The security scenario is experiencing a sea change. The market every day is getting flooded with newer security updates from top vendors to meet fresher IT security challenges. In an exclusive interview to Mouseworld Now, Anil Gupta, AVP – India Sales at eScan, reveals his business priorities, plans, channel strategy and much more. Here are the edited excerpts…
Q. The journey of eScan has been phenomenal. What’s your current pace of growth?
Ans. Today, eScan is amongst one of the top anti-virus bands not just in India but across the globe. As a brand, we always have ensured to provide users the best AV product, with the best ROI as compared to any other AV product available in the markets above all, at the most competitive price. Having said that, today eScan i s one of the most trusted and preferred security solutions amongst IT users across the globe.
We have our presence across the globe with a wide network of channel partners representing eScan and the number of partners associating with eScan is constantly increasing.
2. Where do you want eScan to reach in the next 5 years?
Ans. Until last year, our focus was towards creating awareness amongst our channels in India. Now having achieved more than 95% awareness amongst channels, we have made a strategic change in our focus towards end-customer awareness.
3. What is unique about eScan security products vis-à-vis similar products from competition?
Ans. Amidst innumerable players in the IT security solution market, eScan has gained preference for itself amongst IT users across the globe for various reasons. eScan has an independent and most advanced R & D center wherein malware threats are studied and analyzed on a regular basis and further research is being done to completely avoid any kind of breaches. eScan’s innovative and futuristic technologies makes it c apable of identifying the threats before-hand. As we are an IT security solution vendor, we always ensure to remain at the cutting edge of solutions through our constant innovations and therefore, we constantly work on enhancing our products to ensure that eScan fulfills the changing security needs of our IT users from various segments and verticals across the globe.
eScan range of products provide multi-layered and real -time protection to computers and networks, thus ensuring safe computing environment to our customers. eScan’s latest version of Security Solutions with Cloud Security have been receiving lot of applauses from its customers. These products are even receiving constant appreciations and awards from the prestigious laboratories of security industry, notable among them being AV Comparatives, Virus Bulletin and ICSA.
With eScan’s global presence and preference, we ensure that language is not the barrier for our customers when it comes to protection from cyber threats. Hence, eScan is available in more than 20 languages worldwide, while we are working on other languages as well.
Also, as we realize that not every user is tech-savvy, we provide 24×7 Technical Support Services to our customers by experts. Our Remote Support Facility has become a major product differentiator leading to improved customer satisfaction and retention.
Q. What is the total size of Indian security market now? How much is your current market share in
the space where you operate?
Ans. Indian security market is constantly growing. As per Gartner Inc., the IT spending in India is expected to reach $71.3 billion in 2014, a 5.9 per cent increase over 2013. IT services is expected to record the strongest revenue growth at 12.1 per cent, while software revenue will grow 10 per cent and the telecommunication services segment that accounts for 42.1 per cent of the Indian I CT market is expected to grow by two per cent in 2014. Moreover, the IT market in India is the third—largest amongst the emerging economies and the fourth—largest amongst the developing and mature Asia/Pacific countries. Gartner also predicts that IT services in India will record the fastest growth amongst the various segments, and it is projected to grow 13 per cent to reach $11.2 billion in 2014, while software will account for $4.1 billion in revenue.
In addition, IT is increasingly becoming the backbone of every business and even the number of IT users is increasing. The time spent by them on internet by these IT users is also increasing. With this, cybercrime is also increasing rapidly, thus leading to the increasing demand of IT security solutions.
Hence, anti- virus market in India is only expanding.
Q. As a leading player in the security space, what are current trends observed by you in the Indian security market?
Ans. As mentioned earlier, todayIT has become a pivotal part of IT users in their day-to-day lifestyle and backbone for any business. This has led to increasing cyber threats targeting IT users belonging to various segments and verticals. Hence, IT security is now increasingly becoming a serious issue.
Currently, mobile computing, virtualization, Cloud Services, BYOD and social networking are the emerging IT trends. Hence, the demand of security solutions that ensures comprehensive protection from evolving cyber threats, as well as provides efficient security management in a cost-effective way, is increasing.
Q. These days, cyber attackers are adopting newer methods of phishing and malware attacks.
What newer cyber threats do you foresee in the coming days?
We consider Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs) as the worst kinds of cyber threats for IT users from all verticals and segments as they are majorly initiated by someone who is interested in steali ng the confidential information.
Smartphones have become the next big thing in both communication and entertainment. This has essentially turned them into a fundamental objective for cybercriminals, who have started to target these devices at a much larger scale.
