Microsoft enhances focus on upcountry markets

Microsoft plans to tap more SME customers in the B- and C-class cities
through its channels. According to Ananth Lazarus, Director (Channels),
Microsoft Corporation India, "We are going to increase our focus in the
upcountry market and presently we are sorting out which cities should be covered
in the AMJ quarter."

Microsoft plans to cater to 16 cities with training sessions for partners and
seminars for end-users. "We are very upbeat about this and we hope that
this initiative would help both the partners and the customers," Lazarus
added.

Microsoft launched SPS 2003 designed for the SMEs in Dece-mber last year and
the company has seen this software has being very well accepted by the small and
medium businesses in the country. According to the company, this software
ensures more productivity in lesser time frame for SMEs.

Microsoft is also presently taking feedbacks from the partners as to what are
the things that the company is lacking in and then trying to work on the weak
links. "I have already covered Delhi, Bangalore and Mumbai and have sat
with partners where they gave us feedback as to what they think we should be
doing more. Next month I will cover three more cities viz, Kolkata, Hyderabad
and Chennai and do the same," Lazarus said.

This move he feels will enable the company to have close relations with the
partners and thus would help them enhance more productivity of the company.

Atanu Das

New Delhi (CyberMedia News)