The SMB segment in the B&C class cities is the most happening space in the Indian IT marketplace today. With the major manufacturers moving out of the saturated metros to non-metro cities, the channel partners in these cities now are a privileged lot with an abundance of products and programs targeted at them.
Vying for the lion’s share of the SMB segment, these players are even offering customized products for the channel. This move has been well-accepted by the channel in the B&C class cities, which are witnessing a drastic increase in IT deployment especially in the SMBs. This phenomenon is observed both in hardware and software space. Companies like Microsoft, HP, Iomega, NetApp, IBM, Lenovo and many others today are offering niche products and also charting out marketing plans for the SMBs.
Apart from this, another fact that is noticeable is that manufacturers today are designing enhanced and efficient channel programs. This approach is being adopted to take the company and its products to the next level – to position the company as much more than just a product-based company. This also benefits the channel community as good channel-centric programs will yield better margins and incentives.
However, in the thick of all these initiatives from the manufacturers, a question that lingers in the mind is whether the products and solutions that the companies are offering are actually preconditioned to fit to the SMB space or is it just the stripped versions of high-end enterprise products. As, in a way, the demands generated by the SMB segment are almost similar to that by the SMEs or large enterprises.
In addition, while selecting manufacturers to do business with, the channel partners have to look at the quality of technical education and support the company offers, the efficiency of channel managers and the engineers and, above all, the process that is in place for distribution of the products.
The channel partners will do well to keep the above parameters in mind while selecting the company to do business with rather than make haste to cash in on the new opportunities.