'Distributors and SIs play an important role in standardizing a product'

Can you give us an overview of Wonderware's operations?

Wonderware, the software arm of Invensys, is a supplier of industrial
automation and information software. The company introduced InTouch software,
the first human-machine interface (HMI) based on the Microsoft Windows operating
system in 1989. Our product line includes the IndustrialSQL Server, a real-time
plant historian, SuiteVoyager an industrial portal software, ActiveFactory
reporting and analysis clients, DT Analyst asset monitoring and OEE software,
InTrack resource tracking software, and InBatch production management software.
Wonderware has approximately 3,25,000 software licenses in approximately
1,00,000 plants worldwide, which is about 30% of the world's 3,35,000 plants.

What is your channel model?

We mostly deal through third party distributors. We have very strong
powerful software distributors such as KLG who have a large footprint.
The implementation is done by our third party system integrators (SIs),
which are either engaged by distributors or the customer. We have around 60
distributors and 140 offices around the world. We also have a network of 3,500
system integrators.

With the emerging concept of global supply chain, irrespective of where the
plant is, the company's are standardizing so much that the product can be
shipped anywhere in the world as long as it makes business sense. When they
decide to standardize on a product or technology or framework, they do it
consistently all across the world and that is where the distributors and SIs
play a more important role.

How do you plan to grow your India footprint?

As part of our growth plan, we are trying to scale up non-enterprise roll
out of solutions to become an enterprise. So companies who have bought these
solutions from us and are running them as islands in various plants, we want to
go back to them and give them an enterprise solution.

Pragati Simlote

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