It’s interesting to note how India’s SMB segment is attracting all the major IT players in the country. This segment, which is slated to buy about $7.7 billion worth of IT goods this year, has become the focus point of every IT manufacturer.
Once considered the poor cousin of the big-spending large enterprise segment, the domestic SMB players today have solutions especially being developed for their needs. The cover story in the current 360 Magazine issue, “Cisco’s SME Switch”, elaborates on how this networking giant is changing its channel strategy to cater to the lucrative SME segment. With Cisco, the self-professed large enterprise focused company, also going the SME way, India’s SME story has gained deeper significance.
For years the SME sector has struggled to bring respectability to its existence. First dominated by the License Raj and then by the technology-savvy manufacturers, our domestic SME players have had to struggle for every dollar invested in IT. Today, as manufacturers offer competitive products with affordable finance options, the incentive to spend on IT products has intensified.
However, as the products increase, so does the need for selection. And here’s where the SME buyer seeks the help of his local channel partner. Research studies show that it’s the local reseller who has the most influence on purchase decisions in the SME segment. As the partner has the best knowledge of the business and the technology, he knows what works best for the buyer.
But this responsibility is a double-edged sword and hence the partner has to keep the client in mind and not the margin, when advocating a solution.