We are increasing our presence in B-class cities

Which Aten product lines are available in India?

Aten delivers keyboard/video/mouse (KVM) and remote connectivity solutions
to manage servers and other network devices. It has the NET series of IP-based
solution, Cat 5 High Density, Matrix, LCD KVM switches, KVM extenders to name a
few for the enterprise segment; Rack KVM switches, computer sharing devices for
the SMBs; cable KVM switches, desktop KVM switches for SOHO; video products, KVM
cables and data communication products.

Has the slowdown majorly affected Aten's business in India?

We have been the sole distributor for them in India. Business was happening
at a brisk pace during last year. However due to the slowdown and global
economic crisis, we were feeling the pressure, and there was a drop of about 30
percent in sales. Again in the past two months, business has started picking up
and we have been doing a reasonably good job since May.

Nitin Naik Director, Cubix Micro Systems, (Distributor for Aten in India)

Aten and Cubix will jointly tap India's SOHO and SMB customer in B-class cities

What is your channel strategy in India?

We have a three-tier set-up in the country, where there are large system
integrators (SIs), tier-1 and 2 partners. We are associated with large SIs like
Wipro on the OEM front, mid-size SIs in the tier-1 space and resellers are in
the tier-2 partnership. On the whole, there are about 400 partners for Aten in
India. We have five offices in India, which provide local service support. Apart
from that we have a main support center in Pune.

What will Aten focusing on in India this year?

Suddenly we are seeing an encouraging trend from the Indian market, where
our business is growing at a good pace in the B-class cities. Especially, the
SOHO and SMB segment solutions are seeing a good uptake among the B-class
customers. On the other hand, business in the urban markets are growing as
usual. So, we would be focusing on adding more partners in the B-class cities
and expanding our business there.

What are your major target verticals?

IT, ITeS verticals remain the top priority for Aten. Apart from that,
government also contributes in a huge manner, where we have few partners working
specifically for the government projects. On the other hand, we have solutions
for SMB and SOHO, which is growing at a consistent pace.

What plans do you have to empower your channel in India?

We have been providing lots of product training programs for our partners
and are planning a 10-city training program for our channels. This multi-city
program will be a mix of technical and sales training that would enable our
partners to be competitive in both the aspects. We would be aggressive in
expanding our channel base and also would be looking at working with specific
partners for specific products.