to go on encash and thus take the business to the next level where it is going to help everybody in the chain. Also with digitization coming in, there are going to come in more opportunities.” Telling from his experiences in the automation sector, Mr Prakash commended that automation is a key factor for any SMEs to become successful. “We have to adopt automation – it can be anything like starting to use a computer and integrating it with other elements. We are now talking of IoT which is a part of automation at home level. With minimum efforts, SMEs have to get the maximum output from the industry by associating oneself with automation.”

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October 2015

Mr. Aravind KS Associate VP – Business Development, Tally Solutions “Digitization to me is related to computers, which talks about devices, big data and Internet. Opportunities is one thing I heard 10 years back at the South India Regional Conference that spelt the idea that India has been developing in the last 200 years and it is going to see much more development in the next 20 years. I am already witnessing changes in many ways. 10 years back, I used to take photo copies of my travel tickets but today everything happens on my phone, right from booking a ticket, paying for it to getting the boarding pass. Because of digitization or technology, we have lost the ability to sit in front of my customer on an upward pedestal of knowledge and engage with him to sell our services. Because the buyer knows more than the seller today, it will become very difficult to upgrade your business if you do not take care of these small things.”

Mr. Samardeep Marketing Manager – IT Products, LG “We have observed that PC penetration has been stagnant at 10% and the last 2-3 years vendors have given up hope of revival of this PC industry. But we at LG have kept the hopes alive by bringing in innovations around our products. From the start of 2015, we have seen a month on month growth happening in this space. With the current government policies rolled out, we finally see the stage set for the country to bag the 10 % PC penetration benchmark. It will double in the short run with major demand going to come from government and the SMEs. Earlier it was very tough for LG to deal with SMEs because they always had this constant price thing in mind. But with new entrepreneurs coming up, there has been a demand for innovative products. We on our part are working on customized, power saving and smart displays that come in various form factors and give you the flexibility to work smart.”

October 2015

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Mr. Sanee Chaurasia, Business Manager (South) – Channel Sales IMS, Canon India “Every sector like Hospitality, BFSI, Insurance, will have confidential data which they need to store it in the record room. It has been observed that 90% of business information is kept on document, which means that they are very critical. In the banking sector, the document workflow would include new account document, Teller Dept. Document, Transit Dept. Document, Loan Collection Documents, Audits and Cheques. In a span of just 5-6 years, this bunch will multiply as new files keep on creating and adding to it. This is exactly the scenario in other sectors as well. Migration to a Digitized environment will solve this issue of rise in siloes of data. Canon has a large offering of document scanners that help our customers in transferring their data from a physical to a digitized environment.”

Mr Ravi Kanakarajan Head of Commercial & EBG Sales – South, Lenovo “The world is changing and having understood this, even we are changing with times. The erstwhile PC market at the world wide level is just 65 million units. Today if you look at the PC+ connected devices, tablets alone are 40 million units and smartphones are 350 million units per quarter. We have a long way to catch up and we consider Samsung or Apple as our competitor. We have at present offerings in the categories of smartphone, PC and tablet. The products we have launched in the last couple of quarters fall in the category of smart connected devices. Partners will benefit in a big way as you will have an end-to-end solution to offer to your customers. We are looking at building a $5 billion business in enterprise and we are partnering with some of the large players in the industry like Microsoft and VMware.”

Shri Syam Madanapalli Architect and Innovator of IOT “Whatever we do, we should try to make this world a better place to live in by enhancing the lives of every human being. In this process, we are going to advance our civilization. Every activity that we do has an effect on our civilization. So how do we advance civilization? Sometime in 1911, Sir Alfred North White stated that civilization advances by extending the number of important operations which we can perform without thinking about them. For instance, in the Stone Age people would have gone on hunting to find food for them. But today we find our food prepared and made ready on the table. This means that our civilization has advanced. Similarly IoT is going to have a great effect on this world and advance this civilization further. If Time would not have got invented, there would have been no planning of what to do at what time. It would have become difficult for this civilization to advance without time.”

Mr. Subin Regional Sales Manager – vCentric Technologies Pvt Ltd. “vCentric has been there in the market for the last 10 years and has served more than 100 customers. Today we have some 650 + consultants in functional as well as technical area. In 2009, we had come up with industry solutions. Some of the service we offer for SME that include end to end implementation, roll outs, upgrades, HANA implementation & migration, SAP FIORI & Personas implementations, besides others. Our focus verticals are automotive components, manufacturing, Textiles (where we have done 5+ implementations), process engineering and so on. Today we enjoy the gold partner status and is a preferred partner. Our revenue at present comes from SAP. SAP has undertaken 15 business transformation studies and has been published and vCentric has emerged as the top partner for that."

Awards and Winners at SIITF 2015

Systech Services Ltd receiving the award for Best Reseller, Southern India from Shri N Vidyashankar

N J DataPrint Pvt. Ltd bags the award for Best VAR, Southern India from Shri N Vidyashankar

Inspira Technologies receiving the Best VAD, Southern India Award from Shri N Vidyashankar

Value Point Systems receiving the Best System Integrator, Southern India Award

Future Businesstech India Pvt. Ltd. given the Best Network Integrator, Southern India Award

JITSMEA receiving the Award for Empowering SME in Southern India from Shri N Vidyashankar

Display

GUESTS NETWORKING AT SIITF

Partners in the event

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October 2015

CHANNEL BUZZ

Partners helping to weave Dell Growth Story Dell has had a longstanding relationship with its partners. To complement and sustain this relationship and also to help partners grow, Dell has announced several initiatives in recent quarters. Anil Sethi, Director & General Manager – Channels, Dell India, tells VARINDIA as to how Dell wishes to continue its association with them and tread the growth path that will prove beneficial for both of them

he leadership position that Dell enjoys in various categories can be attributed to a number of factors. The deepening engagements that Dell has established with existing customers asking for richer IT configurations for critical, higherend workloads over the years has worked in its favour. Secondly, Dell is not just selling specific products but also end-to-end solutions to customers. It helps its customers solve business problems through a bird’s eye, data-centric view, rather than a productspecific view. Most importantly, Dell offers its customers future-ready IT to equip them to face the growing trends of social, mobility, cloud, big data and security. Customers can be assured that they are not locked in by Dell technology and have the satisfaction of knowing that their IT infrastructure will have enough longevity to justify the investments. However, the foremost factor helping Dell to be the leader today is the new GTM strategy that has spelt new opportunities for Dell. This go-to-market strategy, initiated last February with clear geographic accountability for all regions, has helped Dell widen its reach. Its focus on the channel and distribution routes-to-market has been well received by its partners who have contributed to a significant percentage of sales in the last one year. The GTM strategy will continue to be based on partner feedback and remain focussed on winning in the data center, providing solutions for the key market trends around SMAC, investing in training, being easy to do business with, and being a long-term partner. Channel partners have played an important role in Dell’s transformation journey to being an end-to-end solutions provider. “When we started on this journey, we realized that as we work towards developing industry-leading products and solutions in every aspect of the data center, we also needed channel partners as they have the relevant expertise and reach in choosing appropriate solutions for customers to help them fulfil business objectives. Today, our channel partners are committed to Dell and a recent survey showed that they actually love Dell for our various channel initiatives,” explains Anil Sethi, Director & General Manager – Channels, Dell India. Sure enough, Dell’s Channel RTM has been working and it has seen tremendous growth in the Indian market coming from its Channel RTM. It has been able to reach out

October 2015

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"Today, our channel partners are committed to Dell and a recent survey showed that they actually love Dell for our various channel initiatives" Anil Sethi Director & General Manager – Channels, Dell India

to more customers across the country and sell complex solutions to solve the business needs of its customers. Channel partners have also been instrumental in Dell’s efforts to penetrate in tier-II and tier-III markets. “With the help of distribution partners and channel partners, we have been able to double the strength of our coverage. A majority of Dell’s new customer base in the last one year was added via the new channel and distribution routes-to-market. This is a true testimony to the role that they have played in evolving the Dell brand in the country,” reiterates Anil. An expansive Channel Reach... Dell is committed to channel partners and ensure their profitability to the maximum

extent possible. It today has over 2,800 registered partners in the country and is completely focussed on maintaining and improving the quality of its relationships with these partners. The widespread distribution it enjoys across the country is the result of its partnerships with the leading distributors like Ingram Micro, Iris Computers Ltd, Redington India Ltd, neoteric informatique ltd and HCL Digilife Distribution and Marketing Services. Dell India has a robust market presence and is able to do business in more than 150 cities across India as a result of this network. “We have also acquired 500 new partners through the distribution business. Our distribution network has helped us to reach out to the length and breadth of the country,” supports Anil.

