'DIAFA products are order of the day'

What is the potential of the Indian SMB sector and how different
is it from other markets?

The performance of the Indian SMB sector is vital for the growth of the
country's economy and for HP as well. We believe that Indian SMB sector is
very vibrant. A recent IDC study mentions that Indian SMBs will be investing $16
bn into IT by 2008. By way of market dynamics, India is very similar to other
large Asian countries such as China. And, while price has been playing an
important role in the SMB customer's purchase decision, companies have started
realizing the importance of TCO. In fact, the change in customers mindset has
come about mainly because today's customers are much more conscious of
securing long-term and differentiated value from their IT investment, rather
than just focus on price.

How would you differentiate the Indian SMB market in terms of
products sensitivity?

Indian customers are looking for products and services that meet the
specific demands of their market. Today, DIAFA or designed in Asia for Asia
products are the order of the day. These are actually custom-designed products
that are built specifically for the rigorous and more demanding Asian markets.
This also ensures that the TCO delivered to the customer in this market is
unsurpassed.

With the Indian SMB segment gaining traction, what is HP doing
to counter competition?

Our key strengths include our wide product range, nationwide reach through
quality partners and wide availability of support. Keeping in mind that business
is very personal for SMBs and in order to meet their extensive demands, we have
the broadest portfolio of products and end-to-end solutions to help SMB take
care of their business. In addition, to improve the way the Indian SMB clients
experience technology, we have also launched HP Total Care, that offers
forward-thinking businesses innovative, practical and personal solutions to help
their business become more competitive. Moreover, our network of reliable and
well-trained partners provide SMBs across the whole of India — and not just in
key cities — efficient and effective support that enables them to focus on
their business.

Stuti Das

stutid@cybermedia.co.in