Trend Micro ventures into India
INDIA (ZDNetIndia) - Though the company had initially planned to start a sales and marketing office here, given the proper market conditions, it will also set up a research and development center in the country.
Unlike Symantec and NAI, Trend Micro positions itself as the Internet Virus Wall, being the first to develop and market a range of Internet Security products and services. Trend Micro's breakthrough "Internet Virus Wall" technology stops viruses at the Internet gateway, keeping viruses out of companies before they have a chance to execute. In addition, it also offers a multi-platform, remotely managed Internet Virus Wall solution.
The US$12.5 billion company started the Indian operations through a range of partnerships and distributors, but deemed this to be the perfect time to float its own sales and marketing office in the country.
Listed both on the Nasdaq and Tokyo Stock Exchange, Trend Micro was operating in India through partnerships with five companies, namely HCL Comnet, ACPL Systems, Ramco Systems, Microland Limited and Sonata Software. The number of channel distributors and the partnerships in the country will increase once Trend Micro sets up shop here in India, the source said.
A source in the company said, "We are expecting a boom from the Indian market." Revenues from India grew by about 300 percent in one year's time from its inception in 1999. "With India becoming the fastest growing region in the PC and Internet usage sector, we expect the Indian market to grow by about 200 to 300 percent annually."
Given that, the company also plans to set up a support center in the country within six months time of setting up office in the country. Globally, the company has four research and development centers in USA, Taiwan, Japan and Germany, with a global 24-hour support center in the Philippines.
"We will be targeting the small and medium enterprises as well as the big Indian MNCs here." The company already has big corporates like Wipro, Infosys, ICICI, Eureka Forbes, Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited as clients. "We intend to have around 100 big clients in India within an year."
The company is also in the process of refocusing its business in the broadband and wireless section. Though wireless is currently not a sizeable market, Trend Micro is considering this to be the most lucrative business of the future. In anticipation, the company has already set up an engineering team lead by chief technology officer Eva Chen. "We are in the experimental stage right now, and will come up with the products at the opportune time."