Exclusive Interaction - Zakir Hussain, Director, BD Software

Online medium is growing in importance for the IT Partners today. Zakir Hussain, Director, BD Software, which is a distributor of security solutions online, tells us how his business survived the lockdown because of the online mode of transaction.

How is the demand for cybersecurity solutions from datacentres and CSPs during 2020?

The demand was good from the CSPs during the last 4 months or so. AS the new normal sets in, customers have been rearranging their workspace due to which the CSP also saw the business growing.

What challenges have you faced during lockdown?

Since BD Software is majorly focused on the distribution of solutions and softwares taking place online, we did not face many challenges in terms of our business continuity. Although, we did face some challenges for our workforce. The first difficulty was to adjust the way to work from home. The time each of the staff will put in and the infra at their respective homes. Secondly, cash flow problem arose due to delayed payments from the partners and customers. Since at BD Software we have a field force, they could not move on to meet the potential clients and partners, as retail business became slow. Despite that, we were able to maintain normalcy with the online channel. Overall, the period has been tough for us, but not zero business.

How did you resolve these challenges?

Since we at BD Software are into software and services, we were able to quickly adjust to the new style of working. And as mentioned earlier, most of the deliveries are via email /digitally downloads so our sales were not affected much, as compared to other sectors. We ensured that all our team members were given laptops or other devices required to work from home immediately, which helped us accelerate the transition to work from home mode and prevent wastage of days. BD Software also came out with lucrative schemes for our partners so that they could make more profits on our solutions which can help them tide over the current crisis situation.

Where do you see the channel business going in the next 2-3 years in India?

Currently in India, there are many tiers in channels of distribution. I believe that over some period of time, these tiers in distribution channels will be reduced down to only a 2 – tier model of distribution channel. From the Distributor to the Reseller. The role of a stockist, at least in the software Industry, may not work the current channel model. It has become comparatively easier to send software via emails which does not require the partner to do any stocking. Otherwise, channel partners have worked during the pandemic continuously keeping the digital devices of their clients running and thus have helped them in their business. It has helped forged a better relationship between the partner and the customer.