Microsoft appoints SDs to address SMB segment

As part of its commitment to offer SMBs better access to IT solutions,
Microsoft India announced the expansion of its distributor network. A new
sub-distributor network has been created to support the existing distribution
model. This 40 member strong network will function across 33 cities in India.
Operating on a hub and spoke model, it has the capacity to support over 1,800
3,500 additional business partners. Through this, Microsoft also hopes to
further expand its SMB partner community in India.

The four million SMBs in India represent 99 percent of businesses and are
responsible for generating 50 percent of the GDP in the country. A significant
percentage of these SMBs are concentrated in upcountry India and they represent
over 60 percent of domestic technology sales, with demand doubling in less than
a decade, and growing steadily, even in these times of recessionary influence.
Microsoft believes that a large part of this ready market is under-serviced and
has therefore taken several comprehen-sive steps to address this. Microsoft is
now present in 16 cities across the country through which it reaches out to over
200 cities. The sub-distributor level will further strengthen the access of
Microsoft solutions for the network of Microsoft partners which in turn will
percolate to the SMBs.

Navdeep Singh, CEO, Tod Adven a Microsoft partner is in agreement and opined
on the announcement, “I think this is just the time for Microsoft to reach out
to us better by increasing setting up sub-distributors. It helps us to work
better with the credit available at our end and helps us to set-up and maintain
a healthy chain of business in these challenging times.”

Ajay Mittal, CEO, HBS Systems, another Microsoft partner added, “The
sub-distributor network will help galvanize our engagement with our customers
further.”