Initiatives to uplift Dell Channel • Focus on distribution (expansion of distribution network) – Since early 2014, Dell has increased its focus on distribution, engaging in partnerships with leading distributors. It will continue our focus on developing our reach to newer locations in the country where we see business opportunities. • Dell Storm Rebate Programme – The core idea behind this programme is to ensure that partners are working profitably with Dell and it incentivizes them for positioning its focussed products and solutions in the market. The Dell Storm programme has been a huge success and partners have given great feedback. • Deal Registration Programme and Online Solutions Configurator – These were launched in an effort to minimize conflict among channel partners. With the Deal Registration Programme, channel partners can directly submit a deal that meets all of the deal registration criteria. On receiving an approval for the deal registration, the opportunity gets locked down with the business partner so that their investment is protected. The Mobile Deal registration platform enables partners to register deals on the go, from anywhere, anytime. The Dell Online Solutions Configurator enables partners to build multi-faceted, tailored enterprise solutions for customers. • Partner Training Programmes – Dell has developed a comprehensive training and certification programme for its partners, where they can chose from nine different competencies and get certified to position Dell solutions to the end-customers. While these courses are available online and can be accessed from anywhere, it also conducts face-to-face training programmes across various cities in India. Dell Engineer’s Club is one such initiative in this direction which helps partner sales guys get certified and also win some exciting incentives. • Channel Marketing & Enablement Programmes – Dell’s channel marketing and enablement programmes are focussed on demand for its channel partners in the form of qualified leads. It has the quarterly Marketing Development Fund for its strategic partners and distributors which help them expand their marketing funds and execute co-funded marketing activities across the country. Various event series such as Solutions for Success help partners to know more about its innovative solutions and enables them to position the right solutions to their customers. Coffee with Dell is the webinar series that it runs for its channel partners and customers for the focussed solutions of Dell. Going ahead... The goal is to keep growing the channel business and outpace the market. Dell will continue to act on the feedback of its channel partners to develop its partner programme

across the country. It will also continue its efforts towards the training and enablement of its channel partners. “We are not putting a ceiling on channel growth. We are not looking only at the number of channel partners, rather

the quality of our relationships with them and the ability to reach newer markets. Our plans to upgrade our channel base include the strengthening of our distribution network in the country,” he sums up. n

Partners Speak

Deepak Cano, Director, Tech 3in IT Solutions Private Ltd “Our journey with Dell has been extremely good. We have been able to post revenues multifold with products and solutions from Dell. We have worked on multi-million dollar deals with Dell revolving around solutions sales. We have been able to generate additional product sales like storage, software and networking products for the principal vendor. Dell is a transparent OEM with the right processes and systems in place. The turnaround time is very fast, as a result of which customers and partners like us can focus on growing our business. 3in has believed in building deployment capabilities for customers’ infrastructure. We have a 60+ member team across the country with over 75% in services. In addition to this, our agility in understanding and responding to customers needs has resulted in getting repeat orders and acquiring new customers for ourselves and Dell. Having more than doubled our revenues in the last fiscal, we expect the same trend to continue as we continue to invest in sales, pre-sales and a stronger deployment team.”

Jiten Mehta, Director, Magnamious Systems Private Ltd “We have been associated with Dell for the last two years. Our journey with the vendor has been improving and we are enjoying the relationship. We have done some server, storage and networking deals for them to the tune of around Rs.50 lakh a project. Dell has been very good at the operation level. The only thing I find lacking is that it is too slow in giving the proposals and the policy for the partner programme which is not very good. However, our core strength is infrastructure services and since Dell is an end-to-end product company, we can work very closely with them and can really excel in our growth along with Dell.”

Tarun Seth, Managing Director, Hitachi Systems Micro Clinic Private Ltd “Our journey with Dell directly started two years ago and since then we have not looked back. Currently, we are their Premiere Partners and the relationship has been growing over the years. Dell has been one of the vendors who we cherish to work with and are very upbeat about. We look forward to achieving greater heights with Dell in the future. After our merger with Hitachi, we have taken up some major projects for Dell which include implementation projects for Tech Mahindra, Srei Equipment Finance and Religare Securities Ltd. Dell has always been a benevolent vendor; because of its innovations and acquisitions. Dell has been a strategic partner for us. As Dell provides end-to-end data center solutions, we work very closely with them and take these solutions to our end-customers. Our employees are very accomplished and technically qualified and as you are aware we at Hitachi Systems Micro Clinic considers our employees as an integral part."

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October 2015

FACE TO FACE

Seagate takes on an expanded role to cater to SMB Customers

Rajesh Khurana, Country Manager for India & SAARC, Seagate Technology,

speaks to VARINDIA on the growing storage needs of SMBs and how Seagate is helping those customers improve their TCO with its advanced offerings

What are some of the storage buying trends you see among Indian SMB customers? How big is this vertical for Seagate? An SMB’s success is defined by its speed of service delivery, reach and quality. Indian SMBs know that IT empowers them to deal with challenges not only in India, but also at a global level. Cloud is being adopted by organizations for a variety of reasons – and data protection is certainly among the top ones. To meet users’ expectations of data availability and recoverability, onpremises solutions are supreme, but the cloud categorically has a role to play in backup and disaster recovery vigilance, as well as offsite/ long-term data retention. Today, we are responding to each of the challenges that SMEs face through new performance, scale, availability and management solutions, which drive out operational complexity and give our customers and partners’ time back to run their core business. Seagate is helping customers improve their total cost of ownership (TCO) with new Seagate Data Management Services that analyze data usage without manual intervention and advice on the most cost-effective storage tier the data should reside on. The service enables clients to meet compliance requirements, policy enforcement and data governance.

What are the top storage trends in the industry today? What are some of the innovative storage solutions Seagate has for SMB customers? Big data, IoT (Internet of Things), mobility and social media are the few ongoing technology trends that are driving the storage growth. In today’s era of data explosion, it has become imperative for organizations to plan for a robust data storage infrastructure to attain business efficiencies, using these technology trends. In India, recent campaigns such as “Digital India” and “Smart Cities” are inescapably calling for the adoption of these technologies in various sectors. Seagate plays a vital role in meeting SMB storage needs by offering customized solutions for different markets. We have recently launched Hybrid Cloud Data Protection solutions for SMBs to enable customers manage explosive data growth and increasingly complex security needs easily and cost-effectively.

How is Seagate looking at pitching its Hybrid cloud data 40

October 2015

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manufacturers (OEMs), large enterprises, small- to medium-sized businesses, and other organizations. Seagate will continue to bring an open approach towards building an Intelligent Information Infrastructure for customers of any scale and any size, and apply its experience from working with cloud pioneers to help organizations manage next-generation workloads with the scale, performance and cost aligned to their business needs. Its open approach means that it has reference architectures or engineered solutions for many open source and software-defined storage management applications.

What is the channel presence and strength of Seagate currently?

Rajesh Khurana Country Manager for India & SAARC, Seagate Technology

protection solutions among its customers in general and to SMBs in particular? Seagate’s Backup and Recovery Software and Cloud Backup and Recovery Services deliver up to 400% performance improvement in the speed of backup, restore and replication than the previous Seagate EVault offering, making it possible for organizations of all sizes to protect large and growing datasets within their standard backup window without impacting their production environments. The software is optimized to deliver the highest possible backup and recovery throughput, and can handle up to 6TB of compressed data per hour on a single module for a real-world mix of jobs.

What are the key focus/growth areas for Seagate at present? Since data storage is considered as the backbone of both enterprise and SMBs across verticals, Seagate is expanding its role in storing, protecting, and sharing digital information. The company is uniquely positioned to innovate across the full information infrastructure stack – from media and devices, enclosures, the management layer, to operating and file systems. We will continue to strengthen our position as a trusted storage solutions leader by delivering cloud systems and solutions for original equipment

Seagate works very closely with its partners in India to deliver best-in-class storage solutions and innovations to customers. We have a very loyal base of partners in India and to ensure that we create a win-win scenario, we take partner and customer feedback constantly to improvise on our offerings. We believe that maintaining extensive and close partnerships with channels is prudent for gaining success in the market and for delivering an unparalleled record of innovation. The Seagate Partner Programme provides high-powered services to increase profitability of its channel partners and meet their specific business needs. The programme includes an interactive web portal to provide an easy access to value-added information, training sessions and customer support. In addition, Seagate has enhanced its customer support network reach by collaborating with its Seagate Partner Programme members to cater to areas where there may be no SeaCareCenters (Seagate’s official customer service centers). Similarly, the Seagate Regional Customer Councils (RCCs) are an important pioneering initiative from Seagate which was established to gain direct partner analysis and inputs to ensure the efficiency of Seagate’s programmes in India.

What has been Seagate's strategy in accelerating the AllFlash storage ecosystem? The all-flash array market will grow to $1.2 billion in revenue by 2015 and will be embraced by Indian companies across sectors. Today, flash storage has value in a number of implementations within and across the storage infrastructure – be that in storage systems themselves, in servers or in the network. n samrita@varindia.com

FACE TO FACE

For Canon, Customers come First I

t is just not enough for a brand to wear the Market Leader tag if they do not take customers as their priority. Canon understands this best. To enhance its engagements with its customers and to serve them better, Canon comes up with several endcustomer initiatives that essentially help it to build the brand loyalty among its customers. One among such programmes is the Canon PhotoMarathon that attracts a large number of photo enthusiasts, primarily DSLR users and hobbyist photographers as well as professionals. The Canon PhotoMarathon that was held on 26th September in New Delhi was conceptualized 14 years ago and started off in Singapore. Its scope, however, has now expanded to ten countries in Asia, including India. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Canon is now the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest cameramaker and a leader in the Digital Imaging space. We wanted to create a platform for photographers to come together and express their creativity. It is a unique event as you have to come up with a theme on the spot, click the pictures, submit them and get judged on the same day. There is a fun element to it and that is why we have decided to bring all of them together,â&#x20AC;? says Andrew Koh, Vice-President, Consumer Imaging and Information Center, Canon India. This is the 6th edition of PhotoMarathon that Canon is organizing in India, and the

