'We are introducing Intel validated servers for resellers to earn respectable margins.'

Neelesh Arora is at the helm of affairs at Total Info and is focused on

establishing the company as a strong player with robust product offerings in the

market. Neelesh also wants to bring an increased visibility to the Axiom range

of products. He is currently working with Intel to make additions to Total Info’s

product portfolio as well as increase brand awareness of Axiom products. An arts

graduate and a technology enthusiast, Neelesh is an avid adventure sports

person. DQCI caught up with him for a conversation on different aspects of his

business. Excerpts from the conversation.

What is Total Info’s area of focus?



Total Info India Limited offers its customers computing infrastructure
solutions. In order to consult, supply, deploy and maintain computing

infrastructure environments we have divided our business revenue sources into

the following areas: consulting services, Axiom servers, workstations and PCs,

networking technologies (deployment) and non-Axiom technology products.

Of these four divisions, Axiom products are passed on to the end-customer

through the channel outside the Delhi region.

Within the Delhi region, our direct sales team looks after sales of the same.

What role does channel play in your company’s growth?



A channel is a critical aspect of any business selling its products or

services in areas or markets that are inaccessible given the infrastructure of

the ´principal´. The channel provides us in-roads to markets that we ourselves

would find hard to penetrate and we respect their abilities as growing

organizations.

In return, the channel gets access to quality products branded and marketed

by us. We are today a leading Intel Premier Provide (IPP), and in fact, the only

IPP to boast of Intel validated servers in North India region. Mutually we and

the channel can utilize the opportunity to increase revenues and profits.

Our channel is close to us ­ but in the next two quarters we plan to work on

a program to understand our partners better. This program would also help

increase the visibility of Axiom range of products. Additionally, we are

introducing a lot of new server models that will allow resellers to earn

respectable margins while selling the Intel Validated servers.

Channels with control in government and small/medium business have greatly

benefited from the sale of Intel-approved servers already. To ensure that their

businesses grow through this program, we are currently working with Intel to

make additions to our product portfolio as well as increase brand awareness of

our Axiom products.

What kind of resellers do you look for?



Ideally, we are looking for resellers who are committed to sell Axiom

products through their existing customer bases. An ideal partner would be one

with an ability to learn and a desire to grow.

What are the boxed products that you have for the channel as of now?



Apart from PCs and Xeon class workstations we have a vast range of servers,

both pedestal and rack mount, and it is a matter of pride that all are validated

by Intel. Margins for the channels are lucrative and with the Intel stamp of

approval on quality, selling in government organizations and small/medium

businesses is relatively easier.

Servers range from single CPU servers to four-way Xeon servers. We are about

to launch six new server models including a dual processor Xeon-based server

with Dual channel Ethernet (including one Gigabit Ethernet channel) on board,

Ultra 320SCSI, 12GB DDR ECC RAM support and PCI-133. These products will have

specifications that will impress everyone and prices that will keep even small

businesses interested.

What efforts are you taking to enhance Total Info and Axiom´s visibility?



For Total Info Limited, we are carrying on in the current direct sales

approach addressing only corporate clients. For our channel and Axiom, we are

investing in glow-signs, PoP material for our partners and are working on a

program with Intel for radio and press advertisements as well as other

promotional activities. These efforts will mainly be in class-B and class-C

cities.

How well are you geared up to handle competition in the server space from

competitors who distinctly enjoy the first-mover advantage and brand recall?



Our competition is stiff ­ and we acknowledge and appreciate that. We have

targets chalked out and are going to stick to our guns. With our innovative

ways, genuinely-priced products and effective post-sales service, we are sure of

offering significant differentiators. Also, being the only Intel Validated

Server Provider in all of North India we stand in good stead. But like you

pointed out ­ we are late entrants and will need to redouble our efforts to be

successful. I think we´re on track!

What is your distribution network like?



Rather than biting more than we can chew, we are focusing on just three

states (other than NCR) right now, namely western UP, Harayana and Rajasthan.

Consequently, we need very few distributors to help us mobilize our sales. And

therefore we work with channel partners in these areas directly.

How do you address the warranty issues that confront you?



A major reason the channel and the principal part ways is due to poor

after-sales support. We understand and appreciate that and are working on ways

to improve our support systems further.

The channel feels that training provided by vendors is inadequate. What

are your efforts on this front?



Product knowledge is critical to increase the chances of closing a sale. I

believe that if you know your product, and critically, if you know your

competing products you can sell. We have a training program for our direct sales

team and are using similar training content for channel training sessions too.

We have prepared exhaustive training manuals for each and every product. And

these are extremely helpful to our internal sales team and also the channel.

What is your strategy for addressing B and C-class towns?



B and C-class towns is where we´re going for our channel. For western UP,

Harayana and Rajasthan we feel there is potential for growth if tapped early. We

have a business development manager (Axiom Products group) who heads a team to

extend our presence to these regions. We are covering a learning curve in these

areas and will look at expanding further after having established a firm

foothold in the area.

MOHIT CHHABRA in New Delhi