Moreover, fake antivirus scam, malware that spread using social networks, e-mail attachments and spam mails will continue to create havoc in cyber security landscape. In 2014, we will continue witnessing the use of stolen certificates where signed components taken from either the Windows OS-3-or third party vendors will be used in order to conceal and load specific malware.
With the starting of April 2014, Microsoft will stop providing patches for Windows XP and Office 2003. As of last year, approximately 32% of all PCs still run Windows XP. So the abandonment of providing support and patches, this is a serious concern. There are also a number of vulnerabilities that are backward compatible; thus making un-patched Windows XP users a target of choice for hackers. The risks are high for those failing to upgrade.
Q. How can eScan products help to face these attacks?
Ans. At eScan, in order to ensure that our customers enjoy secured computing environment, we make sure that eScan range of security solutions are as per their changing IT security needs. eScan comprises of innovative and futuristic technologies that provide multi-layered protection to computers and networks. The latest version of eScan, version 14 is not only very light on system resources, comes with an extremely user-friendly GUI but also provides unmatchable real-time protection and is highly optimized to increase performance of the digital device. The cloud -based eScan Security Network ensures protection from latest and unknown threats.
eScan range of Security Solutions with Cloud Security for home users includes Secure Delete facility that helps users to permanently delete files and folders without the fear of having their files retrieved by the use of third-party applications, thus preventing misuse of personal information.
While with USB Vaccination, eScan will prevent USB devices from becoming a source of infection. In addition, eScan Rescue Mode will now allow user to boot into a secure environment during system startup without using any optical or USB media. Bestowed with unique features such as advanced reporting functionality, Simple License Activation Wizard, Safe Mode Protection, Advanced Parental Control, File Reputation Checks using Cloud, the new improved eScan ensures a secured digital life to its users.
eScan’s SMB and Corporate Security Solutions with Cloud Security comprises of eScan Management console that facilitates administrators to view security status as well as configure policies and tasks on all network computers.
eScan even helps lower total cost of ownership by reducing administrative management overhead as well as the costs associated with managing multiple endpoint security products. It provides simplified endpoint security administration and provides operational efficiencies. Power packed with advanced and futuristic technologies, eScan offers advanced IT management through comprehensive Asset Management, managing print activity and customized real -time reporting modules.
Q. What constitutes your key market strategy in India?
Ans. eScan range of security solutions are tailor-made as per the needs of IT users from various segments and verticals. eScan range of security solutions are not only feature rich but also user friendly and are available for Windows, Android, Macintosh and Linux operating systems. This has made eScan the most preferred brand amongst the IT users.
On the other hand, eScan being a channel centric brand, we have designed a special channel partner program that accelerates growth, offers marketing support and includes great sales incentives, all with increased profit for the geared eScan partners. eScan licenses are also available in the Electronic Software Distribution (ESD) format for our partners. This enables them to deliver eScan products to their customers 24×7 for any number of users, thus enhancing the reach of eScan as well as margin for our channel partners.
Moreover, being a security solution vendor, we believe in educating our customers and also keeping them updated about the latest happenings in the cyber security landscape. We even provide them tips and tricks that will help them stay safe from evolving cyber threats. We strategically organize various road shows and IT security awareness campaigns, virus check-up camps and other such -4-interactive sessions to impart necessary knowledge about IT security to them. eScan is also active on all major social networking platforms wherein we closely interact with our customers.
In addition to this, to enhance eScan’s market penetration, we have strategic associations with OEMS, SIs, ISPs, distributors, etc.
Q. How many channel partners you have? In which zone in India, you have the strongest channel
presence?
Ans. Currently, we have 8500+ loyal partners in our network.
Q. Do you plan any major channel expansion in near future?
Ans. Being a channel centric brand, channel expansion is for us is an ongoing process.
Q. Any major channel program or other promotional campaign being run by you?
Ans. As mentioned earlier that eScan is a channel centric brand. Hence, we have a specially designed channel partner program that ensures pre-sales and post-sales support to our partners in addition to sales, marketing and technical support.
We even regularly arrange technical training meets especially for our partners to strengthen their knowledge about eScan range of products for businesses. This helps them to better understand the needs of our customers and then offer them the right eScan product accordingly. In addition, we regularly come up with various specially designed periodic channel incentive schemes to enhance the profit margins of our channel partners.
Q. Your message to channel community…
Ans. As we always say to our channel partners that, ‘eScan is for them, eScan is with them and eScan is because of them.’