Andrew Koh Vice-President, Consumer Imaging and Information Center, Canon India last time it was organized in Delhi was three years ago. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Last year, we did it in Bengaluru. This year, we are doing in three different cities. So besides Delhi, we are having one in Bengaluru on 10th October and Mumbai on 31st October,â&#x20AC;? points out Andrew. The winner will win a trip worth US$5,000 to Japanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Photo Clinic. Furthermore, in line with its commitment

to serve customers better, Canon has launched a programme by the name Asia Traveller Protection Programme. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Travellers take their cameras with them while travelling and probably worry about it being in a good state during the trip. We started this programme which covers 12 countries. If a consumer, who buys our camera in India and while travelling to any of these countries needs any kind of service, they can get it done in our service centres and later reimburse the money on their arrival back in the country. This in a way will give our customers assurance and confidence when they buy our product,â&#x20AC;? explains Andrew. Canon has around 18 service centres across India just for cameras and this service will be available in these centres for travellers who come to India from these countries. Partners being an important communication touch point for Canon, it makes sure that they always remain an instrumental part of any programme it introduces. For PhotoMarathon, Canon has engaged its Canon Image Square partners where customers can sign up for participating in the competition. Similarly, for the other programme too, Canon is communicating to all its retail outlet partners and Canon Image Squares so that their customers are kept informed about the advantages of buying a Canon camera. n samrita@varindia.com

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October 2015

3rd Annual DISTREE APAC brings technology brands closer to Regional Partners T

he 3rd Annual DISTREE APAC provided a platform for creating new channel business opportunities for participating consumer technology brands. In total, more than 250 delegates attended the three-day event. Thousands of pre-scheduled one-on-one meetings took place between delegates with vendors and distributors meeting the region’s leading channel partners, retailers and e-tailers of consumer technology products. Ashish Kapahi, Regional Director for DISTREE Events in APAC, said, “We want to thank all the sponsors, exhibitors, speakers, media partners and channel delegates for their ongoing support of DISTREE APAC. With thousands of pre-scheduled one-on-one meetings taking place, we expect many new channel agreements and business partnerships to develop as a result of discussion that took place at this year’s event.” Toshiba was a Platinum Sponsor for DISTREE APAC 2015, with Leapfrog being the Gold Sponsor. Mercantile, Strontium and Valore were its Silver Sponsors. This year’s event featured a compelling vendor mix, ranging from international A-brands to new players looking to take their first steps in the APAC region. “The mix of brands present at DISTREE APAC is instrumental in creating a unique event atmosphere. Whether a company is looking to manage, build or launch routesto-market in APAC, DISTREE can deliver the one-on-one meetings with senior channel executives they need to meet to fulfil their goals,” explained Kapahi. DISTREE APAC 2015 also included the popular 60 Seconds to Convince Awards programme, where participating brands had the opportunity to deliver a one-minute pitch for their latest product on the main stage. The winners were determined through live electronic voting by delegates. 16 brands entered this year’s ‘60 Seconds to Convince Awards’. Oaxis InkCase i6 picked up the Best Product Design award for its InkCase i6,

October 2015

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securing 50% of the final live vote. Port Designs GOLED collected the Best Product Innovation award for the GOLED backpack, picking up 38% of the vote. LittleBigSound wowed the crowd with an entertaining pitch for its DroidAir Levitating Bluetooth Speaker to take home the Best Presentation Award. Event Partner GfK delivered a keynote session and a series of workshops during DISTREE APAC 2015. Content Partners CONTEXT, Quadmark and Spire Research provided additional insight on market trends and channel sales. DISTREE APAC 2015 also saw the introduction of the DISTREE Diamond Awards in the region for exhibitors participating at the event. The recipients of DISTREE Diamond Awards were determined using live on-site feedback from retailers and distributors. Allocacoc, IRIS, LittleBigSound, MyKronoz, Panzerglass, PhotoFast, Playseat, Port Designs, and Toshiba picked up all the vendor awards. In addition, the event included channel awards for the first time with a VIP Jury selecting SIS Thailand as APAC Distributor of the Year with Jaymart, also from Thailand, named APAC Retailer of the Year. The DISTREE Diamond Awards

serve as recognition for companies that offer a compelling channel proposition. Selected by channel partners, the DISTREE Diamond Awards are a hallmark of quality in terms of go-to-market strategy for brands that are selected to receive an award. “DISTREE Events prides itself on the quality of its recruitment process, ensuring that invited channel partners have the ability to drive significant product sales for participating brands. This is what makes the DISTREE experience hugely different to a generic trade show, allowing exhibitors to achieve a strong and clear return on investment (ROI) from their participation,” concluded Kapahi. DISTREE Events specializes in the planning, organisation, staging and management of ICT & CE channel events. DISTREE Events is a Paris−based company owned by Infopro Digital. The team at DISTREE Events has successfully organized such events for more than a decade, gathering more than 10,000 senior executives from 160 countries during that time. DISTREE Events spans the entire EMEA region, Asia-Pacific and Latin America with employees based in Paris, Dubai, Moscow, London, Singapore and Sao Paulo. n

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October 2015

Dell’s acquisition of EMC for $67 Billion creates new wave in Enterprise business

Joseph M. Tucci CEO, EMC

n a bid to transform itself from a PC manufacture to a computing powerhouse, Dell has sealed a deal to acquire EMC for a sum of $67 billion. This merger is one of the largest takeovers in the history of technology industry. With this Dell will be more powerful to serve customers across all key enterprise computing segments. The deal would make Dell a Premier End-to-End Technology Company. Dell will offer EMC shareholders $33.15 per share in a deal that includes EMC subsidiary VMware as a tracking stock that amounts to about $9 per share.

The deal includes $40 billion in financing from SilverLake. This deal is creating history in every possible way in the competitive IT business and enterprise computing market. Now, Dell is all poised to become the leader in the enterprise segment with a large portfolio of products in the enterprise technology segment, including servers, storage, virtualization, networking, cloud computing services, security, big data and IT services. We would indeed say that Michael Dell is a visionary in terms of taking calculative risks. There is also lots of hope from Dell's server business. Experts say that Dell will put the server business into the EMC enterprise data center business. As a result of which server business will see an opportunity of more than $30 billion. EMC and Dell, with a combined $75 billion in sales and 200,000 employees, expect to bring lots of transformation and that leadership shift will bring new strategy and synergy in the enterprise space. With a strong determination of Michael Dell to make his company the enterprise computing market leader and position it better in this space, it will bring a wide spectrum of opportunities for customers and partners. For Dell, a $60 billion company

Michael S. Dell Founder and CEO, Dell Inc positioned as the world's second-largest server vendor with a robust storage, networking and security business, the deal could accelerate the company’s longrunning effort to diversify its business. The deal adds to that $25 billion EMC's heavyweight status as the storage market leader and $6 billion EMC subsidiary VMware's position as the No. 1 virtualization software provider. It also includes a well-respected cloud computing services business ready to do battle with Amazon Web Services as a result of EMC's $1.2 billion acquisition of enterprise computing cloud services provider Virtual stream in July.

PRODUCT OF THE MONTH

ZyXEL ARMOR Z1 I

nstall a powerful wireless network that can deliver fast wireless data speeds for lag free online multiplayer gaming experience and smoothly stream high-definition videos with the ZyXEL ARMOR Z1 AC2350 Dual-Band Wireless Gigabit Router. This 802.11ac dual band router enables 4K Ultra HD video streaming, supports multiplayer gaming and eases day to day management of the network, making the solution paramount for SOHO segment. ARMOR Z1 offers smooth gaming, streaming and multi-device connectivity without the loss of network performance. The Armor Z1 has four Gigabit Ethernet ports and a Gigabit WAN for connecting a modem or router. There are also two USB3 ports tucked away behind a flap on the side of the router. Routers rarely hide away the USB ports like this and we like how the cover maintained the router’s sleek design when the ports aren’t in use. The USB ports can be used for network storage, with support for SMB, FTP and DLNA, or for setting up a print server. Installation is simple and quick. Compared to other likewise routers available in the market, it’s cheap, tacky and lighter. Lustrous black gives it a decent look. User can surf and play games simultaneously. With the help StreamBoost adaptive routing and Beamforming technology, which is supported by the device’s dual-core processing power, you get to enjoy outstanding performance. By intelligently and efficiently prioritizing traffic, dispersing signals, and adjusting bandwidth dynamically for the devices in use, the ARMOR Z1 can easily manage multiple data-hungry activities at the same time. Faster loading, streaming and browsing speeds can be achieved when the devices are in an optimal range. ARMOR Z1 is best for homes for it filters offensive online contents and makes the web browsing safer and cleaner. Among the key features include, four Gigabit Ethernet ports and a Gigabit WAN to connecting a modem or router along with two USB 3 ports. A print server could be set up smoothly. Households have an advantage of pairing the ARMOR Z1 with ZyXEL’s free-to-download One Connect App that helps you access, monitor, manage and troubleshoot common issues with connected devices and block unknown intruding devices from your network.

