Transcending Memorable Times

To give credit where it is due, Transcend’s turnaround has been owing to the company focusing harder on parameters where it scored lower lost year. So while it continues to have the best marketing and online support, Transcend has also won back the appreciation of partners in terms of after-sales support as well as back-end incentive system. While there are still misgivings amongst the channel partners about Transcend’s product pricing and credit policies, its technology leadership, user-friendliness of its product lines and margins offered, however, makes Transcend the darling of the channel.When memory was introduced as a category in the last Channel Satisfaction Survey, Transcend was pipped to the post by Kingston; the tables have turned in 2014 with Transcend now on top of the channel popularity charts moving above Kingston.

Backed by an excellent product offering and effective commercial and marketing support system in place, Kingston was on top last year. Though the channel still swears on them, Kingston has lost out a bit on after-sales support provided to the channel partners. Kingston also offers the best pricing for the products available in the market which is backed by a good reward system. However, it has to work on its channel training and certification segments. It will also have to improve upon its consistency of communications with channel partners to regain its top position next year.

Post survey, Corsair has come across as a slightly weaker competitor in this segment. The company has a major room for improvement in most parameters including marketing and after-sales support, commercial terms, and relationship management. Corsair also has to work on its online presence and partner portal.

Strontium seems to be the least popular of the major memory makers amongst the channel partners. Transparency in commercial terms and policies, back-end incentives and its settlement, ability to provide satisfactory repair and  replacement services are some of the major Achilles Heels for Strontium.

Memory market can be easily called as one of the most dynamic markets in the technology segment, which has a severe impact due to global changes in supply and demand. The competition amongst the top two players have been really close this year and Transcend has emerged as a champion but to hold on to its position in the market, the company will have to sustain this momentum.

 Swot Analysis of Winner Trio

Transcend

Strengths

• User-friendliness of the product
• Innovativeness of market development programs
• Presence of Online Partner Portal & its effectiveness

 Weaknesses

• Needs more robust Credit policy
• High product pricing
• Delayed back-end incentives and its settlement

Kingston

Strengths

• Reward systems
• Product Pricing
• Technological leadership of the product

Weaknesses

• Needs more programs for
  
  channel partners
• Lack of consistency and effectiveness of communication with channel partners
• Lack of flexibility in conducting localized promotions

Corsair

Strengths

• Price vs. performance ratio
• User-friendliness of the product
• Product Pricing

Weaknesses

• Lack of ability to provide satisfactory repair & replacement services
• Lack of transparency in commercial terms and policies
• Lack of promptness with which the schemes/incentive programs are communicated