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Annette Martis,
National Sales Manager,
Consumer Products & Solutions,
Symantec India
“We will use packaging techniques to identify counterfeits”
How do you see the Indian market for consumer products and solutions evolving?
A steady increase in PC shipments across India coupled with higher broadband connectivity is kicking up the demand for Norton products. According to the India Online 2007 report, the overall Internet-using population in urban India has grown by a healthy 28 percent between April 2006 and April 2007, and is now 30.32 million. Much of this growth has been propelled by the home segment; the use of the Internet from home has gone up 19 percent to reach 59 percent. This, along with increasing awareness about online security threats when PC users give out their personal data online, or bank online, or do other transactions, is fueling the need for Internet security products.
What would be Symantec’s channel roadmap and strategy for Norton products in India?
Symantec is increasing its efforts to penetrate metro and non-metro markets. Our resellers will continue to play a big role in helping us reach our customers, and we will assure them of a stronger relationship with Symantec. With the launch of Norton 360 and the soon-to-be introduced Norton 2008 line of products, we will be proactive in bringing our customers and channels up to speed in terms of familiarity with Norton products and the technologies behind the yellow box. To help us penetrate these geographic areas, we are also increasing efforts to reward and recognize our tier-two resellers. Programs such as Norton Champs will help us communicate and provide incentives to our channels.
What is the objective of Norton Champs? How is the program going to benefit your channel partners and vice versa?
Norton Champs is an initiative of Symantec’s consumer arm focusing on second-tier channel partners in the Indian IT industry. The program aims at providing recognition and accreditation to resellers and retailers who buy from Symantec authorized distributors and sub-distributors across the country. As per the program dynamics, there is no minimum limit to the number of Norton products a partner must purchase. All that a Norton Champs member needs to do is purchase and sell the Norton range on a regular basis.
Membership to Norton Champs is purely based on invitation. Invited resellers and retailers need to fill a prescribed form which is sent out to them or is available at the Web site nortonchamps.com. On becoming a registered member, the partner starts scoring reward points by purchasing the Norton range of products. The reseller can accumulate points and redeem them in a timeframe ranging from a month to a year. Till date, the program has reached 180 cities and almost 1,750 dealers have already registered.
What is your roadmap for countering piracy?
Symantec has established a Brand Protection Task Force that focuses on three areas: Enforcement, to track down and investigate reported incidents of pirated and counterfeit Symantec software and shut down the operations; Education, to raise awareness among the public about the existence of said software; and finally Engineering, to develop various technological solutions to inhibit the pirated and counterfeit production of Symantec products. Our first priority is to ensure a hassle-free computing experience for our paying customers. We are evaluating a number of anti-piracy technologies to help us maintain the quality of experience our customers have come to expect from Symantec. In addition, through our manufacturing procedures, we will employ a number of techniques in the packaging that will help us identify counterfeits.
------- As told to Vandita Agrawal |