October 2015

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October 2015

COVER STORY

It’s an “Adapt or Perish” Branding Approach for Every Vendor Today, we are living in the age of Digital. Anything that you do or say should be seen in digital. Digital media is, thus, one of the many technologies today that is disrupting the market. Changes in how people communicate, connect, and discover through this new medium carry incredible implications for businesses. The evolution in customer’s behaviour, values and expectations is driving companies to invest in resources and employ budgets for digital technologies and are deriving the best results out of it. Digital is the way ahead…

If we look at the marketing media mix from a couple of years ago to where it is now, social media in particular and digital media in general would probably be the fastest-growing media vehicles in any marketing organization. “While digital marketing is a specialist medium today, we see this as a culture, a means to effectively engage with your customers. Digital needs to be inclusive and be on every marketer’s radar and not just for a select few. As we see it, ultimately every marketing approach must be designed in an inclusive manner, where the brand and the customer interact to produce a mutually preferable result,” says R. Sudharsan, Director – Marketing, Dell India. Dell’s business is driven by the success of its customers. Investments in social media for Dell cut across the following parameters – • Defining your social brand and institutionalizing engagement points (Marketing, Sales, Support & Customer Experience) • Building a content strategy aligned to the above, community priorities and customer preferences

October 2015

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R. Sudharsan Director - Marketing, Dell India • Continuous listening and brand intervention points “Thanks to the new information consumption patterns of customers, social media is becoming the ‘the place to be’,” says Sudharsan. “If you consider the customer’s buying journey, around more than 80% of customers will research about a brand on digital channels to collect information before taking a decision to purchase. It is, hence,

very crucial for us to stay active digitally so that we continue to stay on top of mind. Around 30% of our customers prefer using Avaya social media channels to get support on our solutions and products and they expect a response within thirty minutes. With our social media analytics, we have the right technology to actively respond and analyze our customer’s comments and inquiries,” says Dina El Banna, Marketing Director, Global Growth Markets, Avaya. Digital transformation is the core of what Avaya does. It enables enterprises of all sizes – small to large to be able to engage better with their customers on different channels, whether digital or physical. “Social media is a key component of our marketing and communications strategy; our customers want to use their preferred media at any time, from anywhere and on any device and hence social media is their preferred choice. Avaya has invested heavily in engaging with customers on social media, from a support perspective. Users can engage with us on our Facebook / LinkedIn pages to get more information with software or products updates. In addition to that, all our solution campaigns are also deployed on social channels,” explains Dina.

Vishal Parekh Marketing Director Kingston Technology – India “Our goal is to help Ringo reach out to as many consumers as possible, be it for their personal or business use. Both our apps ‘Ringo’ and ‘Flock’ have been made available at the Google play store as well as on the iOS platform. They have been conceptualized to ensure seamless communication for SMBs and end-customers and therefore our annual budget for digital marketing currently runs into millions of dollars. The most important social media platform where we are currently running our marketing campaigns is Facebook at the moment, and we see that some of our activities are also gaining traction on Twitter,” explains Bhavin Turakhia, CEO, Ringo and Flock. Kingston is another brand that has a strong social following. “Social media, at one point, was an important channel for us to 'impart information'. We have evolved over time and have strategically channelled our investments to create a better user experience. Healthy social conversations about the requirements and availability help us to assist users in making informed purchases and to let them know the best available Kingston product. In the long run, this also helps in creating brand loyalty simultaneously in different parts of the country,” asserts Vishal Parekh, Marketing Director, Kingston Technology – India. Along with the media and channel partners, Kingston has also started running special offers for its followers along with exclusive information. “More than that, we also get involved with reviews and help with DIY systems,” adds Vishal. Allied Telesis invests in a variety of digital mediums including social media to reach out to its target audience. “It is important to understand that social media is only one element of our digital marketing strategy and that these platforms must integrate with marketing automation and sales force automation systems to ensure consistency across platforms and also to be able to gain a deeper understanding of engagement and return on investment,” says Subhasish Gupta, Country Manager – India & SAARC, Allied Telesis. Says Yasin Ozair, Managing Director, SoftAge Information Technology, “Engaging with potential clients, employees

Dina El Banna Marketing Director Global Growth Markets, Avaya and other targeted audience via channels like LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Blogging are the regular Digital Media activities we initiate. As per the best practice methods, various categories of content are shared for maximum engaging, knowledge sharing and driving traffic to website.”

Subhasish Gupta Country Manager – India & SAARC Allied Telesis StoreHippo leverages the benefits of social media to target new customers and most of its digital campaigns are specifically targeted towards start-ups, SMEs, Retail Store Owners, Artisans, etc. “We use six social media platforms – Facebook / Twitter / LinkedIn / Google Plus / Instagram / Pinterest) which are regularly updated with content which appeals to people. We boost our posts on social media like Facebook. We also use Google AdWords, Facebook campaigns, YouTube ads and videos, Google display network ads and also optimize our indexing on search engines,” says Rajiv Kumar, CEO & Founder, Hippo Innovations Private Ltd.

The rising power of OTT Messaging Services

Bhavin Turakhia CEO Ringo and Flock “We often run paid campaigns on social media, specifically LinkedIn for reaching out and generating leads. Since we haven't fully capitalized on sponsored campaigns, the results are only fairly successful. Apart from our product facing profiles, we have an organization-specific profile to serve our recruitment and hiring demands. We use this profile to expose company-wide announcements,” cites Bishal Lachhiramka, CEO & Co-Founder, Ameyo. Digital media allows brands to reach out to a wider pool of audience and is personal. It allows the brand to set targets for tailoring its messages and communications to the specific audience. “We have a team of four that are purely involved in digital marketing, social media, and email campaigning. They identify influencers and thought leaders in the industry and try to get ourselves mentioned by them. Including the more obvious social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter, our team tries to create brand awareness and engagement in other platforms like Quora, Growth Hackers, List.ly, Reddit, etc. Email campaigns are primarily run for targeted industries,” says Bishal.

Similar to the digital medium, a mobile app can be instrumental in assisting the growth of business. If the right strategies and tools are employed, a huge pool of data can be collated based on the customer’s usage of mobile apps alone. Over-the-top (OTT) messaging services, in particular, have proved popular and adoption levels soared in many countries in 2014 and 2015. More than half of smartphone owners worldwide are today already active users of OTT messaging apps, and there are no signs of the market slowing. “We already use OTT messaging services for business benefits. For instance, we have rolled out a nifty feature that enables the users of the Ringo mobile app to invite their WhatsApp contacts to use our app, and get free credit in return for each referral. We are working internally to roll out various affiliate programmes to our users who are willing to help us in growing our business, and earn an affiliate fee at the same time,” states Bhavin. “As a B2B organization, we are primarily looking for platforms that enable us to increase our engagement with our target customers in a B2B context. We want to ensure our messaging is not lost in the noise that customers are being subjected to and for the time being are not convinced of the benefits provided by OTT messaging services in a B2B context,” cautions Subhasish.

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October 2015

COVER STORY

Yasin Ozair MD SoftAge Information Technology

Rajiv Kumar CEO and Founder Hippo Innovations Pvt. Ltd.

Bishal Lachhiramka CEO and Co-Founder Ameyo

Branding Impact on Businesses

The digital medium is all about reach and relevance – Reach in terms of connecting with customers anytime, anywhere and relevance through providing what customers are looking for. Business outcomes are largely defined by engagement of customers, solving their challenges at that instant and finally building a seamless extension of the brand through an omnichannel experience. “Of all the people with a computing device, almost every person is online either from their smart devices, laptops, PCs and even televisions. With limited offers for social media, graphically appealing banners, quality products and attractive pricing, digital branding helps us reach to a wider audience cost-effectively,” says Sudarshan. Vishal cites an infamous example of its HyperX Cloud headset, which Kingston launched in 2014 exclusively on an e-commerce portal. This was an interesting move especially because this was also Kingston’s entry into the gaming peripherals market. “We received a very good response from across the country and were able to enter this competitive segment. People not only bought the headset but also shared their amazing experience, which brought us positive mouth publicity. This was widely spoken on social media platforms and also in the media. This strategic move was successful more because the product information reached a much wider audience,” he says. It is important to understand that one of the benefits of a digital platform is that it is not generic and related to branding. “Digital mediums enable you to have a oneon-one conversation with those people in your target audience and adapt and tailor messaging to their exact requirements. So for us, it is not about branding but increasing engagement and delivering specific messages around a specific customer’s problems or requirements,” concludes Subhasish. It is indeed a case of ‘Survival of the Fittest’ that was articulated by Darwin in his Theory of Evolution; it’s well and good if you are investing in digital transformation but if you are not, it can just spell the end of your business. n samrita@varindia.com

October 2015

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DEPARTMENT OF POSTS SUKANYA SAMRIDDHI ACCOUNT

Dear Customers, Hon’ble Prime Minister of India, Shri Narender Modi has launched a new scheme namely "Sukanya Samriddhi Account" for the welfare of Girl Child under small savings scheme. The Government of India has taken a great initiative for the prosperity of girls under "Beti Bachao Beti Padhao" campaign. The salient features of this Scheme are outlined below: w A legal Guardian / Natural Guardian can open account in the name of Girl Child. w Account can be opened upto the age of 10 years only from the date of birth. w Minimum amount for opening of account is Rs.1000/- and subsequent deposit should be in multiple of Rs.100/-. w Maximum amount can be deposited is Rs.1,50,000/- in a financial year. w No limit on number of deposits either in a month or in a financial year (just like a savings account). w Mode of deposit can be cash/cheque/draft. w Rate of interest is 9.2% for the financial year 2015-16. It will be calculated on yearly basis and credited into account. w Account can be closed after completion of 21 years from the date of opening of account. w Rebate under Section 80 CC of Income Tax Act. You may please contact the nearby Post Office to open the account and further queries about the scheme.

