“The benefit of owning a technology is that we can develop cost-effective products as per market needs”

Lexmark’s increasing market presence in India can be attributed to Ng Chee Soon’s efforts. His reward is the growing adoption of the company’s printing solutions by corporate and enterprise segments. His belief about India’s immense potential has made him bullish on tapping the country with 11 new products. He now wants to accelerate the company’s success by offering partners good channel programs. He informs DQCI that Lexmark is offering its partners a variety of programs including ProfitPlus and Partner Source, its online partner relationship building tool.

What value are you offering to partners and how does it compare to that offered by competition?

The challenge of climbing the hill and nibbling away at the marketshare of top players is an excitement for everyone at Lexmark India. In order to do that, we must provide some fundamental values for our channel partners in the country.

Our single-minded focus in the printing solutions marketplace is a move towards this direction. We have invested in developing new products and solutions to meet every printing need of end-users.

To be of value in the printing industry, it was important for us to have our own technology. And this precisely what we did.

This is our core strength, as not many of our competitors patent their own printing technology.

The important benefit of owning a technology is that we can develop cost-effective products in response to the market needs.

Lexmark’s unique printing technology, innovative business applications and strong strategic service offerings, can assist organizations to print smarter, move information faster and manage their business costs more efficiently.

How do you propose to do this?

It’s a value proposition that we call ‘Print-Move-Manage’. This is a set of industry-specific solutions and strategies for building, maintaining and managing a document. It addresses the paper-intensive realities of the modern office in a cost effective manner.

What uniqueness you find in the Indian market compared to other Asian markets?

India is a progressive country and has been growing rapidly in the past. The growth seen here is across all buyer segments. Currently, Australia and China are the two biggest and fastest growing markets for Lexmark.

Although, India doesn´t figure in the top markets, we have been trying to tap the potential with Lexmark´s printing solutions.

Our aim is to gain the best marketshare and mindshare.

For this, our personal involvement has been tremendous and we are trying to build a direct relationship with our channel partners. We are optimistic that India will be one of our top five markets in the Asian region by 2005.

If the Indian market was important for Lexmark, why did it take so long for you to appoint a country manager?

We have seen India as a growing market. But initially, we chose to partner with a local company to grow our business. In recent years, we have realized that India offers a vast and tremendous potential to us. It became important for us to come directly to garner this opportunity.

Personally, I believe in being late than never and this is reflected in Lexmark´s late entrance in the Indian market. However, now we are here to stay.

Also, what we do in the present is more important than what we did not do in the past. There are many reasons that will explain our late entrance but our decision to set-up our direct presence in the Indian market is more relevant.

What are some of Lexmark’s recent achievements?

From the start-up company in the year 1991, Lexmark has grown to record a turnover of $4.4 billion in 2002. This reflects a CAGR growth of 16% during the past seven years, which is remarkable considering the three years economic slump.

In 2000, Lexmark pioneered the consumer-priced all-in-one category with the introduction of Z82 scan/print/copy, and maintains its momentum in this market segment. It was also the first manufacturer to introduce a photo printer with on-board camera card readers in 1999 along with Photo Jetprinter 5770.

What new looks can we expect for Lexmark´s printers in 2003?

The new look for 2003 consists in compactness and sleekness. The subtle black tones and silver accents of the products will fit in practically any space and compliment any décor. With up to 4800 x 1200 dpi resolution offered across the line, customers can produce the best output, regardless of their budget.

So in a nutshell, what can the channel look forward to in the year ahead?

From where customers buy Lexmark products is just as important as what they buy. Lexmark recognizes the critical importance of its channel partners and, all of its business printers are available to customers through Lexmark’s authorized channel partners.

We are looking at two kinds of partners. The first category will comprise Diamond partners who will act as sub distributors and stockist. The other category will primarily be premium resellers. These partners must have the potential to deliver printing solutions. We will work very closely with them and also provide them with the requisite training.

Lexmark has aligned its channel organization to serve these partners in a better manner. It has employed a unique territory sales, support, service and education approach that will help these partners solve their customer’s challenges with Lexmark solutions.

This approach helps the solution providers grow their businesses and show value to their customers. Lexmark offers its channel partners a variety of programs including ProfitPlus and Partner Source, its online partner relationship building tool.

SYLVESTER LOBO and SUNILA PAUL
in Bangalore