We will be creating a new set of SDs to push our retail products better

Security solution provider ESET is now drawing the roadmap for an
aggressive thrust in the burgeoning retail market. Walia talks how ESET will
work closely with its exclusive distributor to have a better spread in India's
IT retail map. eXCERPTS FROM THE INTERVIEW

What are the verticals that ESET is currently focusing on?

Our focus will be on the government and utilities sectors. Currently we are
not empaneled vendors for DGSC projects. But we do participate in these projects
through our partners.

At the same time, ESET is equally concentrating on the BFSI, education and
manufacturing verticals. One of our customers in the educational segment is BITS
Pilani.

How will you counter the competition from existing and large security
vendors in these spaces, since you are a late entrant into the market?

Yes, I agree that we are a late entrant into the market and we have to deal
with large competitors in almost all the projects. But when it comes to
detecting new threats ESET's award winning technology has the highest detection
rate as shown by various independent organizations.

We are banking on our technology to get us more business. Users in India are
very tech-savvy and do not look merely at prices while buying security
solutions.

During my interaction with end-users at a recent trade show in Mumbai I saw,
youngsters these day are aware of technologies and even noticed that these days
there are a lot of free security solutions in the market. I think they are smart
enough to understand that free products might not have all the essential
security features and therefore do not mind paying a price for a good anti-virus
solution.

Parvinder Walia Channel Marketing Manager APAC, ESET

Having said that, how do you propose to tap the retail segment?

Along with ESS, we are now trying to spread our reseller network to cater to
the corporate and retail segments. To do this better, we will appoint a new set
of regional distributors who will then further appoint sub-distributors,
retailers in their defined geographies.

We have already gotten good feedbacks from several resellers and we are short
listing them region-wise and territory-wise and gearing up for the competition
ahead. This move will also help us to better tap the SMB customers for our
retail boxes. This aside, to create better awareness of ESET's products, we will
participate in roadshows and seminars targeted at home users and corporate
customers. Our strategy is to educate our partners as well as our end-customers.

Most vendors prefer having numerous national distributors to have better
footprint in the market. But ESET chose to stick to an exclusive distri­bution
alliance with ESS Software Distribution and Consulting? Will this not limit your
reach to the market?

As a policy, in each of the 160 countries that ESET operates in, it has an
exclusive distributor. These distributors have knowledge about their own
territories which they can use to position our brand in the best possible manner
locally. This is the same model we replicated in India.

Earlier some resellers were importing ESET solutions but when we decided to
enter India we wanted to tie up with a partner who was committed to growing our
business. We believe ESS has lots of commitment and fulfills all our
requirements of a national distributor.

Can you please share some informa­tion on the recent Intel agreement?

We have recently tied up with Intel, wherein all Intel branded desktop
motherboards will have ESET security solutions built in. The deal will start in
the first quarter of 2010, where our solutions will be offered either for 45
days or a year as a product license.

Are you also planning to tie-up with the local systems manufacturers to
sell bundle ESET products with their computers?

This is something on the anvil and we have received several proposals for
it. However we have not finalized anything yet, though we are considering it
very seriously.

Does ESET have a direct presence in India?

No, we do not as yet have our own office in India. But we do have a channel
representative who engages with our channel partners, in association with our
national distributor. At the moment, we do not have any plans to have our own
setup in India.

MINAKSHI SHETTY

minakshis@cybermedia.co.in

(Read full interview at dqchannels.com)