“Samriddhi of Your Daughter is Samriddhi of the Nation” For Further Details, Please Contact:

Senior Superintendent of Post Offices New Delhi South West Division, Chanakyapuri P.O.Complex, New Delhi-110021 Tel.: 011-24671592, 24670669, 24122739 Visit us at: www.indiapost.gov.in

PRODUCT OF THE MONTH

Logitech Wireless Touch Keyboard K400 Plus T

he K400 Plus features a wireless range of up to 33 feet and an integrated touchpad, making it easy to stream movies, TV shows, music and other entertainment on your PC from your couch. The K400 Plus features a responsive integrated touchpad with adjustable cursor control, making it a compact all-in-one keyboard and mouse solution. Shortcut buttons give you easy access to volume controls and menu navigation, and the intuitive arrow buttons help you get to your digital entertainment quickly. Designed for the modern living room in a neutral grey, the Logitech Wireless Touch Keyboard K400 features a slim design that makes it easy to store and has rounded sides for comfort, making it the perfect keyboard for everyone. With the pre-installed batteries that last up to 18 months, it provides endless hours of entertainment without interruption. The Wireless Touch Keyboard K400 Plus also sports an adjustable cursor control. It also bears shortcut buttons to give easy access to volume controls and menu navigation. The keyboard is said to flaunt a slim design profile with rounded sides and come pre-installed with batteries, which are rated to deliver up to 18 months of power. It is compatible with devices running Windows 7 or higher version, ChromeOS, and Android 5.0 Lollipop or higher versions.

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October 2015

COVER STORY

IT Associations of India It is very much to the point to underline the fact that IT Associations have come a long way in playing a significant role in the uplift of the channel community in India. The contribution made by various Associations formed across the length and breadth of the country can be ascertained from the role they have played right from the evolution of the channel ecosystem to that of keeping a tab on the conduct of the channel partners for the betterment of the Indian IT industry. More than 25,000 resellers in the emerging Metros, Tier-I, Tier-II and Tier-III cities in India are today an established supply chain business across the country and deal with the hardware and software products. Many of these resellers qualify as Value-added resellers (VARs) wherein they add features or services to the existing products, then resell them as integrated products or complete turnkey solutions. According to one estimate, Indian Information technology market would grow to $44.8 billion in 2014. Given the gigantic landscape, IT Associations have a major role and in fact gone to the extent of taking a call against partners who have engaged in frivolous practices. Examples are galore that several IT associations have done a commendable job in exceeding the expectations and taking up activities which place them on a pedestal high in public eye. In an attempt to recognize their role, VARINDIA lists some of the leading Associations from across different states, who have been in the market for quite some time and delivering instant results. All Delhi Computer Traders Association (ADCTA) Name of the President: Mahinder Aggarwal Website: www.adcta.com Address: 101 Kundan House, 16 Nehru Place, New Delhi – 110019 Role of Association: All Delhi Computer Traders Association (ADCTA) is one of the oldest IT Association in IT Industry. The retailers are the core strength and the association is continuously fighting and representing their rights with different government agencies. At present the main focus is to streamline guidelines for Online Business and the association is also writing to government departments to protect the fellow traders who are struggling to fight with un-ethical business practice of some E-tailers. ADCTA has a very strong mechanism for Delhi traders. It is running 2 websites www.FraudsAlert. net to protect fellow dealers from fraudulent activities and www.warrantyissues.com to protect dealers and end-users for warranty and after sales service issues.

Association for Information Technology (AIT- Bengaluru) Name of the President: N.Prakashshroff Website: www.ait-bengaluru.in Address: Association for information Technology, 15/1, 3rd floor, Dickenson Road, Bangalore560042 Role of Association: Association For Information Technology (AIT –Bengaluru) has its existence for 18 long years. It has been involved in resolving lot of issues in the channel from past decades. The Association has resolved Vendor-to-Distribution channel disputes related to settlement of old ORC receivables, multiple Channel Vendor-to-Vendor issues regarding credit and other related things, Warranty issues of vendors with Principle/OEM’s and also resolved some of the dealers ORC pending issues with National distributors and principles.

Association of System Integrator and Retailers in Technology (ASIRT) Name of the President: Arvind Singh Website: www.asirt.in Address: 2A, Majestic Mansion, 380 S.V.P Road, PrathnaSamaj, Mumbai - 400 004 Role of Association: ASIRT's core strength and mission is to safe guard the interest of the System Integrators and Retailers. The Association believes in amicably resolving any issues of Vendor to SI/ Retailers or SI/Retailer to client issues. The Grievance Team of the Association has been very proactive and has successfully resolved many issues in state to achieve a win-win situation for both the parties. ASIRT will thrive hard to get people from IT Fraternity to work in a cohesive environment and harness the synergies so that all involved are benefited.

October 2015

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Baroda IT Association (BITA) Name of the President: Dinesh Patel Website:www.bitaindia.org Address: 4, Swastik Apartment, 72, Vishwas Colony, Alkapuri, Vadodara - 390007 Role of Association: Since inception in 1997, BITA aims to promote Information Technology and establish Baroda as IT HUB of Gujarat, strengthen relationship between OEMs, suppliers, dealers and customers, establish authenticity of the Dealers. It also represent IT Industries to government. Recently, the biggest issue is online sales wherein the companies are selling their products at a lower price than channel partners.The issue has been taken up with the Principal companies and when they were not co-operating, the dealers stopped purchasing from them, this builds up pressure on the principal companies resulting into settling the issue and providing the products at channel partner’s price.

Computer Association of Eastern India (COMPASS) Name of the President: Rajesh Saboo Website: www. compassindia.com Address: 36, Shakespeare Sarani, S.B.Tower, 1st Fl. , Kolkata– 700017 Role of Association: Computer Association of Eastern India, popularly known as COMPASS, is an Association of IT entrepreneurs of Eastern India that works to create and sustain an environment conducive to the growth of IT industry. This Association has been a facilitator and catalyst working closely with government on policy issues, enhancing efficiency, competitiveness and expanding business opportunities through assorted services. COMPASS has always Protected the interest of members & IT Industry by negotiating with statutory authorities, by solving the grievances of members within the eco system and outside the eco system amicably, issuing advisory time to time for the benefit of the members, involving and keeping close relationship with all the OEM’s and National Distributor’s in most of COMPASS endeavour and finally encouraging and spreading IT awareness in Eastern India. Computer Media Dealers Association – Delhi (CMDA - Delhi) Name of the President: Puneet Singhal Website: www.cmda.in Address: D-15, Ranjit Nagar Commercial Complex, New Delhi-110008 Role of Association: CMDA- Delhi provides a platform to the channel partners through which they can address their grievances and trade concerns. It provides a collective strength to their issues. A single partner has no recognition whereas an association becomes face of the channel fraternity and gives them better visibility before OEM’s, government agencies, vendors etc. CMDA-Delhi become the first Trade Association of the country who resolved the VAT dispute with the Delhi Government for the channel partners and later the same regulation was taken up by other Channel Associations in their respective states as well.

Computer Media Dealers Association –Pune (CMDA- Pune) Name of the President: Narendra Bheda Website: www.cmdapune.org Address: S/N 93, Laxminagar Commercial Complex, Office # 23, Opp. GajananMaharaj Math, Laxminagar, Pune – 411009 Role of Association – CMDA Pune is ISO 9001 2008 certified association, playing a very important role in solving channel issues in very systematic way. Since entire processes are well defined, interest of channel under the association’s umbrella is protected. The members are benefited with 99% resolved arbitration by CMDA Pune. The Association also represent in State level Association FITAM and National level Association FAIITA. For State level issues CMDA- Pune raise the voice in FITAM and for National level issue in FAIITA. From last 24 years CMDA Pune playing very responsible and active role in solving channel issues.

Erode IT Association (Edita) Name of President: J. Balaji Website: www.edita.co.in Address: 304 Brough Road, Opp to Sivaranjani Hotel, Erode- 638001 Role of Association: Established in June 2001, with the basic intention of streamlining the operations of the IT industry. The association will take all necessary steps to safeguard the interests of end-users as well as its members. The main aim of EdiTA is to unite the energies of the professionals, so that it can be converged towards to a common goal of spreading I.T. benefits to the nook and corner of the district. The Association will try to curb un-healthy competition in terms of price.

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October 2015

COVER STORY Federation of All India IT Associations (FAIITA) Name of the President: Champak Raj Gurjar Website: www.faiita.com Address: 404 Vishal Bhawan, 95-Nehru Place New Delhi-110019 Role of Association: FAIITA is the umbrella Association of over all Indian state federations and associations. The primary objective of FAIITA is to escalate OEM/ND issues related to pan India channel to corresponding national/country heads. Also it is the incumbent association to interface with Government of India on IT policy matters and Taxation. Interstate channel disputes are also escalated to FAIITA. Structurally, FAIITA has sixteen office bearers starting from President, Vice President, General Secretary. Jt.Secretary, Five Regional VPs and Five Regional Jt.Secy. Objectives of FAIITA are putatively achieved through functional committees coordinated by a national convener.

Federation of Information Technology Association of Gujarat (FITAG) Name of the President: Amit Shah Website: www.fitag.in Address: B-302, RudrayArcadem Helmet Cross Road, Memnagar, Ahmedabad Role of Association: FITAG represents IT fraternity of Gujarat to broader platform. At FITAG, local associations interact frequently to improve understanding and healthy relationship. FITAG also does yearly convention to bring all the associations on a single platform and update them about recent and upcoming trends in the Industry. FITAG represents to the state and national bodies to protect the interest of IT community of Gujarat.

