We will be creating a new set of SDs to push our retail products better

Security solution provider ESET is now drawing the roadmap for an

aggressive thrust in the burgeoning retail market. Walia talks how ESET will

work closely with its exclusive distributor to have a better spread in India's

IT retail map. eXCERPTS FROM THE INTERVIEW

What are the verticals that ESET is currently focusing on?



Our focus will be on the government and utilities sectors. Currently we are

not empaneled vendors for DGSC projects. But we do participate in these projects

through our partners.

At the same time, ESET is equally concentrating on the BFSI, education and

manufacturing verticals. One of our customers in the educational segment is BITS

Pilani.

How will you counter the competition from existing and large security

vendors in these spaces, since you are a late entrant into the market?



Yes, I agree that we are a late entrant into the market and we have to deal

with large competitors in almost all the projects. But when it comes to

detecting new threats ESET's award winning technology has the highest detection

rate as shown by various independent organizations.

We are banking on our technology to get us more business. Users in India are

very tech-savvy and do not look merely at prices while buying security

solutions.

During my interaction with end-users at a recent trade show in Mumbai I saw,

youngsters these day are aware of technologies and even noticed that these days

there are a lot of free security solutions in the market. I think they are smart

enough to understand that free products might not have all the essential

security features and therefore do not mind paying a price for a good anti-virus

solution.

Parvinder Walia Channel Marketing Manager APAC, ESET

Having said that, how do you propose to tap the retail segment?



Along with ESS, we are now trying to spread our reseller network to cater to

the corporate and retail segments. To do this better, we will appoint a new set

of regional distributors who will then further appoint sub-distributors,

retailers in their defined geographies.

We have already gotten good feedbacks from several resellers and we are short

listing them region-wise and territory-wise and gearing up for the competition

ahead. This move will also help us to better tap the SMB customers for our

retail boxes. This aside, to create better awareness of ESET's products, we will

participate in roadshows and seminars targeted at home users and corporate

customers. Our strategy is to educate our partners as well as our end-customers.

Most vendors prefer having numerous national distributors to have better

footprint in the market. But ESET chose to stick to an exclusive distri­bution

alliance with ESS Software Distribution and Consulting? Will this not limit your

reach to the market?



As a policy, in each of the 160 countries that ESET operates in, it has an

exclusive distributor. These distributors have knowledge about their own

territories which they can use to position our brand in the best possible manner

locally. This is the same model we replicated in India.

Earlier some resellers were importing ESET solutions but when we decided to

enter India we wanted to tie up with a partner who was committed to growing our

business. We believe ESS has lots of commitment and fulfills all our

requirements of a national distributor.

Can you please share some informa­tion on the recent Intel agreement?



We have recently tied up with Intel, wherein all Intel branded desktop

motherboards will have ESET security solutions built in. The deal will start in

the first quarter of 2010, where our solutions will be offered either for 45

days or a year as a product license.

Are you also planning to tie-up with the local systems manufacturers to

sell bundle ESET products with their computers?



This is something on the anvil and we have received several proposals for

it. However we have not finalized anything yet, though we are considering it

very seriously.

Does ESET have a direct presence in India?



No, we do not as yet have our own office in India. But we do have a channel

representative who engages with our channel partners, in association with our
national distributor. At the moment, we do not have any plans to have our own

setup in India.

MINAKSHI SHETTY



minakshis@cybermedia.co.in


(Read full interview at dqchannels.com)