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manav-khuranaTHMB.jpg Wi-Fi network access cost-effective for SMEs: Manav Khurana

manav-khurana.jpg
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Namrata Kath Hazarika | 29 Mar, 2011
It is difficult for the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to make investment in the development of IT infrastructure, so in that case getting an access to Wi-Fi connection would be cost-effective and at ease as SMEs usually scrawl operations and also move their offices quite frequently from one place to the other, said the Head of Solution Marketing, Aruba Networks, Manav Khurana to SME Times in an exclusive conversation.
Excerpts of the interview...

Could you tell our readers about your company and how it has been performing?

Manav Khurana: The company was founded in the year late 2002 and in the year 2003 we have shifted to the products and from 2004 till now, we have seen a 50 percent year-on-year growth. The last quarter of 2004, we have seen a growth of USD 95 million. We operate in about 150 countries. We are also a listed company on Nasdaq. We also have 1000 new customers.      

What kind of services are you providing to the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs)?
Manav Khurana: Our key innovations were to fingerprint who the network users are and then secure those users, protect and make them capable to get the access. The first application of that innovation was Wi-Fi. Going back in the year 2004, we got access to the Wi-Fi products that has been given to the small and medium and to the large enterprises. This (Wi-Fi network) has been given to the schools and institutions as they need the most secured Wi-Fi access and connections.  About two years ago, we have tried to expand our portfolio not only to provide massive access to Wi-Fi but also tried to provide remote access( branch office and home office access). We have already opened a whole mix of product applications and also getting in the mobile virtual enterprising.

What is mobile virtual enterprising?
Manav Khurana: A mobile virtual enterprise is a business that primarily uses desktops to laptops, and tablets or smart phones. The virtual aspect of this enterprise is that not everybody is an employee. They work closely with contractors, they work closely with partners, suppliers and customers. So, when we talk about the mobile virtual part in the 90 percent perspectives, it is actually a very daunting scenario. A network for any kind of business was designed to connect a desktop that the company bought for their employee sitting at the desk and connect that to their servers for applications. Now that the devices have changed and the applications are in hand and not in the local server, people who are accessing that networks are the contractors and suppliers as well as everybody else. We believe that the network is there But the network which is there, is no longer sufficient to the need of the mobile virtual enterprise.

How does it benefit the users?
Manav Khurana: From our perspectives we look at it in two categories. There is a category where the business has access to 100 employees or up to 1000 employees. There is also a category of operations of the large company and some operate autonomously. It may be that it is a global company or may be a large enterprise, but their Indian operations are small and autonomous. We will categorized them as a part of our target as well. Similarly, school individually is a small and medium enterprise (SME). The schools may together can create a large enterprise but individually they have small and medium term outfit. In that case, our knowledge helps the IT department to take those companies, which are not IT experts to really simplify the set-up of their network inside the office. It is very fast to set up even.

Second, SMEs tend to move around quite a bit. They scrawl operations, they move offices and for them buying infrastructure is an unnecessary expense. They like to invest in their business rather than in the infrastructure.

Are the products you manufacture customer- friendly?
Manav Khurana: Wi-Fi is very unique and costs one-tenth of the wire connections. It is cheaper indeed. So if you have to say like in a business where 50 people are working in the office then the costs of providing a Wi-Fi connection as compared to the the wire connection actually has a ten times difference. Wi-Fi is shared, there is no cable wire connections. Many SMEs have gone for all wireless offices. This helps them to cut the costs of the infrastructure. However, in manufacturing sector the usage of Wi-Fi is immense especially in the auto ancillaries. Most SMEs do not have IT Budget. And, for setting up an IT network that also Wi-Fi network is quite cheap and profitable.

There is one undeniable trend in the market that is the computing device choice has evolved from desktops to laptops and from smart-phones to tablets. So many tablets have been sold in the last nine months in India and worldwide. The market is coming to Aruba Networks. There is really no option to connect i-pod. I would venture to say that half of the computer of Samsung, and also all the various big device manufacturers have created the need for accompanying Wi-Fi connections. And, we have a specialization in Wi-Fi for the last 8 years. We have the fastest and the most secured offering for Wi-Fi network. Aruba Wi-Fi connections can provide 15 channels of concurrent high definition medium in contrast any other medium. The Aruba Wi-Fi network is so simple to install that it can be done without the help of  technical person utilized for setting it up.

Which are the markets you have been concentrating for promoting the Wi-Fi networks?
Manav Khurana: Generally, there is a common word called BRIC- Brazil, Russia, India and China. These are the places where the GDP is growing significantly. Any global company tends now to focus on these markets. On top of that we have an emotional connections with India. We have a big R&D center in India which is based at Bangalore. We have a support center based in Chennai. A large segment of the company is extensively located here. Every product, some or the other that we manufacture goes through our office in India. From he highest-end products to our lowest-end products as well as the security management and the R&D activities are done in India.

 
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