Federation of IT Dealers-Karnataka (FiTDAK) Name of the President: B.Ananda Rao Website: www.fitdak.org Address: Role of Association: With an aim of representing all the 30 districts of the State and drive few proactive initiatives of enabling healthier, hassle free and efficient trade of B2B and B2C in the State, Federation of IT Dealers of Karnataka (FiTDAK) was formed. FiTDAK aims at addressing any anomalies that is obstructing the growth of IT trade in the State. It contains over 2500 members across the State who are present in the areas of PC computing, Networking, Storage, physical Security, Cloud offerings, Data-center solutions, Data & internet security, Software etc. and have customers in all industry verticals. FiTDAK helped 8 districts to start their IT Associations at respective places. FiTDAK organized for part sponsorships for their inaugural meets and also assisted district Associations with minor financial contributions through its fund. It conducted few technology sessions at all the zonal districts on niche product areas to induce members acquire practical skill-sets. It participated actively in campaigns against unfair and legally incorrect methods of E-commerce trade (e-tailers), disrupting the healthy business practices of brick & mortar fraternity, through predatory pricing. FiTDAK in close association with other State associations across the country intensified its protest through memorandums submitted to the ministries/departments concerned at both State & Center. Infotech Software Dealers Association (ISODA) Name of the President: L Ashok Website: www.isoda.in Address: 102, ChintamaniKutir, Off Azad Road, Vile Parle(E), Mumbai – 400057 Role of Association: Infotech Software Dealers Association (ISODA), as the name suggests is a pan India association of companies engaged in the business of dealing in packaged software products. Currently in its 7th year of existence, it has proven to be a strong platform to be the ‘voice’ of Indian Software dealers. In a typical business environment there always are matters that need clarification and redressal. couple of recurring issues that ISODA has voiced are applicability of tax on transactions (both at State and National level) and business policies with respect to OEMs and Distributors where there is discrepancy and difference in applying policies to a similar product. Certain policies are being applied that are monopolistic in nature and detrimental to the whole eco system. As a result, ISODA has formed various committees comprising the members, such as Taxation committee, Government & Embassy Liaison committee and OEM Advisory Committee to take up issues and help resolve them effectively and efficiently. ISODA has also been successfully promoting the collaboration of resources among members, allowing each member to leverage the strength of another thus mutually growing their respective businesses.

October 2015

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Information Technology Association of Orissa (ITAO) Name of the President: Arun Kumar Dey Website: www.itaoindia.com Address: 80, 1st Floor, Sahid Nagar, Bhubaneswar - 751007, Orissa Role of Association: Information Technology Association of Orissa (ITAO) was formed in the year 1998. Since it was started, the Association is focusing on the channel benefits. ITAO regularly conducts Seminar/ Workshop for new business opportunities of the members. It trains its members for services business so that additional revenue can be generated and tries to resolve the issue between the member & Vendors mutually. ITAO organises IT EXPO each year in the state capital to create the awareness on new technologies. It is also a founder member of FAIITA (Federation of All India It Associations).

Jammu Computer Dealers Association (JCDA) Name of the President: Dikshit Gupta Website: www.jcda.org.in Address: 16 B2, South Block, Bahu Plaza, Jammu Role of Association: Jammu Computer Dealers Association (JCDA)has been one of the oldest associations, which was formed in 2008. It hasbeen handling channel issues and also resolved them. Members feel elated when their issue is resolved.

Jharkhand Computer Traders Association (JCTA) Name of the President: Sushil Kumar Address: B1, Backside of Roshpa Tower, Main Road, Ranchi, Jharkhandâ&#x20AC;&#x201C; 834001 Role of Association: Jharkhand Computer Traders Association (JCTA) plays a major role in resolving channel issues in the state. The Association works like a bridge between Tier 1, Tier 2 and Tier 3 partners. Whenever any problems regarding OLS, Taxation, Payment, Service, Claims or any other thing brings to the notice of the association then it actively gets involved into the problem and comes out with a solutions. Motto of JCTA is to make health and hygiene in the market and for doing that all the members appreciate it also.

Jodhpur Computer Dealers Association (JCDA) Name of the President: Basant Mehta Website: www.jcdajodhpur.com Address: 27, First Floor, Amardeep Complex, Main B Road, Sardarpura, Jodhpur-342003 Role of Association:Jodhpur Computer Dealers Association (JCDA)was established in the year 2002, and is having 70 members. In the month of March 2015, sidelining the traditional President -Secretary -Treasure setup, all the members of JCDA nominated 12 executive members to administer and run this association in more focused way. All possible jobs/work of the association are distributed into 4 different categories, and so thereafter form 4 different committees, namely :Memberships, Vendor coordination, Defaulters Handling & Event Management. Each committee is being handled by 3 executive members, who can better focus on their limited jobs. The Association website is very much informative for members as well as vendors.

Nilgiris Information Technology Association (NITA) Name of the President: V. Ravikumar Address:1, UMC Shopping Complex, M.S. Lane, Ooty â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 643001 Role of Association: Nilgiris Information Technology Association (NITA) jointly ventures with Confed-ITA which proving effective in resolving channel issues. As a part to tackle channel issues, apart from joint discussions with Confed-ITA in the Executive Committee meeting, NITA also involves in local social and welfare activities. Its members also include educational training institutes & Internet Cafes and the Association is able to utilise this to provide computer courses and trainingto empower the local communities. NITA is a strong advocate of Go-Green awareness for plastic free Nilgiris. The Association is always happy to extend hardware and software support through live chat to the clients of local TV channels to help resolve any issues. Nilgiris, as one is aware of the toughest roads for driving, as one needs to encounter the challenges of hilly terrain, so NITA helped to spread awareness on safe hill driving.

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October 2015

COVER STORY Progressive Channels Association of Information Technology (PCAIT) Name of the President: Alok Gupta Website: www.pcait.in Address: 404 Vishal Bhawan, 95-Nehru Place New Delhi-110019 Role of Association: Focused on the growth and integration with global IT scenario, Progressive Channels Association of Information Technology (PCAIT) enables its members to resolve disputes with non-members, vendors and also infuse confidence among members. It provides a platform to interact with members and related organizations to enhance business opportunities. PCAIT acts as nodal association to interact with government agencies for matters related to IT industry. It has also conducted successful meetings with Tax department over VAT and Service Tax and conveyed woes and challenges of Channel Community.

Punjab Association of Computer Traders (PACT- Punjab & Chandigarh) Name of President: Sanjeev Walia Website: www.pactpunjab.com Address: SCO-12, First Floor, Sector- 17/E, Chandigarh-160017 Role of Association: Punjab Association of Computer Traders (PACT) is an umbrella body of the associations of Punjab and Chandigarh. The unity is always been a benchmark, and be with the President.With challenges continue to hamper IT industry, PACT is more resolved than ever to move it's members towards a peaceful, secured and growing business. In numerous cases of handling OLS, vendor and distributor related issues, PACT has stood by justice and partners and resolved numerous cases unanimously.Spearheading the bandh against OLS issues last year, which led to ultimate formation of FAIITTA, PACT has always taken lead because of pioneer leadership qualities of its members. The core committee, that cover four sectors of this region, does the coordination so very well for the president to take one stand. No doubt that is why PACT is acknowledged as main pillar of FAITTA. Another notable solution provided by PACT is signing of MoU with Microsoft. Channel has acknowledged that PACT has always been there to help them with solutions in bilateral and joint issues. PACT takes lot of pride in that and will continue to lead, at regional and national level. Rajasthan Computer Traders Association (RCTA) Name of President:Sugriv Singh Ranawat Website:www.rctaonline.com Address: S-80, Raisar Plaza, Indira Bazar, Jaipur- 01 Role of Association: Rajasthan Computer Traders Association (RCTA) is playing very important role in resolving channel issues in the state. It is committed to resolve issues related to our members like online price cut problem where the Association is in continuous touch with brand owners, VAT problem related to laptop bags andlaptop batteries in Rajasthan,warranty issueswhere the Association is mediating with company and partners, and also incentive issues as the Regional Distributors and Dealers are not receiving proper and timely incentives from National Distributors. By being in constant touch with government department, the Association is also trying to resolve penalty issues that State government has imposed on members, National Distributors and Regional Distributors.

Society For Welfare of IT Dealers UP Name of President: Devesh Kumar Rastogi Address: C- 187, Nirala Nagar, Lucknow -226020 Role of Association: Society For Welfare of IT Dealers UP focuses on Tier 2 and Tier 3 partners engaged in business of IT hardware. The objective of association is to develop harmony and fairness in business between different verticals in channel. The present strength of the Association is 342 members.

October 2015

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South Gujarat Information Technologists Association (SITA) Name of President: Paresh Babaria Website: www.sitasurat.com Address: 407, Lalbhai Contractor complex, Nanpura, Surat Role of Association: As an association, SITA, involves in all the issues of its members like support from vendors related to services, replacements claims, legal matter etc. The Association has a TDC (Trade Discipline Committee) consisting of leaders, business men in this team who actively supporting the members. It also has a full facilitated conference hall ready to use for its members for any technical training/seminars/conferences/product launching/software demos etc.

