After tasting success in the SOHO segment and the renewed triumph in the single-user packs, anti-virus major, Eset is on the hunt for tapping the enterprise segment in 2013 planning to emerge as one of the top 5 anti-virus players in India in CY 2013.

"We have 6% market share in terms of user base in India and primarily we have been focussing over the SOHO segment. Now, it is time that we venture into the enterprise front where profitability is higher and efforts can really pay well in this segment", said Pankaj Jain, director, ESS Distribution on the sidelines of the ISODA Tech Summit 2013.

However, the company is not planning to undertake any drastic innovation in its channels tiers and is not in the mood to disturb the existing hierarchy.

"In our channel plans, we would like to maintain the existing structure as this is sufficing to our needs and the revised plan doesn't need any big changes in the channels", Jain added.

Under its existing structure, Eset has classified partners based on verticals. For the paper licenses, Eset has a 4 tier structure in place right from its distributors to retailers. On the other hand, for the retail unit, Eset is directly catering to the retail partners with logistics and support as the need arises.

During Q4 2012, ESET appointed new Regional Distributors in three zones: Link Telecom for East India, RS Computer Enterprises for South and Param Systems for Uttar Pradesh. Currently ESET India has more than 200 active direct partners promoting Eset products across the country.

The company is also about to launch an updated version of the Nod 32 security taking it to version 6 in March 2013 and will be coming up with new schemes in the same month.

"Our paper license (corporate) partners can work with ESS Distribution directly and can supply and support in all India, though leads are assigned based on branches (West, North, East, South), the existence of ESET certified managers at the partners' side and overall performance", Jain said.

"In Retail market the scenario is different. We have Regional Distributors, right now five of them, from which all other level of retail partners can purchase the stocks. Purchase from other regions are not allowed, so no partner from South can pick up the stock from Northern or Western distributor or reseller - this is the fair practice of most of the vendors in the market", he added.

With its plans for increasing its enterprise base and thereby maximise its sale of paper licenses, Eset is likely to rope in new channels in the tier 2 and 3 segments but the process will begin from the end of February.

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