Anand Swaminathan, CEO, Zicom Electonic on Channel expansion and Partners’ Profitability…

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Schneider had acquired Zicom Electronic Security Systems\' electronic security systems integration business.

Schneider had acquired Zicom Electronic Security Systems\' electronic security systems integration business. Anand Swaminathan, CEO, Zicom Electonic Security talks to Pragya Gupta on its roadmap and new initiatives for the Indian market

Pragya Gupta: Kindly shed some light on Zicoms product offering in security and surveillance? What products do you see generating a good demand?

Anand Swaminathan: We have product offerings for home as well as commercial segment. In home segment video door or phone products are experiencing a good demand and in commercial segment CCTVs, DVRs are selling high in volumes. Moreover, demand for accessing system, fire detection is also growing. Our IP cameras, Central Monitoring stations, Video Monitoring stations are growing strongly in the retail segment.

PG: What is you channel ecosystem for Home and Commercial segment?

AS: We are catering to home segment directly which we are doing with our sale

s representative and with retail reach. For commercial category we are doing 100 per cent business through IT channel. We have a distributor in all the state where we have a presence. Currently, we are working with around10 distributors and 1500 system integrators (SIs) across the country. We are planning to increase the count by adding 5000 SIs by end of this fiscal.

PG: What are your criteria to appoint a channel partner?

AS: The partner should have a good reach. They should be able to provide us a good market access. They should have capabilities of creating demands, should be able to give value adds to the consumers rather than just pushing boxes. They should also have technology and sales team.

PG: What kind of profitability can a partner expect while working for Zicom?

AS: Partners have vast opportunities in this business. The margins are in double digits and can be as good as 35 per cent. Customers ask for security prod

ucts but they dont know whats the right solution for their need and what exactly they want. So a partner should act as a sales consultant rather than mere pusher of a box. A partner can suggest customers other things like back up options. Consultancy business can drive maximum margins for partners.

PG: What kind of training do you offer to your partners?

AS: We invested a lot in a year long training program in 10 cities which was on monthly basis focusing on sales sessions, service and product refreshes. In first phase we offered general training on basic products like CCTV, DVR programs, in second round we reached to product training like access control and other high level products recognizing the learning and recall of partners. We also offer e-module training program for partners.

PG: What kind of Support do you offer to your partners?

AS: We have a robust support process, technical help desk for partners which works from

9 am to 9 pm. If a partner faces any problem or difficulties while installing the system at customers place, we guide them through this desk. We also have a network of technical engineers. They come into action when a problem is not addressable by a partner.
We also have a lead generation engine in Mumbai. We generate leads and viable customer information is passed to the partners. Along with this we offer marketing support to drive the local demand.

PG: What are your strategies to enhance your presence in India?

AS: We have had marketing campaign called Million Trust Zicom in newspapers to increase the awareness of Zicom products. We have big customer base of SMEs. Now we are focusing on Below the Line (BTL) activities and campaigns like road shows, traditional marketing, EDM targeting builder segment and corporate verticals.

PG: Now there are so many players coming into this segment. What is your take on the competition?

AS: We are known player in the market. There should be a level playing field and we welcome the new entrants. The market is still not saturated so there is immense opportunity for every player.

PG: Why have you shifted your manufacturing unit in India from China?

AS: Along with financial gains we want to build the trust among consumer that we are Indian manufacture and we will be here. The unorganized market is filled with China products so we wanted to make assurance among consumers that we are not among them.

PG: What are the products you are planning to introduce in the market?

AS: We are planning to launch IP and GPRS based Video monitoring system. New solution base on IP surveillance will be launched soon by us.