Trade Association of Information Technology (TAIT) Name of President: Rushabh Shah Website: www.tait.in Address: 2-O, 2nd Floor, Vijay Chambers, Tribhuvan Road, Off. Lamington Road, Grant Road (East) Mumbai 400004 Role of Association: Trade Association of Information Technology (TAIT) is among the leading IT Associons of the country and has been at the forefront of member activities and programs. The Board ofDirectors work with members on various sub-committees and have a very active grievance committee which resolves member disputes and furthermore, the Association has also been appointed as an Arbitrator. This gives opportunity to members to fast track cases which would otherwise go into time consuming and expensive legal tangles. It has already started on this front and one case has been successfully closed. TAITgives stress on member training and empowerment.It organizes TAIT knowledge series where experts from various domains come and address the members. This monthly series has generated lot of interest amongst members. TAIT is adding 2 more programs this year-TaitPaathshala and TAITeBuzz. The Paathshala program, starting this month, is to empower memberâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s employees to unlock their potential and achieve more. The eBuzz is the E version of the newsletter/information dissemination tool. Besides that member communication platform is aiding buyer-seller meeting point and real business gets transacted every day.

Uttar Pradesh Computer Dealers Association (UPCDA) Name of President: Rohit Kohli Website:www.upcda.in Address:22 A/5, Cooper Road, Civil Lines, Allahabad Role of Association: Uttar Pradesh Computer Dealers Welfare Association (UPCDA) have resolved several State Tax issues in last 12 years and remain united whenever require for the welfare of trade.

Vidarbha Computer & Media Dealer's Welfare Association (VCMDA Nagpur) Name of President:Rajesh Saboo Website:www.vcmdwa.org Address: 603, Surya Kiran Commercial Complex, Plot No. 1, Central Bazar Road, Bajaj Nagar, Nagpur - 440010 Role of Association: Vidarbha Computer & Media Dealer's Welfare Association (VCMDA Nagpur) has itssystem of dispute resolution. It resolves dispute between vendor-dealer ordistributor- dealer.Once the complaint is received VCMDA team discusses the issue with complainant dealer and then with vendor or Distributor to understand both sides. Once it receives their reply on the basis of merit, request the party to resolve as per Associationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;sjudgment. If any party refuses to obey the Association then action is taken accordingly. If vendor do not agree to follow the decision then it is raised in Federation of Maharashtra (FITAM). If FITAM is unable to resolve then it is raised in FAIITA by FITAM.

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October 2015

“Overall it is good time to invest in Indian market” India being the most dynamic market now, is flooded with opportunities in the surveillance space. The market has seen a paradigm shift from Analogue to Digital technology. But lack of education among customers and channels, penetration of low-cost and low-quality products and reduction in ASP have dampened the market. However, Hemendu Sinha, Business Head, B2B, LG India, said that deep penetration in the “B” and “C” class cities and IoT will be the major driving force for the Indian surveillance space.

Challenges and Strategy

Hemendu Sinha Business Head, B2B, LG India

The Indian market is vast, but the video surveillance market is highly fragmented. The low-cost and low-quality segment occupies 45% of the market share. Moreover, major players, rather than increasing the standards of the industry / solution / technology, are focussing more on the low-end segment to increase the market share. At the same time, the surveillance market has also seen a lot of disruptions in various product segments. The end-consumer’s behaviour, which was earlier missing, has created a ripple effect among all the manufacturers to change their product strategies. More information flow/ education to the end-customer and system integrator fraternity will keep the surveillance market unpredictable and dynamic for a few more years. The market has witnessed the switchover from Analogue to Digital products. The switch has varied in different vertical market segments. The government is one such segment where the shift is very evident. Whereas in banking we still see the trend of Nationalized Banks/ Cooperative Banks/ Private Banks focussing on cost rather than the quality of the solution. More than technology, there has to be a change in the customer’s mindset to think of emerging technologies as a method and not just as a mandate.

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Though the market is brimming with opportunities, it is also facing many challenges. The biggest challenge is the lack of right education to consumers and channels. Very few companies are providing regular trainings to internal manpower and channel. As the technology shift is happening rapidly, the spread of awareness about the shift is not at the same pace. Another threat to growth of the market is the wide acceptance of unreliable products by system integrators and consumers because of low cost. Penetration of these unreliable products in the market and its acceptance has hit the market hard. The perceived CAGR for the next five years of the Indian market has come down from 30% in 2012 to 18% in 2015. The major challenge is the severe reduction in ASP. LG has observed a trend of dual product policy by majority of the Surveillance Brands (Not OEM anymore). It is quite evident that even well-known MNCs have started buying outsourced products from the Chinese vendors to cater to the low-end market space in India. The latest trend is to drive the revenue targets. The quality of products and brand image has taken a backseat even for most reputed MNCs. LG Electronics India has a wide array of distinctively unique solutions in Digital as well as Analogue. “We will focus on the company’s R&D capabilities to create value for our customers. Being one of the first companies to launch 60FPS FHD cameras in 2014 and having successfully deployed such solution in huge numbers, we will continue to innovate in the IP camera space. LG’s main focus during 2016 is to develop high-quality solutions around H.265. Our R&D has made significant breakthrough in this segment and soon you will see us announcing complete value-based packages for different vertical segments,” said Hemendu Sinha, Business Head, B2B, LG India.

Channel Opportunities

The channel is predominantly governed by a couple of Chinese and Indian brands and more than 35% of the total market share is consumed between three to four companies in India. The immediate change which will affect this, is the entry of telecom giants in the IoT space and Government’s speed to implement the smart city projects. “If proper strategies are made and aligned, our industry will see one more major shift in the behaviour of the end-customer and the channel fabric,” commented Hemendu.

To conclude…

LG is optimistic that the surveillance market will keep growing at a good rate, with equal growth in Analogue as well as Digital product space. Moreover, complete penetration has still not happened in the “B” and “C” class cities and it will be a major driving factor in the coming years. With the introduction of IoT, the home/ retail segment is going to see a paradigm shift, which will affect the enterprise segment also. The industry will shift from Hardware to Solution to Services in the coming years. Overall, it is good time to invest in the Indian market. n aparna@varindia.com

NSIC Leaflet (Hindi & English) 10 July 2015 PM 12:32:31

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October 2015

Huawei to balance between an offline and online strategy With its philosophy of competing with itself, Huawei has become a global brand with a design centre in Sweden, RF Engineering Centre in the US, R&D Centre in Japan and Software in India. It aims to offer the best to its consumers. The company is planning for a 360-degree marketing strategy along with an effective retail presence. P. Sanjeev, Director – Sales (Devices Business), Huawei Telecommunications India, mentioned about their online and offline products, features their phones that strengthens the position of the company in the market and, last but not the least, the presence of strong service support.

Online and Offline Strategy As a global brand, Huawei has already reached the top third position in the world with regard to smartphones. The Indian market has become very critical as it is observing a 50% year-on-year growth in India after the flattening of the Chinese market. So India has become a critical market for Huawei to maintain its position in the global market. In 2011, Huawei took a decision on the consumer TG. It moved from being an ODM to OEM brand. Globally, the company has invested a lot of money and it paid off and hence has been looking forward a similar response with a slightly different strategy for the Indian market. However, at the same time, e- commerce also started taking shape in the country and the company was convinced about the growing craze. With that, Huawei decided to launch Honor in India. “For Huawei, it was quite easy to bring an online brand called Honor because we had everything to create a brand and a product. During the last six months, we have observed that we are getting 10 times growth. Another remarkable aspect is that this year if 100 phones are bought online, then 10 customers would have bought Honor. According to 2014 IDC report, about a million phones are selling online. This means that if we expect 20 million phones to be sold online, then 2 million will be Honor handsets. We introduced great prices, brilliant designs and huge investments in Channels. This year, we have made close-to $10 million investments in marketing,” said P. Sanjeev, Director –Sales (Devices Business), Huawei Telecommunications India. Moreover, Huawei has also observed that a large number of customers still buy smartphones offline. To cater to that segment, the company has Huawei series smartphones with brilliant specifications. To launch this portfolio, the company follows a different market strategy. It selected four cities – Delhi, Gurgaon, Bangalore and Chennai to launch immediately and eventually look to 15-plus

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P. Sanjeev Director – Sales (Devices Business), Huawei Telecommunications India cities. It has also partnered with LFR, Croma, Reliance Digital and Sangeeta. “And very quickly we have touched about 1,000 stores and we have revamped our service call centres. We are looking at establishing experience service centres in the key markets. We are also getting support from headquarters to build brand stores as we are about to launch a series of products like smartphones, tablets, routers, range extenders, data cards, power banks, etc. We have realized that it is important to take this journey through retail space,” added Sanjeev.

Strength of the company When it comes to smartphones, customers are worried about the life of its battery. Huawei’s biggest strength is building networks, 3G and 4G and most importantly the company knows exactly how to optimize the battery performance of a handset. “The communication between a phone and network is breathing in a 3G or 4G network and there is a frequent communication among both the networks. So the battery gets drained out. And the only way to save the battery life is to optimize which kind of communication needs to be done between a phone and a network and Huawei knows

that well. We have a patented technology that improves 30% of battery performances which is a unique feature of Huawei. From Rs.5,000 phone to high-end phone, we use this technology,” explains Sanjeev. Another cause of concern of customers is the running of background apps for which the internet charge jumps up. For that, Huawei has a unique feature called Network Tabs. User just needs to click on the tab to choose which app user wants to work on or Wi-Fi only. This helps to optimize the internet usage. Additionally, the user can also convert a Huawei smartphone into a feature phone by pressing the ultra battery option which shuts down all the running applications and the battery life will last up to a week. So, all the brilliant standardized features are available in Rs.5,000 handsets. It is the perfect price point to give users with very nice features and value for money. Huawei’s G and Y series are most affordable as these handsets cost sub-Rs.10,000 as 80% of the market belongs to that segment. However, best of the Huawei phones are yet to be launched. So in the initial stages Huawei has received great response from retail and consumers than actually expected.

