Alladin to upgrade security software distribution

Mumbai-based Alladin Multimedia is now looking at adding more security and

utilities vendors to its product portfolio.

Symantec acquired PC Tools, which sells PC utilities software designed to

boost the security and privacy of Windows-based computers, in Aug 2008. At that

time, Symantec had stated that the Australian entity would continue to offer

products under the PC Tools brand and will maintain separate opera­tions within

Symantec's consumer business unit and serve customers through its existing

channel.

“Till date we have been assured that the status quo will remain as it is now

and we will be the distributors for PC Tools in the country. But we want to

ensure that we have more brands for anti-virus and utilities with us, so that in

case there is a change in their distribution model in the future, we will be

able to gear up for it better,” said Zakir Hussain, Director, Aladdin

Multimedia.

Traditionally, Symantec sells its products through its national distributors

like Ingram Micro and Redington India in India. Hussain expects that Symantec

might announce its distribution plans for


PC Tools in August 2009, which is when the company announced upgrades and new

versions to its software.

When contacted, the PR agency for Symantec informed that the strategies for

PC Tools in India were currently being debated internally and no decisions had

been taken yet.

Last year, Alladin was appointed as the exclusive distributor for the brand.

“Since then we have been increasing the brand's reach by phases. In the first

phase we made it available in all large format retail outlets like Croma, Next,

Staples, Vijay Sales etc. In the next phase we appointed around 10 regional

distributors and are now working with them to have sub-distributors below them,”

informed Rajeev Warrier, MD, Aladdin Multimedia. The company has been promoting

the value for money proposition that PC Tools offers to retail customers with a

three user pack available for Rs 500.

While waiting to get an official word if the distribution model will change,

Aladdin has already started negotiating with four different security and

utilities vendors who are planning to enter the Indian market. “There is a huge

market for utilities in India, but hardly any off the shelf products available.

This is the vacuum we are trying to fill,” he added.