“We are targeting to bring new ISVs & SIs in our ecosystem”

Vivek Naidu, Vice President -Information Management (India Cluster), Kodak Alaris share features of their new range of document  scanners and the Strategies for Indian Market.

What is the overall size of the scanner market in India?

According to IDC, less than 0.5% of data is ever analysed or used. This presents companies with a monumental challenge to tap into the value of their data through efficient digitalization. With India being a paper based economy, the transition to digital platforms now presents a huge opportunity for companies in this sector to explore untapped potential. The scanner market in India is definitely witnessing an uptick and we see the market expanding going forward.

The average number of units sold is in the range of 30,000to 40,000 per annum for A4 and A3 scanners. Kodak Alaris is amongst the top 2 in the high-end production scanner category and amongst the top 3 for A4 scanners in India. We have a healthy market share, by virtue of being amongthe top 2 in the market.

What are the recent developments at Kodak Alaris?

Kodak Alaris operates across a diverse customer base in different verticals like Government, Healthcare and Finance. We have played a very significant role in India’s digitization journey, and today, some of the largest digitization projects in India have been undertaken by us.

Going forward, we see logistics and retail as the new sunrise sectors, with opportunities to grow and harness the true potential of digital transformation. A major development this year was the launch of the ‘IN2 Ecosystem,’ which revolves around scanners, software and services to transforms large and complex data and provides an integrated approach to help businesses capture, process and share information. This framework aims to deliver:

• Right Fit by offering seamless integration into customer environments
• Right Experience by simplifying information capture and
• Right Results by delivering superior business value and higher ROI.

This was particularly developed with the aim to make partners an integral part of our business.The focus this year is to integrate more ISV’s within the framework.

How is Govt.?Of India taking digitization of processes forward?

Litigation is changing in India – how judgments are passed today (e-courts) is a great example of how valuableinformation is being processed, stored and utilised differently.There are about 20 High Courts in India and more than a dozen of them use scanners by Kodak Alaris. Even the most reputedHigh Court in India, The Allahabad High Court uses Kodak Alaris’ A4 scanners.

Further, Kodak Alaris plays a major role in Govt.backedprojects such as Land Record Digitisation, E- districts and the Mission Mode projects by virtue of itsdiverse technologies and products. Today, as a part of Digital India, Kodak Alaris has collaborated with the Govt. fora set of 30 different mission mode projects,which is an example of the synergies that we share with the Govt.’s vision towards digitization.

What are the highlights of KA’s product portfolio?

Kodak Alaris has a diverse portfolio of scanners, software and servicesthat fit the needs of companies of any size. The features of this portfolio are a result of decades of research in imaging science. From desktop to production scanners, features like Perfect Page (Kodak Alaris’ proprietary technology) and robust feeding form an important element of the entire product range.Perfect Page technology can perform up to 35 image processing functions for exceptional scan quality time after time, eliminating the need to check every image. It reduces rescans and post-image processing, and even delivers great image quality from less-than-perfect documents.

The software portfolio is designed to work seamlessly with the scanner portfolio and scaled to meet customer needs. Furthermore, it can be upgraded in the future as organizations grow and needs evolve. Alaris services range from repair and maintenance contracts, to full professional services and training options.

For mass scanning projects, we also offer Production gradescanners –the i4000 and i5000 series. In fact, Kodak Alaris usedthese production grade scanners for Govt. Census Project in 2000 and 2010.

Lastly, in August 2017, Kodak Alaris launched a new category of scanners called the Alaris S2000 series with unique features such as Embedded Image Processing, Active Feed Technology and Controlled Output Scanning. The S2000 series includes two USB-connected models – Alaris S2050 and S2070 and two network/wireless models – Alaris S2060w and S2080w which deliver rated speeds between 50ppm and 80ppm. (Pages per minute).

What are your GTM strategies?

Kodak Alaris works closely with partners - Redington India is our key distributor and we have a network of 400+ reseller partners across India. We follow a tiered channel structure that covers close to 60 cities and is continuously evolving to ensure that the right products and solutions reach the end consumer. We are focussed on having a solution-led partnership and we keep our partners abreast of our offerings, so that they are better equipped to meet customer needs. To do this, we conduct frequent technical training workshops for partners in the country, in person and using tools like webinars.

What is the future of data transformation?

The future of digital transformation is very promising and has seen a huge jump in adoption across all sectors in India.Today, the Govt. is a key advocate of data transformation and is incentivising the use of technology in businesses – a good example of this is the introduction ofE–courts in India to homogenize the mechanism. We definitely see a lot of scope for growth here.

What are Kodak Alaris’s future plans for next 12 months?

We at Kodak Alaris are focusing on 3 key areas: Revenue growth, expansion of our partner network, and enhancing our software and solution offerings.Eventually, we are working towards bringing in new ISVs (Independent Software Vendors)& SIs (System Integrators) within our ecosystem.