Services Support “We already have 108 service centres. In Delhi NCR, we have 12 service centres. In Chennai and Bangalore, we have more than four centres in each city. So in all the key markets we are planning to have sufficient service centres. We are well poised,” asserted Sanjeev. Huawei is working to strengthen its weak areas like call centres. In the key markets, Huawei is also looking at experienced service centres. So if the customers visit the company’s web site, they will see the list of all its multibrand and exclusive service centres. They can walk into one of them, or if they wish to have the best experience then they can visit the company’s well-established service centres. "For us, service is of utmost importance," concluded Sanjeev. n aparna@varindia.com

VAR MOBILITY

Panasonic P65 Flash P65 Flash 8GB comes with a big 13.97 cm (5.5) TFT IPS display that gives you a comfortable and convenient viewing experience. P65 runs on the latest Android 5.1 Lollipop Operating System along with the advanced 1.3 GHz Quad-Core Processor. You can download entertaining games, play music, transfer documents, click stunning snapshots and stay connected with your loved ones 24 x 7 with this high performance smartphone. Enhance your viewing experience with a large 13.97 cm (5.5) TFT IPS display. It renders 1280 x 720 pixels along with 16 M colour depth. Moreover, the IPS display panel gives you the best view from any angle and also displays true-to-life colours. Panasonic P65 Flash 8GB comes with a powerful 1.3 GHz Quad-Core processor that enables you to complete more tasks in less time. This advanced processor allows you to work on multiple tabs simultaneously without any hassle. It is supported by 1 GB of RAM that further enhances the performance of the smartphone and facilitates you with a smooth navigation experience. Balance your personal and professional life smoothly with the dual SIM connectivity of the Panasonic smartphone. It also gives you the power to enjoy the services of your favourite mobile phone network. P65 is compatible with micro SIM cards and comes with an 8 MP rear. This Autofocus and flash enabled main camera enables you to click stunning pictures in any light condition. It also offers a 2 MP front camera for clicking beautiful selfies and making video calls.

Meizu m2

Meizu m2 has a 5-inch screen with the 720P Full-HD resolution which looks natural and beautiful. The GFF full lamination technology minimizes reflection and improves display quality. The Meizu m2 comes with a unibody design and a metal like finesse to offer superior user experience, backed by a seamless product design. With an expandable storage capacity of 144 GB (max), the Meizu m2 offers its customers maximum flexibility for carrying data, music and videos on the go. The 64-bit MT6735 Quad-core processor provides the Meizu m2 with powerful and efficient performance. The processor has 4 advanced 1.3 GHz Cortex A53 cores and the Mali-T720 GPU. With the new Flyme OS 4.5 based on Android 5.1, the new 64-bit CPU gives you the best experience together with the outstanding memory and battery management features of the latest Android version. Meizu m2 is equipped with a Samsung 13 megapixel CMOS camera, which produces rich, sharp and extremely detailed pictures. The zero-delay shooting technology captures every beautiful moment for you. Meizu m2 is made from a polycarbonate unibody, which makes it uniform and light. Additionally the unibody composition allows the design of the m2 to be sleek and slimmer than its competitors. Furthermore, the m2 is available in a vibrant color range, each designed for elegance and individually reflecting the personality of the owner through the color scheme of white, blue, grey and pink.

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October 2015

VAR MOBILITY

Micromax brings phone – Bolt Q339 Vivo rolls out icromax has its Y Series come up with M its latest 3G budget models in India offering for the upcoming festive season – the Bolt Q339, in a strategic exclusive partnership with Flipkart. Targeting the data immigrants, the 3G-enabled phone comes with compelling features like a 1.2GHz Quad-Core processor, a 4.5- inch FWVGA display, 5MP camera, and more, at a break through price of INR3,499/-. The Micromax Bolt Q339 will be the most affordable smartphone on Flipkart during this festive season. The Bolt Q339 is Micromax’s latest effort to democratize technology and make 3G more accessible to users across the country. The phone comes bundled with a plethora of apps to connect users to social media and other online platforms, addressing their varied needs with just a

couple of clicks. The new smartphone will come bundled with an attractive offer from Vodafone wherein consumers can get 500 MB of 3G data for two months free. Bolt Q339 runs on a 1.2GHz Quad-core processor and a 512MB RAM to provide fast multitasking and efficient performance. Power packed with a 1,650mAh battery, the phone can support talk-time up to 5.5 hours and can run for 280 hours on standby. The new phone comes with a 4GB ROM, expandable up to 32GB relieving users of any memory woes. Consumers can save time, switch faster between apps and do not have to worry about the battery draining out with the new Bolt Q339.

Videocon Mobiles extends it handset portfolio

ideocon Mobile Phones has introduced a range of new ultra-affordable smartphones –Videocon Z51 Punch and Videocon Z51Q Star. Attuned to new-age consumer needs, the smartphones come packed with features like Quad-Core Processor, 3G network, Android KitKat OS and extended battery life for fast multitasking and faster on-the-go connectivity. Z51 Punch suits well the consumers who want an affordable yet reliable smart device. Packed with the latest Android 4.4.2 KitKat OS, the device is backed by 1.2 GHz Quad-Core Processor and 1GB RAM, powering the device with fast speed and smooth functioning. Suitable for consumers who demand cutting-edge smartphone experience, Z51 Punch features 8MP auto-focus rear camera

October 2015

to snap brilliant quality pictures, clicks highquality selfies and capture clear Video Calling via Skype with its 5MP Front Camera. Powered by 3,000mAh battery, it offers an extended onthe-go connectivity on 3G network and loads of entertainment on 5-inch IPS Capacitive Touch Screen to watch video and internet content with clarity. The smartphones support 8GB internal memory (expandable up to 32GB) and comprise reliable network and utility features.

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ivo has introduced its signature smartphone models Y27L, Y31 and Y15S by rolling out its Y series. These impressive models packed with remarkable features are now available pan India within the price range of Rs.6,000 to Rs.13,000. The Y series models have been launched ahead of the festive season at a very equitable price range, aiming to elevate the festive euphoria among customers. The premium model Y27L with the slogan “Style comes with Speed’’ has been specially designed for the energetic and enthusiastic youth keeping in mind impressive design and a 24 × 7 seamless connectivity. The 4Genabled model comes packed with dynamic features, superior quality camera, high-fidelity sound and unbeatable battery performance within an accessible price point of Rs.12,980. To delight the customers during this festive season, Vivo is also providing one-year extended warranty on all major models across India, giving totally two years of security for customers. Commenting on the launch, Alex Feng, CEO of Vivo Smart Phone India, said, “We are pleased to announce the launch of Y27L and Y31 models in the affordable price segment for Indian audience. We endeavour to bring happiness for our smartphone lovers who are looking for unbeatable proposition, dynamic features and stylish design at an invincible price range, in the festive season. Along with the next-generation handsets, comes our commitment towards precision and quality for all our products across India.”

Motorola debuts its X Style Smartphone

otorola has rolled out its Moto X Style smartphone. It is the perfect blend of premium performance and design – a phone that is truly beautiful inside and out. It will be available for pre-orders exclusively on Flipkart from 14th October midnight at INR29,999 for 16GB and INR31,999 for 32GB, with multiple exciting launch offers during the Flipkart Big Billion Day sale. It has a stunning 5.7inch Quad HD display with 520 ppi, that’s enhanced by dual front stereo speakers with smart boost. It is backed with 3,000mAh battery and it is world's fastest-charging smartphone that get 8

hours of power in just 15 minutes with the in-box turbocharger. User can take crystal-clear photos and 4K videos on the 21MP camera with zero shutter lag and rapid focus. It also possesses a 5MP frontfacing camera featuring a wide angle lens and flash. The smartphone runs on Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 processor with 1.8 GHz Hexa-core CPU and with a 3GB RAM. With a sleek metal frame and curved back, the new Moto X Style is contoured for comfortable handling. It will be available for preorder in two premium designed variants – white with a champagne frame and black with a dark grey frame.

Google introduces Nexus phones running on latest Android Marshmallow 6.0

oogle India has launched its much-awaited Nexus phones in partnership with the leading smartphone makers LG and Huawei. Running on its latest version of Android “Marshmallow 6.0″, Nexus 5X and Nexus 6P offer a pure Android experience, sweetened by amazing apps and sandwiched by some cutting-edge hardware, available across Nexus devices. Speaking at the launch, David Shapiro, Global Director of Chrome and Android Marketing, Google, said, “India is now the fastest-growing smartphone market in the world, and it is exciting to launch our newest Nexus phones here. We are looking forward to the Nexus 5X and 6P delivering premium experiences for Indian users, demonstrating what is possible when innovative hardware,

thoughtful design, and the latest Android software all come together.” These Nexus handsets offer an enhanced version of “Now on Tap”, allowing users to get additional information, take actions or navigate between apps. Essentially “taking Google out of the search box”, users can quickly invoke Google from any screen by a simple tap-and-hold on the home button. The Nexus 5X is manufactured by LG and comes with a 5.2-inch Full HD screen and 2,700 mAh battery. At the back is a 12.3MP camera with laser-assisted autofocus while at the front is a 5MP camera.

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64 pages including cover