Sumeet Sabharwal, MD- NaviSite India, in an interview with Soma Tah, talks aboutBizSpark Programme and partner programmes. Excerpts…
How does Microsoft BizSpark Programme help start-ups accelerate their business?
The Microsoft BizSpark Programme unites startups with a global community of entrepreneurial and technological resources to accelerate their success by providing them easy access to new generation of software and services. To join BizSpark, startups must be actively engaged in development of a software-based product or service that is a core piece of their business model; have been in business less than three years, or have less than $ 1M in revenue. Startups may enroll for the programme by obtaining sponsorship from a designated BizSpark Network Partner such as NaviSite. NaviSite BizSpark consultants are available to guide startups through this process.
Once a startup meets the requirements for BizSpark, NaviSite sponsors the startup with the hosting services and bandwidth needed to get up and running. As part of the BizSpark Programme, startups also have access to a wide range of Microsoft’s full-featured, world-class development tools and platform technologies, visibility on the Microsoft Startup Zone website, and assistance from a global community of support resources. Licenses of Microsoft software are included in the BizSpark membership, enabling these businesses to realize significant savings in supporting and enhancing their hosted IT infrastructure.
How do you define start-ups in India?
A start-up in an Indian business environment is an organization which is initiating its new business venture, and is in the first stage of its operations. These companies could be funded by financial organizations or by entrepreneurial founders as they attempt to capitalize on developing a product or service for which they believe there is a demand.
How NaviSite can help them support and promote their business with BizSpark?
Businesses with Windows Server Hosting needs to save thousands of dollars on the essential building blocks and gain access to industry leading, cost-effective IT solutions through this programme with NaviSite. NaviSite Dedicated Hosting product lines are specifically selected and priced for small businesses, so startups can focus on building their business without encountering high expenses. With budget-friendly terms and a broad set of additional services like firewalls, load balancers, and flexible storage options, startups that choose NaviSite Dedicated Hosting have a partner for the long run.
NaviSite understands the needs of startups and over the years has seen many of its customers experience success. A growing number of new independent software vendors are developing the next generation of web-based software and services, and are demanding that software be delivered uninterrupted and affordably. NaviSite and the BizSpark programme facilitate easy adoption of a hosted model for participating start-ups.
How is the response from the start-ups so far? What’s the prospect?
Startups are primary customers for NaviSite. The managed dedicated servers are suitable for use by geographically diverse development teams, as these servers can be used for test environments and production implementations. The fact that the startups are cash strapped, space constrained, has led to a terrific response since there is no capex and no expertise required to obtain enterprise class infrastructure. The BizSpark, in particular which was recently announced by Steve Ballmer, has more than 12,000 signups worldwide in less than seven months.
Do you intend to increase your focus on any specific consumer or business verticals at present?
NaviSite’s focus is to expand its footprint with the SMB audience, both directly and through NaviSite’s Dedicated Hosting Partner Program, to the extent, that NaviSite is now working across various verticals including web/online agencies, ISV and technology firms, and other industry sectors.
In difficult economic times like this, the argument to avoid capital expenditure and talent investments, and opt for a turnkey hosted model. We look to build upon this value proposition while brining newer technologies like virtualization and cloud and making them a reality for growing and emerging businesses in India. We will also enhance our partner base to increasingly focus on the financial services, retail, media, healthcare, pharma and hi-technology sectors.
How do you ensure profitability of the partners?
NaviSite’s go-to-market strategy incorporates both a direct sales model and a uniquely positioned channel program that truly enables resellers to drive highly profitable recurring revenue streams from managed services. NaviSite’s Partner Programme distinguishes itself in the marketplace by putting the partner first and ensuring that they have the necessary tools to sell and deliver on the underlying promise of managed hosting services. NaviSite understands that some of the partners may be upstarts in the managed services space, and have invested in providing adequate partner training and enablement. Partners are provided online access to the latest white-labeled collaterals and technical training, and a single point of accountability with a dedicated Account Manager at NaviSite.
NaviSite already has a robust channel partner program for its Dedicated Hosting product offerings. This programme has been rolled out in India as well, and several partners in India have already benefited from a long-term relationship with NaviSite.
We enable the partners with a very relevant service at a very appealing price point – one that allows them room for mark-up while still ensuring that they are being competitive in their sale to the end customer. This enables partners with a profitable recurring revenue stream model, one where they not only profit at the time of the sale but in an ongoing manner through the life of the relationship with their end customer. Further, as our partners grow and scale their business with us, they avail additional volume based discounts.